An antidote against atheisme, or, An appeal to the natural faculties of the minde of man, whether there be not a God by Henry More ...

CHAP. V.

Examples of Bewitch'd Persons that have had Balls of Haire, Nayles, Knives, Wood stuck with Pinns, pieces of Cloth, and such like trash conveigh'd into their Bodies, with examples also of other Supernatu∣rall Effects.

I Will begin with that memorable true Story that Langius tels of one Vlricus Neusesser who being grievously tor∣mented with a pain in his side, suddenly felt under his skin, which yet was whole, an iron Naile as he thought. And so it prov'd when the Chirurgion had cut it out: But ne∣verthelesse his great torments continued, which enraged him so, that he cut his own Throat. The third day when he was carried out to be buried, Eucharius Rosenbader, and Joannes ab Ettenstet, a great company of people

standing about them, dissected the Corps, and ripping up the Vent••icle, found a round piece of wood of a good length, four knives, some even and sharp, others indeated like a Saw, with other two rough pieces of Iron a span long. There was also a ball of Haire. This happened at Fugen∣stall▪ 1539.

VVierus tells also a story of one that was possessed, of which himself was an Eye-witnesse, that vomited up pieces of cloth with pins stuck in them, nailes, needles and such like stuffe: which he contends doth not come from the sto∣mack, but by a prestigious slight of the Devil is only inge∣sted into the mouth.

Antonius Benivenius also witnesses of his own know∣ledge, that a woman his Patient, after a great deal of tor∣ture, and disquiet, and staring distraction, and extraor∣dinary swelling of her belly, at last fell a vomiting of long crooked Nailes, Pinns, and a clue of Haire and VVaxe, and so great a Crust of Bread as no man's swallow could ever get down. Then she fell a prophecying and raging in such sort as those that are bewitched or possessed, so that the Physician was forced to leave her to the cure of the Church.

Meinerus Clatsius his Servant, when he was bewitch'd, his throat was so swelled that his face became blew again with it, and therefore his Mistresse, Judith a de∣vout Mat••on, fearing he would be choked, betook her self to her prayers with the rest of her Family. VVilliam in the mean time (for so was his name) begins to discharge at the mouth, and sends out of his throat the forepart of the Shepheards Breeches, whole Flints and their fragments, clues of Yarne, besides long Locks of Womens Haire, Needles, a piece of the lining of a Boies Coat, a Peacocks feather which he had pulled out of the taile of it eight dayes before, with other more slight stuffe.

Cardan tells a story also of a good simple countrey fel∣low

and a friend of his, that had been a long time troubled with vomiting up Glasse, Iron, N••iles and Haire, and that at that time he told Cardan of it he was not so perfect∣ly restored but that something yet crash'd in his belly as if there we••e a Bag of Glasse in it.

I might add seasonably hereunto what is so credibly re∣ported of Mrs. Muschamp's Child, that it was seen to vomit up pieces of VVood with Pinns stuck in it.

But I will conclude all with that Story of about thirty Children that were so strangely handled at Amsterdam 1566. of the truth whereof VVierus professeth himself very well assured. They were tortured very much, and cast violently upon the ground, but when they arose out of their fitt knew nothing but thought they had been onely asleep. For the remedying of this mischief they got the help of Physicians, VVizards and Exorcists, but without successe▪ Onely while the Exorcists were reading, the Children vo∣mited up Needles, Thimbles, shreds of Cloth, pieces of Pots, Glasse▪ Haire, and other things of the like nature.

Now the advantage I would make of these stories is this, that these effects extraordinary and supernaturall being so palpable and permanent, they are not at all lyable to such Subterfuges as Atheists usually betake themselves to, as of Melancholy, & disturbance of Phansy in those that professe they see such strange things, or any Fraud or Impost••re in those that act.

All that can with any shew of reason be alledged is this, That such partyes in their ••itts of distraction may de∣voure such things as they vomit up, or at least put them into their mouthes. But they that are by might easily see that, distracted people doing things carelessly and openly. And these things happen to those that are thus handled against their wills; and as they are not discovered to doe any such things, of themselves, so neither do they confess af∣terwards that they did it, when they are come to their right

senses; and ordinarily it is found out that some Woman or other by Sorcery or VVitchcraft was the Authour of it.

Besides it is evident that there can be no mistake at all in some of these passages; For how can an iron Naile get betwixt the skin and the flesh, the skin not at all ripped or touch'd? Or how is it possible for any body to swallow down Knives and pieces of Iron a span long? which be∣sides that story of Vlricus Neusesser, is made good in ano∣ther of a young Wench, who when she had made cleane a paire of shoes with a Knife, which she put in her bosome, she after seeking for it, it could not be found any where, till at length it began to discover it self in a swelling on her left side, and at last was pulled out thence by the Chirurgion. You may read the whole story in VVierus, lib. 4. It was done at Levensteet in the Dukedome of Brunswick 1562. An old Women had come to the house in the morning, and a strange black Dog was found under the table.

There are also other miraculous and supernaturall effects, as in that maid of Saxonies speaking of Greek; and in ano∣ther in Italy telling what was the best verse in all Virgill.

In another whom Caelius Rhodiginus profess'd he saw that spoke from betwixt her legs. Another at Paris whom Dr. Picard and other Divines would have dispossest, whom one Hollerius a Physician deriding, as if it had been nothing but Melancholy in the Woman and Ignorance in those Di∣vines, was after convinc'd of the contrary, when he saw her standing betwixt two other women and crying out of a sud∣den, discerning her hands to be so fast bound that there was no loosing of them without cutting the string. There was not the appearance of any thing to any body but to the possessed onely, who said she saw then a white cloud come neer her when she was bound.