while she lay in bed went to see her Children P. 153. A Dog appeared like a Fly or a Flea P. 165. Some knowing Agents directs Thunder storms tho' the Author knows not who and that they so often fall on Churches he knows not why P. 2 80. Mr. I. M. and Mr. C. M. Recommended together with Bâ—dâ—n c. P. 237. A Crispian if through Ignorance he believes not what he saith may be a Christian. In this Sir I suppose that if I have not wronged the sense of the Author in the places quoted which I trust you shall not find I have done I can't be thought accountable for the Errors or Contradictions to himâ—self or to the truth if any such be found particularly what he grants in the Preface of the free-will of Man giving the Devil his hurting power This being not only more than those call'd Witch-Advocates would desire to be conceded to them But is a palpable and manifest overturning the Authors design in all his Witch stories For who would consent to have the Devil afflict himself As also his concession that no Spirit can do any thing but by God's will and permission I cannot perswade my self but you must be sensible of their apparent contradictorâ—ness to the rest Others there are of a very ill aspect as p. 234. the Catholicks are much encouraged in their Adoration of Angels and and Saints If that were so Innocent as not to render them Anti-christian Idolaters and that p. 4. if admitted will seem to lay an ungainsayable foundation for the â—agan Indian and Diabolists Faith by telling us it is beyond our search to know how far God leaves the Devils to free-will to do what they please in this World with a suspension of Godâ—s Predetermination which if it were a truth what were more rational than to oblige him that has such power over us The Atheists also would take encouragement if it were granted that we cannot know how far God suspends his predetermining motion he would thence affirm we as little know that there is a predetermining motion and consequently whether there be a God and p 165. would abundantly strengthen them when such a Learned experienced and highly esteemed Christian shall own that he knows not who 't is that governs the Thunder-storms for it might as well discover ignorance who 't is that disposes of Earthquakes Gun-shot and Afflictions that befall any with the rest of Mundane Events I design not to remark all that in the Book is remarkable such as the departed Souls wand'ring again hither to put men upon revenge c. favouring so much of Pithagoras his Transmigration of Souls and the Separation of the Soul from the Body without death as in the case of her that went to see her Children while yet she did noâ—â—â—ir out of her Bed which seems to be a new speculation unless it determins in favour of Transubstantiation that a Body may be at the same time in several places Upon the whole it is ungainsayable That that Book though so highly extol'd may be justly expected to occasion the staggering of the weak and the hardening of unbelievers in their Infidelity And it seems amazing that you should not only give it such a recommend but that you should send it to me in order as I take it to pervert me from the belief of those fundamental Doctrinals above recited Though I account them more firm than Heaven and Earth But that which is yet more strange to me is that Mr. B his Friends did not advise him better than in his declined Age to emit such crude matter to the publick As to the sometime Reverend Author let his works praise the Remembrance of him but for such as are either Erroneous and foisted upon him or the effect of an aged Imbecillity let them be detected that they may proceed no further I aâ— not ignorant that the manner of Education of Youth in I think almost all Christian Schools hath a natural tendency to propagate those Doctrines of Devils heretofore solely profest among Ethnicks and particularly in matters of Witchcraft c. For notwithstanding the Council of Carthage their taking notice that the Christian Doctors did converse much with the writings of the Heathens for the gaining of Eloquence forbad the reading of the Books of the Gentiles yet it seems this was only a Bill without a penalty which their Successors did not look upon to be binding He that should in this age take a view of the Schools might be induced to believe that the ages since have thought that without such Heathen Learning a man cannot be so accomplish'd as to have any pretence to Academick Literature and that the vulgar might not be without the benefit of such Learning some of their Disciples have taught them to speak English which has given me the opportunity to send you these following Verses Sure love is not the cause their bones appear Some eyes bewitch my tender Lambs I fear For me these Herbs in Pontus Maeris chose There ev'ry powerful Drug in plenty grows Transform'd to a Wolf I often Maeris saw Then into shady Woods himself withdraw Oft he from deepest Sepulchers would Charm Departed Souls And from anothers Farm Into his own ground Corn yet standing take Now from the Town my Charms bring Daphnis back Vanquisht with charms from Heaven the Moon descends Circe with Charms transform'd Ulysses friends Charms in the Field will burst a Poysonus Snake Now from the Town c. Her Arms thrice turns about thrice wets her crown With gather'd dew thrice yawns and kneeling down Oh Night thou friend to secrets you clear fires That with the Moon succeed when day retires Great Hecate thou know'st and aid Imparts To our design you Charms and Magick Arts