Читать книгу The Discoverie of Witchcraft - Reginald Scot - Страница 39

Table of Contents

The fifteene crimes laid to the charge of witches, by witchmongers; speciallie by Bodin, in Dæmonomania.

HEY 1 denie God, and all religion.

Answere.*[* Rom.] Then let them die therefore, or at the least be used like infidels, or apostataes.

2They cursse, blaspheme, and provoke God with all despite.

Answere.[A] Then let them have the law expressed in Levit. 24. and Deut. 13. & 17.

3They give their faith to the divell, and they worship and offer sacrifice unto him.

Ans. Let such also be judged by the same lawe.

4They doo solemnelie vow and promise all their progenie unto the divell.

Ans. This promise proceedeth from an unsound mind, and is not to be regarded; bicause they cannot performe it, neither will it be prooved true. Howbeit, if it be done by anie that is sound of mind, let the cursse of Jeremie. 32. 36. light upon them, to wit, the sword, famine and pestilence.

5They sacrifice their owne children to the divell before baptisme, holding them up in the aire unto him, and then thrust a needle into their braines.

Ans. If this be true, I maintaine them not herein: but there is a lawe to judge them by. Howbeit, it is so contrarie to sense and nature, that it were follie to beleeve it; either upon Bodins bare word, or else upon his presumptions; speciallie when so small commoditie and so great danger and inconvenience insueth to the witches thereby.

6They burne their children when they have sacrificed them.

Ans. Then let them have such punishment, as they that offered their children unto Moloch: Levit. 20. But these be meere/33. devises of witchmoongers and inquisitors, that with extreame tortures have wroong such confessions from them; or else with false reports have beelied them; or by flatterie & faire words and promises have woon it at their hands, at the length.

7They sweare to the divell to bring as manie into that societie as they can.

Ans. This is false, and so prooved elsewhere.

8They sweare by the name of the divell.

Ans. I never heard anie such oth, neither have we warrant to kill them that so doo sweare; though indeed it be verie lewd and impious.

9They use incestuous adulterie with spirits.

Ans. This is a stale ridiculous lie, as is prooved apparentlie hereafter.

10They boile infants (after they have murthered them unbaptised) untill their flesh be made potable.

Ans. This is untrue, incredible, and impossible./23.

11They eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of men and children openlie.

Ans. Then are they kin to the Anthropophagi and Canibals. But I beleeve never an honest man in England nor in France, will affirme that he hath seene any of these persons, that are said to be witches, do so; if they shuld, I beleeve it would poison them.

12They kill men with poison.

Ans. Let them be hanged for their labour.

13They kill mens cattell.

Ans. Then let an action of trespasse be brought against them for so dooing.

14They bewitch mens corne, and bring hunger and barrennes into the countrie; they ride and flie in the aire, bring stormes, make tempests, &c.

Ans. Then will I worship them as gods; for those be not the works of man, nor yet of witch: as I have elsewhere prooved at large.

15They use venerie with a divell called Incubus, even when they lie in bed with their husbands, and have children by them, which become the best witches.

Ans. This is the last lie, verie ridiculous, and confuted by me elsewhere./34.