A26888:173
The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls…
The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls of the malice and misery of the devils and the damned : and of the blessedness of the justified, fully evinced by the unquestionable histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadducees and infidels, by Richard Baxter.The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls of the malice and misery of the devils and the damned : and of the blessedness of the justified, fully evinced by the unquestionable histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadduces and infidels, by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for T. Parkhurst, 1691
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
IT is sad that the Sadducean, or rather Atheistical denying of Spirits, or their Apparitions should so far prevail; and sadder, that the clear Testimonies of so many Ancient and Modern Authors should not convince them. But why should I wonder, if those who believe not Moses and the Prophets, will not believe though one should rise from the Dead? One great cause of the hardening of those Infidels, is, the frequent Impostures which the Romanists obtrude on the World in their Exorcisms and pretended Miracles. Another is the too great Credulity of some who make every thing Witchcraft which they do not understand: And a third may be the Ignorance of some Judges and Juries, who condemn Silly Melancholy People upon their own Confession, and perhaps, slender Proofs. ⟨p. 83⟩None of these three can be denied, but it is impertinent arguing to conclude, that because there have been Cheats in the World, because there are some too credulous, and some have been put to Death for Witches, and were not, therefore all Men are deceived. There is so much written, both at home and abroad, so convincingly, and by so unquestionable Authors, that I have not the Vanity to add any thing, especially to you: But because you have desired me to tell you the Story of the Nuns at Loudun and some others, I shall first tell you of a •eal Possession near the place I was born in; •ext of disquietings by Spirits (both which • had from unquestionable Testimonies) and •hen I shall tell you what I saw at Loudun, concerning that which I do not doubt to •all a Pretended Possession, sure I am a Cheat. About 30 Years ago, when I was • Boy at School, there was a poor Woman generally believed to be really possessed. •he lived near the Town of Duns in the Mers; and Mr. John Weems then Minister of Duns (a Man known by his Works to be a Learned Man, and I knew him to be a Godly Honest Man) was persuaded she was possessed; I have heard him many times •peak with my Father about it, and both of •em concluded it a real Possession. Mr. •eems visited her often, and being convinced f the truth of the thing, he, with some