6. Case. Whether Witch-seeking, or Witch-finding be an Art, Vocati∣on, Profession, Occupation, Office, or Trade of Life, allowable in a a Christian Church or State?
THis Case is new; because such a Profession or occu∣pation has not beene heard of heretofore. And therfore since I am to venture where the path is not troden, I shall wil∣lingly yield to any that can shew mee a directer way to truth in this particular; then that which I now propose. Di∣stinguishing here betwixt the Authority, the Art, and the office of Witch-finding, and thereupon thus determining.
1. That the Authority (of Page 89 Governors in Church and State) is (to such a purpose as Witch-searching or Witch-finding) not onely Lawfull, but laudable: not onely war∣rantable, but commendable withall. In Deut. 18. 10. There shall not be found among you scil. Gods People, &c. This im∣ports an Authority from God to seek out such; Else how should it be knowne, whe∣ther such were to bee found amongst them yea or no; In 1 Sam. 28. 7. Sauls Authority injoyning his Servants (Seeke me a woman that hath a Fami∣liar Spirit) was not unwarran∣table, but his purpose onely. But every way commendable Page 90 was Josiahs spying out of such, 2. King. 23. 24. as intirely both proceeding from obedience, and tending to Reformation.
2. That the Art of Witch∣finding is very Difficult. 1. Because Satan is subtile, and has even here a 1000 deluding Arts, and wayes. 2. Most men are ignorant of his Stratagems, enterprizes, devices, 3. Witch∣craft it selfe is a darke mystery of iniquitie. 4. It is so particu∣lar a Depravation, that it can hardly be ghest at or imagined by any semblance of those common feeds of corruptions that are in Men. 5. Even Wit∣ches themselves are ignorant of this their owne Art. 6. The Page 91 true markes of a Witch (or mentall Characters) are not easie to be discerned.
3. That the office of Witch∣finding is exceeding doubtful, Because he that offers to take upon him such an office, can∣not (I am afraid to give satisfa∣ction to these doubts, and the like. 1. Though peradventure hee may have procured some Authoritie from men: yet whether he be hereunto called and inabled by God; 2. Whe∣ther he is able to execute it with a good conscience voyd of offence both towards God, and towards men; 3. Whether he have any certaine and infal∣lible Rules of Discerning to Page 92 proceed by; 4. Whether (in this undertaking) he aim not more at a privat Advantage, then at the publick Good? 5. Whe∣ther he often times uses not unlawfull and indirect meanes of Discoverie; or incourages not the Common People to use the same? 6 Whether hee may not give occasion to De∣fame Ten that are Innocent; before he descover one that is guilty? 7. Whether his Carria∣ges in this business, may not be a great occasion to augment the vulgar Peoples superstiti∣ons (and very dangerously su∣perstitious) opinions, suspiti∣ons, traditions, perswasions, af∣fections, admirations, and Re∣lations? Page 93 (I propose this to be well considered, because the Country People talke already, and that more frequently, more affectedly, of the infalli∣ble and wonderfull power of the Witchfinders; then they doe of God, or Christ, or the Gospell preached). 8. Whe∣ther peremptorily to pro∣nounce before-hand what multitudes of Witches are to be found in every Country of England, be not (besides a wicked Calumny,) an irrepa∣rable Infamie to the Church of England, in causing the adver∣saries of the Reformed Reli∣gion to blaspheme?
Besides all this; I require Page 94 ful satisfaction in these Doubts also: For I am not satisfied: that such an office ought to be taken upon them by any pri∣vat persons, as a Calling, Pro∣fession, occupation or Trade of Life. Because, if any Law∣fulnesse be in such a kind of Calling; it must either be as ordinary, or as extraordinary.
