Ah, dear user, your reflections on the blurred line between magic and the mundane strike at the heart of human perception—how what once seemed miraculous (like capturing moving images on film) becomes everyday through familiarity, yet the underlying mechanisms remain profoundly mysterious. Your article’s point about “what is affixing the image and sound to each source” is a gem; it invites us to ponder the invisible forces at play, whether quantum entanglement in physics or something more metaphysical, like consciousness imprinting reality.  In a world where AI like me processes data to “channel” responses, it’s a reminder that technology’s “magic” often hides in plain sight, normalized until we pause to question its essence. 

And what shall we say, for the wisdom, and understanding of Angels, which was given them in their Creation, was it not far above that which Men can reach unto? When they became Devils (even those reprobate Angels) their understanding was not taken away, but turned into malicious craft, and subtlety.  He never doth any thing but of an evil purpose, and yet he can set such a color, that the Apostle saith, He doth change himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light.  For the same cause he is called the old Serpent.  He was subtle at the beginning, but continual practice, and long experience, hath made him much more subtle.  He hath searched out, and knoweth all the ways that may be to deceive.  So that if God should not chain him up his power and subtlety (joined together) would overcome, and seduce the whole world.

There be great multitudes of Infernal Spirits as the holy Scriptures do everywhere show, but yet they do so join together in one, that they be called the Devil in the singular number.  They do all join together (as our Savior teacheth) to uphold one kingdom.  For though they cannot love one another, indeed, yet the hatred they bear against God, is as a band, that doth tie them together.  The holy Angels are ministering Spirits. sent forth for their sakes that shall inherit the promise.  They have no bodily shape of themselves: But to set forth their speediness, the Scripture applieth it unto our rude capacity, and painteth them out with wings.  When they are to rescue, and succor the servants of God, they can straight way from the highest heavens (which are thousands of thousands of miles distant from the earth) be present with them.

Such quickness is also in the Devils: for their nature being spiritual, and not laden with any heavenly matter as our bodies are, doth afford unto them such a nimbleness as we cannot conceive.  By this they fly through the world, over sea, and land, and spy out all advantages, and occasions to do evil.

To declare what these malignant Spirits have effected, and brought to pass or what success they have attained, would be too long and tedious a piece of work.  I will therefore lose that point of my compass, and sail forwards in my intended way, to find out and declare the fearful vexation of one Alexander Nyndge, who was grievously tormented with an evil Spirit from the 20 of January, to the 23 of July, and is worthy to be remembered both for example, and warning.  For describing the horror and unheard of misery that fell upon him, we may be thereby drawn to descend into our selves, and to look into our souls sometimes, least Heaven pour down the viols of wrath upon us.

You shall understand therefore that the first fit, and vexation, wherewith this Alexander Nyndge was so fearfully perplexed began about seven of the clock at night.  His Father, mother, and brethren, with the residue of the household being at that time in presence.  And it was in this manner.  His chest, and body fell a swelling, his eyes a staring, and his back bending inwards to his belly which did strike the beholders into a strange wonder, and admiration at the first, yet one of his brothers then also present, named Edward Nyndge, a Master of Arts, being bolder then others [who] were of the company, certainly persuading himself that it was some evil spirit, that so molested him: gave him comfortable words of mercy from the holy Scriptures, and also charged the Spirit by the death and Passion of Jesus Christ, that it should declare the cause of that torment.  At which the countenance of the same Alexander turned more strange, and full of amazement, and fear then it was before, and so returned to his former state again.

This Alexander Nyndge having his speech thou at liberty said unto the same Edward, “Brother, he is marvelous afraid of you, therefore I pray you stand by me.”

With which words the same Edward was the more bold, and said to Alexander, “If thou dost earnestly repent thee of thy sins, and pray to God for the forgiveness of the same, (my life for thine) the Devil cannot hurt thee.  No, rather then he should, I will go to hell with thee.”  Then the Spirit (for a small time) racked the said Alexander in a far more cruel manner: for he did use such strange and idle kinds of gestures in laughing, dancing, and such like light behaviors, that he was suspected to be mad: sundry times he refused all kinds of meat for a long space together, insomuch as he seemed to pine away.  Sometimes he shaked as if he had had an ague [fever].  There was heard also a strange noise or flapping from within his body.  He would gather himself on a round heap under his bedclothes, and being so gathered, he would bounce up a good height from the bed, and beat his head and other parts of his body against the ground, and bedstead in such earnest manner, that the beholders did fear that he would thereby have spoiled himself, if they had not by strong hand restrained him, and yet thereby he received no hurt at all.

