purpose as Witch-searching or Witch-finding not onely Lawfull but laudable not onely warrantable but commendable withall In Deut. 18. 10. There shall not be found among you scil. Gods People c. This imports an Authority from God to seek out such Else how should it be knowne whether 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 Familiar Spirit was not unwarrantable but his purpose onely But every way commendable 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. Witchcraft it selfe is a darke mystery of iniquitie 4. It is so particular 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 Witches themselves are ignorant of this their owne Art 6. The 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 cannot I am afraid to give satisfaction 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. Whether 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 infallible Rules of Discerning to proceed by 4. Whether in this undertaking he aim not more at a privat Advantage then at the publick Good 5. Whether 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 Defame Ten that are Innocent before he descover one that is guilty 7. Whether his Carriages in this business may not be a great occasion to augment the vulgar Peoples superstitions and very dangerously superstitious opinions suspitions traditions perswasions affections admirations and Relations I propose this to be well considered because the Country People talke already and that more frequently more affectedly of the infallible and wonderfull power of the Witchfinders then they doe of God or Christ or the Gospell preached 8. Whether peremptorily to pronounce before-hand what multitudes of Witches are to be found in every Country of England be not besides a wicked Calumny an irreparable Infamie to the Church of England in causing the adversaries of the Reformed Religion to blaspheme Besides all this I require ful satisfaction in these Doubts also For I am not satisfied that such an office ought to be taken upon them by any privat persons as a Calling Profession occupation or Trade of Life Because if any Lawfulnesse be in such a kind of Calling it must either be as ordinary or as extraordinary 1. I conceive not as an Ordinary calling 1. Because ordinary Callings have ordinary Principles Grounds Precepts Rules Documents Prescriptions Directions Examples Presidents Exercises Practises c. 2. Ordinary Callings have Ordinary Derivations Propagatious Continuation c. 3. Wee worthily confute the Papists for setting 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 discover and descry the Devill and the Witch the other to adjure 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 Examining that would take heed of Adjuring 4. As touching the second Act of such an Office the Scripture plainly denyes an ordinary or settled Calling saying They are Vagabonds 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 separated immediately eminently miraculously 2. And that upon extraordinary occasions as when the Church of God is thereby extreamely infested infected obscured indangered 3. Such are evermore by God prepared gifted strengthened maintained perfected All that can bee objected to me is How then would you have Witches found out I answer by the power of the Magistracy and Ministery appointing and employing upon evident and urgent necessity 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 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. Discreet 3. Learned And Learned very learned 1. In naturall Philosophy that they may discern betwixt things meerly praestigious and the Mirables of Nature in her occult Qualities Sympathies Antipathies and apt conjunction of Actives to Passives Through Ignorance whereof a Country Fellow is ready to cry a 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 immoveable 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 people to apprehend the strange handlings in Extasies Frenzies 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 penalty Now that such as these upon due occasion are the only requisite and approvable for such a purpose and that even 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
SELECT Cases of Conscience TOUCHING VVitches and VVitchcrafts By IOHN GAVLE Preacher of the Word at Great Staughton in the County of Huntington Deur 18. 10 11 12. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his Son or his Daughter to passe through the fire or that useth Divination or an observer of Times or an Enchanter or a Witch Or a Charmer or a Consulter with familiar Spirits or a Wizard or a Nocromancer For all that do these things are an Abomination unto the Lord and because of these Abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee London Printed by W. Wilson for Richard Clutterbuck and are to be sold at his House in Noblestreet 1646. May 29. 1646. I Have with much satisfaction and content perused this learned judicious discourse intituled Select Cases of Conscience concerning Witches and Witchcrafts And finding it to bee very solide and seasonable I allow it to bee Printed and published JOHN DOWNAME To his ever honoured Valentine VVauton Esquire Colonell and one of the Honorable House of Commons As also to the other worthy Gentlemen together with all the good people of the Parish of Great Staughton in the County of Huntington SIR YOU heresee what the the rest of the Parish heard under one moneths occasionall paines in my place I am forced to make it publique partly because I suffered some opposition affront in my preaching from one I never saw before and partly because some opinions of it are spread since by and among those that know me not But chiefely to answer the expectation of those amongst whom I am knowne I hope what I here tender you will speake the Trueth of an honest Conscience to the World the Affection of