Chapter X: Part IV (1)

_A Letter of a Gentleman[90] endeavouring to prove the received
Opinions about Witchcraft._

_SIR_,

I Told you, I had some thoughts concerning Witchcraft, and an Intention of conferring with the Gentleman,[91] who has published several Treatises about Witchcraft, and persons afflicted by them, lately here in _New-England_; but since you have put those three Books into my hands, I find myself engaged in a very hard Province, to give you my opinion of them. I plainly foresee, that should this scribling of mine come to [65] publick view, it would displease all Parties, but that is the least; moreover it is so far out of my Road to set my thoughts to consider a matter on every side, which in itself is so abstruce, and every step I advance therein, if I miss truth (which is a narrow and undivided line) I must tumble down headlong into the Gulph of dangerous error; yet notwithstanding I have forced myself to send these few lines, if so be I may clear to you a truth, you now seem to be offended at, because of the ill consequences, which (you think) lately have and again may be drawn from it, by the ill conduct of some Men. I am not ignorant that the pious frauds of the Ancient, and the inbred fire (I do not call it pride) of many of our Modern Divines have precipitated them to propagate, and maintain truth as well as falsehood, in such an unfair manner, as has given advantage to the Enemy, to suspect the whole Doctrine, these Men have profest to be nothing but a meer trick. But it is certain, that as no lover of truth will justifie an Illegitimate Corollary, tho drawn from a true Proposition; so neither will he reject a truth, because some or many Men take unfair mediums to prove it, or draw false consequences from it: The many Heresies among Christians, must not give a mortal wound to the Essence of the Christian Religion; neither must any one Christian Doctrine be exterminated, because Evil Men make use of it, as a Cloak to cover their own self-ends; particularly, because some men perhaps among all sorts of Christians, have under pretence of Witchcraft coloured their own Malice, Pride and Popularity; we must not therefore conclude (first) that there are no Witches (2.) or that Witches cannot be Convicted by such clear and undeniable proof, as the Law of God requires in the case of Death (3.) Or that a Witch so Convicted ought not to be put to death. 1. That there are Witches is manfest from the precept of _Moses_, _Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live_. Exod. xxii. 18. for it is certain God would not have given a vain and unintelligible Law, as this must be of putting Witches to death, if there are no Witches. But you object that this doth not answer our Case, for we have formed another Idea of Witches than what can be gathered from Scriptures; you quote four places, _viz. Deut._ xiii. _Mat._ xxiv. _Acts_ xiii. 2. _Tim._ iii. from all which you infer that Witchcraft is a maligning and oppugning the Word, Works and Worship of God; and by an extraordinary sign, seeking to seduce any from it, and this you readily grant. But then you say, What is this to Witches now a days? who are said to have made an explicit Covenant with the Devil, and to be impowered by him, to the doing of things strange in themselves, and besides their natural course. This you say does not follow, and herein indeed consists the whole Controversie. Therefore it is necessary, that first of all we clear this point, laying aside those prejudices we may have from the fatal application of this Doctrine, [66] to some (who were in your judgment) really at least in Law, and before Men Innocent. In a word, we are seeking after truth, and truth shall and will be truth, in spite of Men and Devils. I do not repeat this caution to forestall you, to believe the Doctrine of Witchcraft, as it is above defined, without inquiring into the reason and truth of it; only I desire you to enquire into it, as a thing doubtful. For no Man can be certain of a Negative, unless either the Affirmative imply a contradiction, or he can prove it by certain testimony, to neither of which you pretend; only you alledge it cannot be proved by Scripture, _i. e._ you cannot prove it, nor have seen it proved by any other you have read on that Subject. I am not so vain as to think I can do better than the learned Authors you have consulted with (though I know not what they have done, for I had no other Book but the Bible, to make use of on this occasion;) but because I am satisfied myself, I am willing to communicate my Reasons, which I divide into Three heads. 1. The appearance of Angels. 2. The nature of Possession. 3 and the scripture notion of Witchcraft. 1. Good Angels did appear to _Abraham_, and did eat, _Gen._ xv. it seems he wash'd their Feet, it is certain he saw and heard them, therefore there is no impossibility in Angels being conversant with men. God is true, and whatever is contained in Sacred Writ is true; if we poor shallow Mortals do not comprehend the manner how, that argues only our weakness and ignorance in this dark Prison of Flesh, wherein we are inclosed, during our abode in this vale of misery, but doth not in the least infringe the verity of the Scripture; it is sufficient that we undoubtedly know they have appeared unto Men in bodily shape, and done their Errand they were sent on from God. Now if good Angels have appeared, why may not bad? Surely the Devils, because fallen and Evil, have not therefore lost the Nature of Angels, neither is there any contradiction in their appearing in a bodily shape, now after any more than before their Fall. But you will say you must allow of the appearances of Good Angels, because of the Scripture testimony; but not of bad, seeing there is no place of Scripture