Pietas in patriam the life of His Excellency Sir William Phips, Knt. late Captain…

ABOUT the Time of our Blessed Lord's coming to Reside on Earth, we read of so many possessed with Devils, that it is commonly thought the Number of such Miserable Energumens was then increased above what has been usual in other Ages; and the Reason of that Increase, ⟨p. 67⟩has been made a Matter of some Enquiry. Now though the Devils might herein design by Preternatural Operations to Blast the Miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ, which Point they Gained among the Blasphemous Pharisees; and the Devils might herein also design a villainous Imitation of what was coming to pass in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein God came to dwell in Flesh; yet I am not without suspicion that there may be something further in the Conjecture of the Learned Bartholinus hereupon, who says, It was Quod judaei praeter modum, Artibus Magicis dediti Daemonem Advocaverint, the Jews, by the frequent use of Magical Tricks, called in the Devils among them.

ABOUT the Time of our Blessed Lord's coming to Reside on Earth, we read of so many possessed with Devils, that it is commonly thought the Number of such Miserable Energumens was then encreased above what has been usual in other Ages; and the Reason of that Increase, ⟨p. 67⟩has been made a Matter of some Enquiry. Nowthough the Devils might herein design by Preternatural Operations to Blast the Miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ, which Point they Gained among the Blasphemous Pharisees; and the Devils might herein also design a villanous Imitation of what was coming to pass in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein God came to dwell in Flesh; yet I am not without suspicion that there may be something further in the Conjecture of the Learned Bartholinus hereupon, who says, It was Quod judaei praeter modum, Artibus Magicis dediti Daemonem Advocaverint, the Jews, by the frequent use of Magical Tricks, called in the Devils among them.

It is very certain, there were hardly any People in the World grown more fond of Sorceries, than that unhappy People: The Talmuds tell us of the little Parchments with Words upon them, which were their common Amulets, and of the Charms which they muttered over Wounds, and of the various Enchantments which they used against all sorts of Disasters whatsoever. It is affirmed in the Talmuds, that no less than Twenty four Scholars in one School, were killed by Witchcraft; and that no less than fourscore Persons were Hanged for Witchcraft by one Judge in one Day. The Gloss adds upon it, That the Women of Israel had generally fallen to the Practice of Witchcrafts; and therefore it was required. That there should be still chosen into the Council, One skilful in the Arts of Sorcerers, and able thereby to discover who might be guilty of those Black Arts among such as were accused before them.