Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft, Chapter 12
CHAPTER. XII.
16. BErnard ſaith, Witches may be convicted by their Extaſies: with the delight whereof, Witches are ſo taken, that they will hardly conceal the ſame: or however at ſome time or other they may be found in them. But the inſufficiency of this kind of proof will appear by conſidering the various ſorts of Extaſies, and the diverſe ſubjects of them. Extaſies are either natural, divine or diabolical.
1. Natural, which proceeds from the conſtitution of the body, and ſome violent diſeaſe, as Feaver, &c. whereby the imagination is ſtrangly tranſported, and the party conceiveth himſelf to be in ſome glorious place & company &c. which proves but a meer dream of a man eating and drinking, but when he awaketh his ſoul is empty. Iſa 29 8.
2. Divine, as the trances of Peter, Act. 10.10. and of Paul, Act 22 17.
3. Or Diabolical, of Witches, perſons Obſeſſed, or Poſſeſſed.
Some Hiſtories ſpeak of ſtrange Extaſies of confeſſed Witches. R. B. of the kingdom of darkneſs. p. 69, 70. Tells us of a Woman confeſſing her ſelf a Witch, who pretended ſhe had been turned into a Wolf & killed a Sheep & Cow in that ſhape, and the Cow & Sheep were killed at that time. And of a man Wolf that was ſuſpected in that ſhape, to devour Cattle, and his face had ſeveral ſcratches and hurts, which they ſaid were given him by the Dogs that took him for a Wolf, and he confeſt himſelf, that twice a year he was changed from a man to a Wolf. But this change could not be real, but an abuſe of Phantaſie, either from a diſtracting Melancholy called Lycanthropia, whereby he imagined he was transformed into a Wolf. Or elſe, if he were indeed a Wizzard, the Devil caſt him into a profound trance, whereby he imagined he was killing Cattle as a Wolf; while the miſchief done was other wiſe, and probably by a real Wolf.
But thoſe that have been obſeſſed have had ſtrange Extaſies; as ſome of our afflicted perſons have had their trance fits; in which they lay long time in a Swound, and when they came out of them declared they had been carried to delectable places, and had ſeen glorious ſights of Men and Angels; as is in part declared above, Chapt. 5. So that its eaſier to find a perſon poſſeſſed or diſtracted by ſuch Extaſies, than to prove a perſon hereby in voluntary league with the Devil.
17. I come next to conſider the teſtimony of ſuch as confeſſing themſelves to be Witches, do witneſs againſt others as partners with them in the ſame crime. This hath been accounted ſufficient proof by the Common Law. See Keeble. Ibidem. And Glanvil. Ibidem, p. 141. &c. The ground of it is from the received Maxim, That Socii criminis, partners in a crime confeſſing their own guilt, and diſcovering their companions, are fit and ſufficient witneſſes againſt thoſe their companions. As is frequently proved in caſes of Murder, Treaſon, Robbery, Theft &c. and why not as well in Witchcraft? Perkins makes this only a preſumption. But Bernard makes it a convictive evidence, when one or more fellow-Witches, confeſſing their own Witchcraft, and bearing witneſs againſt others; if they can make good the truth of their witneſs, and give ſufficient proof of it: As that they have ſeen them with their Spirits; — or that they have been together in their meetings, and ſuch like. Now in the Examinations and tryals at Salem, there was great plenty of this kind of Teſtimony; for about Fifty confeſſing, they moſt of them if not all accuſed others as partners with them at their Witch meetings; as at a great Pond nigh Andover, ſome of them ſaid, they met together, and ſome at Newburyfalls, and were Baptized there by Satan. And ſome at Salem Village as above ſhewed, Chap. 2. & 3. Some ſaid, they ſtole an horſe and rode upon it in the air from Andover to Salem Priſon, and there through the grate diſcourſed with one whom they accuſed. Another declared that ſhe with widow S. went to Capt. W. and ſhe ſaid S. gave him a blow with a great ſtick, and yet were to him inviſible: Capt. W. declared he had a ſore blow as if with a great ſtick, but ſaw no body. Widow S. denyed that ſhe ſtruck him; then M. G. the confeſſor very boldly looked up in her face, and ſaid, G. S. you know you did ſtrike him, and I ſaw you do it, and then told the manner how it was done, and how they came to him and returned. There were many ſuch inſtances which ſeemed exceeding demonſtrative in that day. Yet upon an after review of the whole theſe confeſſors teſtimony appeareth to be very doubtful, if not utterly falſe. Yet I would not deny all evidence of confeſſors to be rejected: for the caſe may be ſo that perſons may give ſuch infallible ſigns of their own guilt of this, (as well as other crimes) and ſuch tokens of real repentance for the ſame, as may render their teſtimony notwithſtanding their former tranſgreſſion as credible, as the teſtimony of any other confeſſing Malefactor. As Manaſſeh who uſed Witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar Spirit; and afterward beſought the Lord & humbled himſelf greatly &c. 2 Chron. 33.6, 12, 13. Was as fit (had he been a Subject) to be a competent witneſs in any Court of Judicature, againſt thoſe that had been partners with him in thoſe abominations, as any other man.
