I could mention dismal Instances of Innocent Blood which has been shed by means of the Lies of some Confessing Witches; there is a very sad Story mentioned in the Preface to the Relation of the Witchcrafts in Sweedland, how that in the Year 1676, at Stockholm, a young Woman accused her own Mother (who had indeed been a very bad Woman, but not guilty of Witchcraft,) and Swore that she had carried her to the Nocturnal Meetings of Witches, upon which the Mother was burnt to Death. Soon after the Daughter came crying and howling before the Judges in open Court, declaring, that to be revenged on her Mother for an Offence received, she had falsely accused her with a Crime which she was not guilty of; for which she also was justly Executed. A most wicked Man in France freely confessed himself to be a Magician, and accused many others, whose Lives were thereupon taken from them; and a whole Province had like to have been ruined thereby, but the Impostor was discovered: The Confessing pretended Wizzard was burnt at Paris in the year 1668. I shall only take notice further of an awful Example mentioned by A. B. Spotswood in his History of Scotland, p. 449. His words are these, 'This Summer (viz. Anno 1597.) there was a great business for the Tryal of Witches, amongst others, one Margaret Atkin being apprehended on suspicion, and threatned with Torture, did confess herself Guilty; being examined touching her Associates in that Trade, she named a few, and perceiving her Delations find Credit, made offer to detect all of that sort, and to purge the Country of them; so she might have her Life granted: For the reason of her Knowledge, she said, That they had a secret mark all of that sort in their Eyes, whereby she could surely tell, how soon she looked upon any, whether they were Witches or not; and in this she was so readily believed, that for the space of 3 or 4 Months she was carried from Town to Town to make Discoveries in that kind; many were brought in question by her Delations, especially at Glasgow, where diverse Innocent Women, through the Credulity of the Minister Mr. John Cowper, were condemned and put to Death; in the end she was found to be a meer deceiver, and sent back to Fife, where she was first apprehended: At her Tryal she affirmed all to be false that she had confessed of herself or others, and persisted in this to her Death, which made many fore-think their too great forwardness that way, and moved the King to recall his Commission given out against such Persons, discharging all Proceedings against them, except in case of a voluntary Confession, till a solid Order should be taken by the Estates touching the form that should be kept in their Tryal.' Thus that famous Historian.

2. If two credible Persons shall affirm upon Oath that they have seen the party accused speaking such words, or doing things which none but such as have Familiarity with the Devil ever did or can do, that's a sufficient Ground for Conviction.

Some are ready to say, that Wizzards are not so unwise as to do such things in the sight or hearing of others, but it is certain that they have very often been known to do so: How often have they been seen by others using Inchantments? Conjuring to raise Storms? And have been heard calling upon their Familiar Spirits? And have been known to use Spells and Charms? And to shew in a Glass or in a Shew-stone persons absent? And to reveal Secrets which could not be discovered but by the Devil? And have not men been seen to do things which are above humane Strength, that no man living could do without Diabolical Assistances? Claudia was seen by Witnesses enough, to draw a Ship which no humane Strength could move. Tuccia a Vestal Virgin was seen to carry Water in a Sieve: The Devil never assists men to do supernatural things undesired. When therefore such like things shall be testified against the accused Party not by Spectres which are Devils in the Shape of Persons either living or dead, but by real men or women who may be credited; it is proof enough that such an one has that Conversation and Correspondence with the Devil, as that he or she, whoever they be, ought to be exterminated from amongst men. This notwithstanding I will add; It were better that ten suspected Witches should escape, than that one innocent Person should be Condemned; that is an old saying, and true, Prestat reum nocentem absolvi, quam ex prohibitis Indiciis & illegitima probatione condemnari. It is better that a Guilty Person should be Absolved, than that he should without sufficient ground of Conviction be condemned. I had rather judge a Witch to be an honest woman, than judge an honest woman as a Witch. The Word of God directs men not to proceed to the execution of the most capital offenders, until such time as upon searching diligently, the matter is found to be a Truth, and the thing certain, Deut. 13.14, 15.