And thou oh Earth that to Magicians yields Thy powerful Simples Airs Winds Mountains Fields Soft murmuring Springs still Lakes and Rivers clear You Gods of Woods you Gods of night appear By you at will I make swift Streams retire To their first Fountain while their Banks admire Seas toss and smooth clear Clouds with Clouds deform Storms turn to Calms and make a Calm a Storm With Spells and Charms I break the Vipers Iaws Cleave solid Rocks Oaks from their sisures draw Whole Woods remove the Airy Mountains shake Earth forc'd to groan and Ghosts from Graves awake her Iourney takes To Rhegium opposite to Zanle's shore And treads the troubled Waves that loudly roar Running with unwet Feet on that profound As if Sh' had trod upon the solid ground This with portentous poysons she pollutes Besprinkled with the juice of wicked roots In words dark and perplext nine times thrice Inchantments mutters with her wicked voice c. These Fables of the Heathens tho' in themselves of no more validity than the idle Tales of an Indian or the Discourses of a known Romancer are become the School-learning not to say the Faith of Christians and are the Scriptures brought instead of that most sure
of her The things in themselves were trivial but there being such a course of them it made them the more to be considered Among others Martha Wood gave her testimony that a little after her Father had been employed in gathering an account of this How 's Conversation they once and again lost great quantities of Drink out of their Vessels in such a manner as they could ascribe to nothing but Witchcraft As also that How giving her some Apples when she had eaten of them she was taken with a very strange kind of a maze in so much that she knew not what she said or did 8. There was likewise a Cluster of Depositions that one Isaac Cummings refusing to lend his Mare unto the Husband of this How the Mare was within a Day or two taken in a strange condition The beast seemed much abused being bruised as if she had been running over the Rocks and marked where the Bridle went as if burnt with a red hot Bridle Moreover one using a Pipe of Tobacco for the cure of the Beast a blew flame issued out of her took hold of he hair and not only spread and burnt on her but it also flew upwards towards the Roof of the Barn and had like to have set the Barn on fire And the Mare dy'd very suddenly 9. Timothy Perly and his Wife testified not only that unaccountable Mischiefs befel their Cattle upon their having of differences with this Prisoner but also that they had a Daughter destroyed by Witchcrafts which Daughter still charged How as the cause of her Affliction and it was noted that she would be struck down whenever How were spoken of She was often endeavoured to be thrown into the Fire and into the Water in her strange Fitts tho her Father had corrected for charging How with bewitching her yet as was testified by others also she said she was sure of it and must dye standing to it Accordingly she charged How to the very death and said Tho How could Afflict and Torment her Body yet she could not hurt her Soul and that the truth of this matter would appear when she should be dead and gone 10. Francis Lane testified that being hired by the Husband of this How to get him a parcel of Posts and Rails this Lane hired Iohn Pearly to assist him This Prisoner then told Lane that she believed the Posts and Rails would not do because Iohn Pearly helped him but that if he had got them alone without Iohn Pearly's help they might have done well enough When Iames How came to receive his Posts and Rails of Lane How taking them up by the Ends they tho good and sound yet unaccountably broke off so that Lane was forced to get Thirty or Forty more And this Prisoner being informed of it she said She told him so before because Pearly helpt about them 11. Afterwards there came in the Confessions of several other penitent Witches which affirmed this How to be one of those who with them had been baptized by the Devil in the River at Newberry-Falls before which he made them there kneel down by the Brink of the River and Worship him The Indictment of Martha Carryer Essex ff Anno Regni Regis Reginae Willielmi Mariae nunc Angliae c. quarto THE Jurors for our Soveraign Lord and Lady the King and Queen present That Martha Carryer Wife of Thomas Carryer of Andover in the County of Essex Husbandman The Thirty first Day of May in the fourth Year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lord and Lady William and Mary by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King and Queen Defenders of the Faith c. And divers other days and times as well before as after certain detestable Arts called Witchcrafts and Sorceries Wickedly and Felloniously hath used practised and exercised at and within the Town-ship of Salem in the County of Essex aforesaid in upon and against one Mary Wolcott of Salem-Village Single Woman in the County of Essex aforesaid by which said wicked Arts the said Mary Wolcott the Thirty first Day of May in the fourth Year aforesaid and at divers other days and times as well before as after was and is Tortured Afflicted Pined Consumed Wasted and Tormented against the Peace of our Soveraign Lord and Lady William and Mary King and Queen of England Their Crown and Dignity and against the Form of the Statute in that Case made and provided Witnesses Mary Wolcott Elizabeth Hubbard Ann Putnam There was also a Second Indictment for afflicting of Eliz. Hubbard by Witchcraft Witnesses Elizabeth Hubbard Mary Wolcott Ann Putnam Mary Warrin The Tryal of Martha Carryer August 2. 