that clearly proves it. _Mat._ 4. The words in the Gospel do as plainly signifie the Devils outward appearance to our Saviour, when he was tempted, as can be express'd, _and when the tempter came to him he said_--_but he answered_--the same form St. _Luke_ useth to signifie the appearance of _Moses_ and _Elias_, in the transfiguration, _And behold there talked with him two men_: for what follows, ver. 31, _who appeared_ is used to signifie (not their appearance, but) the manner of their appearance _in great Glory_. But you'l urge that 'tis very easie to be understood, that _Moses_ and _Elias_ did appear, because they had human bodies; but that it is unintelligible to you, how the Devil being a Spirit can appear, a Spirit, _i. e._ a substance void of all dimensions; therefore the words in [67] the History must not be taken in a literal Sense. Do not mistake; tho some Philosophers are of opinion (which whether true or false, is all one to our present Argument) that a Spirits substance is extended, and hath besides length, breadth and depth, a fourth dimension, _viz._ essential spissitude; yet the same do not say, that pure substance is perceptible by our bodily senses; on the contrary, they tell us, that Spirits are cloathed with vehicles, _i. e._ they are united to certain portions of matter, which they inform, move and actuate. Now this we must not reject as impossible, because we cannot comprehend the formal reason, how a Spirit acts upon matter: For who can give the Reason, that upon the Volition of the human Soul, the Hand should be lifted up, or any ways moved? for to say the Contraction of the Muscles is the Mechanick cause of voluntary motion, is not to solve the Question which recurs, why upon Volition should that Contraction ensue which causes that motion? all that I know the wisest Man ever said upon this head, is, that it is the will of the Creator; who hath ordered such a species of thinking Creatures, by a Catholick Law to be united to such portions of matter, so and so disposed, or, if you will in the vulgar Phrase, to Organiz'd bodies, and that there should be between them and the several bodies, they are united to, a mutual re-action and passion: Now you see how little we know of the reason, of that which is most near to us, and most certain, _viz._ The Souls informing the Body, yet you would think it a bad Argument, if one should, as some have done, include from this our Ignorance, that there was nothing in us but matter, it is no otherways to deny a Spirits acting a Vehicle. The plainest and most certain things when denied are hardest to be proved, therefore the Axiom saith well, _contra principa, &c._ There are some certain truths which are rather to be explained to young beginners than proved, upon which yet all Science is built, as every whole is more than his part, and of this sort I take these two following. 1. That there are two substances, _Corpus & Mens_, Body and Spirit, altogether different, for the Ideas we have of them are quite distinct. 2. That a Spirit can Actuate, Animate, or inform a certain portion of matter, and be united to it: from whence it is very evident, that the Devil united to a portion of matter (which hereafter I'll call a Vehicle) may fall under the cognizance of our Senses, and be conversant with us in a bodily shape. Where then is the reason or need to run to a Metaphorical, and forced Interpretation, when the words are so plain, and the literal sense implieth no contradiction, nor any greater difficulty than (as has been said) what ariseth from the Union of the Soul and Body, which is most certain. Now after all to say, God _will not_ permit the Devil so to appear, is to beg the question without saying any thing to the preceeding Argument, and it is against the sense of almost all mankind; [68] for in all Ages, and all places there have been many Witnesses of the appearances of _Dæmons_, all of whom that taught any thing contrary to the right Worship of the true God, were certainly evil ones: and it were most presumptuous, barely to assert that all these witnesses were always deceived, and it is impossible they could all agree to deceive. 2. We come to consider the nature of Possession. The Man possest, _Luk._ viii. 27. had a Power more than Natural, for he break the bands, which he could not have done by his own strength: Now from whom had he this Power? The Scripture saith, he had Devils along time, and oftentimes it had caught him, _&c._ he was kept bound with Chains and in Fetters, and he break the bands, and was driven of the Devil into the Wilderness; this Power then was immediately from the Devil, and whatsoever possessed persons does, or suffers things beyond his natural power; he is inabled by the _Dæmon_ so to do: or to speak more properly, it is the _Dæemon_ who acteth the same, as is plain from St. _Mark's_ Relation of this passage, v. 5. 2. A Man with an unclean Spirit, v. 3. 2. and no Man could bind him, no, not with Chains, 6. v. but when he saw Jesus afar off he ran and worshiped him, and the same He. v. 7. said I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not, and _v._ 10. My name is _Legion_, for we are many, _v._ 11. and he besought him much, that he would not send _them_ away out of the Countrey: it is manifest from hence, that it was not the poor Man who was possest, but the Devils who possessed him, by whom the Chains had been pluck'd asunder, and the Fetters broken in pieces; now here is Divine testimony, that the Devils have actuated a Humane body to the doing of things beyond the Natural strength of that Body, as it was simply united to its humane Soul; how much more then can the Devil actuate any other proportion of simple Matter, Earth, Air, Fire or Water; and make it a fit organ for himself to act in.

