must be absolutely for the pardon of their sinnes and then for deliuerance from the hurts and torments of diabolicall persons yet not absolutely as for the other but with this condition so farre forth as it stands with Gods glorie and their owne good For these are the bounds and limits of all temporall good things of them the Lord makes no absolute promise but with these conditions qualifications Thirdly the parties bewitched must patiently beare the present annoyance comforting themselues with this that it is the Lords own hand by whose speciall prouidence it comes to passe and who turneth all things to the good of his chosen Againe they are to remember that he beeing a most wise God and louing father in Christ will not suffer them to be tried aboue that they are able to beare but in his good time will grant a ioyfull issue Now when the bewitched shall thus submit themselues vnto God in the crosse be it that he vpon some causes deferre their deliuerance yet they shall not finally be deceiued of their hope For either in this life at the appointed time or in the end of this life by death they shall be eternally deliuered and put in present possession of euerlasting case and happines Thus much of the true remedies against Witchcraft In the next place we are a little to examine the false and superstitious Remedies prescribed and vsed by them of the popish Church The most learned Papists of this age doe teach and auouch that there is in Gods Church an ordinarie gift power whereby some men may cast out deuills and helpe annoyances that come by Witches The Protestant is of a contrarie iudgement and holdeth according to truth that there is now no such ordinary gift left to the Church of God since the daies of the Apostles Reasons of this opinioÌ„ may be these First casting out of deuills and curing such annoyances are extraordinarie and miraculous workes For Christ accounteth handling of serpents without hurt speaking with newe tongues curing of diseases by imposition of hands all which are things of lesse moment to be miracles Mark 16. 18 19. but all these lesser works yea the ordinarie power of working them is ceased for it was onely giuen to the Apostles in the Primitiue Church as a meanes to confirme the doctrine of the Gospel to vnbeleeuers that neuer heard of Christ before So Paul saith Strange tongues that is the gift of speaking strange languages without ordinarie teaching are for asigne not to them that beleeue but to them that beleeue not 1. Cor. 14. â—2 And for the same ende were all extraordinarie gifts then giuen Seeing therefore the doctrine of the Gospell hath beene alreadie established and the truth thereof sufficiently confirmed by miracles in the Primitiue Church the same gift must needes cease vnto vs. For if it should still continue it would call into question the effect of the Apostolicall preaching and implie thus much that the Gospel was not well established nor sufficiently confirmed by their extraordinarie Ministerie and miracles accompanying the same Againe if the gift of working miracles should remaine then the promise of God for his speciall and extraordinarie assistance therein should yet continue for the gift and promise goe together so long as the promise is in force so long is the gift also but the promise made by Christ In my name shall they cast out deuills and speake with new tongues Mark 16. was in force onely in the persons and Ministerie of the Apostles and those that had extraordinarie and immediate calling from God and it ceased when they and their calling ceased Therefore if Ministers now should lay their hands on the sicke they should not recouer them if they should annoint them with Oyle it should doe them no good because they haue no promise Howbeit the Papists stand stiffely in defending the continuance of these gifts First they say the Church of the New Testament is nothing inferiour to that of the Old The Iewish Church before the comming of Christ was the Church of the Old Testament and had the power and gift of casting our Deuills So saith our Sauiour himselfe Matth. 12. 27. If I through Beelzebub cast out Deuills then by whome doe your children cast them out In which words he ascribeth this gift vnto the Iewes therefore it should seeme the same remaineth still in the Church Ans. That place of Scripture is diuersly expounded Some by children there mentioned vnderstand the Apostles who were Iewes borne and had receiued from Christ this gift power to cast out deuills Which if it be so it maketh not for them because they had it extraordinarily But I rather thinke that by children are meant the Exorcising Iewes before Christs time who did cast out deuills among them pretending an abilitie to doe this worke in the name of God whereas in truth they were all flat Sorcerers and did it by vertue of a league compact made with the Deuill Which practise hath been of long continuance and is at this day common and vsuall among the Popish sort And that there were such Exorcists among the Iewes it is euident For such were those Vagabonds which came to Ephesus and tooke vpon them to cast out deuills by the name of Iesus and Paul Act. 19. 