written in my Second Book in my answer to the Sixth Objection if you look back to it yet from this brief Discourse of Luther may be observed That the Devil may be said to be an instrument in all Diseases crosses and calamities as Luther proveth by the Story of Job and the saying of Christ concerning the woman Luke 13.11.16 and as is expressed 2 Thess 2.18 Luke 11.14 but yet it must necessarily be true that the Devil is Gods Instrument in all these afflictions as Job acknowledgeth in all his afflictions ascribing all to God Chap. 1.22.2.10.9.34 and God claimeth these things as his own Prerogatives Lev. 26. Deut. 32.39 From all which it is fully concluded That the Devil is only Gods instrument to afflict and tempt the righteous to afflict tempt and torment the wicked and in all this doth nothing but by Gods peculiar dispensation not by a bare permission nor by the appointment of a VVitch whatsoever some have written more concerning the nature of Devils as that there are Incubus and Succubus the He Devil and the Shee Devil that the Devil maketh a League with VVitches and that the Devil is the VVitches Instrument as well as Gods and that by Gods permission that the Devil walketh in Church-yards and near Sepulchers and in desolate places that he is black that he assumeth a Corporal shape that hee hath a Cloven Foot that he walketh in the dark Nights that he sometime roareth and maketh a fearful noyse that he useth to scare people in VVoods and Fields that there are fiery aiery earthy and watery Devils that there are degrees orders and supremacies among Devils that some are greater in power than others these are all dissonant to Scripture and are only the vain fancies of men who delight to fill the world with Fables And whereas some do argue from Matthew 12.24 that some Devils are greater in power than others and also in degree and superiority because Beelzebub is there called The Prince of Devils it is to be understood that the Pharisees called him the Prince of Devils because Baal-zebub was the chief Idol by which the Israelites had been defiled sometimes and was by them called therefore the chief Devil or the Prince of Devils and was called by them Beelzebub by an Antithisis putting e for a which Idol was spoken of 1 Kings 1.2 and Beza and Tremellius do both agree in that Exposition that it is meant of Baalzebub if we look their Notes upon Matthew 10.25 and Beelzebub may bee interpreted The Prince of Flies not because Devils are Flies as some imagine in the Story of Francis Spirah but because his Temple was pestered with Flies through the smell of the abundance of Flesh that was there spent daily and also because the Country being much troubled with Flies the people used to seek to that Idol for help against that annoyance of Flies saith Beza Lucifer is also by some thought to be the chief among Devils and that when he fell all his Angels fell with him from that place in Isa 14.12 13 14 15. but that is only an Allegorical exposition of the fall and exile of Nebuchadnezzar who is there Metaphorically called Lucifer because of his pride in exalting himself as farre above others in his own thought as the bright Morning Star exceedeth other Stars He that would read these things more at large handled may read Mr. Scot aforesaid as also a little Book called The Deacon of Spirits An Instruction for Lawyers YOu that are learned in the Laws of the Land are commonly found to be the most able and worthy to be Judges of the people and these Laws which are the rule of Justice are concluded by you all to be exceeding good Laws and therefore it must needs follow that such opinions as do make these Laws of no validity are absurd opinions therefore I am bold to state two Questions or Cases and leave them to your Wisdoms I. A man is found dead in the Fields who a little before went out well another man being his Adversary is questioned for his Life as being suspected to have murthered him this man proving that he was a hundred or two hundred miles from the place where and when the man dyed is quit by the Law I demand then what Justice is in that Law that quiteth him if he might send the Devil or leave order with the Devil or with his Imps to Witch him to death at that time II. Two men strive together one overcometh and beateth the other who presently sickneth and within three days dyeth the other is questioned by the Law for his Life what Justice were in this Law if an old Witch hating one or both of them and seeing opportunity should have power to witch the one to death that so she might cause the other to be Hanged for him FINIS
and days thereby to distemper their brains and hurt their fancies at length to extort confession from them and then to bring their own confession as an evidence against them and if they cannot make them confess they torture one of their little Children to make it accuse their Parents and that they call confession this trick will tame any wilde Beast and make it tractable or any wilde Hawk and make it tame and come to your fist how much more may it make men or women yeeld to confess Lyes and impossibilities And if that device will not serve then they shave them and search narrowly all parts of their bodies where they think modest men will not be forward to look to see the truth of the matter and there they report that they have found the Devils privie Marks and Biggs for the Devil to suck them a most devillish Lye and invention unless they can shew me Scripture for it but I can shew them Scripture against it Joh. 1.3 Without God