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

2. Whereas he holdeth that the Devil doth bring or convey the things to be injected near unto the place, and that he offereth filth and poysons to his clients, that thereby he may fermentally conjoin the Ideas of these formed in the imaginative faculty with these. If the Devil be taken to be meerly and simply incorporeal, then he cannot remove matter (as we have before proved) and so cannot convey the things near to the object; and if he be taken to be corporeal (as we have asserted) his help is needless, because the Witches may do it themselves, as we find sufficient stories of their hideing of strange and poysonous things under the thresholds of houses and Churches; and to this purpose this same Author telleth us this story: A certain person (he saith) did by custome use to make water in a corner of the Court, whereupon he was afflicted with a bloody and cruel Strangury. And all the remedy of the Physicians proved in vain, except that as often as he did drink of Birch-Ale he did find a signal ease: But as oft as he rose and walked, and made water in the same place, so often his pains did return. At the last a pin of old black Oak-wood is espied to be fixed in the place where he used to make water. Which being pulled forth and burned he remained free from the bloody Strangury, by drinking Ale of Birchen-twiggs. Also (he saith) that he remembred, that Karichterus had written that he had loosed such kind of inchantments by only pissing through Beesomes of Birch. Now from hence it is plain that this making water constantly upon this pin of old black Oak-wood did cause his bloody Strangury, and that the pulling of it up and burning of it, was with the help of the Birchen Ale the cure; but it can no wayes be judged necessary that the Devil should fix the Oak pin there, but that the Witch might do it himself. Neither can it be thought to be any power given by the Devil to the Oaken pin, that it had not by nature, for in probability it will constantly by a natural power produce the same effect; only thus far the Devil had a hand in the action, to draw some wicked person to fix the pin there where the Man was accustomed to make water, thereby to hurt and torture him, and so was only evil in respect of the end.

3. We observe and affirm that whatsoever effects are brought to pass by that which is commonly called and accounted Witchcraft, if they be not brought to pass by jugling, confederacy, delusion and imposture (as the most of them are, if not all) then they are performed either by meer natural causes, or the strength of the Witches fancy, and most vehement desire of doing of mischief to those she hateth, or by both joined together, and that Satan is no further an author or actor, but as he leadeth and draweth the minds of the Witches to do such mischievous actions, and pusheth on to seek about to learn of others such secret poysons, charms, images and other hidden things, that being used so or so, may produce such destructive ends as their wicked and diabolical purposes are led to, and in this sense they are his clients, and bounden vassals, and not otherwise.

4. The stories that he relateth are either all to be taken to be true, or none of them; and if they be all alike equally to be credited, then it will undeniably follow, that they were all alike produced by natural causes, and so no need at all of the Devils assistance in performing of them, no more than by working upon the minds of such as used those natural means to a wicked and mischievous end. For first he giveth these instances of things that were very strange that were voided either by vomit or stool, by the ordinary power of nature, without suspicion of diabolical cooperation, as the voiding of the piece of the brass Cannon with its letters, with the Eele wrapped in its secundines: The Dragon that the Oxe voided by taking three herbs, with a tail like an Eele, a body like or of leather, with a Serpentine head, and not less than a Partridge: The knife that the Thieves forced a man to swallow, which he voided by an Apostume in the side, and was after sound: also the arrow head of three fingers broad strucken into the back, and after voided by stool, with diverse such which we recited before. And that these being solid bodies should have penetrated and passed through parts that are impatient of wounds, and in which a wound is mortal, must of necessity be very wonderful, and might as soon and upon as rational grounds be taken to be diabolical, as those that he enumerateth to be so: For from these it is manifest that either nature put to her last pinch doth make penetration of dimensions, or else so inlarge the pores, that those solid bodies may pass without wound, which (if seriously considered) is a stupendious operation and effect. And as there needeth no cooperation of a diabolical power; for the performing of these, no more needeth there any concurrence of Devils to the others, that to that purpose he relateth. Only here is all the difference: these are wrought by the ultimate endeavour of the Archaeus to save life, without the concurrence of external causes; the others (that are therefore called diabolical) are commonly wrought for a bad end, namely to hurt or to take away life, and have an external cause, to wit, the force of the Witches imagination and strong desire of doing of mischief, which is stirred up to that end by Satan, and therefore in regard of the end are devilish, though they be both wrought by the agency of nature, the one in the body of the imaginant, the other in the body that the Witch intendeth to hurt by the force of her imagination and vehement desire, whereby a seminal Idea is created or formed, which is sufficiently operative to accomplish the end intended.