13. but the man in whome the euill spirit was so soone as they 〈◊〉 adjuced the spirit ranne vpon them and mightily preuailed against them v. 16. Now if they had done this great worke by the power of God as they pretended the holy Ghost would not haue called them Eâ—orcists and Vagabonds â— neither could the euill spirit possibly haue ouercome them as he did Againe in the histories of the Iewes are recorded many practises of stich as exercised this power among them Raphael the angel telleth Tobias that a perfume made of the heart and liuer of a fish will helpe a man vexed with an euill spirit Tob. 6. 7. which counsell is flaâ— Magicke for there is no such vertue in the liuer of a fish And in other histories we readâ— that one Bliazâ—r a Iew by the smell of a certaine roote put to the nose of a man possessed with a deuill caused the deuill to come out of his nâ—strills and forsake him which thing was done in publike place before Vâ—spasian and others This also was effected by meere conjuration For what vertue can there be in any roote or hearb in the world a â—aileable to command and enforce Satan to depart from a man possessedâ— And yet such feaâ—es were plaied by sundrie Magiciâ—ns among the Iewesâ— Whereupon I conclude that the meaning of our Sauionr in the place alleadged is in effect thus much If 〈◊〉 the power of Beelzebub c. that is you haue among you sundrie Magicians and Exorcists who pretend and exercise the gift of casting out deuills and you thinke they doe it by the power of God why then do you not carie the same opinion of me also Their second
God gaue the gift to breede faith in the Gentiles we shall finde that the power of producing such workes was neuer actually inherent in the Apostles but dispensed by their in the Name of Christ Neither was it in their libertie to worke miracles when they would but when it pleased God vpon speciall cause to caâ—l them thereunto And iâ— neither the power nor the will was in them much lesse is it likely to be sound in any of the Saints And for their Reliques of what name soeuer so greatly magnified and resorted vnto we denie there is any such vertue in them For they may not be thought to be more effectuall then the hem of Christs garment from which the power of healing the woman did not proceede but from himselfâ— Or then the Napkin of Paul which did not cure the sicke but the power of God onely dispensed by the hands of Paul Miracles therefore auouched by them to be wrought at the Tombs Statues of Saints and by their reliques and monuments are but meere Satanicall wonders seruing to maintaine Idolatrie and superstition and are in truth no better then â—the wonders of the Donatists in S. Augustines time aut figmenta mondâ—â—cium hominum aut portâ—nta fallacium spirituum IV. That the light of the Gospel purely preached is a soueraigne meane to discoueâ— conâ—ound the power and policie of Saâ—â—n in Witch-craft and Sorcerie The woâ—d of God preached is the weapâ—n of the Christians warfare and is mightie through God to cast downe strong bolds At the dispensation of iâ— by the disciples of Christ Satan fall from heauen aâ— lightning After the ascension of Christ into Heauen in the times of Claudius Cesar the Deuill stirred vp sundrie persons who in regard of the admirable works which they did by the helpe of Magicke and Sorcerie were accounted as Gods and their Statues erected and worshipped with great reuerence Amongst the rest one Simon called by a kinde of eminencie Magus practising his trade with successe to the admiration of the multitude was holden to be the great power of God Whose dealing was first discouered by the light of the word shining in the Ministery of the Apostles and himselfe conuicted with such euidence of truth to be an Instrument of Satan that he was forced at length to flie ouâ— of Samaâ—iâ— into the Westerne parts as Eusebius recordeth in his Ecclesiasticall Historie By this Christ the true angel of the Couenant loâ—ked and bound vp Satan for a 1000. yeares after his ascension that he might not be so generally powerfull in seducing the Gentiles as he had beene before his incarnation But toward the expiration of those yeares when corruption began to creepe into the Papacie when the Bishops affected that Sea and aspired vnto it by Diabolicall arts when the Canons Decrees Sentences Synodâ—lls Deâ—râ—ialls Clemenâ—ines Extrauagants with other Laws and Constitutions preuailed aboue the Scriptures then began Satan againe to erect his kingdome and these workes of iniquitie to be set abroach Thâ—se points together with the whole work ensueing I humbâ—y commend to your Honorable patronage that vnder your protection they may freely passeth the common view of the world Wherin if I seem ouer-bold thus to presse vpon your Lordship vnknowne my answer in at hand That all by-respects 〈◊〉 part I haue beene hereunto induced many waies First vpon a reuerent opinion of those rare gifts of knowledge and pietie wherewith God hath