THE WITCHCRAFT DELUSION IN NEW ENGLAND: ITS RISE, PROGRESS, AND TERMINATION AS EXHIBITED BY DR. COTTON MATHER IN "THE WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD" AND BY MR. ROBERT CALEF IN HIS "MORE WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD"
Book Details + Condition: Burt Franklin (New York). First Reprint Edition (first published in 1866), 1970. Vary scarce complete set in three volumes. Hardcover. Vol I: 247 pp; Vol II: 212 pp; Vol III: 244 pp. Dark red boards with gilt to spine.
The work is a combined publication of two opposing arguments regarding witchcraft, with specific reference to the Salem Witch Trials. It presents the compilation of works on the subject by Cotton Mather, a Puritan minister involved in trials, and Robert Calef who opposed Mather. After the trials, Mather published “Wonders of the Invisible World”, which contained a few of his sermons, as well as an overview of the conditions of the colony and a description of witch trials in Europe. He argued that since there are witches and devils, there are "immortal souls." He also claimed that witches appear spectrally as themselves. Calef's response was “More Wonders of the Invisible World”, in which he denounced Mather's preaching. THE WITCHCRAFT DELUSION IN NEW ENGLAND presents both of those works, with analysis and additional materials which provide a detailed look on the subject of witchcraft.
From the massive occult collection of King Lawrence Parker - academic, dissertation author, and book collector extraordinaire. For all 3 volumes: firm binding; light shelf wear to boards; Parker's bookplate to inside front board, info to ffep, and embossed stamp to title page; interior is clean and free of markings.
