thereupon, this _Martin_ came behind her, while she was milking her Cow,
and said unto her, _For thy defaming her 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 frantick, and uncapable
of any reasonable Action; the Physicians declaring, that her Distemper
was preternatural, and that some Devil had certainly bewitched her; and
in that condition she now remained.

IX. _Sarah Atkinson_ testify'd, That _Susanna Martin_ came from
_Amesbury_ to their House at _Newbury_, in an extraordinary Season,
when it was not fit for any to Travel. She came (as she said, unto
_Atkinson_) all that long way on Foot. She brag'd and shew'd 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
her self have been wet up to the knees, if she had then came so far; but
_Martin_ reply'd, _She scorn'd to be Drabbled!_ It was noted, that this
Testimony upon her Trial, cast her in a very singular Confusion.

X. _John Pressy_ testify'd, That being one Evening very unaccountably
Bewildred, near a Field of _Martins_, 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 Rod, out
of the way. 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 recover'd by taking hold on the Bush; altho' afterwards he
could find no such Pit in the place. Having, after his Recovery, gone
five or six Rod, he saw _Susanna Martin_ standing on his Left-hand, as
the Light had done before; but they changed no words with one another.
He could scarce find his House in his Return; but at length he got home
extreamly affrighted. The next day, it was upon Enquiry understood, that
_Martin_ was in a miserable condition by pains and hurts that were upon
her.

It was further testify'd by this Deponent, That after he had given in
some Evidence against _Susanna 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 tho'
he was never so likely to have more, yet he should 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.

XI. _Jervis Ring_ testify'd, That about seven years ago, he was
oftentimes and grievously oppressed in the Night, but saw not who
troubled him; until at last he Lying perfectly Awake, plainly saw
_Susanna Martin_ approach him. She came to him, and forceably bit him by
the Finger; so that the Print of the bite is now, so long after, to be
seen upon him.

XII. But besides all of these Evidences, there was a most wonderful
Account of one _Joseph Ring_, produced on this occasion.

This Man has been strangely carried about by _Dæmons_, from one
_Witch-meeting_ to another, for near two years together; and for one
quarter of this time, they have made him, and keep him Dumb, tho' he is
now again able to speak. There was one _T. H._ who having, as 'tis
judged, a design of engaging this _Joseph Ring_ in a snare of Devillism,
contrived a while, 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 would force him away with them, unto
unknown Places, where he saw Meetings, Feastings, Dancings; and after
his return, wherein they hurried him along through the Air, he gave
Demonstrations to the Neighbours, that he had indeed 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 presented him a _Book_, whereto
he would have him set his Hand; promising to him, that he should then
have even what he would; and presenting him with all the delectable
Things, Persons, and Places, that he could imagin. But he refusing to
subscribe, the business would end with dreadful Shapes, Noises and
Screeches, which almost scared him out of his Wits. Once with the Book,
there was a Pen offered him, and an Ink-horn with Liquor in it, that
seemed like Blood: But he never toucht it.

This Man did now affirm, That he saw the Prisoner at several of those
hellish Randezvouzes.

Note, this Woman was one of the most impudent, scurrilous, wicked
Creatures in the World; and she did now throughout her whole Tryal,
discover her self to be such an one. Yet when she was asked, what she
had to say for her self? Her chief Plea was, _That she had lead a most
virtuous and holy Life._

IV.

THE TRYAL OF ELIZABETH HOW, AT THE

COURT OF OYER AND TERMINER, HELD BY ADJOURNMENT

AT SALEM, JUNE 30. 1692.

I.

_Elizabeth How_ pleading _Not Guilty_ to the Indictment of Witchcrafts,
then charged upon her; the Court, according to the usual Proceedings of
the Courts in _England_, in such Cases, began with hearing the
Depositions of several afflicted People, who were grievously tortured by
sensible and evident _Witchcrafts_, and all complained 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 Peoples, 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.

II. It has been a most usual thing for the bewitched 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 acknowledged those very Murders,
which these _Apparitions_ charged upon them; altho' they had never heard
what Informations 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 _fear'd_ but not _prov'd_.

