The sixt Chapter. 347.
How the divell preached good doctrine in the shape of a preest, how he was discovered, and that it is a shame (after confutation of the greater witchcrafts) for anie man to give credit to the lesser points thereof.
O N a time the divell went up into a pulpit, and there made a verie catholike sermon: but a holie preest comming to the good speed, by his holinesse perceived that it was the divell. So he gave good eare unto him, but could find no fault with his doctrine. And therefore so soone as the sermon was doone,He should rather have asked who gave him orders and licence to preach. he called the divell unto him, demanding the cause of his sincere preaching; who answered: Behold I speake the truth, knowing that while men be hearers of the word, and not followers, God is the more offended, and my kingdome the more inlarged. And this was the strangest devise (I thinke) that ever anie divell used: for the apostles themselves could have done no more. Againe, when with all their familiars, their ointments, &c: whereby they ride invisiblie, nor with all their charmes, they can neither conveie themselves from the hands of such as laie wait for them; nor can get out of prison, that otherwise can go in and out at a mouse hole*;[* pp. 91, 222.] nor finallie can save themselves from the gallowes, that can transubstantiate their own and others bodies into flies or fleas, &c: who seeth not, that either they lie, or are beelied in their miracles? When they are said to transfer their neighbors corne into/482. their owne ground, and yet are perpetuall beggers, and cannot inrich themselves, either with monie or otherwise: who is so foolish as to remaine longer in doubt of their supernaturall power? When never any yet from the beginning of the world till this daie, hath openlie shewed any other tricke, conceipt, or cunning point of witchcraft, than legierdemaine or cousenage: who will tarrie any longer for further triall? When both the common law and also the injunctions doo condemne prophesieng, & likewise false miracles, and such as beleeve them in these daies: who will not be afraid to give credit to those knaveries? When heereby they make the divell to be a god that heareth the praiers, and understandeth the minds of men: who will not be ashamed, being a christian, to be so abused by them? When they that doo write most franklie of these matters, except lieng Sprenger & Institor, have never seene any thing heerin; insomuch as the most credible proofe that BodinJohn. Bodin. bringeth of his woonderfull tales of witchcraft, is the report of his host at an alehouse where he baited: who will give further eare unto these incredible fables? When in all the new testament, we are not warned of these bodilie appearances of divels, as we are of his other subtilties, &c: who will be afraid of their bugs? When no such bargaine is mentioned in the scriptures, why should we beleeve so incredible and impossible covenants, being the ground of all witchmongers religion, without the which they have no probabilitie in the rest of their foolish assertions? Yet manie that beare the shew of honest men are verie credulous heerein.When as, if any honest mans conscience be appealed unto, he must confesse he never saw triall of such witch/craft348. or conjuration to take effect, as is now so certeinlie affirmed: what conscience can condemne poore soules that are accused wrongfullie, or beleeve them that take upon them impiouslie to doo or worke those impossible things? When the whole course of the scripture is utterlie repugnant to these impossible opinions, saving a few sentences, which neverthelesse rightlie understood, releeve them nothing at all: who will be seduced by their fond arguments? When as now that men have spied the knaverie of oracles, & such pelfe, and that there is not one oracle in the world remaining: who cannot perceive that all the residue heeretofore of those devises, have beene cousenages, knaveries, and lies? When the power of God is so impudentlie transferred to a base crea/ture,483. what good christian can abide to yeeld unto such miracles wrought by fooles? When the old women accused of witchcraft, are utterlie insensible, and unable to saie for themselves; and much lesse to bring such matters to passe, as they are accused of: who will not lament to see the extremitie used against them? When the foolisher sort of people are alwaies most mistrustfull of hurt by witchcraft, and the simplest and dotingest people mistrusted to doo the hurt: what wise man will not conceive all to be but follie? Witches are cōmonlie verie beggers.When it were an easie matter for the divell, if he can doo as they affirme, to give them great store of monie, and make them rich, and dooth it not; being a thing which would procure him more disciples than any other thing in the world: the wise must needs condemne the divell of follie, and the witches of peevishnesse, that take such paines, and give their soules to the divell to be tormented in hell fier, and their bodies to the hangman to be trussed on the gallowes, for nichels in a bag.