That William Sommers did not counterfeite a possession, but was in deed stranglie and snpernaturally afflicted by the operation of Sathan (as we verely thinke) actuallie possessing him.
IN the Gospell there are diuers signes set downe of Sathan his actuall possessing one, as Mark. 5. 5. Luke 9. 39. cryinge, Mark 9. 18. gnashinge the teeth, Mark. 9. 18. 20.vvallowing, Mark 9. 18, 20. Luke 9. 39. foming, Mar. 17. 25. Mar. 9: 22. extraordinarie & Mar. 5. 3. 4. Actes 19. 16. supernaturall strength, Mar. 5. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7. Act. 16 16, 17. Mar. 1. 25, 26. & 9. 26 Act. 8. 7. supernaturall knowledge, with sundrie others to the number of 18. but these and euerie of the rest, haue bene seene in Sommer, it must needes therfore be, that Sathan possessed him: for vvhere the proper signe, or signes of a thing is, there is also the thing signified thereby: where smoke is, there is fier.
That he was dispossessed, the signes thereof confirme: which are, Crying aloude, renting sore, & lying as dead: these vvere seene and heard at the instant [Page 10] of his deliuerance.
Against this it is obiected, That he hath onely counterfeited a possession, being therevnto schooled by me.
To the former part thereof I aunswere, That sundrie of these thinges, vvhich haue ben done, or rather suffred by him, are such, as are impossible to be counterfeited, that is to bee done by any arte of man how cūning soeuer he be: as the extraordinarie & supernaturall Actions or passions of his body, strength and knowledge.
1 The maner of Som. handling during his pos.There hath bene seene and felt a swelling vvhich did run through all the partes of his body: in some parte Supernaturall actions or passions.of his body it was of the bignes of an egge, in some other bigger or lessen: being now in the one arme, it vvould be foorth with in th' other, and so of the leggs: it was seen in his forehead and other partes of his face, yea in his tongue. Being in his eye or toe, & he vttering these wordes, I will goe out at his eye, or, I will goe out at his toe, it was seene presentlie to vanish, or remoue out of that place.
[Page 11] 2 When this Swelling was in his arme or leggs & made any stay there, as often it did, then, and during that tyme, the same member was as heauy and inflexible as so much yron.
3 His body was of that exceedinge waight, that diuers at once could scarsly lift him.
4 He fomed aboundantly (like vnto the horsse) and that for an houre togither, so as it roped downe all along on his brest, and yet euer and anon vvas vviped away.
5 In his fit neither did the temples of his head, nor the pulses of his handes beate or moue.
6 He lay for the space of an houre as if he had bene dead, cold as yee, his face and handes blacke, no breath being perceyued to come from him.
7 Being oftentymes cast into the fier, vvith his handes sometymes in the fire, sometymes his face, lyeing there also a while, He vvas not burnt at all.
8 He did speake distinctlie vvith a continuall speach for a quarter of an [Page 12] houre, his mouth being shut close.
9 He spake with his mouth wide open, yea his tongue tetorted into his throate, and namely these words: Ego sum Deus, ego sum Rex: that is, J am God, I am King. Whichhe retortinge vvas vsuall vvith him, and so done, as no parcell of his tongue was to bee seene in his mouth.
10 He was in his fitts without feeling to the iudgment of those which sawe him. Pinnes being thrust deepe into sundrie parts of his body (sometimes vp to the head,) he stirred not at all, neither did any blood issue at the places so pricked.
Supernaturall strength. His Strength was often such, that 3. 4. 5. sometymes 6. men could not rule him. Three men for an houre togither sweating & labouring much, he strugling with them, was not perceiued to pant, or blow: yea scarselio to take breath: he holding his finger vpright: a man of great stregth could not bend it towards the palme of his hande, nor holde and keepe it downo when it was bended.
