N00531:49
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.
He writes more like a Divine than Jesuits use to do, when he •aith that (z)It is not absolutely to be denied, but that the Devils may exhibit the Forms of Innocent Persons, if God permit it, who when he does permit it, usually by some Providen•s discovers the Fraud of the Devils, that so the Innocent may be vindicated, or if not, it is to bring them to Repentance for some Sin, or to try their Patience. It is rare to see such words dropping from the Pen of a Jesuit. As for Protestant Writers, I cannot call to mind one of any note, that does deny the possibility of the Affirmative, in the Question before us. Dr. Henkelius has ⟨p. 31⟩lately (a)Published a Learned and Elaborate Discourse concerning the right Method of Curing such as are Obsessed with Cacodemons, in which he asserts, that Satan may possibly assume the Form of Innocent and Pious Persons, that so be might thereby destroy their Reputations, and expose them to undue Punishments. As for our English Divines, there are not many greater Casuists than Mr. Perkins. Nor do I know any one that has written on the case of Witchcraft with more Judgment and Clearness of Understanding. He has these words (b)If a man being dangerously sick and like to dye upon Suspicion, will take it on his death, that such an one has Bewitched him, it is an allegation which may move the Judge to Examine the Party, but it is of no moment for Conviction. The like is asserted by (c)Mr. Cooper, Mr. Bernard, (once a famous Minister at Batcomb in Somerset) his Book called, A Guide to Grand-Jury-men in Cases of Witchcraft, is a solid and wise Treatise. What his Judgment was in the Case now under Debate, we may see, page 209, 210. Where his words are these: An Apparition of the Party suspected, whom the Afflicted in their Fits seem to see, is a great suspicion. Yet this is but a Presumption tho' a strong one, because these Apparitions are wrought by the Devil, who can Represent to the ⟨p. 32⟩