A Perfect Discovery OF WITCHES SHEWING The Divine Cause of the Distractions of this Kingdome and also of the Christian WORLD Justitia Thronum firmat PROV 29.14 The King that faithfully judgeth the poor his Throne shall bee established Very profitable to bee read by all sorts of People especially JUDGES of Assizes Sheriffes Justices of the Peace and Grand-Jury-men before they passe sentence on those that are condemned for WITCH-CRAFT By THOMAS ADY M.A. London Printed for R. I. to bee sold by H. Brome at the Gun in Ivy-Lane 1661. The Reason of the Book THe Grand Errour of these latter Ages is ascribing power to Witches and by foolish imagination of mens brains without grounds in the Scriptures wrongfull killing of the innocent under the name of Witches unto which Idolatry and bloud-guiltiness being as bad or worse than the Idolatry of the ancient Heathen men are led as violently by fond imagination as were the Ephesians to the worshipping of Diana and of the Image which as they blindly thought fell down from Jupiter Acts 19.35 It is reported by Travellers that some People in America do worship for a day the first living Creature they see in the morning be it but a Bird or a Worm this Idolatry is like the Idolatry of this part of the World who when they are afflicted in Body or Goods by Gods hand they have an eye to some Mouse or Bugg or Frog or other living Creature saying It is some Witches Impe that is sent to afflict them ascribing the Work of God to a Witch or any mean Creature rather than to God Mr. Scot published a Book called his Discovery of Witchcraft in the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth for the instruction of all Judges and Justices of those times which Book did for a time take great impression in the Magistracy and also in the Clergy but since that time England hath shamefully fallen from the Truth which they began to receive wherefore here is again a necessary and illustrious discourse for the Magistracy and other People of this Age where I intreat all to take notice that many do falsly report of Mr. Scot that he held an Opinion that Witches are not for it was neither his Tenent neither is it mine but that Witches are not such as are commonly executed for Witches A Candle in the Dark The First Book shewing what Witches are in the Scripture-sence throughout the Old and New Testament The Second Book shewing how grosly the Scriptures have been mis-interpreted by Antichrist concerning Witches by which interpretation he hath made the Nations go astray With a confutation of those Errours The Third Book touching some erroneous English Writers who have upheld the same Errours which Antichrist hath broached to the world Also the Works of a Scotch-man called The VVorks of King James With an addition of fifteen Causes also a reference to Scot and also the opinion of Luther concerning Devils Also an instruction to Lawyers Errata PAge 11. line 3. for Magnus read Magus p. 15. l. 21 for 6 Chron. r. 2 Chro. p. 22. l. 1. for Prophets r. Prophetess p. 28. l. 23. for magis r. magi p. 30. l. 11. for inchantation r. incantation p. 38 l. 15. for little r. liche l. 19. for tax r. tap thrice in the same page in p 48. l. 8. for Charms r. Charmer p. 76. l. 33. for equivocately r. equivocally p. 77. l. 8. for Scopula r. Scapula over p. 79. for Oracle giver r. South sayer so over p. 87. Necromancer should not be The Second Book Pag. 92. l. 5. for drew r. grew p. 96. l. 10 for inquisitions r. inquisitors p. 106 l. 8. tor superstitions r. suspicions p. 122. l. 35 for quem r. quum p. 124. l. 15. for an r. and p 129 l. 15. or preternatural r preternatural p. 136. l. 28. for any sort r. every other sort p. 145. l. 30 for discovered r. discoursed p. 146. l. 36. for and by them cast on can cure r. and by them can cast on or inflict and cure diseases p. 147. l. 4. for send r. teach p. 170. l 17 for endicat r. indicat Reader take notice that most of these faults are mended with Pen and Inke already TO THE Prince of the Kings of the Earth IT is the manner of men O heavenly King to dedicate their Books to some great men thereby to have their Works protected and countenanced among men but thou only art able by thy holy Spirit of Truth to defend thy Truth and to make it take impression in the heart and understanding of men Unto thee alone do I dedicate this Work intreating thy most High Majesty to grant That whoever shall open this Book thy holy Spirit may so possess their understanding as that the spirit of errour may depart from them and that they may read and try thy Truth by the touchstone of thy Truth the holy Scriptures and finding that Truth may embrace it and forsake these darksome inventions of Antichrist that have deluded and defiled the Nations now and in former Ages Enlighten the World thou that art the Light of the World and let Darkness be no more in the World now or in any future Age but make all people to walk as Children of the Light for ever and destroy Antichrist that hath