[Page 13] Supernaturall knowledge. His Knowledge vvas such, that by vettue therof he told of those things vvhich were done and spoken diuers myles of him at the same instant they fel out, and foretold things to come. From hence also it was that diuinelike he continued his speach in expounding the Creed for an houre togither.
Herevnto adde that most rare accident, That vnder the Couerlet where he lay, there were certayne thinges sometime foure or fiue at one instant stirring & mouing vnder our handes as if they had ben kittlings, whelpes, or such liuing creatures: the couerlet being fuddenly cast vp, they vanished away: but thrown downe, they vvere presently there againe, and this continued about tenne dayes and nights by tymes.
The first of these hath bin deposed by 11. the Teste some by 4. by 5. and some by more or lesse witnesses, these few excepted where this marke (x) is, which notwithstanding are as true as the rest, and to be deposed.
[Page 14] There are besides these diuers others, as the drawing of his mouth awry, sometimes to th' one eare, sometimes to th' other: the setting of his face against his backe: a violent beating of his face & head to the groūd, and the casting of him self headlong against the vvalles, and postes of the house, so as one would haue thought hee would haue spoyled or bruised him selfe greatlie thereby, yet receyued he no hurt at all: the gatheringe of him self of a rouud heape, & boū sing vp a good height being so geathered, a straunge voice which was sensibly heard to come out of his bodye: his vnnatural swelling, his body being twice so bigge as naturallie it is, and his strange wallowing or swift rowling of him selfe, with his body stretched out to his full length.
If these things, most straunge and admirable, can bee done by any humaine skill, I denie not but that hee may be a counterfeite: but vntill that shall appeare, I must needs subscribe them to some supernatural power, & [Page 15] that is the Deuill: for some cause of these rare effects must be had, & that must be either naturall or supernaturall, but a naturall cause hereof can not be giuen, of necessitie therefore there must bee some supernaturall, which was an euill spirit possessing him, for the reason aforesaid.
Against these impossibilities much is saide, but let the same be well examined by the premisses as a rule, and it will manifest the same maketh nothing against vs.
Obiection, That Som. Cō sesseth hee did conuterfeit. But the mayne thing that is obiected for the proofe of his dissembling is his owne confession.
Answere. Thereto I answere, that no man cū fessing or reporting any impossibilitie, of him self is to be credited, whiche Sommers doeth in this report of him selfe. If Som. should saye that he (by good footemanship) hath gone on foote in one day from Barwick to Douer, none would beleue him: why then doe any credit him in this his confession? for it is no more possible for him to goe that iourney in that [Page 16] time, then by his owne will & power to doe those things which are about specified, which he in saying he hath coūterfeited affirmeth he hath done. If this be a certayne trueth, that these thinges hee could not possibly doe, which all men may graunt, then forasmuch as 20. witnesses or therabout, haue vpon their oathes ascribed the same vnto him, or some other power in, or by him, it must necessarilie and inevitablie followe, that if they haue sworne truely, and the hundred saye truly which daylie beare witnes therto, and are readie to depose the same, if they might be called, then he is a Iyar in saying he counterfeited: Chuse nowe whether you will beleeue W. Som. or this other companie. If he say crvelie, they are perjured: for vppon their oathes they haue avouched these things by him, which can not possibly be coūterfeited. And if they sweare truely, he lyeth [...] he dissembled. And here we [...] [...] member that the questiō is not [...]ther Som. did (or suffered) the thing [Page 17] aboue specified, as vvhether he had such a variable swelling, running vp and downe along his body, and so of the rest. For that such thinges vvere seene in him, is alreadie deposed by many: that therfore is out of all question, & most true, except they be periured, which is most vncharitable to conceiue, and daungerous to affirme, but the state of our controuersie or question is vvhether Som. himself by some sleight or cunninge of his, did thē: or (that being impossible) some other power in or by him: they therfore that goe from this point, speake nothing to the matter or against it.
