Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft, Chapter 5
CHAPTER. V.
1. IT hath been believed that Satan cannot aſſume the Shape of an Innocent perſon, and in that Shape doe miſchief to the bodies, or eſtates of mankind.
This maxim hath been as the Primum mobile, turning the wheel of accuſation upon perſons condemned for this Crime in England and elſe where, (ſo far … my reading goeth.) See Baxter and Glanvil, and other Authors on this Subject. For the inference drawn from hence was, That when a perſon ſuffers by Diabolical agents and is ſuppoſed to be bewitched, and in their ſufferings ſee a Spectre in the exact image of any perſon, that perſon ſo repreſented muſt be accounted the Witch.
Keeble on the Common Law, gives this for a ground to ſuſpect a perſon for a Witch. Their Apparition to the ſick party in their fits &c.
In oppoſition to this Maxim, I ſhall lay down three Propoſitions.
1. Satan may and often hath repreſented to the Imaginations of perſons under bodily afflictions by him, the ſhape or image of innocent perſons hurting them.
2. Satan can repreſent himſelf to mankind in a bodily viſible likeneſs.
3. Satans repreſenting himſelf to the fight of men in the ſhape of innocent perſons doing miſchief to man, may be without prejudice to, or perverting of Gods Ordinance of Civil Juſtice.
1. Satan may repreſent himſelf to the Imaginations &c. I lay Imagination; for the Appa…tion of a perſon to the ſick (or obſeſſed) perſon in their fits, may be often times only to their Imaginations. Some of our afflicted perſons have when they come out of their fits declared, that in them they ſaw an army of men in rank & file; other times the repreſentation of heavenly beauty, white men▪ and then again fire and helliſh torments. Now all theſe might be only the working of their Phantaſies, by Satans preſentations to Imagination, and the like may be of other things and perſons. Yea ſome ſuch have complained of their own Parents ſeeming to them to torment them, which mig… be the abuſe of Phantaſie.
Yet perſons not under ſuch Diabolical impreſſions, may by ſome diſeaſe or ſores and vapours thence aſcending, have the Images of perſons repreſented to their Imagination.
Mr. John Phillips of Boſton, told me, That he had a ſore ſwelled Legg, and lying in the warm bed with Eyes open, he ſaw, as he thought, Women in ſilk cloathing come to his bed ſide, and ſpake to them: but a man that ſtood by ſaid there were no Women; whereupon be ſuſpected the man of Conjuring tricks; which moved him to ſend for a Phyſitian three Miles off (for it was nigh Black point) and all the time the Meſſenger was gone, was he haunted with theſe Women, as they ſeemed to him. The Phyſitian ſent word, that the vapours aſcending from his f…re Legg had cauſed a water in his Eyes, and diſturbance in his Braines, by means whereof he was troubled with ſuch Viſions; and ſending an eye water to waſh his eyes with, and a cordial to take inwardly; upon the uſe of theſe, this diſturbance vaniſhed in half a quarter of an hour. If a diſeaſe may do this, what may Satan working upon bodily diſtempers and vapours impoſe upon the Imaginations?
2. Prop. Satan can aſſume a bodily likeneſs and repreſent himſelf therein to mans bodily eyes, that is, if the Lord permit him.
1. He that could make a fire in the Air to come down upon Jobs Sheep, &c. Job 1.16. Can make a viſible Shape and appear, and act in it as he did in that fire to conſume Servants and Sheep: But ſo did Satan. Therefore.
2. He that could by Pharaohs Sorcerers repreſent to him Serpents, Froggs & Blood; and to S…ul dead Samuels Shape; can aſſume a bodily likeneſs, &c. but ſo did Satan, as Exod. 7. & 8. Chap. 1 Sam. 28 of which more hereafter, &c.
3. Our Saviour ſignifies that a Spirit may appear in likeneſs of a man. Math. 14 26, 27. v. compar'd with Luk. 24.36, 37, 38, 39, 40. Fo…, (1.) The diſciples ſuppoſed the Perſon of Chriſt to be a Spirit. Phantaſma, that is a Spectre. Pneuma, a Spirit i. e. in bodily likeneſs, which ſhews they had ſuch an apprehenſion, that a Spirit could aſſume a viſible bodily likeneſs. (2.) Chriſt in anſwer doth not ſay, there can be no ſuch viſible repreſentation; but ſeeks to ſatisfy them, by convincing them that it is himſelf: And therefore ſhews them his hands and feet. Luk. 24. thereby to convince them that he is not a Spirit. (3.) Chriſt ſpeaks of a Spirit in general, which comprehends an evil Spirit as well as a good one.
4. That Satan appeared to our Saviour when tempted, Mat. 4.3. at the end of forty days in a viſible Shape, I prove by theſe arguments.
