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• Cases of Conscience concerning Evil Spirits personating Men, etc.:—
  • An Address to the Christian Reader by Fourteen Influential Gentlemen 221

• Cases of Conscience concerning Witchcrafts 225
  • The First Case proposed, Whether or not may Satan appear in the Shape of an Innocent and Pious, as well as of a Nocent and Wicked Person, to afflict such as suffer by Diabolical Molestation? 225
  • The Affirmative proved from Six Arguments:—
    1. From Several Scriptures 225
    2. Because it is possible for the Devil, in the Shape of Innocent Persons, to do other Mischiefs, proved by many Instances 234
    3. Because if Satan may not represent an Innocent Person as afflicting others, it must be either because he wants will or power to do this, or because God will never permit him so to do it; either of which may be affirmed 237
       

    4. It is certain, both from Scripture and History, that Magicians by their Inchantments and Hellish Conjurations may cause a False Representation of Persons and Things 243
    5. From the concurring Judgment of many Learned and Judicious Men 250
    6. Our own Experience has confirmed the Truth of what we affirm 253
  • The Second Case considered, viz. If one bewitched be cast down with the look or cast of the Eye of another Person, and after that recovered again by a Touch from the same Person, is not this an infallible Proof that the party accused and complained of is in Covenant with the Devil? 255
  • Answer. This may be Ground of Suspicion and Examination, but not of Conviction 255
  • The Judgment of Mr. Bernard and of Dr. Cotta produced 256
  • Several Things offered against the Infallibility of this Proof:—
    1. 'Tis possible that the Persons in question may be possessed with Evil Spirits. Signs of such 258
    2. Falling down with the Cast of the Eye proceeds not from a natural, but an arbitrary Cause 260
    3. That of the bewitched Persons being recovered with a Touch is various and fallible 262
    4. There are that question the Lawfulness of the Experiment 264
    5. The Testimony of Bewitched or Possessed Persons is no Evidence as to what they see concerning others, and therefore not as to themselves 266
    6. Bewitched Persons have sometimes been struck down with the Look of Dogs 267
    7. If this were an Infallible Proof, there would be difficulty in discovering Witches 268
    8. Nothing can be produced out of the Word of God to shew, that this is any Proof of Witchcraft 268
    9. Antipathies in Nature have Strange and Unaccountable Effects 268
  • The Third Case considered, Whether there are any Discoveries of Witchcraft, which Jurors and Judges may with a safe Conscience proceed upon to the Conviction and Condemnation of the Persons under Suspicion? 269
  • Two things premised:—
    1. That the Evidence in the Crime of Witchcraft ought to be as clear as in any other Crimes of a Capital Nature 269

    2. That there have been ways of Trying Witches long used, which God never approved of. More particularly that of casting the Suspected Party into the Water, to try whether they will Sink or Swim. The