was nothing made that was made who then made those Biggs or Teats and who made the bodies of those Devils called Imps Also what Scripture saith that Biggs or privie Marks are signs or trials of Witches yet I deny not but sometimes are found fleshy Warts and other preter-natural tumours written of by Physick Authors as diseases of the body and among other devices as Master Scot in his discovery affirmeth who was zealous for Gods truth and took more pains than ordinary to search and confute those impious Writers they have set down certain signs whereby to suspect and apprehend Witches which are these First If they will not fast on Fridays Secondly If they fast on Sundays Thirdly If they spettle at the time of Elevation Fourthly If they refuse Holy Water Fifthly If they despise Crosses Sixthly If they deny any of the seven Sacraments These are great suspicions that they are Witches for the Devil say they chooseth them by these signs being steps to the reformed Religion apprehend them bring them to the Tormentor but if they see any of these signs they will easily finde other holes enough in their Coates to condemn them Then they cast them into the water to see whether they will sink or swim a meer Jugling delusion to blinde peoples eyes for he that hath been used to the Art of Swimming may know that few men or women being tied hand and feet together can sink quite away till they be drowned or if he lay them flat on their back and hold up their feet with a string their fore-part will not sink and therein they can use Jugling to blinde the peoples eyes for difference sake for when they will save any man or woman they will let loose the string which they hold in their hand and let their feet sink first and then all their body will sink then they cry out to the people Look you now and see the difference betwixt an honest man or woman and a Witch take her out she is an honest woman yea verily for sometimes she is one of their own confederates Yet whereas some may object that some of them that are cast fairly into the water without holding up their feet with a string do sink more than others and some again do swim more than others although none do sink quite away without any part appearing above water The reason of this difference is easie to conceive to men of knowledge for First There is difference of constitution in peoples bodies some are heavie of temper and they sink most some again are more light of temper fuller of vital spirits and they sink not so much Secondly we must observe the Systole and Diastole of breathing some happen to fall into the water when their bodies are full of breath and they swim most some happen to fall into the water when their breath is out of their bodies before they can draw it up again and they sink most Some are kept long fasting in watching and torment and then are cast into the water when their bowels and veins are empty of food and filled with Wind and these swim more than those that are filled with nourishment or perhaps they are kept fasting so long that they have scarce any life left and then they happen to sink most but if they do it must not serve their turn for the cruel Inquisitor will still torment them till he extort confession if the party live long enough for his cruelty to take place Some again are Women cast into the water with their Coates tied close toward their feet and Men with their apparrel on and for this they pretend modesty but who knoweth not that their apparrel will carry them above water for a time Some again are Women whose bodies are dilated with bearing of Children and do always after remain spongiously hollow more apt to swim than to sink especially tied hands and feet together to bring their bodies into a round and apt fashion to swim They that are used to the Art of swimming in the water might easily discover these to be but Delusions and Juglings if they were not too credulous and yet with these hath poor England been bewitched and deceived as also with the former of keeping the accused from sleep till they confess and these delusions have been impiously acted here in England of late in Essex and Suffolk by a wicked Inquisitor pretending authority for it to the cutting off of fourteen innocent people at Chelmsford Assizes and about an hundred at Berry Assizes whereof one was a Minister neer Fremingham of about fourscore years age wherein this Inquisitor hath laid such a president for the Popes Inquisition if times of Popish Tyranny should again come in from which God in his mercy defend us as would not easily be removed when although we have no Laws in England to try people upon Life and Death by any Inquisition or Inquisitor in that manner yet it may then bee said was it Law then when the Law was in your hands and is it not Law now but if such times of tyrannous Inquisition come do they that have had a hand in this president think they shall escape it or their Posterity There is already a president for killing of Ministers for Witches Also some credulous people hearing of the Condemnation of those people have published a Book wherein they report such impossibilities to be done by them as I hope no wise man will beleeve wherein also Hoy the Gaoler is brought in for a Witness a fellow that is not fit to bear the Office of a Gaoler nor any other Office in a Christian Common-wealth who also wanted Vails and thought the more Prisoners were executed the more he should gain and yet it is reported his Testimony was taken as an Evidence against them although his testimony was partly of impossibilities partly meer prevarications and lyes to the dis-honour of Gods Majesty and the shedding of innocent bloud But seeing then this
