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only. And so was this [underlined: vulgar probation] by Casting into ye water practised upon persons accused [insert: (f)] with other crimes as well as yt of witchcraft. How it came to be now restrained to yt of witchcraft. I can not tell. it is as Supernatural for a body whose hands & feet are tyed to Swim above ye water, as it is for their hands not to feel a red hot Iron. If ye one of these ordeals is lawfull to be used, so is ye other too. But as for ye fiery ordeal it is rejected & Exploded out of ye world. For ye same reason yn this Tryall by water should be So. 4. It is a tempting of God, wn men put ye innocency of their Fellow creatures upon such tryals. To desire ye Almighty to shew a miracle to clear ye innocent, or to convict ye guilty is a presumptuous tempting of him. Was it not a miracle when Peter was kept from Sinking under ye water by ye Om= nipotency of Christ. As for Satan, wee know yt his Ambition is to make his Servants believe, that his Power is equal to God's & yt therfore Hee can preserve wn he pleaseth. I have read of (g) certain Magicians who were seen walking on ye water. If yn Guilty persons shall float on ye waters, Either it is ye Devil that causeth them So to do (as no Doubt it is) And wt have men to do to set ye Devill on worke. or else it is a divine miracle Like yt of Peter's not Sinkeing, or yt of the Iron yt swam at ye word of Elisha. And shall men try whether God wil worke a miracle to make a discovery? If a crime can not be found out but by Miracles, it is not for any Judge on Earth to Usurp the Judgement which is reserved the Divine Throne. 5th This Pre- tended gift of Immersibility attending Witches is a most fallible deceitfull thing; for many a Witch hath Sanke under the water. Godelmannus (h) giveth an account of six Notorious & cleerly convicted witches; yt wn they were brought to this [underscored:Vulgar Probation] sanke under ye water like other persons. [underscored: Althusius] affirmes ye like concerning others. In ye Bohemian History it is related yt [underscored: Vratislaus] the King of [underscored: Bohemia] Extirpated witches out of his Kingdom, som of which were delivered to ye Ax, others of them to ye fire, and others of them he caused to be drowned. If witches are

[Margin notes:] (f) Menna de purgatione vulgari, cap. ult.

(g) Cæsarius Lib. 9.