deceived the Nations and save us the residue by thy self alone and let not Satan any more delude us for the Truth is thine for ever To the Reader SIR IF you be a courteous Reader I intreat you that what weaknesse and imperfections you shall think you espie in this Book from the Author thereof you passe them by for the Truths sake whereupon this Book treateth Secondly if you be so discourteous as to carp and censure then I intreat you to carp only at me and not at the Truth lest you resist the truth Thirdly I intreat you to Read my Book thorow before you cast it by for otherwise Sir it may argue weaknesse in your self to slight the Book before you see the Argument It is one of the vanities of the World to write many Books and when a man hath taken pains to write few men will take the pains to read which Solomon intimateth Eccle. 12.12 but Sir if you find no leasure to read and consider then I pray find no leasure to gainsay or to argue against Fourthly for all places of Scripture alledged in this Book if you shall search our English Translations and not find them to carry the sense which I drive at in my discourse I intreat you either to search the Originall or else to look upon the Latin Translations of Junius and Tremellius which carry the true sense of the Originall as it was written by the Spirit of God Your Friend T. A. Non quis sed quid To the more Judicious and Wise and Discreet part of the Clergie of ENGLAND Joshua 7.11 THese words Israel hath sinned are not so to be understood as if Israel had been free from
all such evil workers as deceivers of his people and learn to know God and his Prophets who teach people the right way of God and these are the terms of expressions that are used in the Old Testament to demonstrate false Prophets according to which expressions wee use the general word Witch or Sorcerer in the English Tongue and do finde no other sort of Witches spoken of in the Scriptures What sort of Witches soever are spoken of in the New Testament are all taken in the same sense that they are in the Old Testament and are sufficiently glossed at the beginning of this Book upon the Definition of a Witch and Witchcraft but yet in Revel 22.15 there is found a word that is used as a general expression for all sorts of Witches which word because it hath been abused by some Popish Expositors and blinde interpreters disputing upon the same word used by the Septuagint it may not be omitted to speak somewhat of it the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying by Etimology a Poysoner or a compounder of Poysons and is translated veneficus signifying also a Poysoner and yet both words both in Greek and Latine are used commonly for a Witch in general of all sorts and is so taken in that place of the Revelations and from hence some that are willing to uphold fond Opinions do draw this fond conclusion That a Witch is such a one as killeth people by Poysons and can infect the Air and bring many mortal Diseases by Witchcraft and by the same craft can kill any particular Man or Beast with looks by poysoning the Air in a direct line as some feign of the Cockatrice But what Logician will not say it is an absurdity to draw a Conclusion and ground an opinion from the bare signification of words and yet for the words it is easily conceived that a Witch was first called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek and Veneficus in Latine by a Metaphor taken from the deceitfulness of a Poysoner that giveth a man Poysons by deceit to betray his life or from a deceitful Apothecary or Mountebank that selleth Poyson sophisticated Medicines instead of wholsome Physick as a Witch is taken in no other sense in all the foregoing places of Scripture than for a Deceiver or Impostor yet because as I have said before that bare significations of words do prove nothing directly therefore let us but expound Scripture by Scripture and we may easily finde that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veneficus is taken for a Deceiver or Impostor and not for a Poysoner or Murtherer and for that look Revel 18.23 With thy Witchcrafts all Nations were deceived there the conjugal word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veneficiis tuis as much as to say with thy poysoned Medicines or Poysons all Nations were deceived there is the same Metaphor used again and such words as might signifie Poysons are used for deceiving Witchcrafts with thy Witchcrafts all Nations were deceived not killed So then to conclude with Revelations we read not in all the Old or New Testament of a Killing Witch or Murthering Witch but only of deceiving Witches Impostors or false Prophets seducing people to Idolatry by their delusions and impostures He that will have any further description of a Witch let him take this description A Witch is as like a Prophet as can be and yet a deceiving false Prophet Dan. 2.13 A Decree went forth from the King that the Magicians should be slain and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain there the Executioners knew no difference between the Magicians and Daniel that was a Prophet for the word Magician or Wise men being properly taken in a good sense was equivocally given to South-sayers and all sorts of deceiving Witches as well as to those that were termed Wise men and as to the Prophets themselves and under that Decree Daniel himself had been slain if it had not been stayed by Gods providence The blasphemous Priests and Pharisees called Christ a Deceiver or Impostor or as Beza expoundeth a Jugler and a Seducer Matth. 