------------·---· ---~--~----'~~-·-·· --~-·-- ·6o'j A DIS ·COVRS·E OF IVITC HC'l\AFT. Ex on. 2.2. 18. ,. Thou /halt not fuffer aWitch to /it(e. ~~rT•• """"""''"'of A I. What Witchcraft is, the !udiciall.Lawes of Mofos ll. What isrhe ground of the whole pea; touching the puni01mcnt of dife thereof. Wi'tchc!!afr:which a1·gumcnt In. How many kinds and diffcreneos there I hatie chofcn to cnrrcau~.of, beofit. for tbefe caufcs: Fir!l,becaufeWitchcraft is Cfl AP. 'I. I a rife and common finne in rhefe eur daics,and 0/ t.he"$\(jture of very many ate inraugled with it, bccing_either .)>ratlitioncrs,thereof in their_ownc pcrlons,or t Witchcraft. ,1 at the Jcalt ; '}'.tdding to fcekc for hclpe and TO begin wit~the fir(t: According to the ·counfell'of,fuch as pra6tife it, · 1\gaine,d)ere be fundde men who recciue it true meaning of all the places of holy 1 for a truth,tbat \i\Titchcraft is nothing clfcbut a S.cr-ipiure whkh ueat of this point, it may be meerc~illulio'n.,andWitches nOthingbut pertlu>s defcribed : fonl dcludep by.the deuill : and ~his opinion Witchcraft is awicked Art, fcruing for the " takel place not onely \Vtih<~e ignorant, but is B working of wonders, by the a!li!lance of the " holdcn•and ·maintained hy fuch as arc learned, Oeuill,fofarcc furch as GodlhalJ.in~u!liceper- " \.\'ha doe auouch.it byWord and writing, that mn., t,llere i)c nb Witches, butas I faid before. Sell.l V:ponlthefe and fuch like confidcracions, I haue beene rnooucd to vndcrcakc the Inter- ..,_I fJy it is an ..Arte, becaufe it is commonly 'i piera:;xn of tlliS!udicialltlaw·;~< a fuf!icicnr tOC:llled andefte.emcd amongfi men, and there gcau of the do6trinc which !hall be dcliucis rcafon why it fhould bee thus tcanncd. Fot I red. In handling whereof, two things are dias in all good andlawfullarrs, the wholepra• l ltirioHy:ti>heco,.fidcrcd·;. The fir!t what isa Clifc thereofts pcrfom1edbycenainc rules and I WJrch: :.:.Fhd fccond, V( hat is her due.and deprecepts, and ~ithout.thcm nothing can bee I fwJcd p~nilhmcnt. Arrd o6ch ch.efc bccing odone: fa WitcHcraft hath cerrainc fupcrfiitious ! pcned :ma·h3ndlcd, the w.hdlcmeaningof the _grounds and principles""herupon ir ~andctb, Jawwilhh:&tbetterappcarc.....:. j .1 . r. and by which alone the feats & praClilcs thereFor ohe firJt To giue tlie twedefcription of c of arc commonly performed. <l'Witch, is;amatter ofgrcacdifficultic,becaufo !fit be demaunded,what thefnules be, and th~rdQctmany differc.ntcs ah:d diuedi.tics of owhence they had their beginning, confidering pi:flions tou-ching thhip'oim:and~thercforc that tlut cucry Art h:tth reference to fome author, wem:~Y'pr,epCrly ,a·nd ~ruty define a '"'itch,we by V~. home it was originally taught and dcliue~ O'lllfl- firLVp'aufc awbildn~ opcnif!g~thc l)aturc red? I anfwcr, that they were dc•ifcd fir!l by ofWitchcraft, fO farrcfottth..as k is deiiuered Satan, & by him rcuealcd to wicked & vngodIn thehookes ofthc Old::ind NcwTdlamcnt, ly pcrfonsof aunciC'nt.timc as occa!ion ferucd: and may be gathrcd out ofthe true n"f'eriencc .who rccciuing rhcm from him , became :~ftcroflcarnec\'nn8 godly mcn. :t · · .- ward in the iufl iudgemcm ofGod, his infiruTouchii1g_ VVitchcraf~ therefore I will conmems w r.cport & cm~ucy them to others from 'fldcr.~points. : hand to hand. LYII l For
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