1. It's ſaid Chriſt was tempted of Satan all the forty days, Mark 1.13. and Luk. 4.2. yet Mat. 4.2, 3. It's ſaid when he had faſted fourty days, and was hungry, the Tempter came to him (proſethion auto) which implies another manner of coming to him, and tempting of him, than had been the fourty days before, and now he ſpake. Eipen. Mat. 4. 3, 6, 9. Legei. Theſe expreſſions note Satan ſpeaking with an audible voice, which implies a viſible bodily ſhape ſpeaking.
2. He ſaid theſe Stones. Mat. 4 & Luke 4. This Stone, as if he had pointed with the finger, or bodily Organ at ſome peculiar Stone or Stones, as a corporeal agent.
3. It is ſaid, Satan taketh Chriſt up into the Holy City, ſetteth him on the Pinacle, taketh him up into an high Mountain, and ſheweth him, brought him to Jeruſalem. Theſe words Taking, Bringing, Setting, (in Greek, foreign) are words which are uſed to no…e the actings of one bodily agent to another uſually.
5. Satan ſheweth to the Man Chriſt, all the Kingdoms of the World, and the Glory of them, in a moment of time (En ſtigme Chronou) in one poynt of time. Now we know the World is …ound, and that a man can ſee but a ſmall part of it at once. Therefore that which Satan ſet before the eyes of Chriſt, was not all the Kingdoms of the World themſelves, but an image and repreſentation of them, and of their Glory, which Satan had framed. And of theſe might Satan ſay, as, Luk. 4 6. All this power will I give thee and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me, and to whomſoever I will, I give it. If then Satan can make an Image of the Kingdoms of the World, and of their glory which is the greater, then can he make the Image of a man, which is the leſſer, and appear to man in ſuch an image: And ſo appearing can ſpeak and act in and by it as he ſpake and acted of old by the Serpent unto Eve, and by the Poſſeſſed in the Goſpel. Whether Satan makes ſuch a viſible body by gathering the rays called Species Viſibiles, which flow from every body, whereby its ſhadow is repreſented in a Looking-glaſs and Water, or as the rays of the Sun inviſibly ſcattered in the Air are by a burning glaſs contracted and condenſed ſo as to kindle a Fire, or by other means, I determine not. But Hiſtory as well as the Scripture abundantly teſtifie, that ſuch Spirits, or Aieral Bodies have appeared unto men, called Apparitions or Ghoſts. See Increaſe Mathers Remarkable Providences, Baxter of Apparitions, and other Authors. I have alſo ſpoken with very credible perſons of diſcretion and piety that have told me they have ſeen ſuch Apparitions when in their perfect health and ſenſes. But I ſpare to enlarge.
3. Propoſition is, Satan may repreſent himſelf doing miſchief in the ſhape of an innocent perſon, without prejudice to, or perverting of Gods Ordinance of Civil Juſtice.
1. If Satan (can aſſume the likeneſs of a man, as is above proved) then it's alike eaſy in it ſelf for him to perſonate an innocent, as a guilty perſon, if we look to his natural power: For according to natural cauſes by which he worketh, ones Image is as eaſily formed as the others. And no doubt he will ſometimes perſonate the innocent, unleſs the Lord reſtrain him.
2. That Satan hath ſo done is proved by Mr. Increaſe Mather, in his Caſes of Conſcience, Printed Anno 1693. by ſeveral Hiſtories. To which I ſhall add one out of W…rus de Praſtigiis, &c. p. 661.
Among us (ſaith he) A Pretor went to a Con…er, and by his diſcovery apprehended many Women, and had them burned (that is for Witches) at laſt the Conjurer told him, he would ſhew him one Witch more if he would not take it amiſs, and impeached the Pr…tors Wife, and prefixed an hour, when he ſhould ſee her in a Dance with other Witches▪ The Pretor conſents and calls his friends and kindred to feaſt wi…h his Wife at that time, and riſing from the Table, commands his Wife and Friends to ſit ſtill at the Table till he returned. Being carried by the Conjurer where he pleaſed, be ſhewed him a Company of Witches in their Dances and unlawful pleaſures, and the Pretors Wife with them. Then returning home, he found his friends in the ſame order he left them, and his Wife with them, and by the teſtimony of all preſent, found upon studious enquiry that his Wife had kept her place in his abſence. He opened the matter to them, repenting for puniſhing the innocent.
3 Satan perſonating the innocent in doing miſchief is no prejudice to Civil Juſtice, if it can be found out that the miſchief ſo done is the act of Satan, and not the act of the perſon repreſented. For what wickedneſs Satan doth, Satan ſhall be judged for, and what man doth, man muſt be judged for. Every one ſhall bear his own burthen. Gal 6 5. And Satans wickedneſs herein may be found, (moſt commonly, if not always) by ſuch means as thoſe, if thorough care and diligence be uſed.
