Part 9

O that instead of letting our Hearts _Rise_ against one another, our Prayers might _Rise_ unto an high pitch of Importunity, for such a _Rising_ of the Lord! Especially, Let them that are _Suffering_ by _Witchcraft_, be sure to _stay_ and _pray_, and _Beseech the Lord thrice_, even as much as ever they can, before they complain of any Neighbour for afflicting them. Let them also that are _accused_ of _Witchcraft_, set themselves to _Fast_ and _Pray_, and so shake off the _Dæmons_ that would like _Vipers_ fasten upon them; and get the _Waters of Jealousie_ made profitable to them.

And Now, O _Thou Hope of_ New-England, _and the Saviour thereof in the Time of Trouble; Do thou look mercifully down upon us, & Rescue us, out of the Trouble which at this time do's threaten to swallow us up. Let Satan be shortly bruised under our Feet, and Let the Covenanted Vassals of Satan, which have Traiterously brought him in upon us, be Gloriously Conquered, by thy Powerful and Gracious Presence in the midst of us. Abhor us not, O God, but cleanse us, but heal us, but save us, for the sake of thy Glory. Enwrapped in our Salvations. By thy Spirit, Lift up a standard against our infernal adversaries, Let us quickly find thee making of us glad, according to the Days wherein we have been afflicted. Accept of all our Endeavours to glorify thee, in the Fires that are upon us; and among the rest, Let these my poor and weak essays, composed with what Tears, what Cares, what Prayers, thou_ only _knowest, not want the Acceptance of the Lord._

FOOTNOTES:

[71] The same "Master William Perkins," I suppose, who wrote the three stout Folios of Puritan Theology, published in 1606, besides many smaller Works. The earliest Notice I find of him is by another equally famous and voluminous Puritan, the Rev. Samuel Clark, in his _Marrow of Ecclesiastical History_, published in 1650. Mr. Clark informs us that William Perkins was born at Marston in Warwickshire, in 1558, was educated at "_Christ's_ College in _Cambridg_," and that in the 24th of _Elizabeth_, he was chosen a Fellow of that College, and that "hee was very wilde in his Youth." From his Professorship, "hee was chosen to _Saint Andrews_ Parish in _Cambridg_, where he preached all his Life after. His Sermons were not so plain, but the piously learned did admire them; nor so learned, but the plain did understand them: Hee brought the Schools into the Pulpit, and unshelling their Controversies out of their hard School-tearms, made thereof plain and wholsom Meat for his People: He was an excellent Chirurgion at the jointing of a broken Soul, and at stating of a doubtful Conscience. In his Sermons hee used to pronounce the Word _Damn_ with such an Emphasis, as left a dolefull Echo in his Auditor's Ears a good while after: and when hee was Catechist in Christ's College, in expounding the Commandments, hee applied them so Home to the Conscience as was able to make his Hearers Harts fall down, and their Hairs almost to stand upright."

On Reference to the Works of famous Thomas Fuller, it will be found, that in his Life of Perkins he has substantially the same Account. From that Author Mr. Clark doubtless borrowed the Expressions used by him, as Fuller's Work was published several Years before, and they seem peculiar to that highly talented Writer. Clark is followed because he was of the same religious Denomination as Mr. Perkins. Mr. Clark continues: "In his Life hee was so pious and spotless, that Malice was afraid to bite at his Credit, into which shee knew that her Teeth could not enter: Hee had a rare Felicitie in reading of Books, and as it were but turning them over would give an exact account of all that was considerable therein: hee perused Books so speedily that one would think that hee read nothing, and yet so accurately that one would think he read all: Besides his frequent Preaching, hee wrote manie excellent Books, both Treatises, and Commentaries, which for their Worth were manie of them translated into Latine, and sent beyond Sea, where to this Daie they are highly prized, and much set by, yea some of them are translated into _French_, _High-Dutch_, and _Low-Dutch:_ and his reformed Catholick was translated into _Spanish;_ yet no Spaniard ever since durst take up the Gantlet of Defiance cast down by this Champion."

But there is one Fact mentioned by Fuller which Mr. Clark omits: "There goeth," he says, "an uncontrolled Tradition, that Perkins, when a young Scholar, was a great Studier of Magic, occasioned perchance by his Skill in the Mathematics. For, ignorant People count all Circles above their own Sphere to be Conjring; and presently cry out, 'those Things are done by Black Art' for which their dim Eyes can see no Colour in Reason. And in such Case, when they cannot fly up to Heaven to make it a Miracle, they fetch it from Hell to make it Magic, though it may lawfully be done by natural Causes."