a carefull Pastor to the rest and to you Sir the gratefull because much ingaged mind of Your humble Servant JOHN GAULE To the Iudicious Reader Reader I present thee here with a Letter on occasion of this publishing It were but lost labour to glosse upon it Thou mayest easily reade him in his Letter and mee in my Booke M. N. MY service to your Worship presented I have this day received a Letter c. to come to a Towne called Great Staughton to search for evill disposed persons called Witches though I heare your Minister is farre against us through ignorance I intend to come God willing the sooner to heare his singular Judgment on the behalfe of such parties I have known a Minister in Suffolke preach as much against their discovery in a Pulpit and forc'd to recant it by the Committee in the fame place I much marvaile such evill Members should have any much more any of the Clergy who should daily preach Terrour to convince such Offenders stand up to take their parts against such as are Complainants for the King and sufferers themselves with their Families and Estates I intend to give your Towne a Visite suddenly I am to come to Kimbolton this weeke and it shall bee tenne to one but I will come to your Town first but I would certainely know afore whether your Town affords many Sticklers for such Cattell or willing to give and afford us good welcome and entertainement as other where I have beene else I shall wave your Shire not as yet beginning in any part of it my selfe And betake me to such places where I doe and may persist without controle but with thankes and recompence So I humbly take my leave and rest Your Servant to be commanded Matthew Hopkins The Contents 1 Case WHether it ought to bee beleeved that there are any Witches 2. How many kinds of Witches may there be conceived 3. Whether there bee not sundry degrees of Witches and Witchcrafts to be considered 4. What it is that makes a Witch to be a Witch and one that may justly bee so called and accounted 5. What are the signes and marks of a Witch whereby such an one may bee rightly discerned and so Censured 6. Whether Witch-seeking or witch-finding be an Art Vocation Profession Office Occupation or Trade of Life allowable in a Christian Church or State 7. Whether all such Feats trickeâ— prankes and Exploits as Witches arâ— said to play be credible to prudent Christians 8. Whether the power of a Witch be such as is ordinarily supposed 9. How the power and malice of Witches may be prevented or redressed witâ— a good Conscience 10. Whether it be lawfull to consulâ— with a Witch upon any occasion 11. What punishment are Witcheâ— worthy of or may justly be inflicted on them 12. VVhether a VVitch may repent and so be saved SELECT Cases of Conscience touching Witches and Witchcrafts 1. Case Whether it ought to be beleeved that there are any Witches HEe that will needs perswade himself that there are no Witches would as faine be perswaded that there is no Devill and hee that can already beleeve that there is no Devill will ere long beleeve that there is no God For there are much what the same grounds or motives both for the Atheist and the Adiabolist Both are errours and evills issuing not only from a fond presuming folly but also from a carnall dispensing security Psal. 14. 1. And therefore when I consider that opinion of the Sadduces Acts 23. 8. I cannot but wonder at the received ground for it Who are said to deny all there citâ—â— onely for this end that so they might serve God more sincerely and for himselfes sake blessing him even for a present beeing and not doing his wil out of any expepectation of a future reward Whereas our late leaners and lingerers after such a kinde of sect could be content to deny all these meerly for this intent that so they might serve themselves wholly sin more greedily live now more securely and feare no future penalty But as doating sleepes or dreams awaken to greater distractions so doe false opinions to the more fearfull Convictions Especially all fond perswasions touching God or the Divel if not otherwise recanted are confuted by their own sad experience at the last And as to the point in hand I could instance from Story but that I resolve against all such dilatations in this Epitome how many have had no faith of witches being til they have had a sense of them and then their bewitched body or goods has served to unbewitch them of their opinion Conceit But there are also a sect or sort that on the other hand are as superstitious in this point as these can be infidelious They conclude peremptorily not from reason but indiscretion that witches not only are but are in every place and Parish with them every old woman with a wrinkled face a furr'd brow a hairy lip a gobber tooth a squint eye a squeaking voyce or a scolding tongue having a rugged coate on her back a skullcap on her head a spindle in her hand and a Dog or Cat by her side is not only suspected but pronounced for a witch Every new disease
Hebrew hath it of the Witch of Endor 1 Sam. 28. 7. and is plainly rendred Nahum 3. 