ture, and possibly the same that have been Socerers and Witches in this Life: This supposal may give a fairer and more probable account of many of the actions of Sorcery and Witchcraft, than the other Hypothesis, that they are always Devils. And to this Conjecture I'll adventure to subjoin another, which also hath its probability, viz. (3) That 'tis not impossible but the Familiars of Witches are a vile kind of Spirits, of a very inferiour Constitution and Nature, and none of those that were once of the highest Hierarchy, now degenerated into the Spirits we call Devils. And for my part I must confess, that I think the common division of Sprits much too general; conceiving it likely there may be as great a variety of Intellectual Creatures in the invisible World, as there is of Animals in the visible: and that all the superiour, yea, and inferiour Regions, have their several kinds of Spirits differing in their natural perfections, as well as in the kinds and degrees of their depravities; which being supposed, 'tis very probable that those of the basest and meanest Orders are they, who submit to the mention'd Servilities. And thus the sagess and grandure of the Prince of darkness need not be brought into question.
SECT. V.
Obj. IV. BUT (IV) the opinion of Witches seem to some to accuse Providence, and to suggest that it hath exposed Innocents to the fury and malice of revengeful Fiends; yea, and supposeth those most obnoxious, for whom we might most reasonably expect a more special tutelary care and protection; most of the cruel Practices of thoes presum'd Instruments of Hell, being upon Children, who as they least deserve to be deserted by that Providence that superintends all things, so they most need its guardian Influence.
TO this so specious an Objection I have these things to answer. (1) Providence is an unfathomable Depth; and if we should not believe the Phœnomena of our Senses, before we can reconcile them to our notions of Providence, we must be grosser Scepticks than ever yet were extent. The miseries of the present Life, the unequal distributions of good and evil, the ignorance and barbarity of the greatest part of Mankind, the fatal disadvantages we are all under, and the hazard we run of being eternally miserable and undone; these, I say, are things that can hardly be made consistent with that Wisdom and
