Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	brother_n	daughter_n	sister_n	5,598	5	10.9500	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09118	A guide to grand-iury men diuided into two bookes: in the first, is the authors best aduice to them what to doe, before they bring in a billa vera in cases of witchcraft, with a Christian direction to such as are too much giuen vpon euery crosse to thinke themselues bewitched. In the second, is a treatise touching witches good and bad, how they may be knowne, euicted, condemned, with many particulars tending thereunto. By Rich. Bernard.	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1627 (1627)	STC 1943; ESTC S101683	81,487	300

an euident t●uth without the Diuels testimony who in speaking the truth hath a lying inten● speaketh some truths of things done which may be found to be so that hee may wrap with them some pernicious lye which cannot bee tryed to be true but must rest vpon his owne testimony to insnare the bloud of the innocent V. An apparition of the party suspected whom the afflicted in their fits seeme to see This is a great suspition for some bewitched haue cryed out seeing those who were suspected to be Witches and called vpon them by name as Mistresse Belcher in Northamptonshire of Ioane Vaughan M. Engers man or Mary Sutton of Bedfordshire So did M. Throgm children vpon Mother Samuel yet this is but a presumption though a strong one because these apparitions are wrought by the Diuel who can represent vnto the fantasie such as the parties vse to feare in which his representation hee may as well lye as in his other witnesse For if the diuell can represent the Witch a seeming Samuel saying I see Gods ascending out of the earth to beguile Saul may wee not thinke he can represent a common ordinary person man or woman vnregenerate though no Witch to the fantasie of vaine persons to deceiue them and others that will giue credit to the Diuell VI. The common report of neighbours of all sorts if withall the suspected be of kin to a conuicted Witch as sonne daughter brother sister neece or nephew or Grandchild or a seruant man or maid or of familiar acquaintance with such an one This is a cause of suspicion For common reports of neere neighbours of all sorts do arise out of some shewes and Witches are known to endeuour to make others Witches such as they dayly conuerse with as Mother Samuel of Warboys did her daughter old Dembdike the Lancashire Witch did her grand-daughter grand-son her daughter and a neighbour of hers yet all this is but a presumption because a common report may arise though not vpon no grounds yet vpon very weake grounds being duely examined and though witches doe labour to make others like themselues yet we find when Mothers haue beene executed for witchery some of their children haue not onely beene no Witcherly miscreants but by Gods mercy haue become religious and zealous Christians of which I could giue some instances VII The testimony of a Wizard the cunning man or woman this may be a great presumption for who can better discouer a Witch then a witch and many haue bin found such whom the Wizard hath accused to be Witches But yet this is but a presumption because if he be not a counterfeit taking vpon him to know more then hee doth but indeed a very Witch yet is his testimony sometime the testimony onely of the di●ell by whom he commeth to know another to be a Witch and not vpon his owne knowledge and though in this case he be found to speake true sometimes yet may he lye also being instructed by the father of lyes But as concerning this Witnesse if a Wizard happen to cast out of himselfe an accusation against another without asking it may bee vsed for a presumption but none may goe to such an one to aske his testimonie nor vse his skill to discouer a Witch no more then for this end to goe to the diuell himselfe To vse a sieue and a paire of sheeres with certa●n words To put something vnder the threshold where the suspected goeth in or vnder the stoole where he or she sitteth and many such witchery tricks and illusions of Satan to be detested To burne some cloathes in which the sicke party lyeth for to torment the Witch to burne part of the creature in paine to burne aliue one to saue the rest to make the Witch to come thither These are execrable sacrifices made to the diuell to be abhorred of all true Christians The Romanes in old time put to death such as by Magick would discouer theeues to come by their goods stolne Christians then should abhorre these abominations Some think it lawfull to try one suspected by casting him or her into the water and binde their armes acrosse and if they sinke not but doe swim then to be iudged Witches as M. Enger tryed vpon Mary Sutton the first time bound as before and then shee swamme like a planke then was shee sear●hed and the marke found and by counsell giuen him she was the second time cast into a Mill-damme very deepe thus bound her right thumbe to her left toe and her left thumbe to her right toe who sate vpon the water and turned round like a wheele as in a whirlepoole yet they had her tyed in a rope lest shee should haue sunke But Doctor Cotta doth by many reasons disswade from this tryall as not naturall nor according to reason in nature and therefore must come from some other power but not of God for that were a miracle which wee are not now to expect from God and therefore this strange worke is from the Diuell The obiections made he answereth fully There needs no miraculous meanes more to detect Witches then other secret practices and it is an adulterous and vnbeleeuing generation to looke for a signe and what is this but a presumptuous expectation of an extraordinary reuelation from God without warrant Of other vnlawfull tryals see Delrio lib. 4. c. 4. sect 6. CHAP. XVIII Of the maine point to conuict one of witchcraft and the proofes thereof TO conuict any one of witchcraft is to proue a league made with the Deuil In this only act standeth the very reality of a Witch without which neither she nor he howsoeuer suspected and great shewes of probability concurring are not to be condemned for witches Without this league they bee free though the Deuill hurt mens bodies kill their ca●tell and that ill haps fall out vpon his or her cursing This is the principall point to be enquired after in all enquiries this must be only aimed at all presumptions must tend to proue this and to discouer this league without which no word no touching no breathing no giuing nor receiuing are of force to bewitch any If this be not proued all the strange fits apparitiōs naming of the suspected in trances suddaine falling down at the sight of the suspected the ease which some receiue when the suspected are executed bee no good grounds for to find them guiltie of witchcraft and to hang them This league therfore though neuer so secretly made is to bee discouered seeing it is that only which maketh a Witch by which all is done which iustly can be laid to her or his charge Now they that make this league haue a Familiar spirit For this is true as soone as the league is made the spirit one or moe is familiar with them as before is proued This was proofe sufficient of a Witch in Sauls and Iosias time Tthen Witches were knowne to haue familiar spirits