The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft, chapter 4: That the Scriptures and sound Reason are the true and proper Mediums to prove… (part 1 of 3)

CHAP. IV. That the Scriptures and sound Reason are the true and proper Mediums to prove the Actions attributed unto Witches by, and not other improper ways that many Authors have used. And of the Requisites necessary truly to prove a matter of Fact by.

AS we have in the former Chapter proved, that Apparitions (though true) are no sufficient warrant to ground our belief upon, for the Existence of Angels or Spirits, but the Word of God: so here we shall endeavour clearly to manifest, that the Sacred Scriptures are the only Medium, joyned with sound Reason, of deciding this point of the power and operation of Demons and Witches, and not other improper Mediums brought in by divers Authors, and first we shall answer the Objection of Mr. Glanvil, that runs thus.

That though the New Testament had mentioned nothing of this matter, yet its silence in such cases is not argumentative. He said nothing of those large unknown Tracts of America, nor gave he any intimations of as much as the existence of that numerous people; much less did he leave instructions about their Conversion. He gives no account of the affairs and state of the other World, but only that general one of the happiness of some, and the misery of others. He made no discovery of the Magnalia of Art or Nature, no not of those whereby the propagation of the Gospel might have been much advanced, viz. the Mystery of Printing and the Magnet, and yet no one useth his silence in these instances as an argument against the being of things, which are evident objects of sense. To which we answer.

1. He falleth into a common mistake in making the Proposition universal, and dolus versatur in universalibus, when it ought but to be particular: so for him to say, that no silence of Scripture is argumentative, is too universal; for its silence in point of Geography, as in describing America, and the people thereof, nor in discovering the Magnalia Naturae & Artis is not argumentative; and we do not say, that all silence of Scripture is argumentative, but yet we affirm that some silence of Scripture is argumentative. So we cannot universally say, that nothing hath a being but what is mentioned in Scripture; but we may very well affirm, that some things have no being, of truth of existence, because not declared in Scripture.

2. The Scriptures were not written to teach Naural Philosophy, Arts or Sciences, humane Policy, or the like; but were given, that the man of God might be perfect, furnished for every good work: and it is by them that we have the doctrine of eternal Salvation revealed unto us, and we positively affirm the sufficiency of the Scriptures unto Salvation, which thing no Orthodox Divine (we suppose) will deny, and Bellarmine himself did confess in these words: Prophetici & Apostolici libri sunt verum verbum Dei, ac stabilis regula fidei. And if it be a certain Rule of Faith, and the true Word of God, then whatsoever it is silent of, we ought not to believe, and so its silence is argumentative in that point. The Scriptures are utterly silent concerning Purgatory, and therefore it is a good argument to affirm there is no such place as Purgatory, because the Word of God is silent as concerning it; but if it had been necessary to have been believed, then there would have been mention made of it.

3. And as the Scriptures are sufficient in matters of Faith, and circa credenda, and what they are silent in, are not to be received as Articles of our Faith, but to be rejected, as having no truth of Existence: So likewise what Worship God requireth of his people, is fully revealed in his Word, and therefore I am to reject the worshipping of Mahomet with the Turks, or Images, and praying to Saints with the Papists, because I have neither precept nor president in the Word, but it is silent in such matters; nay tells us, That he is the Lord our God, and him only we ought to serve.

