CHAP. XIV.
Of diverse Impostures framed and invented to prove false and lying miracles by, and to accuse persons of Witchcraft, from late and undeniable authorities.
In the treatise preceeding we have often made mention of delusions and Impostures, which we shall largely handle in this place: and though Mr.Glanvil, and others do object, that though many pretended possessions or Witchcrafts have been proved to be meer couzenings and impostures, yet therefore it will not follow that all are so. To which we shall render these answers.
1. If it do not necessarily conclude, that they are all impostures, yet it gives a most shrewd cause of dubitation that they may be so. And the objection depends not upon a necessary connexion betwixt the subject and predicate, for some being direct and palpable Impostures, it is not of necessity, but by contingency or accident that the others are not so, and ought first to have been proved, which never yet was performed.
2. But we affirm that a general conclusion drawn from an inductive argument is good and sound, where no instance can be clearly made out to the contrary. But as yet no true instance, really and faithfully attested, hath ever been brought to prove that anyof these things that we deny, were ever effected by diabolical power. For who were ever by and present, that were persons of sincerity and sound judgment, that could truly testifie and averr that the Devil in a visible and corporeal shape made a contract with the Witch, or that he suckt upon his, or her body, or that he had carnal copulation with them, or that saw when the Witch was really changed into a Dog or a Cat, or that they flew or were carried in the air? Seeing no instance can be given to prove any of these to be undoubted truths, it must needs follow that they are meer figments, or at the best all but absolute Impostures. And again it is but precarious, andpetitio principii, to imagine that any persons have vomited up or voided strange things that saw or knew that they were injected by Devils, for they were either naturally bred there, or else were meer Impostures and delusive Juglings.
And therefore we shall propose some Histories of strange and prodigious cheats and Impostures from late and unquestionable authorities, whereby all the rest may be judged and discerned; of which take this for one.
Hist. 1.
Vid. Stat. Pulton, 25. year Henr. 8.c.12.
Vid Chron.Hollingshead. StowAn. Hen. 8.25.p.1013.
The Pope.
“1.Elizabeth BartonofKent(by those that laboured to cry up her horrible cheats for miracles, otherwise called the holy Maid ofKent) and others were in the twenty fifth year of KingHenrythe Eighth attainted of High Treason, for that under colour of hypocrisie, Revelations and false Miracles practised by the saidElizabeth, they conspired to impugne and slander the divorce between the King and QueenKatherinehis first Wife, and the last Marriage between him and QueenAnnehis second Wife, to destroy the King, and to deprive him of his Crown.” Her false and feigned miracles, and the subtile and cunning contrivances that were brought to pass by the help of her confederate accomplices, and her and the others open confession of them may be found at large inHollingshead,Stow, and the writings of Mr.Lambert, whither for brevities sake I remit my reader, and shall only give it here in the words ofSpeed, which are these: “The Romanists (he saith) much fearing thatBabelwould down, if QueenAnnemight be heard against wickedHaman, sought to underprop the foundations thereof with certain devices of their own: and that the same might pass without note of suspicion, they laid their forgery even upon Heaven it self; whose pretended oracleElizabeth Barton(commonly called the holy Maid ofKent) was made to be; and the pillars of this godless Fabrick wereEdward Bockinga Monk by profession, and Doctor of Divinity,Richard MastersParson ofAldington, the Town wherein she dwelt;Richard Deeringa Monk,Hugh Richa Friar,John AdestoneandThomas AbellPriests, put to their helping hands; andHenry GouldBatchelor of Divinity, withJohn Fisherthe reverend Father ofRochesterimployed their pains to dawb these downfalling walls with their untempered morter. The Scribes that set their pens for her miracles, wereEdward ThwaitesGentleman,andThomas LawrenceRegister, besidesHaukhersta Monk, who writ a letter that was forged to be sent her from Heaven; AndRichard RisbyandThomas Gouldwere the men that dispersed her miracles abroad to the world. This holy MaidElizabethmade a Votaress inCanterbury, was taught byBockingher Ghostly Father, and suspected Paramour, to counterfeit many feigned trances, and in the same to utter many virtuous words for the rebuke of sin, under which more freely she was heard againstLuthersdoctrine, and the Scriptures translation, then desired of many: neither so only, but that she gave forth from God and his Saints by sundry suggestive Revelations, that if the King proceeded in his Divorce, and second Marriage, he should not raign in his Realm one month after, nor rest in Gods favour the space of an hour. But the truth discovered by Gods true Ministers, this oracle gave place as all other such did, when Christ by his death stopped their lying mouths: For her self and seven of her disciples were executed for Treason atTiburn, and the other six put to their fines and imprisonment.” To which he subjoineth this story of the like nature. “With the like counterfeit Revelations and feigned predictions this generation of hypocrites had broughtEdwardLordStaffordDuke ofBuckingham, unto his unhappy end, by the working ofJohn de la Courthis own Confessor, together withNicholas Hopkinsa Monk of the Carthusian Order in the Priory ofHentoninSomersetshire, who by his visions from Heaven forsooth, heartned him for the Crown; But before his own Coronet could aspire to that top, he worthily lost both head and all uponTower-hillfor his Treason,Anno Domini1521. Unto such sins the world was then subject, and into such conceits their reputed holiness had brought them, not only among the simple and unlettered, but even with them that seemed to be learned indeed: For by certain predictions foreshewing a great deluge, PriorBoltonof S.BartholomewsinLondon, was so fearful that he built himself a house upon the height ofHarrowhill, storing it with provisions necessary to keep himself from drowning inAnno Dom.1524.
