An ordinary fellon, and a murtherer offending a∣gainst the morrall lawe of iustice, * is throtled: a Sor∣cerer, a Witch, (whome a learned Phisitian is not ashamed to auoche innocent, and the Iudges thatĭenounce sentence of death against them no better than hangmen) defying the Lorde God to his face, and trampling the pretious blood of that immacu∣late lambe Iesus Christ most despitfully vnder feete, is stiffled: the one dyeth on the gallowes, and so doth the other: wherein doubtlesse there is a great inequalitie of iustice, considering the inequalitie of the trespasse, which deserueth a death so much the more horrible, by how much the honour of God is eclipsed, and the glorye due to his inuiolable name most abhominably defaced, euen to the vt∣termost villanie that they can put in practise. in whō the meete with a millian of enormities more, as it were in a centre the magistrates of forren landes, noted so precisely, that weighing the qualitie of the cryme, they kept a due analogie and proportion of pu∣nishment, burning them with fire, whome the common lawe of Englande (with more measure of mercie then is to be wished) strangleth with a rope. And why? Because al the imaginatiōs, al the cōsultatiōs, al the conferences, al the experimentes, finally all the attemptes, procee∣dinges and conclusions of Sorcerers, Witches, and the rest of that hellishe liuerie, are meere blasphe∣mers against the person of the most high God and draw so neere to the nature of idolatrie (for they worshippe Sathan, vnto whome they haue sworne allegiaunce) that they are by no meanes to be ex∣empted from the suspition of that most accursed de∣fection, nay rather they are guiltie of apparaunte a∣postasie, which is more heynous (considering the circumstances of their ordinarie actions, then any trespasse against the seconde table, which ouglye sinnes of blasphemie, and grosse, or rather diuelish idolatrie cōcurring in no malefactor so roūdly, as in sorcerers, witches, Inchaūters &. Rygorously sayd I? Why it is too milde and gentle a tearme for such a mer∣cilesse generation: I should rather haue sayd most cruelly executed: for that no punishment can bee thought vpō, be it in neuer so high a degree of tor∣mēt, which may be deemed sufficient for such a di∣uelish e secreete offenders by open transgressors punishments, to withdraw ho∣nest natures from the corruption of euil company, to diminish the great multitude of wicked people, to increase the small number of virtuous persons, and to reforme all the detestable abuses, which the peruerse witte and will of man doth dayly deuise, this doubtlesse is no lesse necessarye then the best, that Sorcerers, Wizzardes, or rather Dizzardes, Witches, Wisewomen (for so they will be named) are rygorously punished.IF THERE HATH BIN at any time (Right Honorable) any meanes vsed, to appea wisheth a prosperous continuaunce in this lyfe to the glory of God, and a dayly preser∣uation in Gods feare to his endlesse ioye. Page Page ¶To the right honourable and his singular good Lorde,
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |