Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft, Chapter 6
CHAPTER VI.
ANother Principle much inſiſted on, is; That the Devil when he doth harm to perſons in their Body or Eſtate, it is (at leaſt moſt commonly, generally and frequently) by the help of our Neighbour: That is, ſome Witch or Conjurer, or ſuch like in Covenant with the Devil. Sir Matthew Hale, in his Printed Obſervations upon the Tryal of thoſe Witches he Condemned, (Printed Anno 1682) draws this inference from hence, That the Devil when he hurts the Body or Goods of men, is in ſome ſort ſubject to Humane Juſtice, though not in himſelf, yet in his Covenant Servants, by whom he is ſet a work to do ſuch miſchiefs.
The unſoundneſs of this principle appeareth by the Scripture inſtances of Satans ſo afflicting man when we read of no Witch to ſet him on work. As,
1. When God let Satan looſe to try Jobs patience, Job 1 & 2 Chap.
2. When Satan bound the Body of a Daughter of Abraham eighteen years.
3. When Satan tryed the affections of the Gergeſens, and was Gods Inſtrument to puniſh their Worldlineſs by drowning their Swine, who ran violently down a ſteep place (as if they had been bewitched, according to the opinion of many now a days) into the Sea, being driven of the Devils.
4. We have many Inſtances of the poſſeſſed with the unclean Spirits that were tormented and vexed by Satan, to quicken men to prayer, Mat. 17.21. and to ſhew Chriſts power.
5. Some by their own preſumptuous dealing with Satan, have given him power, or at leaſt opportunity to ſtrip and wound them; as the Exorciſts, Acts 19.13. &c.
Seeing then we have ſo many inſtances of Satans afflicting, without Witches help, and no clear Scripture inſtance of his afflicting mankind in Body, or Eſtate by Witchcraft; It's unſafe to conclude generally that thoſe that are under Diabolical moleſtations are bewitched. For when perſons are perſwaded their Relations are bewitched, they preſently enquire, who is the Witch? and who ſhould they faſten their ſuſpicions upon, but on theſe that the Afflicted cry out againſt in their fits?
Q. But is it not evident, that the Afflicted at Salem Village, and parts adjacent, Anno 1691, 2. were Bewitched?
A. Whether thoſe Sufferings by Satan proceeded at firſt from Witchcraft or no, I ſhall leave to a further diſquiſition.
But as for the moſt of thoſe Sufferers, I conceive they were ſuch as in the Goſpel are called, Daimonizomenoi. Mat. 4 24. Daemoniaci Daemoniacks: I do not mean in that degree of Internal Poſſeſſion, as thoſe out of whom the Spirits were caſt out. Mat. 8.16. But with ſuch a degree of external poſſeſſion or obſeſſion of Satan, which rendred them like the Demoniacks mentioned, in many things.
1. As they were grievouſly vexed with the Devil. (foreign) as the Damſel. Matt 15.22. compare this with Mark 7.25. She had an unclean Spirit. So were ours vexed with inviſible agents, biting, pricking, pinching and vexing of them.
I will not ſay but among ſo many thus Suffering, ſome of them at ſome time might counterfeit part of their Sufferings, and it might be from Satans policy to intangle the whole affair. But for the moſt part they were as thoſe we read of, Luk. 6.18. Vexed with unclean Spirits.
2. We read, Mat. 17.15. of them that ofttimes fell into the fire and into the water, being Lunatick; but were caſt this way & that by an Evil Spirit. Mark 9.17, to 30. So were ſome of ours by an evil ſpirit tranſported from place to place, and in danger of being burnt, or drowned, but that Satan was reſtrained, as in caſe above ſaid.
3. The poſſeſſed man, Mark. 5.4. had more than humane ſtrength in breaking fetters and chains. So ſome of theſe in their fits performed that which was above their own ſtrength.
4. The poſſeſſed damſel, Act. 16.16 did by the Devil ſoothſay; that is, diſcover ſecrets in a prophetical way: (ſhe did manteuein.) So ſome of theſe did by the Devils means tell of perſons and things, abſent and future, as when ſuch another fit ſhould come again, &c. where ſuch a perſon abſent was, and what he did: inſomuch that had they been Sui juris, perſons free from Diabolical obſeſſion, and overpowering force, they might juſtly have been queſtioned for dealing with a familiar Spirit. But the force they were under was their vindication, as it was here, Act. 16.16.