What moved Sō. to say that he did counterfeit a possession. Secondlie, the meanes wherby this cōfession was cōpassed, are to be considered of: First thorough the malice of some, Som. was charged (but most vniustly) to haue bewitched one Sterland to death, wherevpon he was called before the Maior & Aldermen of Notingham, by thē for a time imprisoned, so as his father in lawe entered bond for his appearāce at the Assises.
[Page 18]2 To this ende Sathan visibly appearing vnto him (as his vsuall maner is to those he possesseth) sometime promised him golde, and that he would be at hand to do those things for him hee had done howsoeuer hee would haue him, if he would say he had coū terfeited: at other times threatned to pul him in pieces if he would not say so. 3. For the obteyning therof Couper and Shepherd (two most lewd and euil disposed persons) threatned him: the one to whippe him, the other to pinch him with a paire of pincers, as appeareth both by Som. cōfession and their own vpō their oathes before 12 Commissioners. These baytes thus layd by Satan & wicked men, caught him, for presently after & not before, he made the cursed cōfession of coū terfeiting: & no maruell, these things well considered, though he vsed his tongue against the trueth and God him selfe and the great worke which he had wrought for him, seeing that thereby he should not only escape (as he no doubt thought) that which Sathan threatned, and haue that he promised, [Page 19] which hee hath hitherto performed: but also to avoid the present punishment. his keepers threatned to inflict vpon him, &, vvhich was most of all, thereby he should saue his life: for he in saying hee had dissembled, vvas thereby freed from all suspition (or rather that malicious & false accusation) of witchcraft, and thervpon made not so much as any appearance before the Iudge of Assise: Whereas vndoubtedly if hee had stoode to the trueth, and neuer acknowledged any coūterfeiting, he had bene arraigned and sore layd at for his life. Now the prouerbe is, life is sweet: and who (almost) will not make a lye for the sauing of his life? If then any aske the question why he should say he counterfeited, if it were not so? he hath his aunswere heere, for hereby wee may plainlie see, that there vvas in carnall reason much to lead him to that confession, though it was altogither against the trueth.
3. As before so after he had made this wretched confession, and stoode [Page 20] in it for the space of a moneth, he acknowledged that hee neuer counterfeited, yea in wretched maner he hath betaken him selfe body and soule to the Deuill, if euer he dissembled, and this he did for x. dayes, during which time the worke of God was manifest, and that by the cōfession of the greatest adversarie. Nowe seeing he hath said both wayes, and varied so often, euen foure times. For first he said and protested, that he did not coūterfeit, thē, that he did dissemble, after again that he did not, and lastlie, he saith & faceth it out, that he did counterfeit: Why should we rather beleue him affirming then denying, seeing (I say) he hath saide both wayes and alike times of both: yea vvho that is vvise will giue credit to such a double and false tongue? Considering also hovve notoriouslie wicked he is: For take him at the best, and as him self and others would faine haue you: He is an infamous deceauer, hauing faigned to be possest with a Deuill, and thereby (if it were so) prophaned the holy [Page 21] vvorde of God, and the holy exercise of prayer and fasting: besides he is as notorious a lyar as euer was heard or read of, and by consequent the child of the Deuill, yea not onely a lyar but a forsworn wretch, for he hath sworn both wayes: lastlie, he is an horrible blasphemer, for hee hath saide that there is no God, and sometimes these wordes, I am God, as is deposed. These things cōsidered, doe not they greatlie forget themselues which wil haue Will. Som. a counterfeiter, and my self to haue taught him, because Will. So. saith so? Is it not a straūge thing that vvhatsoeuer this graceles boy saith shalbe held for trueth: If he saye hee hath Counterfeited, it must bee so, though God and men affirme the cō trarie, and reason it selfe say, it is not possible so to be. When he for pretēce hereof alleadgeth many false, foolish, and absurd things, not once worthie the hearing or aunswering, they are received for true & invincible arguments therof. If he say, Jo. Dorrell. taught him, and for shew thereof alleadge [Page 22] many thinges as false as false can be, which Io. Dorrell offereth, and is as vvell able to proue them false, as to proue it true that euer hee was in the Gatehouse, yet that must needs be true. In a vvord, if Som. and he alone say many thinges for his dissembling a possession, and my schooling him, though against him, & that he saith, Many, euen hundreds affirme the cō trarie, & aboue 20. haue sworne that which proueth the same, and among those some were learned & reverend men, of great wisdome and godlines: yet behold Will. Som. is beleeued before them all, What marvaile is it thē though he be credited and his word, & oath receiued before myne, thogh I be a Minister of Christ Iesus, & such (by the grace of God) as they vvhich seeking advantage against me, can finde none: yet in a worde you shall heare what I say in myne ovvne defence.
