The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England WitchesMather, Cotton
History
The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England -- Early works to 1800
the Lord whose ways are past finding out, does for wise and holy Ends
suffer Satan by immediate Operation, (and consequently by Witchcraft)
greatly to afflict innocent Persons, as in their Bodies and Estates, so
in their Reputations. I shall mention but one Scripture more to confirm
the Truth in hand: It is that in _Eccles. 9.2, 3._ where it is said,
_All things come alike to all, there is one event to the Righteous and
to the Wicked, as is the Good, so is the Sinner, this is an evil amongst
all things under the Sun, that there is one Event happeneth to all._ And
in _Eccles. 7.15._ 'tis said, _There is a just man that perisheth in his
Righteousness._
From hence we infer, that there is no outward Affliction whatsoever but
may befal a good Man; now to be represented by Satan as a Tormentor of
Bewitched or Possessed Persons, is a sore Affliction to a good man. To
be tormented by Satan is a sore Affliction, yet nothing but what befel
_Job_, and a Daughter of _Abraham_, whom we read of in the Gospel: To be
represented by Satan as tormenting others, is an Affliction like the
former; the Lord may bring such extraordinary Temptations on his own
Children, to afflict and humble them, for some Sin they have been guilty
of before him. A most wicked Person in St. _Ives_, got a Knife, and went
with it to a Ministers House, designing to stab him, but was
disappointed; afterwards Conscience being awakened, the Devil appears to
this Person in the Shape of that Minister, with a Knife in his hand
exhorting to Self-murder: Was not here a Punishment suitable to the Sin
which that Person had been guilty of? Perhaps some of those whom Satan
has represented as committing Witchcrafts, have been tampering with some
foolish and wicked Sorceries, tho' not to that degree, which is Criminal
and Capital by the Laws both of God and Men; for this Satan may be
permitted so to scourge them; or it may be, they have misrepresented and
abused others, for which cause the Holy God may justly give Satan leave
falsely to represent them.
Have we not known some that have bitterly censured all that have been
complained of by bewitched Persons, saying it was impossible they should
not be guilty; soon upon which themselves or some near Relations of
theirs, have been to the lasting Infamy of their Families, accused after
the same manner, and Personated by the Devil! Such tremendous Rebukes on
a few, should make all men to be careful how they joyn with Satan in
Condemning the Innocent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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