The Wonders of the Invisible World Part 8

One _Whetford_ particularly ten years ago, challenging of _Bridget Bishop_ (whose Trial you have had) with steeling of a Spoon, _Bishop_ threatned her very direfully: presently after this, was _Whetford_ in the Night, and in her Bed, visited by _Bishop_, with one _Parker_, who making the Room light at their coming in, there discoursed of several mischiefs they would inflict upon her. At last they pull'd her out, and carried her unto the Sea-side, there to _drown_, her; but she calling upon G.o.d, they left her, tho' not without Expressions of their Fury.

From that very time, this poor _Whetford_ was utterly spoilt, and grew a Tempted, Froward, Crazed sort of a Woman; a vexation to her self, and all about her; and many ways unreasonable. In this Distraction she lay, till those women were Apprehended, by the Authority; _then_ she began to mend; and upon their Execution, was presently and perfectly Recovered, from the ten years madness that had been upon her.

A FOURTH CURIOSITIE.

IV. 'Tis a thousand pitties, that we should permit our Eyes, to be so _Blood-shot_ with pa.s.sions, as to loose the sight of many wonderful things, wherein the Wisdom and Justice of G.o.d, would be Glorify'd. Some of those things, are the frequent Apparitions of Ghosts, whereby many Old Murders among us, come to be considered. And, among many instances of this kind, I will single out one, which concerned a poor man, lately _Prest_ unto Death, because of his Refusing to _Plead_ for his Life. I shall make an Extract of a Letter, which was written to my Honourable Friend, _Samuel Sewal_, Esq.; by Mr. _Putman_, to this purpose;

'The Last Night my Daughter _Ann_, was grievously Tormented by Witches, Threatning that she should be _Pressed_ to Death, before _Giles Cory_.

But thro' the Goodness of a Gracious G.o.d, she had at last a little Respite. Whereupon there appeared unto her (she said) a man in a Winding Sheet, who told her that _Giles Cory_ had Murdered him, by _Pressing_ him to Death with his Feet; but that the Devil there appeared unto him, and Covenanted with him, and promised him, _He should not be Hanged._ The Apparition said, G.o.d Hardned his heart; that he should not hearken to the Advice of the Court, and so Dy an easy Death; because as it said, _It must be done to him as he has done to me._ The Apparition also said, That _Giles Cory_, was carry'd to the Court for this, and that the Jury had found the Murder, and that her Father knew the man, and the thing was done before she was born. Now Sir, This is not a little strange to us; that no body should Remember these things, all the while that _Giles Cory_ was in Prison, and so often before the Court. For all people now Remember very well, (and the Records of the Court also mention it,) That about Seventeen Years ago, _Giles Cory_ kept a man in his House, that was almost a Natural Fool: which Man Dy'd suddenly. A Jury was impannel'd upon him, among whom was Dr. _Zorobbabel Endicot_; who found the man bruised to Death, and having clodders of Blood about his Heart.

The Jury, whereof several are yet alive brought in the man Murdered; but as if some Enchantment had hindred the Prosecution of the Matter, the Court Proceeded not against _Giles Cory_, tho' it cost him a great deal of Mony to get off.' Thus the Story.

_The Reverend and Worthy Author, having at the Direction of His EXCELLENCY the Governour, so far Obliged the Publick, as to give some Account of the Sufferings brought upon the Countrey by +Witchcraft+; and of the Tryals which have pa.s.sed upon several Executed for the Same:_

_Upon Perusal thereof, We find the Matters of Fact and Evidence, Truly reported. And a Prospect given, of the +Methods of Conviction+, used in the Proceedings of the Court at +Salem+_

Boston Octob. 11. William Stoughton 1692. Samuel Sewall.

But is _New-England_, the only Christian Countrey, that hath undergone such Diabolical Molestations? No, there are other Good people, that have in this way been hara.s.sed; but none in circ.u.mstances more like to _Ours_, than the people of G.o.d, in _Sweedland_. The story is a very Famous one; and it comes to Speak English by the Acute Pen of the Excellent and Renowned Dr. _Horneck_. I shall only single out a few of the more Memorable pa.s.sages therein Occurring; and where it agrees with what happened among ourselves, my Reader shall understand, by my inserting a Word of every such thing in Black Letter.

