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 persons in New-England. Particularly, a narrative of the marvellous trouble and relief [sic] 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 that 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 [sic]. / Written by Cotton Mather, Minister of the Gospel. ; 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 possessed persons in New-England. Particularly, a narrative of the marvellous trouble and releef [sic] 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 that 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 [sic]. / Written by Cotton Mather, Minister of the Gospel. ; And recommended by the Ministers of Boston and Charleston.
Cotton Mather 1663–1728Boston: printed by R.P. i.e, 1689
[10], 75, 21, 40, [2], 14 p. 16 cm. (8vo) · 39k words · Evans 486 · Wing M1123
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.
The Improvement of these things now calls for our Earnest Heed; and unto each of our Three Propositions, we may annex Applications agreeable thereunto. I begin with
[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
. 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
.? 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
. 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?
[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 dayes; Fools, that say, Seeing is Beleeving; and will beleeve 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, Beleevest thou the Prophets? Thus I would say, Friend, Beleevest 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. cryed 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 Wickeness 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 joyning in the Service; and strive to kick or strike the Minister in his Prayers, but have their hands or feet strangely stopt 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 readd, 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?
That they shall Move and Fly, and Tell secret things, as no ordinary mortals can? Let me ask, Is not the hand of Joab in all this? or, Is there not a Devil whose Agency must account for things that are so extravagant? I am now to tell you, That these eye, of •ine have beheld ⟨p. 16⟩held all these things, and many other more, no less amazing. Christian, There are Devils: and so many of them too, that sometimes a Legion of them are spared for the vexation of one man. The Air in which we breath is full of them. Be sensible of this, you that obey God: there are Troops of Tempters on every side of thee. Awake, O Soul, Awake, Those Philistines of Hell are upon thee. Upon the least affrightment in the dark, many simple people cry out, The Devil! The Devil! Alas, there are Devils thronging about thee every day. O let the thought of it make then a careful and a watchful man. And be sensible of this you that commit Sin: the Lord Jesus hath said of you, Ye will do the lusts of your father the Devil. How often do many of you make a Mock and a Jeer of the Devil while you are drudging for him? But know, that there are dreadful Devils to seize upon thy forlorn forsaken soul, at its departure hence. O become a new man at the thought of this.
That they shall Move and Fly, and Tell secret things, as no ordinary mortals can? Let me ask, Is not the hand of Joab in all this? or, Is there not a Divel whose Agency must account for things that are so extravagant? I am now to tell you, That these eye, of •ine have beheld ⟨p. 16⟩held all these things, and many other more, no less amazing. Christian, There are Devils: and so many of them too, that sometimes a Legion of them are spar'd for the vexation of one man. The Air in which we breath is full of them. Be sensible of this, you that obey God: there are Troops of Tempters on every side of thee. Awake, O Soul, Awake, Those Philistines of Hell are upon thee. Upon the least affrightment in the dark, many simple people cry out, The Devil! The Devil! Alas, there are Devils thronging about thee every day. O let the thought of it make then a careful and a watchful man. And be sensible of this you that commit Sin: the Lord Jesus hath said of you, Ye will do the lusts of your father the Devil. How often do many of you make a Mock and a Jeer of the Devil while you are drudging for him? But know, that there are dreadful Devils to seize upon thy forlorn forsaken soul, at its departure hence. O become a new man at the thought of this.
2. Since there are Witches and Devils, we may conclude that there are also Immortal Souls. Devils would never contract with Witches for their Souls if there were no such things to be come a prey unto them. One of the Popes when he lay dying, said, I shall now quickly know whether I have an Immortal Soul or no. Within less than a hundred years, you & I shall be convinced of it, if we are not so before. We may truly ⟨p. 17⟩say, Devils & Witches bear a witness against them that have any scruple of it. There are some dreaming Heretics, that hold Man wholly mortal: I am sure the Apostle Paul was not of their beastly Opinion, when he said in Phil. 1. 21. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Nor was the Martyr Stephen of their Opinion, when he expired, saying, in Act. 7. 59. Lord Jesus Receive my spirit. Nor was our Lord Jesus Himself of that opinion, when He said unto the Thief on the Cross in Luc. 23. 43. This day thou shalt the with Me in Paradise. Tis an Opinion unworthy of a man that is owner of a Soul. The mistaken Indians, when first they saw a man on Horse-back, did conceit the Man and the Horse to be one Creature: it is as soul an Error to conceit that it is but one thing which man consisteth of. No, 'Tis a right Anatomy of man, in Gen. 2. 7. The Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living SOUL Remember, Thou hast in thee a living soul; or a Spirit, able to know, and will, and argue so as nothing else in the visible Creation can. This living soul is the Candle of the Lord within thee, and no Wind, no Death can ever extinguish it. O make much of this living SOUL. Save it, and don't sell it: It is a Jewel too precious to be thrown away. Do not sell thy soul for a […] Take heed that the Devils make it not their […] by any sollies of thine.
