Chaper 1B - Sceptical Publications

Question 1

What is melancholia?

Answer 1

Depression or sorrowfulness

Question 2

Who is Reginald Scott?

Answer 2

-Wrote, “The Discoverie of Witchcraft” which is regarded as the first major work of English scepticism (1584) -extremely well read, took interest in magic and witchcraft -member of the family of love

Question 3

Who influenced Scott’s work?

Answer 3

-not first to write about scepticism -influenced by Dutch physician Johann Weyer’s “On the Illusions of Demons” which argued that ‘witches’ were in fact suffering from some form of Melancholia and that those who were guilty were unable to cause harm themselves as they were mere tools of the devil

Question 4

What is the Family of Love?

Answer 4

-a radical Protestant sect that rejected traditional practices such as baptism. (Didn’t like catholics) -Believed nature controlled events on earth not god -wealthy and high profile figures but remained members of Church Of England in order to avoid prosecution -Scot made clear connection between fraudulent witch-hints and the Catholic Church

Question 5

What events also influenced Scot?

Answer 5

-hunts in chelmsford; area that scot knew well -1582 the JP, Brian Darcy, who favoured harsh punishments led a hunt resulting in 14 arrests and 2 executions -1566 3 women were charged, one sentenced to hang, another for 1 year imprisonment and the third was acquitted -believed in existence of witches but disapproved of terrible effects of the hunts

Question 6

What were Scot’s key points?

Answer 6

-doubted far-fetched charges brought against suspected witches, such as cannibalism -also claimed that women who genuinely believed they were witches were suffering from melancholia or delusions -witches who did harm to animals or people did so through natural means such as administering poison

Question 7

What does scot write about in terms of catholicism and witchcraft?

Answer 7

-large amount of text is spent discounting magic tricks disguised as supernatural phenomena -includes the sacraments of the catholic church in his list of tricks, which he believed increased fear of witches -inquisition of the catholic church is given much of the blame for the cruelty handed out to the suspected witches

Question 8

What impact did scot have?

Answer 8

-did more harm than good -James I of England ordered all copies of the book to be burnt -stated his clear and unwavering belief in witches and denounced Scot by name calling him “unchristian”

Question 9

Why was scot so sceptical?

Answer 9

-devoted to belief in the supernatural unknown -undiscovered elements of nature contained many mysteries that could explain unknown phenomena -accepted that healing could be done at a distance, or that plants and stones could have hidden properties -this belief meant he was able to discount witchcraft as an explanation for mysterious events -saw that children used as witness’ in Chelmsford, view that most trails were held on dubious foundations was affirmed

Question 10

Who is Samuel Harsnett?

Answer 10

• Born in Essex in 1562 into a humble family and gained degree from cambridge
• also aware of Chelmsford trials and became deeply religious as a young man
• ordained as a minsiter in 1583 and returned to cambs to study divinity
• rose through ranks and became Bishop of chester in 1609, Norwich in 1619 and Archbishop of york in 1629
• working as chaplin in london during time of Darrell

Question 11

What was Samuel Harsnett’s publication and what sceptical case is he linked to?

Answer 11

• “A discovery of the fraudulent practises of John Darrel 1599”
• BoB, and the work of john Darrell
• present at the examination of Darrell and George More

Question 12

What is Harsnett’s view on Catholicism?

Answer 12

• Catholic priests claim to carry out miracles as easily as a squirrel can crack a nut
• Quick to perform tricks and miracles, such as those carried out through the power of holy water, making the sign of the corss in order to perform a blessing and carrying out communion with bread and wine.
• Believe rituals can solve any problem
• claim to cast out devil through prayer and excorcism, can only be done by god and anyone who attempts to take credit is a fraud and heritic

Question 13

What was in the first section of Harsnett’s publication?

Answer 13

• A survery of all the people Darrell claomed to have excoricsed and an account of Harsnett’s interrogation or Darrell.
• Darrell immediatly called into question the reliability of witnesses, something Harsnett says all guilty ment will do
• He then goes into detail about how Darrell convinced people that somers was possessed
• Calls Darrell sinful and immoral as in his hobby as a musician he has played blasphemous songs

Question 14

What is the Historical view on the case of Darrell?

Answer 14

• Many think its a case of factional fighting within the chuch as Darrell was puritan and Harsnett a Church of England conformist
• however historian Keith Thomas argues that the entire controversy centres on whether pryaer and fasting were accepted method of exorcising spirits. Puritans used these methods but senior clergy did not

Question 15

What is in the second and third parts of Harsnett’s publication?

Answer 15

• 2; outlines how Darrell instructed somers to fake possession and how they conspired together
• 3; confession of william somers and Darrell’s role in encouraging him to intially revoke it. Then details how Darrell and More argued that Somers had been forced to make a confession through threats or promises. Somers fits were not extraordinary

Question 16

what was in the fourth section of Harsnett’s publication?

