Thisperpetualfear，alwaysaccompanyingmankindintheignoranceofcauses，asitwereinthedark，mustneedshaveforobjectsomething。Andthereforewhenthereisnothingtobeseen，thereisnothingtoaccuseeitheroftheirgoodorevilfortunebutsomepoweroragentinvisible：inwhichsenseperhapsitwasthatsomeoftheoldpoetssaidthatthegodswereatfirstcreatedbyhumanfear：which，spokenofthegodsthatistosay，ofthemanygodsoftheGentiles，isverytrue。ButtheacknowledgingofoneGodeternal，infinite，andomnipotentmaymoreeasilybederivedfromthedesiremenhavetoknowthecausesofnaturalbodies，andtheirseveralvirtuesandoperations，thanfromthefearofwhatwastobefallthemintimetocome。Forhethat，fromanyeffectheseethcometopass，shouldreasontothenextandimmediatecausethereof，andfromthencetothecauseofthatcause，andplungehimselfprofoundlyinthepursuitofcauses，shallatlastcometothis，thattheremustbeaseventheheathenphilosophersconfessedoneFirstMover；thatis，afirstandaneternalcauseofallthings；
whichisthatwhichmenmeanbythenameofGod：andallthiswithoutthoughtoftheirfortune，thesolicitudewhereofbothinclinestofearandhindersthemfromthesearchofthecausesofotherthings；andtherebygivesoccasionoffeigningofasmanygodsastherebementhatfeignthem。
Andforthematter，orsubstance，oftheinvisibleagents，sofancied，theycouldnotbynaturalcogitationfalluponanyotherconceptbutthatitwasthesamewiththatofthesoulofman；andthatthesoulofmanwasofthesamesubstancewiththatwhichappearethinadreamtoonethatsleepeth；orinalooking-glasstoonethatisawake；which，mennotknowingthatsuchapparitionsarenothingelsebutcreaturesofthefancy，thinktoberealandexternalsubstances，andthereforecallthemghosts；astheLatinscalledthemimaginesandumbraeandthoughtthemspiritsthatis，thinaerialbodies，andthoseinvisibleagents，whichtheyfeared，tobelikethem，savethattheyappearandvanishwhentheyplease。Buttheopinionthatsuchspiritswereincorporeal，orimmaterial，couldneverenterintothemindofanymanbynature；because，thoughmenmayputtogetherwordsofcontradictorysignification，asspiritandincorporeal，yettheycanneverhavetheimaginationofanythingansweringtothem：andtherefore，menthatbytheirownmeditationarrivetotheacknowledgementofoneinfinite，omnipotent，andeternalGodchooserathertoconfessHeisincomprehensibleandabovetheirunderstandingthantodefineHisnaturebyspiritincorporeal，andthenconfesstheirdefinitiontobeunintelligible：oriftheygivehimsuchatitle，itisnotdogmatically，withintentiontomaketheDivineNatureunderstood，butpiously，tohonourHimwithattributesofsignificationsasremoteastheycanfromthegrossnessofbodiesvisible。
Then，forthewaybywhichtheythinktheseinvisibleagentswroughttheireffects；thatistosay，whatimmediatecausestheyusedinbringingthingstopass，menthatknownotwhatitisthatwecallcausingthatis，almostallmenhavenootherruletoguessbybutbyobservingandrememberingwhattheyhaveseentoprecedethelikeeffectatsomeothertime，ortimesbefore，withoutseeingbetweentheantecedentandsubsequenteventanydependenceorconnexionatall：
andthereforefromthelikethingspast，theyexpectthelikethingstocome；andhopeforgoodorevilluck，superstitiously，fromthingsthathavenopartatallinthecausingofit：astheAtheniansdidfortheirwaratLepantodemandanotherPhormio；thePompeianfactionfortheirwarinAfrica，anotherScipio；andothershavedoneindiverseotheroccasionssince。Inlikemannertheyattributetheirfortunetoastanderby，toaluckyorunluckyplace，towordsspoken，especiallyifthenameofGodbeamongstthem，ascharming，andconjuringtheliturgyofwitches；insomuchastobelievetheyhavepowertoturnastoneintobread，breadintoaman，oranythingintoanything。