1692. As may be seen in Wonders of the Invisible World from P. 132 to 138. 1. MArtha Carryer was Indicted for the bewitching of certain persons according to the form usual in such Cases Pleading not Guilty to her Indictment there were first brought in a considerable number of the Bewitched persons who not only made the Court sensible of an horrid Witchcraft committed upon them but also deposed That it was Martha Carryer or her shape that grievously tormented them by biting prâ—cking pinching and choaking them It was further-deposed that while this Carryer was on her Examination before the Magistrates the poor People were so tortured that every one expected their Death upon the very spot but that upon the binding of Carryer they were eased Moreover the looks of Carryer then laid the Afflicted People for dead and her Touch if her Eyes at the same time were off them raised them again Which things were also now seen upon her Tryal And it was testified that upon the mention of some having their Necks twisted almost round by the shape of this Carryer she replied It s no matter tho their Necks had been twisted quite off 2. Before the Tryal of this Prisoner several of her own Children had frankly and fully confessed not only that they were Witches themselves but that this their Mother had made them so This Confession they made with great shows of Repentance and with much Demonstration of Truth They related Place Time Occasion they gave an Account of Journeys Meetings and Mischiefs by them performed and were very credible in what they said Nevertheless this Evidence was not produced against the Prisoner at the Bar in as much as there was other Evidence enough to proceed upon 3. Benj. Abbot gave in his Testimony That last March was a Twelve Month this Carryer was very angry with him upon laying out some Land near her Husbands Her expressions in thâ—s Anger were That she would stick as close to Abbot as the Bark stuck to the Tree and that he should repent of it afore seven Years came to an end so as Doctor Prescot should never cure him These words were heard by others besides Abbot himself who also heard her say She would hold his Nose as close to the Grindstone as ever it was held since his name
self-ends particularly because some men perhaps among all sorts of Christians have under pretence of Witchcraft coloured their own Malice Pride and Popularity we must not therefore conclude first that there are no Witches 2 or that Witches cannot be Convicted by such dear and undeniable proof as the Law of God requires in the case of Death 3. Or that a Witch so Convicted ought not to be put to death 1. That there are Witches is manifest from the precept of Moses Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live Exod. 22.18 for it is certain God would not have given a vain and unintelligible Law as this must be of putting Witches to death if there are no Witches But you object that this doth not answer our Case for we have formed another Idea of Witches than what can be gathered from Scriptures you quote four place viz. Deut 13. Mat. 24. Acts 13.2 Tim. 3. from all which you infer that Witchcraft is a maligning and opugning the Word Works and Worship of God and by an extraordinary sign seeking to seduce any from it and this you readily grant But then you say What is this to Witches now a days who are said to have made an explicit Covenant with the Devil and to be impowered by him to the doing of things strange in themselves and besides their natural course This you say does not follow and herein indeed consists the whole Controversie Therefore it is necessary that first of all we clear this point laying aside those prejudices we may have from the fatal application of this Doctrine to some who were in your judgment really at least in Law and before Men Innocent In a word we are seeking after truth and truth shall and will be truth in spite of Men and Devils I do not repeat this caution to forestall you to believe the Doctrine of Witchcraft as it is above defined without inquiring into the reason and truth of it only I desire you to enquire into it as a thing doubtful For no Man can be certain of a Negative unless either the Affirmative imply a contradiction or he can prove it by certain testimony to neither of which you pretend only you alledge it cannot be proved by Scripture i.e. you cannot prove it nor have seen it proved by any other you have read on that Subject I am not so vain to think I can do better than the Learned Authors you have consulted with tho I know not what they have done for I had no other Book but the Bible to make use of on this occasion but because I am satisfied my self I am willing to communicate my Reasons which I divide into Three heads 1. The appearance of Angels 2. The nature of Possession 3. And the Scripture notion of Witchcraft 1. Good Angels did appear to Abraham and did eat Gen. 15. it seems he wash'd their Feet it is certain he saw and heard them therefore there is no impossibility in Angels being conversant with men God is true and whatever is contained in Sacred Writ is true If we poor shallow Mortals do not comprehend the manner how that argues only our weakness and ignorance in this dark Prison of Flesh wherein we are inclosed during our abode in this vale of misery but doth not in the least infringe the verity of the Scripture it is sufficient that we undoubtedly know they have appeared unto Men in