THe greatest Favour I could have expected in Answer to my boldness, was but a pardon for the confidence of that intrusion; But that your Grace should so generously accept my Trifles, and make me so Glorious a return as I re∣ceived in your most ingenious Letters, this, Madam, was an Honour as much beyond my expectation, as desert; and exceeds all my possibilities of ac∣knowledgment. But if ever any thing happen within the reach of my indeavours, by which I may serve or gratify your Grace, I shall then give evidence of the great resentment I have of this condescention, and the Veneration which is due to a Person of so obliging and so unusual a Virtue. Your Grace, I know, is Nobly inquisitive, and hath a rich stock of generous Apprehensions; and Persons of this Character use to be pleased in the persual of the va∣riety of others Conceptions; And on this account I presume, that those notions I sometimes entertain my self with, may not be unacceptable, being not alto∣gether of the road and common track. And if your Grace please to permit, and pardon my Importuni∣ties, I shall take occasion to give you my sense of some things that are not of the meanest concern∣ments. For the present I am obliged to answer the particulars of your Grace's Letter, in which your Grace hath very much obliged me by those argu∣ments you are pleased to excuse; and to them I make this humble return.

1. That whereas your Grace calls the Induce∣ments to the belief of Witches, probable Arguments, I am apt, with submission, to think some of them to Page  138 be as great demonstrations as matter of Fact can bear; being no less than the evidence of the Senses, and Oaths of sober Attestors, and the critical inquiries of Sagacious, and suspitious Persons; which Circum∣stances of Evidence, your grace knows, some of those Relations have to prove them. And there is a particular Story which is sufficiently famous, and of part of which I my self was a Witness, which I think is not subject to just Exception. 'Tis that of the Drum in the House of Mr. Mompession of Tedworth in Wiltshire. Of this, Madam, I shall take an occasion to give your Grace a particular ac∣count, if you have not yet been acquainted with the circumstances of that unusual disturbance. But to confine my self now to your Grace's considerations on the subject; The second thing I observe, is,

The intimation of an Argument against the Ex∣istence of Witches, because they are not mentioned by Christ, and his Apostles, concerning which I humbly desire your Grace to consider.

1. That Negative Arguments from Scripture use not often to be of any great signification or validity. Our Saviour spake as he had occasion, and the thou∣sandth part of what he said, or what he did, is not recorded, as one Evangelist intimates. He said no∣thing of those large unknown Tracts of America, gives no intimations of the Existence of that nume∣rous People, much less any instructions about their Conversion. He gives no particular account of the affairs and state of the other World, but only that general one, of the happiness of some, and the mi∣sery of others. He makes no discovery of the Mag∣nalia of Art, or Nature, no not of those whereby the propagation of the Gospel might have been Page  139 much advanced; viz. The Mystery of Printing, and the Magnet. And yet no one useth his Si∣lence in these Instances as an Argument against the being of things, which are the evident Objects of Sense. I confess the omission of some of these particulars is pretty strange and unaccountable, and an argument of our Ignorance of the Reasons and Menages of Providence, but I suppose of nothing else; or if it were, I crave leave to add,

2. That the Gospel is not without intimations of Sorcery, and contracts with evil Spirits. The ma∣licious Jews said our Saviour did his Miracles by their assistance, He casts out Devils by Beezebub. And he denys not the supposition or possibility of the thing in general, but clears himself by an appeal to the Actions of their own Children, whom they would not so severely criminate. And besides this,

3. The Apostles had intimations plain enough of the being of Sorcery and Witchcraft, as seems to me evident from Gal. 3.1. Gal. 5.20. Rev. 9.21. Rev. 21.8. Rev, 22.15.

'Tis very true as your Grace suggests, that Su∣perstition and Ignorance of Causes make Men many times to impute the Effects of Art, and Nature, to Witchcraft and Diabolick Contract. And the Com∣mon People think God, or the Devil to be in every thing extraordinary. But yet, Madam, your Grace may please to consider, That there are things done by mean and despicable persons, transcending all the Arts of the most knowing and improv'd Virtuosi, and above all the Essays of known and ordinary Nature. So that we either must suppose that a sottish silly old Woman hath more knowledge of Page  140 the intrigues of Art, and Nature, than the most ex∣ercised Artists, and Philosophers, or confess that those strange things they performe, are done by con∣foederacy with evil Spirits, who, no doubt, act those things by the ways and applications of Nature, though such as are to us unknown. This, Madam, is, I conceive, as much as is necessary to be said to the Argumentative part of your Graces excellent Letter.

As for the following Periods, I am mostly of the same Opinion with your Grace, in the way that I understand them. Nature is in a continual motion (for there is no such thing as Rest in the World) and perhaps that is not purely Mechanical, but may, in great part (at least as to the beginnings and directi∣ons of it) be ascribed to the Soul of the World, which possibly is the great Archeus that formes Plants, Animals, and other more curious Phoenomena. And there is no doubt but (as your Grace suggests) that much wickedness is caused by the meer impulse of Lower Nature; and I believe several Men are determined to Actions of Vice by the odness of their particular make and contexture. But whereas your Grace saith that nothing but God himself can be perfect, I cannot so well understand that. Absolutely so, and in all kinds, 'tis true, I grant it, but your Grace doth not seem to intend the proposition in that sense. And to be Perfect in a lower kind is but to have all the parts and faculties that are re∣quisite to such a being, in that order, disposition, and all other circumstances which are suitable to its Idea, and proper for its respective ends. And in this sense I think all things are perfect in their first con∣stitution; according to what your Grace saith af∣terwards, Page  141 That [God cannot create any Imper∣fection, being absolute Perfection himself] which appositely fits mine, but I can not see how it so well consists with your Graces former assertion, except it be intended to infer, That God made nothing; a Proposition which methinks your Grace should not own; but some things that follow seem to look that way, when you are pleased to say [Neither can I conceive how God could actually make or act any thing, either in a Mechanical manner, or a Free, being not locally moving] To which I humbly say that if your Grace doubts the possibility of the Cre∣ation out of nothing, I think I can speak some things as a Philosopher, that may render it rea∣sonable. Nor is actual motion in the Deity neces∣sary to his actions, since he is Immense and needs not local motion to render him present by his Essence, or his Virtue, to any place of the great Universe, being Eternally there by the Infinity of his being, and his Power. And whereas your Grace is plea∣sed to say, that God is no Mechanick, I consent that He is not so properly, in that he needs not material Instruments to act by. But yet he hath made all things by a kind of Geometry; in Number, Weight, and Measure, saith the Holy Oracle. And there is a sort of Mathematics in all the Works of Na∣ture.

Thus, Madam, I have made bold with your Graces Patience, in confidence of your Candor, and your goodness, which I implore, for the Pardon of this Voluminous Trouble. And in order to it, I have this to say, that I could not well have said less without having been wanting in some of your Graces Periods; and there is something else, in which Page  142 I despair of being ever able to say enough, and that is, to express how much I am,