An Acquaintance[88] of mine at London, in his description of New-England declares, that as to their Religion, the people there are like Mr. Perkins; it is no dishonour to us, if that be found true: I am sorry that any amongst us begin to slight so great a Man, whom the most Learned[89] in Foreign Lands, speak of with Admiration, on the account of his polite and acute Judgment: It is a grave and good Advice which he giveth in his Discourse of Witchcrafts (Chap. 7. Sect. 2.) wherewith I conclude; 'I would therefore wish and advise all Jurors who give the Verdict upon Life and Death in the Court of Assizes, to take good heed, that as they be diligent in zeal of God's glory, and the good of his Church, in detecting of Witches, by all sufficient and lawful means, so likewise they would be careful what they do, and not to condemn any party suspected upon bare Presumptions, without sound and sufficient Proofs that they be not guilty through their own Rashness of shedding Innocent Blood.'

Boston, New-England, Octob. 3. 1692.



POSTSCRIPT.

The Design of the preceding Dissertation, is not to plead for Witchcrafts, or to appear as an Advocate for Witches: I have therefore written another Discourse, proving that there are such horrid Creatures as Witches in the World; and that they are to be extirpated and cut off from amongst the People of God, which I have Thoughts and Inclinations in due time to publish; and I am abundantly satisfied that there have been, and are still most cursed Witches in the Land. More than one or two of those now in Prison, have freely and credibly acknowledged their Communion and Familiarity with the Spirits of Darkness; and have also declared unto me the Time and Occasion, with the particular Circumstances of their Hellish Obligations and Abominations.

Nor is there designed any Reflection on those worthy Persons who have been concerned in the late Proceedings at Salem: They are wise and good Men, and have acted with all Fidelity according to their Light, and have out of tenderness declined the doing of some things, which in our own Judgments they were satisfied about: Having therefore so arduous a Case before them, Pitty and Prayers rather than Censures are their due; on which account I am glad that there is published to the World (by my Son) a Breviate of the Tryals of some who were lately executed, whereby I hope the thinking part of Mankind will be satisfied, that there was more than that which is called Spectre Evidence for the Conviction of the Persons condemned. I was not myself present at any of the Tryals, excepting one, viz. that of George Burroughs; had I been one of his Judges, I could not have acquitted him: For several Persons did upon Oath testifie, that they saw him do such things as no Man that has not a Devil to be his Familiar could perform: And the Judges affirm, that they have not convicted any one meerly on the account of what Spectres have said, or of what has been represented to the Eyes or Imaginations of the sick bewitched Persons. If what is here exposed to publick view, may be a means to prevent it for the future, I shall not repent of my Labour in this Undertaking. I have been prevailed with so far as I am able to discern the Truth in these dark Cases, to declare my Sentiments, with the Arguments which are of weight with me, hoping that what is written may be of some use to discover the Depths of Satan; and to prevent innocent ones having their Lives endangered, or their Reputations ruined, by being through the Subtility and Power of the Devils, in consideration with the Ignorance and Weakness of Men, involved amongst the Guilty. It becomes those of my Profession to be very tender in Cases of Blood, and to imitate our Lord and Master, Who came not to destroy the Lives of Men, but to save them.

I likewise design in what I have written, to give my testimony against these unjustifiable ways of discovering Witchcrafts, which some among us have practised. I hear that of late there was a Witch-cake made with the Urine of bewitched Creatures, as one Ingredient by several Persons in a place, which has suffered much by the Attack of Hell upon it: This I take to be not only wicked Superstition, but great Folly: For tho' the Devil does sometimes operate with the Experiments, yet not always, especially if a Magical Faith be wanting. I shall here take occasion to recite some Passages in a Letter, which I received from that Eminent pious and learned Man, Mr. Samuel Cradock; during my abode in London; the Letter bears date Febr. 26. 1690. Then take it in his own Words, which are these; 'We have at this present one in our next Town, who has a Son who has strange Fits, and such as they impute to Witchcraft: He come to consult with me about it, but before he came, he had used a means which I should never had directed him unto, viz. He took the Nails of his Son's Hands and Feet, and some of his Hair, and mixed them in Rye-Paste with his Water, and so set it all by the Fire till it was consumed, and his Son (as he says) was well after, and free from his Fits for a whole Month, but then they came again, and He tried that means a second time, and then it would not do; He removed his Son into Cambridgeshire the next County, and then he was well, but as soon as he brought him home he was afflicted as before. The Boy says, He saw a thing like a Mole following of him, which once spoke to him, and told him he came to do the Office he was to do: I advised his Father to make use of the Medicine prescribed by our Saviour, viz. Fasting and Prayer. Here have been others in this Town, that though they were under Ill-handling as they call it: One Family had their Milk so affected, that they could not possibly make any Cheese, but it hov'd and swelled, and was good for nothing: They are now rid of that trouble, but how they got rid of it I do not know': Thus my Letter. By which it is evident that Towns in England as well as New-England are molested with Daemons, only I wish that the Superstitions practiced in other places to get rid of such troublesome Guests had never been known, much less used amongst us or them.

