Memorable providences relating to witchcrafts and possessions a faithful account of many wonderful and…

and because I am somewhat a kin to the said Increase Mather, whom the Ani-mad-versions of this Keith have made such an Assault upon, that were I more dumb than the Son of Croesus himself, yet I must have spoken at the Provocation, I am willing to satisfy our little Author so far as to Answer these Three Things upon him: Yet I would so far observe one of Solomon's Rules in my Answer, as not to use upon him some Terms of his Art which as a Specimen of his breeding he bestows upon Increase Mather; but offer a few just Reflections on this new Apostle (no doubt a Successor to one of the old ones) unto the world.

and because I am somewhat a kin to the said Increase Mather, whom the Ani-mad-versions of this Keith have made such an Assault upon, that were I more dumb than the Son of Croesus himself, yet I must have spoken at the Provocation, I am willing to satisfie our little Authour so far as to Answer these Three Things upon him: Yet I would so far observe one of Solomon's Rules in my Answer, as not to use upon him some Terms of his Art which as a Specimen of his breeding he bestows upon Increase Mather; but offer a few just Reflections on this new Apostle (no doubt a Successor to one of the old ones) unto the world.

First. He charges my absent Father, with Gross Abuses, Lies, and Slanders; and yet he denies not the Truth of the Stories, the Relation of which flings him into this foaming Rage. He charges him just as last year he did the rest of the Ministers of Boston. He sent us a written Challenge, which begins, I being well assured by the Spirit of God, that the Doctrine ye preach to the People is false—and he then reckons up Twelve Articles (he says) of our Doctrine, the Twelfth of which is directly contrary ⟨p. 5⟩to what we assert, and maintain and preach every day. This was his Inspiration then! and such is his Narration now. Increase Mather pens Truths, and yet, it seems writes Lies. But where is Increase Mather's Crime? Why, our Animadvertor tells us, I. M. relates these stories on purpose to abuse the honest and sober people called Quakers, without making any Distinction—But what Metal is this man's Forehead made of? Reader, you shall find my Fathers introduction to his Histories to be, All wise men that are acquainted therewith, observe the blasting rebukes of Heaven upon the late SINGING and Dancing Quakers. And his Inference from them is, That The Quakers are SOME of them undoubtedly possessed with evil spirits; and his Conclusion is, We may, by this, judge whose servants the Singing Quakers are. Behold how carefully he has Repeated the very Distinction which this waspish man complains at the Omission of! Besides, he had no need of making any Distinction at all. That the Quakers fall out among themselves, is but a natural Consequence of their Tempers and Errors, which cannot be otherwise than Incoherent; and sometimes, their Credit forces them to Explode in one another, what they (wish they could but) can't Excuse. Tho it seems if a Woman dress her self like a Devil, and fright some of her Sex almost out of their Lives, on a Lords Day, in