CHAP.III.
The denying of such a Witch as is last described in the foregoing Chapter, doth not infer the denying of Angels or Spirits. Apparitions no warrantable ground for a Christian to believe the Existence of Angels or Devils by, but the Word of God.
Of Credulity and Incredulity, pag. 7.
Preface.
Having declared in what sense and acceptation we allow of Witches, and in what notion we deny them, lest we be misunderstood we shall add thus much: That we do not (as the Schools speak) deny the existence of Witchesabsolutè & simpliciter, sed secundùm quid, and that they do not existtali modo, that is, they do not make a visible Contract with the Devil, he doth not suck upon their bodies, they have not carnal Copulation with him, and the like recited before, and in these respects, and not otherwise, didWierus,Gutierriusand Mr.Scotdeny Witches, that is, that neither they nor their supposed Familiars could perform such things as are ascribed unto them. And that Dr.Casaubonand Mr.Glanvilshould charge those that hold this opinion with Atheism or Sadducism, is to me very strange, having no ground, connexion, or rational consequence so to do: yet doth Dr.Casaubonaffirm it in these words: “Now one prime foundation (saith he) of Atheism, as by many ancient and late is observed, being the not believing the existence of spiritual Essences, whether good or bad, separate, or united, subordinate to God, as to the supreme and original Cause of all; and by consequent the denying of supernatural operations: I have, I confess, applied my self, by my examples, which in this case do more than any reasoning, and (the Authority of the holy Scriptures laid aside) are almost the only convincing proof.” And Mr.Glanvilis so confident (I might justly say impudent) that he styled his Book,A Blow at modern Sadducism, which, I confess, is so weak a blow, and so blindly levell’d, and so improperly directed, that I am sure it will kill or hurt no body: and tells us this boldly and roundly. “And those that dare not bluntly say,There is no God, content themselves, (for a fair step and introduction) to deny there are Spirits or Witches. Which sort of Infidels, though they are not ordinary among the meer Vulgar, yet are they numerous in a little higher rank of understandings. And those that know any thing of the World, know that most of the looser Gentry, and the small Pretenders to Philosophy and Wit, are generally deriders of the belief of Witches and Apparitions.” And the whole design of his Book is to prove those men to be guilty of Sadducism, that deny the existence of Witches understood in his sense, and this we oppose,and the state of the question we lye down thus.
That the denying the existence of Angels or Spirits; or the Resurrection, doth not infer the denying of the Being of God; nor the denying of the existence of Witches (in the sense before laid down) infer the denying of Angels or Spirits; and that they do unjustly charge the Authors of this opinion with Sadducism, we shall prove with irrefragable Arguments.
Argum. 1.
1. There can be no right deduction made, nor no right consequence drawn, where there is no dependency in causality, nor no connexion of dependency. For as in the Relative and Correlative, the denying of the one necessarily destroys the other, yetfundamentum Relationis non destruitur; so a father without a child, as a father, doth neither exist nor is known, and yet the foundation of those two terms, of Paternity and Childship, which is Man, doth remain. So he that denieth Creation, doth destroy the Relative, which is Creator; yet the foundation, which is God, doth remain: and the denying of the Creation, doth not infer the necessary conclusion of denying the Being of a God, because there might be a God, though there were no Creation, because God is supposed to be, both in respect of causality and duration, before Creation. So what relation can Mr.Glanvilfeign betwixt the Being of God and the Being of Angels or Spirits? For they both belong to the Predicament of Substance, and not that of Relation; and there is less relation betwixt the Being of a Witch and the Being of Spirits: so that the denying of the one doth not infer the denying of the other. And though there were relation (which Mr.Glanvilcannot shew) the foundation of that Relation (which is so necessary, that Relatives cannot subsist without it) might remain, though the Relatives were taken away: and therefore the denying of the existence of Angels or Spirits, doth not infer the denying of the Being of God; and therefore the Authors of this opinion are wrongfully and falsely charged with Atheism: and the denying of the existence of a Witch (in the sense specified) doth not infer the denying of the Being of Spirits; and thereforeScot,Osburne, and the like, are falsely and wrongfully charged with Sadducism.
