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A FURTHER
ACCOUNT
OF THE
TRYALS
OF THE
New-England witches.
WITH THE
OBSERVATIONS
Of a Perfon who was upon the Place feveral
Days when, the fufpected Witches were
firft taken into Examination.
C
To which is added, hvd-
Cafes of Confcience
Concerning Witchcrafts and Evil Spirits Per-
fonating Men.
Written at the Requeft of the Minifters of New-England.
By Increase Mather, Prefident of Harvard Colledge.
Licensed and Entred accoding to Dider.
London: Printed for J.Dunton, at the Raven in the Poultrey
1693. Of whom may be had the Third Edition of Mr.Cotton
Mather's First Account of the Tryals of the New-England
Witches, Printed on the fame fize with this Laft Account,
that they may bind up together.

Advertisement.
TAPPE
Here is now preparing for the Prefs, An
APPENDIX to this Work, gi-
ving an Account of the late Difpoffeffing of a
Perfon in England by Fafting and Prayer. Prin-
ted by the Confent of the Miniſter chiefly
concern'd. With a Preface to it by a Reverend
Divine living in London. Printed for John
Dunton, at the Raven in the Poultrey.

A TRUE NARRATIVE of fome
Remarkable Paffages relating to fundry Perfons
afflicted by Witchcraft at Salem Village in New-
England, which happened from the 19th. of
March to the 5th. of April, 1692.
O
Collected by Deodat Lawfon.
N the Nineteenth day of March laft I went to Salem Vil-
lage, and lodged at Nathaniel Inger fol's near to the Mini-
fter Mr. P's. Houfe, and prefently after I came into my
Lodging, Capt. Walcut's Daughter Mary came to Lieut. Ingerfol's
and fpake to me; but fuddenly after, as fhe ftood by the Door,
was bitten, fo that the cryed out of her Wrift, and looking on
it with a Candle, we faw apparently the marks of Teeth, both
upper and lower fet, on each fide of her Wrift.
In the beginning of the Evening I went to give Mr. P. à Vifit.
When I was there, his Kinfwoman, Abigail Williams, (about 12
Years of Age) had a grievous fit; the was at firft hurried with
violence to and fro in the Room (though Mrs. Ingerfol endeavoured
to hold her) fometimes making as if fhe would fly, ftretching up
her Arms as high as fhe could, and crying, Whish, Whish, Whish, feve
ral times; preſently after the faid,there was Goodw. N. and faid, Do
you not fee her? Why there fhe ftands! And fhe faid, Goodw.N. offered
her THE BOOK, but fhe was refolved fhe would not take it, fay-
ing often, I wont, I wont, I wont take it, I do not know what Book it
is: I am fure it is none of God's Book, it is the Devil's Book for ought
I know. After that, fhe run to the Fire, and begun to throw Fire-
brands about the Houfe, and run against the Back, as if ſhe would
run up Chimney, and, as they fald, fhe had attempted to go into
the Fire in other Fits.
A 2
On

2
The Examination of the
On Lords Day, the Twentieth of March, there were fundry of
the afflicted Perfons at Meeting, as, Mrs.Pope, and Goodwife Bibber,
Abigail Williams, Mary Walcut, Mary Lewes, and Doctor Grigg's
Maid. There was alfo at Meeting, Goodwife C. (who was after-
ward Examined on fufpicion of being a Witch:) They had feveral
fore Fits in the time of Publick Worship, which did fomething in-
terrupt me in my firft Prayer, being fo unufual. After Pfalm was
fung, Abigail Williams faid to me, Now ftand up, and name your
Text! And after it was read, the faid, It is a long Text. In the begin-
ning of Sermon, Mrs. Pope,a Woman afflicted, faid to me,Now there
is enough of that. And in the Afternoon; Abigail Williams, upon
my referring to my Doctrine, faid to me, I know no Doctrine you
bad, If you did name one, I bave forgot it.
In Sermon time, when Goodwife C. was prefent in the Meeting-
Houfe, Ab. W. called out, Look where Goodwife C. fits on the Beam
fuckling her Yellow Bird betwixt her fingers! Ann Putman, another
Girle afflicted, faid, There was a Yellow Bird fat on my Hat as it
bung on the Pin in the Pulpit; but thofe that were by, reftrained.
her from fpeaking loud about it.
On Monday the 21st. of March, the Magiftrates of Salem ap-
pointed to come to Examination of Goodwife C. And about
Twelve of the Clock they went into the Meeting-Houfe, which
was thronged with Spectators. Mr. Noyes began with a very per-
tinent and pathetical Prayer; and Goodwife C. being called to
anfwer to what was alledged againft her,fhe defired to go to Prayer,
which was much wondred at, in the prefence of fo many hun-
dred People: The Magiftrates told her, they would not admit
it; they came not there to hear her Pray, but to Examine her,
in what was Alledged againft her. The Worshipful Mr. Hathorne
asked her, Why he afflicted thofe Children? She faid, fhe did not
Afflict them. He asked her, who did then? She faid, I do not
know; How should I know? The Number of the Afflicted Perfons
were about that time Ten, viz. Four Married Women, Mrs.
Pope, Mrs. Putman, Goodwife Bibber, and an Ancient Woman,
named Goodall; three Maids, Mary Walcut, Mercy Lewes, at Tho-
mas Putman's, and a Maid at Dr. Griggs's; there were three Girls
from 9 to 12 Years of Age, each of them, or thereabouts, viz.
Elizabeth Parris, Abigail Williams, and Ann Putman; thefe were
moft of them at Goodwife C's. Examination, and did vehemently
Accufe

New-England Witches.
3
Accufe her in the Affembly of Afflicting them, by Biting, Pinch-
ing, Strangling, &c. And that they did in their Fits fee her Like-
nefs coming to them, and bringing a Book to them; the faid, fhe
had no Book; they affirmed, fhe had a Tellow Bird, that ufed to
fuck betwixt her Fingers, and being asked about it, if fhe had
any Familiar Spirit, that attended her? fhe faid, She had no Fa-
miliarity with any fuch thing. She was a Gofpel Woman: Which
Title fhe called her felf by; and the Afflicted Perfons told her,
Ah! fhe was A Gofpel Witch. Ann Putman did there affirm, that
one day when Lieutenant Fuller was at Prayer at her Father's
Houfe, the faw the fhape of Goodwife C. and fhe thought Good-
wife N. Praying at the fame time to the Devil; fhe was not fure
it was Goodwife N. fhe thought it was; but very fure fhe faw
the fhape of Goodwife C. The faid C. faid, they were poor
diftracted Children, and no heed to be given to what they ſaid.
Mr. Hathorne and Mr. Noyes replyed, It was the Judgment of all
that were prefent, they were Bewitched, and only fhe the Accufed
Perfon faid, they were Diftracted. It was obferved feveral times,
that if fhe did but bite her under lip in time of Examination,
the Perfons afflicted were bitten on their Arms and Wrifts, and
produced the Marks before the Magiftrates, Minifters, and others.
And being watched for that, if fhe did but Pinch her Fingers, or
Grafp one Hand hard in another, they were Pinched, and pro-
duced the Marks before the Magiftrates, and Spectators. After
that, it was obferved, that if fhe did but lean her Breast againft
the Seat in the Meeting-Houfe, (being the Bar at which the flood)>
they were afflicted. Particularly Mrs. Pope complained of grievous
Torment in her Bowels, as if they were torn out. She vehe
mently accuſed the faid C. as the Inftrument, and firft threw her
Muff at her; but that flying not home, fhe got off her Shoe, and
hit Goodwife C. on the Head with it. After thefe Poftures were
watched, if the faid C. did but ftir her Feet, they were afflicted
in their Feet, and ftamped fearfully. The afflicted Perfons asked:
her, why ſhe did not go to the Company of Witches which were
before the Meeting-Houfe Muftering? Did the not hear the Drum.
beat? They accufed her of having Familiarity with the Devil
in the time of Examination, in the fhape of a Black Man whif-
pering in her Ear; they affirmed, that her Yellow Bird fucked be-
twixt her Fingers in the Affembly; and Order being given to fee
B
if
$

4
The Examination of the
if there were any fign, the Girl that faw it, faid, it was too late
now; fhe had removed a Pin, and put it on her Head; which
was found there fticking upright.
They told her, fhe had Covenanted with the Devil for ten
Years, fix of them were gone, and four more to come. She was
required by the Magiftrates to anfwer that Queftion in the Ca-
rechifm, How many perfons be there in the God-bead? She anſwered.
it but oddly, yet was there no great thing to be gathered from
it; fhe denied all that was charged upon her, and faid, They could
not prove a Witch; fhe was that Afternoon Committed to Salem-
Prifon; and after fhe was in Cuftody, the did not fo appear to
them, and afflict them as before.
On Wedneſday the 23d, of March, I went to Thomas Putman's,
on purpoſe to fee his Wile: I found her lying on the Bed, having
had a fore Fit a little before; fhe fpake to me, and faid, fhe was
glad to fee me; her Husband and the both defired me to Pray
with her while the was fenfible; which I did, though the Appa-
rition faid, I fhould not go to Prayer. At the firft beginning the
attended; but after a little time, was taken with a Fit; yet con-
tinued filent, and feemed to be Afleep: When Prayer was done,
her Husband going to her, found her in a Fit; he took her off
the Bed, to fet her on his Knees, but at firft fhe was fo ftiff, the
could not be bended; but fhe afterwards fat down, but quickly
began to ftrive violently with her Arms and Leggs; the then be-
gan to Complain of, and as it were to Converfe Perfonally with,
Goodwife N. faying, Goodwife N. Be gone! Be gone! Be
gone!
are you
not ashamed, a Woman of your Profeffion, to afflict a poor Crea-
ture fo? What burt did I ever do you in my life? You have but two
Tears to live, and then the Devil will torment your Soul; for this your
Name is blotted out of God's Book, and it shall never be put in God's
Book again; be gone for flame, are you not afraid of that which is
coming upon you? I know, I know what will make you afraid; the
wrath of an Angry God, I am fure that will make you afraid; be gone,
do not terment me, I know what you would have (we judged the
meant, ber Soul) but it is out of your reach; it is cloathed with the
white Robes of Christ's Righteoufne. After this, the feemed to dil-
pute with the Apparition about a particular Text of Scripture.
The Apparition feemed to deny it; (the Womans Eyes being
fall clofed all this time) fhe faid, She was fure there was fuch a Text,
ச
and

New-England Witches.
J
and fhe would tell it; and then the Shape would be gone, for,
faid fhe, I am fure you cannot ftand before that Text! Then the was
forely Afflicted, her Mouth drawn on one fide, and her Body
ftrained for about a Minute, and then faid, I will tell, I will tell;
it is, it is, it is, three or four times, and then was afflicted to hin-
der her from telling, at laft fhe broke forth, and faid, It is the
third Chapter of the Revelations. I did fomething fcruple the read-
ing it, and did let my fcruple appear, left Satan fhould make
any Superftitioufly to improve the Word of the Eternal God.
However, tho' not verfed in theſe things, I judged I might do it
this once for an Experiment. I began to read, and before I had
near read through the firft Verfe, the opened her Eyes, and was
well; this Fit continued near half an hour. Her Husband and
the Spectators told me, fhe had often been fo relieved by reading
Texts that fhe named, fomething pertinent to her Cafe; as Ifa.40.
1. Ifa. 49. 1. Ifa. 50. 1. and feveral others.
On Thurſday the Twenty Fourth of March, (being in courſe the
Lecture Day at the Village) Goodwife N. was brought before the
Magiftrates Mr. Hathorne and Mr. Corwin, about Ten of the Clock
in the Forenoon, to be Examined in the Meeting-Houfe, the Reve-
rend Mr. Hale begun with Prayer, and the Warrant being read,
fhe was required to give Anfwer, Why fhe afflicted thofe perfons? She
pleaded her own Innocency with earneftnefs. Thomas Putman's
Wife, Abigail Williams, and Thomas Putman's Daughter accufed her
that the appeared to them,and afflicted them in theirFits:but fome
of the others faid,that they had feen her,but knew not that eyer fhe
had hurt them; amongft which was Mary Walcut, who was prefently
after fhe had fo declared bitten, and cryed out of her in the Meet-
ing-Houfe, producing the Marks of Teeth on her wrift. It was fo dif-
pofed, that I had not leifure to attend the whole time of Examina-
tion, but both Magiftrates and Minifters told me, that the things
alledged by the afflicted,and defences made by her, were much af-
ter the fame manner as the former was. And her motions did pro-
duce like effects, as to Biting, Pinching, Brufing, Tormenting, at their
Breafts, by her Leaning, and when bended back, were as if their
Backs were broken. The afflicted Perfons faid, the Black Man whif
pered to her in the Affembly, and therefore she could not hear
what the Magiftrates faid unto her. They faid alfo, that fhe did
then ride by the Meeting-Houfe, behind the Black Man. Thomas
Putman's Wife had a grievous Fit in the time of Examination, to
56
B 2
the

6
The Examination of the
the very great impairing of her ftrength, and wafting of her fpirits,
infomuch as fhe could hardly move hand or foot when the was
carried out. Others alfo were there grievoufly afflicted,fo that there
was once fuch an hideous feriecth and noife (which I heard as I
walked at a little diftance from the Meeting-Houfe) as did amaze
me, and fome that were within, told me the whole Affembly was
ftruck with Confternation, and they were afraid, that thofe that
fate next to them were under the Influence of Witchcraft. This
Woman alſo was that day committed to Salem Prifon. The Ma-
giftrates and Minifters alfo did inform me, that they apprehended
a Child of Sarah G. and examined it, being between 4 and 5 years
of Age. And as to matter of Fact,they did unanimously affirm,that
when this Child did but caft its Eye upon the afflicted Perfons,
they were tormented; and they held her Head, and yet fo many
as her Eye cold fix upon were afflicted. Which they did feveral
times make careful Obfervation of: The afflicted complained,
they had often been Bitten by this Child, and produced the marks
of a small fet of teeth accordingly; this was alfo committed to Sa-
lem Prifon,the Child looked bail, and well as other Children. I faw
it at Lieut. Ingerfol's. After the Commitment of Goodw. N. Tho.
Putman's Wife was much better, and had no violent Fits at all from
that 24rb. of March, to the 5th.of April. Some others alfo faid they
had not feen her fo frequently appear to them, to hurt them.
On the 25th of March (as Capt. Stephen Sewal of Salem did after-
wards inform me) Eliz. Paris had fore Fits at his Houfe,which much
troubled himself, and bis Wife, fo as he told me they were almoft
difcouraged. She related, that the great Black Man came to her,
and told her, if fhe would be ruled by him, the thould have what-
foever the defired,and go to a Golden City. She relating this to Mrs.
Sewal, fhe told the Child, it was the Devil, and he was a Lyar from
the Beginning, and bid her tell him fo, if he came again: which
fhe did accordingly, at the next coming to her, in her Fits.
On the 26th of March, Mr. Hathorne, Mr. Corwin, and Mr. Higifon, were at the
Prifon-Keeper's Houfe to Examine the Child, and it told them there, it had a
little Snake that used to fuck on the loweft Joynt of its Fore-Finger; and when
they enquired where, pointing to other places, it told them, not there, but there,
pointing on the loweft Joint of the Fore-Finger, where they obferved a deep
Red Spot, about the bigness of a Flea-bite; they asked who gave it that Snake?
whether the great Black Man? It faid no, its Mother gave it.
The

New-England dairyrs.
The 31 of March there was a Publick Faft kept at Salem on ac-
count of thefe Afflicted Perfons. And Abigal Williams faid, that
the Witches had a Sacrament that day at an houfe in the Village,
and that they had Red Bread and Red Drink. The firft of April,
Mercy Lewis, Thomas Putman's Maid, in her Fit, faid, they did
cat Red Bread, like Man's Flefh, and would have had her eat
fome but he would not; but turned away her head, and fpit
at them, and faid, I will not Eat, I will not Drink, it is Blood, &c.
the faid, That is not the Bread of Life; that is not the Water of
Life; Chrift gives the Bread of Life; I will have none of it! The firft
of April alfo Marcy Lewis aforefaid faw in her Fit a VVhite Man,
and was with him in a glorious Place, which had no Candles
nor Sun, yet was full of Light and Brightness; where was a
great Multitude in White glittering Robes, and they Sung the
Song in the fifth of Revelation, the 9th verfe, and the 110 Pfalm
and the 149 Pfalm; and faid with her felf, How long fhall Iftay
here ! let me be along with you: She was loth to leave this place,
and grieved that he could tarry no longer. This white Man
hath appeared feveral times to fome of them, and given them
notice how long it fhould be before they had another Fit,
which was fometimes a day, or day and half, or more or lefs,
it hath fallen out accordingly.
The 3d of April, the Lord's-day, being Sacrament-day, at
the Village, Good.C. upon Mr. Parris's naming his Text, John.
6, 70. One of them is a Devil, the faid Good. C. went immediate-
ly out of the Meeting-Houfe, and flung the Door after her vio
lently, to the amazement of the Congregation: She was after-
ward feen by fome in their Fits, who faid, O Goodw, C. 1 did
not think to fee you here! (and being at their Red bread and drink)
faid to her, Is this a time to receive the Sacrament, you ran away on
the Lord's-Day, and Scorned to receive it in the Meeting. Houfe, and, Is
this a time to receive it? I wonder at you! This is the fum of what
I either faw my felf, or did receive Information from per-
fons of undoubted Reputation and Credit.
Remarks of things more than ordinary about the Afflicted Perfons.
1. They are in their Fits tempted to be Witches, are thewed
the Lift of the Names of others, and are tortured, becauſe they
will not yeild to Subfcribe, or meddle with, or touch the
BOOK, and are promiſed to have prefent Relief if they would
do it, 300
5 with 20-2. They
C
903

