Part I: Some considerations about witchcraft, in a letter to Robert Hunt, part 2 of 5

SECT. V.

IV.

BUt (IV) the opinion of Witches seems to some, to accuse Providence, and to suggest that it hath exposed Innocents to the fury and malice of revengeful Fiends; yea, and supposeth those most obnoxious, for whom we might most reasonably expect a more special tutelary care and protection; most of the cruel practices of those presum'd Instruments of Hell, being upon Children, who as they least deserve to be deserted by that Providence that superintends all things, so they most need its guardian influence.

TO this so specious an Objection I have these things to answer.

(1) Providence is an unfathomable Depth; and if we should not believe the Phaenomena of our senses, before we can reconcile them to our notions of Providence, we must be grosser Scepticks than ever yet were extant. The miseries of the present life, the unequal distributions of good and evil, the ignorance and barbarity of the greatest part of Mankind, the fatal disadvantages we are all under, and the hazard we run of being eternally miserable and undone; these, I say, are things that can hardly be made consistent with that Wisdom and Goodness that we are sure hath made and mingled it self with all things. And yet we believe there is a beauty and harmony, and goodness in that Providence, though we cannot unriddle it in particular instances; nor, by reason of our ignorance and imperfection, clear it from contradicting appearances; and consequently, we ought not to deny the being of Witches and Apparitions, because they will create us some difficulties in our notions of Providence. But to come more close, (2) Those that believe that Infants are Heirs of Hell, and Children of the Devil as soon as they are disclosed to the world, cannot certainly offer such an Objection; for what is a little tri[…]ling pain of a moment, to those eternal Tortures, to which, if they die assoon as they are born, according to the Tenour of this Doctrine, they are everlastingly exposed? But however the case stands as to that, 'tis certain, (3) That Providence hath not secured them from other violences they are obnoxious to, from cruelty and accident; and yet we accuse It not when a whole Townful of Innocents fall a Victim to the rage and ferity of barbarous Executioners in Wars and Massacres. To which I add (4) That 'tis likely the mischief is not so often done by the evil spirit immediately, but by the malignant influence of the Sorceress, whose power of hurting consists in the fore-mention'd ferment, which is infused into her by the Familiar. So that I am apt to think there may be a power of real fascination in the Witches eyes and imagination, by which for the most part she acts upon tender bodies. Nescio quis teneros oculus—For the pestilential spirits being darted by a spightful and vigorous imagination from the eye, and meeting with those that are weak and passive in the bodies which they enter, will not fail to infect them with a noxious quality that makes dangerous and strange alterations in the person invaded by this poisonous influence: which way of acting by subtile and invisible instruments, is ordinary and familiar in all natural efficiencies. And 'tis now past question, that nature for the most part acts by subtile streams and aporrhoea's of minute particles, which pass from one body to another. Or however that be, this kind of agency is as conceivable as any of those qualities ignorance hath call'd Sympathy and Antipathy, the reality of which we doubt not, though the manner of action be unknown. Yea, the thing I speak of is as easie to be apprehended, as how infection should pass in certain tenuious streams through the Air from one house to another; or, as how the biting of a mad Dog should fill all the Blood and Spirits with a venomous and malign ferment; the application of the vertue doing the same in our case, as that of contact doth in this, Yea, some kinds of fascination are perform'd in this grosser and more sensible way, as by striking, giving Apples, and the like, by which the contagious quality may be transmitted, as we see Diseases often are by the touch. Now in this way of conjecture a good account may be given why Witches are most powerful upon Children and timorous persons, viz. because their spirits and imaginations being weak and passive, are not able to resist the fatal invasion; whereas men of bold minds, who have plenty of strong and vigorous spirits, are secure from the contagion; as in pestilential Airs clean bodies are not so liable to infection as other tempers. Thus then we see 'tis likely enough, that very often the Sorceress her self doth the mischief; and we know, de facto, that Providence doth not always secure us from one anothers injuries: And yet I must confess, that many times also the evil spirit is the mischievous Agent; though this confession draw on me another Objection, which I next propose.

SECT. VI.

V.

