The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination, (Vol. 1 of 3)Mather, Cotton
History
The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination, (Vol. 1 of 3)
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England
I say, _Thirdly_, That _as_ it fares with _Old England_, so it will be
most likely to fare with _New-England_. For which cause, by the way,
there may be more of the Divine Favour in the present Circumstances
of our dependence on _England_, than we are well aware of. This is
very sure, if matters _go ill_ with our _Mother_, her poor American
_Daughter_ here, must feel it; nor could our former Happy Settlement
have hindred our sympathy in that Unhappiness. But if matters _go Well_
in the Three Kingdoms; as long as God shall bless the English Nation,
with Rulers that shall encourage _Piety_, _Honesty_, _Industry_, in
their Subjects, and that shall cast a Benign Aspect upon the Interests
of our Glorious Gospel, _Abroad_ as well as at _Home;_ so long,
_New-England_ will at least keep its head above water: and so much
the more, for our comfortable Settlement in such a Form as we are now
cast into. Unless there should be any singular, destroying, _Topical
Plagues_, whereby an offended God should at last make us _Rise;_ But,
_Alas, O Lord, what other Hive hast thou provided for us!_
I say, _Fourthly_, That the _Elder England_ will certainly and speedily
be Visited with the _ancient loving kindness_ of God. When one sees,
how strangely the Curse of our _Joshua_, has fallen upon the Persons
and Houses of them that have attempted the Rebuilding of the _Old_
Romish _Jericho_, which has there been so far demolished, they cannot
but say, That the _Reformation_ there, shall not only be maintained,
but also pursued, proceeded, perfected; and that God will shortly
there have a _New Jerusalem_. Or, Let a Man in his thoughts run over
but the series of amazing Providences towards the English Nation for
the last _Thirty Years:_ Let him reflect, how many Plots for the
ruine of the Nation have been strangely discovered? yea, how very
unaccountably those very _Persons_, yea, I may also say, and those
very _Methods_ which were intended for the tools of that ruine, have
become the instruments or occasions of Deliverances? A man cannot but
say upon these Reflec[40]tions, as the Wife of _Manoah_ once prudently
expressed her self, _If the Lord were pleased to have Destroyed us,
He would not have shew'd us all these things_. Indeed, It is not
unlikely, that the Enemies of the English Nation, may yet provoke such
a _Shake_ unto it, as may perhaps exceed any that has hitherto been
undergone: the Lord prevent the Machinations of his Adversaries! But
that _shake_ will usher in the most _glorious Times_ that ever arose
upon the English _Horizon_. As for the _French_ Cloud which hangs over
_England_, tho' it be like to Rain showers of _Blood_ upon a Nation,
where the _Blood_ of the Blessed Jesus has been too much treated as
an _Unholy Thing;_ yet I believe God will shortly scatter it: and my
belief is grounded upon a bottom that will bear it. If that overgrown
_French Leviathan_[111] should accomplish any thing like a Conquest of
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