Memor. provid. Relat. to Witch. Disc. on Wit. pag. 24. I am also apt to think that the Devils are seldom able to hurt us in any of our exteriour concerns, without a Commission from some of our fellow Worms. When foul Mouth'd Men shall wish harm to their Neighbours, they give a Commission to the Devil to perform what they desire, and if God should not Mercifully prevent, they would go thro' with it; Hear this you that in wilde Passion will give every thing to the Devil; Hear it you that bespeak a Rot, a Pox, or a Plague, on all that shall provoke you; I here Indict you as Guilty of Hellish Witchcraft in the Sight of God. More Wonders of the Invisible World, pag. 49. They each of them have their Spectres or Devils Commissioned by them and representing of them, pag. 14. But such a permission from God for the Devil to come down and break in upon Mankind must often times be accompanied with a Commission from some of Mankind itself, Inchantments Encountered. These Witches have driven a Trade of Commissionating their confederate Spirits, to do all sorts of Mischiefs to their Neighbours, pag. 50. They have bewitched some even so farr, as to make them Self-destroyers, pag. 144. As I am abundantly satisfied, that many of the Self-murders committed here, have been the effects of a cruel and Bloody Witchcraft, letting fly Dæmons upon the Miserable Seneca's, pag. 51. We have seen some of their Children so Dedicated to the Devil, that in their Infancy the Imps have sucked them. Cases of conscience, pag. 24. They bequeath their Dæmons to their Children as a Legacy, by whom they are often assisted to see and do things beyond the Power of Nature, pag. 21. There are in Spain a sort of People call'd Zahurs,[54] that can see into the Bowels of the Earth. [On Tuesdays and Fridays,] (and to add) that in pag. 49. The words are [For the Law of God allows of no Revelation from any other Spirit but himself, Isa. viii. 19. It is a Sin against God to make use of the Devils help, to know that which cannot be otherways known; and I testify against it as a great transgression, which may Justly provoke the Holy one of Israel, to let loose Devils on the whole Land.] Altho the Devils Accusation may be so far regarded, as to cause an inquiry into the Truth of things, Job. i. 11, 12, and ii, 5, 6. Yet not so as to be an Evidence or Ground of Conviction, for the Devils Testimony ought not to be taken in WHOLE Nor In PART.] It is a known Truth, that some unwary expressions of the primative Fathers, were afterwards improved for the Introducing and establishing of Error, as their calling the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, &c. Hence occasion and Advantage was taken to propagate the Idolizing of her (the like might be said of the Eucha[29]rist, these assertions, above rehearsed, being apparently liable to a like Male Construction, and no less dangerous, are therefore as I said highly needful to be explain'd, and that in a most publick manner. For were they to be understood Litterally and as they are spoken, it must seem as if the Authors were Introducing among Christians very dangerous Doctrines, such, as were they asserted by the best of Men, yet ought to be rejected by all, &c. Viz. That 'tis the Devil that brings the most of Evils upon Mankind, by way of Infliction, that do befall them; And that the Witch can commissionate him to the performance of these, with many others as dangerous Doctrines, and such as seem in their tendency to look favourably upon the Antient Pagan Doctrine of this countrey, who did believe that God did hurt to none, but Good to all, but that the Devil must be pleas'd by Worshipping, &c. From whom came all their Miseries, as they believed. For what were all this but to Rob God of his Glory in the highest manner, and giving it to a Devil and a Witch; Is it not he that has said shall there be Evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it? But if any are fond of their own notions because some Eminent Men have before now asserted them; they may do well to compare them with that excellent saying, Wonders of the Invisible World, pag. 7. [About this Devil there are many things, whereof we may reasonably and profitably be inquisitive, such things I mean as are in our Bibles reveal'd to us; according to which if we do not speak on so dark a Subject, but according to our own uncertain and perhaps Humoursom Conjectures, there is no Light in us. Or that other, pag. 75. At every other Weapon the Devil will be too hard for us.] For 'tis most certain that other Notions, Weapons and Practices have been taken up with; And that the event has been answerable, the Devil has been too hard for such as have so done. I shall forbear to instance from the Dogmatical part, and shall mention some practices that as much need explaining. Mem. provid. Relat. to Witch. pag. 29, 30, 31.[55] Where account is given that it was Pray'd for that the afflicted might be able to declare, whom she apprehended herself Afflicted by, together with the Immediate answer of such Prayer. To this you once Reply'd when it was mentioned to you, that you did not then understand the wiles of Satan.
To which I have nothing to object, but it might be a good Acknowledgment; But considering that the Book is gone forth into all the World, cannot but think the Salve ought to be proportion'd to the Sore, and the notice of the Devils wiles as Universal, as the means recommending them. Another Practice is pag. 20, 21. [There was one singular passion that frequently attended her, an Invisible Chain would be clapt about her, and she in much pain and fear cry out when they began to put it on, once I did with my own hand knock it off as it began to be fastened about her.] [30] If this were done by the power or Vertue of any ord'nance of Divine Institution, it is well, but would have been much better if the Institution had been demonstrated, or was there any Physical Vertue in that particular Hand. But supposing that neither of these will be asserted by the Author, I do think it very requisite, that the World may be acquainted with the Operation, and to what Art or Craft to refer their Power of Knocking off Invisible Chains.
And thus, Sir, I have Faithfully discharged (what in this I took to be my Duty) and am so far from doing it to gain applause, or from a Spirit of Contradiction, that I expect to procure me many Enemies thereby, (but as in case of a Fire) where the Glory of God, and the Good and Wellfare of Mankind are so nearly concern'd, I thought it my duty to be no longer an Idle Spectator; And can, and do say, to the Glory of God, in this whole Affair, I have endeavoured a Conscience voide of offence, both towards God and towards Man; And therein at the least have the advantage of such as are very Jealous they have done so much herein, as to Sin in what they have done, viz. In sheltring the Accused, such have been the Cowardice and Fearfulness, whereunto the regard to the Dissatisfaction of other People have precipitated them; Which by the way must needs acquaint all, that for the future other measures are resolved upon (by such) which how Bloody they may prove when opportunity shall offer, is with him who orders all things, according to the counsel of his own Will: And now that the Song of Angels may be the Emulation of Men, is the earnest Desire, and Prayer, of Sir, Yours to Command in what I may,
R. C.
Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth Peace and good Will towards Men.
A Letter to Mr. B.
Boston, March the 1st. 1694.
Mr. B.[56] Worthy Sir,
AFTER more than a Years waiting for the performance of a reiterated promise from one under singular obligations, and a multitude of advantages to have done it sooner, The utmost compliance I have mett with, is (by your Hands) the sight of four Sheets of recinded Papers, but I must first be obliged to return them in a Fortnight, and not Copied, which I have now complied with: And having read them am not at all Surprized at the Authors Caution in it, not to admit of such crude matter and impertinent absurdities, as are to be found in it to spread. He seems concern'd that I take no notice of his several Books, wherein, as he saith, he has unanswerably proved things to which I might reply, that I have sent him letters of quotations out of those Books, to know how much of them he will abide by, for I thought it hard to affix their [31] Natural consequences till he had opportunity to explain them. And saith that he had sent me (Mr. Baxters World of Spirits) an ungainsayable Book, &c. (tho I know no ungainsayable Book, but the Bible) which Book I think no Man that has read it, will give such a Title to but the Author, he speaks of my reproaching his publick Sermons, of which I am not conscious to myself, unless it be about his interpretation of a Thunder Storm (that broke into his House) which favoured so much of Enthusiasm.[57]