Part 19

[Sidenote: _De Mag. Infam._]

_c._ 14. _p._ 141.

“But most notable is that story related by _Wierus_ from the mouth of his Sons who had it from the mouth of _Adrianus Turnebus_, who did openly profess that before-time he had seen at _Paris_ a crafty fellow very like _Euricles_ mentioned by _Aristophanes_, who was called _Petrus Brabantius_, who as oft as he would, could speak from the lower part of his Body, his Mouth being open, but his Lips not moved, and that he did deceive many all over by this cunning, which whether it be to be called an art, or exercitation, or the imposture of the Devil is to be doubted. And further relateth that at _Paris_ he deceived a Widow Woman and got her to give him her Daughter in Marriage, who had a great Portion; by counterfeiting that his so speaking in his Breast, or Belly, was the voice of her deceased Husband, who was in Purgatory, and could not be loosed thence, except she gave her Daughter in Marriage unto him: By which deceitful knavery he got her, and about six Months after, when he had spent all her Portion, the Wife and Mother-in-law being left, he fled to _Lions_: And there hearing that a very rich Merchant was dead, who was accounted living a very wicked man, who had gotten his riches by right and wrong; this _Brabantius_ goeth to his Son called _Cornutus_, who was walking in a Grove or Orchard behind the Church-yard, and intimateth that he was sent to teach him what was fit for him to do. But while that he telleth him that he ought rather to think of the Soul of his Father, than of his Fame, or Death; upon the suddain while they speak together a voice is heard—imitating his Father’s: Which voice although _Brabantius_ did give out of his Belly, yet he did in a wonderful manner counterfeit to tremble: But _Cornutus_ was admonished by this voice, into what state his Father was faln by his injustice, and with what great torments he was tortured in Purgatory, both for his own, and his Sons cause, for that he had left him the Heir of so much ill gotten goods, and that he could be freed by no means, unless by a just expiation made by the Son, and some considerable part of his goods distributed to charitable uses unto those that stood most need, such as were Christians made Captives with the Turks. Whereupon he gave credit to _Brabantius_, with whom he discoursed, as a Man that was to be sent by Godly persons to _Constantinople_ to redeem the prisoners, and that he was sent unto him by Divine Power for the same purpose. But _Cornutus_, though a Man no way evil; and although having heard these things, he understood not the deceit: yet notwithstanding because of the word, that he should part with so much money, made answer that he would consider of it, and willeth _Brabantius_ to repair the day following to the same place. In the mean time being staggered in his thoughts he did much doubt, in respect of the place, where he had heard the voice, because it was shadowy, and dark, and subject to the crafty treacheries of Men, and to the Eccho. Therefore the next day he leadeth _Brabantius_ into another open plain place, neither troubled with shadows nor bushes. Where notwithstanding the same tale was repeated, during their discourse, that he had heard before: This also being added, that forthwith six thousand Franks should be given to _Brabantius_, that three Masses might be said every day, to redeem his Father forth of Purgatory; otherwayes that there could be no redemption for him. And thereupon the Son obliged both by conscience and religion, although unwillingly, delivers so many to the trust of _Brabantius_; all lawful evidence of the agreement and performance being utterly neglected. The Father freed from the fire and torments afterwards hath rested quiet, and by speaking did not trouble the Son any more. But the wretched _Cornutus_, after _Brabantius_ was gone, being one time more pleasant than wonted, which made his Table-companions much to wonder; and forthwith opening the cause to them inquiring it, he was forthwith so derided of all, because that in his judgment he had been so beguiled, and cheated of his money besides, that within few days after he died for plain grief, and so followed his Father to know the truth of that thing of him.”

[Sidenote: _Hist._ 2.]

