"their nails or in glass; for a spirit cannot be enclosed by "a body."

There is also another art besides the aforementioned, which they call theurgia, or white magic; a pretended conference with good spirits or angels, whom by sacrifice and invocation they draw out of heaven, and communicate withal. But the administering spirits of God, as they require not any kind of adoration due unto their Creator; so seeing they are most free spirits, there is no man so absurd to think (except the Devil have corrupted his understanding) that they can be constrained or commanded out of heaven by threats. Wherefore let the professors, thereof cover themselves how they please by a professed purity of life, by the ministry of infants, by fasting and abstinence in general, yet all those that tamper with immaterial substances and abstract natures, either by sacrifice, vow, or enforcement, are men of evil faith, and in the power of Satan. For good spirits or angels cannot be constrained; and the rest are devils, which willingly obey.

Other sorts there are of wicked divinations; as by fire, called pyromantia; by water, called hydromantia; by the air, called matcotechnia, and the like.

The last, and indeed the worst of all other, is fascination or witchcraft; the practisers whereof are no less envious and cruel, revengeful and bloody, than the Devil himself. And these accursed creatures having sold their souls to the Devil, work two ways; either by the Devil immediately, or by the art of poisoning. The difference between necromancers and witches, his majesty hath excellently taught in a word; that the one (in a sort) command, the other obey the Devil.

There is another kind of petty witchery, (if it be not altogether deceit,) which they call charming of beasts and birds, of which m Pythagoras was accused, because an eagle lighted on his shoulder in the Olympian fields. But if the same exceeded the art of falconry, yet was it no more to be admired than Mahomet's dove, which he had used to feed with wheat out of his ear; which dove, when it was hungry,

m Ælian. 1. 6. not. Histor.

lighted on Mahomet's shoulder, and thrust his bill therein to find his breakfast; Mahomet persuading the rude and simple Arabians, that it was the Holy Ghost that gave him advice. And certainly if Banks had lived in elder times, he would have shamed all the enchanters in the world; for whosoever was most famous among them, could never master or instruct any beast as he did his horse.

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For the drawing of serpents out of their dens, or killing of them in their holes by enchantments, (which the Marsians, a people of Italy, practised: n Colubros disrumpit Marsia cantu, “ enchanting Marsia makes the snakes to burst.") That it hath been used, it appears Psalm lviii. 6. though I doubt not but that many impostures may be in this kind, and even by natural causes it may be done. For there are many fumes that will either draw them out or destroy them, as women's hair burnt, and the like. So, many things may be laid in the entrance of their holes that will allure them; and therein I find no other magic or enchantment, than to draw out a mouse with a piece of toasted cheese.

SECT. VII.

Of divers ways by which the Devil seemeth to work his wonders. BUT to the end that we may not dote with the Manichees, who make two powers of Gods; that we do not give to the Devil any other dominion than he hath, (not to speak of his ability, when he is the minister of God's vengeance, as when Egypt, according to David, was destroyed by evil angels,) he otherwise worketh but three ways: the first is, by moving the cogitations and affections of men; the second, by the exquisite knowledge of nature; and the third, by deceit, illusion, and false semblance. And that they cannot work what they would, G. Parisiensis giveth three causes: the first, a natural impotency; the second, their own reason dissuading them from daring over much, or indeed (and that which is the only certain cause) the great mercy of the Creator, Tenens eos ligatos, saith the same author, velut immanissimas belluas. St. Augustine was of opinion, that n Lucil. in Satyr.

• Gul. Paris. de Universo, p. 2. c. 70.

the frogs which Pharaoh's sorcerers produced were not natural, but that the Devil (by betraying of their senses that looked on) made them appear to be such. For as Vairus observeth, those frogs of the enchanters were not found corrupted as those of Moses were, which might argue that they were not creatures indeed. Hereof, saith St. Augustine, Nec sane dæmones naturas creant, sed quæ a Deo creatæ sunt commutant, ut videantur esse quod non sunt ; "The "devils create not any natures, but so change those that are created by God, as they seem to be that which they "be not :" of which in the 83d question he giveth the reason, Dæmon quibusdam nebulis implet omnes meatus intelligentiæ, per quos aperire lumen rationis radius mentis solet; that is, "The Devil fills with certain clouds all passages of the understanding, by which the beam of the "mind is wont to open the light of reason."

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And as Tertullian in his book De Anima rightly conceiveth, if the Devil can possess himself of the eyes of our minds, and blind them, it is not hard for him to dazzle those of the body. For, out of doubt, by the same way that God passeth out, the Devil entereth in, beginning with the phantasy, by which he doth more easily betray the other faculties of the soul; for the P phantasy is most apt to be abused by vain apprehensions.

