N00531:30
Cases of conscience concerning evil spirits personating men, witchcrafts, infallible proofs of guilt in…
Cases of conscience concerning evil spirits personating men, witchcrafts, infallible proofs of guilt in such as are accused with that crime. All considered according to the Scriptures, history, experience, and the judgment of many learned men. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard College, at Cambridge, and teacher of a church at Boston in New-England. ; [Six lines of quotations]
Boston printed, : and sold by Benjamin Harris at the London Coffee-House., 1693
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.
10. 25. It is not for men to determine how far the Holy God may permit the wicked one to proceed in his Accusations. The sacred story of Job. giveth us to understand that the Lord whose ways are past finding out, do's for Wise and Holy Ends suffer Satan, by immediate Operation, (and consequently by Witchcraft) greatly to afflict innocent persons, as in their Bodies and Estates, so in their Reputations. I shall mention but one Scripture more to confirm the Truth in hand. It is that in, ⟨p. 10⟩Eccles. 9. 2, 3. Where it is said, All things come alike to all, there is one event to the Righteous and to the Wicked, as is the Good, so is the sinner, this is an evil amongst all things under the Sun that there is one Event happeneth to all. And in Eccles. 7. 15. tis said, There is a just man that perisheth in his Righteousness.
10. 25. It is not for men to determine how far the Holy God may permit the wicked one to proceed in his Accusations. The sacred story of Job. giveth us to understand that the Lord whose wayes are past finding out, do's for Wise and Holy Ends suffer Satan, by immediate Operation, (and consequently by Witchcraft) greatly to afflict innocent persons, as in their Bodies and Estates, so in their Reputations. I shall mention but one Scripture more to confirm the Truth in hand. It is that in, ⟨p. 10⟩Eccles. 9. 2, 3. Where it is said, All things come alike to all, there is one event to the Righteous and to the Wicked, as is the Good, so is the sinner, this is an evil amongst all things under the Sun that there is one Event happenet• to all. And in Eccles. 7. 15. tis said, There is a just man that perisheth in his Righteousness.