The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination, (Vol 1 of 3). Calef Robert

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СКАЧАТЬ the Errata; and hence we think the Publisher of the Edition of 1820 should not be too severely censured. That our Solution is correct, we would mention that out of a great many Copies of the folio Edition imported by ourself and others from England, not one of them contained the Errata in Question.

      On the last Page of the Magnalia, the following are the last three Lines: "Errata. Reader, Carthagenia was of the Mind, that unto those three Things which the Ancients held impossible, there should be added this fourth, to find a Book printed without Erratas. It seems the Hands of Briareus, and the Eyes of Argus will not prevent them." And the additional Errata of which we have been speaking, the Author thus prefaces: "The Holy Bible it self, in some of its Editions, hath been affronted with scandalous Errors of the Press-work; and in one of them, they so printed those Words, Psalms cxix, 161, 'Printers have persecuted me,'" &c.

      When the Magnalia was published, Dr. Mather's old Schoolmaster, among others, wrote commendatory Poetry upon it, which was, according to the Fashion of the Day, inserted in its introductory Pages. The following brief Specimen by Tompson may not be thought inappropriate to be extracted here:

      "Is the bless'd Mather Necromancer turn'd,

      To raise his Country's Father's Ashes urn'd?

      Elisha's Dust, Life to the Dead imparts;

      This Prophet by his more familiar Arts,

      Unseals our Hero's Tombs, and gives them Air;

      They rise, they walk, they talk, look wondrous fair;

      Each of them in an Orb of Light doth shine,

      In Liveries of Glory most divine.

      When ancient Names I in thy Pages meet,

      Like Gems on Aaron's costly Breast-plate set;

      Methinks Heaven's open, while great Saints descend,

      To wreathe the Brows, by which their Acts were penned."

      Few Ministers preached a greater Number of Funeral Sermons than Dr. Mather; and when he died his Cotemporaries seemed to have vied with each other in performing the same Office for him. Several of their Sermons were printed. Some of these with their quaint Titles are now before us. Foremost among them appears that of the excellent Mr. Prince; he entitled his, "The Departure of Elijah lamented. – A Sermon occasioned by the great and publick Loss in the Decease of the very Reverend and Learned COTTON MATHER, D.D., F.R.S., and Senior Pastor of the North Church in Boston. Who left this Life on Feb. 13th, 1727,8. The Morning after he finished the LXV. Year of his Age." From 2 Kings ii, 12, 13. The Imprint of this Sermon is, "Boston in New England: Printed for D. Henchman, near the Brick Meeting House in Cornhill. MDCCXXVIII."

      The running Title of Dr. Colman's Sermon on the same Occasion is "The holy Walk and glorious Translation of blessed ENOCH." His Text was Gen. v. 24. It would be difficult to find anything of the Kind, either before or since, which, in our Judgment, is superior to this Discourse of Dr. Colman; but valuable as it is, we cannot introduce Extracts from it here. His Allusion, however, to the then past and present State of Things connected with his Subject, is so happy that we cannot overlook it.

      "Dr. Mather's Brethren in the Ministry here," he says, "are bereaved and weak with him. God has taken their Father as well as his, from their Heads this Day. He was a Pastor in the Town when the eldest of the present Pastors were but Children, and long before most of them were born. They are weak indeed when he that is now speaking to them is the first in Years among them, in all respects else the least," &c.

      The Rev. Joshua Gee, Colleague with Dr. Mather, also preached a Funeral Sermon on his departed Friend, entitled, "Israel's Mourning for Aaron's Death." In this Discourse there is the following important Note: "Within a few Months past, we have been called to lament the Deaths of two such aged Servants of the Lord. The Rev. Mr. Samuel Danforth of Taunton, who died Nov. 14. And my honored Father-in-law, the Rev. Mr. Peter Thatcher of Milton, who died Dec. 17, 1727: while the Days of mourning were scarce over in this Town for my dearly beloved Friend and Brother, the Rev. Mr. William Waldron, who died Sept. 11, 1727."

      Dr. Mather's Son and Biographer, "Samuel Mather, M. A., and Chaplain at Castle William," also preached a Funeral Sermon on his Father's Death. "The Departure and Character of Elijah considered and improved," was its running Title. Only about five Years before, the deceased preached a Sermon on the Death of his Father; in the Title-page of which, when printed, instead of the Author's Name we read, "By one who, as a Son with a FATHER, served with him in the Gospel."

      Dr. Mather died intestate, and the Order of the Judge of Probate for the Distribution of his Estate is as follows: "One third to his Widow, Lydia Mather; two single Shares or fourth Parts to Samuel Mather, Clerk, only surviving Son, and one Share each to the Rest of his Children, viz., Abigail Willard, deceased, Wife of Daniel Willard, also deceased, their Children and legal Representatives, and Hannah Mather, Spinster." Dated, 25th May, 1730.

      The Portrait now in Circulation of Dr. Mather was engraved from a beautiful Mezzotinto, half Size, with the following Inscription underneath it:

      "Cottonus Matherus S. Theologiæ Doctor Regiæ Societatis Londiniensis Socius, et Eccelsiæ apud Bostonum Nov˭Anglorum nuper Præpositus.

      Ætatis Suæ LXV. MDCCXXVII.

P. Pelham ad vivum pinxit ab Origin Fecit."

      Those desiring genealogical Information of the Mather Family, I must refer to the Pedigree printed in Connection with Dr. I. Mather's Brief History, &c.

The Wonders of the Invisible WorldOBSERVATIONSAs well Historical as Theological, upon the NATURE, theNUMBER, and the OPERATIONS of theDEVILSAccompany'd with

      I. Some Accounts of the Grievous Molestations, by DÆMONS and WITCHCRAFTS, which have lately annoy'd the Countrey; and the Trials of some eminent Malefactors Executed upon occasion thereof: with several Remarkable Curiosities therein occurring.

      II. Some Counsils, Directing a due Improvement of the terrible things, lately done, by the Unusual & Amazing Range of EVIL SPIRITS, in Our Neighbourhood: & the methods to prevent the Wrongs which those Evil Angels may intend against all sorts of people among us; especially in Accusations of the Innocent.

      III. Some Conjectures upon the great EVENTS, likely to befall, the WORLD in General, and NEW-ENGLAND in Particular; as also upon the Advances of the TIME, when we shall see BETTER DAYES.

      IV. A short Narrative of a late Outrage committed by a knot of WITCHES in Swedeland, very much Resembling, and so far Explaining, That under which our parts of America have laboured!

      V. THE DEVIL DISCOVERED: In a Brief Discourse upon those TEMPTATIONS, which are the more Ordinary Devices of the Wicked One.

By Cotton Mather Boston Printed, and Sold by Benjamin Harris, 1693PUblished by the SpecialCommand of His EXCELLENCY,the Governour of the Province ofthe Massachusetts-Bay in New-EnglandThe Wonders of the Invisible World:Being an Account of theTRYALSOFSeveral WWitches,Lately Excuted inNEW-ENGLAND:And of several remarkable Curiosities therein OccurringTogether with,

      I. Observations upon the Nature, the Number, and the Operations of the Devils.

      II. A short Narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of Witches in Swede-Land, very much resembling, and so far explaining, that under which New-England has laboured,

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