The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft, chapter 12: If the Devil, or Witches have power to perform strange things (part 2 of 4)

7. That the most of those vomitings of strange things is only caused from natural Causes, as poysonous Potions, Philters and the like, is manifest by another example given us by that famous Chymist and learned Physician of Frisuiga in Bavaria, Martinus Rulandus, which is this: David Held Student in the Arts about the twentieth year of his Age did receive from a wicked Woman Cakes, which he did eat, and departing from her forthwith in the way he began to doat, and being brought home he began to rage more, and fell into madness. And to help this madness the Students came unto me and declare the insanity, the Philter that he had taken, and his being infected or brought into that madness by it, and desire some help against it. To oppose which (he saith) I gave six Ounces of my Aqua Benedicta, which I commanded straightway to be given him in the name of Jesus. And this being taken soon after by vomiting he cast up the Philter, or invenomed Cakes that he had swallowed, which being cast upon the Earth, they did with the admiration of the by-standers begin to wax hot and to boil, as meat with the fire doth grow hot and boil. So that this poison being cast up as a thing unhoped for, soon after the insanity is driven away, and within two days his understanding was perfectly restored, and by the power of the Almighty did totally recover. So that it is manifest that these kind of people that are commonly called Witches, are indeed (as both the Greek and Latin names do signifie) Poysoners, and in respect of their Hellish intentions are Diabolical, but the effects they procure flow from natural Causes. If any require more ample satisfaction in this point, they may find divers Histories recorded in Schenkins his Observations, lib. 7. de venenis, to verifie this particular.

8. There is no one Argument that doth more confirm, that what effects soever Devils, or those called Witches do bring to pass in humane bodies, are wrought by natural means, and proceed from natural causes: Because what diseases soever are cured by natural causes and agents, must of necessity be brought into humane bodies by natural means. But many diseases attributed to the Devil, or Witches as instruments, have been cured by natural means and applications, as we shall prove both by authorities and matters of fact. And therefore those diseases must of necessity grow and arise from natural causes. And for authority we find Helmont affirming thus much: And also partly the curing of these diseases is to be had by certain Simples, to which the omnipotent goodness hath given a gift from the beginning of the Creation, of resisting, preventing and correcting of Veneficia, Witchcrafts, or poysonings, and of bringing forth things injected. For (he saith) certain Simples do drive away evil spirits (a miserable company of Men, who give worship to Gods, that are not able to resist the natural efficacy of Simples) and reckons some that take away the penetration of the formal light tied to the excrements. Some do hinder the touch, entrance or application. And that there are many such like, that do correct the poysons, and kill them. And chiefly he commendeth the Electrum minerale immaturum of Paracelsus, the Phu of Dioscorides, being a kind of Valerian with purple flowers, and likewise there commemorateth diverse others.

To confirm this assertion of Helmonts, we shall transcribe what the Honourable person Mr. Boyle hath set down to this purpose. Since the beginning of this Essay (he saith) I saw a lusty, and very sprightful Boy, child to a famous Chymical Writer, (I judge it to be Joachimus Poleman) who as his Father assured me and others, being by some enemies of this Physicians, when he was yet an infant, so bewitcht that he constantly lay in miserable torment, and still refusing the breast, was reduced by pain and want of food, to a desperate condition, the experienced relator of the story remembring that Helmont attributes to the Electrum minerale immaturum Paracelsi, the virtue of relieving those, whose distempers come from Witchcraft, did according to Helmonts prescription hang a piece of this noble mineral about the infants neck, so that it might touch the pit of the Stomach; whereupon presently the child, that could not rest in I know not how many dayes and nights before, fell for a while asleep, and waking well cried for the Teat, which he greedily suckt, from thenceforth hastily recovering, to the great wonder both of the Parents, and several others that were astonisht at so great and quick a change. And though I am not forward (he saith) to impute all those diseases to Witchcraft, which even learned Men father upon it; yet it's considerable in our present case, that whatsoever were the cause of the disease, the distemper was very great, and almost hopeless, and the cure suddenly performed by an outward application, and that of a Mineral, in which compacted sort of bodies the finer parts are thought to be lockt up. Another example he giveth us in these words: The same Henricus ab Heer among his freshly commended observations, hath another of a little Lady, whom he concludes to have been cast into the strange and terrible distemper, which he there particularly records, by Witchcraft. Upon so severe an examination of the Symptomes made by himself in his own house, that if, notwithstanding his solemn professions of veracity, he mis-relate them not, I cannot wonder he should confidently impute so prodigious a disease to some supernatural cause. But though the observation, with its various circumstances, be very well worth your perusing; yet that, for which I here take notice of it is, what he adds about the end of it, concerning his having cured her, after he had in despair of her recovery sent her back to her Parents, by an outward medicine, namely, an Oyntment which he found extolled against pains produced by Witchcraft, in a Dutch book of Carrichter's (where also I remember I met with it set down a little differently from what he delivers.)