Argum. 2.
Mat. 22. 23. Act. 23. 8.
2. Though it be a true Maxime, thatde posse ad esse non valet argumentum; yet on the contrary, the possibility of that can never be rationally denied, that hath once been inesse. But it is apparent, that the Sadducees denied the Resurrection, and that there were either Angels or Spirits, that is, they denied that Angels or Spirits, whether good or bad, did separately exist, and that they were nothing but the good or bad motions in mens minds: yet these men were no Atheists; for though they denied the Resurrection, and held that there were no Angels or Spirits, yet they held and believed there was a God, and did allow of, and believed the five Books ofMoses, else would not our Saviour have used an argument, whose only strength was drawn from a sentence in the third Chapter ofExodus, the sixth verse. So that even the denying ofthe Existence of Angels and Spirits, doth not infer the denying of a God; much less doth the denying the Existence of a Witch, infer the denial of the Being of Angels and Spirits; and therefore the charge of Atheism and Sadducism is false, injurious, and scandalous.
Argum. 3.
3. Those things that in their Beings have no dependence one upon another, the denying of the one doth not takeaway or deny the being of the other; but where the being doth meerly exist in dependency upon another superior Cause, there take away or deny the being of the first Cause, and thereby you take away and deny the being of all the rest that depends upon it. So he that denies the Being of a God, doth necessarily deny the Being of Angels or Spirits; but not on the contrary. For he that denieth the Existence of Angels and Spirits, doth not therefore necessarily take away or deny the Being of a God, because the Being of a God is independent of either Angel or Spirit, and doth exist solely by it self. And therefore ifWierusorScothad denied the Existence of Angels and Spirits (which they did not) yet it would not have inferred that they were Atheists; and therefore are falsely accused by Dr.Casaubonand Mr.Glanvil. And though they should have denied the Existence of Witches (which they did notsimpliciter, sed tali modo) yet it would not have inferred, that they were guilty of Sadducism, because Spirits or Demons have their Existence without any dependence of the being of Witches; and therefore it is but a poorfallacia consequentiæto say, he that denies a Witch, denies a Demon or Spirit.
Argum. 4.
4. The denying of the Existence of Spirits, doth not infer the denying of the Being of a God, because in the priority of duration God was when Spirits were not, for they are not immortalà parte anté. So likewise the denying of the Existence of Witches, doth not infer the denial of the Being of Spirits, for in the priority of duration Spirits were existent before Witches; forAdamandEvecould not be ignorant that there were Spirits, both good and bad, and yet then there were no Witches. So that a Spirit having, in respect of duration, a Being before that a Witch can have any; the denying the Existence of the latter, doth not infer the denying of the Being of the former, but is meerly inconsequent, agreeable to no Rules of Logick, except that of Logger-head Colledge.
Argum. 5.
5. Many properties or proper adjuncts may be ascribed unto a substance, the denying of which adjuncts, doth not infer the denying of the being of the substance. So that to deny that a Horse hath fins like a fish, or wings like a bird, doth not infer the denying of the being of a Horse. Therefore it is injurious and scandalous in Dr.Casaubonand Mr.Glanvil, to charge Dr.Wierusand Mr.Scotwith Atheism and Sadducism, when indeed (as we shall prove hereafter) their own Tenents tend to blasphemy, impiety, vanity, and uncharitableness.
Another thing that we oppose is, that Apparitions are no warrantableground for a Christian to believe the Existence of Angels and Spirits by, but the Word of God, which these cogent reasons do sufficiently prove.
Argum. 1.