2. Since there are Witches and Devils, we may conclude that there are also Immortal Souls. Devils would never contract with Witches for their Souls if there were no such things to be come a prey unto them. One of the Popes when he lay dying, said, I shall now quickly know whether I have an Immortal Soul or no. Within less than a hundred years, you & I shall be convinced of it, if we are not so before. We may truly ⟨p. 17⟩say, Devils & Witches bear a witness against them that have any scruple of it. There are some dreaming Hereticks, that hold Man wholly mortal: I am sure the Apostle Paul was not of their beastly Opinion, when he said in Phil. 1. 21. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Nor was the Martyr Stephen of their Opinion, when he expired, saying, in Act. 7. 59. Lord Jesus Receive my spirit. Nor was our Lord Jesus Himself of that opinion, when He said unto the Theef on the Cross in Luc. 23. 43. This day thou shalt the with Me in Paradise. Tis an Opinion unworthy of a man that is owner of a Soul. The mistaken Indians, when first they saw a man on Horse-back, did conceit the Man and the Horse to be one Creature: it is as soul an Error to conceit that it is but one thing which man consisteth of. No, 'Tis a right Anatomy of man, in Gen. 2. 7. The Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living SOUL Remember, Thou hast in thee a living soul; or a Spirit, able to know, and will, and argue so asnothing else in the visible Creation can. This living soul is the Candle of the Lord within thee, and no Wind, no Death can ever extinguish it. O make much of this living SOUL. Save it, and don't sell it: It is a Jewel too precious to be thrown away. Do not sell thy soul for a 〈…〉 Take heed that the Devils make it not their 〈…〉 by any sollies of thine.
Let us wisely endeavour to be preserved from the Molestations of all Witchcraft whatsoever. Since there is a thing so dangerous, defend your selves, and shelter your selves by all right means against the annoyance of it.
Let us wisely endeavour to be preserved from the Molestations of all Witchraft whatsoever. Since there is a thing so dangerous, defend your selves, and shelter your selves by all right means against the annoyance of it.
Consider the Multitudes of them, whom Witchcraft hath sometimes given Trouble to. Persons of all sorts have been racked and ruined by it: and not a few of them neither. It is hardly twenty years ago, that a whole Kingdom in Europe was alarmed by such potent Witchcrafts, that some hundreds of poor Children were invaded with them. Persons of great Honour have sometimes been cruelly bewitched. What lately befell a worthy Knight in Scotland, is well known unto the world. Persons of great Virtue too, have been bewitched, even into their Graves. But Four years are passed since a holy man was killed in this doleful way, after the Joy as well as the Grace of GOD had been wonderfully filling of him. This Consideration should keep us from censuring of those that Witchcraft may give Disturbance to: but it should put us on studying of our own security. Suppose ye that the enchanted Family in the Town, were sinners above all the Town, because they have suffered such things. I tell ye Nay, but except ye repent, ye may all be so dealt withal. The Father of Lies uttered an awful ⟨p. 19⟩Truth when he said through the mouth of a possessed man, If God would give me leave, I would find enough in the best of you all, to make you all mine.
Consider the Multitudes of them, whom Witchcraft hath sometimes given Trouble to. Persons of all sorts have been racked and ruin'd by it: and not a few of them neither. It is hardly twenty years ago, that a whole Kingdom in Europe was alarum'd by such potent Witchcrafts, that some hundreds of poor Children were invaded with them. Persons of great Honour have sometimes been cruelly bewitched. What lately befell a worthy Knight in Scotland, is well known unto the world. Persons of great Vertue too, have been bewitched, even into their Graves. But Four years are passed since a holy man was kill'd in this doleful way, after the Joy as well as the Grace of GOD had been wonderfully filling of him. This Consideration should keep us from censuring of those that Witchcraft may give Disturbance to: but it should put us on studying of our own security. Suppose ye that the enchanted Family in the Town, were sinners above all the Town, because they have suffered such things. I tell ye Nay, but except ye repent, ye may all be so dealt withal. The Father of Lies uttered an awful ⟨p. 19⟩Truth when he said through the mouth of a possessed man, If God would give me leave, I would find enough in the best of you all, to make you all mine.
