things in the sight or hearing of others, but it is certain that they
have very often been known to do so: How often have they been seen by
others using Inchantments? Conjuring to raise Storms? And have been
heard calling upon their Familiar Spirits? And have been known to use
Spells and Charms? And to shew in a Glass or in a Shew-stone persons
absent? And to reveal Secrets which could not be discovered but by the
Devil? And have not men been seen to do things which are above humane
Strength, that no man living could do without Diabolical Assistances?
_Claudia_ was seen by Witnesses enough, to draw a Ship which no humane
Strength could move. _Tuccia_ a Vestal Virgin was seen to carry Water in
a Sieve: The Devil never assists men to do supernatural things
undesired. When therefore such like things shall be testified against
the accused Party not by _Spectres_ which are Devils in the Shape of
Persons either living or dead, but by real men or women who may be
credited; it is proof enough that such an one has that Conversation and
Correspondence with the Devil, as that he or she, whoever they be, ought
to be exterminated from amongst men. This notwithstanding I will add; It
were better that ten suspected Witches should escape, than that one
innocent Person should be Condemned; that is an old saying, and true,
_Prestat reum nocentem absolvi, quam ex prohibitis Indiciis & illegitima
probatione condemnari._ It is better that a Guilty Person should be
Absolved, than that he should without sufficient ground of Conviction be
condemned. I had rather judge a Witch to be an honest woman, than judge
an honest woman as a Witch. The Word of God directs men not to proceed
to the execution of the most capital offenders, until such time as upon
searching diligently, the matter is _found to be a Truth, and the thing
certain_, _Deut. 13.14, 15._
An Acquaintance[88] of mine at _London_, in his description of
_New-England_ declares, that as to their Religion, the people there are
like Mr. _Perkins_; it is no dishonour to us, if that be found true: I
am sorry that any amongst us begin to slight so great a Man, whom the
most Learned[89] in Foreign Lands, speak of with Admiration, on the
account of his polite and acute Judgment: It is a grave and good Advice
which he giveth in his Discourse of Witchcrafts (Chap. 7. Sect. 2.)
wherewith I conclude; 'I would therefore wish and advise all Jurors who
give the Verdict upon Life and Death in the Court of Assizes, to take
good heed, that as they be diligent in zeal of God's glory, and the good
of his Church, in detecting of Witches, by all sufficient and lawful
means, so likewise they would be careful what they do, and not to
condemn any party suspected upon bare Presumptions, without sound and
sufficient Proofs that they be not guilty through their own Rashness of
shedding Innocent Blood.'
_Boston, New-England, Octob. 3. 1692._
POSTSCRIPT.
The Design of the preceding _Dissertation_, is not to plead for
Witchcrafts, or to appear as an Advocate for Witches: I have therefore
written another Discourse, proving that there are such horrid Creatures
as Witches in the World; and that they are to be extirpated and cut off
from amongst the People of God, which I have Thoughts and Inclinations
in due time to publish; and I am abundantly satisfied that there have
been, and are still most cursed Witches in the Land. More than one or
two of those now in Prison, have freely and credibly acknowledged their
Communion and Familiarity with the Spirits of Darkness; and have also
declared unto me the Time and Occasion, with the particular
Circumstances of their Hellish Obligations and Abominations.
