A09402:86
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…
A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so far forth as it is revealed in the Scriptures, and manifest by true experience. Framed and delivered by M. William Perkins, in his ordinary course of preaching, and now published by Tho. Pickering Bachelor of Divinity, and minister of Finchingfield in Essex. Whereunto is adjoined a twofold table; one of the order and heads of the treatise; another of the texts of Scripture explained, or vindicated from the corrupt interpretation of the adversary.A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so farre forth as it is reuealed in the Scriptures, and manifest by true experience. Framed and deliuered by M. William Perkins, in his ordinarie course of preaching, and now published by Tho. Pickering Batchelour of Diuinitie, and minister of Finchingfield in Essex. Whereunto is adioyned a twofold table; one of the order and heades of the treatise; another of the texts of Scripture explaned, or vindicated from the corrupt interpretation of the aduersarie.
Cambridge: printed by Cantrell Legge, 1610Cambridge: printed by Cantrel Legge, 1610
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First▪ we read in the history of Job,1 that Satan brought down fire from heaven, which burnt up Jobs sheep and servants; and caused a mighty wind to blow down the house upon his children,2 as they were feasting, to destroy them. Again, he smote the body of Job with botches and boils. All these were true & real works, very strange & admirable, and yet no miracles, because they exceeded not the compass of nature. ⟨p. 29⟩For first, when he cast down the fire from heaven, he did not create the fire of nothing, for that is a work proper to God alone, but applied creature to creature, and therefore produced such a matter as was fit to make fire of. If it be demanded, how he is able to do this? we must remember, that his knowledge in natural causes is great, and therefore he was not ignorant of the material cause of fire, which being throughly known and found out, Satan brought fire unto it, and so putting fire to the matter of fire, he brought it down by his power and agility from heaven, upon the cattle and servants of Job. Again, the wind which blew down the house, where his sons and daughters were eating and drinking, was not created by the devil, but he knowing well the matter whereof winds are generated naturally, added matter to matter, and thence came the wind; whereunto he joins himself, being a spirit of a swift and speedy nature, and so makes it, for his own purpose, the more violent and forcible. ⟨p. 30⟩Thirdly, he smote Jobs body with sore boils, from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot. Now this may seem strange, that he should have such power over mans body, as to cause such diseases to breed in it. Therefore we are further to understand, that his knowledge extendeth it self to the whole frame and disposition of mans body, whereby it comes to pass, that the causes of all diseases are well known unto him, and he is not ignorant ho•e the humours in the body may be putrefied, and what corrupt humours will breed such and such diseases, and by what means the air it self may be infected: hereupon preparing his matter, and applying cause to cause, he practised upon the body of Job, and filled him with grievous sores.