beautified your person â—nd thereby aduanced you to high place and estimation in this Common-wealth Whereof those your graue and indicious speeches euen in the weightiest matters touching God and Cesar as also those many learned writings haue giuen large testimonie FroÌ„ which hath issued the greatnes of your Name both in the present iudgement of the world and in future expectation Next out of a resolued perswasion of your Honourable disposition as in generall to the whole house of Leui so particularly to those whose labours haue fruitfully flowed out of the Schooles of the Prophets amongst whome the Author of this booke in his time was none of the meanest Lastly by the consideration of the Argument arising out of a Law Iudiciall agreeable to the calling and qualitie of a Iudge A Law penall in regard of the offence and therefore sutable to his proceedings whose office is to heare with fauour to determine with equitie to execute iustice with moderation A law of the highest and greatest weight immediately concerning God and his Honour and therefore appertaining to him that sits in the place of God to maintane his right that he may be with him in the cause and iudgement By such Motiues I haue incouraged my 〈◊〉 vnder assurance of your Lordships pardon to present you with that wherein you are most deseruedly interessed further intreating your fauourable interpretation and acceptance both of the qualitie of the Worke and of the paines of the Publisher And thus heartily wishing to your Lordship increase of grace and honour with a daily influence of blessing and direction from heauen vpon your graue consultations and employments I humbly take my leaue and commend you to the grace of God by whome doe rule all the Iudges of the earth Finchingfield Octob. 26. 1608. Your L. in all Christian dutie to be commanded THOMAS PICKERING A Table of the Contents The entrance into the Discourse Pag. 1. CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Witchcraft in generall That VVitchcraft is an Art 4 That VVitchcraft is a wicked Art 7 The ende of VVitchraft To worke wonders 8 The grounds of working wonders discontentment and Curiositie 9 That wonders are wrought by Satans assistance 12 The sorts of wonders True wonders wrought onely by God 13 14 Lyâ—â—g wonders wrought by Satan and his instruments 18 That Satan is able to doe extraordinarie works by the helpe of Nature 19 The sorts of Lying wonders 22 1. Illusions of the Senses 22 Minde 22 2. Reall workes 27 That Satan cannot change one creature into another 33 Gods Permission of the practises of Witchcraft Why he permitteth them 38 Satan cannot go beyond his permission 39 CHAP. II. Of the Ground of all the practises of Witchcraft That there is a league betweene Satan and the Witch 42 This League is twofold Expresse or open 47 Secret and the degree thereof 51 CHAP. III. Of the Parts of Witchcraft and first of Diuination How Satan beeing a creature reuealeth things to come 56 Diuination by meanes which are the true creatures of God As By the flying and noise of Birdes 66 By the Intralls of Beasts 67 By the starres called Iudiciarie Astrologie 73 That Predictions by the Starres are vnlawfull 75. 86 Of the Obseruation of the Signe 88 Of the choise and obseruation of daies 91 By Dreames Diuine 93 Naturall 95 Diabolicall 97 Notes of Difference to know them each from other 100 By Lots Diuination by counterfeit meanes Nâ—cromancie 107 Whether that which was raised by the
difference of daies for this or that purpose are in expresse words plainly condemned Deut. 18. 10 11. § 4. The fourth kind of Diuination by true meanes is the prediction of things to come by dreames In the old Testament we read thaâ— Sorcerers and false Prophets vsed to foretell strange euents by reuelations which they had in their dreames Such diuiners were among the Iewes and for that cause the people of God were expressely forbidden to harken vnto Dreamers of dreames Deut. 13. 3. And the Lord himselfe by the Prophet Ieremie taxeth the false Prophets who broached false doctrine in his name by this deuillish meanes saying I haue dreamed I haue dreamed Ier. 23. 25. Yet here it is to be remembred that foretelling of future things by dreames is not simply to be condemned but onely in part For of dreames there be three sorts Diuine Naturall and Diabolicall Diuine are those which come from God Naturall which proceede from a mans owne nature and arise from the qualitie and constitution of the bodie Diabolicall which are caused by the suggestion of the deuill Touching Diuine dreames that there are or at least haue beene such it is euident For these be the words of God Numb 12. 6. If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you I will be knowne vnto him by a vision and will speake vnto him by a dreame And Iob saith that God speaketh in dreames and visions of the night when sleepe falleth vpon men and they sleepe vpon their beds Iob. 33. 15. Now these diuine dreames were caused in men either immediately by God himselfe as the former places shew or by meanes of some good Angel In this latter kind was Ioseph ofâ—en admonished in dreames what to doe by the ministerie of an Angel as Matth. 