Now therefore the state of the question will be, whether this Woman had really a familiar or supernatural spirit that gave her answers, or that she raised such an one, or that only she was a deceiver and Impostor that could cast her self into a Trance, and so speak in her Breast, or that she had a place contrived for the purpose (as they had at the Oracle at _Delphos_) by which means she could speak, as in a Bottle or hollow cavity, and had other Confederates sutably fitted to accomplish her design. Here we shall only speak as to the significancy of the words relating to this matter, and shall handle the History of the matter of fact elsewhere: And in the first place we allow and grant that she had the cooperating power of the Devil, in her mind and will, leading her to take upon her to foretel things to come, of which she was utterly ignorant: so that we grant her under a spiritual league with the Devil, as all wicked persons are, but we deny that she had any other familiar spirit, but only the spirit of delusion and Imposture, as we shall make good by these arguments. [Sidenote: 1 Sam. 28. 9.] [Sidenote: Isai. 29. 4.] 1. Because the word sometimes signifieth the persons pretending to be skilful in this sort of Divinations; for so the Woman saith unto _Saul_: _Behold thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off_ ‏הָאבוֹת‎ _Pythones_, that is, the persons that pretended, and practised that kind of Divination. And so again in that of _Isaiah: And thy voice shall be_ ‏כְּאוֹב‎ _sicut Pythonis_ as the voice of one that useth this kind of Divination. So that it is clear that the act is ascribed unto, and was performed by the persons practising this couzening craft, and not unto a familiar or Devil. 2. Sometimes it is taken for the means that they pretended they performed it by, as in _Sauls_ deluded and despairing sense; for he saith, _Divina quæso mihi_ ‏כְּאוֹב‎ _in Pythone, vel per Pythonem, and cause to ascend whom I shall name unto thee_. So that he vainly thought that she could call up, and make to ascend whomsoever he should name, so blind and deluded was he when the spirit of the Lord was departed from him, and was justly delivered up to believe lies, because he had not received the love of the truth. [Sidenote: Nahum 3. 4.]