6+2 1 rU1 Vifcourfe ofWitchcraft. Cb. 7· f !awes Mor3\l, and lu<hciall, which concerne ~ A 'j t,nan, as that they tCtch within their comparfc all finncs of all agcs,andC011demne them. And therefore wh!tiOeucr is againft the Lawc of God written by Mvfcs, though it were not knowne,nor heard of,cithcr when the law was made, or aftcrwjtd, is yet condemned by the fame L:~.w. Againe, I an(wer, th3t our Witches arc the (ame that were in Mofcs time: and therfore by there ownc rC"afon mufl needes be condemned by thisiudicialllaw. For by the records ofaun– Cient writers it is prooucd, that 3bout a 1100, ycarcs before Chrilts binh, lhonly after the I Troian warre, which was J eo. yc01.rc and vp– ward bcforcthe bUilding ofthe Temple by S•- 1 B lbmon, there were the fame \Vitchcs that arc !IOW, as the Circu and Syrmu, and fuch like, .. H.-cr.o.. mentioned in the· narration ofchat warre,as is ~~~ib.l.. manifdl to them that know the fioric. Againc, 500, ycares before Chiifi,whcn the Rom2ns made their • twdue Tables, "'·hich com)ri(cd all the laws whereby that f•mous Com~n?nwc:dth was g0uerned,they made one hprdfely againf\: Witche,,euen the fame with the\Cofourtilllc,for praCHfing the fame things, 0\.S blalling of cornt, hurting of cattell, men, women,3nd children, &c. And for the time of •suDtic..dc iniur.aliif1i dcliB:.c:.g. Scncc:.lib. N.at.<lltzfl+ .Q.:!.ifrugu kxc:U~taait, "'"' Chri!t, though there be no particular mention madeof any fuel\ Witches; yet thence it fol.. lowcth not,that there were none: for ail things that ehenhappened, were not recorded: and I C would faint know of the chicfc patrons oft.bc, whether thofc patties polfclfcd with the dcuill and troubicd·with ltrange difcafcs, whomc Chrilt,hca!ed,and out ofwhom he ca!ts dcuils, werenot bewitched with (ome fuch people,as ojlr Witches ore? ifthey f,y no,lct them ifthey can proouc the contrarie. The third •nd lalt rcafon;. this :Chrill at his comtning abolifl1ed a\lfinne,and therefore mi.. racles and Witchcraft then cc•fed al(o, The A– po£l:1e faith, that bee spoiled priJJcipalities lftld powers, andrriumphtd oHer them ?Jpon the croffi, Colo(l,f5• . · An[. This argument is fri~olous, feruing u well to iufiificthctrayror, the theefC', :md the murthercr,as the witch. For wheras it is allcad.. 0 g~d, thst Chrilt abolilhed all !inne: we nmlt vndcrlt•nd how?not !imply, fo as finne lhould be no more, but onely in part, in thishfe,rcfcr– uing the finall de!truC\io~1 thereof to rhe Jail iudgemcnt. Aga1nc, finne: ts not abolt!hed, no not in part vmo all, bur onely to the !ncmbers of Cluilt. Whereupon the Apoltle fa~th,Thert U 118 condemn.ttitm to them, that are in Chrifl, Rom, 8. r. bccaufe no finnc: is imputed vmo rhcm, But vmoVV'irches,2nd all the: enemies of Chrill,finne is imputed,and not abolifhed. To.concludt,ho\\ focuc:r much i~ faid in their defcnce,yct the firfl part is cl care <lffir~natiucly, ch~J rh<' Witches ofour time,:~.rc the iame with th<.> witches that were in Mofcs time,in truth & fubltancr. And fo much forthe firfl Q!.efiion, ·------- Sea. ll. IJ. Q!slt•. H•w wt m•J b..U,;, rhefe •nr tLuu t.odifterne, anddifcoutr"Witch. An{. The diCceuerie of aWitch is amatter Judici3i),as is alfo the difcoueric of a theefc& amu~therer,and b.clo~.~cth not to euery man, but IS to be done Iud!c131ly by the Magiflratc, accord1ng to.th~ forme and order ofLaw;who therefore is fct a pm for filCh ends, and hath authoritie ~oth to difco·uer,andpunilh the cnc– n.ies of God and his Church.Now for the ma– giHrates direCtion in this buGnes, we are to knowe,thatinthedifcouerieof a Witch two things ,are rcquircp, Examination, and Con– utCl:ion. § 1. Examination is an ttlion of theMa– gifiratt, maKing fpecbll enquirie of the crime of Wi!chcrafr, This ·aCtion mull haue the be– ginning from occafions,and prcfumptions.FOr the Magi!lratcthough he bca pubiikc pcrfon· ::md fhnd in the roome pf God., foJ;'.thc cxccu~ tion of juilice,yet he u~ay not take vpon him to examine whomc and how hirnfelfC willc~h ofan~ crimc;ncithc:~ought he to proccede vp· . on flc1ghtcaufes,as to !he~· hh auc~oritic oucr others, or Yponfinificr rcfpc:8:s, as to rcuenge his malic~, or tobring parties into danger or fufpidqn ; but he mult procccde vpon tpecia!L prcfumpcions. Thofe I cal prcfumptions,which doe at lc•lt probably, and conicctur:illy note one to be. Wicch; and rhefe arc ccruinc figncs, whereby the panic may be difcoucred:I will touch"foil)< fc::w of them. ' ' The_firlt in order is this: Ifany pcr!on,man, or w~man, b~notorioufly defamed for fuch a panic. Notorious det3mation,is a coJr.ntQO re– port ofthe gre3tcr fort of pcopJc,",.\:itfl whom the panic fufpeCicd Jwell~rh, th3t he or lheis aWitch. This yccldcth altrong fufpition. Yet the Magillrate mufl be waric in re~c1iuing fuch Cl report. For it falls out oftentimcs,that the in– noccntlllay be fi1fpeCled, and fomc of the bet– ter fort notoricufly defamed•.~Th~~~foie the wife & prudent Judge ought carefitlly to look, th3t the report be made by men of honcftic& credit:which if it be, he may theQ prpccedc to make further cnquiric: ofthe f:~Ct. The fccond is,ifafellow..witchO[~;hgid2n giue tctlimonie ofanyperfon to be a.M:'irch,~ither volunurily,or at his or her exami~atiO, or at his or her death. This is not fufficicnt for cp.. lliCHon,or condetima\iqn, but ~nely a fit pre– fumption to cau(e flrait examination of the pany to be made. Thirdly, if aficr curling there followcth 1 death, or 2t lcafl fomc mifcbicfe. for Witches arc wont to. praCI.ifc their mifchicuous faCts by curfing. and banning. This alfo is a filffid~nt' 1 matter of Examin:uion,not ofConuiClion. Fourthly, if after c:nmitie, qmucliing. er threatning, a prcfcntmifchicfe dorh fo!lo ...,·.For parcicsdcujlli!h~y difpofcd,afrcrcurfings do vfe . tlltC:lt~
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