1. 20. and chap. 2. 13. 19. and diuining by such dreames is not condemned for by them the most worthie Prophets of God haue reueiled Gods will in many things to his Church Thus Ioseph by dreame had notice giuen him of his owne aduancement Gen. 37. 7. 9. and by Pharaohs dreames which were sent from God he also foretold the state of the kingdome of Egypt touching prouision for seauen years dearth Gen. 41. 25. By the same meanes the Prophet Daniel prophesied of the flourishing fading of the chiefe Monarchies of the world from his time to the comming of Christ Dan. 9. c. these therefore beeing one of the extraordinary means whereby God hath manifested his will vnto man in times past more or lesse diuination by them is not to be censured as vnlawfull but rather to be honoured and esteemed as the ordinance of God For the second sort which be Naturall arising either from the thoughts of the mind or the affections of the heart or the constitution of the bodie as they are ordinarie in all meÌ„ in some more in some lesse so they vary according to the diuersitie of mens thoughts affections and constitutions and by them a man may probably coniecture of sundrie things concerning the state and disposition partly of his bodie and partly of his minde As first he may gesse in likelihood what is his constitution as the learned in all ages doe constantly auouch For when his mind in dreaming runnes vpon warrs and contentions fire and such like it argueth his complexion is cholerick When he dreames of waters and 〈◊〉 it betokeneth abundance of phlegme When his phantasie conceiueth heauie and dolefull things full of griefe feare and horrour it bewraieth a melancholike constitution When his dreames be ioyfull and pleasant as of mirth pastimes and delightful newes his complexion is iudged to be sangâ—iâ—â— â— Againe by naturall dreames a man may gessâ—ar the corruption of his owne heartâ— and know to what sinnes he is most naturally inclined For looke what mon doe ordinarily in the day time conceiue and imagine in their corrupt hearts of the same for the most part they dâ—e corruptly dreame in the night And this is the rather to be obserued because though the wicked man shut his eyes and stoppe his eares and harden his heart and will not take notice of his enormities by the light of the Law yet euen by his owne dreames in the night his wickednes shall be in part discouered and his conscience thereby conuinced and he himselfe left in the end inexcusable before God Now albeit a man may giue a probable coniecture of the premisses by natural drems yet no diuination of things to come whether publike or priuate good or bad can be made by them either concerning persons families or kingdoms Therefore the common obseruations of dreames in the world whereby men imagine things to come to passe accordingly foretel them by those means are vaine and superstitious and iustly so condemned in the places before named Deut. 13. Ier. 23. Concerning the thirde kinde of dreames which are caused by the deuil It hath beene granted in all ages for a truth that Satan can frame dreames in the brayne of man and by them reueale his diuiâ—ations And it is plainly manifested by the continuall obseruation of the Gentiles before the comming of Christ. For when Oracles that is answers from the deuill were in force men that vsed to consult with them and desired to be resolued in matters of doubt were to lay them downe and sleepe beside the altar of Apollo where they had offred their gift and sleeping they receiued in a dreame the answer for which they came and this dreame was framed in the braine of him that slept by the deuill and in it the answer was deliuered by him speaking at or in the Oracle So likewise in the Primitiue Church since the comming of Christ though Oracles then ceased which were the greatest and strongest delusions that euer Satan had yet he hath by dreames and visions wrought in the heads of many men most strange and curious conceiâ—s for the raising vp of heresies to the great disturbance of the peace of the Church For we read in Ecclesiasticall storiâ—s that the Maniches had their damnable opinions first inspired into them and then confirmed by dreames And in this age the first authors of the sect of the Anabaptists had their curious conceits of reuelation partly in dreames partly in visions Likewise the Familie of loue haue their reuelations in dreames For he that desires to become one of that sect must ascend thereunto by degrees before he can come to perfection to be an elder illuminate or a man deified to which estate when he is once come he hath for his confirmation strong Illusions both waking and sleeping in visions and dreames Histories of latter times and wofull experience sheweth this to be true the deuill preuailing so strongly that many haue fallen away by this meanes beeing corrupted by a doctrin meerely carnall howsoeuer maintained with pretense of great holynes Againe as the good Angels may cause diuine dreames from God and thereiâ— reuile vnto men his will and pleasure concerning things to come