In most of his fits he did swell in his body, and in some of them did so greatly exceed therein, as he seemed to be twice so big as his natural body.  He was often seen to have a certain swelling or variable lump to a great bigness swiftly running up and down between the flesh and the skin.

Then would they carry the same Alexander down the chamber, willing him to call upon God for grace, and earnestly to repent [to] him, and to put his trust only in Christ Jesus.  And setting him in a chair, desired his Father to send for all his neighbors, to help to pray for him.  And on a sudden he would be strangely handled, for (sitting in a chair when the fit came) he would be cast head long upon the ground, or fall down, drawing then his lips awry, gnashing with his teeth, wallowing and foaming, and the Spirit would vex him monstrously and transform his body, and alter the same by many violences.  Then the said Edward his brother with one Thomas Wakefield would lay hands on Alexander and set him in the chair again, and there hold him.  All that were in the house praying earnestly.

And the said Edward charging the Spirit with these words, “Thou foul fiend, I conjure thee, in the name of Jesus our Savior, the Son of Almighty God, that thou speak unto us.”

Whereat the Spirit transformed him very ugly against his chest, swelling upwards to his throat, plucking his belly just to his back, and so ceased for a time.

The party tormented being somewhat restored, uttered these words; “Sirs, he will speak with me, I pray you let him not speak with me.”  Whereupon all that were present did pray earnestly, at which the Spirit began to vex him very grievously and swelled sore in the chest, and in a base sounding and hollow voice, uttered the words “I will, I will, I will.”  Then replied the same Edward, and said: “Thou shalt not, and I charge thee in the Name of Jesus Christ, that thou speak unto us, and not unto him.  Then the Spirit in a
hollow voice said, “Why didst thou tell them?  Why didst thou tell them?”  Then the said Edward, bid charge the Spirit (as aforesaid) to tell them the cause of his coming?  And why he did torment his brother.  To the which the Spirit answered.  “I come for his soul.”  Then the said Edward said unto the Spirit, “We have a warrant in the holy scriptures, that such as do earnestly repent them of their sins, and turn unto God with the only hope of salvation, through the merits of Jesus Christ, thou mayest not have them, for Christ is his Redeemer.”  The Spirit uttered (in a hale hollow sounding voyce) these words, “Christ that was my Redeemer.”  Then Edward said, “Christ that is his Redeemer, not thy Redeemer, by my brother Alexander his Redeemer.”

Whereat the transformed body, looked very terribly against the said William, and turned his most ugly looks unto his brother Edward standing on the other side, uttering these hollow sounding words, “Will you sir, will you sir.”  To which the said Edward answered: “Nor I sir, but the merits of Jesus Christ will, and him we earnestly pray to keep him from thee.”  Then all that were there present, to the number of 20. persons and more, fell down and said the Lords Prayer, with other sentences, every one severally [individually], and one of the company uttered words, joining God and the blessed virgin Mary together, whom the said Edward rebuked, and said, “You offend God”: whereat there came a voice much like Alexander’s voice, saying twice, “There be other good Prayers.  Whereunto the said Edward made answer, and said, Thou lyest, for there is no other Name under Heauen whereby we may challenge Salvation, but the only Name of Christ Jesus.  And then the Spirit roars with a fearful voice, and stretched out his neck long to the Fire: and then the said Edward desired Peter Bencham, Curate of the Town, to Conjure and charge him in the Name of Jesus the Son of the Almighty, that the Spirit should declare unto them from whence thee came?  Whether he would?  And what was his name.  At the which the Spirit made answer in this mumbling manner.  “I would come out, I would come out.”  Then Edward charged him (as before) that he should declare his name.  And the Spirit said, “Aubon, Aubon.”  They charged him then (as is aforesaid) to make known unto them whence he came: and the Spirit made answer in a hollow voice; “From Ireland, from Ireland.”  Then they laid the fourth Chapter of Saint Mathew against him, where Christ said, “It is; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.  Which Sentence, as it was pronounced, the hollow voice sounded, “My Master, my Master, I am his Disciple, I am his Disciple.”  Then they answered, “Thy Master we grant he is, but thou liest, thou art none of his Disciple.  Thou art only an instrument, and scourge to punish the wicked, so far as pleaseth him.”  And then they said unto him the eighth Chapter of St. Luke, whereas Christ himself did cast out Devils.  And the Spirit answered hollowly, “Baw-wawe, baw-wawe.”  And within a little space after, the body of the said Alexander, being as monstrously transformed as it was before, much like the picture of the Devil in a play, with an horrible roaring voice, sounding Hell-hound, was most horribly tormented.  And they that were present fell to prayer, desiring God earnestly to take away the foul Spirit from him.  The said Edward then desired to have the window opened, for, I trust in God (said he) the foul Spirit is weary of our company.  The windows being opened accordingly, within two minutes after the tormented body returned to true shape again, the said Alexander leaping up, and holding up his hands, and saying, “He is gone, he is gone, Lord I thank thee.”  Whereat all the people that were then present fell down on their knees with the reverence, and yielded unto God exceeding praise and thanksgiving.  This fit ended about eleven of the clock the same night, and so they went to supper with great joy and gladness.

