Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft, Chapter 16
CHAPTER. XVI.
I come now to ſpeak concerning thoſe that are called Black Witches, or Malefic… Witches, who by their enchantments do call in the Devils aid, for revenge, to do hurt to the bodies, and health of their neighbours, or to their cattle, goods, and the like. Theſe are the perſons commonly called Witches, and againſt whom the ſpirits of men and the laws of men are moſt bent, for their proſecution and puniſhment. Now that I have concerning ſuch to ſay, I ſhall comprehend in the enſuing Propoſitions.
Prop. 1. There have been many evils that have befallen man and beaſt, which have been ungroundedly aſcribed to Witchcraft, and ſo to Witches, which proceed from other cauſes: As from natural operations tho' hidden from thoſe that ſo ſuſpect: or from the hand of God immediately, or from the hand of Satan without the concurrence of man kind; as hath been in part ſhewed already in this enquiry above. Should an herd of Swine run violently down a ſtreep place into the Sea in theſe days and periſh in the waters, as did the Gergeſens Swine, Math. 8.32. People would conclude they periſhed by Witchcraft; and yet there was no ſuch cauſe of the deſtruction.
Prop. 2 Melancholly and Imagination hath fancied many things to proceed from Witches, when there is no ground for it.
Prop. 3 Many impoſſible things for Witches, or the Devil to do by them, are related to be done by Witches: As the tranſmutation of bodies from men to beaſts, &c. The going in Spirit to places far diſtant, and leaving their bodies behind; as if the Devil could ſeparate the Soul from the body, and reſtore it again at pleaſure, which is to aſcribe to him a divine power to reſtore the dead. Such things are either deviſed fictions, or abuſes of the imaginations of them that ſo ſav… of themſelves: they, being only laid in a tr… o… dream, and ſo conceiting a change in them that never was. So ſome have affirmed they have been carryed many hundred miles through the air, to remote places and brought back again in an hour or two, which cannot be without a miracle; for ſo ſwift a motion through the air, would take away the breath of a perſon ſo tranſported, without an almighty power to ſuſtain them.
Prop. 4. It muſt be granted that there is no clear inſtance of any ſuch Malefick or Black Witch in Scriptures. The Magicians of Egypt or Babylon, or thoſe mentioned Act. 8.9, … 11. & 13.8, 9, 10. Jer. 27.9. Iſa. 47. Dan. 2. & 4. & 5. chap. are not charged with any ſuch crimes. The only inſtance I remember given of ſuch an one in Scripture is Balaam: but he cannot be proved to be ſuch an one. (1) Its pleaded that Balak ſent to him to come; For I wot, (ſaith he) that he whom thou curſeſt is curſed. And this indeed ſhews what an opinion Balak had of him, Numb 22.6 But when Balaam anſwers the meſſengers. he tells them; As the Lord, i. e. Jehovah, ſhall ſpeak to me, I will bring you word: And Jehovah refuſeth to give me leave: And the word that God putteth in my mouth, that ſhall I ſpeak v. 8, 13, 38. So that whatever opinions Balaam might have of plurality of Gods, yet he owns he could not curſe Iſrael but by the true God. See Numb. 23 1, 3 with Deut. 23. 4, 5. Joſh. 24 9, 10. The Scripture ſhews that Balaam ſought not to curſe Iſrael, but by the everliving God. (2) And if it be ſaid, that Balaam ſaying, There is no inchantment againſt Jacob, neither divination againſt Iſrael, Cap. 23. 23. Intima…eth, That there may be inchantment and divination alſo againſt other people; yet it doth not ſignify that Balaam uſed to curſe any without the aſſiſtance of the true God. For he ſaith, v. 8. How ſhall I curſe whom God hath not curſe? or how ſhall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? He ſpeaks as a man convinced, that the power of all falſe Gods was unable to bring a curſe without Gods leave. And if Balak would give him an houſe full of Silver & Gold, he ſaith, he cannot go beyond the word of the Lord, or Jehovah, my God, to do leſs or more Where note, that Balaam openly profeſſeth to theſe heathen, that Jehovah is his God, and him he will obey, Numb. 22.18. And when the Angel of Jehovah oppoſeth him, he ſubmits ſo far to him as to offer, if it diſpleaſed him, he would go back again. And when he comes to ſacrificing, ſtill it is to Jehovah. For he ſaid, Chap 23 3 after he had offered, Peradventure Jehovah will come & meet me, &c. and where God met him, He ſaid unto him, i. e. to Jehovah. I have offered upon every altar a bullock & a ram, and this was repeated again, and ſtill Balaam went to meet Jehovah, and Jehovah met him once and again, and put a word in his mouth. And Balaam ſpake the word Jehovah put into his mouth: and when Balaam ſaw it pleaſed Jehovah to bleſs Iſrael, Chap. 24. 1 All the circumſtances of the place ſhew that all his addreſſes were unto the living God, that by him he might procure ſuch a curſe upon Iſrael, which might do more againſt Iſrael then all the armies of Balak could do.
Q Why then is Balaam called a Soothſayer or Diviner, and ſaid to uſe Inchantments? and what are thoſe Enchantments? and why ſo called?