8.
The Eramination of the
2. They did in the Affembly mutually Cure ea ch other, even
with a Touch of their Hind, when Strangled, and otherwife
Tortured; and would endeavour to get to their Afflicted, to re-
lieve them.
3. They did alfo foretel when anothers Fit was a-coming, and
would fay, Look to her! the will have a Fit prefently, which fell
out accordingly, as many can bear witaefs, that heard and faw it.
4. That at the fame time, when the Accufed Perfon was pre-
fent, the Afflicted Perfons faw her Likeaefs in other places of the
Meeting-Houfe, fuckling her Familiar, fometimes in one place
and pofture, and fometimes in another.
5. That their Motioas in their Fits are Preternatural, both as
to the manner, which is fo ftrange as a well perfon could not
Screw their Body into; & as to the violence alfo it is preterna-
tural being mich beyond the Ordinary force of the fame per-
fon when they are in their right mind.
6. The eyes of fome of them in their fits are excee ling faft
clofed, and if you ask a queftion they can give no anfwer, and
I do believe they cannot hear at that time, yet do they plainely
converfe with the Appearances, as if they did difcourfe with
real perfons.
7 They are utterly preffed against any perfons Praying with
them, and told by the appearances, they fhall not go to Prayer,
fo Tho. Putmans wife was told, I fhould not Pray; but the faid, 1
Should: and after I had done reafoned with the Appearance, Did
not I fay be should go to Prayer.
8 The forementioned lary V. being a little better at cafe,
the Afflicted perfons faid, he had figned the Book; and that was
the reafon the was better. Told me by Edward Putman.
Remarks concerning the Accufed
1 For introduction to the difcovery of thofe that afflicted
them It is reported Mr. Parris's Indian Min, and Woman,
made a Cake of Rye Meal, and the Childrens water, baked it
in the Ahes, and gave it to a Dog, fince which they have dif
covered, and feen particular perfons hurting of them. T
In Time of Examination, they feemed little affected,
though all the Spectators were much grieved to fee it.
B. Natural Actions in them produced Preternatural actions in
the Afflicted, fo that they are their own Image without any Pop,
pits of Wax or otherwife.
4. That

New-England Titches.
4. That they are accufed to have a Company about 23 or 24
and they did Mufter in Armes, as it feemed to the Afflicted Per-
fons.
5. Since they were confined, the Perfons have not been fo
much Afflicted with their appearing to them, Biteing or Pinch-
ing of them &c.
6. They are reported by the Afflicted Perfons to keep dayes
of Faft and dayes of Thanksgiving, and Sacraments; Satan en-
deavours to Transforme himſelf to an Angel of Light, and to
make his Kingdom and Adminiſtrations to refemble thoſe of
our Lord Jefus Chrift.
7. Satan Rages Principally amongſt the Vifible Subjects of
Chrift's Kingdom and makes ufe (at leaft in appearance) of
fome of them to Afflict others; that Chrift's Kingdom may be di-
vided against it felf, and fo be weakened.
8. Several things ufed in England at Tryal of Witches, to the
Number of 14 or 15 which are wont to pafs inftead of, or in
Concurrence with VVitneffes, at leaft 6 or 7 of them are found in
thefe accuſed: fee Keebles Statutes.
9 Some of the moft folid Afflicted Perfons do affirme the
fame things concerning feeing the accufed out of their Fitts as
well as in them..
10. The Witches had a Faft, and told one of the Afflicted
Girles, the muft not Eat, becauſe it was Faft Day, the faid, fhe
would they told her they would Choake her then; which when
fhe did eat, was endeavoured.
A Further Account of the Tryals of the New-England witches,
fent in a Letter from thence, to a Gentleman in London.
HEre were insalem, Pune 10.1692,about 40 perfons that were afflicted with horrible
torments by Evil Spirits, and the afflicted have accufed 60 or 70 asWitches, for that
they have Spectral appearances of them,tho the Perfons are abfent when they are tor-
mented. When thefe Witches were Tryed, feveral of them confeffed a contract with
the Devil, by figning his Book, and did exprefs much forrow for the fame, delare-
ing alfo thir Confederate Witches, and faid the Tempters of them defired 'em to
fign the Devils Book, who tormented them till they did it. There were at the
time of Examination, before many hundreds of Witneffes, ftrange Pranks play'd;
fuch as the taking Pins out of the Clothes of the afflicted,and thrufting them into their
flefh; many of which were taken out again by the Fudges own hands. Thorns alfo in
like kind were thruft into their flefh; the accufers were fometimes ftruck dumb, deaf,
blind, and fometimes lay as if they were dead for a while, and all forefeen and decla-
red

10
The Examination of the, &c.
red by the afflicted juft before 'twas done. Of the afflicted there were two Girls,
about 12 or 13 years of age, who faw all that was done, and were therefore called
the Vifionary Girls; they would fay, Now he, or fhe, or they, are going to bite, or pinch
the Indian; and all there prefent in Court faw the vifible marks on the Indians arms;
they would alfo cry out, Now look, look, they are going to bind fuch an ones Legs,
and all prefent faw the fame perfon fpoken of, fall with her Legs twifted in an
extraordinary manner; Now fay they, we fhall all fall, and immediately 7 or 8
of the afflicted fell down, with terrible (hrieks and Out-crys: at the time when
one of the Witches was fentenc'd, and pinnion'd with a Cord, at the fame time was the
afflicted Indian Servant goinghome,(being about 2 or 3 miles out of town, and had
both his Wrifts at the fame inftant bourd about with a like Cord, in the fame
manner as the was when the was fentenc'd, but with that violence, that the
Cord entred into his fleth, not to be untied, nor hardly cut- Many Mur-
ders are fuppos'd to be in this way committed; for thefe Girls, and others of
the afflicted, fay, they fee Coffins, and bodies in Shrowds, rifing up, and looking
on the accuted, crying, Vengeance. Vengeance on the Murderers Many other
ftrange things were tranfacted before the Court in the time of their Examina-
tion; and especially one thing which I had like to have forgot, which is this,
One of the accus'd, whilft the reft were under Examination, was drawn up by a
Rope to the Roof of the houfe where he was, and would have been choak'd in
all probability, had not the Rope been prefently cut; the Rope hung at the Roof
by fome invifible tye. for there was no hole where it went up; but after it was cut
the remainder of it was found in the Chamber juft above, lying by the very
place where it hung down.
In December 1692, the Court fate again at Salem in New England, and cleared
about 40 perlons fufpected for Witches, and Condemned three. The Evidence
against thefe three was the fame as formerly, fo the Warrant for their Execution
was fent, and the Graves digged for the faid three, and for about five more that
had been Condemned at Salem formerly, but were Repreived by the Governour.
In the beginning of February 1693. the Court fate at Charles-Town, where the
Judge expreft himſelf to this effect.
That who it was that obftructed the Exccution of Fuftice, or hindred thofe good pro-
ceedings they had made, he knew not, but thereby the Kingdom of Satan was advanc'a,&c
and the Lord have mercy on this Country; and fo declined coming any more into
Court. In his abfence Mr. D fare as Chief Judge 3 feveral days, in which
time 5 or 6 were clear'd by Proclamation, and almoft as many by Trial; fo that all
are acquitted.
an old w
The moft remarkable was an Old Woman named Dayton, of whom it was faid,
If any in the World were a Witch, she was one, and had been fo accounted 30 years.
I had the Curiofity to fee her tried; fhe was a decrepid Woman of about 80 years
of age, and did not ufe many words in her own defence. She was accufed by about
30 Witneffes; but the matter alledged againft her was fuch as needed little apolo-
gy, on her part not one paffionate word, or immoral action, or evil, was then ob
jected against her for 20 years paft, only ftrange accidents falling out, after fome
Chriftian admonition given by her, as faying, God would not profper them, if they
wrong'd the Widow. Upon the whole, there was not prov'd againft her any thing
worthy of Reproof, or juft admonition, much lefs fo heinous a Charge.
So that by the Goodness of God we are once more out of prefent danger of this
Hobgoblin Monster; the ftanding Evidence ufed at Salem were called, but did not ap-
pear.
There were others alfo at Charles-town brought upon theirTryals, who had formerly
confefs'd themſelves to be Witches; but upon their tryals deny'd it, and were all
clear'd; So that at prefent there is no further profecution of any.
Cafes

CASES of CONSCIENCE
Concerning
Evil Spirits
Perfonating MEN;
WITCHCRAFTS,
Infallible Proofs of Guilt in fuch as are
Accufed with that CRIME.
All Confidered according to the Scriptures, Hiftory,
Experience, and the Judgment of many Learned
MEN.
By Increase Mather, Prefident of Harvard Colledge at Cam-
bridge,and Teacher of a Church at Bofton in New England
PRO V. xxii. xxi.
That thou mightest Answer the Words of Truth, to them
that fend unto thee..
Efficiunt Demones, ut que non funt, fic tamen, quafi fint, confpicienda homini-
bus exhibeant. Lactantius Lib.2. Inftit. Cap.15. Diabolus Confulitur, cum iis
mediis utimur aliquid Cognofcendi, que a Diabolo funt introducta. Ames
Caf.Conf. L. 4. Cap. 23.
Printed at Boston, and Re-printed at London, for John
Dunton, at the Raven in the Poultrey. 1693.

31522000 22A0
estige liva
MAM gniterolo!
STAROBOTIW
es es dal ni alio to Aoort sidillend
badge of Ad
Shino A
M3 M
TANCE

Chriftian READER.
Odious and Abominable is the Name of a Witch, to the Civilized,
Smuch more the Religions part of Mankind, that it is apt to grow up
into a Scandal for any, fo much as to enter fome fober cautions against the
over hasty fufpecting or too precipitant Judging of Perfons on this account.
But certainly, the more execrable the Crime is, the more critical care is to
be used in the expofing of the Names, Liberties, and Lives of Men Cefpe-
cially of a Godly Converfation) to the imputation of it. The awful band
of God now upon us, in letting loofe of evil Angels among us to perpretate
fuck horrid Mifchiefs, and fuffering of Hell's Inftruments to do fuch fear-
ful things as have been fcarce heard of; hath put ferious perfons into deep
Mufings, and upon curious Enquiries what is to be done for the detecting
and defeating of this tremendous defign of the grand Adverfary: And,
tho' all that fear God are agreed, That no evil is to be done, that good
may come of it; yet hath the Devil obtained not a little of his design,
in the divifions of Reuben, about the application of this Rule.
That there are Devils and Witches, the Scripture afferts, and experience
confirms, That they are common enemies of Mankind, and fet upon mis-
chief, is not to be doubted: That the Devil can (by Divine Permiffion) and
often doth vex men in Body and Eftate, without the Inftrumentality of
Witches, is undeniable: That he often bath, and delights to have the con-
currence of Witches, and their confent in harming men, is confonant to his
native Malice to Man, and too lamentably exemplified: That Witches,
when detected and convinced, ought to be exterminated and cut off, we
bave God's warrant for, Exod. 22. 18. Only the fame God who bath faid,
thou fhalt not fuffer a Witch to live; bath alfo faid, at the Mouth
of two Witneffes, or three Witneffes fhall he that is worthy of Death,
be put to Death: But at the Mouth of one Witnefs, he shall not be
put to Death, Deut. 17. 6. Much debate is made about what is fuffi
cient Conviction, and fome have (in their Zeal) fuppofed that a les clear
evidence ought to pass in this than in other Cafes fuppofing that elfe it will
be bard(if poffible) to bring fuch to condign Punishment,by reafon of the clofe
conveyances that there are between the Devil and Witches; but this is a
very dangerous and unjustifiable tenet. Men ferve God in doing their Duty,
be never intended that all perfons guilty of Capital Crimes fhould be difco-
vered and punished by men in this Life, though they be never fo curious in
Searching after Iniquity. It is therefore exceeding neceffary that in fuch a day
as this, men be informed what is Evidence and what is not. It concerns
men in point of Charity; for tho the most shining Profeffor may be fecretly
a most abominable Sinner, yet till he be detected, our Charity is bound to
Judge according to what appears: and notwithstanding that a clear evi-
dence must determine a cafe ; yet prefumptions must be weighed against pre-
a 2
Jumptions,

To the READER.
fumptions,and Charity is not to be forgone as long as it has the moft prepon-
derating on its fide.And it is of no les neceffity in point of Justice; there are
not only Teftimonies required by God, which are to be credited according to
the Rules given in his Word referring to witneffes: But there is also an E-
vidence fuppofed to be in the Teftimony, which is throughly to be weighed,
and if it do not infallibly prove the Crime against the perfon accufed, it ought
not to determine him guilty of it; for fo a righteous Man may be Condem-
ned unjustly. In the cafe of Witchcrafts we know that the Devil is the
immediate Agent in the Mifchief done, the confent or compact of the Witch
is the thing to be Demonftrated. good und
Among many Arguments to evince this, that which is most under pre-
fent debate, is that which refers to fomething vulgarly called Spectre E-
vidence, and a certain fort of Ordeal or trial by the fight and touch. The
principal Plea to justifie the convictive Evidence in thefe, is fetcht from the
Confideration of the Wisdom and Righteousness of God in Governing the
World, which they fuppofe would fail, if fuch things were permitted to befal
an innocent perfon: but it is certain, that too refolute conclufions drawn from
hence, are bold ufurpations upon fpotlefs Sovereignty: and the fome things if
fuffered to be common,would fubvert this Government and disband yearuine
Humane Society; yet God doth fometimes fuffer fuch things to evene, that
we may thereby know how much we are bebolden to him, for that restraint
which he lays upon the Infernal Spirits, who would elfe reduce a World into
a Chaos. That the Refolutions of fuch Cafes as thefe is proper for the Servants
of Chrift in the Ministry cannot be denied; the feafonableness of doing it
now, will be justified by the Confideration of the neceffity there is at this
time of a right Information of mens Judgments about these things, and
the danger of their being mifinformed.edu
The Reverend, Learned, and Judicious Author of the enfuing Cafes, is
too well known to need our Commendation: All that we are concerned in,
is to affert our hearty Confent to, and Concurrence with the fub-
ftance of what is contained in the following Difcourfe: And, with
our hearty Request to God, that he would difcover the depths of this Hellish
Defign; direct in the whole management of this Affair; prevent the ta-
king any wrong steps in this dark way; and that he would in particular
Blefs thefe faithful Endeavours of his Servant to that end, we Commend
it and you to his Divine Benediction.
William Hubbard.
Simuel Phillips.
Charles Morton.
James Allen.
Michael Wigglefworth.
Samuel Whiting Sen.
Samuel Willard.
John Baily.
Jabez Fox.
Jofeph Gerrifh.
Samuel Angler.
John Wife.
Jofeph Capen.
Nehemiah Walter.
Cafes

၂။
(1)
CASES of CONSCIENCE
CONCERNING
Witchcrafts.
T
HE Firft Cafe that I am defired to exprefs my Judgment
in, is this, Whether it is not Poffible for the Devil to impofe
on the imaginations of Perfons Bewitched, and to caule them
to Believe that an Innocent, yea that a Pious perfon does tor-
ment them, when the Devil himself doth it; or whether Satan may not
appear in the Shape of an Innocent and Pious, as well as of a No-
cent and Wicked Perfon, to Afflict fuch as fuffer by Diabolical Moleftati-
ons
The Anfwer to the Queftion muſt be Affirmative; Let the
following Arguments be duely weighed in the Ballance of the
Sanctuary.
Argu. 1. There are feveral Scriptures from which we may infer
the Poffibility of what is Affirmed.
leazer Athi-
Hierom Ba-
1. We find that the Devil by the Inftigation of the Witch at Endor
appeared in the Likeneß of the Prophet Samuel. I am not ignorant that
fome have afferted that, which, if it were proved, would evert (4) R. Sa
this Argument, viz. that it was the true and not a delufive Samu- atas. R. E-
el which the Witch brought to converfe with Saul. Of this Opi- as. Lyranus,
nion are fome of the Jewish Rabbies (4) and fome Chriftian Do. Sic & Jofe-
phus. (b)
ctors (b) and many late Popish Authors (c) amongst whom Cor- Ambrofe,
nel. a Lapide is moſt elaborate. But that it was a Damon reprefen- fil, Nazian
ting Samuel has been evinced by learned and Orthodox Writers: zmn(e) Tho
efpecially (e) Peter Martyr, (f) Balduinus (+) Lavater, and our in- mas, Tofta.
comparable John Rainolde. I fhall not here infift on the clearing of cajetan. (d)
that, efpecially confidering, that elſewhere I have done it: on- Chap. 46.22,
ly let me add, that the Witch faid to Saul, I fee Elobim, i. e. A 23. (e) In Lo-
God; (for the whole Context fhows, that a fingle Perfon is inten- Cor. 11. 14.
ded) Afcending out of the Earth. 1 Sam. 28. 13. The Devil would
be
tus, Suarez.
In Ecclefiaft,
cum.
n.(f) In 2
Pag 555. (†)
De Spearis.
Cap.7.