But to make this more plain and certain, we shall add a Story of a notable Impostor, or Ventriloquist, from the testimony of Mr. _Ady_; which we have had confirmed from the mouth of some Courtiers that both saw and knew him, and is this: “It hath been (saith he) credibly reported, that there was a Man in the Court, in King _James_ his days, that could act this imposture so lively, that he could call the King by name, and cause the King to look round about him wondering who it was that called him, whereas he that called him stood before him in his presence, with his face towards him: but after this Imposture was known, the King in his merriment would sometimes take occasion by this Impostor to make sport upon some of his Courtiers, as for instance; There was a Knight belonging to the Court, whom the King caused to come before him in his private room (where no Man was but the King, and this Knight, and the Impostor) and feigned some occasion of serious discourse with the Knight; but when the King began to speak, and the Knight bending his attention to the King, suddenly there came a voice as out of another room, calling the Knight by name, Sir _John_, Sir _John_, come away Sir _John_; at which the King began to frown that any Man should be so unmannerly as to molest the King and him: And still listning to the Kings discourse, the voice came again, Sir _John_, Sir _John_, come away, and drink off your Sack; at that Sir _John_ began to swell with anger, and looked into the next rooms to see who it was that dared to call him so importunately, and could not find out who it was, and having chid with whomsoever he found he returned again to the King. The King had no sooner begun to speak as formerly, but the voice came again, Sir _John_, come away, your Sack stayeth for you. At that Sir _John_ began to stamp with madness, and looked out, and returned several times to the King, but could not be quiet in his discourse with the King, because of the voice that so often troubled him, till the King had sported enough.”

[Sidenote: _Hist._ 3.]

I my self also have seen a young man about 16 or 17 years of age, who having learned at School, and having no great mind to his Book, fell into an Ague; in the declination of which he seemed to be taken with convulsion-fits, and afterwards to fall into Trances, and at the last to speak (as with another small voice) in his Breast or Throat, and pretended to declare unto those that were by, what sinful and knavish tricks they had formerly acted, or what others were doing in remote places and rooms. So that presently his Father and the Family with the neighbourhood were perswaded that he was possest, and that it was a spirit that spoke in him, which was soon heightned by Popish reports all over the Countrey. But there being a Gentleman of great note and understanding his Kinsman caused him to be sent over unto me, to have mine opinion whether it were a natural distemper or not. The Father and the Boy with an old cunning Woman (the made creature to cry up the certainty of his possession, and the verity of a spirit speaking in him) came unto me, who all appeared to my judgment and best reason fit persons to act any designed Imposture. The Father having been one that had lived profusely, and spent the most of his means, being sufficiently prophane and irreligious: The Boy by his face appearing to be of a melancholy complexion, and of a subtile and crafty disposition; the Woman cunning, who would have forced me to believe whatsoever he related, thinking to impose upon me as she had done upon others. I presently judged it to be neither natural disease, nor supernatural distemper, but only knavery and Imposture, and so made the Woman silent, and told her she was a cheater, and deserved due punishment, and that what she told, were the most of them lies of her own inventing; and told the Father and the Son that I could soon cast forth all the Devils that he was possessed with; but then I must have him in mine own custody, and none of them to come near him nor to speak with him. A long time I expected to have seen him in one of his fits, but his Devil was too timerous of my stern countenance and rough carriage. Well after they three had consulted together, the Lad by no means could be gotten to stay with me, no not for that night, nor be prevailed with again to be brought into my presence; but away they went the Lad riding behind his Father, and when about a quarter of a mile from the Town the Father turned the Horse to come back again unto me, the Lad leapt from off the Horse, and run away crying from the Townwards as fast as he could. They went that night to a Popish House where were concourse of people sufficient, and many tales told of the Divinations of the spirit in the Boy, but not one word either of me or against me. Soon after the Gentleman that was of kin to the Boy came over, and I gave him satisfaction that it was a contrived cheat, and after he returned, he would have prevailed with them to have sent the Boy to me, but by no means could effect it; and so he never after gave any regard unto them, and soon after it vanished to nothing.

[Sidenote: _Hist._ 4.]

I my self also knew a person, in the West-riding of _Yorkshire_, who about some forty years or above, to have made sport, would have put a Coverlet upon him, and then would have made any believe (that knew not the truth) that he had a child with him, he would so lively have discoursed with two voices, and have imitated crying and the like. And also the said person under a Coverlet, and coming upon all four would so exceeding aptly, even to the life, have acted a skirmish betwixt two Mastiffs, both by grinning, snarling and all other motions and noise, that divers understanding persons have been deceived and verily believed that there were two Mastiffs under the Coverlet, until their eyes have convinced them of their error: So delusive may art or cunning be, being seconded by use and agility.