_But enough of this already, let us rather enquire how the Devil enters into the body of the possestt, to move it at his pleasure; this I think he cannot do as a meer Spirit, or by any never so strict Union with the Humane Soul, for in that case he is only a tempter or seducer; and nothing above humane strength can be done: But here there being something performed (the bonds broken) by a force which could not proceed from humane strength, it necessarily follows that the Devils entered into the possest, otherways qualified than as a meer Spirit, he did not enter without some portion of matter, to which he was united by the Intermedium whereof he acted upon and actuated the humane body. Again if it is said that the Devil entered as a meer Spirit, and immediately aced upon and moved that body; it follows the Devil hath a Vehicle, a certain portion of matter (that Body) to actuate and dispose of at will; which is absurd._ 1. _Because it asserts what it seems to deny, viz. the Devils having a Vehicle to act immediately upon, and to be united to a portion of matter (as_ [69] _has been said before) is the same thing._ 2. _It fights against the Catholick Law of the Union of Soul and Body, by which the Omnipotent hath ordained the voluntary motion of a humane body to depend upon the Will of its humane Soul, and those that are not voluntary to proceed either from its own Mechanison, or from material force, hence we may certainly conclude, that it is by the Intervening of the Devils Vehicle, that he enters into the Body of the possest. But what if you and I cannot agree about this Notion of Possession, must we therefore reject the truth itself, and run to a far fetched and intolerable sense of the words: No, our opinions do not alter the Nature of things, it is certain there were persons possest, and it is as certain that the Devil enteed into them, either with or without a Vehicle, it is all one which part of the contradiction you take, the consequence is the same, viz._