(V.) THEN it may be said, that if wicked spirits can hurt us by the direction, and at the desire of a Witch, one would think they should have the same power to do us injury without instigation or compact; and if this be granted, 'tis a wonder that we are not always annoy'd and infested by them. To which

I RETURN, (1) That the Laws, Liberties, and Restraints of the Inhabitants of the other world are to us utterly unknown; and this way we can onely argue our selves into confessions of our ignorance, which every man must acknowledge that is not as immodest as ignorant. It must be granted by all that own the being, power, and malice of evil Spirits, that the security we enjoy is wonderful, whether they act by Witches or not; and by what Laws they are kept from making us a prey, to speak like Philosophers, we cannot tell: yea, why they should be permitted to tempt and ruine us in our Souls, and restrain'd from touching or hurting us in our Bodies, is a mystery not easily accountable. But yet (2) though we acknowledge their power to vex and torment us in our Bodies also; yet a reason may be given why they are less frequent in this kind of mischief, viz. because their main designs are levell'd against the interest and happiness of our Souls, which they can best promote, when their actions are most sly and secret; whereas did they ordinarily persecute men in their Bodies, their agency and wicked influence would be discover'd, and make a mighty noise in the world, whereby men would be awaken'd to a suitable and vigorous opposition, by the use of such means as would engage Providence to rescue them from their rage and cruelties; and at last defeat them in their great purposes of undoing us eternally. Thus we may conceive that the security we enjoy may well enough consist with the power and malice of those evil Spirits; and upon this account we may suppose that Laws of their own may prohibit their unlicens'd injuries, not from any goodness there is in their Constitutions, but in order to the more successful carrying on the projects of the dark Kingdom; as Generals forbid Plunder, not out of love to their Enemies, but in order to their own Success. And hence (3) we may suppose a Law of permission to hurt us at the instance of the Sorceress, may well s[…]and with the policy of Hell, since by gratifying the wicked person, they encourage her in malice and revenge, and promote thereby the main ends of their black confederacy, which are to propagate wickedness, and to ruine us in our eternal interests. And yet (4) 'tis clear to those that believe the History of the Gospel, that wicked spirits have vexed the bodies of men, without any instigation that we read of; and at this day 'tis very likely that many of the strange accidents and diseases that befal us, may be the infliction of evil spirits, prompted to hurt us onely by the delight they take in mischief. So that we cannot argue the improbability of their hurting Children and others by Witches, from our own security and freedom from the effects of their malice, which perhaps we feel in more instances than we are aware of.

SECT. VII.

VI.

BUT (VI) another prejudice against the belief of Witches, is, a presumption upon the enormous force of melancholy and imagination, which without doubt can do wonderful things, and beget strange perswasions; and to these causes some ascribe the presum'd effects of Sorcery and Witchcraft. To which I reply briefly; and yet I hope sufficiently,

(I.) THAT to resolve all the clear circumstances os Fact, which we find in well-attested and confirm'd Relations of this kind, into the power of deceivable imagination, is to make fancy the greater prodigie; and to suppose, that it can do stranger feats than are believed of any other kind of fascination. And to think that Pins and Nails, for instance, can by the power of imagination be convey'd within the skin; or that imagination should deceive so many as have been witnesses in Objects of sense, in all the circumstances of discovery; this, I say, is to be infinitely more credulous than the assertors of Sorcery and Demoniack Contracts. And by the same reason it may be believ'd, that all the Battles and strange events of the world, which our selves have not seen, are but dreams and fond imaginations, and like those that are fought in the Clouds, when the Brains of the deluded Spectators are the onely Theatre of those fancied transactions. And (2) to deny evidence of act, because their imagination may deceive the Relators, when we have no reason to think so but a bare presumption that there is no such thing as is related, is quite to destroy the credit of all humane testimony, and to make all men liars in a larger sence than the Prophet concluded in his haste. For not onely the melancholick and the fanciful, but the grave and the sober, whose judgements we have no reason to suspect to be tainted by their imaginations, have from their own knowledge and experience made reports of this nature. But to this it will possibly be rejoyn'd, and the Reply will be another prejudice against the belief for which I contend, viz.

SECT. VIII.

VII.

(VII.) THAT 'tis a suspicious circumstance that Watchcraft is but a fancy, since the persons that are accused are commonly poor and miserable old women, who are overgrown with discontent and melancholy, which are very imaginative; and the persons said to be bewitch'd are for the most part Children, or people very weak, who are easily imposed upon, and are apt to receive strong impressions from nothing: whereas were there any such thing really, 'tis not likely, but that the more cunning and subtil desperado's, who might the more successfully carry on the mischievous designs of the dark Kingdom, should be oftner engaged in those black confederacies, and also one would expect effects of the hellish combination upon others than the innocent and ignorant.