III. This _How_ had made some Attempts of joyning to the Church at
_Ipswich_, several years ago; but she was denyed an admission into that
Holy Society, partly through a suspicion of Witchcraft, then urged
against her. And there now came in Testimony, of preternatural
Mischiefs, presently befalling some that had been Instrumental to debar
her from the Communion whereupon she was intruding.

IV. There was a particular Deposition of _Joseph Stafford_, That his
Wife had conceived an extream Aversion to this _How_, on the Reports of
her Witchcrafts: But _How_ one day, taking her by the Hand, and saying,
_I believe you are not ignorant of the great Scandal that I lye under,
by an evil Report raised upon me._ She immediately, unreasonably and
unperswadeably, 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 unsatisfy'd about
her. The Elders appointed a Meeting to hear Matters objected against
her; and no Arguments in the World could hinder this Goodwife _Stafford_
from going to the Lecture. She did indeed promise, with much ado, that
she would not go to the Church-meeting, yet she could not refrain going
thither also. _How's_ Affairs there were so canvased, that she came off
rather _Guilty_ than _Cleared_; nevertheless Goodwife _Stafford_ could
not forbear taking her by the Hand, and saying, _Tho' you are Condemned
before Men, you are Justify'd before God._ She was quickly taken in a
very strange manner, Ranting, Raving, Raging and crying out, _Goody
+How+ must come into the Church; she is a precious Saint; and tho' she
be condemned before Men, she is Justify'd before God._ So she continued
for the space of two or three Hours; and then fell into a Trance. But
coming to her self, she cry'd out, _Ha! I was mistaken;_ and afterwards
again repeated, _Ha! I was mistaken!_ Being asked by a stander by,
_Wherein?_ she replyed, _I 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 well, till there be a Testimony for her,
that she may be taken into the Church._ And _How_ said afterwards, that
she was very sorry to see _Stafford_ at the Church-meeting mentioned.
_Stafford_, after this, declared herself to be afflicted by the Shape of
_How_; and from that Shape she endured many Miseries.

V. _John How_, Brother to the Husband of the Prisoner testified, that he
refusing to accompany the Prisoner unto her Examination, as was by her
desired, immediately some of his Cattle were Bewitched to Death, leaping
three or four foot high, turning about, speaking, 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 the Prisoner for the Author
of it.

VI. _Nehemiah Abbot_ testify'd, that unusual and mischievous Accidents
would befal his Cattle, whenever he had any Difference with this
Prisoner. Once, particularly, she wished his Ox choaked; and within a
little while that Ox was choaked with a Turnep in his Throat. At another
Time, refusing to lend his Horse, at the Request of her Daughter, the
Horse was in a preternatural manner abused. And several other odd things
of that kind were testified.

VII. There came in Testimony, that one Good-wife _Sherwin_, upon some
Difference with _How_, was Bewitched; and that she dyed, charging this
_How_ with having an Hand in her Death. And that other People had their
Barrels of Drink unaccountably mischieved, spoil'd and spilt, upon their
displeasing of her.

The things in themselves were trivial, but there being such a Course of
them, it made them the more considered. Among others, _Martha Wood_,
gave her Testimony, That a little after her Father had been employed in
gathering an account of _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 eaten of them, she was taken with a very
strange kind of Amaze, insomuch that she knew not what she said or did.

VIII. There was likewise a Cluster of Depositions, That one _Isaac
Cummings_ refusing to lend his Mare unto the Husband of this _How_, the
Mare was within 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 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
dyed very suddenly.

IX. _Timothy Pearley_ and his Wife, testifyd, Not only unaccountable
Mischiefs befel their Cattle, upon their having of Differences with this
Prisoner: but also that they had a Daughter destroyed 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_ were spoken
of. She was often endeavoured to be thrown into the Fire, and into the
Water, in her strange Fits: Tho' her Father had corrected her for
charging _How_ with bewitching her, yet (as was testified by others
also) she said, She was sure of it, and must dye standing to it.
Accordingly she charged _How_ to the very Death; and said, _Tho' 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._

X. _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 got them alone, without _John Pearly'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, they, tho' good and
sound, yet unaccountably broke off, so that _Lane_ was forced to get
thirty or forty more. And this Prisoner being informed of it, she said,
She told him so before, because _Pearly_ helped about them.

