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
pasture to the admiration of the beholders Take a peece of paper and rub one part of it with fresh Lemmon peele and dry it again a little and then dip your Pen in Inke that is made of stone blew steeped two or three days in cold water and write upon the place that had the tincture of the Lemmon peele and it will write a pure bright red and then with the same Pen and Inke write upon another place of the paper and it writeth blew whereby there is caused great admiration in the beholders to see a man with one Pen and one and the same Inke write red and blew Albartus Magnus and also Misaldus do write of many wonderful things that may be done by the knowledge of Natural causes or the secrets of Nature which although many of them be false yet for such as are true they may bee lawfully done and therein we may glorifie God in beholding the wonderful Works of his hands in the secret causes of things But now for the abuse of these things as namely by the doing of these things to seduce the people by making silly people beleeve we do them by a miraculous power thereby pretending our selves to be Prophets as did Simon Magus in the Acts this is right Jugling Witchcraft or to make the people beleeve that they are done by the power of some Idol thereby to seduce the people or any way to affront the Prophets by comparing them with true Miracles to withstand the truth as Pharaohs Magicians did were right Witchcraft So likewise for the Oyntment called Unguentum armaxisum or Weapon salve that is an Oyntment made of such ingredients as by anointing the Weapon wherewith a man or beast is wounded it healeth the Wound if it be true by certain experience as many Phisitians and Chyrurgions do affirm it may lawfully be used and we may glorifie God in the use of it who hath given such excellent secret qualities to the Creatures which are made for the use of man Also Jacob used the peeled rods which by their secret operation being set before the sheep in the heat of their Generation caused them by beholding them in their conceiving to conceive and bring forth party coloured Lambs but if any man shall use these secrets to this end to make the people beleeve they are Prophets and do them by a miraculous power that so they may seduce the people to errour under a colour of working Miracles such men are seducing Witches Thus a Planetarian abusing the lawful Science of Astrologie may become a Witch not only under the notion of 2 Planetarian but of a Jugler as for instance Pedro Mexiâ— a Spanish Historian writeth of one Columbus who coming to an Island in the new-found World called Hispaniola desired Traffick with the Natives for Victuals which they denying he told them they should all dye of the Plague and for a sign hereof they should see the Moon as red as bloud at such a time and contrary to her former condition afterward they beholding the Moon eclipsed at the same time fore-told by Columbus and knowing no rules of Astrologie they beleeved his words and craved pardon and brought him supply of Victuals This was but a remiss degree of deceiving Witch-craft or rather a Cheat because it tended not to Idolatry but yet in the act it self pretending falsly a miraculous power it was Jugling Witch-craft It is now fully demonstrated what a Jugler is in the Scripture sence but yet Moses mentioneth both Sexes in the Scriptures for it is written Exod. 22.18 Praestigiatricem ne sinito vivere suffer not a Jugling Woman to live This is not any thing different in Nature from Praestigiator a Jugling man but only in Sex as if he had said As you ought not to suffer Jugling seducing men to live so likewise if there be a Woman found among you that useth this craft of working false Miracles to delude and seduce the people to Idolatry although she be the weaker Sex to whom mercy might seem to be due yet suffer her not to live all one in sence with that Levit. 20.27 where Witches of both Sexes are mentioned in one verse If man or woman be a giver of Oracles or Divinations or a South-sayer they shall be put to death yet whereas Moses in all the Law speaketh more fully of Witches in the Masculine than in the female Sex it confuteth that common tradition of people that Witches are most of the female Sex Here I am compelled for the satisfaction of some that are so weak in capacity that they will rather stand to cavil in a disputative way than to understand things that are not in themselves disputative but demonstrative to demonstrate some few of the most admired Tricks of common Jugling First A Jugler knowing the common tradition and fooliâ—â— opinion that a familiar Spirit in some bodily shape must be had for the doing of strange things beyond the Vulgar capacity he therefore carrieth about him the skin of a Mouse stopped with feathers or some like Artificial thing and in the hinder part thereof sticketh a small springing Wire of about a foot long or longer and when he begins to act his part in a Fayr or a Market before Vulgar people he bringeth forth his Impe and maketh it spring from him once or twice upon the Table and then catcheth it up saying would you be gone I will make you stay and play some Tricks for me before you go and then he nimbly sticketh one end of the Wire upon his waste and maketh his Impe spring up three or four times to his shoulder and nimbly catcheth it and pulleth it down again every time saying Would you be gone in troth if you be gone I can play no Tricks or Feats of Activity to day and then holdeth it fast in one hand and beateth it with the other and slily maketh a squeeking noyse with his lips as if his Impe cried and then putteth his Impe in his breeches or in his pocket saying I will make you stay would you be gone Then begin the silly people to wonder and whisper then he sheweth many slights of activity as if he did them by the help of his Familiar which the silliest sort of beholders do verily beleeve amongst which he espyeth one or other young Boy or Wench and layeth a tester or shilling in his hand wetted and biddeth him hold it fast but whilst the said Boy or silly Wench thinketh to enclose the peece of silver fast in the hand he nimbly taketh it away with his finger and hasteneth the holder of it to close his hand saying Hold fast or it will be gone and then mumbleth certain words and crieth by the vertue of Hocus Pocus hay passe prestor be gone now open your hand and the silly Boy or Wench and the beholders stand amazed to see that there is nothing left in the hand and then for the confirmation of the wonder a Confederate with the Jugler standeth
Jugler is in the Scripture sence let every one consider seriously who be the Juglers of this and former Ages that ought to be put to death by the Law of Moses we might think that no man were so silly and foolish to think that it is meant common Juglers who play their Tricks in Fayers and Markets nor Gentlemen who sometimes in imitation of them do in sport play Tricks of slight of hand or legerdemain with confederates or without for it is most certain and true that if it bee rightly understood that these do a great deal of good that recreation tending rightly to the illumination of people of all sorts to shew them the vanity and ridiculousness of those delusions and lying Wonders by which men were so easily deluded in old times by Pharaohs Magicians by Simon Magus and Elimas the Sorcerer and now adays by our professed Wizzards or Witches commonly called Cunning Men or good Witches who will undertake to shew the face of the Thief in the Glass or of any other that hath done his Neighbour wrong privily when as they do all by Jugling delusions and are themselves right Witches that cause men to seek to the Devil for help that will undertake and promise to unwitch people that are as fools commonly say bewitched these common sporting Juglers also may illuminate people to see the Jugling Witchcraft of Popish Priests in causing Rhoods to move their eyes and hands in compassion to peoples prayers of which you may read more fully afterward Yet in Queen Elizabeths time as appeareth in Mr. Scots Discovery of Witchcraft in the fifteenth Book Chap. 42. there was a Master of Arts condemned only for using himself to the study and practise of the Jugling craft how justly I will not controvert but