Hist. 2.
Stow’sChron.p.678.
2. And that we may be certified how frequent and common these counterfeited Impostures have been, and yet are practised, take this other from undoubted authority. “The 15 ofAugustbeing Sunday in the 16 of the raign of QueenElizabeth,Agnes Bridgesa Maid about the age of 20 years, andRachel Pindera Wench about the age of 11 or 12 years, who both of them had counterfeited to be possessed by the Devil (whereby they had not only marvellously deluded many people both Men and Women, but also diverse such persons, as otherwise seemed of good wit and understanding) stood before the Preacher atPauls-cross; where they acknowledged their hypocritical counterfeiting with penitent behaviours, requiring forgiveness of God and the world, and the people to pray for them. Also their several examinationsand Confessions were there openly read by the Preacher, and afterwards published in print, for posterity hereafter to beware of the like deceivers.” From whence we may take these two Observations.
Observ. 1.
1. We may from hence note, how subject the nature of man is both to deceive and to be deceived, and that not only the common people, but also the wiser and more learned heads may most easily be imposed upon. And, that therefore in things of this nature, and the like, we cannot use too much circumspection, nor use too much diligence to discover them.
Observ. 2.
2. We may note, that when such strange Impostures or false Miracles are pretended, there is commonly some sinister and corrupt end aimed at, under the colour of Religion, and that those that are most ready to publish such things as true Miracles and Divine Revelations, are generally those that did complot and devise them. And therefore the greater number they be that cry them up, and the more esteem the persons are of that blow abroad such things, the greater suspicion we ought to have of the falsity and forgery of them. Always remembring that the greater the fame and number of the persons are that conspire and confederate together, the greater things they may bring to pass, and be more able to deceive, as was manifest by the Priests attending the Oracles; who, though they laboured to father their predictions upon some Deity, yet it was manifest that it was nothing else, but their own Confederacy, Impostures and Juglings.
Hist. 3.
Vid.A Book called,A discovery of fraudulent practices concerning pretended possessions.
Vid. ibid. Dialog.11.p.352.
3. But these Diabolical Counterfeitings of possessions, and the maintaining of the power of dispossession and casting forth of Devils, was not only upheld and maintained by the Papists to advance their superstitious courses; but also in the said time of QueenElizabeth, there were divers Non-Conformists, to gain credit and repute to their way, that did by publick writing labour to prove the continuation of real possessions by Devils, and that they had power by fasting and Prayer to cast them out. Of which number were one MrDarrelland his Accomplices, who not only writ divers Pamphlets in the positive defence of that opinion, but also published certain Narrations of several persons, that they pretended were really possessed with Devils, which were cast forth by their means in using Fasting and Prayer. Which writings were answered by MrHarsnetand others, and their Theory not only overthrown, but their practice discovered to be counterfeiting and Imposture. Whereupon there were divers persons suborned to feign and counterfeit possessions, asWilliam SommersofNottingham, who by the Exorcists was reported to have strange fits, passions and actions; which are at large described and set forth in that learned Treatise,Dialogical Discourses of Spirits and Devils, written about the same time byJohn DeaconandJohn Waller, Ministers, and of divers other persons who likewise pretended the same counterfeit possessions. And though the said forged and feigned possessions were strongly maintained by their Abettors, and the matters of fact audaciouslyasserted to be true; yet after the saidDarrelland his Accomplices were examined by the Queens Commissioners, all was made apparent to be notorious counterfeiting, cheating and imposture, both by the confession ofSommershimself, and by the Oaths of several Deponents. Neither was that discourse containing the certain possession of seven persons in one Family inLancashire, atCheworthin the Parish ofLeigh, in the Year 1594. (though believed by many for a truth, because of the streight tale told by the saidDarrellin that Narrative) of any better grain, but full of untruths, impossibilities, absurdities and contradictions.
