_To the Honorable, mine especiall good_
Lord, Sir Roger Manwood Knight, Lord
_cheefe Baron of hir Majesties Court_
of the Eschequer.
Insomuch as I know that your Lordship is by nature whollie inclined,
and in purpose earnestly bent to releeve the poore, and that not
onlie with hospitalitie and almes, but by diverse other devises and
waies tending to their comfort, having (as it were) framed and set
your selfe to the helpe and maintenance of their estate; as appeareth
by your charge and travell in that behalfe. Whereas also you have a
speciall care for the supporting of their right, and redressing of
their wrongs, as neither despising their calamitie, nor yet forgetting
their complaint, seeking all meanes for their amendement, and for the
reformation of their disorders, even as a verie father to the poore.
Finallie, for that I am a poore member of that commonwelth, where
your Lordship is a principall person; I thought this my travell, in
the behalfe of the poore, the aged, and the simple, might be verie
fitlie commended unto you: for a weake house requireth a strong staie.
In which respect I give God thanks, that hath raised up unto me so
mightie a freend for them as your Lordship is, who in our lawes have
such knowledge, in government such discretion, in these causes such
experience, and in the commonwealth such authoritie; and neverthelesse
vouchsafe to descend to the consideration of these base and inferior
matters, which minister more care and trouble, than worldlie estimation.
And in somuch as your Lordship knoweth, or rather exerciseth the office
of a judge, whose part it is to heare with courtesie, and to determine
with equitie; it cannot but be apparent unto you, that when punishment
exceedeth the fault, it is rather to be thought vengeance than
correction. In which respect I knowe you spend more time and travell in
the conversion and reformation, than in the subversion & confusion of
offenders, as being well pleased to augment your owne private paines,
to the end you may diminish their publike smart. For in truth, that
commonwealth remaineth in wofull state, where fetters and halters beare
more swaie than mercie and due compassion.
Howbeit, it is naturall to unnaturall people, and peculiar unto
witchmongers, to pursue the poore, to accuse the simple, and to kill
the innocent; supplieng in rigor and malice towards others, that which
they themselves want in proofe and discretion, or the other in offense
or occasion. But as a cruell hart and an honest mind doo seldome meete
and feed togither in a dish; so a discreet and mercifull magistrate,
and a happie commonwealth cannot be separated asunder. How much then
are we bound to God, who hath given us a Queene, that of justice is not
only the very perfect image & paterne; but also of mercie & clemencie
(under God) the meere fountaine & bodie it selfe? In somuch as they
which hunt most after bloud in these daies, have least authoritie to
shed it. Moreover, sith I see that in cases where lenitie might be
noisome, & punishment wholesome to the commonwealth; there no respect
of person can move you, no authoritie can abash you, no feare, no
threts can daunt you in performing the dutie of justice.
In that respect againe I find your Lordship a fit person, to judge and
looke upon this present treatise. Wherein I will bring before you, as
it were to the barre, two sorts of most arrogant and wicked people, the
first challenging to themselves, the second attributing unto others,
that power which onelie apperteineth to God,[a] who onelie is the
Creator of all things,[b] who onelie searcheth the heart and reines,
who onelie[c] knoweth our imaginations and thoughts, who onelie[d]
openeth all secrets, who[e] onelie worketh great wonders, who onelie
hath power[f] to raise up & cast downe; who onelie maketh thunder,
lightning, raine, tempests, and restraineth them at his pleasure; who
onelie[g] sendeth life and death, sicknesse & health, wealth and wo;
who neither giveth nor lendeth his[h] glorie to anie creature.
♦[a] Apoc. 4, 11.♦
♦[b] Rom. 8.
Acts. 5.
Apoc. 2.♦
♦[c] Luke. 16.♦
♦[d] Dan. 2. & 28, & 47.♦
♦[e] Psalm. 72. & 136.
Jer. 5.♦
♦[f] Job, 5. & 36
Sam. 12.
1. Reg. 8.
2. Reg. 3.
Isaie. 5.
Zach. 10. & 14.
Amos. 4. 7.♦
♦[g] Job. 1.♦
♦[h] Isaie. 42, 8.♦
And therefore, that which greeveth me to the bottome of my hart,
is, that these witchmongers cannot be content, to wrest out of Gods
hand his almightie power, and keepe it themselves, or leave it with
a witch: but that, when by drift of argument they are made to laie
downe the bucklers, they yeeld them up to the divell, or at the least
praie aid of him, as though the raines of all mens lives and actions
were committed into his hand; and that he sat at the sterne, to guide
and direct the course of the whole world, imputing unto him power and
abilitie inough to doo as great things, and as strange miracles as ever
Christ did.
