[Vision2020] Literary Interpretation

[Douglas]

Visionaries,

A $10 gift certificate at Bucers awaits the first visionary who is able to 
*accurately* describe the real relationship of Cotton Mather to the Salem 
witch trials. Once you discover the, um, surprising truth, and it makes you 
afraid of getting spit on in public by the Tolerant, you can email the 
answer to me off-list.

Cordially,

Douglas Wilson

P.S. Keep in mind that Ambrose Bierce defined history as an "account mostly 
false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers 
mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools."


>3.       The Wonders of the Invisible World, -  Cotton Mather,
>
>This timeless story introduces the reader to the godly investigations and 
>persistent sleuthing of the youthful 17th cleric, Cotton Mather.  Rev. 
>Mather employed his celebrated intuition and deductive reasoning (seminary 
>trained, you know) to uncovered the presence of numerous witches in 
>Massachusetts. Never one to leave a task undone, he offered further help 
>in disposing of them according to biblical instructions.  Is it to late to 
>say a big Thank You, Cotton?