A26888:228
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.
The words are spoken of Medea a Witch. But the Child her self being immixt with us in our Debates, and of a Capacity above her years, soon resolved this Difficulty for me. Doubt not, said she, but that these things come out of me, and with that she, caught my Hand, and put it to her Throat.
Feel, Sir, said she, a Pin without a Head a coming up, and which will come out presently. I felt, and immediately when I thought verily I held it fast betwixt the fingers of my left Hand within her Throat, I perceived it to be forced Violently from me, and presently seeing the Child a bowing to spit, I received it in my right Hand; and I have showed it since to several incredulous ⟨p. 115⟩Persons, and still keep it by me, to show to the Curious, with Points, Feathers, Thread, Straw, and other like Materials. In like manner, I have frequently at other times, felt the ends of Points, while they were yet in the very Orifice of her Stomach, and while they were coming up, and ready to come out of her Mouth, all who were Curious to make Experiments, imagined they could hold the end of the point in the middle of her Throat; but the crafty Demon, Defeated all their Attempts. After she had been exorcised at Liege for some weeks to no purpose, her Mother had a great desire to carry her to Hus, to a Chapel newly Built and Consecrated to the Honour of the Blessed Virgin, and believed by the vulgar, to be very Famous for Miracles. While her Mother and Friends which Accompanied her, employed their time at the usual Solemnities there, daily confessing, and receiving the Blessed Sacrament; but with no effect, they bring the Child back to my House, not one •ot the better, but the worse by a Hydrophobia, or as I would rather call it, a Stygrophobia, or fearfulness of moist things, so called, very sad and Disconsolate, and Despairing of her Life, yea, praying for her Death. She came back to me, about the midst of Autumn, refusing not only Wine, Beer, Mead, and all Water; but also boiled Meat, and Bread steep ⟨p. 116⟩in Broth or Wine, and at last, all White and Wheaten Bread: I believe, because the one was made with Milk, and the other with Water, as is usual with us. For which Reason, for forty days time, she lived on nothing but Apples, Raisins, Nuts, Almonds, and other Fruits proper to the Season, yet for all this, the rosy blush in her Cheeks was not Diminished, nor the Milky snow of her Forehead. At last for fifteen Days and Nights together, she took neither Meat nor Drink. How she could pass so many Days without either Meat or Drink: I confess my self ignorant; but that so it was, I do avow, and all my Family are ready with me, most Solemnly to Depose upon Oath.