Nor is there designed any Reflection on those worthy Persons who have
been concerned in the late Proceedings at _Salem_: They are wise and
good Men, and have acted with all Fidelity according to their Light, and
have out of tenderness declined the doing of some things, which in our
own Judgments they were satisfied about: Having therefore so arduous a
Case before them, Pitty and Prayers rather than Censures are their due;
on which account I am glad that there is published to the World (by my
Son) a _Breviate of the Tryals_ of some who were lately executed,
whereby I hope the thinking part of Mankind will be satisfied, that
there was more than that which is called _Spectre Evidence_ for the
Conviction of the Persons condemned. I was not myself present at any of
the Tryals, excepting one, _viz._ that of _George Burroughs_; had I been
one of his Judges, I could not have acquitted him: For several Persons
did upon Oath testifie, that they saw him do such things as no Man that
has not a Devil to be his Familiar could perform: And the Judges affirm,
that they have not convicted any one meerly on the account of what
_Spectres_ have said, or of what has been represented to the Eyes or
Imaginations of the sick bewitched Persons. If what is here exposed to
publick view, may be a means to prevent it for the future, I shall not
repent of my Labour in this Undertaking. I have been prevailed with so
far as I am able to discern the Truth in these dark Cases, to declare my
Sentiments, with the Arguments which are of weight with me, hoping that
what is written may be of some use to discover the _Depths of Satan_;
and to prevent innocent ones having their Lives endangered, or their
Reputations ruined, by being through the Subtility and Power of the
Devils, in consideration with the Ignorance and Weakness of Men,
involved amongst the Guilty. It becomes those of my Profession to be
very tender in Cases of Blood, and to imitate our Lord and Master, _Who
came not to destroy the Lives of Men, but to save them_.
I likewise design in what I have written, to give my testimony against
these unjustifiable ways of discovering Witchcrafts, which some among us
have practised. I hear that of late there was a _Witch-cake_ made with
the Urine of bewitched Creatures, as one Ingredient by several Persons
in a place, which has suffered much by the Attack of Hell upon it: This
I take to be not only wicked Superstition, but great Folly: For tho' the
Devil does sometimes operate with the _Experiments_, yet not always,
especially if a _Magical Faith_ be wanting. I shall here take occasion
to recite some Passages in a Letter, which I received from that Eminent
pious and learned Man, Mr. _Samuel Cradock_; during my abode in
_London_; the Letter bears date _Febr. 26. 1690_. Then take it in his
own Words, which are these; 'We have at this present one in our next
Town, who has a Son who has strange Fits, and such as they impute to
Witchcraft: He come to consult with me about it, but before he came, he
had used a means which I should never had directed him unto, _viz._ He
took the Nails of his Son's Hands and Feet, and some of his Hair, and
mixed them in Rye-Paste with his Water, and so set it all by the Fire
till it was consumed, and his Son (as he says) was well after, and free
from his Fits for a whole Month, but then they came again, and _He tried
that means a second time, and then it would not do;_ He removed his Son
into _Cambridgeshire_ the next County, and then he was well, but as soon
as he brought him home he was afflicted as before. The Boy says, He saw
a thing like a Mole following of him, which once spoke to him, and told
him he came to do the Office he was to do: I advised his Father to make
use of the Medicine prescribed by our Saviour, _viz._ Fasting and
Prayer. Here have been others in this Town, that though they were under
_Ill-handling_ as they call it: One Family had their Milk so affected,
that they could not possibly make any Cheese, but it hov'd and swelled,
and was good for nothing: They are now rid of that trouble, but how they
got rid of it I do not know': Thus my Letter. By which it is evident
that Towns in _England_ as well as _New-England_ are molested with
_Daemons_, only I wish that the Superstitions practiced in other places
to get rid of such troublesome Guests had never been known, much less
used amongst us or them.
Some I hear have taken up a Notion, that the Book newly published by my
Son, is contradictory to this of mine: 'Tis strange that such
Imaginations should enter into the Minds of Men: I perused and approved
of that Book before it was printed; and nothing but my Relation to him
hindred me from recommending it to the World: But my self and Son agreed
unto the humble Advice which twelve Ministers concurringly presented
before his Excellency and Council, respecting the present Difficulties,
which let the World judge, whether there be anything in it dissentany
from what is attested by either of us.
It was in the Words following:--
The Return of several Ministers consulted by his Excellency,
and the Honourable Council, upon the present Witchcrafts
in _Salem_ Village.
Boston, _June 15, 1692_.
