N00530:31
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 molestations, by daemons and witchcrafts, which have lately annoyed the country; and the trials of some eminent malefactors executed upon occasion thereof: with several remarkable curiosities therein occurring. II. Some councils, directing a due improvement of the terrible things, lately done, by the unusual & amazing range of evil spirits, in our neighbourhood: & the methods to prevent the wrongs which those evil angels may intend against all sorts of people among us; especially in accusations of the innocent. III. Some conjectures upon the great events, likely to befall, the world in general, and New-England in particular; as also upon the advances of the time, when we shall see better days. IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland, very much resembling, and so far explaining, that under which our parts of America have laboured! 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 grievous molestations, by daemons and witchcrafts, which have lately annoy'd the countrey; and the trials of some eminent malefactors executed upon occasion thereof: with several remarkable curiosities therein occurring. II. Some councils, directing a due improvement of the terrible things, lately done, by the unusual & amazing range of evil spirits, in our neighbourhood: & the methods to prevent the wrongs which those evil angels may intend against all sorts of people among us; especially in accusations of the innocent. III. Some conjectures upon the great events, likely to befall, the world in general, and New-England in particular; as also upon the advances of the time, when we shall see better dayes. IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland, very much resembling, and so far explaining, that under which our parts of America have laboured! 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, and sold by Benjamin Harris, 1693 i.e., 1692
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.
according to the best Directions given •n the Laws of God, and the wholesome Statutes of the English Nation, for the Detection of Witchcraft. Only, Tis a most Commendable Cautiousness, in those Gracious men, to be very Shy lest the Devil get so far into our Faith, as that for th• sake of many Truths which we fin• •e tells us, we come at length, to believe any Lies, wherewith he may abuse us: whereupon, what a Desolation of Names would soon ensue, besides a thousand other Pernicious Consequences? and lest there should be any such Principles taken up, as when put into Practice must unavoidably cause the Righteous to Perish with the Wicked; or procure the Bloodshed of any Persons, like the Gibeonites, whom some Learned men suppose to be under a false Notion of Witches, by Saul Exterminated. They would have all Due steps taken for the Extinction of Witches; but they would fain have them to be Sure ones: nor i• •t from any thing, but the Real and Hearty Goodness […] men, that they are Loth to surmise Ill of other […], till there be the fullest Evidence, for the surmises. As for the Honourable Judges, that have been hitherto in the Commission, they are Above my Consideration: wherefore, I will only say thus much of them, That such of them as I have the Honour of a Personal Acquaintance with, are Men of an Excellent Spirit; and as at first they went […] the work for which they were Commissioned, ⟨image ?⟩with a very great Aversion, so they have still been under Heart-breaking Solicitudes, how they might therein best serve, both God and Man. In fine, Have there been Faults on any Side fallen into? Surely, They have at worst been but the Faults of a well-meaning Ignorance On every Side then, Why should not we Endeavour with Amicable Correspondencies, to help one another out of the Snares, wherein the Devil would Involve us? To Wrangle the Devil, out of the Country, will be truly a New Experiment! Alas, we are not Aware of the Devil, […] we do not think, that he aims at Inflaming us one against another; & shall we suffer our selves to be Devil-Ridden? or, by any Unadvisableness, contribute unto the Widening of our Breaches?