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

The Memorable Relation of the Devils assuming the Shape of an Innocent Citizen in Zurick, is in the Judgement of that Great Divine, Lud Levater of weighty Consideration. And he declares that he does therefore mention it, that so Judges might be cautelous in their Proceedings in cases of this nature, inasmuch as the Devil does often in that way entangle Innocent Persons, and bring them into great Troubles. His words are ^(s)Hanc Historian ideo recito, ut Judices, in hujusmodi, Ca•ibus cauti •i••: Diab•l•s enim hac v•a •ape innocentibus in•idiatur. He confirms what he faith by Reciting a Passage out of Alertus Granzius, who writes that the Devil was seen in the Shape of a Noble man to come out of the Empress her Chamber. But to clear her Innocency she (according to the superstitious Ordeals then in fashion) walked blindfold over a great many of glowing hot Irons without touching any of them. Voetius in his ^(u)Disputation of Spectres, proposeth that Question, whether the Devil may not untruly personate a Godly man, and answers in the Affirmative. And withal adds, that it is a sufficient Argument (Ad hominem) to answer the Papists with their own Histories, which give Instances of Satan's appearing in the Figure of Saints, nay of Christ himself. And in his Discourse concerning the Operations of Daemons ^(w)he has the like Problem, whether the Devil may not possibly put on the Shape of a true Believer, a ⟨p. 30⟩real Saint, not only of such as are dead, but still living, and answers, Quidni? Why not? It is true Popish Casuists ^(x)do generally incline to the Negative In this Question. Nevertheless, the Instance of Germanus who saw a company of honest people represented by the Devil as if they had bin feasting together, when they were really asleep in their beds, does a little puzzle them, so as that they are necessitated to take up with this Conclusion,