people; how, after
that, can it be denied that there are witches, since, according to the
common opinion, witchcraft is nothing else? Let them, if they will,
regard as a fable what is said of their journeys through the air to
repair to their nocturnal meetings; what will he gain by that, if,
notwithstanding that, he believes that they possess the power to kill
children by their spells, to send the devil into the body of the first
person who presents himself, and a hundred other things of the same
kind? He says, that "to render the presents which he makes more
precious and estimable, and the more to be desired, the demon sells
them very dear, as if he could not be excited to act otherwise than by
employing powerful means, and making use of a most mysterious and very
hidden art," which, doubtless, he would have witches ignorant of, and
known only to magicians. But then they pretend that this art can be
learned only from the devil, and to obtain it from him they say that
he must be invoked and worshiped. Now, as there is hardly an impious
character, who, having taken it into his head to operate something
important by his charms or spells, would not be disposed to go to that
shocking extreme, we cannot see why one should succeed in what he
wishes, whilst the other does not succeed; nor what distinction can be
made between rascals and madmen, who are precisely of a kind. I hold
even, that if the reality and power of magic are granted, we could not
without great difficulty refuse to those who profess it the power of
entering places shut up, and of going through the air to their
nocturnal assemblies. It will, doubtless, be said that that is
impossible, and surpasses the power of man; but who can affirm it,
since we know not how far the power of the rebel angels extends?

I remember to have formerly heard some persons at Rome reason very
sensibly on the difficulty there is sometimes of deciding upon the
truth of a miracle, which difficulty is founded on our ignorance of
the extent of the powers of nature.

[[688] It is true that it would be dangerous to carry this principle
too far; doubtless, we are not to deduce from it that nothing ever
happens but what is natural, as if the Sovereign Author of all had in
some measure bound his hands, and had not reserved unto himself the
liberty to comply with the wishes and prayers of his servants--of
sometimes according favors which manifestly surpass the powers he has
granted to nature