TO which Objection it might perhaps be enough to return (as hath been above suggested) that nothing can be concluded by this and such like arguings, but that the policy and menages of the Instruments of darkness are to us altogether unknown, and as much in the dark as their natures; Mankind being no more acquainted with the reasons and methods of action in the other world, than poor Cottagers and Mechanicks are with the Intrigues of Government, and Reasons of State. Yea peradventure (2) 'tis one of the great designs, as 'tis certainly the interest of those wicked Agents and Machinators, industriously to hide from us their influences and ways of acting, and to work, as near as is possible, incognito: upon which supposal 'tis easie to conceive a reason, why they most commonly work by, and upon the weak and the ignorant, who can make no cunning observations, or tell credible tales to detect their artifice. Besides (3) 'tis likely a strong imagination, that cannot be weaken'd or disturb'd by a busie and subtile ratiocination, is a necessary requisite to those wicked persormances; and without doubt an heightned and obstinate fancy hath a great influence upon impressible spirits; yea, and as I have conjectur'd before, on the more passive and susceptible bodies. And I am very apt to believe, that there are as real communications and intercourses between our Spirits, as there are between material Agents; which secret influences, though they are unknown in their nature and ways of acting, yet they are sufficiently felt in their effects: for experience attests, that some by the very majesty and greatness of their Spirits, discovered by nothing but a certain noble air that accompanies them, will bear down others less great and generous, and make them sneak before them; and some, by I know not what stupifying vertue, will tie up the tongue, and consine the spirits of those who are otherwise brisk and voluble. Which thing supposed, the influences of a Spirit possess'd of an active and enormous imagination, may be malign and fatal where they cannot be resisted; especially when they are accompanied by those poysonous reaks that the evil spirit breathes into the Sorceress, which likely are shot out, and applied by a fancy heightned and prepared by melancholy and discontent. And thus we may conceive why the melanchclick and envious are used upon such occasions, and for the same reason the ignorant, since knowledge checks and controuls imagination; and those that abound much in the imaginative faculties, do not usually exceed in the rational. And perhaps (4) the Daemon himself useth the imagination of the Witch so qualified for his purpose, even in those actions of mischief which are more properly his; for it is most probable, that Spirits act not upon bodies immediately, and by their naked essence, but by means proportionate, and sutable instruments that they use; upon which account likely 'tis so strictly required, that the Sorceress should believe, that so her imagination might be more at the devotion of the mischievous Agent. And sor the same reason also Ceremonies are used in Inchantments, viz. for the begetting this diabolical faith, and heightning the fancy to a degree of strength and vigour sufficient to make it a fit instrument for the design'd performance. Those I think are reasons of likelihood and probability, why the hellish Confederates are mostly the ignorant and the melancholick. To pass then to another prejudice.

SECT. IX.

VIII.

(VIII.) THE frequent impostures that are met with in this kind, beget in some a belief, that all such Relations are Forgeries and Tales; and if we urge the evidence of a story for the belief of Witches or Apparitions. they will produce two as seemingly strong and plausible, which shall conclude in mistake or design; inferring thence, that all others are of the same quality and credit. But such arguers may please to consider,

(1) THAT a single relation for an Assirmative, sufficiently confirmed and at tested, is worth a thousand tales of forgery and imposture, from whence an universal Negative cannot be concluded. So that, though all the Objectors stories be true, and an hundred times as many more such deceptions; yet one relation, wherein no fallacy or fraud could be suspected for our Assirmative, would spoil any Conclusion could be erected on them. And

(2) It seems to me a belief sufficiently bold and precarious, that all these relations of forgery and mistake should be certain, and not one among all those which attest the Assirmative reality, with circumstances as good as could be expected, or wish'd, should be true; but all fabulous and vain. And they have no reason to object credulity to the assertors of Sorcery and Witchcraft, that can swallow so large a morsel. And I desire such Objectors to consider,

(3) Whether it be fair to infer, that because there are some Cheats and Impostures, that therefore there are no Realities. Indeed frequency of deceit and fallacy will warrant a greater care and caution in examining; and scrupulosity and shiness of assent to things wherein fraud hath been practised, or may in the least degree be suspected: But, to conclude, because that an old woman's fancy abused her, or some knavish fellows put tricks upon the ignorant and timorous, that theresore whole Assises have been a thousand times deceived in judgements upon matters of fact, and numbers of sober persons have been forsivorn in things wherein perjury could not advantage them; I say, such inferences are as void of reason, as they are of charity and good manners.

