A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so far forth as it is…A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so farre forth as it is…

The second kind of illusion, is of the mind, whereby the devil deceives the mind, and makes a man think that of himself which is not true. Thus experience teacheth, that he hath deluded men both in former and latter times, who have avouched and professed themselves to be kings, or the sons of Kings. Yea, some have holden themselves to be Christ, some to be Elijah, some to be John the Baptist, and some extraordinary Prophets. And the like conceits have entered into the minds of sundry Witches, by the suggestion and ⟨p. 27⟩persuasion of the devil. To whom, when they have wholly resigned their souls and bodies, they have been moved to believe things impossible touching themselves, as that they have indeed been changed into other creatures, as cats, birds, mice, &c. The inquisitions of Spain & other countries, wherein these and such like things are recorded touching Witches really metamorphosed into such creatures, cannot be true; considering that it is not in the power of the devil, thus to change substances into other substances. And those conversions recorded by them, were only Satan's illusions, wherewith the minds of Witches were possessed, and nothing else; which though they were extraordinary, (as the rest of this kind are) yet they went not beyond the power of nature.

The second kind of illusion, is of the minde, whereby the deuill deceiues the minde, and makes a man thinke that of himselfe which is not true. Thus experience teacheth, that he hath deluded men both in former and latter times, who haue auouched and professed themselues to be kings, or the sonnes of Kings. Yea, some haue holden themselues to be Christ, some to be Elias, some to be Iohn the Baptist, and some extraordinarie Prophets. And the like concei•s haue entred into the minds of sundrie Witches, by the suggestion and ⟨p. 27⟩perswasion of the deuill. To whome, when they haue wholly resigned their soules and bodies, they haue beene mooued to beleeue things impossible touching themselues, as that they haue indeed beene changed into other creatures, as catts, birds, mise, &c. The inquisitions of Spaine & other countries, wherein these and such like things are recorded touching Witches really metamorphosed into such creatures, cannot be true; considering that it is not in the power of the deuill, thus to change substāces into other substāces. And those conuersions recorded by them, were onely Satans illusions, wherewith the mindes of Witches were possessed, and nothing else; which though they were extraordinarie, (as the rest of this kinde are) yet they went not beyond the power of nature.