4. Though Mr. Glanvil say, that God hath given no account of the state of the other World, but only that general one of the happiness of some, and the misery of others; yet Am I to believe as Mr. Glanvil somewhere in his Book affirmeth, that Samuels Soul was raised up by the Woman at Endor, and that those that he feigneth to make Leagues and Contracts with Witches, are the Souls of such as had been Witches when they lived, and asketh, Who saith that happy Souls were never imployed in any ministeries here below? Or am I to believe that both the Souls of the godly and wicked, do rove up and down here upon earth, and make Apparitions, because the Popish Teachers do hold it to be so? I hope not, and therefore I shall in part give an answer here to some of these, and handle that of the Woman of Endor in another place. 1. The Word of God doth particularly teach us the state and condition of the Souls after death, that they shall be like the Angels in Heaven; and all other things necessary to move and draw us to believe the immortal Existence of Souls, as that most able and learned Divine Dr. Stillingfleet hath asserted in these words: The Scriptures give the most faithful representation of the state and condition of the Soul of Man. The World (he saith) was almost lost in Disputes concerning the Nature, Condition; and Immortality of the Soul, before divine Revelation was made known to Mankind by the Gospel of Christ; but life and immortality was brought to light by the Gospel, and the future state of the soul of man not discovered in an uncertain Platonical way, but with the greatest light and evidence from that God who hath the supreme disposal of souls, and therefore best knows and understands them. A Sentence truly pious and orthodoxal. 2. Hath not God in the holy Scriptures amply and plainly taught us the state of the other World, in describing unto us such a numerous company of S[…]raphims and Cherubims, Angels and Archangels, with their several Orders, Offices, Ministeries, and Imployments? and this is more than a general account, as may be seen at full in that learned and godly Piece of Bishop Halls, called The invisible World. And hath he not given us a particular account of the very Kingdom of Darkness, telling us of the Devil and his Angels, and precisely in this enumeration? For we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spi[…]al wickedness in high places. And this is more than a general account; and we must needs fay, that what he holds is very derogatory to the wisdom and goodness of God, and the sufficiency and truth of the Scriptures. 3. Must I believe him that the souls of the Saints do rove and wander here below? when as Bishop Hall saith, where he is speaking against the opinion of those that hold, that Souls do sleep until the Day of Judgment: Indeed who can but wonder that any Christian can possibly give entertainment to so absurd a thought, whilst he hears his Saviour say, Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with […]e where I am, and that (not in a safe sleep) they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me. Sure if the Souls departed be with Christ where he is, and do behold his glory, then it is a Popish Fable of Mr. Glanvil, to feign their coming upon Messages hither. The saying of St. Bernard is remarkable in this case: Advertis[…]is […] esse sanctarum status animarum, primum videlicet in co[…]pore […], […]cundum sin[…] corpore, tertium in corpore jam glorificato[…] Primum in militi[…], secundum in requie, tertium in […]. And if the second state of holy Souls b[…] without […] body, and be at peace and rest, then it must necessarily be a truth, that they do not wander here, nor run upon Errands; For the souls of the righteous are in the hands of the Lord, and there shall no torment touch the[…]. And our Saviour told the Thief upon the Cross, This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise, that is, as Dr. Hammond giveth the Paraphrase: Immediately after thy death thou shalt go to a place of bliss, and there abide with me, a Member of that my Kingdom which thou askest for. Now if the soul[…] of the godly, after their death, be immediately in a place of bliss, and abide with Christ as Members of his Kingdom, then they do not wander up and down here, as Mr. Glanvil and the Papists vainly fancy and believe; for as Chrysostome saith upon that place of Lazarus his being carried by Angels into Abrahams bosome. What is it then that the Devils say, I am the Soul of such a Monk? Truly I therefore believe it not, because the Devils say it, for they deceive their Auditors. 4. Or must I believe that the souls of the wicked do wander, and make Apparitions here, because Mr. Glanvil and the Popish Writers tell me so? I hope not; for the Text telleth us plainly, that the rich man presently after his death was in Hell in torments, and could not come hither unto earth again to warn his brethren, otherwise he would not have prayed Abraham to have sent Lazarus. And whether it be taken for a real History of things done, or but a Parable, yet the spiritual meaning of our Saviour must be infallibly true, that immediately after death the souls of the godly are by Angels carried into Abrahams bosome, and the wicked go down into Hell, from whence there is no redemption; and therefore do not wander up and down here, nor make any Apparitions: for I imagine that the authority of holy King David, a Prophet and a man after Gods own heart, is to be preferred before the authority of a thousand Popish Writers, and he tells us, when the child was dead: But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. And Job tells us: As the cloud is consumed, and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave, shall come up no more, he shall return to more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. And therefore it was a vain argument of Bellarmine when he said: Apparitiones animarum ex Purgatorio venientium idem testantur. To which the Protestants answer: But who shall bear witness of these Apparitions, that they were not either feigned fables, or Satanical illusions? They were men, and might be deceived, even the best of them, with whom doth rest the faith of these Narrations. 5. And whereas he audaciously asketh, Who saith that happy Souls were never imployed in any Ministeries here below? I shall tell him who they are that say, that happy Souls departed are never imployed here in any Ministeries; and they are all the learned Divines of the Reformed Churches, and all those that were true Sons of the Doctrine of the Church of England, such as were Bishop Jewel, Bishop Hall, Dr. Willet, Dr. Whitaker, Mr. Perkins, and many more such, the authority and reputation of the least of which is far above the simple question of Mr. Glanvil. And therefore saith the latter Confession of Helvetia: Now that which is recorded of the Spirits or Souls of the dead sometimes appearing to them that are alive, &c. we count those Apparitions among the delusions and deceits of the Devil.

