THE DOCTRINE OF DEVILS, PROVED To be the grand Apostasy of these later Times. An ESSAY tending to rectify those Undue Notions and Apprehensions Men have about DAEMONS AND EVIL SPIRITS.  
LONDON: Printed for the Author, and are to be sold at the Kings-Arms in the Poultry, 1676.   

TO THE READER.  
THat the Doctrine here in this Treatise maintained, is not unnecessary, will be easily concluded by all those that are any way concerned in the interest and honour of the blessed Lord Jesus Christ; when they consider how basely is abused, villainously handled, and cruelly mangled; what wounds and bruises, what mutibations, and even decollations, and that in the house of his friends, such at least, as pretend themselves Christians, he hath received: we have no comfort donbtless but by Christ; nor by Christ unless it be by whole Christ, sound Christ: Christ divided, maimed, or mutilated, can do us no good: A bone of him must not be broken: nor may an atomical fragment of him be lost. And yet if we observe, we may find some, not only breaking his bones, or tearing him piece meal one joint from another, but even breaking his heart, by rending his Godhead from his manhood, or nullifying one joint, one part, one excellency, one attribute or other, that essentially belonged to one of these. Of old some there were who despoiled him of his body: others indeed allowed him a body, but a body brought from heaven, made of celestial matter: others but a body framed out of the Elements, not a humane body, or a body partaking any thing of an earthly mother. Some contended his body was merely a phantasm, without any reality at all: a delusive apparition. We may not forget the Mono●helites, that would not allow him, as man, any Will; nor yet pass over the Apollonatists, who though they allowed him a body, denied utterly, that he had any Soul. The Nestorians divided him into two distinct persons each perfectly complete, subsisting in themselves apart, a God, and a man, without any personal union of the Natures: so making us indeed two Christ's (are we not beholding to them?) instead of one; though indeed making us more than one, they left us none at all. But than came Eutiches, and he takes away both Godhead and manhood at once, in a sort: for while he confusedly jumbles both Nature's together, he makes him neither God nor man perfectly, but some third thing, though what, they know not, nor any man else, unless it were a confused Chaos; nor flesh nor fish, nor good Red Herring.  Quaque erat & tellus, illic & pontus & nes. 
But I must not forget the Arians: they seemed indeed to deal a little better with him; for as they never denied him to be something; first a man, so they acknowledge him too to be God indeed; but than 'twas but a deified God, a God by grace and purchase, not by nature and essence; that is, a God, and no God. A Sacrilegist, one that being but a creature in himself, was so bold, as to challenge not the name and title only, but the honour, essence, and incommunicable attributes of the supreme Godhead. I need name no more, this is enough to show, how well they used him of old.  
But how is he used now? why truly (which could scarce be thought of) altogether as bad: Christ hath still enemies, and several armies of them that march up to confront him. The first are the Socinians, these lead the van, requiring him to lay by his Godhead, and in effecth is Priesthood too. This is a blow to the head. Then came the Familists, the spawn of Henry Nicholas, who think to puff him off into mere fume and smoke, as a mere Allegory; these lay their axe to the root of the tree, and endeavour to destroy him root and branch at once, making him scarce any better than a mere nothing. The Antinomians come next, and these deal worse with him than the former: for while they say, He imposeth no Laws, leaving his Proselytes to be lawless and licentious libertines, they make him to be a wicked thing (God, man, or devil, no matter which); a wicked thing, which ever it be) is worse than nothing: this is a deadly thrust too. A fourth sort follows, I know not what to call them, Novalists, Enthusiasts, or Quakers; I know not which term to give them, or whether they may not deserve all these: These, as I said follow: for from the wild heterodoxes of the former they have with the addition of rudeness, impudence, ignorance, and nonsense, patched up a something or a nothing,— from or with the Socinians they account him but a mere man, at least some calling him, The man that suffered at Jerusalem; and with the Nicholaitans they account him but a Quality, an Ignis fatuus, a mere illusion, a light within them, which is not much better than an Allegory, or rather worse; and with the Antinomians, they respect no laws of King or Keisar, nor Christ neither in his Gospel, but the dictates of their own fanatic brains: is not this worse than what Pilate abhorred, Shall I crucify your King? it is a crucifying or worse, even a mutilating, an annihilating of our King, our Christ, our God. For the Popeling, I need not say any thing, it hath been often enough proved to them, That by their preferring the Blessed Virgin before him, as to their Addresses to her more than unto him, her compassion and comfort which they suppose she affords them more than He: while they worship the Picture with the same worship they do the divine person, with many other particulars; they ungod him, and bring him into the condition of a creature, while they make a creature equal, if not superior to him in any excellency or perfection; their magnifying his body into an immensity sometimes; and then again at the same time minifying him into the smallest atoms of a wafer cake, they nullify his manhood. As for his Kingly office, their dispensing with his, and ordaining others, contrary to his Laws; their abrogating his Doctrines, and substituting new and contrary; their offering up a wafer cake for the expiating the sins both of quick and dead, take away all his offices. But it is the Demonologists I am set against now in special; who notwithstanding all their pretences to the contrary, abuse Christ as much as any of the rest; for while they equalise the Devil, yea even Witches with him, for stupendious and miraculous operations, they cut off his head, or ungod him, and what can be worse? He that debaseth a King unto the low degree of a common plebeian, exalting the plebeian to an equality of power with the King, maketh a King no King, but a mere pleibeian; and the plebeians no plebeians any longer, but so many Kings: so they that equalise devils with Christ for power, make Christ either no King for power, or at least devils for power Kings equal to Christ. This is not a bruising of his heel only, which is as much as the devil is said to do; but a breaking of his head, nay a crushing of his heel, head, heart, members, body, and all into atoms: are not these cruel handle, and manglings used against Christ? Sure the Godhead, as in all other Excellencies, so in power must have the pre-eminence, and be paramount, or else his power will not answer his other Excellencies (he should be lame on that side) nor befit the Godhead. But upon the suppositions of the Demonologists, the question may be justly put, Who the greater Miracler, Christ or Belial, Jesus or Beelzebub? and if equal Miracles, equal Gods, nay doubtless and he the greater God, who is the greater Miracler; which yet it seems may fall to the devil's share, and so the devil the only God, Christ none: for his power being gone, or but equalised, much more if exceeded his Godhead is gone doubtless. This is not bruising his heel, nor breaking his head, but a running him quite thorough, bowels, brain, heart and all. I know they dress him a poor, paltry, cold pultise of marks, and intentions, and aims,— but it doth not so much as cool, or cover, much less cure the wound, and thus they leave him. Is not this hard usage? and yet when by their comments they subject him so to the devil's insolency, as that he is content it seems with patience and pusillanimity, or cowardice enough, to be kicks and spurned from post to pillar, from prow to poop, like a football, (though there be nothing imaginable to urge or to answer so great a debasement) from desert to pinnacle, from pinnacle to peak, and from peak to desert again; me seems they used him worse yet: but I meddle not with this now; to the former only I propose my dissonant sentiments in this Treatise; and is it not needful? for if his enemies be left alone, they will take away at last both name and memory; for what is left of him already, when every of these have taken his bite, his morsel, more than was of Jezabel, the scull, the feet, the palms of the hands? If we will indeed have Christ any longer, 'tis fit we look after him, to preserve what is left, and recover if possible what hath been snatched off from him; 'tis high time to endeavour this especially when the Chaplains and Champions of his grand enemy are so numerous, every Pamphleter almost giving a snap, or a snarl to him, but scarce one that so much as takes up a stone to cast at these curs; or if any do, he shall be branded strait for a Somatist, a Saduce, an Antiscripturist, yea, an Atheist; but such froth sent upwards, returns upon the faces of them that vomit it. I shall say no more in vindication of the undertake, Here is a short extract of what may be more largely expressed hereafter consider and judge, Christian Reader; and if thou be a Reader truly Christian, conclude thou wilt, That the opinion here maintained, is not unnecessary, or unseasonable in these times.   

The Doctrine of Devils, or the grand Apostasy, etc.  1 TIM. 4.1, 2. 1. Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter days, some shall departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils: 2. Speakinglyes in hypocrisy, having their consciences seared with a hot iron, 

CHAP. I. Sir, you thought me too rigid, I thought I had been too remiss; This Text will decide the point, Whether this Doctrine of Devils, and Witchcraft, be not Demonomany, or the greatest Apostasy, that ever was, is, or can be, even in the worst of times?  
THat these are the last times is no question, That in these last times, this Scripture hath been fulfilled in our ears, is altogether out of question. For our ears sure, have in these last times been filled full, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with Discourses, our eyes with Romances, and our heads with the Doctrine and belief of strange, and incredible things, of, about, and concerning Devils and Daymons. From whence in consequence, our Land of late, in the Rebellious times at least (not these of our Restauration I hope) hath been defiled and polluted, with blood of Innocents'; and thence, I think it follows, beyond all controversy, or question: That the Doctrine of Devils, is a most abominable Heterodox: yea, without this consequence of bloodguiltiness (which yet no doubt must aggravate), once, this it is an Apostasy, the great, or greatest that ever was in the World, or peradventure ever shall, or can be. The Apostasy of these days, when all things grow worse and worse, the very dregs of all the former Apostasies; an Apostasy, not from an innocent ceremony, an adiaphorous, circumstantial, or laudable custom of the Church, in the external worship of the most august God; but from a fundamental one: not from one such only, but from many, the most, and most needful, if not from all such. viz. From all these Truths mentioned, chap. 3. vers. 16. The mystery of godliness, viz. The manifestation of God in the flesh, his power, his augustness, his universal goodness, his general comfort to the World, and his glory; in a word, an Apostasy from all these things, that should maintain, and uphold Christ's honour: And an Apostasy from all those comforts, benefits, and beatitudes, that we could expect by him: This is clear all of it; and this also, that it is such an Apostasy, that God had an especial mind, desire, and care to prevent and caution the Church against. The spirit speaketh it; The Spirit, not some Martyr, Doctor, Apostle, or Preacher; as either Paul, Apollo, Cephas, nay, nor any Angel from Heaven, these might all err. And he will not trust them barely with such a point, but speaks it himself, The spirit speaketh; and that not only tacitly intimateth, or in obscure terms hinteth, but plainly, openly, clearly; and that not in dark Parables, Similes, Allegories, or enigmatical intimations, upon the imagination, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in express terms, plain words; as a friend expresseth himself to his friend, mouth to mouth audibly: And what the Spirit opposeth itself against, so directly, so plainly, so distinctly, so immediately, must needs be a most transcendent, abominable, and prodigious villainy. In a word, it is an Apostasy from the chief fundamentals of Christian Religion; which as it is the highest crime that can be committed, as being a deserting, a renouncing, and as it were abjuring of these points, that are most necessary for the upholding of God's Honour, and the comfort of our Salvation: So it is attended, with the most fearful consequents, irremissibility, and damnation inevitable, if perpetual. If we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but— Heb. 10.26. Which Text, as it is but rigorously legal, and cruelly Boanergical, to apply it to every sin after conversion; so it is a merciless pity, an unconscionable levity, a sowing Pillows under men's Armholes, and the strengthening of the hands of most desperate sinners, not to apply it to Apostasy, and to this Apostasy in special; yea, though it be not absolute and general. And indeed it may deserve their consideration (and that, their best) that are concerned in it, Whether they that embrace this Doctrine of Devils, be not Witches indeed, both in Scripture-sense, and their own too; since they renounce Christ, God, and their Truths in many points (and owning the Devil) would persuade others to do the like? So that I think, though there be many other great crying sins in the World, in this our World too, our Church and State, yet none greater, none so great as this; and therefore I may fitly, nay, must out of necessity (and woe unto me if I did not) set myself, especially, against this most desperate, and most dangerous Heterodox.   

CHAP. II. It is hard to eradicate this opinion, concerning Devils out of men's minds.  
ANd though I know it will be an Herculean labour, and as hard a task as to whiten a Black-moor, or despunge the spots of a Leopard, to eradicate this Doctrine of Devils from men's hearts, (since they have so long, and so strongly imbibed and sucked in this poison, and since some Learned Men, and Doctors (who writ Christian) lay it down as a fundamental of their Creed, a point necessarily to be believed to Salvation; since there are so many seduced Spirits, and Spirits that seduce; so many that speak lies in hypocrisy, and so many that delight in hypocritical lies (having I fear, their Consciences seared with an hot Iron) since 'tis so hard and difficult to do this, I say, and almost impossible that I should do any good; yet since too, that which is impossible with Men, is easy and facile to be effected with God, yea, by Man in the concurrence of God): Yet will I on. Who can tell, but that there be Seven thousand Men yet, that have not, will not, dare not bow the knee to Baal in this great Apostasy? Or if they have, will yet upon warning given, return, repent, and recant? But should it be otherwise, yet, Liberavi animam meam, I have discharged mine own Conscience, and my reward may be with the Lord, though Israel be not gathered: This without question; Christ's sheep will hear his voice, and for the rest, they shall one day know to the confusion of their faces, to the anguish and consternation of their Souls and Consciences, That there hath been a Prophet among them.   

CHAP. III. What this Doctrine of Devils is, and first negative, what it is not.  
I Need not stop to prove that these are the latter times, as I said, nor that in these latter times iniquity shall abound, nor that then desperate Opinions, hellish Doctrines, and damnable Heresies will be broached, abound, and be entertained. This is plain, Acts 20.30. 2 Pet. 2.1. But we need go no further than this present Text: The spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter days some shall departed from the faith.— Apostasy, Apostasy from the Doctrine of Christ, to the Doctrine of Devils, will be rife in the latter days. Now the spirit speaketh expressly, That in the latter days, some shall departed from— This is it then that I pitch upon, That the belief, entertainment, or attention to the Doctrine of Devils, is the highest, grossest, and most abominable Apostasy that ever was, or shall be: It is the Apostasy of the latter times. There is no darkness nor difficulty in the terms, plain and easy all to be understood. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, are Doctrines, Positions, or Teachings, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of Devils or Daymons, good or bad, Angels or Fiends. The worship of Angels is an Idolatrous Apostasy, and the Doctrine of Devils is no better, but much worse: And here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, most properly, must signify not Angels at all, but Devils. Nor this Apostle, nor any of the rest indeed, in all their Epistles, ever using this word distinctly for Angels, or comprehensively, as including Angels or Devils; but for Devils still distinctly, or bad Angels. The Helots' were once Freemen of Laconia, but for some misdemeanour lost their freedom, and were made Slaves. Will any Man now that hears of the Helots', think, That the Knights and Gentlemen of Lacedaemon are meant by that term? For though in some catechrestical sense, the whole Nation of the Lacedæmonians may be signified by that word, Helots', yea, the Gentlemen and Knights too possibly, to grant this also; yet that the Helots' should signify the Gentlemen exclusively, in respect of those Slaves, were very harsh: The term properly belonging to the Slaves, not to the Gentlemen of that Country. So when the Apostle tells us there will be strange Doctrines concerning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifying properly and generally, Devils rather than Angels) will any Man think that the Apostle means Angels exclusively in respect of Devils, and not Devils rather, or at least Devils as well as Angels; and this taste for my Opinion is enough. Besides, it is here put in opposition to those Angels, that looked upon, admired and adored Christ, as manifested in the Flesh, Chap. 3.16. The good Angels adore and admire him, for the incomprehensible Mysteries and wonderful benefits that come in, of, by, or through his Incarnation, and for the excellency of his power shown in stupend operations, for the good, the exceeding great good of his Church, far above all that they could do, yea think or dream of. Thus was he preached to the Gentiles, believed on generally in the World, and for this, or thus, was he received deservedly into the highest Glory. But in the latter days some will be so far from holding this Truth, That they will give heed to such Doctrines concerning Devils that will make them as honourable as Christ himself, equalizing them and him, if not preferring them before him, for power and mightiness of operations, as though these Devils deserved to be Canonised as well, and exalted to the right Hand of the Majesty on high. This may be the Paraphrase.  
All the scruple is in the Grammar of the Text, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or any other preposition, The Doctrine of Devils. It is possible some may be (and yet it is a wonder any should be) so stupid, as to think that doctrine of Devils intimates the doctrines preached by Devils, They (the Devils) the Doctors, the Preachers and Promulgators of some Doctrines, and the audible Trumpeters of them: but this is a wild interpretation, for it supposeth, 1. That Devils are speaking things, have the Instruments of Speech, can speak distinctly, and articulately what they will; and yet they are mere Spirits, immaterial and incorporeal Substances. A Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones, as ye see me have, Luke 24.39. 2. They should have the Pulpits and exercise there publicly; but How then should we know whether we ever heard a true Minister of the Gospel evangelizing it; or else fiends from Hell demonizing still. 3. This speech of the Spirit, would not seem to be so true; but rather improbable and incredible, since in One Thousand Six Hundred Years and more when we be come into the very last Times, we never hear of any such thing in truth; nor can possibly conceive how it can be: but yet the doctrine of Demons hath been rife, general and Catholic this thirteen or fourteen hundred years, and almost  entertained. 4. One part of the Spirits caution here thus should seem vain, frivolous and needless, though it be ushered in with most grave, and in most solemn terms: Now the spirit speaketh expressly. And who after such a preparation, or preamble, would not expect some wonderful strange or unusual things to follow, yea, some things that were inconceivable, or incredible without such a Divine Revelation? And yet one part of this wonderful Revelation should be but this, That Devils would speak lies in hypocrisy, and have their Consciences seared,— which is a thing no Man can doubt of; if Devils speak, they'll speak lies, as being liars and hypocrites from the beginning; and that their Consciences are seared with an hot Iron, who can doubt, that considers what they are, Devils? 5. Forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from meats, are things we know that came in, not by the Pulpetting of Devils, (though possibly, or rather but possibly by their suggestion) but by or through men's superstition, and covetousness. 6. One special means, and possibly the only means, That the Apostle proposeth here for the prevention of this Doctrine of Devils, is, To Refuse profane and old wives tales, vers. 7. Refuse, reject, and contemn those, and such Fables as those, the fictions of Poets, the legends of Romances, and wild Dreams of Dotards. Without giving heed to such things, Men had never been seduced into the credulity of this mad Doctrine, but attending to, and believing of such wild conceits, it is almost impossible, but that they must be seduced into such Heterodoxes. We have a notable example of this, in the second of Nice, (by some called the seventh general Council) wherein, there were by some most Grand and Reverend Men (as they are counted) such wild, mad, shameless, and incredible lies reported; that a Man of any Wit, Reason, or but common sense, would think the reporters most impudent Liars, that they Vied who should invent the most shameless figments; and that they were mad and senseless Idiots, that would, or could believe them: And yet by these most monstrous fables, confirmed they that Idolatry of Image-worship. See how much profane and old Wives tales, the dreams, lies, & dotages of Men will prevail if harkened unto: And therefore was it a needful Caveat of the Apostle to prescribe (Refusing profane, and old wives tales) for the preventing of this wild Doctrine, the Doctrine of Devils. If it be well observed 'twill be found undeniably true, That the ground and rise of this opinion, was altogether from such Tales as the Council of Ancyra plainly declares. 7. The words, Profane and old wives tales, seem to be set in opposition to these in the former verse (words of faith and good doctrine): As also the hearkner to such Tales, to be opposed to a good Minister of Christ, nourished up in the words of Faith and good Doctrine; he must refuse profane and old Wives fables, and thus shall he be secure against this damnable Doctrine of Devils; and Apostasy from the fundamentals of Christian Religion: Profane and old Wives tales being the chief, if not only means of being seduced in this particular. 8. All the particulars of this Prophecy, are in our sense evidently fulfilled already: E. G. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, giving heed to seducing spirits, and giving heed to the Doctrine of Devils or Daymons: For what is there that is more generally entertained both in Papistry, yea, and in Protestantism too; than doting and dangerous, if not damnable Doctrines, concerning Angels, Genii, Spirits, Souls of men spreeting, Fiends, Devils,— which may be all called Daymons. This Prophecy in our sense, is fulfilled evidently enough in all the particulars; but not one particular of it so much, no not one, in Sixteen hundred years fulfilled, if by Doctrines of Devils, Devils in the Pulpit, Preaching Devils, be understood: For in all this time, we do not yet read in any tolerable Author, yea, or Legendist, of so much as one Devil, that ever Preached so much as one Sermon, or vented one Doctrine out of the Pulpit, nor that forbade Marriage, or commanded by his Doctrine to abstain from Meats. I will not hence infer, That those Doctrines (that forbidden marriage, and command to abstain from meats) are tolerable still hitherto; because it cannot yet be proved, that they were the Dictates or Doctrines of Devils Pulpetting it: But this I will say, That it is more honourable, august, and creditable to the spirit of Truth, That such an interpretation should be embraced concerning his words, as may make them consonant to Truth by the event, at least within the compass of Sixteen hundred years, in one particular at least: Not such a one, as that in all that long, large and vast tract of Time, there can be found not one particular instance for the proof, so much as of one particular of these several predicated, to be fulfilled, likely to be fulfilled, or countenanced by the success; but this might very well have been passed over as a mere Need-not: But that some men are mad in their opinions, conceits, and dreams; and as That was, so it is absurd, to say, That the suggesting, or injecting of wicked Doctrines into men's hearts, is that which is here meant. Let it be at present supposed (and no Demonologist I think will oppose the supposition) That the Devil then did, and now doth, inject wicked thoughts, heresies, villainies into men's hearts; yet then, he being equally Devil, and Men equally seduceable by him, then, as now, That he should inject villainies more multitudinous for number, or more abominable for nature, now, than then, can hardly be supposed. 2. It is the general opinion of Demonologers, That by Obsession, and Possession, the Devil domineered more unrestrainedly over the World in the Primitive times, than in these latter; and if so, Why not by injections too as much? I see not. 3. That Doctrines as wild, were broached about the time the Apostles wrote, as ever were in any time afterward (except it be this Doctrine of Devils here spoken of) is beyond controversy, as is evident by the mad Doctrines of the Simonianis, Pyletii, Hyminaei, Alexandrii, Nicholaitani, Pythagoraei, Gaulonitae, Nazaraei, Judaeo-Pagani, Mosco-Christiani, Platonici, Hermogonistae, Pharisaei, Sadducaei, Essaei, Herodianis, Egyptii, Gnostici.— 4. Again, had the Apostle meant Doctrines suggested by Devils, or Doctrines so wicked and abominable, as none but Devils would, or could be supposed the Authors of them, he might have said, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, devilish Doctrines, or, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Endoctrinating or Teaching Devils; as afore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, deceiving spirits. And yet 5. I add, The Doctrines here by the Apostle mentioned, are but poor, small, petty, trivial, and inconsiderable Heterodoxes, in comparison of those broached concerning Devils in these latter days: What are Prohibitious of Marriage, and Injunctions for the abstinence from some kind of meats, in comparison of comparing, yea, of preferring of Saints and Martyrs, yea, Devils and Witches, and abhor such base Varlets with, or before Christ, for stupendious miracles? Did the Holy Ghost speak so expressly against those lesser, smaller, pettyer and more trivial Heterodoxes, and omit to speak against those greater, grosser, more villainous, yea, most blasphemous, most idolatrous, and most sacrilegious Doctrines? 6. Some of the Ancients, as Epiphanius by name, adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Fables or idle Tales, and Doctrines of Devils; somewhat consonant to that, ver. 7. Refuse profane and old wives fables. Doth not this show the subject, not the delators of those Fables? Old Wives, old Granam's, old Gossips, old Mother Midnights, will spend whole Nights and Days, in Tales and Fables concerning Devils and Daymons. 7. (Giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils): As well followed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which may very, nay most properly may, if not, must be rendered, by or through the hypocrisy, knavery, or deceit of Liars, Fablers or Tale-tellers: Somewhat answerable to what we read, Eph. 4.14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉;— And Rev. 18.23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by the Legends, Fictions, and monstrous Fables, of Monks, Friars, and other such vain varlets, are the People seduced into most absurd opinions concerning Devils. These words here, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 21.27. Intimate but one and the selfsame kind of Persons, Fablers, Taletellers, Inventors or Forgers of Lies, the broaching or suggesting of such Doctrines by Devils, cannot be then the thing here meant. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is, by or through here, intimating the cause, instrument, or means, as in the places above cited; Eph. 4.14. Rev. 18.23. and many hundred places besides.   

CHAP. IU. What the Doctrine of Devils is in the Affirmative.  
THese words then, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I interpret, Doctrines of, about, or concerning Devils, though without a Preposition, as intimating the Subject not the Authors, the Matter not the Doctors, the De quibus, not the Per quos; so we say, Historia animalium, the History of Animals, not that the Animals wrote the History, but that the History was written of, about, or concerning Animals: So Legenda Sanctorum, Doctrina Philosophorum; and thus the Prophet too, Quasi Luctum unigeniti, as the sorrow of an only Son, not sorrowing, but sorrowed for, Amos 8.10. And this Elleiptical way of speaking, by the omission of a word, especially of a Preposition, is elegant, and in Scripture often used. As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, John 11.44. So, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Heb. 5.1. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is omitted. So, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Mark 6.7. 'Tis a mad and wild gift Christ gave his Disciples, he gave them the power of unclean Devils; thus it runs, without the supplement of the Preposition, yet is not the Preposition inserted, but must be understood; and the sense is clear and plain, he gave them power over unclean Spirits. Here too, vers. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Nay, and vers. 3. One principle verb or leading word is altogether omitted: Forbidding to marry and to abstain from meats, the sense is harsh and unsavoury, unless we supply (commanding, or some such word) and commanding to abstain from meats. So would this sentence be harsh too, and odd if we read thus; Giving heed to doctrines of Devils, speaking lies in Hypocrisy: So joining, Per appositionem, speaking lies and Devils together, as one thing, the Revelation would be ridiculous, as afore. The Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must of necessity be supplied of, about, or concerning Devils: And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too, if we stick to this expression, doctrine of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy. But the plainest and easiest reading is, as is intimated afore, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by the hypocrisy of lye-tellers; by the deceit, knavery, villainy and falsehood of Legendists, Tale-forgers, and Fable-faggaters; and thus, Devils or Daymons must be the subjects of those Fables, and lying Men the Authors. And now here thus we have a Prediction. 1. That the doctrine of Devils would be brought into the Church. 2. Men would be very apt to entertain this Doctrine. 3. The means, way or course, by which this Doctrine should be brought in, by forged lies, false inventions, and hypocritical fables: But this is not that that I mean, but that the broachers of this doctrine of Devils are so plainly described, and indigitated here, that we may as easily know, who they be that are here meant, as we can know a shaved Monk, or Friar by his shaved Crown, from an honest Man. 1. They are Liars, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 2. Prating Liars, venting their lies in words, and Prate, and Print, and Preach too. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 3. Upon a knavish design; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 4. A spiritual knavery, or knavery in respect of spiritual things. Hypocrisy in Scripture-phrase, is used to express a knavery of such a kind most commonly. 5. Shameless Liars, though they know their prate to be mere lies, yet will they not conceal, but loquaciously, impudently, boldly vent them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 6. As Brazenfaced, so Iron-hearted, Having their consciences seared as with— not caring what mischief, even to men's Souls, they do by their abominable lies. And yet, 7. The broachers of this doctrine of Devils are further yet pointed at in these words, Forbidding to marry, and a commanding to abstain from meats.— Now if there have not heretofore been, and yet now are, many such broachers in whom all the particulars  do meet, within the Popedom; if there have not been, and yet are even in Protestantdom some too, that have, and do give heed to such doctrines, then is not this Prophecy as yet, nor ever will, in any sort be fulfilled: But it is as clear as the light even at noonday, That there are an abundance of such Doctors or broachers of this doctrine in the Popedom, as appears by those volumes of Legends, those decades of Romances, those huge tomes of Fables that have been obtruded upon the World, by Monks, Friars, and other shavelings there: It appears also by the many farthels, faggots and bundles of Scribbles, though by Divines, Doctors, and Philosophers among Protestants, in vindication of that doctrine; That there are an abundance of broachers and Doctors, as well as Sheepish followers and Apish imitators, who give heed to this doctrine of Devils: So that the Spirit needed indeed to speak expressly against it; and against it here. Here he doth speak expressly; but though so expressly against it, he hath and doth still speak; yet some will Teach, and others give good heed to it: So apt eager and wilful are Men, to refuse wholesome doctrines and the words of Truth, that their itching ears may be filled with profane Fables, incredible Lies, and monstrous Tales of old Wives, which turn them from the Truth, to the embracing of this doctrine of Devils. This interpretation is consonant to Grammar, to the letter of the Text, and is fully justified by the success in all the particulars, and therefore cannot I think, be excepted against. The doctrine of Devils, is the opinion, tenant, or Teach, of, about, or concerning Devils; their wonderful power, and most prodigious operations: This is the sum and drift of this Tract. There is not here any, the least intention so much as to insinuate, 1. That there be no Devils. Or 2. That they are not abominably villainous in themselves. Or 3. That they are not mischievous, to the utmost of their power, against Mankind: But only, That they have not such an unlimited, irresistible, and omnipotent power, as Demonologers idolatrously attribute to them; especially in Physical or natural things,  their power may be in respect of Morals. That is another question.   