5. The arguments that he bringeth to prove penetration of dimensions to be in nature, or something equivalent thereunto, seem to be strong and convincing. For in the generation of things, whosoever shall seriously and strictly mark, shall find (as he alledgeth) that the spirit of the Archeus (though not altogether incorporeal) doth in the seeds of things penetrate it self, and their parts one another, which he further maketh good by the instance of Gold generated of water; for it must of necessity be, that more than fifteen parts of water must fall in or penetrate one another, that from thence one part of Gold may be made, for weight is not of nothing, but argueth the matter ponderous in the Ballance. Therefore naturally the water must so oft penetrate its body as the Gold doth preponderate the water. And though it be granted that the water hath pores, yet notwithstanding it cannot contain so much as fourteen times, it whole. And therefore he irrefragably concludeth: Est ergo ordinarium in natura, quod aliquae partes aquae se penetrent in unicum locum. And this he backs with an unanswerable story of a Woman that longing for Muscles, did in greediness eat some of them with the shells twice or thrice broken with her teeth, and that she brought forth a child, with the same half eaten shells, and a wound in the belly; therefore those shells had penetrated the stomach, womb and secundines, or otherwise the force of the Archeus had opened the pores and letten them pass in an unconceiveable manner So that if these things be granted to be true (and we confess we know not how they can be answered) then there need no diabolical power be brought to solve the injecting of strange things into mens bodies, seeing nature is sufficient of it self, and therefore we can allow no power at all unto Devils in effecting these things (if they be truly done, and be not delusions) but only in drawing the minds of the Witches to these wicked and mischievous courses; and therefore the Lord Bacon said profoundly and wisely these words: Ut in operationibus illis earum q; causis error cavendus est, ita quo q; danda vel imprimis opera est, ne effecta nobis imponant, temere judicantibus talia esse, quae eous q; nondum processerunt. Sic prudentes judices, praescripta velut norma, fidem haberi temere nolunt confessionibus sagarum, nec etiam factorum contra illas probationi. Sagas enim turbat imaginationis vertigo, ut putent se illud facere, quod non faciunt, populum q; hîc ludit credulitas, ut naturae opera imputent fascino.

