Page:The discouerie of witchcraft (1584) (IA b30337367).djvu/36

2 our neceities.

Such faithlee people (I aie) are alo peruaded, that neither haile nor nowe, thunder nor lightening, raine nor tempetuious winds come from the heauens at the commandement of God: but are raied by the cunning and power of witches and coniurers; inomuch as a clap of thunder, or a gale of wind is no ooner heard, but either they run to ring bels, or crie out to burne witches; or ele burne conecrated things, hoping by the moke thereof, to driue the diuell out of the aire, as though pirits could be fraied awaie with uch externall toies: howbeit, thee are right inchantments, as Brentius affirmeth.

But certainlie, it is neither a witch, nor diuell, but a glorious $a$ God that maketh the thunder. I haue read in the criptures, that God $a$ maketh the blutering tempets and whirlewinds: and I find that it is $b$ the Lord that altogither dealeth with them, and that they $b$ blowe according to his will. But let me ée anie of them all $c$ rebuke and till the ea in time of tempet, as Christ did; or raie the tormie wind, as $c$ God did with his word; and I will beléeue in them. Hath anie witch coniurer, or anie creature entred into the $d$ treaures of the nowe; or éene the ecret places of the haile, which GOD hath prepared againt the daie of trouble, battell, and warre? I for my part alo thinke with Jeus Sirach, that at Gods onelie commandement the nowe falleth; and that the wind bloweth according to his will, who onelie maketh all tormes to ceae; and $d$ who (if we kéepe his ordinances) will end vs raine in due eaon, and make the land to bring forth hir increae, and the trées of the field to giue their fruit.

But little thinke our witchmongers, that the $e$ lord commandeth the clouds aboue, or openeth the doores of heauen, as Dauid affirmeth; or that the Lord goeth forth in the tempets and tormes, as the Prophet $e$ Nahum reporteth: but rather that witches and coniurers are then about their buinee.

The Martonits acknowledged one God the authour of good things, and another the ordeiner of euill: but thee make the diuell a whole god, to create things of nothing, to knowe mens cogitations, and to doo that which God neuer did; as, to tranubtantiate men into beats, &c. Which thing if diuels could doo,