Mr. Perkins died "in the fourtieth Year of his Age, _Anno_ 1602, being born the first, and dying the last Year of [the Reign of] Elizabeth: He was of a ruddie Complexion, fat and corpulent: Lame of his right Hand, yet this _Ehud_ with a left-handed Pen did stab the Romish Caus--as one faith: [Hugh Holland]

'Though Nature thee of thy right Hand bereft. 'Right well thou writest with thy Hand that's left.'

"Hee was buried with great Solemnity at the sole Charges of Christs College, the Universitie, and Town striving which should express more Sorrow thereat: Doctor _Montague_, afterwards Bishop of Winchester preached his Funeral Sermon."--_Marrow of Ecclesiastical Historie_, 414-417, and Fuller's _Holy and Profane State_, 80-84.

The well known Rev. Mr. Job Orton speaks of the Folios of Perkins with Delight, and adds: "What led me more particularly to read him was, that his Elder Brother was one of my Ancestors, from whom I am in a direct Line, by my Mother's Side descended."--Orton, in _Brook's Lives_, ii, 135. In his Will, dated 16 Oct., 1602, he mentions, among others, Nathaniel Cradock, his Brother-in-law, Wife Timothye, Father and Mother Thomas and Anna Perkins, Son-in-law, John Hinde, and Brethren and Sisters, but not by Name.--_Ibid._

I have been more particular in this Notice of Perkins for two Reasons; first, because of his Puritanism he was selected as a prime Authority in Matters of Witchcraft by our Author; and second, because he seems to have been a Man possessing that Precocity of Mind, and in other respects was similarly gifted. To those desirous of learning more of that noted Puritan Leader will find Gratification in the excellent and elaborate Life of him in Brook's _Lives of the Puritans_.

[72] On perusing these Articles for the Detection of Witches, one cannot escape the Conviction that on their being sifted by the ordinary Rules of Common-sense, they actually amount to nothing at all. Thus in Article VI it is laid down, that "Witchcraft is an Art, that may be learned, and conveyed from Man to Man." This Postulate follows of course, previously assuming that the Occult Sciences originate in Mathematics; and further, that Mathematical Calculations are inseparable from the Laws that govern the whole System of the Universe, and hence emanate from, or are a Part of the Creator himself. Whence then, with this inevitable Conclusion, does the "Art" originate? Nothing can be clearer, therefore, than this,--if those learned Plodders of Master Perkins's Time had followed out the most simple Rules of Logic, they would have had neither Witch nor Devil wherewith to addle their own Brains, or to confound those of the unlearned Multitude. This Question being disposed of, all others having Dependence on it, or traceable to it, effectually dispose of the whole Question of Witchcraft.

[73] John Gaule has not, so far as ascertained, been stumbled on by any Makers of Biographical Dictionaries, and Bibliographers are almost equally silent. How many Works he was Author of is not known. The Title of one is _Distractions, or Holy Madness_, 12mo, 1629. He wrote other theological Works, but their Titles have not come to the Annotator's Knowledge.

[74] As there is more than one _Batcomb_ in England "Judicious Bernard's" being _of_ that Place is not much of a Guide to any looking after his Biography. Fortunately, or unfortunately for him, his Portrait was engraved, and that caused him to be noticed by Granger. His Name was Richard, and he was Pastor of "Batcombe" in Somersetshire. The Work extracted from by our Author was published in 1627. He was Author of a Concordance to the Bible, though it was not so entitled; also of a Work called the _Threefold Treatise of the Sabbath_, in 1641, in which Year he died. His Portrait by Hollar first appeared in this Work.--_Biog. Hist. England_, ii, 369. He was perhaps the Author of _The Isle of Man; or the Legal Proceedings in Man-Shire against Sinne_, 12mo, 1635.

[75] Here the paging begins anew, in the Edition followed.

[Decoration]

[2] A DISCOURSE ON THE WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD.[76]

UTTERED (IN PART) ON AUG. 4, 1692.

