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MORE: WONDERS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 INVISIBLE WORLD. 
 
 OR 
 
 THE WONDERS 
 
 OF 
 
 mm ismsoiufl wmw> 
 
 DISPLAYED. 
 
 JJV FIVE PARTS. 
 
 Part I. — An Account ot the Sufferings of Margaret Rule. 
 
 written by the Rev. Cotton Mather. 
 Part II.— Several Letters to the Author, &c. and his Reply 
 
 relating to Witchcraft. 
 Part III. — The Differences between the Inhabitants of 
 Salem Village, and Mr. Parris, their Minister, in New- 
 England. 
 Part IV. — Letters of a Gentleman uninterested, endea- 
 vouring to prove the received opinions about Witchcraft 
 to be Orthodox. With short Essays to their Answers. 
 Part V. — A short Historical Account of Matters of Fact 
 in that Affair. 
 
 to which is added 
 
 A POSTCRIPT, 
 
 COLLECTED BY 
 
 ROBERT CALEF, 
 
 Merchant, of Boston, in New-England 
 
 PRINTED IN LONDON*. A. D. 1700. 
 
 RE-PRINTED IN SALEM, BY JOHN D. AND T. C. GUSHING, JR 
 
 FOR CUSHING AND APPLETOK- 
 
 1 823. 
 
AS 
 CMS ' 
 
 THE EPISTLE TO THE READER, 
 
 AND MORE ESPECIALLY TO THE NOBLE BARONS OF 
 THIS AGE, WHEREVER RESIDING. 
 
 GENTLEMEN, 
 
 YOU, that are freed from the slavery of a 
 corrupt education ; and that, in spite of human 
 precepts, example, and precedents, can hearken 
 to the dictates of scripture and reason ; for your 
 sakes I am content that these collections of 
 mine, as also my sentiments, should be exposed 
 to public view; in hopes that, having well con- 
 sidered and compared them with scripture, you 
 will see reason, as I do, to question a belief so 
 prevalent as that here treated of, as also the 
 practice flowing from thence ; they standing as 
 nearly connected as cause and effect ; it being 
 found wholly impracticable to extirpate the lat- 
 ter, without first curing the former. And if the 
 buffoon or satirical will be exercising their ta- 
 lents, or if the bigots wilfully and blindly reject 
 the testimonies of their own reason, and more 
 sure word, it is no more than what I expected 
 from them. But you, gentlemen, I doubt not, 
 are willing to distinguish between truth and er- 
 ror ; and if this may be any furtherance to you 
 herein, I shall not miss my aim. But if you find 
 the contrary, and that my belief herein is any 
 way heterodox, I shall be thankful for the in- 
 formation to any learned or reverend person, or 
 
 0>'Si ^ R S 
 
iv THE EPISTLE 
 
 others, that shall take that pains to inibrm me 
 better, by scripture or sound reason; which is 
 what I have been long seeking for in this coun* 
 try in vain* 
 
 In a time when not only England in particu- 
 lar, but almost all Europe, had been labouring 
 against the usurpations of tyranny and slavery, 
 the English America has not been behind in a 
 share of the common calamities ; more espe- 
 cially, New-England has met not only with such 
 calamities as are common to the rest, but with 
 several aggravations enhancing such afflictions, 
 by the devastations and cruelties of the barba- 
 rous Indians in their eastern borders, &c. But 
 this is not all ; they have been harast (on many 
 accounts) by a more dreadful enemy, as will 
 herein appear to the considerate. 
 
 Were it, as we are told in Wonders of the In- 
 visible World, " that the devils were walking 
 about our streets with lengthened chains, making 
 a dreadful noise in our ears ; and brimstone 
 (even without a metaphor) was making a hor- 
 rid and a hellish stench in 6*ur nostrils ;" and, 
 ei that the devil, exhibiting himself ordinarily as 
 a black man, had decoyed a fearful knot of 
 proud, froward, ignorant, envious and malicious 
 creatures, to list themselves in his horrid ser- 
 vice, by entering their names in a book tendered 
 unto them ; and that they have had their meet- 
 ings and sacraments, and associated themselves 
 to destroy the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 in these parts of the world ; having each of them 
 their spectres, or devils, commissioned by them, 
 and representing of them to be the engines of 
 
TO THE READER. v 
 
 their malice, "by these wicked spectres seizing 
 poor people about the country, with various and 
 bloody torments, and of those evidently preter- 
 natural torments some, have died ; and that they 
 have bewitched some even so far as to make them 
 self-destroyers, and others in many towns here 
 and there languished under their evil hands — 
 the people, thus afflicted, miserably scratched 
 and bitten; and that the same invisible furies 
 did stick pins in them, and scald them, distort 
 and disjoint them, with a thousand other plagues ;> 
 and sometimes drag them out of their chambers, 
 and carry them over trees and hills, miles toge- 
 ther, many of them being tempted to sign the 
 devil's laws" — "those furies, whereof several 
 have killed more people perhaps than would 
 serve to make a village" — If this be the true state 
 of the afflictions of this country, it is very deplora- 
 ble, and beyond all other outward calamities mis- 
 erable. But if, on the other side, the matter be, as 
 others do understand it, that the devil has been 
 too hard for us by his temptations, signs, and 
 lying wonders, with the help of pernicious no- 
 tions, formerly imbibed and professed ; together 
 with the accusations of a parcel of possessed, 
 distracted or lying wenches, accusing their inno- 
 cent neighbours, pretending they see their spec- 
 tres, i. e. devils in their likeness, afflicting of 
 them ; and that God in righteous judgment (af- 
 ter men had ascribed his power to witches, of 
 commissioning devils to do these things) may 
 have given them over to strong delusions to be- 
 lieve lies, &c. and to let loose the devils of envy, 
 hatred, pride, cruelty and malice against each 
 
 281288 
 
vi ^ THE EPISTLE 
 
 other, yet still disguised under the mask of zeal: 
 for God, and left them to the branding one anoth- 
 er with the odious name of witch ; and upon the 
 accusation of those above mentioned, brother to 
 accuse and prosecute brother, children their pa- 
 rents, pastors and teachers their immediate 
 flock, unto death ; shepherds becoming wolves ; 
 wise men infatuated ; people hauled to prisons ; 
 with a bloody noise pursuing to, and insulting 
 over the (true) sufferers at, execution; while 
 some are fleeing from that called justice, justice 
 itself fleeing before such accusations, when once 
 it did but begin to refrain further proceedings ; 
 and, to question such practices, some making 
 their escape out of prisons, rather than by an 
 obstinate defence of their innocency to run so 
 apparent hazard of their lives ; estates seized, 
 families of children and others left to the mercy 
 of the wilderness (not to mention here the num- 
 bers proscribed, dead in prisons or executed, 
 &c.) — All which tragedies, though begun in one 
 town, or rather by one parish, has plague-like 
 spread more than through that country, and by 
 its echo giving a brand of infamy to this whole 
 country throughout the world : — If this were 
 the miserable case of this country in the time 
 thereof, and that the devil had so far prevailed 
 npon us, in our sentiments and actions, as to 
 draw us from so much as looking into the scrip 
 tures for our guidance in these pretended intri- 
 cacies ; leading us to a trusting in blind guides, 
 such as the corrupt practices of some other 
 countries, or the bloody experiments of Bod id, 
 and such other authors ; — then, though our case 
 
TO THE READER. vii* 
 
 be most miserable, yet it must be said of New- 
 England, thou hast destroyed thyself, and brought 
 this greatest of miseries upon thee. 
 
 And now, whether the witches (such as have 
 made a compact by explicit covenant with the 
 devil, having thereby obtained a power to com- 
 mission him) have been the cause of our mise- 
 ries; or whether a zeal, governed by blindness 
 and passion, and led by precedent, has not here- 
 in precipitated us into far greater wickedness 
 (if not witchcrafts) than any have jet been pro- 
 ved against those that suffered: — to be able to 
 distinguish aright in this matter, to which of these 
 two to refer our miseries, is the design of the 
 present work. 
 
 As to the former, I know of no sober man, 
 much less reverend christian, that, being asked, 
 dares affirm, and abide by it, that witches have 
 that power, viz. to commission devils to kill and 
 destroy; and as to the latter, it were well if 
 there were not too much of truth in it, which 
 remains to be demonstrated. 
 
 But here it will be said, What need of raking 
 in the coals that lay buried in oblivion? We 
 cannot recal those to life again, that have suf- 
 fered, supposing it were unjustly; it tends but 
 to the exposing the actors, as if they had pro- 
 ceeded irregularly. 
 
 Truly I take this to be just as the devil 
 would have it, so much to fear disobliging men, 
 as not to endeavour to detect his wiles, that so 
 he may the sooner, and with the greater advan- 
 tages, set the same on foot again (either here or 
 elsewhere), so dragging us through the pond 
 twice by the same cat And, if reports do not 
 
via THE EPISTLE 
 
 herein deceive us, much the same has been act* 
 nig this present year in Scotland. And ^\hat 
 kingdom or country is it, that has not had their 
 bloody fits and turns at it? And if this is such 
 a catching disease, and so universal, I presume 
 I need make no apology for my endeavours to 
 prevent, as far as in my power, any more such 
 bloody victims or sacrifices; though indeed I 
 had rather any other would have undertaken so 
 offensive, though necessary, a task; yet, all 
 things weighed, I had rather thus expose my- 
 self to censure, than that it should be wholly 
 omitted. Were the notions- in question innocent 
 and harmless, respecting the glory of God, and 
 well-being of men, I should not have engaged in 
 them; but finding them, in my esteem, so into- 
 lerably destructive of both, this, together with 
 my being by warrant called before the justices, 
 in my own just vindication I took it to be a call 
 from God, to my power, to vindicate his truths, 
 against the pagan and popish assertions, which 
 are so prevalent ; for though christians in gene- 
 ral do own the scriptures to be their only rule 
 of faith and doctrine, yet these notions will tell 
 us, that the scriptures have not sufficiently, nor 
 at all, described the crime of witchcraft, where- 
 by the culpable might be detected, though it 
 be positive in the command to punish it by 
 death ; hence the world has been from time to 
 time perplexed, in the prosecution of the seve- 
 ral diabolical mediums of heathenish and po- 
 pish invention to detect an imaginary crime (not 
 but that there are witches such as the law of 
 God describes) which has produced a deluge of 
 
TO THE READER. ix 
 
 blood ; hereby rendering the commands of God 
 not only void but dangerous. 
 
 80 also they own God's providence and go- 
 vernment of the world; and that tempests and 
 storms, afflictions and diseases, are of his send- 
 ing; yet these notions tell us, that the devil has 
 tbe power of all these, and can perform them 
 when commissioned by a witch thereto ; and 
 that he has a power, at the witch's call, to act 
 and do, without and against the course of nature, 
 and all natural causes, in afflicting and killing of 
 innocents; and this it is that so many have died 
 for. 
 
 Also it is generally believed, that if any man 
 has strength, it is from God the Almighty Be- 
 ing : but these notions will tell us, that the de- 
 vil can make one man as strong as many ; which 
 was one of the best proofs, as it was counted, 
 against Mr. Burroughs the minister; though 
 his contemporaries in the schools, during his mi- 
 nority, could have testified, that his strength 
 was then as much superior to theirs as ever 
 (setting aside incredible romances) it was disco- 
 vered to be since : thus rendering the power 
 of God, and his providence, of none effect. 
 
 These are some of the destructive notions of 
 this age; and however the asserters of them 
 seem sometimes to value themselves much upon 
 sheltering their neighbours from spectral accu- 
 sations, they may deserve as much thanks as 
 that tyrant, that, having industriously obtained 
 an unintelligible charge against his subjects, in 
 matters wherein it was impossible they should 
 be guilty, having thereby their lives in his pow- 
 
tf THE EPISTLE 
 
 er, yet suffers them of his mere grace to live* 
 and will be called gracious lord. 
 
 It were too Icarian a task for one, unfurnished 
 with necessary learning, and library, to give any 
 just account from whence so great delusions 
 have sprung, and so long continued. Yet, as an 
 essay from those scraps of reading that 1 have 
 had opportunity of, it will be no great venture 
 to say, that signs and lying wonders have been 
 one principal cause. 
 
 It is written of Justin Martyr, who lived in 
 the second century, that he was before his con- 
 version a great philosopher; first in the way of 
 the stoicks, and after, of the peripateticks, after 
 that of the pythagorean, and after that of the 
 platonist, sects; and after all proved of eminent 
 use in the church of Christ: yet a certain au* 
 thor, speaking of one Apollonius Tyaneus, has 
 these words : " That the most orthodox them- 
 selves began to deem him vested with power 
 sufficient for a deity; which occasioned that so 
 strange a doubt from Justin Martyr, as cited by 
 the learned Gregory, fol. 37 : If God be the 
 creator and lord of the world, how comes it to 
 pass that Apollonius his telisms have so much 
 over-ruled the course of things? for we see that 
 they also have stilled the waves of the sea, and 
 the raging of the winds, and prevailed against 
 the noisome flies, and incursions of wild beasts, 
 &c. ,) ' If so eminent and early a christian were 
 by these false shews in such doubt, it is the less 
 wonder, in our depraved times, to meet with 
 what is equi*, alen: thereto. Besides this, a cer- 
 tain author informs me, that Julian (afterwards 
 
TO THE KEADEK. t\ 
 
 called the apostate) being instructed in the phi- 
 losophy and disciplines of the heathen, by Liba- 
 rius his tutor, by this means he came to love 
 philosophy better than the gospel, and so by de- 
 grees turned from Christianity to heathenism." 
 
 This same Julian did, when apostate, forbid 
 that christians should be instructed in the disci- 
 pline of the gentiles; which, it seems, Socrates, 
 a writer of the ecclesiastical history, does ac- 
 knowledge to be by the singular providence of 
 God ; christians having then begun to degenerate 
 from the gospel, and to betake themselves to 
 heathenish learning. And in the Mercury for 
 the month of February, 1695, there is this ac- 
 count, "That the christian doctors, conversing 
 much with the writings of the heathen, for the 
 gaining of eloquence, a council was held at Car- 
 thage, which forbad the reading of the books of 
 the gentiles." 
 
 From all which it may be easily perceived, 
 that in the primitive times of Christianity, when 
 not only many heathen of the vulgar, but also 
 many learned men and philosophers, had em- 
 braced the christian faith, they^ still retained a 
 love to their heathen learning; which, as one 
 observes, being transplanted into a christian soil, 
 soon proved productive of pernicious weeds, 
 which overran the face of the church ; hence 
 it was so deformed, as the reformation found it. 
 
 Among other pernicious weeds arising from 
 ♦this root, the doctrine of the power of devils, 
 and witchcraft, as it is now and long has been 
 understood, is not the least : the fables of Ho- 
 mer, Virgil, Horace and Ovid, &c being for the 
 
xii THE EPISTLE 
 
 elegancy of their language retained then (and so 
 are to tjiis day) in the schools, have not only in- 
 troduced, but established, such doctrines, to the 
 poisoning the christian world. A certain author 
 expresses it thus : " That as the christian schools 
 at first brought men from heathenism to the 
 gospel, so these schools carry men from the gos- 
 pel to heathenism, as to their great perfection." 
 And Mr. I. M. in his Remarkable Providences, 
 gives an account, that (as he calls it) an old 
 council did anathematize all those that believed 
 such power of the devils, accounting it a damna- 
 ble doctrine. But as other evils did afterwards 
 increase in the church (partly by such education) 
 so this insensibly grew up with them, though not 
 to that degree as that any council, I have ever 
 heard or read of, has to this day taken off those 
 anathemas; yet after this the church so far de- 
 clined, that witchcraft became a principal eccle- 
 siastical engine (as also that of heresy was) to 
 root up all that stood in their way ; and besides 
 the ways of trial that we have still in practice, 
 they invented some which were peculiar to them- 
 selves; which, whenever they were minded to 
 improve against any orthodox believer, they 
 could easily make effectual. That deluge of 
 blood, which that Scarlet Whore has to answer 
 for, shed under this notion, how amazing is it! 
 
 The first in England, that I have read of, of 
 any note, since the reformation, that asserts this 
 doctrine, is the famous Mr. Perkins: he, as also 
 Mr. Gaul, Mr. Bernard, &c. seem all of them to 
 have undertaken one task; taking notice of the 
 multiplicity of irregular ways to try them by. 
 
TO THE READER. xiii 
 
 invented by heathen and papists, they made it 
 their business, and main work, herein to oppose 
 such as they saw to be pernicious. And ii they 
 did not look more narrowly into it, but followed 
 the first, viz. Mr. Perkins, whose education (as 
 theirs also) had forestalled him into such belief, 
 whom they readily followed, it cannot be won- 
 dered at. And that they were men liable to 
 err, and so not to be trusted to as perfect guides, 
 will manifestly appear to him that shall see their 
 several receipts laid down to detect them, by 
 their presumptive and positive ones ; and con- 
 sider how few of either have any foundation in 
 scripture, or reason; and how vastly they differ 
 from each other in both ; each having his art 
 by himself, which forty or an hundred more 
 may as well imitate, and give theirs, ad infinitum, 
 being without all manner of proof. But though 
 this be their main design, to take off people 
 from those evil and bloody ways of trial, which 
 they speak so much against; yet this does not 
 hinder, to this day, but the same evil ways, or 
 as bad, are still used to detect them by, and that 
 even among protestants; and are so far justified, 
 that a reverend person has said lately here, 
 How else shall we delect witches ? And another, 
 being urged to prove by scripture such a sort 
 of witch as has power to send devils to kill 
 men, replied, that he did as firmly believe it, as 
 any article of his faith ; and that he (the inqui- 
 rer) did not go to the scriptures to learn the 
 mysteries of his trade or art. What can be 
 said more to establish their heathenish notions, 
 and to vilify the scriptures, our only rule ? and 
 
xiv • THE EPISTLE 
 
 that, after we have seen such dire, effects there- 
 of, as has threatened th e utter extirpation of 
 this whole country. 
 
 And as to most of th e actors in these trage- 
 dies, though they are so far from defending 
 their actions, that they will readily own that 
 undue steps have been taken, &c. yet it seems 
 they choose that the same should be acted over 
 again, enforced by their example, rather than it 
 should remain as a warning to posterity, as 
 herein they have mist it. So far are they from 
 giving glory to God, and taking the due shame 
 to themselves. 
 
 And now, to sum up all in a few words, we 
 have seen a bigoted zeal stirring up a blind and 
 most bloody rage, not against enemies, or irreli- 
 gious, profligate persons ; but (in judgment of 
 charity, and to view) against as virtuous and re- 
 ligious as any they have left behind them in 
 this country, which have suffered as evil doers 
 (with the utmost extent of rigour, not that so 
 high a character is due to all that suffered) and 
 this by the testimony of vile varlets, as not only 
 were known before, but have been further ap- 
 parent since, by their manifest lives, whore- 
 doms, incest, &c. The accusations of these, 
 jrom their spectral sight, being the chief evi- 
 dence against those that suffered ; in which ac- 
 cusations they were upheld by both magistrates 
 and ministers, so long as they apprehended 
 themselves in no danger. 
 
 And then, though they could defend neither 
 the doctrine nor the practice, yet none of them 
 have, in such a puublic manner as the case re- 
 
TO THE READER. xv 
 
 quires, testified against either; though at the 
 same time they could not but be sensible what 
 a stain and lasting infamy they have brought 
 upon the whole country, to the endangering the 
 future welfare not only of this but of other pla- 
 ces, induced by their example; if not to an en- 
 tailing the guilt of all the righteous blood that 
 has been by the same means shed, by heathen 
 or papists, &c. upon themselves, whose deeds 
 they have so far justified, occasioning the great 
 dishonour and blasphemy of the name of God, 
 scandalizing the heathen, hardening of enemies ; 
 and, as a natural effect thereof, to the great in- 
 crease of atheism. 
 
 I shall conclude, only with acquainting the 
 reader, that of these collections, the first, con- 
 taining More Wonders of the Invisible World, 
 I received of a gentleman, who had it of the 
 author, and communicated it to use, with his 
 express consent, of which this is a true copy. 
 As to the letters, they are, for substance, the 
 same I sent, though with some small variation, 
 or addition. Touching the two letters from a 
 gentleman, at his request 1 have forborn nam- 
 ing him. It is great pity that the matters of 
 fact, and indeed the whole, had not been done 
 by some abler hand, better accomplished, and 
 with the advantages of both natural and acquir- 
 ed judgment ; but others not appearing, 1 have 
 enforced myself to do what is done ; my other 
 occasions will not admit any further scrutiny 
 therein. R. C, 
 
 August, 11, 1697. 
 

PART I 
 ACCOUNT OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 OF 
 
 MARGARET RULE. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 •1 NOW lay before you a very entertaining 
 story — a story which relates yet more Wonders 
 of the Invisible World — a story which tells the 
 remarkable afflictions and deliverance of one that 
 had been prodigiously handled by the Evil An- 
 gels. I was myself a daily eye-witness to a large 
 part of these occurrences, and there may be pro- 
 duced scores of substantial witnesses to the most 
 of them; yea, I know not of any one passage of 
 the story but what may be sufficiently attested. 
 I do not write it with a design of throwing it 
 presently into the press, but only to preserve 
 the memory of such memorable things, the for- 
 getting whereof would neither be pleasing to 
 God, nor useful to men ; as also to give you, with 
 2* 
 
18 
 
 some others of peculiar and obliging friends, a 
 sight of some curiosities. And I hope this apo- 
 logy will serve to excuse me, if I mention, as 
 perhaps I may, when I come to a tenth para- 
 graph in my writing, some things which I would 
 liave omitted in a farther publication. 
 
 COTTON MATHEB. 
 
19 
 
 ANOTHER BRAND 
 
 PLUCKT OUT OF THE BURNING. 
 
 OR 
 
 MORE WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD 
 
 Sect. 1. WlTHIN these few years, there 
 died in the southern parts, a christian Indian, 
 who, notwithstanding some of his Indian weak- 
 ness, hfid something of a better character, of vir- 
 tue and goodness, than many of our people can 
 allow to most of their countrymen, that profess 
 the christian religion. He had been a zealous 
 preacher of the gospel to his neighbourhood, 
 and a sort of overseer or officer, to whose con- 
 duct was owing very much of what good order 
 was maintained among these proselyted savages. 
 This man, returning home from the funeral of 
 his son, was complimented by an Englishman, 
 expressing sorrow for his loss. Now, though 
 the Indians used upon the death of relations to 
 be the most passionate and outrageous creatures 
 in the world, yet this converted Indian hand- 
 somely and cheerfully replied, Truly 1 am sorry, 
 and 1 am not sorry : I am sorry that I have 
 buried a dear son; but I am not sorry that the 
 will of God is done : I know that without the 
 will of God my son could not have died; and I 
 know that the will of God is always just and 
 
go SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 good, and so I am satisfied. Immediately upon 
 tins, even within a few hours, he fell himself 
 sick, of a disease that quickly killed him ; in the 
 time of which disease, he called his folks about 
 him, earnestly persuading them to be sincere in 
 their praying unto God, and to beware of the 
 drunkenness, the idleness, the lying, whereby so 
 miny of that nation disgraced their profession 
 of Christianity; adding, that he was ashamed, 
 when he thought how little service he had hi- 
 therto done for God ; and, that il God would pro- 
 long his life, he would labour to do better ser- 
 vice ; but that he was fully sure he was now go- 
 ing to the Lord Jesus Christ* who had bought 
 him with his precious blood; and for his part, 
 he longed to die, that he might be with his glo- 
 rious Lord; and, in the midst of such passages, 
 he gave up the ghost; but in such repute, that 
 the English people, of good fashion, did not think 
 much of travelling a great way to his interment. 
 Lest my reader do wonder why I have related 
 this piece of a story, I will now hasten to abate 
 that wonder, by telling that whereto this was 
 intended but for an introduction. Know then, 
 that this remarkable Indian being, a little before 
 he died, at work in the wood, making of tar, 
 there appeared unto him a black man, of a ter- 
 rible aspect, and more than human dimensions, 
 threatening bitterly to kill him, if he would not 
 promise to leave oiF preaching, as he did, to his 
 countrymen, and promise particularly, that if he 
 preached any more, he would say nothing of 
 Jesus Christ unto them. The Indian was amaz- 
 ed, yet had the courage to answer, I will, in spite 
 
MARGARET RULE. 21 
 
 of you, go on to preach Christ, more than ever 
 I did; and the God whom I serve will keep me, 
 that you shall never hurt me. Hereupon the 
 apparition, abating somewhat of his fierceness, 
 offered to the Indian a book of a considerable 
 thickness, and a pen and ink, and said, that if he 
 would now set his hand unto that book, he would 
 require nothing further of him ; but the man re- 
 fused the motion with indignation, and fell down 
 upon his knees into a fervent and pious prayer 
 unto God, for help against the tempter; where- 
 upon the demon vanished. 
 
 This is a story which I would never have ten- 
 dered unto my reader, if I had not received it 
 from an honest and useful Englishman, who is 
 at this time a preacher of the gospel to the In- 
 dians; nor would the probable truth of it have 
 encouraged me to have tendered it, if this also 
 had not been a fit introduction unto a yet fur- 
 ther narrative. 
 
 Sect. 2. It was not much above a year or 
 two after this accident (of which no manner of 
 noise has been made) that there was a prodi- 
 gious descent of devils upon divers places near 
 the centre of this province ; wherein some scores 
 of miserable people were troubled by horrible 
 appearances of a black man, accompanied with 
 spectres, wearing these and those human shapes, 
 who offered them a book to be by them signed, 
 in token of their being listed for the service of 
 the devil ; and, upon their denying to do it, they 
 were dragooned with a thousand preternatural 
 torments, which gave no little terror to the be- 
 holders of these unhappy people. There was 
 
» SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 one in the north part of Boston seized by the 
 evil angels many months alter the general storm 
 of the late enchantments was over, and when 
 the country had long lain very quiet, both as to 
 molestations and accusations from the invisible 
 world : her name was Margaret Rule, a young 
 woman : she was born of sober and honest pa- 
 rents, yet living ; but what her own character 
 was before her visitation I can speak with the 
 less confidence of exactness, because 1 observe 
 that wherever the devils have been let loose, to 
 worry any poor creature among us, a great part 
 of the neighbourhood presently set themselves 
 to inquire, and relate all the little vanities of 
 their childhood, with such unequal exaggerations, 
 as to make them appear greater sinners than any 
 w T hom the pilot of hell has not yet preyed up- 
 on. But it is affirmed, that, for about half a year 
 before her visitation, she was observably impro- 
 ved in the hopeful symptoms of a new creature ; 
 she was become seriously concerned for the 
 everlasting salvation of her soul, and careful to 
 avoid the snares of evil company. This young 
 woman had never seen the afflictions of Mercy 
 Short, whereof a narrative has been already 
 given ; and yet, about half a year after the glo- 
 rious and signal deliverance of that poor dam- 
 sel, this Margaret fell into an affliction, marvel- 
 lous, resembling hers in almost all the circum- 
 stances of it ; indeed the afflictions were so much 
 alike, that the relation I have given of the one, 
 would almost serve as the full history of the 
 other ; this was to that little more than the se- 
 cond part of the same tune ; indeed Margaret's 
 
MARGARET RULE. 23 
 
 case was in several points less remarkable than 
 Mercy's, and in some other things the entertain- 
 ment did a little vary. 
 
 Sect. 3. It was upon the Lord's day, the 
 10th of September, in the year 1693, ihaf Mar- 
 garet Rule, after some hours of previous distur- 
 bance in the public assembly, fell info odd fits, 
 which caused her friends to carry her home, 
 where her fits in a few hours grew into a figure 
 that satisfied the spectators of their being pre- 
 ternatural. Some of the neighbours were for- 
 ward enough to suspect the rise of this mischief 
 in an house hard by, where lived a miserable 
 woman, who had been formerly imprisoned, on 
 the suspicion of witchcraft, and who had fre- 
 quently cured very painful hurts, by muttering 
 over them certain charms, which I shall not en- 
 danger the poisoning of my reader by repeating. 
 This woman had, the evening before Margaret 
 fell into her calamities, very bitterly treated 
 her, and threatened her; but the hazard of 
 hurting a poor woman, that might be innocent, 
 notwithstanding surmises that might have been 
 more strongly grounded than those, caused the 
 pious people in the vicinity to try, rather, 
 whether incessant supplication to God alone 
 might not procure a quicker and safer ease to 
 the afflicted, than hasty prosecution of any sup- 
 posed criminal ; and accordingly that unexcep- 
 tionable course was all that was ever followed ; 
 yea, which I looked on as a token for good, the 
 afflicted family was as averse, as any of us, to 
 entertain thoughts of any other course. 
 
 Sect. 4. The young woman was assaulted 
 
£ i SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 by eight cruel spectres, whereof she imagined 
 that she knew three or four; but the rest came 
 still with their faces covered, so that she could 
 never have a distinguished view of the counte- 
 nance of those whom she thought she knew; 
 she was very careful of mj reiterated charges, 
 to forbear blazing their names, lest any good 
 person should come to suifer any blast of repu- 
 tation, through the cunning malice of the great 
 accuser; nevertheless, having since privately 
 named them to myself, I will venture to say this 
 of them, that they are a sort of wretches, who 
 for these many years have gone under as vio- 
 lent presumptions of witchcraft, as perhaps any 
 creatures yet living upon earth; although I am 
 far from thinking that the visions of this young 
 woman w T ere evidence enough to prove them 
 so^ These cursed spectres now brought unto 
 her a book about a cubit long — a book red and 
 thick, but not very broad ; and they demanded 
 of her, that she would set her hand to that 
 book, or touch it at least with her hand, as a 
 sign of her becoming a servant of the devil. 
 Upon her peremptory refusal to do what they 
 asked, they did not alter renew the proifers of 
 the book unto her, but instead thereof they fell 
 to tormenting of her in a manner too hellish to 
 be sufficiently described — in those torments con- 
 fining her to her bed for just six weeks to- 
 gether. 
 
 Sect. 5. Sometimes, but not always, together 
 w 7 ith the spectres, there looked in upon the 
 young woman (according to her account) a short 
 and a black man, whom they called their mas^ 
 
 
MARGARET RULE. *b 
 
 ter — a white, exactly of the same dimensions 
 and complexion and voice, with the devil that 
 has exhibited himself unto other infested peo- 
 ple, not only in other parts of this country, but 
 also in other countries, even of the European 
 world, as the relation of the enchantments there 
 informs us. They all profest themselves vassals 
 of this devil, and in obedience unto him they ad- 
 dressed themselves unto various ways of tortur- 
 ing her. Accordingly she was cruelly pinched 
 with invisible hands, very often in a day, and 
 the black and blue marks of the pinches became 
 immediately visible unto the standers by. Be- 
 sides this, when her attendants had left her 
 without so much as one pin about her, that so 
 they might prevent some feared inconveniences, 
 yet she would every now and then be miserably 
 hurt with pins, which were found stuck into her 
 neck, back and arms ;* however, the wounds 
 made by the pins would in a few minutes ordi- 
 narily be cured ; she would also be strangely dis- 
 torted in her joints, and thrown into such exor- 
 bitant convulsions as w r ere astonishing unto the 
 spectators in general. They that could behold 
 the doleful condition of the poor family without 
 sensible compassions, might have entrails in- 
 deed; but I am sure they could have no true 
 bowels in them. 
 
 Sect. 6. It were a most unchristian and un- 
 civil, yea, a most unreasonable thing, to imagine, 
 that the fits of the young woman were but mere 
 impostures; and I believe scarce any but peo- 
 ple of a particular dirtiness will harbour such 
 An uncharitable censure. However, because I 
 3 
 
26 SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 know not how far the devil may drive the ima- 
 gination of poor creatures, when he has pos- 
 session of them, that at another time, when they 
 are themselves, would scorn to dissemble any 
 thing, I shall now confine my narrative unto pas- 
 sages wherein there could be no room left for 
 any dissimulation. Of these, the first that I'll 
 mention shall be this: From the time that 
 Margaret Rule first found herself to be formal- 
 ly besieged by the spectres, until the ninth day 
 following, namely, from the 10th of September 
 to the 18th, she kept an entire fast, and yet she 
 was unto all appearance as fresh, as lively, as 
 hearty, at the nine days end, as before they be- 
 gan; in all this time, though she had a very ea- 
 ger hunger upon her stomach, yet, if any re- 
 freshment were brought unto her, her teeth 
 would be set, and she would be thrown into 
 many miseries ; indeed once or twice or so in 
 all this time, her tormentors permitted her to 
 swallow a mouthful of somewhat that might in- 
 crease her miseries, whereof a spoonful of rum 
 was the most considerable ; but otherwise, as I 
 said, her fast unto the ninth day was very ex- 
 treme and rigid: however, afterwards there 
 scarce passed a day wherein she had not liberty 
 to take something or other for her sustentation. 
 And I must add this, further, that this business 
 of her fast was carried so, that it was impossible 
 to be dissembled without a combination of mul- 
 titudes of people, unacquainted with one another, 
 to support the juggle ; but he that can imagine 
 such a thing of a neighbourhood, so filled with 
 virtuous people, is a base man — I cannot call him 
 any other. 
 
MARGARET RULE. g7 
 
 Sect. 7. But if the sufferings of this young 
 woman were not imposture, yet might they not 
 be pure distemper ? 1 will not here inquire of 
 our sadducees, what sort of a distemper it is, that 
 shall stick the body full of pins without any 
 hand that could be seen to stick them; or 
 whether all the pin-makers in the world would 
 be willing to be evaporated into certain ill hab- 
 its of body, producing a distemper ; but of the 
 distemper my reader shall be judge, when I 
 have told him something further of those unu- 
 sual sufferings. 1 do believe that the evil an- 
 gels do often take advantage, from natural dis- 
 tempers in the children of men, to annoy them 
 with such further mischiefs, as we call preter- 
 natural. The malignant vapours and humours 
 of our diseased bodies may be used by devils, 
 thereinto insinuating as engines of the execution 
 of their malice upon those bodies ; and perhaps, 
 for this reason, one sex may suffer more trou- 
 bles of some kinds from the invisible world than 
 the other ; as well as for that reason, for which 
 the old serpent made, where he did, his first ad- 
 dress. But I pray, what will you say to this ? 
 Margaret Rule would sometimes have her jaws 
 forcibly pulled open, whereupon something in- 
 visible would be poured down her throat; we 
 all saw her swallow, and yet we saw her try all 
 she could,. by spitting, coughing and shrieking, 
 that she might not swallow ; but one time the 
 standers-by plainly saw something of that odd li- 
 quor itself on the outside of her neck : she cried 
 out of it, as of scalding brimstone poured into 
 her, and 1 the whole house weuld immediately 
 
28 SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 scent so hot of brimstone that we were scarce 
 able to endure it— whereof there are scores of 
 witnesses ; but the young woman herself would 
 be so monstrously inflamed, that it would have 
 broke a heart of stone to have seen her agonies- 
 This was a thing that several times happened $ 
 and several times, when her mouth was thus 
 pulled open, the standers-by clapping their 
 hands close thereupon, the distresses that other- 
 wise followed would be diverted. Moreover 
 there was a whitish powder, to us invisible, 
 sometimes cast upon the eyes of this young wo- 
 man, whereby her eyes would be extremely in- 
 commoded; but one time some of this powder 
 was fallen actually visible upon her cheek, from 
 whence the people in the room wiped it with 
 their handkerchiefs; and sometimes the young 
 woman would also be so bitterly scorched with 
 the unseen sulphur thrown upon her, that very 
 sensible blisters would be raised upon her skin, 
 whereto her friends found it necessary to apply 
 the oils proper for common burnings; but the 
 most of these hurts would be cured in two or 
 three days at farthest. I think I may without 
 vanity pretend to have read not a few of the 
 best systems of physick that have been yet seen 
 in these American regions, but I must confess 
 that I have never yet learned the name of the 
 natural distemper whereto these odd-symptoms 
 do belong : however, I might suggest perhaps 
 many a natural medicine which would be of sin- 
 gular use against many of them. 
 
 Sect. 8. But there fell out some other mat- 
 ters far beyond the reach of natural distemper. 
 
Margaret rule. 29 
 
 This Margaret Rule once in the middle of the 
 night lamented sadly that the spectres threaten- 
 ed the drowning of a young man in the neigh- 
 bourhood, whom she named unto the company: 
 well, it was afterwards found that at that very 
 time this young man, having been prest on board 
 a man of war, then in the harbour, was out of 
 some dissatisfaction attempting to swim ashore, 
 and he had been drowned in the attempt, if a 
 boat had not seasonably taken him up ; it was 
 by computation a minute or two after the young 
 woman's discourse of the drowning, that the 
 young man took the water. At another time 
 she told us, that the spectres bragged and laugh- 
 ed in her hearing about an exploit they had lately 
 done, by stealing from a gentleman his will soon 
 after he had written it ; and within a few hours 
 after she had spoken this, there came to me a 
 gentleman with a private complaint, that having 
 written his will, it was unaccountably gone out 
 of the way ; how, or where, he could not imagine ; 
 and besides all this, there were wonderful 
 noises every now and then made about the room, 
 which our people could ascribe to no other au- 
 thors but the spectres ; yea, the watchers affirm, 
 that they heard those fiends clapping their hands 
 together with an audibleness wherein they could 
 not be imposed upon ; and once her tormentors 
 pulled her up to the cieling of the chamber, and 
 held her there, before a very numerous company 
 of spectators, who found it as much as they could 
 all do to pull her down again. There was also 
 another very surprising circumstance about her, 
 agreeable to what we have not only read in 
 3* 
 
30 SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 several histories concerning the imps that have 
 been employed in witchcraft, but also known in 
 some of our own afflicted : we once thought we 
 perceived something stir upon her pillow at a 
 little distance from her; whereupon one present 
 laving his hand there, he to his horror appre- 
 hended that he felt, though none could see it, a 
 living creature not altogether unlike a rat, which 
 nimbly escaped from him; and there were di- 
 vers other persons who were thrown into a great 
 consternation by feeling, as they judged, at other 
 times, the same invisible animal) 
 
 Skct. 9. As it has been^with a thousand 
 other enchanted people, so it was with Margaret 
 Rule in this particular, that there were several 
 words which her tormentors would not let her 
 hear, especially the words Pray or Prayer, and 
 yet she could so hear the letters of those words 
 distinctly mentioned as to know what they 
 meant. The standers by were forced some- 
 times thus in discourse to spell a word to her ; 
 but because there were some so ridiculous as to 
 count it a sort of spell or a charm for any thus 
 to accommodate themselves to the capacity of 
 the sufferer, little of this kind was done. But 
 that which was more singular in this matter 
 was, that she could not use these words in those 
 penetrating discourses wherewith she would 
 sometimes address the spectres that were about 
 her. She would sometimes for a long while to- 
 gether apply herself to the spectres, whom she 
 supposed the witches, with such exhortations 
 to repentance as would have melted an heart 
 of adamant to. have heard them ; her strains of 
 
MARGARET RULE. 31 
 
 expression and argument were truly extraordi- 
 nary : persons perhaps of the best education 
 and experience, and of attainments much beyond 
 hers, could not have exceeded them ; neverthe- 
 less, when she came to these words, God, Lord, 
 Christ, Good, He pent, and some other such, her 
 mouth could not utter them; whereupon she 
 would sometimes, in an angry parenthesis, com- 
 plain of their wickedness in stopping that word, 
 but she would then go on with some other terms 
 that would serve to tell what she meant. And 
 I believe that if the most suspicious person in 
 the world had beheld all the circumstances of 
 this matter, he would have said it could not 
 have been dissembled. 
 
 Sect. 10. Not only in the Swedish, but also 
 in the Salem witchcraft, the enchanted people 
 have talked much of a white spirit, from whence 
 they received marvellous assistances in their mi- 
 series. What lately befcl Mercy Short, from 
 the communications of such a spirit, hath been 
 the just wonder of us all ; but by such a spirit 
 was Margaret Rule now.also visited. She says 
 that she could never see his face ; but that she 
 had a frequent view of his bright, shining and 
 glorious garments ; he stood by her bed-side 
 continually, heartening and comforting her, and 
 counselling her to maintain her faith and hope 
 in God, and never comply with the temptations 
 of her adversaries. She says he told her, that 
 God had permitted her afflictions to befal her 
 for the everlasting and unspeakable good of her 
 own soul, and for the good of many others, and 
 for his own immortal glory ; and that she should 
 
m SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 therefore be of good cheer, and be assured of 3 
 speedy deliverance ; and the wonderful resolu- 
 tion of mind wherewith she encountered her 
 afflictions was but agreeable to such expecta- 
 tions. Moreover, a minister having one day with 
 some importunity prayed for the deliverance 
 of this young woman, and pleaded that as she 
 belonged to bis flock and charge, he had so far 
 a right unto her as that he was to do the part 
 of a minister of our Lord for the bringing of her 
 home unto God, only now the devil hindered 
 him in doing that which he had a right thus to 
 do ; and whereas he had a better title unto 
 her to bring her home to God, than the devil 
 could have unto her to carry her away from the 
 Lord, he therefore humbly applied himself unto 
 God, who alone could right this matter, with a 
 suit that she might be rescued out of satan's 
 hands. J mmcdiately upon this, though she heard 
 nothing of this transaction, she began to call 
 that minister her father, and that was the name 
 whereby she every day before all sorts of peo- 
 ple distinguished him. The occasion of it she 
 says was this : the -white spirit presently upon 
 this transaction did after this manner speak to 
 her: Margaret, you now are to take notice that 
 such a man is your father ; God has given you 
 to him; do you from this time look upon him 
 as your father, obey him, regard him, as your 
 father; follow his counsels, and you shall do 
 well. And though there Was one passage more, 
 which I do as little know what to make of as 
 any of the rest, I am now going to relate it : 
 more than three times have I seen it fulfilled tn 
 
I 
 
 MARGARET RULE. 3S 
 
 the deliverance of enchanted and possest per- 
 sons, whom the providence of God has cast into 
 my way, that their deliverance could not be ob- 
 tained before the third fast kept for them, and 
 the third day still obtained the deliverance; al- 
 though I have thought of beseeching of the 
 Lord thrice, when buffeted by Satan: yet I must 
 earnestly entreat all my readers to beware of 
 any superstitious conceits upon the number three ; 
 if our God will hear us upon once praying and 
 fasting before him, it is well ; and if he will not 
 vouchsafe his mercy upon our thrice doing so, 
 et we must not be so discouraged as to throw 
 y our devotion ; but if the sovereign grace of 
 our God will in any particular instances count 
 our patience enough tried when we have so- 
 lemnly waited upon him for any determinate 
 number of times, who shall say to him, What 
 doest thou? And if there shall be any number 
 of instances wherein this grace of our God has 
 exactly holden the same course, it may have a 
 room in our humble observations, I hope, with- 
 out any superstition. I say then that after Mar- 
 garet Rule had been more than fiye weeks in* 
 her miseries, this white spirit said unto her, 
 "Well, this day such a man (whom he named) 
 has kept a third day for your deliverance ; now 
 be of good cheer, you shall speedily be deliver- 
 ed." I inquired whether what had been said 
 of that man was true, and I gained exact and 
 certain information that it was precisely so; but 
 I doubt lest in relating this passage that 1 have 
 used more openness than a friend should be 
 treated with, and for that cause I have conceal- 
 
*34 SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 ed several of the most memorable things that 
 have occurred, not only in this but in some for- 
 mer histories, although indeed I am not so well 
 satisfied about the true nature of this white spi- 
 rit, as to count that I can do a friend much ho- 
 nour by reporting what notice this white spirit 
 may have thus taken of hunT) 
 
 Sect. 11. On the last day of the week her 
 tormentors (as she thought and said) approach- 
 ing towards her, would be forced still to recoil 
 and retire as unaccountably, unable to meddle 
 with her ; and they would retire to the fire 
 side with their poppets ; but going to stick 
 pins into those poppets, they could not (accord- 
 ing to their visions) make the pins to enter.. 
 She insulted over them with a very proper de- 
 rision, daring them now to do their worst, whilst 
 she had the satisfaction to see their black mas- 
 ter strike them and kick them, like an overseer 
 of so many negroes, to make them to do their 
 work, and renew the marks of his vengeance on 
 them when they failed of doing it. At last, be- 
 ing as it were tired with their ineffectual at- 
 tempts to mortify her, they furiously said, 
 "Well, you shan't be the last." And after a 
 pause they added, "Go, and the devil go with 
 you, we can do no more ;" whereupon they flew 
 out of the room, and she, returning perfectly to 
 herself, most affectionately gave thanks to God 
 for her deliverance. Her tormentors left her 
 extremely weak and faint, and overwhelmed 
 with vapours, which would not only cause her 
 sometimes to swoon away, but also now and 
 then for a little while discompose the reasona- 
 
MARGARET RULE. So 
 
 bleness of- her thoughts. Nevertheless her for- 
 mer troubles returned not; but we are now 
 waiting to see the good effects of those troubles 
 upon the souls of all concerned. And now I 
 suppose that some of our learned witlings of the 
 coffee-house, for fear lest these proofs of an in- 
 visible world should spoil some of their sport, 
 will endeavour to turn them all into sport; for 
 which buffoonery their only pretence will be, 
 "They can't understand how such things as 
 these could be done ;'' whereas indeed he that 
 is but philosopher enough to have read but one 
 little treatise, published in the year 1656, by no 
 other man than the chirurgeon of an army, or 
 but one chapter of Helmont, which I will not 
 quote at this time too particularly, may give a 
 far more intelligible account of these appearan- 
 ces than most of these blades can give why and 
 how their tobacco makes them spit, or which 
 way the flame of their candle becomes illumi- 
 nating. As for that cavil, " The world would 
 be undone if the devils could have such power 
 as they seem to have in several of our stories," 
 it may be answered, that as to many things, the 
 lying devils have only known them to be done, 
 and then pretended unto the doing of those 
 things ; but the true and best answer is, that by 
 these things we only see what the devils could 
 have power to do, if the great God should give 
 them that power; whereas now our histories 
 afford a glorious evidence for the being of a 
 God. The world would indeed be undone, and 
 horribly undone, if these devils, who now and 
 <theu get liberty to play some very mischievous 
 
36 SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 pranks, were not under a daily restraint of some 
 Almighty Superior from doing more of such 
 mischiefs. Wherefore, instead of all apish shouts 
 and jeers at histories which have such undoubt- 
 ed confirmation, as that no man that has breed- 
 ing enough to regard the common laws of hu- 
 man society, will offer to doubt of them, it be- 
 comes us rather to adore the goodness of God, 
 who does not permit such things every day to 
 befal us all, as he sometimes did permit to befal 
 some few of our miserable neighbours. 
 
 Sect. 12. And why, after all my unwearied 
 cares and pains to rescue the miserable from 
 the lions and bears of hell, which had seized 
 them, and after all my studies to disappoint the 
 devils in their designs to confound my neigh- 
 bourhood, must I be driven to the necessity of 
 an apology? Truly the hard representations 
 wherewith some ill men have reviled my con- 
 duct, and the countenance which other men 
 have given to tnese representations, oblige me 
 to give mankind some account of my behaviour. 
 No christian can (I say none but evil workers 
 can) criminate my visiting such of my poor flock 
 as have at any time fallen under the terrible 
 and sensible molestations of evil angels : let 
 their afflictions have been what they will, I 
 could not have answered it unto my glorious 
 Lord, if I had withheld my just counsels and 
 comforts from them; and if I have also with 
 some exactness observed the methods of the 
 invisible world, when they have thus become 
 observable, I have been but a servant of man- 
 kind in doing so ; yea* no less a person than the 
 
MARGARET RULE. 37 
 
 venerable Baxter has more than once or twice 
 in the most publick manner invited mankind to 
 thank me for that service. I have not been in- 
 sensible of a greater danger attending me in this 
 fulfilment of my ministry, than if I had been to 
 take ten thousand steps over a rocky mountain 
 filled with rattle-snakes; but I have considered, 
 he that is wise will observe things; and the sur- 
 prising explication and confirmation of the big- 
 gest part of the bible, which I have seen given 
 in these things, has abundantly paid me for ob- 
 serving them. Now, in my visiting of the mi- 
 serable, I was always of this opinion, that we 
 were ignorant of what power the devils might 
 have to do their mischiefs in the shapes of some 
 that had never been explicitly engaged in dia- 
 bolical confederacies, and that therefore, though 
 many witchcrafts had been fairly detected on 
 inquiries provoked and begun by spectral exhi- 
 bitions, yet we could not easily be too jealous of 
 the snares laid for us in the devices of Satan. 
 The world knows how many pages I have com- 
 posed and published, and particular gentlemen 
 in the government know how many letters I 
 have written, to prevent the excessive credit 
 of spectral accusations; wherefore I have still 
 charged the afflicted that they should Gry out 
 of nobody for afflicting of them; but that, if this 
 might be any advantage, they might privately 
 tell their minds to some one person of discretion 
 enough to make no ill use of their communica- 
 tions; accordingly there has been this effect of 
 it, that the name of no one good person in the 
 world ever came under any blemish bv mean* 
 4 
 
38 SUFFERINGS OF 
 
 of an afflicted person that fell under my particu- 
 lar cognizance; yea, no one man, woman or 
 child ever came into any trouble for the sake of 
 any that were afflicted, after I had once begun 
 to look after them. How often have I had this 
 thrown into my dish, "that many years ago I 
 had an opportunity to have brought forth such 
 people as have in the late storm of witchcraft 
 been complained of, but that I smothered all; 
 and after that storm was raised at Salem, I did 
 myself offer to provide meat, drink and lodging 
 for no less than six of the afflicted,, that so an 
 experiment might be made, whether prayer 
 with fasting, upon the removal of the distressed, 
 might not put a period to the trouble then ris- 
 ing, without giving the civil authority the trou- 
 ble of prosecuting those things which nothing 
 but a conscientious regard unto the cries of mi- 
 serable families could have overcome the reluc- 
 tancies of the honourable judges to meddle 
 with." In short, I do humbly but freely affirm 
 it, that there is not a man living in this world 
 who has been more desirous than the poor man 
 I to shelter my neighbours from the inconveni- 
 ences of spectral outcries; yea, I am very jea- 
 lous I have done so much that way, as to sin 
 in what I have done ; such have been the cow- 
 ardice and fearfulness vv hereunto my regard un- 
 to the dissatisfaction of other people has pre- 
 cipitated me. I know a man in the world, 
 who has thought he has been able to convict 
 some such witches as ought to die;' but his re- 
 spect unto the publick peace has caused him 
 rather to try whether he could not renew them 
 
MARGARET RULE. 39 
 
 by repentance ; and as I have been studious to 
 defeat the devils of their expectations to set 
 people together by the ears thus, 1 have also 
 checked and quelled those forbidden curiosities 
 which would have given the devil an invitation 
 to have tarried amongst us, when I have seen 
 wonderful snares laid for curious people, by the 
 secret and future things discovered from the 
 mouths of damsels possest with a spirit of divi- 
 nation. Indeed I can recollect but one thing 
 wherein there could be given so much as a sha- 
 dow of reason for exceptions, and that is, my 
 allowing of so many to come and see those that 
 were afflicted. Now for that I have this to say, 
 that I have almost a thousand times entreated 
 the friends of the miserable, that they would 
 not permit the intrusion of any company, but 
 such as by prayers or other ways might be help 
 ful to them ; nevertheless I have not absolutely 
 forbid all company from coming to your haunted 
 chambers $ partly because the calamities of the 
 families were such as required the assistance of 
 many friends ; partly because I have been wil- 
 ling that there should be disinterested witnesses 
 of all sorts, to confute the calumnies of such as 
 would say all was but imposture ; and partly 
 because I saw God had sanctified the spectacle 
 of the miseries on the afflicted unto the souls of 
 many that were spectators; and it is a very glo- 
 rious thing that 1 have now to mention: The 
 devils have with most horrid operations broke 
 in upon our neighbourhood, and God has at such 
 a rate overruled all the fury and malice of those 
 devils, that all the afflicted have not only been 
 
40 SUFFERIN6S OF 
 
 delivered, but 1 hope also savingly brought home, 
 unto God, and the reputation of no one good per- 
 son in the world has been damaged; but instead 
 tiiereof the souls of many, especially of the ris- 
 ing generation, have been thereby awakened un- 
 to some acquaintance with religion ; our young 
 people, who belonged unto the praying meetings, 
 of both sexes, apart, would ordinarily spend 
 whole nights by whole weeks together in prayers 
 and psalms upon these occasions, in which de- 
 votions the devils could get nothing, but, like 
 fools, a scourge for their own backs ; and some 
 scores of other young people, who were stran- 
 gers to real piety, were now struck with the 
 lively demonstrations of hell evidently set forth 
 before their eyes, when they saw persons cruel- 
 ly frighted, wounded and starved by devils, and 
 scalded with burning brimstone ; and yet so pre- 
 served in this tortured 6tate, as that, at the end 
 of one month's wretchedness, they were as able 
 still to undergo another ; so that of thtSG also It. 
 might now be Said, ;; Behold they pray." In the 
 whole — the devil got just nothing — but God got 
 praises, Christ got subjects, the Holy Spirit got 
 temples, the church got addition, and the souls 
 of men got everlasting benefits. I am not so 
 vain as to say that any wisdom or virtue of mine 
 did contribute unto this good order of things; 
 but I am so just as to say, I did not hinder this 
 good. When therefore there have been those 
 that picked up little incoherent scraps and bits 
 of my discourses in this fruitful discharge of my 
 ministry, and so travestied them in their abusive 
 pamphlets as to persuade the town that I wa< 
 
MARGARET RULE. 4i 
 
 their common enemy in those very points, where- 
 in, if in any one thing whatsoever, I have sen- 
 sibly approved myself as true a servant unto 
 them as possibly I could, though my life and soul 
 had been at stake for it — yea to do like satan 
 himself, by sly, base, unpretending insinuations, 
 as if I wore not the modesty and gravity which 
 became a minister of the gospel — I could not 
 but think myself unkindly dealt withal, and the 
 neglect of others to do me justice in this affair 
 has caused me to conclude this narrative with 
 complaints in another hearing of such monstrous 
 injuries. 
 
 4 # 
 
PART It 
 
 SEVERAL LETTERS, &c. 
 
 Boston, Jan. 11, 1693, 
 Mr. Cotton Mather, 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 FINDING it needful on many accounts, I 
 here present you with the copy of that paper 
 which has been se much misrepresented, to the 
 end that what shall be found defective or not 
 fairly represented (if any such shall appear) 
 they may be set right, — which runs thus : 
 
 September the 13th, 1693. In the evening, 
 when the sun was withdrawn, giving place to 
 darkness to succeed, 1 with some others were 
 drawn by curiosity to see Margaret Rule, and 
 so much the rather, because it was reported 
 
 Mr. M would D£ there that night. Being 
 
 come to her father's, house, into the chamber 
 wherein she was in bed, I found her of a heal- 
 thy countenance, of about seventeen years old, 
 lying very still, and speaking very little ; what 
 she did say seemed as if she were light-headed. 
 
 Then Mr. M (father and son) came up, 
 
 and others with them ; in the whole there were 
 
44 LETTERS TO 
 
 about thirty or forty persons ; they being set, 
 the father on a stool, and the son upon the bed- 
 side by her, the son began to question her: 
 
 Margaret Rule, how do you do ? then a pause 
 without any answer. 
 
 Question, What! do there a great many 
 witches sit upon you? Answer, Yes. 
 
 Question, Do you not know that there is a 
 hard master? Then she was in a fit. He laid 
 his hand upon her face and nose, but as he said 
 without perceiving breath; then he brushed 
 her on the face with his glove, and rubbed her 
 stomach (her breast not being covered with the 
 bed-clothes) and bid others do so too, and said 
 it eased her — then she revived. 
 
 Q. Don't you know there is a hard master ? 
 A. Yes. 
 
 Reply, Don't serve that hard master — you 
 know who. 
 
 Q. Do you believe ? Then again she was 
 in a fit, and he again rubbed her breast, &c. 
 
 About this time, Margaret Perd, an attend- 
 ant, assisted him in rubbing her. The afflicted 
 spake angrily to her, saying, Don't you meddle 
 with me — and hastily put away her hand. He 
 then wrought his fingers before her eyes, and 
 asked her if she saw the witches ? A. No. 
 Q. Do you believe ? A. Yes. 
 Q. Do vou believe in you know who ?— * 
 A. Yes. 
 
 Q. Would you have other people do so too-»- 
 to believe in you know who? A. Yes. 
 
 Q. Who is it that afflicts you? A* 1 know 
 not, there is a great many of them. 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 45 
 
 About this time the father questioned, if she 
 knew the spectres. An attendant said, if she 
 did she would not tell. The son proceeded: 
 
 Q. You have seen the black man, have you 
 not? A. No. 
 
 Replyi I hope you never will. 
 
 Q. You have had a book offered you, have 
 you not? A. No. 
 
 Q. The brushing of you gives you ease, 
 don't it ? A. Yes. She turned herself, and 
 a little groaned. 
 
 Q. Now the witches scratch you, and pinch 
 you, and bite you, don't they ? A. Yes. 
 
 Then he put his hand upon her breast and 
 belly, viz. on the clothes over her, and felt a 
 living thing, as he said; which moved the fa- 
 ther also to feel, and some others. 
 
 Q. Don't you feel the live thing in the bed ? 
 A. No. _ S 
 
 Rtply, That is only fancy. 
 
 Q. The great company of people increase 
 your torment, don't they ? A. Yes. 
 
 The people about were desired to withdraw. 
 One woman said, I am sure 1 am no witch, I 
 will not go; so others; so none withdrew. 
 
 Q. Shall we go Jto prayers ? Then she lay 
 in a fit as before. But this time, to revive her, 
 they waved a hat, and brushed her head and 
 pillow therewith. 
 
 Q. Shall we go to prayer, &c. spelling the 
 word. A. .Yes. 
 
 The father went to prayer for perhaps half 
 -an hour, chiefly against the power of the devil 
 aud witchcraft, and that God would bring out 
 
4$ LETTERS TO 
 
 the afflicters. Dtrrifig prayer-time, the son 
 stood by, and when they thought she was in a 
 fit, rubbed her and brushed her as before, and 
 beckoned to others to do the like. After prayer 
 he proceeded: 
 
 Q. You did not hear when we were at prayer, 
 did you? A. Yes. 
 
 Q. You don't heor always — you did not hear 
 for some time past, a word or two, did you? 
 A. No. 
 
 Then turning him about, said, this is just 
 another Mercy Short. Margaret Perd replied, 
 she was not like her in her fits. 
 Q. What does she eat or drink? A, She 
 does not eat at all, but drinks rum. 
 
 Then he admonished the young people to 
 take warning, 8re. saying it was a sad thing to 
 be so tormented by the devil and his instru- 
 ments. A young man present, in the habit of a 
 seaman, replied, " This is the Devil all over" 
 Then the ministers withdrew. Soon after they 
 were gone the afflicted desired ths women to be 
 gone, saying, that the company of the men was 
 not offensive to her; and having hold of the 
 hand of a young man, said to have been her 
 sweetheart formerly, who was withdrawing, she 
 pulled him again into his seat, saying, he should 
 not go to night. 
 
 September the \9th, 1693. This night 1 renew- 
 ed my visit, and found her rather of a fresher 
 countenance than before. About eight persons 
 were present with her. She was in a fit, scream- 
 ing and making a noise. Three or four per- 
 sons rubbed and brushed her with their hands : 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 47 
 
 they said that the brushing did put them away, 
 if they brushed or rubbed in the right place; 
 therefore they brushed and rubbed in several 
 places, and said that when they did it in the 
 right place she could fetch her breath, and by 
 that they knew. She being come to herself 
 was soon in a merry talking fit. A young man 
 came in, and asked her how she did. She an- 
 swered, very bad, but at present a little better. 
 He soon told her he must be gone, and bid 
 her good night; at which she seemed troubled, 
 saying that she liked his company, and said she 
 would not have him go till she was well; add- 
 ing, for I shall die when you are gone. Then 
 she complained they did not put her on a clean 
 cap, but let her lie so like a beast, saying she 
 should lose all her fellows. She said she won- 
 dered any people should be so wicked as to 
 think she was not afflicted, but to think she dis- 
 sembled. A young woman answered, Yes, if 
 they were to see you in this merry fit, they 
 would say you dissembled indeed. She replied, 
 
 Mr. M said this was her laughing time, she 
 
 must laugh now. She said Mr. M had been 
 
 there this evening, and she enquired how long 
 he had been gone. She said he stayed alone 
 with her in the room half an hour, and said that 
 he told her there were some that came for 
 spies, and to report about town that she was 
 not afflicted; that during the said time she had 
 no fit; that he asked her if she knew how ma- 
 ny times he had prayed for her to day; and 
 that she answered, that she could not tell ; and 
 tkat he replied, he had prayed for her nine 
 
48 LETTERS TO 
 
 times to day. The attendants said that she 
 was sometimes in a fit, that none could open her 
 joints, and that there came an old iron-jawed 
 woman and tried, but could not do it; they 
 likewise said, .that her head could not be moved 
 from tiie pillow. I tried to move her head, and 
 found no more difficulty than another person 
 (and so did others) but was not willing to offend 
 by lifting it up, once being reproved for endea- 
 vouring it ; they saying angrily, you will break 
 
 her neck. The attendants said Mr. M 
 
 would not go to prayer with her when people 
 were in the room, as they did one night — that 
 night he felt the live creature. Margaret Perd 
 and another said they smelt brimstone. I and 
 others said we did not smell any ; then they said 
 they did not know what it was. This Marga- 
 ret said she wished she had been here when 
 
 Mr. M was here. Another attendant said, 
 
 If you had been here, you might not have been 
 permitted in, for her own mother was not suf- 
 fered to be present. 
 
 Sir, after the sorest affliction and greatest 
 blemish to religion that ever betel this country, 
 and after most men began to fear that some un- 
 due steps had been taken, and after his excel- 
 lency (with their Majesties' approbation as is 
 said) had put a stop to executions, and men be- 
 gan to hope there would never be a return of 
 the like; finding these accounts to contain in 
 them something extraordinary, I writ them down 
 the same nights, in order to attain the certainty 
 of them, and soon found them so confirmed that 
 ^1 have (besides other demonstrations) the wholr 
 
MR. MATHER, &e. 49 
 
 under the hands of two persons who are ready 
 to attest the truth of it; but not satisfied here- 
 with, I shewed them to some of your particular 
 friends, that so I might have the greater cer- 
 tainty; but was much surprised with the mes- 
 sage you sent me, that I should be arrested for 
 slander, and at your calling me one of the worst 
 of liars, making it pulpit news, with the name 
 of pernicious libels, &c. This occasioned my 
 first letter: [as followeth.] 
 
 September the 29th, 1693. 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 I having written from the mouths of several 
 persons, who affirm they were present with 
 Margaret Rule the 13th instant, her answers 
 and behaviour, &c. and having shewed it to 
 several of my friends, as also yours, and under- 
 standing you are offended at it, this is to acquaint 
 
 ^ T ou that if you and any one particular friend will 
 please to meet me and some other indifferent 
 person with me at Mr. Wilkins's, or at Benj. 
 Harris's, you intimating the time, I shall be rea- 
 dy there to read it to you, as also a further ac- 
 count of proceedings the 19th instant, which 
 may be needful to prevent groundless prejudi- 
 ces, and let deserved blame be cast where it 
 ought. From, sir, yours, in what I may, 
 
 R. C 
 
 The effects of which, sir, (not to mention 
 that long letter only once read to me) was, you 
 sent me word you would meet me at Mr. VVil- 
 'kins's; but, before that answer, at yours and 
 
50 LETTERS TO 
 
 your father's complaint, 1 was brought before 
 their majesties' justice, by warrant, for scanda- 
 lous libels against yourself and was bound over 
 to answer at sessions. I do not remember you 
 then objected against the truth of what I had 
 wrote, but asserted it was wronged by omis- 
 sions ; which, if it were so, was past any power of 
 mine to remedy, having given a faithful account 
 of all that came to my knowledge : and, sir, that 
 you might not be without some cognizance of 
 of the reasons why I took so much pains in it, 
 as also for ray own information, (if it might have 
 been) I wrote to you my second letter to this 
 effect : 
 
 November the 24th, 1693. 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 Having expected some weeks your meeting 
 me at Mr. Wilkins's, according to what you in- 
 timated to me, and the time drawing near for 
 our meeting elsewhere, I thought it not amiss 
 to give you a summary of my thoughts in the 
 great concern, which, as you say, has been agi- 
 tated with so much heat. That there are 
 witches is not the doubt; the scriptures else 
 were vain, which assign their punishment to 
 be by death; but what this witchcraft is, or 
 wherein it does consist, seems to be the 
 whole difficulty : and as it may be easily demon- 
 strated, that all that bear that name cannot be 
 justly so accounted ; so that some things and 
 actions, not so esteemed by the most, yet upon 
 due examination will be found to merit no bet- 
 ter character. 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 5i 
 
 In your late book you lay down a brief sy- 
 nopsis of what has been written on that subject, 
 by a triumvirate of as eminent men as ever 
 handled it (as you are pleased to call them) viz. 
 Mr. Perkins, Gaule and Bernard, consisting of 
 about thirty tokens to know them by, many of 
 them distinct from, if not thwarting, each other: 
 among all of which I can find but one decisive, 
 viz. that of Mr. Gaule, head iv, and runs thus : 
 "Among the most unhappy circumstances to 
 convict a witch, one is a maligning and oppugning 
 the word, work or worship of God, and by any 
 extraordinary sign seeking to seduce any from it. 
 See Deut. xiii. 1. 2. Matt. xxiv. 24. Acts xiii. 
 8, 10. 2 Tim. iii. 8. Do but mark well the 
 places \ and for this very property, of thus op- 
 posing and perverting, they are all there con- 
 cluded arrant and absolute witches." 
 
 This head, as here laid down and inserted by 
 you, either is a truth or not ; if not, why is it 
 here inserted from one of the triumvirate ? If 
 it be a truth, as the scriptures quoted will abun- 
 dantly testify, whence is it that it is so little re- 
 garded, though it be the only head well proved by 
 scripture,or that the rest of the triumvirate should 
 so far forget their work as not to mention it ? It 
 were to be unjust to the memory of those other- 
 wise wise men, to suppose them to have any si- 
 nister design; but perhaps the force of a pre- 
 vailing opinion, together with an education there- 
 to suited, might overshadow their judgments, as 
 being wont to be but too prevalent in many other 
 cases. But if the above be truth, then the scrip- 
 ture is full and plain, what is witchcraft. And 
 
52 LETTERS TO 
 
 if so, what need of his next head of hanging peo- 
 ple without as full and clear evidence as in oth- 
 er cases? Or what need of the rest of the re- 
 ceipts of the triumvirate ? What need of pray- 
 ing that the afflicted may be able to discover who 
 it is that afflicts them ? or what need of search- 
 ing for teats for the devil to suck, in his old age ; 
 or the experiment of saying the Lord's prayer, 
 &c with a multitude more, practised in some 
 places superstitiously inclined? Other actions 
 have been practised for easing the afflicted, less 
 justifiable, if not strongly savouring of witch- 
 craft itself, viz. fondly imagining by the hand, &c. 
 to drive off spectres, or to knock off invisible 
 chains, or by striking in the air to wound either 
 the afflicted or others, &c. I write not this to 
 accuse any, but that all may beware; believing 
 that the devil's bounds are set, which he can- 
 not pass; that devils are so full of malice, that 
 it cannot be added to by mankind ; that where 
 he hath power he neither can nor will omit ex- 
 ecuting it ; that it is only the Almighty that sets 
 bounds to his rage, and that only can commis- 
 sionate him to hurt or destroy any. 
 
 These last, sir, are such foundations of truth, 
 in my esteem, that I cannot but own it to be 
 my duty to assert them, when called, though 
 with the hazard of my all ; and consequently to 
 detest such as these, that a witch can commis- 
 sionate devils to afflict mortals ; that he can, at 
 his or the witch's pleasure, assume any shape ; 
 that hanging or drowning of witches can lessen 
 his power of afflicting, or restore those that 
 were at a distance tormented- with many ethers 
 
MR. MATHER, &c, 65 
 
 depending on these ; all tending, in my esteem, 
 highly to the dishonour of God, and the endan- 
 gering the well-being of a people ; and do fur- 
 ther add, that as the scriptures are full that 
 there is witchcraft (ut sup.) so 'tis as plain that 
 there are possessions, and that the bodies of the 
 possest have hence been not only afflicted, but 
 strangely agitated, if not their tongues improved 
 to foretel futurities, &c. and why not to accuse 
 the innocent, as bewitching them? having pre- 
 tence to divination to gain credence. This be- 
 ing reasonable to be expected from him who is 
 the father of lies, to the end he may thereby 
 involve a country in blood, malice and evil-sur- 
 mising, which he greedily seeks after, and so 
 finally lead them from their fear and depen- 
 dence upon God, to fear him and a supposed 
 witch, thereby attaining his end upon mankind; 
 and not only so, but natural distempers, as has 
 been frequently observed by the judicious, have 
 so operated as to deceive more than the vulgar, 
 as is testified by many famous physicians and 
 others. And as for that proof of multitudes of 
 confessions, this country may be by this time 
 thought competent judges what credence we 
 ought to give them, having had such numerous 
 instances, as also how obtained. 
 
 And now, sir, if herein be any thing in your 
 esteem valuable, let me entreat you not to ac- 
 count it the worse for coming from so mean a 
 hand ; which, however you may have received 
 prejudice, &c am ready to serve you to my 
 power; but if you judge otherwise hereof, you 
 5 # 
 
N LETTERS TO 
 
 may take jour own methods for my better in- 
 formation. Who am, sir, yours to command, in 
 what I may, R. C. 
 
 In answer to this last, sir, you replied to the 
 gentleman that presented it, that you had no- 
 thing to prosecute against me ; and said, as to 
 your sentiments in your books, you did not bind 
 any to believe them ; and then again renewed 
 your promise of meeting me, as before, though 
 not yet performed. Accordingly, though I wait- 
 ed at sessions, there was none to object ought 
 against me, upon which I was dismissed. This 
 gave me some reason to believe that you intend- 
 ed all should have been forgotten ; but, instead 
 of that, I find the coals are fresh blown up, I 
 being supposed to be represented, in a late manu- 
 script, More Wonders of the, &c. as travestying 
 your discourse in your faithful discharge of 
 your duty,&c. and such as see not with the au- 
 thor's eyes, rendered sadducees and witlings, &c. 
 and the arguments that square not with the 
 sentiments therein contained, buffoonery ; rarely, 
 no doubt, agreeing with the spirit of Christ, and 
 his dealings with an unbelieving Thomas, yet 
 whose infidelity was without compare less excus- 
 able ; but the author having resolved long since 
 to have no more than one single grain of patience 
 with them that deny, &c the wonder is the less. 
 It must needs be that offences come, but wo to him 
 by whom they come. To vindicate myself there- 
 fore from such false imputations, of satan-like 
 insinuations, and misrepresenting your actions 
 
MR. MATHER, &6. 
 
 &c. and to vindicate yourself, sir, as much as is 
 in my power, from those suggestions, said to be 
 insinuated, as if you wore not the modesty and 
 gravity that becomes a minister of the gospel ; 
 which, it seems, some, that never saw the said 
 narratives, report them to contain; I say, sir, 
 for these reasons, I here present you with the 
 first copy that ever was taken, &c. and purpose 
 for a week's time to be ready, if you shall inti- 
 mate your pleasure to wait upon me, either at 
 the place formerly appointed, or any other that 
 is indifferent ; to the end that, if there shall ap- 
 pear any defects in that narrative, they may be 
 amended. 
 
 Thus, sir, I have given you a genuine account 
 of my sentiments and actions in this affair ; and 
 do request and pray, that if I err, I may be 
 shewed it from scripture, or sound reason, and 
 not by quotations out of Virgil, nor Spanish rhe- 
 torick. For I find the witlings mentioned are 
 so far from answering your profound questions, 
 that they cannot so much as pretend to shew a 
 distinction between witchcraft in the common 
 notion of it, and possession ; nor so much as to 
 demonstrate that ever the jews or primitive 
 christians did believe that a witch could send a 
 devil to afflict her neighbours. But to all these, 
 sir, (ye being the salt of the earth, &c.) I have 
 reason to hope for a satisfactory answer to him, 
 who is one that reverences your person and of- 
 fice ; and am, sir, yours to command, in what 
 I may, R« C, 
 
56 LETTERS TO 
 
 Boston, Jan. the 15//r, 1694. 
 Mr.R. C. 
 
 Whereas you intimate your desires, that 
 what is not fairly (I take it for granted you 
 mean truly also) represented in a paper you 
 lately sent me, containing a pretended narrative 
 of a visit by my father and self to an afflicted 
 young woman, whom we apprehended to be un- 
 der a diabolical possession, might be rectified ; I 
 have this to say, as I have often already said, 
 that 1 do scarcely find any one thing in the 
 whole paper, whether respecting my father or 
 self, either fairly or truly represented. Nor can 
 I think that any, that know my parent's circum- 
 stances, but must think him deserving a better 
 character by far, than this narrative can be 
 thought to give him. When the main design 
 we managed, in visiting the poor afflicted crea- 
 ture, was to prevent the accusations of the 
 neighbourhood, can it be fairly represented that 
 our design was to draw out such accusations ? 
 which is the representation of the paper. We 
 have testimonies of the best witnesses, and in 
 number not a few, that when we asked Rule 
 whether she thought she knew who tormented 
 her, the question was but an introduction to the 
 solemn charges which we then largely gave, 
 that she should rather die than tell the names 
 of any whom she might imagine that she knew. 
 Your informers have reported the question, and 
 report nothing of w r hat follows, as essential to 
 the giving of that question. And can this be 
 termed a piece of fairness ? Fair it cannot be, 
 that when ministers faithfully and carefully dig- 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 5T 
 
 charge their duty to the miserable in their 
 flock, little bits, scraps and shreds of their dis- 
 courses should be tacked together to make them 
 contemptible, when there shall be no notice of 
 all the necessary, seasonable and profitable 
 things that occurred in those discourses ; and 
 without which, the occasion of the lesser passa- 
 ges cannot be understood : and yet I am furnish- 
 ed with abundant evidences, ready to be sworn, 
 that will positively prove this part of unfairness, 
 by the above mentioned narrative, to be done 
 both to my father and self. Again, it seems not 
 fair or reasonable that I should be exposed for 
 that which yourself (not to say some others) 
 might have exposed me for if I had not done, 
 viz. for discouraging so much company from 
 flocking about the possest maid ; and yet, as I 
 persuade myself, you cannot but think it to be 
 good advice to keep much company from such 
 haunted chambers. Besides, the unfairness doth 
 more appear, in that I find nothing repeated of 
 what I said about the advantage which the 
 devil takes from too much observation and cu- 
 riosity. 
 
 In that several of the questions in the paper 
 are so worded as to carry in them a presuppo- 
 sal of the things inquired after, to say the best 
 of it, is very unfair. But this is not all; the 
 narrative contains a number of mistakes and 
 falsehoods, which, were they wilful and design- 
 ed, might justly be termed gross lies. The re- 
 presentations are far from true, when 'tis af- 
 firmed my father and self being come into the 
 room, I began the discourse : I hope I under- 
 
5* LETTERS TO 
 
 stand breeding a' little better than so. For 
 proof of this, did occasion serve, sundry can de- 
 pose the contrary. 
 
 'Tis no less untrue, that either my father or 
 self put the question, How many witches sit up- 
 on you? We always cautiously avoided that 
 expression, it being contrary to our inward be- 
 lief. A!l the standers-by will, I believe, swear 
 they did not hear us use it, (your witnesses ex- 
 cepted) and I tremble to think how hardy those 
 woful creatures must be, to call the Almighty, 
 by an oath, to so false a thing. As false a re- 
 presentation 'tis, that 1 rubbed Rule's stomach, 
 her breast not being covered. The oath of the 
 nearest spectators, giving a true account of that 
 matter, will prove this to be little less than a 
 gross (if not a doubled) lie ; and to be somewhat 
 plainer, it carries the face of a lie contrived on 
 purpose (by them at least to whom you are 
 beholden for the narrative) wickedly and basely 
 to expose me : for you cannot but know how 
 much this representation hath contributed to 
 make people believe a smutty thing of me. I am 
 far from thinking but that in your own conscience 
 you believe, that no indecent action of that nature 
 could then be done by me before such observ- 
 ers, had I been so wicked as to have been in- 
 clined to what is base. It looks next to impos- 
 sible that a reparation should be made me for 
 the wrong done to (I hope, as to any scandal) 
 an unblemished, though weak and small, servant 
 of the church of God. Nor is what follows a 
 less untruth, that it was an attendant and not 
 myself who said, If Rule knows who afflicts her- 
 
1IR. MATHER, ftc. 59 
 
 vet she won't tell. 1 therefore spoke it that I 
 might encourage her to continue in that conceal- 
 ment of all names whatsoever; to this I am . ble 
 to furnish myself with the attestation of suificient 
 oaths. 'Tis as far from true, that my appre- 
 hension of the imp, about Rule, was on her bel- 
 ly; for the oaths of the spectators, and even of 
 those that thought they felt it, can testify that it 
 was upon the pillow, at a distance from her bo- 
 dy. As untrue a representation is that which 
 follows, viz. that it was said unto her, tnat 
 her not apprehending of that odd, palpable, 
 though not visible, mover, was from her fancy; 
 for I endeavoured to persuade her that it might 
 be but fancy in others, that there was any such 
 thing at all. Witnesses exevy way sufficient 
 can be produced for this also. It is falsely re- 
 presented, that my father felt on the young wo- 
 man after the appearance mentioned, for his 
 hand was never near her; oath can sufficiently 
 vindicate him. 'Tis very untrue, that my father 
 prayed, for perhaps half an hour, against the 
 power of the devil and witchcraft, and that God 
 would bring out the afflicters : witnesses of the 
 best credit can depose, that his prayer was not 
 a quarter of an hour, and that there was no more 
 than about one clause, towards the close of the 
 prayer, which was of this import; and this 
 clause also was guarded with a singular wariness 
 and modesty, viz. If there were any evil in- 
 struments in this matter, God would please to 
 discover them: and that there was mere than 
 Common reason for that petition, 1 can satisfy 
 any one that will please to inquire of me. And 
 
00 LETTERS TO 
 
 strange it is, that a gentleman that from eigh- 
 teen to fifty-four hath been an exemplary mi- 
 nister of. the gospel; and that, besides a station 
 in the church of God, as considerable as any 
 that his own country can afford, hath for divers 
 years come off with honour, in his application to 
 three crowned heads, and the chiefest nobility of 
 three kingdoms; knows not yet how to make 
 one short prayer of a quarter of an hour, but 
 in INew-Englarid he must be libelled for it. 
 There are divers other down-right mistakes, 
 which you have permitted yourself (I would 
 hope not knowingly and with a malicious design) 
 to be receiver or compiler of, which I shall now 
 forbear to animadvert upon. As for the appen- 
 dix of the narrative, I do find myself therein in- 
 juriously treated; for the utmost of your proof, 
 for what you say of me, amounts to little more 
 than this, viz. Some people told you, that others 
 told them, that such and such things did pass; 
 but you may assure yourself, that I am not unfur- 
 nished with witnesses that can convict the same. 
 Whereas you would give me to believe the bot- 
 tom of these, your methods, to be some dissatis- 
 faction about the commonly received power of 
 devils and witches; I do not only with all free- 
 dom offer you the use of any part of my library, 
 which you may see cause to peruse on that sub- 
 ject, but also, if you and any one else, whom you 
 please, will visit me at my study, yea, or meet 
 me at any other place, less inconvenient than 
 those hy you proposed, I will with all the fair- 
 ness and calmness in the world dispute the point. 
 i beg of God that he would bestow as many 
 
MR. MATHER. &c. 61 
 
 blessings on you, as ever on myself; and out of 
 a sincere wish that you may be made yet more 
 capable of these blessings, I take this occasion 
 to lay before you the faults (not few nor small 
 ones neither) which the paper contained, you 
 lately sent me, in order to be examined by me. 
 In case you want a true and full narrative of my 
 visit, whereof such an indecent travesty (to say 
 the best) hath been made, I am not unwilling to 
 communicate it; in mean time must take liberty 
 to say, it is scarcely consistent with common ci- 
 vility, much less christian charity, to offer the 
 narrative, now with you, for a true one, till you 
 have a truer; or for a full one, till you have a 
 fuller. Your sincere (though injured) friend 
 and servant, C. Mather. 
 
 The copy of a paper received with the above letter. 
 
 I do testify that I have seen Margaret Rule, 
 in her afflictions from the invisible world, lifted 
 up from her bed, wholly by an invisible force, a 
 great way towards the top of the room where 
 she lay; in her being so lifted, she had no as- 
 sistance from any use of her own arms or hands, 
 or any other part of her body, not so much as 
 her heels touching her bed, or resting on any 
 support whatsoever. And I have seen her thus 
 lifted, when not only a strong person hath thrown 
 his whole weight across her to pull her down, 
 but several other persons have endeavoured, 
 with all their might, to hinder her from being 
 so raised up; which I suppose that several oth- 
 ers will testify as well as myself when called ui> 
 to it. Witness my hand* < Samuel kvm 
 
 6 
 
G2 LETTERS TO 
 
 We can also testify to the substance of what 
 is above written; and have several times seen 
 Margaret Rule so lifted up from her bed, a? 
 that she had no use of her own limbs to help her 
 up; but it was the declared apprehension of us, 
 as well as others, that saw it, impossible for any 
 hands, but some of the invisible world, to lift her. 
 
 Robert Earle, 
 John Wilkins, 
 Dan. Williams. 
 
 We, whose names are under-written, do testi- 
 fy, that one evening, when w ? e were in the cham- 
 ber where Margaret Rule then lay, in her late 
 affliction, we observed her to be, by an invisible 
 force, lifted up from the bed whereon she lay, 
 so as to touch the garret floor, while yet neither 
 her feet, nor any other part of her body, rested 
 either on the bed or any other support, but were 
 also, by the same force, lifted up from all that 
 was under her; and all this for a considerable 
 while, we judged it several minutes; and it was 
 as much as several of us could do, with all our 
 strength, to pull her down. All which happened 
 when there was not only we two in the chamber, 
 but we suppose ten or a dozen more, whose 
 names we have forgotten, rp r r 
 
 to 1 HOMAS 1 HORNTON. 
 
 William Hudson 
 testifies to the substance of Thornton's testimojiy, 
 to ichich he also hath set his hand. 
 
 Mr, .» Boston. January 18, 1694. 
 
 r. Cotton Mather, j 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 Yours of the 15th instant 1 received yester- 
 day, and soon found I had promised myself too 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. W 
 
 uauch by it, viz. either concurrence with, or a 
 denial of, those fundamentals mentioned in mine, 
 of November the 24th, finding this waved by 
 an invitation to your library, &c. I thank God I 
 have the bible, and do judge that sufficient to 
 demonstrate that cited head of Mr. Gaule to be 
 a truth, as also those other heads mentioned as 
 the foundations of religion. And in my appre- 
 hension, if it be asked any christian, whether God 
 governs the world, and whether it be he only can 
 commissionate devils, and such other fundamen- 
 tals, he ought to be as ready as in the question, 
 Who made him? (A little writing certainly 
 might be of more use, to clear up the contro- 
 verted points, than either looking over many 
 books in a well furnished library, or than a dis- 
 pute, if I were qualified for it; the inconvenien- 
 cies of passion being this way best avoided.) And 
 am not without hopes that you will yet oblige 
 me so far, as to consider that letter, and if I err, 
 to let me see it by scripture, &c. 
 
 Yours, almost the whole of it, is concerning 
 the narrative I sent to you ; and you seem to in- 
 timate as if I were giving characters, reflections, 
 libels, &c. concerning yourself and relations ; all 
 which were as far from my thoughts, as ever 
 they were in writing after either yourself, or any 
 other minister. In the front you declare your 
 apprehension to be, that the afflicted was under 
 a diabolical possession; and if so, I see not how 
 it should be occasioned by any witchcraft (unless 
 we ascribe that power to a witch, which is only 
 the prerogative of the Almighty, of sending or 
 commissionating the devils to afflict her.) But 
 
34 LETTERS TQ 
 
 to your particular objections against the narra- 
 tive : and to the first. My intelligence not giv- 
 ing me any further, 1 could not insert that I knew 
 not And it seems improbable that a question 
 should be put, whether she knew who they were 
 that tormented her, and at the same time to 
 charge her, and that upon her life, not to tell ; 
 and if you had done so, I see but little good you 
 could promise yourself or others by it, she being 
 possest, as also having it inculcated so much 
 to her, of witchcraft. And as to the next ob- 
 jection, about company flocking, &c. I profess 
 my ignorance, not knowing what you mean by it. 
 And, sir, that most of the questions did carry 
 with them a presupposing the things inquired 
 after, is evident, if there were such as those re- 
 lating to the black man and a book, and about 
 her hearing the prayer, &c (related in the said 
 narrative, which I find no objection against.) As 
 to that which is said of mentioning yourself first 
 discoursing, and your hopes that your breeding 
 was better, (I doubt it not, nor do I doubt your 
 father might first apply himself to others) my 
 intelligence is, that you first spake to the afflict- 
 ed or possessed, for which you had the advan- 
 tage of a nearer approach. The next two ob- 
 jections are founded upon mistakes: I find not 
 in the narrative any such question, as How ma- 
 ny witches sit upon you ? nor, that her breast 
 was not covered, in which those material words, 
 with the bed clothes, are wholly omitted. I am 
 not willing to retort here your own language up- 
 on you ; but can tell you, that your own discourse 
 of it publickly. at SirW.P's table, has much more 
 
MR. MATHER, he. 66 
 
 contributed to, &c. As to the reply, If she could 
 she would not tell, whether either or both spake 
 it, it matters not much. Neither does the nar- 
 rative say, you felt the live thing on her belly; 
 though 1 omit now to say what further demon- 
 strations there are of it. As to that reply, That 
 is only her fancy, I find the word her added. 
 And as to your father's feeling for the live crea- 
 ture after you had felt it, if it were on the bed it 
 was not so very far from her. And for the length 
 of his prayer, possibly your witnesses might 
 keep a more exact account of the time than 
 those others, and I stand not for a few minutes. 
 For the rest of the objections, I suppose them of 
 less moment, if less can be ; however, shall be 
 ready to receive them. Those matters of great- 
 est concern 1 find no objections against. These 
 being all that yet appear, it may be thought 
 that if the narrative be not fully exact, it was as 
 near as memory could bear away ; but should 
 be glad to see one more perfect (which yet is 
 not to be expected, seeing none wrote at the 
 same time.) You mention the appendix, by 
 which I understand the second visit ; and if you 
 be by the possessed belied (as being half an 
 hour with her alone, excluding her own mother, 
 and as telling her you had prayed for her nine 
 times that day, and that now was her laughing 
 time, she must laugh now) 1 can see no wonder 
 in it : What can be expected less from the fa- 
 ther of lies, by whom, you judge, she was pos- 
 sest ? 
 
 And besides the above letter, you were pleas- 
 ed to send me another paper, containing severaf 
 6* 
 
66 LETTERS To 
 
 testimonies of the possessed being lifted up, and 
 held a space of several minutes to the garret 
 floor, &c. but they omit giving the account, 
 whether after she was down they bound her 
 down, or kept holding her ; and relate not how 
 many were to pull her down, which hinders the 
 knowledge what number they must be, to be 
 stronger than an invisible force. Upon the 
 whole, I suppose you expect 1 should believe 
 it; and if so, the only advantage gained is, thafc 
 what has been so long controverted between 
 protestants and papists, whether miracles are 
 ceast, will hereby seem to be decided for the 
 latter; it being, for ought I can see, if so, as 
 true a miracle as for iron to swim; and the de- 
 vil can work such miracles. 
 
 But, sir, to leave these little disputable things, 
 1 do again pray that you would let me have the 
 happiness of your approbation or confutation of 
 that letter before referred to. 
 
 And now, sir, that the God of all grace may 
 enable us zealously to own his truths, and to 
 follow those things that tend to peace, and that 
 yourself may be as an useful instrument in his 
 hand, efFectually to ruin the remainder of hea- 
 thenish and popish superstitions, is the earnest 
 desire and prayer of yours to command in what 
 I may, R. C. 
 
 Postscript. — Sir, I here send you the copy of a paper 
 that lately came to my hands ; which, though it contains 
 no wonders, yet is remarkable, and runs thus : 
 
 An account of what an Indian told Capt. Hill at Saco Fort 
 
 The Ind an tcld him, that the French ministers were 
 better than the English ; for before the French came 
 among them there were a great many witches among the 
 
MR. MATHER, &. , ^7 
 
 indiaiis ; but now there were none ; and there were 
 witches among the English ministers, as Burroughs, who 
 was hang'd for it. 
 
 Were I disposed to make reflections upon it, I suppose 
 you will judge the field large enough ; but I forbear. 
 
 As above, R. C. 
 
 Boston, Feb. 19, 1694. 
 Mr. Cotton Mather, 
 Reverend Sir, 
 I have received as yet no answer to mine of 
 November the 24th, except an offer to peruse 
 books, &c. relating to the doctrinais therein 
 contained; nor to my last, of January the 18th, 
 in which I again prayed that if I erred I might 
 be shewed it by scripture, viz. in believing that 
 the devil's bounds are set, which he cannot pass 
 — that the devils are so full of malice, that it 
 can't be added to by mankind — that where he 
 hath power, he neither can nor will omit exe- 
 cuting it — that it is only the Almighty that sets 
 bounds to his rage, and who only can commis- 
 sion him to hurt or destroy any ; and conse- 
 quently to detest, as erroneous and dangerous, 
 the belief that a witch can commission devils to 
 afflict mortals — that he can at his or the witch's 
 pleasure assume any shape — that the hanging 
 or drowning of witches can lessen his power 
 of afflicting, and restore those that were at a 
 distance tormented by him; — and whether 
 witchcraft ought to be understood, now in this 
 age, to be the same that it was when the divine 
 oracles were given forth, particularly those quo- 
 ted bv mr. Gaule, in that cited head, Wonders 
 of the Invisible World (mr. Gaule's fourth head) 
 1o discover witches., which do so plainly shew a 
 
6 b LETTERS TO 
 
 witch, in scripture sense, to be one that maligns, 
 &c. and that pretends to give a sign in order to 
 seduce, &c For I have never understood, in 
 my time, any such have suffered as witches, 
 though sufficiently known ; but the only witch 
 now inquired after is one that is said to become 
 so by making an explicit covenant with the de- 
 vil, i. e. the devil appearing to them, and mak- 
 ing a compact, mutually promising each to other ; 
 testified by their signing his book, a material 
 book, which he is said to keep; and that there- 
 by they are intituled to a power, not only to af- 
 flict others, but such as is truly exorbitant, if not 
 highly intrenching upon the prerogative of him 
 who is the Sovereign Being : For who is he that 
 saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord 
 commandeth it not ? 
 
 Such explicit covenant being, as is said, in this 
 age, reckoned essential to complete a witch; 
 yet I finding nothing of such covenant (or pow- 
 er thereby obtained) in scripture, and yet a 
 witch therein so fully described, do pray that if 
 there be any such scriptures I may be directed 
 to them ; for as to the many legends in this 
 case, I make no account of them : I read indeed 
 of a covenant with death and with hell, but sup- 
 pose that to be in the heart (or mental) only, 
 and see not what use such an explicit one can 
 be of between spirits, any further than as 'tis a 
 copy of that mental which is in the heart. The 
 dire effects and consequences of such notion may 
 be found written in indelible Roman characters 
 of blood, in all countries where they have pre- 
 vailed. And what less can be expected, when 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 69 
 
 men are indicted for that, which it is impossible 
 to prove, so as for any to clear himself of, viz. 
 such explicit covenant with the devil ; and then, 
 for want of better evidence, must take up with 
 such as the nature of such secret covenant can 
 bear, as mr. Gaule hath it, i. e. distracted sto- 
 ries, and strange and foreign events, &c. thereby 
 endeavouring to find it, though by its but suppo- 
 sed effects. By the same rule that one is put 
 to purge himself of such compact, by the same 
 may all mankind. 
 
 This then being so important a case, it con- 
 cerns all to know what foundations in scripture 
 are laid for such a structure ; for if they are 
 deficient of that warrant, the more eminent the 
 architects are, the more dangerous are they 
 thereby rendered, &c. These are such consi- 
 derations as I think will vindicate me, in the 
 esteem of all lovers of humanity, in my endea- 
 vours to get them cleared ; and, to that end, do 
 once more pray, that you would so far oblige 
 me as to give your approbation or confutation 
 of the above doctrinals ; but if you think silence 
 a virtue in this case, I shall (I suppose) so far 
 comply with it as not to lose you any more time 
 to look over my papers. And if any others will 
 so far oblige me, I shall not be ungrateful to 
 them. Praying God to guide and prosper you, 
 I am, sir, yours to my power, R. C. 
 
 (He that doth truth cometh to the light ^ 
 
70 LETTERS TO 
 
 Boston, April the lGth, 1694, 
 Mr. Cotton Mather, 
 Reverend Sir, 
 Having as yet received no answer to my last, 
 touching the doctrinals therein referred to, 
 though at the delivery of it you were pleased 
 to promise the gentleman that presented it that 
 I should have it, and after that you acquainted 
 the same gentleman you were about it; the 
 length of time since those promises makes me 
 suppose you are preparing something for the 
 press (for I would not question your veracity;) 
 and I think it may not be amiss, when you do 
 any thing of that nature for the public view, that 
 you also explain some passages of some late 
 books of yours and your relations, which are 
 hard to be understood; to instance in a few of 
 many; Wonders of the Invisible World, page 17, 
 i; Plagues are some of those woes with which 
 the devil causes our trouble." Page 1 8, " Hence 
 come such plagues as that besom of destruction 
 which within our memory swept away such a 
 throng of people from one English city, in one 
 visitation. Wars are some of those w T oes with 
 which the devil causes our trouble." Page 16, 
 " Hence 'tis that the devil, like a dragon keep- 
 ing a guard upon such fruits as would refresh a 
 languishing world, has hindered mankind for ma- 
 ny ages from hitting upon those useful inventions. 
 The benighted world must jog on, for thousands 
 of years, without the knowledge of the load- 
 stone, printing, and spectacles." Page 10, " It 
 is not likely that every devil does know every 
 language. 'Tis possible the experience, or, if I 
 
MR. MATHER, &e. 71 
 
 5hay call it so, the education, of all devils is not 
 alike." Cases of Conscience, page 63, " The devil 
 has inflicted on many the disease called the ly- 
 canthropia." Memorable Providences relating to 
 Witchcraft Disc, page 24, "I am also apt to 
 think that the devils are seldom able to hurt us 
 in any of our exterior concerns, without a com- 
 mission from some of our fellow worms. When 
 foul mouth'd men shall wish harm to their neigh- 
 bours, they give a commission to the devil to 
 perform what they desire; and if God should 
 not mercifully prevent, they would go through 
 with it. Hear this, you that in wild passion will 
 give every thing to the devil; hear it, you that 
 bespeak a rot, a pox, or a plague, on all that 
 shall provoke you; I here indict you as guilty 
 of hellish witchcraft in the sight of God." More 
 Wonders of the Invisible World, p. 49, " They 
 each of them have their spectres or devils com- 
 missioned by them, and representing them." 
 Page 14, " But such a permission from God for 
 the devil to come down and break in upon man- 
 kind, must often times be accompanied with a 
 commission from some of mankind itself." En- 
 chantments encountered, " These witches have 
 driven a trade of commissioning their confede- 
 rate spirits to do all sorts of mischiefs to their 
 neighbours." . Page 50, "They have bewitched 
 some, even so far as to make them self-destroy- 
 ers." Page 144, * As I am abundantly satisfied, 
 that many of the self-murders, committed here, 
 have been the effects of a cruel and bloody witch- 
 craft, letting fly daemons upon the miserable Se- 
 necasr" Page 51, " We have seen some of their 
 
72 , LETTERS TO 
 
 children dedicated to the devil, that in their in- 
 fancy the imps have sucked them." Cases of 
 Consience, page 24, " They bequeath their dae- 
 mons to the children as a legacy, by whom they 
 are often assisted to see and do things beyond 
 the power of nature." Page 21, "There is in 
 Spain a sort of people called Zahurs, that can 
 see into the bowels of the earth." On Tues- 
 days and Fridays, and to add that in page 49 ; 
 the words are, * For the law of God allows of 
 no revelation from any other spirit but himself, 
 Isa. viii. 19. It is a sin against God to make 
 use of the devil's help, to know that which can- 
 not be otherwavs known ; and I testily against 
 it as a great transgression, which may justly pro- 
 voke that Holy One of Israel to let loose devils 
 on the whole land. Although the devil's accu- 
 sation may be so far regarded, as to cause an in- 
 quiry into tbe truth of things, (Job i. 1 1, 12, and 
 ii. 5, 6) yet not so as to be an evidence or ground 
 of conviction; for the devil's testimony ought 
 not to be taken in whole nor in part." It is a 
 known truth, that some unwary expressions of 
 the primitive fathers were afterwards impro- 
 ved for the introducing and establishing of er- 
 ror, as their calling the Virgin Mary the mother 
 of God, &c. Hence occasion and advantage 
 were taken to propagate the idolizing of her. 
 The like might be said of the eucharist. These 
 assertions, above rehearsed, being apparently 
 liable to a like mal-construction, and no less dan- 
 gerous, are therefore, as I said, highly needful 
 to be explained, and that m a most public man- 
 ner. For were they to be understood literallv. 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 73 
 
 and as they are spoken, it must seem as if the 
 authors were introducing among christians very 
 dangerous doctrines, such as, were they asserted 
 by the best of men, yet ought to be rejected by 
 all, &c. viz. That 'tis the devil that brings the 
 most of evils upon mankind, by way of infliction, 
 that do befal them ; and that the witch can 
 commission him to the performance of these : 
 with many other as dangerous doctrines, and 
 such as seem in their tendency to look favoura- 
 bly upon the antient pagan doctrines of this 
 country, who believed that God did hurt to none, 
 but good to all, but that the devil must be pleas- 
 ed by worshiping, &c. from whom came all their 
 miseries, as they believed. For what were all 
 this, but to rob God of his glory in the highest 
 manner, and give it to a devil and a witch ? Is 
 it not he that hath said, Shall there be evil in a 
 city, and the Lord hath not done it ? But if any 
 are fond of their own notions, because some 
 eminent men before now have asserted them, 
 they may do well to compare them with that 
 excellent saying (Wonders of the Invisible World, 
 p. 7) " About this devil there are many things, 
 whereof we may reasonably and profitably be 
 inquisitive ; such things I mean as are in our bi- 
 bles revealed to us ; according to which if we 
 do not speak on so dark a subject, but according 
 to our own uncertain and perhaps humoursome 
 conjectures, there is no light in us." Or that 
 other, p. 75, " At every other weapon the de- 
 vil will be too hard for us." For 'tis most cer- 
 tain that other notions, weapons and practices 
 have been taken up with, and that the event 
 7 
 
74 LETTERS TO 
 
 has been answerable : the devil has been too 
 hard for such as have so done. I shall forbear 
 to instance from the dogmatical part, and shall 
 mention some practices that as much need ex- 
 plaining; Mem. Provid. Rel. to Witchc. pages 29, 
 30, 31 ; where account is given that it was pray- 
 ed for that the afflicted might be able to declare, 
 whom she apprehended herself afflicted by, to- 
 gether with the immediate answer of such 
 prayer. To this you once replied, when it was 
 mentioned to you, that you did not then under- 
 stand the wiles of satan. 
 
 To which I have nothing to object, but it 
 might be a good acknowledgment. But consid- 
 ering that the book is gone forth into all the 
 world, I cannot but think the salve ought to be 
 proportioned to the sore, and the notice of the 
 devil's w T iles as universal as the means recom- 
 mending them. Another practice is, (pages 20, 
 21,) "There was one singular passion that fre- 
 quently attended her ; an invisible chain would 
 be clapt about her, and she in much pain and fear 
 cry out when they began to put it on: once I 
 did with my own hand knock it off as it began 
 to be fastened about her." If this were done 
 by the power or virtue of any ordinance of di- 
 vine instruction, it is well ; but would have been 
 much better if the institution had been demon- 
 strated; or was there any physical virtue in that 
 particular hand? But supposing that neither of 
 these will be asserted by the author, I think it 
 very requisite, that the world may be acquaint- 
 ed with the operation, and to what art or craft 
 to refer their power of knocking off invisible 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 75 
 
 chains. And thus, sir, I have faithfully dis- 
 charged what in this I took to be my duty, and 
 am so far from doing it to gain applause, or from 
 a spirit of contradiction, that I expect to pro- 
 cure me many enemies thereby ; but (as in case 
 of a fire) where the glory of God and the good 
 and welfare of mankind are so nearly concerned, 
 I thought it my duty to be no longer an idle 
 spectator ; and can and do say, to the glory of 
 God, in this whole affair, I have endeavoured to 
 keep a conscience void of offence, both towards 
 God and towards man ; and therein at the least 
 have the advantage of such as are very jealous 
 they have done so much herein, as to sin in what 
 they have done, viz. in sheltering the accused; 
 such have been the cowardice and fearfulness, 
 into which a regard to the dissatisfaction of oth- 
 er people have precipitated them ; which by 
 by the way must needs acquaint all, that for the 
 future other measures are resolved upon (by 
 such) which, how bloody they may prove when 
 opportunity shall offer, is with him who orders 
 all things according to the counsel of his own 
 will. And now, that the song of angels may be 
 the emulation of men, is the earnest desire and 
 prayer of, sir, yours to command in what I may, 
 
 R C. 
 
 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and 
 good will towards men. 
 
 *. o Boston, March the 1st, 1694, 
 
 Worthy Sir, 
 After more than a year's waiting for the per- 
 formance of a reiterated promise from one ua- 
 
76 LETTERS TO . 
 
 der singular obligations, and a multitude of aaV 
 vantages to have done it sooner, the utmost com- 
 pliance I have met with is (by your hands) the 
 sight of four sheets of rescinded papers* But I 
 must first be obliged to return them in a fort- 
 night, and not copied, which I have now com- 
 plied with : and having read them, am not at all 
 surprised at the author's caution, not to admit of 
 such crude matter and impertinent absurdities, 
 as are to be fund in it. He seems concerned 
 that I take no notice of his several books, where- 
 in, as he saith, he has unanswerably proved 
 things. To this I might reply, that 1 have sent 
 him letters of quotations out of those books, to 
 know how much of them he will abide by ; for 
 I thought it hard to affix their natural consequen- 
 ces, till he had opportunity to explain them. 
 And saith, that he hath sent me mr. Baxter's 
 World of Spirits, an ungainsayable book, &c. 
 (though I know no ungainsayable book but the 
 bible;) which book, I think, no man that has 
 read it will give such a title to but the author. 
 He speaks of my reproaching his public sermons; 
 of which I am not conscious to myself, unless it 
 be about his interpretation of a thunder storm 
 (that broke into his house) which savoured so 
 much of enthusiasm. 
 
 As to those papers, I have (as I read them) 
 noted in the margin where, in a hasty reading, I 
 thought it needful; of which it were unreasona- 
 ble lor him to complain, seeing 1 might not take a 
 copy, thereby to have been enabled more at lei- 
 sure to digest what w T ere needful to be said on so 
 many head?; and as I have not flattered him. 
 
MR. MATHER, fee. 77 
 
 so, for telling what was so needful, with the 
 hazard of making so many enemies by it, I have 
 approved myself one of his best friends. And 
 besides his own sense of the weakness of his an- 
 swer, testified by the prohibition above, he has 
 wholly declined answering to most of those 
 things that I had his promise for; and what he 
 pretends to speak to, after mentioning, without 
 the needful answer or proof, drops it. 
 
 His first main work, after his definition of a 
 witch, which he never proves (without saying 
 any thing to mr. Gaule's scriptural description, 
 though so often urged to it, and though himself 
 has in his book recommended and quoted it) is 
 to magnify the devil's power, and that as I think 
 beyond and against the scripture ; this takes him 
 up about 11 pages; and yet in page 22d he 
 again returns to it, and, as / understand it, takes 
 part with the pharisees against our Saviour in 
 the argument; for they charge him that he 
 cast out devils through Beelzebub : our Saviour's 
 answer is, (Matt. xii. 25) Every kingdom divided 
 against itself is brought to desolation ; and every 
 city or house divided against itself shall not stand; 
 and ifsatan cast out satan, he is divided against 
 himself; how shall then his kingdom stand ? 
 And yet, notwithstanding this answer, together 
 with what follows, for further illustration our 
 author is it seems resolved to assert, that our 
 Saviour did not in this answer deny that many 
 did so, viz. cast out devils by Beelzebub ; and, 
 page 23, grants that the devils have a miracu- 
 lous power, but yet it must not be called mira- 
 culous, and yet can be distinguished, as he inti- 
 
78 LETTERS TO 
 
 mates, only by the conscience or light within, to 
 the no small scandal of the christian religion : 
 though our Saviour and his apostles account this 
 the chief or principal proof of his godhead, {John 
 xx. 30, 31. John x. 37, 38. John v. 30. Mark xvi. 
 17, 13. Acts'\\. 22, and iv. 30. with many others) 
 and that miracles belong only to God, who also 
 governs the world, (Ps. cxxxvi. 4. Jer. xiv. 22, 
 ha. xxxviii. 8. Ps. lxii. 11. Lam. iii. 37. Amos iii. 
 6.) But, to forbear quoting that which the scrip- 
 ture is most full in, do only say, that he that 
 dares assert the devil to have such a miraculous 
 power, had need have other scriptures than 
 ever I have seen. 
 
 In page 12, our author proceeds, and states a 
 question to this effect: If the devil has such 
 powers, and cannot exert them without permis- 
 sion from God, what can the witch contribute 
 thereunto? Instead of an answer to this weight v 
 objection, our author first concedes, that the 
 devils do ordinarily exert their powers, without 
 the witches contributing to it; but yet, that, to 
 the end to increase their guilt, he may cheat a 
 witch, by making her believe herself the author 
 of them. His next is, If witchcraft be, as I sup- 
 pose it is y the skill of applying the plastic spirit 
 of the world, frc. then the consent of the witch 
 doth naturally contribute to that mischief that 
 the devil does. And his last answer runs to this 
 effect : Is it not the ordination of God, that 
 where the devil can get the consent of a witch 
 for the hurting of others, the hurt shall as cer- 
 tainly be as if they had set mastiff dogs upon 
 them, or had given them poison into their bow- 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 79 
 
 els? and God's providence must be as great in 
 delivering from one as from the other. And this 
 it seems is not only his belief, but the most or- 
 thodox and the most learned answer that our 
 author could pitch upon: If witchcraft be, as I 
 suppose it is, &c. and is it not the ordination of 
 God, that, &c. What is all this but precarious, 
 and begging the question, and a plain dropping 
 the argument he cannot manage ? However, to 
 -amuse the ignorant, and to confound the learned, 
 he hooks in a cramp word, if not a nonentity, viz, 
 plastic spirit of the world; for who is it either 
 knows that there is a plastic spirit, or what it is, 
 or how this can any way serve his purpose? 
 
 He then proceeds to scripture instances of 
 witches, &c. and where I thought it needful, I 
 have, as I said, shewed my dissent from his judg- 
 ment. He accounts it unreasonable to be held 
 to the proof of his definition of a witch, which 
 he makes to consist in a covenant with the devil ; 
 and chooses rather a tedious process about a pis- 
 tol to defend him from it, which indeed is one 
 particular way whereby murder has been com- 
 mitted, and so the doer becomes culpable. But 
 his definition of a witch, which, as I said, still 
 remains to be proved, is to this effect : that a 
 witch is one that covenants with and commissions 
 devils to do mischiefs; that she is one in cove- 
 nant, or that by virtue of such covenant she can 
 commission him to kill. The not bringing scrip- 
 ture to prove these two is a sufficient demonstra- 
 tion there is none ; and so our author leaves off 
 just where he began, viz. in a bare assertion, to- 
 gether with his own bigoted experiences, hinting 
 
30 LETTERS TO 
 
 also at multitudes of histories to confirm him m 
 the belief of his definition. Here being all that 
 I take notice of to be considerable. 
 
 And now, sir, if you think fit, improve your 
 friendship with the author, for the giory of God, 
 the sovereign being, the good and welfare of 
 mankind, and for his real and true interest. As 
 you see it convenient, put him in mind, that the 
 glory of God is the end why mankind was made, 
 and why he hath so many advantages to it : that 
 the flames we have seen, threatening the utter 
 extirpation of the country, must owe their origi- 
 nal to these dangerous errors (if not heresies) 
 which, if they remain unextinguished, may and 
 most likely will be acted over again : that it is 
 more honour to own an error in time, than tena- 
 ciously after full conviction to retain it. But if 
 our author will again vindicate such matters, 
 please to acquaint him, that 1 shall not any more 
 receive his papers, if I may not copy and use 
 them; and that when he does, instead of such 
 abstruse matters, I still pray his determination 
 in those tilings I have his promise for. And 
 thus begging pardon for thus' long detaining you> 
 I am, sir, yours to command, R. C. 
 
 Boston, March 18, 1694. 
 To the Ministers, whether English, French or 
 Dutch. 
 I, having had not only occasion, but renewed 
 provocation, to take a view of the mysterious 
 doctrines which have of late been so* much con- 
 tested among us, could not meet with any that 
 Jbad spoken more, or more plainly, the sense 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 81 
 
 of those doctrines (relating to witchcraft) than 
 the rev. mr. C. M. ; but how clearly and con- 
 sistent, either with himself or the truth, I 
 need not now say, but cannot but suppose his 
 strenuous and zealous asserting his opinions 
 has been one cause of the dismal convul- 
 sions we have here lately fallen into. Suppo- 
 sing that his books of Memorable Providences 
 relating to Witchcraft, as also his Wonders of 
 the Invisible World, did contain in them things 
 not warrantable, and very dangerous, I sent to 
 him a letter of quotations out of those books, &c 
 that so, if it might have been, I might under- 
 stand what tolerable sense he would put upon 
 his own words ; which 1 took to be a better way 
 of proceeding, than to have affixed what I 
 thought to be their natural consequences ; and, 
 lest I might be judged a sceptic, I gave him a 
 full and free account of my belief relating to 
 those doctrines, together with the grounds there- 
 of; and prayed him, that if I erred I might be 
 shewed it by scripture ; and this I had his rei- 
 terated promise for. But after more than a 
 year's waiting for the performance thereof, all 
 that is done in compliance therewith is, that in 
 February last he sent me four sheets of his wri- 
 ting, as his belief; but before I might receive it 
 I must engage to deliver it back in a fortnight, 
 and not copied. A summary account of which 
 I shall give you, when I have first acquainted 
 you what the doctrines were which I sent to 
 him for his concurrence with, or confutation of, 
 and to which I had his promise, as above. 
 These by way of question, viz, Whether that 
 
82 LETTERS TO 
 
 fourth head, cited and recommended by him- 
 self (in Wonders of the invisible World) of mr. 
 Gaule, ought to be believed as a truth ; which 
 runs thus: "Among the most unhappy circum- 
 stances to convict a witch, one is a maligning 
 and oppugning the word, work and worship 
 of God, and seeking by an extraordinary sign 
 to seduce any from it. Dent. xiii. 1, 2. Matt. 
 xxiv. 24. Acts xiii. 3, 10. 2 Tim. iii. 8. Do but 
 mark well the places ; and for this very pro- 
 perty of thus opposing and perverting, they are 
 all there concluded arrant and absolute witches." 
 
 And if in witchcraft the devil by means of a 
 witch does the mischief, how is it possible to 
 distinguish it from possession ? both being said 
 to be performed by the devil ; and yet, without 
 an infallible distinction, there can be no certain- 
 ty in judgment. And whether it can be proved 
 that the Jewish church, irt any age before, or in 
 our Saviour's time, even in the time of their 
 greatest apostacy, did believe that a witch had 
 power to commission devils to do mischief? 
 
 So much to the questions. These were sent 
 as my belief: That the devil's bounds are set, 
 that he cannot pass ; that the devils are so full 
 of malice, that it cannot be added to by mankind; 
 that where he hath power, he neither can nor 
 will omit executing it ; that it is only the Al- 
 mighty that sets bounds to his rage, and that 
 only can commission him to hurt or destroy. 
 And now I shall give you the summary account 
 of his four sheets above mentioned, as near as 
 memorv could recollect, in ten particulars. 
 
 1. That the devils have in their naUires a 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 83 
 
 power to work wonders and miracles ; particu- 
 larly that the pharisees were not mistaken in 
 asserting that the devils might be cast out by 
 Beelzebub; and that our Saviour's answer does 
 not oppose that assertion ; and that he hath the 
 power of death; that he can make the most so- 
 lid things invisible, and can invisibly bring poison, 
 and force it down people's throats. 
 
 2. That to assert this natural, wonderful pow- 
 er of the devil, makes most for the glory of God, 
 in preserving man from its effects. 
 
 3. Yet this power is restrained by the Al- 
 mighty, as pleaseth him. 
 
 4. That a witch is one that makes a covenant 
 with the devil. 
 
 5. That by virtue of such a covenant, she ar- 
 rives at a power to commission him. 
 
 6. That God has ordained that when the de- 
 vil is called upon by the witch, though he were 
 before restrained by the Almighty, the desired 
 mischiefs ordinarily shall as certainly be perform- 
 ed, as if the witch had lodged poison in the bow- 
 els of her neighbour, or had set mastiff dogs on 
 them. ■ 
 
 8. That that God which restrained an Abi- 
 melech and a Laban from hurting, does also re- 
 strain the witch from calling upon or improving 
 the devil, when he will not have his power so 
 exerted. 
 
