The devil turn'd casuist, or, The cheats of Rome laid open, in the exorcism of a despairing devil, at the house of Thomas Pennington in Orrel in the parish of Wigan and county of Lancaster / By Zachary Taylor.

  • Taylor, Zachary, 1653-1705.
Date:
1696
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The devil turn'd casuist, or, The cheats of Rome laid open, in the exorcism of a despairing devil, at the house of Thomas Pennington in Orrel in the parish of Wigan and county of Lancaster / By Zachary Taylor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    to take the account as 1 had it in a Letter from my Reverend Brother and Neighbour, which is as foHoivcth. Walton, April pth. 96. SIR, \ ' ' *’ ^ w i * THe Oldnefs of the Faft whereof you call for a Narrative may excufe my not giving it in all the recjuifite Particulars. Many of them a> e film out of my memory, and the rather becaitfe I was left careful to imprint them there, as not dreaming 1 fhould after fo long a time\ be occa- fion'd to give an account of them, About twenty years agoy a Son of Mr. Crook’s near Lealand, Aged about twelve yearsy was Jeizjed with fo un¬ wonted a Diflemperythat our Country-Gentlemen* and Clergy, and fame Ci¬ thers that had Skill in Phfick, knew not what^o make of it. Some few did conceive it might be a Natural Diftemper f\he Papifls generally de¬ clared him to be Poffeft by an Evil fpirity which too eafily catch't the belief of mofi of his Prot eft ant Neighbours } Soyie concluded him to be hurt by an Evil Tongue y others thought, becaufa his Step mother was a Papifls that the whole was a Counterfeit, ailed to gain advantage to the Roman Inter eft in thofe parrs \ The notorious juggling Tricks in this kind, fame Romiflt Priefts had plaid in all the parts an Chriftendom (whereof the mo ft ingenious per- fons of that Communion wilt Complain together with mej gave fame wifer 'heads this (uTpicfon. But the General Opinion, 1 fayy was, that it was a Pof- fejfion : and accordingly both his Fopifb and Protefiant Friends made fame I (Jutes to caft the Evil fpirit out of the Lad. Firfthe was taken into the care of one Mr. HugMon a Popifh Friefi at Madam Weftbey’S houfa in nr mar Lealand, bur met with no relief there. Afterwards the' (then) Fat fon of Croft on (the Boys God-father 9 as / remember) fent for him to his houfe wUu for fame time he ]hew°d him fame ineffectual Tokens of his de¬ fire to rid him of the reputed Fiend. All this was reported in many places e* cur County, and truth fupported the Report • but other things were told with the fame con f dtnc efterr which there was no ground^as that the Boy could tell in his Fits what was adoing in places far dtftant from himy whereof he could haw no information by his S cnees3 nor by any other ordinary means of Conveyance