CHAP. V The Doctrine of Devils abuseth the blessed Lord Jesus Christ mightily: And that first in general.  
THis doctrine of the unlimited power of Devils in naturals, thus by Christians entertained, is the highest and most abominable Apostasy, that ever was or can be in respect of Christ. We need go no further than this very Text for the proof of this. This Text no doubt is set in opposition to the last verse of the former Chapter; where the Apostle having spoken of the Mystery of Godliness by the manifestation of God in the flesh, the wonderful operations of this God-man Christ, the admiration Angels had for him, his universal goodness as offered to all Men, the belief that was generally throughout the World, against all credibility yielded unto him, his glorification, and in his, ours: He subjoins this, That there shall be a departing from the faith: What Faith? Why, from the Faith of the particulars before mentioned. However, in what shall this departure be manifested or shown? Why, in part and specially, by giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils: So that the giving heed to, the attending, observing, entertaining or believing of this doctrine of Devils, is a denying, refusing, rejecting of, or a departing from those great Mysteries and fundamental points of the Christian Religion: As particularly, a denying of, or a departing from, or a rejecting of that stupend miracle of Christ's Incarnation, and the benefits that proceed from it. 2. An abusing or vilifying of his most wonderful operations. 3. A taking off of that great admiration, that Angels had before justly of him. 4. A denial, or abusing of that universal goodness which he offered unto all mankind. 5. A vilifying of that wonderful reception of his Doctrine and Gospel throughout the World at the first Preaching, though for the strangeness of it to Man's natural and carnal understanding, so unlikely to be entertained. 6. The magnificence of his installation in Glory. He that turns Jew, Turk, Pagan, doth not possibly for substance abuse Christ worse, than he that hearty and in its latitude embraceth this doctrine of Devils, though he may indeed retain the name of Christian: The difference is only in the circumstance or manner, the one wilfully, desperately, obstinately; the other as 'tis hoped, but out of ignorance, inadvertency, mistake, and interpretatively: But the same substantial Apostasy in both.   

CHAP. VI This Doctrine of Devils draweth men off, particularly, from that most comfortable and fundamental Article of the Christian Creed: viz. The Incarnation of the Son of God.  
I Shall touch but upon some of the former particulars, the rest will easily be guest at, when it shall be manifested in some chief of these, That this doctrine of Devils draws men off from them. And first thus, The manifestation of God in the flesh, or the Hypostatical Union of the Godhead to the Manhood in one person, was heretofore, and now too still aught to be accounted, The great miracle of the World, The Miracle of Miracles, The most stupend Miracle that ever was, shall or can be wrought, by omnipotency itself; but if there be a possession of Men by Devils (as Demonologers give out, Preach, Print, Publish and Promulgate) then must this stupend and most miraculous work of Omnipotency shrink into nothing, or at least into Vnum e millibus, into an ordinary and common feat; it is but an ordinary usual and common prank, no more than Devils do, and can do every day, every hour,  if they please. It is possible that the Demonologers will strain hard, to wring out some nice, obscure, or critical difference between this true and unquestionable Union of the two natures in Christ, and this feigned one of Devils to Men; but certainly, if as Demonologers say, a Devil or an evil Fiend can act man's body, so as to move, carry, roodge, hurry, transport it as he pleaseth, make it light or heavy, quantitive or not quantitive, visible or invisible too, make it swim like a piece of Cork, dive like a Fish, fly like a Bird, the natural capacity of such a Person, yea his Reason, Will, Intellect, Judgement,— all the powers and faculties of his Soul, being not only guided, governed or directed by, but swallowed up and metamorphosed into the will, humour, nature, condition, inclination— of the Devil; the difference I suspect, will be very nice, or rather none at all. This once, the Apostle puts the Mysterium magnum upon this, That God was manifested in the flesh; and is not the Devil too, and that in his utmost Devilship, and that in the flesh also manifested, according to this feigned possession or incarnation which this doctrine of Devils attributeth to him.  
I have in another place touched upon the particular mode of the Hypostatical Union of the two natures in Christ, and have shown, That as that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Substantialiter; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inconverse; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indivise; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inconfuse; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communicative; and lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inseparate: So according to the doctrine of Devils is the coagulation of Devil to Man in the possessed, in all and every respect answerable. I shall therefore here now add but these few particulars. 1. That this Union of Devils to Men, in this supposed Possession, seems a more difficult, hard and more unintelligible miracle, than that of the two natures in Christ: That being but the coalescency of two Natures into one Person, this the jumbling together of two numerical distinct and subsistent persons into one Individual; There may in nature, as it were, be some kind of dark Adumbration of that; some instance in the Misseltoe growing out of, or upon, and subsisting in the Oak, without any proper subsistency of its own: But how well this agrees, let the Authors of the conceit well consider (There was, it is generally known, throughout this Kingdom) not many years since, a Person, that had another body, living creature, or (if you will) another Person growing out of his side, but subsisted merely by, and in the other Person, as a Ciens engrafted doth in the Tree: But best of all, is this the Hypostatical Union of the two Natures in Christ, adumbrated by the Union of the spiritual and corporeal parts in Man: For as the reasonable Soul and Flesh is one Man, so God and Man is one Christ, as the Athanasian Creed hath it. There be many resemblances of this it seems, but not any kind of adumbration as yet found in nature, how to shadow out the consubstantiation of two perfect, complete and subsistent individuals in one person: And yet, which is considerable too; 2. God thought it needful to send an Angel, even one of his mightiest, most honourable, most eloquent, and most powerful, even the Angel Gabriel, to the blessed Virgin herself, To persuade her into the belief of the possibility of that, whereas (they say) That the Union of Devils unto Man, is easily credible, and generally believed without half that trouble: Strange, That the stranger thing, should be more easily believed, than the easier! 3. But yet further, There was great ado, and much trouble about it, To unite Man to God, the omnipotency of the holy Ghost, and the power of the Almighty God were employed, and all needful for the effecting of it: Where the Devil (as the Ichneumon into the Crocodile) can slip into men's mouths with ease as they gape, and possess them wholly as their own members: And yet again 4. In the Judgement of God himself, It was needful, That much time, even Thirty years and more, should be spent, (I will not say, for the subjugating of the Manhood to an obediential subjection towards the Godhead, but) for the clearer manifestation of the reality of that Union; yea, and Three or four years of continual Miracles to boot: Where the Devil can incarnate himself, possess, or enter into a Person, make him subservient to his will, beck or nod, and manifest himself unquestionably to be the Dominus fac totum in the Person, and all that with the turn of a hand in an instant. 5. I might add God never did that Miracle but once, the Devil doth such as are parallel every way, and Super-paramount to it every week, and day, for many Thousand years together; so that in truth, the Devil seems to be the greater Miracler, as outdoing, out-going, outstretching the Omnipotent God, in that very particular that he counts his Masterpiece. God manifested in the flesh, is no such great Mystery, the Devil can, and doth do as great, or greater every day. Oh intolerable opinion! that yields such blasphemous results; Devilmongers' will no doubt disclaim this charge, but they shall never be able to evade the guilt.   

CHAP. VII. It undervalues Christ's Miracles, in that it allows Ejection of evil Spirits to Devils and Witches.  
BUt Secondly, as this Doctrine, in the point of possession, undervalues the Mystery of Christ's Incarnation: So doth it more abuse Christ in the crotchet of Dispossession. A Devil, nay, a Witch (say they) by the Devil's power, can eject or cast out Devils out of any one possessed: First, out of a Person where there never was any Devil. But Christ saith, Satan casts not out Satan, else his house should be divided, and his Kingdom could not stand: And yet hath and doth it stand ever since, though, at least (as the doctrines of Devils assert) Satan hath cast out Devils or Satan, all the World over, for these Sixteen hundred years: Thus therefore, this doctrine makes Christ a liar: And which is as bad, it attributes more power to the Devil, than ever Christ (though he appeal to his stupend works for the justification of his Godhead) ever exerted while here on earth. Christ never so much as cast out one Devil; I know men generally run away with this conceit, because of these notions, cast out Devils, or cured a Demoniac, or one possessed as we render it: But if we consider, That the Scripture speaketh but according to the mode and phrase of times then, wherein (according to the conceit of Platonizing Pharisees) all great diseases, afflictions or distempers, wherein they thought (as they did in all almost) That there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, some extraordinary and supernatural agency; we may, and will be easily satisfied, That when Christ is said to cast out Devils, they were but dangerous diseases, uncommon maladies, or extraordinary distempers, or else (sometimes sins) that are meant.   

CHAP. VIII. Christ cast not out Devils: What is meant by Devils, where Christ is said to cast them out?  
CHrist himself, in his return to John's Message, or Quaery, (Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?) speaks nothing, but of curing Diseases and Preaching the Gospel: Not a word of casting out Devils, though in the same hour, he had cast out one, Luk. 7.19. (Whatever is meant by it.) But could he have satisfied John better, than by saying (Devils also are cast out) if he had cast out any Devil really? And yet not a word of this, in his Answer unto John Baptist; nor (which is as remarkable) doth St. John (though he set himself upon that point especially to prove the Godhead of Christ producing many, yea very many, very great, and stupend Miracles done by Christ) yet doth he not so much as hint at that of ejecting Devils: A great oversight, in such a Person, in such a business, to neglect such an Argument, if any such thing had ever been! This would have proved him to be God indeed, and his Power paramount above all Principalities, and Powers, and Thrones, and Dominions, and so God without controversy or dispute: But he urgeth it not, and therefore we may well conclude (if we will not think, that he betrayed the Cause) That there was no such thing: Besides, Demonium habere, vel Demoniacum esse, are most properly and most fitly rendered Madmen. When some said, In furorem versus est, or he is mad; others said he hath Beelzebub or a Devil, (as being in their conceit but one and the selfsame thing). Mark 3.30, 21, He hath a Devil or is mad, seem to be Synonimies, and to interpret one the other. John 10.20. So because of that mad, wild frantic speech of his (as they accounted it) If any man keep my saying, he shall never see death: Now say they, We know that thou hast a Devil and art mad: For none (thought they) but a Madman, would have vented such a wild word, John 8.51, 52. And therefore Maldonat (a Jesuit, and one that upheld the doctrine of Devils and possession, as much as any Man, for the maintenance of Purgatory) Alii putant— (Alii in the Plural number, 'twas not one single Doctors, Fathers, Schoolmans' opinion, but a number of them): Some think. That this word, Demonium habere, or Demoniacum esse, modum suisse loquend●, quo non significarent eum vere habere Demonium, sed motae esse mentis, delirare, insanire— To have a Devil was a kind of phrase or form of speech, by which they did not intent, or mean the Person truly and indeed had a real Devil within him, but that he was distracted, frantic or mad. Joh. 10.20, He hath a devil and is mad. 7.20. Thou hast a Devil who goeth about to kill thee, or thou art mad to think so. John 8.48, Say we not well, thou art a Samaritan, and hast a Devil? Why a Samaritan, but because they thought him mad? The Samaritans held odd, wild, mad opinions concerning God, his Worship and Religion; the Jews therefore thought them mad, as the Samaritans did the Jews, upon the account of dissonancy in Religion and Tenants; Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? Kings 2.9, 19 And so the Jews thought of John Baptist, because of his strange food, raiment, life, and doctrine, That he was mad or had a Devil: They say he hath a Devil, Mat. 11.18. It is very improbable, That the Jews, (who so generally frequented john's Preaching, and heard him so gladly) thought him to be possessed with a Devil, and yet some of them might think him to be a little crazed in his intellectuals: Nay, generally it seems the Gentiles as well as the Jews, thought all these men that held any new, strange, or unheard of Doctrines in Religion, to be mad. And hence Festus to St. Paul, Thou art besides thyself, too much learning hath made thee mad: Act. 25.24. It was the strangeness of Paul's Doctrine, that made Festus think him mad; so did the Jews think the Samaritans to be mad, and possessed with Devils; yea, and Christ also, upon the same account, for the newness, strangeness, or madness of his Doctrine (as they accounted it): Demonium habere, or Demoniacum esse, in Scripture-phrase, is to be mad.  
And indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, deriving its pedigree from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, can hardly signify any thing else properly, but some such great, extraordinary, and unusual affliction from God, such as is madness: And so indeed is the Word used by Polybius concerning Antiochus, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he was mad, and Plutarch useth it in the same sense, and why should we not in Scripture interpret it so too, when both the word and sense of the Text will bear it? Besides, did ever any of these Demoniacs mentioned in Scripture ever do any thing or things, act or acts, feat or feats, that a mere madman without a real Devil, doth not, may not do, and often doth? Is there any such act, any such feat recorded of them by any of the Evangelists? They cried, they roared, they talked foolishly, ran into mountains, and deserts, and tombs, cutting themselves with stones, broke their fetters, were mischievous to Passengers; but have not, may not, do not Madmen do all these things? By their works ye shall know them, saith Christ; why, how, wherefore then, may they not be Madmen, and Madmen merely, that are meant by Demonium habentes, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉? I add this, Christ himself confesseth that what he cast out, that the Children of the Pharisees cast out too, Mat. 12.27. And argues largely from it, to justify himself and actings: But never did or could the Pharisees Children cast out real Devils; otherwise Men should be stronger than Devils, Flesh than Spirits: And yet a stronger than he must come upon him to dispossess him without doubt; And is Man stronger than the Devil? Can Tom Thumb with his Rushed Spear, dismount King Arthur and all his Knights? No more can mere Man dispossess the Devil; especially, if he be so omnipotently powerful, as Demonologers predicate him. Devils in Scripture are set out as powers in the abstract, Men as the abstracts of weakness: Now that weakness in the abstract, should dispossess power in the abstract, is, I think altogether inconceivable by any humane intellect. Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, (said God to Job) or can a Crismer, a Child of a span long, bind Behemoth with a rushed cord?  
In short thus, all that the Children of the Pharisees cast out, were Diseases, not Devils; all that Christ cast out, was but what the Children of the Pharisees cast out; therefore all that Christ cast out, were but Diseases and not Devils. And is it not now, than a most monstrous Apostasy, and most intolerable Idolatry, and that even to the Devil himself, to attribute such an excellency of operation to the Devil, which was never exerted by Christ himself, indeed could not; because there was never occasion for it. Well, this is one result of the doctrine of Devils, it is an Apostasy from that fundamental Truth, God manifested in the flesh. This was almost (but it must not be) forgotten here, That though Christ cast not out any real Devil properly so called; yet curing Diseases in such a manner as he did, He manifested forth his Glory and Godhead, as fully, and as much, as if he had indeed cast out real Devils; but of this in another place. I have spoken fully enough. I shall only add this here, If they had been indeed real Devils, or infernal fiends that Christ cast out, there might peradventure have been possibly some probable ground, of that stupend blasphemy of the Pharisees, viz. He casteth out Devils by Beelzebub.— In some sort it might be credible, either by some favour, connivance, compliance, complotment, or else envy, hatred, opposition of Devils; so that it had been no miracle or argument at all, to prove his Godhead. That he cast out Devils; a Simon Magus, an Apollonius, yea an ordinary Witch have done as much: But there could be no compliance, compact— envy, hatred— between Christ and Diseases. The curing therefore of Diseases, in such a manner as he cured them, was more for Christ's Honour, and the proof of his Godhead, than (if per impossibile, there could be any such thing) the casting out of Devils or infernal fiends could have been.   

CHAP. IX. Christ's Works prove his Godhead.  
I Proceed to a Second: The doctrine of Devils detracts, and apostates from another special excellency of Christ: Justified in the Spirit, in or by the Spirit: Where by the Spirit no doubt is meant, the might, power or excellency of Christ, to do great wonders, and stupend miracles, as Mat. 12.27: But if I by the spirit of God cast out— Justified in, or by the Spirit as the Apostle phraseth it, is, declared to be the Son of God by Power, Rom. 1.4. A Man approved of God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. by powers, or miracles, Acts 2.22. And God anointed him with power; which is here called Spirit, Acts 10.38. Virtus potentiaque regis Messiae nomine spiritus intelligitur, justificatus spiritu, hoc est, virtute sua qua miracula edidit: Zanchy and all others upon the place. Well then, Justified in or by the Spirit, is, declared, manifested, and proved to be the Son of God, by his works, miracles and wonders: By these he proved what he pretended to be; viz. That he was the Saviour, Messiah, and the Son of God: And this truly is the ground of our hope, the foundation of our joy, the cornerstone of all our comfort. If he were not the Son of God, if he by his works did not prove himself to be the Son of God, our hopes are perished, we are cut off for ever, we may go to Emmaus when we will, we are of all creatures the most miserable, the most besorted, the most befooled and deluded people in the World; when we think that our Anchor is well and firmly fixed, it hangs but in a wave: We believe in Christ, as a God who is able to save us; yet then, he that we believe in thus, is either no such thing, or (which is as bad) we have no sufficient grounds to believe it, or at least his own Argument to prove it, is not sufficient, which must needs make his Godhead suspicious, as not being Infinitely wise.   

CHAP. X. Christ proves his Godhead by his Works.  
NOw the proof that Christ brings for his Godhead; That he was the Messiah, the right object of our Faith, the Basis whereon we might with assurance enough build our comfort and Salvation, was his works: To these he appeals, To these he provokes: By these he justifies himself to be God and the Saviour of the World, and by these only, upon the matter, endeavours he to establish us in that fundamental Truth. If I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in me and I in him, John 10.37, 38. And Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, or believe me for the very works sake, Joh. 14.11. The only Argument, or at least the commonest he useth is, that of his works; This is the ground that he would have us go upon, for our belief, comfort and salvation; this is that that the Apostle urgeth, Declared to be the Son of God, by power, Rom. 1.4. This was it that urged his Disciples to believe in him at first, John 2.11. The Nobleman came in to by this means, Joh. 4.53. And they, Joh. 10.41. The Centurion and the Pagan Soldiers were wrought upon thus, Mat. 27.24. Yea Nathaniel also, Joh. 1.47. And that great number, Joh. 7.31. Shortly (saith he) I have greater witness than that of John, for the works that the father have given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the father hath sent me. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Those very works, Joh. 5.36. 1. It is without doubt a sufficient clear and plain Argument of Christ's Godhead, that he did such miracles; it carries its credentials in itself, it needs no concurrent testimony to confirm or strengthen it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The very works themselves without any more ado, saith he himself often, Joh. 5.36. & 14.11. Yea the Demonologers themselves, (when out of their mad mood of Demonomany) confess of their own accord, That Miracles bear the mark of the Godhead in their foreheads: Miracles are the great seal of Heaven; wherever there be Miracles, there doubtless is Divine Power. 2. It is an Infallible Argument: We know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou dost, except God be with him, Joh. 3.2. And Herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not whence he is, and yet he hath opened— Joh 9.30. 3. It is an Argument that leaves men inexcusable, Joh. 6.35. and 15.24. He scarce appeals to any other, but to this often; and if this be not a sufficient Argument it might make men suspect Christ had not wit enough to choose a Medium, by which he might prove, what he especially intended, that he was the Son of God.   

CHAP. XI. Christ's Holiness, Aims, Intentions, prove not his Godhead.  
I Do not say, that there is no other Argument for this: No, I know there be many others, as his Cardiagnostical excellency, his infinite love to enemies, obstinate and desperate enemies, his infallible prophetic Spirit, the Star at his Birth, the Earthquake and Eclipse at his Death, the strange things at his Resurrection, and his Resurrection itself, as stupend a Miracle as any else that ever was— But none, I say, that Christ appeals unto, none that he useth so much, or so often, as this of his Miracles acted by himself. The Attestation given him by his Father out of Heaven (which though it were not a Miracle wrought by him; yet was a Miracle wrought in order to the honour of him, and so in some sort may be reckoned, as one of his Miracles) he useth too indeed, and one or two more peradventure; but put them all together, he useth not any, or all of them, so often by half, as this Argument of his Miracles. I know, some produce his Holiness, as an especial Argument to prove his Godhead, but this sure can be no sufficient proof; for his internal Holiness (though it were indeed infinite, yet) being but internal, and so invisible, it could be no Argument at all; Idem est non esse, & non apparere; It is a kind of contradiction, to say an Invisible mark: And for the outward Holiness, it was not so transcendent, elevate, or resplendent, but many might and did equalise him; yea he himself equalizeth, if not preferreth John Baptist before himself, for outward Holiness, austerity, and strict conversation: John came in a way of Holiness, neither eating nor— The Son of Man is come eating and drinking, Mat. 11.18, 19 God in an admirable providence, thinking it fit to cloud his essential Holiness, and to suffer but some small glimmerings of it to shine forth, that we might not be scared, nor discouraged from an endeavour to imitate him, and to tread in his steps: Besides, Holiness is not so easy to be stated, as that Christ's outward Holiness should be an irrefragable Argument of his Divinity: And if indeed we look upon his outward Actions only, as a man merely; his Holiness may not appear so exact, as to be a sufficient precedent for our imitation. Not to mention his furnishing the Guest with more Wine, when they had drank enough, if not more than enough before; some of the preciser sort, would think this was not so fit in another Person: Nor to touch at his cures, and works on the Sabbath day, which some of our Sabbatarians will scarce allow of now. I pitch upon his cursing of the figtree, for not having fruit, when the time of fruit (as to that tree) was not yet come: As also upon his permitting so many Hogs (the rightful goods of innocents', for aught we know) at least, of men, who never injured him or his, (for aught we can collect) to be destroyed at the intercession of (as some call them) malicious Fiends, or Devils. Look upon these, I say, and some other Acts of Christ, as the Acts of a mere Man, and they are hardly justisiable: But look upon them as the Acts of God (and he proves his Godhead merely by his works) and then no doubt, from his Prerogative Royal, his Impartial Justice, and absolute Authority, he might do all this, and more, yet nothing but Goodness, Holiness and Justice, in all his Actings. Nay more, one year of Miracles, yea one Month, or one Day, or one Miracle, proves more than Forty years of Holiness: This might be counterfeited, even for so long time, as Christ lived upon the earth, (as Demonologers say, and concede) and the hypocrisy not be discovered in all that time; but a true Miracle is the Work only of an Omnipotent God. A Miracle therefore proves irrefragably, though but one.  
Neither could the ends, aims, intentions, or the issues of Christ's oeconomy here, be a sufficient proof for his Godhead (whatever some think) these being invisible to all Spectators and Auditors; and not intelligible possibly in a very long time: How could these beget, or settle a belief? They might be but pretended, and not real; they could be only Arguments to the Postnatis, not to these that lived in his own time: And thus the Apostles themselves, at least some of them, might not be, nay were not, true and well-grounded believers; since they could not see the ends, aims, intentions or issues of Christ's undertake; much less could they be Martyrs and competent witnesses unto us of the truth of Christ's Godhead; yea or of his Doctrines. Nor do Christ's Doctrines (some urge this) (though the excellentest and most Divine, without doubt, that can possibly be proposed to the Sons of Men, either for their Moral or Eternal Good, or else for the exalting of God's Honour) be an Argument of his Divinity, without his Miracles: For (not to say what some usually say in their Apologies for the Christian Religion, That it is not altogether new, as some objected) That there is no Doctrine in Christ's Gospel so excellent, heavenly, and gloriously Moral, as to the practical part, but some Philosopher or other hath given the selfsame precepts before his coming, that Christ did, viz. These transcendent moral ones, of loving God with all, and above all, and our Neighbours as ourselves; forgiving injuries, entreating Enemies like Friends, Patience, Humility, Martyrdom for the Truth, though without doubt not so fully, convincingly, incouragingly upon such threats and promises: I say, that there is one Doctrine of his, would spoil all the receptibility of the whole System of Religion promulgated in his Gospel, were it not, That his transcendent, unimitable, unparalellable Miracles (which he wrought) fortified it as an unquestionable Truth: I mean the Doctrine of his own Godhead, and his equality in all excellencies with the Supreme Being, from which he expects faith, obedience, and recumbency from men, for their Salvation, upon himself, as much as upon the great Jehovah. But this must needs by all rational Men, be accounted a most high Presumption, Luciferian Pride, yea Blasphemy and Sacrilege, (and one dead Fly is able to poison the whole Pot of Ointment, one wild gourd will make the whole broth nauseous and deleterious) and urge, force, compel them to reject, detest and abominate all the whole Euruclopedy of the Gospel; had he not sufficiently proved that Doctrine (as sufficiently he did) by his incomparable Miracles. Did not the Pagans of old, and the Turks now upon this ground in special, reject his Gospel? And for the Jews it is known by Children, That they so blasphemed his Doctrine, and persecuted his Person, for this above all things; That he being but a Man, made himself the Son of God. This Doctrine of his Godhead, never did, will, can be digested by any, but such, as by unimitable Miracles (there is no other Argument for this) are convinced of it: And there was not, there could not a more sufficient Argument be brought for it, than that: 'twere Miracles that proved this Doctrine, yea and his Person too; not his Doctrine that proved either his Person or Miracles to be Divine. For his Person he might justly have been accounted the boldest Impostor; and for his Doctrine, the desperatest Heretic that ever was, had not his Miracles justified both. Christ's only or chief Argument, I say, and the best that can be brought to prove his Divinity, is his Works and Miracles; justified in or by the Spirit.   