_That the Devil doth act immediately upon matter, there is another acceptation of the word possession in Scripture, Acts_ xvi. 16, _where one is said to be possest with a Spirit of Divination,_ (πνεῦμα Πύθωνος) _the word commonly used to the Priestess of_ Apollo, _who gave responses; and it seems this Damsel was such an one, for she brought her Masters much Money, or gain by soothsaying. Now if the History of them be true that they were demented, and knew not themselves what they uttered,_ donec erant Deo plenæ, (_as they word it_) _their case is not different, but the same with the foregoing; but if they understood what they spoke, then had they familiar Spirits, whereof there is frequent mention made in the Old Testament, and one good King is commended for having cut off them that had such, therefore I think the meaning of the word was very obvious in his time, neither was it ever controverted, being joyned with any other name than spirit Familiar, one of our own Family, that is oft, every day conversant with us, and almost ever ready upon call to attend us. But the consideration of them, who have familiar Spirits falleth under the head of Witchcraft, which we are to consider in the third place. 3. Witchcraft, to inquire into the Scripture Notion of it, and compare whether it be the same with that above defined; the Cabalistick learning would be of great use in this search, and afford us much light; there is little doubt but that there are many great truths not commonly known._ (Non est Religio ubi omnia patent.) _And our Saviour expressly cautions his Disciples that they do not throw their Pearl before Swine; therefore it is no wonder that some Doctrines, tho' unquestionably true are not so fully described, because the Authors who treat of them are afraid, lest evil Men should be the more depraved by being informed; but I am in no such fear; nor can I give you any other thoughts but what are obvious to any Man, from the plain sense of the Scripture. Our definition we'l divide into two Propositions, and handle them severally._ 1. _Proposition. The Witch is impower'd by the Devil to do things strange in themselves, and beside their natural course._ 2. _Prop. The manner how the Witch is impowered to do those strange things, is by Explicit Com[70]pact, or Covenant with the Devil. For clearing of the first, we will consider the four places above cited, wherein a Witch is called a false Prophet, a false Christ, a Sorcerer, a resister of the truth, and is said to shew signs to seduce the People to seek after other Gods: whence let us note, 3 things._ 1. _That those terms Witch, false Christ, false Prophet, and Sorcerer, are all Synonimous; i. e. signifie the same thing._ 2. _That a Witch doth do things strange in themselves, and beyond their Natural course: for it were most ridiculous, to alledge that our blessed Saviour, when he said,_ there shall arise false Christs, and shall shew great signs and wonders, in so much that (if it were possible) they should deceive the very Elect _meant that cunning cheats should arise and shew Legerdemain tricks; the words will in no wise bear it, and I believe you are from interpreting them, so it is manifest, they signifie not a feign'd, but a real doing of things, beyond their Natural course; therefore the Sorceries of_ Elimas[92] _and_ Simon _were not simple delusions, but real effects that could not have been produced by Physical causes in the ordinary course of nature. 3. That the end of the Witches shewing these signs, is to seduce the People to seek after other Gods, from which premises I infer, that the Witches have the power of doing those wonders, or strange things immediately from the Devil: they are without the reach of Nature, and therefore above humane power, and no meer Man can effect them; the Witch then who does them must have the power of doing them from another; but who is the other? God will not give his testimony to a lye, and to say God did at any time impower a Witch to work wonders to gain belief to the Doctrine of Devils were with one breath to destroy root and branch of all revealed Religion; no, it cannot be, it is only God's permission, who proveth his People, whether they love him with all their heart, and with all their Soul. Therefore the Witch has a power of doing Wonders, or strange things immediately from the Devil._ 2. _Proposit. we'll subdivide into these two._ 1. _That there is an express Covenant between the Witch and the Devil._ 2. _That 'tis not reasonable to suppose this Covenant to be transacted mentally._ 1. _The Devil cannot communicate this power, by never so strict a Union with the Soul of the Witch; for in that case he is only a tempter, and nothing above humane power can be done, as has been already proved; therefore the Devil who improves the Witch to do things above humane power, must either appear in an External shape, and instruct him how, and upon what terms he will inable him to do those Wonders; or else he must enter into the body of the Witch and possess it. The Demoniacs in the Gospel are such whom the Devils invade, by main force, their Soul having no further command of their bodies, which are subjected to the Will of the Devils; whose end is to wound and torment those miserable Creatures, to throw them into the fire, and into the water; but the Witch, who likewise is possessed, is not treated in such an outrageous manner; his_ Dæmon _is tame and familiar unto him, and suffers him for_ [71] _a time to live quietly, without any further molestation, then prompting him to do his utmost endeavour to withdraw Men from God; he is not bereaved of his Senses as the poor lunatick, but is conscious of all he does, and willeth all his crimes, he receiveth power from the Devil to do wonders, and doth them to serve the Devils turn. Therefore there must be a Covenant, an express Covenant between the Devil and him, viz. that he shall obey the Devil and serve him, and that the Devil shall both enable him so to do, and also reward him for so doing; for if there is no contract between them, How comes the Witch to know he has a supernatural power? or how can he so peremptorily pretend to do that which is so much above his natural power, not knowing he has a supernatural one inabling him to do the same: There can be no doubt but there was a very intimate commerce between Satan and him; who is call'd by_ St. Paul _thou child of the Devil (not as other unholy men) but in an especial manner, as being the Enemy of all righteousness, who would not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord, it is not to be supposed that he enter'd into this so near a Relation with Satan, with which he is stigmatized, that others may beware of him, without his own knowledge and consent; and is not this a Covenant, an express Covenant on his part to serve the Devil incessantly, and on the Devils to impower him to act his Sorceries wherewith he bewitched the People; now I think, I have from Scripture fully satisfied you of the truth of what I offered, in a Discourse at---- but since you have told me an Explicit Covenant with the Devil, signifying the Devil's appearing in a bodily shape to the Witch, and their signing an express Covenant, which you say cannot be proved from Scripture. It were most unreasonable to imagine that the ceremonies of this hellish mystery are particularly set down in the word of God; therefore we must gather by Analogy and Reason the manner how this express Covenant is transacted: and to that end I'le set down these following Considerations._