this I say That if a man may not study and practise the discovery of Chears without being a Cheater nor the discovery of Witchcraft without being accounted a Witch it is the way for Witches and Cheaters to play their pranks and no man able to tax them or accuse them or to say who they are that are Witches and this foolish nice censuring and ignorant condemning hath bred great and general ignorance of this subject of Witchcraft which God himself describeth so often in the Scriptures for people to know and avoyd the practise of seducing or being seduced by it but for that Master of Arts before named the Lord of Leicester having more wisdom in some things than some had did protect him for a time after he was condemned but what became of him is not mentioned but yet if he had been a Jugler or practiser of that Craft to this end to withstand the Prophets when they wrought true Miracles as Pharaohs Juglers withstood Moses or if he were one that practised it to seduce the people after lying delusions to magnifie himself as a false Prophet like Simon Magus in the Acts or to cause people to ascribe miraculous power to him or to seek to the Devil as our common Deceivers called good Witches do he was deservedly condemned but to study Witchcraft and actually to demonstrate it by practise to shew how easily people were and may be deluded by it seeing God hath commanded Witches to be put to death and what they were or are is not now a days fully understood no not by the Learned is no more deserving death than for Master Scot to write a book in the discovery of it or for a Minister to discover to the people the danger of an Idol to which Witchcraft is necessarily joyned as an upholder and companion or for a Minister to shew the secret and dangerous nature and several windings of Sin and Satan for the essence of a Witch is not in doing false Miracles or any other Witchcraft by demonstration or discovery but in seducing people from God and his Truth As for example Pharaohs Magicians in that they did throw down their stafle and made it seeme to be turned into a Serpent to the end to withstand Moses and to seduce the Aegyptians they were absolute Witches but if any man now do the very same or had then done it to discover the Jugling deceit of it hee is no Witch but a teacher and instructer of the people So again for another example he that goeth behinde a Rhood or other Popish Image and draweth the secret Wiers that causeth the eyes and hands of the Image to move to the end to delude and seduce the people to Idolatry by admiration of it as Popish Priests do he is an absolute Witch but he that goes behind it and acteth the same part and then cometh out and sheweth people the Imposture and sheweth them the Wyers and secret delusions is not a Witch but a discoverer of a Witch that did it to the end to seduce and a Teacher and illuminator of the people See more in the Sixth description But we must know that in Queen Elizabeths time the Protestant Religion being then in its minority when as Popery was but only suppressed and not worn out of the memory nor out of the hearts and affections of men that yet in outward shew were Protestants it was a brief tenent in the Universities that he that did but study and contemplate upon this subject of Witchcraft was a dealer with unlawful and vain Science and ought to be censured for a Witch and by this subtill tradition they feared all Students that no man dared to search into the bowels and secrets of that Craft least as they knew full well thereby he should discover to the World the secret Impostures of the Popish Religion which is altogether upheld by Witchcraft of which Religion many stood daily in expectation to have it set on foot as brief as ever when as they hoped the times would change Hath God given nine several descriptions of Witchcraft at once Deut. 18.10 11. and reiterated them in many places of Scripture that we might take notice who and what they are with the Mystery of iniquity and delusions that they practised and shall not we study and contemplate upon it by this vain tradition were many of their devillish Witchcrafts concealed and came not to light for many years to the view of the world example of that Popish Idol Cheapside Crosse which stood for many years like the Golden Image of Nebuchadnezzar few men knowing the jugling Witchcraft that was therein untill at the command of the Parliament it being pulled down there were found therein the severall slights to move the Arms Eyes and Heads of the Images and the Pipes to convey the water to make the Images shed tears in compassion to the peoples prayers and to convey Milk into the breasts of the Image of the Virgin Mary that the poor deluded people seeing such lying Wonders as Images of Gold to move to weep and shed tears in abundance and Milk to drop out of the Virgins breasts through her earnest labouring with her Son to hear and grant
the prayers of the people went home bewitched to that devillish Idolatry by that grand Witch that Whore of Rome that hath deceived all Nations with her Witchcraft Revel 18.23 yet to the grief of the hearts of this Popish crew in the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth many of their devillish Witchcrafts were daily discovered as in Master Lumberts Book of the Perambulation of Kent it appeareth was discovered the Rhood of grace in Kent who was always accompanied and helped by little St. Rumball which Idol as Mr. Scot noteth in Lib. 7. Chap. 6. was not inferiour in all deluding Impostures to the great Idol Apollo or Apollos Oracle whose Priests were the grand Witches of the World in its time yet afterward the wires that made the eyes of the Images to goggle and the Pins and Instruments for several delusions were discovered with all the Witchcraft of the jugling Priests with every circumstance thereof which Image and Instruments were openly burnt together by the authority and command of the Queen And now it falleth in my way to speak of another grand Witch of the World that is Mahomet the great Idol of the Turks who by his Juglings and Divinations hath seduced a great part of the World to an Idolatrous worship so absurd and silly that his Disciples are ashamed to let any Christians come neer the place of his supposed Sepulchre at Mecha lest they should laugh at their folly in worshipping an Iron Sepulchre therefore all Christians are forbidden to come within five miles of that place upon pain of death and because various reports have been abroad by several Authors concerning this Deceiver of the world I will only cite the most allowable reports confirmed by Lampadius in Mellificio Historico and also by Gulielmus Biddulphus an English Travellor called The Travels of certain English-men into farre Countries very agreeable to the foresaid Lampadius This devillish Impostor Mahomet desiring to magnifie himself among the people did first of all delude his Wife making her beleeve that he was a Prophet of God for having the Falling-sickness with which he fell often and lay like a man in a trance he told his Wife that Gabriel the Arch-angel did often appear to him and reveal secrets from Heaven and for the confirmation thereof Sergius a wicked Monck who was his instructer affirmed That Gabriel did use to appear to all Prophets and so both of them together did perswade the silly Woman that the reason of his falling in a Trance was because the Angel was so glorious that he was not able to behold him without falling and that all the time of his lying thus prostrate the Angel was talking with him this silly Woman rejoycing in this That she was married to a Prophet reported the thing among other Women so that in time this fellow obtained among pratling Women and common people the name of a Prophet the Devil by this fellow taking occasion and waiting his opportunity to deceive the World as also by Sergius the Monck who was his companion it hapned about the year of our Lord Christ 591. about which time also began the Antichristian Popedome at Rome that Heraclius the Roman Emperour makeing use of the Armies of the Sarazens against the Persians and not giving them their daily pay or stipend which they expected and required of his Captains over them they revolted from him then this Mahomet with his companion Sergius seconding him became the