CHAP. XII. The Doctrine of Devils nullifies Christ's Argument for his Godhead, taken from his Works.  
BUt now this Doctrine of Devils takes off, abrogates, nullifies this Argument altogether: Whereas Christ, to prove himself to be the Son of God, saith, None could do such Miracles as he did, his works justify him, None ever did the like Works; this Doctrine tells us, That Devils, yea Witches by Devils help, can do as great for matter of work; as many, nay and Millions of Millions more for number; for time exceedingly much longer, and for places, in many Thousand Thousand more. Who now (upon this supposition) the greater Miracler? Who the better Man, who the greater God, God or Baal; Christ or the Devil? Christ turned Water into Wine, and it was so manifest an Argument of his Power and Godhead, That his Disciples were convinced, they did, and they thought they ought to believe on him. Christ cured Men at a distance by his mere Word, walked steadily on the Waters, commanded the Storms to cease, and was obeyed presently; cursed the Figtree, and it withered away strait: He fed Five thousand Men, with five Loaves and two Fishes; raised Men that had been dead, yea dead four days before: Christ could and did transform himself into a most glorious lustre, both his Body and Garments.— By such Miracles and stupend Works, Christ manifested it forth, That he was the Son of God, that we ought to believe in him, and that thus believing, we should have life through his name, John 20.31. But this Doctrine of Devils tells us, That a Devil can turn himself into a Man or Woman, a Rat, Cat, or Dog at pleasure; and that a Witch can be any creature that she pleaseth to personate: They can cure Madmen, or any other sick Persons at distance; can walk and fly in the Air, yea ride in that fluid element, with Coach and six Horses; can raise Storms of a sudden, and allay them in an instant; can blast, not only a single Tree, but a whole Wood or Forrest; can turn a Town into Ashes in the twinkling of an eye; with a wry look can kill as many as he lists, and raise them again at his pleasure.— Stories more than a good many, may be produced out of Demonographers for all these particulars; but what need more, this is a Conclamatum est, an Axiomatical Truth among the Doctors of Demonology, That a Devil or Witch can, for stupendiousness of the work do as much as ever Christ did; only the doubt is of the Shibboleth, or the Characteristical note, How shall we distinguish, how shall we know them one from another, is not this blasphemy?   

CHAP. XIII. This Doctrine attributes greater Works, to Devils and Witches, than any Christ ever did.  
NAy they attribute to their Devils and Witches some things, that do indeed much exceed the things that are recorded of Christ, of the same nature too: Christ raised one that was dead four days; the Devil or a Witch, can raise a Man, though dead four Months, and more, as Cautius— Nay Four years (peradventure) as Samuel: The Devil or a Witch by his help, ejects a real Devil (as 'tis said) which Christ (as I have proved) never did. Christ fed Five thousand Men once, with an inconsiderable pittance: the Devil out of a glewish dew, can and often doth, mould up so many various dishes of choice Viands, and Butts of lascivious Wines, that many Thousands may fill, and feed, and feast themselves most deliciously; and for a need, can raise a most glorious Palace, in the midst of a desolate Wilderness, to entertain his guests in state. (and not suffer them to sit upon the cold Grass) and all in an instant. Christ could in a short time convey himself from one side of the Channel to the other: Pagh, this is but a poor trick, A Witch can be at several Places very far distant, at the very selfsame instant; as Pythagoras, and Magdalena, Crucia. Nay again, Christ indeed did many Miracles, but 'twas Four thousand years after the World begun, ere he began to do any: The Devil in all Ages, from the beginning of the World, had done many Millions before Christ was born. Christ continued doing of such things but Three or Four years, in Person, nor above Fifty or Sixty, by his Apostles; He and they began later, continued but a short time, and have been doing such things, even about Sixteen hundred years since: Where the Devil, as he began many Thousand years before Christ or his Agents did so much as one Miracle, and will so continue to the end. Christ did a few Miracles in a corner of the World, a canton of Asia, a nook of Palestine; where the Devil hath, doth, and will do his Miracles all the World over. Christ did his Miracles, among a peevish, foolish, sottish people, (as the World accounted them) the Jews and his own Apostles: The Devil doth his among the Politicians, the Philosophers, the wizers of the World. Christ did his Miracles a great while ago, and a great way off, and who can tell whether there were any such thing or no? We have but hearsay, tradition, a few old Books written by his own favourites, and commented upon by his hypocondriac Friends; where, for the Godhead of Devils, we may ourselves be eye-witnesses, and ear-witnesses of it, in his Miracles every day; may behold them if we will be so bold (or else our Demonological Doctors tell old Wives Fables:) few and poor, paltry and suspicious, are the Miracles of Christ, compared to those of a Witch or Devil; if we will believe the teachers of this doctrine concerning Devils. But whether that Doctrine, that yieldeth such undervaluing conceits, in respect of Christ, be allowable, I leave to the Consciences of Christians to consider.   

CHAP. XIV. It nullifies the admiration Angels had for him.  
Well, this of that particular; justified in or by the Spirit. The next, is seen of Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, seen, looked upon, observed and admired of them, Spectabatur, or spectabilis erat, a very honourable Person; according to that of St. Peter, The things of Christ were so mysteriously admirable, that the very Angels desire to look, peep into, or have a glance of them, chap. 1.12. And St. Paul says, they were such, as in them appeared the manifold Wisdom of God, unknown formerly to the principalities and powers, even in the heavenly places; (much more unknown to Devils) Ephes. 3.10. Yea the Psalmist tells us, and the Apostle out of him, or rather God himself by them both, That the Angels generally, all the Angels of God, the best of them (and that in part, for his works which were infinitely more excellent than theirs) were to worship him, Heb. 1.6. And yet how so? If Devils could and had been incarnated, could, and had done, as many, or as great, yea more and greater Miracles, than ever Christ did any. I might go on, and show, That in all those other particulars, as well as the former, Men hugely derogate from the Honour of Christ, apostate from the truth and comfort of the Gospel, when they be so credulous, as to entertain this Doctrine of Devils.   

CHAP. XV. This Doctrine intrencheth upon the incommunicable attributes of the Holy-Ghost.  
BUt go we on, and see how, and with what respect, this Doctrine useth the Holy Ghost: Two glorious and incommunicable excellencies, we Religiously believe, do belong to that Divine and Infinite Spirit; the first is, a bestowing of a prophetic Power, whereby a Person, through an extraordinary and supernatural assistance, is enlightened, and lightened to such an elevation of Spirit, that he can foretell, not only future and far distant, but even contingent things; such as depend merely upon the will of Man and God. I mean not, That ecstatical or rapturous emotion of Spirit, whereby Men may sometimes conjecture, and predict (when they have not any absolute certainty of) futurities; however confident the Diviners may be of their predictions. The other is, the Grace and Practice of Piety, and Religious Duties, in order to a conformity with the Divine Will: These are two special and proper effects of, or emanations from that Infinitely Gracious Spirit.  attributes either of these, to any other origine, sacrilegiously steals from that blessed Spirit, a special part of his Honour, idolising most basely that Person, Thing or Creature, to which he attributeth them. This I take is undeniable, but both of these (saith the Doctrine of Devils) may be insufflated from Hell. A Person may be very pious in conversation, Religious in observation of Duties, constant in Reading, Hearing, Praying privately as well as in public; ready, willing, earnest to instruct others in the Mysteries of the Creed, and exhort them to the duties contained in the Decalogue; may be ready to offer them the Cordials of the Gospel in their Agonies; and in their extravagancies, to terrify them with the severity of God's vengeance: This is well enough known by a late example. Such a one accused for a Witch upon Oath, and hardly escaped the extremest punishment; but that some of the petty Jury were well acquainted with her conversation. Yea, 2. A Person may predict things future and merely contingent, and all by mere insusurration, from the Devil; for the former I have hinted an example: For the latter I may produce Magdalena Crucia: Nay she may pass for an unexceptionable example of both. For (saith the great Demonologist of this latter Age) for such things got she the reputation of a very Holy Woman, and a great Prophetess; and yet conversed with the Devil, as his Wife, for Thirty years together. Cannot the Devil make Saints too as well as Prophets? Yea Prophets and Saints too both. Nay, and since Omne efficiens tale est magis tale, must not that thing which we call Devil, be a most good and godly thing? Equal to the Holy Ghost, for Holiness and for Knowledge? Whether this be not such gross abuse, to that Infinitely Gracious Spirit, that comes very near that grand sin called Irremissible; I leave it to Christians to examine and conclude: And yet doubtless, mere naturalists would be ashamed to attribute the excellencies of the Godhead, to the worst of his creatures. I might have instanced in those gifts mentioned by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12.5,— 10. But I thought fit to pitch upon these .   

CHAP. XVI. The first Person of the Godhead mightily abused by this Doctrine.  
BUt are the Second and Third only thus coarsely handled by this Doctrine? Is not the first villainously abused too, even the Father of all Power, the Almighty God, the only Potentate? Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory. Thus were we taught by one, who (we thought) knew something of that most august Majesty of Heaven: But this good and godly doctrine of Devils, sets up one Beelzebub cheek by jowl with the great Jehovah, as his equal, at least for Power, Might, and most stupend Operations: It fetcheth Jeroboam, a runagate Rogue, out of Egypt, the bottom of the straits, or rather the straits of the bottomless Abiss, to tear away Ten parts of Twelve from David and his Son. The power of the Air, Earth, Sea, and Hell, and all is Beelzebub's; Jehovah must be content with the bare Empireal Heaven, and well, if he can have that free. The Devil keeps Terms, and appears at the general Rendezvouz there (as 'tis said): And if so, not for any good without doubt, but in hope to get opportunity to usurp that Province as well as the rest. It is said he can make and unmake Men, possess and dispossess, kill and make alive, raise storms and tempests, Euroclidons, Hurry-canoes, make Women and Years fruitful or barren, send Lightnings, Thunders and Earthquakes, infect with Plagues, Pestilences, and contagious Diseases, kindle and consume with Fire whole Towns, Villages and Cities, foretell things merely contingent; stop the Sun in its course, and restrain the influence of the Moon, and all the Stars— Is not this a God? Is he not equal to the great God, the Omnipotent Elshadday himself for Power? These sure are the proper acts of God, of the great God, and Incommunicable, Isa. 40.21.43.8. Jer. 10.12. & 31.35. Psal. 135.5.136.4.— Deut. 32.39. & 4.41. Hos. 6.1. Jer. 14.22. Psal. 104.19. Job 9.7, 8, 9, 10. Isa. 38.8.— Job 38.39 40, 41.— These and the like I say are Acts proper to God, and therefore 'tis not in the power of Man or Devil to do these, or any such; yea though God permit, and allow the Devil the utmost power of his nature, without check or curb.   

CHAP. XVII. Of God's permitting the Devil, and the vanity of that shift.  
MEn usually shelter themselves under this conceit, as a secure Asylum for their abominable blasphemy, (in attributing the proper works of God to the Devil): Oh! God permits him, and then he can do (yea marry can he) wonderful and stupend feats. I might in answer return, this Permission is but a mere invention, a fiction, a Chimaera here. But I say, let God permit the Devil never so much, let him give him the full length of his own cord, and not restrain or snaffle him in the least; yea cannot the Devil be able to do any of these works that are proper to God: Permission is not impowering; but a mere liberty of exerting a● natural power. If therefore there be not a natural power to do the works of God; Gods permitting of the Devil, the exercise of his natural power to the utmost, will not enable or make him the apt to do them: Let lose the reins to your Horse, give him the greatest liberty can be thought of, without any the least check, yea urge him too with Switches and Spur, he'll never the more be able to mount up into the Air, to soar aloft, fetch his Cancileers, or make his stops like a Hawk. Permit an Ass to take the Lute, though never so well stringed, set and tuned; yet will he never be able to play so much as one sweet Lesson, or good Tune. Permit you curp, hinder him not, let him do his best, he'll never be able to pronounce an Oration with any elocution or grace, but be mute as a Fish still. Permission signifieth nothing, but the freedom of exerting the natural power; if there be no natural Power, Permission implants none: This therefore is to be proved first, That the Devil in, of, by, and from himself, naturally hath the Power of God, and left to himself, can do as stupend Works as God, yea the same that God challengeth as proper to himself. Can this be proved? He that proves this, proves in effect and truth, by the same proof, That the Devil hath the Power of God too, and in himself, and can do the Work of God, without any permission from God: And consequently, That he is God equal for power to the great God; nay, and if he have the Power of God in, and of himself, he can do the Works of God in spite of God or his permission; yea, and which is more (yet follows from these premises of Permission) The Devil can so spite God, that God without the Devil's permission, cannot do his own works, can do no good nor evil, can do nothing: For though, Par in parem non habet potestatem imperandi, destruendi— yet may he have, Potestatem resistendi, oppugnandi,— if the Devil have in himself the Power of God's proper Works, he hath the Power of God, and so can do them without God's Permission as well as with it; yea as well as God himself can do them without the permission of the Devil. Is not this good stuff? Yet follows from the supposition of Permission. Is not this with Manes, to bring in two Gods, a good and a bad one, and yet of equal force, power, strength and virtue? Nay, Is it not with Diagoras, To deny all gods? He that makes more than one, allows truly and indeed none.   

CHAP. XVIII. Of God's delegating his Power to the Devil, and the blasphemy of that evasion.  
OH, Oh! But God delegates, and by delegation enables the Devil with a new power, above his natural; this is another subterfuge, and a subtle one (as the Demonologers think) Ans. 1. How is this proved; that of Job may be but parabolical and adumbrative, not real, according to the Letter: so Learned men and they Demonologers too, as Calvin and others, are forced to confess. Quaere. Whether any Devil be so much as meant or hinted at in the Story? I think not, but of that in another place. 2. It may be but singular and miraculous, and so not to be extended to a general. 3. 'Twould cross a plain Text, Gloriam alteri non dabo, God will not part with his honour, nor the credit of his Works to any other whatever, much less to the Devil. 4. Delegation supposeth the Delegator either not present, or not able to work, or that he is stately and scorns to work: But where or whence can the Omnipotent be excluded, and what is there can be done, that the Omnipotent hath not a hand in it? And he that taketh care for Oxen, feedeth also the young Ravens, orders the motion of a Sparrow, provides clothes for the grass of the Field— is not over-stately: Or 5. What is it? Is God grown so weak, weary, decrepit or unwieldy? we read he is the Ancient of days indeed, is he grown decrepit, needs he a writ of Ease or Dotage? Is he not able to manage the great Province of the World any longer, that he must have his Delegates? Truly the Prophet was of another mind (and so are they all, who knew or understood any thing of the Godhead) Isa. 40.28. Or else Sixthly, suppose this too, was there none fit, none abler, none better to be his under-agent, than the Devil? Can none of his glorious Angels, nor his own blessed essential Son serve turn? That the Devil before all the rest, the Devil, that Stork, that Cormorant, that Viper, that Enemy of God and all his Creatures, must be pitched upon and delegated, as his Vicegerent for the management of the World? Oh! in what a sad condition are we, is this World in, the while? But 7. Doth not this suppose the great Jehovah to be a mere Epicurean Idol, a Lurdan, or an Abby-Lubber, or rather, which is as bad, an Impotent Weakling? Epicurus indeed thought his God somewhat slothful, somewhat lazy and foggy; but that he could if he would, manage the affairs of the World well enough; but for fogginess could not: These make him an impotent God, he cannot, or at least not constantly; he faints and tires, if he take not his nap, his ease, his tumble upon the bed, if he be still upon his work, and business; he must get his Substitute, a Deputy, and (rather than fail) the worst of Ten thousand; and thus all things, for that time (and how long that time may be who can know) may (if not must) go against the rocks for him. He hath no Providence (I touch upon this in short, having spoken larger in another place) and if no Providence, no God, and it is a Miracle if the World, shortly and suddenly be not, nay, That the World hath not long since been jumbled and brought into his old Chaos, a Tohu and Bohu, yea into a mere Barathrum, a Tophet, a Gehenna. The Doctors of Demonology, Predicate, Preach and Publish, That the Devil is the God of this World, the Prince of the Air, the Dominus fac totum in this lower Region, though most profoundly, idolatrously, irreligiously all this: But why, how then, do they not worship the Devil, The Devil, Quadratus Devil? what have they to do with, or care for that sluggish, foggy, and decrepit thing that is above? here is a more near, a more active, and more immediate Prince, King, God, with whom they must transact their business: will not Demonomany, or Devil-worship be the best Religion, and most rational, the most necessary, and most provident, if the doctrine of Devils hold true?   

CHAP. XIX. It makes Men Devil-worshippers, if fully entertained.  
I Will not absolutely, positively, and definitively say it of Demonologers, That they worship the Devil directly; but some there be in the last times, that will do so, Rev. 9.20. and will not be reclaimed, for all the judgements, that have been both upon particular Nations; and Christendom in general. Let Demonologers look out, abroad, round; but let them look home inward, and to themselves too: I fear they may find those abominable Idolators nearer home, than where they look for them. They are not simple or gross Idolators, such as worship wood and stone; nor Murderers, nor Sorcerers, nor Witches (in the worst sense of the Holy Ghost) nor Fornicators— nor Thiefs, though all these in their way, may be said to worship the Devil: But a finer, purer, neater, sprucer sort of Christians, Protestants or Papists (Angelicks as they would be thought) may take themselves by the Nose, and say, we are the Men. Is there any reason, ground, motive or hint, to fasten this to any but them? One Apostle saith, In the latter times, some will obstinately worship Devils, That will be the great villainy in the latter age; The other saith, They will give heed to the doctrine of Devils: Put both together and this is the result, They that give heed to the doctrine of Devils, are the great Apostates, and obstinate worshippers of the Devil, which is the worst and most abominable Idolatry of the latter times, or ever was in any time. Nor let them think to evade, by saying, That the worshippers of the Devils in the Apocaliptist, are merely Pagans, that worship the Devil carnally, visibly, corporeally in an outward shape, or body assumed. Ans. 1. There is a prate indeed, concerning such Idolatry; but that this is a mee● prate, is evident from that I have proved and shall prove again. 2. The Devil cannot take any carnal or corporeal shape, or body. 3. Suppose this true, That the Devil could do this, yea and that the Pagans in Utopia, do worship him, as so; carnally accoutred, this excuseth not our Demonologers, nor answers the meaning of the Apocaliptical Divine, he speaks of things and sins, that will be frequent in, with, and among persons, that live within the pale of the Church: What is it to purpose, To talk by way of an accommodate interpretation, of Men that now and ever will be mere Aliens, from the Commonwealth of Christ? 4. As the Fornicators, Thiefs, Sorcerers— are all to be interpreted in a mystical, or metaphysical sense, so no doubt are Devil-worshippers too, not Persons, that bow down their bodies to the person or carnal representation of the Devil, or any other way express their reverence to him corporeally; but that bow down their Souls, Hearts, and Intellects, by receiving, entertaining, broaching, mentioning and improving Tenants, Doctrines and Opinions to his Honour.  
2. Nor will they escape by saying, That they do not worship the Devil; for (forsooth) they do not Invocate, Supplicate, or by Prayer make any address to him. Ans. This will not excuse; for first Invocation, Prayer, Supplication, are but outward, or at least but secondary acts for the Soul towards the thing adored: There is a former, primer, higher action, whereby the Soul apprehends, believes, and applies the great things of the adored; which is worship properly and in chief: And thus Men may adore and worship, though they never Invocate, Pray or Supplicate. There be some Deists (I but name the Opinion and leave it to be discoursed of by others) who never did, cared, or thought it fit to Pray, they acknowledged that God knew their desires, wants, necessities, indigencies; that he was good, gracious, powerful, just, provident,— beyond all that they could ask or think; That they themselves, knew not what nor how to ask, as they should or ought, and therefore that they cast themselves upon his goodness, for all things, and thought it needless to pray at all. So may it be with Demonomanists, they may not Invocate, and yet may they be worshippers of the Devil. 2. The prime acts of Worship, if not the very essence of it, are either, first, a Recumbency, Faith, Hope of some good, in, from, or upon some promise, Psal. 141.8. Or else, 2. The fear, jealousy, or suspicion of mischief, that may be expected from him; Deut. 10.20. Luke 12.5. Or 3. The esteem of his Power, Magnificence, Grandeur or Augustness, Rev. 4.11.5.12. Or 4. It may be Credulity, Faith, or Confidence, that is given to his Word, as one that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Mat. 17.5. 2 Pet. 1.17, 18. Or 5. The receiving, attention, or observance that is given to the Doctrines, Opinions, or Teachings concerning him, Acts 19.17,— 20. Mat. 17.5. In any of these there is an Adoration or Worship: If then the Demonologists, though they deny as to themselves all Love, Faith, or Recumbency, or Hope; yet some of their Proselytes by occasion of their Books and Doctrines do not so, but go to the White Witch, as the Devil's Instrument, or under-Agent for some good; yet if they do but fear him (as by the high esteem they have of his Power, Policy, indefatigable Malice, and irresistible Omnipotency to do mischief, they must) or if they cry up and predicate these his abilities, so as to make others fear, and tremble at him (and they that make them are like unto them) or if they attribute any excellencies to him, more than they can justify to be due unto him, without Sacrilege, and Idolatry in respect of Christ; and God may, if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they give heed, attend, harken unto, or uphold, mantain, justify, much more if they disperse, promulgate, or improve the Doctrine of Devils to the Devil's honour, thinking themselves bound in Conscience so to do, as indeed they do; they cannot come much short of being Devil-worshippers, or the vilest Apostates of the worst times.   

CHAP. XX. Justice, and all Judicial proceed, obstructed by this Doctrine.  
I Need not say the condition of Mankind (if the doctrine of Devils be authentic) must needs be miserable, it is, it must be unspeakably, and irremediably miserable; the Devil may swagger, domineer, and play Rex where and when, upon, or with whom, and that as long, and as oft as he listeth: He hath an Omnipotent Power, or the Power of God at least, an everlasting Commission to be renewed everlastingly, as oft as he pleaseth, Who should curb, check, or control him? But I pass this as to the general, and come to look upon some special particulars. And here, first, I know not what to say or think of the Judicial proceed at Law; I see not how they can be justified as conscionable: The Grave, Reverend, Honourable Sages of the Law, are sworn (I take it) to proceed, Secundum allegata & probata: This they are bound to, and this 'tis thought is an excellent course of Justice: Yet may it be sure, Summum jus, the most rigorous and unjustest cruelty imaginable: the Party accused and sworn against, might act but upon force, violence, and invincible necessity, Should not this acquit him of all guilt? per minas deuces; or (at least) compulsion, though but by Man, is usually allowed as a good plea: But if a Person may be forced, compelled, and violently constrained, or hurried, Volens nolens, by the Devil, a more irresistible, though invisible Power; (the Devil imperceptibly may enter into a Man, and irresistibly move and force his Hands, Arms, Legs and Tongue— whither, and to what he will, saith the doctrine of Devils, in the point of possession) Can he be condemned justly? Can, will, or dare these judicious and conscionable Persons pronounce sentence against him? Nay, can they at any time condemn any Man, for any Crime, Villainy, or Piacle whatever, Murder, Incest, Bestiality, Sodomy, Regicidism—? There must be sufficient, satisfying and convincing evidence of the fact, as perpetrated by such a Person, ere they can pronounce him guilty; but this they never have, shall, or can have, if the Devil can take on men's shapes, forms, habits, countenances, tones, gates, statures, ages, complexions (as he did samuel's, say Demonologers, and a Thousand instances more of the same kind will they fardel up to prove the thing) and act in the shape assumed; Who can with any assurance swear, who with any confidence believe, or who with any conscience can condemn? It might be the Devil in Man's shape, and not the Man accused; 'tis Justice doubtless, that the guilty be punished, and the innocent acquitted; but here the innocent must be condemned, and the guilty escape without any punishment: Is this Justice? I hope the Demonologers who have so long studied the Black Art, and are by this time well acquainted with the subtlest intrigues, retreats, and lurking-holes of Satan, know when and where, and how he may be catched; and will inform the Court how he may be arrested, arraigned, and executed, for his Villainies. I hope they will not, in compliance with the Devil, everlastingly suffer the honest Party, to be still condemned, butchered and murdered, for the guilt merely of that most notorious Malignant. But till then indeed, I do wonder who will, who can, who dare be a Judge, a Witness, or of the Inquest. Is it possible that either of them can act in Faith, or with a safe Conscience? He that justifieth the wicked, or condemneth the innocent, both these are abominable, Prov. 17.15. And yet the Judge, the Jury, Inquest and Witness, may do both these; and that by Rules of Justice, and Command of Gods: Can this consist with the Truth, Goodness, Holiness, Providence, Wisdom, Justice, Philanthropy— of God? For my part I do not see, know or conceive, but that the Judge, Jury, and Inquest, are all so hemmed in, straitened and beleguered, with such a necessity of sinning, that they cannot possibly get out (no not by Miracle) without sin, one way or other: The Judge is drawn into the guilt of cruelty and injustice, as pronouncing a Sentence of condemnation unjustly, against an innocent (which his Soul abhors) and yet must pronounce such a Sentence if he proceed according to evidence; and yet if he proceed not according to evidence, he sins of necessity the sin of perjury, since he is sworn to proceed Secundum allegata, & probata: The Witnesses that swear, run into the guilt of Perjury too; as swearing to a falsity, or at least to a thing against a Person, that they could not certainly be assured 'twas true, or so as they swore: And yet if they do not witness and swear as required, they run into the guilt of concealing Felony, Murder, and possibly some more abominable guilt; besides the injury done to Justice, and the contempt of the Magistrate, and the danger of the public. The Inquest too is forced into the guilt of conspiracy, with both, as presenting upon their Oaths, and Consciences, such a Person as guilty, (when innocent at least as to them) they could not by this doctrine of Devils have sufficient testimony of his guilt. And yet on the other side, if they present not what is sworn to them by competent witnesses, being a crime, they are forsworn, since when they were admitted, they swore to present such things. Judges, Inquest, Jury, Witnesses and all must of necessity sin one way or other; Auribus lupum, they are all me seems like the Israelites in the Red-Sea; the Sea before and the Egyptians behind them; if they went forward they drowned themselves, if stood still, or went back, yielded themselves to be Butchered; what course they should take I knew not, and as little know I, how the offices of Justice should behave themselves in this case: Besides, if a Villain taken in the very act of Murder, should plead it was the violent compulsion, or irresistible force of an inhabiting Devil, though invisible to the spectator, that compelled him; I wonder how he can be condemned, though taken, as I said, in the very act; if the supposition be allowed, the justification cannot be gainsaid. St. Paul was so odious to the Pharisees, That they would with all their heart, have plucked him in pieces, and torn him piece after piece, one joint from another; but when they acknowledged the Supposition of his Apology, they could not deny the conclusion, viz. his Innocency, he was to be freed, they found no fault in him. If a Spirit or an Angel have spoken to him, we cannot fight against God; and yet what he had spoken was as a Stab, a Dagger, a Poniard struck into their hearts: Had he murdered a Thousand Men, they would never have been so violently set against him, as they were for the words he had spoken. Doubtless by the same reason, or peradventure more, if a Devil, by the Permission, Commission, or Command of God, or his own natural and irresistible power, can compel a person to Murder, yea suppose his Father, and such a compulsion be pleaded; the Man is free, and cannot be condemned justly: The sin must lie somewhere else, on God, or the Devil at least, Why should the Man suffer? Acknowledge the Doctrine in the Supposition, and the conclusion, viz. The Apologists innocence, though a Murderer, yea a Parricide, cannot but with absurdity be denied. Here the abominable Villain may be excused, above the most integer innocents' might be condemned; and yet which is a strange Riddle, an intricate Labyrinth, a monstrous contradiction: The Witnesses are innocent, they depose but what they saw; the Inquest are innocent, they present but what was sworn to them; the Judge is innocent, he proceeds but according to Proof, Law, Evidence, and Oath. Doubtless it will need Sphinx to explain those Enigmata; for my part I cannot: If any Demonologer can, he may do well to do it, that the Judges, Jury, Inquest, and Witnesses may appear and act at Assizes with a safe Conscience; for truly things standing as they do (according to this doctrine of Devils) I do not see why those Judicial proceed at Law should be continued. They are without doubt in themselves the most necessary methods. (For the condition we are in, both for this Life, and the Life which is to come too, that Man, yea God himself could invent) without the Law and the execution of it, we should be but like Beasts in the Forests here, and far but like Devils in Hell hereafter. And yet upon this Hypothesis of the Doctrine of Devils, there is no room, no place, no need, no use, or benefit by them at all; they may do more harm than good, the Officers of the Law may (be they never so conscionable or incorruptible) nay do but act villainy by a Law; and yet is this villainy heightened, aggravated, and aggrandized into a greater dimension of mischief; in that it is done under the pretence of Law, under the countenance of Justice, under the Authority of God. God, Justice and Law, are all brought in as Accessaries to the (necessitated) injustice of the judicial proceed. But nay, nay, if it be thus, away with all Law, away with Assizes, away with Judges, away with all Offices, Courts of Justice, and proceed according to the Laws: They are dangerous and mischievous things; not to be tolerated among Christians, nay nor any society of Men. But I stop, and say, rather away with Witchcraftical Doctors, away with the doctrine of Devils, for then Men may be able to believe their own eyes with confidence, may be believed by others upon their Oath, Law, Justice; and judicial proceed may be of use, Judges and the rest of the Officers may take their places as heretofore, and act every one of them in their own Spheres, with a safe, quiet, and good Conscience: Otherwise they cannot act in Faith, and whatever is not of Faith is Sin.   