Cafes of Confcience
d
be Worshipped as a God, and Saul now, that he was become a
Necromancer, muft bow himfelf to him. Moreover, had it been
the true Samuel from Heaven reprehending Saul, there is great Rea-
fon to believe, that he would not only have reproved him for his
fin, in not executing Judgment on the Amalekites; as in Ver. 18.
But for his Wickedness in confulting with Familiar Spirits: For
which Sin it was in fpecial that he died, 2 Chron. 10. 13. But in
as much as there is not one word to teftify against that Abomina-
on, we may conclude that it was not real Samuel that appeared
to Saul: and if it were the Devil in his likeness, the Argument
feems very ftrong, that if the Devil may appear in the form of a
Saint in Glory, much more is it poffible for him to put on the
likeness of the moft Pious and Innocent Saint on Earth. There are,
who acknowledge that a Demon may appear in the fhape of a
a
Godly Perfon, But not as doing Evil. Whereas the Devil in Samu-
el's likeness told a pernicious Lye, when he faid, Thou haft difquic-
ted me. It was not in the Power of Saul, nor of all the Devils in
Hell, to difquiet a Soul in Heaven, where Samuel had been for
Two years before this Apparition. Nor did the Spectre fpeak true,
when he faid, Thou and thy Sons fhall be with me: Tho' Saul him-
felf at his Death went to be with the Devil, his Son Jonathan did
not fo. Befides, (which fuits with the matter in hand) the Devil
in Samuels fhape confirmed Necromancy and Curfed Witchery. He
that can in the likeness of Saints encourage Witches to Familiari-
ty with Hell, may poffibly in the likeness of a Saint afflict a Be-
witched Perfon. But this we fee from Scripture, Satan
permitted to do.
may be
And whereas it is objected, that the Devil may appear indeed
in the form of Dead Perfons, but that he cannot reprefent fuch as
are living; The contrary is manifeft. No Queftion had Saul faid to
the Witch, bring me David who was then living, fhe could as
teafily have fhown living David as dead Samuel, as eafily as that
De Prefti- great Conjurer, of whom Wierus (peaks, brought the appearance
giis Demo of Hector and Achilles, and after that of David before the Emperour
Maximilian.
And that evil Angels have fometimes appeared in the likeness of
living abfent perfons, is a thing abundantly confirmed by Hiftory.
num. Lib. I.
Cap. 16.
† De C. D.
L. 18.
Austin tells us of one that went for refolution in fome intri-
cate Queftions to a Philofopher, of whom he could get no An-
fwer; but in the Night the Philofopher comes to him, and re-
folves all his Doubts. Not long after, he demanded the reafon
why

concerning Witchcrafts.
3
De Appar
why he could not anfwer him in the Day as well as in the Night;
The Philofopher profeffed he was not with him in the Night, only
acknowledged that he dreamed of his having fuch converfation
of his Friend, but he was all the time at home, and aſleep. Pau-
lus and Palladius did both of them profefs to Auftin, that one in his
fhape, had divers times, and in divers places appeared to them t: Spirituum
Thyreus mentions feveral Apparitions of abfent living perfons, Lib.2. Cap.7.
which happened in his time, and which he had the certain know-
ledge of. A Man that is in one place cannot (Autoprofopos) at the
fame time be in another. It remains then that fuch Spectres are Pro-
digious and Supernatural, and not without Diabolical Operation.
It has been Controverted among Learned Men, whether innocent
Perfons may not by the malice and deluding Power of the Devil
be reprefented as prefent amongft Witches at their dark Af-
femblies. The mentioned Thyreus fays, that the Devil may,
and often does reprefent the forms of Innocent Perfons out of
thofe Conventions, and that there is no Queftion to be made of
it, but as to his natural Power and Art he is able to make their
fhapes appear amongft his own Servants, but he fuppofeth the Pro-
vidence of God will not fuffer fuch an Injury to be done to an In-
nocent Perfon. With him (b) Delrio, and Spineus concur. But
Cumanus in his Lucerna Inquifitorum (a Book which I have not yet Magicar.
feen) defends the Affirmative in this Queftion. Bins Fieldins in Lib. 2. C, 12,
his Treatife, concerning the Confeffion of Witches, inclines to
the Negative, only (c) he acknowledges Dei extraordinaria Per- (c) De con-
miffione poffe Innocentes fic reprefentari. And he that fhall affert, that fef. Sag-
Great and Holy God never did nor ever will permit the Devil thus
far to abuſe an Innocent Perfon, affirms more than he is able to
prove. The ftory of Germanus his difcovering a Diabolical illufion of
this
nature, concerning a great number of Perfons that feemed to be
at a Feaft when they were really at home and afleep, is mentioned
by many Authors. But the particulars infifted on, do fufficiently
evince the Truth of what we affert, viz. That the Devil may by
Divine Permiffion appear in the fhape of Innocent and Pious Per-
fons. Nevertheless, It is evident from another Scripture, viz.
that in 2 Cor. 11. 14. For Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of
Light. He feems to be what he is not, and makes others feem to be
what they they are not. He reprefents evil men as good, and
good men as evil. The Angels of Heaven (who are the Angels
of Light) love Truth and Righteoufnefs, the Devil will feem to
do fo to; and does therefore fometimes lay before men excellent
(b) Mifq.
good!
pag. 191.

4
Cafes of Confcience
tis mag.p.31.
Sped. Lib. 2.
Cap. 18.
(b) Dr. Ca-
Spirits.
good Principles and exhort them (as he did Theodore Maillit) to
practife many things, which by the Law of Righteoufnefs they
are obliged unto, and hereby he does more effectually deceive. Is
it not ftrange, that he has fometimes intimated to his moft devo-
ted fervants, that if they would have familiar Converfation with
him, they must be careful to keep themfelves from enormous Sins,
() Defere- and pray conftantly for Divine Protection? But fo has he tranf-
fee alfo La- formed himself into an Angel of Light, as (a) Boiffardus fheweth.
Vater de He has frequently appeared to Men pretending to be a good Angel,
fo to Anatolius of old; and the late inftances of (b) Dr. Dee and
aubon of Kellet are famously known. How many deluded Enthufiafts both
in former and latter times have been impofed on by Satans ap-
pearing visibly to them, pretending to be a good Angel. And
moreover, he may be faid to transform himfelf into an Angel of
Light, becaufe of his appearing in the Form of Holy Men, who
are the Children of Light, yea in the fhape and habit of Eminent
Minifters of God. So did he appear to Mr. Earl of Colchester in
the likeneſs of Mr. Liddal an Holy Man of God, and to the Tur-
kish Chaous Baptized at London, Anno 1658. pretending to be Mr.
Dury an Excellent Minifter of Chrift. And how often has he
pretended to be the Apoftle Paul or Peter or fome other celebra-
ted Saint? Ecclefiaftical Hiftories abound with Inftances of this
(c) Sulpitim nature. Yea, fometimes he has transfigured himſelf into the
feverus in vi- Form of Chrift. It is reported that he appeared to (c) St. Martin
(d) Guaccius Gloriously arrayed, as if he had been Chrift. So likewife to (d)
Compend. ma- Secundellus, and to another Saint, who fufpecting it was Satan,
Lefic. P. 342 transforming himfelf into an Angel of Light had this expreffion, If
ta-martini,
I may fee Chrift in Heaven it is enough, I defire not to fee him in this
World; whereupon the Spectre vanifhed. It has been related of
Luther, that after he had been Fafting and Praying in his Study,
the Devil come pretending to be Chrift, but Luther faying, away
thou confounded Devil, I acknowledge no Chrift but what is in my
Bible, nothing more was feen. Thus then the Devil is able (by
Divine Permiffion) to Change himſelf into what form or figure
he pleaſeth,
Omnia transformat fefe in miracula rerum.
A Third Scripture to our purpofe is that, in Rev. 12. 10. where
the Devil is called the Accufer of the Brethren. Such is the malice
and impudence of the Devil, as that he does accufe good Men,
and

Concerning Witchcrafts.
5
and that before God, and that not only of fuch Faults as they
really are guilty of, he accufed Joshua with his filthy Garments,
when through his Indulgence fome of his Family had tranfgreffed
by unlawful Marriages,Zach. 3. 23. with Ezra 10. 18. but alſo with
fuch Crimes, as they are altogether free from. He reprefented the
Primitive Chriftians as the vileft of men, and as if at their Meet-
ings they did commit the moft nefandous Villanies that ever were
known; and that not only Innocent, but Eminently Pious Perfons
fhould thro' the Malice of the Devil be accufed with the Crime of
Witchcraft, is no new thing. Such an Affliction did the Lord fee
meet to exerciſe the great Athanafius with (t) only the Divine Pro- () Binsfield
de Confefs.
vidence did wonderfully vindicate him from that as well as from sag. p. 187.
fome other foul Afperfions. The Waldenfes (altho' the Scriptures
call them Saints, Rev. 13. 7.) have been traduccd by Satan and by
the World as horrible Witches; fo have others in other places,only
becauſe they have done extraordinary things by their Prayers: It
is by many Authors related, that a City in France was molefted
with a Diabolical Spectre, which the People were wont to call
Hugon; near that place a number of Proteftants were wont to meet
to ferve God, whence the Profeffors of the true reformed Religi-
on were nic-named Hugonots, by the Papifts, who defigned to
render them before the World, as the Servants and Worshippers of
that Damon, that went under the name of Hugon. And how of-
ten have I read in Books written by Jefuits, that Luther was a Wi-
zard, and that he did himſelf confefs that he had familiarity with
Satan! Moft impudent Untruths! nor are theſe things to be won-
dered at, fince the Holy Son of God himself was reputed a Magi-
cian, and one that had Familiarity with the greateft of Devils. The
Blafpheming Pharifees faid, he cafts out the Devils thro' the Prince of
Devils, Matth. 9. 34. There is then not the beft Saint on Earth
(Man or Woman) that can affure themfelves that the Devil fhall
not caft fuch an Imputation upon them. It is enough for the Difciple
that he be as his Mafter, and the Servant as his Lord: If they have
called the Mafter of the Houfe Beelzebub, how much more them of his
Houfhold, Matth. 10. 25. It is not for men to determine how far
the holy God may permit the wicked one to proceed in his Accu-
fations. The facred ftory of Job giveth us to underſtand, that the
Lord whofe ways art paft finding out, does for wife and holy Ends
fuffer Satan by immediate Operation,(and confequently by Witch-
craft) greatly to afflict innocent Perfons, as in their Bodies and E-
ftates, fo in their Reputations. I fhall mention but one Scripture
b
more

Cafes of Confcience a
more to confirm the Truth in hand: It is that in Ecclef. 9. 2, 3.
where it is faid, All things come alike to all, there is one event to the
Righteous and to the Wicked, as is the Good, fo is the Sinner, this is
an evil among all things under the Sun,that there is one Event happeneth
to all. And in Ecclef. 7. 15. 'tis faid, There is a juft man thatperish.
eth in bis Righteousness.
From hence we infer, that there is no outward Affliction what-
foever but may befal a good Man; now to be represented by Satan
as a Tormentor of Bewitched or Poffeffed Perfons, is a fore Affli-
ction to a good Man. To be tormented by Satan is a fore Affli-
ction, yet nothing but what befel Job, and a Daughter of Abra-
ham, whom we read of in the Gofpel: To be reprefented by Sa-
tan as tormenting others, is an Affliction like the former; the
Lord may bring fuch extraordinary Temptations on his own Chil-
dren, to afflict and humble them, for fome Sin they have been
guilty of before him.A moft wicked Perfon in St. Ives,got a Knife,
and went with it to a Minifters Houfe, defigning to ftab him, but
was difappointed; afterwards Confcience being awakened, the
Devil appears to this Perfon in the Shape of that Minifter, with a
Knife in his hand exhorting to Self-murder: Was not here a Pu-
nifhment fuitable to the Sin which that Perfon had been guilty of?
Perhaps fome of thofe whom Satan has reprefented as committing
Witchcrafts, have been tampering with fome foolish and wicked
Sorceries, tho' not to that degree, which is Criminal and Capital
by the Laws both of God and Men; for this Satan may be per-
mitted fo to fcourge them; or it may be, they have mifreprefented
and abufed others, for which caufe the Holy God may justly give
Satan leave falfely to reprefent them.ilim bad and and obs
Have we not known fome that have bitterly cenfured all that
have been complained of by bewitched Perfons, faying it was
impoffible they fhould not be guilty; foon upon which themfelves
or fome near Relations of theirs, have been to the lafting Infa-
my of their Families, been accufed after the fame manner,
and Perfonated by the Devil! Such, tremendous Rebukes on a few;
fhould make all men to be careful how they joyn with Satan in
Condemning the Innocent. beiw or sine vom bolod od
vis
Arg. 2. Because it is poffible for the Devil in the Shape of an inno-
cent Perfon to do other mischiefs. As for thofe who acknowledge that
Satan may perfonate a pious Perfon, but not to do mifchief, their
Opinion has been confuted by more than a few unhappy Inftances.
Mr. Clark

Concerning witchcrafts.
Vol. I. P.510.
Hift. p. 7.
Magia, &c.
Mr. Clark (u) peaks of a Man that had been an Atheift, or a Sad- ()Examples
duce, not believing that there are any Devils or any (to us) invifi-
ble World; this Man was converted, but as a Punishment of his
Infidelity, evil Angels did often appear to him in the Shape of his
moft intimate Friends, and would fometimes feduce him into
great Inconveniences. It has been elſewhere, and but now noted,
that a Demon in the fhape of excellent Mr. Dury appeared to the
Turkish Chaos, Anno. 1658. to diffwade him from profecuting his
defires of Baptifm into the Name of Chrift: Alfo to Mr. Earle in
the likeness of his Friends, to difcourage him from doing things
lawful and good. A multitude of Jews were once deluded by a
Perfon pretending to be Mofes from Heaven, and that if they
would follow him they fhould pafs fafe through the Sea (as did
their Fathers of old through the Red Sea) whereby great numbers (
of them were deceived and perifhed in the Waters. (w) Learn- (w) Socrate's
ed and judicious Men have concluded that this Mofes Creenfis was c. 33.
a Damon, transforming himfelf into Mofes: And that the Devil
has frequently appeared (x) in the fhape of famous Perfons to (x) Lege
the end that he might feduce Men into Idolatry, a Sin equal to Villalpand de
that of Witchcraft) no Man that has made it his Concern to en- L.2. Cap.27.
quire into things of this nature can be ignorant. Many Ex-
amples of this kind are collected by Mr. Bromball in his Treatife of
Spectres, and the cunning Devil, to ftrengthen Men in their worshipping
of Saints departed: And by Mr. Bovet in his Pandemonium. It is
credibly reported that the Devil in the likeness of a faithful Mini-
fter (as St. Ives before mentioned, near Bofton in Lincolnshire) came
to one that was in trouble of Mind, telling her the longer the li
ved, the worſe it would be for her; and therefore advifing her to
Self-murder: An eminent Perfon ftill living had the account of
this Matter from Mr. Cotton (the famous Teacher of both Boftons.)
He was well acquainted with that Minifter, who related to him
the whole Story, with all the Circumftances of it: For Mr.Gotton was
fo affected with the Report, as to take a Journey on purpoſe to
the Town where this happened, that fo he might obtain a fatif-
factory account about it, which he did. Some Authors fay, that
a Damon appeared in the form of Sylvanus (Hierom's Friend) at-
tempting a difhoneft thing, the Devil thereby defigning to blaft
the Reputation of a famous Bifhop. I have in another Book
mentioned that celebrated Inftance concerning an honeft Citizen
in Zurick (the Metropolis of Helvetia) in whole fhape the Devil ap-
peared, committing an abominable Fact (not fit to be named)
b 2
very

8
Cafes of Conscience
very early in the Morning, feen by the Prefect of the City, and
his Servant; they were amazed to behold a Man of good Efteem.
for his Converſation, perpetrating a thing fo vile and abominable;
but going from the Spectre in the Field, to the Citizen's Houfe in
the Town, they found him at home, and in his Bed, nor had
he been abroad that Morning, which convinced them, that what
they faw was an Illufion of the Devil: This Paffage is mentioned.
as a thing known and certain by Lavater in his Treatife of Spectres,
(2) Part 1. (2) who was a moft learned and judicious Preacher in that City.
862 Our Fuel faith of him, that he muft ingenioufly confefs, that he
never underſtood Solomon's Proverbs, until Lavater expounded
them to him: That Book of his De Spectris hath been publiſhed
in Latin, High and Low Dutch, French, Italian. The learned
(+) Epiftol. Zanchy (t) fpeaks highly of it, profeffing that he had read it
(a) In Die both with Pleafure and Profit. Voetius (a) takes notice of that
put. de Ma- paffage which we have quoted out of Levater as a thing memo-
Pag.
24
gia. P. 575.
rable.
Some Popish Authors argue, That that Devil cannot perfonate
an innocent Man as doing an act of Witchcraft, becaufe then he
might as well reprefent them as committing Theft, Murder, &c.
And if fo, there would be no living in the World: But I turn the
Argument against them, he may (as the mentioned Inftances prove)
perfonate honeft Men as doing other Evils; and no folid Reafon
can be given why he may not as well perfonate them under the
Notion of Witches, as under the Notion of Thieves, Murders,
and Idolaters: As for the Objection, that then there would be
no living in the World, we fhall confider it under the next Ar-
gument.
Arg. 3. If Satan may not reprefent one that is not a Covenant Ser-
vant of his, as afflicting thofe that are bewitched or poffeffed, then it
is either because he wants Will, or Power to do this, or because God will
never permit him thus to do. No Man but a Sadduce doubts of the
ill will of Devils; nothing is more pleafing to the Malice of thofe
wicked Spirits than to fee Innocency wronged: And the Power
of the Enemy is fuch, as that having once obtained a Divine
Conceffion to ufe his Art, he can do this and much more than
this amounts unto: We know by Scripture-Revelation, that the
Couper's My- Sorcerers of Egypt caufed many untrue and delufive (t) Repre-
fentations before Pharaoh and his Servants. Exod. 7. 11, 22. & 8.
Pag. 174, 7. And we read of the working of Satan in all Power and Signs
(†) In Mr.
ftery of
Witchcraft,
*95.
and

