Sceptical Publications: Samuel Harsnett - 1599

Question 1

What was his publication titled?

Answer 1

‘A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of john Darrell’

Question 2

What makes Harsnett important?

Answer 2

He witnessed the trial of John Darrell and Thomas Darling.

Question 3

What was the main argument he put forward?

Answer 3

The practice of misleading people through the use (or supposed use) of magic is nothing new and can be traced back to ancient times.

Question 4

Who did he criticise?

Answer 4

The Catholic Church:

• Priests claim to carry out miracles too easily.
• Too quick to perform rituals, thinking this will solve everything.
• They are heretics: claim to cast out devils through exorcism, however only God can do this and they take credit.

Question 5

What did Section 1 state?

Answer 5

He surveyed the people Darrell exorcised, claiming him to be immoral and sinful.

Question 6

What did he outline in Section 2?

Answer 6

Outlines how Darrell had instructed Somers to feign possessions and how they conspired to fake an exorcism.

Question 7

How about Section 3?

Answer 7

Somers’ fits were nothing extraordinary.

Also tells of how Somers had confessed about the fraud - Darrell implored him to revoke it.

Question 8

What does Section 4 say?

Answer 8

Harsnett discredits Somers’ fits.

Somers could not suddenly speak Greek or Latin as has been claimed.

Question 9

And finally, Section 5?

Answer 9

Darrell instructed Darling to act possessed.

Question 10

What did Harsnett’s publication lead to?

Answer 10

The Pamphlet War.

Question 11

What, in essence, was the Pamphlet War?

Answer 11

It prompted a wider debate about witchcraft and possession.

Question 12

Pamphlet War: What was written in 1600?

Answer 12

Darrell retaliated:

‘A detection of the sinful, shaming, lying and ridiculous discours of Samuel Harsnett’

Question 13

Pamphlet War: Who were John Deacon and John Walker, and what did they say?

Answer 13

They were Puritan ministers who began questioning the possibilities of exorcisms in their 1601 pamphlet:

• Devil could not possess others as only God had this power.
• Demanded evidence from Darrell that he had the power to exorcise.

Question 14

Pamphlet War: How did Darrell respond to Deacon and Walker?

Answer 14

His response was that he had witnessed possessions.

Question 15

How was the Pamphlet War important?

Answer 15

It was important in the questioning of demonic possession and its cure through exorcising, fasting and prayer.

Question 16

What demonstrates limited impact of the War?

Answer 16

Darrell was still respected and had much support.
Bishop of Exeter claimed Darrell could perform acts through his godly devotion and the sceptics were motivated by jealousy.
The sceptic opinion was in the MINORITY.

Question 17

Was the Pamphlet War purely a case of factional Church warfare?

Answer 17

On the one hand, it appears so as Darrell was Puritan and Harsnett a CofE conformist.
However, the backing of Harsnett from two Puritan ministers shows this to be more complex than on first inspection. Also, Harsnett was deeply anti-Catholic, blaming them for witchcraft accusations, solely.

Question 18

Was his publication significant in scepticism around witchcraft?

Answer 18

No.
It focussed on exorcisms mainly - beliefs around witches remained intact.
1604 canon: No exorcisms without a license.
Further, his views remained in the minority.

Question 19

What can you argue shows importance?

Answer 19

The Pamphlet War did ask questions around the possibility of demonic possession.
Future scholars would pick up on these ideas - didn’t fit with the later materialist view.