A true Discourse concerning the certaine possession and dispossession of 7 persons in one familie in Lancashire which also may serve as part of an Answere to a fayned and false Discoverie which speaketh very much evill aswell of this as of the rest of those great and mightie workes of God which bee of the like excellent nature By George More Minister and Preacher of the worde of God and now for bearing witnesse vnto this and for iustifying the rest a prisoner in the Clinke where he hath continued almost for the space of two yeares Remember thou magnifie the worke of God which men beholde Iob. 36.24 We speake that we know testifie that which we haue seene but ye receiue not our testimonie Iob. 3.11 1600. To the Christian READER FOrasmuch good Reader as it is the maner of men that set foorth any storie though it be but short to giue a Reason of their purpose therein least they should seeme either rashly to attempt that which is not conuenient or otherwise busie them selues to bring forth that which is not necessarie for this cause I haue thought good to prefixe these Reasons ensuing to this discourse that so the weighing of them might make the matter something more worth in their conceite with whom nothing though of it selfe it be neuer so savorie tasteth well except it be rare and excellent neither can they digest that which is verie good and wholesome except it be of great consequence and expectation this sorte may mislike the handling of this strange storie in this harshe manner whiles they affecte great and high things yet the mooving causes of setting it out being considered may ouercome that curiositie and worke some contentement First then in respect that both the Storie of the possession dispossession of Thomas Darling and also many things concerning the straunge handling of William SuÌ„mers to seconde the same are both put in print though the trueth of both be sufficieÌ„tlie cleared therin yet there is great opposition both by worde writing offered of set purpose to hinder the crediting of either I thought it fit to adde to these two the storie of those in Lancashire as famous as the rest both in that they were 7 in one familie all possessed at once as also that they were all 7 dispossessed within two dayes by prayer and fasting that this also being published as the thirde glorious witnes of the wonderfull workes of God wrought and seene in 3 seuerall Shires of our lande all men might be the more mooved to beleeue the trueth of these thinges seeing at the mouth of 3 such sufficient witnesses it is so surely sealed vp and confirmed Secondlie in respect of the papistes who doe more maligne this particular of Lancashire then any of the rest labouring mightilie and by many meanes both to discredite and disannull it wherevpon some of them haue giuen it out that those 7 were not possest other say that they were all 7 possest but neuer yet dispossest and some others of them affirme that they were all dispossessed yet not by Preachers of the Gospell but by their Seminaries masse-priestes and this last runnes for currante among them For there being 8 or 9 Seminaries in the Clincke diuers of them stood out against me to my face and tolde me that what soever was done in Lancashire by vs was done by coniuring and knaverie And though M. Starkie him selfe did iustifie the whole matter and cleared it from all their slaunders and that before the chiefest of them in the Clincke yet they receyued not his testimonie but tolde him they had receyued the report of this from a Gentleman in that countrie whom they would credit before him in this case And no maruell for if the Church of Englande haue this power to cast out devills then the Church of Rome is a false Church for there can be but one true Church the principall marke whereof as they say is to worke miracles and of them this is the greatest namely to cast out Devills And herevpon conferring at another tyme with two of them they brought out this bold protestation that if we could proove any such power to be in our Church and shew them an infallible instance or example to iustifie the practise thereof then would they ioyne them selves to your Church assemblies and freely embrace our religion Thirdlie in respect of that grosse and great errour which is a common and receiued opinion among the most namely that we doe challenge to our selues some speciall gift to cast out Devills aboue other men which though we haue vtterly disclaymed yet many doe ignorantlie ascribe the effect of the worke wrought rather to some extraordinarie power in vs then to the ordinance of Christ which in no case ought so to be But chieflie J haue taken in hande this brief discourse for the better clearing both of Ma. Darrell and my selfe from those accusations and slaunders of cosinage counterfeiting werwithall we are charged both by word and writing as if wee were guiltie thereof even in this particular of Lancashire For there is a booke of a large volume latelie come out vnder the name of S. H. crosshing and contradicting the whole course of