1. For to say that the Apparitions of Spirits, good or bad, do prove their Existence, is butpetitio principii, a begging of the question, that first is in doubt, and ought to be proved. For how come we to be assured, that the Apparitions that are made, and really by unquestionable Witnesses attested for truth (not to speak of melancholy Fancies, and Fables, Knacks of Knavery and Imposture, and other ignorant and gross mistakes, which are often believed to be Apparitions, when they are no such matter) that they are made by good or bad Spirits? for that is the thing in doubt, and so is but a circular way of arguing by way of begging the question, or provingignotum per ignotius; for Apparitions do not prove the Being of Spirits, except it be first proved, that those Apparitions be made or caused by Spirits.
Argum. 2.
2. There are many Apparitions that are produced by natural and artificial Causes, and need not be referred to supernatural ones, as are all thoseIdola, Images, or Species that we see in Glasses, which cannot be denied to be Apparitions, and yet arise from natural Causes. So the Apparition of Comets, new Stars, and many other sort of strange Meteors, as sometimes three Suns, the Rain-bow,Halones, and the like, that have natural Causes to produce them, and are no proof of the Being of Spirits. Nay as the best and most credible Historians have left upon Record, and hath been known to be a certain verity in divers parts of these three Kingdoms, within the space of these forty years, strange and various Sights have been seen in the Air, both of Men, and Horses, and Armies fighting one with another; and yet were these no proof of the Existence of Spirits, because they may (and doubtlesly do) proceed from other causes, and not from the operation or efficiency of Angels or Spirits, either good or bad.
Argum. 3.
Jo. Drusii Præterit. l. 7. p. 289.
De Subtil.l.19.p.1202, 1203.
De Nymph.lib. pag.389.
The invisible World, sect. 6. pag. 303.
3. It is not certainly known what diversity of Creatures there may be that aremediæ naturæbetwixt Angels and Men, that may sometimes appear, and then vanish: so that if it be granted, that there be Apparitions really and truly, yet it will not necessarily follow, that these are caused by good or bad Angels, because they may be effected by Creatures of another and middle Nature; and so Apparitions no certain ground for the believing of the Existence of Angels or Spirits. For the most learnedDrusiusgives us this account from one of the Commentators upon the BookAboth. “Debet homo intelligere ac scire à terra usq; ad firmamentum, quod Rakia, id est, Expansum appellant, omnia plena esse turmis & præfectis, & infrà plurimas esse creaturas lædentes & accusantes, omnésq; stare ac volare in aëre, neq; à terra usq; ad firmamentum locum esse vacuum: sed omnia plena esse præpositis, quorum alii ad pacem, alii ad bellum, alii ad bonum, alii ad malum; ad vitam & ad mortem incitant. Ob id compositum fuit canticum occursuum,quod incipit, Sedet in occulto Supremus.” And if this be a truth, here are orders and numbers enough of several sorts to make Apparitions, and yet be neither the good or bad Angels. And if there may any credit be given to the relation thatCardangives of his FatherFacius Cardanus, which he had from his own mouth, and also had left it in writing; then “there are mortal Demons, that are born and do die as men do, that can appear and disappear, and are of such most tenuious bodies, that they can afford us neither help nor, hurt, excepting terrors, and spectres, and knowledge”. And if there may be credit given toPlutarch(so highly magnified by Dr.Casaubon) the GodPanof the Heathens must have been one of these mortal Demons, because he tells us upon the credit ofEpotherses(a Tale of hear-say) “ThatThamuswas by a voice thrice calling upon him, commanded that when he came toPalodes, he should tell them, that the great GodPanwas dead”. And that there are such mortal Demons, is strongly asserted byParacelsus, and by him calledNymphæ,Sylphi,Pygmæi, andSalamandræ, and that they are not ofAdamsGeneration, and that they have wonderful power and skill. And to this opinion do the Schools both of the ancient and later Academicks wholly incline, and seems to be favoured both by Dr.Moorand Mr.Glanvilhimself; and if there be any such matters, doubtless from thence did arise all the strange stories and gests that former Generations have told and believed concerning the Apparition of these kind of Creatures, which the common people callFayries: of which the Reverend and Learned person BishopHallgiveth us this touch: “The times are not past the ken of our memory, since the frequent (and in some part true) reports of those familiar Devils, Fayries, and Goblins, wherewith many places were commonly haunted; the rarity whereof in these latter times, is sufficient to descry the difference betwixt the state of ignorant Superstition, and the clear light of the Gospel.” And whosoever shall seriously read and consider that little Piece that was printed some few years since, though written long ago, and by some (that pretend to no small share of Learning) cryed up exceedingly for a most convincing Relation, to prove the Existence of Spirits, called,The Devil of Mascon, may easily gather, that if the thing were truly related, as to the matter of fact, that it must needs be some Creature of a middle Nature, and no evil Spirit, both because it was such a sportful and mannerly Creature, that it would leave them, and not disturb them at their devotions; as also (as far as I remember, for I have not the Book by me) because it denied that it was a Devil, and professed that it hoped to be saved by Christ.
