The definition of Witch-craft.
FOr the better discovery of the qualities of these crimes, I shall spend some discourse upon the Definition of those Arts by Divines: for both those of the Reformed Churches, as well as these of the Roman, in a manner, agree in their definition of the sin of Witch-craft. I shall instance in two late Writers, viz. Mr. William Perkins in his Discourse of Witch-craft, and in Martin Delrio, a Jesuit of Lor∣rain, in his Book of Magical Disquisitions.
Our English word Witch, is derived from the Dutch word Wiechelen, or Wijchelen, which doth properly signifie whinying or neying like a Horse, and doth also signifie to foretel or prophecy; and Weicheler signifies a Southsayer; for that the Germans, from whom our Ancestors the Saxons descended, usually and principally did, as Tacitus tells us, divine and fore-tell things to come, by the whinying and neying of their Horses. Hinnitu & fremitu are his words.
For the Definition Mr. Perkins saith,* Witch-craft is an Art serving for the work∣ing Page 316 of wonders, by the assistance of the Devil, so far as God shall permit.
Delrio defineth it to be an Art, which by the power of a Contract entred into with the* Devil, some wonders are wrought which pass the common understanding of men. Ars qua vi pacti cum Daemonibus initi mira quaedam communem hominum captum superantia officiuntur.
In these two Definitions, some Points are worth the noting.
1. They both agree in the main Foundation, which is a Contract with the Devil, and therefore Mr. Perkins thought it most necessary, that this main point should be proved; to which purpose he promiseth to define a Witch, by opening the nature of Witch-craft, as it is delivered* in the old and new Testament; and yet after he confesseth a manifest Covenant is not so* fully set down in Scripture: And out of the New Testament he offers no proof at all, though he promised it; nevertheless, he resolves us that a Co∣venant is a most evident and certain truth, that may not be called in question.
For proof of a Covenant, he produceth onely one Text out of the old Testament; neither doth he say, that the Text proveth a Contract with the Devil, but onely that it intimateth so much: Thus at the first he falls from a proof to an intimation onely. The Text is, Psal. 58. v. 5. of which his words are these: Howsoever the* common Translation runneth in other terms, yet the words are properly to be read thus: Which hea∣reth not the voice of the mutterer joyning Societies cun∣ningly—the main Foundation of the Charm, Societies Page 317 or Confederacies cunningly made, not between man and man, but, as the words import, between the Enchanter and the Devil, Deut. 18. 11.
Answer. Though there be neither mention of Spirit or Devil in this Psalm, yet Mr. Perkins would have us believe that there can be no conjoyning or con∣sociating but with the Devil: but Mr. Ainsworth, as great a Rabby as Mr. Perkins, finds other Interpre∣tations of this Text; and though he mentions fel∣lowship with the Devil, yet he puts it in the third and last place, as the newest and latest Interpretati∣on: for he teacheth us, that the Enchanter had his title both in Psalm 58. and in Deut. 18. either because be associates Serpents, making them tame and familiar that they hurt not, or because such persons use to bind and tye bonds, or things about the body, to heal or hurt by Sorcery. Also he teacheth us, that a Charmer doth joyn or speak words of a strange language, and with∣out sence, &c.
Delrio it seems puts no confidence in this Text of Mr. Perkins, for he doth not cite it to prove a Contract; yet he hath also one Text of his own to that purpose, it is Esay 28. 15. where it is said, We have made a Covenant with* Death, and with Hell we are at an agreement; Percussimus foedus cum morte, & cum inferno fecimus pactum: and Delrio tells us, that Tho. Aqui∣nas did apply this Text to Witches, magis satis pro∣babili interpretatione.
Answer. If this Text be considered, it proves no∣thing at all: for it doth not charge the proud and drunken Ephraimites, of whom it is spoken, that they had made an agreement with Hell, but it is onely a false brag of their own, to justifie their Page 318 wickedness by a lye: for it is not possible to make a Covenant with Death, which in it self is no∣thing but a meer not being; and whereas it is cal∣led an agreement with Hell, it may be translated as well, if not better in this place, an agreement with the Grave; and so the Interlineary Bible hath it; and Tremelius and Iunius render it, Pepigimus foedus cum morte, & cum sepulchro egimus cautum; which they term a Thrasonical hyperbole: and Deo∣datus his Italian Bible hath, Habbiamo fatto lega col sepolcro; so likewise the Spanish Bible translates it, Concierto tenemos hecho con la muerte, è con la sepultura hazimos acuerdo.