Head of the Rebellion or at least desired so to be thought by the people that so he might any way become great among them but the Souldiers not much regarding him Sergius and he did so use their wits to perswade them telling them That he was ordained by God to that end and sent by the Angel Gabriel to bring the people to the worship of God by the power of the Sword for said he Christ came only by Miracles and Signs to perswade but I am the next Prophet and the last that shall come and am to compel people by the Sword so that partly by subtilty and partly by compulsion hee drew a mighty Army to him to the overthrow of the Emperours power in those parts from whence came that mighty Empire of the Turks and because that Sergius had counselled him that the only way to increase in strength was to set up a New Religion he gathered unto him besides Sergius John Presbyter an Arrian Heretick and Selan a Jewish Astrologian and another Barran Persam Jacobitam who together that they might draw all people after him Coyned a Religion partly of the Circumcision that so he might win the Jews and the Saracens who coming of Ishmael do use the Circumcision of Abraham to this day and were called Saracens because Hagar was Sarahs Maid and Hagarens from their Mother Hagar and partly of Christianity that so he might win Christians for the Turks do acknowledge Christ to have been a Prophet but they deny his Divinity and his satisfaction for the Sins of Man for they say that God had no Wife and therefore could have no Son and of this and the like silly conceits is composed the Turkish Alcoran and that he might distinguish his Sect from Jews and Christians he hath instituted his Sabbath on the Friday and for the inticing of all men to his Religion he telleth them That they that fight boldly for his Worship shall if they bee slain enter directly into Paradice where they shall injoy plenty of pleasures meat and drink and pretty Wenches abundance and with these hopes saith Lampadius his Souldiers are so bewitched that they are always furious and greedy of fighting be their danger never so great Much more is reported of this Impostor by several Historians but I have only described him briefly by these his seducements although he had many more wherein may be noted that he was a Jugling false Prophet in faining himself to be in extasie of minde in a miraculous manner talking with the Angel Gabriel according to this fifth term of description in the text whereas he was only visited with the fits of his Epileptick disease and in that he pretended these absurd Fantasies to be revealed to him by the Angel he was a Diviner and a lying Enthusiast according to the second term of description in the text in both which sense Sergius the Monck and the rest of his Companions aforesaid who joyned with him in his delusions were Witches also and herein it is strange to see the world of people that are infatuated by so groundless a Religion for were it not for the stupidity of mens mindes and understanding God did enough discover this Mahomet the founder of this Turkish Religion to bee an Impostor at his death for when hee boasted himself that at his death he would rise again the third day as Christ did Albunar one of his Disciples to try the truth of his Doctrins and vaticiniations gave him a cup of deadly poyson which being drunk he swelled
to Divinations being the Second term of description only they do imply a several imposture whereupon the self-same Witches grounded their Divinations and yet being described by their several impostures were not so many several kinds of Witches but still one and the same kinde and all of them false Prophets who by several impostures seduced the people so it may well bee understood that under this Eighth term of description in the text Hariolus commonly called a South-sayer is implied some particular imposture used in their Divinations whereby to delude and seduce the people which imposture though it be not fully declared in the Scriptures what it was yet it may be collected by the several places in the Scriptures where the said expression is so often repeated that it was some imposture used together with the foresaid imposture of Oracling being the Seventh description because in most places of the Scripture Pythones arioli are named together as one and the same although implying a several imposture The Hebrew word in the text is Jiddegnoni or as by some pronounced Jiddoni and signifieth Hariolus but the Hebrews borrowed a word from some other Language which word is Hartumim which in Gen. 41 8.24 and in several places of Scripture is used as a general word for all sorts of Witches and is by Tremelius translated Magus a Magician but by common use did signifie among the Hebrews Hariolus a South-sayer and yet used equivocately to express the Genus and the Species as one because South-sayers were Magicians and were counted the only wise men and is by many Expositors expounded Hariolus The Latines commonly used another word Haruspex and here it may be noted that these words Hartumim Hariolus Haruspex do imply the imposture of a hollow feigned voyce which those Witches or Deceivers used in their Oracling Divinations by harring in their throats and these are they that are also otherwise called Pythones according to another imposture of speaking in a Bottle as in the Seventh term of description is before shewed Plutarch de defec Orac. saith They that used to draw a Prophesying voyce out of their belly are also called Pythones that is as Johannes Scapula upon the place of Plutarch saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 è ventre Hariolantes and this was the imposture aimed at in the text under the Eighth term of description Ariolus namely that they spake with a counterfeit voyce of harring in the throat whereby to dissemble some other and therefore changed their Natural voyce and these were they that spake in the room of the Idol Houses called in Greek and Latine Manteium as in the Seventh description and these were they that speaking in that room in a Cave under the ground or some other hollow place did therefore change their natural voyce to counterfeit the voyce of some other such a one was he that being confederate with the Witch of Endor feigned the voyce of Samuel talking to Saul as is more fully set down in the Seventh term of description or she her self might by this Imposture speak all that was spoken to Saul and these did rather har in their throats that they might thereby the more terribly dissemble a voyce from the dead rising again and therefore differed as much as they could from Human voyce such a one was also by the Graecians and Latines called Mantes which some Writers that knew not the imposture say it was the Devil but Mantes was such a Witch or false Prophet as had that devillish imposture of harring in their throats to deceive the people called of some Ventriloquium a speaking in the belly and they that practised this imposture were so perfect in it that they would speak so strangely that many times they dared to practice their imposture above ground whereby they made it seem to silly people that the spirit of Apollo or some other Idol which they called gods spake within them according to the expression of Saint Luke who used the vulgar expression Acts 16.16 where it is said the Maid had Spiritus Pythonis the spirit of Oracling or as Beza expounds it the spirit of Apollo which he saith was only a devillish cousening imposture as is before noted at large in the Seventh description And this exposition of Ariolos is agreeable to the saying of the Prophet Isa 8.19 Quum enim edicunt vobis consulite Pythones ariolos qui pipiunt mussitant and when they say unto you Ask counsel of Oraclers and South-sayers that peep and that mutter here Tremelius gives this Exposition The Prophet saith he aggravateth the beinous crime of those Witches from the vanity of those Divinations which the very manner of them betrayeth those Seducers have not so much wit that they dare speak to the people the thing they pretend to speak in plain and open terms with an audible cleer voyce as they that are Gods Prophets who speak the Word of God as loud as may be and as plain as they can to the people but they chirp in their Bellies and very low in their throats like Chickens