Relation XV. – Some observable Passages of GODS Providence to a Godly Minister, in giving him full clearness concerning Bessie Graham, suspect of Witch-craft, pp.109-120.

[Satan’s Invisible World Contents]

SHE was apprehended about the end of August 1649. upon some threatning words, she had spoken in her drunkenness to John Rankins Wife in Kilwinning. Whereupon the poor Woman ten dayes after took Sickness, and shortly died. She was imprisoned in the Steeple, for the space of thirteen weeks, all which time I (the Minister) repared to her, but found her still more and more obdured. In all her discourses she was so subtile, that not only I could get no advantage by her words, but sometimes she made me think, that she was an innocent Woman; so that I was much grieved for her hard usage, if it could have been helped, and had my own secret Wishes, she had never been medled with. Yea, if she could have made an escape, I being innocent of it, I could have been glade: for I feared much, that all we could get proven on her, would not have been a sufficient ground, for the Civil Magistrate, to give a warrant, for putting her to an Assize. Or if they had given a warrant I feared the Assize would not condemn her unless I had advised them thereto, wherein I was not clear, so that she should have been set at Libertie, and I blamed for it, by reason of my not advising the Assize to condemn her. At this nick of time one Alexander Bogs skilled in searching the Mark, came, being often sent for, and finds the Mark upon her ridge-Back, wherein he thrust a great Brass Pin, of which she was not sensible: neither did any blood follow, when the Pin was drawn out. I lookt upon this but as a small evidence, in respect of what I found afterwards: yet this some-what inclined the Judges to send the Process to Edinburgh, though there were small hopes of obtaining a Commission for putting her to an Assize. My fears deceived me, for I was informed that a Commission was granted, though with difficulty. But here my strait was augmented, for the chiefest man in the parish refuseth to meet professing he thought all that was proven on her, were but Clatters. And I was informed, that others of the Judges did say little less. However, I, my self could not but think her guilty: Yet if the Assize had put her to it, I was not so clear to advise them, by Reason, that the things were proven but by one Witness. This put me to manie thoughts and Prayers, wherein I did engadge my self to GOD, that if he should find out a way for giving me, and the Assize full clearness, either by her own Confession or otherwise, I should remarke it as a singular Favour, and special Mercy. This Resolution I did often reiterate, Lord make me mindful of it. After a short time Providence brought to light an unexpected Presumption of her guiltiness, which did convince me more, than any of the rest. Upon Wednesday 28 of November in the evening I went to exhort her to a confession, with Alexander Sympson the Kirk-Officer, and my own servant with me: After labouring with her in vain, we leave her. But when I came to the stair-head, I resolved to halt a little to hear what she would say. Within a very short space, she begins to discourse, as if it had been to some body with her. Her voice was so low, that I could not understand what she said, except one sentence, whereby I perceived, she was speaking of somewhat I had been challenging her of, and she had denyed. After she had spoken this, after a little while I hear another voice, speaking and whispering; as it were conferring with her, which presently I apprehended to be the Foul-Fiends voice: but being uncertain, if those who were with me had heard it, so as they could give testimony concerning it, & not daring to ask them, least she hearing our whispering should have spoken no more, I resolved to stand a little longer, she having kept silent a time, upon occasion, as I thought of some little din amongst us, at our hearing of an uncouth voice. She began to speak again, and before she had well ended, the other voice speaketh as it were a long sentence, which though I understood not what it was, yet was so low and ghoustie, that I was certainly perswaded that it was another voice than hers. Besides, her Accent and manner of speaking was as if she had been speaking to some other, and that other voice to my best remembrance, did begin before she had closed, so that two voices were to be heard at once. 

By this time fear took hold on Alexander Sympson, being hindmost in the Stair, and thereby he cries out. I did exhort him with a loud voice not to fear; and so we came all of us down the stair, blessing GOD that had given me such a clearness in the business. They both who were with me declared, They had heard the uncouth low voice, both the times. Within a quarter of an hour I go up again, with two or three able men with me, and brought her down to the School, having placed six men to watch, where she remains at the time of my Writing hereof, November 30. obstinate and obdured, and I fear she shall be so to her death. 

Some special Providencies I observed in all these. 

First, That however we knew nothing at our first apprehending of her, but only that she was of a bad report, and had some boasting words to John Rankings wife, after which she dyed shortly, yet partly more and more light brake up until so many Presumptions were proven on her, as the Civil Magistrate did judge it equitable to put her to an Assize. (2) That Alexander Bogs came and found the Mark upon her, at that very nick of time, when there was an inclination to let her go free: which though it did not say much, yet it was a mean to keep her still in Prison. (3) That a Commission was granted upon more slender grounds, than any which had been granted before: and that the Lord keeped up the greatest evidence of her guilt, untill the Commission was obtained, and the day for the Assize appointed. (4) That the Commission being granted, I was in a great Strait, what to do, no less being presented to me than her Blood-guiltiness, if I should advise to condemn her, and the sparing of an enemy to GOD, if I should not advise. This made the mercy, in giving me so full clearing the more acceptable. (5) That GOD did make all other means misgive which I did use, untill he should clear me by these, wherein more of himself was soon. (6) That before he gave me clearing, I was made to engadge my self, to a special Observation of his most remarkable Providences towards me. (7) That I had often thoughts to use these means of trying her, by going to watch in the night, if I could hear the Devil and her conferring together, but was always hindred until this time, having no such resolution, when I was coming out from her, but only a present purpose to stand but a little, not thinking to hear any thing of this kind, and if she had not presently begun to speak, I would have gone away. (8) That I my self was present at the hearing of their conference. If it had been any other, I would neither have been so fully satisfied my self, nor yet others who should hear of it. (9) That not only I, but two with me did hear also, which will make a legal proof. (10) That I was born up with courage all the time acting Faith in GOD, that the Foul Spirit should not have power to do us harm, though he was so near unto us. (11) That I heard as much as did give full clearing, that it was another voice, though I could not get any of the words understood. The Lord thinking it sufficient to loose me out of my strait, though he would not satisfy my Curiositie. (12) Though I could not get the words understood, yet there was as much evidence as made it clearly appear, it was another voice than hers. 