Answer 16

• Discredit’s Somer’s fits
• “superhuman strength” during fits was nothing amazing and evidence that he became fluent in Greek and Latin was non existant
• when he fell into a “fit” infront of Harsnett, he was asked questions in Greek but laughed, when asked in Latin he only responded with a few basic words

Question 17

What was in the fifth and final section of Harsnett’s book?

Answer 17

• BoB, how Darrell ordered Darling to act possessed and how Darling confessed
• discredits a confesdsion made by one women suspected of being possessed and treated by Darrell years before (Kathrine wright), beaten by her father-in-law for many years whihc made her weak and therefore liable to hallucinations, exagerated symptoms to avod beatings

Question 18

What was the phamlet war?

Answer 18

• Darrell responded with “a detection of that sinful, shaming, lying and ricicoulous discours of Samuel Harsnett (1600)
• John Deacon and John Walker, two minsiters who had Puritain sympathies, questioned wether excorcism was a mircale or if it was even possible in “Dialogical discourses of spirits and dievls (1601). Devil unable to possess people, only god had the power and demanded proof from Darrell that he had the power to excorise
• Darrell responded “The Replie of John Darrell to the answere of John Deacon and John Walker (1602) wher he defended himself

Question 19

What were the effects of the Pamphlet war?

Answer 19

• revealed disagreements about the honesty of Darrell’s patients and questioned entire possibility of demonic possession and its cure by prayer and fasting
• Darrell still had support; Bishop of Exeter had his backing
• Scepticism still a minority opinion

Question 20

What was an Arminian?

Answer 20

• Follower of Jacobus Arminian (1560-1609) a Dutch theologian who rejected the calvinist notion of predestination (all events done by will of god)
• English viewed them as closet Catholics

Question 21

Why was Harsnett so sceptical of witchcraft possession?

Answer 21

• own beliefs are contradictory
• accused as a young minister of having catholic sympathies
• 1596 supported Peter Baro, a prof at cambidge who had showed Arminian tendencies
• explains dislike for Darrell who was Puritan
• Bishop Bancroft (a close college of Harsnett) also member of the Arminian faction
• However his work shows he is very anti-catholic and blames witchcraft accusations on the Catholic Church

Question 22

What is Thomas Ady’s background?

Answer 22

• Renowned doctor who lived in essex
• witnessed in person the trials at Bury St Edmonds
• highly educated

Question 23

What were Ady’s publications called?

Answer 23

• candle in the dark (1656)
• a perfect discovery of witches (1661)
• the Doctrine Of Devils, Proved to be the grand Apostacy of these later times (1676)

Question 24

What was the basis of Ady’s second book?

Answer 24

• A perfect Discovery of witches attacked the wich-hunts in the earlier 17th century
• critical of physicians who failed to understand diseases and were too quick to blame them on witchcraft
• attacked belief that witches were to blame for natural disasters or unexplained events

Question 25

What was the basis of Ady’s third book?

Answer 25

• initially published anonymously and was influenced by Joseph Mede’s book of a similar title
• both agreed that possession could be attributed to mental illness

Question 26

What is the significance of Ady’s first book?

Answer 26

• uses the bible as its only source (same source used by witchfinders to justify their persecutions)
• states that the actions of witchfinders cannot be found written anywhere in the Bible
• compelled to write book due to too many wrongful convictions
• mentions Scot as an influence and Atempts to repeat his original message

Question 27

What is in the first section of “A candle in the dark”?

Answer 27

• Describes Definition of a witch according To the bible
• this definition includes, jugglers, users of charms, astronomers and those who attempt to. Communicate with the dead
• these types of magician’s could be seen as false prophets or idolaters
• if witches are people who encourage idolatry, then catholic priests are guilty of witchcraft

Question 28

What is in the second section of “A candle in the dark”?

Answer 28

• orignal scriptures have been misinterpreted particularly by catholics in order to justify the hunts
• includes examples of idolatry (worshipping false idols) and corrupt priests from the old testament who he directly compared to catholic priests
• catholics first to kill for religion and this is unchristian
• criticises theologists and philosophers who claim that torture was acceptable in witch-trials as rumors about witches were almost always false. Calls some “Popish” even though some were protestants

Question 29

What is in the third and final section of “A candle in the dark”?

Answer 29

Critique of a Number Of english works that promoted witch trials

criticises Daemonologie for being work of Bishop james montague, a close ally of the king who published his collected works

Question 30

What was Ady most critical of?

Answer 30

Magicians and conjurors

goes some way To explain how magicians carried out their tricks (plants in the crowd of sleight of hand)

Question 31

What is the significance of Thomas Ady?

Answer 31

• did belive witches existed but thought the definition of a witch as found in the bible did not resemble the 17th century definition used in witch-hunts
• to ady a witch was not someone with special powers but someone who led others towards an ungodly path, either through idolatry or through practices associated with the catholic church
• real criminals were the idolaters and witch hunters themselves
• influenced steep decline in witch trials and increased scepticism after 1660

Question 32

Who is John Webster?

