Cases of conscience concerning evil spirits personating men, witchcrafts, infallible proofs of guilt in…

Whereupon the Magistrates of the place ordered that he should make his Experiment with some other Pin as they should appoint: But that he would by no means be induced unto, which was a sufficient Discovery of the Knavery and Witchery of the Witch-finder. There is a strange Diabolical Energy goeth along with Incantations. If Balak had not known that, he would not have sent for Balaam to see whether he could Enchant the Children of Israel. The Scripture intimates that Enchantments will keep a Serpent from biting, Eccles. 10. 11. A Witch in Sweedland confessed that the Devil gave her a wooden Knife; and that if she did but touch any living ⟨p. 28⟩thing with that Knife, it would die immediately. And that there is a wonderful Power of the Devil attending things Enchanted, we have confirmed by a prodigious Instance in Major Weir a Scotchman. That wretched man was a perfect Prodigy. A man of great parts; esteemed a Saint; yet lived in secret Uncleanness with his own Sister for Thirty Four Years together. After his wickedness was discovered, he did not seem to be troubled at any of his Crimes, excepting that he had caused a poor woman to be publicly whipped, because she reported that she had seen him committing Bestiality: which thing was true, only the woman could not prove it. This horrid Creature, if he had his Enchanted Staff in his hand, could pray to Admiration, and do extraordinary things, as is more amply related in the Postscript to Mr. Sinclare's his Book before mentioned. But if he had not his Enchanted Rod to Lean upon, he could not transform himself into an Angel of Light. But by all these things we may conclude, that it is not impossible, but that a guilty Conjurer, that so he may render himself the less suspected, may by his Magical Art and Enchantment cause Innocent Persons to be Represented as afflicting those whom the Devil and himself are the Tormentors of.

Whereupon the Magistrates of the place ordered that he should make his Experiment with some other Pin as they should appoint: But that he would by no means be induced unto, which was a sufficient Discovery of the Knavery and Witchery of the Witch-finder. There is a strange Diabolical Energy goeth along with Incantations. If Balak had not known that, he would not have sent for Balaam to see whether he could Inchant the Children of Israel. The Scripture intimates that Inchantments will keep a Serpent from biting,