and also for the hiding of their unparalleled cruelty from the ears of the world of which sort are James Sprenger Henry Institor in malleo maleficarum also Nider and Cumanus Daneus Hyperius Hemingius but most of all Bodinus and Bartholomaeus Spineus I do not say that all these dyed Papists and lest their authority should fail in deceiving the world in this Doctrin of Devils some great Scholars of the Popish rout have approved and affirmed the matter to be true in some causes writing of fascination and of that sort are Thomas Aquinas and Suares In which Authors although they were learned men whosoever readeth their discourse of this subject shall finde nothing at all proved either by Scripture or Philosophical argument but they take it for granted and undoubted truth confirmed by tradition that Fascination or Witchcraft is an Art of killing and afflicting Men and Cattel and upon this Hypothesis they take in hand to dispute upon it not whether it be true or not but how it may be done as they conceive for say they Et si agens non potest diffundere actionem suam usque ad rem distantem fit tamen ut aer proximus inficiatur usque ad certam distantiam perveniat sic noceat alteri if this subject the force of fascination had been first proved by them then this their reason had had some seeming force in it but because it can no way be proved by firm Argument they quote History for it and so pass on to their hypothetical disputes about the reason of it and that they may make the matter seem true one quotes anothers authority for it and Suarez quoteth Thomas Aquinas and Pliny and Pliny citeth Hogonus and Niphodorus and Apollonides for his Authors that among the Triballians and Illyrians and Scythians there be certain Women that can kill with their eye-sight whom they look wishfully upon mark but how first things are reported by Travellers who may lye by authority then Pliny gathereth their several reports into the Volume of his Natural History whom all men may see was abused by being too credulous of other mens reports and yet Suarez is forced to use Plinies Pen to prove that which cannot be proved or defended by reason and having no better Argument he saith further Sunt qui negant illam vim fascinationis sed non est cur experientiam à Philosophis medicis comprobatam ferè communi sensu receptam negemus by which Argument a man may as well prove that Idols were gods because they were approved in their time by men of all Arts and Sciences Et ferè communi sensu recepta and further according to Plinies report he saith that these women do kill but by some poysonous quality of their Natural complexion and inward humours of their bodies communicated to the vital spirits and by the action of the minde brought to the eye-sight and from thence infecting the party whom they look upon and this he saith expresly cometh naturally to pass and of inbred natural causes in the Witches bodies but mark how this fellow although notable for learning hath wildered himself in searching out the reason of a meer vain supposition and erroneous tradition that Witches can kill by looks for whereas he giveth this reason that Witches have inward natural poyson whereby they naturally kill others what an absurdity is this to say that any Creature can by its natural quality be contrary or destructive to its own species for a Viper cannot poyson a Viper nor a Toad cannot poyson a Toad for their nature is one and not contrary to its own species Secondly whereas he reasoneth that this poyson is communicated from the humours to the vital spirits and by the action of the minde brought to the eye-sight It is most absurd in Philosophy for what Physician or Philosopher doth not acknowledge that the vital spirits once poysoned do suffocate the Heart the fountain of Life as is often seen in the Pestilence whereby the Witch her self must needs perish and is also often seen in those who having but the Natural humours of their own bodies corrupt the vital spirits are debilitated and cannot operate but the party decayeth and soon perisheth because the heart cannot abide any corrupt poyson or contrary temperature to its own nature Thirdly whereas he saith this poyson is sent from the Witch by the force of seeing this also is an absurdity in Philosophy for all sound Philosophers do acknowledge that Oculus non vidit emittendo vim suam videndi ad objectum visibile sed recipiendo species visibiles ab objecto how then can the sight if it were poyson hurt any way the party upon whom it only looketh Fourthly whereas he saith that Witches do kill by their natural complexion and inward humour being naturally poyson what an absurdity ariseth from hence in Divinity To conceive that God should make men and women naturally poyson and destructive to others and yet should make a Law that such should be put to death yea cruel death for being such as God made them in their nature and complexion Surely if man had stood in the manner in which he was made God had not punished him with death Now after he hath thus intrapped himself in his Discourse by seeking out a reason of that which is not but only conceived to be by credulous people he falleth off from his own weak reasons to the reason that Thomas Aquinas giveth and that is That sometimes this Fascination is wrought by a secret compact with the Devil but how can these Reasons accord one with the other for if it