Select Cases Conscience Touching Witches and Witchcrafts, Title page – Table of contents
SELECT Caſes of Conſcience TOUCHING VVitches and VVitchcrafts.
By IOHN GAVLE, Preacher of the Word at Great Staughton in the County of Huntington.
Deur. 18. 10, 11, 12.
There ſhall not be found among you any one that maketh his Son or his Daughter to paſſe through the fire, or that uſeth Divination, or an obſerver of Times, or an Enchanter, or a Witch.
Or a Charmer, or a Conſulter with familiar Spirits, or a Wizard, or a Nocromancer.
For all that do theſe things are an Abomination unto the Lord: and becauſe of theſe Abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
London, Printed by W. Wilſon for Richard Clutterbuck, and are to be ſold at his Houſe in Nobleſtreet. 1646.
May 29. 1646.
I Have with much ſatisfaction and content peruſed this learned & judicious diſcourſe, intituled [Select Caſes of Conſcience concerning Witches and Witchcrafts.] And finding it to bee very ſolide and ſeaſonable, I allow it to bee Printed and publiſhed.
JOHN DOWNAME.
To his ever honoured Valentine VVauton Eſquire, Colonell, and one of the Honorable Houſe of Commons. As alſo to the other worthy Gentlemen; together with all the good people of the Pariſh of Great Staughton in the County of Huntington.
SIR,
YOU hereſee, what the the reſt of the Pariſh heard; under one moneths occaſionall paines in my place. I am forced to make it publique, partly becauſe I ſuffered ſome oppoſition & affront in my preaching, from one I never ſaw before; and partly becauſe ſome opinions of it are ſpread ſince, by and among thoſe that know me not. But chiefely to anſwer the expectation of thoſe amongſt whom I am knowne. I hope (what I here tender you) will ſpeake the Trueth of an honeſt Conſcience to the World; the Affection of a carefull Paſtor to the reſt; and to you Sir! the gratefull (becauſe much ingaged) mind of
Your humble Servant, JOHN GAULE.
To the Iudicious Reader.
Reader! I preſent thee here with a Letter; on occaſion of this publiſhing. It were but loſt labour to gloſſe upon it. Thou mayeſt eaſily, reade him, in his Letter, and mee, in my Booke.
M. N.
MY ſervice to your Worſhip preſented, I have this day received a Letter, &c.—to come to a Towne called Great Staughton to ſearch for evill diſpoſed perſons called Witches (though I heare your Miniſter is farre againſt us through ignorance) I intend to come (God willing) the ſooner to heare his ſingular Judgment on the behalfe of ſuch parties; I have known a Miniſter in Suffolke preach as much againſt their diſcovery in a Pulpit, and forc'd to recant it (by the Committee) in the fame place. I much marvaile ſuch evill Members ſhould have any (much more any of the Clergy) who ſhould daily preach Terrour to convince ſuch Offenders, ſtand up to take their parts againſt ſuch as are Complainants for the King, and ſufferers themſelves with their Families and Eſtates. I intend to give your Towne a Viſite ſuddenly, I am to come to Kimbolton this weeke, and it ſhall bee tenne to one but I will come to your Town firſt, but I would certainely know afore whether your Town affords many Sticklers for ſuch Cattell, or willing to give and afford us good welcome and entertainement, as other where I have beene, elſe I ſhall wave your Shire (not as yet beginning in any part of it my ſelfe) And betake me to ſuch places where I doe and may perſiſt without controle, but with thankes and recompence So I humbly take my leave and reſt,
Your Servant to be commanded, Matthew Hopkins.
The Contents.
1 Caſe. WHether it ought to bee beleeved, that there are any Witches?
2. How many kinds of Witches may there be conceived?
3. Whether there bee not ſundry degrees of Witches, and Witchcrafts to be conſidered?
4. What it is that makes a Witch to be a Witch; and one that may juſtly bee ſo called and accounted?
5. What are the ſignes and marks of a Witch, whereby ſuch an one may bee rightly diſcerned, and ſo Cenſured?
6. Whether Witch-ſeeking or witch-finding be an Art, Vocation, Profeſſion, Office, Occupation, or Trade of Life, allowable in a Chriſtian Church, or State?
7. Whether all ſuch Feats, tricke… prankes, and Exploits, as Witches ar… ſaid to play; be credible to prudent Chriſtians?
8. Whether the power of a Witch be ſuch, as is ordinarily ſuppoſed?
9. How the power and malice of Witches may be prevented, or redreſſed wit… a good Conſcience?
10. Whether it be lawfull to conſul… with a Witch upon any occaſion?
11. What puniſhment are Witche… worthy of; or may juſtly be inflicted on them?
12. VVhether a VVitch may repent, and ſo be ſaved?