5. The poſſeſſed of old were ſome of them exceeding fierce. Mat. 8.28. So were ſome of theſe afflicted perſons fierce, troubleſome and miſchievous in their fits, beyond their natural temper and behaviours at other times. From theſe things compared together, why may we not judge theſe demoniacks, as well as thoſe in the Goſpel? And that its poſſible for Satan in theſe times to afflict thus without Witches, as well as in thoſe? Seeing theſe did alſo in their fits fome, gnaſh their teeth and pine away, as he did, Mark 9.18.
And here we may obſerve the weakneſs of the ſigns given by the Common Law, to know who is bewitched; (which ſigns as Keeble ſaith, are taken out of the tryals in Lanehaſhire, and from Bernard:)
For the firſt ſign given is; The waſting of a perſon and the cauſe unknown: This ſign is very fallible: for,
1. The waſting may proceed from an unknown diſeaſe. And the ignorance of Phyſitians may aſcribe that to Witchcraft which proceeds from a natural hidden diſeaſe.
2. Jobs ſore boyles from head to foot came from Satan without Witchcraft, and the cauſe of them was moſt probably hidden from the common practice of Phyſitians.
The ſecond ſign they give is, When two perſons are taken together in the like ſtrange fits. This may be a ſign of perſons poſſeſſed, and hapned often in the experiences at Salem, among the perſons poſſeſſed, as aboveſaid
The third ſign given is, When the afflicted party truly telleth what the ſuſpected perſon is doing at a diſtance. This is rather a ſign of a perſon poſſeſſed.
And we find the two men poſſeſſed, Matth. 8. 23 &c. had like fits, for both kept among the Tombs, both were exceeding fierce, ſo as to hinder perſons paſſing that way, both together made the ſame outcry to Jeſus, that he ſhould not torment them. Theſe things ſhew a unity among the Devils afflicting them: but no unity of Witches joyning with them.
Fourth ſign is, When the afflicted out of their fits know nothing what they did, or ſaid in them. But this (if our obſeſſed or poſſeſſed perſons ſaid truly) often fell out in the tormented at Salem.
Fifth ſign, Supernatural ſtrength in their fits. Now this is a ſign of the poſſeſſed, Mark 5.4. Who in their fits brake chaines and fetters.
Sixth ſign is, When the afflicted vomit pins, nailes, irons, &c. To this I ſay, whether theſe pins, nailes, &c are by the Devil brought inviſibly to the mouths of the perſons ſo vomiting and ſo caſt out from their mouths, but not out of their ſtomacks or throats; or whether they are inſenſibly conveyed by the working of Satan into the ſtomacks or throats of the perſons vomiting, and ſo vomited forth, neither the one nor the other, can certainly prove the vomiter bewitched, unleſs it be made manifeſt that Satan doth thus vex the party by confederacy with a Witch. But where Satan hath a permiſſion to vex and poſſeſs a perſon he may do theſe things, as well as other things he did unto the poſſeſſed mentioned in the Goſpels.
The ſeventh ſign is, The afflicted perſon having the ſight of the apparition of the ſuſpected party, and when the miſchief of a fit or the like following ſhortly after. Now it having been already proved, that Satan can repreſent, to thoſe that are poſſeſſed, innocent perſons: it is not to be wondered that Satan ſhould repreſent to the eyes or imagination of a poſſeſſed ſufferer, a Spectre repreſenting a ſuſpected innocent perſon juſt before he caſteth them into a fit, eſpecially ſeeing hereby he gaines upon the credulity of the poſſeſſed, and their friends, for the accuſing an innocent, and it may be a godly perſon; for this helps forward his deſign as the accuſer of the brethren. Rev. 12.10.
I would then from theſe conſiderations infer, That if a party handled as in the ſeven particulars above expreſſed, cannot thereby be ſaid to be bewitched, Then there is no need, unleſs ſomewhat elſe appear, to trouble our ſelves to enquire who is the Witch that troubleth ſuch a party.