bodily shape and done their Errand they were sent on from God Now if good Angels have appeared why may not bad Surely the Devils because fallen and Evil have not therefore lost the Nature of Angels neither is there any contradiction in their appearing in a bodily shape now after any more than before their Fall But you will say you must allow of the appearances of Good Angels because of the Scripture testimony but not of bad seeing there is no place of Scripture that clearly proves it Mat. 4. The words in the Gospel do as plainly signifie the Devils outward appearance to our Saviour when he was tempted as can be express'd and when the tempter came to him he said but he answered the same from St. Luke useth to signifie the appearance of Moses and Elias in the transfiguration And behold there talked with him two men for what follows v. 31 who appeared is used to signifie not their appearance but the manner of their appearance in great Glory But you 'l urge that 't is very easie to be understood that Moses and Elias did appear because they had human bodies but that it is unintelligible to you how the Devil being a Spirit can appear a Spirit i.e. a substance void of all dimensions therefore the words in the History must not be taken in a literal Sense Do not mistake tho some Philosophers are of opinion which whether true or false is all one to our present Argument that a Spirits substance is extended and hath besides length breadth and depth a fourth dimension viz. essential spissitude yet the same do not say that pure substance is perceptible by our bodily Senses on the contrary they tell us that Spirits are cloathed with vehicles i.e. they are united to certain portions of matter which they inform move and actuate Now this we must not reject as impossible because we cannot comprehend the formaâ— reason how a Spirit acts upon matter For who can give the Reason that upon the Volition of the human Soul the Hand should be lifted up or any ways moved for to say the Contraction of the Muscles is the Mechanick cause of voluntary motion is not to solve the Question which recurs why upon Volition should that Contraction ensue which causes that motion all that I know the wisest Man ever said upon this head is that it is the will of the Creator who hath ordered such a species of thinking Creatures by a Catholick Law to be united to such portions of matter so and so disposed or if you will in the vulgar Phrase to Organiz'd bodies and that there should be between them and the several bodies they are united to a mutual re-action and passion Now you see how little we know of the reason of that which is most near to us and most certain viz. The Souls informing the Body yet you would think it a bad Argument if one should as some have done include from this our Ignorance that there was nothing in us but matter it is no otherways to deny a Spirits acting a Vehicle The plainest and most certain things when denied are hardest to be proved therefore the Axiom faith well contra principia c. There are some certain truths which are rather to be explained to young beginners than proved upon which yet all Science is built as every whole is more than his part and of this sort I take these two following 1. That there are two substances Corâ—us Mens Body and Spirit altogether different for the Ideas we have of them are quite distinct 2. That a
Spirit can Actuate Animate or inform a certain portion of matter and be united to it from whence it is very evident that the Devil united to a portion of matter which hereafter I 'll call a Vehicle may fall under the cognizance of our Senses and be conversant with us in a bodily shape Where then is the reason or need to run to a Metaphorical and forced Interpretation when the words are so plain and the literal sense implieth no contradiction nor any greater difficulty than as has been said what ariseth from the Union of the Soul and Body which is most certain Now after all to say God will not permit the Devil so to appear is to beg the question without saying any thing to the preceeding Argument and it is against the sense of almost all in â—kind for in all Ages and all places there have been many Witnesses of the appearances of Dâ—mons all of whom that taught any thing contrary to the right Worship of the true God were certainly evil ones and it were most presumptuous barely to assert that all these witnesses were always deceived and it is impossible they could all agree to deceive 2. We come to consider the nature of Possession The Man possest Luk. 8.27 had a Power more than Natural for he brake the bands which he could not have done by his own strength Now from whom had he this Power The Scripture saith He had Devils a long time and often times it had caught him c. he was kept bound with Chains and in Fetters and he brake the bands and was driven of the Devil into the Wilderness this Power then was immediately from the Devil and whatsoever possessed persons does or suffers things beyond his natural power he is inabled by the Daemon so to do or to speak more properly it is the Damon who acteth the same as is plain from St. Mark 's Relation of this passage v. 5.2 A Man with an unclean Spirit v. 3.2 and no Man could bind him no not with Chains 6. v. but when he saw Jesus afar off he ran and worshiped him and the same He v. 7. said I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not v. 10. My name is Legion for we are many v. 11. and he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the Countrey