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. It was in the Year 1669. and 1670. That at _Mohra_ in _Sweedland_,
the ==Devils== by the help of ==Witches==, committed a most horrible
outrage. Among other Instances of Hellish Tyranny there exercised,
one was, that Hundreds of their Children, were usually in the Night
fetcht from their Lodgings, to a Diabolical Rendezvouz, at a place
they called, _Blockula_, where the Monsters that so Spirited them,
==Tempted== them all manner of Ways to ==Associate== with them. Yea,
such was the perillous Growth of this _Witchcraft_, that Persons of
Quality began to send their Children into other Countries to avoid it.
II. The Inhabitants had earnestly sought God by ==Prayer==; and ==Yet==
their Affliction ==Continued==. Whereupon ==Judges== had a Special
==Commission== to find and root out the Hellish Crew; and the rather,
because another County in the Kingdom, which had been so molested, was
delivered upon the Execution of the _Witches_.
III. The ==Examination==, was begun with a Day of ==Humiliation==;
appointed by Authority.[203] Whereupon the Commissioners
==Consulting==, how they might resist such a Dangerous Flood, the
==Suffering Children==, were first Examined; and tho' they were [49]
Questioned ==One== by ==One== apart, yet their ==Declarations All
Agreed==. The ==Witches== Accus'd in these Declarations, were then
Examined; and tho' at first they obstinately ==Denied==, yet at length
many of them ingenuously ==Confessed== the Truth of what the children
had said; owning with Tears, that the ==Devil==, whom they call'd
_Loeyta_, had stopt their ==Mouths==; but he being now ==Gone== from
them, they could ==No Longer Conceal== the Business. The things by them
==Acknowledged==, most wonderfully ==Agreed== with what other Witches,
in other places had confessed.
IV. They confessed, that they did use to ==Call upon== the ==Devil==,
who thereupon would ==Carry== them away, over the Tops of Houses, to
a Green Meadow, where they gave themselves unto him. Only one of them
said, That sometimes the _Devil_ only took away her ==Strength==,
leaving her ==Body== on the ground; but she went at other times in
==Body== too.
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