A50177:123
The wonders of the invisible world observations as well historical as theological upon the…
The wonders of the invisible world observations as well historical as theological upon the nature, the number and the operations of the devils : accompanied with I. Some accounts of the grievous [sic] molestations by daemons and witchcrafts ... and the trials of some eminent malefactors ... II. Some councils directing a due improvement of the terrible things lately done by the unusual and amazing range of evil spirits ... III. Some conjectures upon the great events likely to befall the world in general and New England in particular ... IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland ... V. The devil discovered, in a brief discourse upon those temptations which are the more ordinary devices of the wicked one / by Cotton Mather.The wonders of the invisible world observations as well historical as theological upon the nature, the number and the operations of the devils : accompany'd with I. Some accounts of the greievous [sic] molestations by daemons and witchcrafts ... and the trials of some eminent malefactors ... II. Some councils directing a due improvement of the terrible things lately done by the unusual and amazing range of evil spirits ... III. Some conjectures upon the great events likely to befall the world in general and New England in particular ... IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland ... V. The devil discovered, in a brief discourse upon those temptations which are the more ordinary devices of the wicked one / by Cotton Mather.
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris, 1693
A Discourse: ON The Wonders of the Invisible World. › Conjecture 3: The Third Conjecture.
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.
In the Prosecution of these Witchcrafts, among a thousand other unaccountable Things, the Spectres have an odd Faculty of Clothing the most Substantial and Corporeal Instruments of Torture, with Invisibility, while the Wounds thereby given have been the most palpable Things in the World; so that the Sufferers assaulted with Instruments of Iron wholly unseen to the Standers-by, tho' to their cost seen by themselves, have upon snatching, wrested the Instruments out of the Spectres Hands, and every one has then immediately not only beheld, but handled, an Iron Instrument taken by a Devil from a Neighbour. These wicked Spectres have proceeded so far, as to Steal several Quantities of Money from divers people, part of which Money has before sufficient Spectators been dropped out of the Air into the Hands of the Sufferers, while the Spectres have been urging them to Subscribe their Covenant with Death. In such extravagant ways, have these Wretches propounded, the Dragooning of as many as they can, into their own Combination, and the Destroying of others, with Lingering, Spreading, Deadly Diseases; till our Country should at last become too hot for us. Among the Ghastly Instances of the Success which those Bloody Witches have had, we have seen even some of their own Children, so Dedicated unto the Devil, that in their Infancy, it is found, the Imps have Sucked them, and Rendered them Venomous to a Prodigy. We have also seen ⟨p. 52⟩Devils First Batteries, upon the Town, where the First Church of our Lord in this Colony was Gathered, producing those Distractions, which have almost Ruined the Town. We have seen likewise the Plague reaching afterwards into other Towns far and near, where the Houses of Good Men have the Devils filling of them with terrible Vexations! This is the Descent which, as it seems, the Devil has now made upon us. But that which makes this Descent the more formidable is; The Multitude and Quality of Persons Accused of an Interest in this Witchcraft, by the Efficacy of the Spectres which take their Name and Shape upon them; causing very many Good and Wise, men to fear, That many Innocent, yea, and some Virtuous Persons, are by the Devils in this matter Imposed upon;
In the Prosecution of these Witchcrafts, among a thousand other unaccountable Things, the Spectres have an odd Faculty of Cloathing the most Substantial and Corporeal Instruments of Torture, with Invisibility, while the Wounds thereby given have been the most palpable Things in the World; so that the Sufferers assaulted with Instruments of Iron wholly unseen to the Standersby, tho' to their cost seen by themselves, have upon snatching, wrested the Instruments out of the Spectres Hands, and every one has then immediately not only beheld, but handled, an Iron Instrument taken by a Devil from a Neighbour. These wicked Spectres have proceeded so far, as to Steal several Quantities of Mony from divers people, part of which Money has before sufficient Spectators been dropt out of the Air into the Hands of the Sufferers, while the Spectres have been urging them to Subscribe their Covenant with Death. In such extravagant wayes, have these Wretches propounded, the Dragooning of as many as they can, into their own Combination, and the Destroying of others, with Lingring, Spreading, Deadly Diseases; till our Country should at last become too hot for us. Among the Ghastly Instances of the Success which those Bloody Witches have had, we have seen even some of their own Children, so Dedicated unto the Devil, that in their Infancy, it is found, the Imps have Sucked them, and Rendred them Venemous to a Prodigy. We have also seen