of the wicked, they become olde, yea, are mighty in power, their seede is established in their sight with them, and their of-spring before their eyes, their houses are safe from feare, neyther is the rod of God vpon them, &c. they spend their dayes in wealth, and in a moment go downe into the graue, Iob 21. 7.8.9. &c.  Yet surely they are set in slippery places, sodainely destroyed and perished, & horribly consumed as a dreame when one awaketh:  O Lord, thou shalt make their Image despised, &c. Psal. 73. 18.19.20.

    [Footnote p:  Potestatis diabolo concess[e,] has causas ponit
    Iohannes Gerson de erroribus circa artem magicam, in dicto
    secundo.
      1º.  Obstinatorum damnationem.
      2º.  Peccatorum purgationem, & punitionem.
      3º.  Ad fidelium probationem, & exercitationem.
      4º Ad gloriae dei manifestationem]

    The seuenth Proposition.

More women in a farre different proportion prooue Witches then men, by a hundred to one; therefore the Lawe of God noteth that Sex, as more subiect to that sinne, Exodus 22. 18.  It is a common speach amongst the Iewish Rabbins, [a]many women, many Witches:  And it should seeme that this was a generally receiued opinion, for so it is noted by Pliny, Quintilian, and others, neyther doth this proceede (as some haue thought) from their frailtie and imbecillity, for in many of them there is stronger resolution, to vndergoe any torment then can bee found in man, as was made apparant in that conspiracy of Piso against Nero,[b] who commaunded that Epicharis, knowne to bee of the same faction, should first presently be set vpon the racke,
    [Sidenote:  Muliebre corpus impar dolori.]
imagining that being a woman, she would neuer bee able to ouercome the paine:  But all the tortures that he or his could deuise, were not able to draw from her the least confession of any thing that was then obiected against her.  The first dayes question shee so vtterly contemned, that the very Chaire in which they conueied her from the place, did seeme as a Chariot wherein shee rid, triumphing ouer the barbarous vsage of their inhumane cruelty.  The morrow following brought thither againe, after many rough incounters, remained so vnshaken, that wrath it selfe grew madde, to see the strokes of an obstinate and relenting fury fall so in vaine vpon the softer temper of a Woman:  and at the last tooke a scarfe from about her necke, and by it knits vp within her bosome the knowledge shee had of that fact, together with that little remainder of spirit, whereof by force and violence they laboured to depriue her.

    [Footnote a:  In Perkei ababboth.  Bodinus in confutatione
    opinionis Wieri.  Plinius in hist. natural.  Quintilianus
    Institutionum oratoriarium lib. 5. cap. 10.]

    [Footnote b:  Tacit.  Annal. lib. 15.]