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CHAP. XI.
The opinion of Cornelius Agrippa concerning Witches, of his pleading for a poor wo∣man accused of witchcraft, and how he convinced the Inquisitors.
COrnelius Agrippa saith, that while he was in Italy, many Inquisitors in the Dutchie of Millen troubled divers most honest and noble Matrons, privily wringing much money from them, until their knavery was de∣tected: Further he saith, that being an Advocate or Counsellor in the Com∣mon-wealth of Maestright in Brabant, he had sore contention with an Inquisitor, who through unjust accusations drew a poor woman of the Country into his butchery, and to an unfit place; not so much to examine her, as to torment her, whom when C. Agrippa had undertaken to defend, declaring that in the things done, there was no proof, no sign or token that could cause her to be tormented; the Inquisitor stoutly denying it, said; One thing there is, which is proof and matter sufficient: for her mother was in times past burned for a Witch. Now when Agrippa replyed, affirming that this Article was impertinent, and ought to be refused by the Judg, as being the deed of another; alledging to the Inqui∣sitor reasons and law for the same: he replyed again, that this was true, because they used to sacrifice their children to the Devil, assoon as they were born; and also because they usually conceived by spirits transformed into mans shape, and that thereby witchcraft was naturally ingraffed into this child, as a disease that cometh by inheritance.
* 1.1C. Agrippa replying against the Inquisitors folly and superstitious blindness, said; O thou wicked Priest! Is this thy Divinity? Dost thou use to draw poor guiltless women to the rack by these forged devises? Dost thou with such sen∣tences judge others to be Hereticks, thou being more a Heretick than either Faustus, or Donatus? Be it as thou sayest, Dost thou not frustrate the grace of Gods Ordinance; namely Baptism? Are the words in Baptism spoken in vain? Or shall the Devil remain in the child, or it in the power of the Devil, being there and then consecrated to Christ Jesus, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy-Ghost? And if thou defend their false opinions, which affirm, that Spirits accompanying with women, can ingender; yet dotest thou more than any of them, which never believed that any of those Devils, together with their stoln seed, do put part of that their seed or nature into the creature. But though indeed we be born the children of the Devil and damnation, yet in bap∣tism, through grace in Christ, Satan is cast out, and we are made new creatures in the Lord, from whom none can be separated by another mans deed. The In∣quisitor being hereat offended, threatned the Advocate to proceed against him, as a supporter of Hereticks or Witches; yet nevertheless, he ceased not to de∣fend the silly woman, and through the power of the Law he delivered her from tho claws of the bloudy Monk, who with her accusers, were condemned in a great sum of money to the Charter of the Church of Mentz, and remained infa∣mous after that time almost to all men.
But by the way, you must understand, that this was but a pety Inquisitor, and had not so large a Commission as Cumanus, Sprenger, and such other had; nor yet as the Spanish Inquisitors at this day have; For these will admit no Advocates now unto the poor souls, except the Tormentor or Hangman may be called an Advocate. You may read the sum of this Inquisition in few words set out by M. John Fox in the Acts and Monuments:* 1.2 For Witches and Hereticks are among the Inquisitors of like reputation; saving that the extremity is greater against Witches, because through their simplicity, they may the more boldly tyrannize upon them, and triumph over them.