Saducismus Triumphatus: Evidence Concerning Witches and Apparitions

...but the wannabe wits of this present age, who will seize any slight occasion or excuse to disbelieve those things they cannot endure to be true.

And because such coarse-grained philosophers as the followers of Hobbes original: "Hobbians"; referring to the materialist philosophy of Thomas Hobbes and Spinoza original: "Spinozians"; referring to Baruch Spinoza, and the rest of that rabble, despise religion and the Scriptures—since there is such express mention of spirits and angels in them, things their dull souls are so inclined to imagine are fictional original: "imposable"—I view it as a special act of Providence that there are constantly new examples of apparitions and witchcraft. These cases may stir and awaken their numb and lethargic minds to at least a suspicion, if not an assurance, that there are other intelligent beings besides those clothed in heavy earth or clay.

In this, I say, it seems to me that Divine Providence plainly outwits the powers of the kingdom of darkness. God permits wicked men and women, and the wandering spirits of that kingdom, to make leagues or covenants with one another. The confession of witches—given even at the cost of their own lives—is such clear evidence (alongside the miraculous feats they perform) that bad spirits exist. This necessarily opens a door to the belief that there are good spirits, and ultimately, that there is a God.

Therefore, let the small philosophical pretenders original: "Sir-Foplings"; a term for shallow men obsessed with being trendy of this present age mock these accounts as much as they like. Those who spend their efforts in recording well-attested stories of witches and apparitions do a real service to true religion and sound philosophy. This is the most effective and suitable way to confound infidelity and atheism, even in the judgment of the atheists themselves. They are as afraid of the truth of these stories as an ape is of a whip, and therefore they force themselves with all their might to disbelieve them because of the dreadful consequences these truths would have for them.

"The wicked fear where there is nothing to fear, but God is in the generation of the righteous" A paraphrase of Psalm 53:5 or 14:5. He who fears God and has faith in Jesus Christ need not fear how many devils there may be, nor be afraid of his own immortality. Therefore, it is nothing but a foul, dark conscience within, or a very gross and dull physical constitution original: "constitution of Blood", that makes men so resistant to these truths.

But however, no matter how resistant they are, since this is the most suitable medicine for this disease, the diligence and care for mankind shown by those who make it their business to apply it is much to be commended. They are resolved to continue, even though the pettishness and perverseness of the patients makes them tear off their medical plaster original: "Plaiſter"; a medicated bandage—just as they have done with this excellent story of the