To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
I doubt not, but in this last age of the world, and among vs also, this sinne of Witchcraft ought as sharply to be pu∣nished as in former times; and all Wit∣ches beeing thoroughly conuicted by the Magistrate, ought according to the Law of Moses to be put to death. For proofe hereof, consider these reasons.
First, this Law of Moses flatly enioy∣neth all men, in all ages, without limita∣tion of circumstances, not to suffer the Witch to liue, and hereupon I gather, that it must stand the same, both now and for euer to the worlds ende.
Patrons of Witches except against this, holding that it was a Iudiciall law, which continued but for a time, & con∣cerned onely the Nation of the Iewes, and is now ceased. But I take the con∣trarie to be the truth, and that vpon these grounds.
I. Those Iudiciall Lawes, whose pe∣naltie is death, because they haue in thē a perpetuall equitie, and doe serue to maintaine some morall precept, are per∣petuall. The Iewes indeede had some Lawes of this kind, whose punishments were temporall, and they lasted onely for a certaine time: but the penaltie of Witchcraft, beeing Death by Gods ap∣pointment, and the in••licting of that punishment, seruing to maintaine the equitie of the three first morall precepts of the first Table, which cannot be kept, vnlesse this Lawe be put in execution: it
must necessarily follow, that it is in that regard morall, and binds vs, and shall in like sort bind all men in all ages, as well as the Iewes themselues, to whome it was at that time personally directed.
II. Euery Iudiciall law, that hath in it the equitie of the law of nature, is per∣petuall; but the Law of punishing the Witch by death, is such. For it is a prin∣ciple of the law of nature, holden for a grounded truth in all countries & king∣domes, among all people in euery age; that the traytour, who is an enemie to the State, and rebelleth against his law∣full Prince, should be put to death: now the most notorious traytour and rebell that can be, is the Witch. For shee re∣nounceth God himselfe, the King of kings, shee leaues the societie of his Church and people, shee bindeth her selfe in league with the Deuill: and ther∣fore if any offender among men, ought to suffer death for his fact, much more ought shee, and that of due desert.
The second reason for the proofe of the point in hand, is this; According to Moses lawe euery Idolater was to be
stoned to death: Deut. 17. 3, 4, 5. If there be found any among you, that hath gone and serued other gods, as the Sunne, the Moone, or any of the hoast of heauen: if the thing vp∣on enquirie be found to be true and certen, thou shalt bring them forth vnto thy gates, whether it be man or woman, and shalt stone them with stones till they die. Now this is the very case of a Witch, shee renoun∣ceth the true God, and maketh choice to serue the Deuill, shee is therefore a grosse Idolater, and her punishment must be suitable. It is alledged by the fa∣uourers of the contrarie part, that Peter denied Christ, and yet was not put to death: I answer, there is great difference betweene Peters deniall of Christ, and Witches denying of God. Peters deni∣all was vpon infirmitie, and in hast: the Witch denieth God vpon knowledge, and deliberation, wittingly and willing∣ly. Againe, Peter did not vpon the de∣niall betake himselfe to the Deuill, but turned vnto Christ againe, which he te∣stified by his heartie and speedie repen∣tance: but Witches denie God, and be∣take themselues to the Deuill, of their
own accord, as is manifest euen by their own confessions at their arraignments.
The third reason. Euery seducer in the Church, whose practise was to draw men from the true God, to the worship of Idols, though it were a mans owne sonne or daughter, wife or friend, by the peremptorie degree and commande∣ment of God, was at no hand to be spa∣red or pitied, but the hand of the wit∣nesse first, and then the hands of all the people must be vpon him, to kill him, Deut. 13. 6. 9. If this be so, no Witches connicted ought to escape the sword of the Magistrate: for they are the most notorious seducers of all other. When they be once intangled in the Deuills league, they labour to invre their dea∣rest f••iends and posteritie, in their cur∣sed and abominable practi••es; that they may be the more easily drawne into the same consederacy, wherewith they thē∣selues are vnited to Satan. I might here alleadge that they deserue death, be∣cause many of them be murtherers, but I stand not vpon that instance, because I hold in the generall that Witches are
not to be suffered to liue, though they doe no hurt either to man or other crea∣tures, and that by vertue of Moses Law, onely for their leagues sake, whereby they become rebells to God, Idolaters, and seducers, as now hath beene shew∣ed. Notwithstanding all that hath beene said, many things are brought in defence of them, by such as be their friends and wel••illers.
First, it is saide, that the hurt that is done, comes not from the Witch, but from the deuill: he deserues the blame, because it is his worke, and she is not to die for his sinne. Ans. Let it be gran∣ted, that the Witch is not the author of the euill that is done, yet shee is a con∣federate and partner with the Deuill in the fact, and so the law takes hold on her. See it in a familiar comparison. A companie of men conspire together in a robberie, by common consent some stand in open place to espie out the boo∣tie, and to giue the watchword, others are set about the passage, priuily to rush vpon the man, and to spoile him of his goods. In this case what saith the Law?
