Part I: Some considerations about witchcraft, in a letter to Robert Hunt, part 3 of 5

SECT. XII.

XI.

(XI.) IF THERE be such an intercourse between Evil Spirits and the Wicked, How comes it about that there is no correspondence between Good Angels and the Vertuous? since without doubt these are as desirous to propagate the Spirit and designs of the upper and better World, as those are to promote the Interest of the Kingdom of Darkness.

WHICH way of arguing is still from our Ignorance of the State and Government of the other World, which must be confest, and may, without prejudice to the Proposition I defend. But particularly, I say, (1) That we have ground enough to believe, that good Spirits do interpose in, yea, and govern our Affairs. For that there is a Providence reaching from Heaven to Earth, is generally acknowledged; but that this supposeth all things to be ordered by the immediate influence, and interposal of the Supream Deity, some think, is not very Philosophical to suppose; since, if we judge by the Analogy of the natural World, all things we see are carried on by the Ministery of second Causes, and intermediate Agents. And it doth not seem so magnificent and becoming an apprehension of the Supream Numen, to fancy his immediate hand in every trivial Management. But 'tis exceeding likely to conjecture, that much of the Government of us, and our Affairs, is committed to the better Spirits, with a due subordination and subserviency to the Will of the chief Rector of the Universe. And 'tis not absurd to believe, that there is a Government runs from highest to lowest, the better and more perfect Orders of Being still ruling the inferiour and less perfect. So that some one would fancy that perhaps the Angels may manage us, as we do the Creatures that God and Nature have placed under our Empire and Dominion. But however that is, That God rules the lower World by the Ministery of Angels, is very consonant to the sacred Oracles, Thus, Deut. XXXII. 8, 9. When the most High divided the Nations their Inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people, [non-Latin script], according to the number of the Angels of God, as the Septuagint renders it; the Authority of which Translation, is abundantly credited and asserted, by its being quoted in the New Testament, without notice of the Hebrew Text; even there where it differs from it, as Learned men have observed. We know also, that Angels were very familiar with the Patriarchs of old; and Jacob's Ladder is a Mystery, which imports their ministring in the affairs of the Lower World. Thus Origen and others understand that to be spoken by the Presidential Angels, Jerem. LI. 9. We would have healed BABYLON, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go. Like the Voice heard in the Temple before the taking of Jerusalem by Titus, [non-Latin script]. And before Nebuchadnezzar was sent to learn Wisdom and Religion among the Beasts, He sees a Watcher, according to the 70. an Angel, and an holy One come down from Heaven, Dan. IV. 13. who pronounceth the sad Decree against Him, and calls it the Decree of the Watchers, who very probably were the Guardian-Genii of Himself and his Kingdom. And that there are particular Angels that have the special Rule and Government of particular Kingdoms, Provinces, Cities, yea and of Persons, I know nothing that can make improbable: The instance is notorious in Daniel, of the Angels of Persia and Graecia, that hindred the other that was engaged for the concerns of Judaea: yea, our Saviour himself tells us, that Children have their Angels; and the Congregation of Disciples supposed that St. Peter had his. Which things, if they be granted, the good Spirits have not so little to do with us, and our matters, as is generally believed. And perhaps it would not be absurd, if we referr'd many of the strange thwarts, and unexpected events, the disappointments and lucky co-incidences that befal us, the unaccountable fortunes and successes that attend some lucky men, and the unhappy fates that dog others that seem born to be miserable; the Fame and Favour that still waits on some without any conceivable motive to allure it, and the general neglect of others more deserving, whose worth is not acknowledg'd; I say, these, and such like odd things, may with the greatest probability be resolved into the Conduct and Menages of those invisible Supervisors, that preside over, and govern our affairs.

But if they so far concern themselves in our matters, how is it that they appear not to maintain a visible and confest correspondence with some of the better Mortals, who are most fitted for their Communications and their influence? To which I have said some things already, when I accounted for the unfrequency of Apparitions; and I now add what I intend for another return to the main Objection, viz.

