ir bodie and soule to be
tormented in euerlasting fire: which she yeeldeth vnto. Then he
chargeth hir, to procure as manie men, women, and children also, as
she can, to enter into this societie.... Sometimes their homage with
their oth and bargaine is receiued for a certeine terme of yeares;
sometimes for euer. Sometimes it consisteth in the deniall of the
whole faith, sometimes in part. The first is, when the soule is
absolutelie yeelded to the diuell and hell-fier: the other is, when
they haue but bargained not to obserue certeine ceremonies and
statutes of the church; as to conceale faults at shrift, to fast on
sundaies, etc. And this is doone either by oth, protestation of words,
or by obligation in writing, sometimes sealed with wax, sometimes
signed with bloud.'

Forbes says that

'an express Covenant is entred into betwixt a Witch, and the Devil
appearing in some visible Shape. Whereby the former renounceth God and
his Baptism, engages to serve the Devil, and do all the Mischief he
can as Occasion offers, and leaves Soul and Body to his Disposal after
Death. The Devil on his part articles with such Proselytes, concerning
the Shape he is to appear to them in, the Services they are to expect
from him, upon the Performance of certain Charms or ceremonious Rites.
This League is made verbally, if the Party cannot write. And such as
can write, sign a written Covenant with their Blood.'[239]

The general order of the ceremony of admission can be gathered from the
evidence given at the trials, though no one trial gives the order in its
entirety. The ceremony might take place privately, at a local meeting, or
in full Sabbath; it was the same for either sex, except that the men were
not usually introduced, the women were sometimes introduced, sometimes not.
If there were any sort of introduction, it was by some one who was
acquainted with the candidate; usually the person who had induced her to
join. She was brought before the Devil, who asked her if she would be his
faithful servant, and if she would renounce her previous religion, and
dedicate herself to his service, taking him as her God. After the
renunciation and vows, the Devil baptized her in his own great name, and
among the Scotch witches gave her a new name by which she was known
afterwards at the Sabbaths and other meetings. The ceremony concluded by
giving