 9. That to have a familiar spirit, is to be able 
 to cause a devil to take bodily shapes, whereby 
 either to give responses, or to receive orders lor 
 doing mischief. 
 
 10. That this is the judgment of most of the 
 
34 LETTERS TO 
 
 divines in the country, whether English, Dutch, 
 or French. 
 
 This, as I said, I took to be the most materi- 
 al in the four sheets sent to me as his belief, 
 and is also all the performance he has jet made 
 of his several promises ; which ten articles being 
 done only by memory, lest through mistake or 
 want of the original I might have committed any 
 errors, I sent them to him, that, if there were 
 any, they might be rectified: but instead of such 
 an answer as might be expected from a minister 
 and a learned gentleman, one mr. W. shewed 
 me a letter writ by mr. C. M. to himself, which 
 1 might read, but neither borrow nor copy, and 
 so, if 1 were minded, could give but a short ac- 
 count of it. 
 
 And passing over his hard language, which, 
 as I am conscious to myself I never deserved, 
 (relating to my writing in tfie margin of the four 
 sheets, and to these ten articles) so I hope I un- 
 derstand my duty better than to imitate him in 
 retorting the like. Among his many words in 
 his said letters, I meet with two small objections ; 
 one is against the word miracle in the first arti- 
 cle; the word, I say, not the matter; for the 
 works he attributes to the devil are the same, 
 in their being above or against the course of na- 
 ture and all natural causes; yet he will not ad- 
 mit of these to be called miracles; and hence 
 he reckons it the greatest difficulty he meets 
 with in this whole affair, to distinguish the works 
 of the devil from miracles. And hence also he 
 concedes to the devil the power to make the 
 most solid things invisible, and invisibly to bring 
 
MR, MATHER, &c. 85 
 
 poison, and force it down people's throats, &c. 
 Which I look upon to be as true miracles as 
 that 2 Kings, vi. 18 ; and this is the sense I un- 
 derstand the word in ; and in this sense he him- 
 self, in the four sheets, admits it ; for he has an 
 objection to this effect, viz. If the devils have 
 such power, &c. then miracles are not ceased ; 
 and where are we then ? His answer is, Where ! 
 Even just where we were before, say I : so that 
 it seems the only offence here is at my using 
 his words. His second objection (for weight) 
 is against the whole ninth article, and wonders 
 how it is possible for one man so much to mis- 
 understand another ; yet, as I remember, he, 
 speaking of the witch of Endor, in the said four- 
 sheets, says, she had a familiar spirit, and that a 
 spirit belonging to the invisible world, upon her 
 calling, appeared to Saul, &c. and if so, it is cer- 
 tain he gave responses. He also tells of Bala- 
 am, that it was known that he could set devils 
 on people to destroy them ; and therefore how 
 this objection should bear any force I see not. 
 The rest of the objections are of so small 
 weight, that once reading may be sufficient to 
 clear them up; and if this be not so, he can, 
 when he pleases, by making it publick, together 
 with the margins I writ, convince all people of 
 the truth of what he asserts. But here it is to 
 be noted, that the 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th articles 
 he concedes to, as having nothing to object 
 against them, but that they are his belief; and 
 that the 6th and 7th he puts for answer to an 
 objection which he thus frames, viz. If the de- 
 vil have such powers, but cannot exert them 
 8 
 
«6 LETTERS TO 
 
 but by permission from God, what can the witch 
 contribute thereto ? 
 
 And thus I have faithfully performed what I 
 undertook; and do solemnly declare, I have not 
 intentionally in the least wronged the gentleman 
 concerned, nor designed the least blemish to his 
 reputation; but if it stands in competition with 
 the glory of God, the only almighty being, his 
 truths and his people's welfare, I suppose these 
 too valuable to be trampled on for his sake, 
 though in other things I am ready to my power 
 (though with denying some part of my own in- 
 terest) to serve him. Had this gentleman de- 
 clined or detracted his four sheets, I see not 
 but he might have done it, and which 1 think 
 there was cause enough for him to have done ; 
 but to own the four sheets, and at the same 
 time to disown the doctrine contained in them, 
 and this knowing that I have no copy, renders 
 the whole of the worse aspect. 
 
 And now I shall give you a further account 
 of my belief, when I have first premised, that 
 it is a prevailing belief in this country, and else- 
 where, that the scriptures are not full in the 
 description of, and in the way and means how r 
 to detect, a witch, though positive in their pu- 
 nishment to be by death ; and that hence they 
 have thought themselves under a necessity of 
 taking up with the sentiments of such men or 
 places that are thought worthy to give rules to 
 detect them by ; and have accordingly practis- 
 ed ; viz. in searching for teats for the devil to 
 suck ; trying whether the suspected can say the 
 Lord's prayer ; and whether the afflicted falls 
 
MR. MATHER, &g. 87 
 
 at the sight, and rises at the touch, of the sup- 
 posed witch ; as also by the afflicted or posses- 
 sed giving account who is the witch. 
 
 Touching these, my belief is, that 'tis highly 
 derogatory to the wisdom of the wise Lawgiv- 
 er, to assert, that he has given a law by Moses, 
 the penalty whereof is death, and yet no direc- 
 tion to his people, whereby to know and detect 
 the culpable, till our triumvirate, messrs. Per- 
 kins, Gaule and Bernard, had given us their re- 
 ceipts; and, that that fourth head of mr. Gaule, 
 being so well proved by scripture, is a truth, 
 and contains a full and clear testimony who are 
 witches culpable of death, and that plainly and 
 from scripture, yet not excluding any other 
 branch, when as well proved by that infallible 
 rule ; and, that the going to the afflicted or pos- 
 sessed, to have them divine who are witches by 
 their spectral sight, is a great wickedness, even 
 the sin of Saul (for which he also died) but with 
 this difference, the one did it for augury, or to 
 know future events ; the other, in order to take 
 away life ; and, that the searching for teats, 
 the experiment of their saying the Lord's pray- 
 er, the falling at the sight and rising at the 
 touch of the supposed criminal, being all of them 
 foreign from scripture, as well as reason, are 
 abominations to be abhorred and repented of; 
 and, that our Salem witchcraft, either respect- 
 ing the judges and juries, their tenderness of 
 life, or the multitude and pertinency of witness- 
 es, both afflicted and confessors, or the integrity 
 of the historians, is as authentic, and made as 
 certain, as any event of that kind in the world. 
 
88 LETTERS TO 
 
 And yet who is it that now sees not through k 9 
 and that these were the sentiments that have 
 procured the sorest affliction, and most lasting 
 infamy, that ever befel this country, and most 
 like so to do again, if the same notions be still 
 entertained? and, finally, that these are those 
 last times* of which the Spirit speaks expressly, 
 Tim. iv. 1 ? 
 
 And now, ye that are fathers in the church- 
 es, guides to the people, and the salt of 
 the earth, I beseech you consider these things; 
 and if you find the glory of God diminished by 
 ascribing such power to witches and devils ; his 
 truths opposed by these notions ; and his people 
 aspersed in their doctrines and reputations, and 
 endangered in their lives — I dare not dictate 
 you — you know your duty as watchmen — and 
 the Lord be with you. 
 
 But if you find my belief contrary to sound 
 doctrine, I entreat you to shew it me by the 
 scripture ; and in the mean time blame me not if 
 I cannot believe that there are several Almigh- 
 ties ; for to do all sorts of wonders, beyond and 
 above the course of nature, is certainly the work 
 ©f Omnipotency. So also, he that shall com- 
 mission or empower to these, must also be al- 
 mighty ; and I think it not a sufficient salvo, to 
 say they may be restrained by the Most High ; 
 and hope you will not put any hard construction 
 on these my endeavours to get information (all 
 other ways failing) in things so needful to be 
 known. Praying the Almighty's guidance and 
 protection, I am 
 
 Yours to the utmost of my power, 
 
 R. C 
 
MR. MATHER, &c 39 
 
 Boston, Sept. the 20th, 1695. 
 Mr. Samuel Willard, 
 Reverend Sir, 
 Mv former, of March the 18th, directed to 
 the Ministers (and which was lodged with your- 
 self) containing several articles which I sent as 
 my belief, praying them if I erred to shew it me 
 by scripture, 1 have as yet had no answer to, ei- 
 ther by word or writing, which makes me ga- 
 ther that they are approved of as orthodox, or 
 at least that they have such foundations as that 
 none are willing to manifest any opposition to 
 them ; and therefore, with submission, &c. I 
 think that that late seasonable and well-design- 
 ed dialogue, intituled, Some Miscellaneous 06- 
 servations, &c. of which yourself is the supposed 
 author, and which was so serviceable in the 
 time of it, is yet liable to a mal-construction, 
 even to the danger of reviving what it most op- 
 poses, and of bringing those practices again on 
 foot, which in the day of them were so terrible 
 to this whole country. The words, which I 
 suppose so liable to misconstruction, are, p. 14, 
 B. Who informed them? S. The spectre. B. Very 
 good, and thafs the devil turned informer. How 
 are good men like to fare, against whom he hath 
 particular malice ? It is hut a presumption, and 
 wise men will weigh presumptions against presump- 
 tions. There is to be no examination without 
 grounds of suspicion. Some persons credit nothing 
 to be accounted too good to be undermined so far 
 as to be suspected on so slight a ground ; and it is 
 an injury done them to bring them upon examina- 
 tion, which renders them openly suspected. I will 
 
W LETTERS TO 
 
 not deny but for persons already suspected, and of 
 ill fame, it may occasion their being examined. 
 In which, these words, His but a presumption, &c. 
 and some persons credit, &c. and 1 will not deny 
 but for persons already suspected, &c. I take to 
 be waving the discussion of those points, the 
 speaking to which might at that time have hin- 
 dered the usefulness and success of that book, 
 rather than any declaring the sentiments of the 
 author. But notwithstanding, many persons will 
 be ready to understand this as if the author did 
 wholly leave it with the justice, to judge who 
 are ill persons, such as the devil's accusations 
 may fasten upon; and that the devil's accusation 
 of a person is a presumption against them of 
 their guilt ; and that, upon such preemptions, 
 they may be had to examination, if the justice 
 counts them persons of ill fame; for trie author 
 I suppose knows that the bare examination will 
 leave such a stain upon them (ai d it would be 
 well if their posterity escaped it!) as the length 
 of a holy and unblamable life will be found too 
 short to extirpate. And if the justice may go thus 
 far with the devil's evidence, then the addition 
 of a story or two of some cart overset, gr per- 
 sons taken sick after a quarrel, might as well be 
 thought sufficient for their commitment, in order 
 to their trial, as 'tis called, (though this too of- 
 ten has been more like a stage play, or a tragi- 
 comic scene) an I so that otherways useful book 
 may prove the greatest snare to revive the same 
 practices again. 
 
 These things being so liable, as I said, to such 
 mal-construction, it w«^re needful that men might 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 91 
 
 be undeceived, and the matter more fully de- 
 monstrated, viz. That the devil's accusation is 
 not so much as any presumption against the life 
 or reputation of any person ; (for how are good 
 men like to fare, if his malicious accusations may 
 be taken as a presumption of their guilt?) and, 
 that his accusations, as they are no presumption 
 against persons of unspotted fame, so neither 
 are to be heard, or any ways regarded, against 
 persons though otherways of ill life, much less 
 for their having long since had their names abu- 
 sed by his outcries, or by the malice of ill neigh- 
 bours ; and, that justice knows no difference of 
 persons ; that, if this evidence be sufficient to 
 bring one person, 'tis so to bring any other, to 
 examination, and consequently to the utmost ex- 
 tent of odium which such examination will cer- 
 tainly expose them to; for who can know any 
 other, but that as the one may be maliciously 
 accused by devils and a devilish report gone be- 
 fore it, so that another, who has not been so 
 much as accused before, being more cunning or 
 more seeming religious, might yet be more guil- 
 ty ; the whole depending upon invisible evi- 
 dence, of which invisible stui% though we have 
 had more than sufficient, yet I find (among other 
 reverend persons) your name to a certain print- 
 ed paper, which runs thus : 
 
 Certain Proposals, made by the President and Fellows of 
 Harvard College to the reverend Ministers of the Gospel , 
 in the several churches of JVew-E7igla7id. 
 
 First. To observe and record the more iliu-trious 
 discoveries of the Divine Providence in the government 
 of the world, is a design so holy, so useful, so justly an- 
 
Si LETTERS TO 
 
 proved, that the too general neglect of it in the churched 
 of God is as justly to be lamented. 
 
 2. For the redress of that neglect, although all christi- 
 ans have a duty incumbent on them, yet it is in a peculiar 
 manner to be recommended unto the Ministers of the gos-J 
 pel to improve the special advantages which are in their 
 hands, to obtain and preserve the knowledge of such no- 
 table occurrences as are sought out by all that have 
 pleasure in the great works of the Lord. 
 
 3. The things to be esteemed memorable, are specially 
 all unusual accidents in the heaven, or earth, or water; 
 all wonderful deliverances of the distressed ; mercies to 
 the godly ; judgments on the wicked ; and more glorious 
 fulfilments of either the promises or threatenings in the 
 scriptures of truth ; with apparitions, possessions, enchant- 
 ments, and all extraordinary things, wherein the existence 
 and agency of the Invisible World is more sensibly de- 
 monstrated. 
 
 4. It is therefore proposed, that the Ministers through- 
 out this land would manifest their pious regards unto the 
 works of the Lord, and the operation of his hands, by 
 reviving their cares to take written accounts of such Re- 
 markables ; but still well attested with credible and suf- 
 ficient witnesses. 
 
 5. It is desired that the accounts, thus taken, of these 
 remarkable?, may be sent to the President or Fellows of 
 the college, by whom they shall be carefully reserved for 
 such a use to be made of them, as may by some fit assem- 
 bly of Ministers be judged most conducing to the glory 
 of God, and the service of'his people. 
 
 6. Though we doubt not that love to the name of God 
 will be a sufficient motive to all good men to contribute 
 what assistance they can unto this undertaking ; yet, for 
 further encouragement, some singular marks of respect 
 shall be studied for such good men, as will actually assist 
 it, by takinsr pains to communicate any important passa- 
 ges proper to be inserted in this collection. 
 
 Increase Mather, Pres. 
 
 James Mien, John Leverette, 
 Char. Morton, Will. Brattle, 
 Sam. Willard, Neh. Walter, 
 Cotton Mather* 
 
 Cambridge, March 5, 1694. 
 
 Fellows. 
 
MR. MATHER, &c do 
 
 Here being an encouragement to all good 
 fiien to send in such remarkables as are therein 
 expressed, I have sent in the following ; not 
 that I think them a more sensible demonstra- 
 tion of the being of a future state (with rewards 
 and punishments) or of angels good and bad, &c. 
 than the scriptures of truth hold forth, &c. ; or 
 than any of those other demonstrations God hath 
 given us ; for this were treacherously and per- 
 fidiously to quit the post to the enemy. The 
 sadducee, deist and atheist would hereby be 
 put in a condition so triumphantly to deny the 
 existence and agency thereof, as that a few sto- 
 ries told (which at best must be owned to be 
 fallible and liable to misrepresentations) could 
 not be thought infallibly sufficient to demonstrate 
 the truth against them. I have heard that in lo- 
 gick a false argument is reckoned much worse than 
 none ; yet, supposing that a collection of instan- 
 ces may be many ways useful, not only to the 
 present but succeeding ages, I have sent you the 
 following remarkables, which have lately occur- 
 red, the certainty of which, if any scruple it, will 
 be found no hard matter to get satisfaction there- 
 in. But here, not to insist on those less occur- 
 rences, as the sudden death of one of our late 
 justices; and a like mortality that fell upon the 
 two sons of another of them ; with the fall of a 
 man that was making provision to raise the new 
 northern bell, which, when it was up, the first 
 person, whose death it was to signify, was said 
 to be a child of him, who, by printing and speak- 
 ing, had had as great a hand in procuring the 
 late actions as any, if not the greatest; and the 
 
94 LETTERS TO 
 
 splitting the gun at Salem, where that furious 
 marshal, and his father, &c. were rent to pieces, 
 &c. As to all these, it must be owned, that no 
 man knows love or hatred by all that is before 
 him, much less can they be more sensible de- 
 monstrations of the existence and agency of the 
 invisible world, than the scriptures of truth afford, 
 &c. though the rich man in the parable might 
 think otherwise, &c. who was seeking to send 
 some more sensible demonstrations thereof to 
 his brethren, &c. In that tremendous judgment 
 of God upon this country, by the late amazing 
 prosecution of the people here, under the no- 
 tion of witches; whereby twenty suffered as 
 evil doers, (besides those that died in prison) 
 about ten more condemned, and a hundred im- 
 prisoned, and about two hundred more accused, 
 and the country generally in fears when it would 
 come to their turn to be accused ; and the pros- 
 ecution and manner of trial such, that most 
 would have chosen to have fallen into the hands 
 of the barbarous enemy, rather than (under 
 that notion) into the hands of their brethren in 
 church fellowship; and, in short, was such an 
 affliction as far exceeded all that ever this coun- 
 try hath laboured under — 
 
 Yet in this mount God is seen. When it was 
 thus bad with this distressed people, a full and 
 a sudden stop is put, not only without, but 
 against, the inclination of many ; for out of the 
 eater came forth meat : those very accusers, 
 which had been improved as witnesses against 
 so many, by the providence of the Most High, 
 and perhaps blinded with malice, are left to ac- 
 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 95 
 
 cuse those in most high esteem, both magis- 
 trates and ministers, as guilty of witchcraft ; 
 which shewed our rulers, that necessity lay up- 
 on them to confound that which had so long con- 
 founded the country, as being themselves unwil- 
 ling to run the same risk : this, that was in the 
 event of it, to this country, as life from the dead, 
 is most easy with Him, in whose hands are the 
 hearts of all men, and was a very signal delive- 
 rance to this whole country. No less observa- 
 ble was it, that though at the time when the 
 devil's testimony, by the afflicted, was first laid 
 aside, there were great numbers of (real or pre- 
 tended) afflicted; yet when this was once not judg- 
 ed of validity enough to be any longer brought 
 into the court against the accused as evidence, 
 the affliction generally ceased, and only some 
 remainders of it in such places, where more en- 
 couragement was given to the actors, God seem- 
 ing thereby plainly to decipher that sin of go- 
 ing to the devil, &c. as the rise and foundation 
 of those punishments. 
 
 And thus, reverend, 1 have, as I understand it, 
 performed my duty herein, for the glory of 
 God, and the well-being of men. And for my 
 freedom used in this and former writings, rela- 
 ting to the actors in this tragedy, I shall not 
 apologize, but give you the words of one to 
 whom some can afford the title of venerable 
 (when he is arguing for that which they have 
 undertaken to assert, though at other times more 
 diminutive epithets must serve); it is the rever- 
 end mr. R. Baxter, in his book, the Cure of 
 Church Divisions, pages 257, 258. "But [I 
 
96 LETTERS TO 
 
 pray you mark it] the way of God is to shame 
 the sinner, how good soever in other respects, 
 that the sin may have the greater shame, and 
 religion may not be ashamed, as if it allowed 
 men to sin: nor God, the author of religion, be 
 dishonoured ; nor others be without the warning : 
 but the way of the devil is, to hide or justify the 
 sin, as if it were for fear of disparaging the 
 goodness of the persons that committed it ; that 
 so he may hereby dishonour religion and godli- 
 ness itself, and make men believe it is but a 
 cover for any wickedness, and as consistent with 
 it as a looser life is, and that he may keep the 
 sinner from repenting, and blot cut the memo- 
 ry of that warning which should have preserved 
 after ages from the like falls. Scripture sham- 
 eth the professors (though a David, a Solomon, 
 Peter, JYoah, or Lot) that the religion protest 
 may not be ashamed, but vindicated. Satan 
 would preserve the honour of professors, that 
 the religion professed may bear the shame; and 
 so it may fall on God himself.*' 
 
 And now that all that have had a hand- in 
 any horrid and bloody practices may be brought 
 to give glory to God, and take the due shame 
 to themselves; and that our watchmen may no 
 longer seek to palliate, (much less give thanks 
 for such, &c. thereby making them their own) 
 and that the people may no longer perish for 
 want of knowledge in the midst of such means 
 of light, nor God be any longer dishonoured by 
 false sentiments in these matters, is the earnest 
 desire and praver of, sir, yours to my power, 
 
 R. C. 
 
MR. MATHER, kc. 07 
 
 Mr. Cotton Mather, 
 Reverend Sir, 
 Having long since sent you some doctrinals 
 as to my belief, together with my request to 
 you, that if I erred you would be pleased to 
 shew it me by scripture, viz. That the devil's 
 bounds are set, which he cannot pass; that the 
 devils are so full of malice that it cannot be ad- 
 ded to by mankind ; that where he hath power 
 he neither can nor will omit executing it; that 
 'tis only the Almighty that sets bounds to his 
 rage, and that only can commission him to hurt 
 and destroy, &c. But instead of such an an- 
 swer as was promised and justly expected, you 
 were pleased to send me a book, which you 
 since called an ungainsayable one; which book 
 till lately I have not had opportunity so fully to 
 consider. And to the end you may see 1 have 
 now done it, I have sent to you some of the re- 
 markables contained in the said book, intituled, 
 " The Certainty of the World of Spirits" written 
 by Mr. R. B. London, printed 1691. It is 
 therein conceded (preface) that to see devils 
 and spirits ordinarily would not be enough to 
 convince atheists. Page 88, Atheists are not 
 to be convinced by stories; their own senses are 
 not enough to convince them any more than 
 sense will convince a papist from transubstantia- 
 tion. (Z). Laderd.) P. 4, No. spirit can do any 
 thing but by God's will and permission. Pre- 
 face, 'Tis the free will of man that gives the 
 devils their hurting power; and without our 
 own consent they cannot hurt us. It is asserted, 
 p. 222, 223, That it is a perverse opposition of 
 9 
 
d8 LETTERS TO 
 
 popery which causes many protestants not to 
 regard the benefits we receive by angels. And 
 ministers are faulty, that do not pray and give 
 thanks to God lor their ministry ; and that ne- 
 glect to teach believers, what love and what 
 thanks they owe to angels. P. 225, Most good 
 people look so much to God and to ministers, 
 that they take little notice of angels, which are 
 God's great ministers. P. 234, The author 
 dares not, as some have done, judge the catho- 
 lic church to become antichristian idolaters, as 
 soon as they gave too much worship to saints 
 and angels. P. 7, The blessed souls shall be like 
 the angels, therefore may appear here. P. 3, 4, 
 'Tis hard to know whether it be a devil or a 
 human soul that appears, or whether the soul of 
 a good or a bad person; p, 61, or the soul of 
 some dead friend that suffers, and yet retains 
 love, &c. P. 222, No doubt the souls of the 
 wicked carry with them their former inclina- 
 tions of covetousness, revenge, &c. P. 7, When 
 revengeful things are done, as on murderers, 
 defrauders, &c. it seems to be from the revenge- 
 ful wrath of some bad soul ; if it be about money 
 or lands, then from a worldly-minded one ; some 
 significations of God's mercy to wicked souls 
 after this life. P. 4, 'Tis a doubt whether, be- 
 sides the angels (good and bad) and the souls of 
 men, there is not a third sort, called fairies and 
 goblins. It is unsearchable to us how far God 
 leaves spirits to free will in small things, suspend- 
 ing his predetermining motion. P. 246, The 
 devils have a marvellous power, if but a silly 
 wretched witch consent. P. 10, 202, The sto- 
 
MR. MATHER, kc. 99 
 
 rfes of witches and spirits are many ways useful, 
 particularly to convince atheists, and confirm 
 believers, and to prove the operation of spirits. 
 P. 232, To help men to understand that devils 
 make no small number of laws, and rulers in the 
 world, and are authors of most of the wars, and 
 of many sermons, and of books that adorn the 
 libraries of learned men. P. 6, 102, The devil's 
 lying with the witch is net to be denied, and is 
 more to exercise the lust of the witch than 
 of the devil, who can also bring in another 
 witch without opening the door, and so perform 
 it by one witch with another. P. 105, Witches 
 can raise storms, sell winds, &c. as is commonly 
 affirmed. P. 107, In America it is a common 
 thing to see spirits, day and night. P. 95, 
 96, 97, 110, Stories of a child that could not 
 be cured of witchcraft, because the ember- 
 weeks were past ; vomited a knife a span long, 
 cart nails, &c. and neither eat nor drank, fifteen 
 days and nights together; a long piece of wood, 
 four knives, and two sharp pieces of iron, every 
 one above a span long, taken out of the sto- 
 mach, &c. hair, stones, bones, vomited, &c. a 
 thousand pounds of blood lost by one person in 
 a year's time. P. 250, A story that makes the 
 author think it possible that such great things, 
 as he mentions, should be gotten down and up peo- 
 ple's throats. P. 164, Partial credibility spoils 
 many a good story. P. 125, The devil's sub- 
 stance enters into the possessed. P. 174, Dis- 
 tracted are possessed. P. 149, A sick woman, 
 while she lay in bed, went to see her children. 
 P. 153, A dog appeared like a fly or a flea, 
 
100 LETTERS TO 
 
 P. 165, Some knowing agents direct thunder 
 storms, though the author knows not who ; and 
 that they so often fall on churches, he knows 
 not why. P. 2, 80, Mr. I. M. and mr. C. M. 
 recommended, together with Bodin, &*c. P. 237, 
 A crispian, if through ignorance he believes not 
 what he saith, may be a christian. 
 
 . In this, sir, I suppose that if I have not wrong- 
 ed the sense of the author in the places quoted 
 (which I trust you shall not find I have done) I 
 cannot be thought accountable for the errors of 
 contradictions to himself or to the truth, if any 
 such be found, particularly what he grants in the 
 preface, of the free will of man giving the devil 
 his hurting power ; this being not only more 
 than those called witch-advocates would desire 
 to be conceded to them, but is a palpable and 
 manifest overturning the author's design in all 
 his witch stories ; (for who would consent to 
 have the devil afflict himself?) as also his con- 
 cession, that no spirit can do any thing but by 
 God's will and permission; I cannot persuade 
 myself but you must be sensible of their appa- 
 rent contrathctoriness to the rest. Others there 
 are of a very ill aspect ; as, p. 234, the catho- 
 licks arc much encouraged in their adoration 
 of angels and saints, if that were so innocent as 
 not to render them antichristian idolaters; and 
 that, p. 4, if admitted, will seem to lay an un- 
 gainsayable foundation for the pagan, indian 
 and diabolist's faith, by telling us it is beyond 
 our search to know how far God leaves the de- 
 vils to free will, to do what they please, in this 
 w 7 orld. with a suspension of God's predetermina- 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 101 
 
 lion ; which if it were a truth, what were more 
 rational than to oblige him that has such power 
 over us ? The atheists also would take encou- 
 ragement if it were granted that we cannot know 
 how far God suspends his predetermining mo- 
 tion : they would thence affirm, we as little know 
 that there is a predetermining motion, and con- 
 sequently whether there be a God, and p. 165 
 would abundantly strengthen them, when such 
 a learned, experienced and highly-esteemed 
 christian shall own that he knows not who it is 
 that governs the thunder-storms : for it might 
 as well discover ignorance, who it is that dispo- 
 ses of earthquakes, gun-shot, and afflictions that 
 bet'al any, with the rest of mundane events. 
 I design not to remark all that in the book is re- 
 markable, such as the departed souls wandering 
 again hither to put men upon revenge, &c. sa- 
 vouring so much of Pythagoras's transmigration 
 of souls, and the separation of the soul from the 
 body without death, as in the case of her that 
 went to see her children, while yet she did not 
 stir out of her bed, which seems to be a new 
 speculation ; unless it determines in favour of 
 transubstantiation, that a body may be at the 
 same time in several places. Upon the whole, 
 it is ungainsayable, that that book, though so 
 highly extolled, may be justly expected to occa- 
 sion the staggering of the weak, and the har- 
 dening of unbelievers in their infidelity. And il 
 seems amazing, that you should not only give it 
 such a recommendation, but that you should send 
 it to me, in order (as I take it) to pervert me 
 
 from the belief of those fundamental doctrinals 
 a* 
 
102 LETTERS iu 
 
 (above recited) though I account them more 
 firm than heaven and earth. But that which is 
 yet more strange to me, is, that mr. B's friends 
 did not advise him better, than in his declined 
 age to emit such crude matter to the publick. 
 As to the sometime reverend author, let his 
 works praise the remembrance of him ; but for 
 such as are either erroneous and foisted upon 
 him, or the effect of an aged imbecility, let them 
 be detected, that they may proceed no further. 
 I am not ignorant that the manner of educa- 
 tion of youth, in, I think, almost all christian 
 schools, hath a natural tendency to propagate 
 those doctrines of devils heretofore solely pro- 
 fest among ethnicks, and particularly in matters 
 of witchcraft, &c. For, notwithstanding the 
 council of Carthage, taking notice that the 
 christian doctors did converse much with the 
 writings of the heathens for the gaining of elo- 
 quence, forbad the reading of the books of the 
 gentiles ; yet it seems this was only a bill with- 
 out a penalty, which their successors did not 
 look upon to be binding. He that should in this 
 age take a view of the schools, might be induced 
 to believe that the ages since have thought, 
 that without such heathen learning a man can- 
 not be so accomplished, as to have any pretence 
 to academick literature ; and that the vulgar 
 might not be without the benefit of such learn- 
 ing, some of their disciples have taught them to 
 speak english, which has given me the opportu- 
 nity to send you these following verses. 
 
 Virg. Bucolicks — Eel 13. 
 Sure love ie not the cause their bones appear •: 
 Some eves bewitch rav tender Iambs, I fear- 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 103 
 
 Eel. 8. 
 For me these herbs in Pontus, Maeris chose ; 
 There ev'ry powerful drug in plenty grows ; 
 Transfbrm'd to a wolf I often Maoris saw, 
 Then into shady woods himself withdraw : 
 Oft he from deepest sepulchres would charm 
 Departed souls ; and from another's farm, 
 Into his own ground, corn yet standing take. 
 Now from the town my charms bring Daphnis back. 
 Vanquish'd with charms, from heaven the moon descends. 
 Circe with charms transform'd Ulysses' friends ; 
 Charms in the field will burst a poisonous snake. 
 Now from the town, &c. 
 
 Ovid/ s Met am. Lib. 7. 
 Her arms thrice turns about, thrice wets her crown 
 With gather'd dew, thrice yawns, and kneeling down, 
 Oh night! thou friend to secrets! you, clear tires, 
 That with the moon succeed when day retires ; 
 Great Hecate thou know'st, and aid imparts, 
 To our design, your charms and magick arts : 
 And thou, oh earth, that to magicians yields 
 Thy powerful simples ; air, winds, mountains, fields . 
 Soft murmuring springs, still lakes, and rivers clear. 
 Ye gods of woods, ye gods of night, appear ,' 
 By you, at will, I make swift streams retire 
 To their first fountain, while their banks admire ; 
 Seas rough make smooth ; clear skies with clouds deform j 
 Storms turn to calms, and make a calm a storm. 
 With spells and charms, I break the viper's jaw, 
 Cleave solid rocks, oaks from their fissures draw ; 
 Whole woods remove, the airy mountains shake; 
 Earth force to groan, and ghosts from graves awake. 
 Lib. 14. 
 
 her journey takes 
 
 To Rhegium, opposite to Zante's shore, 
 And treads the troubled waves, that loudly roar; 
 Running with unwet feet on that profound, 
 A£ if sh' had trod upon the solid ground. 
 This with portentous poison she pollutes, 
 Besprinkled with the juice of wicked roots ; 
 In words dark and perplexed, nine times thrice, 
 Enchantments utters with her wicked voice, &c-. 
 
104 LETTERS TO 
 
 These fables of the heathens (though m 
 themselves of no more validity than the idle 
 tales of an indian, or the discourses of a known 
 romancer) are become the school-learning, not 
 to say the faith, of christians, and are the scrip- 
 tures brought (instead of that most sure word) 
 if. not to prove doctrine, yet as illustrations 
 thereof. Cases of Conscience concerning Witchc* 
 page 25 ; Remarkable Providences, page 250. 
 This perhaps might be the cause that in Eng- 
 land, a people otherwise sober and religious, have 
 for some ages in a manner wholly refused admit- 
 ting those not so educated to the work of the 
 ministry. Such education and practice have so 
 far prevailed, that it has been a means of cor- 
 rupting the christian world, almost to that de- 
 gree as to be ungainsayable ; for though there 
 is reason to hope that these diabolical principles 
 have not so prevailed (with multitudes of chris- 
 tians) as that they ascribe to a witch and a devil 
 the attributes peculiar to the Almighty ; yet 
 how few are willing to be found opposing such 
 a torrent, as knowing that in so doing they shall 
 be sure to meet with opposition to the utmost, 
 from the many, both of magistrates, ministers 
 and people ; and the name of sadducee, atheist, 
 and perhaps witch too, cast upon them most li- 
 berally, by men of the highest profession in god- 
 liness ; and if not so learned as some of them- 
 selves, then accounted only fit to be trampled 
 on, and their arguments (though both rational 
 and scriptural) as fit only for contempt. But 
 though this be the deplorable dilemma, jet 
 some have dared from time to time (for the glo- 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 105 
 
 vy of God, and the good and safety of men's 
 lives, &c.) to run all these risks. And that G ;d 
 who has said, My glory I will not give to another, 
 is able to protect those that are found doing 
 their duty herein against all opposers ; and, 
 however otherways contemptible, can make 
 them useful in his own hand, who has sometimes 
 chosen the weakest instruments, that his power 
 may be the more illustrious. 
 
 And now, reverend sir, if you are conscious 
 to yourself, that you have, in your principles or 
 practices, been abetting to such grand errors, I 
 cannot see how it can consist with sincerity, to 
 be so convinced in matters so nearly relating to 
 the glory of God, and lives of innocents, and at 
 the same time so much to fear disparagement 
 among men, as to trifle with conscience, and dis- 
 semble an approving of former sentiments. You 
 know that word, He that honoureth me I will ho- 
 nour, and he that despiseth me shall be lightly 
 esteemed. But if you think that in these matters 
 you have done your duty, and taught the peo- 
 ple theirs ; and- that the doctrines cited from 
 the above mentioned book are ungainsayable ; 
 I shall conclude in almost his w 7 ords, He that 
 teaches such doctrine, if through ignorance he 
 believes not what he saith, may be a christian ; 
 but if he believes them, he is in the broad path 
 to heathenism, devilism, popery, or atheism. It 
 is a solemn caution, (Gal. i. 3) But though we, or 
 an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel un- 
 to you than that which we have preached unto you, 
 let him be accursed. I hope you will not miscon- 
 strue my intentions herein, who am, reverend 
 sir, yours to command in what I may, R. C 
 
106 LETTERS TO 
 
 To the Ministers in and near Boston, 
 
 Jan. 12, 1696. 
 
 Christianity had been but a short time in the 
 world, when there was raised against it, not on- 
 ly open profest enemies, but secret and inbred 
 underminers, who sought thereby to effect that 
 which open force had been so often baffled in. 
 And notwithstanding that primitive purity and 
 sincerity, which in some good measure was still 
 retained, yet the cunning deceivers and apostate 
 hereticks found opportunity to beguile the un- 
 wary, and this in fundamentals. 
 
 Among others which then sprung up, with 
 but too much advantage, in the third century, 
 the maniche did spread his pestiferous senti- 
 ments, and taught the existence of two beings, or 
 causes of all things, viz. a good and a bad : but 
 these were soon silenced by the more orthodox 
 doctors, and anathematized by general councils. 
 And at this day the american indians, another 
 sort of maniche, entertaining (thus far) the same 
 belief, hold it their prudence and interest to 
 please that evil being, as well by perpetrating 
 other murders, as by their bloody sacrifices, that 
 so he may not harm them. The iron teeth of 
 time have now almost devoured the name of 
 the former; and as to the latter, it is to be ho- 
 ped that as Christianity prevails among them, 
 they will abhor such abominable belief. 
 
 And as those primitive times were not privil- 
 eged against the spreading of dangerous heresy, 
 so neither can any now pretend to any such im- 
 munity, though professing the enjoyment of a 
 primitive purity. 
 
MR. MATHER, kc. 107 
 
 Might a judgment be made from the books of 
 the modern learned divines, or from the practice 
 of courts, or from the- faith of many who call 
 themselves christians, it might be modestly, 
 though sadly, concluded, that the doctrine of the 
 maniche, at least great part of it, is so far from 
 being forgotten, that it is almost every where 
 profest. We in these ends of the earth need 
 not seek far for instances in each respect to de- 
 monstrate this. The books here printed and 
 recommended, not only by the respective au- 
 thors, but by many of their brethren, do set forth 
 that the devil inflicts plagues,* wars,t diseases,;}; 
 tempests,§ and can render the most solid things 
 invisible,|| and can do things above and against 
 the course of nature, and all natural causes. 
 
 Are these the expressions of orthodox believ- 
 ers ? or are they not rather expressions becoming 
 a maniche, or a heathen, as agreeing far better 
 with these than with the sacred oracles, our 
 only rulo ? the whole current whereof is so dia- 
 metrically opposite thereto, that it were almost 
 endless to mention all the divine cautions against 
 such abominable belief; he that runs may read, 
 Ps. lxii. 11, and cxxxvi. 4. Lam. iii. 37. Amos iii. 6. 
 Jer. iv. 22. Ps. lxxviii. 26, and clxviii. 6, 8. Job 
 xxxviii. 22 to 34. 
 
 These places, with a multitude more, do abun- 
 dantly testify, that the asserters of such power 
 to be in the evil being, do speak in a dialect 
 different from the scriptures, (laying a firm 
 
 * Wonders of the Invisible World p. 17, 18. tp. 18. 
 
 J Cases of Conscience, p. 63. § Remarkable Provi- 
 dences, p. 124. -j| Wonder* of the Invisible World, p. 
 
 141. 
 
108 LETTERS TO 
 
 foundation for the Indians' adorations, which 
 agrees well with what A. Ross sets forth, in his 
 Mistag. Poetic, p. 116, that their ancients did 
 worship the furies and their god Averinci, that 
 they might forbear to hurt them.) 
 
 And have not the courts in some parts of the 
 world, by their practices, testified their concur- 
 rence with such belief; prosecuting to death 
 many people upon that notion, of their improv- 
 ing such power of the evil one, to the raising of 
 storms ; afflicting and killing of others, though 
 at great distance from them; doing things in 
 their own persons above human strength; des- 
 troying cattle, flying in the air, turning themselves 
 into cats, dogs, &c. ? which by the way must needs 
 imply something of goodness to be in that evil 
 being, who, though he has such power, would 
 not exert it, were it not for this people, or else 
 that they can some way add to this mighty 
 pow T er. 
 
 And are the people a whit behind in their 
 belief? Is there any thing above mentioned, 
 their strong faith looks upon to be too hard for 
 this evil being to effect? 
 
 Here it will be answered, God permits it. 
 Which answer is so far an owning the doctrine, 
 that the devil has in his nature a power to do 
 all these things, and can exert this power, except 
 when he is restrained, that it is in effect to say 
 that God has made nature to fight against itself; 
 that he has made a creature, who has it in the 
 power of his nature to overthrow nature, and to 
 act above and against it. Which he that can 
 believe may as well believe the greatest contra- 
 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 109 
 
 diction. That being which can do this in the 
 smallest thing, can do it in the greatest. It Mo- 
 ses, with a bare permission, might stretch forth 
 his rod, yet he was not able to bring plagueg 
 upon the Egyptians, or to divide the waters, 
 without a commission from the Most High ; so 
 neither can that evil being perform any of this 
 without a commission from the same power. 
 The scripture recites more miracles wrought 
 by men than by angels good and bad. Though 
 this doctrine be so dishonourable to the only 
 Almighty Being, as to ascribe such attributes to 
 the evil one, as are the incommunicable prero- 
 gative of him, who is the alone Sovereign Being, 
 yet here is not all ; but, as he that steers by a 
 false compass, the further he sails the more he 
 is out of his way; so, though there is in some 
 things a variation from, there is in others a fur- 
 ther progression in, or building upon, the said 
 doctrine of the maniche. 
 
 Men in this age are not content barely to be- 
 lieve such an exorbitant power to be in the na- 
 ture of this evil being; but have imagined that 
 he prevails with many to sign a book, or make 
 a contract with him, whereby they are enabled 
 to perform all the things above mentioned. 
 Another account is given hereof, viz. That by 
 virtue of such a covenant they attain power to 
 commission him. And though the two parties 
 are not agreed which to put it upon, whether 
 the devil empowers the witch, or the witch 
 commissions him; jet both parties are agreed 
 in this, that one way or other the mischief is ef- 
 fected, and so the criminal becomes culpable of 
 10 
 
HO LETTERS TO 
 
 death. In the search after such a sort of cri- 
 minals, how many countries have fallen into 
 such convulsions, that neither the devastations 
 made by a conquering enemy, nor the plague 
 itself, have been so formidable. 
 
 That not only good persons have thus been 
 blemished in their reputations, but much inno- 
 cent blood hath been shed, is testified even by 
 those very books : Cases of Conscience, p. 33. 
 Remarkable Provid. p. 179. Memor. Provid. 
 p. 28. 
 
 And (to add) what less can be expected, 
 when men, having taken up such a belief, of co- 
 venanting, afflicting and killing witches, and, 
 comparing it with the scripture, finding no foot- 
 steps therein of such a sort of witch, have 
 thereupon desperately concluded, that though 
 the scripture is full in it, that a witch should not 
 live, yet that it has not at all described the 
 crime, nor means whereby the culpable might 
 be detected ? . 
 
 And hence they are fallen so far as to reckon 
 it necessary to make use of those diabolical and 
 bloody ways, always heretofore practised, for 
 their discovery ; as finding that the rules, given 
 to detect other crimes, are wholly useless for 
 the discovery of such. 
 
 This is that which has produced that deluge 
 of blood mentioned, and must certainly do so 
 again, the same belief remaining. 
 
 And who can wonder, if christians that are 
 so easily prevailed with to lay aside their 
 swords as useless, and so have lost their 
 strength, are (with Samson) led blindfold in- 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. Ill 
 
 to an idol temple, to nuke sport for enemies 
 and infidels, and to do abominable actions, not 
 only not christian, but against even the light 
 of nature and reason ? And now, reverend fa- 
 thers, you who are appointed as guides to the 
 people, and whose lips should preserve know- 
 ledge ; who are set as shepherds, and as watch- 
 men ; this matter appertains to you. I wrote 
 to you formerly under this head, and acquainted 
 you with my sentiments, requesting that if I er- 
 red, you would be pleased to shew it me by 
 scripture ; but from your silence I gather that 
 you approve thereof. For I may reasonably 
 presume, that you would have seen it your duty 
 to have informed me better, if you had been 
 sensible of any error. But if in this matter you 
 have acquitted yourselves becoming the titles 
 you are dignified with, you have cause of re- 
 joicing in the midst of calamities that afflict a 
 sinning world. 
 
 Particularly, if you have taught the people 
 to fear God, and trust in him, and not to fear a 
 witch or a devil — That the devil has no power 
 to afflict any with diseases, or loss of cattle, &c. 
 without a commission from the Most High— 
 Thai he is so filled with malice, that whatever 
 commission he may have against any, he will 
 not fail to execute it — That no mortal ever was, 
 or can be, able to commission him, or to length- 
 en his chain in the least, and that he who only 
 can commission him is God ; and that the scrip- 
 tures of truth not only assign the punishment of 
 a witch, but give sufficient rules to detect them 
 by ; and that, according to mr. Gaule's fourth 
 
112 LETTERS TO 
 
 head, a witch is one that hates and opposes tlie 
 word, work and worship of God, and seeks by 
 a sign to seduce therefrom — That they who are 
 guilty according to that head, are guilty of witch- 
 craft, and by the law given to Moses were to be 
 put to death : — If you have taught the people 
 the necessity of charity, and the evil of enter- 
 taining so much as a jealousy against their neigh- 
 bours for such crimes, upon the devil's sugges- 
 tions to a person pretending to a spectral or di- 
 abolical sight ; who utter their oracles from 
 malice, frenzy, or a satanical delusion— That to be 
 inquisitive of such, whose spectres they see, or 
 who it is that afflicts, in order to put the accu- 
 sed's life in question, is a wickedness beyond 
 what Saul was guilty of in going to the witch — 
 That to consult with the dead, by the help of 
 such as pretend to this spectral sight, and so to 
 get information against the life of any person, is 
 the worst sort of necromancy — That the pre- 
 tending to drive away spectres, i. e. devils, with 
 the hand, or by striking these to wound a per- 
 son at a distance, cannot be without witchcraft, 
 as pretending to a sign in order to deceive in 
 matters of so high a nature — That 'tis ridicu- 
 lous to think, by making laws against feeding, 
 employing or rewarding of evil spirits, thereby 
 to get rid of them — That their nature requires 
 no sucking to support it — That it is a horrid in- 
 jury and barbarity to search those parts, which 
 even nature itself commands the concealing oil 
 to find some excrescence to be called a teat for 
 these to suck ; which yet is said sometimes to 
 appear as a fleabite: — Finally, if you have 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 113 
 
 taught the people Vv'hat to believe and practise, 
 as to the probation of the accused, by their 
 saying or not saying the Lord's prayer, and as 
 to praying that the afflicted may be able to ac- 
 cuse, and have not shunned in these matters to 
 declare the whole mind of God ; you have then 
 well acquitted yourselves (in time of general de- 
 fection) as faithful watchmen. But if, instead 
 of this, you have, some by word and writing- 
 propagated, and others recommended, such doc- 
 trines, and abetted the false notions, which are so 
 prevalent in this apostate age, it is high time to 
 consider it. If when authority found them- 
 selves almost nonplust in such prosecutions, 
 and sent to you for your advice what they 
 ought to do, # and you have then thanked them 
 for what they had already done (and thereby 
 encouraged them to proceed in those very by- 
 paths already fallen into) it so much the more 
 nearly concerns you. Ezek. xxiii. 2 to 8. 
 
 To conclude: This whole people are invited 
 and commanded to humble their souls before 
 God, as for other causes, for the errors that 
 may have been fallen into in these prosecutions 
 on either hand, and to pray that God would 
 teach us what we know not, and help us where- 
 in we have done amiss, that we may do so no 
 more-t 
 
 This more immediately concerns yourselves; 
 for ? tis not supposed to be intended, that God 
 would shew us these things by inspiration; but 
 that such who are called to it should shew the 
 
 * Cases of Conscience, vlt. t Vide the proclamation 
 for a fast, to be the 14th inst, as set forth by authority. 
 10* 
 
114 LETTERS TO 
 
 mind of God in these things on both hands, i. e, 
 whether there has been any error in excess or 
 deficiency, or neither in the one nor the other. 
 And if you do not thus far serve the publick,you 
 need not complain of great sufferings and un*- 
 righteous discouragements, if people do not ap- 
 plaud your conduct, as you might otherways 
 have expected.* But if you altogether hold 
 your peace at such a time as this is, your silence, 
 at least seemingly, will speak this language ; 
 that you are not concerned, though men ascribe 
 the power and providence of the Almighty to 
 the worst of his creatures — that if other ages 
 or countries improve the doctrine and examples 
 given them, either to the taking away of the 
 life or reputations of innocents, you are well sa- 
 tisfied. Which, that there may be no shadow of 
 a reason to believe but that your conduct herein 
 may remove all such jealousies, and that God 
 would be with you in declaring his whole mind 
 to the people, is the earnest desire and prayer 
 of, reverend sirs, yours to my utmost, 
 
 R. C. 
 
 Mr. Benjamin Wads worth, 
 Reverend Sir, 
 After that dreadful and severe persecution of 
 such a multitude of people, under the notion of 
 witches, which, in the day thereof, was the 
 sorest trial and affliction that ever befel this 
 country ; and after many of the principal actors 
 
 * The declaration, as drawn by the Deputies with the 
 assistance of the Ministers ; but received a nonconenr- 
 rence. 
 
MR. MATHER, fee. 115 
 
 had declared their fears and jealousies, that 
 they had greatly erred in those prosecutions ; 
 and after a solemn day of fasting had been kept, 
 with prayers that God would shew us what we 
 knew not, viz. what errors might therein have 
 been fallen into, &c; and after most people were 
 convinced of the evil of some, if not of most, of 
 those actions ; at such a time as this, it might 
 have been justly expected that the ministers 
 would make it their work to explain the scrip- 
 tures to the people ; and from thence to have 
 shown them the evil and danger of those false 
 notions, which not only gave some occasion, but 
 in a blind zeal hurried them into those unwar- 
 rantable practices, so to prevent a falling into 
 the like for the future. 
 
 But instead of this, for a minister of the gos- 
 pel (pastor of the old meeting) to abet such no- 
 tions, and to stir up the magistrates to such pro- 
 secutions, and this without any cautions given, 
 is what is truly amazing, and of most dangerous 
 consequence. 
 
 It is a truth, witchcraft is, in the text then 
 insisted on, reckoned up as a manifest work of 
 the flesh, viz. Gal. v. 19. But it is as true, that 
 in recounting those other works (which are in- 
 deed manifest fleshly works) the magistrate was 
 not stirred up against those others ; as if the 
 rest were either not to be taken notice of by 
 hi rn, or as it' all zeal against murder, adulteries, 
 &c. was swallowed up and overshadowed by 
 this against witchcraft. 
 
 The description that was then given, was> 
 that they were such as made a covenant with 
 
116 LETTERS TO 
 
 the devil, and sold themselves to the evil angels. 
 It seems faulty, when such minister is inquir- 
 ed of, and requested to give the reasons, or 
 grounds in scripture, of such description, for such 
 minister to assert that it is the inquirer's work 
 to disprove it. And his saying further, in an- 
 swer, that there are many things true, that are 
 not asserted in scripture, seems to speak this 
 language, viz. that the law of God is imperfect, 
 in not describing this crime of witchcraft, though 
 it be therein made capital. 
 
 These perfect oracles inform us, concerning 
 Ahab, that he sold himself to work wickedness; 
 which may signify to us, that great height of 
 wickedness he had arrived at; which yet might 
 be, without his being properly, or justly, account- 
 ed a witch; any more than those that are said 
 to have made a covenant with death, and with 
 hell, &c. Can it be thought that all those, or 
 such as are there spoken of, are witches, and 
 ought to sutler as witches ? 
 
 As the servants and people of God have made 
 a solemn, explicit covenant with him, (Josh. xxiv. 
 25. JVehem. ix 38, &c.) so no doubt a covenant 
 has been made by heathen indian nations, to 
 serve and adore the devil; yet even for this, it 
 were very hard to affix the character of a witch 
 upon each of those heathen that so do, and ac- 
 cordingly to execute them as such. It is also 
 possible, that some that have been called chris- 
 tians have sealed a writing, signed with their 
 own blood, or otherways, thereby covenanting 
 to be the devil's servants, &c. but from far other 
 grounds, or inducements, than what sways with 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 117 
 
 the indians ; these heathen hoping to please 
 him, that so he may not harm them. But these 
 having been educated and confirmed in the be- 
 lief, that by virtue of such covenant they shall 
 have a knowledge and power more than hu- 
 man assisting them ; this may have prevailed 
 with some to so horrible a wickedness; for 
 none can seek evil for evil's sake ; but as the 
 serpent, in his first tempting man, made use of 
 the knowledge of good and evil, so to teach 
 men that such effects do usually follow such co- 
 venant is properly the work of the serpent; 
 for, without this, what inducement, or tempta- 
 tion, could they have to make such a covenant? 
 
 These, having thus chosen a false god, may 
 well be accounted the worst sort of idolaters. 
 Yet it does not hence follow, that, in a scripture 
 sense, they are thereby become witches, till 
 they have, or rather till they pretend to have, 
 assistances answerable : and do thereby endea- 
 vour to deceive others ; which endeavours to 
 deceive, by a sign, may be without any previ- 
 ous covenant. 
 
 But supposing none of all those several sorts 
 of covenants was intended, it remains that the 
 covenant, that was understood to be intended, in 
 that discourse at the old meeting, is agreeable 
 to the late dangerous notion that has so much 
 prevailed, viz. That the devil appears to the 
 persons ; that they and the devil make mutual 
 engagments each to other, confirmed by signing 
 to the devil's book ; and are from hence ena- 
 bled, not only to know futurities, and things 
 done at a distance, but are also thereby empow- 
 
118 LETTERS TO 
 
 ered to do harm to their neighbours, to raise 
 storms, and do things above and against the 
 course of nature. This being the notion that has 
 occasioned the shedding so much blood in the 
 world, it may be thought to need explaining. 
 
 For as reason knows nothing of an afflicting, 
 covenanting witch, so it seems as foreign from 
 scripture in general, as it is from the text then in- 
 sisted on; which speaks of such wickednesses 
 as are manifestly the works of the flesh : but 
 such communication with spirits, the flesh doth 
 manifestly dread even as death itselfl There- 
 fore the usual salutation of the holy angels to 
 the best of men was, fear not; and experience 
 shews, that the most wicked are most affrighted 
 at the apprehensions of the appearances of dev- 
 ils; therefore such an explicit covenanting can- 
 not be a manifest work of the flesh. 
 
 Yet this is manifest, that the belief of the 
 witches power to do the things above mentioned, 
 is an ancient belief of the heathen; and that 
 from them it was received by the papists, as a 
 part of their faith, who have since improved 
 upon it and brought in the notion of a covenant. 
 B.U it seems yet a further improvement, lately 
 m-ide by protectants, that such witches can 
 pom mission devils to do those mischiefs, thereby 
 setting the witch in the place of God; for 
 though few of the papists are known to be thus 
 absurd, jet when such doctrines have been 
 reached and printed in New-England, they 
 lave met with none to oppose, but m my to 
 encourage them. Other considerable additions, 
 or new improvements, have been made here ; 
 
 E 
 
MR. MATHER, &c. 119 
 
 as the art to knock off invisible chains with the 
 hand, to drive away spectres (i. e. devils) by 
 brushing, and spelling words to the afflicted, <kc. 
 What has followed upon these notions, and u^on 
 such improvements, is needless liere to repeat ; 
 it were unaccountable to recount that effusion 
 of blood that lias been hereby occasioned; such 
 remaining scars, and such yet bleeding wounds, 
 as are to be found; which none can wholly pre- 
 tend ignorance of. 
 
 And if blood shall be required of that watch- 
 man that seeth the sword coming, and gives not 
 the needful warning, how much more of such as 
 join with the enemy, to bring in the sword to 
 destroy them, over whom he was placed a watch- 
 man ! 
 
 And if the law of God be perfect, and exceed- 
 ing broad, as being given forth by the Omniscient 
 Lawgiver, it is exceeding high presumption and 
 arrogance, and highly destructive to the lives of 
 innocents, for any to pretend to give another, 
 and a pretended better, description of a crime 
 made thereby capital, with new rules to try such 
 offenders by. 
 
 Reverend sir. the matter, being of such high 
 concern, requires (and it is again prayed) that 
 you would be pleased to consider, and give the 
 grounds from scripture, or reason, of such defi- 
 nition ; or else that you would explode it, as in- 
 consistent with both. From, reverend sir, yours 
 to my utmost, R. C. 
 
PART III. 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE DIFFERENCES 
 
 IN 
 
 SALEM VILLAGE. 
 
 Grounds of Complaint against Mr. Parris, frc. 
 
 THE reasons why we withdraw from cora- 
 tnunion with the church of Saiem Village, both 
 as to hearing the word preached, and from par- 
 taking with them at the Lord's table, are as 
 follow : 
 
 Why we attend not on publick prayer, and 
 preaching the word, there are, 
 
 1. The distracting and disturbing tumults, and 
 noises, made by the persons under diabolical 
 power and delusions ; preventing sometimes Our 
 hearing, understanding, and profiting by, the 
 word preached. We, having after many trials 
 and experiences found no redress in this matter, 
 accounted ourselves under a necessity to go 
 where we might hear the word in quiet. 
 
 2. The apprehension of danger of ourselves 
 being accused as the devil's instruments to afflict 
 
 11 
 
122 DIFFERENCES IN 
 
 the persons complaining, we seeing those, that 
 we have reason to esteem better than ourselves, 
 •thus accused, blemished, and of their lives be- 
 reaved : for seeing this, thought it our prudence 
 to withdraw. 
 
 3. We found so frequent and positive preach- 
 ing up some principles and practices by mr. 
 Parris, referring to the dark and dismal mystery 
 of iniquity working among us, was not profitable* 
 but offensive. 
 