[Sidenote: _Hist._ 5.]

I also have sometimes seen a person that lived in _Southwark_ near _London_, who holding his lips together, and making no sound or noise at all, would notwithstanding have, by the motion of the muscles of his face, and the agitation of his head and hands and other gesticulations of his Body, made any of the beholders understand, what tune he had modulated in his fancy, which was very strange and pleasant to behold, and that which I could not have believed if I had not seen it.

[Sidenote: Stow p. 864.]

[Sidenote: _Hist._ 6.]

We might hereunto add the Story of the pretended sleeping preacher, who had drawn many into admiration and belief that he did it either by Divine inspiration or vision, and yet was but a voluntary cheat and a delusive Imposture, as may be seen at large in _Stowes_ Chronicle. We have been thus tedious in giving these examples, that it may appear how improperly Men fly to supernatural causes to solve effects by, that are and may be performed by natural means; and that Men need neither fetch a Devil from Hell nor a Soul from Heaven to solve these effects that mens cunning, art and craft are able to perform.

[Sidenote: Acts 16. 16.]

[Sidenote: _Not. in Act. Apost. in loc._]

[Sidenote: _Vid._ Beza _not. in loc._]

[Sidenote: &]

[Sidenote: A Candle in the dark, p. 67, 68.]

[Sidenote: Luke 7. 47. 8. 2.]

4. Next the more fully to explain this we may consider the place in the _Acts_ which is rendred thus, Παιδίσκην τινὰ ἔχουσαν πνεῦμα Πύθωνος of which the learned and judicious _Isaac Casaubon_ saith thus: “An ancient interpreter readeth Πόθωνα, and the _Syrian_ version rendereth _spiritum divinationis_. It may be quere’d, seeing _Apollo_ is understood, why S. _Luke_ doth use the Epithete of him rather than the proper name: And the reason is because the ancients did call the Ventriloquists Πύθωνες Pythonists.” And it is plain that it was Divination, that was telling of secret things, whether past, present or to come, that the Maid pretended and undertook: for the text saith, _Which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying_; μαντευομένη, that is, by Vaticination. _Beza_ in his Latine translation saith in his Marginal Notes, “That that Spirit of Oracling, was only an expression alluding to the Idol _Apollo_, which was called _Python_, and gave answers unto them that asked, namely, by the Priests that belonged unto it, of which Idol the Poets feigned many things; so that they that had the Imposture of Divination were said by the Heathen to be inspired by the spirit of _Apollo_. And in this place of the _Acts_, S. _Luke_ speaketh after the common Phrase of the Heathen, because he delivereth the error of the common people, but not by what instinct the Maid gave Divinations; for it is certain that under the Mask of that Idol, the Devil plaid his deluding pranks, and this spirit of _Apollo_ was nothing, but as much as to say, an Imposture, or deluding trick of the Devil practised by the Priests of _Apollo_.” So much saith _Beza_, who plainly expoundeth, “That that Spirit of Divination or Oracling, was only a Devilish deluding Imposture, and not a familiar Devil as many do fondly imagine: And whereas it is said in the verse following, that S. _Paul_ did cast that Spirit out of the Maid, it was, that he by the power of the Gospel of _Jesus_ rebuked her wickedness: so that her Conscience being terrified, she was either converted, or else at the least dared not to follow that deluding craft of Divination any longer: as when Christ did cast out seven Devils out of _Mary Magdalen_, it is to be understood that he did convert her from many devilish sinful courses in which she had walked.” Thus far learned _Beza_ and Mr. _Ady_, who both seem to understand no other Demon in the case than only a crafty and devilish Imposture and Cheat, and most certainly it could be nothing else.

[Sidenote: 2 Kings 10. 18, to 26.]

