N00531:38
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.
But if we therefore conclude that such a thing as this can never happen in the World, we shall offend against the Generation of the just. It i• not ordinary for Devils to be permitted to reveal the […]—sins of men; yet this ha• been done more than once or twice. Nor is it ordinary for Daemons to Steal Money out of M•ns Pockets, and Purses, or Wine and Cider out of their Cellars. Yet some such Instances have there been amongst ourselves. ⟨p. 18⟩It is not usual for Providence to permit the Devil to come from Hell and to throw Fire on the Tops of Houses, and to cause a whole Town to be burnt to Ashes thereby. There would (it must be confessed) be no living in the world if Evil-Angels should be permitted to do thus when they had a mind to it. Nevertheless, Authors worthy of Credit, tell us that this has sometimes happened. (d)Both Erasmus and Ca•••us write that the Town of Schiltach in Germany, was in the Month of April, 1533. Set on Fire by a Devil and Burnt to the Ground, in an Hou•s space. Tis also reported by Sigibert, Aventinus and others, that some Cottages and Barns in a Town called Bingus were Fired by a wicked Genius. That spiteful Daemon said it was for the Impieties of such a Man whom he named, that he was sent to molest them. The poor Man to satisfy his Neighbours, who were ready to Stone him, carried an hot Iron in his hand, but receiving no hurt thereby, he was judged to be innocent. It is not ordinary for a Devil upon the Dying Curse of a Servant, to have a Commission from Heaven to tear and torment a bloody cruel master; yet such a thing may possibly come to pass. There is a fearful Story to this purpose in the Account of the Buccaneers of America, (e)wherein my Author relates that a Servant, who was Spirited or Kidnapped (as they call it) Into America, falling into the Hands of a Tyrannical Master, he ran away from ⟨p. 19⟩him, but being taken and brought back, the hardhearted Tyrant Lashed him on his Naked Back, until his Body ran in an entire Stream of Blood.