N00531:90
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.
It may be wondered that Saul who did like him that said, Flectere si nequeo Superos Ac•eronta Movebo, should cause the Wizards in the land to be put to death. The Jewish Rabbis say, the reason was because those Wizards foretold that David should be King. It is (as Mr. Gaul (k)observes) the opinion of some learned Protestants, that Saul in his Zeal did overdo. And that under the Pretext (l)of Witches he slew the Gibeonites, for which that Judgment followed. 2 Sam. 21. 1. Neither (saith Mr. Gaule) want we the storied Examples of Gods Judgments upon those that defamed, prosecuted and executed them for Witches that indeed were none. But we have in the Scripture the Example of a better Man than Saul to encourage us to make Enquiry after ⟨p. 59⟩Wizards & Witches in order to their Conviction and Execution. This did the rarest King that ever lived, cause to be done, Viz. Josiah. 2▪ Kings 23. 24. The Workers with Familiar Spirits and the Wizards, that were spied in the Land of Judah, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the Law. It seems there were some that sought to hide those Workers of Iniquity, but that incomparable King •pied them out, and rid the Land & the World of them.
It may be wondred that Saul who did like him that said, Flectere si nequeo Superos Ac•eronta Movebo, should cause the Wizzards in the land to be put to death. The Jewish Rabbies say, the reason was because those Wizzards foretold that David should be King. It is (as Mr. Gaul (k)observes) the opinion of some learned Protestants, that Saul in his Zeal did overdo. And that under the Pretext (l)of Witches he slew the Gibeonites, for which that Judgment followed.