Aquinas, on the contrary, held that those frogs were not imaginary, but such indeed as they seemed; not made magica artis ludibrio, which indeed agreeth not with the art; but, according to Thomas, per aptam et idoneam agentium et patientium applicationem," by an apt and fit applying "of agents and patients." And this I take to be more probable. For Moses could not be deceived by that sleight of false semblance; and St. Augustine, in another case like unto this, to wit, of the turning of Diomedes's companions into birds, per activa cum passivis, inclineth rather to this opinion; though I am not persuaded that St. Augustine believed that of Diomedes. And this opinion of Thomas, G. Parisiensis, a man very learned, also confirmeth. For P Maxima vis est phantasiæ ad errores.

speaking of natural magic, he useth these words: 9 De hujusmodi autem operibus est subita generatio ranarum, et pediculorum, et vermium, aliorumque animalium quorundam: in quibus omnibus sola natura operatur, verum adhibitis adjutoriis, quæ ipsa semina naturæ confortant et acuunt, ita ut opus generationis tantum accelerent, ut eis qui hoc nesciunt non opus naturæ videatur (quæ tardius talia efficere consuevit) sed potentia dæmonum, &c. to which he addeth: Qui autem in hiis docti sunt talia non mirantur, sed solum Creatorem in hiis glorificant; "In such works," saith he, "the sudden generation of frogs, and lice, and 66 worms, and some other creatures is: in all which nature "alone worketh; but by means strengthening the seeds of "nature, and quickening them; in such wise that they so "hasten the work of generation, that it seemeth to the ig"norant not to be the work of nature, which usually "worketh more leisurely, but they think it is done by the power of devils. But they who are learned in these arts "marvel not at such working, but glorify the Creator." Now by these two ways the devils do most frequently work, to wit, by knowing the uttermost of nature, and by illusion; for there is no incomprehensible or unsearchable power, but of God only.

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For shall we say, he caused sometimes thunders, lightnings, and tempests, and can infect the air, as well as move it or compress it; who knows not that these things are also natural? or may it be objected that he foretelleth things before they happen, which exceedeth nature, and is no illusion? it is true, that he sometimes doth it; but how? in elder ages he stole his knowledge out of the predictions of the prophets; and he foretold the death of Saul, at such time as he was in his own possession and power to dispose of. And he that hath lived from the infancy of the world to this day, and observed the success of every council; he that by reason of his swift motions can inform himself of all places and preparations; he that is of counsel with all those that study and practise subversion and destruction; a De Leg. c. 24. fol. 67.

RALEGH, HIST. WORLD. VOL. I.

D d

The that is prince of the air, and can thence better judge, than those that inhabit the earth; if he should not sometimes, yea if he should not very oftentimes, guess rightly of things to come, (where God pleaseth not to give impediment,) it were very strange. For we see that wise and learned men do oftentimes, by comparing like causes, conceive rightly of like effects, before they happen; and yet where the Devil doubteth, and would willingly keep his credit, he evermore answereth by riddles, as,

Cræsus Halym penetrans magnam subvertit opum vim.
If Croesus over Halys go,

Great kingdoms he shall overthrow.

Which answer may be taken either way; either for the overthrow of his own kingdom or of his enemies. And thus far we grant the Devil may proceed in predictions, which otherwise belong to God only, as it is in Isaiah, Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: shew us at all times and certainly what is to come. $ Solius enim divinæ intelligentiæ ac sapientiæ est occulta nosse et revelare; "It is only proper to God's understand"ing and wisdom to know and reveal hidden things."

SECT. VIII.

That none was ever raised from the dead by the power of the Devil; and that it was not the true Samuel which appeared to Saul.

TO conclude, it may be objected that the Devil hath raised from the dead; and that others by his power have done the like, as in the example given of Samuel raised by the witch of Endor: which were it true, then might it indeed be affirmed that some of the Devil's acts exceed all the powers of nature, false semblance, and other illusions. Justin Martyr was sometimes of the opinion, that it was Samuel indeed, and so was Ambrose, Lyra, and Burgensis;

r Ephes. ii. 2. and vi. 12. Diabolus magnum habet rerum usum : quæ res multum habet momenti in quovis negotio. Aug. de Anima, c. 26, 27. &c.

• Guil. Parisiensis de Legib. c. 24.

t Just. Martyr in Colloq. cum Tryphone in resp. ad Ortho. quæst. 52. Ambr. in Luc. 1. 1. c. 1. Lyra in Reg. 1. Aug. ad Simpl. 1. 2. q. 3. De Civitate Dei, 1. 13. c. 8.