half out of the shels in the hatching So much Tremelius And further he saith That many Historians do mention these their delusions but especially Origenes advers Celsum This imposture of speaking in the Belly hath been often practised in these latter days in many places and namely in this Island of England and they that practise it do it commonly to this end to draw many silly people to them to stand wondring at them that so by the concourse of people money may be given them for they by this imposture do make the people beleeve that they are possessed by the Devil speaking within them and tormenting them and so do by that pretence move the people to charity to be liberal to them Master Scot in his Discovery of Witchcraft Lib. 7. Cap. 1. writeth of such a one at Westwel in Kent that had so perfectly this imposture of speaking in the Belly that many Ministers were deceived by her and made no question but she had been possest by a tormenting Devil and came and talked so long with that Devil and charged him in the name of God to go out of her as that he said he would kill her he would tear her it peeces he would kill them all He also told them whom sent him in and accused some poor people for Witches The words and testimony of this Devil were taken in writing and how many they that sent him had Witched to death and yet when this matter came to examination by two wise Justices of the Peace Mt. Thomas Wotton and Mr. George Darrel the Maid being discreetly examined confessed the whole imposture and for confirmation of the truth of the matter so plain was the Maid in confession that she acted the same thing over again before the said Magistrates and many other Gentlemen and Gentlewomen to the shame of those Ministers who had taken the testimony of the Devil
against poor people in writing and were credulous therein beleeving and teaching such Doctrins that a Witch can send a Devil to possesse and torment people and another Witch can cast him out but if they and all Ministers were led by the Spirit of truth they should know that this deluding Hagge was the Witch and not they whom she accused for what difference was there between her imposture and a spirit of Divination like the Maid in Acts 16.16 formerly mentioned whose spirit of Divination or Oracling was only a Devillish cousening imposture saith Beza and such ought to be put to death by the Law of Moses because they use Divinations pretending the discovery of Witches it being manifest therein that they are the Witches and because they by false accusation murther others such a Maid was lately at Brantree in Essex who practised the same imposture to the astonishment of many and gained mony from the deceived beholders until the report thereof grew stale and fools had done wondering and the concourse of people ceased and her gains came not in and then the Devil did easily leave her and the business almost forgotten and yet no men so ready to put in execution the Law of God against her or any such as against poor people that are accused by such and by fools and hanged up without ground or warrant or possibility of truth This imposture hath wrought strange delusions among the ancient Heathen and the actors thereof did by this imposture delude the people one way very notable was by them speaking in the Belly in the manner aforesaid they would make it seem to the standers by that a voyce came from afar off or from some secret place that that voyce was the voyce of some of the gods and then they would report abroad that in such a place a voyce was heard declaring or commanding such and such matters and the poor deluded standers by would witness and report the same to be true whereas the voyce came only from the deluding Witch that was among them when they heard the voyce as we may read in Plutarch de defec Orac. A certain ship sayling by the Island of Paxis in which ship were some Aegyptians the manner of which Nation was to practise the several impostures of Witchcraft for their advantage and fame among the people there was heard from the shore of Paxis a voyce calling thrice to Thamus by name he being an Aegyptian in the ship Thamus when thou comest to Palos report that great Pan is dead which thing he did When he came near Palos he looked toward the shore and cryed aloud Great Pan is dead then there was heard a terrible sighing and groaning which much affrighted the people in the ship the report of this was speedily testified at Rome in so much that this Thamus was sent for by Tyberius Caesar and so was much taken notice of in the Emperours Court and although many were deluded by that voyce which was so heard by the men in the ship and did much dispute about it what it should signifie yet they that do rightly understand the imposture of Hariolating or speaking in the belly may easily conceive that Thamus himself was the man or some confederate with him that spake the voyce and made that mighty groaning at the last thereby to delude the people and to make himself famous as some great Man to whom some of the gods had spoken and whereas it was about the time that Christ was Crucified And some would have it that that voyce was really spoken by some strange Spirit and might signifie Christ I yeeld thus farre that Thamus himself might have heard the same of the passages of the Life and Death and Resurrection of Christ and might speak of and concerning Christ not that he beleeved in Christ but would tell some notable thing in his own deluding way for the magnifying of himself among the people implying that he was the man to whom such a voyce should come from the gods and whereas he said Great Pan is dead it was because the Jews were the posterity of Shepherds and the Heathen had feigned Pan to be the god of Shepherds thus might he mean Christ as the Maid in the Acts ch 16.16 acknowledged Paul and his Doctrin not by belief but thereby to uphold and countenance her imposture among the people for her own fame and gain so might this Impostor mean Christ although nor he nor any other did ever conclude any thing fully concerning the meaning of that voyce but left it doubtful as all Oracles of the Heathen were insomuch that some told Tiberius that it was spoken from the gods of one that was risen up between Mercury and Penelopa Thus did Thamus by his imposture get himself fame at the Emperours Court which was the thing he aimed at and left superstitious fools disputing of an ambiguous Oracle It hath been credibly reported that there was a man in the Court in King James his days that could act this imposture so lively that he could call the King by name and cause the King to look round about him wondring who it was that called him whereas he that called him stood before him in his presence with his face toward him but after this imposture was known the King in his merriment would sometimes take occasion by this Impostor to make sport upon some of his Courtiers as for instance There was a Knight belonging to the Court whom the King caused to come before him in his private room where no man was but the King and this Knight and the Impostor and feigned some occasion of serious discourse with the Knight but when the King began to speak and the Knight bending his attention to the King suddenly there came a voyce as out of another room calling the Knight by name Sir John Sir John come away Sir John at which the Knight began to frown that any man should be so unmannerly as to molest the King and him and still listning to the Kings discourse the voyce came again Sir John Sir John come away and drink off your Sack at that Sir John began to swell with anger and looked into the next rooms to see who it was that dared to call him so importunately and could not finde out who it was and having chid with whomsoever he found he returned again to the King the King again had no sooner began to speak as formerly but the voyce came again Sir John come away your Sack stayeth for you at that Sir John begun to stamp with madness and looked out and returned several times to the King but could not be quiet in his discourse with the King because of the voyce that so often troubled him till the King had sported enough So much for this Eighth term of description of a Witch in the text Ariolus a South-sayer The Ninth term of Description THe Ninth term of Description is Necromantis a Necromancer that is in the sense