be natural to the Witch to bewitch others what needeth she then to seek help of the Devil to do that which she can do by nature For Deus est author Naturae and sure the Devil cannot make more perfect or forceable that which God hath made but such is the nature of all these Popish Writers that when they cannot strongly enough maintain a Lye they father their Lyes upon their Master the Father of Lyes and are forced after all their vain argumentation to use his name to uphold a Lye and although they were great Scholars have rather intangled themselves with folly in reasoning and with so manifest errour whereby they have exposed themselves to the lash of common Censure than to forsake their Popish darkness which they are ingaged to defend What shall not be done to bring the Popes ends to pass what Lyes what foolish Fictions what impossibilities can the Heart of man devise that these together have not affirmed for truth unto the World to infect the Nations with Heresie or Atheism whereby to destroy the Christian Church And for further confirmation of the matter they have devised among other Tortures to make people confess that they can do such impossibilities one of the most devillish cruelties that hath been devised among men and that is to keep the poor accused party from sleep many nights
miserable Massacre of people throughout the Christian World hath been but a trick of Antichrist to blinde the World that thereby he might the more easily and quietly destroy the Church under the name of Witches Surely if good Christians have been destroyed in this impious way then thousands of the Souls of such are now under the Altar Revel 6.9 10. crying How long Lord holy and true will it be ere thou avenge our bloud upon them that dwell upon the earth being some of them the very people that have been destroyed for the Word of God and for the testimony of the truth and therefore have been brought into these murderous Inquisitors hands And although it may be said These in England have not been slain for the testimony of the truth yet I answer The Church standeth for the testimony of the truth and this persecution was invented against the Church and so they as Members of the Church have been slain by the enemies invention for had they been of that Popish crew and fighters against the Church those wrongful accusations had not been brought against them by them But it may be said Some of these were Scoulds and Brawlers therefore their Souls are not under the Altar I answer yea and many honest Livers that have been executed in that kinde lately and in times past but whatsoever they were if they were unjustly slain know that if God would avenge the bloud of Cain will he not avenge the bloud of these Before the destruction of Germany that Nation was so deluded by these Popish errours that they put to death thousands in that kinde of all sorts and that Nation was so carried away with that darksome Idolatrous opinion of Witches power that seldom came any thing cross but some were accused to have occasioned it as Witches and at last God sent destroying Plagues among them and their hearts were so hardened that they digged the dead out of the Graves to cut off their Heads to stay the Plague so blinde were they and so given over that rather than they would acknowledge Gods hand in all things they would say the dead in their Graves by the Devils help brought the plague and some Physicians among them were so bold to affirm it for truth who although they might be some way approved in Physick yet besides their horrible Atheism they shewed their silliness and it may be said of them as of many ignorant Physicians Inscitiae pallium maleficium incantatio A Cloak for a Physicians ignorance when he cannot finde the reason and the nature of the Disease he saith the Party is bewitched this hath indeed been written of by some worthy Authors but how and in what manner Senertus Lib. 4. de febribus cap. 2. he being loath to defile his pen with such an impious opinion saith I had rather refer the Reader to the writing of another man Hercul Saxoniae Lib. de plica cap. 11. than bring my self upon the Stage for broaching of such an opinion where also you may read the words of Herc. Saxon. aforesaid and hee shuffleth it off to Joh. Vesino Leopoliensi as an Opinion of his and he like an Atheist did indeed own that opinion That in Polonia and Germany Witches after their execution and burial did commonly send destroying pestilence I think indeed the executing of so many innocent poor people did bring the Pestilence and the Sword and Famine all against them because they provoked God with their own inventions tending not only to Idolatry in imputing the Work of the Creator to a Creature but also to the shedding of innocent bloud Master Scot in his Discovery telleth us That our English people in Ireland whose posterity were lately barbarously cut off were much given to this Idolatry in the Queens time insomuch that there being a Disease amongst their Cattel that grew blinde being a common Disease in that Country they did commonly execute people for it calling them eye-biting Witches Great Britain hath been much infected with that Atheism and many people both in England and Scotland have been by foolish false accusations put to death for doing such things as are not in the power of men or of Devils to do but only of the Creator And before these Wars began what Atheistical reports were published of certain Lancashire people that they could transform themselves into Grey-hounds and into Men