e nit. lib. 3. cap. 7. & 8. they can worke stupend and admirable conclusions; we see the effects only, but not the causes of them. Nothing so familiar as to hear of such cures. Sorcerers are too common; cunning men, wizards, and white-witches, as they call them, in every village, which if they be sought unto, will help almost all infirmities of body and minde, Servatores in Latine, and they have commonly S Catherine's wheel printed in the roof of their mouth, or in some other part about them, resistunt incantatorum præstigiis, (* Boissardus writes) morbos à sagis motos propulsant, &c. that to doubt of it any longer, or not to beleeve, were to run into that other Sceptical extreme of incredulity," saith Taurellus. Leo Suavius in his comment upon Paracelsus seemes to make it an art, which ought to be approved: Pistorius and others stifly maintaine the use of charmes, words, characters, &c. Ars vera est, sed pauci artifices reperiuntur; The art is true, but there be but a few that have skill in it. Marcellius Donatus lib. 2. de hist. mir. cap. 1. proves out of Josephus' eight bookes of antiquities, that "Solomon so cured all the diseases of the minde by spels, charmes, and drove away devils, and that Eleazar did as much before Vespasian." Langius in his med. epist. holds Jupiter Menecrates, that did so many stupend cures in his time, to have used this art, and that he was no other then a Magician. Many famous cures are daily done in this kinde, the devil is an expert Physician, as Godelman calls him, lib. 1. cap. 18. and God permits oftentimes these Witches and Magicians to produce such effects, as Lavater cap. 3. lib. 8. part. 3. cap. 1. Polid. Virg. lib. 1. de prodigiis, Delrio and others adinit. Such cures may be done, and as Paracels. Tom. 4. de morb. ament. stifly maintaines," they cannot otherwise be cured but by spels, seales, and spiritual physick.” h Arnoldus lib. de sigillis, sets down the making of them, so doth Rulandus and many others. Hoc posito, they can effect such cures, the maine question is whether it be lawfull in a desperate case, to crave their help, or aske a Wizard's advice. 'Tis a common practice of some inen to go first to a Witch, and then to a Physician, if one cannot the other shall, Flectere si nequeant superos Acheronta movebunt. "It matters not," saith Paracelsus, "whether it be God or the Devil, Angels, or unclean spirits cure him, so that h Si Cap. 11. de Servat. Hæc alii rident, sed vereor ne dum nolumus esse creduli, vitium non effugiamus incredulitatis. f Refert Solomonem mentis morbos curasse, et dæmones abegisse ipsos carminibus, quod et coram Vespasiano fecit Eleazar. & Spirituales morbi spiritualiter curari debent. gillum ex auro peculiari ad Melancholiam, &c. i Lib. 1. de occult. Philos. nihil refert an Deus an diabolus, angeli an immundi spiritus ægro opem ferant, modo morbus curetur. he he be eased." If a man fall into a ditch, as he prosequutes it, what matter is it whether a friend or an enemy help him out? and if I be troubled with such a malady, what care I whether the devil himself, or any of his ministers by God's permission, redeem me? He calls a Magician God's Minister and his Vicar, applying that of vos estis dii prophanely to them, for which he is lashed by T. Erastus part. 1. fol. 45. And elsewhere he encourageth his patients to have a good faith, “a strong imagination, and they shall finde the effects: let Divines say to the contrary what they will." He proves and contends that many diseases cannot otherwise be cured; Incantatione orti incantatione curari debent; if they be caused by incantation, they must be cured by incantation. Constantinus lib. 4. approves of such remedies: Bartolus the Lawyer, Peter Ærodius rerum Judic. lib. 3. tit. 7. Salicetus Godefridus, with others of that scct, allow of them; modò sint ad sanitatem, quæ à magis fiunt, secùs non, so they be for the parties good, or not at all. But these men are confuted by Remigius, Bodinus, dæm. lib. 3. cap. 2. Godelmanus lib. 1. cap. 8. Wierus, Delrio lib. 6. quæst. 2. Tom. 3. mag. inquis. Erastus de Lamis; all our " Divines, Schoolmen, and such as write cases of conscience are against it, the Scripture it self absolutely forbids it as a mortall sinne, Levit. cap. 18. 19. 20. Deut. 18. &c. Rom. 8. 19. "Evill is not to be done, that good may come of it." Much better it were for such patients that are so troubled, to endure a little misery in this life, then to hazard their souls' health for ever, and as Delrio counselleth, "much better dye, then be so cured." Some take upon them to expell Devils by naturall remedies, and magicall exorcismes, which they seem to approve out of the practice of the primitive Church, as that above cited of Josephus, Eleazar, Iræncus, Tertullian, Austin. Eusebius makes mention of such, and Magick it self hath been publickly professed in some Universities, as of old in Salamanca in Spain, and Cracovia in Poland: but condemned Anno 1318. by the Chancellor and University of Paris. Our Pontificall writers retain many of these adjurations and forms of exorcismes still in the Church; besides those in Baptisme used, they exorcise meats, and such as are possessed, as they hold, in Christ's name. Read Hieron. Mengus cap. 3. Pet. Tyreus, Qui Magus minister et Vicarius Dei. 1 Utere forti imaginatione et experieris effectum, dicant in adversum quicquid volunt Theologi. Idem Plinius contendit quosdam esse morbos qui incantationibus solum curentur. talibus credunt, aut ad eorum domos euntes, aut suis domibus introducunt, aut interrogant, sciant se fidem Christianam et baptismum prævaricasse, et Apostatas esse. Austin de superstit. observ. hoc pacto à Deo deficitur ad diabolum, P. Mart. • Mori præstat quam superstitiosè sanari, Disquis. mag. 1. 2. c. 2. sect. 1. quæst 1. Tom. 3. P. Lumbard. part part. 3. cap. 8. what exorcismes they prescribe, besides those ordinary means of "fire, suffumigations, lights, cutting the aire with swords," cap. 57. hearbs, Odours: of which Tostatus treats, 2. Reg. cap. 16. quæst. 43. you shall finde many vaine. and frivolous superstitious formes of exorcismes among them, not to be tolerated, or endured. BEIN MEMB. II. Lawfull Cures, first from God. EING so clearly evinced, as it is, all unlawfull cures are to be refused, it remaines to treat of such as are to be admitted, and those are commonly such which God hath appointed, by vertue of stones, hearbes, plants, meats, &c. and the like, which are prepared and applied to our use, by art and industry of physicians, who are the dispensers of such treasures for our good, and to be honoured for necessities sake," God's intermediate ministers, to whom in our infirmities we are to seek for help. Yet not so that we rely too much, or wholy upon them: A Jove principium, we must first begin with prayer, and then use physick; not one without the other, but both together. To pray alone, and reject ordinary meanes, is to do like him in Esop, that when his cart was stalled, lay flat on his back, and cried aloud, Help Hercules, but that was to little purpose, except as his friend advised him, rotis tute ipse annitaris, he whipt his horses withall, and put his shoulder to the wheel. God workes by meanes, as Christ cured the blind man with clay and spittle: "Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano." As we must pray for health of body and minde, so we must use our utmost endeavors to preserve and continue it. Some kind of devils are not cast out but by fasting and prayer, and both necessarily required, not one without the other. For all the physick we can use, art, excellent industry, is to no purpose without calling upon God, Nil juvat immensos Cratero promittere montes: It is in vain to seek for help, run, ride, except God blesse us. -"non Siculi dapes " Dulcem elaborabunt saporem, Suffitus, gladiorum ictus, &c. The Lord hath created medicines of the My son, fail earth, and he that is wise will not abhor them, Ecclus. 38. 4. not in thy sickness, but pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole, Ecclus. 38. 9. Huc omne principium, huc refer exitum. Hor. 3. carm. Od. 6, * Musick and fine fare can do no good. * Non * Non domus & fundus, non æris acervus & auri With house, with land, with money, and with gold, 66 We must use Prayer and Physick both together: and so no doubt but our Prayers will be available, and our Physick take effect. 'Tis that Hezekiah practised, 2. King. 20. Luke the Evangelist and which we are enjoyned, Coloss. 4. not the patient only, but the Physician himself. Hippocrates, an Heathen, required this in a good practitioner, and so did Galen. lib. de Plat. & Hipp. dog. lib. 9. cap. 15. and in that tract of his, an mores sequantur temp. cor. ca. 11. 'tis a rule which he doth inculcate, and many others. Hyperius in his first book de sacr. script. lect. speaking of that happiness and good success which all Physicians desire and hope for in their cures, "a tels them that it is not to be expected, except with a true faith they call upon God, and teach their patients to do the like." The councell of Lateran, Canone 22. decreed they should do so; the Fathers of the Church have still advised as much: "Whatsoever thou takest in hand (saith Gregory) let God be of thy counsel, consult with him; That healeth those that are broken in heart, (Psal. 147. 