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
the Scriptures such a word as Striges lamiae Incubus and Succubus or any word of such signification or importance what were Pharaoh his Magicians but deluders of Pharaoh and the People could they by the help of Satan do any thing truly were they real Miracles did not their madness come to light 2 Tim. 3.9 what spirit had the Maid that followed Paul Act. 16.16 which is said to have the spirit of Python was it more than a cousening spirit of Divination for gain yet still you will say the word Python hath been interpreted by many one that had a familiar spirit imagine they had a familiar spirit although it is but a weak Argument to ground an opinion upon the bare signification of a word except you will have it a seducing lying spirit such a one as was in Ahabs Prophets yet I say answer me these Four Questions First Tell we where a Witch did or could kill a man in Scripture What did Saul go to the Pythonist of Endor for was it that she might help him kill the Philistians or meerly for Augury or Divination what did Pharaoh call his Witches the Magicians before him for was it to kill any Man or Beast by their cunning or meerly to work lying Wonders and dissemble the Miracles that God wrought by Moses so that they might withstand Moses and the truth and blinde Pharaohs eyes because God would harden his heart tell me where you finde in all the Scriptures that a Witch did or could kill a man by Witchcraft shew me in all the Law of Moses concerning the condemning of men or women for Murther that a Murtherer was called a Witch or a Witch a Murtherer Deut. 19. and other places of Scripture are there not several Rules set down for the trying of Murther shew me one that intimateth the Witching of Men or Cattel to death Secondly Shew me in all the Scriptures where Witches are spoken of that a Witch was a secret person or unknown to the World that should need to be tried by blinde circumstances and presumptions and superstitions or by privie Marks or by Teats or Biggs by sinking or swimming or by confessions were not Pharaohs Witches called Prastigiatores magi openly known did not Pharaoh call them together without privie search or inquiry did not Saul banish all the Witches as people openly known and professing the Art of Augury and their several cousening practices when Saul inquired for a Witch did not his servants presently tell him there was one at Endor was she not known without privie search or prime marks Did not the Maid in the Acts that was said to have the spirit of Python or to be a Pythonist follow Paul crying openly did not Simon Magus act his Delusions openly to seduce the people as likewise Eliâ—as the Sorcerer were not the Witchcrafts of Jezabel known to be her delusions that she wrought by the Priests of Baal to seduce the people were not the Witchcrafts of Manasses open actions that made Juda and Jerusalem to go astray where then do we read of a Witch by suspicion or to be tried by presumptions or suspicions or privie marks or other signs that are mans invention whence came this darkness and blinde errour but from the Pope that grand Witch that hath bewitched all Nations we search for Witchcrafts and abominations in a poor womans wooden dish and Christ telleth us they are all in a cup of Gold in the hand of the great Whore Revel 17.4 Thirdly Shew me in all the Scriptures where Witchcraft went without Idolatry Isa 19.3 and had not a necessary dependance on Idolatry Nahum 3.4 Look again Deut. 18.10 11. where all sorts of Witches are spoken of why were they to be cut off and destroyed the reason is immediatly given vers 14. because they defiled the Nations in seducing them unto Spiritual VVhoredom and the Nations were destroyed for seeking and making inquiry after their Divinations or South-sayings or Oracles whereas inquiries ought to be to Gods Prophets vers 15. Was not this Sauls Idolatry when he sought to the Witch of Endor 1 Chro. 10.13 14. was not this the sin of Manasses where he is blamed for using Witchcrafts when he made Juda and Jerusalem go astray to Idols 2 Chron. 33.9 were not the Witchcrafts and VVhoredoms of Jesabel set down as two inseparable companions her Witchcraft being the upholding of the Idol Priests of Baal that by Witchcraft seduced the people to Idolatry were not Pharaohs Magicians seducers of Pharaoh and the people from God was not Simon Magus the like but alas how and where have those poor souls that are commonly hanged for Witches seduced the people to Idolatry who hath been led after them for Divinations and Southsayings many indeed have been led after Southsayers but they are termed good Witches and whereas they as Witches ought to dye many have been put to death by their devillish false accusations and if the Witch of Endor were now living amongst us we should call her a good VVitch so blinde are the times Fourthly Shew me in all the Law of God against Adulterous uncleaneness where Moses writeth of several kindes of uncleaneness as man with man man with beast woman with beast and many more the least intimation of uncleanness by Incubus or Succubus what did Moses forget this Yet because this opinion hath been so upheld by reports and imaginations and by the extorted confession or people that have been condemned in that kinde and sometime by the voluntary confession of despairing melancholly people that have been troubled in minde and wish rather to dye than to live although Volenti mori non est adhibenda fides Yet I intreat you to run over these several places of Scripture with me a little and see how this opinion of VVitches power agreeth with the Scriptures yea how flat contrary it is to Gods Word and the grounds of our Christian faith Yet first because some men will not understand the Scriptures in any other sense than as their own Expositors have done be it right or wrong therefore I refer them that will seek farther than the Scriptures to the words of a general Counsel which Mr. Scot in his Discovery hath alleged as followeth Concil Acqui in decret 26. the words of the Council It may not be omitted that certain wicked VVomen following Satans provocations being seduced by the illusion of the Devil beleeve and profess that in the night time they ride abroad with Diana the Goddess of the Pagans or else with Herodias with an innumerable multitude upon certain Beasts and pass over many Countries and Nations in the silence of the night and do whatsoever these Ladies or Fairies command c. let all Ministers therefore in their several Cures preach to Gods people so as they may know all those things to be false and whosoever beleeveth that any Creature can be made by them or changed into better or worse or be any way transformed into any other kinde or
likeness by any but by the Creator himself is assuredly an Infidel and worse than a Pagan So much for the words of the Council Yet here is to be noted that this great general Council that thought these people beleeved and confessed such things to be true in their apprehension did not then know the inhuman cruelty that was used upon those people by the cruel Inquisitors to compel and extort confession for their own gain they being maintained by the spoyl of such people being condemned Now for the Scriptures do but mark how those that maintain and report the power of VVitches have equalled their supernatural power with the Miracles of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles it was the Miracle of Miracles that the Virgin Mary conceived with childe without a man they say a VVitch may do the same by Incubus as Bodin and other Popish VVriters affirm and that such a childe will naturally become a VVitch such a one they say Merlin was no but you say these were Atheists we beleeve not so But some will say the Devil can condense a body and lye carnally with a woman in the shape of a man but not beget yet it was a Miracle that Angels appeared to Abraham in the shape of men Gen. 18.2 yet they will say no but we beleeve the Devil may assume and raise a dead body for a time and so appear to a woman and lye with her and yet it was a Miracle at the suffering of Christ upon the Cross that dead bodies were raised for a time and appeared to many Matth. 