Here we muſt diſtinguiſh between Penitent Confeſſors, and Impenitent Magicians.
If a Magician or white Witch (as they are called) come in to diſcover and teſtify againſt another to be a Witch; This (as Perkins ſaith, Chap. 7. p. 209.) is no more then the Devils teſtimony, becauſe by the Devils help he revealeth the Witch. And indeed ſuch are but the Devils tools to do his work at his beck, and ſo will as readily accuſe the innocent as the guilty. But the reaſons that ſway with me to queſtion the truth of the confeſſors, Anno 1692. notwithſtanding their ſeeming repentance for ſuch crimes, are ſuch as theſe.
1. Theſe confeſſors by their plauſible confeſſions and accuſations of others begetting credit, have been a great if not the greateſt Engine of Satan to carry on the accuſing and apprehending of others, until this matter came to ſuch an height, that if it had not been ſtopped might have brought the beſt Chriſtians in the Country, under the imputation of that abomination, and have involved all in confuſion or blood. The kingdom … Satan being ſo evident in the winding up of that whole contrivance, leads us to ſee his finger in this principal means, for the managment of it.
2. Some of theſe confeſſors were firſt under diabolical vexations, (as the other afflicted or obſeſſed perſons were) and under thoſe torments did, as they ſay, ſign to a Book preſented to them, real or imaginary, by which they obtained eaſe of their pains: And then Satan in their ſhapes afflicted others who accuſed them until they confeſſed. And after ſuch confeſſions againſt themſelves, they alſo accuſed others, as being with them, and they were afflicted themſelves, as they had been at the firſt and complained againſt their Neighbours as others did. So that theſe perſons may juſtly be eſteemed Daimonizomenoi, under ſome kind of obſeſſion and deluſion of Satan all this time, and ſo their Phantaſies and Sences abuſed by him all the while; Satan ſometimes tearing of them as a devouring Lyon, and at other times beguiling of them, as a Subtil Serpent.
3. Others that were not ſo afflicted before their Confeſſing, were ſo preſently after it, and ſo may be reckoned in the ſame predicament with the others.
4. I am jealous, and I hope with a godly jealouſie, that ſome by theſe their accuſations of others, hoped to gain time, and get favour from the Rulers. And that ſome of the inferiour ſort of people did ill Offices, by promiſing them favour thereby more than they had ground to engage. And that ſome under theſe temptations regarded not as they ſhould what became of others, ſo that they could thereby ſerve their own turns. And I have been credibly informed, that ſome have ſince acknowledged ſo much.
5. Theſe Confeſſors ſince deny their Confeſſions, and accuſing of others, or ſay they remember nothing of what they ſaid or did in that day, whether truly or not, will be more manifeſt another day. We may then well queſtion the validity of thoſe Teſtimonies which the Teſtifiers themſelves do not ſtand to juſtify now the ſcean is changed.
18. I come in the next place to conſider a perſons evidence againſt him or her ſelf by their Confeſſion upon examination and trya… This is by Scripture declared to be ſufficient Evidence againſt perſons Compotes mentis, of a ſound underſtanding, Luk. 19.22. Out of thine own mouth will I condemn, or judge thee. Yea, ſufficient to juſtify an Execution upon it, whether the perſon ſpeak truly or not. As David ſaid to the Amalekite that affirmed he had killed Saul. Thy mouth hath teſtified againſt thee, 2 Sam. 1.16. Yet its very probable that Saul ſlew himſelf without the help of any other. 1 Sam. 31. 4, 5. But there have been excepted, ſelf-accuſers when diſtracted, demoniacks, Lunatick, under witted, over-watched, and perſons ſurprized upon ſudden fear or hope of favour to be thereby gained. So that we may hope ſome of thoſe at Salem belied themſelves.
1. Thoſe that being grievouſly vexed with the Devil did, and ſaid they well underſtood not what themſelves. As above ſaid.
2. It's probable, ſome being accuſed, and their own Relations among others, ſuſpecting them, and vehemently urging them to confeſs themſelves guilty, were ſo ſurprized and amazed, that they confeſſed that in their haſte, which they have cauſe to repent at leiſure. And having once accuſed themſelves, they feared to retract it preſently leſt a worſe thing ſhould come upon them. But ſince they have recanted, thoſe Confeſſions, and ſome ſuch there were, whoſe converſations before and ſince that day have been ſober and blameleſs, and give cauſe to hope better things of them.
3 But there were others, whoſe Confeſſions ſeemed more free and demonſtrative of reality, and ſome who confeſſed upon real or pretended horrour of Conſcience; and theſe attended with ſuch circumſtances, that ſome will ſay, there is no believing mankind confeſſing their guilt of any C…ime, if theſe muſt not be believed. But I leave the true ſtate of their caſe, to a farther diſcovery, when the Lord …leaſe, in this life, or when God ſhall Judge the ſecrets of men.