Phi.—Surely then, I think since this crime ought to be so severely punished, judges ought to beware to condemne any but such as they are sure are guiltie, neither should the clattering report of a carling serve in so weightie a case.
Epi.—Judges ought indeede to beware whom they condemne, for it is as great a crime (as Solomon saith), to condemne the innocent as to let the guilty escape free, neither ought the report of any one infamous person be admitted for a sufficient proof which can stand of no law.
Phi.—And what may a number of guilty persons confessions worke against one that is accused?
Epi.—The assise must serve for interpretour of our law in that respect, but in my opinion, since in a matter of treason against the prince, barnes or wives, or never so diffamed persons, may of our law serve for sufficient witnesses and proofes, I thinke surely that by a farre greater reason such witnesses may be sufficient in matters of high treason against God; for who but witches can be prooves, and so witnesses of the doings of witches?
Phi.—Indeed, I trow they will be loath to put any honest man upon their counsell; but what if they accuse folke to have been present at their imaginar conventions in the spirit, when their bodies lye senseless, as ye have said?
Epi.—I thinke they are not a haire the less guiltie; for the divell durst never have borrowed their shadow or similitude to that turne, if their consent had not beene at it; and the consent in these turnes is death of the lawe.
Phi.—Then Samuel was a witch, for the divell resembled his shape, and played his person in giving response to Saul.
Epi.—Samuel was dead as well before that, and so none could slaunder him with medling in that unlawful arte; for the cause why, as I take it, that God will not permit Satan to use the shapes of similitudes of any innocent persons at such unlawfull times is, that God will not permit that any innocent persons shall be slandered with that vile defection, for then the divell would finde waies anew to calumniate the best; and this we have in proofe by them that are carried with the pharie, who never see the shadowes of any in that court but of them that thereafter are tryed to have beene brethren and sisters of that craft. And this was likewise prooved by the confession of a young lasse troubled with spirits, laid on her by witchcraft; that although she saw the shapes of divers men and women troubling her, and naming the persons whom these shadowes represent; yet never one of them are founde to be innocent, but all clearely tryed to be most guiltie, and the most part of them confessing the same. And, besides that, I thinke it hath beene seldome heard tell of, that any whom persons guiltie of that crime accused, as having knowen them to be their marrows by eye-sight, and not by hearesay, but such as were so accused of witchcraft, could not be clearely tried upon them, were at the least publikely knowen to be of a very evill life and reputation; so jealous is God of the fame of them that are innocent in such causes. And, besides that, there are two other good helps that may be used for their triall; the one is, the finding of their marke, and the trying the insensibleness thereof; the other is their fleeting on the water, for as in a secret murther, if the dead carkasse be at any time thereafter handled by the murtherer, it will gush out of bloud, as if the bloud were crying to the heaven for revenge of the murtherer, God having appointed that secret supernaturall signe for triall of that secret unnatural crime, so it appeares that God hath appointed (for a supernatural signe of the monstrous impietie of witches), that the water shall refuse to receive them in her bosome that have shaken off them the sacred water of baptisme, and wilfully refused the benefitie thereof. No, not so much as their eyes are able to shed teares (threaten and torture them as ye please), while first they repent, (God not permitting them to dissemble their obstinacie in so horrible a crime) albeit the women kind especially, be able otherwayes to shed teares at every light occasion when they will, yea, although it were dissemblingly like the crocodiles.
Phi.—Well, wee have made this conference to last as long as leisure would permit; and to conclude then, since I am to take my leave of you, I pray God to purge this countrey of these divellish practises, for they were never so rife in these parts as they are now.
Epi.—I pray God that so be too; but the causes are over manifest that make them to be so rife; for the great wickedness of the people on the one hand, procures this horrible defection, whereby God justly punisheth sinne by a greater iniquitie; and on the other part, the consummation of the world and our deliverance drawing neere, makes Satan to rage the more in his instruments, knowing his kingdome to be so neere an end.—And so farewell for this time.