SECT. X.

IX.

BUT (IX) it may be suggested further, That it cannot be imagin'd what design the Devil should have in making those solemn compacts, since persons of such debauch'd and irreclaimable dispositions as those with whom he is supposed to confderate, are pretty securely his, antecedently to the bargain, and cannot be more so by it, since they cannot put their Souls out of possibility of the Divine Grace, but by the Sin that is unpardonable; or if they could so dispose and give away themselves, it will to some seem very unlikely, that a great and mighty Spirit should oblige himself to such observances, and keep such ado to secure the Soul of a filly Body, which 'twere odds but it would be His, though He put himself to no further trouble than that of his ordinary temptations.

TO which suggestions 'twere enough to say, that 'tis sufficient if the thing be well prov'd, though the design be not known. And to argue negatively à fine, is very unconclusive in such matters. The Laws and Affairs of the other world (as hath been intimated) are vastly differing from those of our Regions, and therefore 'tis no wonder we cannot judge of their designs, when we know nothing of their menages, and so little of their natures. The ignorant looker-on can't imagine what the Limner means by those seemingly rude Lines and scrawls which he intends for the Rudiments of a Picture; and the Figures of Mathematick operation are nonsence, and dashes at a venture, to one uninstructed in Mechanicks. We are in the dark to one anothers purposes and intendments; and there are a thousand intrigues in our little matters, which will not presently confess their design even to sagacious inquisitors. And therefore 'tis folly and incogitancy to argue any thing one way or other […]rom the designs of a sort of Beings, with whom we so little communicate; and possibly we can take no more aim, or guess at their projects and designments, than the gazing Beasts can do at ours, when they see the Traps and Gins that are laid for them, but understand nothing what they mean. Thus in general.

But I attempt something more particularly, in order to which I must premise, that the Devil is a name for a Body Politick, in which there are very different Orders and Degrees of Spirits, and perhaps in as much variety of place and state, as among our selves; so that 'tis not one and the same person that makes all the compacts with those abused and seduced Souls, but they are divers, and those 'tis like of the meanest and basest quality in the Kingdom of darkness: which being supposed, I offer this account of the probable design of those wicked Agents, viz. That having none to rule or tyrannize over within the circle of their own nature and government, they affect a proud Empire over us, (the desire of Dominion and Authority being largely spread through the whole circumference of degenerated nature, especially among those, whose pride was their original transgression) every one of these then desires to get him Vassals to pay him homage, and to be employ'd like Slaves in the services of his Lusts and Appetites; to gratifie which desire, 'tis like enough to be provided and allowed by the constitution of their State and Government, that every wicked spirit shall have those Souls as his property, and particular servants and attendants, whom he can catch in such compacts; as those wild Beasts that we can take in hunting, are by the allowance of the Law our own; and those Slaves that a man hath purchas'd, are his peculiar Goods, and the Vassals of his will. Or rather those deluding Fiends are like the seducing fellows we call Spirits, who inveigle Children by their false and slattering promises, and carry them away to the Plantations of America, to be servilely employed there in the works of their profit and advantage. And as those base Agents will humour and flatter the simple unwary Youth, till they are on Shipboard, and without the reach of those that might rescue them from their hands: In like manner the more mischievous Tempter studies to gratifie, please, and accommodate those he deals with in this kind, till death hath lanch'd them into the Deep, and they are past the danger of Prayers, Repentance, and Endeavours; and then He useth them as pleaseth Him. This account I think is not unreasonable, and 'twill fully answer the Objection. For though the matter be not as I have conjectur'd, yet 'twill suggest a way how it may be conceiv'd; which nulls the pretence, That the Design is unconceivable.

SECT. XI.

X.

BUT then (X) we are still liable to be question'd, how it comes about, that those proud and insolent Designers practise in this kind upon so few, when one would expect, that they should be still trading this way, and every where be driving on the project, which the vileness of men makes so feisable, and would so much serve the interest of their lusts.