Scripture For they were so guided by gods spirit in their proceedings that nothing could be hard vnto them This priuiledge no ordinarie man hath assurance of and therefore this author writing vpon his owne priuate motion was subiect to error and no doubt this speach of his beeing contrarie to that which is recorded in the Canonicall Scriptures is a flat vntruth Secondly it is obiected that the Scripture calleth him Samuel that appeared vnto Saul Ans. The scripture doth often speake of things not as they are in themselues but as they seeme to vs. So it is affirmed Gen. 1. 16. that God made two great lights the Sunne and Moone whereas the moone is lesser then many starres yet because in regard of her nearenesse to the earth shee seemeth to vs greater then the rest therefore shee is called a great light In like manner Idols in the Scripture are called Gods not that they are so indeed for an Idoll is nothing 1. Cor. 8. 4. but because some men doe so conceiue of them in their mindes In a word the Scripture oftentimes doth abase it selfe to our conceit speaking of things not according as they are but after the manner of men and so in this place calleth counterfeit Samuel by the name of the true Samuel because it seemed so vnto Saul The third obiection That bodie which appeared prophecied of things that came to passe the day after as the death of Saul and of his sonnes which indeede so fel out and at the same time therefore was like to be Samuel Answ. There is nothing there said or done which the deuill might not doe For when the Lord vseth the deuill as his instrument to bring some things to passe he doth before hand reueile the same vnto him and looke what particulars the deuill learneth from God those he can foretell Now the truth is Satan was appointed by God to worke Sauls ouerthrowe and it was made knowne vnto him when the thing should be done by which meanes and by none other the deuill was enabled to Foretell the death of Saul Where by the way obserue that in this case the deuill can reueale things to come certenly to wit if he be appointed Gods immediate instrument for the execution of them or knowes them by light of former prophecies in Scripture Fourthly dead men doe often appeare and walke after they are buried Ans. It is indeede the opinion of the Church of Rome and of many ignorant persons among vs but the truth is otherwise Dead men doe neither walke nor appeare in bodie or soule after death for all that die are either Righteous or wicked The soules of the Righteous goe straight to heauen and the soules of the wicked to hell and their remaine till the last iudgement and therefore of the iust it is said that they are blessed when they die because they rest from their labours Apoc. 14. 13. But how doe they rest if after they be dead they wander vp and downe in the earth If it be said that Moses and Elias appeared when Christ was transsigured in the mount and that Lazarus rose again and at Christs resurrection many dead bodies rose againe and appeared I answer there were two times when God suffered the dead to be raised vp againe either at the planting of his Church or at the restoring and establishing of it when it was rased to the foundation Thus at the restoring of religion in Elias and Elishaes times the sonne of the Shunamitish woman 2. King 4. 34. and the widowes sonne at Sarephta 1. King 17. 21. were raised Againe when God would restore his Church which was fallen to Idolatrie about the death of Elisha he caused the like miracle to be wrought in the reuiuing of a dead man by the touching of Elishaes dead carkeise in the graue thereby to assure the people of their deliuerance and to cause them to embrace the doctrine of the Prophet after his death which in his life they had contemned In like manner at the establishing of the Gospel in the new Testament it pleased Christ to raise vp Moses and Elias and to make them knowne to his Disciples by extraordinarie reuelation that they might beleeue that the doctrine which hee preached was not newe but the same in substance with that which was recorded in the Law and the Prophets both which were represented by Moses and Elias So also he wrought the miracle vpon Lazarus the widowes sonne and lairus daughter thereby to sliewe the power of his Godhead the truth of his calling the testimonie of his Doctrine lastly to make knowne the power of his resurrection he caused some to rise and appeare to others when he himselfe rose againe But out of these two times we haue neither warrant nor example that God suffered the dead to be raised vp Wherefore those instances will not any way confirme Samuels appearing which indeed was not true but counterfeite and forged by the Deuill himselfe Now for the second Opinion of those which denie that there be any Witches and thereupon hold that this was a meere cosenage of the Witch suborning some man or woman to couÌ„terfeit the forme attire and voice of Samuel thereby to