CHAP. XXI. Common Society is in danger to be destroyed by this Opinion.  
I Have spoken of one mischief that necessarily flows in upon mankind by this Doctrine, as exterminating all Justice out of the World; I shall speak of another, a thing as necessary as the former (for which indeed the former was instituted) that is hugely disturbed and in danger of extermination too by the same principle: It is that which we call Humane fellowship, or Common Society; for what kind of society can Men possibly have with any Men (this Doctrine supposed) with those that they account their good Neighbours, kindest companions, lovingest Friends, nearest and dearest Relatives? How can they be assured that they are not all so many incarnate Devils? How can they consult or counsel them, how negotiate or traffic with them? Trust not in any Brother, is a needful Caveat, he may be a Brother, but in or for iniquity; nay trust not in a Father neither, he may be but the Father of Lies, a mere Devil, however he appear to thee. Nay, how can we say God speed, God save, God bless (which are but civil Compliments of Christian Society) or Good morrow, or Good even to any one we think our Friend, our good and Christian Friend; he may be but Satan transformed into his shape, and he that biddeth him good speed (or in any respect but seems to wish him well) is a partaker of his evil deeds, John. 2.10, 11. Nay, how can we mere together in Church-fellowship, how assemble in the Temples for holy duties? 'Tis possible (by this Doctrine) that we may meet with none there, but hellish comrades, infernal fiends, or devilish companions? And I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils, especially in the Lord's service. How dare we venture to hear any Men Preach; the Preachers may be but the emissaries of the Prince of darkness, cunningly transforming themselves to our senses, into Angels of light; villainously promoting the designs of Hell upon our Souls, when we in our delusion, think they are preparing us for the joys of Heaven? How can Men delight, rejoice, or comfort themselves in their Wives, how hug them in their arms, or entertain them in their bosoms, they may be but complimental Lamioe, Empusa's or Devils, at least may be Succubae to some lustful Daymons? How can they delight or comfort themselves in their Children, they may be but the misbegotten Bastards of some infernal Incubi? What joy, what comfort, what content can Men, any Men have abroad or at home, in their friends or nearest relatives, yea in their public and more solemn devotious, if this doctrine of Devils be true and authentic.   

CHAP. XXII. It is a Whorish Opinion.  
BEsides all this it is a Whorish Opinion, an Opinion that will bolster out, protect and secure all the whores, queans, baggages (and consequently too, their salacious stallions) as all the varlets of the Country besides: This doctrine of Devils were a sufficient apology for them all, thus; I never knew any Man's body for such carnal lust, I know not what it means, I defy all such filthiness; it was an Incubus, that hath impregnated me unwittingly. What can be said in answer, if she swear this? This doctrine once obtaining; nor Bedlam, nor Bridewell, nor Whipping-post could challenge any right to her. But who should mantain the brood, who pay for nursing of the Bastards? This would be chargeable and the Parishioners will never endure, that the charge be laid upon them, and therefore though they did heretofore, yet will not now (if upon no other, yet upon this consideration) entertain this Doctrine any longer I hope.   

CHAP. XXIII. It is a perjurous opinion and destructive both in respect of Reason, Sense, and Traffic.  
BUt which is worse than this; It is a perjurous opinion, an opinion that in a short necessitates Men to be perjured: Men may, Men must, Men cannot but be perjured when ere they swear, they cannot swear, no not to a matter of fact which they saw with their own eyes: They cannot swear such a thing in truth, in justice or in judgement. They swear they saw such a person commit such an act, and yet might not that person commit that act which they swear unto, though they think they saw it? They might be deceived, a hellish Phantasm, a devilish Apparition, a subtle Deceptio visus, or a perstringing of the eyes might delude them. There is nothing certain, nothing positively to be sworn without perjury; the Anabaptists Tenent is most Orthodox, swear not at all, in any matter, upon any occasion, nor in justice, nor in truth, nor in judgement, though all these require it: We can be at the best but Sceptics, the best of us: We cannot possibly ascend higher than a Universal doubting of, and in every thing.  

In respect of Reason.  
For (which may pass for another Reason) this Doctrine disturbs our Reason, and obstupifies it; it takes us off from all ratiocination or Logical inferences; we think it rational to conclude, That heavy bodies will sink downward, but this Doctrine will tell us another tale. viz. That an old Hag, a withered and decrepit Witch that is as heavy as Led, will swim like Cork in the Water, or as a Bird fly in the Air, that most soft, yielding, fluid and unresisting Element. We according to our Reason used to conclude, That if any Man or Person be here at this time, in this definite place and circumscribed, he is not, cannot be at another far distant place at the same instant; yet will this Doctrine impose upon us, That he may, as I have showed. Our Reason tells us, That no numerical accident can pass from one subject to another, or inhere in two subjects; and yet this Doctrine will tell us, That the same grief or wound, that a Witch receiveth in her aerial, assumed body, or vehicle, may be found and felt too (though the Soul be absent) at the same instant, in her dead Carcase left behind at home by the wall: And many more such fine incredibles, will this Doctrine teach us, contrary to our Reason. It was reported in the beginning of our late troubles, of a great and Arch-Covenanter, when pressing the Covenant most zealously: He was urged with some arguments taken from Scripture and Reason against the Covenanting way, by a Royalist; That he answered, we must deny both Scripture and Reason too now, and help Jesus Christ at this pinch. I did not indeed hear this myself, but it might be true, yea and his zeal might be somewhat excusable, since 'twas for Christ. But I read I am sure in many, in most Demonologists, several things that are directly opposite and contrary, both to Reason and Scripture, and these urged fiercely, as fundamental points of Religion, and all for the support and maintenance of the Grandeur of that Prince of darkness, against the honour and interest of Christ: If any Man can bring any thing of Reason or Scripture in excuse of this, he may if he will, I would not if I could, indeed I cannot nor any Man else.   

In respect of Sense.  
And yet more, It is a senseless Doctrine this. A Doctrine I mean, that takes away all the certainty or benefit of our Senses: We may think we see such and such things, such and such persons which yet we see not; think we hear such and such sounds, such and such discourses which yet we hear not: Think we taste and eat such and such viands, drink such and such luscious wines which yet we do not; we may be hungry, and thirsty, and faint, for all our ingurgitating, pour and cram we in never so much: We have eyes and see not, ear but cannot hear or know we do so— Seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling, may all deceive us according to this doctrine of Devils; And is this Doctrine to be entertained by Christians, yea or but by mere Men? When it even unmans them, and imposeth such unmanly things upon them, That they must both renounce their Senses and their Reason, or at least not believe them, which is as bad. Shortly, if the Devil can delude one Sense, he can another, yea all of them, and if it be true, Nihil est in intellectu quod non fuit prius in sensu; our senses being deceived, our intellect must needs be deceived too still; And thus, there is nothing but deceit and cheat upon us, both within and without; And is this an opinion that must be entertained by Men that pretend to Reason, yea or so much as to Sense?   

In respect of Traffic.  
Besides, I do not know but that that which is so much complained of now, and justly, viz. The damp and obstruction that is upon Trade, and Negotiation, may arise from this conceit; for who being of the Demonologists Opinion, unless he be desperate (if he have not first bought a Wind from a Witch, the principal Factor under the Prince of the Air) will dare to venture to either of the Indies, pass the Channel, or so much as venture himself in a sound Boat, until he have gotten the favour and blessing of all the Witches in the vicinage, yea in the Hemisphere.    

CHAP. XXIV. It is a Butcherly, and Murderous Opinion.  
IT is a Bloody, Barbarous, Cruel and Murderous Opinion, an Opinion that Butchers up Men and Women without Fear or Wit, Sense or Reason, Care or Conscience, by droves; So many in Somerset, so many in Lancashire— so many in another County, Ten, Twenty, Thirty at a clap; Inquisitors boast of Hundreds, yea Thousands, that they have butchered up in a small time, upon the account of Witchcraft. In the last troubles we had informations (that went all the Kingdom over) from Diurnals, and other more credible testimonies; That our Northern Zealots of Scotland butchered up many Hundreds (I am ashamed to write the exact number because it is so monstrous) in a very short time more than there had been of all other sorts of Criminals in Fifty years before, upon the conceit of this guilt; as many more in Jail, who doubtless had run the same fate, had not providence prevented it. But of all these that were imprisoned, there was but one that could be suspected (when impartial and  persons had the examination) and the ground of the suspicion against him too, appeared at last so weak, frivolous, and contemptible, That though (to gratify the humour of the peevish rabble) he was for a while detained in Prison, yet was at last too discharged as innocent. I could speak of and have hinted the like in another place, though not in so great a number, and that to mine own knowledge; and indeed, if the Oaths of two base Varlets (that will swear any thing to work their revenge) may be taken, where no reality of fact can appear; Who almost that is old, decrepit, ill-favoured, and friendless can be secure? How readily will they swear? Imps and Pugs, supernatural and infernal Teats or Biggs, Conjurations, Compacts, Devils in such and such shapes; How often have they sworn, Witches have turned themselves into Cats, and in that shape sighting with, and worsting the greatest Mastiffs? Into Hares too, and in that shape, outran the swiftest Greyhounds? How often have they sworn, That after their falling out with such Persons, such and such mischiefs have befallen them, as the mere effects of these Persons malice; when all the mischiefs, were but natural, and sometimes antecedent, to all distastes between the parties. I have myself known some, who swore such and such a mischief, such and such a disease betid them, presently upon the saying of such a Person (well, I may meet with you, I will be quits with you, better you had, or better you had not done this— with a Curse peradventure at the end) which yet were antecedent to any such Curse or threat upon them, being hereditary, or of a longer date than the curse or threat. Some possibly were concommitant, and others subsequent; But that among the multitude of hurtful accidents (which all the Men in the World are still subject unto) some one or other should fall out, in such a juncture of time, without any relation, or dependence upon the curse, or threat of the supposed Witch as the cause; he hath but a shallow, weak or narrow intellect that doth not apprehend. In the matter of Theft, Murder, Burglary— there must be some real thing proved as actually done by such a Person; the accused had power (it is supposed) to do the fact, and the accuser might have certainty enough, That it was done by such a Person; but here in this case of Witchcraft, there can be no such thing certain, it all goes upon groundless and inconceivable suppositions, surmises, conjectures, guesses, dreams, fancies; no certain assurance of any real connexion of such an effect with such a cause: And since, this many times serves, it is a wonder to me, That there be no greater herds, droves, flocks, swarms— of witchcraftical criminals at every Assize. But that the Reverend Judges, especially of England, now are much wiser; (not only than the Proletarian rabble, but than they too, who profess themselves to be the great Philosophers, and well-studied in the Magic art) and give small or no encouragement to such accusations; and yet with the many, if one such cross accident happen to be synchronical, or but subsequent to such a Curse or Threat; Oh! 'tis a pregnant proof, a certain evidence, That such a Witch was the cause; and yet a Hundred such Curses have been vented by the same Persons and no mischief followed, but they were not taken notice of, but this only that was attended by some mischief following: But to end this, a wise Man tells us, That a causeless Curse flies in vain; and if after or upon the venting such a Curse a mischief happen, must that mischief necessarily be the effect of that Curse? if 'twere causeless, 'twould bring no mischief: If a mischief be brought, it was deserved, and than 'twere fit sure to look to the hand of Providence for the cause, than to the Tongue of a spiteful Neighbour: Many Trophies and Gratulary anathemas you may see hanged up in Neptune's Temple by Men preserved from Shipwreck through his Providence; why Sacrifice you not to him? said one: I Sacrifice not to him, said the other; because there are Thousands more, that have suffered Shipwreck, who have Sacrificed to Neptune, than scap't. One mischief or other among the Myriad of various Accidents, that we are subject to, may seem somewhat Syncronical to such a Curse; but there have been a Thousand such Curses, when no mischief followed, and how then can the mischief be imputed to the Curse?   

CHAP. XXV. Other considerable points of Christianity undermined by it.  
ANd yet it is much more unfit to be entertained by Christians, that pretend much Honour to, and expect much, nay all their comfort from Christ. For if the Devil can delude our sights, foolifie our senses, or take any man's shape upon him, how are, how can we be sure that Christ's Resurrection was a real Truth? He appeared after his Resurrection often (as 'tis said indeed) But might not all be a mere Delusion, Apparition, Satanical-cheat, or Phantasm without Realities, not Christ's very person in Truth? for all Thomas his feeling and handling of him, it might be another body, one of the Thiefs peradventure, that the Devil had taken up; or it might be Christ's body indeed, but acted, agitated, postured by the Devil; Christ's body, but without Christ's Soul; nay might not his Birth also be questioned, whether 'twere from Heaven or from Hell? Might not he be some Incubus-Bastard, for all the fair Tale that is told of his Miraculous Generation? the voice from Heaven (This is my beloved Son) might it not be a Delusion too? and the turning Water into Wine a mere Juggle?— these are horrid, fearful, and desperate scruples; yet may they come athwart some men's Souls upon the supposition of this good, and godly Doctrine of Devils; besides, what shall we Protestants be able to say, to, or against that monstrous Opinion of the Papists; The gross and carnal presence of Christ's corporeal Body, corporeally in the Eucharist, the ubiquity of his Manhood, or Transubstantiation, and the consequents of these? And again if a Devil can contract a Witch into the diminutive Dimensions of a Rat, Catt, Hare, Flea or louse he can doubtless too sominisy her, that she shall be able to enter into any Chamber, Closet, or secret place, be the doors never so well shut, as fast or close, as art can make them; which was one of Christ's Miracles: and I see not neither, but that Christ may indeed so minorate his Body, that he may be easily comprehended within the narrow compass of a Waser-cake: and if a man by the help of the Devil can be in divers and far distant places at one time, It is no wonder, strange thing, or miracle at all, that Christ's Body be in Ten thousand different or distant places, at one and the selfsame instant (Ten thousand sure as well as ten or two) unless the power of Christ be less than the Devils.   

CHAP. XXVI. It is a Blasphemous and abominably Idolatrous, yea an Atheistical Doctrine.  
I'll add but this, It is a Sacrilegious, Blasphemous, and most abominably Idolatrous Doctrine: never more, never so much, horrid Sacrilege, Blasphemy and Idolatrousness in any Opinion or Practice, that ever was in vogue amongst men. It steals from Christ the honour of his Godhead, and of his Miracles he wrought to prove himself the Son of God; from the Father, the glory of his incommunicable Attributes; and from the Spirit the credit of these special Operations for which we Adore him. And is not this Sacrilege, Sacrilege in the highest; from the highest, and from the Holiest too? For Blasphemy, it intimates, that Christ had not wit enough, to choose an Argument, nor power enough to do a Work for proof of that, which he especially intended to prove, viz. His eternal Power and Godhead. The Devil can do as much as he did, as God doth or did by his stretched out Arm upon Pharaoh; yea or the blessed Spirit can do, even in his most Spiritual and Heavenly way, as I have showed. And for Idolatry, it teacheth not peradventure the Worship of Saints and Angels, nor of Sun, Moon, Stars, or Host of Heaven, nor of Stocks and Stones, nor of Leeks and Onions, nor of Crocodiles and Serpents, nor of Crepitus ventris, & Deae cloacinae— (which were the lowest Degenerancies of the most besotted Heathens.) But of something worse lower and base; It teacheth the Worship of the very Devil himself in his utmost Devilship, as he is a most malicious, envious, and villainous Devil: when Men attribute these works, that power, and these excellencies to the Devil, which he deserves not; but are proper to God, is not this Worship? in their most devout Worship of God, what is it that they do, or can do more, than hearty, zealously, and religiously ascribe these great, stupend, and wonderful things to him? and are not then the great Philosophers, Doctors, Professors, that writ and stickle so much to uphold the Doctrine of Devils, are they not I say, the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉? This may be taken by way of question, but this me seems, I may affirm positively, that of all the strange, wild, mad Heterodoxes, that were ever invented, broached, or suggested by the Conclave of that infernal Association, none ever was, is, or can be more Abominable. All other desperate Heresies, what ever, how ever desperate in themselves, had yet some pretence, sucus o● gloss upon them, to make them look seemly: as either God's glory, the comfort of the Church or the benefit of Mankind. But this hath none of these, no pretence of either of these, nothing good in it at all, nothing that is good, commendable or tolerable: It is mere Devil, rank and entire Devil, generally Universally, Catholickly, and throughout from Top to Bottom, from Head to Foot, Root and Branch; and all the result (if not the design of it) is, to bring in the Demonomany, and to exalt the Grandeur Magnificence, augustness and Kingdom of that Prince of Darkness: I need add no more, this is enough if we be Christians, if Deists, nay if but rational Men: I might have added it as a Rebellious Doctrine; some Exorcists upon the account of it, (as I have shown) instigate to Rebellion; we conquer Devils, can flesh and blood stand out? follow us.—  
It may be thought, I have been too violent and bitter against this Opinion: Answ. It is the cause of God: all the three persons are immediately concerned in it: their honour, and Godhead lie at stake: the comfort of the Church, the preservation of men's lives, and the Salvation of more Souls depend upon the truth opposed to it: and should I be mild, should I gently stroke or claw such a desperate Opinion, that strikes at all, and would if possibly stab both God and Man to the Heart, I might justly fear a sharper reproof, than that to Ely. His fault was but a connivance in respect of his Sons; he preferred them before God; and should I prefer the Devil's honour, before God's glory, the Churches good, and the safety of men's lives and goods and Souls too?   

CHAP. XXVII. Ex. 22.18. Considered, and the Objection taken thence answered.  
THe objections against the opinion that I defend, and for the maintenance of the Doctrine of Devils are, as the Spaniards used to say of the Portugals, few and poor, scarce considerable indeed, but that by vulgar Error they are generally received as Demonstrations. I shall touch therefore now but one (the rest as many as I could meet with, yea and this too) I have answered sufficiently, and at large in another place. It is this. The Scripture intimates, that there are Witches, and it allots death, as their punishment. Exo. 22.18. Ergo, There are a sort of persons, that act strange and stupend things, through a power derived to them from the Devil; or, the Devil can empower such persons with a kind of Omnipotency. Answ. Truly this follows not at all, not any thing like it: but that Witches there are, is without question; and more than a good many, what ever is meant by them: what is the Scripture-Witch, and what is that Witch, the vulgar counteth a Witch, that is the question: as for the word (Witch) which the Scripture often useth, Josephus (a great Rabbi, a learned Doctor, and an Eminent person among the Jews, and therefore knew doubtless the meaning of his own Country Language, his Mother Tongue, and the terms of the sacred Text, as well as any Man else can be supposed) Translates it Poisoner, and very rightly according to the natural genuine and proper signification of the word; the word (Casaph) in the first prime and original sense, signifying one that hideth, covereth, or disguiseth one thing with another: so do Poisoners cover a delitorious Dose with some delicious sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be either from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Litera similitudinis nota & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Medicue (1) Quasi, sicut, velut medicus: and what more consonant to this Etymon, than a Poisoner, Philterer, Juggler, Cheater, or Deceiver; one that mixeth, compoundeth, bindeth things together as a Physician; though he do it to a good end, they to a mischievous: the Sugar must cover the Poison: so the cunning-subtile seeming-good words, tricks, feats, glosses— must hid the villainy intended by such Varlets; or else the word is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mutans, alterans, adulterans faciem, apparentiam, speciem vel externam rei formam, one that altars, covers, changeth or disguiseth, the face, form or outward appearance of things: and may not this be very well rendered Juggler, Philterer, Deceiver, Poysner— better than Witch (1) One in compact with the Devil? for what do such Varlets else, but altar, change, cover, hid and disguise the outward face of things, and their villainous intentions with fair fucus, shows and glosses, That the Villainy they intent to act may not appear or be discovered? Poisoners than are of two sorts or kinds, Spiritual and Carnal: the one in respect of the Soul, the other of the Body: the Carnal, the Scripture speaketh little or nothing of; nor shall I as being nothing to the business in hand. The Spiritual Poisoner may again be twofold, Moral and Intellectual, in respect of life and conversation; That, this, in respect of Doctrine or Opinion: he that inveigleth any person to any lewd, debauched, lascivious or wicked Act or Conversation, by promises, persuasions or any other means, ways or tricks, is a Spiritual Poisoner Morally; such are Bawds, Setters, Panders, and corrupters: and of such the civil Law interprets, Magus: and of such (if the coherence will prove any thing, as no doubt it will much) is the word Witch to be understood, Exo. 22.18. Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live. (1) A Bawd, a Pander, a moral Poisoner, or an enticer to such wickedness, as is there spoken of before and after that verse, and so may the word fitly be interpreted, Na. 3.4. Mal. 3.5. in a spiritual sense, Spiritual or Moral Bawds, or Enticers to Idolatry. 2. A Poisoner intellectually, or in respect of Doctrine is one that seduceth, enticeth, enveigleth Men into Idolatrous or Superstitious Worship, Doctrine or Opinion, these the Scripture calleth Witches, or Cashaphim too, Deut. 18.11. 2 King. 9.22, 21, 6, 9 2 Chro. 33.6, 9 and not only when by promises, persuasions, subtle contrivances, or fallacious Arguments, they seduce them from the Truth into Errors, but also when they use any cunning Feats, Tricks, A●ts, Juggles, Power or Force, to draw or continue Men in wicked practices or Opinions, these in Scripture are called Cashaphim, as Es. 47.12, 13. Jer. 27.9. Ex. 7.11. It is true, that the Magicians of Egypt were great Naturalists, and thence might very well be called Magis, or wise Men, but as they abused their knowledge in things natural, by pretending (if at least they did so pretend) that they acted by a Supernatural assistance, and so could equalise Moses (though they did but Juggle and play the Knaves in the dark) their end and aim too being but to continue Pharaoh in his Idolatry, oppressing humour, and Tyranny, they were but Spiritual Poisoners, Impostors, Jugglers, cozening Knaves or Cashaphim; and do not they that Cheat, Deceive, Poison Men in respect of their Souls, deserve the name and punishment of Poisoners, Jugglers, Cheaters, Impostors— as well as they, who only do mischief to men's Bodies? Are they not Cashaphim Poisoners, Impostors, Jugglers— properly? can there be any sitter term given them? By one of these senses, may the word Cashaph, or Witch (if Men will needs stick to that word) wherever used in Scripture, be fairly interpreted: but it is not where all the Scripture over so much as once intimated, or hinted, That the Witch or Cashaph, by any compact with, or power derived from the Devil, ever wrought any kind of feat, carnal or corporeal thing (to say no more here) whatever, neither doth there any word, term, notion, circumvolution, paraphrase, sense, or coherence with the Text, any where yield any such thing. Strange this, if the Scripture intended any such person as was in compact with the Devil, and as strange, that such a word should still be used, that signifieth nothing, but a Poisoner, Juggler, Cheater, Cozener, Imposter, or mixer of some good (or seemingly good) things with bad, that the bad might slip down the glibber, being sugared over with the good in a spiritual sense. The Holy Ghost in the old Testament often mentions, such Cheating, Cozening and knavish impostors, in respect of spirituals (as I have showed elsewhere) under the term Cashaph, which the Holy Penmen of the New Testament render (as Josephus did that in the old, yea and the Septuagint too) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Poisoner, Cheater, Impostor— one that mingles or covers his Poisonous Doses, with some delicious sweets, Rev. 18.23.21, 8.22, 15. neither use they any other word for such a Varlet, except it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which they one way or other interpret to be a Cheater, Poisoner, or Imposter, as I have said, Act. 8, 9.13, 6.— 16. 2 Tim. 3.13. to which may be referred Gal. 5.20. Idolatry and Witchcraft, Witchcraft as the knavish trick of seducing, and enticing to Idolatry. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New-Testament never used, but in relation to Idolaters, or Idolatry, nor Cashaph in the old. And indeed why Cashaph should be rendered Witch (though I care not for terms, so the meaning be right) and interpreted one that works by a power derived from the Devil by compact, I cannot possibly divine, unless it be because this word is often joined with Shoel, Ob, which is usually translated a Consulter, or dealer with familiar Spirits; whereas too that word signifies no such thing, but a Seeker or an Enquirer at Oracles, Heathen Oracles, expecting answers from them, as elsewhere I have showed: and indeed if Consulter or dealer with familiar Spirits were the right sense of Shoe, Ob, I wonder why that word was not produced for proof of Compact with the Devil, rather than Cashaph. In that word, peradventure at first sight, according to the common Translations, a Man might think it likelier to find the name and nature of a Witch, than in the other, though indeed in neither according to the vulgar conceit of a Witch: but shortly, as soon may the witchcraftical Doctors prove, that because Men did suppose a Pegasus or winged-Horse in the Heavens, there are such strange Animals with us here below too upon the Earth; as that, because there are Witches talked of in Scripture, therefore there are and were undoubtedly certain Men and Women, called Witches, that by a power derived to them from the Devil, upon Compact can do strange things among us now, our Witches (according to the general supposition) differing from the Scripture-Witches, as much as our Horses do from that imaginary Horse in the Heavens. Our Witches are supposed to do strange things above the course of nature; the Scripture-Witch can never be proved to have ever done any such thing. 2. Ours do by a supernatural power: (as 'tis said) The others did all by natural means what ever they did. 3. Ours are said to have power from the Devil by Compact, whereas no Compact with the Devil, nor power from him, can be proved of the Scripture-Witch. 4. The Scripture-Witch did what he did in public, feared not the light at least, 2 Kin. 9.22, 21, 6. where, what ours do, is scarce intelligible, as being done in secret, and in the dark still. 5. The Scripture-Witch might easily be discovered and known, Deut. 18.14. whereas no sufficient tokens, marks, diagnosticks have been yet produced, nor ever will (I'm confident) by which ours may be known, and discovered for such, nor will it ever be proved, that there are, were, or can be such as the vulgar dream of, except by the desperate perjuries of malicious Villains, or the confessions of miserable, besotted, and irrational old wretches, or peevish dreams of melancholic Hypocondriacks, which are no way sufficient to convince any Man, though but of ordinary and common understanding. Shortly there is nothing in the word or notion (Mecashapha) Exo. 22.18. nothing in any other Text, nothing in any antecedent consequent or coherence, that any Text throughout the Book, nothing in any feat, or work attributed to the Cashaphim in Scripture, that intimates or hinteth Devil, or compact with a Devil, or that needed the Devil's assistance for the effecting of it. This word therefore, or any conjugate thereof cannot, I think, signify in any sober Man's judgement, a person in compact with the Devil: for, as for the seats that were done, if any such seats were indeed done by those Jugglers of Egypt, in opposition to or Emulation of Moses, they are three or four times (that is all the times, that any thing is said to be done there) attributed to the Hartummim still, not to the Cashaphim at all: whereas Ex. 22.18. speaketh only of the Cashaphim, not at all of the Hartummim; yet these too, did but Juggle as I have showed fully in another place.  
But whether they were the Hartummim or Cashaphim, all is one, they were but knaves both one and all: and all but Juggl's, whatever they did, as I have shown in another place. And as for these Hartummims; Learned-Men think them to be One Species, Kind, or Order of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of Wisemen; as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Magicians, Another. And for the Word, they think it a Stranger to the Hebrew: but others conceive it a Free-Denizon of that Language, and derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Foramen, a Hole, as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Obiurare, occultare, claudere, etc. But it may, peradventure, derive its Original from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfecti, excellentes, or exacti; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sculpere, formare, effigiare, etc. And so the Word signifies the Masters, Chiefs, or Principal Hieroglyphers. The Egyptians had their Sacred Pictures, Representatives or Eidyllions, under which they concealed their more Mysterious Knowledge or Doctrines both of their Divinity, and Philosophical Conceits. The Makers, Carvers, or Gravers of those, were in high Esteem among that People, for their Skill in, and Employment about, their Sacred Things. These, we may well think, among the rest of his Wisemen, were, by Pharaoh, called to be consulted, and to contend with Moses about Miraculous Feats. Now, 'tis possible, yea, very probable, that these Men, having the Art or Knack of making, graving, or carving the Pictures of Men, Beasts, Serpents, Reptiles, etc. had the Feat also of colouring, painting, and fucussing of them also: and so, might easily (especially in the Dark, or by their Juggling Feats, as the Text intimates) make a Rod look like a Serpent: Water (if any true and real Water at that time, might be gotten; Moses before, having, as the Text expressly saith, turned all their Water into Blood) seem to be, or look like Blood: or, make a Piece of Wood, in Shape and Motion resemble a Frog, yea a Toad. I have myself seen one so Artificially contrived and ordered for Form and Motion, that at first sight, it might easily be mistaken for such a Reptil. But, when it came to smaller or lesser Things and Corpuscles, as Flies and Lice (the Painting, Colouring, or effigiating the like, they were not formerly acquainted with); and to things of another Nature (and a greater number of them also expected): Their Weakness, and Knavery, or (as the Apostle styles their Juggls) their Foolery was manifest to all Men. The Hartummim, I say, might be some Knavish Painters; who had the feat, dexterity, or knack of Colouring and Casting a seemly Glass upon things. And, because that the Priestly Order might be è Secretioribus unto Pharaoh, the Mecashaphim might be the Counsellors for State-Matter but (sure) Subtle and Politic Orators, who with fallacious Arguments, cunning Pretences, and plausible Rhetoric, could so disguise Truth, and flourish up Knavery and Falsehood; that Falsehood should seem Truth, and Truth but Falsehood. And so are justly called Meeashaphims, Colourers, Changers, or Perverters of the Faces of Things; as the Others, justly Hartummims, from their Painting, forging, Colouring, or fucussing of Things. But both, mere Jugglers, though in several Ways; the One in and by Words; the Other by, and upon Things.   

