And though a common _Hocus Pocus_ man, or one that playeth Tricks of Leger-de-main or slight of hand, to get a livelihood by, do labour to make the ignorant multitude believe that he doth his Feats by virtue of his barbarous terms or non-significant words, or by the help of some familiar Spirit; must therefore a prudent or learned person believe the same, and not labour to understand that those pretences are but used the better to deceive the senses of the beholders, and so that pretence but a cheat and imposture? [Sidenote: Isa. 44. 15, 16.] [Sidenote: Isa. 41. 22, 23.] [Sidenote: Dan. 22. 11.] [Sidenote: Gen. 41. 8.] [Sidenote: 1 Sam. 28. 11.] [Sidenote: Act. 8. 9.] 4. We affirm that all these mentioned in the Scriptures (nay, and that the Priests attending all the so famoused Oracles) were but meer Cheaters and Impostors, and that for these reasons. 1. They could not be, nor were ignorant that all their numerous Idols were but the works of mens hands, and that they could not of themselves move, see, hear, smell, or breathe, much less eat and drink; and therefore were notorious Cheaters and Impostors in labouring to make the people believe the contrary. 2. They could not be ignorant but what answers were given, and what acts were done, were performed by themselves, and not by the Idols, and yet they laboured to make the people believe the contrary, as the _Bramines_ and Priests do to this day all over the Eastern parts of _Asia_, and in many other places, and so must needs be notorious Knaves and Cheaters; because, as _Isaiah_ saith, _With part of the wood whereof he hath made himself an Idol, he maketh a fire and warmeth himself_. 3. They could not be ignorant that their Idols could not, nor did declare any thing truly that was to come, but what Answers were given, or Divinations were uttered, were of their own devising and invention, and no other Devil in the case, but Diabolical inspirations in their minds. And this is manifest by their pitiful shuffling equivocations (especially of all the Oracles) their responsions being always ambiguous, and bearing a double sense, which caused _Cardan_ to say: “_Oracula, si non essent ambigua, non essent oracula._” And commonly (if not always) they were given in the favour of those that gave the largest gifts, which made _Demosthenes_ say, that the Oracle at _Delphos_ did φιλιππίζειν, because it always spoke in favour of _Philip_ and his proceedings. And it was with the Oracles, as with the Temple of _Neptune_, All the Offerings of those that escaped shipwrack were preserved, and to be seen; but of those that had suffered shipwrack, there was no memorial nor knowledge of their number: so, many have noted some few Hits of the Oracles, but few have noted their Misses, which doubtless were far the greater number. For so it is here in this North Country with our Figure-flingers and pretended Conjurers, Piss-Prophets, and Water-Witches, that if they hit once, it is cryed up and told every