Concerning Witchcrafts.
Eruditorum
Glanvil's
ons.
and lying Wonders. 2 Theff. 2. 9. His Heart is beyond what the
wifeft of Men may pretend unto: He has perfect skill in Opticks,
and can therefore caufe that to be visible to one, which is not fo
to another, and things alfo to appear far otherwife then they are:
He has likewife the Art of Limning in the Perfection of it, and
knows what may be done by Colours. It is an odd paffage (b)(b) 6. Alla
which I find in the Acta Eruditorum, printed at Lipfick, that about Anno. 1690.
Thirty two Years ago an indigent Merchant in France was in- Pag. 113.
ftructed by a Damon, that with Water of Borax he might colour
Taffities, fo as to caufe them to glifter and look very gay: He
fearcheth into the Nature, Caufes, and Reafons of things, where-
by he is able to produce wonderful effects: So that if he does not
form the Shape of an innocent Perfon as afflicting others, it is not
from want of either will or power. They that affirm, that God ne-
ver did, nor ever will permit him thus to do, alledge that it is in-
confiftant with the Righteoufnefs and Providence of God, in
governing Humane Affairs thus to fuffer Men to be impofed on:
It muſt be acknowledged (c) that the Divine Providence has ta-(e) In Mr.
ken care, that the greateft part of Mankind fhall not be left to Philofophical
unavoidable Deception, fo as to be always abufed by the mifchie- confiderati-
vous Agents of Hell, in the Objects of plain Sence: But yet it
is not for finful and filly Mortals to prefcribe Rules to the moſt
High in his Government of the World, or to direct him how far
he may permit Satan to ufe his power: I am apt to think that
there are fome amongst us, who if they had lived in Job's days,
and feen the Devil tormenting of him, and heard him complain-
ing of being feared with Dreams, and terrified with Night-vifions,
they would have joined with his uncharitable Friends in cenfuring
him as a moft guilty Perfon: But we fhould confider, that the
moft high God doth fometimes deal with Men in a way of ab-
1olute Sovereignty, performing the thing which is appointed for fly
them, and many fuch things are with him: If he does deftroy
the perfect with the wicked, and laugh at the tryal of the innocent, (Job
9. 22, 23.) Who fhall enter into his Councils! who has given
him a Charge over the Earth! or who has difpofed the whole
World! Men are not able to give an account of his ordinary
Works, much lefs of his fecret Counfels, and the dark Difpenfa-
tions of his Providence: They do but darken Counfel by Words
without Knowledge when they undertake it: If we are not able
to fee how this or that can ftand with the Righteoufness of him that
governs the World, fhall we fay that the Almighty will pavert
Judg-

Cales of Confcience
Cl
15P
(
12128
(
P
Judgment? or that he that governs the Earth hateth Right? Shall
we condemn him that is moft juft? But whereas 'tis objected,
where is Providence? And how hall Men live on the Earth, if
the Devil may be permitted to ufe fuch Power? I demand, where
was Providence, when Satan had Power to caufe Sons of Belial
to lye and fwear away the Life of innocent Naboth, laying fuch
Crimes to his charge as he was never guilty of? And what an
Hour of Darknefs was it? How far was the Power of Hell per-
mitted to prevail, when Chrift the Son of God was accufed, con-
demned, and hanged for a Crime that he never was guilty of?
That was the ftrangeft Providence that has happened fince the
World began, and yet in the Iffue the moft glorious: We muft
therefore diftinguish between what does ordinarily come to pass
by the Providence of God, and things which are extraordinary:
It is not an ufual thing for a Naboth to have his Life taken from
him by falfe Accufations, or for an Athanafius or a Susanna to be
charged, and perhaps brought before Courts of Judicature for
Crimes of which they were altogether innocent.
But if we therefore conclude, that fuch a thing as this can ne-
ver happen in the World, we fhall offend againft the Generation
of the Juft: It is not ordinary for Devils to be permitted to reveal
the fecret Sins of Men; yet this has been done more than once or
twice: Nor is it ordinary for Demons to fteal Money out of Mens
Pockets, and Purfes, or Wine and Cyder out of their Cellars.
Yet fome fuch Inftances have there been amongft our felves. It
is not ufual for Providence to permit the Devil to come from Hell
and to throw Fire on the tops of Houfes, and to caufe a whole
Town to be burnt to Afhes thereby; there would (it muft be con-
feffed) be no living in the World, if evil Angels fhould be permit-
ted to do thus when they had a mind to it; nevertheless, Authors
(d) De fub- Worthy of Credit, tell us, that this has fometimes happened. ()
ilitate. Lib. Both Erafmus and Cardanus write that the Town of Schiltach
19.
Germany, was in the Month of April, 1533. fet on fire by a Devil,
and burnt to the ground in an Hour's fpace: 'Tis alfo reported by
Sigibert, Aventinus and others, that fome Cottages and Barns in
a Town called Bingus were fired by a wicked Genius; that fpite-
ful Demon faid it was for the Impieties of fuch a Man whom he
named, that he was fent to moleft them: The poor Man to fatif-
fie his Neighbours, who were ready to Stone him, carried an hot
Iron in his Hand, but receiving no hurt thereby, he was judged,
to be innocent. It is not ordinary for a Devil upon the dying
bal
Curfe

concerning Witchcrafts.
I I
Curfe of a Servant, to have a Commiffion from Heaven to tear
and torment a bloody cruel Mafter; yet fuch a thing may poffibly
come to pafs. There is a fearful Story to this purpoſe, in the ac-
count of the Bucuneers of America, (e) wherein my Author re- (e) P 75,76.
lates that a Servant, who was Spirited or Kidnapt (as they call it)
into America, falling into the Hands of a Tyrannical Mafter, he
ran away from him, but being taken and brought back, the hard-
hearted Tyrant lafhed him on his naked Back, until his Body ran
in an entire ftream of Blood; to make the Torment of this mi-
ferable Creature intolerable, he anointed his Wounds with Juice
of Lemon mingled with Salt and Pepper, being ground finall to-
gether, with which torture the miferable Wretch gave up the
Ghoft, with thefe dying Words, I befeech the Almighty God, Crea
tor of Heaven and Earth, that he permit a wicked Spirit, to make thee
feel as many Torments before thy Death, as thou haft caufed me to feel
before mine: Scarce four days were paft after this horrible Fact,
when the Almighty Judge gave Permiffion to the Father of
Wickednefs to poffefs the Body of that cruel Mafter, and to make
him lacerate his own Fleſh until he died, belike furrendring his
Ghoft into the Hands of the infernal Spirit, who had tormented
his Body: But of this Tragical Story enough.
To proceed, Is it not ufual for Perfons after their Death to ap-
pear unto the Living: But it does not therefore follow, that the
great God will not fuffer this to be: For both in former and lat-
ter Ages, Examples thereof have not been wanting: No longer
fince than the laft Winter, there was much difcourfe in London
concerning a Gentlewoman, unto whom her dead Son (and ano-
ther whom the knew not) had appeared: Being then in London,
I was willing to fatisfie my felf, by enquiring into the Truth of
what was reported; and on Febr. 23. 1691, my Brother (who
is now a Paftor to a Congregation in that City) and I difcourfed
the Gentlewoman fpoken of; fhe told us, that a Son of hers,
who had been a very civil young Man, but more airy in his Tem-
per than was pleafing to his ferious Mother, being dead, he was
much concerned in her Thoughts about his Condition in the other
World; but a Fertnight after his Death he appeared to her, fay-
ing, Mother you are folicitous about my Spiritual Welfare; trouble
your felf no more, for I am happy, and fo vanifhed; fhould there be
a continual Intercourfe between the Vifible and Invifible World,
it would breed Confufion. But from thence to infer, that the
great Ruler of the Univerfe will never permit any thing of this
nature

12
Cafes of Conscience
nature to be, is an inconfequent Conclufion; it is not ufual for
Devils to be permitted to come and violently carry away perfons
through the Air, feveral miles from their Habitations: Neverthe-
lefs, this was done in Sweedland about twenty Years ago, by means
of a curled Knot of Witches there. And a learned Phyfician now
living, giveth an account of feveral Children, who by Diabolical
Frauds were ftollen from their Parents,and others left in their room:
And of two, that in the night-time a Line was by invifible Hands
put about their Necks, with which they had been ftrangled, but
that fome near them happily prevented it. V. Germ. Ephem. Anne
1689. pag. 51. 516.
Let me further add here; It has very feldom been known, that
Satan has Perfonated innocent Men doing an ill thing, but Provi-
dence has found out fome way for their Vindication; either they
have been able to prove that they were in another place
when that Fact was done, or the like. So that perhaps there ne-
ver was an Inftance of any innocent Perfon Condemned in any
Court of Judicature on Earth, only through Satans deluding
and impofing on the Imaginations of Men, when nevertheless,
the Witneffes, Juries, and Judges, were all to be excufed from
blame.
Arg. 4. It is certain both from Scripture and History, that Magici
ans by their Inchantments and Hellish Conjurations, may cause a falfe Re-
prefentation of Perfons and Things. An inchanted eye thall fee fuch
things as others cannot difcern; it is a thing too well known to
be denied, that fome by rubbing their eyes with a bewitched Wa-
ter, have immediately thereupon feen that which others could not
difcern; and there are Perfons in the World, who have a ftrange
(f) In his Spectral fight. Mr. Glanvil (f) fpeaks of a Dutch-man that could
Triumph. fee Ghofts which others could perceive nothing of. There are in
Collection, Spain a fort of men whom they call Zaburs, thefe can fee into the
Bowels of the Earth; they are able to difcover Minerals and
hidden Treaſures; nevertheless, they have their extraordinary
fight only on Tuesdays and Fridays, and not on the other days of
the Week, Delrio faith, that when he was at Madrid, Anno Dom.
1575. he faw fome of thefe ftrange fighted Creatures. Mr. George
Sinclare, in his Book Entituled, Satans Invifible World difcovered,
(b) has thefe Words, I am undoubtedly informed, that men and
women in the High-lands can difcern Fatality approaching others,
by feeing them in the Waters or with Winding Sheets about
P. 201.
(b) p. 215.
(Difa. Ma
gic.) 1. 1. c.
3. P. 22.
⚫ them.

Concerning Witchcrafts.
13
C
C
Lib. 2,
them. And that others can lecture in a Sheeps fhoulder-bone a
Death within the Parish feven or eight Days before it come. It
is not improbable but that fuch Preternatural Knowledge comes
firft by a Compact with the Devil, and is derived downward by
* Succeffion to their Pofterity: Many fuch I fuppofe are Innocent,
and have this fight againft their Will and Inclination. Thus
Mr. Sinclare, I concur with his fuppofal, that fuch Knowledge is
originally from Satan, and perhaps the Effect of fome old Inchant-
ment. There are fome at this day in the World, that if they
come into a Houfe where one of the Family will die within a
Fortnight, the fmell of a dead Corpfe offends them to fuch a de-
gree, as that they cannot ftay in that Houfe. It is reported that
near unto the Abby of St. Maurice in Burgundy (i) there is a Fifh-
(i) Vairus
pond in which are Fishes put according to the number of the de Fafcino
Monks of that place; if any one of them happen to be fick, there
is a Fifh feen to Float and Swim above Water half dead, and if
the Monk fhall die, the Fifh a few days before dieth. In fome
parts in Wales Death-lights or Corps Candles (as they call them)
are feen in the night time going from the Houfe where fome body
will fhortly die, and paffing in to the Church-yard. Of this, my
Honoured and never to be forgotten Friend Mr. Richard Baxter,
(k) has given an Account in his Book about Witchcrafts lately Pub- (k) p. 131.
lished: what to make of fuch things, except they be the effects
of fome old Inchantment, I know not; nor what Natural Rea-
fon to affign for that which I find amongft the Obfervations of the
Imperial Academy for the Year 1687, viz. That in an Orchard
where are choice Damafcen Plumbs, the Mafter of the Family be-
ing fick of a Quartan Ague, whilft he continued very ill, four of
his Plumb-trees inftead of Damafcens brought forth a vile fort of
yellow Plumbs: but recovering Health, the next Year the Tree
did (as formerly) bear Damafcens again ; but when after that he fell
into a fatal Dropfie, on thofe Trees were feen not Damafcens, but
another fort of Fruit. The fame Author (1) gives Inftances of (1) v.Geri.
which he had the certain knowledge, concerning Apple-trees and Ephemer.
Pear-trees, that the Fruit of them would on a fudden wither as if
they had been baked in an Oven, when the owners of them were
mortally fick. It is no lefs ftrange,that in the IlluftriousElectoral(m) (m) Henke-
Houfe of Brandenburg before the Death of fome one of the Family fellis pag.86.
Feminine Spectres appeared: (2) and often in the Houfes of Great (7) Camerar.
men, Voices and Vifions from the Invifible World have been the Har- Cardan de
bingers of Death. When any Heir in the Worfhipful Family of rerum varie-
C
Anno 16. f.
379.
lius de ob-
cent. 1.C.73.
tate Lib. 16.
the cap. 93.

14
Cafes of Conscience
P. 609.
Mr.
Burton's Hift.
the Breertons in Cheshire is near his Death, there are ſeen in a Pool
adjoyning, Bodies of Trees fwimming for certain days together,
on which Learned Cambden (o) has this Note, Thefe and fuch like
(e) In his
Britannia, things are done either by the Holy Tutelar Angels of Men, or elfe by the
Devils, who by Gods Permiffion mightily fhew their Power in this Infe-
riour World. As for Mr. Sinclare's Notion that fome Perfons may
have a fecond Sight, (as 'tis termed) and yet be themfelves Inno-
cent, I am fatisfied that he judgeth right; for this is common a-
mongft the Laplanders, who are horribly addicted to Magical In-
cantations: They bequeath their Dæmons to their Children as a
Legacy, by whom they are often affifted (like Bewitched Per-
fons as they are) to fee and do things beyond the Power of Na-
(P) See the ture. An Hiftorian who deferves Credit, relates, (p) that a cer-
Hilt. of Lap-tain Laplander gave him a true and particular Account of what
Land, and had happened to him in his Journey to Lapland; and further
of Demons. complained to him with Tears, that things at great diftance
were reprefented to him and how much he defired
to be Delivered from that Diabolical Sight, but could
not; this doubtlefs was caufed by fome Inchantment. But
to proceed to what I intend; the Eyes of Perfons by reafon of
Inchanting Charms, may not only fee what others do not, but
be under fuch power of Fafcination, as that things which are not,
fhall appear to them as real: The Apoftle fpeaks of Bewitched
Eyes, Gal. 3. 1. and we know from Scripture, that the Imaginati-
ons of men have by Inchantments been impofed upon; and Hi-
ftories abound with very ftrange Inftances of this Nature: The
old Witch Circe by an Inchanted Cup caufed Ulyffes his Compani-
ons toimagine themſelves to be turned into Swine ;and how many
Witches have been them felves fo bewitched by the Devil,as really
to believe that they were transformed into Wolves, or Dogs, or
Cats. It is reportedof Simon Magus,(q)that by his Sorceries he would
(r) See Wan- fo impofe on the Imaginations of People, as that they thought he
had really changed himself into another fort of Creature. Opol-
the World. lonius of Tyana could out do Simon with his Magick: The great
Bohemian Conjurer Zyto (r) by his Inchantments, caufed certain
Perfons whom he had a mind to try his Art upon, to imagine that
their Hands were turned into the Feet of an Ox, or into the
Hoofs of a Horfe, fo that they could not reach to the Dishes be-
fore them to take any thing thence; he fold Wifps of Straw to a
Butcher who bought them for Swine, that many fuch preftigious
Pranks were played; by the unhappy Fauftus, is attefted by Ca-
merarius, Wyerus, Voetius, Lavater, and Lonicer.
(q) Schot-
ten Phyfic.
curios. lib.t.
C. 16.
ly of the
Wonders of
P. 215.
There

Concerning witchcrafts.
15
There is newly Publifhed a Book (mentioned in the Acta Eru-
ditorum) wherein the Author (s) (Wiechard Valuaffor) relates, that (
a Venetian Jew inftructed him (only he would not attend his In-Pa.
ftructions) how to make a Magical Glafs which ſhould reprefent
any Perfon or thing according as he fhould defire. If a Magician
by an Inchanted Glafs can do this, he may as well by the help of
a Dæmon caufe falfe Ideas of Perfons and Things to be impreffed
on the Imaginations of bewitched Perfons; the Blood and Spi-
rits of a Man, that is bitten with a Mad-Dog, are fo envenomed,
as that ftrange Impreffions are thereby made on his Imaginati-
on: let him be brought into a Room where there is a Looking-
Glafs, and he will (if put upon it) not only fay but fwear that he
fees a Dog,tho' in truth there is no Dog it may be within 20Miles
of him; and is it not then poffible for the Dogs of Hell to poy-
fon the Imaginations of miferable Creatures, fo as that they thall
believe and fwear that fuch Perfons hurt them as never did fo?
I have heard of an Inchanted Pin, that has caufed the Condem-
nation and Death of many ſcores of innoceat Perfons. There was
a notorious Witchfinder in Scotland, that undertook by a Pin, to
make an infallible Difcovery of fufpected Perfons, whether they
were Witches or not, if when the Pin was run an Inch or two in-
to the Body of the accufed Party no Blood appeared, nor any
fenfe of Pain, then he declared them to be Witches; by means
hereof my Author tells me no less then 300 perfons were Condem-
ned for Witches in that Kingdom. This Bloody Jugler after he had
done enough in Scotland, came to the Town of Berwick upon
Tweed; an honeft Man now living in New-England affureth me,
that he faw the Man thruft a great Brafs Pin two Inches into the
Body of one, that fome would in that way try whether there
was Witchcraft in the Cafe or no: the accufed Party was not in
the leaft fenfible of what was done, and therefore in danger of
receiving the Punishment juftly due for Witchcraft; only it fo
happened, that Collonel Fenwick (that worthy Gentleman, who
many years fince lived in New England) was then the Military
Governour in that Town; he fent for the Mayor and Magiftrates
advifing them to be careful and cautious in their proceedings; for
he told them, it might be an Inchanted Pin, which the Witch-
finder made ufe of: Whereupon the Magiftrates of the
place ordered that he fhould make his Experiment with
fome other pin as they fhould appoint: But that he
would by no means be induced unto, which was a fuffici-
C 2
ent
ubi Su-

