Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft, Chapter 11
CHAPTER. XI.
14. SOme have laid great weight upon this, When ſomething ſuppoſed to be bewitched, or to contain the charm by which the inchantment is wrought is burned in the fire, and the party ſuſpected comes to the fire, or ſeems to be burnt after it, or by ſuch like ways concerned; this hath been eſteemed a farther preſumption that they are guilty. As in Sir Mathew Hale his condemning Amy Duny, Printed Anno 1682. A toad found in the blanket of Durent (ſaid to be bewitched) was held in the fire till it made an horrible noiſe, and the next day Amy Duny (who was ſuſpected to bewitch Durent) was found all grievouſly ſcorched with the fire. The uſe of ſuch experiments is juſtly condemned by Perkins and others, as after a ſort a practice of Witchcraft: Yet the ſeeming diſcovery hereby made hath found entertainment by thoſe that oppoſe the means uſed.
But before we give credence to ſuch a diſcovery, we muſt be very circumſpect leaſt we be deceived by humane knavery; as happened in a caſe nigh Richmond Iſland, circiter Anno 1659.
One Mr. Thorpe a drunken Preacher, was gotten in to Preach at Black point under the appearance and profeſſion of a Miniſter of the Goſpel, and boarded at the houſe of Goodman Bayly, and Baylyes Wife obſerved his Converſation to be contrary to his calling, gravely told him his way was contrary to the Goſpel of Chriſt, and deſired him to reform his Life or leave her houſe. So he departed from the houſe, and turned her Enemy, and found an opportunity to do her an injury: and it ſo fell out that Mr. Jordan of Spurwink had a Cow dyed, and about that time Goody Bayly had ſaid, ſhe intended ſuch a day to travel to Caſco-Bay. Mr. Thorpe goes to Mr Jordans man or men and ſaith, the Cow was bewitched to death, and if they would lay the carcaſs in a place he ſhould appoint, he would burn it, and bring the Witch: and accordingly the Cow is laid by the path that led from Black point to Caſco, and ſet on fire that day Goody Ba…ly was to travel that way, and ſo ſhe came by while the Carcaſs was in burning, and Thorpe had her queſtioned for a Witch: But Mr. Jordan interpoſed in her behalf: and ſaid his Cow dyed by his Servants negligence, and to cover their own fault they were willing to have it imputed to Witchcraft; and Mr. Thorpe knew of Goody Baylyes intended Journey, and orders my Servants (ſaid he) without my approbation, to burn my Cow in the way where Bayly is to come; and ſo unriddled the knavery, and delivered the innocent.
But ſuppoſe the caſe where there is no ſuch deceit, and the ſuſpected party comes to it, when ſuch a thing is burned, or ſeems extraordinarily hurt or concerned at ſuch a time, how will this prove the party guilty of the crime, he or ſhe is ſuſpected of? If any way, it muſt (1.) Proceed from ſome natural cauſe, or ſympathy in nature, between the thing burned, and the Witches Body; but no reaſon can be given of this; for a charm is wrought by the Devils power, and not by any natural power of the Sorcerer, conveying any natural venome from their own body, which by the operation of the fire ſhould revert back into it again, as to its center or fountain. (2) Or from the immediate hand of God, cauſing this effect for diſcovery of the Guilty; which we have no warrant from the Word of God to expect (as was ſaid in another caſe, Chapt. 8.) (3) Or by means of the perſon burning the thing, & uſing it as a charm to find out the perſon that laid the inchantment upon the thing burnt; which if it be affirmed truly, would rather prove the burner the Sorcerer; and ſo tend to clear the ſuſpected. (4.) Or it proceeds from the Compact made between the Devil and the Sorcerer; which if any affirm, I ask how know you there is any ſuch Covenant made? that is firſt to be proved, and then that this is one article in that Covenant, and that the Devil will attend to, and keep his part of the Covenant inviolable. Neither of which can be demonſtrated. (5.) Or this ſuffering is a meer phantaſie, or the free agency of the Devil, who is a lyar from the beginning, and therefore not to be he…ded. This Experiment is like the ways of trying by water, fire, bottling of Urine, &c. all which have been juſtly condemned as a ſort of charms to be rejected by Chriſtians.