27.63 when as he was the great Prophet of the world Plutarch saith De defect Orac. That he which first began the Oracle of Apollo was Coreta who set up the Oracle in a pretence of being Divinely inspired with the spirit of Prophecie Mr. Scot in his Discovery who was a Student in the Laws and learned in the Roman Laws sheweth Lib. 11. Cap. 5. 6. that certain Colleges were erected at Rome in time of Heathenish ignorance for Diviners and South-sayers to be instituted to expound the mindes and admonishments of the gods and by their Law young Princes were to be sent to Hetruria to learn and bring home the cunning of that Art it being the only Divinity the poor Heathen knew to seek to such as pretended they could know the mindes and wills of the gods and in process of time these Colleges increased to a great University in which were brought up such as learned the practice of Divination or Augury by several impostures described in the text who notwithstanding they were accounted Prophets among the Heathen yet are all aimed at and described in the text for Witches and South-sayers and such as the people of Israel being a chosen people to be taught by God and his Prophets were commanded to destroy that no such bewitching false Prophets should be found among them such a one was Elimas the Sorcerer called both a Sorcerer and a false Prophet Acts 12.6 and these were such as were sometimes great Scholars yet abusing their learning Some may object and say If Witches were only false Prophets then all false Teachers are Witches Answ A Witch and a false Prophet are reciprocal terms but not a Witch and a false Teacher for all the Nine terms of description in the text are plainly describing Witches and false Prophets as one and the same and having one of these two properties First He setteth up an Idol which is the first main Witchcraft being the first description in the text or Secondly He useth some or all of the eight following Witchcrafts described in the text either to confirm and uphold his Idol by seducing the people or else to make the people beleeve that he is a true Prophet of God as did Simon Magus in the Acts and as is rehearsed in the same Chapter in the text Deut. 18.20 for the more full and general description of a Witch or false Prophet which was described in the text by Nine specifical descriptions specifying the Nine Witchcrafts of such seducing false Prophets but yet it doth not follow that all false Teachers are Witches for a man may be a false Teacher through weakness of understanding and error of judgement as were the Scribes and Pharises in some things and yet not a Witch but he that is a wilful upholder of Heresies or any vain unprofitable Doctrin only to draw people to a head to uphold his own gain and so
also whereof hee hath done much good in Gods Vineyard in labouring to stay that bloody persecution on foot against the poor and Innocent yet he hath much swerved from the Truth of this subject of Witches and Witchcraft in that hee yeildeth at all to the common contagion of Error that hath defiled the World not that Witches are for that were my Error to deny seeing the Scriptures do manifestly condemn them but that Witches in the Scripture sence are such as have made a familier compact with the Devill and receive power from him to kill and the like I wonder but that the hour of darknesse is not yet fully past that so many Ministers should still wander in this darksome imagination what least intimation or description of such a kind of Witch hath God given us in the Scriptures or of Devills in the corporall shape of Imps making a familier compact with any of mankind or any ground for such imaginary whimses of mans brain what consequence is there in Logicall dispute or in Theologicall Principles that hee that denieth these phantasies denieth that there is a Devill and so finally that there is a God the Scripture teacheth us that there is a God and likewise a Devill or Devills but what Scripture speaketh of a familiar Devill or Jmp or that a Witch can kill by Witchcraft or hurt either body or goods by Witchcraft by the Devills help either by Gods permission or without I rather think that this forsaking of the Scriptures and delivering for Doctrin the traditions of Antichristian Popish Writers is a forsaking of God and consequently a denying of God hee saith hee could instance from story how many have had no