16
Cafes of Confcience
ent Diſcovery of the Knavery and Witchery of the Witch-finder.
There is a ftrange Diabolical Energy goeth along with Incantati-
ons. If Balak had not known, that he would not have fent for
Balaam, to fee whether he could inchant the Children of Ifrael.
The Scripture intimates that Inchantments will keep a Serpent
from biting, Ecclef. 10. 11. A Witch in Sweedland confeffed, that
the Devil gave her a wooden Knife; and that if the did but touch
any living thing with that Knife, it would die immediately: And
that there is a wonderful Power of the Devil attending things in-
chanted, we have confirmed by a prodigious Inftance in MajorWeir,
a Scotch Man: That wretched Man was a perfect Prodigy; a
Man of great Parts; efteemed a Saint, yet lived in fecret Un-
cleannefs with his own Sifter for thirty four Years together: After
his wickedness was difcovered, he did not feem to be troubled at
any of his Crimes, excepting that he had caufed a poor Woman
to be publickly whipped, becaufe fhe reported that fhe had feen
him committing Beftiality; which thing was true, only the Wo-
man could not prove it. This horrid Creature, if he had his In-
chanted Staff in his Hand could pray to admiration, and do extra-
ordinary things, as is more amply related in the Poftfcript to
Mr. Sinclares his Book before mentioned: But if he had not his
Inchanted Rod to lean upon, he could not transform himſelf into
an Angel of Light: But by all theſe things we may conclude,
that it is not impoffible, but that a guilty Conjurer, that fo he
may render himfelf the lefs fufpected, may by his Magical Art
and Inchantment, caufe innocent Perfons to be reprefented as af-
flicting thoſe whom the Devil and himself are the Tormen-
tors of.
Arg 5. The Truth we affirm is fo evident, as that many Learned
and Judicious Men bave freely fubfcribed unto it.
The memorable Relation of the Devils affuming the shape of
an innocent Citizen in Zurick, is in the Judgment of that great
Divine Lud Levater, of weighty Confideration: And he declares,
that he does therefore mention it, that fo Judges might be cautelous
in their Proceedings in Cafes of this nature, inafmuch as the De-
vil does often in that way intangle innocent Perfons, and bring
(1) De Spee them into great Troubles. His Words are, (s) Hanc Hiftoriam ideo
aris, p. 86, recito, ut Judices, in hujufmodi, Cafibus cauti fint: Diabolus enim bac
87.
via fape innocentibus infidiatur. He confirms what he faith by re-
citing a Paffage out of Alertus Granzius, who writes that the De-
vil

Concerning Witchcrafts.
17
S.leet. Vol.x.
de Apparin-
nibus fags-
vil was feen in the fhape of a Nobleman to come out of the Em-
prefs's Chamber: But to clear her Innocency, fhe (according to
the fuperftitious Ordeals then in fafhion) walked blinfold over a
great many of glowing hot Irons without touching any of them. Voe-
tius in his (u) Difputation of Spectres propofeth that Queftion, whe- (*) Due
ther the Devil may not untruly perfonate a Godly Man, and an- pag. 1o8.
fwers in the Affirmative: And withal adds, that it is a fufficient
Argument (ad hominem) to anfwer the Papifts with their own Hi-
ftories, which give Inftances of Satan's appearing in the Figure
of Saints, nay of Chrift himfelf. And in his Difcourfe concern-
ing the Operations of Demons (w) he has the like Problem, whether (w) P.944-
the Devil may not poffibly put on the thape of a true Believer, a
real Saint, not only of fuch as are dead, but ftill living, and an-
fwers, Quidni? Why not? It is true Popish Cafuifts (x) do gene- (x) Thyreus
rally incline to the Negative in this Queftion: Nevertheless, the onibus, Lib.
Inftance of Germanus, who faw a Company of honeft People re- 2. Cap. 14.
prefented by the Devil, as if they had been feafting together,
when they were really afleep in their Beds, does a little puzzle
them, fo as that they are neceffitated to take up with this Con-
clufion, (y) That by an extraordinary Permiffion of God, innocent Per- (3) Bins field
fons may be reprefented by Satan in the Noctural Conventicles of Witches: de confeffis-
And if fo, much more as afflicting bewitched Perfons. Delriorum, p.183.
giveth an account of an innocent Monk, whofe Reputation was
indangered by a Damon's appearing in his fhape. He writes more
like a Divine than Jefuits ufe to do, when he faith that, (x) It is (z) Difquif.
not abfolutely to be denied, but that the Devils may exhibite the Forms Magic. Lib.
of innocent Perfons, if God permit it, who when he does permit it, ufu- p. 143.
ally by fome Providence difcovers the Fraud of the Devils, that fo the
Innocent may be vindicated, or if not, it is to bring them to repentance
for fome Sin, or to try their Patience. It is rare to fee fuch Words
dropping from the Pen of a Jefuit: As for Proteftant Writers, I
cannot call to mind one of any Note, that does deny the Poffi-
bility of the Affirmative, in the Queftion before us. Dr. Henkelius
has lately (a) published a learned and elaborate Difcourfe con- (4) Printed
cerning the right Method of curing fuch as are obfeffed with Ca- Ano, 1689.
codæmons, in which he afferts, that Saran may poffibly affume the
Form of innocent and pious Perfons, that fo he might thereby destroy
their Reputations, and expose them to undue Punishments. As for our
English Divines, there are not many greater Cafuifts than Mr. Per-
kins; nor do I know any one that has written on the Cafe of
Witchcraft with more Judgment and Clearness of Underftanding:
He
191.
2. Q. 12.
atFrankford,

18
Cafes of Confcience
(b) Dif.
courfe of
Witchcraft,
P. 644
Witchcraft
P. 277.
He has thefe Words, (b) " If a Man being dangerously fick and
"like to die upon fufpicion, will take it on his death, that fuch
Ch.7. Set.2. "an one has betwitched him, it is an allegation which may move
"the Judge to examine the Party, but it is of no moment for
(c) In his Conviction. The like is afferted by (c) Mr. Cooper, Mr. Ber-
difcovered, nard, (once a famous Minifter at Batcomb in Somerfet) his Book
called, A Guide to Grand Jury-men in Cafes of Witchcraft, is a folid
and wife Treatife. What his Judgment was in the Cafe now under
debate, we may fee, pag. 209, 210. where his Words are thefe
"An Apparition of the Party fufpected, whom the Afflicted in
"their Fits feem to fee, is a great fufpicion; yet this is but a Pre-
fumption, tho' a ftrong one, becauſe thefe Apparitions are
"wrought by the Devil, who can reprefent to the Phanfie fuch
"as the Parties ufe to fear, in which his Reprefentation he may
"well lye as in his other Witness: For if the Devil can reprefent to
"the Witch feeming Samuel, faying, I fee God's afcending out of
"the Earth, to beguile Saul, may we not think he can reprefent
a common ordinary Perfon, Man or Woman unregenerate, tho'
૬ no Witch to the Phanfie of vain Perfons, to deceive them and
"others that will give Credit to the Devil. Thus Mr. Bernard.
CC
CC
As for the Judgment of the Elders in New England, fo far as
I can learn, they do generally concur with Mr. Perkins, and
Mr. Bernard. This I know, that at a Meeting of Minifters at
Cambridge, August 1. 1692. where were prefent feven Elders be-
fides the Prefident of the Colledge, the Queftion then difcourfed
on, was, Whether the Devil may not fometimes have a Permiffion to
reprefent an innocent Perfon as tormenting fuch as are under Diabolical
Moleftations? The Anfwer which they all concurred in, was in theſe
words, viz That the Devil may fometimes have a Permiffion to repre-
fent an innocent Perfon as tormenting fuch as are under Diabolical Mo-
leftations; but that fuch things are rare and extraordinary, especially
when fuch Matters come before Civil Judicatures: And that fome of
the moft eminent Minifters in the Land, who were not at that
Meeting are of the fame Judgment, I am affured: And I am
alfo fure, that in Cafes of this nature the Priest's Lips fhould keep
Knowledge, and they should feek the Law at his Mouth, Mal. 2. 7.
Arg. 6. Our own Experience has confirmed the Truth of what
we affirm.
I

concerning Witchcrafts.
19
I have in another Book given an account concerning Elizabeth
Knap of Groton, who complained that a Woman as eminent for
Piety as any in that Town, did appear to her, and afflict her
But afterwards he was fatisfied that that Perfon never did her
any harm, but that the Devil abufed them both. About two
Years ago, a bewitched Perfon in Chelmsford in her Fits, com-
plained that a worthy good Man, a near Relation of hers did af-
fia her: So did fhe likewife complain of another Perfon in that
Town of known Integrity and Piety.
I have my felf known feveral of whom I ought to think that
they are now in Heaven, confidering that they were of good
Converfation, and reputed Pious by thofe that had the greateſt In-
timacy with them, of whom nevertheless, fome complained that
their Shapes appeared to them, and threatned them: Nor is this
anfwered by faying, we do not know but thofe Perfons might be
Witches: We are bound by the Rule of Charity to think other-
wife: And they that cenfure any, meerly becaufe fuch a fad Af-
fliction as their being falfly reprefented by Satan has befallen them,
do not do as they would be done by. I blefs the Lord, it was
never the Portion allotted to me, nor to any Relation of mine to
be thus abufed: But no Man knoweth what may happen to him,
fince there be juft Men unto whom it happeneth according to the Work
of the Wicked, Ecclef. 8. 14. But what needs more to be faid,
fince there is one amongst our felves whom no Man that knows
him, can think him to be a Wizzard, whom yet fome bewitched
Perfons complained of, that they are in his Shape torment
ed: And the Devils have of late accufed fome eminent Perfons.
It is an awful thing which the Lord has done to convince fome.
amongst us of their Error: This then I declare and teftifie, that to
take away the Life of any one, meerly becaufe a Spectre or Devil,
in a bewitched or poffeffed Perfon does accufe them, will bring
the Guilt of innocent Blood on the Land, where fuch a thing
fhall be done: Mercy forbid that it should, (and I truft that as ic
has not it never will be fo) in New-England. What does fuch an
Evidence amount unto more than this: Either fuch an one did
afflict fuch an one, or the Devil in his likeness, or his Eyes were
bewitched.
The things which have been mentioned make way for, and
bring us unto the fecond Cafe, which is to come under our Confi-
deration, viz.
If

20
Cafes of Conscience
(d)Weber's
(e) Ubife
Bra. p. 207,
208.
If one bewitched is struck down at the Look or caft of the Eye of a-
nother, and after that recovered again by a Touch from the Jame Per-
fon, Is not this an infallible Proof, that the Perfon fufpected and com-
plained of is in League with the Devil?
6
C
Answer; It must be owned that by fuch things as thefe Witch-
crafts and Witches have been difcovered more than once or twice:
And that an ill Fame, or other Circumftances attending the fuf-
pected Party, this may be a Ground for Examination; but this
alone does not afford fufficient Matter for Conviction: As Spectres
or Devils appearing in the Shapes of Men that have been mur-
dered, declaring that they were murdered by fuch Perfons and in
fuch a place, may give juft occafion to the Magiftrate for En
difplaying of quiry into the Matter: One great Witch-Advocate (d) confeffeth,
fuppofed that by this means Murders have been brought to light; yet that
Witchcraft,
p. 298, 398. alone, if other Circumftances did not concur, would not by the
Law of God take away the Life of any Man. If my Reader
pleaſeth, he fhall hear what old Mr. Bernard of Batcomb faith to a
Cafe not unlike to this, and the former: His Words are thefe, (e)
The naming of the fufpected in their Fits, and alfo where they
have been,and what they have done here or there,as Mr.Throgmor-
ton's Children could do, and that often and ever found true; this
is a great Prefumption: yet is this but a Prefumption,becauſe this is
only the Devils Teftimony, who can lie, and that more often
than fpeak Truth.Chrift would not allow his Witnefs of him in a
point moft true; nor St. Paul in the due Praifes of him and Sy-
las; his Witness then may not be received as fufficient in cafe of
ones Life: He may accufe an Innocent, as I fhewed before in
Mr. Edmund's giving over his Practice to find Stollen Goods; and
Satan we read would accufe Job to God himſelf to be an Hy-
pocrite, and to be ready to be a Blafphemer, and he is called the
Accufer of the Brethren. Albeit, I cannot deny but this has
very often proved true, yet feeing the Devil is fuch an one as
you heard, Chriftian Men fhould not take his Witnels, to give
in Verdict upon Oath, and fo fwear that the Devil has therein
fpoken the Truth; be it far from good men to confirm any
Word of the Devil by Oath, if it be not an evident Truth
without the Devil's Teftimony, who in fpeaking the Truth, has
a lying Intent, and fpeaks fome Truths of things done, which.
may be found to be fo, that he may wrap with them fome
'pernicious Lye, which cannot be tried to be true, but muft
reft upon his own teftimony to enfnare the Blood of the Inno-
C
B
6
C
C
C
cent.

Concerning Witchcrafts.
в
P. 4,
cent. Thus Mr. Bernard refolved the Cafe above fixty Years 2-
go; and truly in my Opinion like a Wife and Orthodox Divine,
what he fays, reacheth both this and the former Cafe. Dr. Cotta
(a Learned Phyfician) in his Book, about The Tryal of Witchcraft,
fhewing the true and right Method of the Discovery, with a Confutation
Erroneous ways (which Book he dedicates to the Right Honourable
Sir Edward Cook, Lord Chief Juftice of England (f) He difcourfes (f) ch. 15.
concerning Exploration of Witches by the touch of the Witch curing
the touched bewitched, and fheweth the Fallibility and Vanity of
that way of Tryal, tho' he had often feen Perfons bewitched in
that way immediately delivered from the prefent Fic or Agony
which was upon them: But he taketh it to be a Diabolical Miracle.
He argueth thus, (g) No Man can doubt but that the Vertue (g) Pag. 121,
f wherewith this touch was indued, is fupernatural: If it be fo, 122
How can Man to whom nothing is fimply poffible that is not na-
fotural be juftly reputed an Agent therein: If he cannot be eſteem-
ed in himſelf any poffible or true Agent, then it remaineth that
if he can only be intereffed therein as an Acceffary in Confent,
for as a Servant unto a Superior Power: If that Superior Power
be the Devil, the leaft reafonable doubt, whether the Devil alone,
dor with the Confent or Contract of the fufpected Perfon has
5 produced that wonderful effect; with what Religion or Reafon
can any Man incline rather to credit the Devil's mouth in the
Bewitched, than to pity the Accufed, and believe them againft
the fubtilty of a deceitful Devil: If the Devil by Divine Per-
million may caufe fupernatural Concomitances and Confequences
frto attend the natural Actions of Men without their allowance,()
as is manifeft in poffeffed Perfons, how is it reafonable and juft
that the Impofitions of the Devil fhould be imputed unto any
Man: And (faith he) God forbid that the Devil's Signs and
Wonders, nay his Truths fhould become any legal Allegations
or Evidences in Law. We may therefore conclude it unjuft,
that the forenamed miraculous Effect by the Devil wrought and
or imputed by the Bewitched, fhould be efteemed an infallible
mark against any Man, as therefore convinced for that the De-
vil and the Bewitched have fo decyphered him? Thus that
Learned Man. But to the Cafe in hand, I have feveral things
erto offer.de baA the
6
-log ion has browed y
Pa boling e7s, andhe I belog d
g
1. It

