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
V. Grievous and Pulling Hurries to _Self-Murder_ are none of the
smallest outrages, which the Devil in his _Temptations_ commits upon
us. Why, did the Devil say to our Lord, _Cast thy self down_, but in
hopes that our Lord would have broke his Bones, in the fall? The Devil
is an _Old Murtherer;_ and he loves to _Murder_ men; but no _Murder_
gives him so much satisfaction, as that which at his instigation, men
perpetrate upon themselves. We [93] see that such as are _Bewitched_
and _Possessed_ by the Devil, do quickly lay violent hands upon
themselves, if they be not watched continually, and we see that when
persons have begun that _Unnatural_ business of _killing themselves_,
there is a _Preternatural_ Stupendious Prodigious Assistance, by the
Devil given thereunto. When people are going to Harm themselves, we
call upon them, like those to the Jailor, in _Acts_ 16. 28. _Do thy
self no harm!_ And we have this Argument for it, _It is the Devil
that is dragging of you to this mischief; but will you believe, will
you obey such an one as the Devil is?_ What was it that made Judas to
strangle himself? We read it was when the _Devil was in him_. I suppose
there are few _self-murderers_, but what are first very strangely
fallen into the Devils hands; and possibly, 'tis by some Extraordinary
_Discontent_, against God, or _back-sliding_ from him, that the Devil
first entred into those disturbed Souls. Indeed, some very great Saints
of God, have sometimes had hideous Royls raised by the Devil in their
minds; untill they have e'en cry'd out with _Job, I choose strangling
rather than life;_ and sometimes the ill Humours or Vapours in the
Bodies of such Good Men, do so harbour the Devil that they have this
woful motion every day thence made unto them; _You must kill your
self! you must! you must!_ But it is rarely any other than a _Saul_,
an _Abimelek_, an _Achitophel_, or a _Judas;_ rarely any other, than
a very Reprobate, whom the Devil can drive, while the man is _Compos
Mentis_, to Consummate such a Villany. Yea, no Child of God, in his
Right Senses can go so far in this impiety, as to be left without all
Time and Room for true _Repentance_ of the Crime; 'tis _thus_ done,
by none but those that go to the Devil. A _self-murder_, acted by one
that is upon other accounts a Reasonable man, is but such an attempt of
Revenge upon the God that made him, as none but one full of the Devil
can be guilty of. If any of you are Dragoon'd by the Devil, unto the
murdering of your selves, my Advice to you is, _Disclose it, Reveal
it, make it known immediately_. One that Cut his own Throat among us,
Expired crying out, _O that I had told! O that I had told_. You may
spoil the Devil, if you'l _Tell_ what he is a doing of.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account