and Women again and pull down Butter and other provision from the Air or from whence any crack-brained accuser would imagine When King Charls went last to Scotland before these Wars as he came back again sayling over the River Humber the Vessel in which his Plate was carried was reported to be cast away and then was that Atheism so great even at the very Court of England that they reported Witches had done it instead of observing Gods supream Providence whereas Christ saith A Sparrow shall not fall to the ground without Gods providence since which we have had bloudy Wars and where is the Court now and now of late hath been in the year one thousand six hundred forty five that great slaughter of Men and Women called Witches at the Assizes at Berry and at Chelmsford those poor accused people were watched day and night and kept from sleep with much cruelty till their Fancies being hurt they would confess what their Inquisitors would have them although it were a thing impossible and flat contrary to sense and Christian understanding to beleeve where for the removing of Objections it is to be noted That a Fancy so hurt with watching cannot afterward of a long time recant or deny that which they have confessed no more than a Hawk throughly tamed by watching can grow speedily wilde again although you give them their full sleep this manner of extorting confession and seeming to convict them being but a meer Jugling Trick invented by the Pope and their Trial in that kinde being Jugling Witchcraft it self that may make the wisest man confess any thing though never so false What troubles have followed this Slaughter blinde men may see A little before the Conquest of Scotland as is reported upon good intelligence the Presbytery of Scotland did by their own pretended authority take upon them to Summon Convent Censure and Condemn people to cruel death for Witches and as is credibly reported they caused four thousand to be executed by Fire and Halter and had as many in prison to be tried by them when God sent his conquering Sword to suppress them by occasion of which Wars there were many Ministers whereof many were Presbyters slain What is become of their Presbyterian Authority now Yet because there are some that slighting these observations will hardly be beaten from this conceit of Witches power which they have so long beleeved and will not yet think but that Witches have a familiar spirit by whose help they kill and act strange Wonders tell me where is a place in all the Scripture that saith so shew me in all
then accuse their Neighbour of Witchcraft or if by their sins they bring down Gods Judgements they then say they are bewitched ascribing all to the Devil and Witches never beholding Gods hand or acknowledging that God is just and themselves sinners Eleventhly Some wil still object and say What though there be no murthering nor afflicting Witch mentioned in the Scripture nor any command given to put Witches to death for Murthers may not this common opinion of all men go for current unless we can prove it by Scriptures what shall one or two mens opinions be preferred before the common tenent of all men To this I answer It was the common tenent of all the Heathen that Idols were gods and ought to be worshipped it was the common opinion of all the Scribes and Pharisees that it was a sin to eat with unwashen hands and yet the Scripture telleth us that these things were false Secondly I answer God gave his Laws that we should add nothing to them nor take any thing from them Deut. 12.32 why then should any man be so bold contrary to the Commandement of God to make it a Law to put poor people to death upon foolish and feigned suppositions or by the common tenent and general blinde opinion of people without ground in the Scriptures Twelfthly Some will yet object and say If we may not conclude Murthers and trials of Witches from Biggs and privie Marks and sinking and swimming in the water because we have no warrant or mention of such trials in the Scriptures then by the same consequence we may not try a Murtherer by any trial but such as is mentioned in the Scriptures but this is taken for granted that if a murthered man bleedeth new and fresh when the Murtherer is near the dead Carcase it discovereth the Murtherer and many Murtherers have been discovered by Gods providence in that manner and have confessed the Murther and yet there is no warrant for this trial of a Murtherer in Scripture To this subtile Argument I answer That a Judge may be too presumptuous in condemning a man upon any such evidence as that is for a dead body will for the most part bleed fresh and new if it lyeth two or three days unburied as it is often seen in those that dye a natural death upon their Bed and not Murthered the bloud doth many times issue out of their mouthes in great abundance at such times as the Humours of the body begin to putrifie and by the same reason a murthered Body will when it hath lain two or three days issue forth bloud both at the mouth and at the wound whether the Murtherer be present or not And what if God by his providence hath so brought it to pass sometimes that the murthered body hath bled when the Murtherer hath been present and so at the sight of the bloud the Murtherers Conscience hath so accused him that he hath been driven to confess the Murther we may not thence conclude or argue that this is a certain trial of a Murtherer without his own Confession or other manifest proofs for by that means we may sometimes condemn a guiltless man that