But to conclude this tedious particular, I shall only add one observation more from learned Salmuth, which is this: The servant Maid (he saith) of Caesars à Breitenbach was taken with a most intense pain of her left arm, which when it did not at all remit or abate, but that the dolour was augmented more and more, and that no tumour, nor any other preternatural thing did outwardly appear, the beholders did fear some sort of venefice or Witchcraft. Therefore they apply a well tryed medicine, which in such a case is said to be much approved, to wit red Corals well beaten with the leaves of Oak, and with Rose-water brought into the form of a Cataplasm, and leave it on for the space of 24 hours. In which space of time the place is brought to suppuration, and within as many more hours, the same remedy being applyed again, the abscess is broken, and in it needles, hairs and burnt coals are found. All these together with the Amulet they put into an hole made with an Augur or Gimlet in the root of an Oak, towards the East, in the morning before the Sun rise, and they stopped up the same hole with a wedge or pin, made of the wood of the same Tree. The pain thereupon plainly ceaseth, and the place is with other medicaments brought to Cicatrization. But some deriding such things, and thinking them to be prestigious delusions, do pull them forth of the hole again. Hereupon forthwith that miserable servant was again afflicted with cruel pains, more raging than the former. Therefore they repeat the former medicaments, and more copious matter doth issue forth, which being taken together with the Amulet, and put in the former place in the Oak, all the pains did forthwith vanish, and she afterwards lived altogether sound. And so I conceive that by these reasons, authorities and instances of matters of fact, it is sufficiently proved; that what Devils or Witches work in humane bodies or in corporeal matter, is by applying fit actives to suitable passives, and so the effects are only produced by natural causes and means, which was the thing I undertook to make good.

The next thing that in this Chapter we have to consider and examine is the opinion of Johannes Baptista van Helmont, that great Physician, Philosopher and Chymist, which we shall open in these particulars.

1. He reciteth a large Catalogue of things, that are in a most strange manner brought or injected into the bodies of Men and Women, as darts, thorn-pricks, or pins, chaff, hairs, dust of wood that hath been sawed, little stones, egg-shels and pieces of pots, hulls and husks or swads, insects, things of linen, needles and the instruments of artificers, which have been injected insensibly, and entred altogether in an invisible manner, but were detained and ejected with direful pains and tortures. And that sometimes they are greater than the holes or passages by which they are intromitted.

2. And to confirm this assertion he bringeth instances of matters of fact, as these following. For (he saith) of late there was a part of an Oxe-hide injected by the pores of the skin, it being intire, which the Chirurgeon did draw forth with a pair of Forceps, it being of the magnitude of the ball of a Mans hand, the Apostume first being ripened. And a Witch burned at Bruges, did confess, that she had injected that hide into the good man. So (he saith) we have in times past seen at Lira the children of Orphans to have cast up by vomit an artificial Horse and Cart, drawn forth by the hands of the by-standers; to wit a four footed board accompanied with its ropes, and wheel. And what way soever it were placed, it was easily greater than the double throat. Further he saith, I have seen at Antwerp in the year 1622. a young Maid, who had vomited, perhaps two thousand pins conglomerated together, and with them hairs and filth. Another Maid (he saith) at Mechlin in the year 1631, who we being present, did vomit up shavings of wood or chips, cut off in plaining with the Hatchet, with much slimy stuff, to the magnitude of two fists. It is (he saith) a frequent thing every where admitted by learned Men. Upon which we will only give these Animadversions.

1. That things as strange as these, that Helmont seems to avouch of his own sight and knowledge, are also attested by other persons of great learning and credit, as, besides what we have immediately before shewed from Salmuth, of the needles, hairs and burnt coals that came forth of the Maids arm, these examples may ratifie. We will pass by Sprenger, Bodin, Remigius and Del Rio as Pontificial Authors, and therefore partial and interested, only in the first place we shall give this from Alexander Benedictus, who telleth this: That he saw two Women his neighbours upon one day, being infected by potions of evil medicaments, who afterwards were wonderfully tormented with strange vomitings: That the one cast up with great strainings an head bodkin very great bended like an hook, with a great lump of Womens hair, wrapped with the pairing of nails, who died the day following. The other vomited up a Womans Quoif, pieces of glass, with three dried pieces of a Dogs tail that was hairy, so that she had voided by vomiting as much, (if set together,) as would have equalized the quantity of the whole tail. But the most strange story that possibly can be read is recorded by Thomas Bartholinus who was Physician to Frederick the third King of Denmark, of Anna Erici, who vomited up at several times a piece of sharp wood, great store of black blood, an hem or fring of silk or linen cloath of a blew colour, sowed with a green thred, in which were hid three pieces of lead, two pieces of glass, three Almonds, three pieces of a Tobacco-pipe, and white stones or flints: And afterwards many other horrid, strange and incredible things that may be read in the place quoted in the Margent.

2. It would seem a point of strange Scepticism or infidelity to distrust and reject these relations as lies and fictions, seeing the Authors that recite them do for the most part attest them upon their own view or knowledge, or at least from unquestionable eye-witnesses, and that they were Men of great Reputation and Credit, that lived in several Countrys, and in different times, and therefore could not conspire in a lie.

