The Wonders of the Invisible WorldWicca / WitchcraftScholarly ReconstructionEnglishShareThe Wonders of the Invisible World 71862 reprint - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 available1862 reprintLanguageEnglishEspañol‹The Wonders of the Invisible World 1The Wonders of the Invisible World 2The Wonders of the Invisible World 3The Wonders of the Invisible World 4The Wonders of the Invisible World 5The Wonders of the Invisible World 6The Wonders of the Invisible World 7The Wonders of the Invisible World 8The Wonders of the Invisible World 9The Wonders of the Invisible World 10The Wonders of the Invisible World 11The Wonders of the Invisible World 12The Wonders of the Invisible World 13The Wonders of the Invisible World 14The Wonders of the Invisible World 15The Wonders of the Invisible World 16The Wonders of the Invisible World 17The Wonders of the Invisible World 18The Wonders of the Invisible World 19The Wonders of the Invisible World 20The Wonders of the Invisible World 21The Wonders of the Invisible World 22The Wonders of the Invisible World 23The Wonders of the Invisible World 24The Wonders of the Invisible World 25The Wonders of the Invisible World 26The Wonders of the Invisible World 27The Wonders of the Invisible World 28The Wonders of the Invisible World 29The Wonders of the Invisible World 30The Wonders of the Invisible World 31The Wonders of the Invisible World 32The Wonders of the Invisible World 33The Wonders of the Invisible World 34The Wonders of the Invisible World 35The Wonders of the Invisible World 36The Wonders of the Invisible World 37The Wonders of the Invisible World 38›The Author'S Defence.The Wonders of the Invisible World 7ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1'Tis, as I remember, the Learned Scribonius, who reports, That one of his Acquaintance, devoutly making his Prayers on the behalf of a Person molested by Evil Spirits, received from those Evil Spirits an horrible Blow over the Face: And I may my self expect not few or small Buffetings from Evil Spirits, for the Endeavours wherewith I am now going to encounter them. I am far from insensible, that at this extraordinary Time of the Devils coming down in great Wrath upon us, there are too many Tongues and Hearts thereby set on fire of Hell; that the various Opinions about the Witchcrafts which of later time have troubled us, are maintained by some with so much cloudy Fury, as if they could never be sufficiently stated, unless written in the Liquor wherewith Witches use to write their Covenants; and that he who becomes an Author at such a time, had need be fenced with Iron, and the Staff of a Spear. The unaccountable Frowardness, Asperity, Untreatableness, and Inconsistency of many Persons, every Day gives a visible Exposition of that passage, An evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul; and Illustration of that Story, There met him two possessed with Devils, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. To send abroad a Book, among such Readers, were a very unadvised thing, if a Man had not such Reasons to give, as I can bring, for such an Undertaking. Briefly, I hope it cannot be said, They are all so: 2No, I hope the Body of this People, are yet in such a Temper, as to be capable of applying their Thoughts, to make a Right Use of the stupendous and prodigious Things that are happening among us: And because I was concern'd, when I saw that no abler Hand emitted any Essays to engage the Minds of this People, in such holy, pious, fruitful Improvements, as God would have to be made of his amazing Dispensations now upon us. THEREFORE it is, that One of the Least among the Children of New-England, has here done, what is done. None, but the Father, who sees in secret, knows the Heart-breaking Exercises, wherewith I have composed what is now going to be exposed, lest I should in any one thing miss of doing my designed Service for his Glory, and for his People; but I am now somewhat comfortably assured of his favourable acceptance; and, I will not fear; what can a Satan do unto me! 3Having performed something of what God required, in labouring to suit his Words unto his Works, at this Day among us, and therewithal handled a Theme that has been sometimes counted not unworthy the Pen, even of a King, it will easily be perceived, that some subordinate Ends have been considered in these Endeavours. 4I have indeed set myself to countermine the whole PLOT of the Devil, against New-England, in every Branch of it, as far as one of my darkness, can comprehend such a Work of Darkness. I may add, that I have herein also aimed at the Information and Satisfaction of Good Men in another Country, a thousand Leagues off, where I have, it may be, more, or however, more considerable Friends, than in my own: And I do what I can to have that Country, now, as well as always, in the best Terms with my own. But while I am doing these things, I have been driven a little to do something likewise for myself; I mean, by taking off the false Reports, and hard Censures about my Opinion in these Matters, the Parter's Portions which my pursuit of Peace has procured me among the Keen. My hitherto unvaried Thoughts are here published; and I believe, they will be owned by most of the Ministers of God in these Colonies; nor can amends be well made me, for the wrong done me, by other sorts of Representations. 5In fine: For the Dogmatical part of my Discourse, I want no Defence; for the Historical part of it, I have a Very Great One; the Lieutenant-Governour of New-England having perused it, has done me the Honour of giving me a Shield, under the Umbrage whereof I now dare to walk abroad. ‹Previous chapterThe Wonders of the Invisible World 6Next chapterThe Wonders of the Invisible World 8›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg