N00531:44
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.
An Historian who deserves Credit, relates, (p)that a certain Laplander gave him a true and particular Acco••t of what had happened to him in his Journey to Lapland. And further complained to him with Tears, •hat things at a g•ea• distance were Represented to him, and how much he desired to be Delivered from that Diabolical Sight, but could not. This doubtless was caused by some Enchantment. But to proceed to what I intend. The Eyes of Persons by reason of ••••anting Charms, may not only see what others ⟨p. 25⟩do not, but be under such power of Fascination as that things which are not, shall appear to them as real. The Apostle speaks of B•w•ched Eyes. Gal. 3. 1. And we know from Scripture, that the Imaginations of men have by Enchantments been imposed upon. And Histories abound with very strange Instances of this Nature. The old Witch Circe by an enchanted Cup caused Ulysses his Companions to imagine themselves to be turned into Swine. And how many Witches have been themselves so Bewitched by the Devil, as really to believe that they were transformed into Wolves, or Dogs, or Cats. It is Reported of Simon Magus, (q)that by his Sorceri•s, he would so impose on the Imaginations of people, as that they thought he had really changed himself into another sort of Creature. Apollonius of Tyana could out-do Simon with his Magic. The great Bohemian Conjurer Zyto (r)by his Enchantments caused certain Persons, whom he had a mind to try his Art upon, to imagine that their hands were turned into the feet of an Ox, or into the Hoofs of a Horse, so that they could not reach to the Dishes before them to take any thing thence. He Sold Wisps of Straw to a Butcher, who bought them for Swine That many such prestigious Pranks were played. by the unhappy Faustus, is attested by Camerarius, Wierus, Voetius, Lavater, and Lonicer.