 4. Neither could we in conscience join with 
 mr. Parris, in many of the requests which he 
 made in prayer, referring to the trouble then 
 among us and upon us : therefore thought it 
 our most safe and peaceable way to withdraw. 
 
 The reasons why we hold not communion 
 with them at the Lord's table, are, because we 
 find ourselves justly aggrieved and offended with 
 the officer who does administer, for the reasons 
 following: 
 
 1. From his declared and published princi- 
 ples, referring to our molestations from the in- 
 visible world : differing from the opinion of the 
 generality of the orthodox ministers of the 
 country. 
 
 2. His easy and strong faith and belief of the 
 fore-mentioned accusations, made by those called 
 the afflicted. 
 
 3. His laying aside that grace (which above 
 all we are to put on) viz. charity towards his 
 neighbours, and especially those of his church, 
 when there is jio apparent reason but for the 
 contrary. 
 
 4. His approving and practising unwarrant- 
 
SALEM VILLAGE. 123 
 
 able and ungrounded methods, for discovering 
 what he was desirous to know referring to the 
 bewitched or possessed persons, as in bringing 
 some to others, and by them pretending to in- 
 form himself and others, who were the devil's 
 instruments to afflict the sick and maimed. 
 
 5. His unsafe, unaccountable oath, given by 
 him against sundry of the accused, 
 
 6. His not rendering to the world so fair (if 
 so true) account of what he wrote on examina- 
 tion of the afflicted. 
 
 7. Sundry unsafe, if sound, points of doctrine, 
 delivered in his preaching, which we find not 
 warrantable (if christian.) 
 
 8. His persisting in these principles, and jus- 
 tifying his practice ; not rendering any satisfac-* 
 tion to us, when regularly desired, but rather of- 
 fending and dissatisfying ourselves. 
 
 We, whose names are under written, heard this paper- 
 read to our pastor, Mr. Samuel Parris, the 21st of Aprils 
 
 Nathaniel Jigarson, 
 Edward Putman, 
 Aaron Way, 
 William Way, 
 
 Peter Cloyce, senior* 
 Samuel JVwrse, 
 John Tarboll, 
 Thomas Wilkim. 
 
 Mr. P arris's Acknowledgment 
 For as much as it is the undoubted duty of 
 all christians to pursue peace, Psal. xxxiv. 14, 
 even to a reaching of it, if it be possible ; (Amos 
 xii. 18, 19) and whereas, through the righteous, 
 sovereign and awful providence of God, the grand 
 enemy to all christian peace has been of late 
 tremendously let loose in divers places hereabout, 
 and more especially among our sinful selves, nof 
 
124 DIFFERENCES IN 
 
 only to interrupt that partial peace which we 
 sometimes eiTjoyed, but also, through his wiles 
 and temptations, and our weakness and corrup- 
 tions, to make wider breaches, and raise more 
 bitter animosities between too many of us; in 
 which dark and difficult dispensations, we have 
 been all or most of us of one mind for a time, 
 and afterwards of differing apprehensions; and 
 at last we are but in the dark, upon serious 
 thoughts of all ; and after many prayers, I have 
 been moved to present to you (my beloved flock) 
 the following particulars, in way of contribution 
 towards a regaining of christian concord, if so be 
 we be not altogether unappeaseable, irreconcile- 
 able, and so destitute of that good spirit, which 
 is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to 
 be entreated, James iii. 17. viz. 
 
 1. In that the Lord ordered the late horrid 
 calamity (which afterward plague-like spread in 
 many other places) to break out first in my fami- 
 ly, I cannot but look upon as a very sore rebuke, 
 and humbling providence, both to myself and 
 mine, and desire so we may improve it. 
 
 2. In that also in my family were some of 
 both parties, viz. accusers and accused, I look 
 also upon as an aggravation of that rebuke, as 
 an addition of wormwood to the gall. 
 
 3. In the means which were used in my fam- 
 ily, though totally unknown to me or mine (ex- 
 cept servants) till afterwards, to raise spirits 
 and apparitions in no better than a diabolical 
 way, I do also look upon as a further rebuke of 
 Divine Providence. And by all, I do humbly 
 own this day, before the Lord and his people 
 
SALEM VILLAGE. Ud 
 
 that God has been righteously spitting in my 
 face, Numb. xii. 14. And I desire to lie low 
 under all this reproach, and to lay my hand on 
 my mouth. 
 
 4. As to the management of these mysteries, 
 as far as concerns myself, I am very desirous 
 upon further light to own any errors 1 have 
 therein fallen into, and can come to a discerning 
 of; in the mean while I do acknowledge, upon 
 after-considerations, that were the same trou- 
 bles again, (which the Lord of his rich mercy 
 forever prevent) I should not agree with my 
 former apprehensions in all points. As for in* 
 stance, 
 
 1. I question not but God sometimes suffers 
 the devil, as of late, to afflict in shape of not 
 only innocent, but pious persons; or so to de- 
 lude the senses of the afflicted, that they 
 strongly conceit their hurt is from such persons, 
 when indeed it is not. 
 
 2. The improving of one afflicted, to inquire 
 by who afflicts the other, I fear may be, and 
 has been, unlawfully used to satan's great ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 3. As to my writing, it was put upon me by 
 authority, and therein 1 have been very careful 
 to avoid the wronging of any. 
 
 4. As to my oath, I never meant it, nor do I 
 know how it 'can be otherwise construed, than 
 as vulgarly, and every one understood, yea, and 
 upon inquiry it may be found so worded also. 
 
 5. As to any passage in preaching, or praying, 
 in the sore hour of distress and darkness, 1 al- 
 ways intended but due justice on each hand, and 
 
 11* 
 
120 DIFFERENCES L\ 
 
 that not according to men, but God, who knows 
 all things most perfectly; however, through 
 weakness or sore exercise, 1 might sometimes, 
 yea, and possibly sundry times, unadvisedly ex- 
 press myself. 
 
 6. As to several that have confessed against 
 themselves, they being wholly strangers to me, 
 but yet of good account with better men than 
 myself, to whom also they are well known, I 
 do not pass so much as a secret condemnation 
 upon them; but rather, seeing God hath so 
 amazingly lengthened out satan's chain, in this 
 most formidable outrage, I much more incline to 
 side with the opinion of those that have grounds 
 to hope better of them. 
 
 7. As to all that have unduly suffered in these 
 matters, either in their persons or relations, 
 through the clouds of human weakness, and sa- 
 tan's wiles and sophistry, 1 do truly sympathize 
 with them; taking it for granted, that such as 
 know themselves clear of this great transgres- 
 sion, or that have sufficient grounds so to look 
 upon their dear friends, have hereby been un- 
 der those sore trials and temptations, that not 
 an ordinary measure of true grace would be suf- 
 ficient to prevent a bewraying of remaining cor- 
 ruption. 
 
 8. I am very much in the mind, and abund- 
 antly persuaded, that God, for holy ends, though 
 for what in particular is best known to himself, 
 has suffered the evil angels to delude us on both 
 hands; but how far on the one side, or the 
 other, is much above me to say ; and if we can- 
 not reconcile till we come to a full discerning of 
 
SALEM VILLAGE. \f% 
 
 these things, I fear we shall never come to an 
 agreement, or at soonest not in this world. 
 
 9. Therefore, in fine, the matter being so 
 dark and perplexed, as that there is no present 
 appearance that all God's servants should be al- 
 together of one mind in all circumstances, touch- 
 ing the same, I do most heartily, fervently and 
 humbly beseech pardon of the merciful God, 
 through the blood of Christ, for all my mistakes 
 and trespasses in so weighty a matter; and also 
 all your forgiveness of every offence, in this or 
 other affairs, wherein you see or conceive that 
 I have erred and offended; professing, in the 
 presence of the Almighty God, that what I 
 have done has been, as for substance, as 1 ap- 
 prehended was duty, however through weak- 
 ness, ignorance, &c. I may have been mistaken. 
 I also through grace promising each of you the 
 like of me, so again I beg, entreat and beseech 
 you, that satan, the devil, the roaring lion, the 
 old dragon, the enemy of all righteousness, may 
 no longer be served by us, by our envy and 
 strifes, wheie every evil work prevails whilst 
 these bear sway, (James iii. 14, 15, 16) but that 
 all from this day forward may be covered with 
 the mantle of love, and we may on all hands 
 forgive each other heartily, sincerely and thor- 
 oughly, as we do hope and pray that God for 
 Christ's sake would forgive each of ourselves, 
 (Matt, xviii. 21, to the end.) Coloss. in. 12, 13, 
 Put on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and be- 
 loved) bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of 
 mind, meekness, long-suffering: forbearing one 
 another, and forgiving one another, if any man 
 
128 DIFFERENCES IN 
 
 have a quarrel against any ; even as Christ for- 
 gave you, so also do ye. Eph. iv. 31, 32, Let 
 all bitterness, and anger, and clamour, and evil" 
 speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. 
 Jlnd be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, for- 
 giving one another even as God, for Christ's sake 
 hath forgiven you. Amen. Amen. 
 
 Samuel Parris. 
 
 Given to the dissenting brethren, for their considera- 
 tion, at their request. November 26, 1694. 
 
 The Elders and .Messengers of the churches met 
 at Salem Village, April 3, 1695, to consider 
 and determine what is to be done, for the com- 
 posure of the present unhappy differences in that 
 place ; after solemn invocation of God in Christ 
 
 for his direction, do unanimously declare, as 
 
 followeth, viz. 
 
 1. We judge that although in the late and 
 dark time of the confusions, wherein satan had 
 obtained a more than ordinary liberty, to sift this 
 plantation, there were sundry unwarrantable 
 and uncomfortable steps taken by mr. Samuel 
 Parris, the pastor of the church in Salem Vil- 
 lage, then under the hurrying distractions of 
 amazing afflictions; yet the said Mr. Parris, by 
 the good hand of God brought unto a better 
 sense of things, hath so fully exprest it, that a 
 christian charity may and should receive satis- 
 faction therewith. 
 
 2. Inasmuch as divers christian brethren, in 
 the church of Salem Village, have been offend- 
 ed at mr. Parris, for his conduct in the time of 
 their difficulties, which have distressed them-? 
 
SALEM VILLAGE. 129 
 
 we now advise them charitably to accept the 
 satisfaction which he hath tendered in his chris- 
 tian acknowledgment of the errors therein com- 
 mitted; yea, to endeavour, as far as it is possi- 
 ble, the fullest reconciliation of their minds unto 
 communion with him, in the whole exercise of 
 his ministry, and with the rest of the church. 
 Matt. vi. 12, 14. Luke xviii. 3. James v. 16. 
 
 3. Considering the extreme trials and trou- 
 bles, which the disaffected brethren in the 
 church of Salem Village have undergone, in the 
 day of sore temptation which hath been upon 
 them; we cannot but advise the church to treat 
 them with bowels of much compassion, instead 
 of more critical or rigorous proceedings against 
 them for the infirmities discovered by them, in 
 such an heart-breaking day ; and if, after a pa- 
 tient waiting for it, the said brethren cannot so 
 far overcome the uneasiness of their spirits, in 
 the remembrance of the disasters that have 
 happened, as to sit under his ministry, we ad- 
 vise the church with all tenderness to grant 
 them admission to any other society of the faith- 
 ful, w hereunto they may be desirous to be dis- 
 missed. Gal. vi. 1,2. Psal. ciii. 13, 14. Job xix. 21. 
 
 4. Mr. Parris having, as we understand, with 
 much fidelity and integrity acquitted himself, in 
 the main course of his minsstrv, since he hath 
 been pastor of the church of Salem Village ; 
 about his first call whereunto, we look upon all 
 contests now to be both unreasonable and un- 
 seasonable; and our Lord having made him a 
 blessing to the souls of not a few, both old and 
 young, in this place, we advise that he be ac- 
 
130 DIFFERENCES IN 
 
 cordingly respected, honoured and supported, 
 with all the regards that are due to a painful mi- 
 nister of the gospel. 1 Thess. v. 12, 13. 1 Tim) 
 v. 17. 
 
 5. Having observed that there is in Salem 
 Village a spirit full of contention and animosity, 
 too sadly verifying the blemish which hath 
 heretofore lain upon them; and that some com- 
 plaints against mr. Parr is have been either 
 causeless or groundless, or unduly aggravated $ 
 we do, in the name and fear of the Lord, so- 
 lemnly warn them to consider whether, if they 
 continue to devour one another, it will not be 
 bitterness in the latter end; and beware lest 
 the Lord be provoked thereby utterly to de- 
 prive them of those which they should count 
 their precious and pleasant things, and abandon 
 them to all the desolations of a people that sin 
 away the mercies of the gospel. James iii. 16. 
 Gal v. 15. 2 Sam. ii. 26. lsa. v. 45. Matt. xxK 
 43. 
 
 6. If the distempers in Salem Village should 
 
 be (which God forbid) so incurable, that mr. 
 
 Parris, after all, find that he cannot with any 
 
 comfort and service continue in his present sta* 
 
 tion, his removal from thence will not expose 
 
 him to any hard character with us ; nor, we 
 
 hope, with the rest of the people of God, among 
 
 whom we live. Matt. x. 14. Acts xxii. 18. All 
 
 which advice we follow with our prayers, that 
 
 the God of peace would bruise Satan under ouf 
 
 feet. JNow the Lord of peace himself give you 
 
 peace always by all means. 
 
 Jos. Bridgham, I Jer. Dvmmer, I James Allen, 
 Samuel Chickleij, \ Aeh. Jewittj | Samuel Torrg 
 
SALEM VILLAGE. 13"! 
 
 William Tory, 
 Jos. ^Boynton, 
 R. Middlecutt, 
 John W alley, 
 
 Ephr. Hunt, 
 N. Williams, 
 Incr. Mather, 
 S. Phillips, 
 
 S. Willard, 
 E. Payson, 
 C. Mather. 
 
 To the Reverend Elders of the three churches of 
 Christ at Boston, with others the Elders and 
 Brethren of other churches, late of a Council at 
 Salem Village. 
 
 We whose names are hereunto subscribed, 
 are bold once more to trouble you with our 
 humble proposals : — That whereas there have 
 been long and uncomfortable differences among 
 lis, chiefly relating to rar, Parris ; and we having, 
 as we apprehend, attended all probable means 
 for a composure of our troubles : and whereas 
 >ve had hop*es of an happy issue, by your en- 
 deavours among us, but now are utterly frustrat- 
 ed in our expectations, and that instead of unit- 
 ing, our rent is made worse, and our breach 
 made wider: 
 
 We humbly query, whether yourselves, being 
 straightened of time, might not omit such satis- 
 factory liberty of debating the whole of our 
 controversy; whereby yourselves had not so 
 large an opportunity of understanding the case, 
 nor the offended so much reason to be satisfied 
 in your advice : We therefore humbly propose, 
 and give full liberty of proving and defending of 
 what may be charged on either hand, leaving it 
 to yourselves to appoint both time and place, 
 
 1. That if yourselves please to take the trou- 
 ble, with patience once more to hear the whole 
 case. 
 
 2. Or that you will more plainly advise rar. 
 
132 DIFFERENCES IN 
 
 Parris (the case being so circumstanced that he 
 cannot, with comfort or profit to himself or 
 others, abide in the work of the ministry among 
 us) to cease his labours, and seek to dispose him- 
 self elsewhere, as God in his providence may di- 
 rect; and that yourselves would please to help 
 us in advising to such a choice, wherein we may 
 be more unanimous; which we hope would tend 
 much to a composure of our differences. 
 
 3. Or that we may without any offence take 
 the liberty of calling some other proved minister 
 of the gospel, to preach the word of God to us 
 and ours; and that we may not be denied our 
 proportionable privilege, in our public disburse- 
 ments in the place. 
 
 So leaving the whole case with the Lord and 
 yourselves, we subscribe our names. 
 
 Signed by 16 young men, from 16 upwards; and 52 
 householders, and 18 church members. This was deli- 
 vered to the ministers, May 3, I6y5. 
 
 The copy of a paper that icas handed about, touch- 
 ing those differences. 
 
 As to the contest between mr. Parris and his 
 hearers, &c. it may be composed by a satisfac- 
 tory answer to Levit. xx. 6, "And the soul that 
 turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and 
 after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I 
 will set my face against that soul, and will cut 
 him off from among his people." 1 Chron.x. 13, 
 14, " So Saul died for his trangression, which he 
 committed against the Lord, even against the 
 word of the Lord, which he kept not; and also 
 for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spi- 
 
SALEM VILLAGE. 133 
 
 lit, to inquire of it ; and inquired not of the Lord; 
 therefore he slew him." &c. 
 
 Some part of the determination of the Elders and, 
 Messengers of the churches, met at Salem Vil- 
 lage*, April 3, 1695, relating to the differences 
 there. 
 
 If the distemper in Salem Village should be 
 (which God forbid) so incurable that mr. Parris, 
 after all, find that he cannot with any comfort 
 and service continue in his present station, his 
 removal from thence will not expose him to any 
 hard character with us, nor, we hope, with the 
 rest of the people of God, among whom w 7 e live. 
 Matt. x. 14, And whosoever shall not receive you, 
 nor hear your words ; when you depart out of that 
 house, or city, shake off the dust of your feet, 8fc* 
 Acts xxii. 18. All which advice we follow with 
 our prayers, that the God of peace would bruise 
 satan under our feet. Now the Lord of peace 
 give you peace always, by all means, &c. 
 
 Quest Whether Mr. Parris's going to Abi- 
 gail Williams and others, whom he supposed to 
 have a spectral sight, to be informed who were 
 witches and who afflicted those pretended suf- 
 ferers by witchcraft, in order to their being 
 questioned upon their lives upon it, were not a 
 turning after such as had familiar spirits; and a 
 greater wickedness than Saul was guilty of, in 
 that* he did not intend thereby bodily hurt to 
 any others? 
 
 And whether, in a crime of such a high pa- 
 turo, the making a slender and general confeS- 
 12 
 
1S4 DIFFERENCES IN 
 
 sion, without any proposals of reparations, or 
 due time for probation, ought so far to be ac- 
 counted sufficient, from such a pastor to his peo- 
 ple ? 
 
 And whether such as were accused, or the 
 surviving friends and relations of those that 
 were any ways sufferers by accusations so. by 
 him proved, are in duty and conscience bound to 
 continue their respect, honour and support to 
 him, in the ministry, after such known depar- 
 tures from the rule of God's word, and after 
 such dire effects as followed thereupon, under 
 the penalty of the dust shaken from his feet \ tes- 
 tifying against them, even so as to render them 
 in a worse case than those of Sodom and Go- 
 morrah ? 
 
 To the Honourable Wait Jilnthrop, Elisha Cook 
 
 and Samuel Sewall, Esquires, arbitrators, indif- 
 ferently chosen, between Mr. Samuel Parris and 
 
 the inhabitants of Salem Village. 
 
 The remonstrances of several aggrieved per- 
 sons in the said village, with further reasons why 
 they conceive they ought not to hear mr. Parris, 
 nor to own him as a minister of the gospel, nor 
 to contribute any support to him as such, for 
 several years past; humbly offered as fit for 
 consideration. 
 
 We humbly conceive that having, in April, 
 1693, given our reasons why we could not join 
 with mr. Parris in prayer, preaching, or sacra- 
 ments ; if these reasons are found sufficiont for 
 our withdrawing, (and we cannot vet f-nd but 
 they are) then we conceive ourselves virtually 
 
SALEM VILLAGE. 136 
 
 discharged, not only in conscience, but also in 
 law; which requires maintenance to be given to 
 such as are orthodox, and blameless; the said 
 mr. Parris having been teaching such dangerous 
 errors, and preached such scandalous immorali- 
 ties, as ought to discharge any (though ever so 
 gifted otherways) from the work of the ministry. 
 
 Particularly in his oath against the lives of 
 several, wherein he swears that the prisoners 
 with their looks knock down those pretended 
 sufferers. We humbly conceive, that he that 
 swears to more than he is certain of, is equally 
 guilty of perjury with him that swears to what 
 is false. And though they did fall at such a 
 time, yet it could not be known that they did it, 
 much less could they be certain of it; yet did 
 swear positively against the lives of such, as he 
 could not have any knowledge but they might 
 be innocent. 
 
 His believing the devil's accusations, and rea- 
 dily departing from all charity to persons, though 
 of blameless and godly lives, upon such sugges- 
 tions; bis promoting such accusations; as also 
 his partiality therein, in stifling the accusations 
 of some, and at the same time vigilantly promo- 
 ting others, as we conceive, are just causes for 
 our refusal, &c 
 
 That mr. Parris's going to Mary Walcut, or 
 Abigail Williams, and directing others to them, 
 to know who afflicted the people in their ill- 
 nesses — we understand this to be a dealing with 
 them that have a familiar spirit, and an impli- 
 cit denying the providence of God, who alone, 
 as we belie ve 3 can send afflictions, or cause de- 
 
136 DIFFERENCES, &c. 
 
 vils to afflict any ; this we also conceive suffi- 
 cient to justify such refusal. 
 
 That mr. Parris, by these practices and prin- 
 ciples, has been the beginner and procurer of 
 the sorest afflictions, not to this Village only, 
 but to this whole country, that did ever befal 
 them. 
 
 We, the subscribers, in behalf of ourselves, 
 and of several others of the same mind with us, 
 (touching these things) having some of us had 
 our relations by these practices taken off by an 
 untimely death ; others have been imprisoned, 
 and suffered in our persons, reputations and es- 
 tates; submit the whole to your honours deci- 
 sion, to determine whether we are or ought to 
 be any ways obliged to honour, respect and sup 
 port such an instrument of our miseries; pray- 
 ing God to guide your honours to act herein as 
 may be for his glory, and the future settlement 
 ^f our village in amity and unity. 
 
 John Tarboll, \ 
 
 Samuel Nurse, f Attorneys for the people 
 Jos. Putman, f of the village. 
 
 Dan. Andre-®, j 
 Boston, July 21, 1697. 
 
 According to the order of the aforesaid arbi- 
 trators, the said mr. Parris had some of his ar- 
 rears paid him, as also a sum of money for his 
 repairs of the ministerial house of the said vilr 
 lage, and h dismissed therefrom. 
 
PART IV. 
 LETTERS 
 
 OF A GENTLEMAN UNINTERESTED, 
 
 ENDEAVOURING TO PROVE THE RECEIVED OPINIONS 
 ABOUT WITCHCRAFT TO BE ORTHODOX. 
 
 1 TOLD you I had some thoughts concern- 
 ing witchcraft, and an intention of conferring with 
 the gentleman who has published several trea- 
 tises about witchcraft, and persons afflicted by 
 them, lately here in New-England; but since 
 you have put those three books into my hands, 
 I find myself engaged in a very hard province, 
 to give you my opinion of them. I plainly fore- 
 see, that should this scribbling of mine come to 
 public view, it would displease all parties, but 
 that is the least Moreover it is so far out of my 
 road to set my thoughts to consider a matter on 
 every side, which in itself is so abstruse, and 
 every step I advance therein, if I miss truth 
 (which is a narrow and undivided line) 1 must 
 tumble down headlong into the gulph of dange- 
 rous error. Yet, notwithstanding, I have forced 
 myself to send these few lines, if so be I may 
 12* 
 
138 LETTERS Oi 
 
 clear to you a truth you now seem to be offend^ 
 ed at, because of the ill consequences which (you 
 think) lately have and again may be drawn from 
 it, by the ill conduct of some men. I am not 
 ignorant that the pious frauds of the ancient, and 
 the inbred fire (I do not call it pride) of many 
 of our modern, divines, have precipitated them 
 to propagate and maintain truth as well as false- 
 hoc ds, in such an unfair manner, as has given 
 advantage to the enemy to suspect the whole 
 doctrine, these men have profest, to be nothing 
 but a mere trick. But it is certain, that as no 
 lo\ er of truth will justify an illegitimate corol- 
 lary, though drawn from a true proposition; so 
 neither will he reject a truth, because some or 
 many men take unfair means to prove it, or draw 
 false consequences from it. The many heresies 
 among christians must not give a mortal wound 
 to the essence of the christian religion ; neither 
 must any one christian doctrine be exterminated, 
 because evil men make use of it as a cloak to 
 cover their own self-ends; particularly, because 
 some men, perhaps among all sorts of christians, 
 have, under pretence of witchcraft, coloured 
 their own malice, pride and popularity, we must 
 not therefore conclude (1.) that there are no 
 witches: (2.) or that witches cannot be convict- 
 ed by such clear and undeniable proof, as the 
 law of God requires in the case of death ; (3.) or 
 that a witch so convicted ought not to be put to 
 death. 
 
 1. That there are witches, is manifest from 
 
 the precept of Moses, Thou shalt not suffer a 
 
 'witch in live. Exod. xxii. 18.' For it is certain 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 139 
 
 God would not have given a vain and unintelli- 
 gible law, as this must be, of putting witches to 
 death, it' there are no witches. But you object, 
 that this doth not answer our case, for we have 
 formed another idea of witches than what can 
 be gathered from the scriptures; you quote 
 four places, viz. Deut. xiii. Matt. xxiv. Acts xiii, 
 2 Tim. iii. from all which you infer, that witch- 
 craft is a maligning and oppugning the word, 
 works and worship of God, and by an extraor- 
 dinary sign seeking to seduce any from it; and 
 this you readily grant. But then you say, What 
 is this to witches now a days, who are said to 
 have made an explicit covenant with the devil, 
 and to be empowered by him to the doing of 
 things strange in themselves, and besides their 
 natural course? This you say does not follow; 
 and herein indeed consists the whole controver- 
 sy ; therefore it is necessary, that first of all we 
 clear this point, laying aside those prejudices we 
 may have from the fatal application of this doc- 
 trine to some who were (in your judgment) re- 
 ally, at least in law, and before men, innocent. 
 In a word, we are seeking after truth, and truth 
 shall and will be truth, in spite of men and devils. 
 I do not repeat this caution to forestall you to 
 believe the doctrine of witchcraft, as it is above 
 defined, without inquiring into the reason and 
 truth of it; only I desire you to inquire into it, 
 as a thing doubtful. For no man can be certain 
 of a negative, unless either the affirmative imply 
 a contradiction, or he can prove it by certain 
 testimony; to neither of which you pretend; 
 only you alledge it cannot be proved by scrip- 
 
140 LETTERS OF 
 
 ture, i. e. you cannot prove it, nor have seen it 
 proved by any other you have read on that sub- 
 ject. I am not so vain as to think I can do bet- 
 ter than the learned authors you have consulted 
 with (though 1 know not what they have done, 
 for I had no other book but the bible, to make 
 use of on this occasion ;) but because I am satis- 
 fied myself, and am willing to communicate my 
 reasons, which I divide into three heads. 1. The 
 appearance of angels. 2. The nature of pos- 
 session ; and, 3d, The scripture notion of witch- 
 craft. 
 
 1. Good angels did appear to Abraham, and 
 did eat, Gen. xv. It seems he washed their feet : 
 it is certain he saw and heard them; therefore 
 there is no impossibility in angels being conver- 
 sant with men. God is true, and whatever 
 is contained in sacred writ is true ; if we poor 
 shallow mortals do not comprehend the manner 
 how, that argues only our weakness and igno- 
 rance in this dark prison of flesh, wherein we 
 are enclosed during our abode in this vale of 
 misery, but doth not in the least infringe the 
 verity of scripture ; it is sufficient that we un- 
 doubtedly know they have appeared unto men 
 in bodily shape, and done their errand they 
 were sent on from God. Now if good angels 
 have appeared, why may not bad? Surely the 
 devils, because fallen and evil, have not there- 
 fore lost the nature of angels; neither is there 
 any contradiction in their appearing in a bodily 
 shape, now after, any more than before, their fall. 
 But you will say you must allow of the appear- 
 ances of good angels, because of the scripture 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 141 
 
 testimony; but not of bad, seeing there is no 
 place of scripture that clearly proves it. Matt. 
 iv, The words in the gospel do as plainly signify 
 the devil's outward appearance to our Saviour, 
 when he was tempted, as can be expressed; 
 And when the tempter came to him he said — but 
 he answered. The same form St. Luke useth 
 to signify the appearance of Moses and Elias, 
 in the transfiguration : And behold there talked 
 with him two men; for what follows, ver. 31, 
 who appeared, is used to signify (not their ap- 
 pearance, but) the manner of their appearance 
 in great glory. But you will urge, that it is very 
 easy to be understood, that Moses and Elias 
 did appear, because they had human bodies; but 
 that it is unintelligible to you, how the devil, be- 
 ing a spirit, can appear, a spirit being a substance 
 void of all dimensions; therefore the words in 
 the history must not be taken in a literal sense. 
 Do not mistake : though some philosophers are 
 of opinion (which whether true or false is all one 
 to our present argument) that a spirit's sub- 
 stance is extended, and hath, besides length, 
 breadth and depth, a fourth dimension, viz. es- 
 sential spissitude ; yet the same do not say, that 
 pure substance is perceptible by our bodily 
 senses; on the contrary, they tell us, that spirits 
 are clothed with vehicles, i. e. they are united 
 to certain portions of matter, which they inform, 
 move and actuate. Now this we must not re- 
 ject as impossible, because we cannot compre- 
 hend the formal- reason, how a spirit acts upon 
 matter :. for who can give the reason, that, upon 
 the volition of the hum^n soul, the hand should 
 
142 LETTERS OF 
 
 be lifted up, or any ways moved ? for to say the 
 contraction of the muscles is the mechanic cause 
 of voluntary motion, is not to solve the question, 
 which recurs, Why, upon volition, should that 
 contraction ensue which causes that motion ? 
 All that I know the wisest man ever said upon 
 this head is, that it is the will of the Creator, 
 who has ordered such a species of thinking crea- 
 tures, by a catholic law, to be united to such por- 
 tions of matter, so and so disposed; or, if you will, 
 in the vulgar phrase, to organized bodies; and 
 that there should be between them and the se- 
 veral bodies they are united to a mutual reaction 
 and passion. Now you see how little we know of 
 the reason of that which is most near to us, and 
 most certain, viz. the soul's informing the body ; 
 yet you would think it a bad argument, if one 
 should, as some have done, conclude, from this 
 our ignorance, that there was nothing in us but 
 matter; it is no otherways than to deny a spirit's 
 acting a vehicle. The plainest and most certain 
 things when denied are hardest to be proved; 
 therefore the axiom saith well, contra principle 
 Sfc There are some certain truths, which are 
 rather to be explained to young beginners than 
 proved, upon which all science is built; as eve- 
 ry whole is more than its part ; and of this sort 
 I take these two following: 1. That there are 
 two substances, corpus and mens^ body and spirit, 
 altogether different, for the ideas we have of 
 them are quite distinct. 2. That a spirit can 
 actuate, animate or inform a certain portion of 
 matter, and be united to it; from whence it is 
 very evident, that the devil, united to a portion 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &e. 143 
 
 of matter (which hereafter I'll call a vehicle) 
 may fait under the cognizance of our senses, and 
 be conversant with us in a bodily shape. Where 
 then is the reason or need to run to a metapho- 
 rical and forced interpretation, when the words 
 are so plain, and the literal sense implieth no 
 contradiction, nor any greater difficulty than (as 
 has been said) what ariseth from the union of 
 the soul and body, which is most certain? Now 
 after all to say, God will not permit the devil so 
 to appear, is to beg the question, without saying 
 any thing to the preceding argument; and it is 
 against the sense of almost all mankind; for in 
 all ages^ and all places, there have been many 
 witnesses of the appearances of daemons, all of 
 whom, that taught any thing contrary to the 
 right worship of the true God, were certainly 
 evil ones : and it were most presumptuous, bare- 
 ly to assert that all these witnesses were always 
 deceived, and it is impossible they could all agree 
 to deceive. 
 
 2. We come to consider the nature of pos- 
 session. The man possest (Luke viii. 27) had 
 a power more than natural, for he brake the 
 bands, which he could not have done with his 
 own strength. Now from whom had he this 
 power? The scripture saith, he had devils a 
 long time, and oftentimes it had caught him, &c. 
 he was kept bound with chains and in fetters, 
 and he brake the bands, and was driven of the 
 devil into the wilderness. This power then was 
 immediately from the devil, and whatsoever a 
 possessed person does, or suffers, beyond his na- 
 tural power, he is enabled by the daemon so to 
 
144 LETTERS OF 
 
 do; or, to speak more properly, it is the daemon 
 who acteth the same, as is plain from St. Mark's 
 relation of this passage, v. 2 v. A man with an 
 unclean spirit. 3 v. And no man could bind him, 
 no, not with chains. 6 v. But when he sav) Jesus 
 afar off, he came and icorshiped him; and the 
 same he, 7 v. said, / adjure thee by God that thou 
 torment me not ; and 9 v. My name is Legion, for 
 we are many. 10 v. And he besought him much 9 
 that he would not send them away out of the coun- 
 try. It is manifest from hence, that it was not 
 the poor man who was possest, but the devils 
 who possessed him, by whom the chains had 
 been plucked asunder, and the fetters broken in 
 pieces. Now here is divine testimony, that the 
 devils have actuated a human body to the doing 
 of things beyond the natural strength of that 
 body, as it was simply united to its human soul : 
 how much more then can the devil actuate any 
 other portion of simple matter, earth, air, fire 
 or water, and make it a fit organ for himself to 
 act in ! 
 
 But enough of this already: let us rather in- 
 quire how the devil enters into the body of the 
 possest, to move it at his pleasure. This I think 
 lie cannot do as a mere spirit, or by any never 
 so strict union with the human soul ; for in that 
 case he is onlv a tempter or seducer, and no- 
 thing above human strength can be done: but 
 here there being something performed (the 
 bonds broken) by a force which Could not pro- 
 ceed from human strength, it necessarily follows 
 that the devils entered into the possest, other- 
 ways qualified them as a mere spirit; he did 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. Mtf 
 
 not enter without some portion of matter, to 
 which he was united, by the intermedium 
 whereof he acted upon and actuated the human 
 body. Again, if it is said that the devil entered 
 as a mere spirit, and immediately acted upon 
 and moved that body, it follows, the devil hath 
 a vehicle, a certain portion of matter (that bo- 
 dy) to actuate and dispose of at will; which is 
 absurd: 1, Because it asserts what it ^eems to 
 deny, viz. the devil's having a vehicle to act im- 
 mediately upon; and to be united to a portion 
 of matter (as has been said before) is the same 
 thing. 2, It fights against the catholic law of the 
 union of soul and body, by which the Omnipo- 
 tent hath ordained the voluntary motion of a hu- 
 man body to depend upon the will of its human 
 soul, and those that are not voluntary to proceed 
 either from its own mechanism or material 
 force; hence we may certainly conclude, that it 
 is by the intervening of the devil's vehicle, that 
 he enters into the body of the possest. But 
 what if you and I cannot agree about this no- 
 tion of possession, must we therefore reject the 
 truth itself, and run to a far-fetched and intoler- 
 able sense of the words ? No, our opinions do 
 not alter the nature of things; it is certain there 
 were persons possest, and it is as certain that 
 the devil entered into them, either with or with- 
 out a vehicle; it is all one which part of the 
 contradiction you talce, the consequence is the 
 same, viz. That the devil doth act immedi- 
 ately upon matter. 
 
 There is another acceptation of the word 
 possession in scripture, (Acts xvi. 17) where one 
 13 
 
146 LETTERS OF 
 
 is said to be possest with a spirit of divination?* 
 the word commonly used to the priestess of 
 Apollo, who gave responses; and it seems this 
 damsel was such an one, for she brought her 
 masters much money, or gain, by soothsaying, till 
 they were full of the god. Now if the history 
 of them be true, that they were demented, and 
 knew not themselves what they uttered, (as 
 they word it) their case is not different, but the 
 same with the foregoing; but if they understood 
 what they spoke, then had they familiar spirits, 
 whereof there is frequent mention made in the 
 old testament, and one good king is commended 
 for having cut off them that had such ; therefore 
 I think the meaning of the word was very ob- 
 vious in his time ; neither was it ever contro- 
 verted being joined with any other name than 
 spirit, familiar, one of our own family; that is, 
 oft, every day, conversant with us, and almost 
 ever ready upon call to attend us. But the 
 consideration of them, who have familiar spirits, 
 falleth under the head of witchcraft, which we 
 are to consider in the third place. 
 
 3. Witchcraft, to inquire into the scripture 
 notion of it, and compare whether it be the 
 same with that above defined. The cabalistick 
 learning would be of great use in this search, 
 and afford us much light; there is little doubt 
 but that there are many great truths not com- 
 monly known. And our Saviour expressly cau- 
 tions his disciples that they do not throw their 
 pearls before swine; therefore it is no wonder 
 that some doctrines, though unquestionably true, 
 are not so fully described, because the authors 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 147 
 
 who treat of them are afraid, lest evil men 
 should be the more depraved by being inform- 
 ed: but I am in no such fear; nor can I give 
 you any other thoughts but what are obvious to 
 any man, from the plain sense of the scripture. 
 Our definition we'll divide into two propositions, 
 and handle them severally. 1 Proposition. 
 The witch is empowered by the devil to do 
 things strange in themselves, and beside their 
 natural course. 2 Prop. The manner how 
 the witch is empowered to do those strange 
 things, is by explicit compact, or covenant, with 
 the devil. For clearing of the first, we will 
 consider the four places above cited, wherein a 
 witch is called a false prophet, a false Christ, a 
 sorcerer, a resister of the truth, and is said to 
 shew signs to seduce the people to seek after 
 other gods : whence let us note three things. 
 1. That those terms, witch, false Christ, false 
 prophet and sorcerer, are all synonimous, i. e. 
 signify the same thing. 2. That a witch doth 
 do things strange in themselves, and beyond 
 their natural course : for it were most ridicu- 
 lous to alledge that our blessed Saviour, when 
 he said, there shall arise false Christs, and shall 
 shew great signs and wonders, in so much that {if 
 it were possible) they should deceive the very elect, 
 meant that cunning cheats should arise, and 
 shew legerdemain tricks; the words will in no 
 wise bear it, and I believe you are far from thus 
 interpreting them ; so it is manifest they signify 
 not a feigned, but a real, doing of things, beyond 
 their natural course; therefore the sorceries of 
 Elymas and Simon were not simple delusions*, 
 
*48 LETTERS OF 
 
 but real effects, that could not have been pro- 
 duced by physical causes in the ordinary course 
 of nature. 3. That the end of the witches' 
 -.-shewing these signs, is to seduce the people to 
 seek after other gods ; from which premises I 
 infer, that the witches have the power of doing 
 those wonders, or strange things, immediately 
 from the devil : they are without the reach of 
 nature, and therefore above human power, and 
 no mere man can effect them ; the witch then 
 who does them must have the power of doing 
 
 • hem from another; but who is the other? 
 
 * »od will not give his testimony to a lie; and to 
 say God did at any time empower a witch to 
 work wonders, to gain belief to the doctrine of 
 devils, were with one breath to destroy root 
 and branch of all revealed religion; no, it can- 
 not be, it is only God's permission, who proveth 
 his people, whether they love him with all their 
 heart, and with all their soul. Therefore the 
 *witch has a power of doing wonders, or strange 
 things, immediately from the devil. 2 Propo- 
 sition, we will subdivide into these two. 
 1. That there is an express covenant between 
 the witch and the devil. 2. That it is not rea- 
 sonable to suppose this covenant to be trans- 
 acted mentally. 1. The devil cannot communi- 
 cate this power, by never so strict a union with 
 the soul of the witch; for in that case he is only 
 a tempter, and nothing above human power can 
 be done, as has been already proved; therefore 
 the devil, who improves the witch to do things 
 above human power, must either appear in an 
 external shape, and instruct him how, and upon 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 149 
 
 what terms, he will enable him to do those won- 
 ders ; or else he must enter into the body of 
 the witch, and possess it. The demoniacs in 
 the gospel are such whom the devils invade by 
 main force, their soul having no further com- 
 mand of their bodies, which are subjected to the 
 will of the devils ; whose end is to wound and 
 torment those miserable creatures, to throw 
 them into the fire, and into the water : but the 
 witch, who likewise is possessed, is not treated 
 in such an outrageous manner; his daemon is 
 tame and familiar unto him, and suffers him for 
 a time to live quietly, without any further mo- 
 lestation, than prompting him to do his utmost 
 endeavour to withdraw men from God ; he is 
 not bereaved of his senses as the poor lunatic, 
 but is conscious of all he does, and willeth all 
 his crimes : he receiveth power from the devil 
 to do wonders, and doth them to serve the de- 
 vil's turn. Therefore there must be a cove- 
 nant, an express covenant, between the devil and 
 him, viz. that he shall obey the devil and serve 
 him, and that the devil shall both enable him 
 so to do, and also reward him for so doing; 
 for if there is no contract between them, how r 
 comes the witch to know he has a supernatural 
 power ? or how can he so peremptorily pretend 
 to do that which is so much above his natural 
 power, not knowing he has a supernatural one 
 enabling him to do the same ? There can be 
 no doubt but there was a very intimate com- 
 merce between satan and him who is called by 
 St. Paul' thou child of the devil, not as other un- 
 holy men, but in an especial manner, as being 
 13* 
 
150 LETTERS 01' 
 
 the enemy of all righteousness, who would noi: 
 cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord. It 
 is not to be supposed that he entered into this 
 so near a relation with satan, with which he is 
 stigmatized, that others may beware of him, 
 without his own knowledge and consent. And 
 is not this a covenant, an express covenant, on 
 his part, to serve the devil incessantly; and on 
 the devil's, to empower him to act his sorceries 
 wherewith he bewitched the people ? Now I 
 think I have from scripture fully satisfied you of 
 the truth of what 1 offered in a discourse at 
 
 . But, since, you have told me an explicit 
 
 covenant with the devil signifies the devil's 
 appearing in a bodily shape to the witch, and 
 their signifying an express covenant, which you 
 say cannot be proved from scripture. It were 
 most unreasonable to imagine that the ceremo- 
 nies of this hellish mystery are particularly set 
 down in the word of God; therefore we must 
 gather by analogy and reason the matter how 
 this express covenant is transacted; and to that 
 end I will set down these following considera- 
 tions. 
 
 1. Under the law God did ordain his people 
 in all their matters to have recourse immedi- 
 ately to himself, and depend upon him for coun* 
 sel, which they were ready to obey, with full 
 assurance of aid and protection from him against 
 their enemies. This the devil imitateth by set* 
 ting up of oracles among the heathen, to which 
 all the kings, nations and mighty conquerors up- 
 on earth, did come, and paid their humblest ado^ 
 ration to the god (as the devil blasphemously 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c« 13; 
 
 called himself) of the temple, in which they 
 were imploring his direction and assistance in 
 their doubtful and prosperous affairs. Again, 
 God instituted sacrifices to put men in mind of 
 their duty to the Creator, to whom they owe 
 till things, €ven themselves ; but the devil is not 
 contented with the bare imitation hereof; the 
 acknowledgment and worship he receiveth 
 -from the deluded world is not enough, though 
 they offer up unto him innumerable hecatombs, 
 unless they cause their children to pass through 
 the fire unto him, to whom no sacrifice is so 
 well pleasing as that of human blood. And 
 there is no reason to think, that now, under the 
 economy of the gospel, the devil hath left off to 
 vie with God, and thereby to ensnare men. 
 No, it is rather to be feared that his kingdom 
 doth now more prevail; for by how much the 
 light is greater, so much greater is their con- 
 demnation who do not receive it : it is reasona- 
 ble to suppose that (seeing the Son of God, 
 when he came to transact with men the wond- 
 erful covenant of their redemption, took upon 
 him their nature, and was perfect man) the de- 
 vil likewise doth counterfeit the same, in ap- 
 pearing in an human shape to them who receive 
 him, and confederate themselves with him, and 
 become his vassals. 
 
 2. Consider, it is not probable that those false 
 apostles mentioned, 2 Cor, xi. 13, erred only in 
 ceremonies or circumstances, or that their er- 
 rors, though great, did proceed rather from 
 their ignorance than from the perverseness of 
 their minds. 1 Cor- iii. 15. For, for such we 
 
152 LETTERS OF 
 
 may have charity and hope, that God will be 
 merciful unto them, if they sincerely do the best 
 they know, though they dissent in some, nay 
 many things, from the practices and belief of 
 the christian church; but those St. Paul threat- 
 ens with a heavy curse, that their end shall be 
 according to their works ; therefore it seems 
 they immediately struck at the very root and 
 being of the christian religion, and were the 
 same with them spoken of, 2 Tim. iii. 6, but 
 with this difference, that they did not resist, 
 but, beholding the miracles and signs which 
 were done by the true apostle of our Lord, 
 wondered, and believed also, and were baptized ; 
 yet, being sorcerers, they were unwilling to lose 
 that great esteem they had obtained ; as it is 
 related of Simon, who had bewitched the people 
 of Samaria, giving out that he himself was some 
 great one, to whom they all gave heed, from 
 the least to the greatest, saying, this man is the 
 great power of God ; therefore he could not 
 brook that Peter or John should have a great- 
 er power than himself; but offered them money, 
 that on whomsoever he laid hands, he (that 
 person) should receive the Holy Ghost ; which 
 shews him, who thus designed to make merchan- 
 dise of the Spirit, though baptized, to have been 
 no true believer, but still a sorcerer, in the gall 
 of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Such 
 were those deceitful workers, who, not being 
 able barefaced to resist, did put on Christianity 
 as a mask, that they might undermine the truth, 
 and introduce the doctrines of devils. Samaria 
 aiid Paphos were not the only two places 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 15$ 
 
 where the devil had such agents ; there was no 
 part of the earth where his kingdom was not es- 
 tablished, and where he had not his emissaries 
 before the preaching of the gospel ; and since 
 the text telle th us he hath his ministers, who 
 imitate their master, by being transformed into 
 the apostles of Christ, as he himself is transform- 
 ed into an angel of light: whose design, in being 
 thus transformed, cannot be to impose upon the 
 Almighty; for whatever shape he appears in, 
 he cannot hide his ugliness from the eyes of him 
 who is omniscient; therefore he appeareth thus 
 in the shape of an angel of light, either to tempt 
 and seduce the blessed spirits to rebel against 
 God, or to ensnare wicked men, who by their 
 heinous crimes (being lovers of themselves, cove- 
 tous, boasters, proud, blasphemers) were before 
 disposed to be fit instruments to serve him, and 
 to enter into league with him. Surely I, who 
 am ignorant of the laws by which the intel- 
 lectual world is governed, dare not affirm that 
 it is impossible for satan so to appear, as to hide 
 his deformities from the good angels, and under 
 that vail to tempt them : but certain I am that 
 it is more consonant to reason, to think that the 
 apostle's intention here was to teach that the 
 devil appeared as a glorified angel unto men, to 
 gain ministers, whom he might imbue with the 
 poison of his black art, and (when he had got- 
 ten full possession of them) instruct them by his 
 own example to transform themselves into the 
 apostles of Christ, that under that vizard they 
 might with the greater advantage promote his 
 ends, and join with him in doing the utmost des- 
 pite to the spirit of grace. 
 
154 LETTERS OF 
 
 3d Consideration : It is against the natum of 
 this covenant, that it should be consummated by 
 a mental colloquy between the devil and the 
 witch. I know not how many articles it con- 
 sists of; but it is certain, from what has been 
 already proved, that the renouncing of Christ to 
 be the Son of God, and owning the devil to be. 
 and worshiping him as God, are the two chiefs, 
 to which our Saviour, who was accused of cast- 
 ing out devils by Beelzebub, i. e. of being con- 
 federated with Beelzebub, was tempted to con- 
 sent : If thou be the Son of God, command that 
 these stones be made bread: and again, throw thy- 
 self down from hence ; for it is written, he will give 
 his angels charge over thee ; and again, all these 
 things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and 
 worship me. Whence it is evident that here 
 the devil laboured to insinuate into our Lord, 
 either to do things rash and unwarrantable, or 
 to suspect his sonship, revolt from God his fa- 
 ther, and worship satan, that he might obtain 
 the glory of the world. Now it has been al- 
 ready said, that when Jesus was tempted, the 
 devil appeared unto him in a bodily shape ; 
 therefore it is agreeable to reason, that he doth 
 appear in the same manner to all them, whom 
 he also tempteth to worship him: moreover, 
 the form of renouncing a covenant ought to bear 
 resemblance to the form of entering into the 
 same covenant; therefore men who arc receiv- 
 ed into the mystical body of Christ by God's 
 minister, who in God's stead expressly cove- 
 nanteth with and then administereth the sacra- 
 ment of baptism unto them, must in the like 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 15aT 
 
 manner go out of, or renounce, the said cove- 
 nant ; and of them there are two sorts, one who^ 
 through the perverseness of their own hearts, 
 the lucre of the world, the fear of men more 
 than of God, abjure their Saviour, turn apos- 
 tates, turks, or pagans. The other sort is of 
 them who contract with the devil to be his sub- 
 jects, in the initiation of whom it is not to be 
 supposed that the devil will omit any material 
 circumstance which tends both to bring them in- 
 to and confirm them in his service. To effect 
 which, his outward appearance, when he re- 
 ceives his catechumens, is of greater force than 
 any mental contract; for many wicked men, 
 who have denied God and Christ, not only in 
 their practice, but also blasphemously in pro- 
 fession, yet have repented, and at last obtained 
 some hope of mercy. I dare not say it is im- 
 possible for a witch to repent, and find mercy; 
 the secrets of the Almighty are too high for 
 me ; but it is certain that these wretches are 
 strangely hardened, by what passes between 
 them and the devil, in a bodily shape, particu- 
 larly their worshiping him, which necessarily 
 implies his outward appearance unto them ; for 
 no man can love evil as evil, because the law of 
 self-preservation, deeply rooted in all men. de- 
 termine th their will to pursue that which seems 
 good, and fly from that which seems evil to 
 them; but the inbred notion that every man 
 has of the devil, is, that he is an enemy and de- 
 stroyer of mankind, therefore every man hath 
 a natural aversion from him, and consequently 
 gannot formally worship him as such, because 
 
156 LETTERS OP 
 
 the object of worship must be esteemed to be 
 propitious and placable by the worshipers; oth- 
 erwise, if fear alone be the adequate cause of 
 adoration, it follows that the devils and damned 
 in hell do worship God, which is contrary to 
 scripture, which saith they blasphemed, because 
 of their pains ; whence it follows, that they 
 who worship the devil must have changed the 
 innate idea that they had of him, viz. that he is an 
 implacable worrier of men, and take him to be 
 benign at least to his own ; but this change can- 
 not be wrought by any suggestion of satan into 
 the minds of men, whom indeed he mentally 
 tempteth to lust, pride and malice ; but it is 
 his greatest artifice to cause his insinuations to 
 arise in the hearta of men, as their own natural 
 thoughts; and if conscience discovers their au- 
 thor, and opposes them, then he varnishes them 
 over w 7 ith the specious colours of pleasure, hon- 
 our and glory ; and so represents them as 
 really good, to be willed and desired by the 
 soul, which judgeth of all things without agree- 
 ing to the ideas she hath of them ; but because 
 most objects have two, and some many, faces, 
 and she not always attends, therefore she often 
 errs in her choice ; nevertheless it is impossible 
 for her to love an object, whose simple idea is 
 evil ; but the idea we have of the devil is such, 
 for we cannot represent him in our minds any 
 otherwise than the great destroyer of men, 
 therefore no mental temptation can make us be- 
 lieve this our grand enemy to be ever exorable 
 by, or in any measure favourable to us ; whence 
 it evidently follows, that the devil, to work this 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 157 
 
 change of opinion his worshipers have of him, 
 must appear unto them in a bodily shape, and 
 impose upon them, whom, because of their great 
 corruption and sinfulness, God hath wholly left, 
 and given up to strong delusions, that they should 
 believe a lie, and the father of lies ; who, now 
 appearing in a human shape, tellcth them that 
 he is not such a monster as he has been repre- 
 sented to them by his enemy, who calls himself 
 God, which title of right belongs to him ; and 
 that he (if they contract to be his servants) will 
 both amply reward them, by giving them power 
 to do many things very suitable to their abom: lia- 
 ble depraved nature, that the christians, what- 
 ever opinion they may pretend to have of their 
 God, cannot so much as pretend to^and also that 
 he will protect and defend them against him, 
 whom heretofore they have mistaken for the 
 Almighty, and his pretended Son Christ, whom 
 they must abjure before they can be received 
 bj or expect any benefit from him* Upon ho 
 other consideration is it possible for any man to 
 worship the devil; for the atheists, who deny 
 the being of a God, do likewise deny the exis- 
 tence of any spirit good or bad ; therefore their 
 drinking the devil's health, even upon their 
 knees (though a most horrid crime) cannot be 
 construed any part of worship paid to him, 
 whom they assert to be a chimera, a mere fig- 
 ment of statesmen to keep the vulgar in awe. 
 Now I have evinced to you that there are 
 Avitches; that the witch receiveth power from 
 the devil to do strange things; that there is an 
 express covenant between the devil and the 
 U 
 
J 58 LETTERS OF 
 
 witch; that this covenant cannot be transacted 
 mentally, but that the devil must appear in a 
 bodily shape to the witch; therefore I con- 
 clude, that a witch in the scripture is such, who 
 has made an explicit covenant with the devil, 
 and is empowered by him to do things strange in 
 themselves, and beside their natural course. 
 
 II. I persuade myself you do not expect from 
 me any essay concerning the methods how witch- 
 es may or ought to be convicted; I wish those 
 gentlemen, whose eminent station both enables 
 them to perform it, and likewise makes it their 
 duty so to do, may take this province upon them, 
 and handle it so fully as to satisfy you herein. 
 I once intended to have provided some materials 
 for this work, by defining four principal things 
 relating to witchcraft, viz. 1. Witch-fits. 2. The 
 imps that are said to attend on the witch. 3. The 
 transportation of the witch through the air. 
 4. Lastly, the invisibility of the witch. But up- 
 on second thought, that it w r as foreign from my 
 purpose, who am not concerned to compose a 
 just treatise of witchcraft, w 7 hich would require 
 more vacant time than my present circumstan- 
 ces will allow; only I proposed to give you my 
 opinion privately; therefore I will venture to 
 make use of an argument, which sheweth neither 
 art nor learning in the author; and it is this, 
 That seeing there are witches, and that the law 
 of God doth command them to be put to death, 
 therefore there must be means to convict them, 
 by clear and certain proof, otherwise the law 
 were in vain; for no man can be justly condemn- 
 ed, who is not fairly convicted by full and certain 
 evidence. 
 
A GENTLEMAN, kc. loii 
 
 III. In the last place we are to inquire, 
 whether a witch ought to be put to death or no? 
 You answer in the negative ; because you say 
 that that law, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to 
 live, is judicial, and extendeth only to the peo- 
 ple of the Jews; but our Saviour, or his apos- 
 tles, have not delivered any where any such 
 command, therefore they ought to be suffered 
 to live. This indeed seems somewhat plausi- 
 ble at first view, but upon thorough examina- 
 tion hath no weight in it at all, for these rea- 
 sons, I. All penal laws receive their sanction 
 from him or them who have the sovereign 
 power in any state; as, Thou shalt not commit 
 adultery, is a moral law, and obligatory over the 
 consciences of men in all places and ages; but 
 that the adulterers shall be put to death, is a 
 judicial law, and in force only in that state, 
 where it is enacted by the sovereign. 2. The 
 government of the Jews was a theocracy, and 
 God himself condescended to be their King, not 
 only as he is King of kings; for in that sense he 
 is, always was, and ever will be, supreme Lord 
 and Governor of all his creatures; but in an es- 
 pecial manner to give them laws for the gov- 
 ernment of their state, and to protect them 
 against their enemies; in one word, to be im- 
 mediately their Sovereign. 3. Our Saviour's 
 kingdom was not of this world; he was no judge 
 to divide so much as en inheritance between two 
 brethren ; nay, he himself submitted patiently 
 to the unjust sentence of the governor of the 
 country in which he lived; therefore both the 
 rewards and punishments annexed to his laws 
 
ISO LETTERS OF 
 
 are spiritual, and then shall have their full ac- 
 complishment, when the Son of Man at the last 
 day shall pronounce, come unto me ye blessed, and 
 depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, 4. That 
 sovereigns, who have received the gospel of our 
 Lord, have not therefore lost their power of 
 enacting laws for the ruling and preserving their 
 people, and punishing malefactors even with 
 death; so that the criminal is as justly con- 
 demned to die by our municipal, as he was here- 
 tofore by the judicial law among the Jews. 
 How much more then ought our law to advert 
 against the highest of all criminals, those exe- 
 crable men and women, who, though yet alive, 
 have listed themselves under satan's banner, and 
 explicitly sworn allegiance to him, to fight 
 against God and Christ ! Indeed all unholy men 
 afibrd great matter to the devils of blasphem- 
 ing; but these wretches have confederated 
 themselves with the devils, to blaspheme and 
 destroy all they can. And do you think that 
 these common enemies of God and mankind 
 ©ught to be suffered to live in a christian com- 
 monwealth ? especially considering that we have 
 a precedent of putting them to death from God 
 himself, when he acted as King over his own pe- 
 culiar people. But methinks I hear you saying, 
 All this doth not satisfy me, for 1 am sure noth- 
 ing can be added to the devil's malice ; and if 
 he could, he certainly would, appear, and fright- 
 en all men out of their wits. I answer, 1. We 
 must not reject a truth, because we cannot re- 
 solve all the questions that may be proposed 
 about it: otherwise all our science must be 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 161 
 
 turned into scepticism, for we have not a com- 
 prehensive knowledge of any one thing. — 
 2. When you say, that if the devil could, he 
 would appear and frighten all men — the lawful 
 consequence is, not that he cannot appear at all, 
 for we have undoubtedly proved the contrary, 
 but that we are ignorant of the bounds that the 
 Almighty hath set to him, whose malice in- 
 deed, if he were not restrained, is so great as to 
 destroy all men; but the goodness of our God is 
 greater, who hath given us means to escape his 
 fury, if we will give earnest heed to the gospel 
 of our Saviour, which only is able to comfort us 
 against the sad and miserable condition of our 
 present state ; for not only the devils, but like- 
 wise all do conspire against us to work our ruin. 
 The deluge came and swept away all the race 
 (save eight persons) of mankind: the fire will 
 in time devour what the water has left; and all 
 this cometh to pass because of sin: but we, who 
 have received the Lord Jesus, look for new 
 heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth 
 righteousness. Therefore he, if we purify our- 
 selves as he is pure, will save us (for when he 
 appears we shall be made like unto him, to whom 
 be glory forever, Amen) from the great de- 
 struction that must come upon all the world, 
 and inhabitants thereof. Farewell, 
 March 8, 1693. 
 