(2) That the apparition of good Spirits is not needful for the Designs of the better world, whatever such may be for the interest of the other. For we have had the Appearance and Cohabitation of the Son of God; we have Moses and the Prophets, and the continued influence of the Spirit, the greatest arguments to strengthen Faith, the most powerful motives to excite our Love, and the noblest encouragements to quicken and raise our Desires and Hopes, any of which are more than the apparition of an Angel; which would indeed be a great gratification of the Animal Life, but 'twould render our, Faith less noble and less generous, were it frequently s[…] assisted: Blessed are they that believe, and yet have not seen. Besides which, the good Angels have no such ends to prosecute, as the gaining any Vassals to serve them, they being ministring Spirits for our good, and no self-designers for a proud and insolent Dominion over us. And it may be perhaps not impertinently added, That they are not always evil Spirits that appear, as is, I know not well upon what grounds, generally imagined; but that the extraordinary detections of Murders, latent Treasures, falsified and unfulfilled Bequests, which are sometimes made by Apparitions, may be the courteous Discoveries of the better and more benign Genii. Yea, 'tis not unlikely, that those warnings that the world sometimes hath of approaching Judgements and Calamities by Prodigies, and sundry odd Phaenomena, are the kind Informations of some of the Inhabitants of the upper world. Thus, was Jerusalem forewarned before its sacking by Antiochus, by those airy Horsemen that were seen through all the City, for almost forty days together, 2 Mac. V. 2, 3. and the other Prodigious Portents that fore-ran its Destruction by Titus: which I mention, because they are notorious instances. And though, for mine own part, I scorn the ordinary Tales of Prodigies, which proceed from superstitious fears, and unacquaintance with Nature, and have been used to bad purposes by the zealous and the ignorant; Yet I think that the Arguments that are brought by a late very ingenious Author, to conclude against such Warnings and Predictions in the whole kind, are short and inconsequent, and built upon too narrow Hypotheses. For if it be supposed, that there is a sort of Spirits over us, and about us, who can give a probable guess at the more remarkable futurities, I know not why it may not be conjectured, that the kindness they have for us, and the appetite of foretelling strange things, and the putting the world upon expectation, which we find is very grateful to our own natures, may not incline them also to give us some general notice of those uncommon Events which they foresee. And I yet perceive no reason we have to fancy, that whatever is done in this kind, must needs be either immediately from Heaven, or from the Angels, by extraordinary Commission and Appointment. But it seems to me not unreasonable to believe, that those officious Spirits that oversee our Affairs, perceiving some mighty and sad alterations at hand, in which their Charge is much concerned, cannot chuse, by reason of their affection to us, but give us some seasonable hints of those approaching Calamities; to which also their natural desire to foretel strange things to come, may contribute to incline them. And by this Hypothesis, the fairest probabilities, and strongest ratiocinations against Prodigies, may be made unserviceable. But this onely by the way.

SECT. XIII.

I Desire it may be considered further,

(3) That God himself affords his intimacies and converses to the better Souls, that are prepared for it; which is a priviledge infinitely beyond Angelical correspondence.

I confess the proud and phantastick pretences of many of the conceited Melancholists in this age, to Divine Communion, have prejudiced divers intelligent persons against the belief of any such happy vouchsafement; so that they conclude the Doctrine of immediate Communion with the Deity in this Life to be but an highflown notion of warm imagination, and overluscious self-flattery; and I acknowledge I have my self had thoughts of this nature, supposing Communion with God to be nothing else but the exercise of vertue, and that peace, and those Comforts which naturally result from it.