But the doctors of this supernaturall doctrine saie somtimes, that
the witch doth all these things by vertue of hir charmes; sometimes
that a spirituall, sometimes that a corporall divell doth accomplish
it; sometimes they saie that the divell doth but make the witch
beleeve she doth that which he himselfe hath wrought; sometimes that
the divell seemeth to doo that by compulsion, which he doth most
willinglie. Finallie, the writers hereupon are so eloquent, and full
of varietie; that sometimes they write that the divell dooth all this
by Gods permission onelie; sometimes by his licence, somtimes by his
appointment: so as (in effect and truth) not the divell, but the high
and mightie king of kings, and Lord of hosts, even God himselfe, should
this waie be made obedient and servile to obeie and performe the will
& commandement of a malicious old witch, and miraculouslie to answere
hir appetite, as well in everie trifling vanitie, as in most horrible
executions; as the revenger of a doting old womans imagined wrongs, to
the destruction of manie innocent children, and as a supporter of hir
passions, to the undoing of manie a poore soule. And I see not, but a
witch may as well inchant, when she will; as a lier may lie when he
list: and so should we possesse nothing, but by a witches licence and
permission.
And now forsooth it is brought to this point, that all divels, which
were woont to be spirituall, may at their pleasure become corporall,
and so shew themselves familiarlie to witches and conjurors, and to
none other, and by them onlie may be made tame, and kept in a box,
&c. So as a malicious old woman may command hir divell to plague hir
neighbor: and he is afflicted in manner and forme as she desireth. But
then commeth another witch, and she biddeth hir divell helpe, and he
healeth the same partie. So as they make it a kingdome divided in it
selfe, and therefore I trust it will not long endure, but will shortlie
be overthrowne, according to the words of our Savior, _Omne regnum in
se divisum desolabitur_, Everie kingdome divided in it selfe shalbe
desolate.
And although some saie that the divell is the witches instrument, to
bring hir purposes and practises to passe: yet others saie that she is
his instrument, to execute his pleasure in anie thing, and therefore
to be executed. But then (me thinks) she should be injuriouslie dealt
withall, and put to death for anothers offense: for actions are not
judged by instrumentall causes; neither dooth the end and purpose
of that which is done, depend upon the meane instrument. Finallie,
if the witch doo it not, why should the witch die for it? But they
saie that witches are persuaded, and thinke, that they doo indeed
those mischeefs; and have a will to performe that which the divell
committeth: and that therefore they are worthie to die. By which reason
everie one should be executed, that wisheth evill to his neighbor,
&c. But if the will should be punished by man, according to the
offense against God, we should be driven by thousands at once to the
slaughterhouse or butcherie. For whosoever loatheth correction shall
die. And who should escape execution, if this lothsomnesse (I saie)
should extend to death by the civill lawes. Also the reward of sinne is
death. Howbeit, everie one that sinneth, is not to be put to death by
the magistrate. But (my Lord) it shalbe proved in my booke, and your
Lordship shall trie it to be true, as well here at home in your native
countrie, as also abrode in your severall circuits, that (besides
them that be _Venificæ_, which are plaine poisoners) there will be
found among our witches onelie two sorts; the one sort being such by
imputation, as so thought of by others (and these are abused, and not
abusors) the other by acceptation, as being willing so to be accompted
(and these be meere cousenors.)
♦Proverb. 5.♦
Calvine treating of these magicians, calleth them cousenors, saieng
that they use their juggling knacks onelie to amase or abuse the
people; or else for fame: but he might rather have said for gaine.
Erastus himselfe, being a principall writer in the behalfe of witches
omnipotencie, is forced to confesse, that these Greeke words, μαγία,
μαγγαγία, φαρμακία, are most commonlie put for illusion, false packing,
cousenage, fraud, knaverie and deceipt: and is further driven to saie,
that in ancient time, the learned were not so blockish, as not to see
that the promises of magicians and inchanters were false, and nothing
else but knaverie, cousenage, and old wives fables; and yet defendeth
he their flieng in the aire, their transferring of corne or grasse from
one feeld to another, &c.