Some I hear have taken up a Notion, that the Book newly published by my Son, is contradictory to this of mine: 'Tis strange that such Imaginations should enter into the Minds of Men: I perused and approved of that Book before it was printed; and nothing but my Relation to him hindred me from recommending it to the World: But my self and Son agreed unto the humble Advice which twelve Ministers concurringly presented before his Excellency and Council, respecting the present Difficulties, which let the World judge, whether there be anything in it dissentany from what is attested by either of us.

It was in the Words following:—

The Return of several Ministers consulted by his Excellency, and the Honourable Council, upon the present Witchcrafts in Salem Village.

Boston, June 15, 1692.

I. The afflicted State of our poor Neighbours, that are now suffering by Molestations from the Invisible World, we apprehend so deplorable, that we think their Condition calls for the utmost help of all Persons in their several Capacities. II. We cannot but with all Thankfulness acknowledge, the Success which the merciful God has given unto the sedulous and assiduous Endeavors of our honourable Rulers, to detect the abominable Witchcrafts which have been committed in the Country; humbly praying that the discovery of these mysterious and mischievous Wickednesses, may be perfected. III. We judge that in the prosecution of these, and all such Witchcrafts, there is need of a very critical and exquisite Caution, lest by too much Credulity for things received only upon the Devil's Authority, there be a Door opened for a long Train of miserable Consequences, and Satan get an advantage over us, for we should not be ignorant of his Devices. IV. As in Complaints upon Witchcrafts, there may be Matters of Enquiry, which do not amount unto Matters of Presumption, and there may be Matters of Presumption which yet may not be reckoned Matters of Conviction; so 'tis necessary that all Proceedings thereabout be managed with an exceeding tenderness towards those that may be complained of; especially if they have been Persons formerly of an unblemished Reputation. V. When the first Enquiry is made into the Circumstances of such as may lie under any just Suspicion of Witchcrafts, we could wish that there may be admitted as little as is possible, of such Noise, Company, and Openness, as may too hastily expose them that are examined: and that there may nothing be used as a Test, for the Trial of the suspected, the Lawfulness whereof may be doubted among the People of God; but that the Directions given by such judicious Writers as Perkins and Bernard, be consulted in such a Case. VI. Presumptions whereupon Persons may be committed, and much more Convictions, whereupon Persons may be condemned as guilty of Witchcrafts, ought certainly to be more considerable, than barely the accused Person being represented by a Spectre unto the Afflicted; inasmuch as 'tis an undoubted and a notorious thing, that a Daemon may, by God's Permission, appear even to ill purposes, in the Shape of an innocent, yea, and a vertuous Man: Nor can we esteem Alterations made in the Sufferers, by a Look or Touch of the Accused to be an infallible Evidence of Guilt; but frequently liable to be abused by the Devil's Legerdemains. VII. We know not, whether some remarkable Affronts given to the Devils, by our disbelieving of those Testimonies, whose whole force and strength is from them alone, may not put a Period, unto the Progress of the dreadful Calamity begun upon us, in the Accusation of so many Persons, whereof we hope, some are yet clear from the great Transgression laid unto their Charge. VIII. Nevertheless, We cannot but humbly recommend unto the Government, the speedy and vigorous Prosecution of such as have rendered themselves obnoxious, according to the Direction given in the Laws of God, and the wholesome Statutes of the English Nation, for the Detection of Witchcrafts.



