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 — John Shaqi
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
insensible how much they have exposed themselves in what they have done.
Yea, they would gladly contrive and receive an expedient, how the
shedding of Blood, might be spared, by the Recovery of Witches, not gone
beyond the Reach of Pardon. And after all, they invite all good Men, in
Terms to this purpose, 'Being amazed at the Number and Quality of those
accused of late, we do not know but Satan by his Wiles may have
enwrapped some innocent Persons; and therefore should earnestly and
humbly desire the most Critical Enquiry upon the place, to find out the
Falacy; that there may be none of the Servants of the Lord, with the
Worshippers of _Baal_.' I may also add, That whereas, if once a Witch do
ingeniously confess among us, no more _Spectres_ do in their Shapes
after this, trouble the Vicinage; if any guilty Creatures will
accordingly to so good purpose confess their Crime to any Minister of
God, and get out of the Snare of the Devil, as no Minister will discover
such a Conscientious Confession, so I believe none in the Authority
will press him to discover it; but rejoyc'd in a Soul sav'd from Death.
On the other side [if I must again use the word _Side_, which yet I hope
to live to blot out] there are very worthy Men, who are not a little
dissatisfied at the Proceedings in the Prosecution of this Witchcraft.
And why? Not because they would have any such abominable thing, defended
from the Strokes of Impartial Justice. No, those Reverend Persons who
gave in this Advice unto the Honourable Council; 'That Presumptions,
whereupon Persons may be Committed, and much more Convictions, whereupon
Persons may be Condemned, as guilty of Witchcrafts, ought certainly to
be more considerable, than barely the Accused Persons being represented
by a _Spectre_ unto the Afflicted; Nor are Alterations made in the
Sufferers, by a Look or Touch of the Accused, to be esteemed an
infallible Evidence of Guilt; but frequently liable to be abused by the
Devils Legerdemains': I say, those very Men of God most conscientiously
Subjoined this Article to that Advice,--'Nevertheless we cannot but
humbly recommend unto the Government, the speedy and vigorous
Prosecution of such as have rendred themselves Obnoxious; according to
the best Directions given in the Laws of God, and the wholsome Statutes
of the _English_ Nation for the Detection of Witchcraft.' Only 'tis a
most commendable Cautiousness, in those gracious Men, to be very shye
lest the Devil get so far into our Faith, as that for the sake of many
Truths which we find he tells us, we come at length to believe any Lyes,
wherewith he may abuse us: whereupon, what a Desolation of Names would
soon ensue, besides a thousand other pernicious Consequences? and lest
there should be any such Principles taken up, as when put into Practice
must unavoidably cause the _Righteous to perish with the Wicked_; or
procure the Bloodshed of any Persons, like the _Gibeonites_, whom some
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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