Answer 32

Worked as A doctor but made name for himself a A preacher

born in Yorkshire his published works suggest he has a familiarity with cambs uni

studied chemistry and medicine at Gresham Collage and Became interested in scientific method

by 1648 Left COE and became a nonconformist

engaged in public Debates about the role of uni education

Question 33

What is John Webster’s publication? What was it about?

Answer 33

“Displaying of supposed witchcraft”

agreed with ady that beliefs that are not found in the bible should Be rejected

written in response To other authors that claimed the hunts were legit

Question 34

Why did Webster have the views he did?

Answer 34

• belived witches did exist but did not have supernatural powers. Did carry out evil acts but did so with own powers and without help from devil
• critical of demon drummer And pendle swindle
• webster met Robinson when He was curate at Kildwick church in Yorkshire and saw first hand how doubtful the case was. Robinson was Not allowed To speak To webster and 2 men kept webster Away from robison whenever he Asked about the case

Question 35

What is the case of Roland Jenks?

Answer 35

• Catholic bookseller from Oxford who was in prison in 1577 for selling catholic literature
• at his trial Jenks uttered a curse and within a few days hundreds of people, including members of the jury and 2 judges suddenly died
• in reality it was probably typhus but 2 theories were put forward at the time; some sort of poisonous vapour rising up from the prison and the prisoners themselves, jenks was responsible through sorcery

Question 36

What was the impact of John Webster?

Answer 36

• work well received and he engaged in public intellectual debates through pamphlets and books
• oxford academic Seth Ward and John Wilkins both wrote a response to Webster’s criticism of educational methods
• Glanvill’s editor, Henry More, added a response to Webster’s views on witchcraft in a book published in 1681.
• Webster also wrote on chemistry, minerals and metals and was taken seriously by royal society
• use of evidence and methodical approach singnalled dawn of scientific age and set him apart from other sceptical authors
• Hugh Trevor-Roper book published in 1967 discounts Webster’s work and claims the origin of his work can be found in Scot and Weyer’s earlier books. Power of clergy decreasing led to witchcraft decreasing not him

Question 37

Who was Balthasar Bekker?

Answer 37

• Dutch Clergyman and made a name for himself as a Cartesian rationalist, writing about philosophy, theology and witchcraft
• son Of calvinist minister and was deeply influenced by This religious tradition
• became minister in 1657 and visited England in 1683

Question 38

What is a cartesian and what is a calvinist?

Answer 38

• cartesian = Follower of Rene Descartes,, who employed logical analysis in his philsophy
• Calvinist = follower of John calvin, a key Figure in the protestant reformation Promoted Idea that god willed which souls were Destined to go to Heaven or Hell

Question 39

What was Bekker’s publication?

Answer 39

• “The Enchanted world”, described by some historians as the most influential critical work on witchcraft beliefs in the 17th century
• influenced by Scot, who he agreed with about the impossibility of witchcraft
• reasoning differed to scot’s; used bible as primary source but attempted to approach it in a reasoned and unbiased way, rather than relying on rumours and stories like Scot (similar to Ady’s approach)
• doubtful of any case he heard of and stated that in each case there is some sort of deception or irregularity

Question 40

What is the significance of Bekker’s publication?

Answer 40

• The Enchanted World influenced by scot with who he Agreed about the impossibility of Witchcraft
• also used bible as Main source but attempted to approach it in a reasoned and unbiased way And did not rely on rumours Like scot often did
• in this sense bekker has more in common with Ady
• states that in every case there is some sort of deception or Irregularity
• unless Devil Has body it would be impossible for Him to possess and influence people on Earth

Question 41

What is the significance of Bekker in terms of a historians view?

Answer 41

• some claim that bekker added nothing new to The argument and That He just repeated what had Previously been stated. His work coincides with Changes in beliefs because the intellectual climate Had changed and the new scientific approach Had been adopted.
• others argue that he Is more important than people Give him credit for. Within the first 2 months of the enchanted world being published it sold over 4k copies in Holland and It was soon translated into 4 different languages which highlight its Significance. It Promoted a number of replies as well Criticising him For the decline in witchcraft. He May have had small Impact in britain but he Had a big one in Europe.

Question 42

What impact did sceptical publications have on Britain as a whole?

Answer 42

• repealing of witchcraft legislation in 1736 meant publications no longer required to show authorities that change was necessary
• still very much alive in public imagination
• isolated cases were recorded well into 19th century
• 1863 an elderly French Man living in Essex was suspected of Witchcraft as he made a living as a fortune teller. He was put to thr swimming test and died a month later from inflamed lungs
• Many works of literature reffered to witches as fiction rather than fact but some did still show support. Founder of Protestant Methodist church, John Wesley wrote in 1768 that to disbelieve in witchcraft was to disbelieve in the bible
• majority of people accepted the rationalism that came with the age of science and reason