27.52 yet a poor VVench was executed at the Assizes at Chelmsford who was compelled by the Inquisitor by keeping her from sleep and with promises and threatnings to confess that she was married to the Devil and that he lay with her six times in a mans shape no but yet some will say the Devil can take upon him an apparent Body and so may talk with a woman and seem to lye with her in shape of a man and so she shall be hanged for things seeming so yet it was a Miracle that Moses and Elias appeared to the Apostles in a Vision Matth. 17.3 Further Christ saith A Spirit hath not flesh and bones Luke 24.39 and yet some say the Devil can condense a body some say he can assume a body some say he can have an apparent body thus do they make the Word of God of no validity by their groundless traditions for if the Devil can have so much as an apparent body what validity was in the words of Christ to take away the doubt of the Disciples when they supposed they saw a Spirit Where also is that foolish Doctrin of Imps sucking of men and women Witches become Are those Imps bodies or spirits if bodies then who made them Without God was nothing made Joh. 1.3 if spirits then spirits can have bodily shape and flesh and bones and thus you make the words of Christ of none effect by your traditions Christ dispensed Devils to enter into the Herd of Swine and they went Mark 5.12 they say a Witch can do more she can send the Devil into men and women and children and cattel to kill them and to witch them to death God said to Satan All that Job hath is in thine hand Job 1.12 and Job himself all but his life Job 2.6 they say God permitteth a Witch to do more to send Satan to destroy a mans goods and cattel and children and life and all thus they deliver for Doctrin the traditions of men Job said The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord and acknowledged Gods hand in all things neither tempted he God foolishly But if one should be so afflicted now adays instead of acknowledging Gods sovereign hand all the poor Wives and Widows in a Country must be called Coram nobis as being accused to have done it Christ saith Revel 1.18 I have the keys of Hell and Death but they say God giveth the keys of Death likewise sometimes to an old Witch man or woman and permits them to witch men to death Christ saith A Sparrow falleth not to the ground without Gods providence Matth. 10 29. but they say God layeth his providence sometimes at the feet of an old Witch and permitteth her to send the Devil to destroy men and cattel some will say A VVitch cannot hurt a godly man but only a wicked man and yet God saith he is the Author of all affliction that cometh to the wicked Levit. 26. from the fourteenth verse to the thirty fourth Also the Scripture saith The Lord killeth and maketh alive 1 Sam. 2.6 maketh poor and maketh rich and in Deut. 32.39 There is no God with me I kill and give life I wound and make whole but they say God permitteth an old VVitch to send the Devil to kill and make poor and wound and a good VVitch can heal again by unwitching God did shut up every wombe of the House of Abimelech that they bare no children Gen. 20.18 they say a VVitch can do the same God permits it and make men and women barren Christ gave his Disciples power over Devils to cast them out Luke 9.1 they say a VVitch can send a Devil into men and cattel to afflict them and a good VVitch can cast them out by unwitching notwithstanding Christ saith Matth. 12.25 Every kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation yet they say that is done by consent of the Devil when a good VVitch unwitcheth a man thus do they make the words of Christ of none effect by their traditions Christ came and appeared unto his Disciples and vanished away again invisible Luke 24.31 they say a VVitch can go invisible by the help of the Devil especially if one of the Ladies of the Fairie will but lend her Giges invisible ring Christ was lifted up into the Air and taken up out of their sight Acts 1.9 and Bodinus and other Popish VVriters affirm that a VVitch can be lifted away in the Air by drinking the broth of a sodden Infant but poor Germany that beleeved these Doctrins and in that confidence executed many people for VVitches was compelled afterward to boyl their children to quell their hunger and found by sad experience that there was no such vertue in that woful Liquor God said to Moses Go up into the mountain and dye Deut. 32.49 50. and he did so Chap. 34. vers 5. they say a VVitch can do so at the word of the Devil and dye when she list to escape hanging and what is a more common report when a poor woman is laid in prison and there dyeth by grief and hard usage than to report the Devil promised her she should not be hanged and was as good as his word for she dyed in prison before the day of Execution came thus do they make the Devil able to determine and limit the life of Man as God did the life of Moses It
is said in Isa 41.23 Shew what is to come after that we may know yee are gods They say a Witch can truly foretel things to come by her spirit of Divination which they call a Familiar and can by the same familiar tell what is done in another Town or House or Country and can tell a man where are his Goods that are lost as well as Samuel could tell Saul of his Fathers Asses when they were lost and such they call good Witches Also in the same Verse Esa 41.23 it followeth in the end of the verse do good or do evil that we may be dismayed and behold it together these words have relation to the former words That we may know that ye are gods that is shew what is to come hereafter or do good or do evil that we may know ye are gods and be dismayed at your doings even as when God sendeth the evil of punishment or affliction upon a people then they are dismayed at the sight and apprehension of it as in Job 40.11 And here when we read that God claimeth the doing thereof as his own Prerogative inferring as much as to say They are gods that can do this I think that after the reading of this verse in Isaiah and Job no man should be so grosly Idolatrous still as to ascribe to a Witch the sending of any affliction those words also Do good or do evil the whole verse having relation to the seventh verse were spoken to the Idol Priests of the Heathen who were the Witches mentioned in the Scriptures and had as great a share in the Devil as any Witch can have and yet God challengeth them to do either good or evil and yet when any evil of affliction cometh upon Men or Beast these Idolaters will still ascribe it to a Witch saying still God permits it God sent an evil spirit upon Saul to vexe him 1 Sam. 16.14 they say a Witch can send an evil spirit upon men or women to vex or torment them Elisha cursed two and forty children in the name of the Lord and they were destroyed of Bears 2 King 2.24 they say a Witch can curse men and women in the name of the Devil and Death or some other Evil shall betide them Pharaohs Magicians though they were themselves Witches yet when they saw Lice creeping upon Men and Beast they acknowledged the finger of God They if they see a man smitten with a lousie disease as Herod was say presently he is bewitched It was a great Miracle that Christ made the Wind and the Sea obey him Mark 4.41 they say Witches can do the same and raise Winds and Tempests and make it calm at their pleasure Was not this one accusation that was brought against Mr. Lewis a Minister executed at Berry Assizes that he had raised a Tempest and cast away two Ships at sea by Witchcraft Christ by his Almighty power walked upon the waters Mat. 14.25 they say cast a Witch into the waters and she will not sink and what hath been more reported and beleeved than this Jugling delusion before spoken of God claimeth it as his own Prerogative to send Lightnings and Thunders Job 38.25 35. but they say when it Thundereth or Lighteneth that Witches do sometimes cause it especially if it be at an Assize time when many Witches are condemned and what hath been a more common report than this when God hath sent thundring voyces from Heaven at an Assize time among the people to warn them instead of discerning that God was angry they say the Witches and the Devil was angry and have caused that thunder God teacheth us in Levit. 