standeth by at the same time of issuing forth bloud from the dead body which is a common and a natural thing Secondly I answer this subtile Objection thus Murther by the hand is a certain thing we know it by experience and also the Scripture speaketh of it and for the trial and finding out of Murther when we finde a man murthered wee have an ordinance in the Scriptures Deut. 21. the seven first verses They were to make diligent inquisition according to the Law of Moses and in the seventh verse every man ought to clear himself that his hand hath not shed the bloud of him that was slain and if God blesseth his own ordinance of making such strict search and inquiry by this wonderful and miraculous kinde of bleeding as you suppose it to be yet there is the ground of it it is his own ordinance and therefore God blesseth it and discovereth the Murther But now to apply this to a Witch there is no consequence at all for when we finde a man dead or when any party is diseased we have not any ordinance in the Scripture to make search who hath bewitched such a man or killed such a man by Witchcraft but whose hand hath slain him As also in Numb 35.16 who hath smitten him with an instrument of Iron or any material instrument or hand-weapon wee may not then expect that God should answer mens fancies and vain imaginations of Murthering by Witchcraft that have no ordinance in Scripture as he doth his own Ordinances and for sinking and swimming Biggs and privie Marks that may as well happen to one man as to another to make them signs and trials of Witches or Murtherers is a groundless thing and indeed at first invented by the Popes Inquisitors who rather than they would not insnare whom they aimed at to put them to death they would make any thing a sign or token of a Witch and if all these signs that these Popish tyrants have affirmed to be signs were as they say true signs of Witches then all people under the Heavens might be by one sign or other proved to be Witches these signs may as well signifie a Thief or a Cut-purse as a Witch being indeed no signs at all Thirteenthly Some will object and say If we may not suppose that Witches can kill or afflict people by Witchcraft except we have ground and warrant for it in the Scriptures then by the same reason we may not hang a Thief for Felony for by the Scriptures he ought to have restored four-fold and we finde no warrant in Scripture to put him to death To this it is answered to put a Thief to death for Theft is either lawful or unlawful if it be not lawful by the Scriptures though a thing commonly done then we may not prove any thing lawful by instancing in a thing unlawful Secondly If it be lawful to put a Thief to death without warrant from the Scripture as yee suppose it to be yet therein we go beyond our warrant only in the matter of punishment which punishment yet falleth upon the guilty Thief who is certainly convicted by infallible testimony according to Gods ordinance but whosoever putteth man or woman to death for bewitching people to death or for afflicting man or beast with diseases by Witchcraft goeth beyond his warrant in matter of guilt for the Scripture no where saith that a Witch was or can be guilty of any such thing as killing by Witchcraft or afflicting by Diseases or any cross or adversity by Witchcraft upon men or cattel and so in this we sin not in inflicting greater punishment upon a Witch then is due by the Law of God for by Law we ought not to suffer a Witch to live but the sin is in inflicting punishment upon the innocent in Condemning them for
Witches which are not Witches for a Witch in the Scriptures is only a seducer of the people to Idolatry and for killing without a stroak of the hand or some material instrument God claimeth it as his own Prerogative proper to himself only Deut. 32.39 1 Sam. 2.6 so that imputing it to any other is against the Scriptures Fourteenthly Some will object and say Although there were no Murthering Witches spoken of in the Scriptures or any such description of a Witch as one that maketh a League with the Devil or that lyeth with Incubus or Succubus or that hath Imps or Biggs or privie Marks by which they are known yet such may be sprung up since the Scriptures were written as new sins increase daily To this I answer If there be new sins it must be in reference to the Law for that maketh sin to be sin because it is a breach of the Law now No man may adde any thing to the Law of God Deut. 12.32 and therefore we may not suppose that there be any sins that are not mentioned in the Law also such sins are not mentioned in the Gospel and Saint Paul saith Whosoever preacheth any other Gospel than that we have received let him be accursed Gal. 1.9 Fifteenthly it hath been objected by some That a Judge or a Jury-man is not to question any truth of opinion concerning the power of Witches or what Witches are but to be guided by the Law of the Nation and to go according to the evidence of Witnesses and if any one will come and witness upon Oath against any man or woman that he or she is a Witch the Jury ought to cast her and the Judge ought to condemn her To this Objection I answer Deut. 17.6 At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death be put to death but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death It is taken for granted that a man or woman is sometimes given over to bear false witness therefore God hath made it one of his Commandements Thou shalt not bear false witness and here in Deut. 17.6 God hath given us this rule to avoyd