That Io. Dor. did not teach Som. to counterfeit. First, besides that vpon myne oath I haue denyed that I taught him, which indeed should suffice both the [Page 23] law of God, and that lavv by which I am to be iudged (except there were some further proofe then Som. accusation, as there is not) I affirme and reason for my selfe thus: That forasmuch as the aforesaid straunge accidents which were seene in him, cannot possiblie bee taught or learned by any, It is impossible therefore that I should haue instructed him therin. 2. He was so straungly handled a moneth before I set eye on him, how thē is it possible that he should haue bin taught by me? For wheras it is alleadged against me, that for 4. yeares or more he & I had our secret meetings (let that be proued that to my knowledge I euer sawe him before the sift of Nouember 1597. which was but 2. dayes before his dispossession) and I refuse no punishment: and before I did see him, I was importuned therevnto by diuers letters, whereof one came from the Maior. I am able also to prove by good witnes that I vvas not desired thither by any direct or indirect meanes from my selfe: nowe [Page 24] let euerie one iudge, whither it is not likely that I would not haue winded my selfe into the action by some devise or other, if I had had any such abomination in hand as is layde to my charge. Moreouer, Som. saieth, that when he, to this said end, repayred to me (I meane, to be taught) hee came frō one Mr Grayes of Langly (with whō as he saith he then dwelt) to Ashby de la zouche, where I then dwelt, as hee affirmeth, & in a parke there we met, and this our meeting began about 4. yeares past. Now the trueth is that he was gone 2. or 3. yeres frō Mr. Grayes, before I came to dwell at Ashby, & 5. yeres before our pretended meeting, for it is ix. yeares or therabouts, since he went frō M. Grayes, and but 6. yeres since I went to Ashby. And during my aboade at Ashby, he neuer dwelled in that coūtrie wherein Ashby standeth, nor nearer it, then Notinghā is, which is 14. miles distant, and frō whence he himself doth not say y t euer he came to me: Thus then the case stādeth, the lying youth having charged me with [Page 25] instructing him, and beeing charged thervpon of necessitie where & when we met to that end, and not knowing what place to name, at length he bethought him of his dwellinge sometimes with the aforesaid gentlemā, & mine at Ashby: & having none other he named the aforesaid place, because then as he thought, we dwelt within 5. miles one of another, but therin he was deceiued, as is alredy by oth proved: this his accusatiō therfore is manifestly false. But admit he had dwelt with M r Gray when I dwelt at Ashby, doth that so greatly cōfirme our meeting in the parke, and my instructing him there: & yet besides his bare oth (who is such as wee heare, and hath sworne the cōtrarie) there is nothing to strengthen his accusation but this, yea, this is all that is layde to my chardge, saue that he addeth that vpō the 6. and 7. of November 97. at Nottingham I acted his trickes vnto him, which I haue offred (and still doe) to disproue by a multitude of witnesses. And is it not to bee vvondred at, that such an open and notorious lyar, [Page 26] as this boy is, should prevaile so long and so farre against a Preacher of the Gospell, by so palpable a lye and false accusation as this is. Further more So. Som. varieth in his testimonie. his owne tale herein doeth so varie, that his accusatiō can deserve no credite at all, for to some hee reported that he beeing at Nottingham, vexed with a strange collike, through much going into the water, I should dome to him thither from Ashby, and perswade him to say that hee was possessed, & that so we first became acquainted. To others he said, that the first time that he became acquainted with mee, was when I was with Katherino Wright in Darbishire, whiche was about 12. yeares past, at which time he was some 8. yeres old, vnfit as any mā would thinke, to communicate