4. though they seeme Ladies and Mistresses of their Arts acts yet are they indeed but Satans meer slaves and Vassals Commanding openly that power as if they were superiour to him and yet secretly invoking it as inferior And so the Devill seemes as if hee were now compelled to obey when hee cunningly dissembles it for his own ends Only he is willing to have this power both to be challenged by them and imputed to them that so hee may transfer upon them the guilt and hatred of all those Mischiefs Malignities both before God and men 2. After what manner doe they use to exercise their power of bewitching Sometimes they practise their power with more Formality sometimes with lesse Now on a sodain all at once now by times and degrees Some by themselves some with their fellow Witches Sometimes after this manner and by these means sometimes by the clean contrary As witnesses what from confession and Tradition their sundry bewitching places Seasons Vestures Gestures Postures Spells Characters Ligatures Signes Images Confections herbs unguēts meats drinkes powders boylings broylings scaldings burnings buryings c. Indeed what Act or Instrument of Man can be named that has not been or may not be sorcerously abused Let me instance more expresly in a few particulars 1. Some worke their bewitchings only by way of Invocation or Imprecation They wish it or will it and so it falls out 2. Some by way of Emissary sending out their Imps or Familiars to crosse the way justle affront flash in the Face barke howle bite scratch or otherwise infest 3. Some by Inspecting or looking on but to glare or squint or peep at with an envious and evill eye is sufficient to effascinate Especially Infants women with Child 4. Some by a demisse hollow muttering or mumbling Isa. 8. 19. 29. 4. 5. Some by breathing blowing on the usuall way of the venefick 6. Some by cursing banning 7. Some by blessing and praising 8. Some revengefully by occasion of ill turns 9. Some ingratefully and by occasion of good turnes 10. Some by leaving something of theirs in your House 11 Some by getting something of yours into their House 12. Some have a more speciall way of working by severall Elements Earth water ayre or fire But who can tell all the manner of wayes of a Witches working that works not only darkly and closely but variously versatilly as God will permit the Devil can suggest or the malicious Hag devise to put in practise 3. Upon whom do Witches execute their power If wee can credite what is reported of the old Pagan Witches how they threaten the Gods the Heavens Sphears Planets Elements c. To pull downe the Sun Moon and Stars and preserve their Influences in Boxes to mingle all and make a new Chaos to dry up the Seas and remove Mountains c. Nay and some of our later Witches are wont to brag of a power they have over the Devill himselfe how they can compell him chain him whip him torment him And these are they the Papists call Exorcists which we call Conjurers Who are said to differ from other kinde of Witches in this that they can imperiously command the Devill c. Whereas others are glad to do all by Invocation or Intreaty Indeed Christ gave his Disciples an extraordinary power against him Mar. 3. 15. and 16 17. and for anything that hee can do against us hath left us the ordinary means 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. But I would these kinde of people could as easily extricate themselves out of the Devills power as wee for Trueths sake must vindicate him from theirs And that 1. Because a Creature that is inferiour by Nature cannot without a divine power compell one that is superiour to it 2. A pretence to or usurpation of a Divine power against him prevayles not to subject him but inrage him rather as Act. 19. 13 14 15 16. 3. It is not likely the Devill would invent or deliver any such Art whereby himself might verily bee coarcted or constrained who is of such a pride as can indure to be brought into no subjection or obedience whether to God or Men But thus much is to be beleived even by knowing Christians That witches may have a power from the Devill to perturbe all things sublunary And therefore they and the Devill are not amisse sayd to move winds Storms Tempests showrs Lightnings and some say Thunders hayle snow Frosts mists Foggs smokes Blastings Skathfires Earthquakes Seawracks Sicknesses Diseases c. I spare to speak of their more notorious power over things inanimate vegetables and all brute Creatures But as touching Mankind for there 's all the spite of the Devill and the Witch that abuse not the other Creatures but in his prejudice Concerning such it is commonly said that witches have power over Infants more then the Aged over Women more then over men and over women with Child more then over others And for the proof wee are put to story Tradition and Experience But the Question best worth deciding in the whole Case is this Whether Witches have any power against faithful godly men as well as against the Wicked and profane Some people are perswaded that a Witch can have no power at all against a faithfull man And think themselves armed sufficiently to their opinion from a great Witches owne Confession Numbers 23. 23. Surely there is no enchantmēt against Iacob nor is there any Divination against Israel But it would be considered that the Hebrew word signifies Notice rather then not against yea but say not against Iacob not against Israel Iacob and Israel there intimate a Congregation not a person Thus therefore it may truly be distinguished determined That Witches and Sorcerers can have no power against the whole Church of God the whole body of Christ but may doubtles over this or that particular person though never so pious never so beleeving Because such a subjection followes Gods permission And being but a temporall evill no faith or piety hath here an absolute promise of Exemption Satan had his obsessing power even over Iob a Godly man as well as over Saul a wicked man Christ acknowledges one for a daughter of Abraham and withall that she was troubled with a spirit of Infirmity Luk. 13. That is an Infirmity wrought by the meanes of an evill Spirit How easy were it but that I resolve against all such prolixity to instance from the Fathers and other Authors of more then Hundreds of good and Godly men in all Ages not onely immediatly obsessed by the Devill but by his evill Instruments most strangely and terribly bewitcht Besides Examples and experience there is reason also to establish this for a Truth 1. Because Corporal bewitching is as I said but an outward suffering against which not the best Saint hath any Ground to plead an absolute