false witness That one Witness shall not pass as a sufficient evidence upon Life and Death and yet many have wrongfully suffered death at the mouth of one Witness contrary to this Law without examination of the condition of the Witness whether Mad or foolishly presumptuous or malicious Secondly I answer Where two or three Witnesses are to pass for true evidence against any Person it is to be understood only in matters prescribed by the Word of God as Murther by an instrument smitten or cast at a person or by the hand or by some apparent infallible way Numb 35.16 c. but not in matters that are no way grounded upon the Word but are flat contrary to the Word of God and are only mens imaginations for we have no warrant to put any person to death upon any imaginary offence if it were likely that two or three should agree together in such a testimony neither ought a Judge or any Magistrate to administer an Oath or take or hear an Oath in any thing Moral that is not prescribed in Gods Word but only imaginary and if two or three would swear point blank against any person to be a Witch they ought not to be suffered to swear against any in that manner except it be to swear against such Witches as the Scripture speaketh of according the whole discourse of this Book and therein also they ought to give a reason of their Oath and the Judge and Jury to consider it Thirdly I answer That Oathes that have been usually taken against many persons in that kinde are not to be regarded though true as that such a one hath been seen to have a Rat or Mouse creep upon her or under her Coats or was heard talking to her Imps these are not material testimonies but are foolish and sensless arguments not grounded in the Word of God Further if the Witnesses can swear that any person keepeth and feedeth Imps it is not a material Oath for it is as lawful to keep a Rat or Mouse or Dormouse or any Creature tame as to keep a tame Rabbit or Bird and one may be an Imp as well as another and so may a Flea or Louse by the same reason and so the Devil need not go far for a bodily shape to appear in or to suck mens or womens flesh in and it these were material Oathes who then may not be proved a Witch and yet there was an honest woman so always formerly reputed executed at Cambridge in the year 1645 for keeping a tame Frogge in a Box for sport and Phantasie which Phantasie of keeping things tame of several species is both lawful and common among very innocent harmless people as Mice Dormice Grashoppers Caterpillers Snakes yea a Gentleman to please his Phantasie in trying conclusions did once keep in a Box a Maggot that came out of a Nut till it grew to an incredible bigness all these are Arguments of no force yea I further say if two or three would swear that they saw such a Creature suck any persons flesh it doth not prove it to be a Devil or that the Devil is in it or therefore the Person a Witch Lastly I answer If a Judge or a Jury be bound by the Law of the Nation to proceed according to that Law yet they are bound more by the Law of God to proceed according to his Law and if there be any Law of any Nation made to put to death people for any supposed imaginary Witchcraft not spoken of in Gods Word that Law ought to be abrogated for we may not adde to Gods Law Deut. 12.32 and in the mean time that Nation that maintaineth such a Law that Judge that Jury which prosecuteth such a Law being not grounded in but contrary to the Law of God they all hazard themselves under the Curse of Gods Law Exod. 22.23 24. Sixteenthly The last and wisest Objection is this It is maniest in the Scriptures that a Witch may kill by Witchcraft for it appeareth Numb 25.9 that after Balaam had tried all ways to Curse the people there dyed of the people twenty four thousand and although he could not hurt them by Inchantment as he affirmeth chap. 23.23 There is no Inchantment against Israel yet it appeareth Revel 23.14 that he taught Balac to lay a stumbling-block before the people in inticing them to commit Idolatry which brought down the anger of God upon them that they dyed Numb 25.9 To this I answer This indeed is the only Witchcraft that can kill or hurt any man according to the whole Discourse of the First Book of this Treatise seducing the people to Idolatry whereby they do cause them to provoke God to anger and to strike them in his displeasure and this is the Doctrin we ought to learn by the History of Balaam
Notes saith Terrificum animal id est draco Those were all only such Creatures as do commonly inhabit desolate places The Prophet speaking in the former verse of desolation that should come upon the Land and indeed the Devil hath least to do in desolate places and is most busied where people are most but had Zim and Iim been the proper names of Devils it had not made any thing to the purpose to prove that the Devil walketh up and down in corporal appearance for it is said Revel 2.13 that the Devil dwelt at Pergamus and yet it is not meant that he was there seen at all to appear in any shape but was there in the hearts and works of wicked men but such is the manner of all that are tainted with Popish Tenents that they would have people conceive of the Devil that he is some ugly terrible Creature to look upon some black man with a pair of Horns on his head and a Cloven Foot and a long Tayl or some monstrous Beast that inhabiteth in Woods and walketh about in the night to scare people and this doctrin is maintained by Popish Writers least people should discern that the Devil is in all their