XI. Afterwards there came in the Confessions of several other (penitent)
Witches, which affirmed this _How_ to be one of those, who with them had
been baptized by the Devil in the River, at _Newbury_-Falls: before
which he made them there kneel down by the Brink of the River and
worshiped him.

V.

THE TRIAL OF MARTHA CARRIER, AT THE

COURT OF OYER AND TERMINER, HELD BY ADJOURNMENT

AT SALEM, AUGUST 2. 1692.

I.

_Martha Carrier_ was Indicted for the bewitching 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 horrid
Witchcraft committed upon them, but also deposed, That it was _Martha
Carrier_, or her Shape, that grievously tormented them, by Biting,
Pricking, Pinching and Choaking of 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 Look of _Carrier_ then laid the Afflicted People for dead;
and her Touch, if her Eye at the same time were off them, raised them
again: Which Things were also now seen upon her Tryal. And it was
testified, That upon the mention of some having their Necks twisted
almost round, by the Shape of this _Carrier_, she replyed, _Its no
matter though their Necks had been twisted quite off._

II. Before the Trial of this Prisoner, several of her own Children had
frankly and fully confessed, not only that they were Witches themselves,
but that this their Mother had made them so. This Confession they made
with great Shews of Repentance, and with much Demonstration of Truth.
They related Place, Time, Occasion; they gave an account of Journeys,
Meetings and Mischiefs by them performed, and were very credible in what
they said. Nevertheless, this Evidence was not produced against the
Prisoner at the Bar, inasmuch as there was other Evidence enough to
proceed upon.

III. _Benjamin Abbot_ gave his Testimony, That last March was a
twelvemonth, this _Carrier_ was very angry with him, upon laying out
some Land, near her Husband's: Her Expressions in this Anger, were,
_That she would stick as close to +Abbot+ as the Bark stuck to the Tree;
and that he should repent of it afore seven Years came to an End, so as
Doctor +Prescot+ should never cure him._ These Words were heard by
others besides _Abbot_ himself; who also heard her say, _She would hold
his Nose as close to the Grindstone 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 into a Sore, which was launced by Doctor _Prescot_, and several
Gallons of Corruption ran out of it. For six Weeks it continued very
bad, and then another Sore bred in the Groin, which was also lanced by
Doctor _Prescot_. Another Sore then bred in his Groin, which was
likewise cut, and put him to very great Misery: He was brought unto
Death's Door, and so remained until _Carrier_ was taken, and carried
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 Cattel; their Death
being such as they could guess at no Natural Reason for.

IV. _Allin Toothaker_ testify'd, That _Richard_, the son of _Martha
Carrier_, having some difference with him, pull'd 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 yielded; and then
he saw the shape of _Martha Carrier_, go off his breast.

This _Toothaker_, had Received a wound in the _Wars_; and he now
testify'd, that _Martha Carrier_ told him, _He should never be Cured._
Just afore the Apprehending of _Carrier_, he could thrust a knitting
Needle into his wound, four inches deep; but presently after her being
siezed, he was throughly healed.

He further testify'd, 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 Cattle, by strange
Deaths, whereof no natural causes could be given.

V. _John Rogger_ also testifyed, That upon the threatning words of this
malicious _Carrier_, his Cattle would be strangely bewitched; as was
more particularly then described.

VI. _Samuel Preston_ testify'd, that about two years ago, having some
difference with _Martha Carrier_, he lost a _Cow_ in a strange
Preternatural 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 dy'd.

VII. _Phebe Chandler_ testify'd, that about a Fortnight before the
apprehension of _Martha Carrier_, on a Lords-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,
although as _Carrier_, who lived next door to her Fathers House, 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 Carriers_, and it seem'd as if it was 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 dayes; and several times since, she has had a great pain in her
breast; and been so siezed on her leggs, 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_, look'd very earnestly upon her,
and immediately her hand, which had formerly been poisoned, as is
abovesaid, began 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.

