“On Witchcraft” by Cotton Mather

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Attracting attention with books
Questions to Cotton Mather
Conclusion
Work cited

Introduction

Cotton Mather was born in February, 12^th in 1663 and died in February, 13^th 1728. Cotton Mather was a very influential both at social and political level. Cotton Mather was a minister of New England Puritan he was also a prolific author as well as a pamphleteer. His political influence can be attributed to the fact that he was a son of an influential minister as well. Cotton Mather is often remembered for the connection he had on Salem witch trials.

Cotton Mother borrowed his manes from his grandfathers of both sides i.e. paternal grandfather Richard Mather and maternal grandfather John Cotton. Cotton Mather attended Boston Latin School after which he joined Harvard University where he graduated in the year 1687 while at the age of sixteen. Upon completion of his post-graduate, Cotton Mather joined his father to work as the assistant pastor before later assuming the whole responsibility of being the pastor of Boston’s; original North church following the death of his father. (Mather 21).

Having authored approximately 450 books and a quite a number of pamphlets, Cotton Mather became one of influential religious leaders in America during his time.

Attracting attention with books

Cotton Mather in his book urges for acceptance of spectral evidence during the Salem witch Trials. During the Witch trails, Cotton Mather writes a letter placing much weight on spectral evidence. Cotton Mather says inn his letter that what he considered to be the best evidence is the confession by the witches. The whole idea of this particular work is to sensitize the people about the existence of witchcraft which is perceived to be as a result of some spirits. (Mather 13).

Salem witchcraft trials took place Salem mass. This was a result of a belief in witchcraft and that it is capable of affecting people in a number of ways. However, the greatest challenge was how there could be attained a solid evidence about its existence and its impact on people who it is directed to them. Before the year 1688, about four people had already been hanged for allegations of practicing witchcraft near Boston. The scenario grew worse when an outbreak of persecution took place in the year 1922 following an outbreak of a disease which resembled epilepsy and which the doctors were not in a position to cure it. Discouraged by the fact that physicians could not cure it, sermons form clergymen such as Cotton Mather facilitated the belief that evil spirits in the form of witches were actually capable the people at large. Cotton Mather acknowledges the fact that witchcraft exists mainly as a result of the envious nature of human beings which he says that it is way of defining the characteristics of humanity. Cotton Mather however does not forget to mention the fact that devil exists and he works in collaboration with the witches and uses them to achieve his goals and objectives of seeing that the world is turned to be a zone of manifestation of evil deeds.

In his book, Cotton Mather asserts that there is a book which the witches have to sign to show solidarity and commitment in the affair of bewitching other people. This he says there has been a confession of about one hundred and twenty witches who said that the book is shown to them by the devil himself. He further argues that there is a hellish design of bewitching which is geared towards ruining our precious land. His assertions that the devil uses people who are branded as witches to accomplish his mission on the earth is supported by this statement by the author “The devil has made a dreadful knot with witches in the country and by the help of the witches, he has dreadfully increased his knot” Mather 16.

Top some extend, the author of this book acknowledges the fact that Satan exists and that he has some power which cannot match that of human beings. This is that reason as to why he manages to recruit witches in his affairs.

However, Cotton Mather notes that one of the things that have interred Satan and his team of witches from suppressing the country is the belief in Christianity and the ability of the clergymen and his followers to unite in intervening for the country as a whole. The author does not fail to mention the fact that despite all those efforts by the Christians, the witches and the devil have been holing meetings to consult and strategies on how the Christian religion can be submerged.

Cotton Mather is not says that there is nothing like the extinction of witchcraft since the devil is said to be in a continuous mission of recruiting witches day in day out. He further argues that if people do not unite in the endeavor to look for ways of dealing with witches and witchcraft in general, the whole nation will be not in a position to stand at all.. (Mather 17).

Questions to Cotton Mather

The whole idea of witchcraft as narrated by Cotton Mather in this book brings about a number of questions. One of them is about how one can conclude that a particular person is a witch and go to an extend of punishing that person. Cotton Mather talks of some witches confessing of how they go about their business of bewitching other people but this is still very questionable. The idea of people who are labeled as witches being killed also brings about the question of whether the teachings pf Christianity should actually permit the taking away of the life of a human being under any standards. The author is trying to make people conceptualize the whole idea of witchcraft and take one through the various undertakings of witchcraft so that at the end on the reading, one can actually understand the reality of witchcraft. However, some of his narrations may sound a bit more factious that real. For instance, he says that the devil constantly holds meeting with the witches to set up strategies on how to do away with Christianity and its faithful. In the first place, we quite understand that the devil is a sprit and may have nobody. Most of his work therefore sounds more of imagination than being real. To prove whether or not that witchcraft exists its another thing which brings bout on this work by cotton Mather.The fact that Cotton Mather was very much convinced of witchcraft also seems to raise concern. At some point, when ex-minister George Burroughs was executed, he seems to insist that the hanging of the man to be continued as crowds of thousands and thousands of people watched while others sympathizing with the ex-minister and arguing it to be stopped. This brings about the question on how the life of human beings should be taken with much dignity even jupon allegations which are beyond the prove of human being. Cotton Mather’s adamant belief on the spectral evidence which he says results from testimonies by those who are bewitched is still not an evidence enough to make one belief that for real witches exist. The author talks how the bewitched could see visions of the people behind their tribulations and sufferings. This still seems to be holding no strong ground to make one believe that witchcraft is real. (Mather 14).

Conclusion

This work fits within the historical period it describes due the following reasons. First it was written during a period when people used to be strongly affiliated to the belief in witchcraft. At that period, much attention was given to supernatural powers including such as God and Satan. Under that period, most people exhibited the characteristics of a society which was dominated by the fear of the evil spirit. It is also written in a period where Christianity had not been deeply rooted in the society and so people used to look to different ways of explaining different phenomena in the society. Therefore, to convince people about witchcraft was quite easy and that is why Cotton Mather managed to achieve his goal in sensitizing people on witchcraft and its impact. (Mather 21).

Work cited

Mather, cotton. On Witchcraft. Kessinger publishing, 2004.

Holmes, Thomas. Cotton mather and his writings on Witchcraft. Kessinger publishing 2003.

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“On Witchcraft” by Cotton Mather

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