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to, who not being able to deny the ὅτι, or matter of Fact, would ſeem to ſay ſomewhat rather then to acknowledg Spirits, and Divels, and Witchcraft. Pomponatius, who hath not heard of? I once had the book, I know not now what is become of it. But I remember well, I never was more weary of reading then when I read him; nothing that ever I read or heard of Legends and old womans tales did ſeem to me more groundleſſe and incredible. But becauſe thoſe men bear themſelves very much upon the power of imagination (which indeed is very great, and doth produce ſtrange effects) I ſhall commend to the ſober Reader that hath not yet met with him, Tho. Fienus his Learned Tractat, De Viribus Imaginationis, a very Rational and Philoſophical diſcourſe. Of their miſerable ſhiſts and evaſions in general, the Author or Obſervator rather of Muſæum Veronenſe, before quoted, will give you a good account. I have at this preſent in my hands the writings of a Phyſician, Augerius Ferrerius by name. What he was for a Phyſician I know not; all (I doubt) of that profeſſion will not allow very well of his Preface to his Caftigationes Practicæ Medicinæ, whatever they think of the Caſtigationes themſelves. But in general, his Stile, and various reading, and knowledge of good Authors, ſpeak him a Learned man ſufficiently. Thuanus in his Hiſtory gives him a moſt ample Elogium, and makes him to have been Jul. C. Scaliger his intimate acquaintance and much reſpected by him. But I doubt whether Thuanus had ever ſeen this book of his: it doth not appear by that Elogium that he had. Well, this Learned man in his Chapter De Homerica (ſo he calls it) Medicatione, where he treats of cures done by Charms and Spels, by Words and Characters, which others impute commonly to Witchcraft: firſt, for the ὅτι, he doth not deny it: (Nam iis quæ ſenſibus expoſita ſunt contravenire, ſani beminis non eſt.) He thinks them little better then mad men that will deny that which is approved by ſo viſible experience. Yet it ſeems he was one of them that did not believe, or would not believe (though he doth not ſay ſo poſitively) Spirits and Witches, and Supernatural Operations. What then he plainly maintaineth and argueth it (though he quote no Goſpel for it) that ſuch is the nature of the Soul of man (if he know how to uſe it) that by a ſtrong faith and confidence it may work any miracle without a miracle: Verum confidentia illa, ac firma perſuaſio (that you may have ſome of his words if you have not the book) comparatur indoctis animis per opinionem quam de Caracteribus & ſacris verbis conceperunt. Doctis & rerum intelligentiam habentibus, nihil opus eſt externi, ſed cognitâ vi animi, per eam miracula edere poſſunt. &c. And again a little after, Doctus veró ſibi conſtans ſolo verbo ſanabit. I do not hence conclude that this Ferrerius, though he ſpeak as though he were, and names no body elſe, that he was the firſt or only that hath been of this opinion. Avicenne the Arab was the firſt, as I take it, that ſet it on foot: ſome others have followed him in it. But ſince theſe men acknowledg the ſtrange effects that others deny, let the ſober Reader judge whether of the two more likely to grant Spirits and Divels, or to make the Soul of man (of every man, naturally) either a God or a Divel. But let men take heed how they attempt to do Miracles by their ſtrong faith and confidence, for that is the ready way to bring the Divel unto them, and that is it which hath made many Witch-es,