the _invisible_ spiritual enemy.

The 'Demonologie' was published at Edinburgh in 1597. The author
introduces his book with these words: 'The fearful abounding at
this time in this country of these detestable slaves of the
devil, the witches or enchanters, hath moved me (beloved reader)
to despatch in post this following treatise of mine, not in any
wise (as I protest) to serve for a show of my learning and
ingine, but only moved of conscience to press thereby so far as I
can to resolve the doubting hearts of many; both that such
assaults of Sathan are most certainly practised, and that the
instruments thereof merits most severely to be punished: against
the damnable opinions of two principally in our age, whereof the
one called Scot, an Englishman, is not ashamed in public print to
deny that there can be such a thing as witchcraft, and so
maintains the old error of the Sadducees in denying of spirits.
The other, called Wierus, a German physician, sets out a public
apology for all these crafts-folks, whereby procuring for their
impunity, he plainly bewrays himself to have been one of that
profession. And for to make this treatise the more pleasant and
facile, I have put it in form of a dialogue, which I have divided
into three books: the first speaking of magic in general, and
necromancy in special; the second, of sorcery and witchcraft; and
the third contains a discourse of all those kinds of spirits and
spectres that appears and troubles persons, together with a
conclusion of the whole work. My intention in this labour is
only to prove two things, as I have already said: the one, that
such devilish arts have been and are; the other, what exact trial
and severe punishment they merit; and therefore reason I what
kind of things are possible to be performed in these arts, and
by what natural causes they may be. Not that I touch every
particular thing of the devil's power, for that were infinite;
but only, to speak scholasticly (since this cannot be spoken in
our language), I reason upon _genus_, leaving _species_ and
_differentia_ to be comprehended therein.'[117]

[117] Speculating on the manner of witches' aerial travels,
he thinks, 'Another way is somewhat more strange, and yet it
is possible to be true: which is, by being carried by the
force of their spirit, which is their conductor, either
above the earth or above the sea swiftly to the place where
they are to meet: which I am persuaded to be likewi