As first, that we heard twice. And (2) that three of us did so think. (3) That I was in courage, and so my judgement not jumbled by any fearful apprehensions. (4) That the Accent and way of her discourse, and in what we did understand of it, was not after the manner, how one regrates a thing to himself, but of one conferring with another. (5) That the other Voice was to my certain hearing of a different Accent from hers, so hollow and ghoustie, that it was as easie to me to put a difference between them in the mean time, as between the Voice of a Man and the Voice of a Child. (6) That to my best Remembrance the Uncouth Voice began before she ended, so that two Voices were to be heard at once. Lastly, Alexander Sympson, understood their language, and afterward did depone the words judicially. 

It is good (1) For folk to hold on in doing of dutie, though they foresee insuperable difficulties before they come to the end of it. Let a man go on till he come to the difficulty, and ere he come that far on, GOD will remove it. (2) Its good in asking Mercies to engadge the heart to some duties of thankfulness, upon the granting of them. (3) How zealous is the Devil to get Souls damned. That though he be of an excellent substance, of great natural Parts, long Experience, and deep understanding, yet he will so far inslave himself to poor Miscreant Bodies, as to be ready at their call, to discourse and keep Company with them, that at the last he may get them. (4) How serviceable and trustie so ever the Devil seems to be unto Witches, yet he cares not to insnare them at the last: for he could not but know, that we were waiting on to hear him and her: so that on purpose he hath entered in discourse with her, that she might be taken in the Grin. 

I come to some other remarkable passages concerning Elizabeth Graham before her death, giving evidence that she was most guilty of Witch craft, though she died obstinate, and would not confess. Upon Saturday night, November 13. she seemed to incline to a Confession, and promised to William Wat to tell me to morrow after sermon all that was in her heart. At which time, I had none with me, but William Wat. When I spake to her, She regrated her mispent time, but especially her malice towards myself; which she affirmed the Devil tempted her to. All which time she spake with a very low voice, that although I desired her to speak out, we could scarcely hear her. Whereupon, I enquired the Reason, why she was not able to speak louder? She replyed, that when she set her self to speak any thing that was for her Souls good, she dought not get spoken. These were her words. But if she would scold and flyte, as she used to do, the Devil would give her strength enough to speak as loud as ever she did. Within a little I posed her, if she was guilty of Witch-Craft? She stareth with her eyes by me, first to the one side, and then to the other: at which time, I think certainly she saw the Devil. For immediately after, she began to rail upon me, although she had confessed her malice at me, was partly the cause of her greatest grief, and still as she went on in railling, her voice became stronger and stronger, till at last, she spake as loud as ever she did. 

Upon Munday before noon, she was most bitter in her Language. I posed her, what grounds of confidence she had, if it would be well with her Soul? She answered, she had no grounds yet; for she had lived a wicked woman, and had not yet repented; but she hoped, she would get Heaven, and get repentance, and a change wrought in her: and though she was to live but a short while, she was sure of it, and that I would soon see it. I thought in the mean time she had spoken that in her rage. But after, I perceived the Devil and she had an further design in it, as appears by what follows. That same day afternoon they came, and told me, that she had fallen to pray, and had many gracious words, expressing her own vileness, and the sense she had of GODS Mercy, and with tears, in which strain she continued till after supper. I came then to see her, at which time she was continuing still as before in aggreging her sin, and guilt, and shewing her hopes of Salvation, and her desire to die, and all alongs she had such pithy expressions, and Scripture so often, and plentifully cited, that I was put to wonder; considering that I had ever found her altogether ignorant of the grounds of Religion, both before and after she was put into Prison. 

After I had wondered at it a while, without speaking to her, considering what she had foretold so confidently before noon, I concluded in my own mind, that it was a draught between the Devil and her, to fenzie Repentance in such an odd way, that we might be deceived; being made to think, that she was not a Witch, else she would confess it, seing GOD had given her Repentance. 

Whereupon I seriously considering the matter, I posed her of guiltinesse, she confessed all the particulars of the Processe, which did not certainly conclude her to be a Witch, but for the rest of the particulars, she denyed, as also the Crime of Witch-craft it self. However, she said, she knew she would die, and desired not to live; and she thought we would be free before GOD of her blood, because, that however she was free, yet there were so many things deponed against her, that though it was hard for us to think otherwise of her than we did, yet she knew well enough her own innocency. 

Thus I have written all these particulars, as I found them in the Authentick Record written by the Ministers own hand. She was soon after executed, and died without any acknowledgement of Witchcraft.