denying some part of my own interest) to serve him. Had this Gentleman declin'd or detracted his four sheets, I see not but he might have done it, and which I think there was cause enough for him to have done, but to own the four sheets, and at the same time to disown the Doctrine contain'd in them, and this knowing that I have no Copy, renders the whole of the worse aspect. And now I shall give you a further account of my Belief, when I have first premised, that 'tis a prevailing Belief in this Countrey, and elsewhere, that the Scriptures are not full in the Description of, and in the way and means how to detect a Witch, tho' positive in their Punishment to be by Death; and that hence they have thought themselves under a necessity of taking up with the Sentiments of such Men or Places that are thought worthy to give rules to detect them by: And have accordingly practised, _viz._ In searching for Tets for the Devil to suck; Trying whether the suspected can say the Lords Prayer; And whether the Afflicted falls at the sight, and rises at the touch of the supposed Witch; As also by the Afflicted or Possessed giving account who is the Witch. Touching these my belief is, that 'tis highly Derogatory to the wisdom of the Wise Lawgiver, to ascert, That he has given a Law by _Moses_, the Penalty whereof is Death; and yet no direction to his People, whereby to know and detect the culpable, till our _Triumvirate_ Mr. [37] _Perkins_, _Gaul_ and _Bernard_, had given us their receits, and that that fourth Head of Mr. _Gauls_, being so well prov'd by Scripture is a truth, and contains a full and clear Testimony, who are Witches culpable of Death, and that plainly and from Scripture, yet not excluding any other branch, when as well proved by that infallible rule. And that the going to the Afflicted or Possessed, to have them Divine who are Witches by their Specteral sight, is a great wickedness, even the Sin of _Saul_ (for which he also Died) but with this difference, the one did it for Augury, or to know future Events, the other in order to take away Life; and that the searching for Tets, the experiment of their saying the Lords Prayer; the falling at the sight and rising at the touch of the supposed Criminal, being all of them foreign from Scripture, as well as reason, are abominations to be abhor'd and repented of. And that our _Salem_ Witchcraft, either respecting the Judges and Juries, their tenderness of Life, or the Multitude and pertinency of witnesses, both Afflicted and Confessors, or the Integrity of the Historians, are as Authentic, and made as certain as any ever of that kind in the World; and yet who is it that now sees not through it, and that these were the Sentiments that have procured the sorest Affliction, and most lasting infamy that ever befel this Country, and most like so to do again, if the same notions be still entertain'd and finally that these are those last times, of which the Spirit speaks expressly, _Tim._ iv. 1.