23
Cafes of Confcience
(E) In viti
Hilarion.
fim Q1.23.
part 1. chap.
Buda
1. It is poffible that the Perfons in Question may be poffeffed with
Cacodemons: That bewitched Perfons are many times really pof-
felfed with evil Spirits, is moft certain. And as Mr. Perkins ob-
ferves, no Man can prove but that Witchcraft might be the Caufe
of many of thofe Poffeffions, which we read of in the Gofpel:
And that Devils have been immitted into the Bodies of miferable
Creatures by Magicians and Witches, Hiftories and Experience
do abundantly teftifie. Hierom (b) relates concerning a certain
Virgin, that a young Man, whole Amours fhe defpifed, prevail-
ed with a Magician to fend an evil Spirit into her, by means
() whereof the was ftrangely befotted. 'Tis reported (i) of Simon
Magus, that after he had ufed an Hellish Sacrifice, to be revenged
of fome that had called him a great Witch, he caufed infernal
Spirits to enter into them. Many confeffing Witches have ac-
knowledged, that they were the Caufe of fuch and fuch Perfons
(k) In Dif being poffeffed by evil Angels, as (k) Thy aus and others have ob-
pit. de De- ferved: Now no Credit ought to be given to what Demons in
moniacis, fuch as are by them obfeffed fhall fay. Our Saviour by his own
16. p. 30 unerring Example has taught us not to receive the Devil's Tefti-
mony in any thing. The Papifts are juftly condemned for
bringing Diabolical Teftimony to confirm the Principles of their
(1) Thuanm Religion. Peter Cotton the Jefuite (1) enquired of the Devil in a
poffeffed Perfon, what was the cleareft Scripture to prove Purga-
tory. At the time when Luther died, all the poffeffed People in
the Netherlands were quiet: The Devils in them, faid the Reafon
(m) Thyarm was, becaufe Luther (m) had been a great Friend of theirs, and
bfupra, P. they owed him that refpect as to go as far as Germany to attend
his Funeral. Another time when there was a talk of fome Mi-
nifters of the Reformed Religion, the Devils in the Obfeffed laugh-
ed and faid, they were not at all afraid of them, for the Calvinists
and they were very good Friends. The Jefuits infult with thefe
Teftimonies as if they were Divine Oracles: But the Father of
Lyes is never to be believed: He will utter twenty great cruths to
make way for one lye: He will accufe twenty Witches, if he can
but thereby bring one innocent Perfon into trouble: He mixeth
Truths with Lyes, that fo thofe truths giving credit unto lyes,
Men may believe both, and fo be deceived: And whereas fome
fay, that the Perfons in queftion are only bewitched and not pof-
feffed, let it be confidered that poffeffed Perfons are called Ener-
lib. 13.
P. 1136.
16.
gumens

Concerning Witchcrafts.
23
47. 50.
P 265.
thon Epift.
gumens from EPLOMA1 Agitor: They whofe Bodies are pre-
naturally agitated, fo as to be in danger of being thrown into
the Fire, or into the Water, though they may be bewitched, are
undoubtedly poffeffed with Demons, Mark 9. 22, 25. Learned
Men (a) give it as a moft certain fign of Poffeffion, when the af- (a) Henkel
flicted Party can fee and hear that which no one elfe can difcern fora, p.
any thing of, and when they can difcover (†) fecret things, Acts 6. (4) brock-
16. paft, or future, (b) as a poffeffed Perfon in Germany foretold mnd Theul.
the War which broke out in the Year, 1546. And when the Limbs (6) Melic-
of miferable Creatures are bent and disjointed.fo as could not
poffible be without a Luxation of Joints, were it not done by a
preternatural Hand, and yet no hurt raiſed thereby that argueth
Poffeffion. Alfo, when Perfons are by the Devil caft into Fits,
in the. which they fpeak of things, that afterwards they have no
remembrance of (c) or, if they are by cruel Devils tortured, fon Mar 8.
as to caufe horrendous Clamours in the diftreffed Sufferers, that's Q. 114.
another fign of Obfeffion by evil Spirits: If all theſe things con-
cur in the Perfons concerning where the Queftion is, we may
conclude them to be Damoniacks: And if fo, no Juror can with
a fafe Confcience look on the Teftimony of fuch, as fufficient to
take away the Life of any Man.
(c) Toftarus
in
Cafe of Conf.
2. Falling down by the cast of an Eye proceeds not from a natural, (1) Baldwin
but an arbitrary Caufe; not from any Poyfon in the Eye of the 1. 3. c. 3. p.
Witch, but from the Agency of fome Damon: The opinion of 621.
Fafcination by the Eye is an old Fable, and faith Mr. Perkins)
as fond as old. Pliny (e) fpeaks of a People that killed folks by (e) Lib. 7.
looking on them; and he adds, that they had two Apples in each Cap. 2.
Eye: and Tully writes of women who had two Apples in one
Eye that always did mischief with their meer Looks; fo Ovid,
Popula duplex fulminat. And Plutarch (f) writes, that fome per- (f)s Sim-
fons have fuch a Poyfon in their Eyes, as that their Friends and pas. cap. 7.
Familiars are Fafcinated thereby; nay he fpeaks of one that Be-
witched himself fick by looking on his own Face in a Glafs: O-
thers write of Fafcination by a meer Prolation of Words; and for
ought I know, there may be as much Witchery in the Tongue
as there is in the Eye. Sennertus (g) has difcovered the Superfti- (3) Mrd..
tion of thefe Fancies; Sight does not proceed from an Emiffion pars 9. cap.
of Rays from the Eye, but by a reception of the visible Spe-
cies; and if it be (as Philofophers conclude) an innocent Action
d 2
and
precl. lib. 6.

24
mo
Cafes of Confcience
and not an Emiffion optick Spirits, fo that Sight as fuch, does re-
ceive fomething from the Object, and not act upon it; the Notion
of Fafcination by the Eye is unphilofophical: It is true, that fore
Eyes will affect thofe that look upon them, Dum fpectant Oculi Lafos,
Leduntur & ipfi, for which a natural Reafon is eafily to be affigned;
but if the Witches Eyes are thus infected with a natural Contagi-
on, Whence is it, that only Bewitched Perfons are hure thereby?
If the vulgar Error concerning the Bafüisks killing with the Look
of his Poyfonful Eye were a Truth, whatever perfon that Ser-
pent caft his Eye upon would be poyfoned. So if Witches had a
phyfical Venom in their Eyes, others as well as Fafcinated Per-
fons would be fenfible thereof; there is as much Truth in this
fancy of Phyfical Venom in the Eye of a Witch, as there is in
(+) Lib. 2. what Pliny (t) and others relate concerning the Thibians, viz.
1.6. c. 9. that they have two Apples in one Eye, and the Effigies of an
Horfe in the other Eye; and that they are a people that cannot be
drowned.
cap. 2. Wie-
rus
p. 683.
3. As for that which concerns the Bewitched Perfons being recovered
out of their Agonies by the Touch of the fufpected Party, it is various and
fallible.
M vas To
For fometimes the afflicted Perfon is made fick, (inftead of be-
ing made whole) by the Touch of the Accufed fometimes the
Power of Imagination is fuch, as that the Touch of a Perfon in-
nocent and not accafed fhall have the fame effect. It is related in
the Account of the Tryals of Witches at Bury in Suffolk 1664,
(r) See the during the time of the Tryal, there were fome Experiments
Tryal, p. 40. made with the Perfons afflicted, by bringing the accufed to touch
them, and it was obferved that by the leaft Touch of one of the
fuppofed Witches, they that were in their Fits, to all mens Ap-
prehenfion wholly deprived of all Senfe and Underftandings,
would fuddenly thriek out and open their Hands.
43.45.
Mr. Serjeant Keeling did not think that fufficient to Convict the
Prifoners, for admitting that the Children were in truth Bewitch-
ed, yet (faith he) it cannot be applyed to the Prifoners upon the
Imagination only of the Parties afflicted; for if that might be
allowed, no Perfon whatfoever can be in fafety, for perhaps they
might fancy another Perfon who might altogether be innocent in
fuch matters: To avoid this Scruple it was privately defired by the
Judge, that fome Gentlemen there in Court would attend one of
the diftempered Perfons in the farther part of the Hall, whilft fhe
was

Concerning Witchcrafts.
25%
monomania.
Hiftory of
was in her Fits, and then to fend for one of the Witches to try what
would happen, which they did accordingly. One of them was
conveyed from the Bar, and brought to the Afflicted Maid. They
put an Apron before her Eyes, and then another perfon (not the
Witch) touched her, which produced the fame effect, as the Touch
of the Witch did in the Court. Whereupon the Gentlemen re-
turned much unfatisfied. Bodin (s) relates, that a Witch who was (1) In De-
Tryed at Nants, was commanded by the Judges to touch a Bewitch s
See Mr.
ed perfon, a thing often practifed by the Judges of Germany in the Brombal's
Imperial Chamber. The Witch was extreamly unwilling, but being Apparitions,
Compelled by the Judges, the cryed out, I am undone; and as foon P. 136.
as ever he touched the Afflicted perfon,the Witch fell down dead,
and the other recovered. That horrid Witch of Salisbury, Ann
Bodenham (t) who had been Servant to the Notorious Conjurer Dr. (t) See the
Lamb, could not bear the fight of one that was Bewitched by her. Printed Re-
As foon as ever the faw the Afflicted Perfon, fhe ran about fhriek- 30, 31
ing, and crying, and roaring after an hideous manner, that the De-
vil would tear her in pieces, if that perfon came near her. And
whilft the Witch was in fuch Torment, the Bewitched was at eafe.
By theſe things we fee, that the Laws and Cuftoms of the Kingdom
of darkness, are not always and in all places the fame.
And it is good for men to concern themfelves with them as little
as may be.
lation, P.
(*) Ubifu-
I think there is weight in Dr. Cotta's (u) Argument, viz.
That the Gift of healing the Sick and Poffeffed, was a Special Grace P, P. 121.
and Favour of God, for the Confirmation of the Truth of the Gospel,but
that fuch a Gift fhould be annexed to the Touch of Wicked Witches, as
an infallible fign of their guilt, is not eafie to be believed. It is a thing
well known, that if a perfon poffeffed by an Evil Spirit, is (as oft it
fo happens) never fo outragious whilft a good man is Praying with
and for the Afflicted, let him lay his hand on them, and the
Evil Spirit is quiet. I hope this is no evidence of any Covenant,or
voluntary Communion between the Good Man that is Praying and
the Evil Spirit; no more does the Cafe before us evince any fuch
thing.
4. There are that Question the Lawfulness of the Experiment. For
if this healing power in the Witch is not a Divine but a Diaboli-
cal Gift, it may be dangerous to meddle too much with it. If
the Witch may be ordered to touch afflicted Perfons in order to
their

26
Cafes of Confcience
ole Provi.
267.
their healing or recovery out of a fick Fit, why may not the
Difeafed Perfon be as well ordered to touch the Witch for the
fame caufe? And if to touch him, why not to fcratch him and
fetch Blood out of him, which is but an harder kind of touch?
But as for this M. Perkins doubts not to call it a Practice of Witch-
craft. It is not fafe to meddle with any of the Devils Sacraments
or Inftitutions; For my own part, I should be loath to fay to a Man,
that I knew or thought it was a Witch, do you look on fuch a Perfon, and
fee if you can Watch them into a Fit, and there is fuch an afflicted Per-
fon do you take them by the Hand, and fee if you can Witch them well
again. If it is by vertue of fome Contract with the Devil that Witches
bave Power to do fuch things, it is hard to conceive how they can be bid
to do them, without being too much concerned in that Hellish Covenant.
Remak I take it to be (as elsewhere (w) I have expreffed) a folid Prin-
dences, p. ciple, which the Learned Sennertus infifts on, viz. That they whe
force another to do that which he cannot poffibly do, but by vertue of a
Compact with the Devil, have themfelves implicitely Communion with
the Diabolical Covenant. The Devil is pleafed and honoured when
any of his Inftitutions are made ufe of; this way of discovering
Witches, is no better than that of putting the Urine of the affli-
cted Perfon into a Bottle, that fo the Witch may be tormented-
and difcovered: The Vanity and Superftition of which practice
I have formerly fhewed, and teftified againft. There was a Con-
(x) M: jurer his name was Edward Drake (x) who taught a Man to use that
ftory of Da- Experiment for the Relief of his afflicted Daughter, who found benefit
mons.p.136. thereby; But we ought not to practice Witchcrafts to difcover
ben', Nat. Witches, nor may we make ufe of a White healing Witch (as they
And how did men
of the Wit call them) to find out a Black and Bloody one.
first come to know that Witches would be difcovered in fuch
ways as thefe, which have been mentioned? If Satan him felf
were the firſt Diſcoverer (as there is reafon to believe) the expe-
riment muft needs have deceit in it. See Dr. Willet on Exod. 7.
Queft. 9. And fuch Experiments better become Pagans or Papifts
than Profeffors in New England; whereas 'tis pleaded, that fuch
things are practifed by the Judges of the Imperial Chamber, I re-
ply, that thofe Judges (as Bodia relates, Lib. 3. Demon. Cap. 6.)have
required fufpected Witches to pronounce over the afflicted per-
fons, these words, I bless thee in the Name of the Father, &c. upon
which they have immediately recovered; but is the dark day
come upon us
that fuch Superftitions as thefe fhall be practifed in
Burton's Hi
and Mr. Ro-
ch.s in Suf-
folk.
9113
New-

concerning Witchcrafts.
27
New-England: The Lord Jefus forbid it. See Baldwin's Tefti-
mony againſt the Practice of the Camera Imperialis, Caf. Confc.
L. 3. c. 3. p. 634.
5. If the Teftimony of a bewitched or poffeffed Perfon, is of Vali-
dity as to what they fee, done to themselves, then it is fo as to others,
whom they fee afflicted no less than themselves: But what they affirm
concerning others, is not to be taken for Evidence. Whence had
they this Supernatural Sight? It muft needs be either from Heaven
or from Hell: If from Heaven, (as Elifka's Servant, and Balaam's
Als could difcern Angels) let their Teftimony be received: But
if they had this Knowledge from Hell, tho' there may poffibly be
truth in what they affirm, they are not legal Witneffes: For the
Law of God allows of no Revelation from any other Spirit but
himself, Ifa. 8. 19. It is a Sin against God to make ufe of
the Devil's help to know that which cannot be otherwife
known: And I teftifie againft it, as a great Tranfgreffion,
which may juftly provoke the Holy One of Ifrael, to let loofe
Devils on the whole Land, Luke 4. 35. See Mr. Bernard's Guide
to Juries in Cafes of Witchcraft, p. 136, 137, 138. And Brochmand
Theol. de Angelis, p. 227. Altho' the Devil's Accufations may be
fo far regarded as to caufe an enquiry into the truth of things, Job
I. II, 12. & 2. 5, 6. yet not fo as to be an Evidence or Ground
of Conviction: The Perfons, concerning whom the Queftion is,
fee things through Diabolical Mediums; on which account their
Evidence is not meer humane Teftimony; and if it be in any part
Diabolical, it is not to be owned as Authentick; for the Devil's
Teſtimony ought not to be received neither in whole nor in part.
I am told by credible Perfons, who fay it is certainly true, that
a bewitched Perfon has complained that he was caft into Fits.
by the Look of a Dog; and that fhe was no more able to bear
the fight of that Dog, than of the Perfon whom the accufed as
bewitching her: And that thereupon the Dog was fhot to death:
This Dog was no Devil; for then they could not have killed him.
I fuppofe no one will fay that Dogs are Witches: It remains then
that the cafting down with the Look is no infallible fign of a
Witch.
8. It

28
Cafes of Confcience
8. It has always been faid, that it is a difficult thing to find out
Witches: But if the Reprefentation of fuch a Perfon as afflicting,
or the Look or Touch be an infallible proof of the guilt of Witch-
craft in the Perfons complained of, 'tis the eafieft thing in the
World to difcover them; for it is done to our hand, and there
needs no enquiry into the Matter.
9. Let them fay this is an infallible Proof, produce any Ward out of
the Law of God which does in the least countenance that Affertion: The
Word of God inftructs Jurors and Judges to proceed upon clear
humane Teftimony, Deut. 35. 30. But the Word no where giveth
us the leaft Intimation, that every one is a Witch, at whofe look
the bewitched Perfon fhall fall into Fits; nor yet that any other
means fhould be used for the difcovery of Witches, than what
may be used for the finding out of Murderers, Adulterers, and
other Criminals.
10. Sometimes Antipathies in Nature have ftrange and unac-
countable Effects. I have read of a Man that at the fight of his
own Son, who was no Wizzard would fall into Fits. There are
that find in their Natures an averfenefs to fome Perfons whom
they never faw before, of which they can give no better an ac-
count than he in Martial, concerning Sabidius.
Non Amo te Sabidi, nec poffum dicere quare.
That fome Perfons at the fight of Bruit-Creatures, Cats, Spi-
ders, &c. Nay, at the fight of Cheefes, Milk, Apples, will fall
into Fics, is too well known to be denied. Perfingius in his Learn-
ed Difcourfe De Pulvere Sympathatico, p. 128. faith, there was one
in the City of Groning that could not bear the fight of a Swine's
Head: And that he knew another who was hot able to look on
the Picture thereof. Amatus Lufitanus fpeaks of one that at the
fight of a Rofe would fwoon away: This proveth that the fall-
ing into a Fit at the fight of another is not always a fign of
Witchcraft. It may proceed from Nature, and the Power of
Imagination.
To