CHAP. XXVIII. Some Motives for the drawing off of Men from this Doctrine, proposed.  
I Shall add a few Particulars more for the preventing the growth of, and longer adhesion to this gross, blasphemous, and Abominable Doctrine. 1. Then I would persuade Men, that they would be indeed, and in truth, what they profess to be; Deists, and not Demonomanists, Worshippers of God and Christ, not Adorers of the Devil. All Idolatry is Abominable, but this most, as being not only Simple Idolatry, or mere downright Atheism in the Positive; but Idolatry and Atheism too, in the Superlative: For, if they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that worshipped the Heathen-Gods, i. e. Men Famous in their Generation for the Invention of many useful things, but deified by the Pagan Superstition, Eph. 2.12. They then that Worship the Devil are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most Transcendently Atheistical, as Worshipping the worst of things that can be imagined. The ascribing of great Works, Titles, Honours, Excellencies, etc. to a Person, is Worshipping, Rev. 4.18. But if it be more than the Person or Thing deserves, it is Idolatrous; and may, nay doth, come within the Compass of the Highest Atheism, if done to the Devil. Adore, Magnify, Exalt, God; the Works, Power, Wisdom, Goodness, and Providence of God: This will keep you safe from being infected with the Leaven of this Doctrine; Thus shall you preserve yourselves, Deists, and Christians, and only thus. Adore Christ Jesus, as the only Potentate, the Power that only doth great Wonders: If you Adore Him not thus, you make Him but an Idol, or a Trifle; We have no Ground, Reason, Motive, or Command, to Worship, or Believe in Him, but as He is the Great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the World. If I do not the Works of my Father, believe me not; but if I do, believe me for the very Works sake, John 10.37. Upon the Account of His Power and Miracles we may, and must believe in Him, and we may safely enough; if His Works and Miracles deserve it not, (as being not Unparallelable)  Him: And sure, Men do not, will not, cannot believe in Him, ( they pretend, and prate) I say cannot believe in Him; if they believe the Doctrine, or Omnipotency of Devils, the Belief of this takes off utterly the Belief of that: If Men believe, that the Devil can and doth, as Great, or Greater Works than Christ, they cannot believe in Christ. No man can serve two Masters, is the saying of a very wise Judicious and Critical Person, (as I esteem him): and truly I believe, that it is simply impossible for a Person, to believe, trust, rely, and to have full Confidence, Dependence, and Recumbency upon any Power, as Superexcellent, and Unparallelable for Comfort, Health, Security, and Salvation; and yet at the same time to believe, that there is another Numen, equal, if no● Super-paramount to the former, for Power, Subtilty, and indefatigableness to do Mischief, and Villainy. Me-seems, indeed, that besides the Blasphemy, Sacr●iedge, theism of the Demonomanists, there is a Contradiction and Nonsense too, in than Opinion.  
2. I would persuade Men to consider, how by this Doctrine they are drawn not to sin singly, but are forced as it were to pile, heap, load up one sin upon another, a new, or another, to a former Villainy. And should they be such Davids as to add sin unto sin? thirst unto Drunkenness? One Mil●stone hanged about the neck, is heavy enough to drown any Man; but two or three, or more will sink him into the bottom of any unfathomable Abyss: There are without doubt degrees of Sin here, and will be of Torments in that insernal Tophet (a greater Damnation and utter darkness, Rewards double, the dregs of the Cup we read of) according to the Dimensions and Aggravations of the Sins, shall the Torments be aggrandized: add not therefore Murder to Atheism, and Idolatry: though these two cry loud enough for vengeance; yet hath Murder a Stentorean voice, and will reach farther. Bloodguiltiness, the guilt of innocent blood hath a shrill voice, that will pass up unto, and through the brazen gates of the highest Heaven. Thy Brother's Blood cryeth unto Me from the Ground; especially if acted by a Law, under the pretence of Justice. We have a Law, and by our Law he ought to Die, when they would condemn the innocent, cried the Jews, but did this excuse? wilt thou have any thing to do with the Stool, Seat, Chair, or Tribunal of wickedness, that imagineth mischief by a Law? they gather themselves together against the Soul of the Righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But the Lord shall bring upon them their own Iniquity, and shall cut them off in their wickedness; yea the Lord our God shall cut them off, Psal. 94.20.— Bring upon them their Iniquity— cut them off in their own wickedness— yea the Lord our God, (God will take the matter into his own hands, and shall cut them off). It is a terrible Threat, and deserves serious consideration, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. A Man that marrieth his Mother, and so thinks to justify his Incest, is much more criminal, than he had been merely by his single Villainy in lying with her, say Casuists: Because he pretends Divine approbation for his abominable Villainy: and doubtless, Law, Religion, and Justice drawn in, to countenance a Murder, do but aggravate: all these, yea, and God himself the Author of all these, being thus brought in as Accessary, yea, and these being the public acts of a Nation or Kingdom, the whole Kingdom or Nation is involved in the guilt of the Villainy: and this seems unpreventible where this Doctrine is entertained; they must needs think they do God good service when they Murder the Innocent.  
3. Fellow not a multitude, though, in long Tract of time, they have beaten out abroad plain easy path before thee: Kingdoms, and People, and Nations, as well ●s single persons may be under great mistakes, and gross Errors for many years. So was the Church in respect of Millenisme, Arrianisme, Pelagianisme, Pope's Supremacy, Communion under one kind, Transubstantiation—  
So also in this particular, concerning this Doctrine of Devils, It hath generally prevailed in most Churches, in most places, for many Hundred years, amongst most Men: yet is it a gross Heterodoxy, and Abominable Apostasy from the Doctrine of the primitive Church, in the Apostle's time. That it was counted an Abominable Error, is plain by this Text; and in aftertimes about the year 310. the Council of Ancyra concludes peremptorily, at least against that part of it, which attributeth so much power to Devils: Quisquis ergo credit, posse aliquam creaturam aut in meltus aut deterius Immutari, aut Transformari in aliam speciem, nisi ab ipso Creatore, qui fecit omnia, procul dubiò insidelis est & Pagano deterior. From this truth hath the Church deviated, and fallen into the contrary Error, for these Twelve or thirteen hundred years. It is not ground enough, to embrace a Tenent, because of the many, that embrace it, or the long time it hath been embraced, the several places where it hath obtained, or the several Doctors that have maintained it. Ad legem & prophetas, To the Law and to the Testimony. If men's Tenants, Practices or Opinions agree not with these, reject them. Number or multitude is no justifiable excuse, or sufficient precedent; and yet I like not selfconceited singularity: Prove all things, hold fast that which is Good, is an excellent Rule.  
But I must add here: Though a Church, the whole Church, to a very few, may thus generally be erroneous, even in such a point; yet may it not be strait un-churched, or become presently an Abdicate, Reprobate, or Anathematised Church, for an Error or two, though gross ones: we had scarce else a visible Church in the World, for many Hundred years: God giveth more grace: Every error, mistake, or heterodoxy, though great enough, doth not nullify a Church, if it be not obstinately, wilfully, and wickedly persisted in. If the whole Church sin through Ignorance, there may be an Atonement, Leu. 4.13. A Church, a whole Church may be under the Gild of some great Sin, and yet be the Church of God still: Gross and Heinous Sins, may not be Grounds enough for Separation; and therefore our Schismatics have no Justisyable Warrant for their Schism, from the pretended gross Sins of this Church, and State. Is there? can there be? can they wiredraw any of our National, or Ecclesiastical Sins, into greater Horridness, than this Sin hath? And yet had God his Church still; nay and even they also were of His Church that Embraced that horrid Heterodoxy: Nay, they themselves are Guilty, most of them, of this most Horrid Heterodoxy; and yet will they reckon themselves of God's Church. How then, or with what Face, can they Anathematise, or Unchristen another Society, whom they cannot accuse of any Crime, so horrid as this? Doubtless the Sins of this Nation are High and Horrid, peradventure, never more: the Lord of His goodness, change our Minds, reform our Extravagancies, and rectify our Conversations, according to the Pattern, and the great Exemplar, the Lord Jesus Christ. We had need beg this Hearty, lest, according to the Transcendency of our present sinful Condition, our Judgements be Transcendent, and of the Superlative Dimension. We may well fear this, though we have already, and do now yet suffer so much; yet may we justly sear more: His Wrath may not be turned away yet: but His Hand may be stretched out still; yea, He may Plague us Seven times yea and Seven times more still; yea and likely will: God will be Conqueror one way or other, either in our Conversion, or Confusion. Can we kick against the Pricks? Are we able to contend with God, or are we Stronger than God? Shall an Earthen Pot contend with a Brazen Mountain? Sure, sure, it will be bitter, exceeding bitter, in the end; bitterer and bitterer, still, till the End; and peradventure without End. Let us prevent this, by our Compliance with, and Conformity to the Divine Will of God; and, the Good Lord grant, that Magistrates, Ministers, and all others, in their several Places and Stations, may do their parts. There is not, hath not been, cannot be, a more Gross, Blasphemous, or Abominable Villainy; nor more Injurious, both to God and Man, than this: nor Fornication, nor Intemperance, nor any other of those Raging Sins of this Age. This therefore, especially, over, above, and beyond all else, should they jointly set themselves against. The Magistrates are God's Ministers, Deputies, and Vice-gerents, and should they not Act for God? for God against the Devil, not for the Devil, against God? Sure, Ministers are God's Ambassadors, and should proclaim, publish, and declare His Greatness, Majesty, and Power; not Traitorously give away these Jewels of His Crown, to His Adversary, Competitor, or Rebellious Vassal. All the rest are God's Leige-Subjects, and Menial Servants, or Soldiers under His Banner; and should they not Fight to uphold His Crown and Dignity? should they be content, tamely to yield up His Royal Prerogatives, to be usurped by that Villainous Traitor of Hell? Truly, nor Magistrate, nor Minister, nor People, can do God a greater Dishonour, nor the Devil better Service, than by maintaining this Doctrine of Devils. Once, this cannot be denied, the Holy Ghost speaketh expressly against it; whosoever therefore speaketh for it, sets his Mouth against Heaven, against God, against the Holy-Ghost: What would we expect more than the Word, the plain, and express Word of God, for the settling us in or against a Doctrine? When the Lord hath decided the Controversy, & settled the Question, should men's Moots, groundless Opinions, small Arguments, and whilde Winter-Tales, unsettle us? And this brings me to another Particular, for the eradicating, or at least stopping of the farther Growth of this Root of Bitterness.  
4. Let the Apostle's Advice take place; Refuse Profane and old Wives Tales, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Avoid, Oppose, Abhor, Deprecate, as thou wouldst some great Mischief, or Reject, as a Man doth his Wife, when he gives her a Bill of Divorcement: there is more in it sure, than simple Refusing: Refuse, as Fearing, Loathing, and Detesting: But how comes this Advice in here? How falls the Apostle upon this Prohibition of Tales and Fables in this Place? Brings he it in (shall we think) by Head and Shoulders, without any Agreement or Coherence with the matter in Hand? Doubtless he is always seasonable, in all his Prohibitions, Charges, and Caveats; but especially here, when he speaks immediately from the Mouth of the Holy-Ghost, against the Villainy which the Holy-Ghost had expressly, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in plain terms declared his mislike of; and probably, the means to prevent and avoid it. And I am very confident, that there is no man, that can give any Reason why, wherefore, or upon what account this Charge should be brought in here, unless to intimate that Profane and old Wive's Tales would be a great Motive, means and occasion, by which men should be brought under the Cheat of seducing Spirits, and into the Mischief of being bewitched with the Abominable Doctrines of Devils: And therefore, St. Paul adviseth Timothy, that, As he would avoid being cheated by seducing Spirits, and the desperate Doctrine of Devils, so he would avoid Profane and old Wives Tales. If thou give no heed to these, no danger of the other: But, but-little hope of escaping the other, if thou give any heed to these: This is plain out of the Text, all: And indeed, how pernicious and dangerous such Fables may prove, for the Poisoning of men's Souls to the abhorring of Truth, and for the bewitching of them unto most Idolatrous Opinions, we may easily learn, by these two most Monstrous Heterodoxies, Purgatory, and Adoration of Images; both grew from this Root, as I have intimated: and so this Doctrine of Devils hath too the same Original: And this, if any man will but observe, and consider seriously, he will easily find, that this Babel of Confusion, is built merely upon the Sandy Foundation of Tales and Fables. There are Stories writ, and Laws enacted, concerning Witchcraft, Compact, and Converse with the Devil: But, search the Matter to the bottom, trace the Hare to the Form, follow the River up to the Fountain; and you'll find, old Wives Tales, and Profane Fables, seconded by Romantic Inventions, and Poetical Fictions, to be the Original of all. Some Old, Crazie-brained, Doting, Melancholical, hypocondriac Dreamers in the Paroxysm of their Distempers, seem to see strange Sights, Creatures, Goblins, Devils, as they think; this they report, with Confidence; the Rabble is credulous, and believes strait; the Diurnallers are willing to swell up their Pamphlets, unto Volumes; Philosophers (to show their Wit) undertake to prove all credible, yea necessary: Others in their Simplicity, with an abundance of Zeal, and little Wit, (thinking God's Honour is concerned), predicate it: The Shavelings contrive an advantageous Trade out of it: and thereupon (deluding the Civil Magistrate, with fair Tales, and goodly Pretences) the Inquisition-Office is Erected, where the Masters of that Tyranny, for the seeding of their Unsatisfyable Covetousness, by intolerable Courses, Tricks, Artifices, and Torments, extort, and Register, what mad Confessions they please, from ignorant, simple, besotted, affrighted, friendless, and tender-skined Persons. And now who dares deny, question, or doubt? the Holy House hath concluded it, in one place, and so it must be thought a precious Truth, and be brought into Vogue in all places; and yet not so much as one wise or honest Man, ever saw, heard, or knew any such thing. I should have added, That Malicious Varlets, understanding that, by their Oaths, they might aggrandise their Revenge to the utmost in the most shameful and most painful Death, of their Adversary, would not stick to venture the peccadillo of a Perjury, to gratify their Mali●●; And thus they wrap it up: But, the 〈◊〉 Original of all was, a● I said, Old Wive's Fables, ●●ad Dreams of 〈◊〉, pro●●e Stories, borrowed of Heathens: and those the Apostle might especially aim at, in this his Caveat; for, What are all those Wild Taler, among Christians (now, and heretofore) of Witches, Conjurations, raising of Devils, & c? but the Revived Fables of the Heathens (under other names) concerning Tis●phone, Megara, Hecal●, etc. and done by their means; of like 〈…〉 are pretended now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because such Lies, Fables, and Tales, were 〈◊〉 chief, and most used by the Priest of 〈◊〉 or Beel; to bring that-Id●l's Worship into request. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, disser not much. This once: That such Stories may do much Mischief, this way, the Holy-Ghost himself here intimates, by this Caveat, Reject these Old S●ories, formerly much used, concerning B●●l, or Baal. And are such Stories sufficient grounds for Christians to 〈◊〉 such a Doctrine on, that is so 〈…〉 and intolerable, both 〈…〉 God and Man? Truly, if 〈…〉 seriously consider, how 〈…〉 the Father, and all the 〈…〉, are concerned, How 〈…〉 consequence, if not directly 〈…〉 abused and blasphemest 〈…〉 ●ne of Devils, 'twould terrify any 〈◊〉- Soul into an abhorrency of it. Never let it be thought, That these Consequences are mere fal● lations Infirmities, from the Demonologer's Doctrine: I appeal to any Man, that hath any Wit, Reason, Intellect, Understanding, or Sense, whether all these absurd, and Abominable Consequences, that I have hinted at, here, and elsewhere, do not liquido, without straining or wring, genuinely, properly, naturally flow from their Premi●●●, and if the Premises be naught, the naughtiness of the Conclusion may not be charged on him, that logically, according to right, not fallacious Ratiocionation, infers them: So that, if Men have any care of God's Honour, or their own 〈◊〉; if they will not prefer the Devil before God, Christ, and all that is called Good, or Sacred; if they will not be the worst of Idolatons, that 〈◊〉 were, or can be imagined, 〈◊〉 Murder, the obstructing of all Judicial Proceeding, the destroying of Humane Society. Natural Comfort among Men, and the large Bed-rol of other Gross Enormities); if they be not for Hell, more than for Heaven; for the bloody old Dragon, (that must be bruised under our Feet), than for the Brazen Serpent, that must be lifted up; If they will not maintam a Doctrine, by which, the most malicious and mischievous Machinations of desperate Villains, against their Innocent Neighbours, may be countenanced and encouraged; If they will not be accounted, nay if they will nor really, and in truth, be, in themselves (and not merely upon the account of other men) Renagad●●s, ●●nouncers, Apostates, from the Fundamental and Architectonical Truths, of Christian Religion, they will not entertain this Hellish Doctrine; nor (if by mistake they have heretofore been bewitched into the Conceit of its Truth,) will persist in it. I have discharged mine own Conscience, and am Innocent, as to the Blood of any Person, that shall die, merely upon the Accusation of this Gild, hereafter.   