But I have considered since, that God's more near and immediate imparting himself to the Soul that is prepared for that happiness by divine Love, Humility, and Resignation, in the way of a vital touch, and sense, is a thing possible in it self, and will be a great part of our Heaven. That Glory is begun in Grace, and God is pleased to give some excellent Souls the happy Antepast. That holy men in ancient times have sought and gloried in this enjoyment, and never complain so sorely as when it was with held, and interrupted. That the expressions of Scripture run infinitely this way, and the best of Modern good men, do from their own experience attest it. That this spiritualizeth Religion, and renders its enjoyments more comfortable and delicious. That it keeps the Soul under a vivid sense of God, and is a grand security against Temptation. That it holds it steady amid the flatteries of a prosperous state, and gives it the most grounded anchorage and sup port amid the Waves of an adverse condition. That 'tis the noblest encouragement to vertue. and the biggest assurance of an happy Immortality. I say, I considered these weighty things, and wondred at the carelesness and prejudice os thoughts that occasion'd my suspecting the reality of so glorious a Priviledge; I saw how little reason there is in denying matters of inward sense, because our selves do not feel them, or cannot form an apprehension of them in our minds. I am convinced that things of gust and relish must be judg'd by the sentient and vital faculties, and not by the noetical exercises of speculative understandings: And upon the whole, I believe infinitely that the Divine Spirit affords its sensible presence, and immediate beatifick Touch to some rare Souls, who are divested of carnal self, and mundane pleasures, abstracted from the Body by Prayer and holy Meditation; spiritual in their Desires, and calm in their Affections; devout Lovers of God, and vertue, and tenderly affectionate to all the world; sincere in their aims, and circumspect in their actions; inlarged in their Souls, and clear in their Minds: These I think are the dispositions that are requisite to fit us for Divine Communion; and God transacts not in this near way, but with prepared spirits who are thus disposed for the manifestation of his presence, and his influence: And such, I believe, he never fails to bless with these happy foretastes of Glory.

But for those that are passionate and conceited, turbulent and notional, confident and immodest, imperious and malicious; That doat upon trifles, and run fiercely in the ways of a Sect, that are lifted up in the apprehension of the glorious prerogatives of themselves and their party, and scorn all the world besides; For such, I say, be their pretensions what they will, to divine Communion, Illapses, and Discoveries, I believe them not; Their fancies abuse them, or they would us. For what communion hath Light with Darkness, or the Spirit of the HOLY ONE with those whose genius and ways are so unlike him? But the other excellent Souls I described, will as certainly be visited by the Divine Presence, and Converse, as the Crystalline streams are, with the beams of Light, or the fitly prepar'd Earth whose Seed is in it self, will be actuated by the spirit of Nature.

So that there is no reason to object here the want of Angelical Communications, though there were none vouchsafed us, since good men enjoy the Divine, which are infinitely more satisfactory and indearing.

And now I may have leave to proceed to the next Objection, which may be made to speak thus:

SECT. XIV.

XII.

(XII.) THE belief of Witches, and the wonderful things they are said to perform by the help of the Confederate Daemon, weakens our Faith, and exposeth the World to Infidelity in the great matters of our Religion. For if they by Diabolical assistance, can inflict and cure Diseases, and do things so much beyond the Comprehension of our Philosophy, and activity of common Nature; What assurance can we have, that the Miracles that confirm our Gospel were not the effects of a Compact of like nature, and that Devils were not cast out by Beelzebub? If evil Spirits can assume Bodies, and render themselves visible in humane likeness; What security can we have of the reality of the Resurrection of Christ? And if, by their help, Witches can enter Chambers invisibly through Key-holes and little unperceived Crannies, and transform themselves at pleasure; What Arguments of Divinity are there in our Saviour's shewing himself in the midst of his Disciples, when the Doors were shut, and his Transfiguration in the Mount? Miracles are the great inducements of Belief, and how shall we distinguish a Miracle from a lying Wonder; a Testimony from Heaven, from a Trick of the Angels of Hell; if they can perform things that astonish and confound our Reasons, and are beyond all the Possibilities of Human Nature? This Objection is spiteful and mischievous; but I thus endeavour to dispatch it.