It may be wondered that neither Mr. Perkins nor the Jesuit have any other or better Texts to prove this Contract between the Witch and the Devil. But the truth is, it is very little that either of them say of this great point, but pass it over perfunctorily. Perhaps it may be thought that King Iames hath said, or brought more and better proofs in this point; but I do not finde that he doth meddle with it at all, but takes it for granted that if there be Witches, there must needs be a Covenant, and so leaves it without further proof.
A second note is, that the agreement between the Witch and the Devil they call a Covenant, and yet neither of the parties are any way bound to perform their part; and the Devil, without doubt, notwithstanding all his craft, hath far the worst part of the bargain. The bargain runs thus in Mr. P. the Witch as a slave* binds himself by Vow to believe in the De∣vil, and to give him either Body, or Soul, or both, un∣der Page 320 his hand-writing, or some part of his Blood. The Devil promiseth to be ready at his vassals com∣mand to appear in the likeness of any Creature, to consult, and to aid him for the procuring of Plea∣sure, Honour, Wealth, or Preferment; to go for him, to carry him any whither, and do any command. Whereby we see the Devil is not to have benefit of his bargain till the Death of the Witch; in the mean time he is to appear always at the Witches com∣mand, to go for him, to carry him any whither, and to do any command: which argues the Devil to be the Witches slave, and not the Witch the Devils.
Though it be true which Delrio affirmeth, that the Devil is at liberty to perform or break his com∣pact, for that no man can compel him to keep his promise; yet on the other side, it is as possible for the Witch to frustrate the Devils Contract, if he or she have so much grace as to repent; the which there may be good cause to do, if the Devil be found not to perform his promise: Besides, a Witch may many times require that to be done by the Devil, which God permits not the Devil to do; thus against his will the Devil may lose his credit, and give occasion of repentance, though he endeavour to the utmost of his power to bring to pass whatsoever he hath promised; and so fail of the benefit of his bargain, though he have the hand-writing, or some part of the blood of the Witch for his security, or the solemnity before witnesses, as Delrio ima∣gineth.
I am certain they will not say that Witch-craft is like the sin against the Holy Ghost, unpardona∣able: Page 220 for Mr. Perkins confesseth the contrary, and Delrio denies it not; for he allows the Sacrament of the Eucharist to be admi∣nistred* to a condemned Witch, with this limitation, that there may be about four hours space between the Communion, and the Execution, in which time it may be pro∣bably thought that the Sacramental Species (as they call it) may be consumed.
3. Delrio in his second Book, and fourth Questi∣on, gives this Rule, which he saith is common to all Contracts with the Devil, That first they must de∣ny the Faith, and Christianism, and Obedience to God, and reject the patronage of the Virgin Mary, and re∣vile her. To the same purpose Mr. Perkins affirms that Witches renounce God and their Baptism. But if this be common to all Contracts with the De∣vil, it will follow that none can be Witches but such as have first been Christians, nay and Roman Catholiques, if Delrio say true; for who else can re∣nounce the patronage of the Virgin Mary? And what shall be said then of all those Idolatrous Na∣tious of Lapland, Finland, and of divers parts of Africa, and many other Heathenish Nations, which our Travellers report to be full of Witches? and indeed, what need or benefit can the Devil gain by contracting with those Idolaters, who are surer his own, than any Covenant can make them?