it is manifest from hence that it was not the poor Man who was possest but the Devils who possessed him by whom the Chains had been pluck'd a sunder and the Fetters broken in pieces now here is Divine testimony that the Devils have actuated a Humane body to the doing of things beyond the Natural strength of that Body as it was simply united to its humane Soul how much more then can the Devil actuate any other proportion of simple Matter Earth Air Fire or Water and make it a fit Organ for himself to act in But enough of this already let us rather enquire how the Devil enters info the body of the possest to move it at his pleasure this I think he cannot do as a meer Spirit or by any never so strict Vnion with the Humane Soul for in that case he is only a tempter or seducer and nothing above humane strength can be done But here there being something performed the bonds broken by a force which could not proceed from humane strength it necessarily follows that the Devils entred into the possest otherways qualified than as a meer Spirit he did not enter without some portion of matter to which he was united by the Intermedium whereof he acted upon and actuated the humane body Again if it is said that the Devil entred as a meer Spirit and immediately acted upon and moved that Body it follows the Devil hath a Vehicle a certain portion of matter that Body to actuate and dispose of at will which is absurd 1. Because it asserts what it seems to deny viz. the Devils having a Vehicle to act immediately upon and to be united to a portion of matter as has been said before is the same thing 2. It sights against the CatholickLaw of the Vnion of Soul of and Body by which the Omnipotent hath ordained the voluntary motion of a humane body to depend upon the Will of its humane Soul and those that are not voluntary to proceed either from its own Mechanison or material force hence we may certainly conclude that it is by the Intervening of the Devils Vehicle that he enters into the Body of the possest But what if you and I cannot agree about this Notion of possession must wâ— therefore reject the truth it self and run to a far fetched and intollerable sense of the words No our opinions do not alter the Nature of things it is certain there were persons possest and it is as certain that the Deâ—il entred into them either with or without a Vehicle it is all one which part of the contradiction you takeÌ„ the consequence is the same Viz. That the Devil doth act immediately upon matter there is another acceptation of the word possession in Scripture Acts 16.16 where one is said to be possest with a Spirit of Divination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word commonly used to the Priestess of Apollo who gave responses and it seems this Damsel was such an one for she brought her Masters much Money or gain by sooth saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now if the History of them be true that they were demented and knew not themselves what they uttered donec erant Deo plenae as they word it their case is not different but the same with the foregoing but if they understood what they spoke then had they familiar Spirits whereof there is frequent mention made in the Old Testament and one good King is commended for having cut off them that had such therefore I think the meaning of the word was very obvious in his time neither was it ever controverted being joyn'd with any other name than spirit Familiar one of our own Family that is oft every day conversant with us and almost ever ready upon call to attend us But the consideration of them who have familiar Spirits falleth under the head of Witchcraft which we are to consider in the third place 3. Witchcraft to inquire into the Scripture Notion of it and compare whether it be the same with that above dâ—fined the Cabalistick learning would be of great use in this search and afford us much light there is little doubt but that there are many great truths not commonly known Non est Religio ubi omnia patent And our Saviour expresly cautions his Disciples that they do not throw their Pearl before Swine therefore it is no wonder that some Doctrines tho' unquestionably true are not so fully described because the Authors who treat of them are afraid lest evil Men should be the more deproved by being informed but I am in no such fear nor can I give you any other thoughts but what are
obvious to any Man from tâ—e plain sense of the Scripture Our definition we 'l divide into two Propositions and handle them severally 1. Proposition The Witch is impower'd by the Devil to do things strange in themselves and beside their natural course 2. Prop. The manner how the Witch is impowered to do those strange things is by Explicit Compact or Covenant with the Devil For clearing of the first we will consider the four places above cited wherein a Witch is called a false Prophet a false Christ a Sorcerer a resister of the truth and is said to shew signs to seduce the People to seek after other Gods whence let us note 3 things 1. That those terms Witch false Christ false Prophet and Sorcerer are all Synonimous i.e. signifie the same thing 2. That a Witch doth do things strange in themselves and beyond their Natural course for it were most ridiculous to alledge that our blessed Saviour when he said there shall arise false Christs and shall shew great signs and wonders in so much that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect meant that cunning cheats should arise and shew Legerdemain