An essay for the recording of illustrious providences

There are that acknowledge the existence of Spirits, and that the Bodies of men are sometimes really possessed thereby; who nevertheless will not believe there are any such woeful creatures in rerum naturâ, as Witches, or persons confederate with the Devil. I have read of a famous Wizard, whose Name was William de Lure, that after he had laboured much in opposing their Opinion, who think that there are Men on Earth joined in an explicit confederacy with the fiends of Hell, was himself convicted and condemned for that crime which he designed to make the World believe that no Man was or could be guilty of. I shall not suspect all those as guilty of Witchcraft, nor yet of Heresy, who call the received Opinion about Witches into question. There are four or five English Writers, viz. Mr. Scot, Ady, and of late Wagstaff and Webster, and another Anonymous Author; who do with great ⟨p. 175⟩vehemence affirm that never any did maintain that familiarity with the evil Spirits, which is commonly believed. Wierus (otherwise a judicious Author) conceiveth that all those things supposed to be done by Witches are done by the evil Spirits themselves, without any confederates. But he is sufficiently refuted by Binsfieldius, Bodinus, Sennertus, and others. True it is, that many things have been looked upon as proceeding from Witchcraft, when it has not been so. The Sympathies and Antipathies of Nature have sometimes been esteemed the effects of Witchcraft. A Sympathetical Powder, made without any Magical Ceremonies has done strange things, so as that the Artist which used it, has upon that account been suspected of Witchcraft. A Man may easily by such natural Magic, as is described by Porta, and by Weckerus de secretis make the ignorant believe he is a Wizard. It is also true, that the World is full of Fabulous Stories concerning some kind of Familiarities with the Devil, and things done by his help, which are beyond the power of Creatures to accomplish. What Fables are there concerning Incubi and Succubae, and of Men begotten by Daemons? No doubt but the Devil may delude the fancy that one of his Vassals shall think (as the ⟨p. 176⟩Witch at Hartford did) that he has carnal and cursed Communion with them, beyond what is real. Nor is it impossible for him to assume a dead Body, or to form a lifeless one out of the Elements, and therewith to make his Witches become guilty of Sodomy.