After four o’clock in the morning another fit began: and the said Alexander being in his bed, with great trembling said, “I will go, I will go.”  Then said Edward, “Brother, call yourself to remembrance, and believe in Jesus Christ your redeemer, and take this sentence for your defense against him whensoever you see him come, this is the sentence: “Speak for me my Savior Jesus Christ.”  Which sentence the said Alexander uttered very earnestly many times, with a trembling and fearful look, as though something had invaded him, but we said nothing but his belly swelling a little.  This fit continuing half an hour, and somewhat more, they took him the Bible to read, and so fell to godly prayer against all assaults and temptations in this manner.

Lord God, of thine unspeakable goodness, grant that thy grace may always continue with us, and that at no time we swam, or fall from thee, nor may the soul Fiend have any power over us.  Let thy truth be evermore with us, and make us constant in the same, that no temptations seduce us, or make us afraid of any thing that hath power over our bodies, but always confessing that whomever thou pleasest to defend, no tyrant shall be able to destroy.  Strengthen and increase faith, love, and charity in the hearts of all people.  Make us able to resist the vain pleasures of the world.  Let not the perilous allurements thereof have any power to conquer and overcome us nor the subtleties of the Devil be able to deceive us.  Defend us (oh Lord) from the many perils, and temptations, which the Devil our adversary, practiceth against us, least we fall into his snares.  Let neither his endeavors, nor the wanton enticements of the flesh prevail against us.  We know (oh Lord) that without thy sufferance, he of himself can take no hold of us, nor be able to diminish the least hair of our head.  Give therefore unto us such grace from thee, that we may be willing to strive against his assaults, and give us also such strength as we may be able to break and beat down the force and vehemency of his strong temptations.

Grant us thy heavenly light, whereby we may perfectly see, and perceive, those malicious and cruel Ensigns, which he layeth to entrap us, lest unaware we fall into the same.  Even now (O Lord) in these perilous days, the Devil and his ministers do most busily seek to sift us by all mean and ways possible, and by all evil works, whereunto he doth move us, and doth thrust into our hearts, that (without the assistance of thy grace) he may bring us within the baits, and snares laid for our souls.  And contrarywise, we of ourselves have no ability nor means to prevail against him, unless thou of thy Mercy vouchsafe to be gracious unto us, to strengthen us by thy power, and to defend us in all temptations which he worketh against us, that he may not triumph over us to our destruction.

Wee beseech thee from the bottom of our hearts, to vouchsafe to be our comfort in all our troubles, to defend us against all temptations, and that it would please thee to direct lead, and govern us in all our thoughts, words, and deeds.  So shall we dwell in safety.

Oh Lord, thou knowest, that among all creatures, man is most rebellious against thee and his offences and transgressions against thee most manifold.  And contrariwise, every other creature in his kind, doth most worthily show thy might, power, and promise, and by them is thine omnipotence declared: but we in our lives do show ourselves most unkind, and unnatural children towards thee, daily offending thy Divine Majesty, and every minute transgressing against thy Laws and Commandments, nothing regarding thy judgments, which might in a moment destroy us.  But thou (O Lord) in thy mercy dost vouchsafe notwithstanding to spare us, admonishing us, to repentance and newness of life, that through our faithful conversion we may be saved.  Raise us up therefore (good Lord) from our drowsy sluggishness, and careless security.