Argum. 4.
Joh. 15. 15.
Act. 20. 27.
2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17.
Eph. 6. 11, 12, 13.
2 Cor. 2. 11.
2 Pet. 1. 19.
Luk. 16. 29, 30, 31.
Sup. Gen. ad lit.l.2.
Isa. 8. 19, 20.
4. That the Scriptures contain in them all things necessary to Salvation, is so clear a truth, that none but those that are wilfully blind can deny it; for Christ taught his Disciplesall things that he had learned of the Father, and the Father sending him to be the Saviour of the World, and to preach the Gospel of eternal Salvation,was not defective in declaring all things that were necessary to accomplish the work and end, for which he was sent forth of the Father. And the glorious Apostle St.Paultells the Disciples and Brethren,That he had not shunned to declare unto them all the counsel of God, which must of necessity be abundantly sufficient for their Salvations. And he tellethTimothy,That he had known the Scriptures from a child, which were able to make him wise unto salvation. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.Nay the Woman ofSamariahad so much knowledge and faith, that she believedthat when the Messias was come, he would tell them all things. Now to the obtaining of Salvation, there is nothing more necessary than to know what enemies men have to fight against in their Christian Warfare, which the Apostle tells in these words: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 they are to take unto them the whole armor of God,πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ,that they may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil,μεθοδείας τοῦ διαβόλου: and that made the Apostle say in another place,We are not ignorant of his devices or crafts,νοήματα. Now the Scriptures being able to make us wise to Salvation, it hath sufficiently declared the natures, powers, knowledge, and offices of both the good and bad Angels, and is a sure word of Prophecy, unto which it is good to take heed, and not unto old wives fables of Apparitions and Goblins, such as Mr.Glanvilwould perswade us that they are tydings of another World, when we are taught by unerring testimony of Truth,That those that have Moses and the Prophets, and do not hear them, neither will they be perswaded, though one rose from the dead. And therefore we must be bold to tell Mr.Glanvil, that the Sacred Scriptures do with infallible certitude teach us, that both good and bad Spirits have most certainly an Existence, and therefore we need none of his feigned nor forged stories of Apparitions; which if they were certainly known to be true and real, by undeceivable matters of fact, yet he that doth not believe what is written of the Being of Spirits byMosesand the Prophets, will not believe Apparitions, no not of a man, if he came from the dead. And therefore I will conclude with that precious and pithy Sentence of St.Austin, who saith:Major est hujus Scripturæ authoritas, quàm omnis humani ingenii perspicacitas. And believe not them that say, If you would know the power of Devils and Witches, go to the Writings of Dr.Casaubon, Mr.Glanvil, and to the rest of the Demonographers and Witchmongers, that amass and heap together all the lying, vain improbable, and impossible stories that can be scraped forth of any Author, ancient, middle, or modern, when we are commanded to goto the Law and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to thisword, it is because there is no truth in them. And so I shall shut up this Chapter, wherein (I suppose) I have sufficiently proved, that the denying of such a Witch as I have described, doth not infer the denial of the Being of Angels or Spirits, and that Apparitions are no sufficient grounds for Christians to believe the Existence of Angels and Spirits by, but the Word of God; which was the thing undertaken to be proved.