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happen to be Condemned for Some other Crime & not for witchcraft, | happen to be Condemned for Some other Crime & not for witchcraft, | ||
they will not Swim Like a Corke above water, which Sheweth | they will not Swim Like a Corke above water, which Sheweth | ||
that ye Cause of this Natation is not Physical And if not | that ye Cause of this Natation is not Physical. And if not, | ||
then Either it must proceed from a divine miracle, but no | then Either it must proceed from a divine miracle, but no | ||
man can thinke yt Heaven will worke a miracle to Save | man can thinke yt Heaven will worke a miracle to Save | ||
a | a Witch fro[m] drowneing, or Lastly it must be a Diabolicall | ||
wonder. This Superstitious Experiment is Comonly knowne by | wonder. This Superstitious Experiment is Comonly knowne by | ||
the | the Name of ye Vulgar Probation, because it was never | ||
appointed by any Lawful Authority, but by ye Suggestion of the | appointed by any Lawful Authority, but by ye Suggestion of the | ||
Devill taken up by ye rude Rabble. And Some | Devill taken up by ye rude Rabble. And Some (d) Learned Men | ||
are of | are of Opinio[n], yt ye first Explorator ^being a white witch did Explicitly Covenant w^th | ||
ye Devill that he should discover Latent Crimes in this way. | ye Devill that he should discover Latent Crimes in this way. | ||
And yt is i by vertue of yt first Contract yt ye Devill goeth to | And yt is i by vertue of yt first Contract yt ye Devill goeth to | ||
works to keep his servants fro Sinkeing. W^n | works to keep his servants fro[m] Sinkeing. W^n ys Ceremony of his | ||
ordaining is used. Moreover, we know, | ordaining is used. Moreover, we know, yt Diabolus est Dei simia, ye Devill | ||
seeks to imitate divine miracles. We read in Ecclesiastical History, yt | seeks to imitate divine miracles. We read in Ecclesiastical History, yt | ||
some of ye Martyrs, w^ | some of ye Martyrs, w^n they were by their Persecutors ordered to be | ||
drowned proved | drowned proved im[m]ersible. This miracle would ye Devill imitate | ||
in causeing witches who are his Martyrs not to Sinke, w^n they are | in causeing witches who are his Martyrs not to Sinke, w^n they are | ||
cast into ye water. 3. This way of | cast into ye water. 3. This way of Purgatio[n] is of ye same Nature | ||
w^th ye old Ordeals of ye Pagans. If men were accused w^th any Crime, | w^th ye old Ordeals of ye Pagans. If men were accused w^th any Crime, | ||
to cleare their Innocency they were to take a | to cleare their Innocency they were to take a hot iro[n] into their hands | ||
or to Suffer Scalding water to be poured downe their throats, & if they | or to Suffer Scalding water to be poured downe their throats, & if they | ||
received no hurt thereby, They were acquitted. This was ye Devills In- | received no hurt thereby, They were acquitted. This was ye Devills In- | ||
vention, & many times (as ye Devill would have it) they yt Sub- | vention, & many times (as ye Devill would have it) they yt Sub- | ||
mitted to these Tryalls Suffered no Inconvience. Neverthelesse | mitted to these Tryalls Suffered no Inconvience. Neverthelesse | ||
it is astonishing to thinke w | it is astonishing to thinke w[ha]t Innocent blood hath bin shed | ||
in ye world by this Satanicall device Witches have | in ye world by this Satanicall device. Witches have | ||
often (as | often (as (e) Sprenger observes) desired yt they might stand or fall by | ||
this Tryall of hot Iron & have somtimes Come of well. | this Tryall of hot Iron & have somtimes Come of well. Indeed this | ||
Ordeal was used in other Cases & not in Cases of witchcraft | Ordeal was used in other Cases & not in Cases of witchcraft | ||
only | only | ||
[Margin notes:] | [Margin notes:] | ||
( | (d) Delrio, | ||
et Mald[e]r[u]s | |||
(e) In | (e) In Mallio | ||
Maleficaru[m] | |||
p. 421 | p. 421 | ||
Latest revision as of 16:25, 19 July 2017
46 bodyes, when hands & feet are tyed, not to Sinke under ye water. Besides, they yt plead for this Superstition, Say, yt if Witches happen to be Condemned for Some other Crime & not for witchcraft, they will not Swim Like a Corke above water, which Sheweth that ye Cause of this Natation is not Physical. And if not, then Either it must proceed from a divine miracle, but no man can thinke yt Heaven will worke a miracle to Save a Witch fro[m] drowneing, or Lastly it must be a Diabolicall wonder. This Superstitious Experiment is Comonly knowne by the Name of ye Vulgar Probation, because it was never appointed by any Lawful Authority, but by ye Suggestion of the Devill taken up by ye rude Rabble. And Some (d) Learned Men are of Opinio[n], yt ye first Explorator ^being a white witch did Explicitly Covenant w^th ye Devill that he should discover Latent Crimes in this way. And yt is i by vertue of yt first Contract yt ye Devill goeth to works to keep his servants fro[m] Sinkeing. W^n ys Ceremony of his ordaining is used. Moreover, we know, yt Diabolus est Dei simia, ye Devill seeks to imitate divine miracles. We read in Ecclesiastical History, yt some of ye Martyrs, w^n they were by their Persecutors ordered to be drowned proved im[m]ersible. This miracle would ye Devill imitate in causeing witches who are his Martyrs not to Sinke, w^n they are cast into ye water. 3. This way of Purgatio[n] is of ye same Nature w^th ye old Ordeals of ye Pagans. If men were accused w^th any Crime, to cleare their Innocency they were to take a hot iro[n] into their hands or to Suffer Scalding water to be poured downe their throats, & if they received no hurt thereby, They were acquitted. This was ye Devills In- vention, & many times (as ye Devill would have it) they yt Sub- mitted to these Tryalls Suffered no Inconvience. Neverthelesse it is astonishing to thinke w[ha]t Innocent blood hath bin shed in ye world by this Satanicall device. Witches have often (as (e) Sprenger observes) desired yt they might stand or fall by this Tryall of hot Iron & have somtimes Come of well. Indeed this Ordeal was used in other Cases & not in Cases of witchcraft only
[Margin notes:] (d) Delrio, et Mald[e]r[u]s (e) In Mallio Maleficaru[m] p. 421