Hist. 4.
Vid.The cunning of the Boy ofBilson,p.55.
4. Our next instance shall be a most strange imposture acted in the time of KingJames, and in a manner known unto the whole Nation; that is of the Boy ofBilsoninStaffordshire, in the year 1620. by nameWilliam Perry, whose condition as he had been taught, and so left by the Popish Priests, take as followeth. “This Boy being about thirteen years old (but for wit and subtilty far exceeding his age) was thought by divers to be possessed of the Devil, and bewitched, by reason of many strange fits and much distemper, wherewith he seemed to have been extreamly affected. In those fits he appeared both deaf and blind, writhing his mouth aside, continually groaning and panting, and (although often pinched with mens fingers, pricked with Needles, tickled on his sides, and once whipped with a Rod, besides other the like extremities) yet could he not be discerned by either shrieking or shrinking to bewray the least passion or feeling. Out of his fits he took (as might be thought) no sustenance which he could digest, but together with it, did void and cast out of his mouth, rags, thred, straw, crooked pins,&c.Both in and out of his fits his belly (by wilful and continual abstinence defrauding his own Guts) was almost as flat as his back, besides, his throat was swoln and hard, his tongue stiff and rolled up towards the roof of his mouth, insomuch that he seemed always dumb, save that he would speak once in a Fortnight or three Weeks, and that but in very few words.
“Two things there were which gave most just cause of presumption that he was possessed and bewitched; one was that he could still discern when that Woman (which was supposed to have bewitched him) to witJone Cockewas brought in to any room where he was, although she were secretly conveyed thither, as was one time tryed before the Grand Jury atStafford: The second, that though he would abide other passages of Scripture, yet he could not indure the repeating of that Text,viz.In the beginning was the word, &c.Jo.1.ver.1. but instantly rolling his eyes and shaking his head, as one distracted, he would fall into his usual fits of groaning, panting, distraction,&c.In which plight he continued many months, to the great wonder and astonishment of thousands, who from divers parts came to see him.” Thus much of his cunning.
Yet notwithstanding, this most devillish and cunningly contrived counterfeiting and dissimulation was discovered and fully detected by the sagacity of that pious and learned person, DrThomas Mortonthen Bishop ofCoventryandLichfield: To whose memory I cannot but owe and make manifest all due respect, because he was well known unto me, and by the imposition of whose hands I was ordained Presbyter when he was Bishop ofDurham, and also knew his then Secretary, MrRichard Baddeley, who was the Notary, and writ the examination of this crafty Boy. The manner how such a doubtful and intricate piece of Imposture was found out and discovered, you may read at large in the Treatise calleda Discourse concerning Popish Exorcising. And his publick Confession we shall give in the Authors own words: “He was finally brought again to the Summer Assizes held atStafford, the 26. ofJuly,Anno1621. where before SirPeter Warburtonand SirHumfrey WinchKnights, his Majesties Justices of Assize, and the face of the County and Country there assembled, the Boy craved pardon first of Almighty God, then desired the Woman there also present to forgive him; and lastly, requested the whole Country whom he had so notoriously and wickedly scandalized, to admit of that his so hearty Confession for their satisfaction.
“And thus it pleased God (he saith) to open the eyes of this Boy (that I may so say)lutowith the Clay of the Romish Priests lewd Impostures, andsputowith the spittle of his own infamy, to see his errors and to glorifie the God of truth. And though many such Impostures as this have in several ages been hudled up in darkness and recorded for true stories, by those that were Partisans to them and Confederates with them, yet doubtless were but of the same stamp with this, and might all as well have been discovered, if the like care, skill and industry had been used.
Hist. 5.