I. It was in the Year 1669. and 1670. That at _Mohra_ in _Sweedland_, the Devils by the help of Witches, committed a most horrible outrage.

Among other Instances of h.e.l.lish Tyranny there exercised. One was, that Hundreds of their Children, were usually in the Night fetcht from their Lodgings, to a Diabolical Rendezvouz, at a place they called, _Blockula_, where the Monsters that so Spirited them, Tempted them all manner of Ways to a.s.sociate with them. Yea, such was the perillous Growth of this _Witchcraft_, that Persons of Quality began to send their Children into other Countries to avoid it.

II. The Inhabitants had earnestly sought G.o.d by Prayer; and Yet their Affliction Continued. Whereupon Judges had a Special Commission to find and root out the h.e.l.lish Crew; and the rather, because another County in the Kingdom, which had been so molested, was delivered upon the Execution of the _Witches_.

III. The Examination, was begun with a Day of Humiliation; appointed by Authority. Whereupon the Commissioners Consulting, how they might resist such a Dangerous Flood, the Suffering Children, were first Examined; and tho' they were Questioned One by One apart, yet their Declarations All Agreed. The Witches Accus'd in these Declarations, were then Examined; and tho' at first they obstinately Denied, yet at length many of them ingeniously Confessed the Truth of what the children had said; owning with Tears, that the Devil, whom they call'd _Locyta_, had Stopt their Mouths; but he being now Gone from them, they could No Longer Conceal the Business. The things by them Acknowledged, most wonderfully Agreed with what other Witches, in other places had confessed.

IV. They confessed, that they did use to Call upon the Devil, who thereupon would Carry them away, over the Tops of Houses, to a Green Meadow, where they gave themselves unto him. Only one of them said, That sometimes the _Devil_ only took away her Strength, leaving her Body on the ground; but she went at other times in Body too.

V. Their manner was to come into the Chambers of people, and fetch away their children upon Beasts, of the Devils providing: promising Fine Cloaths and other Fine Things unto them, to inveagle them. They said, they never had power to do thus, till of late; but now the Devil did Plague and Beat them, if they did not gratifie him, in this piece of Mischief. They said, they made use of all sorts of Instruments in their Journeys! Of Men, of Beasts, of Posts; the _Men_ they commonly laid asleep at the place, whereto they rode them; and if the children mentioned the Names of them that stole them away, they were miserably Scurged for it, until some of them were killed. The Judges found the marks of the Lashes on some of them; but the Witches said, They would Quickly vanish. Moreover the Children would be in strange Fits, after they were brought Home from these Transportations.

VI. The First Thing, they said, they were to do at _Blockula_, was to give themselves unto the Devil, and Vow that they would serve him.

Hereupon, they cut their Fingers, and with Blood writ their Names in his Book. And he also caused them to be Baptised by such Priests, as he had, in this Horrid company. In some of them, the Mark of the cut Finger was to be found; they said, that the Devil gave Meat and Drink, as to _Them_, so to the Children they brought with them: that afterwards their Custom was to _Dance_ before him; and _swear_ and _curse_ most horribly; they said, that the Devil show'd them a great, Frightful, Cruel _Dragon_, telling them, If they confessed any Thing, he would let loose that Great Devil upon them; they added, that the Devil had a Church, and that when the Judges were coming, he told them, he would kill them all; and that some of them had Attempted to Murder the Judges, but could not.

VII. Some of the Children, talked much of a White Angel, which did use to Forbid them, what the Devil had bid them to do, and a.s.sure them that these doings would Not last long; but that what had been done was permitted for the wickedness of the People. This White Angel, would sometimes rescue the Children, from Going in, with the Witches.

