The Illustrious Providences in New England, Table of contents – Publishers advertisement
THE CONTENTS.
CHAP. I.
OF Remarkable Sea-Deliverances. Mr. Anthony Thacher's Relation, concerning his and his Wives being marvelously preserved alive, when all the Ships Company perished. The wonderful preservation of Major Gibbons and his Company. Several other Remarkable Sea-deliverances mentioned by Mr. Janeway, wherein New-England Men were concerned. Mr. Grafton's preservation. A Vessel lately coming from Bristol for New-England saved out of great distress at Sea. Some providentially met with by a New-England Vessel in an open Boat, many Leagues off from any shoar, strangely preserved. An account of a Remarkable Sea-deliverance which hapned this year. Another like unto it above twenty years ago. Page 1.
CHAP. II.
A further Account of some other Remarkable Preservations. Of a Child that had part of her Brains struck out and yet lived and did well. Remarkable Deliverances which some in Windsor had experience of. Several in the late Indian War. The Relation of a Captive. Skipper How's memorable Preservation. Several Examples somewhat parallel, wherein others in other parts of the World were concerned. Page 32.
CHAP. III.
Of Remarkables about Thunder and Lightning. One at Salisbury in New-England struck dead thereby. Several at Marshfield. One at North-Hampton. The Captain of the Castle in Boston. Some Remarkables about Lightning in Roxborough, Wenham, Marble-head, Cambridge, Hampton: And in several Vessels at Sea. Some late parallel Instances. Of several in the last Century. Scripture Examples of Men slain by Lightning. Page 72.
CHAP. IV.
Some Philosophical Meditations. Concerning Antipathies and Sympathies. Of the Load-stone. Of the nature and wonderful effects of Lightning. That Thunder-storms are often caused by Satan; and sometimes by good Angles. Thunder is the voice of God and therefore to be dreaded. All places in the habitable World are subject to it more or less. No Amulets can preserve Men from being hurt thereby. The miserable estate of wicked Men upon this account, and the happiness of the Righteous, who may be above all disquieting fears, with respect unto such terrible Accidents. P. 99.
CHAP. V.
Concerning things Praeternatural, which have hapned in New-England. A Remarkable Relation about Ann Cole of Hartford. Concerning several Witches in that Colony. Of the Possessed Maid at Groton. An account of the House in Newbery lately troubled with a Daemon. A parallel Story of an House at Tedworth in England. Concerning another in Hartford, and of one in Portsmouth in New-England lately disquieted by Evils Spirits. An account of the Woman at Kitry molested with Apparitions, and sometimes tormented by invisible Agents. Page 135.
CHAP. VI.
That there are Daemons. And possessed persons. Signs of such. Some Maniacks are Daemoniacks. Notwithstanding many fabulous Stories about Witchcrafts, that there are Witches proved by three Arguments. That Houses are sometimes troubled by Evil Spirits. Witchcraft often the cause of it. Sometimes by the Devil without Witchcraft; ordered by providence as a punishment for sin. The disturbance in Walton's house further considered; with a parallel Story. That the things related in the preceding Chapter were undoubtedly preter-natural and Diabolical. Page 168.
CHAP. VII.
Concerning Apparitions. That they are not so frequent in places where the Gospel prevaileth, as in the dark corners of the Earth. That good Angels do sometimes visibly appear. Confirmed by several Histories. That Cacodaemons oftentimes pretend to be good Angels. That Satan may appear in the likeness of Holy men; proved by notable Instances. Concerning the appearance of persons deceased. The procuring cause thereof is usually some sin committed. Some late Remarkable Examples. Of Mens covenanting to appear after their Death. It is an heavy Iudgment when places are infested with such doleful Spectres. Page 202.
CHAP. VIII.
Several Cases of Conscience considered. That it is not lawful to make use of Herbs or Plants to drive away Evil Spirits. Nor of Words or Characters. An Objection answered. Whether it be lawful for Persons Bewitched to burn things, or to nail Horse-shoes before their doors or to stop Vrin in Bottles, or the like' in order to the recovery of Health. The negative proved by several Arguments. Whether it be lawful to try Witches by casting them into the Water. Several reasons evincing the vanity of that way of probation. Some other Superstitions witnessed against. Page 248.
CHAP. IX.
A strange Relation of a Woman in Wey-mouth in New-England that hath been Dumb and Deaf ever since she was three years old, who nevertheless hath a competent understanding in the mysteries of Religion; and is admitted to partake of the Sacrament. Some parallel Instances. Of wayes to teach Deaf persons to speak. Of a Man in Hull in New-England under whose Tongue a Stone bred. Concerning that petrification, which Humane Bodies are subject to. That divers sorts of Animals have sometimes been formed in the Bodies of Men. Page 289.
CHAP. X.
Concerning some Remarkable Tempests in New-England. A Remark upon the Hurricane, Anno. 1635. An observable Accident by a sudden freezing of Rain in the Year 1659. A strange Whirl-wind in Cambridge, A. D. 1680. Another at New-Haven the last year. An Hail-storm at Springfield. Some parallel Instances. Of Earth-quakes in this Countrey. Land wonderfully removed. Parallel Stories. Of remarkable Floods this year, not only in New-England but in other parts of the World. An account of a prodigious Flood in France five years ago, with conjectures concerning the natural reason of it. P. 311.
CHAP. XI.
Concerning some Remarkable Judgments. Quakers judicially plagued with Spiritual Iudgements. Of several sad Instances in Long-Island; And in Plimouth Colony. That some of the Quakers are really possessed with Infernal Spirits. Proved by a late wonderful and astonishing Example of one in Balsham in Cambridge-shire. Of several that have… imprecated Vengeance upon themselves. The woful end of Drunkards. And of those that have designed evil against the Churches of Christ in New-England. Page 358.
CHAP. XII.
An Account of some Remarkables at Norwich in New-England. Special Answers of Prayer made in that place. That People marvelously preserved. The scandalous miscarriage of one so over-ruled by providence as to become an occasion of the Conversion of several. A further Account of some personal Deliverances in Norwich. Concerning sudden Deaths which have hapned in New-England. Page 363.
FINIS.
Advertisement.
SOme Sermons concerning the Works of Divine Providence, and on several other Subjects, preached by the Author of this Book about Remarkable Providences; are designed to be shortly Published.
End of the text · Increase Mather, The Illustrious Providences in New England (1684)