VIII. One _Foster_, who confessed her own share in the Witchcraft for
which the Prisoner stood indicted, affirm'd, that she had seen the
prisoner at some of their _Witch-meetings_, and that it was this
_Carrier_, who perswaded her to be a Witch. She confessed, that the
Devil carry'd them on a pole, to a Witch-meeting; but the pole broke,
and she hanging about _Carriers_ neck, they both fell down, and she then
received an hurt by the Fall, whereof she was not at this very time
recovered.

IX. One _Lacy_, who likewise confessed her share in this Witchcraft, now
testify'd, 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 Children, by enticing them into
the snare of the Devil.

X. Another _Lacy_, who also confessed her share in this Witchcraft, now
testify'd, that the prisoner was at the _Witch-meeting_, in _Salem
Village_, where they had Bread and Wine Administred unto them.

XI. In the time of this prisoners Trial, one _Susanna Sheldon_, in open
Court had her hands Unaccountably ty'd together with a Wheel-band, so
fast that without cutting, it could not be loosed: It was done by a
_Spectre_; and the Sufferer affirm'd, it was the _Prisoners_.

_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
Heb_.

Having thus far done the Service imposed upon me; I will further pursue
it, by relating a few of those Matchless CURIOSITIES, with which the
_Witchcraft_ now upon us, has entertained us. And I shall Report nothing
but with Good Authority, and what I would invite all my Readers to
examine, while 'tis yet Fresh and New, that if there be found any
mistake, it may be as willingly _Retracted_, as it was unwillingly
_Committed_.

THE FIRST CURIOSITIE.

I. 'Tis very Remarkable to see what an Impious and Impudent _imitation_
of Divine Things, is Apishly affected by the Devil, in several of those
matters, whereof the Confessions of our _Witches_, and the Afflictions
of our _Sufferers_ have informed us.

That Reverend and Excellent Person, Mr. _John Higginson_, in my
Conversation with him, Once invited me to this Reflection; that the
Indians which came from far to settle about _Mexico_, were in their
Progress to that Settlement, under a Conduct of the _Devil_, very
strangely Emulating what the Blessed God gave to _Israel_ in the
Wilderness.

_Acosta_, is our Author for it, that the Devil in their Idol
_Vitzlipultzli_, governed that mighty Nation. 'He commanded them to
leave their Country, promising to make them _Lords_ over all the
Provinces possessed by _Six_ other Nations of Indians, and give them a
Land abounding with all precious things. They went forth, carrying their
Idol with them, in a Coffer of _Reeds_, supported by Four of their
Principal _Priests_; with whom he still _Discoursed_ in secret,
Revealing to them the Successes, and Accidents of their way. He advised
them, when to _March_, and where to _Stay_, and without his Commandment
they moved not. The first thing they did, where-ever they came, was to
Erect a _Tabernacle_, for their false god; which they set always in the
midst of their Camp, and they placed the _Ark_ upon an _Alter_. When
they, Tired with pains, talked of, _proceeding no further_ in their
Journey, than a certain pleasant Stage, whereto they were arrived, this
Devil in one Night, horribly kill'd them that had started this Talk, by
pulling out their Hearts. And so they passed on till they came to
_Mexico_.'

The Devil which _then_ thus imitated what was in the Church of the _Old
Testament_, now among _Us_ would Imitate the Affairs of the Church in
the _New_. The _Witches_ do say, that they form themselves much after
the manner of _Congregational Churches_; and that they have a _Baptism_
and a _Supper_, and _Officers_ among them, abominably Resembling those
of our Lord.

But there are many more of these Bloody _Imitations_, if the Confessions
of the _Witches_ are to be Received; which I confess, ought to be but
with very much Caution.

What is their stricking down with a fierce _Look_? What is their making
of the Afflicted _Rise_, with a touch of their _Hand_? What is their
Transportation thro' the _Air_? What is their Travelling _in Spirit_,
while their Body is cast into a Trance? What is their causing of
_Cattle_ to run mad and perish? What is their Entring their Names in a
_Book_? What is their coming together from all parts, at the Sound of a
_Trumpet_? What is their Appearing sometimes Cloathed with _Light_ or
_Fire_ upon them? What is their Covering of themselves and their
Instruments with _Invisibility_? But a Blasphemous Imitation of certain
Things recorded about our Saviour or His Prophets, or the Saints in the
Kingdom of God.

A SECOND CURIOSITIE.

II. In all the _Witchcraft_ which now Grievously Vexes us, I know not
whether anything be more Unaccountable, than the Trick which the Witches
have to render themselves, and their Tools _Invisible_. _Witchcraft_
seems to be the Skill of Applying the _Plastic Spirit_ of the World,
unto some unlawful purposes, by means of a Confederacy with _Evil
Spirits_. Yet one would wonder how the _Evil Spirits_ themselves can do
some things; especially at _Invisibilizing_ of the Grossest Bodies. I
can tell the Name of an Ancient Author, who pretends to show the _way_,
how a man may come to walk about _Invisible_, and I can tell the Name
of another Ancient Author, who pretends to Explode that way. But I will
not speak too plainly Lest I should unawares Poison some of my
_Readers_, as the pious _Hemingius_ did one of his _Pupils_, when he
only by way of Diversion recited a _Spell_, which, they had said, would
cure _Agues_. This much I will say; The notion of procuring
_Invisibility_, by any _Natural Expedient_, yet known, is, I Believe, a
meer PLINYISM; How far it may be obtained by a _Magical Sacrament_, is
best known to the Dangerous Knaves that have try'd it. But our _Witches_
do seem to have got the knack: and this is one of the Things, that make
me think, _Witchcraft_ will not be fully understood, until the day when
there shall not be one Witch in the World.

There are certain people very _Dogmatical_ about these matters; but I'll
give them only these three Bones to pick.

First, One of our bewitched people, was cruelly assaulted by a
_Spectre_, that, she said, ran at her with a _spindle_: tho' no body
else in the Room, could see either the _Spectre_ or the _spindle_. At
last, in her miseries, giving a snatch at the _Spectre_, she pull'd the
_spindle_ away, and it was no sooner got into her hand, but the other
people then present, beheld, that it was indeed a Real, Proper, Iron
_spindle_, belonging they knew to whom; which when they lock'd up very
safe, it was nevertheless by _Demons_ unaccountably stole away, to do
further mischief.

Secondly, Another of our bewitched people, was haunted with a most
abusive _Spectre_, which came to her, she said, with a _sheet_ about
her. After she had undergone a deal of Teaze, from the Annoyance of the
_Spectre_, she gave a violent snatch at the sheet, that was upon it;
wherefrom she tore a corner, which in her hand immediately became
_Visible_ to a Roomful of Spectators; a palpable Corner of a Sheet. Her
Father, who was now holding her, catch'd that he might keep what his
Daughter had so strangely siezed, but the unseen _Spectre_ had like to
have pull'd his hand off, by endeavouring to wrest it from him; however
he still held it, and I suppose has it, still to show; it being but a
few hours ago, namely about the beginning of this _October_, that this
Accident happened; in the family of one _Pitman_, at _Manchester_.

Thirdly, A young man, delaying to procure Testimonials for his Parents,
who being under confinement on suspicion of _Witchcraft_, required him
to do that service for them, was quickly pursued with odd
Inconveniences. But once above the Rest, an Officer going to put his
_Brand_ on the Horns of some _Cows_, belonging to these people, which
tho' he had siez'd for some of their debts, yet he was willing to leave
in their possession, for the subsistance of the poor Family; this young
man help'd in holding the Cows to be thus branded. The three first
_Cows_ he held well enough; but when the hot Brand was clap'd upon the
Fourth, he _winc'd_ and _shrunk_ at such a Rate, as that he could hold
the Cow no longer. Being afterwards Examined about it, he confessed,
that at that very instant when the _Brand_ entered the _Cow's Horn_,
exactly the like burning _Brand_ was clap'd upon his own Thigh; where he
has exposed the lasting marks of it, unto such as asked to see them.

