John Webster The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft 1677

Career

Worked as a doctor but became preacher

1632 ordination

Had studied chemistry and medicine at Gresham College - interested in scientific method

Civil War - chaplain and surgeon in Parliamentary army, by 1648 left CofE

Became nonconformist, after Civil War preached at Yorkshire churches and engaged in public debates

Republican government siezed his books due to religious views and he gave up preaching for medicine, then began preparing book

Attitude

Similar to Ady, agreed that beliefs not founded in Bible should be rejected

Written in response to other authors who claimed witch hunts legitimate

Intended to rebuff Glanvill - Demon Drummer and Meric Causaubon, leading figure in post-restoration intellectual world and write in defence of dominant view that witchcraft was genuine

Evidence

Witches exist but unable to command supernatural powers

Did carry out evil acts using own power not Devil’s help

Critical of DD, Mompesson reponsible, Pendle Swindle, Edmund Robinson instructed to bring charges against accused witches - actually met Robinson when curate at Kildwick Church in Yorkshire and able to see firsthand, boy hastily taken away when Webster tried to ask

Roland Jenks case 1577

Catholic bookseller from Oxford imprisoned for selling Catholic literature, said to have uttered a curse at his trial and within a few days hundreds including members of jury and two judges suddenly died - really typhus, at the time thought that Jenks responsible through socery

Webster blames Jenks but denies withcraft, natural poisons, all harm done can be attributed to natural causes

Impact

Relatively well recieved, engaged in public intellectual debate through pamphlets and books

Oxford academic Seth Ward and John Wilkins royal society founding member wrote responses

Also wrote on chemistry and many sciences - taken seriously by RC, methodical approach represented dawning of new age of reason

Derivative of Weyer and Scot? No progress?

Trevor-Roper - witch craze only declined as power of clergy declined, that’s why continued longer in Catholic countries ?