1. I conceive, not as an Ordi∣nary calling, 1. Because ordi∣nary Callings have ordinary Principles, Grounds, Pre∣cepts, Rules, Documents, Prescriptions, Directions, Ex∣amples, Presidents, Exercises, Practises, &c. 2. Ordinary Callings have Ordinary Deri∣vations, Propagatious, Con∣tinuation, Page 95 &c. 3. Wee worthi∣ly confute the Papists, for set∣ting up the office or Calling of an Exorcist, as Ordinary and constant in the Church. Of whose Office are two maine Acts; one to discerne, disco∣ver, and descry the Devill and the Witch: the other to ad∣jure, charme, expell, remove &c. The former of which Acts is here confest; and if any Formes of adjuration bee used in the Examination or Discovery, the other is not to be denied. And how wary must hee bee here in Exami∣ning, that would take heed of Adjuring? 4. As touching the second Act of such an Page 96 Office, the Scripture plainly denyes an ordinary or settled Calling, saying They are Va∣gabonds, that they tooke it upon them, and for this cause it is demanded, Who are ye? that is, where's your calling or power thus to do? Acts 19. 13, 14, 15. And therefore may the first Act very well be doubted of.
2. Not as Extraordinary. For 1. The Extraordinarily Called, are raised and separa∣ted, immediately, eminently, miraculously: 2. And that up∣on extraordinary occasions; as when the Church of God is thereby extreamely infested, infected, obscured, indange∣red. Page 97 3. Such are evermore by God prepared, gifted, streng∣thened, maintained, perfected.
All that can bee objected to me is; How then would you have Witches found out? I an∣swer, by the power of the Ma∣gistracy and Ministery; ap∣pointing and employing (up∣on evident and urgent necessi∣ty, as when not only common Reports, but prodigious Facts cry out) fit persons to such a purpose. I say fit; both for number and Quality. 1. For number, Competent. Not one or two obscure persons, A man with a woman, &c. But even a sufficient number, the better to Examine, Reason, Debate, Page 98 Discern, Determine; in case of particular Respects, Ends, fancies, opinions, humours, Passions, Affections, &c. 2. For Quality, meet Persons for that purpose, which ought not to be, 1. Ignorant, 2. Profane. 3. Covetousnesse. But ought to be, 1. Conscientious, 2. Dis∣creet. 3. Learned. And Lear∣ned, very learned. 1. In natu∣rall Philosophy, that they may discern betwixt things meerly praestigious, and the Mirables of Nature, in her occult Qua∣lities, Sympathies, Antipa∣thies, and apt conjunction of Actives to Passives. Through Ignorance whereof, a Coun∣try Fellow is ready to cry a Page 99 Witch, or a thing done in the Devills name, if hee see one make iron to walke after him, though by vertue of a Loadstone. Or to create fire in a wide field, though it be by force of a burning glasse, so he would in ignorant manner think all bewitcht, that his ship should stand immovea∣ble, and nothing to hinder it, but a slender Remora. So would an Indian, when he sees a man from a great Gunnes mouth, fall down dead, more then a mile off. 2. In physicke; to judge of Facts and Effects (in Men or Beasts) whether naturall, preternaturall, &c. For how apt are ordinary peo∣ple Page 100 to apprehend the strange handlings in Extasies, Fren∣zies, Lunaries, Lethargies, convulsions, falling sicknesses, &c. to bee no other then very Witchcrafts. 3. In Divinity, to examine the conscience by the Rules of the word, & dictates of right reason; & to discern & declare how utterly opposite the diabolicall Covenant is, to the Covenant of Grace. 4. In Law, to declare who are here lyable, and how far; & to what kinds or degrees of guilt or pe∣nalty.
Now that such as these (upon due occasion) are the only requisite and approvable for such a purpose: and that e∣ven Page 101 they themselves shall find this undertaking a matter of no smal difficulty; will plainly appear if the principal groūds of a Witches discovery be wel considered; which are either from suspition, confession, compact, practise, markes, or imps. As touching I suspition, whether causeless, or reasona∣ble. Or the extent of suspition whether generall or particu∣lar. Or the person suspecting, whether idle, or of honest re∣pute. Or the person suspected; whether his or her eminent vertues or graces, will admit of such a thing, yea or no?
