An essay for the recording of illustrious providences

The preceding Relations about Witchcrafts and Diabolical Impostures give us too just occasion to make enquiry into some Cases of Conscience, respecting things of this Nature. And in the first place the Quaere may be;

THe preceding Relations about Witchcrafts and Diabolical Impostures give us too just occasion to make enquiry into some Cases of Conscience, respecting things of this Nature. And in the first place the Quaere may be;

Whether it is lawful to make use of any sort of Herbs of Plants to preserve from Witchcrafts, or from the power of Evil Spirits? The Answer unto which is; That it is in no wise lawful, but that all attempts of that nature are Magical, and Diabolical, and therefore ⟨p. 249⟩detestable Superstition. As appears 1. In that if the Devils do either operate or cease to do mischief upon the use of such things it must needs be in that they are signs which give notice to the Evil Spirits what they are to do; Now for Men to submit to any of the Devils Sacraments is implicitly to make a covenant with him. Many who practise these nefarious Vanities little think what they do. They would not for the World (they say) make a Covenant with the Devil, yet by improving the Devils signals, with an opinion of receiving benefit thereby, they do the thing which they pretend to abhor. For, 2. Angels (bad as well as good) are by nature incorporeal Substances. There are some Authors who by a corporal substance intend no more but a real being; so that the term is by them used in opposition to mere Phantasms in that sense, none but Sadducees will deny Angels to be Corporeal. And in that respect the Ancient Doctors, Tertullian and others call them Corpora. But commonly a Body is set in opposition to a mere Spiritual Substance, Mat.10.28. Heb.12.13. And thus it is certain that Daemons are incorporeal,