Ecclesiastical History has Reported it unto us, That a Renowned Martyr at the Stake, seeing the Book of the REVELATION thrown by his no less Profane than Bloody Persecutors, to be Burn'd in the same Fire with himself, he cryed out, _O Beata Apocalypsis; quam bene mecum agitur, qui tecum Comburar!_ BLESSED REVELATION! said he, _How Blessed am I in this Fire, while I have Thee to bear me Company_.[77] As for our selves this Day, 'tis a Fire of sore Affliction and Confusion, wherein we are Embroiled; but it is no inconsiderable Advantage unto us, that we have the Company of this Glorious and Sacred Book the REVELATION to assist us in our Exercises. From that Book there is one Text, which I would single out at this time to lay before you; 'tis that in

REVEL. xii. 12.

_Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth, and of the Sea; for the Devil is come down unto you, having great Wrath; because he knoweth, that he hath but a short time._

THE Text is Like the Cloudy and Fiery Pillar, vouchsafed unto _Israel_, in the Wilderness of old; there is a very _dark side_ of it in the Intimation, that, _The Devil is come down having great Wrath;_ but it has also a _bright side_, when it assures us, that, _He has but a short time;_ Unto the Contemplation of _both_, I do this Day Invite you.

We have in our Hands a Letter from our Ascended Lord in Heaven, to Advise us of his being still alive, and of his Purpose e're long, to give us a Visit, wherein we shall see our Living _Redeemer, stand at the latter day upon the Earth_. 'Tis the last Advice that we have had from Heaven, for now sixteen Hundred years; and the scope of it, is, to represent how the Lord Jesus Christ having begun to set up his Kingdom in the World, by the preaching of the Gospel, he would from time to time utterly break to pieces all Powers that should make Head against it, until, _The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdomes of our Lord, and of his_ [3] _Christ, and he shall Reign for ever and ever_. 'Tis a Commentary on what had been written by _Daniel_, about, _The fourth Monarchy;_ with some Touches upon, _The Fifth;_ wherein, _The greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven, shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High:_ And altho' it have, as 'tis expressed by one of the Ancients, _Tot Sacramenta quot verba_, a Mystery in every Syllable, yet it is not altogether to be neglected with such a Despair, as that, _I cannot read, for the Book is sealed_. It is a REVELATION, and a singular, and notable _Blessing_ is pronounced upon them that humbly study it.

The Divine Oracles, have with a most admirable Artifice and Carefulness, drawn, as the very pious _Beverley_, has laboriously Evinced, an exact LINE OF TIME, from the first Sabbath at the _Creation_ of the World, unto the great Sabbatism at the _Restitution_ of all Things. In that famous _Line of Time_, from the Decree for the Restoring of _Jerusalem_, after the Babylonish Captivity, there seem to remain a matter of _Two Thousand and Three Hundred Years_, unto that _New Jerusalem_, whereto the Church is to be advanced, when the Mystical _Babylon_ shall be _fallen_. At the Resurrection of our Lord, there were seventeen or eighteen Hundred of those Years, yet upon the Line, to run unto, _The rest which remains for the People of God;_ and this Remnant in the _Line of Time_, is here in our _Apocalypse_, variously Embossed, Adorned, and Signalized with such Distinguishing Events, if we mind them, will help us escape that Censure, _Can ye not Discern the Signs of the Times?_

The Apostle _John_, for the View of these Things, had laid before him, as I conceive, a _Book_, with leaves, or folds; which _Volumn_ was written both on the _Backside_, and on the _Inside_, and Roll'd up in a Cylindriacal Form, under seven _Labels_, fastned with so many _Seals_. The first _Seal_ being opened, and the first _Label_ removed, under the first _Label_ the Apostle saw what he saw, of a first _Rider_ Pourtray'd, and so on, till the last _Seal_ was broken up; each of the Sculptures being enlarged with agreeable _Visions_ and _Voices_, to illustrate it. The Book being now Unrolled, there were _Trumpets_, with wonderful Concomitants, Exhibited successively on the Expanding _Backside_ of it. Whereupon the Book was _Eaten_, as it were to be Hidden, from Interpretations; till afterwards, in the _Inside_ of it, the Kingdom of Anti-christ came to be Exposed. Thus, the Judgments of God on the _Roman Empire_, first unto the Downfal of _Paganism_, and then, unto the Downfal of _Popery_, which is but Revived _Paganism_, are in these Displayes, with Lively Colours and Features made sensible unto us.

