N00530:345
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.
VII. To Dispute the Divine Original and Authority of Gods Word, is not the least of those Temptations with which the Devil Troubles us. God from Heaven, had newly said unto our Lord, This is my Beloved Son; but now the Devil would have him to make a Dispute of it, If thou be the Son of God. The Devil durst not be so Impudent, and Brazen-faced, as to bid men use Pharaohs Language, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice? But he will whisper into our Ears, what he did unto our Mother Eve of old, It is not the Lord, that hath spoken, what you call his Word. The Devil would have men say unto the Scripture, what they said unto the Prophet, in Jer. 43.2. Thou speakest falsely; the Lord our God hath not sent thee to speak what thou sayest unto us; and he would fain have secret and cursed Misgivings in our Hearts, That things are not altogether so as the Scripture has represented them. The Devil would wit• all his Heart, make one huge Bonfire of all the Bibles in the World; and he has got millions of Persecutors to assist him in the Suppression of that Miraculous Book. It was the Devil once in the Tongue of a Papist that cried out, A Plague on this Bible; this 'tis that ⟨p. 19⟩does all our mischief. But because he can't Suppress this Book, he sets himself, to Disgrace it all that he can. Although' the Scripture carries its own Evidence with it, and be all over, so pure, so great, so true, and so powerful, that it is impossible it should proceed from any but God alone; yet the Devil would gladly bring some Discredit upon it, as if it were but some Humane Contrivance; Of nothing, is the Devil more desirous, than this; That we should not count, Christ so precious, Heaven so Glorious, Hell so Dreadful, and Sin so odious, as the Scripture has declared it.
VII. To Dispute the Divine Original and Authority of Gods Word, is not the least of those Temptations with which the Devil Troubles us. God from Heaven, had newly said unto our Lord, This is my Beloved Son; but now the Devil would have him to make a Dispute of it, If thou be the Son of God. The Devil durst not be so Impudent, and Brasen-faced, as to bid men use Pharaohs Language, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice? But he will whisper into our Ears, what he did unto our Mother Eve of old, It is not the Lord, that hath spoken, what you call his Word. The Devil would have men say unto the Scripture, what they said unto the Prophet, in