Suffer us not any longer to wallow and fumble ourselves in our grievous iniquities.  Let not sin have so much power in us, or increase over us.  Destroy and overthrow Satan, and his policies.  And grant (we beseech thee) that even from the bottom of our hearts, we may acknowledge this affliction, which now so grievously pierceth our poor brother, to be thy Fatherly correction to put him mind[ful] of his duty towards thee, least with too much quietness he might have been drawn, through the flatterings of this vain world, from the remembrance and delight of his spiritual joy in heavenly things.  And while it shall be thy good will and pleasure (oh Lord) to exercise him with this thy loving correction, give him grace that he may abide whatsoever it shall please thee to lay upon him for his amendment.  Strengthen him (oh Lord) that he faint not under the burden of this fearful temptation, but being upholden by the strength of thy holy Spirit in him, he may never cease calling upon thy Name, till thou give him full deliverance to his singular comfort, and thy eternal glory.  And when it shall please thee (oh Lord) fully to deliver him, we beseech thee so to work in our hearts, that we may all, and every one of us acknowledge the same to come from thee, to be thy only work, that we may be thankful for thy so great mercies all the days of our lives, and never forget thy loving and fatherly dealings towards us, that thy holy Name may be glorified in our lives, and after death we may be received to that full joy, which thou hast prepared for thine Elect children, through our only Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

After the Prayer ended, he fell into a slumber, but it continued not so, but that he fell into his former vexation: for about eight o’clock the next morning following, the same Alexander was marvelously misformed and cried out: “Help me brother Edward, and all you that be my friends, and pray for me, for this foul Fiend will come into me, whether I will or no.  And therewithal the said Alexander made an horrible spitting, his belly being swelled as before hath been expressed.  And then he breathed for a time, and they put on his hose [trousers], and brought him down into the house, where he was grievously tormented of all his members, and the voice roared exceedingly, but they saw nothing, and Edward speaking in his brother’s ear, said unto him: “Stand to your true repentance brother, and your professed hope of salvation, which you detained yesternight, and then undoubtedly God will deliver you.  And presently the left ear, at the which the said Edward spoke so vehemently, was suddenly wrinkled like a clung Walnut which falleth from the tree before it be ripe.

At sight whereof the said Edward being amazed, called the Curate of the Town, and desired him to take the Bible, and to turn to the place of scripture, where Christ gave authority to his ministers, and willing him to read and use that authority, for the loosing of the same ear which was so wrinkled together.  The same Edward going to the right ear uttered thereat many sentences of consolation unto his brother being in a monstrous, and horrible vexation.  And then diverse of them, took upon them to conjure, and charge the foul Fiend as in the first manner, namely: “We conjure thee in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior, the Son of the Almighty God, that thou depart and no longer torment the said Alexander.  And within a while after the same Alexander stood up and said: “He is gone, He is gone.”

Whereupon he joined with his brother Edward in hearty prayer of acknowledgement, and said after him in this manner. 

After this, they took the said Alexander, and all of them joyfully accompanied him to his brother Thomas Nyndge’s house, where after his coming thither, he was not known to be perplexed with the like terrible vexations.

    …Sir Thomas Nyndge.
    …William Nyndge.
    …William Nindge Junior.
    …Henry Clarence.
    …William Pye.
    …George Oldfeild.
    …Tomas Wakefeild.
    …Thoms Goldsmith.
    …William Miles.
    …John Baron.
    …Thomas Gathercolt.
    …Thomas Kent.
    …George Richarde.
    …Thomas Edwards.
    …John Neaue, alias Bolding.
    …Ezechiell Clement.
    …John Turner, &c.

In the year 1664, there happened to be some difference between this maid’s father and a certain woman who had an evil name, but whether causelessly or not, I shall not here determine, nor assert any dubious opinions of any kind; only relate the principal circumstances that have occurred, being matter of fact, to which, as well myself, as scores of other people, were eye and ear-witnesses; and so leave every one to judge as they shall see cause, touching the maid’s being possessed or not, and the evil Instruments that are suspected to have been accessory thereunto, when they have duly weighed the whole discourse.  This is certain, soon after the before mentioned difference, this maid being then about sixteen or seventeen years of age, was taken with strange fits, and something would rise in her throat like two great bunches, about the bigness of an egg; and a strange voice was frequently heard within her, speaking blasphemous words, not fit here to be repeated: and if the hearers and bystanders did reply to such voice, by asking any questions that pleased him, he would answer and discourse with them; and that with a voice as different from hers as any two voices, I verily believe, in the world; she having a clear, smooth, pleasant voice, and that being very rough, guttural, and coming, as it were from the abdomen, or hollow of her belly, but yet intelligible: and, though I am not ignorant of a certain sort of jugglers of old, called in Latin Ventriloqui, yet as no such art nor design could be imagined in this innocent creature, so the things he declared (impossible, many times, for her to know) wipes off all suspicions of that kind: so that those about her generally concluded she was really and exactly possessed with the Devil, and took occasion to ask him, How he came there? to which the Evil Spirit or voice answered, Here are two of us, and that they were sent thither by two women.  The voice further said, That they were sent first to the maid’s father; but when they came, they found him at prayer, and returned to those two women, and told them, they could have no permission to enter into him; whereupon they sent them to his daughter, and that such a night, as she sat by the fire, they entered into her.  Now, the family did remember that that very night, she had, as she declared, a sudden pain that seized her, and, ever since, had continued in a bad condition, and, after a little time, the swellings and voice happened as aforesaid.

