If you desire my opinion concerning Witches, whereof your Learned Author hath many Discourses and Stories:[1] I will tell you really, that in my sense and reason, I do not believe any, except it be the witch of Endor, which the Scripture makes mention of; for though I believe that there is a Devil, as the Word of God and the Church inform me, yet I am not of the opinion, that God should suffer him to have such a familiar conjunction, and make such contracts with Man, as to impower him to do mischief and hurt to others, or to foretell things to come, and the like; for I believe that all things Immaterial, as Spirits, Angels, Devils, and the divine Soul of Man, are no parts of Nature, but Supernatural, Nature knowing of no Creature that belongs to her, but what is material; and since incorporeal Creatures are no parts of Nature, they neither have natural actions, nor are they concerned as co-partners or co-agents in the actions of Nature and natural Creatures; but as their substances, so their actions are supernatural, and beyond our conceivement. As for Faires, I will not say, but there may be such Creatures in Nature, and have airy bodies, and be of a humane shape, and have humane actions, as I have described in my Book of Poems; for there are many things, in Nature, whereof Man hath no knowledg at all, and it would be a great folly for any one to deny what he doth not see, or to ascribe all the unusual effects in Nature to Immaterial Spirits; for Nature is so full of variety, that she can and doth present sometimes such figures to our exterior senses, as are not familiar to us, so as we need not to take our refuge to Immaterial Spirits: nay, even those that are so much for Incorporeal Spirits, must confess, that they cannot be seen in their own natures, as being Invisible, and therefore have need to take vehicles of some grosser bodies to manifest themselves to men: and if Spirits cannot appear without bodies, the neerest way is to ascribe such unusual effects or apparitions, as happen sometimes, rather to matter that is already corporeal, and not to go so far as to draw Immaterial Spirits to Natural actions, and to make those Spirits take vehicles fit for their purposes: for Nature takes sometimes delight in unusual Varieties. Concerning those stories which your Author relates[2] of the strange effects of Food received into a mans body, how they did work upon the Imagination, and change and transform the humors of those that did feed upon them, those, I say, seem very probable to me. As for example; of a Wench who being struck into an Epilepsy, upon the seeing of a Malefactors Head cut off, was advised to drink Cats-blood; which being done, she not long after degenerated into the nature and property of that Animal, cried and jump'd like a Cat, and hunted Mice with the same silence and watchfulness as they do. Then of a Man, being long fed with Swines-blood, which took a special pleasure in wallowing and tumbling himself in the mire. Also of a Girle, which being nourished up with Goats-milk, would skip like a Goat, and brouze on Trees as Goats use to do. And of a Man, who by eating the brains of a Bear, became of a Bear-like disposition. All these stories I believe to be true; for naturally the motions of a Man may sometimes Sympathize so much with the received food, as to make an alteration in his humour or disposition. But although it be natural, yet it is not regular, at least not usual, but proceeds from an irregular and unusual change of motions, like as the conception and generation of a Monster; For if it were ordinary, then those which drink much of the blood of beasts, would also degenerate into a beastly nature, the contrary whereof is sufficiently known: Likewise those that drink much of Cows-milk, would change into their humors and natures. But certainly, some kinds of meats do not onely cause sickness, but madness, and strange Imaginations; all which unnatural or unusual accidents are caused by Matter's irregular motions; Whereof I have declared my opinion in other places; and so I rest,
Madam,
Your faithful and constant
Friend, to serve you.
[1] Antid. lib. 3.
[2] In his discourse of Enthusiasm.
[XXXIII.]
MADAM,
You will have my opinion of the Book that treats of the Pre-existence of Souls, and the Key that unlocks the Divine Providence; but I have told you heretofore, that there are so many different opinions concerning the Soul, as I do not know which to embrace, for the multiplicity confounds my choice: and the cause of these various opinions, in my simple judgment, is, that most men make no difference between the Divine, and Natural Soul. As for the Natural Soul, humane sense and reason may perceive, that it consists of Matter, as being Material; but as for the Divine Soul, being not material, no humane sense and reason is able naturally to conceive it; for there cannot possibly be so much as an Idea of a natural nothing, or an immaterial being, neither can sense and reason naturally conceive the Creation of an Immaterial substance; for as the Creation of material Creatures, as of this World, belongs to Faith, and not to Reason, so doth also the Creation of Immaterial substances, as Spirits; nay, it is more difficult to understand a Natural Nothing to be made out of nothing, then a Natural Something out of nothing. And as for the Progress of Immaterial Souls, which the same Author mentions, I cannot conceive how No-thing can make a Progress, and therefore I suppose, it is an Improper, or Metaphorical expression. The truth is, what is Immaterial, belongs not to a Natural knowledg or understanding, but is Supernatural, and goes beyond a natural reach or capacity. Concerning the Key of Divine Providence, I believe God did never give or lend it to any man; for surely, God, who is infinitely Wise, would never intrust so frail and foolish a Creature as Man, with it, as to let him know his secret Counsels, Acts, and Decrees. But setting aside Pride and Presumption, Sense and Reason may easily perceive, that Man, though counted the best of Creatures, is not made with such infinite Excellence, as to pierce into the least secrets of God; Wherefore I am in a maze when I hear of such men, which pretend to know so much, as if they had plundered the Celestial Cabinet of the Omnipotent God; for certainly, had they done it, they could not pretend to more knowledg then they do. But I, Madam, confess my Ignorance, as having neither divine Inspirations, nor extraordinary Visions, nor any divine or humane learning, but what Nature has been pleased to bestow upon me; Yet in all this Ignorance, I know that I am, and ought to be,