5. And as the Scriptures are sufficient both in respect of matters of Faith, and concerning divine Worship, that their silence in those two particulars are fully argumentative, to deny whatever is not contained in them, as unfit to be received to either purpose. So in respect of a Christians warfare, all things for the obtaining of a perfect and compleat victory, and for standing and perseverance, are in them fully declared, and what they mention not is to be rejected, as wanting the seal of Divine Authority, whether it be in regard of eschewing what is prohibited, or in following what is commanded. And therefore we affirm, that what the Scriptures have not revealed of the power of the Kingdom of Satan, is to be rejected, and not to be believed, and what weapons we are to use against the wiles of the Devil, we are to be furnished withal, but have need of no others but what the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures hath made known unto us, the rest are to be cast off, as fables and lyes, or humane inventions, because the Scriptures are silent of any such matter, and that for these weighty grounds and considerations.

1. We shall take the Concession of Bellarmine himself, who saith: Nullum est vitium ad quod sanandum non invenitur in Scriptura aliquod remedium. And again: Illa quae sunt simpliciter omnibus necessaria, Apostoli consueverunt omnibus praedicare: & aliorum quae sunt omnibus utilia. And to the same purpose is the saying of St. Austin: Titubat sides, si divinarum Scripturarum vacillet authoritas: porrò fide titubante, etiam ipsa charitas la[…]guescit. Therefore if there be no fault for which the Scripture doth not yield some remedy, then surely to make a visible League with the Devil, or to have carnal Copulation with him, either must have no verity at all in it, or that the Scripture hath provided no remedy for it, for of such things there is no mention. And if Faith must stumble, where the authority of the Scriptures is wanting, then surely the belief of all rational men must needs be staggering, to believe what these common Witchmongers affirm of the Witches visible League and carnal Copulation with the Devil, when there is no authority of Scripture at all to strengthen or countenance any such matter.

2. The Scriptures do fully and abundantly inform us of the Devils spiritual and invisible power, and against the same declares unto us the whole Armor of God, with which we ought to be furnished, as the Apostle saith: Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. And the Apostle St. Peter telleth us: Be sober, […]e vigilant, because your adversary the de[…]il. like a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, whom resist stedfast in the faith. And in another place: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God. From which Scriptures we may take these remarkable observations.

