Witchcraft farther display'd. Containing I. An account of the witchcraft practis'd by Jane Wenham of Walkerne, in Hertfordshire, since her condemnation ... II. An answer to the most general objections against the being and power of witches: ... To which are added, the tryals of Florence Newton, a famous Irish witch, at the assizes held at Cork, anno 1661; as also of two witches ... at Bury St. Edmonds in Suffolk, anno 1664.

  • Bragge, Francis, 1664-1728.
Date:
1712
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Witchcraft farther display'd. Containing I. An account of the witchcraft practis'd by Jane Wenham of Walkerne, in Hertfordshire, since her condemnation ... II. An answer to the most general objections against the being and power of witches: ... To which are added, the tryals of Florence Newton, a famous Irish witch, at the assizes held at Cork, anno 1661; as also of two witches ... at Bury St. Edmonds in Suffolk, anno 1664. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    be dll but the Work of Fancy, and that forty or fifty Spedfitors Ihould be all, juft at the fame Time, impos’d upon by the fame chimerical Imaginations : This, I lay, requires more Credulity to believe, than all the Stories of Witchcraft put together. . At this Rate, no Man can tell when or/ how to believe what he fees or hears 5 and it puts an End to the Credit of all human Teftimony whatfoe- ver. As for the Reafon, why filly old Women Ihould gene¬ rally enter into tfCbfe Combinations with the Devil, it is probable, that the Devil takes Advantage of this their Ig¬ norance and Poverty; efpecialiy, if accompany’d with a malicious Mind, and a Cuftom of invoking the Devil in Curfes and Imprecations, as in the Gate of Jane Wenham 5 and that thus he more eftedlually fecures their Souls to him for ever, and puts them, as far as poffible, from any Like¬ lihood of making their Peace with God by Repentance. However, there is nothing more to be concluded from this Part of the Objection, than that the Policy of Hell is Unknown to us, which cannot deftroy the clear Evidence of Matter of Fafl. Obj. 5. Another Obje&ion is. That fince the Times of the Gofpel, there can be no Witches,becaufe our Saviour Chrift came to deftroy the Worh of the Devil; and it is notori¬ ous, that he is driven from his Temples, and all his Ora¬ cles are ft ruck dumb ; from whence it is probable, that he has no'longer the Power he once bad to affift his Servants i% working Wonders. Anfw. 1 he Scriptures do more than once exprefly men¬ tion Witches apd Sorcerers, fince the Time of our Saviour Chrift, wheels that noted Place in the 5th Chapter of the Epiftle to the Galatians, Verfe the 20th. Befides which, the Story of Simon Magus alone might iufficien£ly confute this Objeffion, who work’d fuch Wonders, that he de¬ ceiv’d many : He, fays the Author of the APIs of the Apo- ftles, c. 8. v. cy us/d Sorcery, and bewitch'd the People of Sa¬ maria pand yet all the ftrange Things he did, were done by the aiMing Power of the Devil; fo that fome Time after our Saviour’s Afcenfion, this Power did remain to the great Deceiver ; and I believe the Obje&ors will find it more difficult, than at? firft Sight it appears, to fix any Period of Time when this Power of Satan ceas’d. If they fay it was, wheri be wras driven from his Temples and his Altars, pray let ’em tell me when was that ? Gr are they <- * i \ v /■*