26. that he himself sendeth Barrenness and Famine Sword and Pestilence and all Diseases and all Adversities as the punishment of Sin but which of these have not been ascribed to Witches and if the several accusations of people that have been condemned for Witches but only here in England wiâ—hin the memory of man were Registred we might read such a hotch potch of impossibilities as he that beleeveth that they have been justly put to death must not beleeve the Scriptures nor ascribe any thing to Gods mighty Providence but he may also ascribe it to the will and pleasure of a Witch when Christ did by the Spirit of God cast out Devils and the Pharisees ascribed that work to Beelzebub Christ chargeth them with the sin against the Holy Ghost Matth. 12.28 31. but alas how common a thing is it to ascribe to the Devil and Witches the works that God telleth us in the holy Scriptures are his own Works and cannot be done by any other power but by the Spirit of God me thinks this should scare all obstinate VVitchmongers I heard a Suffolk Minister whose habit and garb might seem to claim the title of Rabbi Rabbi affirm that one of the poor women that was hanged for a VVitch at Berry Assizes in the year 1645. did send her Imps into the Army to kill the Parliaments Souldiers and another sent her Imps into the Army to kill the Kings Souldiers and another caused a mans crop of Corn to fail and caused that Corn which he had to be blasted and tipt or crockt and this Minister did verily affirm that those things were true for the VVitches said he confessed those things but when I came to argue with him and to tell him that these things in the Scripture-sense were Gods Prerogatives he could answer nothing he was not so well skilled in the Scriptures but he replied Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live I demanded of him what was the signification of the Hebrew text or of the Latine translation and what was meant by a VVitch in that place he could not tell thus hath the salt of the earth lost its savour and whereas those should season people with wholsome Doctrin some teach Doctrins of Devils and the inventions of Antichrist to defile the Nations And people are now so infected with this damnable Heresie of ascribing to the power of VVitches that seldom hath a man the hand of God against him in his estate or health of body or any way but presently he cryeth out of some poor innocent Neighbour that he or she hath bewitched him for saith he such an old man or woman came lately to my door and desired some relief and I denied it and God forgive me my heart did rise against her at that time my mind gave me she looked like a VVitch and presently my Child my VVife my Self my Horse my Cow my Sheep my Sow my Hogge my Dogge my Cat or somewhat was thus and thus handled in such a strange manner as I dare swear she is a VVitch or else how should those things be or come to pass seldom goeth any man or woman to a Physician for cure of any Disease but one question they ask the the Physician is Sir do you not think this Party is in ill handling or under an ill tongue or more plainly Sir do you
sometimes in Parables as in Job from the seventh verse of the first Chapter to the twelfth also Chap. 2. the six first verses and in Gen. 3.1 1 King 22.21 in these and many places by this Figure speaking and discoursing verbally an Human action is ascribed to such as it doth not properly belong so that it appeareth to those that rightly understand that this objection also is of no force but yet still for those that are obstinate I say let them prove a League or Covenant by the Scriptures between the Devil and a Witch or that the Devil hath power or permission to perform such a Covenant if made Eighthly Some again will object and say If Witches cannot kill and do many strange things by Witchcraft why have many confessed that they have done such Murthers and other strange matters whereof they have been accused To this I answer If Adam and Eve in their innocency were so easily overcome and tempted to sin how much more may poor Creatures now after the Fall by perswasions promises and threatnings by keeping from sleep and continual torture be brought to confess that which is false and impossible and contrary to the faith of a Christian to beleeve Some indeed have in a melancholly distraction of minde confessed voluntarily yea and accused themselves to bee Witches that could do and had done such strange things and wonders by the help of the Devil but mark well their distemper and you shall finde that they are deeply gone by infirmity of body affecting the minde whereby they conceit such things as never were or can be as is often proved by experience among Physicians many of those dying in a very short time although they be not put to death except they be cured by the Physician and truly if such Doctrins had not been taught to such people formerly their melancholly distempers had not had any such objects to work upon but who shall at last answer for their confession but they that have infected the mindes of common people with such devillish doctrins whereby some are instigated to accuse their poor Neighbours of impossibilities contrary to the Scriptures and some drawn to confess lyes and impossibilities contrary to Christian light And indeed vain and fickle are the mindes of such disputants who do first of all father their vain opinions upon the Scriptures pretending that they are undoubted truths grounded upon the Scriptures saying Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live but being shewed their errours how they wrest the Scriptures will rather forsake the Scriptures which are the rule of righteousness then forsake their Opinions and will beleeve confession against the Scriptures Some men will yet yeeld thus farre that these Confessions of poor accused people do many times extend to impossibilities and that they verily beleeve that the Devil deludeth these people making them beleeve that he bringeth to pass such things as they require him to do which yet would come to pass by Divine providence Some again do so Idolize the Devil as that they affirm that these things are real and do withall cry out Great is the power of the Devil and yet for any of these Opinions can produce no Scriptures to prove them but only Confessions and although those Confessions are sometimes extorted sometimes voluntary in poor melancholy or distracted people sometimes in wicked people who delight to make the world wonder at lyes or impossibilities though it be to their own confusion they being given over by God and so the Devil seeing his opportunity instigateth them to be his Instruments to uphold all lying Diabolical Doctrins so that no true beleeving Christian but may discern that all these Confessions are from the Devil the Father of lyes yet I say Suppose with these Confession-mongers that these Confessors are deluded by Satan to think they do such things by the help of the Devil yet where do we read in Scripture that such are Witches who are deluded by Satan or that such should be slain or put to death we read indeed that Witches were all sorts of deluding false Prophets but not such as were deluded by Satan Secondly If you will still affirm that their Confessions are real truths and not delusions but that they do indeed bid the Devil do such things which as yee say he doth yet how can yee prove it by Scripture where is any such description of a Witch in the Scripture but surely it is most horrible devillish forsaking of the Scriptures to beleeve that there is any truth at all in these Confessions and such people as are thus seduced by Satan to lying Confession ought rather to be taught better knowledge than to be slain in their ignorance and perish altogether for lack of knowledge but it is and hath been the manner of these latter Ages for a Minister to go to such and instead of instructing them whereby they might become instruments of saving their souls they urge them to lying Confessions and so do as much as they can to send the spirit of errour into them to their confusion yea and for the most part these men who uphold their errours by the Confessions of these poor accused people do altogether mis-interpret their Confessions for the upholding of such lyes for the broaching whereof they have formerly mis-interpreted and belyed the Scriptures for let