A discovery of the impostures of witches and astrologers by John Brinley.

CHAP. X.

The Signs whereby one may Discover whether a Party be Possest or Be∣witched.

THat wicked Spirits have power to vex and disturb men, we have proved before by divers Exam∣ples; as also Cursorily shown the manner and most notable effects of such Practices: I now intend to say something of the Symptoms, where∣by it may be known whether the distresses wherewith a person is Afflicted, ought or can be ascribed to Natural Causes, or proceed from the Supernatural Operations of the Devil, and his Ministers.

These Supernatural Operations are

reducible to two Heads; either to the immediate working of Satan, or to the mediate of Witches.

For the first, as it is unusually, so is it the more discernable when it hap∣pens, the Parties thus effected being Tormented with such Paroxysms, and violent motions in their Bodies, as cannot but give us to understand, what is the Lord of that Misrule, of those stupendous Gambols. As to the Second; Those Perturbations and Mischiefs occasioned by Witchcraft, are not so pernicious, as being more twisted and assimulated to natural ef∣fects. Hence many Diseases and Ca∣lamities, which do owe their Origi∣nal really, and truly to the Impiety and Revengeful Dispositions of Witches, are mistaken to be nothing but the Disorder of the Natural hu∣mours of the Body, or the Casualties of Fortune, or rather Crosses designed to befall, by foreseeing Fate.

But to go on with our intended

Discourse; when Learned Physicians can find no probable reason or Natural Cause of such Grief, Pangs, and vio∣lent Vexations as the Patient does endure, it may lawfully be Concluded that the Devils Finger is there. Per∣sons Bewitched have sometimes a great swelling and heaving in the Bel∣ly, thence passing to the Throat, ready to stop their Breath; set their Teeth together, shake sometimes the Leg, sometimes the Arm, sometimes their Head; will hold their Arms or Legs so stiff, that they cannot be bowed.

As also when no Rules of Art or Experience can do good, but that the Disease grows worse thereby.

When the Distressed Vomit up Crooked Pins, Iron, Coales, Brim∣stone, Nails, Needles, Wax, lumps of Hair, Knives, and such like, which are Noted to come from several per∣sons, as Witnesseth one Doctor Cotta, and produces Witnesses for the same; so Delrio, lib. 3. par. 1. quest. 4. Sect. 6 pag. 410.

Other Symptoms I find set down by Hieronymus Mengus in a Treatise called Fustis Daemonum, lib. 1. cap. 12. Potissima (inquit) signa demon∣strantia hominem esse maleficiatum, sunt cordis, & oris Stomachalis constrictio. Aliqui puncturas in corde sentiunt, ac∣si acubus pungerentur, quibusdam cor eis corrodi videtur; alij in collo & reni∣bus magnum dolorem sentiunt: aliqui∣bus ligata est vena generationis. Quidam ex indispositione stomachi, quicquid ad sustentationem comedunt vel bibunt, per vomitum emittunt. Aliquibus ventus frigidissimus, tanquam flamma, per ventrem discurrit. These being the most remarkable Signs, I shall not trouble my self, or my Gentle Readers Patience with Inserting what Delrio, Boissardus, Cornelius Agrippa, and other Learned Authors say in this mat∣ter; what I have here said being (as I suppose) sufficient.