CHAP. XXIX. An Objection, That Christ's Miracles are no Good Argument to Prove his Mess●● Ship, or Godhead, but the Prophecies that went before of Him, in the Scriptures; or at least not those without these.  
THere is indeed another Conceit retrived by a Learned Man, (which I lately met with) fortified both by the Reverend Names of some of the Ancients, and also with a piece of Scripture, 2 Pet. 1.19. We have a surer Word of Prophecy, etc. Which he applies, or rather opposes, to Christ's Miracles, as though they were not convincing enough to prove him to be the Son of God, unless the Prophecies that went before, of the Miracles that should be Wrought by the Mess●●, and his Miracles, be found Consonant, and Agreeing. By Prophecy he understands, not only Verbal Predictions, of the Prophets, concerning Miracles, to be done; but the Types and Figures; a● also the Stories, and Events, recorded in Scripture. All those requisite to be known, for the inducing of Men to believe, That the Miracles of Christ did prove his Godhead. Answ. It is not denied, but other things, besides His Miracles, may be, and are, Arguments of the Godhead of our Blessed Saviour, as His Spiritual 〈…〉, the Star, the Attestation from Heaven, etc. as afore, and Prophe●● 〈…〉 the fest: but this 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 Christ's, Miracles alone, by themselves, do prove it sufficiently etc. John (Chap. 20.31.) saith they do, and Christ (as after) saith 〈…〉 and I hope that we may believe either of the●●. 2. This Scripture doth not prove the thing in 〈◊〉, viz. That Christ's Miracles needed the Assistance of Prophess to prove what he was: But only, 〈◊〉 Prophecies were a good Argument, 〈◊〉 a better to some Men, than 〈…〉: This is the most. 〈…〉 Knowledge of the Prophetical 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 be hard to say, 〈…〉 Matth. 8: the Syroph 〈…〉. 15; the Chief 〈◊〉, with his party of Soldiers, Matth. 27. had believed upon good ground; or that their Faith of Christ's Divinity was right (though they be commended for it) as not being rightly settled or grounded well in them: They were (before they saw his Miracles) mere Heathens, and ignorant of the Prophecies altogether; Yea, I might doubt, Whether the Apostles Faith at first, were right, when they believed only, upon the Evidence of that first Miracle, which he wrought in Canaa of Galilee, John 2.11. Nay, it might well be doub●ed, Whether their Faith were Salvisical, all his Life-time, until his Death; notwithstanding that of Matth. 16.16. ●ohn 6.68, 69. For, it seems, they were not very well versed in the Verbal Predictions, touchless in the Types, Figures, S●●●●, and Events recorded in Scripture; but were ignorant unlearned Men, as to these things, until Christ, after His Resurrection, opened their Intellect, that they might understand the Histories as well as Mysteries of the Text, being before very ignorant of both. 4. If Christ's Miracles were not sufficient by themselves, to prove His Godhead, without the Prophecies, that is, unless, not only the Verbal Predictions of the Prophets, but also the Types, Figures, and even the History and Events too recorded in Scripture; yea the External Testimonies (as Sacrifices, Oracles, and their Cessations, to perfect the proof) do come in also; then none, but great Scholars, Helluons Pololo●●rs, Subtle Allegorizers, Men of Rabbinical Fancy, or of Origen's Humour, can certainly be assured, by this Argument taken from his Miracles, That Christ was in ●●ed the Messiah, or Son of God. Men of ordinary Knowledge, of common Capacity, of small Reading, narrow Intelligence, etc. though never so firm Believers, sincerely Pious and conscientious Observers of the Will of God, since they cannot pierce into the Mystical Types, Obscure Figures, enigmatical Hieroglyphics, cannot be 〈…〉 with the External Testimonies, nor Chemically distil plain Histories, into Allegories, (notwithstanding they can, and do read, understand, and believe all the Verbal Predictions of the Prophets; yea, and notwithstanding, they may do, or might see Miracles upon Miracles; all the Miracles that Christ ever did, a Thousand Miracles, one after another; yet can they not with assurance conclude Christ's Godhead, by, or from His Miracles. And yet Christ useth this Argument, To prove His Godhead; useth it often; useth it more often, than any other, than all other Arguments, that to that purpose he ever used; useth it as an Irrefragable Argument, Joh. 10.37; useth it as an Argument, that leaves Men, who are not convinced by it, inexcusable, Joh. 18.24. And this Argument, Medium, Motive, or Mean, without any other, by and of itself alone, was very many times (we find) sufficiently convincing; useth it over, above, and beyond the Testimony of the Baptist, as a much better Argument; though he were the greatest of all the Prophets, that ever were; the greatest that was born of Women, for the cleverness of his Description and Indigitation of Christ's Person: And therefore as credible in His Testimony, as any of the Verbal Predictions of any of the Prophets; and yet preferreth Christ, the Argument taken from his Miraculous Works, before the Testimony of this, John 5.32, 33, 34. It must be therefore of more Strength, than any Verbal Prediction of any Prophet's, whatever. He used indeed, too, His Father's Testimony, as another Argument of His Divinity, not as a Medium to fortify this; and then too, brings in ●hes Argument (the other is not brought alone without this) as an equal Concurrent with it. Yea, he useth this Argument alone, singly, by itself, ●dozen times, at least, without any other anne●t, either out of Verbal Predictions of Prophets, Types, Figures, Histories, Events, or any such like, to confirm or justify it. He useth it thus, singly, upon several Occasions, unto several Persons, severally disposed, to and among Friends and Foes, Believers and Unbelievers, Neophytes or Young, and Mnasons or Old Disciples; Useth it as a sufficient Answer alone, to those quarrelsome Jews, who were ready to snarl at any thing he said; i● possible there could be any Exception taken at His Words, upon the very Question, Whether he were the Christ or not● Joh. 10.21, 25. Christ, I say, used this Argument oft, and divers times, upon divers occasions, to divers persons, of divers opinions, etc. And it cannot, I believe, be proved, That he ever used any other Argument, for the Confirmation of this His Argument: Nay, it had been a kind of weakness in Him, to have used this Argument, singly, so often as he doth; (and the Apostles too, Act. 2.22.38. Rom. 1.4. etc.) had it not been in, of, and by itself, sufficient singly: But it seems, That Christ's Answer to John's Disciples is, by some, thought to intimate, That His Miraculous Works, needed at least the Assistance of the Verbal Predictions of the Prophets, to prove His Godhead or Messiaship, because some Words or Things forespoken by the Prophet ●say, are included in the Answer of Christ to the Baptist, Esay 3● 5 with ●uke 7.21. Answ. 1. They were another sort, a divers kind of Mirather, that Christ speaks of, different from those in the Prophet. The Prophet speaks of Spiritual Operations upon the Soul, by Grace, which are rather proper Works of the Spirit, than of Christ: These that Christ speaks of, were outward, carnal, and upon the Body merely, and might be done by mere Power, without but wing the least sprinkling of Grace, upon the Subjects. And how these former should be a clear Prophecy or Diagnostic of the latter, is not so plain; or these latter be proved by the former, to be a Diagnostic of the Messiah. 2. Christ's Answer sent, was not so, especially, if at all directed to John for his own sake, or information (He was fully enough before assured of Christ's Messia ship, and Godhead); but to, and for His Disciples, who in all likelihood, were as bad Proficients under John, and as ignorant of the Scriptures, as were Christ's Disciples under him. And these before his Resurrection knew little of the Scriptures, or of the Verbal Predictions of the Prophets, much-less of Types and Figures, etc. A mere Prophetical Word to them, especially without citing the Prophet, and the Place too, would, yea could be but little edifying or convincing. 3. Christ, nor hints, nor tells them of Prophetical Predictions, at all, sends them not to reading of the Prophets, nor asks them, What they had Herd, Learned, or Readd in them. There is nothing in the Passage, intimated to this purpose: But, he sets them to employ their Eyes, and Ears, and Thoughts, upon what Christ had newly done, and was doing; Tell John what you have Seen and Herd done by Me, now. 4. The things in Christ's Answer, do but in a slender manner agree with the Words of the Prophet (to which Christ, by the Objection, is supposed to send them): the prophecy speaks indeed of opening the Eyes of the Blind, unstopping the Ears of the Deaf, making the Lame to Walk, and the Dumb to Speak, etc. Christ's Works then in hand, were, besides the former, Cleansing of Lepers, Raising the Dead, and Casting out Devils; harder things to all Humane Apprehension, and Sense, than those other in the Prophet. And was it likely that Christ did? Or was it a Prudent Course, that he should send them, for Conversion and Conviction, to a Prophecy, where the easier things only were in some sort, predicted, not the harder? Why sends he them, I say, for proof of the easier things, to the Predictions of the Prophets, not of the harder? Were the harder convincing enough of themselves, when once seen, and heatd without any proof, from the Predictions of the Prophets? Why then no need of proving the easier? Qui potuit ad majora, potuit etiam ad minora, These proved Him to be Messiah, sufficiently enough, of, and by themselves: What need more? If he sent them to the Prophets, for proof of the easier, That these were sufficient Marks to know the Messiah by; then are the harder needless, in vain, and to no purpose, instanced in; which is not tolerable to think. Or was it, That the Prophets had no better Fredictions of the Messiah, but of the easier only, not of the harder things, to be done by him, (though these doubtless were in special, the Chief Marks of the Messiah) Why then there would seem to be some Defect in the Prophetical Predictions, as wanting some of the special Characteristics, by which the Messiah might best be known? Or, if they were full, and without any Defect, as to their Description of the Messiah, or the Marks of him; then was not Christ so well advised, to send them to these obscure, and subordinate Marks, when there were better and clearer? Or if the Predictions of the Prophets were full and sufficient, but yet contained these Harder Things, that Christ instanceth in, Why then it follows, That these Harder Things did not belong to, nor did prove the Doer, to be their Messiah expected, but some thing higher, better, and more august, as doing greater and harder things, than were, should or could be expected, to be done by their expected Messiah. Which should be so hard for them to believe, That they should rather, upon such a Pretence of Christ, have believed him to be a Juggler, Deceiver or an Impostor, as pretending to greater things in show, but did and could do nothing Really, Answerably, and in Truth? For, that there could be a greater Miracle R than their Expected Messiah, they thought it impossible. The Conceit, Apprehension, and Belief that they had entertained (and that justly) out of the Predictions of the Prophets urged them to think, that all Comparison with, much more prelation of any p●●tion, above their Messiah, for any excellency of Operation, would be entertained as incredible and odious▪ Certainly the Cleansing of Lepers, Raising the Dead, Casting out of Devils▪ could hardly be concluded from the supposed Text of the Prophet, or any other single Text, yea or divers; nay not from all the Prophetical Predictions, put together; I mean in special, that Work of Casting out Devils in the Demonologers Sense. This must be found (if found at all) in the Dark Types, Enigmatical Figures, and Allegorized Histories, or the External Testimonies, not in the Verbal Predictions of the Prophets, sure. But it would seem very strange that Christ, who was the Light of the World, and came purposely into the World, to lighten our Darkness, and theirs too, should send such dim 〈◊〉 sighted Persons, to Types, Figures, Histories, etc. (to name no more) for the Chief Diagnosticks, and Characteristical Marks of Himself. Marks aught to be plain and obvious, (when from them so enveloped with Obscurity, and Thick Darkness, he could hardly be found-out by the most Sagacious Persons, or clearest Intellects;) besides (not to mention, That such a difficult Way of coming to the Knowledge of their Messiah; especially after so many Verbal Predictions by the Prophets, must needs cast a huge Damp, as to their Comfort, upon the spirits of his Expectants;) This might seem very Inconsonant to the Verbal Predictions of many Prophets, which foretell an easy and clear Way of discovering all necessary Truths (of which the Knowledge of the Messiah must needs be One) under the Gospel; The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, Esay 11.2, 3. etc. Writ the Vision, make it plain upon Tables, Hab. ver. 22. They shall not every one teach his Neighbour, saying, Know the Lord, but they shall all know me, Jer. 31.34. The Word is very nigh thee, in thy very Mouth, Deut. 30.14. How could this be, if, notwithstanding Christ's Miracles, he could not be known to be the Messiah, not only, not without the Verbal Predictions of the Prophets, but not without the hardly attained, and, when attained, hardly assuring knack of Enucleating or Exentricating the Types, Figures, Histories, & c.? Might it not be objected, That this were but as if a man were sent to seek the proof of Notum per ignotius? as that, When unskilful Fellows, see the Sun shining at Noonday, they should not, could not, assure themselves of its shining, unless they could find it in the Predictions of Astronomers; who (ex concessis suppositis, & postulatis) from obscure Mediums (as to the Vulgar) have concluded it, That the Sun should or would shine, such a Day, at such an Hour? Nay, might it not be objected, by Aliens and Infidels, That this were but to make, draw, or conclude, Quidlibet ex quolibet, Since out of mere Enigmatical Types, Figures, Histories, some quaint Wits, Chemical Ingenies, Mercurial Intellects, will easily extract any thing, and make it seem Plausible? Quaere, Whether they might not squeeze or wring-out of some Types, Figures, Histories, and Events, recorded in Scripture, Mahometism itself, as well as the Luxuriant Fancies of Rapsodical Rabbins, have (through the Alimbecke of Allegories, Cabalistical and Massoraitical Criticisms, out of Metaphors, Words, Phrases, and Aetymons, pounded, and strained) distilled that Gallimawphey Mish-mass, of most Monstruous, Absurd, Ridiculous Conceits and Practices, which they call the Religion (but better the Extravagant Superstition) of the besotted Modern Jews. 5. If the Predictions of the Prophets, concerning the Miracles to be done by Christ, were so necessary, That his Miracles were no sufficient Proofs of his Godhead, without the Attestation of these Predictions; then, without doubt, were all those Miracles Predicted, or at least ought to be (and if aught, were, no doubt) that were sit to be Acted by the Messiah, for the manifestation of his Person, what he was: But there are no Predictions in the Prophets (take them in their utmost Latitude) of some Miracles that Christ did, exgr. His turning Water into Wine, His Cursing the Fruitless Figtree; But to omit all the rest, not of his Casting out Devils, properly so called. And therefore Christ did not at all Cast out such Devils; neither was it fit he should; neither, if he had, would it contribute any thing, to the proof of his Godhead; nor was it indeed a Miracle, or (which is enough for my purpose here) than it was not necessary, That the Miracles that Christ did, should be confirmed by Predictions, That by them we might believe that Christ was the Son of God: And yet the Casting out of Devils, in any Sense, sure (and as I think in the Demonologer's Opinion too) was a Miracle; yea in my Sense, predicted by the Prophets also, but not in theirs. If it be said, That the Predicting of some of these, that the Messiah would and ought to do, was a sufficient proof for the Doer of these Miracles, That he was the Messiah, or the Son of God, (I mean only by his own Power) I grant; for wherever some, or but one Miracle is done, by a Person Authoritatively, there without doubt is the divine Power or Godhead, visibly. But this helpeth not the Demonologers at all, since they grant, yield, and plead, That some others, both Devils and Men, can, nay have done the very selfsame Miracles that Christ did; yea that were predicted of, and were to be done by, Him. Either therefore these Thaumatourgical Devils and Men have the Divine Power resiant in them; or else, The doing of Miracles, yea though the very same Miracles that were predicted by the Prophets, of the Messiah, was not indeed sufficient to prove Him to be the Messiah, who was the Doer.  
I would willingly know what the Learned Man thinks is signified, by that Word of the Apostle [A more sure Word of Prophecy]; What? more sure, than those Miracles Christ did openly, before them all, and they saw with their very Eyes? Or, more sure than that very Attestation, which they heard from the Mouth of God himself, immediately, with their Ears, erect and attentive? If so, Then were not these Eyes, and these Eare-Testimonies which they heard and saw, fully convincing; did not arise to a full Assurance of Faith: There might be Dubiety in the Apostles themselves, as to the things they declare unto us, for our Salvation; Notwithstanding all that they ever heard or saw, concerning Christ; or at least their Informations were subordinate, and inferior for Certainty, to these Evidences the Prophets (and they from the Prophets) had. But truly I may as well believe, That the Prophets might as easily be mistaken in their Informations, and Predictions, (which were mostly proposed to them, in Dreams, Trances, and Dark Representations, upon their Imaginations only,) as the Apostles should want any thing, or Degree, of the Highest Certainty imaginable, in those things which they heard and saw: And upon the account of Assurance by these means, propose to us to be believed as Salvifical: We have but a doubtful and unsettled Ground of our Faith else; Why then, might not the Apostles, and all Believers since, be mistaken in their Reading and Inextricating of the Prophecy, and Verbal Predictions, Events, Figures, &c recorded in these Scriptures, as well as they were, or might be, in those things that they saw, or heard, & c? Or, if they were infallibly assisted in the one, Why should we doubt of the other? I conceive therefore, that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, A more sure Word of Prophecy, need not be interpreted, either by the Comparative, or Superlative muchless. If it be referred or opposed to the Miracles of Christ, which the Apostles saw him exsert, (there is no Intimation in the Text, that, That sure Word of Prophecy, is at all Referred or Opposed to Christ's Miracles, there being not so much as a Hint to his Miracles in all that Chapter;) or to the Attestation from Heaven, which they heard. But in the Positive, only, thus; We have also, a Sure, or an Excellent, or a Confirming Word of Prophecy, besides Christ's Miracles, (if that may be put in) and the Attestation from Heaven. But, a surer, firmer, stronger, or better in the Comparative or Superlative, than these, I much doubt of it, whether this may be right; especially if we consider what Christ Himself saith, Joh. 5.36, 37. I have greater Witness.— The Works that I do— and the Father Himself, etc. And yet I will not deny, but that, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, whether in the Comparative, or Superlative may well stand still, if it be referred to the Jews in general, to whom St. Peter wrote, (who were, likely, but weak-Believers as yet) the Prophecies to them, being the surest, and certainest Assurances, that they could possibly expect, or have: Especially, Surer than the mere Testimony of the Apostle, an ordinary Man, as they might account. But if referred to the Apostle, or Apostles; It must be understood only, in the Positive. The Apostles could not, by any Prophecies, , have any surer, or fuller Testimonies of Christ's Godhead, than they had by seeing his Miracles, and hearing the Approbation given him by God Himself. And therefore though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, we have a more surer Word, etc. may seem to refer unto, and to include the Apostle himself; yet since he comes in afterward with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Ye do well, That you give heed, etc. it seems, That he speaks not Distributingly, in respect of himself, or the other Apostles, who saw and heard as much as he did, but of the Jewish Nation Collectively; or especially of these, that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Strangers at home, and dispersed throughout, etc. and consequently might not be acquainted, so well, with, at least, had not seen the Wonderful Miracles of Christ. Such Men, no doubt, could not do better, than Give heed to the Prophetical Word, till a better clearer Evidence, or stronger Ground of Faith appeared to them. Ye do well that ye give heed to it, as to a Light, shining in a Dark Place, until the Day dawn, and the Day Star arise, etc. Or, till ye be better settled, instructed, enlightened, and established in the Doctrine of Christ.  
But, in 〈◊〉; Prephestes to the Jews were an A●●●●ance, 〈◊〉. That a Messiah, or Saviour was to Come. 2. That coming, He should do great Works or Mir●cles ●. That by the Works, he should do, they might know him to be the Messiah: but until he came and did such Works, they were in the dark still; though the Prophecies were a kind of Candle to them. But when Christ was once come, and had done these great Works, and they saw them, then, The Day dawned, the Light appeared, and the Sun shone brightly: Then no longer need, or use of a Candle; For, as They said to their Neighbour; Now, we Believe, not because of thy Word; but because we have heard him ourselves: So might the Jews say, Not because we have some Glimmering Light of the Prophets, but because we have seen his Works (which by, of, from, and through themselves bear witness, That he is the Son of God) do we believe him. What need of a Candle? The Sun itself shineth; and when the Sun shineth, th●● they that walk in Darkness, and in 〈◊〉 shadow of Death before, may see as plainly, clearly, and distinctly, as they that formerly could see, indeed, somewhat better, by their Candle. The Gentiles too, might know Him, then, to be the Messiah, or Son of God, by his Works, as well as the Jews, with all the help of their Prophecies. For, as the Prophecies told them, That the Messiah should do such Works, as no man else did, or could: So, right Reason itself taught the Gentiles, That none could alter, or act besides, above, or contrary to, the course of Nature, as Christ did, but God. God, therefore, Christ must needs be, since he Acted thus, as I have showed elsewhere, and is evident, Joh. 4.50.— Matth. 27.54—. Luk. 17.16.— 18. Act. 13.12. Act. 14.11. Act. 17. & 28.6. When they once apprehended the Work to be miraculous, they presently conclude, That a Divine Power was the Agent.  
But this is enough, for this Objection: For, there is indeed nothing of weight in it, at all. The Proposition is, Christ's Miracles of themselves (as He himself testifieth) prove his Godhead. The Objection is, We have a surer Word of Prophecy. I ask, surer, than what? What, than his Miracles? How doth? how can? this appear from this Text, 2 Pet. 1.19? How is it possible, That the surer Word can be opposed to Christ's Miracles, when there is not so much as one Word, Syllable, or Hint, in all this Passage, Chapter, or Epistle, nay in either of the Epistles, that points to Christ's Miracles at all; much less to an Opposition or Subordination of them to the prophecies, in point of proof, for the Evidencing of his Godhead? But, let it be granted, That the Prophecies are a surer Word of proof than Christ's Miracles; yet will it not follow, That Christ's Miracles are no sufficient or sure proofs: Proofs they may be, yea sure and sufficient Proofs, (which is enough for my business) though they be not so sure and sufficient Proofs, (to grant that too), as the Prophecies. But, what needs more? Take sure Word either in the Positive, or Comparative; yet being here not referred to Christ's Miracles, but to some thing else, and that too in respect of some Men only, (that were not well acquainted with his Miracles, or possibly, did not yet believe he had ever done any such Miraculous Works,) it can be no argument at all, That Christ's Miracles alone, were no sure or sussicient Argument of his Godhead.  
I fear the Learned Man was so bewitched with that most Monstrous, but most Absurd and Ridiculous Legend of Doctor Dee's Conversing with Spirits; because he had retrived it from Dust and Rottenness, where it ought to have perished Everlastingly; unless in Providence it be reserved as a Monument of the Impudent Knavery, some Desperate Varlets will venture on: or of the Monstrous Credulity, some besorted Melancholicoes may be inveigled into:) That he Strains, or Tuggs, might and main, Hook and Nail, to make his Devil, if possible, Aequipollent, to Christ our Saviour, if not Superexcellent for Power of Miracles, and most stupend Operations, above Him.   