delude Saul that also is vntrue For he that spake foretolde the ruine of Saul of his sonnes and of his armie yea the time also wherein this was to come to passe whereas in likelihood no man or woman in all Israel could haue foretold such things before hand of themselues It was not then any cosenage as is affirmed but a thing effected by the deuill framing to himselfe a bodie in the likenesse of Samuel wherein he spake If therefore it be manifest that by counterfeit apparitions of the dead Witches and Sorcerers can foretell things to come hence sundrie points of Witchcraft may be obserued First that there is a league between the Witch and the deuill For this was the cause which mooued Saul to seeke to Witches because neither he himselfe nor any of his seruants could raise vp Satan in Samuels likenesse as the Witch of Endor did But Saul beeing a King might haue commanded helpe from all the wise and learned men in Israel for the effecting of such a matter why then would he rather seeke to a silly woman then to them The reason was because shee had made a compact with the deuil for the vsing of his helpe at her de â—aund by vertue whereof he was as readie to answer as she to call him whereas Saul and the learned Iewes hauing made no such league neither he by his power nor they by their skill could haue performed such a worke Secondly the deuill will be readie at the call and command of Witches and Sorcerers when they are intending any mischiefe For here the Witch of Endor no sooner spake but he appeared and therefore the text giues her a name that signifieth one hauing rule and command ouer Pytho that is the familiar spirit yet when he is commanded he yeelds not vpon
conscience which stoppeth the freedome of speech and vtterance and may giue iust occasion to the Magistrate to make further enquirie I say nor if he or shee be timorous and fearefull for a good man may be fearefull in a good cause sometimes by nature sometimes in regard of the presence of the Iudge and the greatnes of the andience Againe some may be suddenly taken and others naturally want the libertie of speech which other men haue And these are the causes of feare astonishment which may befall the good as well as the bad Touching the manner of Examination there be two kinds of proceeding either by a single Question or by some Torture A single question is when the Magistrate himselfe onely maketh enquirie what was done or not done by bare and naked interrogations A torture is when besides the enquirie in words he vseth also the racke or some other violent meanes to vrge confession This course hath beene taken in some countries and may no doubt lawfully and with good conscience be vsed howbeit not in euery case but onely vpon strong and great presumptions going before and when the partie is obstinate And thus much for Examination now followeth Conuiction § 2. Conuiction is an action of the Magistrate after iust examination discouering the Witch This action must proceed from iust sufficient proofes and not from bare presumptions For though presumptions giue occasion to examine yet they are no sufficient causes of conuiction Now in generall the prooses vsed for conuiction are of two sorts some be lesse sufficient some be more sufficient The lesse sufficient proofes are these First in former ages the party suspected of Witchcraft was brought before the Magistrate who caused red hoat yron and scalding water to be brought and commanded the partie to put his hand in the one or to take vp the other or both and if he tooke vp the yron in his bare hand without burning or endured the water without scalding hereby he was cleared and iudged free but if he did burne or scalde he was then conuicted and condemned for a Witch But this manner of conuiction hath long agone beene condemned for wicked and diabolicall as in truth it is considering that thereby many times an innocent man may be condemned and a rancke Witch scape vnpunished Againe our owne times haue afforded instances of such weake and insufficient proofes As first Scratching of the suspected partie and present recouerie thereupon Secondly burning of the thing bewitched if it be not a man as a hogge or oxe or such like creature is imagined to be a forcible meanes to cause the Witch to discouer her selfe Thirdly the burning of the thatch of the suspected parties house which is thought to be able to cure the partie bewitched and to make the Witch to bewray her selfe Besides these in other countries they haue a further proofe iustified by some that be learned The partie is taken and bound hand and foote and cast crosse waies into the water if she sincke shee is counted innocent and escapeth if shee fleete on the water and sincke not she is taken for a Witch conuicted and accordingly punished All these proofes are so farre from beeing sufficient that some of them if not all are after a sort practises of witchcraft hauing in them no power or vertue to detect a Sorcerer either by Gods ordinaÌ„ce in the creation or by any speciall appointment since For what vertue can the