Salem Witchcraft, Volumes I and II: With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred SubjectsUpham, Charles Wentworth
History
Salem Witchcraft, Volumes I and II: With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects
Upham, Charles Wentworth
Salem (Mass.) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Witchcraft -- Massachusetts -- Salem -- History -- 17th century
"And here it is to be noted, that the story of the Mexican kingdom
(which was not founded above four hundred years before ours came
thither) relates, out of their own memorials and traditions, that they
came to that place from the _north_, whence their god, _Vitziliputzli_,
led them, going in an ark before them: and, after divers years' travel
and many stations (like enough after some generations), they came to
the place which the sign he had given them at[i.398] their first
setting-forth pointed out; where they were to finish their travels,
build themselves a _city_, and their god a _temple_, which is the place
where Mexico was built. Now, if the Devil were God's ape in _this_, why
might he not be likewise in bringing the first colony of men into that
world out of ours? namely, by oracle, as God did Abraham out of
Chaldee, whereto I before resembled it.
"But see the hand of Divine Providence. When the offspring of these
_runagates_ from the sound of Christ's gospel had now replenished that
other world, and began to flourish in those two kingdoms of Peru and
Mexico, Christ our Lord sends his mastives, the Spaniards, to hunt them
out, and worry them; which they did in so hideous a manner, as the like
thereunto scarce ever was done since the sons of Noah came out of the
ark. What an affront to the Devil was this, where he had thought to
have reigned securely, and been for ever concealed from the knowledge
of the followers of Christ!
"Yet the Devil perhaps is _less grieved_ for the loss of his servants
by the _destroying_ of them, than he would be to lose them by the
_saving_ of them; by which latter way, I doubt the Spaniards have
despoiled him but of a few. What, then, if Christ our Lord will give
him his _second affront_ with better Christians, which may be more
grievous to him than the former? And, if Christ shall set him up a
light in this manner to dazzle and torment the Devil at his own home, I
hope they (viz., the Americans) shall not so far degenerate (not all of
them) as to come into that army of Gog and Magog against the kingdom of
Christ, but be translated thither before the Devil be loosed; if not,
presently after his tying up." [i.399]
Dr. Twiss, in a reply to the above, dated April 6, 1635, thanks Mede
for his letter, which he says he read "with recreation and delight;"
and, particularly in reference to the "peopling of the New World," he
affirms that there is "more in this letter of yours than formerly I
have been acquainted with. Your conceit thereabouts, if I have any
judgment, is grave and ponderous."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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