Select Cases Conscience Touching Witches and Witchcrafts, Question 7
7. Caſe. Whether all ſuch Feates, Trickes, Pranks, and Exploits, as Witches are ſaid to play; be credible to prudent Chriſtians?
The Feates or prankes of Witches, are nothing elſe, but an applying of unnaturall and unapt meanes, and unappointed by God, to bring ſome ſtrange, odde or infrequent, ſome prodigious, ſtupendous or wondrous things to paſſe; and preſent them to the outward ſenſes. The more light and Triviall of them are done by the Witchmaking; having an Imp (as an Ape) ready to play ſuch tricks at a becke, or a nodde. But the more prodigious or ſtupendous are effected meerly by the Devill; the witch all the while either in a Rapt, ecſtaſie, a charmed ſleepe, or a melancholy Dreame: and the Witches imagination, phantaſie, common ſenſe, only deluded with what is now done, or pretended.
All which Feats might be referred to the Witches Compacts, Conventicles, or common practiſes. And though Learned men (that write volumes of this ſubject) be much upon them, yet I (that intend but an Abſtract) liſt not to belong upon the Legend of Witches. And therefore forbeare to order them: and ſhall onelyonly give a Taſt of them confuſedly, and one amongſt another. They tel us (and the vulgar ſecond them with numberles Traditions) of their reading in the moon, al things that ſhall come to paſſe for a Thouſand Generations. Of their reading by ſtar-light, what another has writtē in his Cloſet a Thouſand miles off. Of cauſing the voyces of two in Conference to be mutually heard although as diſtant one from another as the Eaſt is from the Weſt. Of their being metamorphoſed, or turned into Beaſts, Bears, Dogs, Wolves, Goats, Catts, Hares, &c. of their cutting one anothers heads off, and ſetting them on again; ſuffering their Limbs to be pluck taſunder and knitting thē to again immediatly. Of their flying in the Aire: and walking inviſible. Of their riding long and tedious Fourneys upon Broomes and Diſtaffes? and their ſayling over ſeas in Eggſhells. Of their carnall Copulation with the Devill; and what feat Elſes and Changelings of ſuch a Coition; now as bigge as Gyants, and anon as little as Pigmeyes. Of their Eating up whole Fields of Corn or hay, & drinking up whole rivers in ſeives. Of preſenting a Curious Banquet upon the Table; and inviting thereto their Gueſts out of Fairy Land. Of making a garden of delicat flowers to ſpring up in your Parlour in the dead of winter. Of raiſing Stormes and ſhowres out of Tubs, turning Streams backward; haling Ships laden againſt Wind and water, with Haires or twined Threads. Of making a Cock or a Flye to draw the hugeſt Beame. Of giving Potions to make people love or hate as they pleaſe. Making the ſtrength of youth impotent, and dead Bodies viripotent. Of making bodies impenetrable or ſhot-free; annoynting the Weapon, and curing the wound, without the leaſt virtuall Contiguity: And turning all Metalls into Gold, Drinking off a glaſſe of Clarret, and make it to ſpout out of the forehead preſently. Shewing you ſuch and ſuch Faces in Glaſſes &c. Cauſing to daunce naked &c. What ſhould I tell of their Feates wrought by Figures, Characters, Spells, Ligatures, Circles, Numbers, Barbariſmes, Images of wax or clay, Cryſtalls, looking-glaſſes, Baſo…s of waters, herbs, powders, urguments, ſawes, knives, pins, needles, Candles, rings, garters, gloves, &c. I feare I have even cloyd, while I talked but of giving a Taſt.
A wiſe Chriſtian and Conſcientious wil leave the faith of all or moſt of theſe matters, with the Authors. No prodigious Acts (though avouched and atteſted by hundreds and Thouſands) muſt impoſe upon his Beleife: If they utterly thwart his eternall and infallible Rules of Truth, which are,
1. To beleve, that all the Devills ſtupendous Actions in this kind, are praeſtigious Deluſions. That is, either meerly Deluſive, where all elſe is impoſſible, but the Deluſion it ſelfe: or mixtly deluſive, where peradventure amongſt ſome reality of meanes, matter, event, there is nothing but praeſtigiouſneſſe of Forme, End, Effect.
2. To believe nothing of all theſe, that (in the leaſt) do uſurp or trench upon the divine Attributes; omniſcience, omnipotence, &c. For though Devills be intelligential creatures, and of admirable Ingeny and ſagacity in compariſon to reaſonable Souls; yet while (their Intellect was unobſcured by their Fall) all their perſpicacity never reached to a ſhadow of Omniſcience: much leſſe can all their long Experience, Obſervation, or Revelation, now attain to it. And therfore if they foreſee of thē ſelves, or foretel ſome kind of Futures; it is but as they are contain'd in their natural cauſes, or diſpoſitions: And if they gheſs at ſome ſecret intentions or affectiōs of the heart, it is no more then from certaine outward motions. So that wee may well conclude, they are ignorant, and erre in very many things; whereof the Ambiguity of their propoſitions and predictions, are a ſufficient Confeſſion.
Likewiſe, though Devils be called Principalities and powers, & that no power on earth may be compared to them; yet was all their power (ere debilitated by their fall) of no force to that power that belongeth unto God; Wonders they may worke, but thoſe lying ones, Deut. 3. 2. Mat. 24. 24. 2 Theſ. 2. 9. And yet not thoſe, but as permitted by God, not Impedited by Angels, and having the matter hereunto ſomwhat praediſpoſed. And even then it is (for the moſt part) praeſtigious too. Illuding humane ſenſes, abuſing their Fancies, and (which is worſe) deceiving their hearts. Their utmoſt is but to produce phantaſmaticall or falſe ſpecies of things; and if any thing bee now verily done, it is but by applying Actives to Paſſives: which if wee were as cunning in as they; we might alſo doe without them, and need never be beholding to them. But as for Miracles (of a true name and thing) they are as ſtrange and as admirable to them, as they are to us. And indeede neither for them, nor us, nor for Angells to do, but for God alone, Pſal. 72. 18. He only can work miracles, to whom nothing is a Miracle. And it were eaſie (were it not too long) to diſtinguiſh betwixt divine Miracles, and Diabolical Prodigies; both from the dignity and vertue of the doere; the Quality, Excellency of the thing done, with the admirable and advantagious manner and end of doing.
3. To believe nothing of theſe, that (being granted) muſt of neceſſity work the univerſall diſorder and confuſion of nature. For though the Devill may haply bee able to perturbe ſome particular courſe of Nature: yet (Devils themſelves, being part of the Univerſe) have no power to worke to the Confuſion and deſtruction of the whole.
4. To beleeve nothing of them, that utterly impugn the dictates of right Reaſon. For that would directly imply contradictions; and then impoſſibilities are neceſſarily to be concluded.
5. Not to beleeve any thing of theſe, contrary to the infallible Rules of Gods word. For what Faith can bee of thoſe things, that croſſe the grounds of Faith? Againſt which eternall Rules of truth (whether of precept, promiſe, or practiſe) Devills and men, in all their Operations or Teſtimonies muſt needes bee found Lyars.
6. Nothing muſt be believed of all theſe, as tending to truth or to God. For the Devill is falſe, and can ſpeak no trueth, but to deceive; and the Devil is naught, and will do nothing like to Good, but to hurt and endamage ſo much the more.