Scratching of a Witch haue to cure a hurt where doe we finde it in any part of the word of God that scratching should be vsed or what promise of recouerie vpon the vse thereof But how then comes it to passe that helpe is often procured by these such like meanes Ans. It is the sleight and subtiltie of the Deuill vpon scratching the Witch to remooue such hurts as himselfe hath inflicted that thereby he may invre men to the practise of wicked and superstitious meanes And what I say of scratching the same may be enlarged to all other proofes of this kind before named God hath imprinted no such vertue in their natures to these purposes or added the same vnto them by speciall and extraordinarie assignment That therefore which is brought to passe by them when they are vsed commeth from the Deuill And yet to iustifie the casting of a Witch into the water it is alleadged that hauing made a couenant with the Deuill shee hath renounced her Baptisme and hereupon there growes an Antipathie betweene her and water Ans. This allegation serues to no purpose for all water is not the water of Baptisme but that onely whiâ—h is vsed in the very act of Baptisme and not before nor after The element out of the vse of the Sacrament is no Sacrament but returnes againe to his common vse To goe yet further an other insufficient proofe is the testimonie of some wizzard It hath beene the ordinarie custome of some men when they haue had any thing ill at ease presently to go or send to some wise man or wise woman by whome they haue beene informed that the thing is bewitched and to winne credit to their answer some of them haue offred to shew the Witches face in a glasse whereof the partie hauing taken notice returnes home and detecteth the man of woman of witchcraft This I graunt may be a good presumption to cause strait examination but a sufficient proofe of conuiction it can not be For put the case the grand-Iurie at the Assises goeth on a partie suspected and in their consultation the Deuill comes in the likenesse of some knowne man and tells them the person in question is indeede a Witch and offers withall to confirme the same by oath should the Inquest receiue his oath or accusation to condemne the man Assuredly no and yet that is as much as the testimonie of another wizzard who onely by the Deuils helpe reuealeth the Witch If this should be taken for a sufficient proofe the Deuill would not leaue one good man aliue in the world Againe all other presumptions commonly vsed are insufficient though they may minister occasion of triall for example If a man in open court should affirme before the Iudge Such a one fell out with me and cursed me giuing me threatning words that I should smart for it and some mischiefe should light vpon my person or goods ere it were long Vpon these curses and threats presently such and such euills befell me and I suffered these and these losses The Magistrate thus informed may safely proceed to inquire into the matter but he hath not froÌ„ hence any sure ground of conuiction For it pleaseth God many times to lay his hand vpon mens persons and goods without the procurement of Witches And yet experience shewes that ignorant people who carrie a rage against them wil make strong proofes of such presumptions whereupon sometime Iurers doe giue their Verdict against parties innocent Lastly if a man beeing dangerously sicke and like to die
vpon suspition will take it on his death that such a one hath bewitched him it is an allegation of the same nature which may mooue the Iudge to examine the partie but it is of no moment for conuiction The reason is because it was but the suspition of one man and a mans owne word for himselfe though in time of extremitie when it is likely he will speake nothing but the truth is of no more force then another mans word against him And these are the proofes which men in place and time haue ordinarily vsed for the detecting of such vngodly persons but the best that may be saide of them is that they be all either false or vncertaine signes and vnauaileable for the coÌ„demnation of any man whatsoeuer Now follow the true proofes and sufficient meanes of conuiction all which may be reduced to two heads The first is the free and voluntarie confession of the crime made by the partie suspected and accused after examination This hath beene thought generally of all men both Diuines and Lawyers a proofe sufficient For what needs more witnes or further enquirie when a man from the touch of his owne conscience acknowledgeth the fault And yet the patrons and aduocates of Witches except against it and obiect in this manner That a man or woman may confesse against themselues an vntruth beeing vrged thereto either by feare or threatning or by a desire vpon some griefe conceiued to be out of the world or at least beeing in trouble and perswaded it is the best course to saue their liues and obtaine libertie they may vpon simplicitie be induced to confesse that which they neuer did euen against themselues Ans. I say not that a bare confession is sufficient but a confession