Popish Doctrins and actions and in the hearts of all Popish seducers and deceivers of the world Further in this his Third Book he talketh of Incubus and Succubus as if it were an undoubted truth that the Devil lyeth commonly with Witches of both Sexes having copulation with them but for this he hath not the least Scripture nor the least seeming Argument but only constrained extorted belyed nullified Confession of poor condemned people which is the only Argument for all the devillish Tenents of all Writers of this sort and yet they begin with Scripture saying Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live and upon this they raise a long discourse contrary to all Scripture and truth and possibility all which they will father upon the Scriptures and yet when they are pinched by dispute to prove their Tenents by Scripture they fly off to confession this confession I say is in all the discourse of this Author his only Argument which is no Argument and yet he pretendeth his discourse to be grounded on the Scriptures and in that pretence in his last Chapter he concludeth his whole discourse with the Law of God saying Therefore these people ought to be put to death according to the Law of God whereas yet in all his discourse he could not produce the least jot or tittle of the Law against any such kinde of supposed Witches as he talketh of nor the least colour of argument to prove his supposals in all the Law or all the Scriptures without misconstruing the Law of God and the Scriptures So much for this Author Cooper answered THe second English Writer upon this subject is one Thomas Cooper a Minister who himself being infected with the common Popish tenent sent forth by Pope Innocent the Eighth and Pope Julius the Second and affirmed by Bodinus and other bloudy Inquisitors mentioned in my Second Book that Witches are Murtherers and such as can raise Winds and do things impossible by the help of the Devil This Cooper instead of being himself a Minister to instruct and teach the people in Gods Truth grounded in Scriptures he became a bloudy Inquisitor to finde out Witches that is a bloudy Persecutor of the poor and an accuser of them to be Witches who by his blinde zeal in this kinde did cause many to be executed for Witches as he confesseth in his first Book the first Chapter and sixteenth Page and after this he reading Mr. Scots Discovery of Witchcraft which he was no way able to confute by Scripture nor to answer him truly hee being galled in his Conscience and netled in his minde concerning his reputation in the World which he feared he should loose if his wickedness should be convicted and laid open instead of humbling his Soul before God and begging pardon for his sin he wrot a Book in defence of his errours called the mystey of Witchcraft wherein he hath as others have done pretended to confute Scot and to that end hath writ down many Popish inventions adding thereunto many of his own foolish imaginations without one jot of Scripture to prove or ground any of his Tenents and after long discourse of meer lyes and imaginations in a pretence of holy Zeal yet quite contrary to Gods truth yea I may say imaginations resisting Gods holy Spirit of Truth hath thought it a sufficient confutation of Scot to fetch him over with an use of reproof as appeareth in his first Book the eighteenth page just as if a man should preach contrary to the Scriptures that Idols are gods and labour to prove it by experience as this Cooper laboureth to prove his Tenents concerning Witches or to prove it by the example of such as have been slain because they would not fall down before an Idol and worship it as this Cooper laboureth to prove his errours concerning Witches from the example of many that have been executed for Witches and then should fetch them over with an use of reproof that say Idols are no gods and after this groundless use of reproof this Cooper goeth on still in a frivolous discourse without any Scripture to prove his Doctrin and at last laboureth to shew that Juglers are Witches which no man yet did ever deny if they were such as wrought false Miracles to seduce the people as Jannes and Jambres and Simon Magus and Elimas the Sorcerer but he laboureth to prove that common Juglers are Witches that do work their Tricks of Activity saith he by a Familiar which yet saith he are no real Miracles but they hurt the Eye and thicken the Air saith he whereby they make things seem to be really done that are not done which thing for a Jugler to do that is to hurt the eye and touch it not and to thicken the Air were a Miracle it self but to clear these vain Fancies who knoweth not that Juglers do play their Tricks only by the slight of hand called Cleanly Conveyance or Legerdemain and what common Jugler that hath gone about to Fairs or Markets to shew his Tricks of Activity to get Mony will not in private for a shilling shew any Trick that he hath acted openly and shew how it is done to the satisfaction of any man that desireth it and that without a Familiar or the least appearance of any such vain Phantsy as fools imagine But yet if I should take it for granted that these common Juglers are Witches and do work their Feats by a Familiar Devil as he affirmeth yet what doth that make towards the proving of these poor and aged and lame people to be Witches that have so commonly been said to be Witches What Tricks of Activity have they shewed either in Fayers or Markets or in publick or in private surely if they had been Condemned for Witches for any such