Wonders of the Invisible World, and A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New England Witches — 05. Enchantments Encountered, Part 3

S.

III.

Doubtless, the Thoughts of many will receive a great Scandal against _New-England_, from the Number of Persons that have been Accused, or Suspected, for _Witchcraft_, in this Country: But it were easie to offer many things, that may Answer and Abate the Scandal.

If the Holy God should any where permit the Devils to hook two or three wicked _Scholars_ into _Witchcraft_, and then by their Assistance to Range with their _Poisonous Insinuations_ among Ignorant, Envious, Discontented People, till they have cunningly decoy'd them into some sudden _Act_, whereby the Toyls of Hell shall be perhaps inextricably cast over them: what Country in the World would not afford _Witches_, numerous to a Prodigy?

Accordingly, The Kingdoms of _Sweden_, _Denmark_, _Scotland_, yea and _England_ it self, as well as the Province of _New-England_, have had their Storms of _Witchcrafts_ breaking upon them, which have made most Lamentable Devastations: which also I wish, may be _The Last_.

And it is not uneasie to be imagined, That God has not brought out all the _Witchcrafts_ in many other Lands with such a speedy, dreadful, destroying _Jealousie_, as burns forth upon such _High Treasons_, committed here in _A Land of Uprightness_: Transgressors may more quickly here than elsewhere become a Prey to the Vengeance of Him, _Who has Eyes like a Flame of Fire_, and, _who walks in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks_.

Moreover, There are many parts of the World, who if they do upon this Occasion insult over this People of God, need only to be told the Story of what happen'd at _Loim_, in the Dutchy of _Gulic_, where a Popish Curate having ineffectually try'd many Charms to Eject the Devil out of a Damsel there possessed, he passionately bid the Devil come out of her into himself; but the Devil answered him, _Quid mihi Opus, est eum tentare, quem Novissimo die, Jure Optimo, sum possessurus?

_ That is, _What need I meddle with one whom I am sure to have, and hold at the Last-day as my own for ever!

_ But besides all this, give me leave to add, it is to be hoped, That among the Persons represented by the _Spectres_ which now afflict our Neighbours, there will be found _some_ that never explicitly contracted with any of the _Evil Angels_.

The Witches have not only intimated, but some of them acknowledged, That they have plotted the Representations of _Innocent Persons_, to cover and shelter themselves in their Witchcrafts; now, altho' our good God has hitherto generally preserved us from the Abuse therein design'd by the Devils for us, yet who of us can exactly state, _How far our God may for our Chastisement permit the Devil to proceed in such an Abuse?

_ It was the Result of a Discourse, lately held at a Meeting of some very Pious and Learned Ministers among us, _That the Devils may sometimes have a permission to Represent an Innocent Person, as Tormenting such as are under Diabolical Molestations: But that such things are Rare and Extraordinary;

especially when such matters come before Civil Judicature.

_ The Opinion expressed with so much Caution and Judgment, seems to be the prevailing Sense of many others, who are men Eminently Cautious and Judicious; and have both _Argument_ and _History_ to Countenance them in it.

It is _Rare and Extraordinary_, for an Honest _Naboth_ to have his Life it self Sworn away by two _Children of Belial_, and yet no Infringement hereby made on the Rectoral Righteousness of our Eternal Soveraign, whose _Judgments are a Great Deep_, and who _gives none Account of His matters_.

Thus, although the Appearance of Innocent Persons in _Spectral Exhibitions_ afflicting the Neighbour-hood, be a thing _Rare and Extraordinary_; yet who can be sure, that the great _Belial_ of Hell must needs be always _Yoked_ up from this piece of Mischief?

The best man that ever lived has been called a _Witch_: and why may not this too usual and unhappy Symptom of A _Witch_, even a Spectral Representation, befall a person that shall be none of the worst?

Is it not possible?

The _Laplanders_ will tell us 'tis possible: for Persons to be unwittingly attended with officious _Daemons_, bequeathed unto them, and impos'd upon them, by Relations that have been _Witches_.

_Quaery_, also, Whether at a Time, when the Devil with his Witches are engag'd in a War upon a people, some certain steps of ours, in such a War, may not be follow'd with our appearing so and so for a while among them in the Visions of our afflicted _Forlorns_!

And, Who can certainly say, what other Degrees or Methods of sinning, besides that of a _Diabolical Compact_, may give the Devils advantage to act in the Shape of them that have miscarried?

Besides what may happen for a while, to try the _Patience_ of the Vertuous.

May not some that have been ready upon feeble grounds uncharitably to Censure and Reproach other people, be punished for it by _Spectres_ for a while exposing them to Censure and Reproach?

And furthermore, I pray, that it may be considered, Whether a World of Magical Tricks often used in the World, may not insensibly oblige _Devils_ to wait upon the Superstitious Users of them.

A Witty Writer against _Sadducism_ has this Observation, That persons who never made any express Contract with _Apostate Spirits_, yet may Act strange Things by _Diabolick Aids_, which they procure by the use of those wicked _Forms_ and _Arts_, that the Devil first imparted unto his Confederates.

And he adds, _We know not but the Laws of the Dark Kingdom may Enjoyn a particular Attendance upon all those that practice their Mysteries, whether they know them to be theirs or no. _ Some of them that have been cry'd out upon as imploying _Evil Spirits_ to hurt our Land, have been known to be most bloody _Fortune-Tellers_; and some of them have confessed, That when they told _Fortunes_, they would pretend the Rules of _Chiromancy_ and the like Ignorant Sciences, but indeed they had no Rule (they said) but this, _The things were then Darted into their minds.

_ _Darted!

_ Ye Wretches; By whom, I pray?

Surely by none but the _Devils_; who, tho' perhaps they did not exactly _Foreknow_ all the thus Predicted Contingencies; yet having once _Foretold_ them, they stood bound in Honour now to use their Interest, which alas, in _This World_, is very great, for the Accomplishment of their own Predictions.

There are others, that have used most wicked _Sorceries_ to gratifie their unlawful Curiosities, or to prevent Inconveniencies in Man and Beast;

_Sorceries_, which I will not _Name_, lest I should by Naming, _Teach_ them.

Now, some _Devil_ is evermore Invited into the Service of the Person that shall Practise these _Witchcrafts_; and if they have gone on Impenitently in these Communions with any _Devil_, the _Devil_ may perhaps become at last a _Familiar_ to them, and so assume their _Livery_, that they cannot shake him off in any way, but that One, which I would most heartily prescribe unto them, Namely, That of a deep and long _Repentance_.

Should these _Impieties_ have been committed in such a place as _New-England_, for my part I should not wonder, if when _Devils_ are Exposing the _Grosser_ Witches among us, God permit them to bring in these _Lesser_ ones with the rest for their perpetual Humiliation.

In the Issue therefore, may it not be found, that _New-England_ is not so stock'd with _Rattle Snakes_, as was imagined.