3.) and bindeth up their sores." Otherwise as the Prophet Jeremie, cap. 46. 11. denounced to Egypt, In vain shalt thou use many medicines, for thou shalt have no health. It is the same counsel which Comineus that politick historiographer gives to all christian princes, upon occasion of that unhappy overthrow of Charles Duke of Burgundy, by meanes of which he was extremely melancholy, and sick to death in so much that neither Physick nor perswasion could do him any good, perceiving his preposterous error belike, adviseth all great men in such cases, "to pray first to God with all submission and penitency, to confess their sins, and then to use physick." The very same fault it was, which the Prophet reprehends in Asa king of Juda, that he relyed more on Physick then on God, and by all meanes would have him to amend * Hor. 1. 1. ep. 2. Sint Cræsi et Crassi licet, non hos Pactolus aurea andas agens eripiet unquam è miseriis. 2 Scientia de Deo debet in medico infixa esse, Mesue Arabs. Sanat omnes languores Deus. For you shall pray to your Lord, that he would prosper that which is given for ease, and then use Physick for the prolonging of life. Ecclus. 38. 4. ⚫ Omnes optant quandam in medicina fælicitatem, sed hanc non est quòd expectent, nisi deum vera fide invocent, atq; ægros similiter ad ardentem vocationem excitent. Lemnius è Gregor exhor. ad vitam opt. instit. cap. 48. Quicquid meditaris aggredi aut perficere, Deum in consilium adhibeto. Commentar. lib. 7. ob infelicem pugnam contristatus, in ægritudinem incidit, ita ut à medicis ĉurari non posset. In his animi malis princeps imprimis ad Deum precetur, et peccatis veniam exoret, inde ad medicinam, &c. с it. And 'tis a fit caution to be observed of all other sorts of men. The prophet David was so observant of this precept, that in his greatest misery and vexation of mind, he put this rule first in practice. Psal. 77.3. "When I am in heaviness, I will think on God." Psal. 86. 4. "Comfort the soul of thy servant, for unto thee I lift up my soul:" and vers. 7. "In the day of trouble will I call upon thee, for thou hearest me." Psal. 54. 1. "Save me, O God, by thy name," &c. Psal. 82. Psal. 20. And 'tis the common practice of all good men, Ps. 107. 13. "when their heart was humbled with heaviness, they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress." And they have found good success in so doing, as David confesseth, Ps. 30. 12. Thou hast turned my mourning into joy, thou hast loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness." Therefore he adviseth all others to do the like, Psal. 31. 24. "All ye that trust in the Lord, be strong, and he shall establish your heart." It is reported by Suidas, speaking of Hezekiah, that there was a great book of old, of King Solomon's writing, which contained medicines for all manner of diseases, and lay open still as they came into the Temple but Hezekiah king of Jerusalem caused it to be taken away, because it made the people secure, to neglect their duty in calling and relying upon God, out of a confidence on those remedies. Minutius that worthy Consull of Rome in an oration he made to his souldiers, was much offended with them, and taxed their ignorance, that in their misery called more on him then upon God. A generall fault it is all over the world, and Minutius's speech concerns us all, we rely more on physick, and seek oftner to Physicians, then to God himself. Ás much faulty are they that prescribe, as they that ask, respecting wholy their gain, and trusting more to their ordinary receipts and medicines many times, then to him that made them. I would wish all patients in this behalf, in the midst of their melancholy, to remember that of Siracides, Ecc. 1. 11. and 12. "The fear of the Lord is glory and gladness, and rejoycing. The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart, and giveth gladness, and joy, and long life:" And all such as prescribe Physick, to begin in nomine Dei, as Mesue did, to imitate Læbius à Fonte Eugubinus, that in all his consultations, still con Creg. Tholoss. To. 2. 1. 28. c. 7. Syntax. In vestibulo templi Solomon. liber remediorum cujusq; morbi fuit, quem revulsit Ezechias, quod populus neglecto Deo nec invocato, sanitatem inde peteret. f Livius 1. 23. Strepunt aures clamoribus plorantium sociorum, sæpius nos quam deorum invocantium opem. Rulandus adjungit optimam orationem ad finem Empyricorum. Mercurialis consil. 25. ita concludit. Montanus passim, &c. et plures alii, &c. cludes |