1. Under the Law God did ordain his People in all their matters to have recourse immediately to himself, and depend upon him for Counsil, which they were ready to obey, with full assurance of aid and protection from him against their Enemies; this the Devil imitateth by setting up of Oracles among the Heathen, to which all the Kings, Nations, and mighty Conquerors, upon Earth did come, and paid their humblest adoration to the God (as the Devil blasphemously call'd himself) of the Temple, in which they were imploring his direction and assistance in their doubtful and prosperous affairs. Again, God instituted Sacrifices to put Men in mind of their duty to their Creator, to whom they owe all things, even themselves; but the Devil is not contented with the bare imitation hereof; the acknowledgment and worship he receiveth from the deluded World is not enough, tho' they offer up unto him innumerable Hecatombs, unless they cause their Children to pass through the [72] fire unto him, to whom no sacrifice is so well pleasing as that of humane blood. And there is no reason to think, that now under the Œconomy of the Gospel, the Devil hath left off to vie with God, and thereby to ensnare Men. No, it is rather to be feared that his Kingdom doth now more prevail, for by how much the light is greater; so much greater is their condemnation, who do not receive it: it is reasonable to suppose that (seeing the Son of God, when he came to transact with Men, the wonderful Covenant of their Redemption, took upon him their Nature, and was perfect Man) the Devil likewise doth counterfeit the same, in appearing in an humane shape to them, who receive him, and confederate themselves with him, and become his Vassals.

