7. _That Witchcraft consists in a maligning and oppugning the Word, Work and Worship of God, and seeking by any extraordinary sign to seduce any from it. Deut._ xiii. 12. _Matt._ xxiv. 24. _Acts_ xiii. 8. 10. 2 _Tim._ iii. 8. _Do but mark well the places, and for this very property of thus opposing and perverting, they are all there concluded arrant and absolute Witches; and it will be easily granted, that the same that is call'd Witch, is call'd a false Christ, a false Prophet, and a Sorcerer, and that the terms are Synonimous; and that what the Witches aim at is, to seduce the People to seek after other Gods. But here the Question will be, whether the Witch do really do things strange in themselves, and beyond their natural course, and all this by a Power immediately from the Devil. In this inquiry, as we have nothing to do with unwritten verities, so but little with Cabalistick Learning, which might perhaps but lead us more astray, as in the Instance of their charging our Saviour with casting out Devils by Beelzebub, his Answer is, if Satan be divided against himself, his Kingdom hath an end: But seeing all are agreed, set this eighth Conclusion._ 8. _That God will not give his testimony to a lye. To say that God did at any time impower a Witch to work Wonders, to gain belief to the Doctrine of Devils, were with one breath to destroy root and branch of all revealed Re[81]ligion. And hence 'tis clear the Witch has no such wonder-working power from God; and must we then conclude she has such a Miraculous Power from the Devil; if so, then it follows that either God gives the Devil leave to impower the Witch to make use of this Seal, in order to deceive, or else that the Devil has this Power independent of himself;[94] to assert the first of these were in effect to say, that tho God will not give his testimony to a lye, yet that he may impower the Devil to set to God's own Seal, in order to deceive; and what were this but to overthrow all revealed Religion. The last if asserted must be to own the Devil to be an unconquered Enemy, and consequently a Sovereign Deity, and deserving much thanks, that he exerts his Power no more. Therefore in this Dilemma it is Wisdom for shallow Mortals to have recourse to their only guide, and impartially to inquire, whether the Witches really have such a Miraculous or Wonder-working Power? And 'tis remarkable that the Apostle,_ Gal. v. 20. _reckons up Witchcraft among the Works of the flesh, which were it indeed a Wonder-working Power, received immediately from the Devil, and wholly beyond the Power of Nature; it were very improper to place it with Drunkennness, Murthers, Adulteries, &c. all manifest fleshly works. 'Tis also remarkable, that Witchcraft is generally in Scripture joined with spiritual Whordom, i. e. Idolatry. This thence will plainly appear to be the same, only pretending to a sign, in order to deceive, seems to be yet a further degree, and in this sense_ Manassah _and_ Jezebel, 2 _Chron._ xxxiii.