but any man that is wise and free from prejudice go and hear but the Confessions which are so commonly alleged and he may see with what catching and cavelling what thwarting and lying what flat and plain Knavery these Confessions are wrung from poor innocent people and what monstrous additions and multiplications are afterward invented to make the matter seem true which yet is most damnably false and flat against Christian light and human reason to beleeve And for such as can hardly beleeve that Melancholy or distemper of body and troubled phantasie can cause people to imagine things so really as to confess them to their own destruction though most false and impossible let them but consider the late example of a grave Minister about the Isle of Ely who by a troubled phantasie was so deluded or rather did so delude himself by weakness of Phantasie and imagination as he reported that an Angel told him that the Judgement Day should be upon the next Friday by which report many of the Inhabitants were much troubled till the day was over if then a grave Minister may be mis-led by Phantasie and distempered minde how much more plain common people who have such Accusations brought against them as are sufficient to break their brains Further I say that if the man of sin spoken of in the second to the Thessalonians chap. 2. had not broached these errours to the world these Confessors had had no such lying imaginations to confess for their Confessions are not from themselves but from the Devil that so he might delude them that love not the truth but do urge and seek such Confessions
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
equalize the Devils power with the power of God by his Angel And what consequence is here If the Angel did so transport therefore the Devil doth transport and yet this is the whole scope of his fourth Chapter In the fifth Chapter his whole scope is That VVitches can make pictures of VVax or Clay and rost them and so consume the party whom they intend and can receive from the Devil stones and powders and by them cast on can Cure diseases that they can raise Storms and Tempests and do many strange things and that no man is sure to escape their VVitchcraft which as I have shewed in my second Book are not only inventions and fictions of Antichrist without ground in Scripture but flat against Scripture and the faith of Christians to beleeve And whereas he saith further The Devil can send VVitches to poyson people I answer so he may teach any man else that will undertake it for that is not any whit more essential to a VVitch than to any other murthering-minded man or woman no more than stabbing with a Knife or Dagger The scope of the sixth Chapter is That the Devil appears to VVitches and teacheth them to do mischief but yet they have not power to hurt a Magistrate but sure if VVitchcraft consisted any whit in the Art of poysoning why then is the Magistrate free for certainly many Magistrates yea Judges and Kings themselves have been poysoned hath a VVitch then less faculty in poysoning Magistrates then other men have had why then is their Craft counted so dangerous The scope of his seventh and last Chapter is that Spirits did more commonly appear in time of Popery than now and the reason thereof he giveth before he proveth it to be true that is that the Gospel hath dispelled those Spirits that were wont to appear This reason hath a smooth pretence if it were given of a true thing but the thing which he argueth upon is not true for there were no more Spirits seen in time of Popery than now and that is just none at all but there were more lyes reported by papists and in time of Popish ignorance than now and the Gospel indeed hath dispelled those Popish Errours which were wont to deceive the people more than now and who so denyeth that Spirits appear he saith they are Sadduces whereas yet there was never any such dispute among Sadduces whether Spirits did appear visible or not neither were the Pharisees that opposed the Sadduces so silly as to affirm any such thing but if any such thing were as visible apparition of Spirits doubtless at had been no Controversie for the Sadduces might have seen them as well as the Pharisoes this is the scope of his First and Second Book And here I am compelled to go back again to the third Chapter of the First Book to answer one of his Tenents which I think very material to be answered out of order because if I had taken it in order it would have spoyled my method in answering so curtly as I have done his writing being somewhat immethodical Look in his first Book the third Chapter and see how he by the bare signification of a word laboureth to ground an absurdity saying Necromancy is one that Prophesieth by the dead and that is saith he one that consulteth with the Devil assuming the body of the dead party but as I have said what Logician doth not know that it is not a legal manner of arguing but most absurd to draw a Conclusion from the bare signification of words or from what words may signifie but he that argueth truly must argue as the words are taken and not as they may signifie and also search the Original sence of the Hebrew and yet for the word it self it hath not the least signification of the Devil or that the Devil can assume a dead Body or the least signification of Prophecying by the Devil but only by the dead according to the vain Tenent of the Heathen that the Souls of the dead by reason of their perfect estate after this life could inspire men living upon the earth with knowledge of things to come in which pretence these Witches called Necromancers used Divinations or lying Prophecies as manifestly appeareth in Plutarch de defect Orac. and by Scripture as I have shewed more fully in the Ninth description in my first Book and as for that Tenent that the Devil can assume and raise a dead Body it is most absurd and blasphemous for it was by the divine miraculous power of Christ upon the Cross that the bodies of the dead were raised for a time and appeared unto many Matth. 27.52 53. from whence the Centuirion acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God knowing that such things could not be done but by the mighty Power of God yet if this absurdity were true That the Devil could assume the bodies of the dead it makes nothing to prove their common main Tenent that Witches are such people as can kill by Witchcraft for a Necromancer is only one that taketh in hand to Prophesie by the dead or to give divinations and not one that killeth or witcheth people to death neither doth it agree with this Authors distinctions to hold any such Tenent that a Necromancer is one that consulteth with the Devil assuming a dead body for he saith in his Sixth Chapter of his Second Book and also in the third Chapter of the Third Book that the Devil appeareth to Witches and they consult with him having assumed a dead body why then doth he in his former distinctions make a difference betwixt a Necromancer and a Witch And now to proceed to the Third Book as followeth He laboureth to prove in his Third Book That the Devil can appear bodily and doth commonly haunt Houses and Fields in shape of men departed this life and sometimes as Fairies sometime in manner of Browning as he calleth it that is it that by our old Wives Fables is called Robin Good-fellow and that these are true and not false Fables and for that in his first Chapter he allegeth Isa 13.21 where it is said That Zim and Ohim shall dwell in their houses and Jim shall cry in their Palaces which saith he are in the Hebrew the proper names of Devils but how erroneous this exposition is let them that can read the Hebrew text see and for them that cannot read the Hebrew text let them read the Latine translation of Junius and Tremellius which is thus Et recubabunt ferae illic implebunt domos eorum noxia animalia habitabuntque illic ululae scopes saltabunt illic clamitabitque terrificum animal in viduatis palatiis ipsius serpens in templis voluptariis That is Wilde Beasts shall lodge there and hurtful Beasts shall fill their Houses and Owls shall dwell there and Night-birds shall hop there and a Dragon shall cry in their desolate Palaces and the Serpent in their pleasant Temples Tremellius in his Marginal
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