 Worthy Sir, Boston, March 20, 1693. 
 
 The great pains you have taken for my infor- 
 mation and satisfaction in those controverted 
 14* 
 
16-2 LETTERS OF 
 
 points relating to witchcraft, whether k attain 
 the end or not, cannot require less than suitable 
 acknowledgments and gratitude; especially con- 
 sidering you had no particular obligation of of- 
 fice to it, and when others, whose proper pro- 
 vince it was, had declined it. It is a great truth* 
 that the many heresies among the christians 
 (not the lying miracles, or witchcrafts, used by 
 some to induce to the worship of images, &c.) 
 must not give a mortal wound to Christianity or 
 truth; but the great question in these contro- 
 verted points still is, What is truth? And in 
 this search, being agreed in the judge or rule, 
 there is great hopes of the issue. That there 
 are witches, is plain from that rule of truth, the 
 scriptures, which commands their punishment 
 by death. But what that witchcraft is, or 
 wherein it does consist, is the whole difficulty. 
 That head cited from mr. Gaule, and so well 
 proved thereby (not denied by any) makes the 
 work yet shorter; so that it is agreed to consist 
 in a maligning, &c. and seeking by a sign to se- 
 duce, &c. not excluding any other sorts or 
 branches, when as well proved by that infallible 
 rule. That good angels have appeared, is cer- 
 tain; though that instance of those to Abraham 
 may admit of a various construction; some di- 
 vines supposing them to be the Trinity; others, 
 that they were men-messengers, as Judges ii. 1 ; 
 and others, that they were angels. But though 
 this, as I said, might admit of a debate, yet I 
 see no question of the angel Gabriel's appear- 
 ance, particularly to the blessed virgin ; for 
 though the angels are spirits, and so not per- 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 163 
 
 ceptible by our bodily eyes without the appoint- 
 ment of the Most High, yet he, who made all 
 things by his word in the creation, can with a 
 word speak things into being. And whether the 
 angels did assume matter (or a vehicle) and by 
 that appear to the bodily eye; or whether by 
 the same word there were an idea framed in 
 the mind, which needed no vehicle to represent 
 them to the intellects, is with the All-wise, and 
 not for me to dispute. If we poor shallow mor- 
 tals do not comprehend the manner ho-w, that 
 argues only our weakness. Two other times 
 did this glorious angel appear. Dan. viii. 16. 
 Dan. ix. 21. The first of these times was in vi- 
 sion, as by the text and context will appear. 
 The second was the same as the first; w r hich, 
 being considered as it will, ascertains that angels 
 have appeared, so that it is at the will of the 
 sender how they shall appear, whether to the 
 bodily eye, or intellect only. Matt. i. 20. The 
 appearance of the angel to Joseph was in a 
 dream, and yet a real appearance; so was there 
 a real appearance to the apostle, but whether 
 in the body or out of the body he could not 
 tell ; and that they are sent, and come not of 
 their own motion. Luke i. 26, And in the sixth 
 month the angel Gabriel was sent from God. Dan. 
 ix. 23, Jit the beginning of thy supplication the 
 commandment came forth, and 1 am come. v. 21, 
 Being caused to fly swiftly, ${C. But from these 
 places may be set down, as undoubted truths or 
 conclusions, 
 
 1. That the glorious angels have their mis- 
 sion and commission from the Most High. 
 
1G4 LETTERS OF 
 
 2. That without this they cannot appear to 
 mankind. And from these two wiii necessarily 
 flow a third : 
 
 3. That if the glorious angels have not that 
 power to go till commissioned, or to appear to 
 mortals, then not the fallen angels; who are 
 held in chains of darkness to the judgment of 
 the great day. Therefore to argue, that be- 
 cause the good angels have appeared, the evil 
 may or can, is to me as if, because the dead 
 have been raised to life by holy prophets, 
 therefore men, wicked men, can raise the dead. 
 As the sufferings, so the temptations, of our Sa- 
 viour were (in degree) beyond those ccmmon 
 to man. He being the second Adam, or public 
 head, the strongest assaults were now improved ; 
 and we read that he was tempted, that he 
 might be able to succour them that are tempt- 
 ed; as also that he was led of the Spirit into 
 the wilderness, that he might be tempted, &c. 
 But how the tempter appeared to him who was 
 God Omniscient; whether to the bodily eye, or 
 to the intellect, is as far beyond my cognizance, 
 as for a blind man to judge of colours. But 
 from the whole set down this fourth conclusion : 
 
 4. That when the Almighty Free Agent has 
 a work to bring about for his own glory, or 
 man's good, he can employ not only blessed an- 
 gels, but the evil ones, in it, as 2 Cor. xii. 7, And 
 lest I should be exalted above nuasure, there icas 
 given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of 
 satan to buffet me. 1 Sam. xvi. 14, 15 & 23, An 
 evil spirit from the Lord troubled him, &c. It is a 
 great truth, that Ave understand little, very lit- 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 165 
 
 tie, and that in common things; how much less 
 then in spirituals, such as are above human cog- 
 nizance! But though upon the strictest scruti- 
 ny in some natural things we can only discover 
 our ignorance, yet we must not hence deny 
 what we do know, or suffer a rape to be com- 
 mitted upon our reason and senses in the dark. 
 And to say that the devil by his ordinary power 
 can act a vehicle, i. e. some matter distinct from 
 himself, who is wholly a spirit, and yet this mat- 
 ter not to be felt nor heard, and at the same 
 time to be seen; or may be felt, and not heard, 
 nor seen, &c. seems to me to be a chimera, in- 
 vented at first to puzzle the belief of reasonable 
 creatures, and since calculated to a roman lati- 
 tude, to uphold the doctrine of transubstantia- 
 tion; who teach, that under the accidents of 
 bread is contained the body of our Saviour, his 
 human body, as long, and as broad, &c. for here 
 the power of the Almighty must not be con- 
 fined to be less than the devil's, and it is he that 
 has said, hoc est meum corpus. As to the con- 
 sent of almost all ages, I meddle not now with 
 it, but come to the fifth conclusion: 
 
 5. That when the Divine Being will employ 
 the agency of evil spirits for any service, it is 
 with him to determine how they shall exhibit 
 themselves, whether to the bodily eye, or intel- 
 lect only; and whether it shall be more or less 
 formidable. To deny these three last, were to 
 make the devil an independent power, and con- 
 sequently a God. As to the nature of posses- 
 sions by evil spirits, for the better understanding 
 of it, it may be needful to compare it with its 
 
156 LETTERS OF 
 
 contraries ; and to instance in Samson, of whom 
 it was ibreiold, that he should begin to deliver 
 Israel. And how was he enabled to this work? 
 Judges xiii. 25, The spirit of the Lord began 
 to move him at times in the camp, &c. Chap. x\\ 
 13, 14. v. And they bound him with two new 
 cords, and brought him up from the rock; and 
 when they came to Lehi, the Phifistines shouted 
 against him ; and the spirit of the Lord tame 
 mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon 
 his arms became as flax, that ivas burnt with fire, 
 and his bands loosed from his hands, &c. I might 
 instance further; but this may suffice to show 
 that he had more than a natural strength, as al- 
 so whence iiis strength was, viz. he was empow- 
 ered by the spirit from God. And now will any 
 say, that it was not Samson, but the spirit, that 
 did these things; or, that these being things 
 done, bonds broken, && by a force that could 
 not proceed from human strength, that there- 
 fore the spirit entered into him otherwise 
 qualified than as a mere spirit; or, that the spi- 
 rit entered not without some portion of matter, 
 and by the intermediation thereof acted Sam- 
 son's body? If any say this and more too, this 
 doth not alter the truth, which remains, viz. 
 that the spirit of God did enable Samson to the 
 doing of things beyond his natural strength. And 
 now what remains but, upon parity of reason, to 
 apply this to the case of possession? which mav 
 be summed up in this sixth conclusion: 
 
 6. That God, for wise ends, only known to 
 himself, may and has em powered devils to pos- 
 sess and strangely to actuate human bodies, even 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 167 
 
 to the doing of things beyond the natural 
 strength of that body. And for any to tell of a 
 vehicle, or matter used in it, I must observe that 
 general rule, Coloss. ii. 8, " Beware lest any 
 spoil you through philosophy, and vain deceit, 
 after the tradition of men, alter the rudiments 
 of the world, and not alter Christ." To come 
 next to that of witchcraft, and here taking that 
 cited head of mr. Gaule to be uncontroverted, 
 set it as a seventh conclusion : 
 
 7. That witchcraft consists in a maligning and 
 opposing the word, work and worship of God, 
 and seeking by any extraordinary sign to seduce 
 any from it. Deut. xiii. 12. Matt, xxiv. 24. 
 Jets xiii. 8, 10. 2 Tim* hi. 8. Do but mark well 
 the places; and for this very property of thus 
 opposing and perverting, they are all there con- 
 cluded arrant and absolute witches; and it will 
 be easily granted, that the same that is called 
 witch, is called a false Christ, a false prophet, 
 and a sorcerer, and that the terms are synoni- 
 mous ; and that what the witches aim at is, to 
 seduce the people to seek after other gods. 
 But here the question will be, whether the 
 witch really do things strange in themselves, 
 and beyond their natural course, and all this by 
 a power immediately from the devil. In this 
 inquiry, as we have nothing to do with unwrit- 
 ten verities, so but little with cabalistic learning, 
 which might perhaps but lead us more astray; 
 as in the instance of their charging our Saviour 
 with casting out devils by Beelzebub; his an- 
 swer is, if satan be divided against himself, his 
 kingdom hath an end. But seeing all are agreed, 
 set this eighth conclusion : 
 
168 LETTERS OF 
 
 8. That God will not give his testimony to a 
 lie. To say that God did at any time empower 
 a witch to work wonders, to gain belief to the 
 doctrine of devils, were with one breath to de- 
 stroy the root and branch of all revealed reli- 
 gion. And hence it is clear the witch has no 
 such wonder-working power from God. And 
 must we then conclude she has such a miracu- 
 lous power from the devil? If so, then it follows, 
 that either God gives the devil leave to empow- 
 er the witch to make use of this seal, in order 
 to deceive, or else that the devil has this power 
 independent of himself. To assert the first of 
 these were in effect to say, that though God 
 will not give his testimony to a lie, yet that he 
 may empower the devil to set to it God's own 
 seal, in order to deceive. And what were this 
 but to overthrow all revealed religion? The 
 last, if asserted, must be to own the devil to be 
 an unconquered enemy, and consequently a sov- 
 ereign deity, and deserving much thanks, that 
 he exerts his power no more. Therefore in 
 this dilemma it is wisdom for shallow mortals to 
 have recourse to their only guide, and impar- 
 tially to inquire, whether the witches really 
 have such a miraculous or wonder-working 
 power. And it is remarkable that the apostle, 
 Gal v. 20, reckons up witchcraft among the 
 works of the flesh; which were it indeed a 
 w 7 onder- working power, received immediately 
 from the devil, and wholly beyond the power 
 of nature, it were very improper to place it 
 with drunkenness, murthers, adulteries, &c. all 
 manifest fleshly works. 'Tis also remarkable., 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &e. 169 
 
 that witchcraft is generally in scripture joined 
 with spiritual whoredom, i. e. idolatry. This 
 thence will plainly appear to be the same ; only 
 pretending to a sign, in order to deceive, seems 
 to be yet a further degree ; and in this sense 
 Manasseh and Jezebel, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 6 ; 
 2 Kings ix. 22, used witchcraft and whoredoms. 
 Nahum iii. 4, the idolatrous city is called mis- 
 tress of witchcrafts. But to instance in one 
 place instead of many, 2 Thess. ii. 3 to 12, par- 
 ticularly 9 and 10 v. Even him, whose coming is 
 after the working of satan, with all power and 
 signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivable- 
 ncss. And for this cause God shall send them 
 strong delusions that they should believe a lie, that 
 they all might be damned, ivho believed not the 
 truth, be. This that then was spoken in the 
 prophecy of that man of sin, that was to appear, 
 how abundantly does history testify the fulfil- 
 ment of it, particularly to seduce to the worship 
 of images ! Have not the images been made to 
 move, to smile, fcc. ? Too tedious were it to 
 mention the hundredth part of what undoubted 
 history doth abundantly testify. And hence do 
 set down this ninth conclusion: 
 
 9. That the man of sin, or seducer, &c. makes 
 use of lying wonders to the end to deceive, and 
 that God in righteous judgment may send strong 
 delusions that they should believe a lie, that they 
 might be damned, who believe not the truth, &c. 
 
 'Tis certain that the devil is a proud being, 
 and would be thought to have a power equal to 
 the Almighty; and it cannot but be very grate- 
 ful to him to see mortals channns; one another 
 15 
 
170 LETTERS OF 
 
 with doing such works by the devil's power, as 
 in truth is the proper prerogative of the Almigh- 
 ty, Omnipotent Being. The next head should 
 have been about an explicit covenant between 
 the witch and the devil, &c. But in this, the 
 whole of it, I cannot persuade myself but you 
 must be sensible of an apparent leaning to edu- 
 cation (or tradition) the scriptures being wholly 
 silent on it; and supposing this to fall in as a de- 
 pendent on what went before, I shall say the 
 less to it ; for if the devil has no such power to 
 communicate upon such compact, then the whole 
 is a fiction; though I cannot but acknowledge 
 you have said so much to uphold that doctrine, 
 that I know not how any could have done more. 
 However, as I said, I find not myself engaged 
 (unless scripture proof were offered) to meddle 
 with it : for as you have in such cases your rea- 
 son for your guide, so I must be allowed to use 
 that little that I have, and do only say, that as 
 God is a spirit, so he must be worshiped in spi- 
 rit and in truth ; so also that the devil is a spirit, 
 ancl that his rule is in the hearts of the children 
 of disobedience, and that an explicit covenant of 
 one nature or another can have little force, any 
 further than as the heart is engaged in it. And 
 so I pass to the last, viz. whether a witch ought 
 to be put to death; and without accumulation 
 of the offence do judge, that where the law of 
 any country is to punish by death such as seduce 
 and tempt to the worship of strange gods (or 
 idols, or statues) by as good authority may they, 
 no doubt, punish these as capital offenders, who 
 are distinguished by that one remove, viz. to 
 
GENTLEMAN, &c. 171 
 
 their seducing is added a sign, i. e. they pretend 
 to a sign in order to seduce. And thus, worthy 
 sir, I have freely given you my thoughts upon 
 yours, which you so much obliged me with the 
 sight of; and upon the whole, though I cannot 
 in the general but commend your caution in not 
 asserting many things contended for by others, 
 yet must say, that in my esteem there is retain- 
 ed so much as will secure all the rest: (to in- 
 stance) if a spirit has a vehicle, i. e. some portion 
 of matter which it acts, &c. hence as necessarily 
 may be inferred that doctrine of incubus and sue- 
 cubus, and why not that also of procreation by 
 spirits both good and bad? Thus was Alexan- 
 der the Great, the British Merlin, and Martin 
 Luther, and many others, said to be begotten. 
 Again, if the witch had such a wonder-working 
 power, why not to afflict ? Will not the devil 
 thus far gratify her? And have none this mi- 
 raculous power, but the covenanting witch? 
 Then the offence lies in the covenant ; then it is 
 not only hard, but impossible, to find a witch by 
 such evidence as the law of God requires ; for it 
 will not be supposed that they call witness to 
 this covenant; therefore it will here be neces- 
 sary to admit of such as the nature of such co- 
 venant will bear (as Mr. Gaule hath it in his 
 fifth head, i. e,) the testimony of the afflicted, 
 with their spectral sight, to tell who afflicts 
 themselves or others; the experiment of saying 
 the Lord's prayer, falling at the sight, and rising 
 at the touch, searching for teats, (i. e. excrescen- 
 ces of nature) strange and foreign stories of the 
 death of some cattle, or oversetting some carfV 
 
in LETTERS OF 
 
 And what can juries have better to guide them 
 to find out this covenant by ? 
 
 It is matter of lamentation, and let it be for 
 a lamentation, to consider how these things have 
 opened the floodgates of malice, revenge, un- 
 charitableness and bloodshed, and what multi- 
 tudes have bsen swept away by this torrent. 
 
 In Germany, countries depopulated ; in Scot- 
 land, no less than 4000 are said to have suf- 
 fered by fire and halter at one heat. 
 
 Thus we may say with the prophet, Isa. lix. 
 10, We grope for the wall like the blind, and ice 
 grope as if we had no eyes : we stumble at noon- 
 day as in the night, we are in desolate places as 
 dead men : and this by seeking to be wise above 
 what is written, in framing to ourselves such 
 crimes and such ordeals (or ways of trial) as are 
 wholly foreign from the direction of our only 
 guide, which should be a light to our feet, and 
 a lanthorn to our paths ; but instead of this, if 
 we have not followed the direction, we have 
 followed the example, of pagan and papal Rome, 
 thereby rendering us contemptible and base be- 
 fore all people, according as we have not kept 
 his ways, but have been partial in his law. 
 
 And now, that we may, in all our sentiments 
 and ways, have regard to his testimonies, and give 
 to the Almighty the glory due to his name, is the 
 earnest desire and prayer of, sir, yours to com- 
 mand, R- C. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Since your design of giving copies of our pa- 
 pers, if not to the public, at least out of your 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &e. 173 
 
 hands, I find myself obliged to make a reply to 
 your answer, lest silence should be construed an 
 assent to the positions whereby, I think, truth 
 would be scandalized. 
 
 I remember that some have taught that it is 
 not certain there is any such thing really in be- 
 ing as matter ; because the ideas which we 
 hare of our own and all other bodies may be 
 caused to arise in us by God, without the real 
 existence of the objects they represent. But 
 this opinion is not only absurd and false, but 
 likewise atheistical, destroying the veracity of 
 the Almighty, whom it asserts to have determ- 
 ined us by a fatal necessity to believe things to 
 be, which are not ; and 1 wonder that you 
 should allude unto it, because that angels have 
 appeared in a dream, in a vision; for we dream 
 also of trees, birds, &c. Are there therefore 
 no such things in nature, because we sometimes 
 dream to see and hear them, when we are 
 asleep? St. Paul in his vision was so far from 
 believing the objects that were represented to 
 him to come by the intermedium of his senses, 
 that he declares, he does not know whether he 
 was in the body or out of the body; therefore 
 the instance is in no wise proper. For Abra- 
 ham and the Blessed Virgin did see and hear; 
 and if there were not such things really, as were 
 represented to them by their senses, they were 
 deluded, by being made to believe they saw and 
 heard what was not. There is none who deni- 
 eth God causeth thoughts to arise in men's 
 minds ; but thence to infer he maketh objects, 
 which are not, by forming their ideas in our 
 15* 
 
174 LETTERS OF 
 
 minds, to appear to us through the ministry of 
 our senses as though they were, is a piece not 
 only of vain, but very dangerous, philosophy. 
 
 It is true, the good angels will not appear 
 without the appointment of God; they will not 
 do any one action, but according to the laws he 
 has prescribed to them. But you say they can- 
 not, (which does not follow from your premises) 
 supposing their not appearing to proceed from 
 the defect of their power, and not the rectitude 
 of their will ; which fallacy has deceived you in- 
 to a third conclusion: for the fallen angels are 
 not so held under chains of darkness, but that 
 they can, and do, go to and fro on the earth, 
 seeking whom they may devour. _ Before their 
 fall they could h^ve appeared if sent, and would 
 not then do any thing without a divine command ; 
 but now they have rebelled against God, and do 
 all they can to despite him; therefore their not 
 appearing now (if it were true they never did, 
 they never shall, appear) must proceed from a 
 restraint they are under, which is accidental, 
 not essential to their nature; so that the true 
 conclusion is, the fallen angels, while they are 
 under forcible restraint from God to the contra- 
 ry, cannot appear. But what this (being clear- 
 ed from the ambiguity you express it in) maketh 
 to the purpose, I know not, unless God had 
 promised for a determinate time to detain them 
 under this restraint. 
 
 1 do not understand what you intend by the 
 dead being raised by holy men; the most natu- 
 ral inference is, that, in imitation of them, wick- 
 ed men, by their enchantments calling on a da?- 
 
A GENTLEMAN, fcc. 175 
 
 mon to appear in the shape of the dead, will 
 pretend that they also can raise the dead. 
 
 The Romanists are much obliged to you for 
 making transubstantiation (so much contended 
 for by them) to be of as old a date as the ap- 
 pearance of devils, and that the one impiieth no 
 more contradiction than the other : it' so, we do 
 well to think seriously whether we are not guil- 
 ty of great sin in separating from them; for 
 certainly whatever private men's notions in this 
 age may be, yet it is matter of great moment, 
 that all antiquity (the sadducees, the elder 
 brethren of our llobbists, excepted) hath be- 
 lieved the appearance of evil spirits and their 
 delusions. 
 
 I should be too officious if I offered to explain 
 how matter, real matter, may fall under the cog- 
 nisance of one of our senses, and not the rest. It 
 is for you to shew the impossibility thereof, if you 
 will build any thing upon your assertion; to 
 prove which, your first argument is (it seems to 
 me) a chimera; which is not enough, when 
 there are many to whom it seems to be a truth. 
 Your second is very dangerous, and highly de- 
 rogatory of the honour of God, between whom 
 and the devil you make comparison more than 
 once, as the power of the Almighty must not be 
 considered to be less than the devil's. A,id again, 
 to deny these three last were to make the de- 
 vil an independent power, and consequently a 
 God. These expressions (which cannot but be 
 very pleasing to the devil, who vainly boasts 
 himself to be a being without dependence) are 
 altogether groundless, and very unmeet to pro- 
 
176 LETTERS OF 
 
 ceed from a christian. Consider what you are 
 doing ; to establish a doctrine (the contrary 
 whereof the greatest part of mankind does be- 
 lieve) you run upon such precipices, as, if you 
 are mistaken, (and that is not impossible) must 
 totally destroy all religion, natural and revealed ; 
 for suppose it were generally believed, accord- 
 ing to you, that the devil cannot appear, because 
 if he could he must be a God, independent, an 
 unconquered enemy, and he doth appear to us 
 as we hear he hath to multitudes, both of the 
 past and present ages ; in such a case what re- 
 mains for us to do, but to fall down and worship 
 him? 
 
 Upon the head of possession, you have re- 
 course to that instance of Samson, who was em- 
 powered by God to the doing of things beyond 
 the natural strength of common men; and thence 
 you say, we may at least learn the nature of 
 possession by evil spirits. This comparison is 
 indeed very odious, and I had rather think you 
 have fallen into it unawares; for what greater 
 blasphemy, than that God and the devil do act 
 the bodies, which the one and the other do pos- 
 sess, in the same manner? If the hypothesis I 
 laid down had not pleased you, yet you ought 
 not (for fear of being deceived by vain philoso- 
 phy) to have run to so horrible an extreme, as 
 to assimilate God's manner of working to the 
 devil's, which necessarily implies, that either 
 their powers are equal, or at least that they do 
 not differ in kind, but in degree only ; than which 
 nothing can be more impious or absurd: for the 
 most possible perfect creature is infinitely distant 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. J 77 
 
 from the Creator, and there can be no compar- 
 ison between them. 
 
 On the head of witchcraft, you acknowledge 
 the witch has not his wonder-working power 
 from God; but then you say, the devil has no 
 such power to give ; for if he had, he must be 
 
 . This way of reasoning, as I noted before, 
 
 is very dangerous, and I think ought not to be 
 used ; besides, there is a great fallacy in your 
 dilemma ; which, because I perceive you lay the 
 whole weight of the matter upon it, 1 will evince 
 unto you. The devil, though superlatively arro- 
 gant and proud, nevertheless depends on the 
 First Cause for his being, and all his powers, 
 without whose influx he or any other creature 
 cannot subsist a moment, but must either return 
 to their primitive nothing, or be continually 
 preserved by the same power, by the which 
 they were at first produced; therefore the being 
 and powers of all creatures (because they imme- 
 diately flow from God) are good, and conse- 
 quently the simple actions, as they proceed 
 from those powers, are in their own nature like- 
 wise good, the evil proceeding only from the 
 rebellious will of the creature; wherefore it is 
 no paradox, but a certain truth, that the same 
 action in respect oi the first cause is good, but 
 in respect of the second is evil; for instance, the 
 act of copulation is in itself good, instituted by 
 God, and may be explicitly willed and desired 
 by the soul, which sinneth not for exerting the 
 simple act, but for exerting it contrary to 
 the laws prescribed by God : as in wedlock 
 and adultery there is the same special natu* 
 
173 - LETTERS OF 
 
 ral action, which, considered simply, as flow- 
 ing from a power given to man by God, is 
 certainly good; but considered with relation to 
 the rebellious will of the adulterer (who lieth 
 with his neighbour's wife, whom he is for- 
 bid to touch) is a very great evil. We may 
 say the same of all human actions; the execu- 
 tioner and the murtherer do the same natural 
 act of striking and killing: the difference con- 
 sists in the rectitude of the one's, and deprava- 
 tion of the other's, will. These things premised, 
 what more reason have we to conclude that the 
 devil (because he shews signs and wonders to 
 gain belief to lies, which is very contrary to the 
 will of God) must be therefore an independent 
 power, than that the adulterer, the murtherer, 
 or any other sinner (because their actions being 
 evil, of which God cannot be the cause) must be 
 independent beings? The deceit of the last is* 
 very palpable, and I doubt not but you will rea- 
 dily acknowledge it ; for it is obvious from what 
 has been said, to the meanest capacity, to dis- 
 tinguish between the action itself, which is good, 
 and flows from God, and the circumstances of 
 the action, the choice whereof proceeds from 
 the iniquity of the will, wherein doth solely con- 
 sist the sin; the parallel is so exact, that I can- 
 not see the least shadow of reason, why we 
 ought not in like manner to distinguish whatever 
 effect is produced by the devil; to whom (as to 
 man) God, having given powers, and a will to 
 rule those powers, is truly and properly the 
 cause of all the actions (in a natural, but not 
 moral sense) that flow from the powers he has 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 179 
 
 given. Therefore the wonder-working power 
 of the devil, and the effects thereof, considered 
 as acts of one of God's creatures, are not evil 
 but good; the using that power (which pro- 
 ceeds from the rebellion of satan) to bear testi- 
 mony to a lie, is that one, which constitutes 
 the evil thereof. 
 
 And now I have done with your argument, 
 wherein you have indeed shewn great skill and 
 dexterity in turning to your advantage what, be- 
 ing fairly stated, makes against you, as the ap- 
 pearance of angels, <kc. observing nicely the 
 rules of art, and particularly that grand one of 
 concealing, nay dissembling, the same art ; as 
 when you quote that scripture concerning vain 
 philosophy (of which, though altogether foreign 
 from the matter in hand, jet) you intend to 
 serve yourself with the unthinking, who mea- 
 sure the sense of words by their jingle, not 
 knowing how to weigh the things they signify; 
 and truly herein your end is very artificial: tor 
 you intend both to throw dirt at them that dif- 
 fer from you, and at the same time to cover 
 yourself with such a subtle web, through which 
 you may see, and not be seen. What follows is 
 rather a rhetorical lecture, such as the patriots 
 of sects (who commonly explain the holy scrip- 
 tures according to their own dogmas, and so ob- 
 trude human invention for the pure word of 
 God) use with their auditors, to recommend any 
 principle they have a mind to establish, than an 
 impartial and thorough disquisition of a contro- 
 verted point ; wherefore I do not think myself 
 obliged to take any further notice of it : espe- 
 
180 LETTERS OF 
 
 cially seeing truth, which for the most part is 
 little regarded in such florid discourses, and not 
 any prejudice of education, interest or party, did 
 set nie about this subject. I have never been 
 used to compliment in points of controversy, 
 therefore 1 hope you will not be angry because 
 1 have given you my thoughts naked and plain. 
 1 have not the least motion in my mind of accus- 
 ing you of any formal design to injure religion ; 
 I only observe unto you, that your over eager 
 contention to maintain your principle has hurried 
 you to assert many things of much greater dan- 
 ger, both in themselves and their consequences, 
 than those you would seem to avoid; which do 
 amount to no more than that men, being (in the 
 ordinary course of providence) the depositories 
 of both divine and human laws, may (instead of 
 using them to preserve) pervert them to de- 
 stroy; which indeed is very lamentable. But 
 it is the inevitable consequent of our depraved 
 nature, and cannot be wholly remedied, till sin, 
 and the grand author of sin, the devil, be entire- 
 ly conquered, and God be all in all; to whom, 
 with the Son, and Holy Ghost, be glory for ever, 
 Amen. 
 
 Sir, your affectionate friend to serve you. 
 Boston, July 25, 1694. 
 
 Worthy Sir, B ° Ston > ^ USt 1 7 ' * 694 ' 
 
 Yours of July 25 being in some sort surpris- 
 ing to me, I could do no less than say somewhat, 
 as well to vindicate myself from those many re- 
 flections, mistakes and hard censures therein, as 
 
A GENTLEMAN, &c. 181 
 
 •also to vindicate what I conceive to be impor- 
 tant truth ; and to that end find it needful to re- 
 peat some part of mine, viz. conclusion 
 
 1. That the glorious angels have their mis- 
 sion and commission from the Most High. 
 
 2. That without this they cannot appear to 
 mankind. 
 
 3. That if the glorious angels have not that 
 power to go, till commissioned, or to appear to 
 mortals, then not the fallen angels, who are held 
 in chains of darkness to the judgment of the 
 great day. 
 
 4. That when the Almighty Free Agent ha- 
 a work to bring about for hi* own glory, or man's 
 good, he can employ not only the blessed angels, 
 but evil ones, in it. 
 
 5. That when the Divine Being will employ 
 the agency of evil spirits for any service, it is 
 with him the manner how they shall exhibit 
 themselves, whether to the bodily eye, or intel- 
 lect only, or whether it shall be more or less 
 formidable. 
 
 To deny these three last, were to make the 
 devil an independent power, and consequently a 
 God. 
 
 The bare recital of these is sufficient to vin- 
 dicate me from that reiterated charge, of deny- 
 ing all appearances of angels or devils. 
 
 That the good angels cannot appear without 
 mission and commission from the Most High, is, 
 you say, more than follows from the premises; 
 but if you like not such negative deduction, 
 though so natural, it concerns you (if you will 
 assert this power to be in their natures, and then 
 16 
 
182 LETTERS OF 
 
 non-appearance only to proceed from the recti- 
 tude of their wills, and that without such com- 
 mission they have a power to appear to mortals, 
 and upon this to build so prodigious a structure, 
 &c.) very clearly to prove it by scripture ; for 
 christians have good reason to take the apostle's 
 warning (if some philosophers have taught that 
 man is nothing but matter, and others that 'tis 
 not certain there is any matter at all) to take heed 
 lest they sJtouhl be spoiled through vain philoso- 
 phy, &c. but that this should be alluded to such 
 as never heard of either notion, or that it was 
 asserted that those real appearances to Joseph, 
 and to the apcstle, were through the ministry of 
 the senses, is as vain as such philosophy. As to 
 the dead being raised, had I used art or rheto- 
 riek enough to explain my meaning to you, I 
 needed not now to rejoin, — that 'tis as good an 
 argument to say, that because holy prophets 
 have raised the dead, therefore wicked men have 
 a power to raise the dead, as 'tis to say, because 
 good angels have appeared, therefore the evil 
 have a power to appear; for who can doubt, 
 but if the Almighty shall commission a wicked 
 man to it, he also shall raise the dead? as is in- 
 timated, Matt. vii. 22, And in thy name done ma- 
 ny wonderful works. As to comparisons being 
 odious, particularly that concerning Samson, I 
 think it needful here to add these scriptures fur- 
 ther to confirm the fourth conclusion. 2 Sam, 
 xxiv. 1, compared with 1 Chron. xxi. 1. In one 
 'tis God moved, &c. and in the other Satan pro- 
 voked David to number the people, 2 Chron. 
 xviii. 21, And the Lord said, thoushalt entice him, 
 
A GENTLEMAN, kc. 183 
 
 and thou shcilt also prevail ; go out and do even so ; 
 all which, with many more that might he pro- 
 duced, will shew the truth of the conclu- 
 sion; so that 'tis no odious comparison to say, 
 that as the Almighty can make use of good, so 
 also of evil spirits, for the accomplishing of his 
 own wise ends, and can empower either with- 
 out the help of a vehicle : for possessions must 
 be numbered among God's afflictive dispensa- 
 tions, who also orders all the circumstances 
 thereof. But if any object, God is not the au- 
 thor of evil, &c. you have furnished me with a 
 very learned answer, by distinguishing between 
 the act, and the evil of the act, and to which 
 'tis adapt, but will no wise suit where it is pla- 
 ced, till it be first proved that the devil hath of 
 himself such power not only of appearing, at 
 pleasure, but of working miracles, and to the 
 Almighty reserved only the power of restrain- 
 ing; lor, till this be proved, the dilemma must 
 remain stable. He that asserts, that because 
 good angels have appeared, therefore the fallen 
 angels have a power of themselves to appear 
 to mortals, and that they cannot be employed 
 by the Almighty, nor that he does not order the 
 manner and circumstances of such appearance, 
 what doth he less than make the devil an inde- 
 pendent power, and consequently a God? So 
 he that asserts that the devil hath a power of 
 himself, and independent, to work wonders, and 
 miracles, and to empower witches to do like in 
 order to deceive, &c. what doth he less than 
 own him to be an unconquered enemy, and conse- 
 quently a sovereign deity ? and who is he that 
 
284 LETTERS OF 
 
 is culpable ? he that ascribes such attributes to 
 the evil one, or he that asserts that the so doing 
 gives him (or ascribes to him) such power as is 
 the prerogative of him only who is almighty? 
 And here, sir, it highly concerns you to consider 
 your foundations, what proof from scripture is 
 to be found for your assertions, and who it is 
 you are contending for: for hitherto nothing 
 like a proof hath been offered from scripture, 
 .which abounds so with the contrary, that he 
 that runs may read ; as, Shall there be evil in the 
 eity, and the Lord hath not done it ? Who is he 
 that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord 
 eommandeth not ? Who among the gods of the hea- 
 then (of which the devil is one) can give rot»? &c. 
 
 But I shall not be tedious in multiplying proofs, 
 to that which all seem to own. For as to that 
 stale plea of universality, do say that I have 
 read of one, if not several, general councils, that 
 have not only disapproved, but anathematised 
 them that have ascribed such powers to the de* 
 vils. And several national protestant churches 
 at this day, in their exhortations before the sa- 
 crament (among other enormous crimes) admo- 
 nish all that believe any such power in the 
 witch, &c. to withdraw, as unmeet to partake 
 at the Lord's table. 
 
 And I believe christians in general, if they 
 were asked, would own that what powers the 
 devil may at any time have to appear, to afflict, 
 destroy, or cause tempests, &c must be by pow- 
 er or commission from the Sovereign Being; 
 and that, having such a commission, not only 
 hail, but frogs, lice, or fleas, shall be empower- 
 
A GENTLEMAN, kc. 186 
 
 ed to plague a great king and kingdom. And if 
 so, tin's sandy structure of the devil's appearance, 
 and working wonders, at pleasure, and of em- 
 powering witches to afflict, &c. (for to this nar- 
 row crisis is that whole doctrine reduced) the 
 whole disappears at the first shaking. 
 
 Thus, worthy sir, I have given you my senti- 
 ments, and the grounds thereof, as plainly and 
 as concise as 1 was able; though 'tis indeed a 
 subject that calls for the ablest pens to discuss, 
 acknowledging myself to be insufficient for these 
 things. However, I think I have done but my 
 duty, for the glory of God, the sovereign being; 
 and have purposely avoided such a reply as 
 some parts of yours required; and pray that 
 not only you and J, but all mankind, may give 
 to the Almighty the glory due unto his name. 
 
 From, sir, yours to command, R. C. 
 
 Witchcraft is manifestly a work of the flesh. 
 16* 
 
PART V. 
 AN IMPARTIAL ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THE MOST MEMORABLE 
 
 MATTERS OF FACT, 
 
 TOUCHING THE SUPPOSED WITCHCRAFT IN NEW-ENGLAND. 
 
 JjjLR. PARRIS had been some years a mi- 
 nister in Salem Village, when this sad calamity, 
 as a deluge, overflowed them, spreading itself 
 far and near. He was a gentleman of liberal 
 education; and, not meeting with any great en- 
 couragement, or advantage, in merchandising, 
 to which for some time he applied himself, be- 
 took himself to the work of the ministry ; this 
 Village being then vacant, he met with so much 
 encouragement, as to settle in that capacity 
 among them. 
 
 After he had been there about two years, he 
 obtained a grant from a part of the town, that 
 the house and land he occupied, and which had 
 been allotted by the whole people to the min- 
 istry, should be and remain to him, &c. as his 
 own estate in fee simple. This occasioned great 
 divisions both between the inhabitants them- 
 
188 MATTERS 
 
 selves, and between a considerable part of them 
 and their said minister; which divisions were 
 but as a beginning, or prelude, to what immedi- 
 ately followed. 
 
 It was the latter end of February, 169], when 
 divers young persons belonging to mr. Parris's 
 family, and one or more of the neighbourhood, 
 began to act after a strange and unusual manner, 
 viz. as by getting into holes, and creeping un- 
 der chairs and stools, and to use sundry odd pos- 
 tures and antick gestures, uttering foolislf, ri- 
 diculous speeches, which neither they them- 
 selves nor any others could make sense of. 
 The physicians that were called could assign no 
 reason for this; but it seems one of them, hav- 
 ing recourse to the old shift, told them, he 
 was afraid they were bewitched. Upon such 
 suggestions, they that were concerned applied 
 themselves to fasting and prayer, which was at- 
 tended not only in their own private families, 
 but with calling in the help of others. March 
 the Mth, mr. Parris invited several neighbour- 
 ing ministers to join with him in keeping a so- 
 lemn day of prayer at his own house. The 
 time of the exercise, those persons were for the 
 most part silent; but after any one prayer Avas 
 ended, they would act and speak strangely and 
 ridiculously; yet were such as had been well 
 educated, and of good behaviour; the one, a girl 
 of 11 or 12 years old, would sometimes seem to 
 be in a convulsion fit, her limbs being twisted. 
 several ways, and very stiff, but presently her 
 fit would be over. 
 
 A few days before this solemn day of prayer, 
 
OF FACT, fee* 189 
 
 inr. Parris's Indian man and woman made a 
 cake of rye meal, with the children's water, and 
 baked it in the ashes, and, as is said, gave it 
 to the dog ; this was done as a means to disco- 
 ver witchcraft ; soon after which, those ill af- 
 fected or afflicted persons named several that 
 they said they saw, when in their fits, afflicting 
 them. 
 
 The first complained of was the said Indian 
 woman, named Tituba : she confessed that the 
 devil urged her to sign a book, which he pre- 
 sented to her, and also to work mischief to the 
 children, &c. She was afterwards committed 
 to prison, and lay there till sold for her fees. 
 The account she since gives of it is, that her 
 master did beat her, and other ways abuse her, 
 to make her confess and accuse (such as he 
 called) her sister-witches; and that whatsoever 
 she said by way of confessing, or accusing oth- 
 ers, was the effect of such usage : her master 
 refused to pay her fees, unless she would stand 
 to what she had said. 
 
 The children complained likewise of two oth- 
 er women, to be the authors of their hurt, viz. 
 Sarah Good, who had long been counted a me- 
 lancholy or distracted woman ; and one Osborn, 
 <m old bed-ridden woman; which two were per- 
 sons so ill thought of, that the accusation was 
 the more readily believed; and, after examina- 
 tion before two Salem magistrates, were com- 
 mitted. March 9th, mr. Lowson (who had 
 been formerly a preacher at the said village) 
 came thither, and hath since set forth, in print, 
 &n account of what then passed; about which 
 
100 MATTERS 
 
 time, as he saith, they complained of goodwiie 
 Corj, and goodwiie Nurse, members of church- 
 es at the Village and at Salem, many others be- 
 ing by that time accused. 
 
 Alarcli 21. Good wife Cory was examined be- 
 fore the magistrates of Salem, at the meeting 
 house in the Village, a throng of spectators being 
 present to see the novelty. Mr. Noyes, one of 
 the ministers of Salem, began with prayer; after 
 which the prisoner being called, in order to an- 
 swer to what should be alledged against her, 
 she desired that she might go to prayer; and 
 was answered by the magistrates, that they did 
 not come to hear her pray, but to examine her. 
 
 The number of the afflicted were at that 
 time about ten, viz. mrs. Pope, mrs. Putman, 
 goodwiie Bibber and good wife Goodall, Maty 
 Wolcott, Mercy Lewes (at Thomas Putman's) 
 and Dr. Grigg's maid, and three girls, viz. Eliza- 
 beth Parris, daughter to the minister, Abigail 
 Williams, his niece, and Ann Putman; which 
 last three were not only the beginners, but were 
 also the chief, in these accusations. These ten 
 were most of them present at the examination, 
 and did vehemently accuse her of afflicting them, 
 by biting, pinching, strangling, &c. and they said 
 they did in their fits see her likeness coming to 
 them, and bringing a book for them to sign.. 
 Mr. Hathorn, a magistrate of Salem, asked her 
 way she afflicted those children. She said, she 
 did iiot afflict them. He asked her who did 
 then. She said, 1 do not know, how should I 
 know? She said, they were poor distracted 
 creatares, and no heed ought to be given to 
 
OF FACT, &c. 191 
 
 what they said. Mr. Hathorn and mr. Noyes 
 replied that it was the judgment of all that 
 were there present, that they were bewitched, 
 and only she (the accused) said they were dis- 
 tracted. She was accuse I by them, that the 
 black man whispered to her in her ear now 
 (while she was upon examination) and that she 
 had a yellow oird, that did use to suck between 
 her fingers, and that the said bird did suck now 
 in the assembly. Order being given to look in 
 tli^t place to see if there were any sign, the 
 girl that pretended to see it said, that it was too 
 late now, for she had removed a pin, and put it 
 on her head; it was upon search found, that a 
 pin was there sticking upright. When the ac- 
 cused had any motion of their body, hands or 
 mouth, the accusers would cry out ; as when 
 she bit a lip, they would cry out of being bitten; 
 if she grasped one hand with the other, they 
 would cry out of being pinched by her, and 
 would produce marks; so of the other motions 
 of her body, as complaining of being prest, when 
 she leaned to the seat next her; if she stirred 
 her feet, they would stamp, and cry out of pain 
 there. After the hearing, the said Cory was 
 committed to Salem prison, and then their cry- 
 ing out of her abated. 
 
 March 24, good wife Nurse was brought be- 
 fore mr. Hathorn and mr. Curvvin (magistrates) 
 in the meeting house. Mr. Hale, minister of 
 Beverly, began with prayer; alter which she, 
 being accused of much the same crimes, made 
 the like answers, asserting her own innocence 
 with earnestness. The accusers were mostly tho 
 
192 MATTERS 
 
 same, Thomas Putman's wife, &c. complaining 
 much. The dreadful shrieking from her and 
 others was very amazing, which was heard at a 
 great distance. She was also committed to pri- 
 son. 
 
 A child of Sarah Good's was likewise appre- 
 hended, being between 4 and 5> years old. The 
 accusers said this child bit them, and would shew 
 such like marks, as those of a small set of teeth, 
 upon their arms: as many of the afflicted as the 
 child cast its eye upon, would complain they 
 were in torment : which child they also com- 
 mitted. 
 
 Concerning those that had been hitherto ex- 
 amined and committed, it is among other things 
 observed, by Mr. Lawson (in print) that they 
 were by the accusers charged to belong to a 
 company that did muster in arms, and were re- 
 ported by them to keep days of last, thanksgiv- 
 ing and sacraments ; and that those afflicted (or 
 accusers) did in the assembly cure each other, 
 even with a touch of their hand, when stranded 
 and other ways tortured, and would endeavour 
 to get to the afflicted to relieve them thereby 
 (lor hitherto they had not used the experiment 
 of bringing the accused to touch the afflicted, in 
 order to their cure) and could fcretel one anoth- 
 er's ht to be coming, and woukl say. look 10 such 
 a one, she will have a fit presently, Hud so it 
 happened; and that at the same time when the 
 accused person was present, fhe afflicted said 
 they saw her spectre or likejness in other places 
 of the meeting-house sucking their familiars. 
 
 The said mr. Lawson being to preach at the 
 
OF FACT, &c. 103 
 
 Village, after the psalm was sung, Abigail Wil- 
 liams said, JYoio stand up and name your text ; 
 alter it was read, she said, it was a long text, 
 Mrs. Pope in the beginning of sermon said to 
 him, now there is enough of that. In sermon, he 
 referring to his doctrine, Abigail Williams said 
 to him, / know no doctrine you had ; if you did 
 name one, I have forgot iU Ann Putman, an af- 
 flicted girl, said, there was a yellow bird sat on 
 his hat as it hung on the pin in the pulpit. 
 
 March 31, 1692, was set apart as a day of 
 solemn humiliation at Salem, upon the account 
 of this business ; on which day Abigail Williams 
 said, that she saw a great number of persons in 
 the Village at the administration of a mock sacra- 
 ment, where they had bread as red. as raw flesh, and 
 red drink. 
 
 jZpril 1. Mercy Lewis affirmed, that she saw 
 a man in white, with whom she went into a glorious 
 place, viz. in her fits, where was no light of the 
 sun, much less of candles, yet was full of light and 
 brightness, with a great multitude in white glitter- 
 ing robes, who sang the song in Rev. v. 9. and the 
 cxlix Psalm ; and was given that she might tar- 
 ry no longer in this place. This white man is 
 said to have appeared several times to others of 
 them, and to have given them notice how long it 
 should be before they should have another fit. 
 
 jlpril 3. Being sacrament day at the Village, 
 Sarah Cioyce, sister to goodwife Nurse, a mem- 
 ber of one of the churches, was (though it seems 
 with difficulty prevailed with to be) present ; 
 but being entered the place, and mr. Parris 
 naming his text. John vi. 70, Have not I chosen 
 17 
 
m MATTERS 
 
 you twelve? and one of you is a devil; (for -what 
 cause may rest as a doubt, whether upon the 
 account of her sister's being committed, or be- 
 cause of the choice of that \exi) she rose up 
 and went out; the wind shutting the door forci- 
 bly, gave occasion to some to suppose she went 
 out in anger, and might occasion a suspicion of 
 her ; however, she was soon after complained of, 
 examined and committed. 
 
 April 11. By this time the number of the ac- 
 cused and accusers being much increased, there 
 was a publick examination at Salem, six of the 
 magistrates with several ministers being present. 
 There appeared several who complained against 
 others with hideous clamours and screechings. 
 Goodwife Proctor was brought thither, being 
 accused or cried out against : her husband 
 coming to attend and assist her, as there might 
 be need, the accusers cried out of him also, and 
 that with so much earnestness, that he was com- 
 mitted with his wife. About this time, besides 
 the experiment of the afflicted falling at the 
 sight, &c they put the accused upon saying the 
 Lord's prayer, which one among them perform- 
 ed, except in that petition, deliver us from evil, 
 she exprest it thus, deliver us from all evil : this 
 was looked upon as if she prayed against what 
 she was now justly under, and being put upon 
 it again, and repeating those words, hallowed be 
 thy name, she exprest it, hollowed be thy name : 
 this was counted a depraving the words, as sig- 
 nifying to make void, and so a curse rather than 
 a oraver: upon the whole it was concluded that 
 she also could not say it, &c. Proceeding in this 
 
OF FACT, &c. 19a 
 
 work of examination and commitment, many 
 were sent to prison. As an instance, see the 
 following mittimus. 
 
 To their Majesties' Gaol-keeper in Salem. 
 
 You are in their majesties' names hereby re- 
 quired to take into your care, and safe custody, 
 the bodies of William Hobs and Deborah his 
 wife, Mary Easty, the wife of Isaac Easty, and 
 Sarah Wild, the wife of John Wild, all of Tops- 
 field; and Edward Bishop, of Salem Village, 
 husbandman, and Sarah his wife, and Mary 
 Black, a negro of lieutenant Nathaniel Putman, 
 of Salem Village ; "also Mary English, the wife 
 of Philip English, merchant, in Salem ; who 
 stand charged with high suspicion of sundry acts 
 of witchcraft, done or committed by them lately 
 upon the bodies of Ann Putman, Mary Lewis 
 and Abigail Williams, of Salem Village ; where- 
 by great hurt and damage hath been done to 
 the bodies of the said persons, according to the 
 complaint of Thomas Putman and John Buxton, 
 of Salem Village, exhibited ; whom you are to 
 secure in order to their further examination. — 
 Fail not. 
 
 John Hathorn, ) 
 7 ^ .' > assistants. 
 Jona. Cur win, ) 
 
 Dated Salem, April 22, 1692. 
 
 To marshal George Herrick, > 
 of Salem, Essex. $ 
 
 You are in their majesties' names hereby required 
 to convey the above named to the gaol at Salem. — Fail 
 fiot. John Hathorn, > a?sistants 
 
 Jona. Curwin, $ c ' 
 Dated Salem, April 22, 1692. 
 
196 MATTERS 
 
 The occasion of Bishop's being cried out of, 
 was, he being at an examination in Salem, when 
 at the inn an afflicted Indian was very unruly, 
 whom he undertook, and so managed him, that 
 he was very orderly ; after which, in riding 
 home, in company of him and other accusers, 
 the Indian fell into a fit, and clapping hold with 
 his teeth on the back of the man that rode be- 
 fore him, thereby held himself upon the horse; 
 but said Bishop striking him with his stick, the 
 Indian soon recovered, and promised he would 
 do so no more; to which Bishop replied, that 
 he doubted not but he could cure them all, with 
 more to the same effect. Immediately after he 
 was parted from them, he was cried out of, &c* 
 
 May 14, 1692. Sir William Phips arrived 
 with commission from their majesties to be go- 
 vernor, pursuant to the new charter, which he 
 now brought with him, the ancient charter hav- 
 ing been vacated by king Charles and king 
 James, (by which they had a power not only to 
 make their own laws, but also to choose their 
 own governor and officers) and the country for 
 some years was put under an absolute commis- 
 sion-government, till the Revolution, at which 
 time, though more than two thirds of the people 
 were for reassuming their ancient government, (to 
 which they had encouragement by his then royal 
 highness's proclamation) yet some that might 
 have been better employed (in another station) 
 made it their business (by printing, as well as 
 speaking) to their utmost to divert them from 
 such a settlement: and so far prevailed, that 
 for about seven weeks after the Revolution, 
 
OF FACT, &c. W 
 
 here was not so much as a face of any govern- 
 ment; but some few men upon their own nomi- 
 nation would be called a committee of safety; 
 but at length the assembly prevailed with those 
 that had been of the government, to promise 
 that they would reassume; and accordingly a 
 proclamation was drawn, but before publishing 
 it, it was underwritten, that they would not 
 have it understood that they did reassume char- 
 ter-government ; so that between government 
 and no government, this country remained till 
 sir William arrived : agents being in this time 
 empowered in England, which no doubt did not 
 all of them act according to the minds or inter- 
 ests of those that empowered them, w T hich is 
 manifest by their not acting jointly in what was 
 done ; so that this place is perhaps a single in- 
 stance (even in the best of reigns) of a charter 
 not restored after so happy a revolution. This 
 settlement by sir William Phips's having come 
 governor put an end to all disputes of these things; 
 and being arrived, and having read his com- 
 mission, the first thing he exerted his power in, 
 was said to be his giving orders that irons should 
 be put upon those in prison; for though for 
 some time after these were committed, the ac- 
 cusers ceased to cry out of them, yet now the 
 cry against them was renewed, which occasion- 
 ed such order; and though there was partiali- 
 ty in the executing it (some having them taken 
 oif almost as soon as put on) yet the cry of these 
 accusers against such, ceased after this order. 
 
 May 24. Mrs. Cary, of Charlestown, was 
 examined and committed. Her husband, mr. 
 17* 
 
198 MATTERS 
 
 Jonathan Gary, has given account thereof, a* 
 also of her escape, to this effect : 
 
 u I having heard, some days, that my wife was 
 accused of witchcraft, being much disturbed at 
 it, by advice we went to Salem Village, to see if 
 the afflicted knew her; we arrived there 24th 
 Mav; it happened to be a day appointed for 
 examination ; accordingly, soon after our arrival, 
 mr. Hathorn and mr. Curwin, &c. went to the 
 meeting-house, which was the place appointed 
 for that work; the minister began with prayer; 
 and having taken care to get a convenient place, 
 I observed that the afflicted were two girls of 
 about ten years old, and about two or three 
 others, of about eighteen; one of the girls talk- 
 ed most, and could discern more than the rest. 
 The prisoners were called in one by one, and as 
 they came in were cried out of, &c The pri- 
 soners were placed about seven or eight feet 
 from the justices, and the accusers between the 
 justices and them ; the prisoners were ordered 
 to stand right before the justices, with an officer 
 appointed to hold each hand, lest they should 
 therewith afflict them ; and the prisoners' eyes 
 must be constantly on the justices ; for if they 
 looked on the afflicted, they would either fall 
 into their fits, or cry out of being hurt by them. 
 After an examination of the prisoners, who it 
 was afflicted these girls, &c they were put up- 
 on saying the Lord's prayer, as a trial of their 
 guilt. After the afflicted seemed to be out of 
 their fits, they would look steadfastly on some 
 one person, and frequently not speak; and then 
 the justices said they were struck dumb, and afe 
 
OF FACT, &c. igg 
 
 ter a little time would speak again; then the 
 justices said to the accusers, Which of you will 
 go and touch the prisoner at the bar ? Then the 
 most courageous would adventure, but before 
 the j had made three steps would ordinarily fall 
 down as in a fit. The justices ordered that 
 they should be taken up and carried to the pri- 
 soner, that she might touch them ; and as soon 
 as they were touched by the accused, the justi- 
 ces would say, they are well, before I could dis- 
 cern any alteration; by which I observed that 
 the justices understood the manner of it. Thus 
 far I was only as a spectator; my wife also was 
 there part of the time, but no notice taken of 
 her by the*affiicted, except once or twice they 
 came to her and asked her name. 
 
 " But I having an opportunity to discouse mr. 
 Hale (with whom I had formerly acquaintance) 
 I took his advice what I had best to do, and 
 desired of him that I might have an opportuni- 
 ty to speak with her that accused my wife; 
 which he promised should be, I acquainting him 
 that I reposed my trust in him. Accordingly 
 he came to me after the examination was over, 
 and told me I had now an opportunity to speak 
 with the said accuser, viz. Abigail Williams, a 
 girl of 11 or 12 years old; but that we could 
 not be in private at mr. Parris's house, as he 
 had promised me; we went therefore into the 
 alehouse, where an Indian mnn attended us, 
 who it seems was one of the afflicted : to him 
 we gave some cider : he shewed several scars, 
 that seemed as if they had been long there, and 
 shewed them as done by witchcraft, and ao 
 
200 MATTERS 
 
 quainted us that his wife, who also was a slave, 
 was imprisoned for witchcraft. And now, in- 
 stead of one accuser, they all came in, and be- 
 gan to tumble down like swine ; and then three 
 women were called in to attend them. We in 
 the room w T ere all at a stand, to see who they 
 would cry out of; but in a short tiuie they cri- 
 ed out, Cary ; and immediately after a warrant 
 was sent from the justices to bring my w r ife be- 
 fore them, who were sitting in a chamber near 
 by, waiting for this. 
 