tricks the words will in no wise bear it and I believe you are from interpreting them so it is manifest they signifie not a feign'd but a real doing of things beyond their Natural course therefore the Sorceries of Elimas and Simon were not simple delusions but real effects that could not have been produced by Physical causes in the ordinary course of nature 3. That the end of the Witches shewing these signs is to seduce the People to seek after other Gods from which premises I infer that the Witches have the power of doing those wonders or strange things immediately from the Devil they are without the reach of Nature and therefore above humane power and no meer Man can effect them the Witch then who does them must have the power of doing them from another but who is the other God will not give his testimony to a lye and to say God did at any time impower a Witch to work wonders to gain belief to the Doctrine of Devils were with one breath to destroy root and branch of all revealed Religion no it cannot be it is only God's permission who proveth his People whether they love him with all their heart and with all their Soul Therefore the Witch has a power of doing Wonders or strange things immediately from the Devil 2. Proposit we 'll subdivide into these two 1. That there is an express Covenant between the Witch and the Devil 2. That 't is not reasonable to suppose this Covenant to be transacted mentally 1. The Devil cannot communicate this power by never so strict a Vnion with the Soul of the Witch for in that case he is only a tempter and nothing above humane power can be done as has been already proved therefore the Devil who improves the Witch to do things above humane power must either appear in an External shape and instruct him how and upon what terms he will inable him to do those Wonders or else he must enter into the body of the Witch and possess it The Denominacs in the Gospel are such whom the Devils invade by main force their Soul having no further command of their bodies which are subjected to the Will of the Devils whose end is to wound and torment those miserable Creatures to throw them into the fire and into the water but the Witch who likewise is possessed is not treated in such an outragious manner kis Daemon is tame and familiar unto him and suffers him for a time to live quietly without any further molestation then prompting him to do his utmost endeavour to withdraw Men from God he is not bereaved of his Senses as the poor lunatick but is conscious of all he does and willeth all his crimes he receiveth power from the Devil to do wonders and doth them to serve the Devils turn Therefore there must be a Covenant an express Covenant between the Devil and him viz. that he shall obey the Devil and serve him and that the Devil shall both enable him so to do and also reward him for so doing for if there is no contract between them How comes the Witch to know he has a supernatural power or how can be so peremptorily pretend to do that which is so much above his natural power not knowing he has a supernatural one inabling him to do the same There can be no doubt but there was a very intimate commerce between Satan and him who is call'd by St. Paul thou Child of the Devil not as other unholy men but in an especial manner as being the Enemy of all righteousness who would not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord it is not to be supposed that he enter'd into this so near a Relation with Satan with which he is stigmatized that others may beware of him without his own knowledge and consent and is not this a Covenant an Express Covenant on his part to serve the Devil incessantly and on the Devils to impower him to act his Sorceries wherewith he bewitched the People now I think I have from Scripture fully satisfied you of the truth of what I offered in a Discourse at but since you have told me an Explicit Covenant with the Devil signifying the Devil's appearing in a bodily shape to the Witch and their signing an express Covenant which you say cannot be proved from Scripture It were most unreasonable to imagine that the ceremonies of this bellish mâ—stery are particularly set down in the word of God therefore we must gather by Analogy and Reason the manner how this express Covenant is transacted and to that end I 'le set down these following Considerations 1. Under the Law God did ordain his People in all their matters to have recourse immediately to himself and depend upon him for Counsil which they were ready to obey with full assurance of aid and protection from him against their Enemies this the Devil imitateth by setting up of Oracles among the Heathen to which all the Kings Nations and mighty Conquerors upon Earth did come and paid their humblest Adoration to the God as the Devil blasphemously call'd himself of the Temple in which they were imploring his direction and assistance in their doubtful and prosperous affairs Again God instituted Sacrifices to put Men in mind of their duty to their Creator to whom they owe all things even themselves but the Devil is not contented with the bare â—imitation hereof the acknowledgment and worship he receiveth from the deluded World is not enough tho they offer up unto him innumerable Hecatombs unless they cause their Children to pass through the fire unto him to whom no sacrifice is so well pleasing as that of humane Blood And there is no reason to think that now under the Oeconomy of the Gospel the Devil hath left off to vie with God and thereby