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Read Ebook: 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 by Mather Cotton Mather Increase
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WITCHCRAFTS.
The Answer to the Question must be Affirmative; Let the following Arguments be duely weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary.
And that evil Angels have sometimes appeared in the likeness of living absent persons, is a thing abundantly confirmed by History.
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.
Let me further add here; It has very seldom been known, that Satan has Personated innocent Men doing an ill thing, but Providence has found out some way for their Vindication; either they have been able to prove that they were in another place when that Fact was done, or the like. So that perhaps there never was an Instance of any innocent Person Condemned in any Court of Judicature on Earth, only through Satans deluding and imposing on the Imaginations of Men, when nevertheless, the Witnesses, Juries, and Judges, were all to be excused from blame.
And it is good for men to concern themselves with them as little as may be.
Let me here premise Two things,
POSTSCRIPT.
Some I hear have taken up a Notion, that the Book newly published by my Son, is contradictory to this of mine: 'Tis strange that such Imaginations should enter into the Minds of Men: I perused and approved of that Book before it was printed; and nothing but my Relation to him hindred me from recommending it to the World: But my self and Son agreed unto the humble Advice which twelve Ministers concurringly presented before his Excellency and Council, respecting the present Difficulties, which let the World judge, whether there be anything in it dissentany from what is attested by either of us.
It was in the Words following:--
FOOTNOTES:
Ambrose, Hierom, Basil, Nazianzen.
De C. D. l. 18.
Examples, Vol. 1. p. 510.
Part 1. Chap. 19. Pag. 8.
P. 75, 76.
In his Sadducism Triumph. Collection, p. 201.
P. 215. l. 1. c. 3. p. 22.
Vairus de Fascino. Lib. 2.
P. 131.
Henkelius de obsessis, pag. 86.
Ubi Supra.
P. 944.
In his Witchcraft discovered, p. 277.
Ch. 15. p. 14, &c.
Pag. 121, 122.
Lib. 7. Cap. 2.
See the Tryal, p. 40. 43. 45.
See the Printed Relation, p. 30, 31.
Ubi supra, p. 121.
Remarkable Providences, p. 267.
In his Cases about Witchcraft, p. 181.
Boisard in vita Apollonii.
Voetius, Biblioth, l. 2. Lecus, in Compend. Histor.
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