VIII. The Witches confessed many mischiefs done by them, declaring with what kind of Enchanted Tools, they did their Mischiefs. They sought especially to kill the Minister of _Elfdale_, but could not. But some of them said, that such as they wounded, would Be recovered, upon or before their Execution.

IX. The Judges would fain have seen them show some of their Tricks; but they Unanimously declared, that, Since they had confessed, all, they found all their Witchcraft gone; and the Devil then Appeared very Terrible unto them, threatning with an Iron Fork, to thrust them into a Burning Pit, if they persisted in their Confession.

X. There were discovered no less than _threescore and ten_ Witches in One Village, three and twenty of which freely confessing their Crimes, were condemned to dy. The rest, (One pretending she was with Child) were sent to _Fahluna_, where most of them were afterwards executed. Fifteen Children, which confessed themselves engaged in this Witchery, dyed as the rest. Six and Thirty of them between _nine_ and _sixteen_ years of Age, who had been less guilty, were forced to run the Gantlet, and be lashed on their hands once a Week, for a year together; twenty more who had less inclination to these Infernal enterprises, were lashed with Rods upon their Hands for three Sundays together, at the Church door; the number of the seduced Children, was about three hundred. This course, together with Prayers, in all the Churches thro' the Kingdom, issued in the deliverance of the Country.

XI. The most Accomplished Dr. _Horneck_ inserts a most wise caution, in his preface to this Narrative, says he, _there is no Public Calamity, but some ill people, will serve themselves of the sad providence, and make use of it for their own ends; as +Thieves+ when an house or town is on fire, will steal what they can._ And he mentions a Remarkable Story of a young Woman, at _Stockholm_, in the year 1676, Who accused her own Mother of being a Witch; and swore positively, that she had carried her away in the Night; the poor Woman was burnt upon it: professing her innocency to the last. But tho' she had been an Ill Woman, yet it afterwards prov'd that she was not _such_ an one; for her Daughter came to the Judges, with hideous Lamentations, Confessing, That she had wronged her Mother, out of a wicked spite against her; whereupon the Judges gave order for her Execution too.

But, so much of these things; And, now, _Lord, make these Labours of thy Servant, Profitable to thy People._

MATTER OMITTED IN THE TRIALS.

Nineteen Witches have been Executed at _New-England_, one of them was a Minister, and two Ministers more are Accus'd. There is a hundred Witches more in Prison, which broke Prison, and about two Hundred more are Accus'd, some Men of great Estates in _Boston_, have been accus'd for _Witchcraft_. Those Hundred now in Prison accus'd for Witches, were Committed by fifty of themselves being _Witches_, some of _Boston_, but most about _Salem_, and the Towns Adjacent. Mr. _Increase Mather_ has Published a Book about _Witchcraft_, occasioned by the late Trials of Witches, which will be speedily printed in _London_ by _John Dunton_.

THE DEVIL DISCOVERED.

2 Cor. II. 11. _We are not Ignorant of His DEVICES._

Our Blessed Saviour has blessed us, with a counsil, as Wholsome and as Needful as any that can be given us, in _Math. 26.41._ _Watch and Pray, that yee Enter not into Temptation._ As there is a Tempting _Flesh_, and a Tempting _World_, which would seduce us from Our Obedience to the Laws of G.o.d, so there is a Busy _Devil_, who is by way of Eminency called, _The Tempter_; because by him, the Temptations of the _Flesh_ and the _World_ are managed.

It is not _One Devil_ alone, that has Cunning or Power enough to apply the Mult.i.tudes of _Temptations_, whereby Mankind is daily diverted from the Service of G.o.d; No, the _High Places_ of Our Air, are Swarming full of those _Wicked Spirits_, whose Temptations trouble us; they are so many, that it seems no less than a _Legion_, or more than twelve thousands may be spared, for the Vexation of one miserable man. But because those Apostate Angels, are all _United_, under one Infernal Monarch, in the Designs of Mischief, 'tis in the Singular Number, that they are spoken of. Now, the _Devil_, whose Malice and Envy, prompts him to do what he can, that we may be as unhappy as himself, do's ordinarily use more _Fraud_, than _Force_, in his a.s.saulting of us; he that a.s.sail'd our First Parents, in a _Serpent_, will still _Act Like a Serpent_, rather than a _Lion_, in prosecuting of his wicked purposes upon us, and for us to guard against the _Wiles_ of the _Wicked One_, is one of the greatest cares, with which our G.o.d ha's charged us.

