Читать книгу The Discovery of Witchcraft - Reginald Scot - Страница 61

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Witchmongers reasons, to proove that witches can worke wonders, Bodins tale of a Friseland preest transported, that imaginations, proceeding of melancholie doo cause illusions.

LD M. Maleficarum²²⁵ also saith, that the councels and doctors were all deceived heerein, and alledging authoritie therfore, confuteth that opinion by a notable reason, called Petitio principii, or rather, Ignotum per ignotius, in this maner: They can put changlings in the place of other children; Ergo they can transferre and transforme themselves and others, &c: according to their confession in that behalfe. Item he saith, and Bodin justifieth it, that a preest in Friseland was corporallie transferred into a farre countrie, as witnessed another preest of Oberdorf his companion, who saw him aloft in the aire: Ergo saith M. Mal. they have all beene decei/ved68. hitherto, to the great impunitie of horrible witches. Wherein he opposeth his follie against God and his church, against the truth, and against all possibilitie. But surelie it is almost incredible, how imagination shall abuse such as are subject unto melancholie; so as they shall beleeve they see, heare, and doo that, which never was nor shall be; as is partlie declared, if you read Galen De locis affectis, and may more/54. plainelie appeere also if you read Aristotle De somnio.

And thereof S. Augustine²²⁶ saith well, that he is too much a foole and a blockhead, that supposeth those things to be doone indeed, and corporallie, which are by such persons phantasticallie imagined: which phantasticall illusions do as well agree and accord (as Algerus ²²⁷ saith) with magicall deceipts, as the veritie accompanieth divine holinesse.