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

CHAP. V.

That seeing Men, or Women, or Beasts may be Afflicted from some natural Causes, or that some persons may on purpose Counterfeit many things; or that the Devil himself may be the sole Worker, people ought to be cau∣tious how they Ascribe their Distempers, or Troubles to Witch∣craft.

THere is nothing more com∣mon with men of Shallow un∣derstandings and Loose lives, than to Ascribe every little Cross, or unfor∣tunate accident to Witchcraft. It shall therefore be my Business in this Chapter to dissuade men from a Practice so vain, and fruitless in it self, so dishonorable and displeasing to God, and so prejudicial to the health of their own Souls; and there are many rea∣sons

to convince them of this folly, as for example.

1st. The consideration of Gods own hand afflicting us to bring us to the remembrance of our Duties, and to call us to Repentance and Amendment of life, the power of natural causes, and the liberty which is sometimes given to Satan without any Associa∣tion with a Witch, as hath been shew∣ed in the former Chapters.

2dly. An approved truth by the ex∣periences of all Ages, That those, who never Dream of Witches, or ever re∣gard them, are hardly at any time tormented or hurt by them: But on the contrary, such as live in suspicion of them, such as are afraid of them, or seek to please them with Gifts, have commonly some mischief done, as the Reward of their fears and jealousies. And truly the judgments of God in this particular are very just, in punish∣ing them by the same instruments they stood in fear of, who have more awe

for the Devil, than confidence in God.

3dly. All do grant, which have any knowledge in the power of Witches, that they work only by the Devil; for though themselves do Threaten, Curse, make Images, and the like; yet the Devil is the great Instrument that works the Mischief. Therefore the advice of Saint Iames is not unseaso∣nable in this Instance. Resist the De∣vil, and he will flie thee. Resist him, and he shall have no power to hurt thee, either by himself or by the in∣stigation of any Associates. She may bid him go, but he cannot do till he hath leave from God, who will never grant it to hurt his own peculiar people; nay, he will be as an Hedge about all those that put their trust in him.

4thly. The manifold evils, which continually result from wicked pra∣ctice, as

1st. It draws mends minds from the true fear of God, making them

to stand in awe of the most wicked and wretched creatures in the world, the Devil and a Witch, than which nothing can be a greater dishonour to the Creator, or more prejudicial to their own Souls.

2. It bringeth honest and innocent people into suspicion and Infamy, and the hatred of all the Neighbourhood: for thus if the Horse be sick, or the Cow dead, or the Plum-tree do not blossom kindly, some harmless old woman is suspected, all her words, postures and actions are most criticaly observed, and the most malicious reflections made of them, that the envy of man can in∣vent. So the poor creature comes to be hated and abused, and revil'd by all that know her, and that infamy shall never be wiped off her and her generation, even by her most Reli∣gious or innocent deportment of her whole life. Hence the poor woman is made miserable all her life, and her family Scandalous to succeeding

Ages, through the unreasonable fears and jealousies of foolish and inconsi∣derate people. But this is not all; for it does sometimes happen, that the suspected (though Innocent) is hal∣led before Authority, and her life not seldom endangered, sometimes taken away.

The last Argument is from this consideration, That the Scriptures ne∣ver ascribe our pains, vexations, an∣guish of body or of mind, losses of our Goods, or any other Cross what∣ever, to Witches; but to the hand of God, or to men openly and vio∣lently Robbing, Spoiling, or Killing. Where it may be demanded why, see∣ing there is such mention of Witches, and Sorcery, and the like, unlawful Arts in the Scriptures, they do not Ascribe any harms to them, as men do in these days: and the reason is, for that the Word of God doth never Assign In∣struments to be set on work by him, which have not power in themselves

to do what he employeth them about, whether it be Angel, Devil, or any other Creature; and to teach us that they are but Satans slaves, and that it is not they, that do any, but that whatever is done, is the work of the Devil.