6. And to confirm this point he addeth far more stupendious matters of fact than the former, of things that were within, being taken to without or invisibly conveyed away, as the woman at Mechlin that saw the Souldier in a conflict lose his hand, and forthwith brought forth a Daughter wanting an hand, which was never found, and the wench died of the Haemorrhage. Another at Antwerpe seeing a Souldier begging with his right arm shot off and bloody, forthwith brought forth a Daughter wanting the right arm whose bloody shoulder the Chirurgeon cured, and she was married after; and that the arm was never found, neither did there appear any bones or putrefied matter into which the arm might waste. Also another Woman going to see the Decollation of thirteen men, did soon after bring forth a mature Child with a bloody neck, the head no where appearing. I confess it would rack the judgment even of the most credulous to the highest pitch to believe these unparallel'd Stories; but the Author relating them as of his own knowledge, and being a person of unquestionable veracity, I cannot conceive how they can rationally be denied, especially finding Mr Boyle to affirm, that in those experiments (much more relations of matters of fact) that Helmont avouched upon his own knowledge, he durst be his Compurgator. Who would not believe but that these things could never have been done, but by a supernatural and Diabolical power, but that this Author (to which all judicious persons in reason may adhere) doth utterly deny, that the arm was either pull'd away or conveyed none can tell whither, by Satan, and therefore that in such a strange Paradox, trivial reasons are not to be allowed; and it were too much sloathfulness to ascribe all effects unto Satan, of which we are ignorant. And therefore if an hand, an arm, nay an whole head, could be separated from the rest of the body, and conveyed forth of the Womb by the Archeus or natural spirit, thereunto excited by the impression of horror and terror in the Women: In like manner by the same power of the natural spirit of man or woman, excited by a vehement and fierce imagination to revenge and to do mischief, may strange things be injected (if there can be any sound proof of such a matter of fact) into the bodies of such men or women as the Witches intend to do hurt unto, and yet Satan hath no more hand in it, but only as a spiritual agent to move the wills of those wicked and malicious people to do mischief unto those that they hate, though without cause. And the great secret of that which may be called Witching, is the learning of others, who likewise have had it by tradition, the great force of imagination, and the natural spirit with the ways and means how to excite it and exalt it; herein stands the mystery of all Magick, and it becomes only evil in the use and application, and they are to be condemned that use it to such devillish ends, even as those that use those good Creatures that nature doth produce to poysonous, wicked, and destructive purposes. And lastly, here we may note, that if things or bodies that are without may be injected into the bodies of others, by the force of exalted imagination and a vehement desire, then the same power that doth inject them through skin, flesh and bones, must also be able to bring them near to the place, and need not at all the assistance of Satan, because it is far easier to carry them near the place, than to thrust them into the body; and so this Author hath here introduced the Devils aid to bring them to the place to no purpose, and never yet proved either by reason or matter of fact, that ever Satan did any such thing, and so is a meer supposition without proof.

7. The other matters of fact that he relateth are prodigious, and are brought to prove that Satan is an actor to convey these strange things into the bodies of men, and are these. A piece of an Oxe Hide taken forth of a mans Arm, so also that Equuleum, a Wood-Horse, or a four-footed board with a wheel and ropes twice as broad as the gullet. Another that vomited up perhaps two thousand pins conglomerated together, with filth and hairs; another that vomited up, he being present, wooden Chips that had been cut off with the Hatchet in smoothing of wood, with much slime to the bigness of two fists, of which we shall note these Conclusions. 1. It doth no way appear (if these things be granted to be true, both for matter and manner) neither doth he offer to prove it, that these are any more than the former Diabolical, but only in the end, because they are for the hurt and destruction of mankind and not otherwise; and there being no proof of the Devils Cooperation any further but in working upon the minds of those that are agents and instruments to bring these things to pass, we may very well reject those things that are supposed, but not proved. 2. The ejecting or voiding of such strange things as here he hath related, doth not necessarily suppose their injection or thrusting in, because they may be bred there by natural Causes, so Worms of many sorts and strange Figures, also Frogs, Dracunculos and Askers have been voided, and doubtlesly bred there by natural causes, and were not injected or thrust in, and for proof of this I refer the Reader to the relations of learned Schenchius lib. 3. p. 363. of those strange sorts of Worms and other Creatures that he from divers Authors sheweth have been vomited up, which without all scruple, were not injected, but bred there. To confirm this and to prove what strange things are sometimes bred in Apostumes and Tumors, we shall translate a passage or two, and first take this from Levinus Lemnius that learned and famous Physician of Zeland, who writeth thus: Also forth of sordid Ulcers and Impostures (he saith) we have known that the fragments of nails, hairs, shells, little bones and stones have been taken forth; which were concreted and grown together forth of putrid humours: As also little creatures, worms with tails, and little beasts of an unaccustomed form, cast up by vomiting, especially in those who were oppressed with contagious diseases, in whose urines I have often discerned to swim little Animalcles like to Pismires, or to those creatures we observe in the estival months to move in the celestial dew here in England we call it Woodsoar, or Cuckow-spittle. Take another from that learned and expert Chirurgeon Ambrosius Paraeus where he is speaking of strange tumors, in these words; Also in these tumors being opened thou maist see bodies of all kinds, and far differing from the common matter of Tumors, as stones, chalk, sand, coals, cockles, ears of corn, hay, horn, hairs, flesh as well hard as spongious, grisles, bones and whole Animalcles, as well living as dead. The generation of which things (by the corruption and alteration of the humors) will not much astonish us, if we consider, that even as nature hath framed Man as a Microcosm forth of all the seeds and elements of the whole great world, that he might be as it were the lively image of that great world: So in that Microcosm, nature hath willed, that all the species of all motions and actions might be manifest, nature being never idle in us, as long as matter is not a wanting to work upon. So that it is most plain that these strange things may be bred within, and so the opinion of injecting them, is but a meer figment. 3. Neither can the vomiting up of such strange things as he relateth, conclude necessarily that they were injected either by the power of Satan or the Witch, because they may be performed by jugling, sleight of hand, confederacy and the like, as was manifest in the Boy of Bilson, and diverse that we have known, that had made some numbers of others to believe that they had voided strange things, as pins, needles, crooked-knitting-pricks, moss, nails, and the like, but upon a strickt search, have but proved delusions and sleight, such as our common Hocus Pocus Men use, when they make the people believe they swallow a long pudding of white tinn, and again pull it forth of their mouths, or in pulling ribbins, or laces of diverse colours forth of their throats. 4. And again the most of these relations are but commonly taken upon trust from the affirmations of the by-standers who might be confederate parties, or ignorant persons, and so easily deceived; and it appeareth not that Helmont was by at the very instant when the children vomited up the wooden horse, or fourfooted board, but that it was the by-standers that drew it forth, who might be parties to the cheat, or be themselves deluded, and so aver it pertinaciously to others. For I have in my practice known a young Wench about 9 or 10 years old, who that she might be pittied and have an idle life, had made her Father and Mother believe that quick worms came forth at her ear, and also I taking her into mine own house she had perswaded all the family that it was true, and did often open her head-cloaths, and holding down her ear a quick worm would drop forth of the hair, who notwithstanding by diligent watching, was found out to get them privately from under stones or wood, and so did cunningly convey them into her hair, but being discovered, was by due correction reclaimed, and so the wonder ceased. And it is as common to mistake things, either by absolute judging them to be such a thing indeed, when it hath but some slender resemblance of it, or by judging a thing to be really so, because of such a name but metaphorically given unto it; so it is usual to call a Carcinoma in the highest degree Lupus or a Wolf, because as a Wolf is a most voracious creature, so this ulcer is the most devouring of all others; and therefore have we known after that such have been by incision eradicated by our selves and others, and exposed to the view of the vulgar people, they would presently most earnestly affirm to others that they had seen it, and that it was a living creature, and had mouth, eyes and ears; so far will ignorant mistake induce credulity.

