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you how the world was created, how governed, and what will be the end of all things. Reaſon and Senſe that other men go by, they think the acorns that the old world fed upon; fools and children may be content with them but they ſee into things by another Light. They commonly give good reſpect unto the Scriptures (till they come to profeſt Anabaptiſts) becauſe they believe them the Word of God and not of men; but they reſerve unto themſelves the Interpretation, and ſo under the title of Divine Scripture, worſhip what their own phanſie prompts, or the devil puts into their heads. But of all Scriptures the Revelation and the obſcure Prophefies are their delight; for there they rove ſecurely; and there is not any thing ſo prodigious or chimerical, but they can fetch it out of ſome Propheſie, as they will interpret it. Theſe men, if they be upright in their lives and dealings, and fear God truly, it is to be hoped that God will preſerve them from further evil; but they are of a dangerous temper; Charitable men will pity them, and ſober men will avoid them. On the other ſide, ſome there are whoſe brains are of a ſtiff and reſtive mould; it will not eaſily receive new impreſſions. They will hardly believe any thing but what they ſee; and yet rather not believe their eyes, then to believe any thing that is not according to the courle of nature, and what they have been uſed unto. The devil may tempt ſuch by ſenſual baits, and catch them; but he will not eaſily attempt to delude them by magical Shews and Apparitions. And what ſober man, that believeth as a God, ſo a divel, doth doubt, but they that make it their daily practice to damn themſelves, by ſuch horrid oaths and curſes, are as really poſſeſt, yea far more in the poſſeſsion of the devil, then many that foam at the mouth, and speak ſtrange languages?

But 3^dly Some have tried and uſed the means, but could never ſee any thing but what if others that never deſired it really, but in ſome wanton curioſity, unadviſedly, that they might be the better able to confure the ſimplicity of ſome others as they thought, rather then that their faith wanted any ſuch confirmation, have tryed ſome things, or have been preſent at ſome experiments and have ſeen (with no ſmall aſtonishment) more then they expected or deſired? Some perſons of credit and quality, I am ſure, have made it their confeſsion unto me, that it hath ſo hapned unto them; who have been ſo affected with it, that they would not for a world be ſo ſurprized again.

But 4^ly and laſtly, The Confeſsions of ſome Magicians are extant in print, who tell very particularly what means they uſed, what books they read, &c. and they ſaw and found (if we believe them; and what should tempt them to lye, no melancholy men, I know not) till they were weary, and Gods grace wrought upon their hearts to bring them to repentance. There be ſuch confeſſions extant, but the Reader ſhal pardon me, if I give him no further account. It would much better becom them therefore, that have made ſuch eſſays without ſucceſſe, to repent, and to be thankful unto God, then to make that an argument, that theres no divel, and perchance no God. There is a terrible ſaying (if well underſtood) in the Scripture; Ὁ ῥυπῶν ῥυπάτω, He that is filthy let him be filthy ſtill. Let them take heed (I adviſe them as a friend) if they perſiſt in their hardneſs of heart and infidelity, leſt God in juſt judgment, though they ſeek ſtill, and provoke as much as they can, will not ſuffer that they ſhall ſee anything, leſt they ſhould fear and be converted.

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