The Discoverie of WitchcraftFolk Magic / White MagicScholarly ReconstructionEarly Modern EnglishShareThe Discoverie of Witchcraft 8.11886 reprint of 1584 edition - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 available1886 reprint of 1584 editionLanguageEnglishEspañol‹The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.1The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.2The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.3The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.4The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.5The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.6The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.7The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.8The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.9The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.1The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.2The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.3The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.4The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.5The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.6The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.7The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.8The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.9The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.10The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.11The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.12The Discoverie of Witchcraft 3.1The Discoverie of Witchcraft 3.2The Discoverie 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Witchcraft 16.28The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.29The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.30The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.31The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.32The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.33The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.34›Book 8, Chapter 1: That miracles are ceasedThe Discoverie of Witchcraft 8.1ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Although in times past, it pleased God, extraordinarilie to shew miracles amongest his people, for the strengthening of their faith in the Messias; and againe at his comming to confirme their faith by his wonderfull dooings, and his speciall graces and gifts bestowed by him upon the apostles, &c: yet we ordinarilie read in the scriptures, that it is the Lord that worketh great wonders. Yea David saith, that among the dead (as in this case of Samuel) God himselfe sheweth no wonders. I find also that God will not give his glorie and power to a creature. Nichodemus being a Pharisie could saie, that no man could do such miracles as Christ did, except God were with him, according to the saieng of the prophet to those gods and idols, which tooke on them the power of God; Doo either good or ill if you can, &c. So as the prophet knew and taught thereby, that none but God could worke miracles. Infinite places for this purpose might be brought out of the scripture, which for brevitie I omit and overslip. 2S. Augustine, among other reasons, whereby he prooveth the ceasing of miracles, saith; Now blind flesh dooth not open the eies of the blind by the miracle of God, but the eies of our hart are opened by the word of God. Now is not our dead carcase raised any more up by miracle, but our dead bodies be still in the grave, and our soules are raised to life by Christ. Now the eares of the deafe are not opened by miracle, but they which had their eares shut before, have them now opened to their salvation. The miraculous healing of the sicke, by annointing, spoken of by S. James, is objected by manie, speciallie by the papists, for the maintenance of their sacrament of extreame unction: which is apishlie and vainelie used in the Romish church, as though that miraculous gift had continuance till this daie: wherein you shall see what Calvine speaketh in his institutions. The grace of healing (saith he) spoken of by S. James, is vanished awaie, as also the other miracles, which the Lord would have shewed onelie for a time, that he might make the new preaching of the gospell mervellous for ever. Why (saith he) doo not these (meaning miraclemongers) appoint some Siloah to swim in, whereinto at certeine ordinarie recourses of times sicke folke maie plunge themselves? 3Why doo they not lie a long upon the dead, bicause Paule raised up a dead child by that meanes? Verelie (saith he) James in the miracle to annoint, spake for that time, whiles the church still enjoied such blessings of God. Item, he saith, that the Lord is present with his in all ages; and so often as need is, he helpeth their sicknesses, no lesse than in old time. But he dooth not so utter his manifest powers, nor distributeth miracles, as by the hands of the apostles, bicause the gift was but for a time. Calvine even there concludeth thus; They saie such vertues or miracles remaine, but experience saith naie. And see how they agree among themselves. Danæus saith, that neither witch nor divell can worke miracles. Giles Alley saith directlie, that witches worke miracles. Calvine saith they are all ceased. All witchmongers saie they continue. But some affirme, that popish miracles are vanished and gone awaie: howbeit witches miracles remaine in full force. So as S. Loy is out of credit for a horsseleach, Maister T. and mother Bungie remaine in estimation for prophets: naie Hobgoblin and Robin goodfellow are contemned among yoong children, and mother Alice and mother Bungie are feared among old fooles. The estimation of these continue, bicause the matter hath not beene called in question: 4the credit of the other decaieth, bicause the matter hath beene looked into. Whereof I saie no more, but that S. Anthonies blisse will helpe your pig, whensoever mother Bungie dooth hurt it with hir cursse. And therefore we are warned by the word of God, in anie wise not to feare their cursses. But let all the witchmongers, and speciallie the miraclemongers in the world answer me to this supposition; Put case that a woman of credit, or else a woman-witch should saie unto them, that she is a true prophet of the Lord, and that he revealeth those secret mysteries unto hir, whereby she detecteth the lewd acts and imaginations of the wicked, and that by him she worketh miracles, and prophesieth, &c: I thinke they must either yeeld, or confesse that miracles are ceased. But such things (saith Cardane) as seeme miraculous, are cheeflie doone by deceipt, legierdemaine, or confederacie; or else they maie be doone, and yet seeme unpossible, or else things are said to be done, and never were nor can be doone. ‹Previous chapterThe Discoverie of Witchcraft 7.16Next chapterThe Discoverie of Witchcraft 8.2›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg