And thereof S. _Augustine_ saith well, that he is too much a foole and a blockhead, that supposeth those things to be doone indeed, and corporallie, which are by such persons phantasticallie imagined: which phantasticall illusions do as well agree and accord (as _Algerus_ saith) with magicall deceipts, as the veritie accompanieth divine holinesse. ♦_August. de spiritu & anima._♦ ♦_Lib. 1. cap. 7. de eucharist._♦ The xviii. Chapter. _That the confession of witches is insufficient in civill and common lawe to take awaie life. What the sounder divines, and decrees of councels determine in this case._ Alas! what creature being sound in state of mind, would (without compulsion) make such maner of confessions as they do; or would, for a trifle, or nothing, make a perfect bargaine with the divell for hir soule, to be yeelded up unto his tortures and everlasting flames, and that within a verie short time; speciallie being through age most commonlie unlike to live one whole yeare? The terror of hell fire must needs be to them diverslie manifested, and much more terrible; bicause of their weaknesse, nature, and kind, than to any other: as it would appeere, if a witch were but asked, Whether she would be contented to be hanged one yeare hence, upon condition hir displesure might be wreked upon hir enimie presentlie. As for theeves, & such other, they thinke not to go to hell fire; but are either persuaded there is no hell, or that their crime deserveth it not, or else that they have time enough to repent: so as, no doubt, if they were perfectlie resolved heereof, they would never make such adventures. Neither doo I thinke, that for any summe of monie, they would make so direct a bargaine to go to hell fire. Now then I conclude, that confession in this behalf is insufficient to take awaie the life of any body; or to atteine such credit, as to be beleeved without further proofe. For as _Augustine_ and _Isidore_, with the rest of the sounder divines saie, that these prestigious things, which are wrought by witches are fantasticall: so doo the sounder decrees of councels and canons agree, that in that case, there is no place for criminall action. And the lawe saith, that The confession of such persons as are illuded, must needs be erronious, and therefore is not to be admitted: for, _Confessio debet tenere verum & possibile_. But these things are opposite both to lawe and nature, and therfore it followeth not; Bicause these witches confesse so, _Ergo_ it is so. For the confession differeth from the act, or from the possibilitie of the act. And whatsoever is contrarie to nature faileth in his principles, and therefore is naturallie impossible. ♦It is not likelie they would so doo: _Ergo_ a lie.♦