 "Being brought before the justices, her chief 
 accusers were tw 7 o girls. My wife declared to 
 the justices, that she never had any knowledge 
 of them before that day. She was forced to 
 stand with her arms stretched out. I requested 
 that I might hold one of her hands, but it w 7 as 
 denied me; then she desired me to wipe the 
 tears from her eyes, and the sweat from her 
 face, which I did ; then she desired she might 
 lean herself on me, saying she should faint. 
 
 " Justice Halhorn replied, she had strength 
 enough to torment those persons, and she should 
 have strength enough to stand. I speaking 
 something against their cruel proceedings, they 
 commanded me to be silent, or else I should be 
 turned out of the room. The Indian before 
 mentioned was also brought in, to be one of her 
 accusers: being come in, he now (when before 
 the justices) fell down and tumbled about like a 
 hog, but said nothing. The justices asked the 
 girls who afflicted the Indian; they answered, 
 she, (meaning my wife) and that she now lay 
 upon him ; the justices ordered her to toucii 
 
OF FACT, &c. 201 
 
 him, in order to his cure, but her head must be 
 turned another way, lest, instead of curing, she 
 should make him worse, by her looking on him, 
 her hand being guided to take hold of his ; but 
 the Indian took hold of her hand, and pulled her 
 down on the floor, in a barbarous manner ; then 
 his hand was taken off, and her hand put on his, 
 and the cure was quickly wrought. I, being 
 extremely troubled at their inhuman dealings, 
 uttered a hasty speech, That God would take 
 vengeance on them, and desired that God would 
 deliver us out of the hands of mime, ciful men. 
 Then her mittimus was writ. I did with diffi- 
 culty and charge obtain the liberty of a room, 
 but no beds in it ; if there had been, could have 
 taken but little rest that night. She was com- 
 mitted to Boston prison ; but 1 obtained a ha- 
 beas corpus to remove her to Cambridge pri- 
 son, which is in our county of Middlesex. Hav- 
 ing been there one night, next morning the jail- 
 er put irons on her legs (having received such 
 a command ;) the weight of them w r as about 
 eight pounds : these irons and her other afflic- 
 tions soon brought her into convulsion fits, so 
 that I thought she would have died that night. 
 I sent to entreat that the irons, might be taken 
 off; but all entreaties were in vain, if it would 
 have saved her life, so that in this condition she 
 must continue. The trials at Salem coming on, 
 I went thither, to see how things were mana- 
 ged ; and finding that the spectre evidence was 
 there received, together with idle, if not mali- 
 cious stories, against people's lives, 1 did easily 
 perceive which way the rest would go ; for the 
 
202 MATTERS 
 
 same evidence that served for one, would serve 
 for all the rest. I acquainted her with her 
 danger ; and that if she were carried to Salem 
 to be tried, I feared she would never return. I 
 did my utmost that she might have her trial in 
 our own county, I with several others petition- 
 ing the judge for it, and were put in hopes of it ; 
 but I soon saw so much, that I understood there- 
 by it was not intended, which put me upon con- 
 sulting the means of her escape ; which through 
 the goodness of God was effected, and she got 
 to Rhode-Island, but soon found herself not safe 
 when there, by reason of the pursuit after her ; 
 from thence she went to New- York, along with 
 some others that had escaped their cruel hands ; 
 where we found his excellency Benjamin Fletch- 
 er, esq. governor, who was very courteous to us. 
 After this, some of my goods were seized in a 
 friend's hands, with whom I had left them, and 
 myself im prisoned by the sheriff, and kept in 
 custody half a day, and then dismissed ; but to 
 speak of their usage of the prisoners, and the 
 inhumanity shewn to them at the time of their 
 execution, no sober christian could bear. They 
 had also trials of cruel mockings ; which is the 
 more, considering what a people for religion, I 
 mean the profession of it, we have been ; those 
 that suffered being many of them church mem- 
 bers, and most of them unspotted in their con- 
 versation, till their adversary the devil took up 
 this method for accusing them. 
 
 " Per Jonathan Cary." 
 May 31. Capt. John Aldin was examined 
 in Salem, and committed to Boston prison. The 
 
OF FACT, &c. 203 
 
 prison-keeper, seeing such a man committed, of 
 whom he had a good esteem, was after this the 
 more compassionate to those that were in prison 
 on the like account ; and refrained from such 
 hard things to the prisoners, as before ke had 
 used. Mr. Aldin himself has given an account 
 of his examination, in these words : 
 
 An account how John Aldin, senior, was dealt with 
 at Salem Village. 
 
 John Aldin, senior, of Boston, in the county of 
 Suffolk, mariner, on the 28th day of May, 1692, 
 was sent for by the magistrates of Salem, in the 
 county of Essex, upon the accusation of a com- 
 pany of poor distracted or possessed creatures 
 or witches; and being sent by mr. Stoughton, 
 arrived there the 31st of May, and appeared at 
 Salem Village, before mr. Gidney, mr. Hathorn 
 and mr. Curwin. 
 
 Those wenches being present, who played 
 their juggling tricks, falling down, crying out, 
 and staring in people's faces; the magistrates 
 demanded of them several times, who it was of 
 all the people in the room that hurt them: one 
 of these accusers pointed several times at one 
 captain Hill, there present, but spake nothing; 
 the same accuser had a man standing at her 
 back to hold her up; he stooped down to her 
 ear, then she cried out, Aldin, Aldin afflicted her ; 
 one of the magistrates asked her if she had ever 
 seen Aldin, she answered no; he asked how she 
 knew it was Aldin; she said the man told her so, 
 
 Then all were ordered to go down into the 
 street, where a ring was made ; and the same 
 accuser cried out, There stands Aldin, a bold 
 
204 MATTERS 
 
 fellow, with his hat on before the judges; he 
 sells powder and shot to the Indians and French, 
 and lies with the Indian squaws, and has Indian 
 papooses. Then was Aldin committed to the 
 marshal's custody, and his sword taken from 
 him; for they said he afflicted them with his 
 sword. After some hours Aldin was sent for 
 to the meeting-house in the Village, before the 
 magistrates ; who required Aldin to stand upon 
 a chair, to the open view of all the people. 
 
 The accusers cried out that Aldin pinched 
 them, then, when he stood upon the chair, in 
 the sight of all the people, a good way distant 
 from them. One of the magistrates bid the 
 marshal to hold open Aldin's hands, that he 
 might not pinch those creatures. Aldin asked 
 them why they should think that he should 
 come to that Village to afflict those persons 
 that he never knew or saw before. Mr. Gid- 
 ney bid Aldin confess, and give glory to God. 
 Aldin said, he hoped he should give glory to 
 God, and hoped he should never gratify the 
 devil; but appealed to all that ever knew him, 
 if they ever suspected him to be such a per- 
 son, and challenged any one, that could bring 
 in any thing upon their own knowledge, that 
 might give suspicion of his being such an one. 
 Mr. Gidney said he had known Aldin many 
 years, and had been at sea with him, and al- 
 ways looked upon him to be an honest man, 
 but now he saw cause to alter his judgment. 
 Aldin answered, he was sorry for that, but he 
 hoped God would clear up his innocency, that 
 he would recal that judgment again; and added. 
 
OF FACT, £c. 20b 
 
 that he hoped that he should with Job maintain his 
 integrity till he died. They bid Aldin look upon 
 the accusers, which he did, and then they fell 
 down. Aldin asked mr. Gidney what reason 
 there could be given, why Aldin's looking upon 
 him did not strike him down as well ; but no rea- 
 son was given that I heard. But the accusers 
 were brought to Aldin to touch them, and this 
 touch they said made them well. Aldin began 
 to speak of the providence of God, in suffering 
 these creatures to accuse innocent persons. Mr. 
 Noyes asked Aldin why he would offer to speak 
 of the providence of God : God by his provi- 
 dence (said mr. Noyes} governs the world, and 
 keeps it in peace ; and so went on with discourse, 
 and stopt Aldin's mouth as to that. Aldin told 
 Mr. Gidney, that he could assure him that there 
 was a lying spirit in them, for I can assure you 
 that there is not a word of truth in all these say 
 of me. But Aldin was again committed to the 
 marshal, and his mittimus written, which was as 
 follows : 
 
 To mr. John Arnold, keeper of the prison in Bos- 
 ton, in the county of Suffolk. 
 
 Whereas captain John Aldin, of Boston, mari- 
 ner, and Sarah Rice, wife of Nicholas Rice, 
 of Reading, husbandman, have been this day- 
 brought before us, John Hathorn and Jonathan 
 Curwin, esquires ; being accused and suspected 
 of perpetrating divers acts of witchcraft, contra- 
 ry to the form of the statute, in that case made 
 and provided: these are therefore, in their ma- 
 jesties king William and queen Mary's names* 
 18 
 
206 MATTERS 
 
 to will and require you to take into jour custo- 
 dy the bodies of the said John Aldin and Sarah 
 Rice, and them safely keep, until they shall be 
 delivered by due course of law, as you will an- 
 swer the contrary at your peril ; and this shall 
 be your sufficient warrant. Given under our 
 hands at Salem Village, the 31st of May, in the 
 fourth year of the reign of our sovereign lord 
 and lady, William and Mary, now king and 
 queen over England, &c. Anno Domini 1692. 
 
 John Hathorn, ) . 
 
 Jona. Curwin, ) 
 
 To Boston, Aldin was carried by a constable ; 
 Ho bail would be taken for him ; but was deli- 
 vered to the prison-keeper, where he remained 
 fifteen weeks ; and then, observing the manner 
 of trials, and evidence then taken, was at length 
 prevailed with to make his escape, and being re- 
 turned, was bound over to answer at the supe- 
 rior court at Boston, the last Tuesday in April, 
 anno 1693 ; and was there cleared by procla- 
 mation, none appearing against him. 
 
 Per John Aldin. 
 
 At the examination, and at other times, it was 
 usual for the accusers to tell of the black man, 
 or of a spectre, as being then on the table, &c. 
 The people about would strike with swords, or 
 sticks, at those places. One justice broke his 
 cane at this exercise ; and sometimes the accu- 
 sers would say, they struck the spectre, and it 
 is reported several of the accused were hurt and 
 wounded thereby, though at home at the same 
 time. 
 
OF FACT, &c, 2Q7 
 
 The justices proceeding in these works of ex- 
 amination and commitment to the end of May, 
 there were by that time about a hundred per- 
 sons imprisoned upon that account. 
 
 June 2. A special commission of oyer and ter- 
 miner having been issued out, to mr. Stoughton, 
 the new lieutenant governor, major Saltonstall, 
 major Richards, major Gidney, mr. Wait Win- 
 throp, captain Sewall, and mr. Sergeant, a quo- 
 rum of whom sat at Salem this day, where the 
 most that was done this week was the trial of 
 one Bishop, alias Oliver, of Salem ; who had 
 long undergone the repute of a witch, occasioned 
 by the accusations of one Samuel Gray ; he, 
 about twenty years since, having charged her 
 with such crimes ; and though upon his death- 
 bed he testified his sorrow and repentance for 
 such accusations, as being wholly groundless, 
 yet the report, taken up by his means, continu- 
 ed, and she being accused by those afflicted, 
 and upon search a teat, as they call it, being 
 found, she was brought in guilty by the jury ; 
 she received her sentence of death, and was 
 executed June 10, but made not the least con- 
 fession of any thing relating to witchcraft. 
 
 June 15. Several ministers in and near Bos- 
 ton, having been to that end consulted by his 
 excellency, exprest their minds to this effect, viz. 
 
 That they were affected with the deplorable 
 state of the afflicted; that they were thankful 
 for the diligent care of the rulers to detect the 
 abominable witchcrafts which have been com- 
 mitted in the country, praying for a perfect dis- 
 covery thereof; but advised to a cautious pro- 
 
208 MATTERS 
 
 eeeding, lest many evils ensue, &c. and that 
 tenderness be used towards those accused, re- 
 lating to matters presumptive and convictive* 
 and also to privacy in examinations ; and to con- 
 sult mr. Perkins and mr. Bernard what tests to 
 make use of in the scrutiny : that presumptions 
 and convictions ought to have better grounds 
 than the accusers affirming that they see such 
 persons' spectres afflicting them ; and that the 
 devil may afflict in the shape of good men; and 
 that falling at the sight, and risirjg at the touch, 
 of the accused, is no infallible proof of guilt; 
 that seeing the devil's strength consists in such 
 accusations, our disbelieving them may be a 
 means to put a period to the dreadful calami- 
 ties. Nevertheless they humbly recommend to 
 the government, the speedy and vigorous pros- 
 ecution of such as have rendered themselves 
 obnoxious, according to the direction given in* 
 the laws of God, and the wholesome statutes of 
 the English nation, for the detection of witch- 
 craft. 
 
 This is briefly the substance of what may be 
 seen more at large in Cases of Conscience, (nit.) 
 And one of them since taking occasion to repeat 
 some part of this advice, (Wonders of the Invisi- 
 ble World, p. 83) declares (notwithstanding the 
 dissatisfaction of others) that if his said book 
 may conduce to promote thankfulness to God 
 for such executions, he shall rejoice, &c. 
 
 The 30th of June, the court according to ad- 
 journment again sat ; five more were tried, viz. 
 Sarah Good and Rebecca Nurse, of Salem Vil- 
 lage ; Susanna Martin, of Amsbury ; Elizabeth 
 
OF FACT, &c. 209 
 
 How of Ipswich ; and Sarah Wildes of Topsfield : 
 these were all condemned that session, and were 
 all executed on the 19th of July. 
 
 At the trial of Sarah Good, one of the afflict- 
 ed fell in a fit; and after coming out of it she 
 cried out of the prisoner, for stabbing her in the 
 breast with a knife, and that she had broken 
 the knife in stabbing of her; accordingly a piece 
 of the blade of a knife was found about her. 
 Immediately information being given to the 
 court, a young man was called, who produced a 
 haft and part of the blade, which the court hav- 
 ing viewed and compared, saw it to be the same; 
 and upon inquiry the young man affirmed, that 
 yesterday he happened to break that knife, and 
 that he cast away the upper part. This afflicted 
 person being then present, the young man was 
 dismissed, and she was bidden by the court not 
 to tell lies ; and was improved after (as she had 
 been before) to give evidence against the pri- 
 soners. 
 
 At the execution, Mr. Noyes urged Sarah 
 Good to confess, and told her she was a witch, 
 and she knew she was a witch; to which she 
 replied, you are a liar ; I am no more a witch 
 than you are a wizard ; and if you take away 
 my life, God will give you blood to drink. 
 
 At the trial of Rebecca Nurse, it was remarka- 
 ble that the jury brought in their verdict not 
 guilty ; immediately all the accusers in the court, 
 and suddenly after all the afflicted out of court, 
 made an hideous outcry, to the amazement not 
 only of the spectators, but the court also seemed 
 strangely surprised : one of the judges exprest 
 18* 
 
210 MATTERS 
 
 himself not satisfied ; another of them, as he was 
 going off the bench, said they would have her 
 indicted anew. The chief judge said he would 
 not impose upon the jury; but intimated as if 
 they had not well considered one expression of 
 the prisoner when she was upon trial, viz. that 
 when one Hobbs, who had confessed herself to 
 be a witch, was brought into the court to wit- 
 ness against her, the prisoner, turning her head 
 to her, said, What, do you bring her ? she is one 
 of us, or to that effect; this, together with the 
 clamours of the accusers, induced the jury to go 
 out again, after their verdict, not guilty. But 
 not agreeing, they came into the court ; and she 
 being then at the bar, her words were repeated 
 to her, in order to have her explanation of them; 
 and she making no reply to them, they found the 
 bill, and brought her in guilty ; these words 
 being the inducement to it, as the foreman has 
 signified in writing, as follows : 
 
 July 4, 1692. I, Thomas Fisk, the subscrib- 
 er hereof, being one of them that were of the 
 jury last week at Salem court, upon the trial of 
 .Rebecca Nurse, &c. being desired by some of 
 the relations to give a reason why the jury 
 brought her in guilty, after her verdict not guil- 
 ty; I do hereby give my reasons to be as fol- 
 lows, viz. 
 
 When the verdict was, not guilty, the honour- 
 ed court was pleased to object against it, saying 
 to them, that they think they let slip the words 
 which the prisoner at the bar spake against her- 
 self, which were spoken in reply to good wife 
 Hobbs and her daughter, who had been faulty in 
 
OF FACT, &c. 211 
 
 setting their hands to the devil's book, as they 
 had confessed formerly ; the words were, What, 
 do these persons give in evidence against me now ? 
 they used to come among us. After the honoured 
 court had manifested their dissatisfaction of the 
 verdict, several of the jury declared themselves 
 desirous to go out again, and thereupon the court 
 gave leave ; but when we came to consider of 
 the case, I could not tell how to take her words 
 as an evidence against her, till she had a further 
 opportunity to put her sense upon them, if she 
 would take it ; and then, going into court, I men- 
 tioned the words aforesaid, which by one of the 
 court were affirmed to have been spoken by 
 her, she being then at the bar, but made no re- 
 ply, nor interpretation of them; whereupon 
 these words were to me a principal evidence 
 against her. Thomas Fisk. 
 
 When good wife Nurse was informed what 
 use was made of these words, she put in this 
 following declaration into the court : 
 
 These presents do humbly shew to the hon- 
 oured court and jury, that I being informed that 
 the jury brought me in guilty, upon my saying 
 that good wife Hobbs and her daughter were of 
 our company ; but I intended no otherways, than 
 as they were prisoners with us, and therefore 
 did then, and yet do, judge them not legal evi- 
 dence against their fellow prisoners. And I be- 
 ing something hard of hearing, and full of grief, 
 none informing me how the court took up my 
 words, and therefore had no opportunity to de- 
 clare what I intended, when I said they were of 
 our company. Rebecca Nurse. 
 
m MATTERS 
 
 After her condemnation she was by one of 
 the ministers of Salem excommunicated; yet 
 the governor saw cause to grant a reprieve; 
 which when known (and some say immediately 
 upon granting) the accusers renewed their dis- 
 mal outcries against her, insomuch that the go- 
 vernor was by some Salem gentlemen prevailed 
 with to recall the reprieve, and she was execut- 
 ed with the rest. 
 
 The testimonials of her christian behaviour, 
 T>oth in the course of her life and at her death, 
 and her extraordinary care in educating her chil- 
 dren, and setting them good examples, &c. un- 
 der the hands of so many, are so numerous, that 
 for brevity they are here omitted. 
 
 It was at the trial of these that one of the 
 accusers cried out publicly of Mr. Willard, mi- 
 nister in Boston, as afflicting of her : she was 
 sent out of the court, and it was told about she 
 was mistaken in the person. 
 
 August 5, the court again sitting, six more 
 were tried on the same account, viz. mr. George 
 Burroughs, sometime minister of Wells, John 
 Proctor, and Elizabeth Proctor his wife, with 
 John Willard, of Salem Village, George Jacobs 
 senior, of Salem, and Martha Carrier, of Ando- 
 ver ; these were all brought in guilty, and con- 
 demned ; and were all executed, August 19, ex- 
 cept Proctor's wife, who pleaded pregnancy. 
 
 Mr. Burroughs was carried in a cart with the 
 others, through the streets of Salem to execu- 
 tion. When he was upon the ladder, he made 
 a speech for the clearing of his innecency, with 
 such solemn and serious expressions, as were to 
 
OF FACT, &c. 213 
 
 the admiration of all present : his prayer (which 
 he concluded by repeating the Lord's prayer) 
 was so well worded, and uttered with such com- 
 posedness, and such (at least seeming) fervency 
 of spirit, as was very affecting, and drew tears 
 from many, so that it seemed to some that the 
 spectators would hinder the execution. The 
 accusers said the black man stood and dictated 
 to him. As soon as he was turned on>mr. Cot- 
 ton Mather, being mounted upon a horse, ad- 
 dressed himself to the people, partly to declare 
 that he [Burroughs] was no ordained minister, 
 and partly to possess the people of his guilt, say- 
 ing that the devil has often been transformed in- 
 to an angel of light; and this somewhat appeas- 
 ed the people, and the executions went on. 
 When he was cut down, he was dragged by the 
 halter to a hole, or grave, between the rocks, 
 about two feet deep, his shirt and breeches be- 
 ing pulled off, and an old pair of trowsers of one 
 executed put on his lower parts ; he was so put 
 in, together with Willard and Carrier, that one 
 of his hands and his chin, and a foot of one of 
 them, were left uncovered. 
 
 John Willard had been employed to fetch ia 
 several that were accused ; but taking dissatis- 
 faction from his being sent to fetch up some 
 that he had better thoughts of, he declined the 
 service ; and presently after he himself was ac- 
 cused of the same crime, and that with such ve- 
 hemency, that they sent after him to apprehend 
 him. He had made his escape as far as Nasha- 
 wag, about forty miles from Salem; yet it is 
 said those accusers did then presently tell the 
 exact time, saying. Now Willard is taken. 
 
SI 4 MATTERS 
 
 John Proctor and his wife being in prison, the 
 sheriff came to his house and seized all the goods* 
 provisions and cattle that he could come at, and 
 sold some of the cattle at half price, and killed 
 others, and put them up for the West-Indies ; 
 threw out the beer out of a barrel, and carried 
 away the barrel;, emptied a pot of broth, and 
 took away the pot, and left nothing in the house 
 for the support of the children. No part of the 
 said goods are known to be returned. Proctor 
 earnestly requested mr. Noyes to pray with and 
 for him; but it was wholly denied, because he 
 would not own himself to be a witch. 
 
 During his imprisonment he sent the follow- 
 ing letter, in behalf of himself and others. 
 
 Salem Prison, July 23, 1692. 
 Mr. Mather, Mr. Allen, Mr. Moody, Mr. Wifc- 
 lard, and Mr. Baily. 
 
 Reverend Gentlemen, 
 The innocency of our case, with the enmity 
 of our accusers and our judges and jury, whom 
 nothing but our innocent blood will serve, hav- 
 ing condemned us already before our trials, be- 
 ing so much incensed and enraged against us by 
 the devil, makes us bold to beg and implore 
 your favourable assistance of this our humble 
 petition to his excellency, that if it be possible 
 our innocent blood may be spared, which un- 
 doubtedly otherwise will be shed, if the Lord 
 doth not mercifully step in; the magistrates, 
 ministers, juries, and all the people in general, 
 being so much enraged and incensed against us 
 hy the delusion of the devil, which we can term 
 
OF FACT, &c. 215 
 
 no other, by reason we know in our own con- 
 sciences we are all innocent persons. Here are 
 five persons who have lately confessed them- 
 selves to be witches, and do accuse some of us 
 of being along with them at a sacrament, since 
 ■we were committed into close prison, which we 
 know to be lies. Two of the five are (Carrier's 
 30ns) young men, who would not confess any 
 thing till they tied them neck and heels, till the 
 blood was ready to come out of their noses ; and 
 it is credibly believed and reported this was the 
 occasion of making them confess what they ne- 
 ver did, by reason they said one had been a 
 witch a month, and another five weeks, and that 
 their mother had made them so, who has been 
 confined here this nine weeks. My son William 
 Proctor, when he was examined, because he 
 would not confess that he was guilty, when he 
 was innocent, they tied him neck and heels till 
 the blood gushed out at his nose, and would 
 have kept him so twenty-four hours, if one, more 
 merciful than the rest, had not taken pity on 
 him, and caused him to be unbound. These 
 actions are very like the popish cruelties. They 
 have already undone us in our estates, and that 
 will not serve their turns without our innocent 
 blood. If it cannot be granted that we can 
 have our trials at Boston, we humbly beg that 
 you would endeavour to have these magistrates 
 changed, and others in their rooms; begging 
 also and beseeching you would be pleased to be 
 here, if not all, some of you, at our trials, hoping 
 thereby you may be the means of saving the 
 shedding of our innocent blood. Desiring your 
 
216 MATTERS 
 
 prayers to the Lord in our behalf, we rest your 
 poor afflicted servants, 
 
 John Proctor, &c. 
 
 He pleaded very hard at execution for a little 
 respite of time, saying that he was not fit to die ; 
 but it was not granted. 
 
 Old Jacobs being condemned, the sheriff and 
 officers came and seized all he had ; his wife had 
 her wedding ring taken from her, but with great 
 difficulty obtained it again. She was forced to 
 buy provisions of the sheriff, such as he had ta- 
 ken, towards her own support, which not being 
 sufficient, the neighbours in charity relieved her. 
 
 Margaret Jacobs being one that had confess- 
 ed her own guilt, and testified against her grand- 
 father Jacobs, mr. Burroughs and John Willard, 
 she the day before execution came to Mr. Bur- 
 roughs, acknowledging that she had belied them, 
 and begged mr. Burroughs's forgiveness; who 
 not only forgave her, but also prayed with and 
 for her. She wrote the following letter to her 
 father : 
 
 From the dungeon in Salem prison, Aug. 20, 1692. 
 Honoured Father, 
 After my humble duty remembered to you, 
 hoping in the Lord of your good health, as bles- 
 sed be God I enjoy, though in abundance of af- 
 fliction, being close confined here in a loathsome 
 dungeon; the Lord look down in mercy upon 
 me, not knowing how soon I shall be put to 
 death, by means of the afflicted persons; my 
 grandfather having suffered already, and all his 
 estate seized for the king. The reason of my 
 
OF FACT, kc. 217 
 
 confinement is this : I having, through the ma- 
 gistrates' threatenings, and my own vile and 
 wretched heart, confessed several things contra- 
 ry to my conscience and knowledge, though to 
 the wounding of my own soul, (the Lord pardon 
 me for it) ; but oh ! the terrors of a wounded 
 conscience who can bear? But blessed be the 
 Lord, he would not let me go on in my sins, but 
 m mercy, I hope, to my soul, would not suffer 
 me to keep it in any longer, but I was forced to 
 confess the truth of all before the magistrates, 
 who would not believe me ; but 'tis their plea- 
 sure to put me in here, and God knows how 
 soon I shall be put to death. Dear father, let 
 me beg your prayers to the Lord on my behalf, 
 and send us a joyful and happy meeting in hea- 
 ven. My mother, poor woman, is very crazy, 
 and remembers her kind love to you, and to un- 
 cle, viz. D. A. So leaving you to the protection 
 of the Lord, I rest your dutiful daughter, 
 
 Margaret Jacobs. 
 
 At the time appointed for her trial, she had an 
 imposthume in her head, which was her escape, 
 
 September 9, six more were tried, and re- 
 ceived sentence of death, viz. Martha Cory, of 
 Salem Village ; Mary Easty, of Topsfield ; Alice 
 Parker and Ann Pudeater, of Salem ; Dorcas 
 Hoar, of Beverly, and Mary Bradberry, of Sa- 
 lisbury. Sept. 16, Giles Cory was prest to 
 death. 
 
 September 17, nine more received sentence of 
 death, viz. Margaret Scot, of Rowley ; good- 
 wife Reed, of Marblehead ; Samuel Wardwell 
 19 
 
218 MATTERS 
 
 and Mary Parker, of Andover; also Abigail 
 Falkner, of Andover, who pleaded pregnancy ; 
 Rebecca Eames, of Boxford, Mary Lacy and 
 Ann Foster, of Andover, and Abigail Hobbs, of 
 Topsfield. Of these, eight were executed, Sept. 
 22, viz. Martha Cory, Mary Easty, Alice Par- 
 ker, Ann Pudeater, Margaret Scot, William 
 Reed, Samuel Wardwell and Mary Parker. 
 
 Giles Cory pleaded not guilty to his indict- 
 ment, but would not put himself on trial by the 
 jury (they having cleared none upon trial) and 
 knowing there would be the same witnesses 
 against him, rather chose to undergo what death 
 they would put him to. In pressing, his tongue 
 being prest out of his mouth, the sheriff with 
 his cane forced it in again when he was dying. 
 He was the first in New-England that was ever 
 prest to death. 
 
 The cart, going to the hill with these eight 
 to execution, was for some time at a set ; the 
 afflicted and others said, that the devil hindered 
 it, &c 
 
 Martha Cory, wife to Giles Cory, protesting 
 her innocency, concluded her life with an emi- 
 nent prayer upon the ladder. 
 
 Wardwell, having formerly confessed himself 
 guilty, and after denied it, was soon brought up- 
 on his trial ; his former confession and spectre 
 testimony was all that appeared against him. 
 At execution, while he was speaking to the peo- 
 ple, protesting his innocency, the executioner 
 being at the same time smoking tobacco, the 
 smoke coming in his face interrupted his dis- 
 course ; those accusers said that the devil did 
 hinder him with smoke. 
 
OF FACT, &c. 219 
 
 Mary Easty, sister also to Rebecca Nurse, 
 when she took her last farewell of her husband, 
 children and friends, was, as is reported by them 
 present, as serious, religious, distinct and affec- 
 tionate as could well be exprest, drawing tears 
 from the eyes of almost all present. It seems, 
 besides the testimony of the accusers and con- 
 fessors, another proof, as it was counted, ap- 
 peared against her : it having been usual to 
 search the accused for teats, upon some parts 
 of her body, not here to be named, was found 
 an excrescence, which they called a teat. Be- 
 fore her death she presented the following pe- 
 tition : 
 
 " To the honourable judge and bench now 
 sitting in judicature in Salem, and the reverend 
 ministers, humbly sheweth, That whereas your 
 humble poor petitioner, being condemned to 
 die, doth humbly beg of you to take it into your 
 judicious and pious consideration, that your poor 
 and humble petitioner, knowing my own inno- 
 cency (blessed be the Lord for it) and seeing 
 plainly the wiles and subtilty of my accusers, by 
 myself, cannot but judge charitably of others, 
 that are going the same way with myself, if the 
 Lord step not mightily in. I was confined a whole 
 month on the same account that I am now con- 
 demned, and then cleared by the afflicted persons, 
 as some of your honours know ; and in two days 
 time 1 was cried out upon by them again, and 
 have been confined, and now am condemned to 
 die. The Lord above knows my innocence then, 
 and likewise doth now, as at the great day will 
 be known by men and angels. I petition to your 
 
220 MATTERS 
 
 honours not for my own life, for I know 1 must 
 die, and my appointed time is set ; but the Lord 
 he knows if it be possible that no more innocent 
 blood be shed, which undoubtedly cannot be 
 avoided in the way and course you go in. I ques- 
 tion not but your honours do to the utmost of 
 your powers, in the discovery and detecting of 
 witchcraft and witches, and would not be guilty 
 of innocent blood for the world ; but by my own 
 innocency I know you are in the wrong way. 
 The Lord in his infinite mercy direct you in this 
 great work, if it be his blessed will, that innocent 
 blood be not shed. I would humbly beg of you 
 that your honours would be pleased to examine 
 some of those confessing witches, I being confi- 
 dent there are several of them have belied them- 
 selves and others, as will appear, if not in this 
 world, I am sure in the world to come, whither 
 I am going ; and I question not but yourselves 
 will see an alteration in these things. They 
 say, myself and others have made a league 
 with the devil; we cannot confess; 1 know and 
 the Lord knows (as will shortly appear) they 
 belie me, and so I question not but they do 
 others ; the Lord alone, who is the searcher of 
 all hearts, knows, as I shall answer it at the 
 tribunal seat, that I know not the least thing 
 of witchcraft, therefore I cannot, I durst not, 
 belie my own soul. I beg your honours not to 
 deny this my humble petition, from a poor dying, 
 innocent person, and I question not but the Lord 
 will give a blessing to your endeavours. 
 
 "Mary Eastiv- 
 
OF FACT, &c. 221 
 
 After execution, mr. Noyes, turning him to 
 the bodies, said, What a sad thing it is to see 
 eight firebrands of hell hanging there ! 
 
 In October, 1692, one of Wenham complained 
 of mrs. Hale, whose husband, the minister of 
 Beverly, had been very forward in these prose- 
 cutions; but being fully satisfied of his wife's 
 sincere Christianity caused him to alter his judg- 
 ment ; for it was come to a stated controversy, 
 among the New-England divines, whether the 
 devil could afflict in a good man's shape ; it seems 
 nothing else could convince him, yet when it 
 came so near to himself he was soon convinced, 
 that the devil might so afflict. Which same rea- 
 son did afterwards prevail with many others, and 
 much influenced to the succeeding change at 
 trials. 
 
 October 7. Edward Bishop and his wife hav- 
 ing made their escape out of prison, this day mr. 
 Corwin, the sheriff came and seized his goods 
 and chattels, and had it not been for his second 
 son (who borrowed ten pound and gave it him) 
 they had been wholly lost. The receipt fol- 
 lows ; but it seems they must be content with 
 such a receipt as he would give them : 
 
 Received, this 7th day of October, 1692, of Samuel 
 Bishop, of the town of Salem, of the county of Essex, in 
 New-England, cordwainer, in full satisfaction, a valuable 
 sum of money, for the goods and chattels of Edward Bi- 
 shop, senior, of the town and county aforesaid, husband- 
 man ; which goods and chattels being seized, for that the 
 said Edward Bishop, and Sarah his wife, having been 
 committed for witchcraft and felony, have made their 
 escape ; and their goods and chattels were forfeited unto 
 their majesties, and now being in possession of the said 
 Samuel Bishop ; and in behalf of their majesties, I do 
 19* 
 
222 MATTERS 
 
 hereby discharge the said goods and chattels, the day and 
 year above written, as witness my hand, 
 
 George Corwin, Sheriff. 
 
 But before this, the said Bishop's eldest son 
 having married into that family of the Putmans, 
 who were chief prosecutors in this business, he 
 holding a cow to be branded lest it should be 
 seized, and having a push or boil upon his thigh, 
 with his straining it broke ; this is that that was 
 pretended to be burnt with the said brand, and 
 is one of the bones thrown to the dogmatical to 
 pick, in Wonders of the Invisible World, p. 143. 
 The other, of a corner of a sheet, pretended to 
 be taken from a spectre ; it is known that it 
 was provided the day before by that afflicted 
 person ; and the third bone of a spindle is almost 
 as easily provided, as the piece of the knife; so 
 that Apollo needs not herein be consulted, &c. 
 
 Mr. Philip English, and his wife, having made 
 their escape out of prison, mr. Corwin, the she- 
 riff, seized his estate, to the value of about fifteen 
 hundred pound, which was wholly lost to him, 
 except about three hundred pound value (which 
 was afterward restored.) 
 
 After goodwife Hoar was condemned, her 
 estate was seized, and was also bought again for 
 eight pound. 
 
 George Jacobs, son to old Jacobs, being ac- 
 cused, he fled; then the officers came to his 
 house ; his wife was a woman crazy in her sen- 
 ses, and had been so several years. She it 
 seems had been also accused. There were in 
 the house with her only four small children, and 
 «ne of them sucked her eldest daughter, being 
 
OF FACT, &c. 225 
 
 in prison : the officer persuaded her out of the 
 house, to go along with him, telling her she 
 should speedily return ; the children ran a great 
 way after her, crying. 
 
 When she came where the afflicted were, 
 being asked, they said they did not know her ; 
 at length one said, Don't you know Jacobs, the 
 old witch ? and then they cried out of her, and 
 fell down in their fits. She was sent to prison, 
 and lay there ten months ; the neighbours of 
 pity took care of the children to preserve them 
 from perishing. 
 
 About this time a new scene was begun; one 
 Joseph Ballard, of Andover, whose wife was ill 
 (and after died of a fever) sent to Salem for 
 some of those accusers, to tell him who afflicted 
 his wife ; others did the like : horse and man 
 were sent from several places to fetch those ac- 
 cusers who had the spectral sight, that they 
 might thereby tell who afflicted those that were 
 any ways ill. 
 
 When these came into any place where such 
 were, usually they fell into a fit : after which, 
 being asked who it was that afflicted the per- 
 son, they would, for the most part, name one 
 who they said sat on the head, and another that 
 sat on the lower parts, of the afflicted. Soon 
 after Ballard's sending (as above) more than 
 fifty of the people of Andover were complained 
 of, for afflicting their neighbours. Here it was 
 that many accused themselves of riding upon 
 poles through the air; many parents believing 
 their children to be witches, and many husbands 
 their wives, &c. When these accusers came to 
 
22+ MATTERS 
 
 the house of any upon such account, it was or- 
 dinary for other young people to be taken in 
 fits, and to have the same spectral sight. 
 
 Mr. Dudley Bradstreet, a justice of peace in 
 Andover, having granted out warrants against, 
 and committed, thirty or forty to prison, for the 
 supposed witchcrafts, at length saw cause to 
 forbear granting out any more warrants. Soon 
 after which, he and his wife were cried out of; 
 himself was (by them) said to have killed nine 
 persons by witchcraft, and he found it his safest 
 course to make his escape. 
 
 A dog being afflicted at Salem Village, those 
 that had the spectral sight being sent for, they 
 accused mr. John Bradstreet (brother to the 
 justice) that he afflicted the said dog, and now 
 rid upon him. He made his escape into Pisca- 
 tuqua government, and the dog was put to death, 
 and was all of the afflicted that suffered death. 
 
 At Andover, the afflicted complained of a 
 dog, as afflicting them, and would fall into their 
 fits at the dog's looking upon them ; the dog 
 was put to death. 
 
 A worthy gentleman of Boston being about 
 this time accused by those at Andover, he sent 
 by some particular friends a writ to arrest those 
 accusers in a thousand pound action for defama- 
 tion, with instructions to them to inform them- 
 selves of the certainty of the proof, in doing 
 which their business was perceived, and from 
 thenceforward the accusations at Andover gen- 
 erally ceased. 
 
 In October some of these accusers were sent 
 for to Gloucester, and occasioned four women to 
 
OF FACT, &c. 225 
 
 be sent to prison ; but Salem prison being so full 
 it could receive no more, two were sent to Ips- 
 wich prison. In November they were sent for 
 again by lieutenant Stephens, who was told that 
 a sister of his was bewitched; in their way 
 passing over Ipswich-bridge, they met with an 
 old woman, and instantly fell into their fits. 
 But by this time the validity of such accusations 
 being much questioned, they found not that en- 
 couragement they had done elsewhere, and soon 
 withdrew. 
 
 These accusers swore that they saw three 
 persons sitting upon lieutenant Stephens's sister 
 till she died ; yet bond was accepted for those 
 three. 
 
 And now nineteen persons having been hang- 
 ed, and one prest to death, and eight more con- 
 demned, in all twenty-eight, of which above a 
 third part were members of some of the church- 
 es in New-England, and more than half of them 
 of a good conversation in general, and not one 
 cleared; about fifty having confest themselves 
 to be witches, of which not one executed ; above 
 an hundred and fifty in prison, and above two 
 hundred more accused; the special commission 
 of oyer and terminer comes to a period, which 
 has no other foundation than the governor's com- 
 mission; and had proceeded in the manner of 
 swearing witnesses, viz. by holding up the hand, 
 (and by receiving evidences in writing) accord- 
 ing to the ancient usage of this country; as also 
 having their indictments in English. In the tri- 
 als, when any were indicted for afflicting, pining 
 and wasting the bodies of particular persons by 
 
226 MATTERS 
 
 witchcraft, it was usual to hear evidence of mat- 
 ter foreign, and of perhaps twenty or thirty 
 years standing, about oversetting carts, the death 
 of cattle, unkindness to relations, or unexpected 
 accidents befalling after some quarrel. Wheth- 
 er this was admitted by the law of England, or 
 by what other law, wants to be determined ; 
 the executions seemed mixt, in pressing to death 
 for not pleading, which most agrees with the 
 laws of England; and sentencing women to be 
 hanged for witchcraft, according to the former 
 practice of this country, and not by burning, as 
 is said to have been the law of England. And 
 though the confessing witches were many, yet 
 not one of them that confessed their own guilt, 
 and abode by their confession, was put to death. 
 Here followeth what account some of those 
 miserable creatures give of their confession un- 
 der their own hands : 
 
 " We, whose names are under written, inhabi- 
 tants of Andover, when as that horrible and tre- 
 mendous judgment beginning at Salem Village, in 
 the year 1692, (by some called witchcraft) first 
 breaking forth at mr. Parris's house, several 
 young persons being seemingly afflicted, did ac- 
 cuse several persons for afflicting them, and ma- 
 ny there believing it so to be; we being inform- 
 ed that if a person were sick, the afflicted per- 
 son could tell what or who was the cause of that 
 sickness: Joseph Ballard, of Andover (his wife 
 being sick at the same time) he either from 
 himself, or by the advice of orhers, fetched two 
 of the persons, called the afflicted persons, from 
 
OF FACT, 4-c. 227 
 
 Salem Village to Andover : which was the be- 
 ginning of that dreadful calamity that befel us 
 in Andover. And the authority in Andover, 
 believing the said accusations to be true, sent for 
 the said persons to come together to the meet- 
 ing-house in Andover (the afflicted persons be- 
 ing there.) After mr. Barnard had been at 
 prayer, we were blindfolded, and our hands 
 were laid upon the afflicted persons, they being 
 in their fits, and falling into their fits at our 
 coming into their presence (as they said) and 
 some led us and laid our hands upon them, and 
 then they said they were well, and that we 
 were guilty of afflicting of them; whereupon 
 we were all seized as prisoners, by a warrant 
 from a justice of the peace, and forthwith car- 
 ried to Salem. i\.nd by reason of that sudden 
 surprisal, we knowing ourselves altogether 
 innocent of that crime, we were all exceed- 
 ingly astonished and amazed, and affrighted 
 even out of our reason; and our nearest and 
 dearest relations, seeing us in that dreadful con- 
 dition, and knowing our great danger, appre- 
 hending that there was no other way to save 
 our lives, as the case was then circumstanced, 
 but by our confessing ourselves to be such and 
 such persons, as the afflicted represented us to 
 be, they out of tender love and pity persuaded 
 us to confess what we did confess. And indeed 
 that confession, that it is said we made, was no 
 other than what was suggested to us by some 
 gentlemen; they telling us, that we were 
 witches, and they knew it, and we knew it, 
 and they knew that we knew it, which made 
 
tn MATTERS 
 
 us think that it was so; and our understand- 
 ing, our reason and our faculties almost gone, 
 we were not capable of judging our condi- 
 tion; as also the hard measures they used with 
 us rendered us uncapable of making our defence ; 
 but said any thing and every thing which they 
 desired; and most of what we saiH was but in 
 effect a consenting to what they said. Some- 
 time after, when we were better composed, 
 they telling of us what we had confessed, we 
 did profess that we were innocent, and ignorant 
 of such things. And we hearing that Samuel 
 Ward well had renounced his confession, and 
 quickly after was condemned and executed, 
 some of us were told that we were going after 
 Wardwell. 
 
 Mary Osgood, 
 
 Mary Tiler, 
 
 Dcliv. Dane, 
 
 Abigail Barker, 
 Sarah Wilson, 
 Hannah Tiler" 
 
 It may here be further added, concerning 
 those that did confess, that besides that power- 
 ful argument, of life (and freedom from hard- 
 ships, not only promised, but also performed to 
 all that owned their guilt) there are numerous 
 instances, too many to be here inserted, of the 
 tedious examinations before private persons, 
 many hours together ; they all that time urging 
 them to confess (and taking turns to persuade 
 them) till the accused were wearied out by be- 
 ing forced to stand so long, or for want of sleep, 
 &c. and so brought to give an assent to what 
 they said ; they then asking them, Were you at 
 such a witch-meeting ? or, Have you signed the 
 
OF FACT, &c. 229 
 
 devil's book ? &c. Upon their replying, Yes. 
 the whole was drawn into form, as their con- 
 fession. 
 
 But that which did mightily further such 
 confessions was, their nearest relations urging 
 them to it These, seeing no other way of 
 ecape for them, thought it the best advice that 
 could be given ; hence it was that the husbands 
 of some, by counsel often urging, and utmost 
 earnestness, and children upon their knees in- 
 treating, have at length prevailed with them to 
 say they were -guilty- 
 
 As to the manner of trials, and the evidence 
 taken for convictions at Salem, it is already set 
 forth in print, by the rev. mr. Cotton Mather, 
 in his Wonders of the, Invisible World, at the com- 
 mand of his excellency sir William Phips ; with 
 not only the recommendation, but thanks, of the 
 lieutenant governor; and with the approbation 
 of the rev. mr. I. M. in his postscript to his Cases 
 of Conscience ; which last book was set forth by 
 the consent of the ministers in and near Boston. 
 Two of the judges have also given their sen- 
 timents in these words, p. 147. 
 
 The reverend and worthy author having", at the direc- 
 tion of his excellency the governor, so far obliged the 
 publick, as to give some account of the sufferings brought 
 upon the country by witchcrafts, and of the trials which 
 have passed upon several executed for the same : 
 
 Upon perusal thereof, we find the matters of fact and 
 evidence truly reported, and a prospect given of the me- 
 thods of conviccion, used in the proceedings of the court 
 
 William Stoughtojt, 
 
 Boston, Oct. 11,1 $92. Samuel Sewael, 
 
 29 
 
230 MATTERS 
 
 And considering that this may fall into the 
 hands of such as never saw those Wonders, it 
 may be needful to transcribe the whole account 
 he has given thereof, without any variation (but 
 with one of the indictments annexed to the tri- 
 al of each) which is thus prefaced, pp. 81, 
 82, 83. 
 
 " But I shall no longer detain my reader from 
 his expected entertainment, in a brief account 
 of the trials which have passed upon some of 
 the malefactors lately executed at Salem for 
 the witchcrafts whereof they stood convicted. 
 For my own part I was not present at any of 
 them; nor ever had I any personal prejudice 
 against the persons thus brought upon the stage ; 
 much less, at the surviving relations of those 
 persons, with and for whom t would be as 
 hearty a mourner, as any man living in the 
 world : The Lord comfort them ! But having re- 
 ceived a command so to do, I can do no other 
 than shortly relate the chief matters of l'act, 
 which occurred in the trials of some that were 
 executed, in an abridgment collected out of the 
 court-papers, on this occasion put into my hands. 
 You are to take the truth, just as it was ; and 
 the truth will hurt no good man. There might 
 have been more of these ; and if some other 
 worthy hands did not perhaps intend something 
 further in these collections ; for which cause I 
 have only singled out four or {ive, which may 
 serve to illustrate the way of dealing, wherein 
 witchcrafts use to be concerned ; and I report 
 matters, not as an advocate, but as an historian. 
 " These were some of the gracious words in* 
 
OF FACT, te, 281 
 
 sorted in the advice, which many of the neigh- 
 bouring ministers did this summer humbly lay 
 before our honourable judges : ' We cannot but 
 with all thankfulness acknowledge the success, 
 which the merciful God has given unto the se- 
 dulous and assiduous endeavours of our honour- 
 able rulers, to detect the abominable witchcrafts 
 which have been committed in the country ; 
 humbly praying that the discovery of those mys- 
 terious and mischievous wickednesses may be 
 perfected.' If, in the midst of the many dissat- 
 isfactions among us, the publication of these 
 trials may promote such a pious thankfulness 
 unto God, for justice being so far executed 
 among us, I shall rejoice that God is glorified ; 
 and pray that no wrong steps of ours may ever 
 sully any of his glorious works." 
 
 The Indictment of George Burroughs. 
 
 i'ssex ss. Anno Regni Regis 8f Regince Willielmi 8f Marice, nunc 
 Anglice, 8fc. quarto. 
 
 The jurors for our sovereign lord and lady the king 
 and queen present, that George Burroughs, late of Fal- 
 mouth, in the province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New- 
 England, clerk, the 9th day of May, in the fourth year of 
 the reign of our sovereign lord and lady William and 
 Mary, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France 
 and Ireland, king and queen, defenders of the faith, &c. 
 and divers other days and times, as well before as after, 
 certain detestable arts, called witchcrafts and sorceries, 
 wickedly and feloniously hath used, practised and exer- 
 cised, at and within the township of Salem, in the county 
 of Essex, aforesaid, in, upon and against one Mary Wol- 
 cott, of Salem Village, in the county of Essex, single wo- 
 man ; by which said wicked arts the said Mary Wolcott, 
 the 9th day of May, in the fourth year abovesaid, and di- 
 vers other days and times, as well before as after, was 
 and is tortured, afflicted, pined, consumed, wasted and 
 
252 MATTERS 
 
 tormented, against the peace of our sovereign lord antl 
 lady, the king and queen, and against the form of the 
 statute in that case made and provided. 
 
 Witnesses, Mary Wolcott, Sarah Fibber, Mercy Lewis. 
 *^$lnn Putman, Eliz. Hubbard. 
 
 Endorsed by the grand jury, Billa Vera. 
 
 There was also a second indictment, for af- 
 flicting Elizabeth Hubbard. The witnesses to 
 the said indictment were Elizabeth Hubbard, 
 Mary Wolcott and Ann Putman. 
 
 The third indictment was for afflicting Mercy 
 Lewis: the witnesses, the said Mercy Lewis, 
 Mary Wolcott, Elizabeth Hubbard and Ann Put- 
 man. 
 
 The fourth, for acts of witchcraft on Ann 
 Putman: the witnesses, the said Ann Putman, 
 Mary Wolcott, Elizabeth Hubbard and Mary 
 Warren. 
 
 The Trial of G. B. as printed in Wonders of the 
 Invisible World, from p. 94 to 104. 
 
 Glad should I have been, if I had never 
 known the name of this man, or never had this 
 occasion to mention so much as the first letters 
 ef his name; but the government requiring 
 some account of his trial to be inserted in this 
 book, it becomes me with all obedience to sub- 
 mit unto the order. 
 
 1. This G. B. was indicted for witchcrafts ; 
 and, in the prosecution of the charge against 
 him, he was accused by five or six of the be r 
 witched, as the author of their miseries; he 
 was accused by eight of the confessing witches, 
 as being a head actor at some of their hellish 
 rendezvous, and who had the promise of being 
 
OF FACT, &c. 233 
 
 a king in satan's kingdom, now going to be erect- 
 ed ; he was accused by nine persons, for extra- 
 ordinary lifting, and such feats of strength as 
 could not be done without a diabolical assist- 
 ance ; and for other such things he was accused, 
 until about thirty testimonies were brought in 
 against him; nor were these judged the half of 
 what might have been considered, for his con- 
 viction: however, they were enough to fix the 
 character of a witcli upon him, according to the 
 rules of reasoning, by the judicious Gaule in that 
 case directed. 
 
 2. The court being sensible that the testimo- 
 nies of the parties bewitched used to have a 
 room among the suspicions, or presumptions, 
 brought in against one indicted for witchcraft, 
 there were now heard the testimonies of several 
 persons who were most notoriously bewitched, 
 and every day tortured by invisible hands, and 
 these now all charged the spectres of G. B. to 
 have a share in their torments. At the exam- 
 ination of this G. B. the bewitched people were 
 grievously harassed with preternatural mischiefs, 
 which could not possibly be dissembled ; and 
 they still ascribed it unto the endeavours of G. 
 B. to kill them. And now, upon his trial, one 
 of the bewitched persons testified, that in her 
 agonies a little black-haired man came to her, 
 saying his name was B. and bidding her set her 
 hand unto a book, which he shewed unto her ; 
 and bragging that he was a conjurer above the 
 ordinary rank of witches; that he often perse- 
 cuted her with the offer of that book, saying, 
 she should be well, and need fear nobody, if she 
 20* 
 
£34 . MATTERS 
 
 would but sign it : but he inflicted cruel pains 
 and hurts upon her, because of her denying so 
 to do. The testimonies of the other sufferers 
 concurred with these ; and it was remarkable, 
 that whereas biting was one of the ways which 
 the witches used for the vexing of the sufferers, 
 when they cried out of G. B. biting them, the 
 print of his teeth would be seen on the flesh of 
 the complainers; and just such a set of teeth as 
 G. B's would then appear upon them, which 
 could be distinguished from those of some other 
 men's. 
 
 Others of them testified, that in' their tor- 
 ments G. B. tempted them to go unto a sacra- 
 ment, unto which they perceived him with a 
 sound of trumpet summoning other witches ; 
 who quickly after the sound would come from 
 all quarters unto the rendezvous. One of them, 
 falling into a kind of a trance, afterwards affirm- 
 ed, that G. B. had carried her into a very high 
 mountain, where he showed her mighty and 
 glorious kingdoms, and said he would give them 
 all to her, if she- would write in his book ; but 
 she told him, they were none of his to give, and 
 refused the motion, enduring much misery for 
 that refusal. 
 
 It cost the court a wonderful deal of trouble 
 to hear the testimonies of the sufferers ; for 
 when they were going to give in their deposi- 
 tions, they would for a long while be taken with 
 fits, that made them uncapable of saying any 
 thing. The chief judge asked the prisoner, who 
 he thought hindered these witnesses from giving 
 their testimonies; and he answered, he supposed 
 
OF FACT, &c. 235 
 
 it was the devil. That honourable person then 
 replied, How comes the devil so loth to have 
 any testimony borne against you ? which cast 
 him into very great confusion. 
 
 3. It hath been a frequent thing for the be- 
 witched people to be entertained with appari- 
 tions of ghosts of murdered people, at the same 
 time that the spectres of the witches trouble 
 them. These ghosts do always affright the be- 
 holders, more than all the other spectral rep- 
 resentations; and when they exhibit themselves, 
 they cry out of being murdered by the witch- 
 crafts or other violences of the persons who are 
 then in spectre present. It is further consider- 
 able, that once or twice these apparitions have 
 been seen by others, at the very same time they 
 have shown themselves to the bewitched; and 
 seldom have there been these apparitions, but 
 w r hen something unusual and suspected hath 
 attended the death of the party thus appearing. 
 Some, that have been accused by these appari- 
 tions, accosting the bewitched peo>ile, who had 
 never heard a word of any such persons ever 
 being in the vvorld, have, upon a fair examination, 
 freely and fully confessed the murders of those 
 very persons, although these also did not know 
 how the apparitions had complained of them. 
 Accordingly several of the bewitched had given 
 in their testimony, that they had been troubled 
 with the apparitions of two women, who said 
 they were G. B's two wives ; and that he had 
 been the death of them; and that the magis- 
 trates must be told of it, before whom, if B. 
 upon his trial denied it, they did not know but 
 
236 MATTERS 
 
 that they should appear again in the court, 
 Now G. B. had been infamous, for the barbarous 
 usage of his two successive wives, all the coun- 
 try over. Moreover, it was testified, the spectre 
 of G. B. threatening the sufferers, told them he 
 had killed (besides others) mrs. Lawson and her 
 daughter Ann. And it was noted, that these 
 were the virtuous wife and daughter of one, at 
 whom this G. B. might have a prejudice, for 
 being serviceable at Salem Village, from w hence 
 himself had in ill terms removed some years be- 
 fore; and that when they died, which was long 
 since, there were some odd circumstances about 
 them, which made some of the attendants there 
 suspect something of witchcraft, though none 
 imagined from what quarter it should come. 
 
 Well, G. B. being now upon his trial, one of 
 the bewitched persons was cast into horror at 
 the ghosts of B's two deceased wives, then ap- 
 pearing before him, and crying for vengeance 
 against him. Hereupon several of the bewitch- 
 ed persons were successively called in, who all, 
 not knowing what the former had seen and said, 
 concurred in their horror of the apparition, 
 
 ■which thev affirmed that he had before him. 
 j 
 
 But he, though much appalled, utterly denied 
 that he discerned any thing of it, nor was it any 
 part of his conviction. 
 
 4. Judicious writers have assigned it a great 
 place in the conviction of witches, when persons 
 are impeached by other notorious witches to be 
 as ill as themselves, especially if the persons 
 have been much noted for neglecting the wor- 
 ship of God. Now, as there might have been 
 
OF FACT, *c. 237 
 
 testimonies enough of G. B's antipathy to prayer, 
 and the other ordinances oi God, though by his 
 profession singularly obliged thereifnio; so there 
 now came in against the prisoner, the testimo- 
 nies of several persons, who confessed their own 
 having been horrible witches, and, ever since 
 their confessions, had been themselves terribly 
 tortured by the devils and other witches, even 
 like the other sufferers, and therein undergone 
 the pains of m tny deaths for their Confessions. 
 
 These now testified, that G. B. had been at 
 witch-meetings with them; and that he was the 
 person who had seduced and compelled them 
 into the snares of witchcraft ; that he promised 
 them fine clothes for doing it; that he brought 
 poppets to them, and thorns to stick into those 
 poppets, for the afflicting of otiier people ; and 
 that he exhorted them, with the rest of the 
 crew, to bewitch all Salem Village; but be sure 
 to do it gradually, if they would prevail in what 
 they did. 
 
 When the Lancashire witches were condem- 
 ned, I do not remember that there was any con- 
 siderable further evidence, than that of the be- 
 witched, and than that of some that had confes- 
 sed. We see so much already against G. B. 
 But this being indeed not enough, there were 
 other things to render what had already been 
 produced credible. 
 
