PREFACE.
And those that dare not bluntly say, There is NO GOD, content themselves (for a fair step and Introduction) to deny there are SPIRITS or WITCHES. Which sort of Infidels, though they are not ordinary among the meer vulgar, yet are they numerous in a little higher rank of Understandings. And those that know anything of the World, know that most of the looser, Gentry, and the small pretenders to Philosophy and Wit are generally deriders of the belief of Witches and Apparitions. And were this a slight and meer Speculative mistake, I should not trouble my self or them about it. But I fear this error hath a Core in it that is worse than Heresie: And therefore how little soever I care what Men believe or teach in matters of Opinion, I think I have reason to be concern'd in an affair that toucheth so near upon the greatest Interests of Religion. And really I am astonish'd sometimes to think into what kind of an Age we are fallen, in which some of the greatest Impieties are accounted but Bugs, and terrible Names, invisible Tittles, Peccadillo's or Chimera's. The sad and greatest instances are SACRILEDGE, REBELLION, and WITCHCRAFT. For the two former, there are a sort of Men (that are far from being profest Enemies to Religion) who I do not know whether they own any such Vices. We find no mention of them in their most particular Confessions, nor have I observ'd them in those Sermons that have contained the largest Catalogues of the Sins of our Age and Nation. 'Twere dangerous to speak of them as Sins, for fear