Concerning Witchcrafts.
29
Caf. Confe.
To conclude; Judicious Cafuifts (t) have determined, that to (t) Amer.
make ufe of thofe Media to come to the Knowledge of any Mat- L.4. C. 23.
ter, which have no fuch power in them by Nature, nor by Di-
vine Inflitution is an Implicit going to the Devil to make a difco-
very: Now there is no natural Power in the Look or Touch of a
Perfon to bewitch another; nor is this by Divine Inftitution the
means whereby Witchcraft is difcovered: Therefore it is an un-
warrantable Practice.
We proceed now to the third Cafe propofed to Confideration;
If the things which have been mentioned are not infallible Proofs
of Guilt in the accufed Party, it is then Queried, Whether there
are any Difcoveries of this Crime, which Jurors and Judges may with
a fafe Confcience proceed upon to the Conviction and Condemnation of
the Perfons under Sufpicion?
Let me here premife Two things,
daguih plod
1. The Evidence in this Crime ought to be as clear as in any
other Crimes of a Capital nature. The Word of God does no
where intimate, that a lefs clear Evidence, or that fewer or other
Witneffes may be taken as fufficient to convict a Man of Sorcery,
which would not be enough to convict him were he charged with
another evil worthy of Death, Numb. 35. 30. if we may not take
the Oath of a diftracted Perfon, or of a poffeffed Perfon in a
Cafe of Murder, Theft, Felony of any fort, then neither may
we do it in the Cafe of Witchcraft.
the Cafe of Witchc
2002. Let me premife this alfo, that there have been ways of try-
ing Witches long ufed in many Nations, efpecially in the dark
times of Paganifin and Popery, which the righteous God never ap-
proved of. But which as (judicious Mr. Perkins expreffeth it in
plain English) were invented by the Devil, that fo innocent Per-
fons might be condemned, and fome notorious Witches efcape:
Yea, many Superftitious and Magical experiments have been uſed
to try Witches by: Of this fort is that of fcratching the Witch,
or feething the Urine of the bewitched Perfon, or making a
Witch-cake with that Urine: And that tryal of putting their
Hands into fcalding Water, to fee if it will not hurt them: And
that of flicking an Awl under the Seat of the fufpected Party,
yea, and that way of difcovering Witches by tying their
e
Hands

30
Cafes of Conscience
Hands and Feet, and cafting them on the Water, to try whether
they will fink or fwim: I did publickly bear my Teftimony a-
gainft this Superftition in a Book printed at Bofton eight Years
paft.
I hear that of late fome in a Neighbour Colony have been.
playing with this Diabolical invention: It is to be lamented, that
in fuch a Land of Uprightness as New-England once was, a Practice
which Proteftant Writers generally condemnvas finful, and which
the more fober and learned Men amongft Papifts themſelves have
not only judged unlawful, but (to exprefs it in their own terms)
to be no less than a Mortal Sin, fhould ever be heard of. Were it
not that the coming of Chrift to judge the Earth draweth
near, I fhould think that fuch Practices are an unhappy Omen
that the Devil and Pagans will get thefe dark Territories into their
Poffeffion again: But that I may not be thought to have no rea-
fon for my calling the impleaded Experiment into Queftion, I have
theſe things further to alledge againſt it.
1. It has been rejected long agone, by Chriftian Nations as a
thing Superftitious and Diabolical: In Italy and Spain it is wholly
(a) Delrio. difufed; and (a) in the Low-Countries, and in France, where the
Difquiss.
Magic. pag. Judges are Men of Learning. In fome parts of Germany old Pa-
642. ganifm Cuftoms are obferved more than in other Countries, never-
(b) Milde- thelefs all the (b) Academies throughout Germany have difappro-
rus de M- ved of this way of Purgation.
gia. Cap no.
dub. II.
2. The Devil is in it, all Superftition is from him; and when
Secret things, or latent Crimes, are difcovered by fuperftitious
Practices, fome Compact and Communion with the Devil is the
(c) De Do- Caufe of it, as Austin (c) has truly intimated; and fo it is here;
ana. Lib. 2. for if a Witch cannot be drowned, this muft proceed either
Cap. 20, 22. from fome natural Caufe, which it doth not, for it is againſt Na-
ar. Chrifti-
ture for Humane Bodies, when Hands and Feet are tied, not to
fink under the Water: Befides, they that plead for this Superfti-
tion, fay that if Witches happen to be condemned for fome o-
ther Crime and not for Witchcraft, they will not fwim like a
Cork above Water, which Caufe fheweth that the Caufe of this
Natation is not Phyfical: And if not, then either it muft proceed
from a Divine Miracle to fave a Witch from drowning; or laft-
ly, it must be a diabolical Wonder: This fuperftitious Experi-
ment

Concerning Witchcrafts.
31
mald rm.
ment is commonly known by the Name of, The Vulgar Probation,
becauſe it was never appointed by any lawful Authority, but from
the Suggeftion of the Devil taken up by the rude Rabble: And
fome (d) learned Men are of Opinion, that the firft Explorator (d) Delri
(being a white Witch) did explicitely covenant with the Devil, that
he fhould diſcover latent Crimes in this way: And that it is by
Virtue of that firft Contract that the Devil goeth to work to
keep his Servants from finking, when this Ceremony of his or-
daining is uſed. Moreover, we know that Diabolus eft Dei Simia,the
Devil feeks to imitate Divine Miracles. We read in Ecclefiaftical
Story, that fome of the Martyrs when they were by Perfecutors
ordered to be drowned, prov'd to be immerfible: This Miracle
would the Devil imitate in caufing Witches, who are his Mar-
tyrs not to fink when they are caft into the Waters.
mallefica-
3. This way of Purgation is of the fame nature with the old Or-
deals of the Pagans. If Men were accufed with any Crime,to clear
their innocency,they were to take an hot Iron into their Hands,or
to fuffer fcalding Water to be poured down their Throats, and
if they received no hurt thereby they were acquitted. This was
the Devil's Invention, and many times (as the Devil would have
it) they that fubmitted to thefe Tryals fuffered no inconvenience.
Nevertheless, it is aftonishing to think what innocent Blood has
been ſhed in the World by means of this Satanical device. Witches
have often (as (e) Sprenger obferves) defired that they might ftand () In malleo
or fall by this Tryal by hot Iron,and fometimes come off well: In-
deed, this Ordeal was ufed in other Cafes, and not in Cafes of
Witchcraft only: And fo was the the Vulgar Probation by cafting
into the Water practiced upon Perfons accufed (f) with other (f) Menna de
Crimes as well as that of Witchcraft: How it came to be re- Purgatione
ftrained to that of Witchcraft I cannot tell; it is as fupernatu- .
vulgari, cap.
ral for a Body whofe Hands and Feet are tied to fwim above the
Water, as it is for their Hands not to feel a red hot Iron. If the
one of thefe Ordeals is lawful to be ufed, than fo is the other
too: But as for the fiery Ordeal it is rejected and exploded out
of the World; for the fame Reafon then the tryal by Water
fhould be fo.
THM. P.421.
Ife di noi
4. It

33
Cafes of Confcience
(g) Cafari-
, Lib. 9.
(b) De La-
C. 4.
vius, Hift.
Cobim.Lit.8.
4. It is a tempting of God when Men put the Innocency of
their Fellow Creatures upon fuch tryals; to defire the Almighty
to fhew a Miracle to clear the Innocent, or to convict the Guilty
is a moft prefumptuous tempting of him. Was it not a Miracle
when Peter was kept from finking under the Water by the Omni-
potency of Chrift? As for Satan, we know that his Ambition is
to make his Servants believe that his Power is equal to God's,
and that therefore he can preferve whom he pleafeth. I have
read (g) of certain Magicians, who were feen walking on the
Water: If then guilty Perfons fhall float on the Waters, either it
is the Devil that caufeth them to do fo, (as no doubt it is) and
what have Men to do to fet the Devil on work; or elfe it is a Di-
vine Miracle, like that of Peter's not finking, or that of the Iron
that fwam at the Word of Elifha. And fhall Men try whether
God will work a Miracle to make a difcovery? If a Crime can-
not be found out but by Miracle, it is not for any Judge on
Earth to ufurp that Judgment which is referved for the Divine
Throne.
5. This pretended Gift of Immerfibility attending Witches, is a
a moft fallible deceitful thing; for many a Witch has funk under
the Water. Godelmannus (b) giveth an account of fix notorious
mi, L. 3. and clearly convicted Witches, that when they were brought to
their vulgar Probation, funk down under the Water like other Per-
(i) Dubra fons; Altbufus affirms the like concerning others in the (i) Bobe-
mian Hiftory it is related, that Uratflaus the King of Bobemia,
extirpated Witches out of his Kingdom, fome of which he de-
livered to the Ax, others of them to the Fire, and others of them
he caufed to be drowned: If Witches are immenfible, how came
they to die by drowning in Bohemia? Befides, it has fometimes
been known that Perfons who have floated on the Water when
the Hangman has made the Experiment on them, have funk down
like a Stone, when others have made the tryal.
6. The Reaſons commonly alledged for this Superftition are of
no moment: It is faid they hate the Water; whereas they have
many times defired that they might be caft on the Water in order
to their purgation: It is alledged, that Water is ufed in Baptifm,
therefore Witches fwim: A weak Phanfie; all the Water in the
World

Concerning Witchcrafts.
33
World is not confecrated Water. Cannet Witches eat Bread or
drink Wine, notwithstanding thofe Elements are made ufe of in
the Bleffed Sacrament: Bit (fay fome) the Devils by fucking of
them make them fo light that the Water bears them; whereas
fome Witches are twice as heavy as many an innocent Perfon:
Well, but then they are poffeffed with the Devil: Suppofe fo; Is
the Devil afraid if they thould fink, that he fhould be drowned
with them? But why then were the Gadarens Hogs drowned
when the Devil was in them?
Theſe things being premifed, I anfwer the Queftion affirma-
tively; There are Proofs for the Conviction of Watches which Jurors
may with a fafe Confcience proceed upon, fo as to bring them in guilty.
The Scripture which faith, Thou shalt not fuffer a Witch to live,
clearly implies, that fome in the World may be known and pro-
ved to be Witches: For until they be fo, they may and muft be
fuffered to live. Moreover we find in Scripture, that fome have
been convicted and executed for Witches: For Saul cut off
thofe that bad familiar Spirits, and the Wizzards out of the Land,
I Sam. 28. 9.
Cafes about
(1) So Dr.
1 Sam.21. I.
It may be wondred that Saul who did like him that faid, Fle-
tere fi nequeo Superos Acherenta Movebo, fhould caufe the Wiz-
zards in the Land to be put to death. The Jewish Rabbies fay,
the reaſon was, becauſe thofe Wizzards foretold that David fhould
be King. It is (as Mr. Gaul (k) obferves) the Opinion of fome (4) In his
learned Proteftants, that Saul in his Zeal did over do: And that witchcraft,
under the Pretext (1) of Witches he flew the Gibeonites, for which p. 181.
that Judgment followed, 2 Sam. 21. 1. Neither (faith Mr. Gaule) Wet con-
want we the ftoried Examples of God's Judgments upon thofe that de- jectures on
famed, profecuted and executed them for Watches, that indeed were"
none. But we have in the Scripture the Example of a better Man
than Saul to encourage us to make enquiry after Wizzards and
Witches in order to their Conviction and Execution. This did
the rareft King that ever lived caufe to be done, viz. Fofiab, 2
Kings 23. 24. The Workers with familiar Spirits, and the Wizzards, that
were pied in the Land of Judah, did Jofiah put away, that he might
perform the Words of the Law. It feems there were fome that
fought to hide thofe Workers of Iniquity, but that incompa-
rable King fpied them out, and rid the Land and the World
of them.
2. But

34
Cafes of Confcience
nomania,L.4.
Q. But then the Enquiry is, What is fufficient Proof?
A. This Cafe has been with great Judgment anfwered by feveral
Divines of our own, particularly by Mr. Perkins, and Mr. Bernard;
alfo Mr. John Gaul a worthy Minifter at Staughton, in the County
of Huntington, has publiſhed a very Judicious Difcourfe, called,
Select Cafes of Confcience touching Witches and Witchcrafts, Printed at
London A. D. 1646. wherein he does with great Prudence and E-
vidence of Scripture-light handle this and other Cafes: Such Ju-
rors as can obtain thofe Books, I would advife them to read, and
ferioufly as in the fear of God to confider them, and fo far as they
keep to the Law and to the Teftimony, and fpeak according to
that Word, receive the Light which is in them. But the Books
being now rare to be had, let me express my Concurrence with
them in theſe two particulars.
1. That a free and voluntary Confeffion of the Crime made by the
Perfon fufpected and accufed after Examination, is a fufficient Ground of
Conviction.
id
Indeed, if Perfons are Diftracted, or under the Power of Pbre-
netick Melancholy, that alters the Cafe; but the Jurors that examine
them, and their Neighbours that know them, may easily deter-
(m) V. Br- mine that Cafe; or if Confeffion be (m) extorted, the Evidence
din Demo is not fo clear and convictive; but if any Perfons out of Remorfe
of Confcience, or from a Touch of God on their Spirits, confefs
and fhew their Deeds, as the Converted Magicians in Ephefus did,
Acts 19. 18, 19. nothing can be more clear. Suppofe a Man to
be fufpected for Murder, or for committing a Rape, or the like
nefandous Wickednefs, if he does freely confefs the Accufation,
that's ground enough to Condemn him. The Scripture approveth
of Judging the wicked Servant out of his own Mouth, Luke 19.
22. It is by fome objected, that Perfons in Difcontent may falf-
ly accufe themfelves. I fay, if they do fo, and it cannot be
proved that they are falfe Accufers of themfelves, they ought to
dye for their Wickednefs, and their Blood will be upon their own
Heads; the Jury, the Judges, and the Land is clear: I have
read a very fad and amazing, and yet a true Story to this pur-
pofe.
There

concerning Witchcrafts.
35
There was in the Year 1649, in a Town called Lauder in
Scotland, a certain woman accufed and imprifoned on fufpi-
cion of Witchcraft, when others in the fame Pifon with her
were Convicted, and their Execution ordered to be on the Mon-
day following, the defired to fpeak with a Minifter, to whom the
declared freely that fhe was guilty of Witchcraft, acknowledging
alfo many other Crimes committed by her, defiring that the
might die with the reft: She faid particularly that fhe had Cove-
nanted with the Devil, and was become his Servant about twen-
ty years before, and that he kiffed her and gave her a Name, but
that fince he had never owned her. Several Minifters who were
jealous that the accufed herſelf untruly, charged it on her Confci-
ence, telling her that they doubted fhe was under a Temptation
of the Devil to deftroy her own Body and Soul, and adjuring
her in the Name of God to declare the Truth: Notwithſtanding
all this, fhe ftifly adhered to what fhe had faid, and was on Mon-
day morning Condemned, and ordered to be Executed that day.
When the came to the place of Execution, fhe was filent until
the Prayers were ended, then going to the Stake where fhe was
to be Burnt, the thus expreffed herfelf, All you that fee me this
day! Know ye that I am to die as a Witch, by my own Confeffion!
and I free all Men, especially the Minifters and Magiftrates, from the
guilt of my Blood, I take it wholly on my felf, and as I must make-
answer to the God of Heaven, I declare I am as free from Witchcraft
as any Child, but being accufed by a Malicious Woman, and Imprisoned
under the Name of a Witch, my Husband and Friends difowned me,
and feeing no hope of ever being in Credit again, through the Temptation
of the Devil, I made that Confeffion to destroy my own Life, being wea
ry of it, and chufing rather to Die than to Live. This her lamenta-
ble Speech did aftonifh all the Spectators, few of whom could re-
frain from Tears. The Truth of this Relation (faith my (2) Au- Mr.Sina
thor) is certainly attefted by a worthy Divine now living, who (2) Min
was an Eye and an Ear-Witnefs of the whole matter; but thus ble World.
did that miferable Creature fuffer Death, and this was a juft Ex Burton Hift.
ecution. When the Amalakite confeffed that he killed Saul, whom of Demons,
he had no legal Authority to meddle with, although 'tis probable
that he belyed himfelf, David gave order for hiis Execution, and
faid to him, Thy Blood be upon thy Head, for thy Mouth bath Teftified
against thee, 2 Sam. 1. 16. But as for the Teftimony of Confef
fing Witches against others, the cafe is not lo clear as againſt them-
felyes,
clare Invifi-
P. 45. and
P. 122

36
Cafes of Confcience
felves, they are not fuch credible Witneffes, as in a Cafe of Life
and Death is to be defired: It is beyond difpute, that the Devil
makes his Witches to dream ftrange things of themfelves and o-
thers which are not fo. There was (as Authors beyond Excepti
on relate) in appearance a fumptuous Feaft prepared, the Wine
and Meat fet forth in Veffels of Gold; a certain Perfon whom an
amorous young Man had fallen in Love with, was reprefented
() Boifard and fuppofed to be really there; but Apollonius Tyaneus (o) difco-
in vita Apol- vered the Witchery of the Bufinefs, and in an inftance all vaniſh-
lonii.
ed, and nothing but dirty Coals were to be feen: The like to this
is mentioned in the Araufican Council. There were certain Wo-
men that imagined they road upon Beafts in the Night, and that
they had Diana and Herodius in company with them, befides a
Troop of other Perfons; the Council giveth this Sentence on it;
Satanas qui fe transfigurat in Angelum Lucis, transformat je in diver-
farum perfonarum fpecies, & mentem quam captivam tenet, in fomnis
deludit. Satan transforms himſelf into the likeness of divers Per-
fons, and deludes the Souls that are his Captives with Dreams
and Fancies; fee Dr. Willet on 1 Sam. 28. p. 165. What Credit
can be given to thofe that fay they can turn Men into Horfes?
If fo, they can as well turn Horfes into Men; but all the Wit-
ches on Earth in Conjunction with all the Devils in Hell, can
never make or unmake a rational Soul, and then they cannot
transform a Bruit into a Man, nor a Man into a Bruit; fo that this
Tranfmutation is fantaflical. The Devil may and often does im-
pofe on the Imaginations of his Witches and Vaffals, that they
believe themſelves to be be Converted into Beafts, and reverted
into Men again; as Nebuchadnezzar whilft under the Power of a
Dæmon really imagined himself to be an Ox, and would lye out
of Doors and eat Grafs: The Devil has inflicted on many a Man
the Difeafe called Lycanthropia, from whence they have made
lamentable Complaints of their being Wolves: In a word, there
is no more Reality in what many Witches confefs of ftrange
things feen or done by them, whilft Satan had them in his full
Power, than there is in Lucian's ridiculous Fable of his being Be-
witched into an Affe, and what ftrange Feats he then played; fo
that what fuch perfons relate concerning Perfons and Things at
Witch-meetings, ought not to be received with too much Credu-
lity. laiss
olton ei siro di aso
I could