5. But to come to the stress of the business, these things are to be considered. 1. Some thought that they were really, and essentially possessed with an evil spirit that did speak in them and gave forth answers, and this is the most common, though most false opinion: which if it were true, it maketh nothing for those familiars that are ascribed to our Witches, for by that they mean a visible Devil without them in the shape of a Dog, a Cat or the like, and both these are equally absurd and false, as we shall shew anon. 2. Some thought that an evil spirit _ab extra_ did but work upon their minds, and so inspired them with these Divinations, and this seems to have been the opinion of _Plutarch_ and some others of the Heathen. 3. But others (which is that which we affirm) did hold that they were but counterfeiting deluding Impostors, and what they did was only by Ventriloquy, Jugling and confederacy, and that all their pretended Divinations and predictions, were nothing but lying conjectures and ambiguous equivocations. But to open it fully we must conceive that they did pretend and take upon them to foretel and declare things to come, which notwithstanding were but false forgeries and lies: for if they had really had any certain foreknowledge of things to come, then when _Jehu_ was made King, and in subtilty pretended to sacrifice to _Baal_, and so got together all the Priests to sacrifice, if these base, lying, cheating Impostors had really had any skill in Divination, then they might have known, that their calling together was not truly to advance their Idolatry, but to take away their lives; and it may safely be concluded that those that could not foresee the danger threatning their own lives, could not truly foretel contingent effects to others; and though the Scripture give us many such examples as these, yet to eschew prolixity this may suffice to evince that all their pretended predictions were nothing but conjectures, or lying forgeries.

And as they did take upon them to foretel things to come, so this Woman of _Endor_, and in likelihood the rest, did pretend to do it by raising up, or causing to ascend those that were dead to give answers of the things demanded.

Now therefore the state of the question will be, whether this Woman had really a familiar or supernatural spirit that gave her answers, or that she raised such an one, or that only she was a deceiver and Impostor that could cast her self into a Trance, and so speak in her Breast, or that she had a place contrived for the purpose (as they had at the Oracle at _Delphos_) by which means she could speak, as in a Bottle or hollow cavity, and had other Confederates sutably fitted to accomplish her design. Here we shall only speak as to the significancy of the words relating to this matter, and shall handle the History of the matter of fact elsewhere: And in the first place we allow and grant that she had the cooperating power of the Devil, in her mind and will, leading her to take upon her to foretel things to come, of which she was utterly ignorant: so that we grant her under a spiritual league with the Devil, as all wicked persons are, but we deny that she had any other familiar spirit, but only the spirit of delusion and Imposture, as we shall make good by these arguments.

[Sidenote: 1 Sam. 28. 9.]

[Sidenote: Isai. 29. 4.]

1. Because the word sometimes signifieth the persons pretending to be skilful in this sort of Divinations; for so the Woman saith unto _Saul_: _Behold thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off_ ‏הָאבוֹת‎ _Pythones_, that is, the persons that pretended, and practised that kind of Divination. And so again in that of _Isaiah: And thy voice shall be_ ‏כְּאוֹב‎ _sicut Pythonis_ as the voice of one that useth this kind of Divination. So that it is clear that the act is ascribed unto, and was performed by the persons practising this couzening craft, and not unto a familiar or Devil.

2. Sometimes it is taken for the means that they pretended they performed it by, as in _Sauls_ deluded and despairing sense; for he saith, _Divina quæso mihi_ ‏כְּאוֹב‎ _in Pythone, vel per Pythonem, and cause to ascend whom I shall name unto thee_. So that he vainly thought that she could call up, and make to ascend whomsoever he should name, so blind and deluded was he when the spirit of the Lord was departed from him, and was justly delivered up to believe lies, because he had not received the love of the truth.

[Sidenote: Nahum 3. 4.]