1. We are to consider the nature of this Warfare, that it is spiritual and against spiritual wickedness in high places, and not against flesh and blood; and the Holy Ghost could not be wanting nor defective, but superabundantly full in describing the nature of this warfare, that it is spiritual, not carnal; and therefore we are to prepare our selves against all spiritual assaults: but as for any visible, carnal, or bodily, there is not, nor can be any such, because the Apostle that declared by his Preaching and Writings the whole counsel of God, hath revealed no such thing as the visible appearing of Satan, much less of his making of a visible League with the Witches, or the sucking of their bodies, or the having carnal Copulation with them, which must of necessity be lyes and figments, because the Holy Ghost hath not warned us of any such, which we ought certainly to believe he would have done, if there had been any such matter. And the holy Apostle, who was not ignorant of the devices [non-Latin script], notions or intentions of Satan, would not have omitted to have warned the godly, if there had been any such matter as a visible League, sucking of their bodies, or carnal Copulation, the thing being of so great weight and concern. For as one said well: Grave est de vita & bonis periclitari, sed multò gravius insidiantem habere Satanam. And he that so often hath given us warning of the wiles, devices, and snares of the Devil, if there had been any such dangerous snare as this, would without doubt have given us notice of it.

2. We are to consider the end of this Warfare, that it is for no less than a Crown, and that not a terrestrial, but a celestial one, not a fading one, but an everlasting one, a Crown of eternal life, of immortal glory, even for an house given of God, eternal in the Heavens. Therefore this being a thing of the greatest concern that belongs to a Christian, the Apostle would not doubtlesly omit any thing that had been necessary to the obtaining of such an inestimable prize, and such an important Victory; and therefore cannot in reason have concealed or omitted such a weighty matter as a visible League, and the like, if there had been any such thing.

3. We are to consider that this Armor prescribed for the Souldiers of Jesus Christ, is the whole armor of God, [non-Latin script], the compleat armor of God (as Dr. Hammond renders it) perfect both for defence and offence. And therefore the Apostle describes it fully by a Metaphor, taken from such Arms as the Roman or other Nations in his time did use, saying: Stand therefore, having your loyns girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness: And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints. And as it is a compleat and perfect Armor, both in respect of defence and offence; so it is a spiritual, not a carnal, corporeal, or bodily armor, because the warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places, against spiritual enemies, not against corporeal and carnal ones; for as the enemies are and the warfare, so are the armor and weapons. From whence we truly urge, that the Apostle led by the Holy Ghost, and the Wisdom of the Father, and knowing the whole counsel of God (especially in this point) hath omitted nothing that is fitting armor for a Christian either of defence or offence, whereby he may be inabled to get the victory against Satan, and all his spiritual Army. And therefore that either Satan hath not power, or doth not assault Christians after a visible, carnal, and bodily manner, or else that the Holy Ghost hath been defective in prescribing armor against such assaults, and consequently that the armor of a Souldier of Jesus Christ is not compleat, or else there is no such bodily assaults of Satan at all, as to tempt visibly, to make a corporeal League, to suck upon the Witches bodies, nor to have carnal Copulation with them. But we affirm, and that (as we conceive) with sound reason, that the Scriptures in this particular of a Christians armor, and the compleatness of it, is abundantly sufficient against all spiritual assaults whatsoever, and consequently that there is no other kind of assaults but meerly spiritual, and therefore the Word of God, the most proper Medium with sound reason, to judge of the power of Spirits and Devils by.

3. That the Scriptures and sound reason are the only true and proper Medium to decide these Controversies by, is most undeniably apparent, because God is a Spirit, and the invisible God, and therefore best knows the nature and power of the spiritual and invisible World, and being the God of truth, can and doth inform us of their power and operations, better than the vain lyes and figments of the Heathen Poets, or the dreams of the Platonick School, either elder or later, nay better than all the notional and groundless speculations of the School-men, of whom it may truly be said that, Rivulo divinae Scripturae relicto, in abyssos vanarum opinionum incidêrunt. Nay these can better inform us in this point, than the Writings of all Mortals besides, and therefore whatsoever may be said to the contrary, may receive its answer from the Father: Quod de Scripturis sacris authoritatem non habet, eâdem facilitate contemnitur, quâ probatur. Therefore he being the King eternal, immortal, invisible, and the only wise God, of none can we so truly and certainly learn these things, as of him who hath plentifully taught us in his Word all things necessary to Salvation, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished to every good work. Nay he is the Father of Spirits, and therefore truly knoweth, and can and doth teach us their Natures, Offices, and Operations.