(1) THE Wonders done by Confederacy with wicked Spirits, cannot derive a suspicion upon the undoubted Miracles that were wrought by the Author and Promulgers of our Religion, as if they were performed by Diabolical Compact, since their Spirit, Endeavours, and Designs, were notoriously contrary to all the Tendencies, Aims, and Interests of the Kingdom of Darkness. For, as to the Life and Temper of the blessed and adorable JESUS, we know there was an incomparable sweetness in his Nature, Humility in his Manners, Calmness in his Temper, Compassion in his Miracles, Modesty in his Expressions, Holiness in all his Actions, Hatred of Vice and Baseness, and Love to all the World; all which are essentially contrary to the Nature and Constitution of Apostate Spirits, who abound in Pride and Rancour, Insolence and Rude ness, Tyranny and Baseness, universal Malice, and Hatred of Men. And their Designs are as opposite, as their Spirit and their Genius. And now, Can the Sun borrow its Light from the bottomless Abyss? Can Heat and Warmth flow in upon the World from the Regions of Sno[…] and Ice? Can Fire freeze, and Water burn, Can Natures, so infinitely contrary, communicate, and jump in projects that are destructive to each others known Interests? Is there any Balsom in the Cockatrices Egg? or, Can the Spirit of Life slow from the Venome of the Asp? Will the Prince of Darkness strengthen the Arm that is stretcht out to pluck his Usurpt Scepter, and his Spoils from him? And will he lend his Legions, to assist the Armies of his Enemy against him? No, these are impossible Supposals; No intelligent Being will industriously and knowingly contribute to the Contradiction of its own Principles, the Defeature of its Purposes, and the Ruine of its own dearest Interests. There is no fear then, that our Faith should receive prejudice from the acknowledgement of the Being of Witches, and power of evil Spirits, since 'tis not the doing wonderful things that is the onely Evidence that the Holy JESUS was from God, and his Doctrine true; but the conjunction of other circumstances, the holiness of his Life, the reasonableness of his Religion, and the excellency of his Designs, added credit to his Works, and strengthned the great Conclusion, That he could be no other than the Son of God, and Saviour of the world. But besides, I say,

(2) That since infinite Wisdom and Goodness rules the World, it cannot be conceived, that they should give up the greatest part of men to unavoidable deception. And if evil Angels by their Confederates are permitted to perform such astonishing things, as seem so evidently to carry God's Seal and Power with them, for the confirmation of Falshoods, and gaining credit to Impostors, without any counter-evidence to disabuse the World; Mankind is exposed to sad and fatal delusion. And to say that Providence will suffer us to be deceived in things of the greatest concernment, when we use the best of our care and endeavours to prevent it, is to speak hard things of God; and in effect to affirm, That He hath nothing to do in the Government of the World, or doth not concern himself in the affairs of poor forlorn men. And if the Providence and Goodness of God be not a security unto us against such Deceptions, we cannot be assured, but that we are always abused by those mischievous Agents, in the Objects of plain sense, and in all the matters of our daily Converses. If ONE that pretends he is immediately sent from God, to overthrow the ancient Fabrick of Established Worship, and to erect a New Religion in His Name, shall be born of a Virgin, and honour'd by a miraculous Star; proclaimed by a Song of seeming Angels of Light, and worshipped by the wise Sages of the World; Revered by those of the greatest austerity, and admired by all for a miraculous Wisdom, beyond his Education and his Years: If He shall feed multitudes with almost nothing, and fast himself beyond all the possibilities of Nature: If He shall be transformed into the appearance of extraordinary Glory, and converse with departed Prophets in their visible Forms: If He shall Cure all Diseases without Physick or Endeavour, and raise the Dead to Life after they have stunk in their Graves: If He shall be honoured by Voices from Heaven, and attract the universal wonder of Princes and People: If He shall allay Tempests with a beck, and cast out Devils with a word: If He shall foretel his own Death particularly, with its Tragical Circumstances, and his Resurrection after it: If the Veil of the most famous Temple in the world shall be rent, and the Sun darkned at his Funeral: If He shall, within the time foretold, break the bonds of Death, and lift up his Head out of the Grave: If Multitudes of other departed Souls shall arise with Him, to attend at the Solemnity of his Resurrection: If He shall after Death, visibly converse, and eat and drink with divers persons, who could not be deceived in a matter of clear sense, and ascend in Glory in the presence of an astonisht and admiring Multitude: I say, if such a one as this should prove a diabolical Impostor, and Providence should permit him to be so credited and acknowledged; What possibility were there then for us to be assured, that we are not always deceived? yea, that our very faculties were not given us onely to delude and abuse us? And if so, the next Conclusion is, That there is no God that judgeth in the earth; and the best, and most likely Hypothesis will be, That the world is given up to the Government of the Devil. But if there be a Providence that superviseth us. (as nothing is more certain) doubtless it will never suffer poor helpless Creatures to be inevitably deceived by the craft and subtilty of their mischievous Enemy, to their undoing; but will without question take such care, that the works wrought by Divine Power for the Confirmation of Divine Truth, shall have such visible Marks and Signatures, if not in their Nature, yet in their Circumstances, Ends, and Designs, as shall discover, whence they are, and sufficiently distinguish them from all Impostures and Delusions. And though wicked spirits may perform some strange things that may excite wonder for a while, yet He hath, and will so provide, that they shall be baffled and discredited; as we know it was in the case of Moses and the AEgyptian Magicians.