8. That the force of imagination accompanied with the passions of horror, fear, envy, malice, earnest desire of revenge, and the like, is great upon the body imaginant, as also upon the foetus in the womb, is acknowledged by all. But that it can at distance work upon another body, though denied by Fienus and the whole rabble of the Schoolmen, yet is strongly proved by this learned Author, and allowed of by all others that truly understood the operations of nature, which we also take to be a certain truth, and do assert that if those people that are esteemed Witches, do really and truly (of which we utterly doubt) inject any of these strange things into the bodies of men, that they are brought to pass meerly by the imagination of the Witch, and the Devil acteth nothing in it at all, but the setting of his will upon that mischief. As for the handling the dispute concerning the manner of the injecting of these strange things, so strongly pursued by this Author, Sennertus and others, we shall totally supersede and suspend our judgment, until the [non-Latin script] be sufficiently proved (which yet lies under water, and unseen) and then it will be time enough to dispute the manner, when the matter is certainly made evident. Therefore we will shut up this with that modest and grave advice of the Lord Bacon in these words: Ideo cogemur in hac inquisitione ad nova experimenta confugere; ubi directiones tantùm eorum praescribi possunt, non ulla positiva in medium adferri. Si quis putet subsistendum nobis fuisse, donec tentamentis res penitus innotuisset, (ut fecisse nos ubi q; probant alii tituli) sciat dubia nos fide amplecti quaecun q; imaginationis effecta circumferuntur, animum tamen esse illa per otium exigere ad Lydium veritatis lapidem, id est, experimentorum lucem.