I. _The afflicted State of our poor Neighbours, that are now suffering
by Molestations from the Invisible World, we apprehend so deplorable,
that we think their Condition calls for the utmost help of all Persons
in their several Capacities._ II. _We cannot but with all Thankfulness
acknowledge, the Success which the merciful God has given unto the
sedulous and assiduous Endeavors of our honourable Rulers, to detect the
abominable Witchcrafts which have been committed in the Country; humbly
praying that the discovery of these mysterious and mischievous
Wickednesses, may be perfected._ III. _We judge that in the prosecution
of these, and all such Witchcrafts, there is need of a very critical and
exquisite Caution, lest by too much Credulity for things received only
upon the Devil's Authority, there be a Door opened for a long Train of
miserable Consequences, and Satan get an advantage over us, for we
should not be ignorant of his Devices._ IV. _As in Complaints upon
Witchcrafts, there may be Matters of Enquiry, which do not amount unto
Matters of Presumption, and there may be Matters of Presumption which
yet may not be reckoned Matters of +Conviction+; so 'tis necessary that
all Proceedings thereabout be managed with an exceeding tenderness
towards those that may be complained of; especially if they have been
Persons formerly of an unblemished Reputation._ V. _When the first
Enquiry is made into the Circumstances of such as may lie under any just
Suspicion of Witchcrafts, we could wish that there may be admitted as
little as is possible, of such Noise, Company, and Openness, as may too
hastily expose them that are examined: and that there may nothing be
used as a Test, for the Trial of the suspected, the Lawfulness whereof
may be doubted among the People of God; but that the Directions given by
such judicious Writers as +Perkins+ and +Bernard+, be consulted in such
a Case._ VI. _Presumptions whereupon Persons may be committed, and much
more Convictions, whereupon Persons may be condemned as guilty of
Witchcrafts, ought certainly to be more considerable, than barely the
accused Person being represented by a Spectre unto the Afflicted;
inasmuch as 'tis an undoubted and a notorious thing, that a Daemon may,
by God's Permission, appear even to ill purposes, in the Shape of an
innocent, yea, and a vertuous Man: Nor can we esteem Alterations made in
the Sufferers, by a Look or Touch of the Accused to be an infallible
Evidence of Guilt; but frequently liable to be abused by the Devil's
Legerdemains._ VII. _We know not, whether some remarkable Affronts given
to the Devils, by our disbelieving of those Testimonies, whose whole
force and strength is from them alone, may not put a Period, unto the
Progress of the dreadful Calamity begun upon us, in the Accusation of so
many Persons, whereof we hope, some are yet clear from the great
Transgression laid unto their Charge._ VIII. _Nevertheless, We cannot
but humbly recommend unto the Government, the speedy and vigorous
Prosecution of such as have rendered themselves obnoxious, according to
the Direction given in the Laws of God, and the wholesome Statutes of
the +English+ Nation, for the Detection of Witchcrafts._
FOOTNOTES:
[1] R. Sactias. R. Eleazer Athias. Lyranus. _Sic &_ Josephus.
[2] Ambrose, Hierom, Basil, Nazianzen.
[3] Thomas, Tostatus, Suarez. _Cajetan_, _In Ecclesia_, _Chap. 46. 22,
23_.
[4] _In Locum._
[5] _In 2 Cor. 11, 14, Pag. 555._
[6] _De Spectris_, _Cap. 7_.
[7] _Praestig. Daemon._ Lib. 1. C. 16.
[8] De C. D. l. 18.
[9] _De Appar. Spirituum_, Lib. 2. Cap. 7.
[10] _Misq. Magicar._ Lib. 2. C. 12.
[11] _De Confes. Sag._ pag. 191.
[12] _De secretis mag._ p. 31. see also _Lavater de Spect._ Lib. 2. Cap.
18.
[13] _Dr. Casaubon_: of Spirits.
[14] _Sulpitius Severus in vita Martini._
[15] _Guaccius_, _compend. malefic._ p. 342.