These things I count sufficient to be said to this last, and shrewdest Objection; Though some, I understand, except, that I have made it stronger than the Answer I have applied. That I have urged the argument of unbelievers home, and represented it in its full strength, I suppose can be no matter of just reproof: For to triumph over the weakness of a Cause, and to overlook its strength, is the trick of shallow and interessed Disputers, and the worst way to defend a good Cause, or confute a bad one. I have therefore all along urged the most cogent things I could think of, for the interest of the Objectors, because I would not impose upon my Reader or my self; and the stronger I make their premises, the more shall I weaken their Conclusion, if I answer them; which whether I have done, or not, I refer my self to the judgments of the ingenious and considerate; from whom I should be very glad to be informed in what particular points my Discourse is defective. General Charges are no proofs, nor are they easily capable of an answer. Yet, to the mention'd exception I say

That the strength of the Objection is not my fault, for the reasons alledg'd; and for the supposed incompetency of my return, I propose, that if the circumstances of the Persons, Ends, and Issues be the best Notes of Distinction between true Miracles and Forgeries, Divine and Diabolical ones, I have then said enough to secure the Miracles of our Saviour, and the Holy men of Ancient times. But if these Objectors think, they can give us any better, or more infallible Criteria, I desire them to weigh what I have offer'd about Miracles in some of the following Leaves, before they enter that thought among their certainties. And if their other marks of difference will hold, notwithstanding those allegations, I suppose the inquisitive believing world would be glad to know them; and I shall have particular obligations to the discoverer, for the strength with which he will thereby assist my Answer.

But till I see that, I can say nothing stronger; or if I saw it, which I shall not in haste expect, I should not be convinced but that the circumstances of difference which I have noted, are abundantly sufficient to disarm the Objection; and to shew, that though Apparitions, Witchcraft, and daibolical Wonders are admitted: yet none of these can fasten any slurre, or ground of dangerous doubt upon the miraculous performances of the H. JESUS and his Apostles. If the dissatisfied can shew it, I shall yield my self an humble -proselyte to their Reasons; but till I know them, the general suggestion will not convince me.

Now, besides what I have directly said to the main Objection, I have this to add to the Objectors, That I could wish they would take care of such Suggestions; which, if they overthrow not the Opinion they oppose, will dangerously affront the Religion they would seem to acknowledge. For he that saith, That if there are WITCHES, there is no way to prove that Christ Jesus was not a Magician, and diabolical Impostor, puts a deadly Weapon into the hands of the Infidel, and is himself next door to the SIN AGAINST THE HOLT GHOST: of which, in order to the perswading greater tenderness and caution in such matters, I give this short account.