proceeding for Mai. Darrels clearing Discover booke 1. chap 5. pag. 29. yoaking me also with him in this develish legerdemaine as they terme it calling vs a couple of cousining hipocrites vsing also manie other badde termes The title of this booke is termed A discoverie of fraudâ—lent practises concerninge preteÌ„ded possessions It contained 5 bookes the firct whereof doth more concerne me the matter of facte for Lancaâ—hire then the rest doe so much therfore as I can convenientlie for the clearing of both I will answer vnto and leaue the rest vnto him who hath iust occasion offered to vse his best defence in that behalfe Lastlie for that this discouerer Discoverâ— booke 1. chap. 3. pag. 17. booke â— chap. 10. pag 58. booke 5. chap. 8. pa. 324. whosoeuer he be finds great fault with some of our friendes for that they spake so much of the dispossession of Summers in a little treatise or two but nothing of the dispossessioÌ„ of these 7 in Lancashire and of some others And seemes sometimes to challeÌ„ge vs to make our answere if we haue any more to say and to speake for our selves what we can Vpon these iust occasions I haue vndertaken this short discourse hoping here by to detect the falsehoode of this discouerie concerning this particular facte by clearing it and in it the rest which are like vnto it of such malitious slaunders as are raysed against it that so all things being faithfullie described from point to point appertayning to this matter all men may see both what great cause J haue aboue any other to defende this as the wonderfull worke of God as also that it might better appeare whether we or they that haue written and dealt against vs be deepest in this
dissimulation and who bee greatest cousiners and deceyâ—â—ers A brief and true discourse contayning the certayne possession and dispossession of 7 persons in one familie in Lancashire as namely of Iohn Starkie Anne Starkie Margret Hurdman Ellynor Hurdman Ellâ—â— Hollande Margret Byrom and Iane Ashton which may serve as an interim for a peece of an answere to that fraudulent discoverie lately come out which depraveth these aswell as the rest of those great mightie workes of God which be of the same kinde IN this discourse I meane not to meddle with that deceitful and depraving discoverie further then concernes this matter of facte for Lancashire onlie reserving all matters of opinion and the answering of all their obiâ—ctions to a more full and fitter time And so avoyding all tediousnes as neare as I can I will indevour fullie and plainly to reveile the trueth that I may quicklie dispatch the storie And because the drift of this desperate detractour is to detecte our dealing with the 7 to be a deceiueable practize aswell as the rest which are by him pretended so to be And that this chiefest opposition vnto this worke consisteth in 5. principall things which bring sore vrged and easilie receyued will endanger greatly the credit of the Storie In respect hereof I will digest this whole discourse into 5 principall heades or chiefe places which may serue fitly both to giue more light to the storie and for a more direct aunswere to the discouerie In the first place I will as truelie as I can describe the state of these persons and of their strange and troublesome afflictions together with the outward causes and occasions thereof which also continued for the most parte for the space of two yeares and a halfe before we came vnto them Secondly I will set downe the straunge signes shewed forth by them both generally and particularly to prooue that they were truely and actually possessed In the 3 place I will shew the causes and occasions of our coÌ„ming into Lancashire what beginning proceeding we made in performing that great worke which we tooke in hande Fourthly I will manifest the meanes cleare the maner of their deliuerance And lastly I will brieflie mention the signes of their dispest sâ—â—oÌ„ which may serve to cleare it from all suspuion These points I purpose briefly to touch not to handle the at large according to the worthines of the matter which indeed is such as doth deserve both a more ful discourse and also a more pregnant facultie to commend it then I am able to afforde In the first place order requireth that we showâ— the state of these 7 persons afflicted before we come vnto them which was most strange and feaâ— full and howe it came so to passe and of the coutinuance of it for thâ— space of two yeares and more all which may plainly appeare by this which followeth At Clâ—worth in Lancashire within the parish of Leigh there dwelleth one Nicholas Starkie gentleman who maried a gentle woman that was an inheretrix and of whose kinred some were papistes of whom some partly for Religion and partlie for that the lande descended not to the heires male wished and vowed stil to pray for the perishing of her issue and accordingly 4 of her children though at their birth likely to linâ— yet afterward pined away in most strange maner Some of M rs Starkies kinred observing how one childe pined away after another