We are all of us liable to various _Temptations_ every day, whereby if we are carried aside from the strait _Paths of Righteousness_, we get all sorts of wounds unto our selves. Of _Temptations_, I may say, as the Wise Man said, of _Mortality_; _there is no discharge from that war._ The _Devils_ fell hard upon both _Adams_, nor may any among the Children of both, imagine to be excused. The _Son_ of G.o.d Himself, had this _Dog_ of h.e.l.l, barking at Him; and much more may the Children of _Men_, look to be thus Visited; indeed, there is hardly any _Temptation_, but what is, _Common to Man_. When I was considering, how to spend one Hour in Raising a most Effectual and Profitable _Breast-work_, against the inroads of this Enemy, I perceived it would be done, by a short answer to this.

CASE.

_What are those Usual +Methods+ of +Temptation+, with which the Powers of Darkness do a.s.sault the Children of Men?_

The _Corinthians_, having upon the Apostles Direction, Excommunicated one of their Society, who had married his Mother-in-law, & this, as it is thought, while his own Father was Living too; the Apostle encourages them to Re-admit that man, upon his very deep and sharp _Repentance_. He gives divers Reasons of his propounding this unto them; whereof one is, _Lest Satan should get advantage of them_; for, had the man miscarried, under any Rigour of the Sentence continued upon him, after his _Repentance_, 'tis well if the Church itself had not quickly fallen to pieces thereupon; besure, the Success of the Gospel had been more than a little Incommoded. The Apostle upon this Occasion, intimates, That _Satan_ has his _Devices_; by which word are meant, Artifices or Contrivances used for the _Deceiving_ of those that are Treated with them well, But what shall _we do_ that we may come to this _Corinthian Attainment_, _We are not Ignorant of Satan's Devices?_ [_Non cuivis homini Contingit!_]

Truly, the Devil has _Mille Nocendi Artes_; and it will be impossible for us, to run over all the _Stratagems_ and _Policies_ of our Adversary. I shall only attempt a few Observations upon the _Temptations_ of our Lord Jesus Christ: who was _Tempted in all things like unto us, except in our Sins_. When we read the _Temptations_ of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Fourth Chapter of _Matthew_ There, Thence, you will understand, what was once counted so difficult; Even, _The way of a Serpent upon the Rock_. There are certain Ancient and Famous _Methods_ which the Devil in his _Temptations_, does mostly accustome himself unto; which is not so much from any Barrenness, or Sluggishness in the Devil, but because he has had the Encouragement of a, _Probatum est_, upon those horrid Methods. How did the Devil a.s.sault the First _Adam_? It was with Temptations drawn from _Pleasure_, and _Profit_, and _Honour_, which, as the Apostle notes, in _1 Joh. 2.16._ are, _All that is in the World_. With the very same temptations it was, that he fell upon the Second _Adam_ too. Now, in those _Temptations_, you will see the more _Usual Methods_, whereby the _Devil_ would be Ensnaring of us; and I beseech you to attend unto the following Admonitions, as those _Warnings_ of G.o.d, which the Lives of your souls depend upon your taking of.

There were especially Three _Remarkable_ a.s.saults of _Temptations_, which the _Devil_ it seems, visibly made upon our Lord; after he had been more invisibly for Forty dayes together _Tempting_ of that Holy One; and we may make a few distinct _Remarks_ upon them all.

-- The first of our Lords three Temptations is thus related, in _Mat. 4.3._ _He was an Hungry; and when the Tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of G.o.d, Command that these Stones be made Bread._

From whence, take these _Remarks_.

