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deceaſed, upon reading of the ſaid book, before his death, had declared himſelf to the ſame purpoſe, and wiſhed it Printed, But becauſe it is very. poſſible, that every Reader will not at the firſt be ſo well able of himſelf to make that good uſe by good and Rational Inferences and Obſervations of this this Story as is aimed at, my chiefeſt aim in this Preface is to help ſuch. And becauſe it is not leſſe probable that this Licentious Age will afford very many, who with the Saduces of old (that is, Jewiſh Epicures) believe no Spirit, or Angel, or Reſurrection; who therefore being prepoſſeſſed with prejudice when they hear of ſo many Spirits as are here mentioned, and ſo many ſtrange Apparitions, in ſeveral Kinds, will not only fling back themſelves, but will be ready to laugh at any other that give any credit to ſuch things. Although I will not take upon me to convert any by Reaſon that are engaged into ſuch an opinion by a wicked life, that is, Unjuſt practiſes, Luxurious lewd courſes, open profaneneſſe, under the name of Wit and Galantry, and the like, becauſe, I think, it is very juſt with God to leave ſuch to the error and blindneſſe of their Judgments; ſo that without a Miracle there can be little hopes of ſuch. Yet I ſhall hope that ſuch as are Rational men, ſober in their Lives and Converſations, ſuch as I have known my ſelf, yea, men of excellent parts in other things, men that are both willing to hear and able to conſider: that ſuch, I ſay, may receive ſome ſatisfaction by what ſhall ſay and propoſe to their Ingenuous conſideration in this matter. Were we to argue the caſe by Scripture, the buſineſſe would ſoon be at an end; there being no one Controverted point, among men, that I know of, that can receive amore Ample, Full, Clear and ſpeedy determination, then this buſineſs of Spirits, and Witches, and Apparitions may, if the Word of God might be Judge. But I will ſuppoſe that I have to do with such, who though they do nor altogether deny the Word of God, yet will not eaſily, however, admit of any thing that they think contrary to Reaſon, or at leaſt not to be maintained by Reaſon. I ſhall therefore forbear all Scripture Proofs and Teſtimonies in this particular, and deſire the Chriſtian Reader (who otherwiſe might juſtly cake offence) to take notice upon what ground it is that I forbear.

Bur though I will not uſe any Scripture for proof, yet by way of Application I hope I may be allowed to uſe ſome Scripture words, which may direct us perchance to a good Method in the examination of this buſineſſe. The Apoſtle faith in a place, φάσκοντει εἶναι σοφοὶ, ἐμωράνθησαν: (profeſsing themselves to be wiſe, they became fools) I ſhall not enquire of whom, and upon what occaſion it was ſpoken: I draw no argument from it; only becauſe there is a ſhew of great Wiſdom in this Opinion; and yet, as I conceive, as much of Error and falſhood (that is, Folly, as the word is often uſed) as in any other falſe opinion that is leſſe popular. I will frame my diſcourſe to this iſſue, firſt, to enquire what it is that makes it ſo popular and plauſible, among them eſpecially that pretend to more then ordinary Wiſdom, and then ſecondly, lay it open (as I am able) to the view in its right colours, that the Folly or falſhood of it may be diſcernable even to ordinary judgments.

First then, (as for them that deny Spirits, &c.) we ſay, The world is full of impoſture; to know this, to obſerve it in all Trades, in all Profeſſions, in all ranks and degrees of men, is to know the world, and that is to be wiſe. Though we call them Juglers, yet they deſerve to be thought the plaineſt dealing men of the world that ſhew their tricks openly in the ſtreets for money; for they profeſſe what they are, They are the trueſt Juglers that do their feats (and they for mo-ny