An essay for the recording of illustrious providences

One of the Neighbours took Apples which were brought out of that house and put them into the fire; upon which they say, their houses were much disturbed. Another of the Neighbours, caused an Horse-shoe to be nailed before the doors, & as long as it remained so, they could not persuade the suspected person to go into the house; but when the Horse-shoe was gone, she presently visited them. I shall not here enlarge upon the vanity and superstition of those Experiments, reserving that for another place: All that I shall say at present is, that the Daemons whom the blind Gentiles of old worshipped, told their Servants, that such things as these would very much affect them; yea, and […] certain Characters, Signs and Charms would ⟨p. 156⟩render their power ineffectual; and accordingly they would become subject, when their own directions were obeyed. It is sport to the Devils when they see silly Men thus deluded and made fools of by them. Others were apt to think that a Seaman by some suspected to be a Conjurer, set the Devil on work thus to disquiet Morse's Family. Or it may be some other thing as yet kept hid in the secrets of providence might be the true original of all this Trouble.

One of the Neighbours took Apples which were brought out of that house and put them into the fire; upon which they say, their houses were much disturbed. Another of the Neighbours, caused an Horse-shoe to be nailed before the doors, & as long as it remained so, they could not perswade the suspected person to go into the house; but when the Horse-shoe was gone, she presently visited them. I shall not here inlarge upon the vanity and superstition of those Experiments, reserving that for another place: All that I shall say at present is, that the Daemons whom the blind Gentiles of old worshipped, told their Servants, that such things as these would very much affect them; yea, and 〈…〉 certain Characters, Signs and Charms would ⟨p. 156⟩render their power ineffectual; and accordingly they would become subject, when their own directions were obeyed. It is sport to the Devils when they see silly Men thus deluded and made fools of by them. Others were apt to think that a Seaman by some suspected to be a Conjurer, set the Devil on work thus to disquiet Morse's Family. Or it may be some other thing as yet kept hid in the secrets of providence might be the true original of all this Trouble.