N00531:33
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.
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. ⟨p. 12⟩1658 to dissuade him from prosecuting his desires of Baptism into the name of Christ; Also to Mr. Earle in the likeness of his Friends, to discourage him from doing things lawful and good. A multitude of Jews were once deluded by a person pretending to be Moses from Heaven, and that if they would follow him they should pass safe through the Sea (as did their Fathers of old through' the red sea) whereby great numbers of them were deceived and perished in the waters. (w)Learned and Judicious men have concluded that this Moses Cree•sis, was a Demon, transforming himself into Moses. And that the Devil has frequently appeared (x)in the shape of famous Persons to the end that he might seduce men into Idolatry a sin equal to to that of witchcraft) no man that has made it his concern to enquire into things of this nature can be ignorant. Many Examples of this kind are collected by Mr. Bromhall in his Treatise of Spectres, and the cunning Devil, to strengthen men in their worshipping of Saints departed: And by Mr Bovet in his Pandemonium. It is credibly reported that the Devil in the likeness of a faithful Minister (at St Ives before mentioned near Boston in Lincolnshire) came to one that was in trouble of mind, telling her the longer she lived, the worse It would be for her, & therefore advising her to self-murder. An eminent Person still living had the account of this matter from Mr. Cotton (the famous Teacher of both Bostons). He