The parties that gaue the watchword, though they did nothing to the man, yet beeing accessories and abettors to the robberie by consent, they are theeues, and liable to condemnation and exequution, as well as the princi∣palls. Euen so stands the case with the Witch. In the working of wonders, and in all mischieous practises, he or she is partaker with the deuill by consent of couenant: the Witch onely vseth the watchword, in some charme or other∣wise, and doth no more; the deuill vpon notice giuen by the charme, takes his opportunitie, and works the mischeife. He is the principall agent, but the other yeeldeth helpe, and is rightly liable to punishment. The reason is, because if the deuill were not stirred vp, and pro∣uoked by the Witch, he would neuer do so much hurt as he doth. He had neuer appeared in Samuels likenes, had he not beene solicited by the Witch of Endor. He would not haue caused counterfeit serpents and frogges to appeare in E∣gypt, but for Ian••es and Iambres, and o∣ther Inchanters. And in this age there
would not in likelihood be so much hurt & hinderance procured vnto men, and other creatures by his meanes, but for the instigation of ill disposed per∣sons, that haue fellowship and societie with him.
Againe, they obiect, that Witches conuicted, either repent, or repent not: If they repent, then God pardoneth their sinne, and why should not the Magistrate as well saue their bodies & let them liue, as God doth their soules. If they doe not repent, then it is a dan∣gerous thing for the Magistrate to put them to death: for by this meanes he kills the bodie, & casts the soule to hell.
Ans. All Witches iudicially & law∣fully conuicted, ought to haue space of repentance granted vnto them, where∣in they may be instructed and exhor∣ted, and then afterward executed. For it is possible for thē to be saued by Gods mercie, though they haue denied him. Secondly, the Magistrate must execute iustice vpon malefactors lawfully con∣uicted, whether they repent or not. For God approoueth the iust execution of
iudgement vpon men, without respect to their repentance: neither must their impenitencie hinder the execution of iustice. When the people of Israel had committed Idolatrie in worshipping the golden calfe, Moses did not expect their repentance, & in the meane while forbeare the punishment, but he and the Leuites presently tooke their swords and slue them, and the Lord ap∣prooued their course of proceeding, Exod. 32. 28. When Zimri an Israelite had committed fornication with Cozbi a Midianitish woman, Phineas in zeale of Gods glorie executed iudgment vp∣on them both without any respect vnto their repentance, Numb. 25. 8. and is therefore commended, Psalm. 106. 30. Warres are a worthie ordinance of God, and yet no Prince could euer at∣tempt the same lawfully, if euery souldi∣er in the field should stay the killing of his enemie, vpon expectation of his re∣pentance. And whereas they say, that by executing an impenitent Witch, the Magistrate casteth away the soule; we must know, that the ••nde of execution
by the Magistrate, is not the damnation of the malefactors soule, but that sinne might be punished: that others may be∣ware of the like crimes and offences, and that the wicked may be taken away from among Gods people.
But some Witches there be that can not be conuicted of killing any: what shall become of them? Ans. As the kil∣ling Witch must die by another Lawe, though he were no Witch: so the hea∣ling and harmelesse Witch must die by this Law, though he kill not, onely for couenant made with Satan. For this must alwaies be remembred, as a con∣clusion, that by Witches we vnder∣stand not those onely which kill and torment: but all Diuiners, Charmers, Iuglers, all VVizzards, commonly called wise men and wise women; yea, whoso∣euer doe any thing (knowing what they doe) which cannot be effected by na∣ture or art; and in the same number we reckon all good VVitches, which doe no hurt, but good, which doe not spoile and destroy, but saue and deliuer. All these come vnder this sentence of Mo∣ses,
because they deny God, and are con∣sederates with Satan. By the lawes of England, the thiefe is executed for stea∣ling, and we thinke it iust and profita∣ble: but it were a thousand times better for the land, if all VVi••ches, but special∣ly the blessing Witch might suffer death. For the theife by his stealing, and the hurtfull Inchanter by charming, bring hinderance and hurt to the bo∣dies and goods of meni but these are the right hand of the deuill, by which he taketh and destroyeth the soules of men. Men doe commonly hate and spit at the damnifying Sorcerer, as vn∣worthie to liue among them; whereas the other is so deare vnto them, that they hold themselues and their coun∣try blessed that haue him among them, they flie vnto him in necessitie, they depend vpon him as their God, and by this meanes, thousands are caried away to their finall confusion. Death there∣fore is the iust and deserued portion of the good Witch