2. Consider, It is not probable that those false Apostles mention'd, 2 _Cor._ xi. 13. erred only in Ceremonies or Circumstances, or that their Errors, tho' great, did proceed rather from their Ignorance, than from the perverseness of their minds. 1 _Cor._ iii. 15. For, for such we may have charity and hope, that God will be merciful unto them, if they sincerely do the best they know, tho' they dissent in some, nay many things, from the practices and belief of the Christian Church; but those St. _Paul_ threatens with a heavy curse, that their end shall be according to their works; therefore it seems they immediately struck at the very root and being of the Christian Religion, and were the same with them spoken of, 2 _Tim._ iii. 6. but with this difference, that they did not resist, but beholding the Miracles and Signs which were done by the true Apostle of our Lord, wondered and believed also, and were Baptized; yet being Sorcerers they were unwilling to lose that great esteem they had obtained; as it is related of _Simon_, who had bewitched the People of _Samaria_, giving out that he himself was some great one, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, this Man is the great Power of God, therefore he could not brook that _Peter_ or _John_ should have a greater Power than himself; but offered them Money, that on whomsoever he laid hands, he (that person) should receive the Holy Ghost; which shews him, who thus designed to make Merchandize of the B. Spirit, tho' Baptized, to have been no true believer, but still a Sorcerer in the Gall of bitterness, and in the bond of Iniquity; such were those deceitful workers, who not being able barefaced to resist, did put on Christianity as a Mask, that they might undermine the truth, and introduce the Doctrines of Devils. _Samaria_ and _Paphos_, were not the only two places where the Devil had such Agents, there was no part of the Earth where his Kingdom was not Established, and where he had not his Emissaries before the preaching of the Gospel; and since the Text telleth us he hath his Ministers, who do imitate their Master, by being transformed into the Apostles of Christ, as he himself is transformed into an [73] Angel of light: whose design in being thus transformed, cannot be to impose upon the Almighty; for whatever shape he appears in, he cannot hide his ugliness from the Eyes of him who is Omniscent, therefore he appeareth thus in the shape of an Angel of light, either to tempt and seduce the blessed Spirits to rebel against God, or to ensnare wicked Men, who by their hainous crimes (being lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud blasphemers) were before disposed to be fit Instruments to serve him and to enter into league with him. Surely I, who am ignorant of the Laws by which the Intellectual World is govern'd, dare not affirm that it is impossible for Satan so to appear, as to hide his deformities from the good Angels, and under that vail to tempt them: But certain I am that it is more consonant to Reason, to think that the Apostles intention here was to teach that the Devil appear'd as a glorified Angel unto Men to gain Ministers, whom he might imbue with the Poyson of his Black-Art, and (when he had gotten full possession of them) instruct them by his own Example to transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ, that under that Vizard they might with the greater Advantage promote his ends, and join with him in doing the utmost despite to the Spirit of Grace.

3. Consideration, It is against the Nature of this Covenant, that it should be consummated by a mental Colloquy, between the Devil and the Witch. I know not how many Articles it consists of, but it is certain from what has been already proved, that the renouncing of Christ to be the Son of God, and owning the Devil to be, and worshipping him as God, are the two chief, to which our Saviour who was accused of casting out Devils by Beelzebub (_i. e._) of being confederated with Beelzebub, was tempted to consent: _If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread_: And again, _throw thyself down from hence, for it is written, he will give his Angels charge over thee; and again all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me_: Whence it is evident that here the Devil Laboured to insinuate into our Lord, either to do things rash and unwarrantable, or to suspect his Sonship, revolt from God his father, and worship Satan, that he might obtain the glory of the World. Now it has been already said, that when Jesus was tempted, the Devil appeared unto him in a bodily shape; therefore it is agreeable to Reason, that he doth appear in the same manner to all them, whom he also tempteth to worship him; moreover the form of renouncing a Covenant ought to bear resemblance to the form of entring into the same Covenant; therefore Men who are received into the Mystical Body of Christ by God's Minister, who in God's stead expressly covenanteth with and then Administereth the Sacrament of Baptism unto them, must in the like manner go out of, or renounce the said Covenant; and of them there are [74] two sorts, one who through the perverseness of their own hearts, the lucre of the world, the fear of Men more than of God, abjure their Saviour, turn Apostates, Turks, or Pagans; The other sort is of them who do contract with the Devil to be his Subjects, in the imitation of whom, it is not to be supposed that the Devil will omit any material Circumstances, which tend both to bring them into and confirm them in his Service. To effect which his outward appearance, when he receives his Catechumens is of greater force than any mental contract, for many wicked men who have denied God and Christ not only in their practice, but also blasphemously in profession, yet have repented, and at last obtained some hope of mercy; I dare not say it is impossible for a Witch to repent and find mercy, the secrets of the Almighty are too high for me; but it is certain, these wretches are strangely hardned, by what passes between them and the Devil, in a bodily shape, particularly their worshipping him, which necessarily implies his outward appearance unto them; for no man can apete Evil as Evil, because the Law of self-preservation deeply rooted in all men, determineth their wills to pursue that which seems good, and fly from that which seems evil unto them, but the inbred notions that every man has of the Devil, is that he is an Enemy and destroyer of mankind, therefore every man hath a Natural aversion from him, and consequently cannot formally worship him as such, because the object of worship must be esteemed to be propitious and placable by the worshippers, otherwise if fear alone be the adequate cause of Adoration, it follows that the Devils and damned in Hell do worship God, which is contrary to Scripture, which saith they blasphemed, because of their pains, whence it follows that they who worship the Devil must have changed the innate Idea that they had of him, _viz._ that he is an implacable Worrier of Men, and take him to be benign at least to his own; but this change cannot be wrought by any suggestion of Satan unto the minds of Men, whom indeed he mentally tempteth to Lust, Pride and Malice; but it is his greatest Artifice to cause his Insinuations to arise in the hearts of Men, as their own natural thoughts, and if conscience discovers their Author and opposes them, then he varnishes them over with the specious colours of pleasure, honour and glory; and so represents them as really good, to be willed and desired by the Soul, which judgeth of all things without according to the Ideas she hath of them; but because most objects have two, and some many faces, and she not always attends, therefore she often errs in her choice, nevertheless it is impossible for her to apete an object, whose simple Idea is Evil; but the Idea we have of the Devil is such, for we cannot represent him in our minds any otherwise than the great destroyer of Men, therefore no mental temptation can make us believe this our grand Enemy to be [75] ever Exorable by, or in any measure favourable to us, whence it evidently follows, that the Devil to work this change of opinion his worshippers have of him, must appear unto them in a bodily shape, and impose upon them, whom because of their great Corruption and Sinfulness, God hath wholly left and given up [to] strong delusions that they should believe a lye, and the Father of lyes; who now appearing in a humane shape, telleth them that he is no such Monster, as he has been represented to them by his Enemy, who calls himself God, which Title of right belongs to him, and that he (if they contract to be his Servants) will both amply reward them by giving them power to do many things very suitable to their abominable depraved Nature, that the Christians, whatever opinion they may pretend to have of their God, cannot so much as pretend to, and also that he will protect and defend them against him, whom heretofore they have mistaken for the Almighty, and his pretended Son Christ, whom they must abjure ere they can be received by or expect any benefit from him. Upon no other consideration is it possible for any man to worship the Devil; for the Atheists, who deny the being of a God, do likewise deny the existence of any Spirit good or bad; therefore their drinking the Devils health, even upon their knees (tho' a most horrid Crime) cannot be construed any part of worship paid to him, whom they assert to be a Chimera, a meer figment of Statesmen to keep the vulgar in awe. Now I have evinced to you that there are Witches, that the Witch receiveth power from the Devil to do strange things, that there is an express Covenant between the Devil and the Witch, that this Covenant cannot be transacted mentally, but that the Devil must appear in a bodily shape to the Witch; therefore I conclude, that a Witch in the Scripture is such, who has made an Explicit Covenant with the Devil, and is impowered by him to do things strange in themselves, and beside their natural course.