moued with coÌ„passion told Mistrers Starkie of the said vnnatural vowe she here â—pon conceyued such a grief that she made an estate of her lande to her husband his heires all issue fayling her selfe After which conveyance made Mistres Starkie had two children a sonne and a daughter both which prospered well till they came to 10 or 12 yeares of age but theÌ„ with siue moe in her family they were possessed and vexed with evill spirites as the sequele doeth declare In the beginning of February 1594 first Anne the daughter was taken with a dumpishe heavie countenance and with a certain fearfull starting pulling together of her-bodie About a weeke after Iohn Starkie the sonne was taken as he was going to schole and was compelled to showte vehementlie not being able to stay him selfe After this they waxed worse and worse falling into often strange extreame fittes Wherewith M. Starkie grieved having bin at charges 200 lb. or therabouts soght remedie without due regard for to speake of no more he went to a Seminarie Priest who could do no good because forsooth he had not then his bookes wherevpon M. Starkie coÌ„tinued stil seeking for helpe and heard of one Edmond Hartley a witch whom hee made acquainted with the state of his children and with large offers craved his helpe in the end Hartley consented to come Who being there and hauing vsed certayne popish charmes and hearbes by degrees the children were at quiet so continued seeming to be well almost a yeare and a halfe All which time Hartley came often to visit theÌ„ at length he fayned as though he would goe into another countrie but whither M. Starkie might not know and when hee began to goe his way Iohn Starkie fell a bleeding and Hartley comming to him saied if he had bene but 40 roodes from him none could haue staunched him and thus it fell out at other times M. Starkie then fearing least his children would be much troubled in his absence he vncertaine where to find him offered to giue 40. shillings a yeare pention for his assistance in time of need which offer at the first hee consented to accepte but afterward not satisfied hee coueted more house and ground which wheÌ„ M. Starkie refused to giue he threatned in a fume in the absence of M. Staâ—kie but in the hearing of many that if he would not fulfill his minde hee would mâ—â—k such a showre at Clewâ—rth as neuer was heard which was also â—ffected in such a hideous and fearfull maner as the like in England hath not bene heard After this Mai. Staâ—kie going to his Fathers house this Hartley went with him who being there after he was in bed was tormented sore all night longe the next day being recouered he went into a little wood not farre off from the house where he made a Circle the compas of a yard and halfe with many crosses and partitions which being finished he came back to call M. Starkie telling him what he had done and desired him to goe and tread out his circle for he said he might not doe it him selfe This beeing also dispatched well quoth hee now I shall trouble him that troubled me and be meete with him that sought my death WheÌ„ M. Starkie perceyued this many other bad qualities in this fellowe he wared weatie of him especially seeing no amendment in his children but that they rather became worse and worse hee then sought though secretlie for other helpe to the Phisitions after that to one Doctor Dee at
minde Nowe howsoeuer it might seeme more expedieÌ„t for me to be silent in these things least I should seeme or be taken even as a foole in boasting my self yet herein I may say with the Apostle you haue euen compelled me for indeed so great is the incoÌ„venience that hath come by the misconceyuing and misreporting of this matter of facte as that it hath enforced a necessitie of manifesting the trueth therof in the plainest maner which yet hitherto for modesties sake hath bene suppressed for the space of 3 yeares and likelie neuer to haue come to light if our innocencie could haue bene cleared without it But now I must returne to the Discouerer and proceed to performe my promise which is to proue that the purpose of the Detectour to make Mai. Darrell the principal agent in this dispossessioÌ„ is onlie vnder a pretence not that he is so perswaded my reasons are these First to pretend Mai. Darrell to be principall in this aswel as in all the rest is great pollicie for vnder this preteÌ„ce all that they charge him with concerning teaching of Sommers hath the greater colour of trueth Secondly by inforcing this as they doe much in their booke it doeth more easilie perswade men to beleeue that he is a verie common and lewde practizer and deceiuer Thirdlie by this title of principall in al places where he comes to bee the chiefest it presupposeth an extraordinarie iugling skill and a singular cunning in legerdemaine as they terme it wherevpon they saye that when he beganne with Katherine Wright then he dealt but rudelie and vnskilfullie but after he had practized with Thomas Darling and the 7 of Lancashire then he was his craftes maister Fourthlie