Faith of Witches being till their bewitched body or goods hath served to unwitch them of their opinions and conceit is this a Theologicall way of Argument to ground a Doctrin upon vain reports and phantasmes without Scriptures yea flat contrary to the Scriptures Deut. 32.39 1 Sam. 2.6 7. dare any man contrary to those and many places of Scripture when hee is afflicted in body or goods ascribe that to a Witch upon vain Phantasie and carnal reason and superstitious imaginations and foolish traditions without Scriptures which by the Scriptures we are taught to ascribe only to God yes men dare do so and Ministers dare teach so And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light But now to speak to the man himself of whom I have written sparingly Mr. Gaule if this work of mine shall come to your hand as yours hath come to mine be not angry with me for writing Gods Truth I am sure you shall get more estimation among true Beleevers more favour with God and do more good in Christs Vine-yard by acknowledging your error and by embracing Gods Truth than by being carried away with the streams of these flouds of iniquity that have over-flowed the Christian world You say in your second case pag. 24. It is hard to observe any specifique difference of Witches in which you acknowledge the subject to be difficult to write of Sir I have given you full specifical descriptions of them according to the Scriptures then although Sir you be learned in other things disdain not to learn of me the truth of this subject I doubt not but if you had first read my Book your own Book had been more perfect Suffer not a Witch to live Prestigiatricem a Jugling person that worketh false Miracles to seduce the people to Idolatry Exod. 22.18 Jofias destroying of Witches 2 King 23 24. what was it but pulling down the Idols with their Adjuncts Oraclers and South-sayers that were the Idol Priests that seduced the people Examine the places which are your own quotations then Sir I intreat you in Christs name that as you have been fervent for Gods Cause with Apollos Act. 18.25 so learn of me the way of God more perfectly as he did of the Disciples vers 26. fare-well Sir the Spirit of God be your familiar Spirit to guide you in the truth Non quis Sed quid Master Giffard answered THere is yet another Book come to my hand written by Mr. George Giffard an able Minister of Gods Word in Maldon which because the common way of some mans arguing is by questioning what say you to this and what say you to that Author therefore I will give a brief description of his Tenents which are chiefly three the first is That a VVitch can not by a Familiar or by any craft any way hurt or weaken the life health or estate of any man by bewitching with disease or infirmity either Man or Beast or hurting his Goods and this he proveth plainly by Scripture and Reason as I have also done in my Second Book of this Discourse The second Tenent is That VVitches have Imps and Familiars The third Tenent is That these Familiars do nothing really but only do deceive the VVitch by making her beleeve they do that which cometh to pass upon Man or Beast by Divine providence but for these two last Tenents he doth not prove by Scripture as he did the first nor yet affirm for truth but only being overcome by the strength of common report grounded upon the Confession of such as have been executed he only yeeldeth to those strong delusions which have deceived many Hypothetically arguing if Witches have such Imps or Familiars they are only deceived by them but herein is he not confident and therefore these two last Tenents being not confirmed by him do confirm nothing and for the first of the two That VVitches have Imps is sufficiently disproved in my Second Book and that all their Confessions are no argument then for the last Tenent having reference to the first it is in like manner nullified for if they have no Imps nor no Familiar then they are not deceived by them nor do beleeve or confess any such thing wherein they seem to him to be deceived any further than Confession is wrung from them by them who are the deceivers of themselves and others by the Deceiver of the VVorld that dwelleth in them except sometimes by the depth of Melancholly or distempered brain as I have formerly demonstrated in my Second Book and therefore need no further answer So much for this Author who I beleeve had more of the Spirit of truth in him than many of his profession Now for all that have written in that kinde I summon all VVitch-mongers to shew me in the Old or New Testament which are given as a rule of truth the least inference of any such Doctrin as is delivered by them Also I desire any man of right understanding to compare them with the Scriptures and so compare also this my Book with the Scriptures and to see which of them is most consonant with the Scriptures and which is most dissonant from the Scriptures and so to try them by Gods touch-stone of truth The Conclusion TO conclude