2. I perswade myself you do not expect from me any Essay concerning the methods, how Witches may or ought to be convinced; I wish that those Gentlemen, whose Eminent station both inables them to perform it, and likewise makes it their duty so to do, may take this Province upon them, and handle it so fully as to satisfie you herein. I once intended to have provided some materials for this Work, by defining four principal things relating to Witchcraft, viz. 1. Witch-fits. 2. The Imps that are said to attend on the Witch. 3. The transportation of the Witch through the Air. 4. Lastly, the invisibility of the Witch; but upon second thoughts that it was foreign from my purpose, who am not concerned to compose a just Treatise of Witchcraft, which would require more vacant time, than my present Circumstances will allow, only I did promise you to give you my Opinion privately; therefore I'le [76] venture to make use of an Argument, which sheweth neither Art nor Learning in the Author, and it is this, that seeing there are Witches, and that the Law of God doth command them to be put to death; therefore there must be means to convict them, by clear and certain Proof, otherwise the Law were in vain; for no Man can be justly condemned, who is not fairly convicted by full and certain Evidence.

III. In the last place we are to inquire whether a Witch ought to be put to death or no? you Answer in the _Negative_; because you say that that Law, thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live, is _Judicial_, and extendeth only to the People of the _Jews_; but our Saviour, or his Apostles have not delivered any where any such command, therefore they ought to be suffered to live, this indeed seems somewhat plausible at first view, but upon through Examination hath no weight in it at all for these Reasons, 1. All Penal Laws receive their Sanction from him or them, who have the Sovereign Power in any state, as thou shalt not commit Adultery, is a Moral-law, and obligatory over the Consciences of Men in all places and Ages; but the Adulterers shall be put to death is a judicial law, and in force only in that state, where it is enacted by the Sovereign. 2. The Government of the _Jews_ was a Theocracy, and God himself did condescend to be their King, not only as he is King of Kings; for in that sense he is, always was, and ever will be supreme Lord, and Governour of all his Creatures; but in an especial manner to give them Laws for the Government of their State, and to protect them against their Enemies; in one word to be immediately their Sovereign. 3. Our Saviour's Kingdom was not of this World, he was no Judge to divide so much as an Inheritance between two Brethren; nay, he himself submitted patiently to the unjust Sentence of the Governour of the Country in which he lived; therefore both the rewards and punishments annexed to his Laws are Spiritual, and then shall have their full accomplishment, when the Son of Man at the last day shall pronounce, _Come unto me ye blessed, and depart ye cursed into Everlasting fire_. 4. That Soveraigns, who have received the Gospel of our Lord, have not therefore lost their Power of enacting Laws for the ruling and preserving their People, and punishing Malefactors even with Death; so that the Criminal is as justly condemned to die by our Municipal, as he was heretofore by the Judicial Law among the Jews: How much more then ought our Law to advert against the highest of all Criminals, those execrable Men and Women, who tho yet alive, have listed themselves under Satan's banner, and explicitly Sworn Allegiance to him, to fight against God and Christ; indeed all unholy Men afford great matter to the Devils of Blaspheming, but these wretches have confederated themselves with the Devils, to blaspheme and destroy all they can; and do you think that these common [77] Enemies of God and Mankind ought to be suffered to live in a Christian Common wealth, especially considering that we have a President of putting them to death from God himself, when he acted as King over his own peculiar People. But methinks I hear you saying, all this doth not satisfie me, for I am sure nothing can be added to the Devils malice, and if he could, he certainly would appear and frighten all Men out of their wits. I answer, 1. We must not reject a truth, because we cannot resolve all the Questions that may be proposed about it; otherwise all our Science must be turned into Scepticism, for we have not a comprehensive knowledge of any one thing. 2. When you say, that if the Devil could, he would appear and frighten all Men; the Lawful consequence is not that he cannot appear at all, for we have undoubtedly proved the contrary; but that we are Ignorant of the bounds that the Almighty hath set to him, whose malice indeed, if he were not restrain'd, is so great as to destroy all Men; but the goodness of our God is greater, who hath given us means to escape his fury, if we will give earnest heed to the Gospel of our Saviour, which only is able to comfort us against the sad and miserable condition of our present state, for not only the Devils, but likewise all do conspire against us to work our ruine. The deluge came and swept away all the race (save eight persons) of mankind: the Fire will in time devour what the Water has left, and all this cometh to pass because of Sin; but we who have received the Lord Jesus, look for new Heavens, and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteousness. Therefore he, if we purifie ourselves as he is pure, will save us (for when he appears we shall be made like unto him; to whom be Glory for ever, _Amen_) from the great destruction that must come upon all the World, and the Inhabitants thereof. Farewell.

_March,_ 8_th_ 169¾.

Boston, _March_ 20, 1693.

_Worthy Sir_,

_THE great pains you have taken for my Information and Satisfaction in those controverted points relating to Witchcraft, whether it attain the end or not, cannot require less than suitable acknowledgments and gratitude, especially considering you had no particular obligation of office to it, and when others, whose proper Province it was had declined it. It is a great truth, [that the many Heresies among the Christians (nor the lying Miracles, or Witchcrafts used by some to induce to the worship of Images, &c.) must not give a Mortal wound to Christianity or Truth;] but the great question in these con[78]troverted points still is, what is truth. And in this search being agreed in the Judge or Rule, there is great hopes of the Issue. That there are Witches is plain from that Rule of Truth, the Scriptures, which commands their punishment by Death. But what that Witchcraft is, or wherein it does consist is the whole difficulty. That head cited from Mr._ Gaule,[93] _and so well proved thereby (not denied by any) makes the work yet shorter; so that it is agreed to consist in a Malignity, &c. and seeking by a sign to seduce, &c. not excluding any other sorts or branches, when as well proved by that infallible Rule. That good Angels have appeared, is certain, tho that instance of those to_ Abraham _may admit of a various construction; some Divines supposing them to be the Trinity, others that they were Men-messengers, as_ Judges ii. 1. _and others that they were Angels; but tho this as I said might admit of a debate, yet I see no question of the Angel Gabriel's appearance, particularly to the B. Virgin; for tho the Angels are Spirits, and so not perceptible by our bodily Eyes without the appointment of the most high, yet he who made all things by his word in the Creation, can with a word speak things into Being. And whether the Angels did assume matter (or a Vehicle) and by that appear to the bodily Eye; or whether by the same word there were an Idea fram'd in the mind, which needed no Vehicle to represent them to the Intellects, is with the All-wise, and not for me to dispute. If we poor shallow Mortals do not comprehend the manner how, that argues only our weakness. Two other times did this glorious Angel appear._ Dan. viii. 16. Dan. ix. 21. _The first of these times was in Vision, as by the text and context will appear. The second was the same as at the first; which being considered, as it will ascertain that Angels have appear'd; so that 'tis at the will of the Sender how they shall appear, whether to the bodily Eye, or Intellect only._ Mat. i. 20. _The appearance of the Angel to Joseph was in a Dream, and yet a real appearance; so was there a real appearance to the Apostle, but whether in the body or out of the body he could not tell; and that they are sent and come not of their own motion._ Luke i. 26. _And in the sixth Month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God._ Dan. ix. 23. _At the beginning of thy supplication the commandment came forth, and I am come,_ v. 21. _Being caused to fly swiftly, &c. but from these places may be set down as undoubted truths or conclusions,_

1. _That the glorious Angels have their Mission and Commission from the most high._

2. _That without this they cannot appear to mankind. And from these two will necessarily flow a third._