FOOTNOTES:

[1] R. Sactias. R. Eleazer Athias. Lyranus. Sic & Josephus.

[2] Ambrose, Hierom, Basil, Nazianzen.

[3] Thomas, Tostatus, Suarez. Cajetan, In Ecclesia, Chap. 46. 22, 23.

[4] In Locum.

[5] In 2 Cor. 11, 14, Pag. 555.

[6] De Spectris, Cap. 7.

[7] Praestig. Daemon. Lib. 1. C. 16.

[8] De C. D. l. 18.

[9] De Appar. Spirituum, Lib. 2. Cap. 7.

[10] Misq. Magicar. Lib. 2. C. 12.

[11] De Confes. Sag. pag. 191.

[12] De secretis mag. p. 31. see also Lavater de Spect. Lib. 2. Cap. 18.

[13] Dr. Casaubon: of Spirits.

[14] Sulpitius Severus in vita Martini.

[15] Guaccius, compend. malefic. p. 342.

[16] Binsfield, de Confess. Sag. p. 187.

[17] Examples, Vol. 1. p. 510.

[18] Socrate's Hist. p. 7. C. 38.

[19] Lege Villalpond de Magia, &c. L. 2. Cap. 27.

[20] Part 1. Chap. 19. Pag. 8.

[21] Epistol. 2.

[22] In Disput. de Magia. P. 575.

[23] In Mr. Couper's Mystery of Witchcraft, Pag. 174, 175.

[24] Acta Eruditorum Anno 1690. Pag. 113.

[25] In Mr. Glanvil's Philosophical Considerations.

[26] De subtilitate. Lib. 29.

[27] P. 75, 76.

[28] In his Sadducism Triumph. Collection, p. 201.

[29] P. 215. (Disa. Magic.) l. 1. c. 3. p. 22.

[30] Vairus de Fascino. Lib. 2.

[31] P. 131.

[32] V. Germ. Ephemer. Anno 16. p. 379.

[33] Henkelius de obsessis, pag. 86.

[34] Camerar. cent. I. c. 73. Cardan de rerum varietate, Lib. 16. cap. 93.

[35] In his Britannia, p. 609.

[36] See the Hist. of Lapland, and Mr. Burton's Hist. of Daemons.

[37] Schotten, Physic. curios, lib. 1. c. 16.

[38] See Wanly of the Wonders of the World, p. 215.

[39] Ubi Supra.

[40] De Spectris, p. 86, 87.

[41] Disput. Select. Vol. 1. pag. 1008.

[42] P. 944.

[43] Thyraeus de Apparitionibus, Lib. 2. Cap. 14.

[44] Binsfield de confessionibus sagarum, p. 183. 191.

[45] Disquis. Magic. Lib. 2. Q. 12. p. 143.

[46] Printed at Frankfort, Anno 1681.

[47] Discourse of Witchcraft, Ch. 7. Sect. 2. p. 644.

[48] In his Witchcraft discovered, p. 277.

[49] Webster's displaying of supposed Witchcraft, p. 298. 308.

[50] Ubi supra, p. 207, 208.

[51] Ch. 15. p. 14, &c.

[52] Pag. 121, 122.

[53] In vita Hilarion.

[54] Anastasius, Qu. 23.

[55] In Disput. de Daemoniacis, part 1. chap. 16. p. 30.

[56] Thuanus, lib. 130. p. 1136.

[57] Thyraeus, ubi supra, p. 16.

[58] Henkel, ubi supra, p. 47. 50.

[59] Brockmand, Theol. p. 265.

[60] Melancthon, Epist.

[61] Tostatus, in Mat. 8. Q. 114.

[62] Baldwin, Case of Cons. l. 3. c. 3. p. 621.

[63] Lib. 7. Cap. 2.

[64] 5 Sympos. Cap. 7.

[65] Med. Precl. lib. 6. pars 9. cap. 1.

[66] Lib. 2. cap. 2. Wierus, l. 6. c. 9. p. 683.

[67] See the Tryal, p. 40. 43. 45.

[68] In Daemonomania. See Mr. Bromhal's History of Apparitions, p. 136.

[69] See the Printed Relation, p. 30, 31.

