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
First, The Indian _Powawes_, used all their Sorceries to molest the
first Planters here;[107] but God said unto them, _Touch them not!_
Then, _Seducing Spirits_ came to _root_ in this Vineyard, but God so
rated them off, that they have not prevail'd much farther than the
Edges of our Land.[108] After this, we have had a continual _blast_
upon some of our principal Grain, annually diminishing a vast part
of our _ordinary Food_. Herewithal, wasting _Sicknesses_, especially
Burning and Mortal Agues, have Shot the Arrows of Death in at our
Windows. Next, we have had many Adversaries of our own Language,
who have been perpetually assaying to deprive us of those _English
Liberties_, in the encouragement whereof these Territories have been
settled.[109] As if this had not been [38] enough; The _Tawnies_ among
whom we came, have watered our Soil with the Blood of many Hundreds
of our Inhabitants. Desolating _Fires_ also have many times laid the
chief Treasure of the whole Province in Ashes. As for _Losses_ by Sea,
_they_ have been multiply'd upon us: and particularly in the present
_French War_, the whole English Nation have observ'd that no part of
the Nation has proportionably had so many Vessels taken, as our poor
_New-England_. Besides all which, now at last the Devils are (if I
may so speak) _in Person_ come down upon us with such a _Wrath_, as
is justly _much_, and will quickly be _more_, the Astonishment of the
World. Alas, I may sigh over _this_ Wilderness, as _Moses_ did over
_his_, in Psal. 90. 7. 9. _We are consumed by thine Anger, and by thy
Wrath we are troubled: All our days are passed away in thy Wrath._ And
I may add this unto it, _The Wrath of the Devil too has been troubling
and spending of us, all our days_.
But what will become of this poor _New-England_ after all? Shall we
sink, expire, perish, before the _short time_ of the Devil shall be
finished?[110] I must confess, That when I consider the lamentable
_Unfruitfulness_ of men, among us, under as powerful and perspicuous
Dispensations of the Gospel, as are in the World; and when I consider
the declining state of the _Power of Godliness_ in our Churches, with
the most horrible Indisposition that perhaps ever was, to recover out
of this declension; I cannot but _Fear_ lest it comes to this, and
lest an _Asiatic_ Removal of Candlesticks come upon us. But upon some
other Accounts, I would fain _hope_ otherwise; and I will give _you_
therefore the opportunity to try what Inferences may be drawn from
these probable Prognostications.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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