such a matter vnto. Furthermore he tolde the Bishop of London (as it may apappeare by one of the articles) that our first meeting & acquaintance was in the streetes at Ashby, I talking with 2. strangers, and that about Katherine Wright forsooth, who departing vpō [Page 27] his comming, we tvvo (as he saieth) vvent into the fieldes togither. And now he saieth, that our first acquaintance Mai. Dorrell known to be a man that haū teth no alehouses. was in an alehouse at Ashby, among other boyes: Which allegacions as they seuerallie confute one another, so I am wel able (helped by circumstances) to confute thē all: wherin if I faile, yea further if I make not myne innocencie and righteousnesse heerein manifest as the day light at midday, so that I may be hearde and haue leave to produce my proofes, as I trust in time I shall, then let me bee held guiltie, & dealt with accordinglie. In the meane season I vvill vse 2. reasons more in the defence both of the vvork of God, and my selfe. If So. counterfeited, & was instructed thervnto by me, thē in all reason the same is true of Th. Darling of Burton, & of those 7. in Lancashire, for they were Seauen dispossessed in Lanc. by M. Dorrels ministerie. al handled alike, & I dealt with them all, and they vvere all helped by the same meanes, that is, prayer & fasting but that is not so, as God and they wil beare me vvitnes: yea, it is a thing abhorring [Page 28] frō cōmon sense, so to conceyue of thē; Som. therefore hath nor counterfeited, nor I instructed him. That Th. Darling was no counterfeit. Against those 7. in Lācashire nothing is obiected, but of Darling it is saide that he also coūterfeited. I answere, that that cā not possibly be: for in the booke which is printed concerning him, it is reported that hee (being a boy of 13. yeares of age) was of that strength that 2. strong men could not hold him downe, or rule him. And in another place, that 3. men could scarslie doe it, which is impossible to coū terfeit, for no man can add any thing to his strength by coūterfeiting. 2. It is said here in sundrie places, that his armes & shoulder bones were in manie of his fitts thrust out of ioint, and indeed this hath bene seene and felte many a tyme, and by manie who are readie to depose it. Nowe besides the painfulnes, how is it possible that he should thrust his bones out of their iointes, and in againe, and presentlie after vse his armes all one, as if no such thinge had bene done, I can not [Page 29] conceyue nor thinke anie other. 3. It is there reported, in his traunces hee vttered certaine speeches there mencioned, with his mouth wide open, Tho. Darring bewitched.whiche is impossible to be donne by man. Moreouer, the Witch Alice Goodridge by name, sundry times confessed, that she mistaking Tho. Darling for one Sherrats boy, sent her familiar or spirit in forme of a dogge (partie coloured, redd and white) called Mynny, to torment him in his bodie, and that she had caused his vexation: & further that at hir sending of him, she streyned all hir body, & vomited, bidding hir Minny to goe and doe so to the boy, who returning, saide, hee had done so. Now the trueth is, that besides the child was most fearfullie tormented in and thorough all the partes of his body, he was much troubled with vomiting, & making shew thereof. It is also to be remembred, that shee named the tyme, place, occasion, and the vvordes shee vsed, when shee sent the Deuil to vexe and torment him in his body, as appeareth [Page 30] pag. 26. Herevpō this Alice Goodridge vvas cōmitted to Derby gaole, indited, arraigned, by the Iurie foūd guiltie thereof, and by the Iudge sentence Verdictes and iudgements at common lawe impcached. giuen of hir to imprisonment: vvhere shortly after shee died. These things considered to say that Darling coūterfeited, is not only to denie the trueth of the booke printed, vvhich (for the substance of it) hath ben offred to be confirmed by the oathes of a great many, as is still, if by authoritie Inquire