A. Theſe inchantments were the Sacrifices mentioned, Chap 24. which were offered to the true God For its ſaid, He went not as at other times to ſeek for Enchantments: This plainly refers to the times when he ſacrificed as aboveſaid Heb. Che…agnam, bepagnam, i. e. not this time as the former time; namely the times when he ſacrificed. Thus Ainſworth in locum; all his former altars and ſacrifices were by the art of inchantment, or obſerving fortunes. But how theſe were inchantments, ſeeing they were not as the heathen inchantments to a falſe God, & that ſacrificing was an Ordinance of God, is a difficulty to underſtand. But I conceive they are ſo called, becauſe Balaam did pervert the end and uſe of Gods O…dinance, and therein imitate the Heathen. For God had ſaid to him, Thou ſhalt not curſe the people, for they are bleſſed YetBalaam by theſe Sacrifices will try to curſe them. So heathen nations are ſaid to do, before they warred againſt any people to endeavour by prayers, ſacrifices and enchantments to turn the favour of God from them. Before the Heathen Romans Beſieged any City, their Prieſts, called out the God, under whoſe tutelage the City was, that he would forſake the people, Temples and holy things, and be Provoſt unto them, and accept of their City, &c. vowing to him, if he would ſo do, to honour him with Temples, &c. And then offered Sacrifices to the Dictator or Emperour, devoted, or curſed the Enemies Cities and Armies, that they might be filled with fear, terror, &c. Balaam acts his like. Theſe and like the Charmers, Maim…ny ſpeaks of, who whiſper over a wound, or read a verſe out of the Bible: likewiſe he that readeth over an infant, that it may not be frighted; or that layeth the Bible, or the Phylacte…ies upon a child that it may ſleep: Such ſaith he, are Inchanters or Charmers, becauſe they make the words of the Scripture; medicine for the body, whereas they are not, but medicine for the Soul. So Balaam makes a charm of an Ordinance of God: For neither Balak nor Balaam aimed to give honour & glory to God thereby, but to uſe them as it were a bribe, to try if thereby they could prevail with the Lord to reverſe his word, whereby he had ſaid of Iſrael, They are bleſſed. For when he ſees he cannot prevail, he ſaith, God is not a man that he ſhould…ly; and he hath bleſsed, and I cannot reverſe it. Again, what Balaam did herein, it was not ſincerely for God, but for his hire, Neh. 13.2. Even for rewards of Divination, Numb. 22.7. For the wages of unrighteouſneſs, 2 Pet. 2.15. Poſſibly alſo there might be ſomewhat like inchantment in the manner of his ſacrificing; as Sacrificing in the high places of Baal, and on the top of Peor, places formerly dedicated to Baal-Peor. Thus Balaam by his Enchantments deſerved the title of a Soothſayer or Diviner and mad Prophet.
Prop. 5. Though there be no plain example of a Mal…fick Witch; yet from what the Scripture ſaith of the power of Satan and his malice againſt man, & of the wickedneſs that is in the heart of man; we may ſee there is a poſſibility of ſuch abominable creatures to be found in the black liſt of Satans guard. For,
1. Satan hath power when the Lord permits him, to do miſchief to the bodies and eſtates of mankind, as already proved in the inſtances of Job and others.
2. There be ſome perſons ſo wicked that Abaz like, they will ſacrifice to and ſerve the Devil, that he may help them. And if in other things, why not in revenging them upon thoſe they hate, as well as in other matters? As Iſrael ſlew their brethren in a rage that reached up to heaven: ſo ſome will purſue their adverſaries with a rage reaching down to hell. And exceſs of anger gives great advantage to the Devil, Eph. 4.26, 27. Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath; neither give place to the Devil. If ſinful anger gives the Devil a place, how much more ſuch a rage as whereby men go to hell for aid againſt their toes? When men ſeek to Satan for revenge, he will be ready to further them in it; by diſcourſing with them, (as he did with Eve, yea with Chriſt himſelf, Math. 4.) to ſee what he may gain upon them thereby: or by tempting them to ſacrifice to him, or uſe his ceremonies and ordinances, whereby, Satan is implicitely at leaſt invoked for to do his utmoſt on their behalf. And Satan that promiſed to the ſpotleſs Lamb of God, all the kingdoms of the world, will be ready to promiſe ſuch miſcreants to revenge them on their adverſaries, or any miſchief they deſire, if they will ſerve him. And at ſome times to perform his promiſe if the Lord ſuffer him, as the roaring Lyon that ſeeks to devour: or at leaſt will pretend himſelf author, of the harms the envyed perſon ſuſtaines. But if he cannot, yet be can anſwer ſuch deluded creatures, that either they did not obſerve his direction, or that God hath ſet an hedge about the party maligned, or the like, and ſo keep up his credit ſtill.
Mrs. Got, a very credible and pious woman, told me, That her father Mr. Palmer lived nigh a man that acknowledged himſelf to be a Conjurer. On a certain day there came a violent wind upon Mr. Palmers houſe, as if it would blow it down: but it only blew down an Elm tree that ſtood in his Court yard. In proceſs of time this Conjurer came to Mr. Palmer and confeſſed that he had a grudge againſt him, and thereupon did invocate the Devil to do Palmer a miſchief, and he promiſed to blow down Palmers houſe; but only blew down the Elm… whereupon the Conjurer taxed the Daemon with breach of promiſe: But he anſwered, Palmer was a Praying man, and God had ſet an hedge about all that he had need of, and ſo he had no power over his houſe; but the Elm being only for ſhew and recreation, he had power over that.
As for matters of fact, I muſt refer to hiſtories that ſpeak of Malefick Witchcraft, wherein though many things are certain or fabulous, there may be truth in ſome of thoſe relations. And by the above-mentioned, and other ſuch hiſtories, we meet with of that kind, we may gather, That when perſons will ſeek to the Devil for revenge, he will either do harm to thoſe they hate, or if the Lord inflict by his hand upon ſuch perſons hated by the Conjurers, Satan will perſwade the Conjurer, that he effected it in perſuance of their quarrel. But if the deſired miſchief be not effected, the Devil will have a plea to excuſe himſelf. But however they which by themſelves immediately invocate the Devil to help them, to avenge themſelves on thoſe they hate, are hereby Malefick Witches, whether they obtain his help or not.