The Wonders Of The Invisible World
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This collection gathers sermons, essays and historical narratives written by two prominent New England ministers, Cotton Mather and Increase Mather, who turned their attention to the supernatural. Their subject is witchcraft and the trials that followed in colonial Massachusetts, seen through the eyes of men who believed hidden powers of evil were working against their community.
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Across the pieces, the writers set out their reasoning about how the devil might act in the world and why their congregations felt the need to defend the faith against such threats. The result is a picture of a society trying to restore order and secure divine approval during a turbulent period, with fear, belief and the authority of government closely entangled.
Readers interested in early American history, religion, or the origins of the Salem episode will find a window onto the mindset of the period. The book reflects how the men of that age understood justice, morality and the boundary between the visible and invisible worlds.
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