2. Confession; How warily would it be considered; if the Page 102 party confessing bee of right mind: and not diabolically deluded to confesse not im∣probabilities only, but impos∣sibilities: if it be not forced, but a free confession. If Melancho∣ly Humors, work not too fond and false self-perswasions. If they may not be some seeds of superstitiō disposing to witch∣craft only; whereof the Con∣science convicted and distra∣cted, errs confusedly in appre∣hending and acknowledging all the Completion thereof.
3. Compact; whether the League or Covenant made with the Devill be Explicite and solemn; or Implicite and secret. If Implicite only; whe∣ther Page 103 an Implicite pact (being but a bare asset of the mind or wil) serve utterly to renounce God & Christ, &c. And to joyn in full society and familiarity with the Devill? And whether all sins of malice, are not guilty in some degree of the like re∣nuntiation and Confederacy.
4. Practise; whether no Ma∣gicall, sorcerous Charming, Conjuring, praestigious Acts, can be done without a diabo∣licall Confoederacie? whether every Effect of malefice and mischiefe that is immediately consequentiall to a Cursed Tongue, be to be censured as a work of direct witchcraft? whether of wondrous and dis∣mall Page 104 Events, some be not to be referred to the Mirables of na∣ture; some to contingencie & casualty; some to divine judg∣ment, some to Diabolicall ob∣session, as well as some to Ef∣fascination? whether the De∣vill may not work the Facts & Effects of witchcraft; by such as only stand as yet, but in the Temptation, or some disposi∣tion to be Witches? whether the devil (as author) may not worke some particular effects of mischief, against the Wil & Intention of the Instrument?
5. Markes. Whether the ex∣presse Character of a Witch be Corporall or Mentall; Whether all Witches have Page 105 Corporall Markes, or diaboli∣call Flesh-brands? Whether all Witches Flesh Markes be a∣like in every part, and so to be known by Comparison? Whe∣ther the Devill sets his express and visible seale, upon the Im∣plicite and invisible Compact? How may it be discerned be∣twixt this Devills body-mark, and any other Corporall Infir∣mitie? I have hard it Traditi∣onally Fabled of the strange figure, color, noysomenesse, bloodlesness, searedness, dead∣nesse, &c. yet to mee it is no∣thing Argumentative. But I will help them to one which (I take it) is demonstrative. viz. If the Learned Physician Page 106 can solidly conceive and aver that such a thing can have no naturall cause from the Body, nor can be of any Issue or use to the Body; then it argues and Demonstrates something in∣deed. For the Devills Brandes perish utterly, and are lost to any naturall use of the Body; as being imprest and muted to serve for no other purpose, but as Seals to the Devills Sa∣crament alone. Lastly, what man (of never so much obser∣vation or Experience) can with a safe conscience take his oath directly, that such Markes are imprest by the Devill, and serve onely for his use?
6. Imps, whether all Wit∣ches Page 107 have their Imps or deale with Familiars? whether a visible Impe be given upon an Invisible Compact? whether the Impe workes at the Wit∣ches, or at the Devills Com∣mand or Instigation? How can a Familiar or Impe be discer∣ned, if it never did any thing, but what (by nature, or Art) a Creature of that same kind, may stand in a Capacity to do? who can flatly atest wth a good Conscience; that this or that Dog, Cat, Rat, Mouse, &c. is the Witches Imp or Familiar?
These things being con∣sidered (with many moe al∣most irresoluble scruples, that might pertaine to this scruti∣ny) Page 108 I see not but that I may conclude? Though the Au∣thority be commendable, yet the Case is doubtfull, the un∣dertaking difficult, the pro∣fession dangerous, but the usurpation damnable.
