ry much resembling, and so far
explaining, that under which _New-England_ has laboured.

III. Some Councels directing a due Improvement of the Terrible things
lately done by the unusual and amazing Range of _Evil-Spirits_
in _New-England_.

IV. A brief Discourse upon those _Temptations_ which are the more
ordinary Devices of Satan.

By _COTTON MATHER_.

Published by the Special Command of his EXCELLENCY the Govenour of the
Province of the _Massachusetts-Bay_ in _New-England_.

Printed first, at _Bostun_ in _New-England_; and Reprinted at _London_,
for _John Dunton_, at the _Raven_ in the _Poultry_. 1693.

THE AUTHOR'S DEFENCE.

'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:_ No, 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 su