Sadducismus Triumphatus: Or, A Full and Plain Evidence Concerning Witches and Apparitions by Joseph Glanvill

Sadducismus Triumphatus: Or, A Full and Plain Evidence Concerning Witches and Apparitions by Joseph Glanvill, published in 1726 in London. A landmark work in the intellectual history of the supernatural, Sadducismus Triumphatus stands as one of the most influential early modern attempts to defend the reality of witchcraft, spirits, and apparitions against the growing skepticism of the Enlightenment. First conceived in the late 17th century and expanded posthumously, this 1726 English edition preserves Glanvill’s enduring argument that disbelief in spirits ultimately undermines belief in God, the soul, and moral order itself. Joseph Glanvill (1636–1680), a clergyman, philosopher, and Fellow of the Royal Society, approached the supernatural not as a sensationalist but as a rational investigator. Known to have participated in séances and firsthand experiments, Glanvill also closely observed the witch trials and spirit phenomena reported in his own time. His method—collecting sworn testimony, eyewitness accounts, and comparative cases—reflects an early scholarly effort to apply reason and empirical observation to matters traditionally governed by theology and folklore. The work contains numerous vivid and often unsettling narratives of supernatural disturbance, including detailed accounts of alleged Swedish witches, cases of demonic possession, poltergeist activity, spectral visitations, and physical manifestations attributed to curses and malignant spirits. Among its most striking visual elements are several engraved illustrations, including the infamous plate depicting stones said to have been expelled from a victim’s mouth and genitals following a witch’s malefaction—an image emblematic of the period’s visceral understanding of spiritual affliction. Bound in polished calfskin, hand-tooled and decoratively finished. The spine has been professionally repaired within approximately the last century; the restoration is expertly executed, with the gilt remaining bright and visually cohesive. A handsome, solid copy of a foundational text in occult history, theology, and early psychical investigation. An essential work for collectors of witchcraft, demonology, early psychology, and the history of belief—Sadducismus Triumphatus occupies a crucial place at the crossroads of superstition, science, and philosophy.