A Guide to Grand-jury Men, Book 2 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Of the meanes which hauehave beene vsed by diuers to helpe themselues, when they thinke they, or any thing they hauehave is bewitched.
Of Charmes and other detestable remedies vsed by vaine people, see Scot. b. 12. chap. 21.IT is a miserable thing to see the vanity of people in so clear light of Gods Gospell, how they runne yet, either to vnlawfull, or to weake and very vncertaine meanes, to relieue themselues in cases of suspected Witchcraft, as these and such like; for I will recite onelyonly the most vsuall.
I. To runne to a White Witch, and to seeke helpe so from the Deuill, and to put in practice his or her tricks of witcherie (of which before) to driue away a Deuill, and to helpe the bewitched: an vgodly course as before is proued, and accursed before God.
II. To beate the suspected, as Master Enger did Mary Sutton the Bedfordshire witch, vponupon which, his seruants were well; so one William Faireborne did bear Anne Baker, the Leicestershire Witch, wherevpon his sonne Thomas recouered and amended. Sometimes such effects follow after, but wee must remember,
1. That this is not euer so, as fell out with one Henry Mills, who had ill nights after.
2. Except it bee by the appointment of the Magistrate, it is against the Law of man, and being a priuate reuenge, is against the Law of God.
3. This then being euill, we may not doe it,Rom. 3.8. that good may come thereof, its no meanes of Gods appointment.
4. The torment vponupon the partie is by the Deuill, which sometimes the Witch cānot remoue, if shee would: the three Witches of Warboyse, would hauehave vnwitched the Lady Cromwell, but could not: if shee doe, it is by making a prayer to him; of which Bodin giueth a fearefull example of a Witch,Li. 3. c. 5. praying to the Deuill, to cure one whom shee had bewitched: And if the Deuill doe cease to torment, it is because he would nourish this reuengeing practice against both Gods Law, and against the Law of the land; we may not violently iniure others, because they hauehave hurt vsus.
III. To burne something of the Witches, which, what effect it may hauehave to heale the bewitched, I know not, nor vponupon what ground, either in naturall reason or in religion: but this I am sure of, that when the Lady Cromwell, made some haire of Mother Samuels to be cut off, and her hairelace with it to be burnt, the children of Master Throgmorton were not the better, and the Lady was bewitched soone after, so as when Mother Samuel had tryed her husband, and after, her daughter to vnwitch her, they could not. For they may send their spirits to do mischiefe, but it appeareth by this, that the Deuill, except he list, is not at their command to helpe and heale the partie.
IV. To fetch the suspected,In the triall of the Witches at Northampton. and to scratch him or her to get blood, as one Master Auery and his sister did scratch two Witches, and drew blood of them at Northhampton, & presently found ease: but this must wee know,
1. That albeit they had a little ease, while the Witches were with them, yet they were no sooner out of sight, but hee and shee were in their old fits, and more vehemently tormented then before. This is then no certaine remedy.
2. It is no lawfull remedie, no more then beating the suspected. Violence vponupon priuate motion, is a reuenge, and wee may not offer it to another, to ease our selues.
3. This is a remedy which the Deuils themselues hauehave confessed to practise,The Warbois Witches. & which the Diuell hath strengthened some to be able to do: as you may reade in the Relation of Master Throgmortons children in foure seuerall places, especially of one Mary, a little child, kneeling on her knees,The child but 9. yeeres old. who scratched the yong VVitch a big maide, whilst the child was in her fit, and said that the spirit bade her doe it; that the spirit willed her not to pity the Witches crying, that the spirit held downe the Witch to her, that it forced her to scratch, stretching forth her armes, and straining her fingers, whether shee would or no, to doe it. Is this a good and Christian remedy, wherewith the Deuill is so well pleased? Neither for all the scratching did the children amend, but were againe in their fits, and that often afterwards. Yea I hauehave read,See Giff…rds discourse of Witches. that a woman VVitch willed voluntarily one to scratch her to helpe him.
V. Some in the fits bring in the suspected, and make the same to Touch the afflicted partie.
This may be vsed, but yet no resting therevpon: for,
1. I hauehave shewed, that by touching they bewitch people: the signe is therefore vncertaine.
2. By the suspecteds presence, though sometime the afflicted hath had ease, as was proued in Master Throgmortons children often; yet in that relation we find two things: First, that at Mother Samuels presence, when Mistresse Iane Throgmorton began her fits, she grew worse, and the rest fell into their fits at another time, as soone as they saw her. Secondly, that the said Mother Samuel, when shee perceiued afterwards, that the children were the better for her being with them, made a new composition with the Diuell, that they should be ill wen she was with them, and this the children in their fits reuealed openly. So that the Witches presence or absence is but a very vncertaine meanes, seeing that is of no force either way, but as they make their league with the Deuill: for there is no naturall reason for it, nor diuine ordinance.
There was another triall vsed very often by M. Trogmorton, to bring his children out of their fits, which was this: to make the Witch to say, I charge thee, thou deuill, as I louelove thee, & hauehave authority ouer thee, and am a Witch, & guilty of this matter, that thou suffer this child to bee well at this present: and by and by the child should be well.
But here note, that the Story telleth vsus, that one of the spirits was the author and counsellor to this, and told one of the children in her fit, that if Agnes Samuel were made to speake these words, the child should for the present be well. What warrant they had to take the Deuils instruction, and to make her vse these words, so cursed & fearefull, I leaue to the iudgement of the wise and religious.
VI. Some goe to them, and threaten the suspected, to carry them before authority, to prosecute law against them, and to hang them; & thereupon some hauehave been well.L. 2. c. 1 & l. 2. c. 5. Bodinus giueth diuers instances hereof.
Roniglus in Daemonolatria, l. 3. c. 3.This may be vsed: they may be threatned with the course of iustice, to make them feare.
But this is no certaine remedy: for some Witches are so far from being hereby moued to cease their Witcheries, as on the contrary they are the more prouoked to euill, as was Mary Smith of Linne, who being threatned by Iames Scot, that he would hang her, if his wife had any such fits, as aforetime shee had, did soone after bewitch her againe, & she was tormented as formerly she had beene.
This and such other like means people do vse for ease & helpe, but they are either vncertaine or vnlawfull. The best is Fasting and Prayer, True means. Of Popish superst. remedies, see Delrio, l. 6. c. 2. S. 3. q. 3.to remoue a diuell, as before hath beene deliuered: for God onelyonly can free vsus from Diuels and Witches, and his meanes appointed must we only vse, and therein expect from him a blessing.