King of England James I

“ Our pleasure therefore is, that you shall in Our name tell them, that We are so loath to haue time mis-spent, which is so pretious a thing, in the well vsing whereof Our people may receiue so great a benefit, as We are thus farre contented to discend from Our Royall dignity, by explaining at this time Our meaning in Our sayd Answer, touching that point, That all Our good Subiects in that House, that intend nothing but Our [47] Honour, and the weale of the Common-wealth, may cleerely see Our intention. ”

“ Our Cleargie are become negligent and lazie, our Nobilitie and Gentrie prodigall, and solde to their priuate delights, Our Lawyers couetous, our Common-people prodigall and curious; and generally all sorts of people more carefull for their priuate ends, then for their mother the Common-wealth. ”

“ For where the Magicians, as allured by curiositie, in the most parte of their practises, seekes principallie the satisfying of the same, and to winne to themselues a popular honoure and estimation: These Witches on the other parte, being intised ether for the desire of reuenge, or of worldly riches, their whole practises are either to hurte men and their gudes, or what they possesse, for satisfying of their cruell mindes in the former, or else by the wracke in whatsoeuer sorte, of anie whome God will permitte them to haue power off, to satisfie their greedie desire in the last poynt. ”

“ The previous arguments can of course have no weight in our day, but this tendency to imitate others is as true now as then. Evidently, if the Darwinian theory holds good, a matter of three centuries is not sufficient to cause any perceptible diminution in the strength of original instinct inherited from the ape. ”

“ And yet is there no comparison, when this is done, betuixt the power of God, and of the Deuill. As to their forme of extasie and spirituall transporting, it is certaine the soules going out of the bodie, is the onely difinition of naturall death: and who are once dead, God forbid wee should thinke that it should lie in the power of all the Deuils in Hell, to restore them to their life againe: Although he can put his owne spirite in a dead bodie, which the Necromancers commonlie practise, as yee haue harde. ”

“ For as concerning the point of Religion, We aswell in the beginning of the Parliament, by a publike and open Declaration made to both Houses in the higher House of Parliament, as also shortly after, by a gracious answere vnto a former Petition of theirs, expressed to the full Our immutable resolution to maintaine true Religion, besides the vntainted practise of Our whole life in that point. ”

“ So is an Ant an Animal, as well as an Elephant: so is a VVrenne Auis, as well as a Swanne, and so is a small dint of the Toothake, a disease as well as the fearefull Plague is. But for these base sorts of corruption in Common-wealthes, not onely the King, or any inferior Magistrate, but Quilibet è populo may serve to be a Phisician, by discouering and impugning the error, and by perswading reformation thereof. ”

“ I say and proue by diuerse arguments, that Witches can, by the power of their Master, cure or cast on disseases: Now by these same reasones, that proues their power by the Deuil of disseases in generally is aswell proued their power in speciall: as of weakening the nature of some men, to make them vnable for women: and making it to abound in others, more then the ordinary course of nature would permit. ”

“ The first and greatest point is that of Religion, concerning which at this time Wee can giue you no other answere then in the generall, which is, That you may rest secure, that Wee [36] will neuer be wearie to doe all Wee can for the propagation of Our Religion, and repreßing of Poperie; but the maner and forme you must remit to Our care and prouidence, who can best consider of times and seasons, not by vndertakng a publique warre of Religion through all the world at once, which how hard and dangerous a taske it would prooue, you may iudge. ”

“ For our nature is such, as in companies wee are not so soone mooued to anie such kinde of feare, as being solitare, which the Deuill knowing well inough, hee will not therefore assaile vs but when we are weake: And besides that, GOD will not permit him so to dishonour the societies and companies of Christians, as in publicke times and places to walke visiblie amongst them. ”

“ We are of all Nations the people most louing and most reuerently obedient to our Prince, yet are wee (as time has often borne witnesse) too easie to be seduced to make Rebellion, vpon very slight grounds. Our fortunate and off prooued valour in warres abroad, our heartie and reuerent obedience to our Princes at home, hath bred vs a long, and a thrice happy peace: Our Peace hath bred wealth: And Peace and wealth hath brought foorth a generall sluggishnesse, which makes vs wallow in all sorts of idle delights, and soft delicacies, The first seedes of the subuersion of all great Monarchies. ”

“ For what haue you left vnattempted in the highest points of Soueraigntie in that Petition of yours, except the striking of Coine; For it containes the violation of Leagues, the particular way how to gouerne a warre, and the Marriage of Our dearest Sonne, both negatiue with Spaine, nay with any other Popish Princesse; and also affirmatiue, as to the matching with one of [33] Our Religion, which Wee confesse is a straine beyond any prouidence or wisedome God hath giuen Vs, as things now stand. These are vnfit things to be handled in Parliament, except your King should require it of you ”