1. If it can be proved that the party repreſented was in another place at that time: As was the caſe of the Pretors Wife above mentioned.
2. If when the afflicted complain they ſee John or Thomas upon them, pinching, or hurting of them or others, can neither ſee any perſon there, nor by feeling perceive any fleſh or bones, they may conclude there's not the very perſon complained of, but either an abuſed Imagination, or the Devil perſonating to the afflicted the perſon complained of. For Chriſts rule is, Luk 24.39 A Spirit hath not fleſh and bones as ye ſee me have.
3. If the ſuppoſed perſon come into the room through the Key hole, or when there is no place open for a perſon to come in by, then conclude, its not the perſon but the Devil ſeen there. A Spectre can come in by a pin-hole: but Satan cannot bring in the body of a man or woman in at ſuch a place: for if ſo then Satan could work a miracle property ſo called, which he cannot do. When Chriſt …ame bodily into the midſt of the room the doors being ſhut. Job 20.19, 20. It was a miracle beyond all Satans ſigns and lying wonders. The Goſpel is confirmed by Gods teſtimony with ſigns and wonders and divers miracles. Such Satan cannot do, for then he could ſubvert our Goſpels confirmation.
4. When a ſuppoſed perſon is ſeen in their full proportion and then changed into the form of another Creature, as a Cat, &c. This is a Spectre not the perſon. The turning Lots Wife into a pillar of Salt was a proper Miracle beyond the power of Devil or Angel of themſelves to perform. But a Spectre can change its ſhape like the Wind under Ice running upon the water. This well weighed will confute many fond Stories that have paſſed, that ſuch a Woman is a Witch, for ſhe was ſeen in her full proportion, and then turned into a Cat, and back at laſt into a Woman; for all this was either a phantaſie in the brains, or a Phantaſma before the Eyes.
5 If a perſon (or ſo eſteemed) paſs by us on the ſoft Snow, or dirt, and leave no footſteps behind them, this is to be eſteemed a Spectre, and not the real perſon, unleſs the perſon were carried by Satan in the Air. This was brought for an Evidence againſt a Woman, that ſhe was ſeen nigh Malden in a Moonſhiny night paſſing on the Snow, and left no footſteps behind her; when ſhe might be in her Houſe at Newbury, and either the Phantaſie of the Witneſs was abuſed, or a Spectre paſſed by him in her Image. Yet if it had been her perſon ſo carried by Satan, this would not prove her a Witch, unleſs her conſent were given to it. Goodwins Children were carried in the Air by Satan, as ſaith Memorable Providences. P. 14, 15.
6. If the prints of biting of teeth, pinching with fingers, pricking with pins or irons be made on the Bodies of the Afflicted, and no hand, mouth or Body can be ſeen or felt to do it, this is to be imputed to Satan, and not to a real perſon doing of it.
By theſe or ſuch like means, due circumſpection being uſed, when Satan perſonates the innocent, his fallacy and malice may be diſcovered, at leaſt ordinarily. Yet if the Lord ſhould ſuffer Satan ſo to act, and not be diſcovered after all means uſed to find the fallacy (which I never yet read or heard he did) this muſt be reckoned among the unſearchable acts of Divine Soveraignty, which men may humbly admire; but not make rules upon ſuch a ſuppoſal for humane judicature to proceed upon. Theſe premiſes conſidered, we may inter, That if Satan may perſonate an innocent party to one tormented by him; then, if the Lord permit it, to two, yea to ten. And if once he may do ſo, then twice, yea, twenty times, if ſuffered, and yet the perſon ſo repreſented be innocent. And all the danger of injuſtice being done to that innocent party, ariſeth not from Satans acting, ſo much as from mans miſtaken faith and ſuſpicion about Satans act.
Hence then we may confute a vulgar error of people, that will conclude, that ſuch a Woman is, or was a Witch, for ſhe was ſeen in the Air one night flying Southward, another time to a Veſſel, and other times up into the Country. When all this time the Devil thro' Divine permiſſion either did it, or impoſed upon the Imaginations of the Spectators. And here we may take notice, that a true faith is ſo pleaſing to the Lord, that he do…h great things for his Servants, for their faiths ſake; ſo that Chriſt ſaith, Mat. 8.13 As thou haſt believed, ſo be it done unto thee. All things are poſſible to him that believeth. Great is thy faith, be it unto thee, as thou wilt. Thy faith hath made thee whole. Mark. 9.25. & 10 52. & 15.28. Why may not a falſe faith in theſe matters provoke the Lord to ſay unto us, As you believe, be it unto you? And let Satan looſe to do ſtrange things as the Accuſer of the Brethren, to miſlead them to accuſe one another.