 5. A famous divine recites this among the 
 convictions of a witch; the testimony of the 
 party bewitched, whether pining or dying; to- 
 gether with the joint oaths of sufficient persons, 
 that have seen certain prodigious pranks, or feats, 
 
238 MATTERS 
 
 wrought by the party accused. Now God had 
 been pleased so to leave G. B. that he had en- 
 snared himself, by several instances, which he 
 had formerly given, of a preternatural strength ; 
 and which were now produced against him. He 
 was a very puny man, yet he had often done 
 things beyond the strength of a giant. A gun 
 of about seven feet barrel, and so heavy that 
 strong men could not steadily hold it out, with 
 both hands; there were several testimonies giv- 
 en in by persons of credit and honour, that he 
 made nothing of taking up such a gun behind the 
 lock with but one hand, and holding it out, like 
 a pistol, at arm's end. G. B. in his vindication 
 was so foolish as to say, that an Indian was there, 
 and held it out, at the same time ; whereas, none 
 of the spectators ever saw any such Indian; but 
 they supposed the black man (as the witches 
 call the devil, and they generally say he resem- 
 bles an Indian) might give him that assistance* 
 There was evidence likewise brought in, that 
 he made nothing of taking up whole barrels filled 
 with molasses, or cider, in very disadvantageous 
 postures, and carrying them off, through the 
 most difficult places, out of a canoe to the shore. 
 
 Yea, there were two testimonies, that G. B. 
 with only putting the fore-finger of his right hand 
 into the muzzle of an heavy gun, a fowling piece 
 of about six or seven i'eet barrel, lifted up the 
 gun, and held it out at arm's end ; a gun which 
 the deponents, though strong men, could not 
 with both hands lift up, and hold out at the but- 
 end, as is usual. Indeed one of these witnesses 
 was over-persuaded bv some persons to be out 
 
OF FACT, &c. 239 
 
 of the way upon G. B's trial ; but he came after- 
 wards, with sorrow for his withdrawing, and 
 gave in his testimony, Nor were either of these 
 witnesses made use of as evidence in the trial. 
 
 There came in several testimonies, relating 
 to the domestic affairs of G. B. which had a ve- 
 ry hard aspect upon him; and not only proved 
 him a very ill man, but also confirmed the belief 
 of the character which had been already fasten- 
 ed on him. 'Twas testified, that, keeping his 
 two successive wives in a strange kind of sla- 
 very, he would, when he came home from 
 abroad, pretend to tell the talk which any had 
 with them: that he has brought them to the 
 point of death, by his harsh dealings with his 
 wives, and then made the people about him to 
 promise that in case death should happen they 
 would say nothing of it : that he used ail means 
 to make his wives write, sign, seal and swear a 
 covenant never to reveal any of his secrets : 
 that his wives had privately complained unto 
 the neighbours about frightly apparitions of evil 
 spirits, with which their house was sometimes 
 infested; and that many such things had been 
 whispered among the neighbourhood. There 
 were also some other testimonieSj relating to 
 the death of people, whereby the consciences 
 of an impartial jury were convinced that G. B. 
 had bewitched the persons mentioned in the 
 complaints. But I am forced to omit several 
 s'uch passages in this as well as in all the suc- 
 ceeding trials, because the scribes who took no- 
 tice of them have not supplied me. 
 
 7, One Mr. Ruck, brother-in-law to this 
 
240 MATTERS 
 
 G. B. testified, that G. B. and he himself, and 
 his sister, who was G. B's wife, going out for 
 two or three miles, to gather strawberries, 
 Ruck, with his sister, the wife of G. B. rode 
 home very softly, with G. B. on foot, in their 
 company; G. B. stept aside a little into the 
 bushes, whereupon they halted and hollowed 
 for him : he not answering, they went away 
 homeAvards, with a quickened pace, without 
 any expectation of seeing him in a considerable 
 while ; and yet, when they were got near home, 
 to their astonishment they found him on foot, 
 with them, having a basket of strawberries. 
 G. B. immediately then fell to chiding his wife, 
 on the account of what she had been speaking 
 to her brother of him on the road; which when 
 they wondered at, he said, he knew their 
 thoughts. Ruck, being startled at that, made 
 some reply, intimating that the devil himself 
 did not know so far ; but G. B. answered, my 
 God makes known your thoughts unto me. 
 The prisoner now at the bar had nothing to an- 
 swer unto what was thus witnessed against him, 
 that was worth considering; only he said, Ruck 
 and his wife left a man with him, w 7 hen they 
 left him ; which Ruck now affirmed to be false ; 
 and when the court asked G. B. what the man's 
 name was, his countenance was much altered, 
 nor could he say who it was. But the court 
 began to think that he then stept aside, only 
 that by the assistance of the black man he 
 might put on his invisibility, and in that fascin- 
 ating mist gratify his own jealous humour, to 
 hear what they said of him : which trick of 
 
0F FACT, &c. 241 
 
 rendering themselves invisible, our witches do 
 in their confessions pretend that they sometimes 
 are masters of; and it is the more credible, be- 
 cause there is demonstration that they often 
 render many other things utterly invisible. 
 
 8. Faultering, faulty, unconstant and contrary 
 answers, upon judicial and deliberate examina- 
 tion, are counted some unlucky symptoms of 
 guilt in all crimes, especially in witchcrafts. 
 Now there never was a prisoner more eminent 
 for them than G. B. both at his examination and 
 on his trial. His tergiversations, contradictions 
 and falsehoods were very sensible ; he had little 
 to say, but that he had heard some things, that 
 he could not prove, reflecting upon the reputa- 
 tion of some of the witnesses : only he gave in a 
 paper to the jury, wherein, although he had ma- 
 ny times before granted, not only that there are 
 witches, but also that the present sufferings of 
 the country are the effects of horrible witch- 
 crafts, yet he now goes to evince it, that there 
 neither are, nor ever were, witches, that, hav- 
 ing made a compact with the devil, can send a 
 devil to torment other people at a distance. 
 This paper was transcribed out of Ady; which 
 the court presently knew, as soon as they heard 
 it. But he said, he had taken none of it out of 
 any book ; for which his evasion afterwards was, 
 that a gentleman gave him the discourse in a 
 manuscript, from whence he transcribed it. 
 
 9. The jury brought him in guilty ; but when 
 he came to die, he utterly denied the fact, where- 
 of he had been thus convicted. 
 
 21 
 
212 MATTERS 
 
 The Indictment of Bridget Bishop. 
 
 Essex ss. Anno Regni Regis 8f Reginos TVillielmi fy Marios, nunc 
 Anglix, 8fc. quarto. 
 
 The jurors for our sovereign lord and lady the king 
 and queen present, that Bridget Bishop, alias Oliver, the 
 wife of Edward Bishop, in Salem, in the county of Essex, 
 sawyer, the nineteenth day of April, in the fourth year of 
 the reign of our sovereign lord and lady William and 
 Mary, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France 
 and Ireland, king and queen, defenders of the faith, &c. 
 and divers other days and times, as well before as after, 
 certain detestable arts, called witchcrafts and sorceries, 
 wickedly and feloniously hath used, practised and exer- 
 cised, at and within the township of Salem, in the county 
 of Essex, aforesaid, in, upon and against one Mercy Lew- 
 is, of Salem Village, in the co.unty aforesaid, single wo- 
 man ; by which said wicked arts the said Mercy Lewis, 
 the said 19th day of April, in the fourth year abovesaid, and 
 divers other days and times, as well before as after, was 
 and is hurt, tortured, afflicted, pined, consumed, wasted 
 and tormented, against the peace of our sovereign lord 
 and lady, the king and queen, and against the form of 
 the statute in that case made and provided. 
 Endorsed, Billa Vera. 
 
 Witnesses, Mercy Le^is. Nathaniel Ingersoll, mr. Sam- 
 uel Parris, Thomas Putman, junior, Mary Wolcott, junior, 
 Ann Putman, junior, Eliz. Hubbard, and Abigail Williams. 
 
 There was also a second indictment, on the 
 said Bishop, for afflicting and practising witch- 
 craft on Abigail Williams. Witnesses to the 
 said indictment were, the said Abigail Williams, 
 mr. Parris, Nathaniel Ingersoll, Thomas Put- 
 man, Ann Putman, Mary Wolcott, Elizabeth 
 Hubbard. 
 
 The third indictment was for afflicting Mary 
 Wolcott; witnesses to which said indictment 
 were, Mary Wolcott, Mary Lewis, mr. Samuel 
 Parris, Nathaniel Ingersoll, Thomas Putman, 
 
OF FACT, &c. 243 
 
 Ann Putman, Elizabeth Hubbard, Abigail Wil- 
 liams. 
 
 The fourth indictment was for afflicting Eliza- 
 beth, Hubbard; witnesses to which said indict- 
 ment were, the said Elizabeth Hubbard, Mercy 
 Lewis, mr. Parris, Nathaniel Ingersoll, Thomas 
 Putman, Ann Putman, Mary Wolcott, Abigail 
 Williams. 
 
 The fifth indictment was for afflicting Jinn 
 Putman; witnesses to which said indictment 
 were the said Ann Putman, mr. Samuel Parris, 
 Nathaniel Ingersoll, Thomas Putman, Mercy 
 Lewis, Mary Wolcott, Abigail Williams, Eliza- 
 beth Hubbard. 
 
 The Trial of Bridget Bishop, as printed in Won- 
 ders of the Invisible Worlds June 2, 1692, from 
 p. 104 top, 114. 
 
 1. She was indicted for bewitching several 
 persons in the neighbourhood. The indictment 
 being drawn up, according to the form in such 
 cases usual, and pleading not guilty, there were 
 brought in several persons, who had long under- 
 gone many kinds of miseries, which were pre- 
 ternaturally inflicted, and generally ascribed un- 
 to an horrible witchcraft. There was little oc- 
 casion to prove the witchcraft, it being evident 
 and notorious to all beholders. Now to fix the 
 witchcraft on the prisoner at the bar, the first 
 thing used was the testimony of the bewitched; 
 whereof several testified, that the shape of the 
 prisoner did oftentimes very grievously pinch 
 them, choke them, bite them, and afflict them; 
 urging them to write their names in a book, 
 
244 MATTERS 
 
 which the said spectre called ours. One oi- 
 them did further testify, that it was the shape 
 of this prisoner, with another, which one day 
 took her from her wheel, and, carrying her to 
 the river side, threatened there to drown her, 
 if she did not sign the book mentioned ; which 
 yet she refused. Others of them did also testify, 
 that the said shape did, in her threats, brag to 
 them, that she had been the death of sundry 
 persons, then by her named. Another testified, 
 the apparition of ghosts unto the spectre of 
 Bishop, crying out, You murdered us. About 
 the truth whereof, there was in the matter of 
 fact but too much suspicion. 
 
 2. It was testified, that at the examination of 
 the prisoner, before the magistrates, the be- 
 witched were extremely tortured. If she did 
 but cast her eyes on them, they were presently 
 struck down ; and this in such a manner as there 
 could be no collusion in the business. But upon 
 the touch of her hand upon them, when they lay 
 in their swoons, they would immediately revive ; 
 and not upon the touch of any one's else. More- 
 over, upon some special actions of her body, as 
 the shaking of her head, or the turning of her 
 eyes, they presently and painfully fell into the 
 like postures. And many of the like accidents 
 now fell out, while she was at the bar; one at 
 the same time testifying, that she said, she 
 could not be troubled to see the afflicted thus 
 tormented. 
 
 3. There was testimony likewise brought in, 
 that a man striking once at the place where a 
 bewitched person said the shape of this Bishop 
 
OF FACT, &c. 245 
 
 stood, the bewitched cried out that he had torn 
 her coat, in the place then particularly specifi- 
 ed; and the woman's coat was found to be torn 
 in the very place. 
 
 4. One Deliverance Hobbs, who had confess- 
 ed her being a witch, was now tormented by the 
 spectres for her confession. And she now testi- 
 fied, that this Bishop tempted her to sign the 
 book again, and to deny what she had confessed. 
 She affirmed, that it was the shape of this priso- 
 ner which whipped her with iron rods, to com- 
 pel her thereunto. And she affirmed, that this 
 Bishop was at a general meeting of the witches 
 in a field, at Salem Village, and there partook 
 of a diabolical sacrament, in bread and wine, then 
 administered. 
 
 5. To render it further unquestionable, that 
 the prisoner at the bar was the person truly 
 charged in this witchcraft, there were produced 
 many evidences of other witchcrafts, by her 
 perpetrated. For instance, John Cook testified, 
 that about five or six years ago, one morning 
 about sunrise, he was, in his chamber, assaulted 
 by the shape of this prisoner; which looked on 
 him, grinned at him, and very much hurt him 
 with a blow on the side of the head ; and that 
 on the same day, about noon, the same shape 
 walked in the room where he was, and an ap- 
 ple strangely flew out of his hand into the lap 
 of his mother, six or eight feet from him. 
 
 6. Samuel Gray testified, that about fourteen 
 years ago, he waked on a night, and saw the 
 room where he lay full of light; and that he 
 then saw plainly a woman between the cradle 
 
 21* 
 
246 MATTERS 
 
 and the bedside, which looked upon him. He 
 rose, and it vanished, though he found the doors 
 all fast. Looking out at the entry door, he saw 
 the same woman in the same garb again ; and 
 said, In God's name, what do you come for ? He 
 went to bed, and had the same woman again 
 assaulting him. The child in the cradle gave a 
 great screech, and the woman disappeared. It 
 was long before the child could be quieted ; and 
 though it were a very likely, thriving child, yet 
 from this time it pined away, and after divers 
 months died in a sad condition. He knew not 
 Bishop, nor her name ; but when he saw her af- 
 ter this, he knew by her countenance, and ap- 
 parel, and all circumstances, that it was the 
 apparition of this Bishop, which had thus trou- 
 bled him. 
 
 7. John Bly and his wife testified, that he 
 bought a sow of Edward Bishop, the husband 
 of the prisoner, and was to pay the price agreed 
 unto another person. This prisoner, being 
 angry that she was thus hindered from fingering 
 the money, quarrelled with Bly; soon after 
 which the sow was taken with strange fits, 
 jumping, leaping, and knocking her head against 
 the fence ; she seemed blind and deaf, and 
 would neither eat nor be sucked. Whereupon 
 a neighbour said, she believed the creature was 
 overlooked ; and sundry other circumstances 
 concurred, which made the deponents believe 
 that Bishop had bewitched it. 
 
 8. Richard Coman testified, that eight years 
 ago, as he lay awake in his bed, with a light burn- 
 ing in the room, he was annoyed with the apparf- 
 
OF FACT, &c. 247 
 
 tion of this Bishop, and of two more that were 
 strangers to him, who came and oppressed him, 
 so that he could neither stir himself, nor wake 
 any one else ; and that he was the night after 
 molested again in the like manner, the said Bi- 
 shop taking him by the throat, and pulling him 
 almost out of the bed. His kinsman offered for 
 this cause to lodge with him ; and that night, as 
 they were awake, discoursing together, this Co- 
 man was once more visited by the guests which 
 had formerly been so troublesome, his kinsman 
 being at the same time struck speechless, and 
 unable to move hand or foot. He had laid his 
 sword by him ; which those unhappy spectres 
 did strive much to wrest from him, but he held 
 too fast for them. He then grew able to call 
 the people of his house ; but although they 
 heard him, yet they had not power to speak or 
 stir, until at last one of the people crying out, 
 What's the matter? the spectres all vanished. 
 
 9. Samuel Shattock testified, that in the year 
 1680, this Bridget Bishop often came to his 
 house upon such frivolous and foolish errands, 
 that they suspected she came indeed with a 
 purpose of mischief ; presently whereupon, his 
 eldest child, which was of as promising health 
 and sense as any child of its age, began to droop 
 exceedingly ; and the oftener that Bishop came 
 to his house, the worse grew the child. As 
 the child would be standing at the door, he 
 would be thrown and bruised against the stones, 
 by an invisible hand, and in like sort knock his 
 face against the sides of the house, and bruise it 
 after a miserable manner. Afterwards this Bi- 
 
248 MATTERS 
 
 shop would bring him things to dye, whereof he 
 could not imagine any use ; and when she paid 
 him a piece of money, the purse and money 
 w r ere unaccountably conveyed out of a locked 
 box, and never seen more. The child was im- 
 mediately hereupon taken with terrible fits, 
 whereof his friends thought he would have di- 
 ed : indeed he did nothing but cry and sleep, 
 for several months together ; and at length his 
 understanding was utterly taken away. Among 
 other symptoms of an enchantment upon him, 
 one was, that there was a board in the garden, 
 whereon he would walk; and all the invitations 
 in the world would never fetch him off. About 
 seventeen or eighteen years after, there came a 
 stranger to Shattock's house, who, seeing the 
 child, said, This poor child is bewitched; and 
 you have a neighbour living not far off who is a 
 witch. He added, Your neighbour has had a 
 falling out with your wife ; and she said in her 
 heart, your wife is a proud woman, and she would 
 bring down her pride in this child. He then re- 
 membered that Bishop had parted from his 
 wife in muttering and menacing terms, a little 
 before the child was taken ill. The abovesaid 
 stranger would needs carry the bewitched boy 
 with him to Bishop's house, on pretence of 
 buying a pot of cider. The woman entertained 
 him in a furious manner; and flew also upon 
 the boy, scratching his face till the blood came, 
 and saying, Thou rogue, what ! dost thou bring 
 this fellow here to plague me ? Now it seems the 
 man had said, before he went, that he would 
 fetch blood of her. Ever after the boy was 
 
OF FACT, £c. 249 
 
 followed by grievous fits, which the doctors 
 themselves generally ascribed unto witchcraft ; 
 and wherein he would be thrown still into fire 
 or water, if he were not constantly looked after; 
 and it was verily believed that Bishop was the 
 cause of it. 
 
 10. John Louder testified, that upon some 
 little controversy with Bishop about ner fowls, 
 going well to bed, he awaked in the night by 
 moonlight, and clearly saw the likeness of this 
 woman grievously oppressing him ; in which 
 miserable condition she held him, unable to help 
 himself, till near day. He told Bishop of this, 
 but she utterly denied it, and threatened him 
 very much. Quickly after this, being at home 
 on a Lord's day, with the doors shut about him, 
 he saw a black. pig approach him ; at which he 
 going to kick, it vanished away. Immediately 
 after, sitting down, he saw a black thing jump 
 in at the window, and come and stand before 
 him : the body was like that of a monkey, the 
 feet like a cock's, but the face much like a 
 man's. He being so extremely frighted that 
 he could not speak, this monster spoke to him, 
 and said, / am a messenger sent unto you, for I 
 understand that you are in some trouble of mind, 
 and if you will be ruled by me, you shall want for 
 nothing in this world. Whereupon he endea- 
 voured to clap his hands upon it ; but he could 
 feel no substance, and it jumped out of the win- 
 dow again ; but immediately came in by the 
 porch, though the doors were shut, and said, 
 You had better take my counsel. He then struck 
 at it with a stick, but struck only the ground- 
 
250 MATTERS 
 
 sel, and broke the stick. The arm with whicfe 
 he struck was presently disenabled, and it van- 
 ished away. He presently went out at the back 
 door, and spied this Bishop, in her orchard, go- 
 ing towards her house ; but he had not power 
 to set one toot forward unto her. Whereupon, 
 returning into the house, he was immediately 
 accosted by the monster he had seen before; 
 which goblin was now going to fly at him; 
 whereat he cried out, The whole armour of God 
 be between me and you! so it sprang back, and 
 flew over the apple-tree, shaking many apples 
 off the tree in its flying over. At its leap, it 
 flung dirt with its feet against the stomach of 
 the man; whereon he was then struck dumb, 
 and so continued for three days together. Up- 
 on the producing of this tetimony, Bishop denied 
 that she knew this deponent. Yet their two 
 orchards joined, and they had often had their 
 little quarrels for some years together. 
 
 11. William Stacy testified, that receiving 
 money of this Bishop for work done by him, he 
 was gone but about three rods from her, and, 
 looking for his money, found it unaccountably 
 gone from him. Some time alter, Bishop asked 
 him whether his father would grind her grist 
 for her. He demanded why. She replied, Be- 
 cause folks count me a witch. He answered, 
 No question but he will grind it for you. Being 
 then gone about six rods from her, with a small 
 load in his cart, suddenly the off wheel slumpt, 
 and sunk down into an hole, upon plain ground, 
 so that the deponent was forced to get help for 
 the recovering of the wheel. But stepping back 
 
OF FACT, &c 251 
 
 to look for the hole which might give him this 
 disaster, there was none at all to be found- 
 Some time after he was awakened in the night; 
 but it seemed as light as day ; and he perfectly 
 saw the shape of this Bishop in the room, trou- 
 bling him ; but upon her going out, all was dark 
 again. He charged Bishop afterwards with 
 it, and she denied it not, but was very angry. 
 Quickly after, this deponent having been threat- 
 ened by Bishop, as he was in a dark night going 
 to the barn, he was very suddenly taken or lift- 
 ed up from the ground, and thrown against a 
 stone wall; after that he was again hoisted up, 
 and thrown down a bank, at the end of his house. 
 After this, again passing by this Bishop, his horse, 
 with a small load, striving to draw, all his gears 
 flew to pieces, and the cart fell down; and this 
 deponent going then to lift a bag of corn, of 
 about two bushels, could not lift it with all his 
 might 
 
 Many other pranks of this Bishop, this depo- 
 nent was ready to testify. He also testified, 
 that he verily believed the said Bishop was the 
 instrument of his daughter Priscilla's death; of 
 which suspicion, pregnant reasons were assigned. 
 12. To crown all, John Bly and William Bly 
 testified, that, being employed by Bridget 
 Bishop to help take dow 7 n the cellar-wall of the 
 old house, wherein she formerly lived, they did 
 in holes of the said old wall find several poppets 
 made up of rags and hogs' bristles, w r ith head- 
 less pins in them, the points being 'outward: 
 whereof she could now give no account unto 
 the court, that was reasonable or tolerable. 
 
252 MATTERS 
 
 13. One thing that made against the prisoner 
 was, her being evidently convicted of gross lying 
 in the court, several times, while she was mak- 
 ing her plea. But besides this, a jury of wo- 
 men found a preternatural teat upon her body; 
 but upon a second search, within three or four 
 hours, there was no such thing to be seen. There 
 was also an account of other people, whom this 
 woman had afflicted; and there might have 
 been many more, if they had been inquired for; 
 but there was no need of them. 
 
 14. There was one very strange thing more, 
 with which the court was newly entertained. 
 As this woman was, under a guard, passing by 
 the great and spacious meeting house of Salem, 
 she gave a look towards the house; and imme- 
 diately a daemon, invisibly entering the meeting- 
 house, tore down a part of it; so that though 
 there were no person to be seen there, yet the 
 people, at the noise running in, found a board, 
 which was strongly fastened with several nails, 
 transported unto another quarter of the house. 
 
 The Indictment of Susanna Martin. 
 
 Essex ss. Anno Regni Regis 8,- Rcginoe JVillielmi 4* Maria, nunc 
 
 Angelice, 8,-c. quarto. — 
 
 The jurors for our sovereign lord and lady the king and 
 queen present, that Susanna Martin, of Amesbury, in the 
 county of Essex, widow, the second day of May, in the 
 fourth year of the reign of our sovereign lord and lady 
 William and Mary, by the grace oi God, of England, Scot- 
 land, France and Ireland, king and queen, defenders of the 
 faith, &x. and divers other days and times, as well before 
 as after, certain detestable arts, called witchcrafts and sor- 
 ceries, wickedly and feloniously hath used, practised and 
 exercised, at and within the township of SjJem, In the 
 county of Essex, aforesaid, in, upon and against one Mary 
 
OF FACT, &c. 253 
 
 Wolcott, of Salem Village, in the county of Essex, single 
 woman ; by which said wicked arts the said Mary Wolcott, 
 the second day of May, in the fourth year aforesaid, and 
 at divers other days and times, as well before as after, 
 was and is tortured, afflicted, pined, consumed, wasted and 
 tormented ; as also for sundry other acts of witchcraft by 
 said Susanna Martin committed and done before and since 
 that time, against the peace of our 'sovereign lord and 
 lady, William and Mary, king and queen of England, their 
 crown and dignity, and against the\form of the statute, in 
 that case made and provided. ^^ 
 
 Returned by the grand jury, Billa vera. 
 Witnesses — Sarah Vibber, Alary Wolcott, Samuel Parris, 
 Elizabeth Hubbard and Mercy Lewis. 
 
 The second indictment was for afflicting Mer- 
 cy Lewis. Witnesses — Samuel Parris, Ann Put- 
 man, Sarah Vibber, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary 
 Wolcott and Mercy Lewis. 
 
 The Trial of Susanna Martin, June 29, 1692; 
 
 as is printed in Wonders of the Invisible World; 
 
 from p. 114 to p. 116. 
 
 1. Susanna Martin pleading not guilty to the 
 indictment of witchcraft brought in against her, 
 there were produced the evidences of many 
 persons very sensibly and grievously bewitched, 
 who all complained of the prisoner at the bar, 
 as the person whom they believed the cause of 
 their miseries. And now, as well as in the other 
 trials, there was an extraordinary endeavour by 
 "witchcrafts, with cruel and frequent fits, to hin- 
 der the poor sufferers from giving in their com- 
 plaints ; which the court was forced with much 
 patience to obtain, by much waiting and watch- 
 ing for it. 
 
 There was now also an account given of what 
 had passed at her first examination before the 
 22 
 
254 MATTERS 
 
 magistrates; the cast of her eye then striking 
 the afflicted people to the ground, whether they 
 saw that cast or no. There were these among 
 other passages between the magistrates and the 
 examinant : 
 
 Magistrate. Tray, what ails these people ? 
 
 Martin. I don't know. 
 
 Mag. But, what do you think ails them ? 
 
 Martin. I do not desire to spend my judgment 
 upon it. 
 
 Mag. Don't you think they are bewitched? 
 
 Martin. No, I do not think they are. 
 
 Mag. Tell us your thoughts about them, 
 then. 
 
 Martin. No, my thoughts are my own when 
 they are in, but when they are out they are 
 another's. Their master 
 
 Mag. Their master! Who do you think is 
 their master? 
 
 Martin. If they be dealing in the black art, 
 you may know as well as I. 
 
 Mag. Well, what have you done towards 
 this ? ^ 
 
 Martin. Nothing at all. 
 
 J}Jag. Why, 'tis you or your appearance. 
 ^Martin. I can't help it. 
 
 Mag. Is it not your master ? How comes 
 your appearance to hurt these ? 
 
 Martin, How 7 do I know ? He that appeared 
 in the shape of Samuel, a glorified saint, may ap- 
 pear in any one's shape. 
 
 It was then also noted in her, as in others 
 like her, that if the afflicted went to approach 
 her, they were flung down to the ground; and 
 
OF FACT, kc. 255 
 
 when she was asked the reason of it, she said, I 
 cannot tell; it may be the devil bears me more 
 malice than another. 
 
 The court accounted themselves alarmed by 
 these things to inquire further into the conversa- 
 tion of the prisoner, and see what there might 
 occur to render these accusations further cred- 
 ible. Whereupon John Allen, of Salisbury, 
 testified, that he refusing, because of the weak- 
 ness of his oxen, to cart some staves at the request 
 of this Martin, she was displeased at it, and said, 
 it had been as good that he had, for his oxen 
 should never do him much more service. Where- 
 upon this deponent said, Dost thou threaten me, 
 thou old witch ? I'll throw thee into the brook ; 
 which to avoid, she flew over the bridge, and 
 escaped. But as he was going home, one of his 
 oxen tired, so that he was forced to unyoke him 
 that he might ^et him home. He then put his 
 oxen, with many more, upon Sal is bury- beach, 
 where cattle used to get flesh. In a few days, 
 all the oxen upon the beach were found by 
 their tracks to have run unto the mouth of 
 Merrimack-river, and not returned ; but the next 
 day they were found come ashore upon Plum- 
 island. They that sought them used all imagina- 
 ble gentleness; but they would still run away 
 with a violence that seemed wholly diabolical, 
 till they came near the mouth of Merrimack 
 river, when they ran right into the sea, swim- 
 ming as far as they could be seen. One of them 
 then swam back again, with a switfness amazing 
 to the beholders, who stood ready to receive 
 him, and help up his tired carcass ; but the beast 
 
256 Matters 
 
 ran furiously up into the island, and from thence 
 through the marshes, up into Newbury- town, and 
 so up into the woods; and after a while was 
 found near Amesbury. So that, of fourteen 
 good oxen, there was only this saved : the rest 
 were all cast up, some in one place, and some in 
 another, drowned. 
 
 4. John Atkinson testified, that he exchanged 
 a cow with a son of Susanna Martin, whereat 
 she muttered, and was unwilling he should have 
 it. Going to receive this cow, though he ham- 
 stringed her, and haltered her, she of a tame 
 creature grew so mad, that they could scarce 
 get her along. She broke all the ropes that 
 were fastened unto her; and though she was 
 tied fast unto a tree, yet she made her escape, 
 and gave them such further trouble, as they 
 could ascribe to no cause but witchcraft. 
 
 5. Bernard Peache testified, that, being in bed, 
 on a Lord's-day night, he heard a scrabbling at 
 the window, whereat he then saw Susanna Mar- 
 tin come in, and jump down upon the floor. She 
 took hold of this deponent's feet, and, drawing 
 his body up into an heap, she lay upon him near 
 two hours; in all which time he could neither 
 speak nor stir. At length, when he could begin 
 to move, he laid hold on her hand, and pulling 
 it up to his mouth, he bit three of her fingers* 
 as he judged, to the bone ; whereupon she went 
 from the chamber down the stairs, out at the 
 door. This deponent thereupon called unto the 
 people of the house to advise them of what pas- 
 sed Qand he himself followed her. The peo- 
 ple saw her not; but there being a bucket at 
 
OF FACT, &c. 257 
 
 the left hand of the door, there was a drop of 
 blood on it, and several Imore drops of blood up- 
 on the snow, newly fallen abroad. There was 
 likewise the print of her two feet, just without 
 the threshold ; but no more sign of any footing 
 further off. 
 
 At another time this deponent was desired by 
 the prisoner to come to husking of corn, at her 
 house ; and she said, If he did not come, it were 
 better that he did. He went not; but the night 
 following, Susanna Martin, as he judged, and 
 another, came towards him. One of them said, 
 Here he is ; but he, having a quarterstaff, made 
 a blow at them : the roof of the barn broke his 
 blow; but, following them to the window, he 
 made another blow at them, and struck them 
 down; yet they got up, and got out, and he saw 
 no more of them. 
 
 About this time, there was a rumour about 
 the town, that Martin had a broken head; but 
 the deponent could say nothing to that. 
 
 The said Peache also testified, the bewitch- 
 ing of cattle to death, upon Martin's discontents. 
 
 6. Robert Downer testified, that this prisoner 
 being some years ago prosecuted at court for a 
 witch, he then said unto her, he believed she was 
 a witch. Whereat she being dissatisfied, said, 
 that some she-devil would shortly fetch him away ; 
 which words were heard by others, as well as 
 himself. The night following, as he lay in his 
 bed, there came in at the window, the likeness 
 of a cat, which flew upon him, and took fast 
 hold of his throat, lay on him a considerable 
 while, and almost killed him; at length he re- 
 22* 
 
258 MATTERS 
 
 membered what Susanna Martin had threatened 
 the day before, and with much striving he cried 
 out, Avoid, thou she-devil; in the name of God 
 the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, avoid : 
 whereupon it left him, leaped on the floor, and 
 flew 7 out at the window. 
 
 And there also came in several testimonies, 
 that, before ever Downer spoke a word of this 
 accident, Susanna Martin and her family had re- 
 lated how this Downer had been handled. 
 
 7. John Kembal testified, that Susanna Mar- 
 tin, upon a causeless disgust, had threatened 
 him about a certain cow of his, that she should 
 never do him any more good, and it came to 
 pass accordingly ; for soon after the - cow was 
 found stark dead on the dry ground, without 
 any distemper to be discerned upon her; upon 
 which he was followed with a strange death 
 upon more of his cattle ; w T hereof he lost, in one 
 spring, to the value of 30/. But the said John 
 Kembal had a further testimony to give in against 
 the prisoner, which was truly admirable. Be- 
 ing desirous to furnish himself with a dog, he 
 applied himself to buy one of this Martin, who 
 had a bitch with whelps in her house ; but she 
 not letting him have his choice, he said he 
 would supply himself then at one Blezdel's. 
 Having marked a puppy which he liked at 
 Blezdel's, he met George Martin, the husband, 
 of the prisoner, going by, w 7 ho asked whether 
 he would not have one of his wife's puppies ; 
 and he answered, no. The same day one Ed- 
 mund Eliot, being at Martin's house, heard 
 George Martin relate where this Kembal had 
 
OF FACT, £c. 259 
 
 been, and what he had said ; whereupon Susan- 
 na Martin replied, If I live V 11 give him puppies 
 enough. Within a few days after this, Kembal 
 coming out of the woods, there arose a little black 
 cloud in the N. W. and Kembal immediately 
 felt a force upon him, which made him not able 
 to avoid running upon the stumps of trees that 
 were before him, although he had a broad, 
 plain cart- way before him ; but though he had 
 his axe on his shoulder to endanger him in his 
 falls, he could not forbear going out of his way 
 to tumble over them. When he came below 
 the meeting-house, there appeared to him a 
 little thing like a puppy, of a darkish colour, 
 and it shot backwards and forwards between his 
 legs. He had the courage to use all possible 
 endeavours to cut it with his axe> but he could 
 not hit it; the puppy gave a jump from him, 
 and went, as to fiirn it seemed, into the ground, 
 Going a little further, there appeared unto him 
 a black puppy, somewhat bigger than the first, 
 but as black as a coal. Its motions were quick- 
 er than those of his axe. It flew at his belly, 
 and at his throat, so over his shoulders one 
 way, and then over his shoulders another way. 
 His heart now began to fail him, and he thought 
 the dog would have tore his throat out ; but 
 he recovered himself, and called upon God in 
 his distress, and naming the name of Jesus 
 Christ, it vanished away at once. The depo- 
 nent spoke not one word of these accidents, for 
 fear of affrighting his wife. But the next mon> 
 ing, Edmund Eliot going into Martin's house, 
 this woman asked him where Kembal was, 
 
260 MATTERS 
 
 He replied, At home, a-bed, for ought he knew. 
 She returned, They say he was frighted last 
 night. Eliot asked, With what? She answered, 
 With puppies. Eliut asked where she heard 
 of it, for he had heard nothing of it. She re- 
 joined, About the town ; although Kembal had 
 mentioned the matter to no creature living. 
 
 8. William Brown testified, that Heaven 
 having blessed him with a most pious and pru- 
 dent wife, this wife of his one day met with 
 Susanna Martin ; but when she approached just 
 unto her, Martin vanished out of sight, and left 
 her extremely affrighted. After which time 
 the said Martin often appeared unto her, giving 
 her no litttle trouble ; and when she did come,, 
 she was visited with birds, that sorely pecked 
 and pricked her ; and sometimes a bunch like a 
 pullet's egg would rise on her throat, ready to 
 choke her, till she cried out, Witch, you shctrft 
 choke me ! While this good woman was in this 
 extremity, the church appointed a day of prayer 
 on her behalf; whereupon the trouble ceased; 
 she saw not Martin as formerly ; and the church, 
 instead of their fast, gave thanks for her deliv- 
 erance. But a considerable while after, she 
 being summoned to give in some evidence at the 
 court against this Martin, quickly this Martin 
 came behind her, while she was milking her 
 cow, -and said unto her, For thy defaming me at 
 court, I'll make thee the miserablest creature in the 
 world. Soon after which, she fell into a strange 
 kind of distemper, and became horribly frantic, 
 and uncapable of any reasonable action ; the 
 physicians declaring that her distemper was 
 
OF FACT, kc. 26rf 
 
 preternatural, and that some devil had certainly 
 bewitched her ; and in that condition she now 
 remained. 
 
 9. Sarah Atkinson testified, that Susanna 
 Martin came from Amesburj, to their house at 
 Newbury, in an extraordinary season, when it 
 was not fit for any one to travel. She came (as 
 she said to Atkinson) all that long way on foot. 
 She bragged and showed how dry she was ; nor 
 could it be perceived that so much as the soles 
 of her shoes were wet. Atkinson was amazed 
 at it, and professed that she should herself have 
 been wet up to the knees, if she had then come so 
 far ; but Martin replied, she scorned to be drab- 
 bled. It was noted that this testimony, upon 
 her trial, cast her into a very singular confusion. 
 
 1.0. John Pressy testified, that being one even- 
 ing very unaccountably bewildered near a field 
 of Martin, and several times as one under an 
 enchantment, returning to the place he had left, 
 at length he saw a marvellous light, about the 
 bigness of an half bushel, near two rods out of 
 the wav. He went and struck at it with a stick, 
 and laid it on with all his might. He gave it 
 near forty blows, and felt it a palpable substance. 
 But, going from it, his heels were struck up, 
 and he was laid with his back on the ground ; 
 sliding, as he thought, into a pit ; from whence 
 he recovered, by taking hold on a bush ; al- 
 though afterwards he could find no such pit in 
 the place. Having after his recovery gone five 
 or six rods, he saw Susanna Martin standing on 
 his left hand, as the light had done before ; but 
 they changed no words with one another. He 
 
262 MATTERS 
 
 could scarce find his house in his return ; but at 
 length he got home, extremely affrighted. The 
 next day it was upon inquiry understood, that 
 Martin was in a miserable condition, by pains 
 and hurts that were upon her. 
 
 It was further testified by this deponent, that 
 after he had given in some evidence against Su- 
 sanna Martin many years ago, she gave him 
 foul words about it, and said, he should never 
 prosper ; more particularly, that he should never 
 have more than two cows : that though he were 
 ever so likely to have more, yet he shoidd never 
 have them ; and that, from that very day to 
 this, namely for twenty years together, he could 
 never exceed that number, but some strange 
 thing or other still prevented his having any 
 more. 
 
 11. Jarvis Ring testified, that about seven 
 years ago he was oftentimes grievously oppres- 
 sed in the night, but saw not who troubled him, 
 until at length he, lying perfectly awake, plainly 
 saw Susanna Martin approach him : she came 
 to him, and forcibly bit him by the finger; so 
 that the print of the bite is now, so long after, 
 to be seen upon him. 
 
 12. But, besides all these evidences, there 
 was a most wonderful account of one Joseph 
 Ring produced on this occasion. This man has 
 been strangely carried about, by daemons, from 
 one witch-meeting to another, for near two 
 years together ; and for one quarter of this time 
 they made him and kept him dumb, though he 
 is now again able to speak. There was one 
 T. H. who, having, as 'tis judged, a design of 
 
OF FACT, &c. 263 
 
 engaging this Joseph Ring in a snare of devil- 
 ism, contrived a wile to bring this Ring two 
 shillings in debt unto him. Afterwards this 
 poor man would be visited with unknown shapes, 
 and this T. H. sometimes among them : which 
 Avould force him away with them, unto unknown 
 places, where he saw meetings, feasting, dan- 
 cings : and after his return, wherein they hur- 
 ried him along through the air, he gave demon- 
 strations to the neighbours, that he had been 
 so transported. When he was brought unto 
 these hellish meetings, one of the first things 
 they still did unto him was, to give him a knock 
 on the back, whereupon he was ever, as if bound 
 with chains, uncapable of stirring out of the 
 place, till they should release him. He related, 
 that there often came to him a man, who pre- 
 sented him a book, whereto he would have him 
 set his hand ; promising him that he should then 
 have even what he would ; and presenting him 
 wth all the delectable things, persons and places 
 that he could imagine ; but he refusing to sub- 
 scribe, the business would end with dreadful 
 shapes, noises and screeches, which almost 
 scared him out of his wits. Once, with a book, 
 there was a pen offered him, and an inkhorn, 
 with liquor in it, that seemed like blood ; but he 
 never touched it. 
 
 This man did now affirm, that he saw the 
 prisoner at several of these hellish rendezvous. 
 
 Note. This woman was one of the most im- 
 pudent, scurrilous, wicked creatures, in the 
 world ; and she now, throughout her whole trial, 
 discovered herself to be such an one. Yet when 
 
264 MATTERS 
 
 she was asked what she had to say for herself, 
 her chief plea was, that she had led a most 
 virtuous and holy life. 
 
 The Indictment of Elizabeth How. 
 
 Essex ss. Anno Regni Regis 8f Reginae, Willielmi 8f J\Iarice, nunt 
 Anglice, fyc. quarto. 
 
 The jurors for our sovereign lord and lady the king 
 and queen present, that Elizabeth How, wife of James 
 How, of Ipswich, in the county of Essex, the thirty-first 
 day of May, in the fourth year of the reign of our sove- 
 reign lord and lady William and Mary, by the grace of 
 God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, king and 
 queen, defenders of the faith, &c. and divers other days 
 and times, as well before as after, certain detestable arts, 
 called witchcrafts and sorceries, wickedly and feloniously 
 hath used, practised and exercised, at and within the town- 
 ship of Salem, in the county of Essex, aforesaid, in, upon 
 and against one Mary Wolcott, of Salem Village, in the 
 county aforesaid, single woman ; by which said wicked 
 arts the said Mary Wolcott, the said thirty-first day of 
 May, in the fourth year abovesaid, and divers other days 
 and^ times, as well before as after, was and is tortured, 
 afflicted, pined, consumed, wasted and tormented; and 
 also for sundry other acts of witchcrafts, by said Elizabeth 
 How committed and done before and since that time, 
 against the peace of our sovereign lord and lady, the 
 king and queen, and against the form of the statute in 
 that case made and provided. 
 
 Witnesses — .Mary Wolcott , Ann Putman, Abigail Wil- 
 liams, Samuel Pearly, and his wife Ruth, Joseph Andrews, 
 and wife Sarah, John Sherrin, Joseph Safford, Francis Lane : 
 Lydia Foster, Isaac Cummins, junior. 
 
 There was also a second indictment for af- 
 flicting Mercy Lewis. Witnesses — Mercy Lew- 
 is, Mary Wolcott, Ann Putman, Samuel Pearly 
 and wife, Joseph Andrews and wife, John Sher- 
 rin, Joseph Safford, Francis Lane, Lydia Foster 
 
OF FACT, &c. 265 
 
 The Trial of Elizabeth How, June 30, 1692 ; 
 as is printed in Wonders of the invisible 
 World, from p. 126 top. 132, inclusively. 
 
 1. Elizabeth How, pleading not guilty to the 
 indictment of witchcrafts then charged upon 
 her, the court, according to the usual proceed- 
 ing of the courts in England in such cases, be- 
 gan with hearing the deposition of several af- 
 flicted people, who were grievously tormented 
 by sensible and evident witchcrafts, and all com- 
 plained of the prisoner as the cause of their 
 trouble. It was also found that the sufferers 
 were not able to bear her look; as likewise that 
 in their greatest swoons they distinguished her 
 touch from other people's, being thereby raised 
 out of them. And there was other testimony 
 of people, to whom the shape of this How gave 
 trouble nine or ten years ago. 
 
 2. It has been a most usual thing for the be- 
 witched persons, at the same time that the 
 spectres representing the witches troubled 
 them, to be visited with apparitions of ghosts, 
 pretending to have been murdered by the* 
 witches then represented. And sometimes the 
 confessions of the witches afterwards acknowl- 
 edged those very murders, which these appa- 
 ritions charged upon them, although they had 
 never heard what information had been given 
 by the sufferers. There were such apparitions 
 of ghosts testified by some of the present 
 sufferers, and the ghosts affirmed that this How 
 had murdered them: which things were feared, 
 but not proved. 
 
 3. This How had made some attempts of 
 
 23 
 
266 MATTERS 
 
 joining to the church at Ipswich, several years 
 ago ; but she was denied an admission into that 
 holy society, partly through a suspicion of witch- 
 craft, then urged against her. And there now 
 came in testimony of preternatural mischiefs 
 presently befalling some that had been instru- 
 mental to debar her from the communion where- 
 upon she was intruding. 
 
 4. There was a particular deposition of Jo- 
 seph Safford, that his wife had conceived an 
 extreme aversion to this How, on the reports 
 of her witchcrafts ; but How one day taking her 
 by the hand, and saying, / believe you are not ig- 
 norant of the great scandal that I lie under by an 
 evil report raised upon me, she immediately, un- 
 reasonably, and unpersuadably, even like one 
 enchanted, began to take this woman's part. 
 How being soon after propounded, as desiring 
 an admission to the table of the Lord, some of 
 the pious brethren were unsatisfied about her. 
 The elders appointed a nleeting, to hear mat- 
 ters objected against her; and no arguments in 
 the world could hinder this goodwife Safford 
 from going to the lecture. She did indeed pro- 
 mise, with much ado, that she would not go to 
 the church-meeting ; yet she could not refrain 
 going thither also. How's affairs w 7 ere so can- 
 vassed, that she came off rather guilty, than 
 cleared ; nevertheless goodwife Safford could 
 not forbear taking her by the hand, and saying, 
 Though you are condemned before men, you are 
 justified before God. She was quickly taken 
 in a very strange manner; frantic, raving, rag- 
 ing, and crying out, Goody How must come into 
 
OF FACT, fcc. 267 
 
 the church; she is a precious saint ; and though 
 she be condemned before men, she is justified before 
 God. So she continued for the space of two or 
 three hours, and then fell into a trance. But, 
 coining to herself, she cried out, Ha! I was mis- 
 taken ! afterwards again repealed, Ha ! I teas 
 mistaken! Being asked by a stander-by where- 
 in, she replied, / thought goody How had been a 
 precious saint of God, but now I see she is a witch: 
 she has bewitched me and my child, and we shall 
 never be wcU till there be testimony for her, that she 
 may be taken into the church. 
 
 And How said, afterwards, That she was very 
 sorry to see Safflord at the church-meeting mention- 
 ed. Safford, after this, declared herself io be af- 
 flicted by the shape of How, and that from that 
 shape she endured many miseries. 
 
 5. John How, brother to the husband of the 
 prisoner, testified, that he refusing to accompa- 
 ny the prisoner unto her examination as was by 
 her desired, immediately some of his cattle were 
 bewitched to death, leaping three or four feet 
 high, turning about, squeaking, falling and dying 
 at once ; and going to cut off an ear, for an use 
 that might as well perhaps have been omitted, 
 the hand wherein he held his knife was taken 
 very numb; and so it remained, and full of pain, 
 for several days, being not well at this very time. 
 And he suspected this prisoner for the author 
 of it. 
 
 6. Nehemiah Abbot testified, that unusual 
 and mischievous accidents would befall his cat- 
 tle, whenever he had any difference with this 
 prisoner. Once particularly she wished his ox 
 
*$8 MATTERS 
 
 choked ; and within a little while that ox was 
 choked with a turnip in his throat. At another 
 time, refusing to lend his horse at the request 
 of her daughter, the horse was in a preternatu- 
 ral manner abused. And several other odd 
 things of that kind were testified. 
 
 7. There came in testimony, that one good- 
 wife Sherwin, upon some difference with How, 
 was bewitched, and that she died charging this 
 How of having an hand in her death; and that 
 other people had their barrels of drink unac- 
 countably mischiefed, spoiled, and spilt, upon 
 their displeasing her. 
 
 The things in themselves were trivial; but 
 there being such a course of them, it made them 
 the more to be considered. Among others, 
 Martha Wood gave her testimony, that a little 
 after her father had been employed in gather- 
 ing an account of this How's conversation, they 
 once and again lost great quantities of drink out 
 of their vessels, in such a manner as they could 
 ascribe to nothing but witchcraft; as also that 
 How giving her some apples, when she had eat- 
 en of them she was taken with a very strange 
 kind of a maze, insomuch that she knew not 
 what she said or did. 
 
 8. There was likewise a cluster of depositions, 
 that one Isaac Cummins refusing to lend his mare 
 to the husband of this How, the mare was with- 
 in a day or two taken in a strange condition. 
 The beast seemed much abused, being bruised, 
 as if she had been running over the rocks, and 
 marked where the bridle went, as if burnt with 
 a red hot bridle. Moreover, one using a pipe 
 
OF FACT, &c. 269 
 
 of tobacco for the cure of the beast, a blue flame 
 issued out of her, took hold of her hair, and not 
 only spread and burnt on her, but it also flew 
 upwards towards the roof of the barn, and had 
 like to have set the barn on fire. And the mare 
 died very suddenly. 
 
 9. Timothy Pearly and his wife testified, not 
 only that unaccountable mischiefs befel their 
 cattle upon their having differences with this 
 prisoner, but also that they had a daughter de- 
 stroyed by witchcrafts ; which daughter still 
 charged How as the cause of her affliction; and 
 it was noted that she would be struck down 
 whenever How was spoken of. She was often 
 endeavoured to be thrown into the fire, and into 
 the water, in her strange fits; though her father 
 had corrected her for charging How with be- 
 witching her, yet (as was testified by others also) 
 she said she was sure of it, and must die stand- 
 ing to it. Accordingly she charged How to the 
 very death; and said, Though How could afflict 
 and torment her body, yet she could not hurt her 
 soul) and that the truth of this matter would appear 
 when she should be dead and gone. 
 
 10. Francis Lane testified, that being hired 
 by the husband of this How to get him a parcel 
 of posts and rails, this Lane hired John Pearly 
 to assist him. This prisoner then told Lane, 
 that she believed the posts and rails would not 
 do, because John Pearly helped him; but that 
 if he had gotten them alone without John Pear- 
 ly's help, they might have done well enough. 
 When James How came to receive his posts and 
 rails of Lane, How taking them up by the ends, 
 
 23* 
 
J70 MATTERS 
 
 they, though good and sound, yet unaccountably 
 broke off, so that Lane was forced to get thirty 
 or forty more. And this prisoner being inform- 
 ed of it, she said, she told him so before, because 
 Pearly helped about them, 
 
 11. Afterwards there came in the confessions 
 of several other (penitent) witches, which af- 
 firmed this How to be one of those who w T ith 
 them had been baptized by the devil in the ri- 
 ver, at Newbury-falls ; before which, he made 
 them there kneel down by the brink of the river, 
 and worship him. 
 
 The Indictment of Martha Carrier, 
 
 Essex ss. Anno Regni Regis 8f Regincc TVillielmi 8f Marice, nunc 
 
 Angelia, fyc. quarto. — 
 
 The jurors for our sovereign lord and lady the king and 
 queen present, that Martha Carrier, wife of Thomas Car- 
 rier, of Andover, in the county of Essex, husbandman, the 
 thirty-first day of May, in the fourth year of the reign of 
 our sovereign lord and lady William and Mary, by the 
 grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, 
 king and queen, defenders of the faith, &c. and divers 
 other days and times, as well before as after, certain de- 
 testable arts, called witchcrafts and sorceries, wickedly 
 and feloniously hath used, practised and exercised, at and 
 within the township of Salem, in the county of Essex, 
 aforesaid, in, upon and against one Mary Wolcott, of Salem 
 Village, in the county of Essex, single woman ; by which 
 said wicked arts the said Mary Wolcott, the thirty-first 
 day of May, in the fourth year aforesaid, and at divers 
 other days and times, as well before as after, was and 
 is tortured, afflicted, pined, consumed, wasted and torment- 
 ed ; against the peace of our sovereign lord and lady, 
 William and Mary, king and queen of England, their 
 crown and dignity, and against the form of the statute, in 
 that case made and provided. 
 
 Witnesses — Mary Wolcott. Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann. 
 Put/nan. 
 
OF FACT, &c. 271 
 
 There was also a second indictment for afflict- 
 ing Elizabeth Hubbard, by witchcraft. Witnes- 
 ses — Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Wolcott, Ann 
 Putrnan, Mary Warren. 
 
 The Trial of Martha Carrier, August 2, 1692 ; 
 as may be seen in Wonders of the Invisible 
 World, from p. 132, top. 138. 
 
 1. Martha Carrier was indicted for the be- 
 witching of certain persons, according to the 
 form usual in such cases. Pleading not guilty to 
 her indictment, there were first brought in a 
 considerable number of the bewitched persons; 
 who not only made the court sensible of an hor- 
 rid witchcraft committed upon them, but also 
 deposed, that it was Martha Carrier, or her 
 shape, that grievously tormented them, by bit- 
 ing, pricking, pinching and choking them. It 
 was further deposed, that while this Carrier 
 was on her examination before the magistrates, 
 the poor people were so tortured, that every 
 one expected their death upon the very spot; 
 but that upon the binding of Carrier they were 
 eased. Moreover the looks of Carrier then laid 
 the afflicted people for dead; and her touch, if 
 her eyes at the same time were off them, raised 
 them again. Which things were also now seen 
 upon her trial. And it was testified, that upon 
 the mention of some having their necks twisted 
 almost round by the shape of this Carrier, she 
 replied, Its no matter, though their necks had been 
 twisted quite of* 
 
 2. Before the trial of this prisoner, several of 
 her own children had frankly and fully confessed.* 
 
27J MATTERS 
 
 not only that they were witches themselves, but 
 that their mother had made them so. This 
 confession they made with great shows of re* 
 pentance, and with much demonstration of truth. 
 Tuey related place, time and occasion; they 
 g-ive an account of journeys, meetings and mis- 
 chiefs by them performed, and were very credi- 
 ble in what they said. Nevertheless, this evi- 
 dence was not produced against the prisoner at 
 the bar, in as much as there was other evidence 
 enough to proceed upon. 
 
 3. Benjamin Abbot gave in his testimony, that, 
 last March was a twelve-month, this Carrier was 
 very angry with him, upon laying out some land 
 near her husband's. Her expressions in this an- 
 ger were, that she would stick as elose to Abbot 
 as the bark stuck to the tree ; and that he 
 should repent of it before seven years came to 
 an end, so as doctor Prescot should never cure 
 him. These words were heard by others be- 
 sides Abbot himself, who also heard her say, 
 she would hold his nose as close to the grind- 
 stone as ever it was held since his name was 
 Abbot. Presently after this he was taken with 
 a swelling in his foot, and then with a pain in 
 his side, and exceedingly tormented. It bred a 
 sore, which was lanced by Dr. Prescot, and se- 
 veral gallons of corruption ran out of it. For 
 six weeks it continued very bad; and then anoth- 
 er sore bred in his groin, which was also lanced 
 by Dr. Prescot. Another sore bred in his groin, 
 which was likewise cut, and put him to very 
 great misery. He was brought to death's door, 
 and so remained until Carrier was taken and car- 
 
OF FACT, &c. 273 
 
 tied away by the constable ; from which very 
 day he began to mend, and so grew better every 
 day, and is well ever since. 
 
 Sarah Abbot also, his wife, testified, that her 
 husband was not only all this while afflicted in 
 his body, but also that strange, extraordinary 
 and unaccountable calamities befel his cattle; 
 their death being such as they could guess no 
 natural reason for. 
 
 4. All in Toothaker testified, that Richard, 
 the son of Martha Carrier, having some diffe- 
 rence with him, pulled him down by the hair of 
 the head; when he rose again, he was going to 
 strike at Richard Carrier, but fell down flat on 
 his back to the ground, and had not power to 
 stir hand or foot, until he told Carrier he yield- 
 ed; and then he saw the shape of Martha Car- 
 rier go off his breast. 
 
 This Toothaker had received a wound in the 
 wars; and he now testified, that Martha Car- 
 rier told him, he should never be cured. Just 
 before the apprehending of Carrier, he could 
 thrust a knitting-needle into his w 7 ound four inch- 
 es deep; but presently after her being seized, 
 he was thoroughly healed. 
 
 He further testified, that when Carrier and 
 he sometimes were at variance, she would clap 
 her hands at him, and say, he should get nothing 
 by it. Whereupon he several times lost his cat- 
 tle by strange deaths, whereof no natural causes 
 could be given. 
 
 5. John Roger also testified, that, upon the 
 threatening words of this malicious Carrier, his 
 cattle would be strangely bewitched; as was 
 more particularly then described, 
 
274 MATTERS 
 
 6. Samuel Preston testified, that about two 
 years ago, having some difference with M ;rtha 
 Carrier, he lost a cow in a strange, prerernatui al, 
 unusual manner; and about a month after this, 
 the said Carrier having again some difference 
 with him, she told him he had lately lost a cow, 
 and it should not be long before he lost another; 
 which accordingly came to pass; for he had a 
 thriving and well-kept cow, which without any 
 known cause quickly fell down and died. 
 