[16] _Binsfield_, _de Confess. Sag._ p. 187.
[17] Examples, Vol. 1. p. 510.
[18] _Socrate's_ Hist. p. 7. C. 38.
[19] _Lege Villalpond de Magia_, &c. L. 2. Cap. 27.
[20] Part 1. Chap. 19. Pag. 8.
[21] _Epistol._ 2.
[22] In Disput. _de Magia_. P. 575.
[23] In Mr. _Couper's_ Mystery of Witchcraft, Pag. 174, 175.
[24] _Acta Eruditorum Anno 1690._ Pag. 113.
[25] In Mr. _Glanvil's_ Philosophical Considerations.
[26] _De subtilitate._ Lib. 29.
[27] P. 75, 76.
[28] In his Sadducism Triumph. Collection, p. 201.
[29] P. 215. (Disa. Magic.) l. 1. c. 3. p. 22.
[30] Vairus de Fascino. Lib. 2.
[31] P. 131.
[32] V. Germ. Ephemer. Anno 16. p. 379.
[33] Henkelius de obsessis, pag. 86.
[34] Camerar. cent. I. c. 73. Cardan de rerum varietate, Lib. 16. cap.
93.
[35] In his _Britannia_, p. 609.
[36] See the Hist. of _Lapland_, and Mr. _Burton's_ Hist. of _Daemons_.
[37] _Schotten_, Physic. curios, lib. 1. c. 16.
[38] See _Wanly_ of the Wonders of the World, p. 215.
[39] Ubi Supra.
[40] _De Spectris_, p. 86, 87.
[41] _Disput. Select._ Vol. 1. pag. 1008.
[42] P. 944.
[43] _Thyraeus de Apparitionibus_, Lib. 2. Cap. 14.
[44] _Binsfield de confessionibus sagarum_, p. 183. 191.
[45] _Disquis. Magic._ Lib. 2. Q. 12. p. 143.
[46] Printed at _Frankfort_, _Anno 1681_.
[47] Discourse of Witchcraft, _Ch. 7._ _Sect. 2._ p. 644.
[48] In his Witchcraft discovered, p. 277.
[49] _Webster's_ displaying of supposed Witchcraft, p. 298. 308.
[50] _Ubi supra_, p. 207, 208.
[51] Ch. 15. p. 14, &c.
[52] Pag. 121, 122.
[53] _In vita Hilarion._
[54] _Anastasius_, Qu. 23.
[55] In Disput. de _Daemoniacis_, part 1. chap. 16. p. 30.
[56] _Thuanus_, lib. 130. p. 1136.
[57] _Thyraeus_, _ubi supra_, p. 16.
[58] _Henkel_, _ubi supra_, p. 47. 50.
[59] _Brockmand_, _Theol._ p. 265.
[60] _Melancthon_, Epist.
[61] _Tostatus_, in Mat. 8. Q. 114.
[62] _Baldwin_, Case of Cons. l. 3. c. 3. p. 621.
[63] Lib. 7. Cap. 2.
[64] _5 Sympos._ Cap. 7.
[65] _Med. Precl._ lib. 6. pars 9. cap. 1.
[66] Lib. 2. cap. 2. _Wierus_, l. 6. c. 9. p. 683.
[67] See the Tryal, p. 40. 43. 45.
[68] In _Daemonomania_. See Mr. _Bromhal's_ History of Apparitions, p.
136.
[69] See the Printed Relation, p. 30, 31.
[70] Ubi supra, p. 121.
[71] Remarkable Providences, p. 267.
[72] See Mr. _Burton's_ History of Daemons, p. 136. and Mr. _Robert's_
Nar. of the Witches in _Suffolk_.
[73] _Ames._ _Cas. Consc._ L. 4. C. 23.
[74] _Delrio._ _Disquiss. Magic._ pag. 642.
[75] _Malderus de Magia_, cap. 10. _dub._ 11.