Unriddle these Things,--_Et Eris mihi magnus Apollo._

A THIRD CURIOSITIE.

III. If a Drop of _Innocent Blood_ should be shed, in the Prosecution of
the _Witchcrafts_ among us, how unhappy are we! For which cause, I
cannot express my self in better terms, than those of a most Worthy
Person, who lives near the present Center of these things. _The Mind of
+God+ in these matters, is to be carefully lookt into, with due
Circumspection, that Satan deceive us not with his Devices, who
transforms himself into an Angel of Light, and may pretend justice and
yet intend mischief._ But on the other side, if the storm of Justice do
now fall only on the Heads of those guilty _Witches_ and _Wretches_
which have defiled our Land, _How Happy!_

The Execution of some that have lately Dyed, has been immediately
attended, with a strange Deliverance of some, that had lain for many
years, in a most sad Condition, under, they knew not whose _evil hands_.
As I am abundantly satisfy'd, That many of the Self-Murders committed
here, have been the effects of a Cruel and Bloody _Witchcraft_, letting
fly _Demons_ upon the miserable _Seneca's_; thus, it has been admirable
unto me to see, how a Devilish _Witchcraft_, sending Devils upon them,
has driven many poor people to _Despair_, and persecuted their minds,
with such Buzzes of _Atheism_ and _Blasphemy_, as has made them even run
_distracted with Terrors_: And some long _Bow'd down_ under such a
_spirit of Infirmity_, have been marvelously Recovered upon the death of
the Witches.

One _Whetford_ particularly ten years ago, challenging of _Bridget
Bishop_ (whose Trial you have had) with steeling of a Spoon, _Bishop_
threatned her very direfully: presently after this, was _Whetford_ in
the Night, and in her Bed, visited by _Bishop_, with one _Parker_, who
making the Room light at their coming in, there discoursed of several
mischiefs they would inflict upon her. At last they pull'd her out, and
carried her unto the Sea-side, there to _drown_, her; but she calling
upon God, they left her, tho' not without Expressions of their Fury.
From that very time, this poor _Whetford_ was utterly spoilt, and grew a
Tempted, Froward, Crazed sort of a Woman; a vexation to her self, and
all about her; and many ways unreasonable. In this Distraction she lay,
till those women were Apprehended, by the Authority; _then_ she began to
mend; and upon their Execution, was presently and perfectly Recovered,
from the ten years madness that had been upon her.

A FOURTH CURIOSITIE.

IV. 'Tis a thousand pitties, that we should permit our Eyes, to be so
_Blood-shot_ with passions, as to loose the sight of many wonderful
things, wherein the Wisdom and Justice of God, would be Glorify'd. Some
of those things, are the frequent \Apparitions\ of Ghosts, whereby many
Old \Murders\ among us, come to be considered. And, among many instances
of this kind, I will single out one, which concerned a poor man, lately
_Prest_ unto Death, because of his Refusing to _Plead_ for his Life. I
shall make an Extract of a Letter, which was written to my Honourable
Friend, _Samuel Sewal_, Esq.; by Mr. _Putman_, to this purpose;

'The Last Night my Daughter _Ann_, was grievously Tormented by Witches,
Threatning that she should be _Pressed_ to Death, before _Giles Cory_.
But thro' the Goodness of a Gracious God, she had at last a little
Respite. Whereupon there appeared unto her (she said) a man in a Winding
Sheet, who told her that _Giles Cory_ had Murdered him, by _Pressing_
him to Death with his Feet; but that the Devil there appeared unto him,
and Covenanted with him, and promised him, _He should not be Hanged._
The Apparition said, God Hardned his heart; that he should not hearken
to the Advice of the Court, and so Dy an easy Death; because as it said,
_It must be done to him as he has done to me._ The Apparition also said,
That _Giles Cory_, was carry'd to the Court for this, and that the Jury
had found the Murder, and that her Father knew the man, and the thing
was done before she was born. Now Sir, This is not a little strange to
us; that no body should Remember these things, all the while that _Giles
Cory_ was in Prison, and so often before the Court. For all people now
Remember very well, (and the Records of the Court also mention it,) That
about Seventeen Years ago, _Giles Cory_ kept a man in his House, that
was almost a Natural Fool: which Man Dy'd suddenly. A Jury was
impannel'd upon him, among whom was Dr. _Zorobbabel Endicot_; who found
the man bruised to Death, and having clodders of Blood about his Heart.
The Jury, whereof several are yet alive brought in the man Murdered; but
as if some Enchantment had hindred the Prosecution of the Matter, the
Court Proceeded not against _Giles Cory_, tho' it cost him a great deal
of Mony to get off.' Thus the Story.

