Читать книгу The Discovery of Witchcraft. Facts, Fiction & Conspiracy Theories Behind the Medieval Witch Hunt онлайн

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I am also well assured, that if all the old women in the world were witches; and all the priests, conjurers: we should not have a drop of raine, nor a blast of wind the more or the lesse for them. For ^l the ⁵⁷ Lord hath bound the waters in the clouds, and hath set bounds about the waters, untill the daie and night come to an end: yea it is God that raiseth the winds and stilleth them: and he saith to the raine and snowe; Be upon the earth, and it falleth. The ^m wind⁵⁸ of the Lord, and not the wind of witches, shall destroie the treasures of their plesant vessels, and drie up the fountaines; saith Oseas. Let us also learne and confesse with the Prophet David, that we^{n 59} our selves are the causes of our afflictions; and not exclaime upon witches, when we should call upon God for mercie.

The Imperiall lawe (saith Brentius)⁶⁰ condemneth them to death that trouble and infect the aire: but I affirme (saith he) that it is neither in the power of witch not divell so to doo, but in God onelie. Though (besides Bodin, and all the popish writers in generall) it please Danæus, Hyperius, Hemingius, Erastus, &c. to conclude otherwise. The clouds^{o 61} are called the pillers of Gods tents, Gods chariots, and his pavillions. And if it be so, what witch or divell can make maisteries therof? S. Augustine saith, ⁶² Non est putandum istis transgressoribus angelis servire hanc rerum visibilium materiem, sed soli Deo: We must not thinke that these visible things are at the commandement of the angels that fell, but are obedient to the onelie God.