Epi.—No doubt, for there are three kindes of folkes whom God will permit so to be tempted or troubled; the wicked for their horrible sinnes, to punish them in the like measure; the godly that are sleeping in any great sinnes or infirmities, and weaknesse in faith, to waken them up the faster by such an uncouth forme; and even some of the best, that their patience may be tried before the world, as Job's was. For why may not God use any kinde of extraordinarie punishment, when it pleases him, as well as the ordinarie rods of sicknesse or other adversities?
Phi.—Who then may be free from these devilish practises?
Epi.—No man ought to presume so farre as to promise any impunitie to himselfe; for God hath before all beginnings, preordinated as well the particular sorts of plagues, as of benefites, for every man, which in the owne time he ordaines them to be visited with; and yet ought we not to be the more afraide for that, of any thing that the divell and his wicked instruments can doe against us, for we daily fight against the divell in a hundreth other wayes; and therefore, as a valiant captaine affraies no more being at the combate, nor stayes from his purpose for the rummishing shot of a canon, nor the small clacke of a pistolet, suppose he be not certaine what may light upon him; even so ought we boldly to goe forward in fighting against the divell, without any great terrour for these his rarest weapons, nor for the ordinary, whereof we have daily the proofe.
Phi.—Is it not lawfull then, by the helpe of some other witch, to cure the disease that is casten on by that craft?
Epi.—No wayes lawfull, for it is an axiome of theologie, that we are not to doe evil, that good maie come of it.
Phi.—How then may these diseases be lawfully cured?
Epi.—Only by earnest prayer unto God, by amendment of their lives, and by sharpe pursuing every one, according to his calling of these instruments of Satan, whose punishment to the death will be a salutarie sacrifice for the patient. And this is not onely the lawfull way, but likewise the most sure; for by the devil's meanes can never the devill be casten out, as Christ sayth; and when such a cure is used, it may well serve for a short time, but at the last it will doubtlesly tend to the utter perdition of the patient, both in body and soule.
What sort of Folkes are least or most subject to receive harm by Witchcraft—What power they have to harme the Magistrate, and upon what respects they have any power in prison—And to what end may or will the Devill appeare to them therein—Upon what respects the Devill appeares in sundry shapes to sundry of them at any time.
Phi.—But who dare take upon him to punish them, if no man can be sure to be free from their unnatural invasions?