Cotton Mather (1) (1663–1728)
Author of The Wonders of the Invisible World: The Trials of Witches
For other authors named Cotton Mather, see the disambiguation page.
Cotton Mather (1) has been aliased into Cotton Mather.
About the Author
Image credit: Courtesy of the NYPL Digital Gallery (image use requires permission from the New York Public Library)
Works by Cotton Mather
Works have been aliased into Cotton Mather.
God's Call to Young People: A Call to the Rising Generation to Know and Serve God While They Are Still Young (Family… (2001) 30 copies
Magnalia Christi Americana; Or, the Ecclesiastical History of New England (Milestones of Thought in the History of… (1971) 13 copies
Magnalia Christi Americana: or, the ecclesiastical history of New-England from its first planting in the year 1620.… (1853) 6 copies
Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum : a faithful account of the discipline professed and practised in the churches… (1972) 5 copies
COTTON MATHER: Magnalia Christi Americana (1702), Volume 1 (of 2) (The Library of Early American Literature) (2020) 4 copies
Biblia Americana: America's First Bible Commentary. a Synoptic Commentary on the Old and New Testaments:… (2018) 3 copies
Biblia Americana: America's First Bible Commentary. A Synoptic Commentary on the Old and New Testaments. Volume 5:… (2016) 3 copies
Essays to Do Good: Addressed to All Christians, Whether in Public or Private Capacities (Classic Reprint) (2012) 3 copies
The Witchcraft Delusion in New England (Vol. 1-3): Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Complete Edition) (2020) 3 copies
Biblia Americana: America's First Bible Commentary. A Synoptic Commentary on the Old and New Testaments. Volume 1:… (2010) 3 copies
A Poem and an Elegy 2 copies
Decennium luctuosum: an history of remarkable occurrences in the long war which New England hath had with the Indian… (1699) 2 copies
Directions for a Candidate of the Ministry (The American Puritans Series) (Volume 2) (2021) 2 copies
Parentator. Memoirs of remarkables in the life and death of the ever-memorable Dr. Increase Mather 2 copies
The Witchcraft Delusion in New England (The Esoteric Library) (The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise,… (2016) 1 copy
Biblia Americana: America's First Bible Commentary. A Synoptic Commentary on the Old and New Testaments. Volume 4:… (2013) 1 copy
The Negro Christianized An essay to excite and assist the good work, the instruction of Negro-servants in Christianity.… (1706) 1 copy
Hannah Swanton, the Casco Captive, or the Catholic Religion in Canada and Its Influence on the Indians in Maine… (2012) 1 copy
Magnalia Christi Americana, Vol. 2 of 2: Or the Ecclesiastical History of New-England, From Its First Planting in the… (2017) 1 copy
Magnalia Christi Americana, Or, The Ecclesiastical History of New-England: From Its First Planting, in the Year 620,… (2019) 1 copy
Strange Phenomena of New England, in the Seventeenth Century: Including the "Salem Witchcraft," "1692" (Classic… (2017) 1 copy
The Witchcraft Delusion in New England, Vol. 2 of 3: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Classic Reprint) (2015) 1 copy
What Shall I Do to Be Saved? 1 copy
The right way to shake off a viper. An essay, on a case, too commonly calling for consideration 1 copy
Token for Children 1 copy
Magnalia christi americana 1 copy
manuductio ad ministerium 1 copy
Associated Works
Works have been aliased into Cotton Mather.
The Glorious American Essay: One Hundred Essays from Colonial Times to the Present (2020) — Contributor — 83 copies
White Slaves, African Masters: An Anthology of American Barbary Captivity Narratives (1999) — Contributor, some editions — 41 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Mather, Cotton
- Birthdate
- 1663-02-12
- Date of death
- 1728-02-13
- Burial location
- Copp's Hill Burying Ground, Copp's Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Boston, Masachusetts Bay Colony
- Place of death
- Boston, Masachusetts Bay Colony
- Places of residence
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Education
- Boston Latin School
Harvard College (AB|1678)
Harvard College (AM|1681) - Occupations
- minister
theologian
scientist
philosopher - Relationships
- Mather, Increase (father)
Cotton, John (grandfather)
Mather, Richard (grandfather) - Awards and honors
- Boston Latin School Hall of Fame
Royal Society (1726)
Honorary doctorate, University of Glasgow (1710)
Members
Reviews
Lists
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 120
- Also by
- 7
- Members
- 874
- Popularity
- #29,294
- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 3
- ISBNs
- 117
- Favorited
- 3
Thus, I picked up a reprint of Cotton Mather’s tract, Wonders of the Invisible World Being An Account of the Trials of Several Witches Lately Executed in New England. It was a very difficult read, as the Kessinger Press edition I have is a direct copy of a 1692 book published in London. The reproduction is quite poor, with entire paragraphs unreadable because the letters are “washed out”; there’s also the ubiquitous medial “s”, that looks like an “f” (especially disconcerting when Mather discusses witches supposedly suckling their familiars).
Further, this isn’t an organized discussion of the trials – rather it’s a collection of various things Mather threw together on the general theme of witchcraft and the Devil. Thus there are some observations on witch hunting technique (“heavier than a duck” is not mentioned), some sermons Mather gave on the Devil, accounts of individual trials (there were 19 witches involved; Mather only discusses five – Bridget Bishop, Susanna Martin, Elizabeth How, Martha Carrier, and “G.B.”) “G.B.” is George Burroughs, whose fall from grace (he was a former Salem minister) so incensed Mather that he refused to give his full name. Mather seems quite sure that these five were guilty as charged. He doesn’t say much about the others (although he does describe Giles Corey, who was pressed to death refusing to plead, as a “poor man”, with the implication that he was unfortunate rather than financially destitute). The section that seems to confirm the partial rehabilitation of Mather in Salem Possessed is at the beginning, and is Mather’s commentary on “spectral evidence”.
“Spectral Evidence” was apparently considered definitive proof of witchcraft. A “specter” was the appearance of a living person (as opposed to a dead person, who would be a ghost) in a place where the person couldn’t physically be. All the specters cited are engaged in tormenting or at least annoying somebody; the accounts Mather gives makes it pretty clear that most of the specters are what would now be called hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations; the witch appears in the victim’s bedchamber and sits on his chest, “greatly oppressing” him. The victim is paralyzed, but is eventually able to stir or cry out, whereupon the specter disappears. Mather’s caution is that maybe, just maybe, God might permit the Devil to make a specter of an innocent person, since it would certainly delight the Devil to have an innocent accused and executed. He doesn’t go on from there, but it could be the thin edge of the wedge; if the Devil can falsify spectral evidence, then presumably he could also falsify mad cows, mysteriously dead chickens, poorly behaved children, sour beer, miscellaneous aches and pains, and all the other evils inflicted by witches. Rather shallow evidence for changing Mather’s image from inquisitor to civil right activist; but perhaps.
The book is quaint enough, and inspires me to read a little more about the Mathers.… (more)