 7. Phebe Chandler testified, that about a 
 fortnight before the apprehension of Martha 
 Carrier, on a Lord's-day, while the psalm was 
 singing in the church, this Carrier then took her 
 by the shoulder, and shaking her, asked her 
 where she lived : she made her no answer, al- 
 though, as Carrier lived next door to her father's 
 house, she could not in reason but know who 
 she was. Quickly after this, as she was at several 
 times crossing the fields, she heard a voice 
 that she took to be Martha Carrier's, and it 
 seemed as if it were over her head. The voice 
 told her, she should within two or three days be 
 poisoned : accordingly, within such a little time, 
 one half of her right hand became greatly 
 swollen and very painful, as also part of her face ; 
 whereof she can give no account how it came. 
 It continued very bad for some days; and sever- 
 al times since she has had a great pain in her 
 brrast ; and been so seized on her legs, that she 
 has hardly been able to go. She added, that 
 lately going well to the house of God, Richard, 
 the son of Martha Carrier, looked very earnest- 
 ly upon her, and immediately her hand^ which 
 
OF FACT, be. 275 
 
 had formerly been poisoned, as is abovesaid, be- 
 gan to pain her greatly, and she had a strange 
 burning at her stomach ; but was then struck 
 deaf, so that she could not hear any of the 
 prayer, or singing, till the two or three last 
 words of the psalm. 
 
 8. One Foster, who confessed her own share 
 in the witchcraft, for which the prisoner stood 
 indicted, affirmed, that she had seen the prisoner 
 at some of their witch-meetings, and that it was 
 this Carrier who persuaded her te be a witch. 
 She confessed that the devil carried them on a 
 pole to a witch-meeting ; but the pole broke, 
 and she hanging about Carrier's neck, they both 
 fell down, and she then received an hurt by the 
 fall, whereof she was not at this \ery time 
 recovered. 
 
 9. One Lacy, who likewise confessed her 
 share in this witchcraft, now testified, that she 
 and the prisoner were once bodily present at a 
 witch-meeting in Salem Village, and that she 
 knew the prisoner to be a witch, and to have 
 been at a diabolical sacrament, and that the 
 prisoner was the undoing of her and her chil- 
 dren, by enticing them into the snare of the 
 devil. 
 
 10. Another Lacy, who also confessed her 
 share in this witchcraft, now testified, that the 
 prisoner was at the witch-meeting in Salem 
 Village, where they had bread and wine admin- 
 istered to them. 
 
 11. In the time of this prisoner's trial, one 
 Susanna Sheldon, in open court, had her hands 
 unaccountably tied together with a wheel-band 
 
276 MATTERS 
 
 so fast that without cutting it could not be loosen- 
 ed. It was dorte by a spectre; and the sufferer 
 affirmed it was the prisoner's. 
 
 Memorandum. This rampant hag, Martha 
 Carrier, was the person of whom the confessions 
 of the witches, and of her own children among 
 the rest, agreed that the devil had promised her 
 she should be queen of hell. 
 
 Thus far the account given in Wonders of the 
 Invisible World; in which (setting aside such 
 words as these, in the trial of. G. B. viz. "They, 
 i. e. the witnesses, were enough to fix the char- 
 acter of a witch upon him" — in the trial ot Bi- 
 shop, these words, "But there was no need of 
 them," \. e. of further testimony — in the trial of 
 How, where it is said, " And there came in tes- 
 timony of preternatural mischiefs presently be- 
 falling some that had been instrumental to debar 
 her from the communion, whereupon she was 
 intruding,") Martin is called one of the most im- 
 pudent, scurrilous, wicked creatures in the world; 
 in his account of Martha Carrier, he is pleased 
 to call her a rampant hag, &c. 
 
 These expressions, as they manifest that he 
 wrote more like an advocate than an historian, 
 so also that those that were his employers were 
 not mistaken in their choice of him for that 
 work, however he may have missed it in other 
 things: as, in his owning (in the trial of G. B.) 
 that the testimony of the bewitched, and confes- 
 sors, was not enough against the accused ; for it is 
 known that not only in New-England such evi- 
 dence has been taken for sufficient, but also in 
 
 i 
 
OF FACT, &c. 277 
 
 England, as himself there owns, and will also 
 hold true of Scotland, &c. they having proceed- 
 ed upon such evidence, to the taking away of 
 the lives of many. To assert that this is not 
 enough, is to tell the world that such executions 
 were but so many bloody murders; which sure- 
 ly was not his intent to say. 
 
 His telling that the court began to think that 
 Burroughs stept aside to put on invisibility, is a 
 rendering them so mean philosophers, and such 
 weak christians, as to be Ht to be imposed upon 
 by any silly pretender. 
 
 His calling the evidence against How trivial, 
 and others against Burroughs he accounts no 
 part of his conviction, and that of lifting a gun 
 with one finger, its being not made use of as evi- 
 dence, renders the whole but the more perplext. 
 (Not to mention the many mistakes therein con- 
 tained.) 
 
 Yet all this (and more that might have been 
 hinted at) does not hinder, but that his account 
 of the manner of trials of those for witchcraft is 
 as faithfully related as any trials of that kind, 
 that were ever yet made public; and it may al- 
 so be reasonablv thought. that there was as care- 
 ful a scrutiny, and as unquestioned evidences im- 
 proved, as had been formerly used in the trials 
 of others, for such crimes, in other places. 
 Though indeed a second part might be very use- 
 ful, to set forth which was the evidence convic- 
 tive in these trials ; for it is not supposed that 
 romantic or ridiculous stories should have any 
 influence; such as biting a spectre's finger so 
 that the blood flowed out; or such as Shattock's 
 24 
 
278 MATTERS 
 
 story of twelve years standing, which yet was 
 presently eighteen years or more, and jet a man 
 of so excellent memory as to be able to recall a 
 small difference his wife had with another wo- 
 man when eighteen years were past. 
 
 As it is not to be suppesed that such as these 
 could influence any judge or jury, so not unkind- 
 ness to relations, or God's having given to one 
 man more strength than to some others; the 
 oversetting of carts, or the death of cattle; nor 
 yet excrescences (called teats) nor little bits of 
 rags tied together (called poppets ;) much less 
 any person's illness, or having their clothes rent, 
 when a spectre has been well hanged ; much 
 less the burning the mare's fart, mentioned in 
 thctrial of How. 
 
 None of these being in the least capable -of 
 proving the indictment, the supposed criminals 
 were indicted for afflicting, &c. such and such 
 particular persons by witchcraft, to which none 
 of these evidences have one word to say ; and the 
 afflicted and confessors being declared not 
 enough, the matter needs yet further explaining. 
 
 But to proceed. The general court having 
 set and enacted laws, particularly one against 
 witchcraft, assigning the penalty of death to any 
 that shall feed, reward or employ, &c. evil 
 spirits, though it has not yet been explained 
 what is intended thereby, or what it is to i^eed^ 
 rew T ard or employ devils, &c yet some of the 
 legislators have given this, instead of an explana- 
 tion, that they had therein but copied the law of 
 another country. 
 
 January 3. By virtue of an act of the general 
 
OF FACT, <yc. 279 
 
 court, the first superior court was held at Salem, 
 for the country of Essex; the judges appointed 
 were mr. William Stoughton (the lieutenant 
 governor) Thomas Danforth, John Richards, 
 Wait Winthrop, and Samuel Sevval!, esquires; 
 where ignoramus was found upon the several bills 
 of indictment against thirty, and billa vera against 
 twenty-six more ; of all these, three only were 
 found guilty by the jury upon trial, two of which 
 were (as appears by their behaviour) the most 
 senseless and ignorant creatures that could be 
 found ; besides which, it does not appear what 
 came in against those more than against the rest 
 that were acquitted. 
 
 The third was the wife of Ward well, who 
 was one of the twenty executed, and it seems 
 they had both confessed themselves guilty ; but 
 he, retracting his said confession, w r as tried and 
 executed. It is supposed that this woman, fear- 
 ing her husband's fate, was not so stiff in her 
 denials of her former confession, such as it was. 
 These three received sentence of death. 
 
 At these trials some of the jury made inquiry 
 of the court, what account they ought to make 
 of the spectre evidence ; and received for an- 
 swer, j9s much as of chips in wort. 
 
 January 31, 1692-3. The superior court be- 
 gan at Charlestown, for the county of Middlesex, 
 mr. Stoughton, mr. Danforth, mr. Winthrop and 
 mr. Sewall, judges ; where several had ignora- 
 mus returned upon their bills of indictment, and 
 billa vera upon others. 
 
 In the time the court sat, word was brought 
 in, that a reprieve was sent to Salem, and had 
 
28® MATTERS 
 
 prevented the execution of seven of those" that 
 were there condemned; which so moved the 
 chief judge, that he said to this effect, We were 
 in a way to have cleared the land of these, $*c. 
 Who it is obstructs the course of justice, 1 know 
 not ; the Lord be merciful to the country ; and so 
 went off the bench, and came no more that court. 
 The most remarkable of the trials, was of 
 Sarah Daston* She was a woman of about sev- 
 enty or eighty years of age. To usher her in 
 to her trial, a report went before, that if there 
 were a witch in the world she was one, as hav- 
 ing been so accounted of for twenty or thirty 
 years; w r hich drew many people from Boston, 
 &c. to hear her trial. There were a multitude 
 of witnesses produced against her; but what 
 testimony they gave in seemed wholly foreign, 
 as of accidents, illness, &c. befalling them, or 
 theirs, after some quarrel; what these testified 
 was much of it of actions said to be done twenty 
 years before that time. The spectre evidence 
 was not made use of in these trials, so that the 
 jury soon brought her in not guilty. Her daugh- 
 ter and grand-daughter, and the rest that were 
 then tried, were also acquitted. After she was 
 cleared, judge Danforth admonished her in these 
 words, Woman, woman, repent ; there are shrewd 
 things come in against you. She was remanded 
 to prison for her fees, and there in a short time 
 expired. One of Boston, that had been at the 
 trial of Daston, being the same evening in com- 
 pany with one of the judges in a public place, 
 acquainted him that some, that had been both 
 at the trials at Salem and at this at Charlestown. 
 
OF FACT, &c. 281 
 
 had asserted, That there was more evidence against 
 the said Daston than against any at Salem ; to 
 which the said judge conceded, saying, that it 
 was so. It was replied by that person, That he 
 dare give it under his hand, that there was not 
 enough come in against her to bear a just reproof, 
 April25, 1693. The first superior court was 
 held at Boston, for the county of Suffolk ; the 
 judges were the lieutenant Governor, mr. Dan- 
 forth, mr. Richards, and mr. Sewall, esquires; 
 where (besides the acquitting mr. John Aldin by 
 proclamation) the most remarkable was, what 
 related to Mary Watkins, who had been a ser- 
 vant, and lived about seven miles from Boston, 
 having formerly accused her mistress of witch- 
 craft, and was supposed to be distracted ; she 
 was threatened, if she persisted in such accusa- 
 tions, to be punished. This, with the necessary 
 care to recover her health, had that good effect, 
 that she not only had her health restored, but 
 also wholly acquitted her mistress of any such 
 crimes, and continued in health till the return of 
 the year, and then again falling into melancholy 
 humours, she was found strangling herself ; her 
 life being hereby prolonged, she immediately ac- 
 cused herself of being a witch; was carried be- 
 fore a magistrate, and committed. At this court 
 a bill of indictment was brought to the grand 
 jury against her, and her confession upon her ex- 
 amination given in as evidence; but these, not 
 wholly satisfied herewith, sent for her, who gave 
 such account of herself, that they (after they 
 had returned into the court to ask some ques- 
 tions) twelve of them agreed to find ignoramus^ 
 24* 
 
282 MATTERS 
 
 but the court was pleased to send them out 
 again, who again at coming in returned it as be- 
 fore. She was continued for some time in pri- 
 son, &c. and at length was sold to Virginia. About 
 this time the prisoners in all the prisons were 
 released. 
 
 To omit here the mentioning of several wen- 
 ches in Boston, &c. who pretended to be afflicted, 
 and accused several, the ministers often visiting 
 them, and praying with them, concerning whose 
 affliction narratives are in being, in manuscript ; 
 not only these, but the generality of those accus- 
 ers, may have since convinced the ministers, by 
 their vicious courses, that they might err in ex- 
 tending too much charity to them. 
 
 The conclusion of the whole in the Massachu- 
 setts colony was, sir William Phips, governor, 
 being called home, before he went he pardoned 
 such as had been condemned, for which they 
 gave about thirty shillings each to the king's 
 attorney. 
 
 In August, 1697, the superior court sat at 
 Hartford, in the colony of Connecticut, where 
 one mistress Benom was tried for witchcraft. 
 She had been accused by some children that 
 pretended to the spectral sight; they searched 
 her several times for teats; they tried the exper- 
 iment of casting her into the water, and after 
 this she was excommunicated by the minister of 
 Wallinsford. Upon her trial nothing material 
 appeared against her, save spectre evidence. 
 She was acquitted, as also her daughter, a girl 
 of twelve or thirteen years old, who had been 
 likewise accused; but upon renewed complaints 
 
OF FACT, kc, 283 
 
 against them, they both flew into New-York 
 government. 
 
 Before this, the government issued forth the 
 following proclamation: 
 
 By the honourable the lieutenant governor, council 
 and assembly of his majesty *s province of the 
 Massachusetts-bay, in general court assembled. 
 Whereas the anger of God is not yet turned 
 away, but his hand is still stretched out against 
 his people in manifold judgments, particularly in 
 drawing out to such a length the troubles of 
 Europe,- by a perplexing war ; and more espe- 
 cially respecting ourselves in this province, in 
 that Gcd is pleased still to go on in diminishing 
 our substance, cutting short our harvest, blast- 
 ing our most promising undertakings more ways 
 than one, unsettling us, and by his more imme- 
 diate hand snatching away many out of our em- 
 braces by sudden and violent deaths, even at 
 this time when the sword is devouring so many 
 both at home and abroad, and that after many 
 daj f s of public and solemn addressing him : and 
 although, considering the many sins prevailing in 
 the midst of us, we cannot but wonder at the 
 patience and mercy moderating these rebukes, 
 yet we cannot but also fear that there is some- 
 thing still wanting to accompany our supplica- 
 tions; and doubtless there are some particular 
 sins, which God is angry with our Israel for, that 
 have not been duly seen and resented by us, 
 about which God expects to be sought, if ever 
 he turn again our captivity : 
 
 Wherefore it is commanded and appointed? 
 
284 MATTERS 5 
 
 that Thursday, the fourteenth of January next, 
 be observed as a day of prayer, with fasting, 
 throughout this province ; strictly forbidding all 
 servile labour thereon; that so all God's people 
 may offer up fervent supplications unto him, for 
 the preservation and prosperity of his majesty's 
 royal person and government, and success to at- 
 tend his affairs both at home and abroad; that 
 all iniquity may be put away, which hath stirred 
 God's holy jealousy against this land ; that he 
 would shew us what we know not, and help us 
 wherein we have done amiss to do So no more ; 
 and especially that whatever mistakes on either 
 hand have been fallen into, either by the body 
 of this people, or any orders of men, referring to 
 the late tragedy, raised among us by satan and 
 his instruments, through the awful judgment of 
 God, he would humble us therefor, and pardon 
 all the errors of his servants and people, that 
 desire to love his name ; that he would remove 
 the rod of the wicked from off the lot of the 
 righteous; that he would bring in the American 
 heathen, and cause them to hear and obey .his 
 voice. 
 
 Given at Boston, December 17, 1696, in the 
 eighth year of his Majesty's reign. 
 
 Isaac Addington, Secretary. 
 
 Upon the day of the fast, in the full assembly 
 at the south meeting-house in Boston, one of the 
 honourable judges, who had sat in judicature in 
 Salem, delivered in a paper, and while it was in 
 reading stood up; but the copy being not to be 
 obtained at present, it can only be reported by 
 
OF FACT, &c. 285 
 
 memory to this effect, viz. It was to desire the 
 prayers of God's people for him and his ; and 
 that God having visited his family, &c. he was 
 apprehensive that he might have fallen into some 
 errors in the matters at Salem, and pray that 
 the guilt of such miscarriages may not be imput- 
 ed either to the country in general, or to him or 
 his family in particular. 
 
 Some, that had been of several juries, have 
 given forth a paper, signed with their own hands, 
 in these words: 
 
 " We, whose names are under written, being in 
 the year 1692 called to serve as jurors in court 
 at Salem on trial of many, who were by some 
 suspected guilty of doing acts of witchcraft 
 upon the bodies of sundry persons: 
 
 "We confess that we ourselves were not ca- 
 pable to understand, nor able to withstand, the 
 mysterious delusions of the powers of darkness, 
 and prince of the air; but were, for want of 
 knowledge in ourselves, and better information 
 from others, prevailed with to take up with such 
 evidence against the accused, as, on* further 
 consideration and better information, we justly 
 fear was insufficient for the touching the lives of 
 any, (Deut. xvii. 6) whereby we fear we have 
 been instrumental, with others, though ignorant- 
 ly and unwittingly, to bring upon ourselves and 
 this people of the Lord the guilt of innocent 
 blood; which sin the Lord saith, in scripture, 
 he would not pardon, (2 Kings, xxiv. 4) that is, 
 we suppose, in regard of his temporal judgments. 
 We do therefore hereby signify to all in general 
 (and to the surviving sufferers in special) our 
 
§86 MATTERS 
 
 deep sense of, and sorrow for, our errors, in act- 
 ing on such evidence to the condemning of any 
 person ; arid do hereby declare, that we justly 
 fear that we were sadly deluded and mistaken; 
 for which we are much disquieted and distress- 
 ed in our minds ; and do therefore humbly beg 
 forgiveness, first of God for Christ's sake, for 
 this our error; and pray that God would not 
 impute the guilt of it to ourselves, nor others; 
 and we also pray that we may be considered 
 candidly, and aright, by the living sufferers, as 
 being then under the pow r er of a strong and gene- 
 ral delusion, utterly unacquainted with, and not 
 experienced in, matters of that nature. 
 
 " We do heartily ask forgiveness of you all, 
 whom we have justly offended; and do declare, 
 according to our present minds, we would none 
 of us do such things again on such grounds for 
 the whole world ; praying you to accept of this 
 in way of satisfaction for our offence, and that 
 you would bless the inheritance of the Lord, 
 that he may be entreated for the land. 
 
 Foreman, Thomas Fisk, 
 William Fisk, 
 John Bacheler, 
 Thomas Fisk, jun. 
 John Dane, 
 Joseph Evelith, 
 
 Hi. Pearly, sen. 
 John Peabody, 
 Thomas Perkins, 
 Samuel Sayer, 
 Andrew Eliot 
 H. Herrick, sen.'* 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 J5INCE making the foregoing collections of 
 letters, to the rev. mr. Cotton Mather, and oth- 
 ers, <fec (which as yet remain unanswered) a 
 book is come to hand intitled, " The Life of 
 Sir William Phips," printed in London, 1697: 
 which book, though it bears not the author's 
 name, yet the style, manner and matter are such, 
 that, were there no other demonstration or to- 
 ken to know him by, it were no witchcraft to 
 determine that the said mr. Cotton Mather is 
 the author of it But that he, who has encoun- 
 tered enchantments, and gone through the Won- 
 ders of the Invisible World, and discovered the 
 devil — that he should step aside into a remote 
 country to put on invisibility, though the reason 
 of this be not so manifest, yet it may be thought 
 to be to gratify some peculiar fancies. And 
 why may not this be one, that he might with 
 the better grace extol the actions of mr. increase 
 Mather, as agent in England, or as president of 
 Harvard college,^not forgetting his own? 
 
 As to sir William, it will be generally ac- 
 knowledged, that notwithstanding the meanness 
 of his parentage and education, he attained to 
 be master of a ship, and that he had the good 
 Jiap to find a Spanish wreck, not only sufficient 
 
288 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 to repair his fortunes, but to raise him to a con- 
 siderable figure ; which king James so far assist- 
 ed, as to make him a knight; and that after this, 
 in the reign of his present majesty, he took up 
 with those of the agents, that were for accept- 
 ing the new charter, whereby himself became 
 governor. 
 
 It is not doubted, but that he aimed at the 
 Pfood of the people ; and great pity it is that his 
 government was so sullied (for want of better 
 information and advice from those whose duty 
 it was to have given it) by that hobgoblin mon- 
 ster, witchcraft, whereby this country was night- 
 mared, and harassed, at such a rate as is not 
 easily imagined. 
 
 After which, some complaints going to Eng- 
 land about maladministration, in the least mat- 
 ters comparatively, yet were such, that he was 
 called home to give account thereof, where he 
 soon after expired, so finishing his life and gov- 
 ernment together. 
 
 Death having thus drawn the curtain, forbid- 
 ding any further scene, it might have been pru- 
 dent to let his dust remain without disturbance. 
 
 Bat the said book endeavouring to raise a 
 statue to him, i. e. to ascribe to him such achieve- 
 ments as either were never performed by him, 
 or else unduly aggravated, this has opened the 
 mouth, both of friends and enemies, to recount 
 the mistakes in the said book ; as also those 
 miscarriages wherewith sir William was charge- 
 able ; such as, had it not been for this book, 
 would have been buried with him. 
 
 In page 3, search is made over the world', to 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 289 
 
 whom to compare him in his advancement ; and 
 most unhappily Pizarro is pitched upon, as a 
 match for him ; who was a bastard, dropt in a 
 church-porch, put to suck a sow, and, being 
 grown, ran away, and shipt himself for Ameri- 
 ca ; there so prospered, as to command an ar- 
 my; and therewith did mighty things, particu- 
 larly took Atabalipa, one of the kings of Peru, 
 prisoner; and, having received for his ransom, 
 in gold and silver, to the value of ten millions, 
 perfidiously put him to death; and was the 
 death of no man knows how many thousands of 
 innocents, and is certainly one of the worst that 
 could have been pitched upon for such compar- 
 ison. Though this, together with the rhetori- 
 cal flourishes and affected strains therein, are in- 
 stances of the author's variety of learning ; for 
 which he is recommended by these three ven- 
 erable persons in the entrance to the said book; 
 yet the integrity, prudence and veracity thereof 
 are not so manifestly to be seen. Passing over 
 a multitude of misrepresentations that are there- 
 in, relating to the acts of sir William, as not de- 
 signing to rake in the grave of the dead, who is 
 it can see the veracity of those words? p. 40. 
 * ; He lay within pistol-shot of the enemy's can- 
 non, and beat them from thence, and much bat- 
 tered the town, having his ship shot through in 
 an hundred places, with four and twenty poun- 
 ders ;" when, in the judgment of those present, 
 they were not nearer to the enemy than about 
 half or three quarters of a mile; that there 
 might be in all about seven shot that struck the 
 hull of the vessel, none of them known to be 
 25 
 
290 POSTSCRIPT, 
 
 bigger than 18 pounders, the enemy having but 
 one gun that would carry an 18 pound ball. 
 
 It were a folly, after such assertions, to take 
 any notice of this bedecked statue, when there 
 was so much the less need of erecting one (as is 
 asserted p. 108) haying already been done so 
 well, that even this author himself despairs of 
 doing it better; and that by a man of such dif- 
 fused and embalmed a reputation, as that his 
 commendations are asserted to be enough to im- 
 mortalize the reputation of sir William, or 
 whomsoever else he should please to bestow 
 them upon, viz. that reverend person who was 
 the president of the only university then in the 
 English America, p. 109. Which by the way 
 is a much fairer statue, in honour of the president 
 of the university, than that erected for sir Wil- 
 liam. 
 
 For, notwithstanding all this noise of erecting 
 statues, and the great danger in plucking them 
 down, &c. yet, in p. 89, it is said that even sir 
 William shewed choler enough, leaving it open 
 for others thereby to understand that he was 
 wholly given over to passion and choler. And, 
 in p. 92, it is said he did not affect any mighty 
 shew of devotion. These expressions, with 
 others, may prevail with the unbiassed reader 
 to think that these builders of statues had some 
 further design in it, than to blazon the achieve- 
 ments of sir William Phips, viz. to set forth mr. 
 I. Mather's negotiation in England, his procur- 
 ing the new charter, and sir William to be gov- 
 ernor, and himself established president of the 
 feollege, are tne things principally driven at in 
 the book. 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 291 
 
 Another principal thing is, to set forth the 
 supposed witchcrafts in New-England, and how 
 well mr. Mather the younger therein acquitted 
 himself. 
 
 As to the new charter, for the right under- 
 standing that affair, it will be needful to say, 
 that the people that afterwards settled in New- 
 England, being about to leave their native soil, 
 and to seek (as the providence of God should 
 direct them) a settlement in remote regions, 
 wherein they might best secure their civil and 
 religious interests, before they entered upon this, 
 considering it might be needful on many accounts 
 for their future well-being, they obtained a char- 
 ter to be in the nature of a prime agreement, 
 setting forth the sovereign's prerogative, and the 
 people's privileges; in the enjoyment whereof 
 they long continued, after having purchased the 
 title to their lands' of the natives of their coun- 
 try, and settled themselves therein, without any 
 charge to the crown. 
 
 That clause in their charter for this country, 
 viz. " Provided that no other christian prince be 
 prepossessed of it," being a tacit acknowledg- 
 ment, that before settlement, no one christian 
 prince had any right thereto more than another. 
 During this time of New England's prosperity, 
 the government here were very sparing of 
 granting freedoms, except to such as were so 
 and so qualified: whereby the number of non- 
 freemen being much increased, they were very 
 uneasy, by their being shut out from any share 
 in the government, or having any votes for their 
 representatives, &c. It rendered many of them 
 
232 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 ready to join with such as were undermining 
 the government ; not duly considering that it 
 had been far more safe to have endeavoured to 
 prevail with the legislators for an enlargement. 
 
 So that it will not be wondered at, that in the 
 latter end of the reign of king Charles II, and 
 of king James, (when most of the charters in 
 England were vacated) this was quo ivarranto'd, 
 and finally judgment entered up against it, and 
 the country was put into such a form of govern- 
 ment as was most agreeable to those times, viz, 
 a legislative power was lodged in the governor 
 (or president) and some few appointed to be of 
 his council, without any regard therein either 
 to the laws of England, or those formerly of this 
 colony : thus rendering the circumstances of this 
 country beyond comparison worse than those of 
 any corporation in England ; the people of those 
 corporations being acknowledged still to have a 
 right to magna charta, when their particular 
 charters were made void; but here, when magna 
 charta has been pleaded, the people have been 
 answered, that they must not expect that magna 
 charta would follow them to the end of the 
 world; not only their estates, but their lives, 
 being thereby rendered wholly precarious. 
 And judge Palmer has set forth in print, that the 
 king has power to grant such a commission over 
 his people. 
 
 It is not hard to imagine, that under such a 
 commission, not only the people were liable to 
 be oppressed by taxes, but also by confiscations, 
 and seizing of lands, unless patents were purchas- 
 ed at excessive prices, with many other exorbi- 
 tant innovations. 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 293 
 
 The first that accepted this commission was 
 tar. Dudley, a gentleman born in this country, 
 who did but prepare the way for sir Edmond 
 Andros ; in whose time things had grown to 
 such extremities, not only here, but in England, 
 as rendered the succeeding revolution absolutely 
 necessary ; the revolution here being no other 
 than an acting according to the precedent given 
 by England. 
 
 During the time of sir Edmond's government, 
 tnr. Increase Mather, teacher of the north 
 church in Boston, having undergone some trou- 
 ble by fobb-actions laid upon him, &c. (though 
 with some difficulty) he made his escape, and 
 got passage for England, being therein assisted 
 by some particular friends ; where being arri- 
 ved, he applied himself to king James for re- 
 dress of those evils the country then groaned 
 under ; and meeting with a seeming kind recep- 
 tion, and some promises, it was as much as might 
 at that time be reasonably expected. 
 
 Upon the day of the revolution here, though 
 the greatest part of the people were for reas- 
 suming their ancient government, pursuant to 
 his royal highness's proclamation, yet matters 
 were so clogged, that the people were dismissed 
 without it, who did not in the least mistrust 
 but that those, who were put out of the gov- 
 ernment by mr. Dudley, would reassume ; mr. 
 Bradstreet, who had been then governor, being 
 heard to say that evening, when returned home, 
 that had not he thought they would have reas- 
 sumed, he would not have stirred out of his 
 house that day. But after this, some that were 
 25* • 
 
294 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 driving at other matters, had opportunities by 
 threats and other ways not only to prevail with 
 that good old gentleman, but with the rest of 
 the government, wholly to decline it; which 
 some few observing, they took the opportunity 
 to call themselves a committee of safety, and so 
 undertook to govern such as would be governed 
 by them. 
 
 It has been an observation of long continu- 
 ance, that matters of state seldom prosper, when 
 managed by the clergy. Among the opposers 
 of the reassuming, few were so strenuous as 
 some of the ministers ; and among the ministers, 
 none more vehement than mr. Cotton Mather, 
 pastor of the north church in Boston, who has 
 charged them, as they would answer it another 
 day, not to reassume. Among his arguments 
 against it, one was, that it would be to put a 
 slight upon his father, who, he said, was in Eng- 
 land, labouring for a complete restoration bf 
 charter privileges, not doubting but they would 
 be speedily obtained. Any man that knows 
 New-England cannot but be sensible, that such 
 discourses, from such men, have always been 
 very prevalent. And hence it was, that even 
 those that would think themselves wronged, if 
 they were not numbered among the best friends 
 to New-England, and to its charter, would not 
 so much as stoop to take it up, when there was 
 really nothing to hinder them from the enjoy- 
 ment thereof. 
 
 After. the committee of safety had continued 
 about seven weeks, or rather after anarchy had 
 been so long triumphant, an assembly having 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 295 
 
 been called came to this resolution, and laid it 
 before those gentlemen that had been of the 
 government, — that if they would not act upon 
 the foundation of the charter, that, pursuant to 
 it, the assembly would appoint some others in 
 that station. The answer to which was, that 
 they would accept, &c. And when a declara- 
 tion, signifying such a reassuming, was prepared, 
 with the good liking of the deputies, in order to 
 be published, some, that were opposers, so ter- 
 rified those gentlemen, that, before publishing, 
 it was underwritten that they would not have it 
 understood that they did reassume charter- 
 government, to the no small amazement of the 
 people, and disappointment of the deputies, who, 
 if these had not promised so to act, had taken 
 other care, and put in those that would. 
 
 The next principal thing done was, they chose 
 two of their members, viz. one of the upper 
 house, the other of the lower, both of them 
 gentlemen of known integrity as well as ability, 
 to go to England, in order to obtain their reset- 
 tlement; and in regard mr. I. Mather was 
 already there, they joined him, as also a certain 
 gentleman in London, with these other two. 
 Those from hence being arrived in London, 
 they all united for the common interest of the 
 country, though without the desired effect. 
 They were in doubt whether it were best to 
 improve their utmost for a reversal of the judg- 
 ment in a course of law, or to obtain it in a 
 parliamentary way, or to petition his majesty 
 for a new grant of former privileges ; and, con- 
 sidering that the two first might prove dilatory 
 
296 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 and expensive, as well as for other reasons, they 
 resolved upon the latter, and petitioned his ma- 
 jesty for the country's resettlement, with form- 
 er privileges, and what further additions his ma- 
 jesty in his princely wisdom should think fit. 
 Accordingly it pleased his majesty to declare in 
 council his determination, viz. That there 
 should be a charter granted to New-England. 
 But the minutes then taken thereof, and a 
 draught of the new charter, being seen, it was 
 the opinion of the two gentlemen sent from 
 hence, that it were best to tarry his majesty's 
 return from Flanders, in hopes then to obtain 
 ease in such things as might be any ways deem- 
 ed grievous. And this was the result of the ad- 
 vice of such as were best able to give it, that 
 they could meet with; and accordingly they 
 wholly desisted taking it out of the offices. 
 
 But mr. Mather and that other gentleman 
 had, as it is said, other advice given them, which 
 they strenuously pursued ; and his majesty hav- 
 ing left it (as is asserted in the life of sir Wil- 
 liam, p. 57) to them to nominate a governor, 
 they pitched upon sir William Phips, who was 
 then in England, as the most likely and able to 
 serve the king's interests among the people 
 there, under the changes, in some things unac- 
 ceptable, now brought upon them, p. 62; and, 
 without tarrying for the concurrence of those 
 other agents, the charter was taken out, &c. 
 
 Bnt mr. Mather, perhaps fearing he should 
 have but small thanks here for his having so 
 far an hand in bringing upon them those unac- 
 ceptable changes, wrote, and caused to be print- 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 29? 
 
 ed, an account of his negotiation; but, surely by 
 some error in the conception, it proved only an 
 embryo, and was stifled as soon as born. One 
 indeed, designed to be as it were a posthumous, 
 •was left with mr. Bailey, formerly of Boston, 
 and a member of the north church, with a 
 charge not to suffer it to be seen till he were 
 gone to New-England; yet it seems some other 
 person got a sight of it, which was the occasion 
 of mr. Mather's sending him that minatory epis- 
 tle, by some called a bull. But besides this, 
 for fear of the worst, mr. Mather got several 
 non-con. ministers to give him a testimonial, or 
 letters of commendation, for his great service 
 herein. 
 
 In the mean time, mr. Cotton Mather, being 
 in some doubt of the same thing, handed about 
 a paper of fables ; wherein his father, under the 
 name of Mercurius, and himself under the name 
 of Orpheus, are extolled, and the great actions 
 of Mercurius magnified; the present charter 
 exalted, by trampling on the former, as being 
 very defective, and all those called unreasona- 
 ble that did not readily agree with the new one. 
 And indeed the whole country are compared to 
 no better than beasts, except Mercurius and 
 Orpheus; the governor himself must not escape 
 being termed an elephant, though as good as he 
 was great; and the inferiors told by Orpheus, 
 that for the quiet enjoyment of their land, &c. 
 they were beholding to Mercurius. Though 
 this paper was judged not convenient to be 
 printed, yet some copies were taken, the author 
 having shewn variety of heathen learning in it. 
 
298 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 This is in short that eminent service for which 
 the said mr. I. M. is in the present book so highly 
 extolled, in so many pages, that to repeat them, 
 were to transcribe a considerable part of the 
 said book. 
 
 And no doubt he deserves as much thanks as 
 dr. Sharp did, when he was sent by the pres- 
 bytery of Scotland to procure the settlement 
 of their kirk by king Charles II at his restora- 
 tion. 
 
 Not but that the present charter of New- 
 England is indeed truly valuable, as containing 
 in it peculiar privileges, which abundantly en- 
 gages this people to pay the tribute of thank- 
 fulness to his majesty, and all due subjection to 
 whom it shall please him to substitute as gov- 
 ernor over us; and to pray that the King of 
 kings would pour out his richest blessings upon 
 him, giving him a long and prosperous reign 
 over the nation^, under the benign influences 
 whereof oppression and tyranny may flee away. 
 
 And if his majesty hath put this people into 
 the present form of government, that they 
 might be in the better condition of defence in a 
 time of war, or that they might better under- 
 stand the privilege of choosing their own gov- 
 ernor by the want of it, and should be gracious- 
 ly pleased (the war being over) to restore to 
 these, as has been already granted to the rest of 
 his majesty's subjects, the full enjoyment of 
 their ancient privileges, it would be such an 
 obligation upon them to thankfulness and duty, 
 as could never be forgotten, nor sufficiently ex- 
 prest, and would rather abate than increase 
 charge to the crown. 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 299 
 
 As to the supposed witchcrafts in New-Eng- 
 land, having already said so much thereof, there 
 is the less remains to be added. 
 
 In the times of sir Edmond Andros's govern- 
 ment, goody Glover, a despised, crazy, ill-con- 
 ditioned old woman, an Irish Roman Catholic, 
 was tried for afflicting Goodwin's children; by 
 the account of which trial, taken in short hand 
 for the use of the jury, it may appear that the 
 generality of her answers w 7 ere nonsense, and 
 her behaviour like that of one distracted. Yet 
 the doctors, finding her as she had been for many 
 years, brought her in compos mentis ; and setting 
 aside her crazy answers to some ensnaring ques- 
 tions, the proof against her w 7 as wholly deficient. 
 The jury brought her in guilty. 
 
 Mr. Cotton Mather was the most active and 
 forward of any minister in the country in those 
 matters, taking home one of the children, and 
 managing such intrigues with that child, and 
 printing such an account of the whole in his Me- 
 morable Providences, as conduced much to the 
 kindling of those flames, that in sir William's 
 time threatened the destruction of this country. 
 
 King Saul in destroying the witches out of Is- 
 rael is thought by many to have exceeded, and 
 in his zeal to have slain the Gibeonites wrong- 
 fully under that notion; yet went after this to a 
 witch to know his fortune. For his wrongfully 
 destroying the Gibeonites (besides the judg- 
 ments of God upon the land) his sons were 
 hanged ; and for his going to the witch, himself 
 was cut off. Our sir William Phips did not do 
 this; but, as appears by this book, had first his 
 
300 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 fortune told him, (by such as the author counts 
 no better) and though he put it off (to his pas- 
 tor, who he knew approved not thereof) as if it 
 were brought to him in writing, without his 
 seeking, &c. yet by his bringing it so far, and 
 safe keeping it so many years, it appears he 
 made some account of it; for which he gave the 
 writer, after he had found the wreck, as a re- 
 ward, more than two hundred pounds. His 
 telling his wife, (p. 6) that he should be a com- 
 mander, should have a brick house inGreenlane, 
 &c. might be in confidence of some such predic- 
 tion; and that he could foretel to him (p, 90) 
 that he should be governor of New-England, 
 was probably such an one, the scriptures not 
 having revealed it. Such predictions would 
 have been counted, at Salem, pregnant proofs 
 of witchcraft, and much better than what were 
 against several that suffered there. But sir 
 William, when the witchcrafts at Salem began 
 (in his esteem) to look formidable, that he 
 might act safely in this affair, asked the advice 
 of the ministers in and near Boston. The 
 whole of their advice and answer is printed in 
 Cases of Conscience, the last pages. But lest the 
 world should be ignorant who it was that drew 
 the said advice, in this book of the life of sir 
 William Phips, p. 77, are these words, The mi- 
 nisters made to his excellency and the council a 
 return, drawn up at their desire, by mr. Mather 
 the younger, as 1 have been informed. Mr. C. M. 
 therein intending to beguile the world, and 
 make them think that another, and not himself 
 had taken that notice of his (supposed) good 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 301 
 
 service done therein, which otherwise would 
 have been ascribed to those ministers in general ; 
 though indeed the advice then given looks most 
 like a thing of his composing, as carrying both 
 fire to increase, and water to quench, the con- 
 flagration ; particularly after the devil's testi- 
 mony, by the supposed afflicted, had so prevail- 
 ed, as to take away the life of one, and the liber- 
 ty of an hundred, and the whole country set in- 
 to a most dreadful consternation, then this ad- 
 vice is given, ushered in with thanks for what 
 was already done, and in conclusion putting the 
 government upon a speedy and vigorous prose- 
 cution, according to the laws of God, and the 
 wholesome statutes of the English nation; so 
 adding oil, rather than water, to the flame : for 
 who so little acquainted with the proceedings 
 of England, as not to know that they have ta- 
 ken some methods, with those here used, to dis- 
 cover who were witches ? The rest of the ad- 
 vice, consisting of cautions and directions, is in- 
 serted in this book of the life of sir William: so 
 that if sir William, looking upon the thanks for 
 what was past, and exhortation to proceed, went 
 on to take away the lives of nineteen more, this 
 is according to the advice said to be given him 
 "by the ministers; and if the devil, after those 
 executions, be affronted, by disbelieving his testi- 
 mony, and by clearing and pardoning all the rest of 
 the accused, yet this also is, according to that ad- 
 vice, but to cast the scale. The same that drew 
 this advice saith, in Wonders of the Invisible World, 
 Enchantments Encountered, that to have a hand 
 in any thing that may stifle or obstruct a regular 
 26 
 
302 POSTSCRIPT 
 
 detection of that witchcraft, is what we may 
 well with a holy fear avoid : their majesties' 
 good subjects must not every day be torn to pie- 
 ces by horrid witchcraft, and those bloody fel- 
 ons be wholly left unprosecuted ; the witchcraft 
 is a business that will not be shammed. The 
 pastor of that church, of which sir William was 
 a member, being of this principle, and thus de- 
 claring it, after the former advice, no wonder 
 though it cast the scale against those cautions. 
 It is rather a wonder that no more blood was 
 shed ; for if that advice of his pastor could still 
 have prevailed with the governor, witchcraft 
 had not been so shammed off as it was. Yet 
 now, in this book of the life of sir William, the 
 pardoning the prisoners when condemned, and 
 clearing the gaols, is called (p. 82) a vanquishing 
 the devil; adding this conquest to the rest of 
 the noble achievements of sir William, though 
 
 Eerformed not only without, but directly against, 
 is pastors advice. But this is not all ; though 
 this book pretends to raise a statue in honour of 
 sir William, yet it appears it was the least part 
 of the design of the author to honour him, but 
 it was rather to honour himself, and the minis- 
 ters ; it being so unjust to sir William, as to give 
 a full account of the cautions given him, but de- 
 signedly hiding from the reader the encourage- 
 ments and exhortations to proceed, that were 
 laid before him, (under the name of the minis- 
 ters' advice;) in effect telling the world that 
 those executions at Salem were without and 
 against the advice of the ministers, exprest in 
 those cautions, purposely hiding their giving 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 303 
 
 thanks for what was already done, and exhort- 
 ing to proceed ; thereby rendering sir William 
 of so sanguinary a complexion, that the ministers 
 had such cause to fear his going on with the 
 tragedy, though against their advice, that they 
 desired the president to write his Cases of Con- 
 science, &c. To plead misinformation will not 
 salve here, however it may seem to palliate 
 other things, but is a manifest, designed traves- 
 ty, or misrepresentation, of the minister's advice 
 to sir William, a hiding the truth, and a wrong- 
 ing the dead, whom the author so much pretends 
 to honour; for which the acknowledgments ought 
 to be as universal as the offence. But though 
 the ministers' advice, or rather mr. Cotton Ma- 
 ther's, was perfectly ambidexter, giving as great 
 or greater encouragement to proceed in those 
 dark methods, than cautions against them; yet 
 many eminent persons being accused, there was 
 a necessity of a stop to be put to it. If it be 
 true, what was said at the council-board in an- 
 swer to the commendations of sir William for 
 his stopping the proceedings about witchcraft, 
 viz. that it was high time for him to stop it, his 
 own lady being accused; if that assertion were 
 a truth, then New-Englajid may seem to be more 
 beholden to the accusers for accusing her, and 
 thereby necessitating a stop, than to sir William, 
 or to the advice that was given him by his pastor. 
 Mr. Cotton Mather, having been very forward 
 to write books of witchcraft, has not been so 
 forward either to explain or to defend the doc- 
 trinal part thereof; and his belief (which he had 
 a year's time to compose) he durst not venture, 
 
3«4 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 so as to be copied. Yet in this book of the liie 
 of sir William he sufficiently testifies his retain- 
 ing that heterodox belief, seeking by frightful 
 stories of the sufferings of some, and the refined 
 sight of others, &c. (p. 69) to obtrude upon the 
 world, and confirm it in such a belief as hither- 
 to he either cannot or will not defend, as if the 
 blood already shed thereby were not sufficient. 
 
 Mr. 1. Mather, in his Cases of Conscience, p. 
 25, tells of a bewitched eye, and that such can 
 see more than others. They were certainly 
 fcewitched eyes, that could see as well shut as 
 open, and that could see what never was ; 
 that could see the prisoners upon the afflicted^ 
 farming them, when those whose eyes were 
 not bewitched could have sworn that they 
 did not stir from the bar. The accusers are 
 said to have suffered much by biting, (p. 73) 
 and the prints of just such a set of teeth, as 
 those they accused had, would be seen on their 
 flesh ; but such as had not such bewitched eyes 
 have seen the accusers bite themselves, and then 
 complain of the accused. It has also been seen, 
 when the accused, instead of having just such a 
 set of teeth, has not had one in his head. They 
 were such bewitched eyes, that could see the 
 poisonous powder (brought by spectres, p. 70) 
 and that could see in the ashes the print of the 
 brand, there invisibly heating to torment the 
 pretended sufferers with, &c. 
 
 These, with the rest of such legends, have 
 this direct tendency, viz. to tell the world that 
 the devil is more ready to serve his votaries, by 
 his doing for them things above or against the 
 course of nature, shewing himself to* them and 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 305 
 
 making explicit contracts with them, &c. than 
 the Divine Being is to his faithful servants ; and 
 that as he is willing, so also able, to perform their 
 desires. The way whereby these people are be- 
 lieved to arrive at a power to afflict their neigh- 
 bours, is by a compact with the devil, and that 
 they have a power to commission him to those 
 evils, p. 72. However irrational, or unscriptural, 
 such assertions are, yet they seem a necessary 
 part of the faith of such as maintain the belief 
 of such a sort of witches. 
 
 As the scriptures know nothing of a covenant- 
 ing or commissioning witch, so reason cannot 
 conceive how mortals should by their wicked- 
 ness arrive at a power to commission angels, fall- 
 en angels, against their innocent neighbours. But 
 the scriptures are full in it, and the instances nu- 
 merous, that the Almighty Divine Being has this 
 prerogative, to make use of what instruments he 
 please th, in afflicting any, and consequently to 
 commission devils : and though this word, com- 
 missioning, in the author's former books, might 
 be thought to be by inadvertency, yet now, after 
 he hath been cautioned of it, still to persist in it 
 seems highly criminal; and therefore, in the 
 name of God, I here charge such belief as guil- 
 ty of sacrilege in the highest nature, and so much 
 worse than stealing church plate, &c. as it is a 
 higher offence to steal any of the glorious attri- 
 butes of the Almighty, to bestow them upon 
 mortals, than it is to steal the utensils appropri- 
 ated to his service. And whether to ascribe 
 such power of commissioning devils to the worst 
 of men, be not direct blasphemv, I leave to oth= 
 26* 
 
306 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 ers better able to determine. When the Pha* 
 risees were so wicked as to ascribe to Beelzebub 
 the mighty works of Christ (whereby he did 
 manifestly shew forth his power and godhead) 
 then it was that our Saviour declared the sin 
 against the Holy Ghost to be unpardonable. 
 
 When the righteous God is contending with 
 apostate sinners for their departures from him, 
 by his judgments, as plagues, earthquakes, storms 
 and tempests, sicknesses and diseases, wars, loss 
 of cattle, &c. then not only to ascribe this to the 
 devil, but to charge one another with sending or 
 commissioning those devils to do these things, is so 
 abominable and so wicked, that it requires a bet- 
 ter judgment than mine to give it its just de- 
 nomination. 
 
 But that christians, so called, should not only 
 charge their fellow christians therewith, but 
 proceed. to trials and executions; crediting that 
 enemy to all goodness, and accuser of the breth- 
 ren, rather than believe their neighbours in their 
 own defence ; this is so diabolical a wickedness, 
 as cannot proceed but from a doctrine of devils ; 
 how far damnable it is, let others discuss. 
 Though such things were acting in this country 
 in sir William's time, yet (p. 65) there is a dis- 
 course of a guardian angel, as then over-seeing 
 it : which notion, however it may suit the faith of 
 Ethnicks, or the fancies of Trithemius, it is cer- 
 tain that the Omnipresent Being stands not in 
 need, as earthly potentates do, of governing the 
 world by vicegerents. And if sir William had 
 such an invisible pattern to imitate, no wonder 
 though some of his actions were unaccountable. 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 357 
 
 especially those relating to witchcraft : for if 
 there was in those actions an angel superintending, 
 there is little reason to think it was Gabriel, or 
 the spirit of Mercury; nor Hanael, the angel or 
 spirit of Venus ; nor yet Samuel, the angel or 
 spirit of Mars; names feigned by the said Tri- 
 themius, &a It may rather be thought to be 
 Apollyon, or Abaddon. 
 
 Objection. But here it will be said, What, are 
 there no witches? Does not the law of God 
 command that they should be extirpated ? Is 
 the cummand vain and unintelligible ? 
 
 Sol. For any to say that a witch is one that 
 makes a compact with, and commissions devils, 
 &c. is indeed to render the law of God vain and 
 unintelligible, as having provided no way where- 
 by they might be detected, and proved to be 
 such ; and how the Jews waded through this 
 difficulty for so many ages, without the supple- 
 ment of mr. Perkins and Bernard thereto, would 
 be very mysterious. But to him that can read 
 the scriptures without prejudice from education, 
 &c. it will manifestly appear that the scripture is 
 lull and intelligible, both as to the crime, and 
 means to detect the culpable. He that shall here- 
 after see any person, who, to confirm people in 
 a false belief about the power of witches and 
 devils, pretending to a sign to confirm it ; such 
 as knocking off of invisible chains with the hand, 
 driving away devils by brushing, striking with a 
 sword or stick, to wound a person at a great 
 distance, frc. may (according to that head of mr. 
 Gaule's, quoted by mr. C. M. and so often herein 
 before recited, and so well proved by scripture) 
 conclude that he has seen witchcraft performed* 
 
308 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 If Balaam became a sorcerer by sacrificing 
 and praying to the true God against his visible 
 people, then he that shall pray that the afflict- 
 ed (by their spectral sight) may accuse some 
 other persons (whereby their reputations and 
 lives may be endangered) such will justly deserve 
 the name of a sorcerer. If any person pretends 
 to know more than can be known by human 
 means, and professeth at the same time that 
 they have it from the black man, i. e. the devil, 
 and shall from hence give testimony against the 
 lives of others, they are manifestly such as have 
 a familiar spirit ; and if any, knowing them to 
 have their information from the black man, shall 
 be inquisitive of them for their testimony against 
 others, they therein are dealing with such as 
 have a familiar spirit. 
 
 And if these shall pretend to see the dead by 
 their spectral sight, and others shall be inquisitive 
 of them, and receive their answers what it is 
 the dead say* and who it is they accuse, both 
 the one and the other are by scripture guilty of 
 necromancy. 
 
 These are all of them crimes as easily proved 
 as any whatsoever, and that by such proof as 
 the law of God requires, so that it is no unin- 
 telligible laic. 
 
 But if the iniquity of the times be such that 
 these criminals not only escape, being indemni- 
 fied, but are encouraged in their wickedness, and 
 made use of to take away the lives of others, 
 this is worse than a making the law of God vain, 
 it being a rendering of it dangerous, against the 
 lives of innocents, and without all hopes of bet- 
 ter, so long as these bloody principles remain. 
 
POSTSCRIPT. S09 
 
 As long as christians do esteem the law of 
 God to be imperfect, as not describing that crime 
 that it requires to be punished by death : 
 
 As long as men suffer themselves to be poi- 
 soned in their education, and be grounded in a 
 Jake belief by the books of the heathen : 
 
 As long as the devil shall be believed to have 
 a natural power to act above and against the course 
 of nature : 
 
 As long as the witches shall be believed to 
 have a power to commission him : 
 
 As long as the devil's testimony, by the pre- 
 tended afflicted, shall be received as more valid 
 to condemn, than their plea of not guilty to acquit : 
 
 As long as the accused shall have their lives 
 and liberties confirmed and restored to them upon 
 their confessing themselves guilty : 
 
 As long as the accused shall be forced to un- 
 dergo hardships and torments for their not con- 
 fessing : 
 
 As long as teats for the devil to suck are search- 
 ed for upon the bodies of the accused, as a to- 
 ken of guilt : 
 
 As long as the Lord's prayer shall be profan- 
 ed, by being made a test, who are culpable : 
 
 As long as witchcraft, sorcery, familiar spirits, 
 and necromancy, shall be improved to discover 
 who are witches, &c. 
 
 So long it may be expected that innocents 
 will suffer as witches : 
 
 So long God will be daily dishonoured, and so 
 long his judgments must be expected to be con? 
 tinued. 
 
GILES CORY. 
 
 The files of office contain numerous documents of the absurd 
 and ridiculous proceedings and testimonies, by which the 
 victims of a pretended witchcraft were driven on to their 
 tragical end : of which the following will serve as a sped- 
 men. 
 
 The examination of Giles Cory, at a Court at Salem 
 Village, held by John Hathorn and Jona. Curwin, Esqrs. 
 April 19, 1692." 
 
 Giles Cory, you are brought before authority upon high 
 suspicion, of sundry acts of witchcraft ; now tell us the 
 •ruth in this matter. 
 
 I hope through the goodness of God I shall, for that 
 matter I never had no hand in, in my life. 
 
 Which of you have seen this man hurt you? 
 
 Mary Wolcott, Mercy Lewis, Ann Putman, jr. and Abi- 
 gail Williams affirmed he had hurt them. 
 
 Hath he hurt you too ? speaking to Elizabeth Hubbard. 
 She going to answer was prevented by a fit. 
 
 Benjamin Gold, hath he hurt you ? 
 
 I have seen him several times, and been hurt after it, 
 but cannot affirm that it was he. 
 
 Hath he brought the book to any of you ? 
 
 Mary Wolcott and Abigail Williams and others affirmed 
 he had brought the book to them. 
 
 Giles Cory, they accuse you, or your appearance, of 
 hurting them, and bringing the book to them. What do 
 you say ? Why do you hurt them ? Tell us the truth. 
 
 I never did hurt them. 
 
 It is your appearance hurts them, they charge you ; tell 
 us what have you done. 
 
 I have done nothing to damage them. 
 
 Have you never entered into contract with the devil ? 
 
 I never did. 
 
 What temptations have you had ? 
 
 I never had temptations in my life. 
 
 What, have you done it without temptations? 
 
 What was the reason (said goodwife Bibber) that you 
 were frighted in the cow-house ? and then the questionist 
 was suddenly seized with a violent fit. 
 
GILES CORY. 311 
 
 Samuel Braybrook, goodman Bibber, and his daughter, 
 testified that he had told them this morning that he was 
 frighted in the cow-honse. 
 
 Cory denied it. 
 
 This was not your appearance but your person, and you 
 told them so this morning : why do you den}' it ? 
 What did you see in the cow-house ? 
 
 I never saw nothing but my cattle. 
 
 Divers witnessed that he told them he was frighted. 
 
 Well, what do you say to these witnesses? What was 
 it frighted you ? 
 
 I do not know that ever I spoke the word in my life. 
 
 Tell the truth, what was it frighted you ? 
 
 I do not know any thing that frighted me. 
 
 All the afflicted were seized now with fits, and troubled 
 with pinches. Then the court ordered his hands to be tied. 
 
 What, is it not enough to act witchcraft at other times, 
 but must you do it now in the face of authority? 
 
 1 am a poor creature, and cannot help it. 
 
 Upon the motion of his head again, they had their heads 
 and necks afflicted. 
 
 Why do you tell such wicked lies against witnesses, that 
 heard you speak after this manner, this very morning ? 
 
 I never saw any thing but a black hog. 
 
 You said that you were stopt once in prayer ; what 
 stopt you ? 
 
 I cannot tell; my wife came towards me and found fault 
 with me for saying living to God and dying to sin. 
 
 What was it frighted you in the barn? 
 
 I know nothing frighted me there. 
 
 Why here are three witnesses that heard you say so 
 to-day. 
 
 I do not remember it. 
 
 Thomas Gold testified that he heard him say, that he 
 knew enough against his wife, that would do her business. 
 
 What was that you knew against your wife ? 
 
 Why that of living to God, and dying to sin. 
 
 The Marshal and Bibber's daughter confirmed the same, 
 that he said he could say that that would do his wife's 
 business. 
 
 I have said what I can say to that. 
 
 What was that about your ox ? 
 
 I thought he was hipt. 
 
312 GILES CORY. 
 
 What ointment was that your wife had when she was 
 seized? You said it was ointment she made by major 
 Gidney's direction. 
 
 He denied it, and said she had it of goody Bibber, or 
 from her direction. 
 
 Goody Bibber said it is not like that ointment. 
 
 You said you knew, upon your own knowledge, that she 
 had it of major Gidney. 
 
 He denied it. 
 
 Did not you say, when you went to the ferry with your 
 wife, you would not go over to Boston now, for you should 
 come yourself the next week? 
 
 I would not go over, because I had not money. 
 
 The Marshal testified he said as before. 
 
 One of his hands was let go, and several were afflicted. 
 He held his head on one side, and then the heads of seve- 
 ral of the afflicted were held on one side. He drew in 
 his cheeks, and the cheeks of some of the afflicted were 
 suckt in. 
 
 John Bibber and his wife gave in testimony concerning 
 some temptations he had to make away with himself. 
 
 How doth this agree with what you said, that you had 
 no temptations ? 
 
 I meant temptations to witchcraft. 
 
 If you can give way to self murther, that will make way 
 to temptation to witchcraft. 
 
 Note. There was witness by several, that he said he 
 would make away with himself, and charge his death up- 
 on his son. 
 
 Goody Bibber testified that the said Cory called said 
 Bibbers husband, damn'd, devilish rogue. 
 
 Other vile expressions testified in open court by several 
 others. 
 
 Salem Village, April 19, 1692. 
 Mr. Samuel Parris being desired to take in zvriting the 
 examination of Giles Cory, delivered it in ; and upon hear- 
 ing the same, and seeing what we did see at the time of his 
 examination, together with the charge of the afflicted persons 
 against him, we committed him to their majesties'* gaol. 
 
 John Hathorn. 
 

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