Among the Confeſſors, Anno 1692. was a Negro Woman, who charged two women to make her a Witch, deſcribing how ſhe ſee her mark in the Devils Book. And ſaid, if ſhe might be permitted, ſhe would fetch the things whereby ſhe tormented the afflicted complainers. And accordingly brought an Handkerchief, wherein ſeveral knots were tyed, raggs of Cloth, a piece of Cheeſe and a piece of graſs. And as I was credibly informed, ſome compelled her to ſwall…w the graſs, & that night ſhe was burned in …er fleſh; and one took a piece of her ragg and burnt it in the fire, and one of the Afflicted that had complained of her, was preſently burned on the hand. Another piece of her rags was put under water, and then others complainants were choaked, and ſtrived for breath as if under water: And another ran to the River as if ſhe would drown her ſelf. Here note, that the raggs on which, as the Confeſſor ſaid, the Witchcraft was laid, did when put into fire and water, affect the perſons ſuppoſed to be thereby bewitched more than the Charmer her ſelf. And probably the cauſe may be, that Satan, the Lord permitting him, may inflict his miſchief on the perſon, the Spectators or Actors herein ſuppoſe to be concerned, ſuiting hereby his deſign to mans faith about it. And if ſo, the reaſon why any ſuſpected perſon is hereby concerned is not becauſe they are guilty, but becauſe they are ſuſpected.
15. If the above named Signs ſingly taken, are not ſufficient to prove a perſon guilty of this Crime; then when many, or moſt of theſe ſuſpicions above named center upon the ſame perſon, they cannot prove them guilty. Nay, all of them may be fixed upon the ſame perſon, by the wiles of the Devil, and yet the perſon be innocent. For if Satan can aſſume & afflict any one in the ſhape of an innocent, as hath been already proved, he may alſo in ſhape of a Ghoſt of the deceaſed accuſe them, and ſo act over the ſuſpicions mentioned.
Quae ſingula non proſunt junct a non juvant.
I find in the tryals and condemnations that have been in England & Ireland, ſeveral of them have proceeded upon ſundry of theſe ſuſpicions put together; and ſo the total thence ariſing hath amounted to a condemnation. See Glanvil, part 2 pag. 118. to 209. In particular in the caſe of Julian Cox before Judge Archer, An. 1663. pag. 191.
But probably it may be ſaid, that the methods which I except againſt have been uſed with good ſucceſs, for by ſuch things Witchcrafts & Witches have been diſcovered, & ſome brought to confeſſion and repentance, and given undeniable demonſtrations of the reality of their guilt, and recovery after it out of that ſnare of the Devil and therefore ſuch ways of diſcovery are ſtill to be uſed.
Anſ. 1. Let us take it for granted, that theſe means have occaſioned the diſcovery of Witches; yet if any of them a… … lawful they are not to be uſed becauſe of fo…mer ſucceſs. Many things have been done irregularly which God hath turned to a good event; as the lying of Jacob to get the birthright; the Selling of Joſeph by his Brethren. Yea, the diabolical divination of Nebucadnezar. Ezek. 21.21. to 25. verſ. proved proſperous to him. And Balaams inchantments to procure a curſe, God turned into a bleſſing to Iſrael ▪ Yet none of theſe things are to be imitated by us upon hope of the like event to follow.
2. If the diſcovery aboveſaid hath followed upon the uſe and dependance upon the means aboveſaid, it may be ſaid to come from Satan (over-ruled by the Lord to ſubſerve his glorious purpoſes) as the inſtrument of diſcovery, who expoſeth at ſome times his own Vaſſals to humane juſtice, that he may cut them off from the earth: and therefore aſſumes their ſhapes or otherwiſe renders them ſuſpected to their Neighbours upon ſuch kind of preſumptions, as may wrap in the guilty and innocent together, and thereby working upon the erroneous principles of men, doth (as we uſe to ſay, kill two birds with one ſtone,) deliver up his own Servant to ruine, and give occaſion for the condemnation thereby of an innocent perſon. But Satan is not to be truſted when he ſpeaks truth, or doth that which eventually proveth good, becauſe his aim is always to do miſchief thereby. Our Saviour Chriſt would not accept Satans worſhip and teſtimony when he ſpake true. Mark 5 6, 7, 8 And Paul was grieved in ſpirit when the Devil gave an high teſtimony of him to be the Servant of the moſt high God. Act. 16.16, 17, 18.