Consider also, the Misery of them whom Witchcraft may be let loose upon. If David thought it a sad thing to fall into the hands of men; What is it to fall into the hands of Devils? The Hands of Turks, of Spaniards, of Indians, are not so dreadful as those hands that Witches do their works of Darkness by. O what a direful thing is it, to be pricked with Pins, and stabbed with Knives all over, and to be filled all over with broken Bones? 'Tis impossible to reckon up the Varieties of miseries which those Monsters inflict where they can have a Blow. No less than Death, and that a languishing and a terrible Death will satisfy the Rage of those formidable Dragons. Indeed Witchcraft sometimes grows up into Possession it self: the Devils that are permitted to torment, at last do possess the Bodies of the bewitched sufferers. But who can bear the thoughts of that! who can forbear crying out, O Lord, my flesh trembles for fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy Judgements.
Consider also, the Misery of them whom Witchcraft may be let loose upon. If David thought it a sad thing to fall into the hands of men; What is it to fall into the hands of Devils? The Hands of Turks, of Spaniards, of Indians, are not so dreadful as those hands that Witches do their works of Darkness by. O what a direful thing is it, to be prick't with Pins, and stab'd with Knives all over, and to be fill'd all over with broken Bones? 'Tis impossible to reckon up the Varieties of miseries which those Monsters inflict where they can have a Blow. No less than Death, and that a languishing and a terrible Death will satisfie the Rage of those formidable Dragons. Indeed Witchcraft sometimes growes up into Possession it self: the Devils that are permitted to torment, at last do possess the Bodies of the bewitched sufferers. But who can bear the thoughts of that! who can forbear crying out, O Lord, my flesh trembles for fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy Judgements.
What shall then be done for our Preservation? Away with all superstitious Preservatives; about those Confidences the Word of God is that in Jer. 2. 37. Thou shalt not prosper in them.
The First Preservative is, A fervent PRAYER. Pour out that prayer before the Lord, in psal, 59 2, 3. Deliver me from the workers of Iniquity, and save me from the bloody ones; for lo, they •e in wait for my soul. And be much in Prayer every day. The Devils are afraid of our Prayers; they tremble and complain, and are in a sort of Anguish while our Prayers are going. There was a house of a Renowned Minister in France infested with evil Spirits; who tho' they had been very troublesome, yet when the good man was betaking himself to prayer, they would say, N•w you are going to Prayer, I'll be gone. Let us Pray much, and we need fear nothing particularly, Let Ejaculatory Prayers be almost continually in our minds, and so we shall never lie open to the ••ry darts of the wicked one.
The First Preservative is, A servent PRAYER. Pour out that prayer before the Lord, in psal, 59 2, 3. Deliver me from the workers of Iniquity, and save me from the bloody ones; for lo, they •e in wait for my soul. And be much in Prayer every day. The Devils are afraid of our Prayers; they tremble and complain, and are in a sort of Anguish while our Prayers are going. There was a house of a Renowned Minister in France infested with evil Spirits; who tho' they had been very troublesome, yet when the good man was betaking himself to prayer, they would say, N•w you are going to Prayer, I'll be gone. Let us Pray much, and we need fear nothing particularly, Let Ejaculatory Prayers be almost continually in our minds, and so we shall never ly open to the ••ry darts of the wicked one.
The Second Preservative is A lively Faith. The Psalmist well said, in Psal. 56. 2, 3, Mint enemies would daily swallow me up; At what time I am afraid I will trust in thee. Be not afraid of any Devils; If you are, turn the Fear into Faith. By Faith resign your selves to the Custody of Him that is the Keeper of Israel. By Faith persuade yourselves that He is able to keep what you have committed unto Him. Thus, Run to the Rock, and there triumph over all the powers of darkness. Triumph and say; The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: What can Hell do unto me.
The Second Preservative is A lively Faith. The Psalmist well said, in Psal. 56. 2, 3, Mint enemies would daily swallow me up; At what time I am afraid I will trust in thee. Be not afraid of any Devils; If you are, turn the Fear into Faith. By Faith resign your selves to the Custody of Him that is the Keeper of Israel. By Faith perswade yourselves that He is able to keep what you have committed unto Him. Thus, Run to the Rock, and there triumph over all the powers of darkness. Triumph and say; The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: What can Hell do unto me.