3. _That if the glorious Angels have not that power to go till commissioned, or to appear to Mortals, then not the fallen Angels; who are held in Chains of darkness, to the Judgment of the great day. Therefore to argue, that because the good Angels have appeared, the evil may or can, is to me as if--_ [79] _because the dead have been raised to life by Holy Prophets, therefore Men, wicked Men can raise the dead. As the sufferings, so the temptations of our Saviour were (in degree) beyond those common to Man; he being the second Adam, or publick head, the strongest assaults were now improved; and we read that he was tempted, that he might be able to succour those that are tempted, as also that he was led of the Spirit into the Wilderness, that he might be tempted, &c. But how the tempter appeared to him who was God Omniscient; whether to the bodily Eye or to the Intellect, is as far beyond my cognizance as for a blind Man to judge of Colours. But from the whole set down this fourth conclusion_,

4. _That when the Almighty free Agent has a work to bring about for his own glory, or Man's good; he can Imploy not only Blessed Angels, but the evil ones in it, as 2 Cor. xii. 7._ And lest I should be exalted above measure, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the Messenger of Satan to buffet me. 1. Sam. 10. xiv, xv, xxiii. _An evil Spirit from the Lord troubled him. It is a great truth, we understand little, very little, and that in common things, how much less then in spirituals, such as are above humane cognizance. But tho' upon the strictest Scrutiny in some natural things, we can only discover our own Ignorance, yet we must not hence deny what we do know, or suffer a Rape to be committed upon our Reason and Senses in the Dark; and say that the Devil by his ordinary Power can act a Vehicle (i. e.) some matter distinct from himself, who is wholly a Spirit, and yet this matter not to be felt nor heard, and at the same time to be seen; or may be felt, and not heard nor seen, &c. seems to me to be a Chimera, invented at first to puzzle the belief of reasonable Creatures, and since Calculated to a Roman Latitude, to uphold the Doctrine of Transubstantiation; who teach, that under the Accidents of Bread, is contained the Body of our Saviour, his humane Body, as long, and as broad, &c. for here the Power of the Almighty must not be confined to be less than the Devil's, and 'tis he that has said,_ hoc est meum Corpus. _As to the consent of almost all Ages, I meddle not now with it, but come to the fifth Conclusion._

5. _That when the Divine Being will imploy the Agency of Evil Spirits for any service, 'tis with him the manner how they shall exhibit themselves, whether to the bodily Eye, or Intellect only; and whether it shall be more or less formidable--To deny these three last were to make the Devil an Independent Power and consequently a God. As to the nature of possessions by Evil Spirits, for the better understanding of it, it may be needful to compare it with its contraries; and to instance in_ Samson, _of whom it was foretold, that he should begin to deliver_ Israel, and how was he inabled to this work? Judges xiii. 25. _The Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the Camp, &c. ch._ xv. 13, 14. v. and they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock, and when they came to Lehi, [80] the Philistines shouted against him, and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his Arms became as Flax, that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from his hands, _&c. I might instance further, but this may suffice to show that he had more than a natural strength, as also whence his strength was, viz. he was impowered by the Spirit from God. And now will any say, that it was not Samson, but the Spirit that did these things, or that there being things done, bonds broken, &c. by a force that could not proceed from human strength, and that therefore the Spirit entered into him otherwise qualified than as meer Spirit; or that the Spirit entered not without some Portion of Matter, and by the Intermediation thereof acted_ Samson's _body. If any say this and more too, this doth not alter the truth, which remains, viz. that the Spirit of God did inable_ Samson _to the doing of things beyond his Natural strength. And now what remains but upon parity of Reason, to apply this to the case of Possession, which may be summ'd up in this sixth Conclusion._

6. _That God for wise ends, only known to himself, may and has impowered Devils to Possess and strangely to act humane Bodies, even to the doing of things beyond the Natural strength of that body. And for any to tell of a Vehicle, or matter used in it, I must observe that General Rule_, Colos. ii. 8. Beware lest any spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of Men, after the Rudiments of the World, and not after Christ. _To come next to that of Witchcraft, and here taking that cited head of Mr._ Gaul, _to be uncontroverted, set it as a seventh Conclusion_.

7. _That Witchcraft consists in a maligning and oppugning the Word, Work and Worship of God, and seeking by any extraordinary sign to seduce any from it. Deut._ xiii. 12. _Matt._ xxiv. 24. _Acts_ xiii. 8. 10. 2 _Tim._ iii. 8. _Do but mark well the places, and for this very property of thus opposing and perverting, they are all there concluded arrant and absolute Witches; and it will be easily granted, that the same that is call'd Witch, is call'd a false Christ, a false Prophet, and a Sorcerer, and that the terms are Synonimous; and that what the Witches aim at is, to seduce the People to seek after other Gods. But here the Question will be, whether the Witch do really do things strange in themselves, and beyond their natural course, and all this by a Power immediately from the Devil. In this inquiry, as we have nothing to do with unwritten verities, so but little with Cabalistick Learning, which might perhaps but lead us more astray, as in the Instance of their charging our Saviour with casting out Devils by Beelzebub, his Answer is, if Satan be divided against himself, his Kingdom hath an end: But seeing all are agreed, set this eighth Conclusion._