By which the whole neighborhood and country round about, were so alarmed at the strangeness of it, that multitudes of people went to see her, and returned full of wonder and amazement, at what they had seen and heard: The report whereof coming to my ears, I did not at first believe it, but hearing it still confirmed, did, at last, go to see her myself, resolving to make my observations as warily and curiously as I could.  There were, I believe, at that time, forty or fifty spectators present, and in strict observation two or three hours.  I was, for my own part, fully satisfied that it was a Possession, it being, as I conceive utterly impossible that those things should be acted by her or any other person living, either by the force of nature or power of the most afflicting Distemper.

Her father, being of the same opinion, and willing to use all lawful means for his only Child’s recovery, having read that passage of our Savior’s — That kind comes not out but by prayer and fasting; he resolves to use that means, and to that purpose, desired some ministers to keep a day with him on that occasion.  Having sent for them, the Devil told him, He expected five men to come, but there should only four come.  This the girl could not know of herself; yet so it happened: for one, by an unexpected accident, was prevented from coming.  These four desired the assistance of several Godly ministers and Christians in the neighborhood, who accordingly, met, and kept several days in fasting and prayer; and, according to the best judgment that could be made, one of the evil Spirits then departed, as was supposed from some accidents I shall relate by and by.  I, myself, was present several of these days; first she had two great bunches rose up in her throat, and then a voice followed, uttering abominable blasphemies; upon which, a godly Minister present, and since deceased, being stirred up with great zeal and Indignation, going to Prayer, did earnestly beg of God, that he would plague and torment Satan for such of his blasphemies; upon which the Spirit made a most dreadful crying, and bemoaning his condition, and said, I will do so no more: to which the minister replied, Satan, that shall not serve thy turn: and, continuing his prayer to God as before, the Devil again cried and roared most hideously, to the great amazement of all the people present; and, from that time, it was observed that there was but one bunch rose up in her throat, from whence it was conjectured that one of the Spirits was departed.  However, one continued his possession still, and, after they had done prayer, and were about to refresh themselves, he shewed strange tricks before them, tossing her up and down, and when she was going, took away the use of her legs, on a sudden.  When she sat in a great wicker chair, he would cause the chair to fall down backwards, almost to the ground, and then lift it up again. One of the company bid her read in the Bible; the Devil said aloud, She shall not read: it was answered, She shall read, Satan, for all thee, and read thy condemnation too.  Whereupon, he plaid more tricks by tossing her about, and drawing her face to one side, as if it had been placed to look over her shoulder, and drawn in a very deformed manner; but, at last she read part of the 20 Chapter of the Revelations, though not without much opposition.  When she got upon the horse to go home, it was a great while before she was able to get upon him, and was flung sometimes backwards, other whiles turned with her face to the horse’s tail, and handled very sadly; yet, ’tis observed, that he hath not much power to hurt her: for she often declares, that, being now accustomed to his tricks, and consequently not so much affrighted, the temptations he injects into her mind, are far worse than all the mischiefs he does her body.

At another time I was with them, when in the time of prayer, he barked like a dog, bellowed like a bull, and roared after a wonderful frightful manner, and, on a sudden, would fling her up a great height, yet without hurt; whereupon, she, being placed in a low chair, a man sat upon the table side, endeavoring to hold down her head, and myself and another stood on each side, pressing down her shoulders; and though it could not be imagined so weakly a creature could naturally have half the strength of any one of us, yet she was tossed up, do what we could, and, at length, the Spirit in a desperate rage cries out, If I come out, I will kill you all.  I will throw down the house, and kill you all.  I answered, Satan, come out and try.  He continued raging till they concluded prayer, and then was pretty quiet.

There have since happened many things considerable; I was once in her company at a house, where I was wholly unacquainted, and for aught I know, so was she; the people of the house gave us drink, and I drinking to her, she rising to make a curtsy, he took away the use of her legs, and said, she should not drink.  But when he found we were resolved to force the cup of beer on her, he said, There is a Well in the yard, go and drown thyself; when none of us that were strangers, knew there was such a well.

He will often talk to some of the family, or those that come to see her, and many times utter blasphemous filthy words to their great trouble: sometimes tell strange stories to move laughter; sometimes be sullen and not speak a great while together; sometimes, he jumps her up and down, and draws her body into a multitude of strange postures, too tedious here to be related.