A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so far forth as it is…A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so farre forth as it is…

Touching the manner of his practise. He stands resolved, that the world hath taken notice of him to be^f a liar, and the father thereof: and therefore if he should offer to speak in his o•ne language, or inform an Art by Rules of his own devising; he might haply incur suspicion of falsehood. Hereupon he composeth his courses [Greek or Hebrew], by way of counterfeit and imitation, not of the actions and dealings of men, but of the order of Gods own proceeding with his Church; holding it a sure principle in policy, That actions will be much more effectual, when they be framed unto the best presidents, then when they are suited to the direction of meaner examples. To this purpose, as God hath made a Covenant with his Church, binding himself by promise to be their God, and requiring of them the condition of faith and obedience; so doth Satan indent with his Subjects by mutual confederacy, either solemnly or secretly; whereby they bind themselves on the one part to observe his Rules, and he on the other to accomplish their desires. Again, God gives his Word, the Interpreter of his will, and his Sacraments, the •eales of his promises, to which being rightly administered and received, he hath tied his own presence, and the work of his grace in them that believe. Answerably to this, the Devil gives a word of direction to his Instruments, ⟨image 4⟩and addeth unto it, Charms, Figures, Characters, and other outward Ceremonies, at the use whereof he hath bound himself to be present, and to manifest his power in effecting the thing desired. Furthermore, God hath revealed his will to the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, by familiar^a conference, by^b dreams, by^c inspiration, by^d Trances: In the same manner, Satan hath his Diviners, and Soothsayers, his Pythonisses, his Cassandra•s, his Sibyls, to whom he maketh known things to come, by familiar presence, by dreams, &c. To conclude, God had in the Old Testament his Temple at Jerusalem, yea his