after due examination taken vpon pregnant presumptions For if a man examined without any ground or presumptions should openly acknowledge the crime his act may be iustly suspected as grouÌ„ded vpon by-respects but when proceeding is made against him at the first vpon good probabilities and hereupon he be drawn to a free confession that which he hath manifested therby cannot but be a truth Other points of exception vrged by them are of small moment and may easily be answered out of the grounds before deliuered and therefore I omit them Now if the partie held in suspition be examined and will not confesso but obstinately persist in deniall as commonly it falleth out then there is another course to be taken by a second sufficient meanes of conuiction which is the testimonie of two witnesses of good and honest report auouching before the Magistrate vpon their owne knowledge these two things Either that the partie accused hath made a league with the deuill or hath done some knowne practises of Witchcraft And all arguments that doe necessarily prooue either of these beeing brought by two sufficient witnesses are of force fully to conuince the partie suspected For example First if they can prooue that the partie suspected hath inuocated and called vpon the deuill or desired his helpe For this is a branch of that worshippe which Satan bindeth his instruments to giue vnto him And it is a pregnant proofe of a league formerly made betweene them Secondly if they can giue euidence that the partie hath intertained a familiar spirit and had conference with it in forme or likenesse of a mouse catte or some other visible creature Thirdly if they affirme vpon oath that the suspected person hath done any action or worke which necessarily inferreth a couenant made as that he hath shewed the face of a man suspected beeing absent in a glasse or vsed Inchantment or such like feats In a word if they both can auouch vpon their own proper knowledge that such a man or woman suspected haue put in practise any other actions of Witchcraft as to haue diuined of things afore they came to passe and that peremptorily to haue raised tempests to haue caused the forme of a dead man to appeare or the like standing either in diuination or operation it prooueth sufficiently that he or she is a Witch But some may say if these be the onely strong proofes for the conuiction of a Sorcerer it will be then impossible to put any one to death because the league with Satan is closely made and the practises of Sorâ—erie are also very secret and hardly can a man be brought which vpon his owne knowledge can auerre such things I answer howsoeuer both the ground and practise be secret and to many vnknowne yet there is a way to come to the knowledge thereof For it is vsuall with Satan to promise any thing till the league be ratified but when it is once made and the partie intangled in societie with him then he indeauoureth nothing more then his or her diseâ—uefie and vseth all meanes possible to diclose them So that what ende soeuer the Witch propoundeth to her selfe in the league he intendeâ—â— nothing else but her vtter confusion Therefore in the iust iudgement of God it often filleth out that these which are true witches indeede shall either by confession discouer themselues or by true testimonie be conuinced The causes which mooue the deuill not onely to affect but to hasten this discouer it are two principally The first is his malice towards all men in so high a degree that he cannot indure they should enioy the world or the benefits of this life if it were possible so much as one houre Though therefore by vertue of the precontract he be cock-sure of his instrument yet his malice is not herewith satisfied till the partie be brought to light and condemned to death Which may be a caueat so all ill disposed persons that they beware of yeelding themselues vnto him The second is his infatiable desire of the present and full possession of them whome he hath got within the bonds of the couenant For though he haue good hope of them yet is he not certen of their continuance The reason is because some united with him in confederacie haue through the great mercie of God by carefull vsage of holy meanes and faith in Christ been reclaimed and deliuered out of his bondage and so at length freed from his couenant so as he hath eternally left them Hence it is that he labours by might and maine to keepe them in ignorance and to preuent the vsage of meanes effectuall to ther conuersion by laying a plot for their discouerie Bâ—t how then comes it to passe that all such persons are not speedily detected but some liue long and others die without any mans priuitie Ans. The reasons hereof may be diuers First because some one or more of them may belong to Gods election and therefore albeit for causes-best knowne to himselfe he may suffer them for a time to be holden in the snares of Satan yet at length in mercie he reclaimes them and in the meâ—ne time suffreth not the deuill to exercise the depth of his malice in discouering them to their