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
IV. Iudicious Writers have assigned it a great place in the Conviction
of _Witches, when Persons are Impeached by other notorious Witches,
to be as ill as themselves; especially, if the Persons have been much
noted for neglecting the Worship of God_. Now, as there might have been
Testimonies enough of _G. B's_ Antipathy to _Prayer_, and the other
Ordinances of God, tho by his Profession, singularly Obliged thereunto;
so, there now came in against the Prisoner, the Testimonies of several
Persons, who confessed their own having been horrible _Witches_, and
ever since their Confessions, had been themselves terribly Tortured
by the Devils and other Witches, even like the other Sufferers; and
therein undergone the Pains of many _Deaths_ for their Confessions.
These now testified, that _G. B._ had been at Witch-meetings with them;
and that he was the Person who had Seduc'd, and Compell'd them into the
snares of Witchcraft: That he promised them _Fine Cloaths_, for doing
it; that he brought Poppets to them, and Thorns to stick into those
Poppets, for the Afflicting of other People; and that he exhorted them
with the rest of the Crew, to Bewitch all _Salem Village_, but besure
to do it Gradually; if they would prevail in what they did.
When the _Lancashire Witches_ were Condemn'd I don't remember that
there was any considerable further Evidence, than that of the
Bewitched, and than that of some that confessed. We see so much already
against _G. B._ But this being indeed not enough, there were other
things to render what had already been produced _credible_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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