A50139:228
Memorable providences relating to witchcrafts and possessions a faithful account of many wonderful and…
Memorable providences relating to witchcrafts and possessions a faithful account of many wonderful and surprising things that have befallen several bewitched and possessed person in New-England, particularly a narrative of the marvellous trouble and relief experienced by a pious family in Boston, very lately and sadly molested with evil spirits : whereunto is added a discourse delivered unto a congregation in Boston on the occasion of that illustrious providence : as also a discourse delivered unto the same congregation on the occasion of an horrible self-murder committed in the town : with an appendix in vindication of a chapter in a late book of remarkable providences from the calumnies of a Quaker at Pen-silvania / written by Cotton Mather ... and recommended by the ministers of Boston and Charleston.Memorable providences relating to witchcrafts and possessions a faithful account of many wonderful and surprising things that have befallen several bewitched and possesed person in New-England, particularly a narrative of the marvellous trouble and releef experienced by a pious family in Boston, very lately and sadly molested with evil spirits : whereunto is added a discourse delivered unto a congregation in Boston on the occasion of that illustrious providence : as also a discourse delivered unto the same congregation on the occasion of an horrible self-murder committed in the town : with an appendix in vindication of a chapter in a late book of remarkable providences from the calumnies of a Quaker at Pen-silvania / written by Cotton Mather ... and recommended by the ministers of Boston and Charleston.
Boston: printed by R.P., 1689
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.
I. By way of INFORMATION.
There are especially Two Inferences to be drawn from this Position, That, Such a thing there is as Witchcraft in the world.
[First.] Since there are Witches, we are to suppose that there are Devils too. Those are the Objects that Witches converse withal. It was the Heresy of the ancient Sadducees in Act. 23. 8. The Sadducees do say, That there is neither Angel nor spirit. And there are multitudes of Sadducees yet in our days; Fools, that say, Seeing is Believing; and will believe nothing but what they see. A Devil, is in the apprehension of those Mighty acute Philosophers, no more than a Quality, or a Distemper. But, as Paul said unto Him of old, King Agrippa, Believest thou the Prophets? Thus I would say, Friend, Believest thou the Scriptures? I pray, What sort of things were they, of whom we read in Jude. 6.? Angels that kept not their first estate, but left their own Habitation, and be reserved in chains unto the judgment of the great day. What sort of things were they, who in Matth. 18. 16. Besought our Lord, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go into the herd of swine? What thing was that, which in Luc. 4. 33. cried out unto the Lord Jesus with a loud voice, Let us alone? Surely, These things could be none but Spiritual and rational substances, full of all Wickedness against God, and Enmity against Man. We shall come to have no Christ ⟨p. 15⟩but a Light within, and no Heaven but a Frame of mind; if the Scriptures must be expounded after the Rules of the modern Sadducees. Perhaps tho' the Scriptures are Fables to that sort of men. Come then, thou Sadducee, What kind of thing is that which will so handle towardly ingenuous well-disposed persons, That if any Devotions be performed, they shall roar & tear unreasonably, and have such Noises and such Tortures in them, as not only to hinder themselves wholly, but others too much from joining in the Service; and strive to kick or strike the Minister in his Prayers, but have their hands or feet strangely stopped when they are just come at him, and yet be quiet before and after the Worship? That if any Idle or Useless Discourse be going, they shall be well, but at any serious Discourse they shall be tormented in all their Limbs? That If a portion of the Bible be read, tho they see and hear nothing of it, and tho, it may be, in Greek or Hebrew too, they shall fall into terrible Agonies, which will be over when the Bible is laid aside? That they shall be able to peruse whole Pages of Evil Books, but scarce a Line of a good one?