Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft, Chapter 9
CHAPTER IX.
8. IF after Curſing there follows Death, or at leaſt ſome miſchief: This ſaith Perkins (in his Diſcourſe of Witchcraft, Chap. 7. Sect. 2.) This is a preſumption. For Witches are wont to practiſe their miſchievous facts by curſing and banning. This alſo is a ſufficient matter of Examination.
I acknowledge when perſons curſe or threaten others to kill them, or do other miſchief to their Bodies or Eſtates, and the miſchief threatned is performed as threatned; here is ground ſo far to ſuſpect the theatner, as to queſtion them about it, unleſs it appeareth to be performed by ſome other perſon or cauſe. So if after Curſing there follows Death, &c. And it appeareth to be done by Witchcraft, this is a ground to ſuſpect and examine the threatner, unleſs there be grounds to ſuſpect ſome other Author of the Witchcraft. But as the propoſition is laid down generally by Mr. Perkins, as a general rule I conceive it's unſafe.
1 Becauſe ſuch death, or miſchiefs oftimes proceed from other cauſes, ſo that there is no ground to impute them to Witchcraft. For,
1. Some perſons are of ſuch haſty ſpirits and unruly tongues, that their mouth is dayly full of curſing and bitterneſs, Rom 3.14.
2. There be few Houſe-keepers, where are many in Family and a Stock about them; but that by the hand of God, Death at ſome times enters upon ſome perſon in the Family, and Cattel ſometimes dye by Diſeaſes and Caſualties: Who is there that hath an Eſtate, but at ſome times they meet with loſſes?
3. Hence it falls out that theſe calamities, ſome of them happen at or nigh ſome one time of their angry neighbours curſing, who had curſed them ten times before, or threatned them, and yet no ſuch calamity enſued. And this their laſt threatning had no more influence upon the evil befalling the Family, than the ten cauſeleſs Curſes that went before, as Prov. 26.2. What then doth all this prove? A tongue ſet on fire, and it may be from hell; but not a Covenant with Hell to procure the calamities that befal their Neighbours.
Again, ſome are of ſuch a ſuſpicious temper, that they are apt to impute all ſad accidents that do befal them, to proceed from Witchcraft, and thereby in ſuffering times are apt to be jealous of their Neighbours that come frequently to their Houſes in their day of adverſity, as cauſers of theſe afflictions by ſome charming or inchantment.
Again, It may be Queried, Whether Satan may not ſometimes take advantage upon the times when neighbours contend with, and threaten thoſe that live by them, to do ſome hurt to the Bodies or Goods of thoſe threatned, that thereby he may caſt upon the party threatned, the imputation of Sorcery. Doubtleſs as he is the Accuſer of the Brethren, Rev. 12 He would ſo do if the Lord will permit him to indanger the life of the threatner. And who can tell but that the Lord may permit him at ſometimes ſo to do, for a juſt puniſhment to ſuch unbridled tongues? I remember, that above fourty years ago, when there was a great diſcourſe about Witches; A very holy man heard his Wife ſay, ſhe deſired a ſucking Pig; and be going to a Neighbours houſe, ſaw a Sow with a litter of Pigs, and took a phantaſie to one of them in particular for his Wife, and asked the Owner for that Pig; the Owner denied him: Hereupon he went away in a great paſſion, very unſuitable to ſuch a perſon. And that very Pig left its dam and Company, and followed this man to his home. This was obſerved in the day of it, it was ſuppoſed Satan might have ſome hand in it, taking advantage upon the paſſion of ſo good a man, to render him ſuſpected by ſuch an accident if he could.
9. If any perſon, man or woman be notoriouſly defamed for ſuch a party. This Perkins (eodem loco) makes a preſumption. But in truth there is no weight in this, unleſs thoſe neighbours among whom the ſuſpected party lived had good grounds for their ſuſpicion: Becauſe many perſons have drunk in falſe principles about the tokens by which a Witch is to be known; and judge of perſons accordding to thoſe falſe principles (ſome of which are above recited) which may aſperſe the moſt innocent and righteous perſon living. Our Saviour was ſlandered as if he caſt out Devils by Belzebub the Prince of Devils, Mat. 12: 24. And the Diſciple is not above his Maſter, Mat. 10.25. Some perſons will put an evil conſtruction upon an innocent action, and ſo raiſe an evil fame againſt a perſon; and then others believing it, are apt to look upon other actions with a ſquint eye, and through the multiplying glaſs of their own jealouſies, make a Mole-hill ſeem a Mountain, to render an hated or deſpiſed neighbour evil ſpoken of.
10. If the party ſuſpected be the Son or Daughter, or Man-ſervant, or Maid ſervant, or familiar friend, near Neighbour, or old Companion of a known and convicted Witch. This may be a preſumption, ſaith Perkins. But unto all theſe it may be ſaid, there is no more ground to ſuſpect any perſon of this crime upon ſuch relations or circumſtances, then there is to preſume a perſon is a Thief, or Murderer, or Drunkard, &c. becauſe he is the Child, Servant, Neighbour, &c. of a Thief, Murderer, Drunkard, or the like, convicted Criminal. Which may be, or may not be if the Lord incline the heart of him or her that is ſo related, to abhor ſuch wickedneſs. As the Wheat and Tares grow together in the ſame Field: So Good and Wicked in the ſame Neighbourhood, Family; yea, and lying in the ſame Bed, ſo that one ſhall be taken, and the other left, Mat. 24.40, 41. Luk. 17.34, 35, 36. The Lord ſaith, The Son ſhall not dye for the ſin of the Father, Ezek. 18.14 & 21. ver. If the Son, (Servant or Neighbour, or Companion) ſeeth the ſins of his Father, &c. and doth not the like, &c. he ſhall not dye, &c. which ſhews that theſe ſo related may and ſometimes do ſee and abhor the ways of wickedneſs, thoſe ſo near unto them walk in, and abhor them, therefore they are not to be ſuſpected, meerly upon that account.
11. Some make this a preſumption. If a perſon ſick and dying, doth take it upon his or her Death, that ſuch an one hath bewitched them. See Perkins Chap. 7. page 210. So Keeble on the Common Law, ſaith, the teſtimony of the perſon hurt upon their death complaining againſt a perſon, that they appeared to them and bewitched them. Now in this eaſe it muſt be conſidered whether this dying perſon were not under Diabolical Moleſtations, or an abuſed phantaſie, or under ungrounded ſuſpicions of the party they complained of before they were ſo ſick. And the grounds of their ſuſpicions are to be thorowly conſidered, before the ſurvivers make this a ground of ſuſpicion. Sure all this may proceed from falſe principles (as there Expreſſed) drunk in by a well meaning, but miſtaken dying perſon.