[70] Ubi supra, p. 121.

[71] Remarkable Providences, p. 267.

[72] See Mr. Burton's History of Daemons, p. 136. and Mr. Robert's Nar. of the Witches in Suffolk.

[73] Ames. Cas. Consc. L. 4. C. 23.

[74] Delrio. Disquiss. Magic. pag. 642.

[75] Malderus de Magia, cap. 10. dub. 11.

[76] De Doctr. Christiana, Lib. 2. Cap. 20. 22.

[77] Delrio & Malderus.

[78] In malleo malleficarum, p. 421.

[79] Menna, de purgatione vulgari, cap. ult.

[80] Caesarius, Lib. 9.

[81] De Lamiis, L. 3. C. 4.

[82] Dubravius, Hist. Cohim. Lib. 8.

[83] In his Cases about Witchcraft, p. 181.

[84] So Dr. Willet, conjectures on 1 Sam. 21.1.

[85] V. Bodin, Daemonomania, L. 4.

[86] Mr. Sinclare, Invisible World, p. 45. and Burton, Hist. of Daemons, p. 122.

[87] Boisard in vita Apollonii.

[88] Mr. Merden in his Geogra. Phy. p. 577.

[89] Voetius, Biblioth, l. 2. Lecus, in Compend. Histor.

THE END.



CHISWICK PRESS:—PRINTED BY WHITTINGHAM AND WILKINS, TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE.

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Transcriber's Note, continued.—

The format of all biblical citations has been regularized.

Footnote markers in the original were sometimes placed before the word they refer to, and sometimes after—this has been retained.

For this ASCII version, all AE/ae-ligatures have been changed to Ae/ae. The section sign has been changed to S.

The following changes were also made:

—p. viii: slighest to slightest

—p. ix: Mrs. Hales to Mrs. Hale

—p. xvii: Original title page used two large, ornate "U"s instead of a "W" in Witches.

—p. 10: oe to ae (Antipaedobaptist)

—p. 11: . to , (thus maintained in the Country,)

—p. 19: a to as (cry'd out upon as imploying)

—p. 22: Omisera to O misera

—p. 54: singlar to singular

—p. 61: Catastrophe's to Catastrophes (there will be more such Catastrophes)

—p. 62: times of the Jews to times of the Jews

—pp. 63-69: Corollary I. to Corollary V. formatted as headers. In the original, IV. and V. were out-of-line headers and I., II. and III. were in-line.

—p. 80: Moenia had oe-ligature in original (Dilapsa sunt vestra Moenia!)

—p. 97: oe to ae (Caelestial)

—p. 100: We Fear to We Fear

—p. 138: II. to III. (Incorrect numbering of header corrected)

—p. 135: Ground-sel to Ground (but struck only the Ground) It appears that the "-sel" was mistakenly introduced during printing, as the word "Counsel" in the previous sentence was split over two lines and hyphenated ("Coun-sel".) However, this mistake is not unique to this reprint.

—p. 170: Berecovered to Be recovered

—p. 184: on to one (that rocks one to Sleep)

—p. 193: The Sweet Waters of Stealth? to The Sweet Waters of Stealth;

—p. 245: viz. to viz. (viz. That in an Orchard)

—p. 247: missing period added after Lonicer

—pp. 267-268: Although listed in the Table of Contents, Point 6 ("Bewitched Persons have sometimes been struck down with the Look of Dogs") was not numbered in the original, causing points 7 through 9 to be numbered incorrectly. This was corrected.

—p. 267: Brochmand to Brockmand

—p. 273: extra "the" removed (so was the Vulgar Probation)

Two other problems were noted but left unchanged:

—p. 99: The biblical citation Luc. 13.2, 3. refers to Luke 13.2, 3.

—p. 268: Mather cites Deut. 35.30, but Deuteronomy only has 34 Chapters. The context suggests he may have meant Numbers 35.30.

—Footnote [77]: Delri. & Malderus. to Delrio & Malderus.

Also note that spelling—other than the corrections noted above—has been left as it appeared in the original copy of this book. This includes many archaic spellings that appear only once, such as thir (p. 214), doe's (p. 195), and ha's (p. 173).

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THE END