INGENUOUS READER;

Thou hast here presented to thee a sad emblem of the strange sleights and cunning subtilties, whereby Satan labours daily to in snare soules, and at last to bring them to utter ruine; who being that grand impostor, soone began this worke, even in the morning of the Creation, in the body of a Serpent miraculously, to reason, dispute, speake, and conferre with Evah; and never ceased till he had laid the honour of those glorious creatures in the dust: and therefore is called that Old Serpent, that deceiveth all the world, by whose deceitfull promises and subtill devices (for his own end, and desire of their destruction,) hath in snared and drawne these poore silly creatures, into these horrid and detestable practises, of renouncing God and Christ, and entring into a solemne league and contract with the Devill the thought where of is sufficient to cause a man to be filled with horror and astonishment. The Law and expresse command of god doth allow of no familiarity or inquiry of any other spirit, but from himselfe; as Isa. 8. 19. And when they shall say unto you, seeke unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto Wizards, that peep and that mutter, should not a people seeke unto their God, &c.

Under this interrogative is understood this affirmative,
As one of them witnessed in open Court, Rebecca West

A people should inquire of no other spirit, but of their God onely. By which also it is evident, that all spirits that doe suffer themselves to be inquired at, are evil spirits, and therefore Devils. And though these devilish practises were frequent and common among st heathens and infidels, who usually held familiarity with these spirits, and many inquired of them in their Oracles; and therefore called those spirits that gave answer by them, Dæmons, of their skill and knowledge in foretelling things to come: yet now when the light of the gospel shineth so gloriously, that such a generation of poore deluded soules (and to such a number as hath of lite been discovered) should be found among st us, is much more matter of admiration and astonishment. I doubt not but these things may seeme as incredible unto some, as they are matter of admiration unto others. Nolle nimis sapere, saith the Poet, It is true wisdome not to be too wise; that is, not to know nor desire to know more then is allowed or needfull; needfull not in our desires, but in Gods decree: Here then let reasonable men be perswaded not too much (as is usuall) to swell with indignation, or to be puffed with impatience, where God doth not apertly reveale are plainly (as they desire and thinke needfull) the subtile Engines and mysticall craft of the Devil in the machinations of Witches and Sorcerers; but soberly, modestly, and discreetly, so far forth be contented to pursue the triall and just way of their discoverie, as with sense, with reason, with Religion, is just and righteous; knowing, that whatsoever is beyond these lists, is reasonlesse, senselesse and impious. The greatest doubt and question will he, whether it be in the power of the Devil to perform such asportation and locall translation of the bodies of Witches; it seemeth in reason a thing wlereur to the Devill is unable: And wether these supernaturall works, which are above the power of man to do, and proper only to Spirits, whether they are reall, or only imaginary and fained. In answer to which, it is very probable that the Devil hath power to dispose and transport the bodies of men and women, where god himself doth not countermand or prohibit: as instance, when bee took the body of our Saviour and set it upon a pinacle of the Temple; and these supernaturall acts may appear to the outward sense, as Histories, and many other true reports and Records of other wonderfull works and supernaturall feats, all alike offered to the outward sense. It is true, that a Spirit, and a spirituall work simply in it self, in the own nature and substance cannot be seen by any bodily eye, or be deprehended by any outward sense, notwithstanding, as they do mix themselves with bodily substances, are certainly tried and subject to the sense: For illustration hereof, instance may be given in poly Scripture, as the Sorcerers of Egypt, where water was turned into blood, the rod into a Serpent, &c. By a spirituall power their eyes did manifestly see the water, and as apparently after see the blood, and the rod turned into a Serpent, the eye being a true and undeceived witnesse of both: Things imagined and fancied, are easily discerned from those things that are reall and true objects. But it may be demanded, whether a Spirit or Devil can cause such a transmutation of the bodies of Witches into those severall shapes and forms of Cats, Dogges, Birds, and other creatures, as is often reported, where Witches and Sorcerers have lived. The answer is, that it is impossible in nature, and in the ordinary unchangeable course of all things created by god, that one individuall and continued substance or entire thing should be wholly divided from it self, and yet be it self, for there can be nor all or true transmutation of one substance, or nature into a other, but either by creation or generation.