The Sinful Shameful Lying and Ridiculous Discourse of Samuel Harshnet, Treatise · Book 1 · Chapter 6
OF CHAPTER 6.
Of M. Darrell's knowledge. who ſent the diuell into Somers and the reſt.
All the diuels that M. Darrell hath hetherto encountred,page. 36, were ſent by witches (as it ſeemeth) into his patiens. Whether witches can ſende diuels into men or weomen (as many doe pretend) is a queſtion, among thoſe that write of ſuch matters: and the learneder. and ſounder ſort doe holde the negatiue, againſt whome Thyreus oppoſeth himſelfe, and with Thyreus M… Darrell.
It is the Lorde (if we ſpeake properly) that ſendeth diuels into men. Shall we receaue good at the handes of God (ſaith Iob) and not receaue euill? meaning,Iob, 2, 10. the euill of puniſhment. And the Prophet Amo… Shal ther be euil in a citty & the Lord hath not done it? chapter… 3, 6.That then I mean and aſſirme is this: that Sathan being ſent of god and ſo permitted, to enter into one, as ſometimes he was into Darling Somers &c. the diuell being thus ſent, ſtirreth vp the corrupt affections of ſome, with whome (as I may ſay) he hath ſome familiarity, and laboreth to brīg them to hate that ſame perſō, and in that hatred, after their accuſtomed manner, by him or his miniſtery to be reuenged of the party. And whereas without this, he is to enter into and poſſeſſe the ſaid perſon, and will: yet taketh he oft this courſe, that thereby he may draw men to ſynne, which is the very worke and labour of his handes, and (as by his practiſe it ſhould ſeeme) to ſhame and puniſhment withall: for not only with our afflicted perſons, but others alſo, as one Margaret Heriſon of Burnham vlpe, (concerninge whoſe vexation by Sathan there is a booke printed) M. Throgmortons children, with ſundrye more, either poſſeſſed, or otherwiſe vexed by him, the diuell ſo ordered the matter, as that the party, or partyes, whome he had before ſtirred vp to ioyne with him in the afflicting of them, he diſcouered and made knowne to the worlde: and this wee may well thinke hee doth to this ſecond end, becauſe it is his manner to bring one firſt to ſynne, and the ſynne being perfected, to chaſten them to ſhame and puniſhment, as he did by Iudas, neither is it to any purpoſe to obiect that witches are very ſimple folkes, and know not what belongeth to poſſeſſion for that they direct not the ſpirit therevnto, but ſpeake only to their ſpirit or familiar, of tormenting the party whome they hate, (as appeareth by their confeſſions) the diuell of his owne accord entring into the parſon to be poſſeſſed, vntounto which fact and ſertuice the lord himſelf hath indeede appoynted him. And where the Diſ. ſaith that the learneder and ſounder ſort doe holde that witches cannot ſend diuels into men, if he vnderſtand not by that he calleth ſending, as is aforeſaide, he ſaith nothing againſt me, nor to the matter: but if ſo as I ymagine he doth, then I demaund of him, who I know conſenteth heerein with theſe greate learned men: why witches and their familiar ſpirits may not aſwell agree togither in this ſpeciall caſe as in others where Sathan killeth men, or beaſts, or ſtrangely vexeth them by ſome externall operation, which we call witcheryes? ſeeinge all is meerely a tormenting of the body by Sathan, the difference lying in the manner of it, which I truſt is by the witch left to the will and diſcretion of the diuell? as this latter we all knowe is confirmed: by the confeſſions of thouſands of witches and that in all ages from time to time, ſo is this other alſo by the confeſſion of ſome. Yea but ſaith the Diſ. to obiect the confeſſion of the witches is to no purpoſe, and is already anſwered by the former learned men. His words be theſe: And touching the confeſſion of the witches themſelues▪ pag. 3…that may be lefte well inough to ſuch learned men as hauehave written ſufficiently of it.
I deſire now to know of the Diſcouerer who hauehave made anſwer to the confeſſions of the witches themſelues, but they that hould that there are no witches as Wierus and Scot, which are the ſound and learned men he here ſpeaketh of, for theſe men maintayning this falſe poſition that there be no witches, muſt needes anſwer to the confeſſion of the witches themſelues: which eueryevery one would obiect. And this ſaith he theſe lerned men hauehave done ſufficiently: whereby it is playne that this man is of the ſ…me opinyon with them. But he thought it wiſdome not to ſay ſo… playne termes, leaſt he ſhould prouoke the reuerent Iudges of the land againſt him, for that ſo ſaying he made them guilty of innocent bloude.
It is to be remembred that howſoeuer in plaine and expreſſ… wordes the Diſc. doth not affirme, that none can in theſe dayes be diſpoſſeſſed, yet in effect he doth it vnderunder the name of …. So albeit he doe not ſaye that none can be now poſſeſſed with diuels yet conſideringe his couert carriage of him-ſelfe there-in, not once grantinge (I warrant you) in all his greate volume any ſuch thing…, and that he will hauehave all the poſſeſſed perſons among vsus and the Papiſtes alſo counterfeits, as appeareth by this his firſt bookes who can cōiecture any other, but that he holdeth, that none can be as this day poſſeſſed? In like-ſorte I ſay, be doth here by witches, not plainly denyinge any ſuch to be, but ſecretly inſinuatinge as much to the reader Thus wee ſee he doth deny (but couertly diſpoſſeſſion of diuels. 2. poſſeſſion with diuels. 3… all compact with diuels to the hurt of others …f he proceede but one ſtepe further, it wil be couertly to the deniel of diuels. VVell this I dare be boulde to ſay of the Diſc. whoſoeuer he be: that howſoeuer he profeſſe that he beleueth in god, and that there are diuells, yet by this very worke of his, (this Diſcouerie. I meane (he denyeth both.