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| Credulity of Witchcraft CHAP. 2 | | |
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| CHAPTER II. | | |
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| The inconvenience growing by mens credulitie herein, with a reproofe of some churchmen, | | |
| which are inclined to the common conceived opinion of witches omnipotencie, and a | | |
| familiar example thereof. | | |
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BUT the world is now so bewitched and over-run with this fond* error, | | |
| that even where a man shuld seeke comfort and counsell, there shall hee be | | |
| sent (in case of necessitie) from God to the divell; and from the Physician, to | | |
| the coosening* witch, who will not sticke* to take upon hir, by wordes to heale the | | |
| lame (which was proper onelie to Christ; and to them whom he assisted with | | |
| his divine power) yea, with hir familiar* & charmes she will take upon hir to | | |
| cure the blind: though in the tenth of St. Johns Gospell it be written, that the | | Joh. 10, 21 |
| divell cannot open the eies of the blind. And they attaine such credit as I have | | |
| heard (to my greefe) some of the ministerie affirme, that they have had in their | | |
| parish at one instant, xvii. or xviii. witches: meaning such as could worke | | |
| miracles supernaturallie. Whereby they manifested as well their infidelitie and | | |
| ignorance, in conceiving Gods word; as their negligence and error in instructing | | |
| their flocks. For they themselves might understand, and also teach their parish- | | |
| oners, that God onelie worketh great woonders; and that it is he which sendeth | | Psal. 72, & |
| such punishments to the wicked, and such trials to the elect: according to the | | 136. |
| saieng of the Prophet Haggai, I smote you with blasting and mildeaw, and with | | Jeremie, 5. |
| haile, in all the labours of your hands; and yet you turned not unto me, saith | | Hag. 2, 28 |
| the Lord. And therefore saith the same Prophet in another place; You have | | Idem. cap. I, |
| sowen much, and bring in little. And both in Joel and Leviticus, the like phrases | | 6. |
| and proofes are used and made. But more shalbe said of this hereafter. | | Joel. I. |
| S. Paule fore-sawe the blindnesse and obstinacie, both of these blind shep- | | Leviti. 26. |
| heards, and also of their scabbed sheepe, when he said; They will not suffer* | | 2 Tim. 4, 34. |
| wholsome doctrine, but having their eares itching, shall get them a heape of | | |
| teachers after their own lusts*; and shall turne their eares from the truth, and | | |
| shall be given to fables. And in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, | | I Tim. 4. 1. |
| and shall give heed to spirits of errors, and doctrines of divels, which speake | | |
| lies (as witches and conjurers doo) but cast thou awaie such prophane and old | | |
| wives fables. In which sense Basil saith; Who so giveth heed to inchanters, | | |
| hearkeneth to a fabulous and frivolous thing. But I will rehearse an example | | |
| whereof I my selfe am not onelie Oculatus testis,* but have examined the cause, | | |
| and am to justifie the truth of my report: not bicause I would disgrace the | | |
| ministers that are godlie, but to confirme my former assertion, that this absurd | | |
| error is growne into the place, which should be able to expell all such ridiculous | | |
| follie and impietie. | | |
| At the assises* holden at Rochester, Anno 1581, one Margaret Simons, the wife of | | A storie of |
| John Simons, of Brenchlie in Kent, was araigned for witchcraft, at the instigation | | Margaret |
| and complaint of divers fond and malicious persons; and speciallie by the | | Simons, a |
| means of one John Ferrall vicar of that parish: with whom I talked about that | | supposed |
| and found him both fondlie assotted* in the cause, and enviouslie bent | | witch. |
| towards hir: and (which is worse) as unable to make a good account of his faith,* | | |
| as she whom he accused. That which he, for his part, laid to the poore womans | | |
| charge, was this. | | |
| His sonne (being an ungratious boie, and prentise* to one Robert Scotchford | | |
| clothier, dwelling in that parish of Brenchlie) passed on a daie by hir house; at | | |
| whom by chance hir little dog barked. Which thing the boie taking in evill | | |
| part, drewe his knife, & pursued him therewith even to hir doore: whom she | | |
| rebuked with some such words as the boie disdained, & yet neverthelesse would | | |
| not be persuaded to depart in a long time. At the last he returned to his maisters | | |
| house, and within five or sixe daies fell sicke. Then was called to mind the | | |
| fraie* betwixt the dog and the boie: insomuch as the vicar (who thought himselfe
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