SECT. VIII.
Obj. VII. THat 'tis a Suspitious Circumstance, that Witchcraft is but a Fancy, since the Persons that are accused, are commonly poor and miserable old Women, who are overgrown with Discontent and Melancholy, which are very Imaginative: And the Persons said to be Bewitch'd, are for the most part Children, or people very weak, who are easily imposed upon, and are apt to receive strong Impressions from nothing; whereas were there any such thing really, 'tis not likely, but that the more cunning and subtil Desperado's, who might the more successfully carry on the mischievous Designs of the dark Kingdom, should be oftner engaged in those black Confederacies, and also one would expect effects of the Hellish Combination upon others than the Innocent and Ignorant.
TO which Objection it might perhaps be enough to return (as hath been above suggested) that nothing can be concluded by this and such like Arguings, but that the Policy and Manages of the Instruments of Darkness are to us altogether unknown, and as much in the dark as their Natures; Mankind being no more acquainted with the Reasons and Methods of Action in the other World, than poor Cottagers and Mechanicks are with the Intrigues of Government and Reasons of State. Yea, peradventure (2) 'tis one of the great Designs, as 'tis certainly the Interest of those wicked Agents and Machinators, industriously to hide from us their Influences and Ways of acting, and to work as near as is possible, incognito; upon which supposal 'tis easie to conceive a reason, why they most commonly work by, and upon the Weak and the Ignorant, who can make no cunning Observations, or tell credible Tales to detect their Artifice. Besides, (3) 'tis likely a strong Imagination that cannot be weaken'd or disturb'd by a busie and subtile ratiocination, is a necessary requisite to those wicked Performances; and without doubt an hightned and obstinate Fancy hath a great influence upon impressible Spirits; yea, and as I have conjectur'd before, on the more passive and susceptible Bodies. And I am very apt to believe, that there are as real Communications and Intercourses between our Spirits, as there are between material Agents; which secret Influences, tho' they are unknown in