CHAP. XXX. A Reply to the Objection, against the Book called, The Case of Witchcraft, Debated.  
THat it is Passion, or Prepossession, That engageth the Learned Man, to be so earnest for the Power of Devils, seemeth clear, to me from the petty Cavils, he hath against that Judicious Book called, The Question of Witchcraft, Debated; (Debated, not Stated; but with Modesty enough, if not too much, Debated) a Book, that contains more good Reason, true Religion, and right Christianity, than all those Lumps, and Cart-Loads of Luggage, that hath been Fartheled up, by all the Faggeters of Demonologistical Winter-tales, and Witcheraftical Legendaries; since they first begun to foul clean Paper. His first Attempt is, To prove against that Ingenious Author that Casaph signifies in Scripture, (Witches, i. e. such Persons, as acted by a Power derived to them from the Devil, and not mock-Miraclers, Impostors, or Jugglers; because most, if not all, Translaetors, (and he reckons up many names) so interpret it; but he leaves-out Josephus, and the Septuagint, who being Natural Jews, and Great Scholars to boot, counterbalance all the other great Names: Especially, since they were Persons that lived long before this Doctrine of Devils was hatched; and so more likely, to be more Vnbyassed Interpreters, than those who lived, after the World was bewitched with that monstruous Opinion. Josephus, without doubt, was as Ancient, as any of his Interpreters; nay, they mere Youngsters, in respect of him, all. And for the Septuagint, they were at least 350. Years Elder than his Eldest Interpreters; who yet by his own Confession, pag. 180. interpret Casaph by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, i. e. Veneficus. Besides,  his Interpreters were, they had but the word, Casaph, the Etymon, and the use of that Word, or the Coherence of the Text, To guide them into the Interpretation of it: And all these have we now, as well as they; 1. For the Word, we may say it boldly, It doth not in, of, or by itself, signify a Witch, i. e. One that is in Compact with the Devil; for, neither is Compact, nor Devil included in the Notion of it. But only, a Covering, Changing, or Altering the outward Face, or Appearance of things, which may be done many ways, without the Intervention of Devils; Yea, cannot be done by any Assistance from them. 2. For the use of the word, Josephus, and the Septuagint, interpreting it Poisoner; it is more than probable, that this was the most usual Sense of it. 3. For the Coherence of the Text, it is never any where used in Scripture, where the sense of the Context, doth not plainly Determine it, to Impostor, Spiritual Poisoner, Juggler, or Deceiver, rather than to Witch, in the Demonologist's Sense, all the Scripture over; as is plain, if any man, do but unbyassedly consider the several places, where the word is used, as I have intimated afore. Yea, when the Learned man comes to give the Words of the Interpreters, they are but these, Magus, Maleficus, (or Veneficus, for that's the Word he proceeds on, in his Descant) and Praestigiator, etc. which are so far from intimating his Witches, as Latro, in Latin, is from signifying a Regicide; or (to use his own Terms) as far as Lapis is from signifying a pumice; or Panis, a Wafer-Cake. The Words, not any of them, in any sort, intimating the Thing they are produced for.  
First, Magus, is properly, a great Naturalist, or a Person well skilled in the Courses and Operations of Nature: improperly, and by Abuse, a Fellow that pretending to do great things, (in cheat) Supernaturally, with much Artifice, and Cunning, makes use only of some Natural Operations, that be somewhat unusual, and not ordinarily known, to deceive the Simple. 2. Venesicus is a Poisoner, and cannot well be haled in, to signify any thing else, at least not one, that by a power derived from the Devil, can, or doth do, strange things; No more than Beneficus, or Salvificus can signify a Person, that by Influence from an Angel, can work Miracles. It is true, because some of these Villains, with so much Cunning, and Artifice, exercised this their Wickedness, That ordinarily it was not conceived, how they could effect their Mischiefs, without the Intervention of some Supernatural Assistance. Veneficus, might abusively, be usurped for one that dealt with Evil Spirits. But as there, nor are now, nor ever were, any such Persons: So, nor did, doth, nor can that Word, properly, signify any such thing; and therefore the Poets, themselves, the first Finders, Makers, and Fathers of Witches, Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Lucan, Tibullsu, Homer, etc. bring them in still as gathering, mixing, and compounding, Poisonous Herbs; and such deleterious stuff; by which they acted their strangest, and most stupend Mischiefs. And because, vulgarly, it was not known, how their strange Effects were produced, It was thought generally; especially by the Rabble, and possibly by some others who were looked upon, by themselves, and others too, as Wisemen, (as the Effects wrought now by the Magnetic Powder, and the Weapon-Salve, are by some, who reckon themselves no mean Sciolists) that they acted altogether, by the Assistance of some Daemons, when they wrought any unusual Feats. But Poisoner is the signification of the word Veneficus; and the Practice of those that were so called, was Poisoning; as I could instance in all the forenamed Poets, and others, besides these: But I will here only make use of Lucan, as he is Translated into English, that it may the better be understood by the vulgar. Sextus Pompeius comes to that notorious Cheat or Witch, Erichtho, to understand the fatal Issue of the Pharsalian Battle; which she (in some sort) cheatingly undertakes to discover; and having found a Carcase fit for the purpose, (you must permit Poets, to fancy what Fooleries they please, especially when they speak of Witches) she falls to her Witchcraft; but how? Mark!  
Pectora cùm primùm ferventi sanguine supplet,  
Vulneribus laxata suis, taboque medullas  
Alluit, et virus largè lunare ministrat;  
Huc quicquid fato genuit Natura sinistro,  
Miscetur; non spuma Canum (quibus unda timori est),  
Viscera non Lyncis, non dirae nodus Hyenae  
Defuit, & Cervi pasti serpent medulla;  
Non puppim retinens Euro tendente rudentes  
In mediis Echinëis aquis; oculique Draconum,  
Quaeque sonant faetâ tepefacta sub alight Saxa;  
Non Arabum volucer Serpens, innataque rubris  
Aequoribus custos pretiosae vipera conchae,  
Aut viventis adhuc Lybici membrana Cerastae.  
Englished thus.  
Then with warm Blood, opening fresh Wounds, she fills  
Its Breast; and gore to the inward Parts distils:  
Of the Moon's Poisonous Jelly, store she takes,  
And all the hurtful Brood, that Nature makes;  
Foam of mad-Doggs (which sight of Water dread),  
The pith of Staggs, with Serpents nourished,  
Was mixed there; The dire Hyena's knot,  
The spotted Lynx his Bowels wanted not;  
Nor that small-Fish, whose strength, though Eurus rise,  
Can stay the course of Ships; The Dragon 's eyes.  
The sounding Stone, that brooding Eagles make  
Warm in their nests; The Arabian nimble Snake,  
The Red-Sea Viper, precious Gems that kept;  
Skins from the alive Lybian Cerastes stripped;  
The Phoenix Ashes, laid in Arabia:  
With these when vile and nameless Poison she  
Had mixed, and leaves filled with Enchantments strong,  
And Herbs which her dire Mouth had spit upon,  
What Poison did she on the World bestow!  
Poison, I say, was the thing which she, and all the rest of them made use of, for the doing of the strangest Feats, that are reported to be done at any time, by any of them. From this their course, are they properly called Veneficae, or Poisoners, and from nothing else; though they sometimes also used horrid Words, fearful Execrations, and hellish Curses, To amuse their Worshippers; or else, possibly: To cast themselves into Rapturous Trances.  
3dly. For Praestigiator, it is merely a Juggler, Impostor, Cozener or Deceiver; a Knave that deludes by Glosses, Fucuses, Artificial Feats, Tricks, and Slights, etc. Quum fucatur atque praelinitur, sit praestigiosum. A. Gellius. lib. 7. cap. 14. And he was a notable Critic upon words: Indeed our Opponent descants much upon this Word, as though Prastigiator, and Perstringitor were all one; and would needs make it to be a Dazler, or holder of men's Eyes, by the Devil's help: And for this there is a Wintertale hinted at, and that is the Proof. But to say no more of such a Foppery, but what I have said often; If the Devil can delude one of our Senses, as that of Seeing, he can all our Senses, as well, and as easily, as oft, as he will. And thus we should not be any thing the wiser, but the simpler; notwithstanding all the helps we can have, from any, or all our Senses: And if our senses may generally be deluded, so may our Intellects, if not, must: The Intellect, for information, depends upon the Senses; at least, for all its knowledge in, or of, Material, and External things.  
The 2. Snap is, That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not in any good Ancient Author signify Impostor: And yet St. John, a pretty good, and a pretty Ancient Author too, useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Cheat, Delusion, Imposture, or Spiritual Poisoning, Rev. 18.23. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for such Varlets, as make use of such Knaveries or Impostures, Rev. 21.8. & 22.15. He speaketh doubtless of those Delusive and Cheating Courses, that the Anti-Christian's did, or would use, to inveigle the World, into their Superstition and Idolatry. And hath not, will not, is not, the Antichristian Superstition, upheld by Juggles, Impostures, or Spiritual Poisonings, more than by any thing else?  
Thirdly, Whereas it is said by the Debater, That Kings, Princes, Priests, Philosophers, and such Persons only, are in Scripture called Mecashaphim, or Witches; The Opponent (indeed) denies this; but proves nothing to the contrary; nor can it, indeed, be proved, That this Term in Scripture is ever applicable to Inferior Varlets, Contemptible Wretches, or Decrepit old-Haggs: But this is nothing to the purpose, and as little is that which is brought-in concerning Julian, and some Popes. For, that many things concerning them, on both sides, have been mere Lies, and Scandalous Calumnies; I thought till now, that no man of Judgement would deny, or doubt of. Julian, and those Popes, counted them Witches, that were not of their Faction; and they that were not of their Faction; called Them, viz. Julian and the Popes, Witches, and Sorcerers. I was about to make a Question of it, Whether there were any Truth on either side? But no need of a Question, when there was mutually such Spite, Malice, and more than Vatinian Hatred between them: There was small hope (sure) of much Truth, in their Philippical Invectives, one against the other. Thus far the Learned man gets no ground of his Adversary, but rather sticks in the mire. Oh! but then, Fourthly, (this is a deadly Thrust, and he crows as Conqueror) The Sadduces denied Angels too, as well as the Being of Witches, and Devils; there can therefore, nothing be inferred from their Negative, in this Particular. Answ. True; they denied both Angels and Devils; and it was without doubt their great Error, that they did so. And yet was it not, possibly, so great an Error in them, To deny the being of Permanent Angels (this some think is not so clear, evident, and convincingly deduced out of Moses, without the Assistance of some other Scriptures; and the Sadduces acknowledged no Scriptures, Divine, but the Pentateuch) as to deny The being of evil Spirits, or Devils; especially, 1. If (as it is said) there be in Moses, (the Word of Moses being the Word of God to them) such a plain Word, as clearly signifies Devil, and Dealers with Devils. 2. If there be such a Law, so plain in Moses too, That he that ran might read, and understand it: (Sure Capital Laws ought to run in such plain Characters, that the Crime and Punishment might be intelligible at first sight) against such Dealers with Devils. 3. If the Practice of Dealing with Devils, had been so general among the Jews, both in the superior and inferior People too. 4, If there were such a number of Demoniacs, or men possessed with Devils, at all times, in every corner of the Country, throughout the Land of Judea, and the Country's adjacent. And, 5. If there were such a standing, constant, settled course, order, practice, exercise, or office, of Exorcists; who could, and usually did, Cast-out Devils, as easily as an Ape cracks Nuts. 6. If they could hear Devils talk, discourse, and dialogize within the possessed Persons, cry, roar, howl, bellow, screetch, as they were dispossessed, and could know them certainly to be Devils, by their unimitable tones, noises, shrieks, lamentations; as easily as they could know and distinguish a Lion by his roaring, from a Sheep, that could only bleat (all these gallant fine pretty Fopperies do Demonologers, predieate concerning their Devils). 7. If it were so evidently clear to men of common sense, That they were indeed, and really, Devils that were cast out (the Exorcists commanding the Devils to do something that might sensibly witness the Presence of a Supernatural Power, as Doctor M. C. p. 77. Cred. and Incred. in Nat.); though the Demonologers have not given us to understand, as yet, of what shape, form, figure, or colour, these Ejected Devils were; or what kind of sound, tone, noise, smell, touch, or taste, at their Ejection they yielded; or at what hole, or passage before, or behind, they came out,); Then I say, it had been unlikely, very unlikely, and most improbable, if not altogether impossible, That the Sadduces (being such Wise men, some of them, and such a considerable number, that they might amount to a third, or, at least, to a fourth part of the People among the Jews, at most times, for many successive Generations;) should have disbelieved the being of Witches, or Devils, though they did deny the Existency of Angels. Of which they had not half so many, or half so good, Convincing Arguments.  
It is almost impossible, to conceive, That there should be in England, a great number, as, at least, the third part of the Kingdom, wise, discreet, and intelligent Persons, in every other thing; yea and they Magistrates, and Officers of Justice, some of them, very often, if not at all times, and that for many Generations past, successively still, and at this present too; who should, (notwithstanding they knew the Laws, Customs, and Statutes, of the Nation (all written in plain English, and Intelligible Terms, against Whores and Thiefs); had heard the Proofs, and those upon Oath, by honest and sober men, brought against; and had been present at the Voluntary Confessions, made by such Varlets, of such their Villainies; had been informed by men of unquestionable Credit, That there were not only, some base People, but also Persons, Eminent in Authority, who practised themselves, invited, and countenanced others to, and in these Villainies; nay, had seen as much with their own Eyes, as could be sworn against, or confessed, by such Varlets; and had seen their Execution, &c: I say, is it possible, to conceive, That there should be such a Race of men, for so many Generations together, who being fully informed thus, of the Practices of such Rogues) should believe, That there, nor are, nor ever were, nor can be, any such Persons, as Thiefs or Whores in England? Is it possible to conceive this? Suppose we, That there was once one Anaxagoras, a singular, Selfconceited Fanciful, Wilful, and Paradoxical Fellow in the World, who would not, or could not believe, That the Snow was White, as he pretended; yet, That there should be a Race, a Generation, an Innumerable Company of Men; that for many Ages, one after another, Successively, should disbelieve matters of Fact, so openly, notoriously, convincingly, attested to them, by Oath, Confession, Judicial Sentences, by their own Ocular Vision, auricular Hearing, and by the Attestation and Detestation of their God, (whom they think it a piacle to disbelieve) is not at all, in any sort, to be thought Credible. Men cannot believe, or disbelieve, what they please, especially in such things as come under Sense. When the Sun shines, men, especially men in their Wits, and that have as clear Eyes, and Ingenies, as any other men, cannot but believe that it shineth: And truly it was as evident, as that the Sun shines at Noonday, That there were Witches, and evil Spirits, (that enabled those Witches) if it be true what the Demonologers say of Witches; among the Jews. And therefore either the Sadduces did not, yea could not, possibly, disbelieve Witchcraft (which is absolutely false); or else Demonologers invent, suggest, and obtrude, many gross, groundless, monstrous, and incredible Lies, upon the People, (which is undoubtedly a Truth). The Argument drawn from the Opinion of the Sadduces is unanswerable, by all the Demonologers in Christendom, (and I think there are very few without the Compass of that Circle) if they will stand ingenuously to their own Positions, to their Principles, Comments, or Interpretations; and not use Witchcraft indeed, that is, Tergiversations, Subterfuges, and Cheating Evasions.  
5. To that which is said by the Debater, That the Scripture-Witches acted openly, our Supposed-Witches but in the dark. It is remooted, indeed; There was a Law among the Jews, by which Witches, i. e. Persons that acted by the Devil, were to be punished with Death. Answ. But this rests yet to be proved. 2. That that Law was repeated more than once, that is often. Answ. This is not at all made to appear, nor can it appear; The Law meant, no doubt, is that, Ex. 22.18. but much mistaken in the Interpretation; and never any where else at all repeated, that I can find. There is indeed, Leu. 20.27. another Law for the putting to death of the Shoel. Ob. and the Iddeoni; that is, (as our Translation) Those that have Familiar Spirits, and Wizzards. But that doth no more prove, That the Law against the Cashaphim is more than once repeated, than if a man should say, Because there is one Law, in England and no more but one, and that one but once mentioned, That the Capuchins should be put to death; but another, That the Jesuits should be put to death too: That, therefore, there be more Laws in England than one, and that one twice at least repeated, for the destroying of the Capuchins: The Capuchins no more deserting from the Jesuits, than the Cashaphim did from the Shoel. Ob. and the Iddeoni. 3. Many were put to death by that Law, for acting against it. Answ. But it will never be proved, this, of many; nay nor that so much as one man ever acted, or was destroyed among the Jews, for acting by a Power derived from the Devil upon Compact.  besotted Rabbins, and Rabbinistical men prate, I know not, I pass not, I care not; There is no Text for it. 4. They acted this Villainy closely then, as now, as 'tis said of some of them. An. 1. But this is not proved, except it be by a confident Question, [Who can believe otherwise?] Kings, Queens, Princes, Priests, Philosophers, etc. acted it openly; there could, therefore, doubtless, have been no great danger; then, at least, when those so openly acted it; had the Inferiors acted it so too. 2. If they acted it so closely, How were they then found out, or discovered? There was no Inquisition then established: There were no Witch-finders, nor, muchless, Witch-makers, among the People, then, as there are now; and some of them sage Philosophers, learned Critics, and great Divines. 6. The Argument, That the Opinion of Witchcraft is Derogatory to God's Honour; as setting up many Gods is slubbered over, with that weak, silly, if not blasphemous Evasion, viz. God's Permission in respect of Devils; and the Passage in Job brought in, to Countenance it. But to reply to this, in short; The Devil, with all his Devilship, though God give him Rope enough, as much as he can wish, cannot possibly do those Works, which he Attributes to him, as being Acts properly belonging to God, as God; and for the Interpretation, that he brings, viz. That the Messengers were Incarnate Devils; The Sabaeans, and the Chaldaans', were men Possessed with Devils, or so many Devils in the shape of men; it is doubtless so gross a Wildness, that the most blindly-Obedient Papists, or Paynims, besottedly credulous, would be much puzzled to give any Credit to it. Truly, he might as well have brought in the Wildest Tales of Apuleins in his Golden Ass; or the Legends of those Conventiclers, in the Second Council of NICE; or the Monstrous Figments of those long, gray-bearded Fellows, that Lucian mentions, in his Philopseudeus. (Apuleius was a great Platonist; the Nicene men, grave Seigniours, and the others Eminent Philosophers, of the most predicated Sects, throughout the whole World.) Can any of these lie? And yet all these as Credible, as the Wild Conceits of the Learned man here. Oh! but Seventhly, Men generally, yea Physicians and naturalists; and the best (who are best able to judge) have concluded, There are Witches. Answ. As great naturalists, Physicians, and Philosophers too; yea, whole Schools, Colleges, Professions, Sects, (not single Persons only) have thought the contrary, and that upon better Grounds; This I have showed already in several places sufficiently. Nay, our Learned Antagonist himself, even here too, tells us; That not only several naturalists, and expert Physicians in particular, but the Arabs generally (who were as great naturalists, and Physicians as ever any part of the World, could boast of) have denied Witches. Yea, I believe there are within this Kingdom, at this very present time, a considerable number of Excellent Physicians (and ere men can come to be Excellent Physicians, they must be good Philosophers, and Experimental naturalists, first) that will count it Scandal, to have it reported of them, That they ever were (at least sicne they came to their Aome, in that noble Profession) so puzzled in any Discase, as that they could not find out, or at least guests at, the Causes, Nature, Symptoms of it; and all as Natural, yea, and prescribe hopeful Methods, Indications, Courses, and Means, (the Disease being Naturally curable, and Application seasonably made) without flying to that absurd Asylum of Ignorance, Laziness, Superstition, or (possibly some thing worse) Witchery, or Possession.  
The last Attempt against the Ingenious and Ingenuous Debater, is, A joining with the Papists (whose Interest is much concerned, and most of their Superstitions upheld, by this Doctrine of Devils,) to mutilate, and circumcise that Ancient Council of Ancyra; and not that Council only, but all other Councils else, besides, according to his Reasonings: For, saith he, In these Collections, (that is of the Councils in general) different Pieces, of different Times, and Authors, are patched up together; and that this is sure enough, is acknowledged by all men. But if it be thus, What Esteem or Credit is there to be yielded, by any man, to any of those Collections, or Councils, now extant? Men, at least, may cut off, thus, what Collops they will, at any time, when any things in those Councils make against their purpose. We must of necessity have a new general Council, merely to make up an Index Expurgatorius, that we may know, what Canons, Paragraphs, or Clauses of Canons, are Genuine, and what Spurious. Delrio, and Baronius, were, I confess, Learned men; and our Reverend Doctor, as Learned; yea, I think more Learned than either, or both of them: And yet, since all Three but Demonologists, they must (unless they give better Reasons for their Defalcations of Councils, than yet they have) pardon me, if I descent from them. It is considerable, what this Learned man says himself, in answer unto Gassendus, who pretended, That the Writings of Epicurus were falsifyed, and interpolated by the Stoics, etc. If we take this Liberty (saith he) we shall not know, what to say of any man, what he maintained, or believed, by his Writings; what Plato, what Aristotle, what any Fathers, or Heretics, etc. if it will serve, to say, These Writings are Spurious, Adulterated, and Corrupted. Cred. and Incred. in things Civil. pag. 108. Apply this to the Councils, and what can any man know of any Canons made by, or in them? Besides, I would willingly know (if this passage of the Ancyran Council be a Spurious Interpolation, or an Adulterous Addition) Who were, who possibly could be the Authors of this Knavery? Not the Papists without doubt, either by their own Act or Connivance; (for this interpolated Passage, as 'tis called, makes against their Superstitiom much); and if not by them, than was it before any Cheats of theirs in this kind were ever ventured on: And consequently the passage must need be very ancient; and so ought to be reverenced for its great Antiquity, as being, probably, as ancient, as that very Council, or rather (which is more probable) a genuine Canon of it. Not that I think, That every thing which we find faggetted up together, by the Collectors of Councils, under that Apostasy, (which almost overwhelmed the whole Christian World) must presently be received as Canonical. No, no: Thus might we swallow the greatest Gobbets of Superstition, instead of the fattest and sweetest Viands the Gospel proposeth. But, That we well weigh, consider, and examine all things, duly observing the occasions, why; the times, when; and by whom; the Councils were called. What the Fathers were that sat; What they wrote; What the Historians of those times record; What Opinions were then rife, frequent, and most predominant; What was the phrase, style, or manner of Speaking or Writing, which was thought best to befit the Gravity of Councils, at that time, etc. Thus, no doubt, may we easily know the Spurious from the Genuine, separate the Precious from the File; and by such Observations we may easily find, That this Canon or Paragraph of the Ancyran Council mentioned, was Genuine and Legitimate. To end all this, That the Learned man intended, rather to cavil with the Judicious Debater, than to settle his own (supposed true) Opinion (though indeed a gross Error), is evident by that which hath been said; and yet may appear farther from his snapping at the word Ingenious, instead of Ingenuous, which might be the mistake of the Transscriber, or of the Press, or but error Pennae, in the Debater; or, it might be, he had a mind to commend Delrio for his Ingeny or Wit, not his Modesty. Is this a Candour, befitting the Gravity of such a Reverend Divine? But, possibly, the Learned man had a mind to the Quibble of a small Critcism, in this passage; and then he must be allowed, 1. To have his Vagary. 2. In that he undervalueth, or rather traduceth, the Debater, for a small Linguist, and a smaller Historian; and yet he showeth as much skill in the Languages, as was needful for his purpose; and as much Authentic History, as possibly could be expected, upon the occasion. 3. Had he a mind to it, or the occasion required it, he could, I doubt not, have shown much more: but he was not for extravagant Rambles, as most Critics are; Vaingloriously to ostentate their great Reading, and subtle Conjectures, upon small, or no occasions. 4. But might not this be the Meaning: He was not acquainted with, nor so Credulous of Legends, Winter-Tales, and Monstrous Fables, (falsely called History) as some others are. And yet had he shown less both of History, and Language, it were nothing to purpose. He hath shown so much solid Reason, and real Christianity, for the settling of a Truth necessary to be settled; for the upholding of Christ's Honour; that all the Demonologists except by Snaps, and Snarls, will never be able to answer. But let it be supposed, That he was so smattering a Linguist, and diminutive Historian, Why then, it follows (the Vnmatchableness of his Antagonist being considered) that Magna est veritas, & praevalet, Christ gives the Sticklers for His Truths, (though but Babes) such Wisdom, and Irresistible Power, that all the Wit, Subtilty, and Learning, of their (not to say His) Adversaries shall never be able to answer. His Strength is made manifest in Weakness. It will be but great Weakness, To insult upon the Weakness of the Opponent, since this Case is Christ's, who is Irresistibly Strong.   

CHAP. XXXI. Some other Arguments, brought for the Proof of Witchcraft, Answered.  
SInce the sinishing of that above, I have with much ado, gotten another Book, (Cited in the Former) called, Credulity, and Incredulity in Naturals▪ as the Former was, In Spirituals, in Divine Things: wherein the Learned Author prosecutes the Business of Witchcraft, directly, and at large; tanquam pro focis, & aris; in which, indeed, I find much Reading, much Learning, much Piety; but as much, or more, of Credulity, than of all the rest. The Proofs for the Author's Opinion are many Stories, and some few Reasons, but no Texts of Scripture; at least, none that he dares trust unto. It were endless to go over all, and needless too; since I have already answered the chief Substantial, and Vital Parts of all his Reasons, Tales, and Texts. And yet, since the Author is a Person whom I justly honour, for many Excellent Endowments; as his great Learning, Piety, Loyalty, and Sincerity; I cannot choose (lest I should seem to slight him) but say something to some of his Proposals. The first Story he brings for the Proof of Witchcraft or Supernatural Operations by Devils, is taken out of Boden. pag. 32, 33. Answ. 1. Boden, as I have showed, is a Suspicious Author, as to this business; and our Learned man gives ground enough, for the consirmation of this Suspicion, pag. 169, etc. 2. Men of Bodin's Religion, have not been very dainty, in abstaining from such Witchcraft as this is, viz. When they could not confute their Antagonists alive, to blaze abroad, That at their Death, or a little before, they Recanted, forsooth. Thus many Conscientious, and Invincible Protestants, that opposed their Superstition till Death, have been scandaled, That at, in, or a little before Death, they Apostitated unto Popery. They of the same Superstition, will not be backward, To use the same Artifices, for the same Ends, etc. 3. The Physician might himself (seeing Bodin so much bewitched with that wild conceit of Witchcraft) tell him this Story in a Jeer, to make him Ridiculous. Witty Knaves have used such kind of waggeries. Did not John Pipin put such a trick upon his Friend, Anthony Mizaldus, and many other Learned men of France? Credul. and Incredul. in Naturals. pag. 175 But 4. I say, besides all this, if Spiraculum cellae may be taken for the Breathing or puffing up of a Blast of Wind from the bottom of the Cellar, (as, for aught I know, it may, I have not Bodins Book) than this story is but mere Wind. But I must take the Story at the worst, at the second, or peradventure at the third or fourth hand, as it is framed for the business: The Relation speaks of Digging and Breaking of the Earth in a Fault, or Cellar, where the Pretended Hobgoblins seemed to be most frequent, and troublesome, (it is called, Haunting). Upon the Digging of the Earth, there was a kind of Whirlwind, which ascending up from the bottom of the Cellar, put out the Candles, battered down part of a Neighbouring House, the Chimney, and Porch of the same House; and (which is most notoriously considerable, as a part of a Supernatural Operation by a Devil) broke a Stone-Pitcher, and a Waterpot, which a Woman was then carrying. This is the Sum of the Story, except a few Flowrishes to set out the Accident, as a thing miraculous, if possible. But what need men go to a Devil, for the answering of all this? I will not say, There is Contradiction in the Story; but it seems to clash with itself: when the Woman carried her Waterpot, through the Streets, 'tis probable, 'twas Daylight; but yet it seems to be Night, when they were forced to use Candle-light, in their Digging, etc. But I pass this, and say; Wind, when penned up in some close Vault, Hole, Cave, or Cavern, under a Cellar, may, nay must, make, ordinarily, some great noise, and cause Shaking (making the Candles sometimes give a Tremulous ●ight) of the Earth, , as is most notoriously known in Earthquakes. But when the Wind in such Vaults enclosed, gets itself a little vent once, it is hurried with an Impetuous Force; overturning all things, that stand in its way, until it get itself into the open free Air. Where was the Miracle? Was it, That the House was never haunted afterwards, by Devils? Nor was it before. But, the Wind getting out, the noise or sh●●ing of the Earth, or whatever else seemed troublesome, vanished with a Powder: Or was this the Jest? The Devil could not get up out of the bottom of the Cellar, until the ground was broken for him, to let him out. Oh pitiful poor impotent Goblin! Had it been one of those Omnipotent Devils, (our Demonologists dream of) it might have gotten out sooner, no doubt, if it would, before the Digging; or after the Digging might have stayed there still, notwithstanding the Digging: And yet the Digging it was, it seems, that let the Devil lose, from that Prison, where he was (whether he would or no) irremediably confined, and damned; but that a bold Physician, upon the confidence he had of a cheating Gipsy, ventured to dig there. But I wonder I hear of no mischief that befell the Physician, the young Girl, Boy, or Juggler. Devils, when Conjured, use not to march off, so innocently, but that they leave some mark, or at least filthy stinch of Brimstone, on the Actors about him. But truly it seems, This was a good honest grateful Devil (if Per-impossible a Devil): One that was glad he was snapped, and therefore could not find in his heart, to hurt his Deliverer, or any person that any way contributed to his Deliverance. But as for the Chimney and Battellments, that hindered his Escape, or obstructed his Passage, he (I mean the Turbulent Wind, from the Concavity of the Cellar) executed his Wrath upon them at full. And for the Nail of the Boy, and the Girl, that was the Seer, it agreeth well with that Stone, and Mirror, which that Gipsy Kelly, in Doctor Dee, used to cheat Fools withal. This is the full substance of the Story. Spectatum admissi risum, & c? It seems to me to be a very ridiculous Wintertale; & such are, if well examined, all the rest, that are brought by Demonologers, to fortify their Opinion.  
The first Argument is, Consensus generis humani, or The Universal Consent of Mankind (a large Word) for his Opinion. This is the great and grand Topick of the Demonologists. But I have already, in another place, answered more than all that, that is here said, amounts unto; by showing, first, That there never was for some Thousand of Years any such Conceit, muchless general Consent of mankind, nor ever since, for Witchcraft; nor, if there had been, was it a sufficient Argument to prove the truth of the Opinion, by instancing in a Foppery, that hath as generally been received (and more) as this Opinion of Witchcraft; and yet no Reality, or Truth, in the Figment at all. I shall add another, That every man may be doubly provided, for the baffling of this Objection, when ever they meet with it; An instance it is, of a thing (if any such thing there be, or were) that came under the Dijudication of Sense, and yet nothing but Fiction, and Cheat in it, though generally believed, as the side: I mean the Miracles and Wonders that are, & have been, reported, to have been done, at the Tombs, Dormitories, & Sepulchers; or before the Shrines, Images, and Pictures of Saints, and Martyrs; or by their Relics, as by the Arm, Legg, Foot, Head, Hand, small Finger, or little Toe, etc. by the Nails, Hair, and such Excrements, etc. Yea, but the Cast Clouts, Tottered Rags, and Old Shoes, of Saints. Oh! What Volumes? what Cart-loads? what Dunghills of Legends, to this purpose, and all for many hundred Years believed, all Christendom over, which then (when these Miracles came in Vogue) was the greatest and best inhabited part of the then known World; the most part of Europe, Asia, and Africa, resounded with them, (and now yet tootaking in America)? That Extent is not any way lessened. And all these obtruded upon, and believed by, Christians, as unquestionable Truths, as true as Gospel, yea and truer too. For, for these Things sake was the Gospel laid aside, the Reading of it superseded, yea forbidden, and the Legends brought in, to be read in Churches, and Preached out of the Pulpits, as more true, more edifying, and more for the setting forth of God's Glory: And, which was more, Their Shrines, Chapels, or Temples, so enriched with Gifts, Presents, and Oblations, That an Ordinary King's Exchequer, could not countervail the Wealth of one of them: Nay though the supposed Saint, were not, Majorum Gentium, but a Diminutive, indeed; nay, but a Rebel, or a Traitor, as Thomas à Becket; whose Monument was so rich in Jewels of Inestimable Value, That two great Chests were filled with the Spoils thereof: So heavy, and so capacious, That no fewer than eight men were needful to carry each of them out of the Church. Thus one records it: Another, thus, There were no less than Twenty-six Wain-Loads of Gold, Silver, and Pretious-stones found in it: And (which was Ten thousand times worse and more). There were some times, an Hundred Thousand Worshippers, (upon the account of the Miracles feigned of him) attending at his Chapel: And yet none of these Miracles true: no, none of them: no, not so much as One; though averred, attested, and sworn, by many Reverend, Holy, and Religious Friars, Monks, and other Shavelings, of unquestionable Sincerity, among the People; and therefore generally believed. For, it is incredible, That the most Wise God, should exsert the Power of His Omnipotency, for the advancing of the Honour of Deadmen, of Wicked-men, of Abominable Reprobates, (some of them) so high; as that their Skeletons, Dead-bones, and Excrements; their Chairs, and Chains, yea their Cast-Clouts, Rotten Rags, and Old Shoes, should work such Miracles; when he never honoured the Persons, while alive, with any such Miraculous Power: Especially, since these pretended Miracles, did in their very nature, and tendency, tend directly to the bringing in of Superstition, Idolatry, and the shameful undervaluing of the Miracles, and Wonders, wrought by the great God, and His Blessed Son Jesus, as the very Pretence actually did. Now, that I may extend the Credulity of this Dream, to as vast Limits, as any Demonologer can extend the conceit of Witchcraft, I add, That all this infatuated conceit concerning such Miracles, was but a mere Relickt, or Apish-imitation of Pagan Dreams, and Heathenish Adorations, in respect to their ancient Heroes, demigods, or Demons Did they not all of them, as far as Paganism extended, (and that was far enough) fancy and believe Miracles, and Wonders, to have been done by those whom they accounted Heroic Persons, & had deified after Death, for their Gallantries, Inventions, & Glorious Acts, done by them when alive? Hence it is, That we hear of such strange Things done by Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, Juno, Pallas, Hercules, Bacchus, Castor, Pollux, yea Romulus, and Apollonius. In other Countries they had other Names, Terms, and Titles, for their Devil-Gods; but the same Superstition, and besotted Credulity of believing Miracles done by them, after their departure hence, to their own places. And this, As at other places, often; So, at their Shrines, before their Images, or Pictures, in their Temples, most frequently, where the Priests resided; who were (indeed) the Persons, that did the Feats, and had Face and Knavery enough, to venture upon the Juggle of a Miracle, That they might continue to receive the Rich Presents, and Oblations, which made up Treasuries so hugely vast, as is almost incredible, as appears by those huge Masses of Wealth, belonging to Jupiter Hammon's, and Apollo's Temple at Delphos. Who was the Author, or first Inventor of those Prodigious Romances, (but most Monstrous Fictions) it matters not much; but when once such wild Figments were published abroad, concerning one of their Idols, in one place; That he, or it, had done such and such Feats, there was a general Entertainment, and Invention of the like monstrous Fables, throughout the Pagan World. These also in this place must invent too some strange things, in honour of their Idol, as well as others had of theirs in another place. And thus it went round. Nay, the Mahometans too, (though but Upstarts, in respect of the former Superstitionists), sneakingly creeping into the World, but of late, when one would have expected, That after the Detection of so many Knaveries in this kind, throughout the World, , mankind should have been grown w●ser; yet think this a notable politic Trick too, to draw in Disciples to the entertainment of their Koran: And therefore they report of great and strange Miracles done (and these must too be believed by every Massulman, upon pain of some most fearful mischief) not only by Mahomet, when alive, or at Mecca and Medina-Tal-naby (where his Tomb is said to hang most miraculously to this day) but at other places also, many are now, yet still, daily done by their Syets, and their other pretending Religionists; but really Hypocritical Impostors. Now, put all this together; the Dreams of Turks, Pagans, Christians, all of them in a sort, (except some few Protestants of late, and some honest men of old) I might have added the modern Jews and Persees too) concerning Miracles, pretended to be done by their dead Saints, are, and have been so generally received, entertained, and believed, as a point of Faith too; that it may be accounted Consensus humani generis, as well, at least, as this Dream of Witchcrast, and better too: this being not half so generally received as that. And yet as in that; so, in this nothing but Fancies, Lies, Fables, Fictions, Delusions, Cheats, Impostures, etc. Nothing of Truth; nothing of Reality; nothing of likelihood, in either of them. Truly, these three, Purgatory, Witchcraft, and the Miracles done by Deadmen, (I mean not any of those recorded in Scriptures, done by the intervention of the Omnipotent, either mediately or immediately) and by their Images, Pictures, Statutes, Skeletons, or Relics, may justly be yolked together, with the Fable of the Phoenix's, rising again out of her own Ashes, when she hath burned herself; The Uninhabitableness of the middle Zone; The Suspension of Mahomet's Tomb in the Air, by Gimmetry; The Congelation of Words in the Northern Climate, to be Articulately heard again, in the next Thaw, at the return of the Year; The Singing of Swans before their Death; The Melody of sirens; The Mer-Maids half Fleshy Women, & half Fishy Serpents; with many many more such Incredible Fictions: fitly to be placed in the nineteenth Predicament, among Nonentities, and Chimeras; if not in the Twentyeth, among Impossibilities; there being no Truth, or likelihood of Truth, in any of them.  
The next Quibble (because it is such a pretty one) may not be omitted; It's this: Mr. Scot's Fore-name, (the Chief and First Anti-demonologist, of this Nation at least) gins with R. [Reginald]; but there was a Learned Doctor's Surname, that began with that same Letter too, [Raynolds, forsooth]; who was of a contrary Opinion to Reginald; (but sure never confuted him.) Frgo, Reginald must be supposed a Sot, as well as a Scot Oh gallant! as the Wheel-Barrow goeth ramble the Ramble; so Peter Sherk owes me Five shillings. To that of Wind, Snow, Hail, Rain, &c: the Keepers, Sellers, and Stillers, of these, with the Tales to that purpose, in the general; for the Substance, I have said enough; no need of adding any more, here. And for Magical Statues, made to conjure Mice, Rats, Serpents, Crocodiles, etc. I say, If any such Effects (as are pretended) followed from such things (which I much doubt of) attributed they must be, no doubt, to Natural Causes; since all the Statutes, Palladium's, Tellesmans', and the like, are supposed to be made, by the art of Astrology, which is a mere Natural Science. For, the Magical Seals, etc. whereby men might be preserved Shot-free, and consequently Stick-free, Cane-free, Spurn-free, Kick free: The Answer is ready; it is so Incredible a conceit, that it needs no Answer; unless it be that we may grant, They have as much Power to secure Men, as Agnus dei, Consecrated-Banners, Hallowed Swords, have to procure Victory, and to make men invincible. But, for Josephus' Herb Baaras, so excellent, forsooth, for the Dispossessing of Devils; though enough hath been said in another place, for the general: And though our Reverend Opponent, himself, doth answer this, his own Objection, in Particular, sufficiently, pag. 76, 77: Yet, will I add a word or two more here: In the Parish where I now live, there were, in my time, Seven Women in one Morning, that were cured of their Hysterical Fits, merely by smelling to a Bottle of Water, compounded by a Practitioner in Physic, for that Infirmity. In this Disease, as also in the Epilepsy, it was supposed of old, That there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some Supernatural Operation, though now both be acknowledged merely Natural. Now, if Josephus' Physician, by the Application of his Baaras, (which is reckoned to be no other, than the single Peony; but acknowledged to be of singular Virtue against the Epilepsy, or Falling-Sickness) did cure the Disease; (as he that by his Bottle cured the Hysterical Women, or peradventure did but avert the Paroxysm). What wonder in it? What more than Natural? And though our Physicians do not, now, absolutely cure that Infirmity, by the application (merely) of that Herb, whether Seed, Root, Leaf, yet reckon they it of special Virtue, for that purpose. The Epileptical Fits may be stronger, or the Peony not so excellent, for Virtue, in this, as in that Climate. But this without doubt, if the Jewish Physician by his Baaras, or Peony, cured men of the Epilepsy, or but stopped or averted the Violence of the Fit, it was but a Natural means he used; and therefore, but a Natural Disease that was cured: No Devil cast out, but only an Infirmity, removed, as in another place more sully. I add but this, The Cure of the Epilepsy, by Baaras or Peony, was by Josephus, and others at, before, and after, his time accounted, a Dispossessing of Devils; But what was then or could be the Possessing of Devils, but the Sickness of the Epilepsy, or some such kind of Disease? Imight have added, That ●●osephus is suspected to be too large, some times, in the Commendations of his own Countrymen, and of others also, to whom he bore any special Assection: but this needs not here be added; enough hath been said to take off the utmost Venom, that can be imagined, in this Objection.  
Our Learned Opponent insists much upon Charms, for the Proof of Witchcraft; and would needs prove by Tale upon Tale, That Charms, if they have any Operation at all, must needs have it, from the Intervention and Assistance ●f the Devil. Answ. 1. Yet he himself grants, That it hath been an old and famous Question, Whether there be not of, in, and by Charms themselves some Operations? pag. 100: 2ly, he citys many Authors, Modern and Ancient; and among the rest Galen too; whose Opinion he values very much; who ascribes Virtue to them, pag. 100, 101, 102. 3ly. He allows of Natural and Speciphick Operations; but then, That words should not sometimes, upon some things, especially living and sensible Creatures; have some Specific Operations, is hard to say. 4. He justifieth the Truth of that Fable of Arion, and the Dolphin's Delight in Music, and in the name Simones, or the Sound: But, Why then may not Beasts and Birds, Cats, Rats, Dogs, Serpents, etc. delight in some kind of Sounds, Tones, Tunes, Whistling, etc. and yet detest, abominate, and run from others? It might therefore be but a Natural Incantation, which John Young, and some others might use: A mere Feat or Trick of Art, that they had gotten, To call and calm, To stir up, and still again, To draw to, and fright from them, Beasts,, Birds, and the like. It is an ungrounded word to say, 'Twas Diabolical Magic. 5. I have showed That there might be sometimes, from some persons, upon easy and impressible spirits, some Effects wrought by mere Words, and Natural Charms. 6 I read of a kind of Bird, that is taken by Cringes, and Compliments, or certain poppet-Motions of the Body: at Schelling too in Holland, they usually catch (as 'tis said) the Dogfish, by putting on of Beasts Skins, and by leaping, capering, and dancing in them, to draw the Fish unto the Land, to catch them: Why may not other Creatures be alured with tunes and tones, as well as those Animals, with Antic postures and gestures. It is sufficiently known, that some men have an Art of Faculty of taking Plovers, and other Birds, by whistling such a tune. This draws the Birds into their Dangers: And he that said, Fistula dulce canit voluerem dum decipit auceps, had some such meaning: But if David by a Sweet Lesson upon his Harp could (as Demonologists conceive) charm the Evil Spirit in Saul, into a quiet stillness, yea, Secession, etc. I wonder, Why they should doubt, That a man by Art, upon observation of their Natures, should work some kind of Effects, by Tunes, Tones, sing, Whistling, etc. upon inferior Creatures? Men may, without doubt, have a greater Power, Command, or Art, to allure order or charm (if the Word may be allowed) Beasts, or Birds, and Reptiles, than men have to bewitch Devils, or Dispossess them, with a fit of Music. Did not Sancho Pancha, Don Quixot's renowned Squire, by his cunning Dexterity, of Braying like an Ass, set all the Assinicoes in the Mountain a Braying too; and yet was Sancho, no doubt, an honest true Trojan; never dived deep into the Mysteries of the Black Art, I dare warrant. 7. I may add, That some times, though the Charms or simple Words, may have the credit; yet may there some secret means (and those merely Natural) be closely and imperceptibly used or applied; and so the Effect be attributed merely to the Charm, when another and more proper means deserved the Commendation. And this may be observable, not only in living Creatures, but inanimate also. Suppose the head of a dart should stick so fast of cross in some Soldier's Bone, that all the Surgeons, with all their best Art and Skill could not without much Danger and Torment to the Party, get it out: If now some Inferior Person or Woman (never taken notice of, for any Chirurgical skill) under the pretence of a Charm, (nothing preceptibly applied or used besides the Words) should in the way of a Hocus pocus, having in his Sleeve a Magnet of excellent Operation, by the virtue of it (so concealed) draw out the Iron, (as without doubt, is naturally possible, yea and hath been experimented in a similar case, as very good and able Physicians publicly declare): It would seem somewhat wonderful indeed; yet not at all be Diabolical. There are a thousand Secrets in Nature of excellent use, and Operation; yet known but to a few, yea but to a very few, persons, and those Comtemptible, for any other Art, or Science, or Excellency; as those of Sympathy and Antipathy, occult Qualities, and specific Virtues, who yet by Observation, Tradition, or Empiretical Way, have luckily gained the Knowledge or Knack of using them. Must their use of things, in this kind, be counted Witcherast, or Diabolical Operation, strait? We know but in part, yea but a very little, even the wisest of men, of the most Obvious things, that are before us; muchless the wonderful Effects of these occult and specific Qualities, that are abstrusely locked up in the Secret Cabinets of Nature. It is therefore high Presumption, and the limiting of Nature, yea even the God of Nature, to the short scantling of our weak Apprehensions; to say, That no such things, as seem wonderful to us, can be effected in a Natural way; because we (forsooth) understand not the Reason. An able Physician told me this Story: A Gentleman of London, being desperately sick, two of the ablest Physicians about the Town were sent for, to advise, direct, and order him: Who finding the Person (as they thought) in an Irremediable Condition, became exceeding angry, ask Whether they thought them to be gods, that they had sent for them to cure a deadman? Presently stinging out of the Room, they would immediately be gone; But being by much earnestness importuned, they consent at last to take their Dinner, first: In the mean, a neighbour-Woman coming to visit the Sick-man, asked how he did, & what the Physicians said of him▪ which having heard she felt his Pulse, viewed and observed him more narrowly, than at sirst: and, Do the Physicians (quoth she) say that there is hope? Pray, entreat them to view the Person once more. With much importunity they are at last won, to give another Visit, or rather the last farewell. When coming up into the Chamber, the Woman asked them again, their Opinion: They return, he was past Cure; How! past Cure (quoth she)? I'll undertake to cure him myself; Withal, set her Spectacles upon his Nose: Yea, I will cure him with this, without any more trouble, or farther application. Then, they cried out, She was a Witch, a Witch: Nay (quoth she) but. Are you not Dunces? Do you not perceive that the Crisis is past, the strength of Nature hath overcome the Malignity of the Disease? No need of much Art, or Help: Nature itself will do the work, without Art, though not with so much Ease and Speed. Which having heard, and examining the Patient again, a little more narrowly, They subscribe to her Judgement; the Success was answerable. Mere Ignaroes, (as they are accounted) may untie the knot, sometimes, which the greatest Artists are puzzled at. I could instance farther in one of the greatest Scholars, this last Age hath known; who broke his Heart (as we call it) with Grief, because a Mechanic had confuted him, in a particular point of the Mathematics. Bernardus non videt omnia. This is enough, in answer to all that which is said in the Treatise of Cred. and Incred. Yet I cannot forbear to say, I honour the Author very much for his Piety, Loyalty, great Learning, Modesty, etc. If any man could possibly have bewitched me, unto the Belief of Witchcraft, this reverend Person of all others was most likely to have done it. If he be offended at any thing that hath been said, I am sorry; But God grant he have not more cause of Sorrow, when at his Appearance before the great Tribunal, he shall be challenged for equallizing Belzebub, the God of Flies, with the Great Jehovah, for most Stupend and Miraculous Operations.   
FINIS.   

BOOKS Sold by Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms in the Poultry.  

Folio.  
THe History of King John, King Henry the Second, and the most Illustrious K. Edward the First; wherein the ancient Sovereign Dominion of the Kings of Great Britain over all persons in all Causes, is asserted and vindicated: With an exact History of the Pope's intolerable Usurpation upon the Liberties of the Kings and Subjects of England and Ireland. Collected out of the Ancient Records in the Tower of London, by W. Prin, Esq; of Lincolns-Inn, and Keeper of his Majesty's Records in the Tower of London.  
A Description of the Four parts of the world, taken from the Works of Monsieur Sanson, Geographer to the French King; and other eminent Travellers and Authors; to which is added the Commodities, Coins, Weights and Measures of the chief places of Traffic in the world; illustrated with variety of useful and delightful Maps and Figures. By Richard Blome, Gent.  
Memotres of the Lives, Actions, Sufferings and Deaths of those Excellent Personages that suffered for Allegiance to their Sovereign in our late intestine Wars, from the year 1637, to 1666; with the Life and Martyrdom of King Charles the First. By David Lloyd.  
The Exact Politician, or Complete Statesan, etc. By Leonard Willan, Esquire.  
A Relation in form of a Journal of the Voyage and Residence of King Charles the Second in Holland.  
Moors hominum, the Manners of Men described in sixteen Satyrs, by Juvenal; together with a large Comment, clearing the Author in every place wherein he seemed obscure, out of the Laws and Customs of the Romans, and the Latin and Greek Histories. By Sir Robert Stapleton, Knight.  
A Treatise of Justification. By George Downham, Dr. of D.  
Fifty-one Sermons, Preached by the Reverend Dr. Mark Frank, Master of Pembroke-Hill in Cambridg, Archdeacon of St. Albon, etc. To which is added a Sermon preached at Paul's Cross, Anno 1641. and then commanded to be Printed by King Charles the First.  
Bentivolio and Urania. in six Books. By Nathaniel Ingelo, D. D. The third Edition, wherein 〈◊〉 the obscure words throughout the Book are interpreted in the Margin, which makes this much more delightful to read than the former.  
De Jure Uniformitatis Ecclesiasticae, or three Books of the Rights belonging to an Uniformity in Churches, in which the chief things of the Laws of Nature and Nations, and of the Divine Law concerning the Consistency of the Ecclesiastical Estate with the Civil, are unsolded by Hugh Davi●, Ll. B. late Fellow of New College in Oxon.  
An English, French, Italian, Spanish Dictionary, by James Howel.  
Observations on Military and Political Affairs, by the Honourable, George, Duke of Albemarle.  
The manner of Exercising the Infantry, as it's now practised in the Armies of his most Christian Majesty.   

Quarto.  
A Letter from Dr. Robert Wild to his Friend, Mr. J. J. upon occasion of his Majesty's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience. Together with his Poetica Licentia, & a friendly Debate between a Conformist and a Nonconformist.  
The Dutch Remonstrance concerning the Proceed and Practices of John de Wit, Pensionary, and Ruwaert Van Putten his Brother, with others of that Faction; Translated out of Dutch.  
Index Biblicus: or, an Exact Concordance to the Holy Bible, according to the last Translation, by John Jackson, Minister of the Gospel at Moulsea in Surrey.  
The Christian-Mans-Calling: or a Treatise of making Religion one's Business: wherein the Christian is directed to perform in all Religious duties, Natural Actions, particular Vocations, Family directions; and in his own Recreations, in all Relations, in all Conditions, in his deal with all men, in the choice of his Company, both of evil and good, in solitude, on a weekday, from morning to night; in visiting the sick, and on a dying-bed, by Geo. Swinnock.  
Mr. Caryl's Exposition on the Book of Joh.  
Gospel-Remission; or a Treatise showing that true Blessedness consists in the pardon of sin. By Jeremiah Burroughs.  
An Exposition of the Song of Solomon. By James Durham, late Minister in Glasgow.  
The Real Christian: or a Treatise of Effectual Calling; wherein the work of God in drawing the Soul to Christ, being opened according to the Holy Scriptures; some things required by our late Divines, as necessary to a right Preparation for Christ, and a true closing with Christ, which have caused, and do still cause much trouble to some serious Christians, and are with due respects to those worthy men brought to the balance of the Sanctuary, there weighed, and accordingly judged: to which is added a few words concerning Socinianism. By Giles Firmin, sometimes Minister at Shalford in Essex.  
Mount Pisgab: or a Prospect of Heaven; being an Exposition on the fourth Chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians. By Tho. Case, sometimes Student in Christ-Church, Oxon, and Minister of the Gospel.  
The Virtue and Value of Baptism. By Za. Crofton.  
The Quakers Spiritual Court proclaimed; Being an exact Narrative of a New high Court of Justice; also sundry Errors and Corruptions amongst the Quakers, which were never till now made known to the world. By Nath. Smith, who was conversant among them fourteen Years.  
A Discourse of Prodigious abstinence. occasioned by the twelve Months fasting of Martha Tailor, the faimed Derbyshire Damsel; proving, that without any Miracle the texture of Humane bodies may be so altered, that Life may be long continued without the supplies of Meat and Drink. By John Reynolds.  
A Grave for Controversies, between the Romanist and the Protestant, lately presented to the French King.  
jackson's Recantation, or the Life and Death of a Notorious Highway man, wherein is truly discovered the whole Mystery of that wicked and fatal profession of Padding on the Road.  
A Sermon delivered at the Funeral of right Honourable Charles Earl of Warwick, Sept. the 9th. 1673. by Anthony Walker, Rector of Fyfi●ld.  
The Retired man's Meditations, or the Mystery and Power of Godliness, presenting to view the riches and fullness of Christ's person as Mediator, or the Natural and Spiritual man in their proper distinctions, etc. by Henry Vane, Knight.   

Large Octavo.  
A Sober enquiry into the nature, measure, and principle of Moral Virtue, its distinction from Gospel Holiness, with reflections upon what occurs disserviceable to Truth and Religion in this matter; in three late Books, viz. Ecclesiastical Policy, Defence and Continuation, and Reproof to the Rehearsal Transprosed: By R. Ferguson.  
A Collection of Sermons Preached at the Morning Lecture in Southwark, and elsewhere: By N. Blakie.  
Gramatica Quadrilinguis; or Brief Instructions for the French, Italian, Spanish, and English Tongues, with Proverbs of each Language, fitted for those who desire to perfect themselves therein: By J. Smith. M. A.  
The Works of Mr. James Janeway; Containing these 6 following Treatises; Heaven upon Earth, or the Best of Friends in the Worst of Time. Death Unstung; a Sermon Preached at the Funeral of Thomas Mosely, an Apothecary, with a Narrative of his Life and Death; also the manner of Gods dealing with him before and after his Conversion. A Sermon Preached at the Funeral of Thomas Savage. Invisibles, Realities demonstrated in the Holy Life, and Triumphant Death of Mr. John Janeway. The Saint's Encouragement to Diligence in Christ's Service, with Motives and Means to Christian Activity.  
Mr. Janeway's last Legacy to his Friends, containing twenty-seaven famous instances of God's Providences in and about Sea-dangers and Deliverances, with the names of several that were Eye-witnesses to many of them; whereunto is added a Sermon on the same Subject.  
A Brief Exposition of the Epistles of St. Paul to the Gallathians and Ephesians, by James Ferguson.  
The Life and Death of that Excellent Minister of Christ, Mr. Joseph Allin. Also his Christian Letters, full of spiritual instructions. Published by several Ministers.  
Memorials of God's Judgements, Spiritual and Temporal: or, Sermons to call to Remembrance. By Nich Lockier, Minister of the Gospel.  
A Plate for Mariners, or the Seaman's Preacher; delivered in several Sermons unto Jonah's Voyage. By R. Ryther, Preacher of God's Word at Wappin.  
The Gentlewoman's Companion; or, a Guide to the Female Sex: containing Directions of Behaviour, in all places, Companies, Relations, and Conditions, from their Childhood down to Old age: With Letters and Discourses upon all occasions. Whereunto is added a Guide for Cook-Maids, Dairy-Maids, Chambermaids, and all others that go to Service: The whole being an exact Rule for the Female Sex in general.  
The present State of Russia, in a Letter to a Friend at London; Written by an Eminent Person, residing at the Great Tzars' Court at Moscow, for the space of Nine years: Illustrated with many Copper Plates.  
The fulfilling of the Scriptures: or, an Essay showing the exact Accomplishment of the word of God in his Works of Providence, Performed, and to be performed; for confirming the Believers, and convincing the Atheists of these present times: Containing in the end a few Rare Histories of the Works and Servants of God, in the Church of Scotland.  
The Morning Seeker; showing the benefit of being good betimes; with Directions to make sure work about early Religion. By John Rither.  
A Discourse concerning Evangelical Love, Church-peace and Unity; with the Occasions and Reasons of present Differences and Divisions about things Sacred and Religious. By John Owen, D. D.   

Small Octavo, and Twelves.  
The Life and Death of Mr. Thom. Wilson, Minister of Maidstone, in the County of Kent. Drawn up by Mr. George Swinnock.  
Hieragonisticon, or Corahs' Doom; being an Answer to two Letters of Inquiry into the Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy and Religion.  
The Comparison of plato and Aristottle, with the Opinions of the Fathers on their Doctrine, and some Christian Reflections; together with Judgement on Alexander and Caesar, as also on Seneca, Plutarch and Petronius, out of the French.  
Observations on the Poems of Homer and Virgil: a Discourse representing the Excellency of those Works, and the Perfection in general of all Heroic Actions, out of the French.  
Mysterium Pietatis; or the Mystery of Godliness, wherein the Mysteries contained in the Incarnation, Circumcision, wise Men, Passion, Resurrection, ascension of the Son of God, and coming of the Holy Ghost, are unfolded and applied. By W. Annand.  
Fellowship with God, or 28 Sermons on the first Epistle of John, chap. first and Second. By Hugh Binning, late Minister in Scotland.  
A Token for Children, being an exact account of the conversation, holy and exemplary lives and joyful deaths of several young Children. By James Janeway.  
The Mercury-Gallant, Containing many true and pleasant Relations of what passed at Paris, from the first of January, 72. till the King's Departure thence.  
An Explanation, of the Assemblies shorter Catechism, wherein all the Answers are taken abroad in, under Questions and Answers, the Truths explained, and proved by Reason and Scripture; several Cases of Conscience resolved; some chief Controversies in Religion stated, etc. By Tho. Vincent.  
The Experiences of God's gracious declining; with Mrs. Elizabeth White, as they were written with her own hand, and sound in her Closet after her decease.  
A serious Caution against Impenitency, under God's Correcting-Providences. By James Sharp.  
The Christians great Interest: or the trial of a saving interest in Christ, with the way how to attain it. By W. Guthry, late Minister in Scotland.  
The History of Moderation; or the life, Death, and Resurrection of Moderation, together with her Nativity, Country, Pedigree, Kindred, and Character, Friends, and also her Enemies.  
A Guide to the true Religion: or, a Discourse directing to make a wise choice of that Religion Men venture their Salvation upon. By John Clappam.  
A most Comfortable & Christian Dialogue between the Lord and the Soul. By W. Cooper Bishop of Galloway.  
Justification only upon a satisfaction, or the Necessity and Verity of the Satisfaction of Christ, as the alone grounds of Remission of sin, asserted and opened against the Socinians. By R. Ferguson.  
The Canons and Institutions of the Quakers, agreed upon at their General Assembly, at their new Theatre in Grace-Church-street.)  
A Synopsis of Quakerism: or, a Collection of the Fundamental Errors of the Quakers, By Tho. Danson.  
Blood for blood; being a true Narrative of that late horrid murder committed by Mary Cook upon her Child. By Nath. Partridge, with a Sermon on the same occasion.  
Six several Treatises. By Nich. Lockier, Minister of the Gospel.  
A Discourse written by Sir G. Downing the King of Great Brittain's Envoy Extraordinary, to the States of the United Provinces: Vindicating his Royal Master from the Insolences of a scandalous Libel, Printed under the Title of [An Extract out of the Register of the State's General of the United Provinces, upon the Memorial of Sir Geo. Downing, Envoy, etc. [And delivered by the Agent de Heyde for such, to several Public Ministers. Whereas no such Resolution was ever communicated to the said Envoy, nor any answer returned at all by their Lordships to the said Memorial.  
Whereunto is added a Relation of some Former and Latter Proceed of the Hollanders: By a meaner hand.  
The Assemblies works in 12, with the large and smaller Catechisms.  
Scotch Psalms alone, or with the Bible.    

THese are to give Notice, That the Psalms of David in Meeter are newly Translated, and Diligently Compared, with the Original Text and former Translations, more smooth and agreeable to the Text than that of Tho. Sternhold, John Hopkins, or any other Extant in English; and do run with such a fluent Sweetness, that the Ministers whose Names are here under Subscribed, have thought fit to Recommend it to all with whom they are Concerned; some of them having used it already with great Comfort and Satisfaction: These Psalms are to be sold by Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms in the Poultry, at One shilling Four pence Price.  

John Owen, D. D.  
Tho. Manton, D. D.  
William Jenkyn.  
James Inns.  
Thomas Watson.  
Thomas Lye.  
Matthew Poole.  
Jo. Milward.  
John Chester.  
George Cockayn.  
Matthew Meade.  
Robert Franklin.  
Richard Mayo.  
Hen. Langley, D. D.  
Thomas Doolittle.  
Thomas Vincent.  
Nathaniel Vincent.  
John Ryther.  
William Thompson.  
Nicholas Blaky.  
Charles Morton.  
Edmund Callamy.  
William Carslake.  
James Janeway,  
John Hicks.  
John Baker.