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
Number of Witches abounding in all places. Now Hundreds are discovered
in one Shire; and, if Fame Deceives us not, in a Village of Fourteen
Houses in the North, are found so many of this Damned Brood. Yea, and
those of both Sexes, who have Professed much Knowledge, Holiness,
and Devotion, are drawn into this Damnable Practice._ I suppose the
Doctor in the first of those Passages, may refer to what happened in
the Year 1645. When so many Vassals of the Devil were Detected, that
there were _Thirty_ try'd at one time, whereas about _fourteen_ were
Hang'd, and an Hundred more detained in the Prisons of _Suffolk_ and
_Essex_. Among other things which many of these Acknowledged, one was,
That they were to undergo certain _Punishments_, if they did not such
and such _Hurts_, as were appointed them. And, among the rest that were
then Executed, there was an Old Parson, called _Lowis_, who confessed,
That he had a couple of _Imps_, whereof _one_ was always putting him
upon the doing of Mischief; Once particularly, that _Imp_ calling for
his Consent so to do, went immediately and Sunk a _Ship_, then under
Sail.[126] I pray, let not _New-England_ become of an Unsavoury and
a Sulphurous Resentment in the Opinion of the World abroad, for the
Doleful things which are now fallen out among us, while there are such
_Histories_ of other places abroad in the World.[127] Nevertheless, I
am sure that _we_, the People of _New-England_, have cause enough to
_Humble_ our selves under our most _Humbling_ Circumstances. We must
no more be _Haughty, because of the Lords Holy Mountain among us;_
No it becomes us rather to be, _Humble, because we have been such an
Habitation of Unholy Devils!_
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