3. Gomsnind. vi on the .Commandementsa 3; two or threegood Auees attd a Creed,grfuck othergood werds,neither Engl'h er Latrine, or any thing rife in ftgni fcation oftentimes? Anfw. I anfwere to this quellion in three degrees. And firft I fay, the queftion is not only whether any good,( as you tearme it ) be done,or may be done by a charrue, but whether it be or may be done lawfully by the fame or no, and you heare the word of God plainely condemning the praaife of it. W herefore with what confcience can we deriue health, or any helpe whatfoeuer, either to our felues or ours by that means that G OD hath fo fearefully threatned vengeance vnto, were we neuer fo lure to obtaine it by the fame?Secondly, what benefice foeuer we reape by fuch forbidden meanes, I dare affure you ( all things confidered ) we get no good, but much harme : For what God will not haue done,God is neuer the author,worker,and caufe of,pro- perly and direly, but health, or any helpe to our felues or others by charming, the Lord will not haue procured, therefore of that health and helpe fo gotten, affuredly the Lord is neither author, worker, nor caufe dire &Iy.If then not the Lord, who but the Deuill ?and if it be he, ( as molt affuredly it is ) then I pray you let vs all, men and women thus reafon with our felues : Is the Deuill our friend or our foe, our welwiller or our enemy ? Surely we cannot be ignorant of st, he is the fworne enemy of man- kinde, the ferpent that in burning malice deceiued vs once and ouerthrewe vs quite, the roaring Lyon that raungeth about without any reft, Rill feeking out whome hee may dcuoure. And will curo he that bath euen fworne the woe of vs all, and feeketh as Peter faith, that is with all diligence and endeauour, with might and'maine, with tooth and nayle (as we fay ) with his candle in his hand light, leall by any meanes we Mould efcape him, applyeth his whole power to deftroy vs and to bring vs to endles calamity, will he I fay euer doe vs any good thinke we but to the end to infer thereby a greaterplague upon vs ? certainely he wit not,for he were not the deutil if he Ihould, and we may be as affured of it, as we are fore that he hath that nameandnature. Then I fay let vs marke. We finde by a charme bodily helpe in our felues or ours. But this would neuer Sathan haue done, vnleffe.he had knowne that the vfing of meanes for- bidden of God, would fling out bodies.and foules to eternall death in the world to come. Then fee Rill I fay and note it Goo6he doth vs in body, that a thoufand times more euill he may workeboth co body and foule in the day of ludgement. Temporali . cafe he is content to bellow vpon vs, that endlelfedtfeafe, mifery and woe, hee may procure veto vs. This is moll true, and now what good doth charming ifall things be confidered ?Shall aChriflian man and woman fo hunt for helpe of body or goods, that they (hall for it Toole body and foule eternally? Shall our health and wealth bee dearer to vs then the Lords commandement ? God forbid, and therefore let vs refs perfwaded, howfoeuer wé thinke fuch vngodly meanes procure vs good, yet in deed all things confidered, it ie no good :For Sathan beingour foe will neuerdoe vs good but to the end to hurt vs more by it, & the breach of Gods Commandement will ring our foules a paging peale from face and fauour ofthe Lord. Lail of all ( which efpeci- ally I thinke you would heare) I denie that by the charme anything at all is done, whatfoeuer the words be. For curry aólion muff haue afit and conuenient meanes ap- plyed unto thepatient to be done by, but bare wotds, Pater nog ers, Auies, & Creedes, chara&ers and figures are no meanes appointed of the Lord to doe any cures by,ey- tlier vpon men or eaten, and therefore 'fatly thing be done, affuredly it is not done by three things as the true and working meanes,but by the Deuill himfelfe,blearing our eyes by theirfhadowcs. And this vaine opinion very Aríflorlecouldmockeand difdaine as abfurd and foolifh,11tniealto, with dicersothers. teli. But how proueyou by S. r pture that b rrewordes beinggoodwsrdes be not forcible to this end ? Anf Surely me thinke befide others, that example in the A&s of the Apoflles proueth ir, where we fee thofe vagabond Pewesthcre fpoken of, vied as good words as might be, but all to no'purpofe, when the Deuill lifted not dif %tnble. And there- fore we may fee -it is not- the charme that can doe any thing by vertue ofthe bare words. And you cannot fay thatvnto.the words come any áaith and good minde of the°
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