Concerning witchcrafts.
37
I could mention difmal Inftances of Innocent Blood which has
been fhed by means of the Lies of fome Confeffing Wit-
ches; there is a very fad Story mentioned in the Preface to the
Relation of the Witchcrafts in Sweedland, how that in the Year
1676, at Stockholm, a young Woman accufed her own Mother
(who had indeed been a very bad Woman, but not guilty of
Witchcraft,) and Swore that fhe had carried her to the Nocturnal
Meetings of Witches, upon which the Mother was burnt to Death.
Soon after theDaughter came crying and howling before the Judges
in open Court, declaring, that to be revenged on her Mother
for an Offence received, fhe had falfely accufed her with a Crime
which the was not guilty of; for which fhe alfo was juftly Execu-
ted. A moft wicked Man in France freely confefled himfelf to
be a Magician, and accufed many others, whofe Lives were
thereupon taken from them; and a whole Province had like to
have been ruined thereby, but the Impoftor was difcovered: The
Confeffing pretended Wizzard was burnt at Paris in the year
1668. I hall only take notice further of an awful Example men-
tioned by A. B. Spot/wood in his Hiftory of Scotland, p. 449. His
words are thefe,This Summer (viz. Anno 1597.) there was
a great bufinefs for the Tryal of Witches, amongst others, one
Margaret Atkin being apprehended on fufpicion, and threatned
with Torture, did confefs herfelf Guilty; being examined
touching her Affociates in that Trade, fhe named a few, and
perceiving her Delations find Credit, made offer to detect all of
that fort, and to purge the Country of them; fo fhe might
have her Life granted: For the reafon of her Knowledge, the
faid, That they had a fecret mark all of that fort in their Eyes, where-
by fhe could furely tell, how foon fhe looked upon any, whether they
were Watches or not; and in this fhe was fo readily believed, that
for the fpace of 3 or 4 Months fhe was carried from Town to
Town to make Difcoveries in that kind; many were brought
in queftion by her Delations, efpecially at Glasgow, where di-
vers Innocent Women, through the Credulity of the Minifter Mr. John
Cowper, were condemned and put to Death; in the end he was found
to be a meer deceiver, and fent back to Fife, where the was firft
apprehended: At her Tryal fhe affi med all to be falfe that the
had confeffed of herfelf or others, and perfifted in this to her
Death, which made many fore-think their too great forwardness
that way,and moved the King to recal his Commiffion given out
Sagainſt fuch Perfons, difcharging all Proceedings againſt them,
f
८
C
C
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201
except

38
Cafes of Conscience
() Mr. Mor-
den in his
Geogra.Phy.
P577
6
except in cafe of a voluntary Confeffion, till a folid Order fhould
be taken by the Eftates touching the form that fhould be kept in
their Tryal. Thus that famous Hiftorian.
CD);
2. If two credible Perfons fhall affirm upon Oath that they have feen the
party accufed fpeaking fuch words, or doing things which none but fuch as
have Familiarity with the Devil ever did or can do, that's a fufficient
Ground for Conviction.
Some are ready to fay, that Wizzards are not fo unwife as to do
fuch things in the fight or hearing of others, but it is certain that
they have very often been known to do fo: How often have they
been ſeen by others ufing Inchantments? Conjuring to raife Storms?
And have been heard calling upon their Familiar Spirits? And have
been known to ufe Spells and Charms? And to fhew in a Glafs or
in a Shew-ftone perfons abfent? And to reveal Secrets which could
not be diſcovered but by the Devil? And have not men been
feen to do things which are above humane Strength, that no man
living could do without Diabolical Affiftances? Claudia was feen
by Witneffes enough, to draw a Ship which no humane Strength
could move. Tuccia a Veftal Virgin was feen to carry Water in a
a Sieve: The Devil never aflifts men to do fupernatural things un-
defired. When therefore fuch like things fhall be teftified againſt
the accufed Party not by Spectres which are Devils in the Shape of
Perfons either living or dead, but by real men or women who
may be credited; it is proof enough that fuch an one has that
Converfation and Correfpondence with the Devil, as that he or
fhe, whoever they be, ought to be exterminated from amongſt
men. This notwithstanding I will add; It were better that ten
fufpected Witches fhould efcape, than that one innocent Perfon
fhould be Condemned; that is an old faying, and true, Prestat
reum nocentem abfolvi, quam ex prohibitis Indiciis & illegitima probatio-
ne condemnari. It is better that a Guilty Perfon fhould be Abfol-
ved, than that he fhould without fufficient ground of Conviction
be condemned. I had rather judge a Witch to be an honeft wo-
man,than judge an honeft woman as a Witch. The word of God
directs men not to proceed to the execution of the moft capital of-
fenders, until fuch time as upon fearching diligently, the matter is
found to be a Truth, and the thing certain, Deut. 13. 14, 15.
An Acquaintance(p)of mine at London, in his defcription of New-
England declares, that as to their Religion, the people there are like
Mr. Perkins; it is no difhonour to us, if that be found true: I am
forry that any amongft us begin to flight fo great a Man, whom
the

Concerning Witchcrafts.
39
Biblioth. 1.2.
Hifto.
the moſt (g) Learned in Forreign Lands, fpeak of with Admi-(2) Voetlus
ration, on the account of his polite and acute Judgment: It is a Lecus in
grave and good Advice which he giveth in his Difcourfe of Witch-Compend.
crafts (Chap. 7. Sect. 2.) wherewith I conclude; I would there-
fore wifh and advife all Jurors who give their Verdict upon Life
and Death in the Court of Affizes, 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 fufficient and lawful means, fo
likewife they would be careful what they do, and not to condemn
any party fufpected upon bare Prefumptions, without found and
fufficient Proofs that they be not guilty through their own Rafh-
nefs of fhedding Innocent Blood.
Bofton, New-England, Octob. 3. 1692.
The CONTENTS.
THE first Cafe propofed, whether not may Satan appear in the Shape
of an Innocent and Pious, as well as of a Nocent and Wicked Per-
fon, to afflict fuch as fuffer by Diabolical Moleftation?
The Affirmitive proved from fix Arguments.
1. From feveral Scriptures.
Pag. 1.
2. Because it is poffible for the Devil in the Shape of Innocent Perfons
to do other Mifchiefs, proved by many Instances.
P. 6.
3. Because if Satan may not represent an Innocent Perfon as afflicting
others, it must be either because he wants will or power to do this, or be-
caufe God will never permit him fo to do it; either of which may be
affirmed.
p. 8.
4. It is certain both from Scripture and History, that Magicians by
their Inchantments and Hellish Conjurations may cause a falfe Reprefenta-
tion of Perfons and Things.
P. 12.
5. From the concurring Judgment of many Learned and Judicous
Men.
P. 16.
6.Our own Experience has confirmed the Truth of what we affirm. p.18.
The Second Cafe confidered, viz. if one bewitched be cast down with
the look or caft of the Eye of another Perfon, and after that recovered a-
gain by a Touch from the fame Perfon, is not this an infallible Prof that
the party accufed and complained of is in Covenant with the Devil? p.23.
Anfw. This may be Ground of Sufpicion and Examination, but not of
Conviction.
P. 24.
The Judgment of Mr. Bernard and of Dr. Cotta produced. p. 25, 27.
f 2
Several

The CONTENTS.
Several things offered against the Infallibility of this Proof.
1. 'Tis poffible that the perfons in question may be poffeffed with Evil
Spirits. Signs of luck.
Pag. 22.
2. Falling down with the caft of the Eye proceeds not from a natural
but an arbitrary Caufe.
P. 23.
3. That of the bewitched Perfons being recovered with a Touch is va-
rious and fallible.
p. 24.
4. There are that question the Lawfulness of the Experiment. p. 25.
5. The Teftimony of bewitched or poffeffed Perfons is no Evidence as to
what they fee concerning others, and therefore not as to themselves. p.27.
6. Bewitched Perfons have fometimes been ftruck down with the Look
of Dogs, ibid.
7. If this were an infallible proof, there would be difficulty in difcove-
ring Witches.
8. Nothing can be produced out of the Word of God to fhew, that this
is any proof of Wuchraft, p. 28.
9. Antipathies in nature have strange and unaccountable effects.
The Third Cafe confidered, whether there are any Difcoveries of Witch-
craft, which Jurors and Judges may with a fafe Confcience proceed upon
to the Conviction and Condemnation of the perfons under Sufpicion, p.5 1.
Two things premifed,
1. That the Evidence in the Crime of Witchraft ought to be as clear as
in any other Crimes of a Capital nature, p. 29.
2. That there have been ways of Trying Witches long ufed, which God
never approved of. More particularly that of cafting the fufpected Party
into the Water, to try whether they will Sink or Swim. The Vanity and
great Sin which is in that way of Purgation evinced by fix Reasons, p. 29,
to 30.
That there are proofs for the Conviction of Witches, which Jurors may
with a fafe Confcience proceed upon, proved from Scripture, p. 33.
That a free and voluntary Confeffion is a fufficient ground of Convicti-
on, P. 34
That the Teftimony of confeffing Witches against others, is not fo clear
an Evidence as against themselves, p. 35.
That if two Credible Perfons fhall affirm upon Oath that they have
feen the Perfon accufed doing things, which nene but fuch as have familiari-
with the Devil, ever did or can do, that's a fufficient ground of Con-
viction: And that this has often happened, p. 38.
ty
Mr. Perkins his Solemn Caution to Jurors, p. 39.
POST-

POSTSCRIPT.
HE Defign of the preceding Differtation, is not to plead for
Witchcrafts, or to appear as an Advocate for Witches: I
have therefore written another Difcourfe, proving that there are
fuch 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 publifh;
and I am abundantly fatisfied that there have been, and are ftill
moft curfed Witches in the Land. More then one or two of thoſe
now in Prifon, have freely and credibly acknowledged their Com-
munion and Familiarity with the Spirits of Darkness; and have
alfo declared unto me the Time and Occafion, with the particular
Circumftances of their Hellifh Obligations and Abominations.
Nor is there defigned any Reflection on thofe worthy Perfons
who have been concerned in the late Proceedings at Salam: They
are wife and good Men, and have acted with all Fidelity accord-
ing to their Light, and have out of tenderness declined the doing
of fome things, which in our own Judgments they were fatisfied
about: Having therefore fo arduous a Cafe before them, Pitty and
Prayers rather than Cenfures are their due; on which account
I am glad that there is published to the World(by my Son)a Brevi-
ate of the Tryals of fome who were lately executed, whereby I hope
the thinking part of Mankind will be fatisfied, that there was
more than that which is called Spectre Evidence for the Conviction
of the Perfons condemned. I was not my felf prefent 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 feveral
Perlons did upon Oath teftifie, that they faw him do fuch things
as no Man that has not a Devil to be his Familiar could perform:
And the Judges affirm, that they have not convicted anyone
meerly on the account of what Spectres have faid, or of what has
been reprefented to the Eyes or Imaginations of the fick bewitch-
ed Perfons. If what is here expofed 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 fo far as I am
able

POSTSCRIPT
able to difcern the Truth in thefe dark Cafes, to declare my Sen-
timents, with the Arguments which are of weight with me, ho-
ping that what is written may be of fome ufe to difcover the
Depths of Satan; and to prevent innocent ones having their Lives
endangered, or their Reputations ruined, by being through the
Subtilty and Power of the Devils, in confideration with the Igno-
rance and Weakness of Men, involved amongst the Guilty. It
becomes thofe of my Profeffion to be very tender in Cafes of
Blood, and to imitate our Lord and Mafter, Who came not to destroy
the Lives of Men, but to fave them.
I likewife defign in what I have written, to give my teftinony
againſt theſe unjuftifiable ways of difcovering Witchcrafts, which
fome among us have practiced. I hear that of late there was a
Witch-cake made with the Urine of bewitched Creatures, as one
Ingredient by feveral Perfons in a place, which has fuffered much
by the Attack of Hell upon it: This I take to be not only wick-
ed Superftition, but great Folly: For tho' the Devil does fome-
times operate with the Experiments, yet not always, eſpecially if
a Magical Faith be wanting. I fhall here take occafion to recite fome
Paffages in a Letter, which I received from that Eminent pious
and learned Man, Mr. Samuel Cradock; during my abode in Lon-
don; the Letter bears date Febr. 26. 1690. Then take it in his own
Words, which are thefe; We have at this preſent one in our
next Town, who has a Son who has ftrange Fits, and fuch as
they impute to Witchcraft: He come to confult with me about
it, but before he came, he had ufed a means which I fhould
never have directed him unto, viz. He took the Nails of his
Son's Hands and Feet, and fome of his Hair, and mixed them in
Rye-pafte with his Water, and fo fet it all by the Fire till it was
confumed, and his Son (as he fays) was well after, and free from
his Fits for a whole Month, but then they came again, and He
tried that means a fecond time, and then it would not do; He re-
moved his Son into Cambridgeshire the next County, and then he
was well, but as feon as he brought him home he was afflicted as
before. The Foy fays, He faw a thing like a Mole follow-
ing 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 ufe
of the Medicine prefcribed by our Saviour, viz. Fafting and
Prayer. Here have been others in this Town, that though they
were under Ill-bandling as they call it: One Family had their
Milk fo affected, that they could not poffibly make any Cheeſe,
C
C
6
6
6
' but

POSTSCRIPT
but it hov'd and fwelled, 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 molefted with Demons, only I wifh
that the Superftitions practiced in other places to get rid of fuch
troubleſome Gueſts had never been known, much lefs ufed amongſt
us or them.
Some I hear have taken up a Notion, that the Book newly pub-
lifhed by my Son, is contradictory to this of mine: 'Tis ftrange
that fuch Imaginations fhould enter into the Minds of Men: I
perufed and approved of that Book before it was printed; and
nothing but my Relation to him hindred me from recommend-
ing it to the World: But my felf and Son agreed unto the hum-
ble Advice which twelve Minifters concurringly prefented before
his Excellency and Council, refpecting the prefent Difficulties,
which let the World judge, whether there be any thing in its dif-
fentany from what is attefted by either of us.
It was in the Words following:
The Return of feveral Minifters confulted by his Excellency, and
the Honourable Council, upon the prefent Witchcrafts in Salem
Village.
Bofton, June 15. 1692.
I. HE afflicted State of our poor Neighbours, that are now fuffer-
ing by Moleftations from the Invifible World, we apprehend fo
deplorable, that we think their Condition calls for the utmost help of all
Perfons in their feveral Capacities. II. We cannot but with all Thank-
fulness acknowledge, the Success which the merciful God has given unto
the fedulous and affiduous Endeavors of our bonourable Rulers, to detect
the abominable Witchcrafts which have been committed in the Country;
humbly praying that the discovery of these mysterious and mischievous
Wickedneffes, may be perfected. III. We judge that in the profecution
of these, and all fuch Witchcrafts, there is need of a very critical and
exquifite Caution, left by too much Credulity for things received only
upon the Devil's Authority, there be a Door opened for a long Train of
miferable Confequences, and Satan get an Advantage over us, for we
fhould 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 Prefumption, and there may be Matters of Prefumpti
on which yet may not be reckoned Matters of Conviction; fo 'tis
necellary that all Proceedings thereabout be managed with an exceeding
*
tender-

POSTSCRIPT
tenderneß towards thofe that may be complained of; especially if they
have been Perfons formerly of an unblemished Reputation. V. When the
firft Enquiry is made into the Circumstances of fuch as may lie under
any juft Sufpicion of Witchcrafts, we could wish that there may be ad-
mitted as little as is poffible, of fuch Noife, Company, and Openness, as
may too baftily expofe them that are examined: and that there may no-
thing be used as a Teft, for the Trial of the fufpected, the Lawfulnes
whereof may be doubted among the People of God; but that the Dire-
Etions given by fuch Judicious Writers as Perkins and Bernard, be
confulted in fuch a Cafe. VI. Prefumptions whereupon Perfons may be
committed, and much more Convictions, whereupon Perfons may be
condemned as guilty of Witchcrafts, ought certainly to be more confide-
rable, than barely the accufed Perfons being reprefented by a Spectre unto
the Afflicted; inasmuch as 'tis an undoubted and a notorious thing, that
a Damon may, by God's Permiffion, appear even to ill purposes, in the
Shape of an innocent, yea, and a vertuous Man: Nor can we efteem
Alterations made in the Sufferers, by a Look or Touch of the Accufed to
be an infallible Evidence of Guilt; but frequently liable to be abused by
the Devil's Legerdemains. VII. We know not, whether fome remark-
able Affronts given to the Devils, by our disbelieving of thofe Teftimo-
nies, whofe 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 Accufation of Jo many Perfons, whereof we hope, fome are yet clear
from the great Tranfgreffion laid unto their Charge. VIII. Nevertheles,
We cannot but humbly recommend unto the Government, the speedy and
vigorous Profecution of fuch as have rendred themfelves obnoxious, ac-
cording to the Direction given in the Laws of God, and the wholefome
Statutes of the English Nation, for the Detection of Witchcrafts.
zaroll
FINI S.
Moj
bonndoor so don gay ay daider





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