4. Whereas it is said that Witchcraft is an Art working wonders, it must be understood that the art must be the Witches Art, and not the Devils, otherwise it is no Witch-craft, but Devils∣craft. It is confessed on all hands, that the Witch doth not work the wonder, but the Devil onely. Page 321 It is a rare Art for a Witch by her Art to be a∣ble to do nothing her self, but to command an∣other to practise the Art. In other Arts, Mr. Perkins confesseth that the Arts Master is able by himself to practise his Art, and to do things belonging thereunto without the help* of another; but in this it is otherwise—the power of effecting strange works doth not flow from the skill of the Witch, but is derived wholly from Satan. To the same purpose he saith, that the means of working wonders* are Charms used as a Watch-word to the Devil to cause him to work wonders: so that the Devil is the worker of the wonder, and the Witch but the Counsellour, Perswader, or Commander of it, and onely accessary before the Fact, and the Devil onely principal. Now the difficulty will be, how the accessary can be duely and lawfully convicted and attainted according as our Statute requires, unless the Devil, who is the Principal, be first convicted, or at least outlawed▪ which cannot be, because the Devil can never be lawfully summoned according to the rules of our Common-law. For further proof that the Devil is the principal in all such wonders, I shall shew it by the testimony of King Iames, in a case of Murther, which is the most capital crime our Laws look upon. First, he tells us that the Devil teaches Witches how to make Pictures of Wax and Clay, that by the rosting thereof the persons that they bear the Name of may be continually melted, or dried away by continual sickness—not that any of these means which he teacheth them (except poysons, which are composed of things natural) can of themselves help Page 322 anything to these turns they are imployed in. Secondly, King Iame affirms that Witches* can bewitch, and take the life of Men or Women by rosting of the Pictures, which is very possible to their Master to perform: for although that instrument of Wax have no vertue in the turn doing, yet may he not very well, by that same mea∣sure that his conjured Slave melts that Wax at the fire, may he not I say at these same times, sub∣tilly as a spirit, so weaken and scatter the spirits of life of the patient, as may make him on the one part for faintness to sweat out the humours of his body; and on the other part, for the not concurring of these spirits which cause his digestion, so debilitate his stomack, that his humour radical continually sweating out on the one part, and no new good Suck being put in the place thereof for lack of digestion on the other, he at last shall vanish away even as his Picture will do at the Fire. Here we see the Picture of Wax, roasted by the Witch, hath no vertue in the Murdering, but the Devil onely. It is necessary in the first place that it be duly proved that the party Murther'd be Murthered by the Devil: for it is a shame to bely the Devil; and it is not possible to be proved, if it be Subtilely done as a Spirit.
5. Our Definers of Witch-craft dispute much, whether the Devil can work a Miracle: they re∣solve he can do a Wonder, but not a Miracle; Mirum, but not Miraculum. A Miracle, saith Mr. Perkins, is that which is above or against nature sim∣ply; a Wonder is that which proceeds not from the ordi∣nary course of nature. Delrio will have a Miracle to be praeter, or supra naturae creatae vires: both seem to agree in this, that he had need be an admirable Page 323 or profound Philosopher, that can distinguish be∣tween a Wonder and a Miracle; it would pose Ari∣stotle himself, to tell us every thing that can be done by the power of Nature, and what things cannot; for there be daily many things found out, and daily more may be, which our Fore-fathers never knew to be possible in Nature. Those that were converted by the Miracles of our Saviour, ne∣ver stayed to enquire of their Philosophers what the power of Nature was; it was sufficient to them, when they saw things done, the like whereof they had neither seen nor heard of, to believe them to be Miracles.
6. It is commonly believed and affirmed by Mr. Perkins, that the cause which moves the De∣vil to bargain with a Witch, is a desire to obtain thereby the Soul and Body of the Witch. But I cannot see how this can agree with another Doctrine of his, where he saith, The Precepts of Witch-craft are not delivered indifferently to every Man, but to his own subjects the wicked; and not to them all, but to special and tried ones, whom he most betrusteth with his secrets, as being the fittest to to serve his turn, both in respect of their willingness to learn and practise, as also for their ability to become In∣struments of the mischief he intendeth to others. All this argues, the end of the Devils rules of Witch-craft is not to gain Novices for new Subjects, but to make use of old ones to serve his turn.
7. The last clause of Mr. Perkins definition is, that Witch-craft doth work wonders so far as God shall permit. I should here desire to have known whe∣ther Mr. Perkins had thought that God doth permit farther power to the Devil upon his contracting Page 324 with the Witch, than he had before the Contract: for if the Devil had the same permission before the Contract, then he doth no more mischief upon the Contract, than he would have gladly done before, seeing, as Mr. Perkins saith, The Devils malice towards all Men is of so high a degree, that he cannot endure they* should enjoy the World, or the benefits of this life (if it were possible) so much as one hour. But yet afterward I finde Master Perkins is more favourable to the Devil, where he writes, that if the Devil were not stirred up and provoked by the Witch, he would never do so much hurt as he doth.