3. It doth not appear that she had any familiar spirit, or called up any; for the name that is there given her is ‏בַּעֲלַת אוֹב‎ _Dominam Pythonis vel utris_; the Mistriss of the Bottle, or of the Oracle, for Saul saith, seek me a Woman that is Mistriss of the Bottle, or of the Oracle, for so it must signifie, if it be genuinely and fitly translated; and his servants tell him, that at _Endor_ there is a Woman that was Mistriss of _Ob_, the Bottle or Oracle. For though some translate it _mulier habens Pythonem_, or as _Tremellius, mulier prædita Pythone_, it will but reach thus much, that she was possessed of or had in her power, this _Ob_, Bottle, or Oracle, that could be nothing but the fit contrived place to give answers, as they did at the Oracle. For if they meant that she had a familiar spirit in her Belly, then it was possest of her, more than she could be said to be possest of it. But there is another Text that doth fully agree with this, and will help to explicate it, and is this, speaking of the destruction of _Nineveh_ or the Jewish Nation, and the causes of it: _Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the welfavoured harlot, the Mistriss of Witchcrafts_, ‏בַּעֲלַת כְּשָׁפִים‎, _Domina vel patrona_, the Mistriss, or Patroness of Juglings and delusions. So that in propriety of language she of _Endor_ is called the Mistriss of _Python_ or Oracle, because she could play the couzening feats that belonged unto it.

[Sidenote: 2 Chron. 33.6.]

[Sidenote: Gen. 6. 14. 16.]

[Sidenote: Psal. 115. 3.]

[Sidenote: _Id._ 136. 4.]

4. Amongst all the several ways of Idolatry that _Manasseh_ set up, or caused to be set up, this is one ‏וְעָשָׂה אוֹב‎, _& fecit Pythonem_, or _fecissetq; Pythonem_, he made _Ob_, or _Pytho_; and though Translators have been much perplexed, and hard put to it, to give a signification agreeable to their preconceived opinion, yet have they, were it right or wrong, brought it to their minds, though it be utterly false and erroneous; for _Tremellius_ renders it, _instituitq; Pythonem_, which though pretty near, yet is altogether short of the propriety, and the most of the rest have run quite Counter; but our English Translators the worst of all others, who give it, _and dealt with a familiar spirit_. When it is plain that this word must be taken in this place, as it is in the third verse of this Chapter, _he made groves_, _fecitq; lucos_, because the words are both from the same root which is ‏עָשָׂה‎ _fecit_, _confecit_, _perfecit_, and so it is, and must be taken in other places; and is especially manifest in these. _God said to Noah, make thee an Ark of Gopher wood_, and after, _a window shalt thou make to the Ark_. The Psalmist saith: _But our God is in heaven, he hath done whatsoever he pleased_, and again, _To him who alone doth great wonders_. We might add forty places more, where the word is used that cometh from this root and hath the same punctual signification; so that from hence we may conclude, 1. That _Manasseh_ could not make a Devil nor a Spirit, and therefore that the word _Ob_ doth not intend nor bear forth any such matter in true and genuine signification. 2. That he could not make a Man or Woman, and therefore the word properly doth signifie neither. 3. That he only could make, and cause to be contrived the Groves, in such an order, as the Idol-Priests might direct, as most fit for them to play their couzening and Jugling feats and delusions in. So he might make or cause to be contrived the μαντείον or place for the Oracle, and prepare those knacks and implements, wherewith and in which place the Diviner might either by him, or her self, or with the help of confederates bring to pass strange things, which they made the blind and ignorant people believe were performed by the God worshipped in and by those Idols, or by Demons and Spirits, or the calling up of the dead. When in truth there was nothing at all performed, but either in raptures, feigned and forced Furies, Trances; and thereby lying predictions and ambiguous equivocations were uttered, whereby the people were deluded and drawn unto Idolatry: or by giving dark and obscure responsions by Ventriloquy, speaking in Bottles, or through hollow Pipes and cavities, whereby they did peep and mutter; or lastly by having knavish confederates hidden in secret, and cunningly contrived places, and suitably habited to personate those that were desired to be raised up, as is most probable in this Woman of _Endor_ and the forged and pretended _Samuel_: So that there was no Devil nor familiar but a couzening Knave or a Quean, more crafty than the Demons themselves.

[Sidenote: Isai. 8. 19.]

[Sidenote: _Id._ 29. 4.]

[Sidenote: Calvin _in loc._]