N00531:32
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.
Have we not known some that have bitterly censured all that have bin complained of by bewitched Persons, saying it was impossible they should not be Guilty, soon upon which themselves or some near Relations of theirs, have to the lasting Infamy of their Families been accused after the same Manner, and personated by t•e Devil? Such▪ tremendous r• •ukes on a few, should make all men to be careful how they join with Satan in Condemning the Innocent.
Have we not known some that have bitterly censured all that have bin complained of by bewi•ched Persons, saying it was impossible they should not be Guilty, soon upon which themselves or some near Relations of theirs, have to the lasting Infamy of their Families been accused after the same Manner, and personated by t•e Devil? Such▪ tremendous r• •ukes on a few, should make all men to be careful how they joyn with Satan in Condemning the Innocent.
Arg: 2. Because it is possible for the Devil in the Shape of an innocent person to do other mischiefs. As for those who acknowledge that Satan may personate a Pious Person, but not to do mischief, their opinion has been confuted by more than a few unhappy instances. Mr Clark (u)speaks of a man that had been an Atheist, or a Sadducee, not b•li• ving that there are any Devils or any (to us) invisible world, This man was converted, but as a Punishment of his Infidelity, evil Angels did often appear to him in the Shape of his most intimate Friends, and would sometimes seduce him into great inconveniences. It has bin else where and but now noted that a Demon in the Shape of excellent Mr. Dury appeared to the Turkish Chaous Ann.