♦_Instit. lib. 5. ca. 8. sect. 6._♦
♦_Item upon Deut. cap. 18._♦
♦_Lib. de lamiis, pag. 5._♦
But as Erastus disagreeth herein with himselfe and his freends: so is
there no agreement among anie of those writers, but onlie in cruelties,
absurdities, and impossibilities. And these (my Lord) that fall into so
manifest contradictions, and into such absurd asseverations, are not
of the inferior sort of writers; neither are they all papists, but men
of such accompt, as whose names give more credit to their cause, than
their writings. In whose behalfe I am sorie, and partlie for reverence
suppresse their fondest errors and fowlest absurdities; dealing
speciallie with them that most contend in crueltie,[a] whose feete are
swift to shed bloud, striving (as [b]Jesus the sonne of Sirach saith)
and hasting (as [c]Salomon the sonne of David saith) to powre out the
bloud of the innocent; whose heat against these poore wretches cannot
be allaied with anie other liquor than bloud. And therfore I feare that
[d]under their wings will be found the bloud of the soules of the
poore, at that daie, when the Lord shall saie; [e]Depart from me ye
bloudthirstie men.
♦[a] Isaie. 59, 7.
Rom. 3, 15.♦
♦[b] Eccl. 27, 5.♦
♦[c] Prov. 1, 16.♦
♦[d] Jer. 2, 34.♦
♦[e] Ps. 139, 15.
Esai. 33, 15.♦
And bicause I know your Lordship will take no counsell against innocent
bloud, but rather suppresse them that seeke to embrue their hands
therein; I have made choise to open their case unto you, and to laie
their miserable calamitie before your feete: following herein the
advise of that learned man Brentius, who saith; _Si quis admonuerit
magistratum, ne in miseras illas mulierculas sæviat, eum ego arbitror
divinitùs excitatum_; that is, If anie admonish the magistrate not
to deale too hardlie with these miserable wretches, that are called
witches, I thinke him a good instrument raised up for this purpose by
God himselfe.
♦_In epistola ad Jo. Wier._♦
But it will perchance be said by witchmongers; to wit, by such as
attribute to witches the power which apperteineth to God onelie, that
I have made choise of your Lordship to be a patrone to this my booke;
bicause I think you favour mine opinions, and by that meanes may the
more freelie publish anie error or conceipt of mine owne, which should
rather be warranted by your Lordships authoritie, than by the word of
God, or by sufficient argument. But I protest the contrarie, and by
these presents I renounce all protection, and despise all freendship
that might serve to helpe towards the suppressing or supplanting of
truth: knowing also that your Lordship is farre from allowing anie
injurie done unto man; much more an enimie to them that go about to
dishonor God, or to embezill the title of his immortall glorie. But
bicause I know you to be perspicuous, and able to see downe into the
depth and bottome of causes, and are not to be carried awaie with the
vaine persuasion or superstition either of man, custome, time, or
multitude, but mooved with the authoritie of truth onlie: I crave your
countenance herein, even so farre foorth, and no further, than the lawe
of God, the lawe of nature, the lawe of this land, and the rule of
reason shall require. Neither doo I treat for these poore people anie
otherwise, but so, as with one hand you may sustaine the good, and with
the other suppresse the evill: wherein you shalbe thought a father to
orphans, an advocate to widowes, a guide to the blind, a staie to the
lame, a comfort & countenance to the honest, a scourge and terror to
the wicked.
Thus farre I have beene bold to use your Lordships patience, being
offended with my selfe, that I could not in brevitie utter such
matter as I have delivered amplie: whereby (I confesse) occasion of
tediousnes might be ministred, were it not that your great gravitie
joined with your singular constancie in reading and judging be means
of the contrarie. And I wish even with all my hart, that I could make
people conceive the substance of my writing, and not to misconstrue
anie part of my meaning. Then doubtles would I persuade my selfe, that
the companie of witchmongers, &c: being once decreased, the number also
of witches, &c: would soone be diminished. But true be the words of the
Poet,[*]
_Haudquaquam poteris sortirier omnia solus,
Námque aliis divi bello pollere dederunt,
Huic saltandi artem, voce huic cytharáque canendi:
Rursum alii inseruit sagax in pectore magnus
Jupiter ingenium, &c._
♦[*] [Homer.]♦
And therefore as doubtfull to prevaile by persuading, though I have
reason and common sense on my side; I rest upon earnest wishing;
namelie, to all people an absolute trust in God the creator, and not
in creatures, which is to make flesh our arme: that God may have his
due honor, which by the undutifulnes of manie is turned into dishonor,
and lesse cause of offense and errour given by common received evill
example. And to your Lordship I wish, as increase of honour, so
continuance of good health, and happie daies.