[4] Accordingly, in the Twelfth Chapter of this Book, we have an August Preface, to the Description of that Horrid _Kingdom_, which our Lord Christ refused, but Antichrist accepted, from the Devils Hands; a Kingdom, which for _Twelve Hundred and Sixty_ Years together, was to be a continual oppression upon the People of God, and opposition unto his Interests; until the Arrival of that Illustrious Day, wherein, _The Kingdom shall be the Lords, and he shall be Governour among the Nations_. The Chapter is (as an Excellent Person calls it) an _Extravasated Account_ of the Circumstances, which befell the _Primitive Church_, during the first Four or Five Hundred Years of Christianity: It shows us the Face of the Church, first in _Rome_ Heathenish, and then in Rome Converted, before the _Man of Sin_ was yet come to _Mans Estate_. Our Text contains the Acclamations made upon the most Glorious Revolution that ever yet happened upon the Roman Empire; namely, That wherein the Travailing Church brought forth a Christian Emperour. This was a most Eminent _Victory_ over the Devil, and _Resemblance_ of the State, wherein the World, ere long shall see, _The Kingdom of our God, and the Power of his Christ_. It is here noted,

First, As a matter of _Triumph_. 'Tis said, _Rejoyce, ye Heavens, and ye that dwell in them_. The Saints in both Worlds, took the Comfort of this Revolution; the Devout Ones that had outlived the late Persecutions, were filled with Transporting Joys, when they saw the _Christian_ become the _Imperial_ Religion, and when they saw Good Men come to give Law unto the rest of Mankind; the Deceased Ones also, whose Blood had been Sacrificed in the Ten Persecutions, doubtless made the Light Regions to ring with _Hallelujahs_ unto God, when there were brought unto them, the Tidings of the Advances now given to the _Christian_ Religion, for which they had suffered _Martyrdom_.

Secondly, As a matter of _Horror_. 'Tis said, _Wo to the Inhabiters of the Earth and of the Sea_. The _Earth_ still means the _False Church_, the _Sea_ means the _Wide World_, in Prophetical Phrasæology. There was yet left a vast party of Men, that were Enemies to the Christian Religion, in the power of it; a vast party left for the Devil to work upon: Unto these is a _Wo_ denounced; and why so? 'Tis added, _For the Devil is come down unto you, having great Wrath, because he knows, that he has but a short time_. These were, it seems, to have some desperate and peculiar Attempts of the Devil made upon them. In the mean time, we may entertain this for our Doctrine.

_Great Wo proceeds from the Great_ WRATH, _with which_ [5] _the_ DEVIL, _towards the end of his_ TIME, _will make a_ DESCENT _upon a miserable World._

I have now Published a most awful and solemn Warning for our selves at this day; which has four _Propositions_, comprehended in it.

_Proposition I._ That there is a _Devil_, is a thing Doubted by none but such as are under the Influence of the _Devil_. For any to deny the Being of a _Devil_ must be from an Ignorance or Profaneness, worse than _Diabolical_. _A Devil._ What is _that?_ We have a Definition of the Monster, in _Eph._ 6. 12. _A Spiritual Wickedness_, that is, _A wicked Spirit_. A Devil is a _Fallen Angel_, an Angel _Fallen_ from the Fear and Love of God, and from all Celestial Glories; but _Fallen_ to all manner of Wretchedness and Cursedness. He was once in that Order of Heavenly Creatures, which God in the Beginning made _Ministering Spirits_, for his own peculiar Service and Honour, in the management of the Universe; but we may now write that Epitaph upon him, _How art thou fallen from Heaven! thou hast said in thine Heart, I will Exalt my Throne above the Stars of God; but thou art brought down to Hell!_ A Devil is a _Spiritual_ and _Rational Substance_, by his _Apostacy_ from God, inclined to all that is Vicious, and for that _Apostacy_ confined unto the Atmosphere of this Earth, _in Chains, under Darkness, unto the Judgment of the Great Day_. This is a _Devil;_ and the _Experience_ of Mankind as well as the _Testimony_ of Scripture, does abundantly prove the Existence of such a Devil.[78]

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 unto us; according to which if we do not speak on so _dark_ a Subject, but according to our own uncertain, and perhaps humoursome Conjectures, _There is no Light in us_. I will carry you with me, but unto one Paragraph of the Bible, to be informed of three Things, relating to the _Devil;_ 'tis the Story of the _Gadaren Energumen_, in the fifth Chapter of _Mark_.

