There were no Witch-finders, nor, much-less, Witch - makers, among the People, then, as there are now; and some of them sage Philosophers, learned Criticks, and great Divines. 6. The Argument, That the Opinion of Witchcraft is Derogatory so God's Honour; as setting up many Gods is slubber'd over, with that weak, silly, if not blasphemous Evasion, viz. God's Permission in respect of Devils;

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 of the Devil

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 Reptils, than men have to bewitch Devils, or Dispossess them, with a fit of Musick.

It undervalues Christs 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 Christs Incarnation: So doth it more abuse Christ in the crotchet of Dispossession. A Devil, nay, a Witch (say they) by the Devils 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

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

That Devils would speak lyes in hypocrisie, and have their Consciences seared,--which is a thing no Man can doubt of; if Devils speak, they'l speak lyes, as being lyars and hypocrites from the beginning; and that their Consciences are seared with an hot Iron

f 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 snatcht off from him

so they that equalize 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 atomes: are not these cruel handlings, and manglings used against Christ? Sure the Godhead, as in all other Excellencies, so in power must have the preheminence, and be paramount, or else his power will not answer his other Excellencies (he Page  6 should be lame on that side) nor befit the Godhead

Whether a Passive witch be to be punished by the Law as well as an Active? How ex∣treame were it therfore to suf∣fer from men; because they suf∣fer from the Devil? Can his ••∣cruciation Page  191 be a sufficient Cause for our Execution? I conceive the meerly passive therefore are here to be exempted. Be∣cause though the Devil works by them, yet it is without them, yea & oft times against them. Neverthelesse the mixt∣ly passive, may be distingui∣shed from those who are lesse to be pitied or spared because though they may now be som∣what passive, and the Devill (as it were) forcing them to malefice or mischiefe; yet they first were Active, and freely gave their consent so to do.

Some signs probable, yet not so certaine as to serve for the Witches Conviction. Such are, 1. Strong and long suspiti∣on. 2. Suspected Ancestors. 3. Bare Confession. 4. Some Ap∣pearance of Fact. 5. The corps bleeding upon the Witches touch. 6. The testimony of the party bewitched. 7. The sup∣posed witches unusual bodily marks. 8 The witches usual cur¦sing & banning. 9. The witches lewd & naughty kind of life.

But if it bee a very Cat or Dogge, &c. only possessed with the Devill, it may be kild: And I have heard a Committed Witch confesse, that she kild one time her dog, another time her Cat (both her Page  80 imps) for going out & doing so much mischief against her wil.

The Devill may worke the first way upon a man against his will to punish and torment him: But he workes not with him, at his will, or to serve him; but the second way alone.

The formall cause of a Witch, is the Covenant, Com∣pact, Contract, Confoederati∣on, League, societie, familia∣rity Page  56 with the Devill. Which hidden mystery of iniquitie is more generally consented to, that it is; then exactly disclo∣sed what it is. All are ready to take the Witches Compact for granted, yet few (for ought I see) can well tell us what it is. Nay the Learnedst, are readyer to distinguish it, then to define it. So that hereupon it hath been some∣what dissented; and that moreover in regard of Satans prestigious delusion herein, Iudibrious convention, pro∣digious profession, impious stipulation, perfidious inten∣tion

Causes, are divers sins, that more eminently dispose to witchcraft: such as are, 1. Ido∣latry; therefore are these two (Idolatry & witchcraft) con∣joined so frequently, Lev. 20. 5, 6. 2 King. 21. 5, 6. and 23, 24. Gal. 5. 20. 2. Superstition▪ as is said before. 3. Swearing, and blaspheming, Mal. 3. 5. 2 Thes. 4. 9. 4. Imprecation or cursing, and therefore to curse, is as much as to bewitch, Num. 22. 6. 5. Inordinate vagrant lusts, 2 Kings 9. 22. Nahum 3. 4. 6. Curiosity, this makes the Magicall Witch, Acts 19. 19. 7. Envy, hatred, malice, desire of revenge, Gal. 5. 20. 8. De∣praved and indulged Melan∣choly;

The principall Efficient of a Witch is the Devill, who indeed is the father of all such; and they his chiefely begotten Children. I meane it not by Page  49 way of Incubus; which I can∣not believe to be other then the height of all phantasticall Delusions, though the Patrons of it never so earnestly in∣stance in those hairy ones, or shaggy ones, (for so the word sounds being either way pro∣nounced) Lev. 17. 7. Isa. 13. 21. By which are to bee under∣stood not devills Brats, but Devills themselves that ap∣peared to Witches in such shapes when they worshipped them: Or in the Fawnes, Sa∣tyrs, Sylvaries or Syrens, that the Poets sing of: Or in the Legendary Stories of our Merlin or their Magdalen: Or in the Plebeian-traditions of

Witch in the Church worse then a Witch in her own Cell. 3. Sexe, As the Male witch is worse then the Female. For though she may be more envious and malici∣ous; yet he has abused the A∣bler and Nobler Sexe. 4. De∣gree or Quality, as Jezabel was worse then the Witch of En∣dor. 5. Profession, As the Chri∣stian

As the good Witch is to bee judged and esteemed worse then the bad; the Idola∣trously pacted, worse then the Cunningly Arted, the perni∣tiously operative, worse then the fondly speculative: the mischievously Active, worse then the abused Passive. For if among very Divels one may be found worse then another, Lu. 11. 26. how much more a∣mong Witches? nay even a∣mong Witches of the same kind, there are also conside∣rable

respect of common society; for as it is most natu∣rall for man to be sociable

It even tempts the Divell to tempt God. For little or nothing can the Divell doe for the Witch by a Leaguer Commission; but as hee is faine to tempt Gods Permission at every turn. Else Satan had not craved a second

Because it is called an a∣bomination Page  18 unto the Lord, Deut. 18. 12. which is never said but of those Impieties that are of all other most Exe∣crable. 2. Because all other sins and disobediences, are but compa∣red to this for hainousnesse, 1 Sam. 15. 23. Now the thing compared is alwaies inferiour to that to which it is compa∣red. 3. Because Witch-craft in Hebrew, Greek, and Latine is commonly called by the name of Evill-doing: signifying (as say the Antients) that it is the greatest evill that can be done. 4. Because it is the most ma∣licious and immediate aver∣sion

That Witches have al∣ways abounded in some coasts of the World, more then o∣thers; Page  16 as namely, where the Gospell is not; where it is not so plain, pure, and power∣full; and where Witch-craft is made either their Religion, or their Trade. 3. That Witches are to be found in some Reli∣gions, more then others, that is to say, not only wher witch∣craft it selfe is counted a Reli∣gion; but where Religion it selfe is superstitious, and so disposing to Witch-craft. 4. That there has been, are, and are likely still to bee, more Witches under the Popish; then in the Protestant Reli∣gion. For not only their Popes, Priests, Fryers, Nuns, (many of them) have been notorious

Because the holy Scrip∣tures speake of Witch-craft as of a specifique si

And for this the Witch must bee suspected; and this suspition, though it bee but late, of a few, and those the under sort, yet is it enough to send for the Witch-searchers,

HEe that will needs perswade himself that there are no Witches, would as faine be perswaded, that there is no Devill; and hee that can already beleeve that there is no Devill, will ere Page  2 long beleeve that there is no God.