TO which, among other things that might be suggested, I return,

(1) That we are never liable to be so betrayed and abused, till by our vile dispositions and tendencies we have forfeited the tutelary care, and oversight of the better Spirits; who, though generally they are our guard and defence against the malice and violence of evil Angels, yet it may well enough be thought, that sometimes they may take their leave of such as are swallowed up by Malice, Envie, and desire of Revenge, qualities most contrary to their Life and Nature; and leave them exposed to the invasion and solicitations of those wicked Spirits, to whom such hateful Attributes make them very sutable. And if there be particular Guardian Angels, as 'tis not absurd to fancy, it may then well be supposed, that no man is obnoxious to those projects and attempts, but onely such whose vile and mischievous natures have driven from them their protecting Genius. And against this dereliction to the power of evil Spirits, 'tis likely enough what some affirm, that the Royal Psalmist directs that Prayer, Psal. LXXI. ix, x. Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. For—They that keep my Soul [[non-Latin script], as the LXX and the Vulgar Latine, Qui custodiunt animam meam] they take counsel together, say ing, God hath forsaken him, persecute him and take him; for there is none to deliver him. But I add, (2) That 'tis very probable, that the state wherein they are, will not easily permit palpable intercourses between the bad Genii and Mankind, since 'tis like enough that their own Laws and Government do not allow their frequent excursions into this World. Or, it may with as great probability be supposed, that 'tis a very hard and painful thing for them, to force their thin and tenuious Bodies into a visible consistence, and such shapes as are necessary for their designs in their correspondencies with Witches. For in this action their Bodies must needs be exceedingly compress'd, which cannot well be without a painful sense. And this is perhaps a reason why there are so few Apparitions, and why appearing Spirits are commonly in such haste to be gone, viz. that they may be deliver'd from the unnatural pressure of their tender vehicles; which I confess holds more, in the apparitions of good than evil Spirits; most Relations of this kind, describing their discoveries of themselves, as very transient, (though for those the holy Scripture records, there may be peculiar reason, why they are not so) whereas the wicked ones are not altogether so quick, and hasty in their visits: The reason of which probably is, the great subtilty and tenuity of the Bodies of the former, which will require far greater degrees of compression, and consequently of pain, to make them visible; whereas the latter are more foeculent and gross, and so nearer allied to palpable consistencies, and more easily reduceable to appearance and visibility.

At this turn, Sir, you may perceive that I have again made use of the Platonick Hypothesis, That Spirits are embodied, upon which indeed a great part of my Discourse is grounded: And therefore I hold my self obliged to a short account of that supposal. It seems then to me very probable, from the nature of Sense, and Analogy of Nature. For (1) we perceive in our selves, that all Sense is caused and excited by motion made in matter; and when those motions which convey sensible impressions to the Brain, the Seat of Sense, are intercepted, Sense is lost: So that, if we suppose Spirits perfectly to be disjoyn'd from all matter, 'tis not conceivable how they can have the sense of any thing; For how material Objects should any way be perceived, or felt, without vital union with matter, 'tis not possible to imagine. Nor doth it (2) seem suitable to the Analogy of Nature, which useth not to make precipitious leaps from one thing to another, but usually proceeds by orderly steps and gradations: whereas were there no order of Beings between Us, who are so deeply plunged into the grossest matter, and pure unbodied Spirits, 'twere a mighty jump in Nature. Since then the greatest part of the world consists of the finer portions of matter, and our own Souls are immediately united unto these, 'tis infinitely probable to conjecture, that the nearer Orders of Spirits are vitally joyned to such Bodies; and so Nature by degrees ascending still by the more refin'd and subtile matter, gets at last to the pure [non-Latin script] or immaterial minds, which the Platonists made the highest Order of created Beings. But of this I have discoursed elsewhere, and have said thus much of it at present, because it will enable me to add another Reason of the unfrequency of Apparitions and Compacts, viz.

(3) Because 'tis very likely, that these Regions are very unsuitable, and disproportion'd to the frame and temper of their Senses and Bodies; so that perhaps, the courser Spirits can no more bear the Air of our World, than Bats and Owls can the brightest Beams of Day. Nor can the purer and better any more endure the noisom steams, and poysonous reeks of this Dunghil Earth, than the delicate can bear a confinement in nasty Dungeons, and the foul squalid Caverns of uncomfortable Darkness. So that 'tis no more wonder, that the better Spirits no oftner appear, than that men are not more frequently in the dark Hollows under ground. Nor is't any more strange that evil Spirits so rarely visit us, than that Fishes do not ordinarily sly in the Air, as 'tis said one sort of them doth; or that we see not the Batt daily fluttering in the Beams of the Sun. And now by the help of what I have spoken under this Head, I am provided with some things wherewith to disable another Objection, which I thus propose.