It helpes to iustifie that accusation of vaine glorie and that he desires to haue a great name and to make him selfe famous or ells that he is the onelie man that hath a peculiar prerogatiue to cast out Devills aboue all men seeing that where-soeuer he comes hee beares a way the bell as they say and that no bodie can doe the feate but he Fiftlie vnder this pretence they may with lesse preiudice proceede against him seeing that in foure seuerall actions though they finde some accessories yet they finde none principall but him selfe And thus pollicie hath preferred him to bee principall when in deed they know hee is not so of purpose to doe him a mischiefe and to dishonour the cause it selfe euen the great worke of God And that they are not perswaded that hee is the principall in this worke it may thus appeare Because they haue the storie of this matter of Lancashire penned by Mai. Dickoms as is plainely confessed and prooued in the Discouerie wherein the dispossession of these 7 is most plainly described with the circumstances thereof according to that which I haue heere seâ—â— downe And therein Mai. Darr except that hee was the man that was sent for to come and principallie aymed at is made equall Concerning this booke I speake that which I know for I was examined in that whole story out of it from the beginning to the ende and yet the Discouerer will take no knowledge of this matter which is written there though it be most sure certayne because it makes against him and takes the rash testimonie of the printer which spake onclie as hee hearde that Mai. Darrell was the man and as for Mai. Darrell him selfe in his testimonie it was eyther mistaken or misreported forâ— dare say that he would not say that those 7 were deliuered or dispossessed by him principallie yet the discouerie vrgeth both these testimonies to the full because they seeme much to make for him in all the former respectes If then this may bee receyued for the trueth as in deed it is I doubt not but that all suspition of counterfayting and coniuring and of all other bad dealing wherewith we haue ben most vniustlie charged may be remoued as also that grosse errour which is tootoo commoÌ„ of ascribing anie gift or extraordinarie power of casting out of Devills to anie one man more then to another may be both convinced and suppressed for herein all men may most clearlie see that the good hande of God in blessing his own ordinance and the poore endeuours of his servants is the onely inward efficient cause of this great worke of dispossessioÌ„ that so all the glorie therof may wholie onely be ascribed vnto him who worketh all thinges according to the pleasure of his own wil to whom be prayse for euer The last part NOw it followeth last of all to set dowâ— the signes of disposs shewed forth bâ— these 7 immediatlie before their deliuerance in and after the same and therwitâ— also brieflie to shewe the retourne of thâ— spirites being cast out how sundrie time and diuers wayes by many strange feaâ— full assaultes they seeke to reenter whiâ—â— also may serue as an answer to that proof of the Discouerie contayned in the 9 anâ— 10. chap. touching those pointes that 〈◊〉 these signes being conferred accordingâ— divine and historicall observation thâ—â— that be indifferentlie minded may bee able to iudge what cause they haue to scoâ—â— these signes and to sport them selues witâ— them as they doe The first signe to manifest these disposâ— was that the spirites did rent and teaâ—â— the possessed insomuch that they were sâ—rer vexed and tormented immediatlie before they left them and euen as it were 〈◊〉 their departure then ever they were at aâ—nie time before so it is saide when Chriâ—â— charged the spirite to come out of the thâ— childe then the spirit rent him sore after came out Marke 9.26 The seconde signe is that they cryed out with loude voyces and roared out exceedinglie after the manner of beastes most fearfull and lamentable to heare beeing neuer so fierce and outragious in anie of their fittes as euen then when the spirites were forced and compelled to come out of them And of this signe it is thus written f. that vncleane spirites crying with a loude voyce came out of manie that were possessed Act. 8.7 Thirdlie they were cast downe suddenlie lay all along stretched out as if they had bene dead and so leaving them as dead the evill spirites departed from theÌ„ And thus it is written of the childe whom Christ dispossest when the vncleane spirit came out he was as one deade insomuch that manie said he is dead Mark 9.26 Fourthlie the evill spirites departed out of the possessed in the likenes of some vglie creature and euerie one of the 7 sawe and perceyued the spirites to departe out in a seuerall likenes one in the likenes of a crowes head round which when it was our went and satt in a corner of the parlour with darknes about it a while then went it out of the windowe with such a flash of lightning that all the parlour seemed to her to be on a light fire It left also behinde it in the maide a soare throat