Vid.The arraignment and tryal of Witches atLancaster, 1612.
5. No less villanous, bloody and Diabolical, was the design ofThompson alias Southworth, Priest or Jesuit, againstJennet Bierley,Jane Southworth, andEllen BierlyofSamesburyin the County ofLancaster, in the year 1612. the sum of which is this. “The saidJennet Bierley,Ellen Bierley, andJane Southworth, were Indicted at the Assizes holden atLancasteruponWednesdaythe nineteenth ofAugust, in the year abovesaid, for that they and every of them had practised, exercised, and used divers devillish and wicked Arts, called Witchcrafts, Inchantments, Charms and Sorceries, in and upon oneGrace Sowerbutts. And the chief witness to prove this wasGrace Sowerbuttsher self, who said that they did draw her by the hair of the head, and take her sense and memory from her, did throw her upon the Hen-roost and Hay-mow; did appear to her sometimes in their own likeness, sometimes like a black Dog with two feet, that they carried her where they met black things like men that danced with them, and did abuse their bodies; and that they brought her to oneThomas Walsham’s House in the night, and there they killed his Child by putting a nail into theNavil, and after took it forth of the Grave, and did boil it, and eat some of it, and made Oyl of the bones, and such like horrid lies.” But there appearing sufficient grounds of suspicion that it was practised knavery, the saidGrace Sowerbuttswas by the wisdom, and care of SirEdward BromleyKnight, one of his Majesties Justices of Assize atLancaster, appointed to be examined byWilliam LeighandEdward ChisnalEsquires, two of his Majesties Justices of peace in the same County, and so thereupon made this free confession. Being demanded “whether the accusation she laid upon her Grandmother,Jennet Bierley,Ellen BierleyandJane Southworth, of Witchcraft,viz.of the killing of the child ofThomas Walshman, with a nail in the Navil, the boyling, eating and oyling, thereby to transform themselves into divers shapes, was true? She doth utterly deny the same, or that ever she saw any such practises done by them. She further saith, that one Mr.Thompson, which she taketh to be Mr.Christopher Southworth, to whom she was sent to say her prayers, did perswade, counsel and advise her, to deal as formerly hath been said against her said Grandmother, Aunt andSouthworthsWife.
“And further she confesseth, and saith, that she never did know, or saw any Devils, nor any other visions, as formerly hath been alledged and informed.
“Also she confesseth, and saith, that she was not thrown, or cast upon the Hen-roust, and Hay-mow in the Barn, but that she went up upon the Mow by the wall side. Being further demanded whether she ever was at the Church, she saith, she was not, but promised hereafter to go to Church, and that very willingly; of which the author of the relation gives this judgment.
“How well (he saith) this project, to take away the lives of three innocent poor creatures by practice and villany, to induce a young Scholar to commit perjury, to accuse her own Grandmother, Aunt,&c.agrees either with the title of a Jesuit, or the duty of a religious Priest who should rather profess sincerity and innocency, than practise treachery! But this was lawful, for they are Hereticks accursed, to leave the company of Priests, to frequent Churches, hear the word of God preached, and profess religion sincerely.”
Hist. 6.