“ And for anie dishonour it can be vnto them, by what reason can it be greater, then the hanging, heading, or many such shameful deaths, that good men will suffer? for there is nothing in the bodies of the faithfull, more worthie of honour, or freer from corruption by nature, nor in these of the vnfaithful, while time they be purged and glorified in the latter daie, as is dailie seene by the vilde diseases and corruptions, that the bodies of the faythfull are subject vnto, as yee will see clearelie proued, when I speake of the possessed and Dæmoniacques. ”

“ And what greater absurditie can there bee, then to say that one cure shall serue for diuers, nay, contrarious sortes of diseases? It is an vndoubted ground among all Physicians, that there is almost no sort either of nourishment or medicine, that hath not some thing in it disagreeable to some part of mans bodie, because, as I haue already sayd, the nature of the temperature of euery part, is so different from another, that according to the olde prouerbe, That which is good for the head, is euill for the necke and the shoulders. ”

“ MAster Speaker, Wee haue heard by diuers reports to Our great griefe, That the farre distance of Our Person at this time from Our high Court of Parliament, caused by Our want of health, hath emboldened some fiery and popular spirits in Our House of Commons, to debate and argue publikely, in matters farre beyond their reach or capacitie, and so tending to Our high dishonour, and to the trenching vpon Our Prerogatiue Royall. ”

“ For if he steale out the nature of a quick person, it cannot be so quicklie carryed, but it will both tine the strength and heate by the way, which it could neuer haue had for lacke of agitation, which in the time of procreation is the procurer & wakener vp of these two natural qualities. ”

“ And as Medicine helpes nature being taken at times of necessitie, so being euer and continually vsed, it doth but weaken, wearie, and weare nature. What speak I of Medicine? Nay let a man euery houre of the day, or as oft as many in this countrey vse to take Tobacco, let a man I say, but take as oft the best sorts of nourishments in meate and drinke that can bee deuised, hee shall with the continuall vse thereof weaken both his head and his stomacke: all his members shall become feeble, his spirits dull, and in the end, as a drowsie lazie belly-god, he shall euanish in a Lethargie. ”

“ But We cannot omit to shew you how strange We thinke it, that ye should make so bad and vniust a Commentarie vpon some words of Our former Letter, as if We meant to restraine you thereby of your ancient priuiledges and liberties in Parliament. Truly a scholler would bee ashamed so to misplace and misiudge any sentences in another mans booke. For whereas in the fore-end of Our former [40] Letter We discharge you to meddle with matters of gouernment, or mysteries of State, namely matters of Warre or Peace, or Our dearest Sonnes Match with Spaine ”

“ By the contrarie, we now being sounde of Religion, and in our life rebelling to our profession, God iustlie by that sinne of rebellion, as Samuel calleth it, accuseth our life so wilfullie fighting against our profession.
Phi. Since yee are entred now to speake of the appearing of spirites: I would be glad to heare your opinion in that matter. For manie denies that anie such spirites can appeare in these daies as I haue said.
Epi. Doubtleslie who denyeth the power of the Deuill, woulde likewise denie the power of God, if they could for shame. ”

“ As euery humane body (deare Countrey men) how wholesome soeuer, be notwithstanding subiect, or at least naturally inclined to some sorts of diseases, or infirmities: so is there no Common-wealth, or Body-politicke, how well gouerned, or peaceable soeuer it bee, that lackes the owne popular errors, and naturally enclined corruptions: and therefore is it no wonder, although this our Countrey and Common-wealth, though peaceable, though wealthy, though long flourishing in both, be amongst the rest, subiect to the owne naturall infirmities. ”

“ Bvt who dare take vpon him to punish them, if no man can be sure to be free from their vnnaturall inuasiones?
Epi. We ought not the more of that restraine from vertue, that the way wherby we climbe thereunto be straight and perrilous. But besides that, as there is no kinde of persones so subject to receiue harme of them, as these that are of infirme and weake faith (which is the best buckler against such inuasiones:) so haue they so smal power ouer none, as ouer such as zealouslie and earnestlie persewes them, without sparing for anie worldlie respect. ”

“ A centenarian has recently died, the papers relate, who, till within a few days of his death, was in perfect health, having been a constant smoker, but was unfortunately induced by his friends to give up the habit, from which moment he rapidly sank. ”