3. But notwithstanding all this, we find persons of great learning and sober judgments, to use much hesitation about these things, and either to suspend their belief of them, as having never seen any such things themselves, and therefore may well conclude as many Wise Men do, that he that hath seen a thing may better believe it than he that hath not seen it, or else are utterly diffident and believe no such matters of fact at all. And indeed there is no greater folly than to be very inquisitive and laborious to find out the causes of such a Phenomenon, as never had any existence, and therefore Men ought to be cautious and be fully assured of the truth of the effect, before they adventure to explicate the cause. And I find both my Lord Bacon, and that honourable and learned person Mr. Boyle, when they have occasion to mention these things, do it with extream caution, and always with an If or some other note of signal dubitation, and also the Lord Mountaigue in his Essays, and our Countreyman Mr. Osburne (no contemptible persons) in his writings seem utterly diffident of any such matter.

4. Again if we consider how easy a thing it is, for the most vigilant, attentive and wisest person either to impose upon himself, being drawn by those overruling notions that he suckt in from his childhood, whereby the will and affections being never, so little byassed the judgment will be presently swayed that way: or how subject the most wary and perspicacious person is to be imposed upon by the cunning craftiness or confederacy of others, or drawn to believe a meer impossibility, by the perseverant asseverations of what others have seen and known, may certainly induce us, though not utterly to reject all relations of this nature, yet to stand like Janus in this field of doubtful perplexity.

5. If to this we add the consideration, how rare and seldome these things happen, and how long (though it argue but negatively) many Physicians have practised, and yet have never met with any such strange accidents: and withal that many of these vomitings of strange stuff, and the like have been meer counterfeit juglings and Impostures, as was manifest in the Boy of Bilson Sommers of Nottingham and diverse others: besides, I that have practised Physick above forty years could never find any such thing in truth and reality, but have known many that have counterfeited these strange vomitings, and the like, which we and others have plainly laid open and detected. So that though we shall not simply deny the verity of these relations, so we cannot but believe, that some of them have been cheats and delusions, and others meer mistakes of ignorance and vain credulity, and in the belief of any of them, that we ought to proceed with much cautiousness and careful foresight.

3. The next thing that Helmont lies down (after he thinketh that he hath proved the matters of fact sufficiently) is the assigning of the true cause (as he thinketh) of the bringing to pass these wondrous effects; And these he maketh twofold, first the Devil, by reason of the league with the Witch, doth bring and convey the things to be injected to the place, or near the object, and makes them invisible by his spiritual power: Secondly that the Witch by the strength of her imagination and the motion of her free will, (which he holds to be the only peculiar prerogative of mankind, and to remain both with Men and Women after the fall, namely a power by their free wills and force of imagination, to create or frame seminal and efficacious Ideas to work as it were ad nutum) doth convey or inject these strange things into the bodies of those they would hurt or torment, and that in this case as the ultimate attempt of nature, there is and may be a penetration of dimensions, and these things he attempteth to prove after this manner, which we shall first amply lay down and relate, and afterwards we shall give some notes and observations upon them, as things of great weight and consideration.

1. He granteth that the evil spirit hath a power motive, yet therewith cannot hurt the innocent as he pleaseth. And further he tells us that these injected things do enter invisibly. And that this one thing is meerly Diabolical. For the most miserable scoffer (he saith) seeing he hath nothing that is real left to his liberty, yet he hath vain appearances: Because he is the Father of lies, he feigneth those things and maketh them to appear falsly, or otherwise than they are, from the beginning of the World. And in these juglings the Man that is the Devils bondslave worketh nothing at all. But by what manner the Devil maketh things visible in themselves to be invisible, or how he involves them in his invisible spirit, he confesseth that he is not a sedulous searcher of the works of Satan, that belong unto him in propriety. And therefore that the Devil doth transfer the things to be injected, being made invisible, unto the object, the Idea of humane desire directing. And because it is not permitted to the Devil, to enter into Man, much less that he may hurt him, and least of all with an invisible burden; therefore he useth the free motive power of the Man bound unto him. The Man doth therefore impress his free motive Blas into the body made invisible, but the Devil doth carry it unto the Man, into whom it is to be injected. And as a knife by the desire and consent of the person wounding is fixed into the flesh of him that is wounded: So this body made invisible by the Devil, is injected into the body of the person to be inchanted, by the Idea of the motive power of the Witch: Satan conspiring to this because of the purposed direction of hurting the person.

2. Truly I believe (he saith) that it doth fight with Piety, if a power exceeding nature be attributed to the Devil. As though Satan should be above nature, and should operate things impossible to nature. I grant that the manner is exotick and strange, but yet notwithstanding it ought to be contained within the limits of nature. And if it be said: the manner is unknown by which nature should do it. The manner is also equally unknown by what means Satan should do it. Therefore they gain nothing who refer the work of nature unto the Devil. But whether they offend or not, let others look to it. For at least it is an invention of immense sloathfulness, to refer all things to the Devil that we do not understand. Neither would I (saith he) have the Devil called upon to satisfie our questions by a temerarious attribution of power.