6. But we shall shut up the relating of these prodigious and hellish stories, of these kind of couzening and cheating delusions and impostures, with one instance more that is no less notorious than these that we have rehearsed. About the year 1634 (for having lost our notes of the same, we cannot be so exact as we should) there was a great pretended meeting of many supposed Witches at a new house or barn, inPendleForest inLancashire, then not inhabited, where (as the accusation pretended) some of them by pulling by a rope of Straw or Hay, did bring Milk, Butter, Cheese, and the like, and were carried away upon Dogs, Cats or Squirrels. The informer was oneEdmund Robinson(yetliving at the writing hereof, and commonly known by the name ofNedofRoughs) whose Father was by trade a Waller, and but a poor Man, and they finding that they were believed and had incouragement by the adjoyning Magistrates, and the persons being committed to prison or bound over to the next Assizes, the boy, his Father and some others besides did make a practice to go from Church to Church that the Boy might reveal and discover Witches, pretending that there was a great number at the pretended meeting, whose faces he could know; and by that means they got a good living, that in a short space the Father bought a Cow or two, when he had none before. And it came to pass that this said Boy was brought into the Church ofKildwicka large parish Church, where I (being then Curate there) was preaching in the afternoon, and was set upon a stall (he being but about ten or eleven years old) to look about him, which moved some little disturbance in the Congregation for a while. And after prayers I inquiring what the matter was, the people told me that it was the Boy that discovered Witches, upon which I went to the house where he was to stay all night, where I found him, and two very unlikely persons that did conduct him, and manage the business; I desired to have some discourse with the Boy in private, but that they utterly refused; then in the presence of a great many people, I took the Boy near me, and said: Good Boy tell me truly, and in earnest, did thou see and hear such strange things of the meeting of Witches; as is reported by many that thou dost relate, or did not some person teach thee to say such things of thy self? But the two men not giving the Boy leave to answer, did pluck him from me, and said he had been examined by two able Justices of the Peace, and they did never ask him such a question, to whom I replied, the persons accused had therefore the more wrong. But the Assizes following atLancasterthere were seventeen found guilty by the Jury, yet by the prudent discretion of the Judge, who was not satisfied with the evidence, they were reprieved, and his Majesty and his Council being informed by the Judge of the matter, the Bishop ofChesterwas appointed to examine them, and to certifie what he thought of them, which he did; and thereupon four of them; to witMargaret Johnson,Francis Dicconson,Mary Spenser, andHargrievesWife, were sent for up toLondon, and were viewed and examined by his Majesties Physicians and Chirurgeons, and after by his Majesty and the Council, and no cause of guilt appearing but great presumptions of the boys being suborned to accuse them falsely. Therefore it was resolved to separate the Boy from his Father, they having both followed the women up toLondon, they were both taken and put into several prisons asunder. Whereupon shortly after the Boy confessed that he was taught and suborned to devise, and feign those things against them, and had persevered in that wickedness by the counsel of his Father, and some others, whom envy, revenge and hope of gain had prompted on to that devillishdesign and villany; and he also confessed, that upon that day when he said that they met at the aforesaid house or barn, he was that very day a mile off, getting Plums in his Neighbours Orchard. And that this is a most certain truth, there are many persons yet living, of sufficient reputation and integrity, that can avouch and testifie the same; and besides, what I write is the most of it true, upon my own knowledge, and the whole I have had from his own mouth more than once.
Thus having brought these unquestionable Histories to manifest the horrid cheats and impostures that are practised for base, wicked and devillish ends, we must conclude in opposing that objection proposed in the beginning of this Chapter, which is this: That though some be discovered to be counterfeitings and impostures, yet all are not so, to which we further answer.
Reas. 1.
1. That all those things that are now adayes supposed to be done by Demoniacks or those that pretend possessions, as also all those strange feats pretended to be brought to pass by Witches or Witchcraft, are all either performed by meer natural causes (for it is granted upon all sides that Devils in corporeal matter can perform nothing but by applying fit actives to agreeable passives.) And miracles being long since ceased, it must needs follow, that Devils do nothing but only draw the minds of Men and Women unto sin and wickedness, and thereby they become deceivers, cheats and notorious impostours: so that we may rationally conclude that all other strange feats and delusions, must of necessity be no better, or of any other kind, than these we have recited, except they can shew that they are brought to pass by natural means. Must not all persons that are of sound understanding judge and believe that all those strange tricks related by Mr.Glanvilof his Drummer at Mr.Mompessonshouse, whom he calls the Demon ofTedworth, were abominable cheats and impostures (as I am informed from persons of good quality they were discovered to be) for I am sure Mr.Glanvilcan shew no agents in nature, that the Demon applying them to fit patients, could produce any such effects by, and therefore we must conclude all such to be impostures.
Reas. 2.
2. It is no sound way of reasoning, from the principles of knowing, either thereby to prove the existence of things, or the modes of such existence, because the principle of being is the cause of the principle of knowing, and not on the contrary, and therefore our not discovering of all Impostures that are or have been acted, doth not at all conclude the rest that pass undiscovered, are diabolical or wrought by a supernatural power; for it ought first to be demonstrated that there are now in these days some things wrought by the power of Devils, that are supernatural, in elementary and corporeal matter, which never was nor can be, as from the testimonies of all the learned we have shewed before. And therefore a man might as well argue that there are no more thieves in a Nation, but those that are known, and brought to condignpunishment, when there may be, and doubtless are many more; so likewise there are many hundreds of impostures, that pass and are never discovered, but that will not at all rationally conclude that those must be diabolical that are not made known.