neth as much, and so do most divines, out of their
excellent knowledge and long experience they can commit [2794]_agentes cum
patientibus, colligere semina rerum, eaque materiae applicare_, as Austin
infers _de Civ. Dei et de Trinit. lib. 3. cap. 7. et 8._ they can work
stupendous 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 mind, _Servatores_ in Latin, and they have commonly
St. Catherine's wheel printed in the roof of their mouth, or in some other
part about them, _resistunt incantatorum praestigiis_ ([2795]Boissardus
writes) _morbos a sagis motos propulsant_ &c., that to doubt of it any
longer, [2796]"or not to believe, were to run into that other sceptical
extreme of incredulity," saith Taurellus. Leo Suavius in his comment upon
Paracelsus seems to make it an art, which ought to be approved; Pistorius
and others stiffly maintain the use of charms, 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 books of antiquities, that
[2797]"Solomon so cured all the diseases of the mind by spells, charms, and
drove away devils, and that Eleazer did as much before Vespasian." Langius
in his _med. epist._ holds Jupiter Menecrates, that did so many stupendous
cures in his time, to have used this art, and that he was no other than a
magician. Many famous cures are daily done in this kind, 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 admit. Such cures may be done, and as Paracels. _Tom. 4.
de morb. ament._ stiffly maintains, [2798]"they cannot otherwise be cured
but by spells, seals, and spiritual physic." [2799]Arnoldus, _lib. de
sigillis_, sets down the making of them, so doth Rulandus and many others.

_Hoc posito_, they can effect such cures, the main question is, whether it
be lawful in a desperate case to crave their help, or ask a wizard's
advice. 'Tis a common practice of some men to go first to a witc