[Satan’s Invisible World Contents]
SIr, That which I narrated to you the other day, I have now sent it under my hand, as a thing very certain and sure. I knew a servant Maid that served a Gentlewoman in the Old Provosts Closs, as they call it, who was married to a Butcher called Iohn Richy about twelve years agoe. She lived about five years with him, and bore him four Children, and then died. Within a few dayes after her burial, he went in suit of a young Woman, courting her for Marriage. He had a Comerade of the same trade, to whom he revealed his Intention, & desired him to meet at such a house, near to the Court of Guard, down some Closs or other, that he might see his new Mistriss. The appointment is keeped. The two Lovers sat down together on a Bed side, and the Comerade sat opposit to them, there being a table between them, and a Window or shot at the head of the Room, that gave them light. The Closs or Wynd was narrow to which they had a sight. And while the two, are dallying together in the Bed, the other smiling at them, behold while this man is casting his eye about the room, he perceived distinctly the body and face of the dead wife, in her dead cloaths, looking towards them from an opposit window. At which, this man, his Comerade, rose up afrighted, saying to the other, John whats that? Whereupon all stood up looking, and saw perfectly the buried woman, lifting up her hands (as appeared) to take the dead dress from her head, but could not reach it. The man threw her out of his Arms, with a purpose to be gone quickly. But his Comerade vowed he would not stir, till he get something to comfort his heart. They got a little Brandy and then went away, not without wondering and fear. Upon this the man took sickness for three or four days, and his Comerade coming to give him a visit, counseled him to delay, or wholly to desist from that purpose of marriage. But affection would not suffer him to forbear, and though not fully recovered of his Frenzie, he made a new address to his Mistris. But while he is putting on his shooes, his dead wife appears again in her ordinary habit, and crossing the Room in his sight, says, Iohn will you not come to me? And with that evanished. Upon this, he took sickness again, and called for his Comerade, and told him of this second Apparition, who most freely intreated him to desist, or at least to delay. His sickness increasing, he died. About which time he spake of a third visit his wife gave him, blaming him, as if he had too soon forgotten her. But did not tell it distinctly, and therefore his Comerade could not be positive in it. He was buried within a moneth of his wifes decease.
One of the Ministers of Edinburgh, who had been acquaint in the house, where she served, hearing some Whisper of the Apparition, sent a servant secretly to call for the mans Comerade, who gave him a just and true narration of all which I have written. Adding, that he having seen the Vision first; some told him, he would quickly die, but he is yet living in the town a Flesher, the Minister having married him to two Wives since. The deceast wifes name was Helen Brown. I intended to have published another Relation anent the devils coming in the night-time, and knocked three several times at such a mans door; but I was desired to forbear.
Having no kindness for the Cartesian Philosophy, I must fall upon it in the close, as I did in the beginning. I will not name nor cite the Author, that maintains the following Blasphemous Opinions, tho I may. 1. That there is an infinit intelligible extension, which is GOD, in which we see all Bodies. 2. This Author makes CHRIST, the Eternal Word, speak in the quality of a Cartesian Philosopher. 3. He destroyes altogether the Providence of GOD. 4. He sayes that GOD hath not made all things for his own Glory. 5. That it was necessar that all men should be Sinners, that there might be a diversity of Glory. 6. Works done without Grace are good-works. 7. GOD is not the Author of every good thing, that is in us. 8. He destroyes the Authority of the Scripture, and exposes it to be despised by the profane. 9. The thoughts of Jesus Christ are the occasional Causes of the distribution of Grace. 10. GOD could have created Spirits from all Eternity. 11. All Creatures are full of Jesus Christ. 12. He Ruins the nature of sin, by the Idea, which he gives of Liberty. 13. That Liberty is not essential to Spirits. 14. A man transported by his passion, doth not sin. 15. Every Habit or Passion, or Temperament, which we cannot overcome doth make the most ugly and Enormous Actions, to be no sins. And thence, Sodomy, Incest, Murder, Adultery, Rebellion, Witchcraft, are no sins, if they be habitual. These are but a few of his Blasphemous and Atheisticial Opinions. This Philosophy would please some now a dayes very well, that habituate themselves in murder, in murdering some in their Lodgings, and others on the Kings high-way, as is most unchristianly done by some! O dementia! Huccine rerum venimus? [Oh madness! Have we come to this point?]
FINIS.
