Irish Witchcraft and DemonologySeymour, St. John D. (St. John Drelincourt)
History
Irish Witchcraft and Demonology
Seymour, St. John D. (St. John Drelincourt)
Demonology; Witchcraft -- Ireland
At one period in their history that peculiar people, known amongst
themselves as the Society of Friends, and by their opponents as Quakers,
appear to have been most troublesome, and to have caused a good deal of
annoyance to other religious bodies. Not unnaturally their enemies
credited any wild tales which were related about them to their detriment,
especially when they had reference to their doctrine of the influence of
the Spirit. Dr. More, in his continuation to Glanvill's book, has in the
sixth Relation an account of a man, near Cambridge in England, who was
possessed by an evil spirit which led him to do the most extraordinary
things in its attempt to convert him to Quakerism. In the _Life of Mr.
Alexander Peden, late Minister of the Gospel at New Glenluce in Galloway_,
who died in 1686, there is an account of a Quakers' meeting in this
country at which the Devil appeared in most blasphemous parody of the Holy
Ghost. As Mr. Peden was travelling one time by himself in Ireland "the
night came on, and a dark mist, which obliged him to go into a house
belonging to a Quaker. Mr. Peden said, 'I must beg the favour of the roof
of your house all night.' The Quaker said, 'Thou art a stranger, thou art
very welcome and shalt be kindly entertained, but I cannot wait upon thee,
for I am going to the meeting.' Mr. Peden said, 'I will go along with
you.' The Quaker said, 'Thou may, if thou please, but thou must not
trouble us.' He said, 'I will be civil.' When they came to the meeting, as
their ordinary is, they sat for some time silent, some with their faces to
the wall, and others covered. There being a void in the loft above them
there came down the appearance of a raven, and sat upon one man's head,
who started up immediately, and spoke with such vehemence that the froth
flew from his mouth; it went to a second, and he did the same; and to a
third, who did as the former two. Mr. Peden sitting near to his landlord
said, 'Do you not see that? Ye will not deny it afterwards?' When they
dismissed, going home Mr. Peden said to him, 'I always thought there was
devilry among you, but never thought that he did appear visibly among you
till now that I have seen it.' The poor man fell a-weeping, and said, 'I
perceive that God hath sent you to my house, and put it into your heart to
go along with me, and permitted the Devil to appear visibly among us this
night. I never saw the like before. Let me have the help of your prayers.'
After this he became a singular Christian."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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