I. The Devil will ordinarily make our _Conditions_, to be the Advantages of his _Temptations_. When our Lord was _Hungry_, then _Bread! Bread!_ shall be all the Cry of his Temptation; the Devil puts him upon a wrong step, for the getting of _Bread_. There is no Condition, but what has indeed some _Hunger_ accompanying of it; and the Devil marks what it is, that we are _Hungry_ for. One mans Condition makes him _Hunger_ for Preferments, or Employments, another mans makes him _Hunger_ for Cash or Land, or Trade; another mans makes him _Hunger_ for Merriments, or Diversions: And the Condition of every Afflicted Man, makes him _Hunger_ with Impatience for Deliverance. Now the Devil will be sure to suit his Perswasions with our _Conditions_. When he has our _Condition_ to speak with him, & for him, then thinks he, _I am sure this man will now hearken to my Proposals!_ Hence, if men are in _Prosperity_, the Devil will tempt them to Forgetfulness of G.o.d; if they are in _Adversity_, he will tempt them to Murmuring at G.o.d; in all the expressions of those impieties. Wise _Agur_ was aware of this; in _Prov.

30.9._ says he, if a man be _Full_, he shall be tempted, _to deny G.o.d, and say, who is the Lord?_ if a man be Poor, he shall be tempted, _to steal, and take the Name of G.o.d in vain._ The Devil will talk suitably; if you ponder your Conditions, you may expect you shall be tempted agreeably thereunto.

II. The Devil does often manage his _temptations_, by urging of our _Necessities_. Our Lord, was thus by the Devil bawl'd upon; _You want Bread, and you'll starve, if in my way you get it not._ The Devil will show some forbidden thing unto us, and plead concerning it, as of _Bread_ we use to say, _it must be had._ _Necessity_ has a wonderful compulsion in it. You may see what _Necessity_ will do, if you read in _Deut. 28.56._ _the tender and the delicate Woman among you, her eye shall be evil towards the Children that she shall bear, for she shall eat them for want of all things._ The Devil will perswade us that there is a _Necessity_ of our doing what he does propound unto us; and then tho'

the _Laws_ of G.o.d about us were so many _Walls_ of Stone, yet we shall break through them all. That little inconvenience, of our coming to beg our _Bread_, O what a fearful Representation does the Devil make of it!

and when once the Devil scares us to think of a sinful thing, _it must be done_, we soon come to think, _it may be done_. When the Devil has frighted us into an Apprehension, that it is a _Needful_ thing which we are prompted unto, he presently Engages all the Faculties of our Souls, to prove, that it may be a _Lawful_ one; the Devil told _Esau_, _You'll dye if you don't sell your Birthright;_ the Devil told _Aaron_, _You'll pull all the people about your ears, if you do not countenance their superst.i.tions;_ and then they comply'd immediately. Yea, sometimes if the Devil do but Feign a Necessity, he does thereby _Gain_ the Hearts of Men; he did but feign a Need, when he told _Saul_, _the Cattel must be spared, and the sacrifice must be precipitated_, & he does but feign a Need, when he tells many a man, _if you do no servile work on the +Sabbath-day+, and if you don't Rob G.o.d of his evening, you'll never subsist in the world._ All the denials of G.o.d, in the world, use to be from this Fallacy impos'd upon us. It never can be necessary for us to violate any Negative Commandment in the Law of our G.o.d; where G.o.d says, _thou shalt not_, we cannot upon any pretence reply, I _must_. But the Devil will put a most formidable and astonishing face of necessity upon many of those _Abominable things, which are hateful to the soul of G.o.d_.

He'll say nothing to us about, the one thing needful; but the pet.i.te and the sorry _Need-nots_ of this world, he'll set off with most b.l.o.o.d.y Colours of _Necessity_. He will not say, _'tis necessary for you to maintain the Favour of your G.o.d, and secure the +welfare of your Soul+;_ but he'll say, _'tis necessary for you to keep in with your Neighbours; and that you and yours may have a good Living among them._