whether the Bish. of L. be not in a Premunire, 27. E. cap. 1. they shalbe therevnto called, but to cōdemne also besides the Iurie, the Iudge, if not of iniustice, yet of simplicitie. Besides, if the boy conterfeited, vvhat an intollerable abusing of Iudge, Iustices of peace, and Iurie is there? And vvhy is not that counterfeiting boulted out by some of the Wor in that Countie, and the parties therin offending punished according to their desertes? But it may be there is none so wise in that coast. Let them send then to Nottingham, and craue helpe frō some there: thay that foūd out Somer his dissimulation, can (no [Page 31] doubt) doe asmuch for Darling too, if they vvould but take the paines to make diligent search and inquiry into it. My second reason is this: If Som. be a coūterfeit, & I haue taught him, then vndoubtedly Marie Cooper his Marie Cooper sister is such, and hath also confederated with vs herein, for she cannot onlie doe some of his tricks (as they call them) but besides, for a time began hir fittes whē he ended his: he in like sort following her, having their sitts by course, and this they did, although they were in seuerall roomes, as I am able, & offer now to proue by a multitude of witnesses. But hereof as she will cleare me, so it hath not hitherto bin said, that shee hath any hande in this counterfeit accusation, why then doe any charge that vpon me? For she in all reason is (at least) as surely confederate with him as I, or any private christian: And therefore also I vndertooke not the meanes for So. his dispossession, till I had three other Preachers to ioyne with me: yea I am perswaded that the faithfull prayers of [Page 32] the parties friends may prevaile with God in this case: though no Preacher be present, as in the dispossession of Thom. Darling it was evident. Onely this I holde, that one being possessed, prayer & fasting is to bee vsed for the casting out of Sathan, as a meanes appointed of God to that end. And this I doubt not, but I am able to prove by the holy scriptures, & further to confirme by the testimonies of auncient and late Writers, and by the practise of the Church in all ages, & the good successe thereof.
Casting out of Deuils no miracle. 1 And whereas many cōceyue of this matter as a Miracle, and therevppon speake hardlie of it, because miracles are ceased, they are therein (by their patiēce) as I take it, greatlie deceiued. To cast out Deuills by a worde, so as one no sooner commandeth the spirit to go out, but sorthwith he departeth, as Christ and his Apostles did, is not onely a miracle, but of them the greatest: but by the meanes of prayer and fasting to drive out Sathan, or rather to intreat Christ (to whom all [Page 33] power is giuen in heauen & in earth) to cast Sathan forth is no miracle, because of the said meanes, for whatsoener is brought to passe by meanes, is no miracle, because of the saide meanes, be it neuer so wonderfull, as might bee shewed (but for brevities sake) in a thousand instances. This is mirandum, non miraculum, that is a wonderfull worke, but not a wonder. 2. When Satan is cast out, the Church (or anie member of it) worketh no miracle, for that shee cannot in the vsing of the meanes, be assured to prevaile. For although the assurance is, or may be great in this case, yet vvee can not be sure that the partie shalbe deliuered, the meanes being vsed, because GOD is at libertie to blesse the meanes he hath appointed to this, or that end, and to withhold & to keepe backe his blessing from it: and in this latter case, what will anie meanes profite or prevaile. As touching my opinions herein, and matter of learning, I submit my selfe to the iudgement of the learned, as one most readie [Page 34] to giue eare vnto them, if they shall informe me better. And as concerning the matters of fact, and other thinges reported by mee, If I prooue them not ttue in whole and in parte, Let Som. be helde for a Counterfeit, and my selfe his instructor, and both of vs condingely punished.