[76] _De Doctr. Christiana_, Lib. 2. Cap. 20. 22.
[77] _Delrio & Malderus._
[78] _In malleo malleficarum_, p. 421.
[79] _Menna_, _de purgatione vulgari_, cap. _ult._
[80] _Caesarius_, Lib. 9.
[81] _De Lamiis_, L. 3. C. 4.
[82] _Dubravius_, Hist. _Cohim._ Lib. 8.
[83] In his Cases about Witchcraft, p. 181.
[84] So Dr. _Willet_, conjectures on _1 Sam. 21.1._
[85] _V. Bodin_, _Daemonomania_, L. 4.
[86] Mr. _Sinclare_, Invisible World, p. 45. and _Burton_, Hist. of
Daemons, p. 122.
[87] Boisard in vita Apollonii.
[88] Mr. _Merden_ in his Geogra. Phy. p. 577.
[89] Voetius, Biblioth, l. 2. Lecus, in Compend. Histor.
THE END.
CHISWICK PRESS:--PRINTED BY WHITTINGHAM AND WILKINS,
TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transcriber's Note, continued.--
The format of all biblical citations has been regularized.
Footnote markers in the original were sometimes placed before the word
they refer to, and sometimes after--this has been retained.
For this ASCII version, all AE/ae-ligatures have been changed to Ae/ae.
The section sign has been changed to S.
The following changes were also made:
--p. viii: slighest to slightest
--p. ix: Mrs. Hales to Mrs. Hale
--p. xvii: Original title page used two large, ornate "U"s instead of a
"W" in Witches.
--p. 10: oe to ae (Antipaedobaptist)
--p. 11: . to , (thus maintained in the Country,)
--p. 19: a to as (cry'd out upon as imploying)
--p. 22: Omisera to O misera
--p. 54: singlar to singular
--p. 61: Catastrophe's to Catastrophes (there will be more such
_Catastrophes_)
--p. 62: _times of the_ Jews to _times of the Jews_
--pp. 63-69: Corollary I. to Corollary V. formatted as headers. In the
original, IV. and V. were out-of-line headers and I., II. and III. were
in-line.
--p. 80: Moenia had oe-ligature in original (Dilapsa sunt vestra
Moenia!)
--p. 97: oe to ae (Caelestial)
--p. 100: We _Fear_ to _We Fear_
--p. 138: II. to III. (Incorrect numbering of header corrected)
--p. 135: Ground-sel to Ground (but struck only the Ground) It appears
that the "-sel" was mistakenly introduced during printing, as the word
"Counsel" in the previous sentence was split over two lines and
hyphenated ("Coun-sel".) However, this mistake is not unique to this
reprint.
--p. 170: Berecovered to Be recovered
--p. 184: on to one (that rocks one to Sleep)
--p. 193: The Sweet Waters of Stealth? to The Sweet Waters of Stealth;
--p. 245: viz. to _viz._ (_viz._ That in an Orchard)
--p. 247: missing period added after Lonicer
--pp. 267-268: Although listed in the Table of Contents, Point 6
("Bewitched Persons have sometimes been struck down with the Look of
Dogs") was not numbered in the original, causing points 7 through 9 to
be numbered incorrectly. This was corrected.
--p. 267: Brochmand to Brockmand
--p. 273: extra "the" removed (so was the _Vulgar Probation_)
Two other problems were noted but left unchanged:
--p. 99: The biblical citation _Luc. 13.2, 3._ refers to Luke 13.2, 3.
--p. 268: Mather cites Deut. 35.30, but Deuteronomy only has 34
Chapters. The context suggests he may have meant Numbers 35.30.
--Footnote [77]: _Delri. & Malderus._ to _Delrio & Malderus._
Also note that spelling--other than the corrections noted above--has
been left as it appeared in the original copy of this book. This
includes many archaic spellings that appear only once, such as thir (p.
214), doe's (p. 195), and ha's (p. 173).
------------------------------------------------------------------------