First, then, 'Tis to be granted; the _Devils_ are so many, that some Thousands, can sometimes at once apply themselves to vex one Child of Man. It is said, in Mark 5. 15. _He that was Possessed with the Devil, had the Legion._ Dreadful to be spoken! A _Legion_ consisted of Twelve Thousand Five Hundred People: And we see that in one Man or two, so many _Devils_ can be spared for a Garrison. As the Prophet cryed out, _Multitudes, Multitudes, in the Valley of Decision!_ So I say, _There are multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of Destruction, where the Devils are!_ When [6] we speak of, _The Devil_, 'tis, _A name of Multitude;_ it means not _One_ Individual Devil, so Potent and Scient, as perhaps a _Manichee_ would imagine; but it means a _Kind_, which a _Multitude_ belongs unto. Alas, the _Devils_, they swarm about us, like the _Frogs of Egypt_, in the most Retired of our Chambers. Are we at our _Boards?_ There will be Devils to Tempt us unto Sensuality: Are we in our _Beds?_ There will be Devils to Tempt us unto Carnality; Are we in our _Shops?_ There will be Devils to Tempt us unto Dishonesty. Yea, Tho' we get into the Church of God, there will be Devils to Haunt us in the very _Temple_ it self, and there tempt us to manifold Misbehaviours. I am verily perswaded, That there are very few Humane Affairs whereinto some Devils are not Insinuated; There is not so much as a _Journey_ intended, but _Satan_ will have an hand in _hindering_ or _furthering_ of it.

Secondly, 'Tis to be supposed, That there is a sort of Arbitrary, even Military _Government_, among the _Devils_. This is intimated, when in _Mar._ 5. 9. _The unclean Spirit said, My Name is Legion:_ they are under such a Discipline as _Legions_ use to be. Hence we read about, _The Prince of the power of the Air:_ Our _Air_ has a _power?_ or an Army of Devils in the _High Places_ of it; and these Devils have a _Prince_ over them, who is _King over the Children of Pride_. 'Tis probable, That the Devil, who was the Ringleader of that mutinous and rebellious Crew, which first shook off the Authority of God, is now the General of those Hellish Armies;[79] Our Lord, that Conquered him, has told us the Name of him; 'tis _Belzebub;_ 'tis he that is _the Devil_, and the rest are _his Angels_, or his Souldiers. Think on vast Regiments of cruel and bloody _French Dragoons_, with an _Intendant_ over them, overrunning a pillaged Neighbourhood, and you will think a little, what the Constitution among the _Devils_ is.

Thirdly, 'tis to be supposed, that some Devils are more peculiarly _Commission'd_, and perhaps _Qualify'd_, for some Countries, while others are for others. This is intimated when in _Mar._ 5. 10. The Devils _besought_ our Lord much, _that he would not send them away out of the Countrey_. Why was that? But in all probability, because _these Devils_ were more able _to do the works of the Devil_, in such a Countrey, than in another. It is not likely that every Devil does know every _Language;_ or that every Devil can do every _Mischief_.[80] 'Tis possible, that the _Experience_, or, if I may call it so, the _Education_ of all Devils is not alike, and that there may be some difference in their _Abilities_. If one might make an Inference from what the Devils _do_, to what they _are_, One cannot [7] forbear dreaming, that there are _degrees_ of Devils. Who can allow, that such Trifling _Dæmons_, as that of _Mascon_,[81] or those that once infested our _New berry_, are of so much Grandeur, as those _Dæmons_, whose Games are mighty Kingdoms? Yea, 'tis certain, that all Devils do not make a like Figure in the _Invisible World_. Nor does it look agreeably, That the _Dæmons_, which were the Familiars of such a Man as the old _Apollonius_, differ not from those baser Goblins that chuse to Nest in the filthy and loathsom Rags of a beastly Sorceress. Accordingly, why may not some Devils be more accomplished for what is to be done in such and such places, when others must be _detach'd_ for other Territories? Each Devil, as he sees his advantage, cries out, _Let me be in this Countrey, rather than another_. But _Enough_, if not _too much_, of these things.[82]