_The Reverend and Worthy Author, having at the Direction of His
EXCELLENCY the Governour, so far Obliged the Publick, as to give some
Account of the Sufferings brought upon the Countrey by +Witchcraft+; and
of the Tryals 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 +Methods of Conviction+, used in
the Proceedings of the Court at +Salem+_

  Boston Octob. 11.                   William Stoughton
        1692.                         Samuel Sewall.

But is _New-England_, the only Christian Countrey, that hath undergone
such Diabolical Molestations? No, there are other Good people, that have
in this way been harassed; but none in circumstances more like to
_Ours_, than the people of God, in _Sweedland_. The story is a very
Famous one; and it comes to Speak English by the Acute Pen of the
Excellent and Renowned Dr. _Horneck_. I shall only single out a few of
the more Memorable passages therein Occurring; and where it agrees with
what happened among ourselves, my Reader shall understand, by my
inserting a Word of every such thing in \Black Letter\.

I. It was in the Year 1669. and 1670. That at _Mohra_ in _Sweedland_,
the \Devils\ by the help of \Witches\, committed a most horrible outrage.
Among other Instances of Hellish Tyranny there exercised. One was, that
Hundreds of their Children, were usually in the Night fetcht from their
Lodgings, to a Diabolical Rendezvouz, at a place they called,
_Blockula_, where the Monsters that so Spirited them, \Tempted\ them all
manner of Ways to \Associate\ with them. Yea, such was the perillous
Growth of this _Witchcraft_, that Persons of Quality began to send their
Children into other Countries to avoid it.

II. The Inhabitants had earnestly sought God by \Prayer\; and \Yet\
their Affliction \Continued\. Whereupon \Judges\ had a Special
\Commission\ to find and root out the Hellish Crew; and the rather,
because another County in the Kingdom, which had been so molested, was
delivered upon the Execution of the _Witches_.

III. The \Examination\, was begun with a Day of \Humiliation\; appointed
by Authority. Whereupon the Commissioners \Consulting\, how they might
resist such a Dangerous Flood, the \Suffering Children\, were first
Examined; and tho' they were Questioned \One\ by \One\ apart, yet their
\Declarations All Agreed\. The \Witches\ Accus'd in these Declarations,
were then Examined; and tho' at first they obstinately \Denied\, yet at
length many of them ingeniously \Confessed\ the Truth of what the
children had said; owning with Tears, that the \Devil\, whom they call'd
_Locyta_, had \Stopt\ their \Mouths\; but he being now \Gone\ from them,
they could \No Longer Conceal\ the Business. The things by them
\Acknowledged\, most wonderfully \Agreed\ with what other Witches, in
other places had confessed.

IV. They confessed, that they did use to \Call upon\ the \Devil\, who
thereupon would \Carry\ them away, over the Tops of Houses, to a Green
Meadow, where they gave themselves unto him. Only one of them said,
That sometimes the _Devil_ only took away her \Strength\, leaving her
\Body\ on the ground; but she went at other times in \Body\ too.

V. Their manner was to come into the \Chambers\ of people, and fetch away
their children upon Beasts, of the Devils providing: promising \Fine
Cloaths\ and other Fine Things unto them, to inveagle them. They said,
they never had power to do thus, till of late; but now the Devil did
\Plague\ and \Beat\ them, if they did not gratifie him, in this piece of
Mischief. They said, they made use of all sorts of \Instruments\ in their
Journeys! Of \Men\, of \Beasts\, of \Posts\; the _Men_ they commonly laid
asleep at the place, whereto they rode them; and if the children
mentioned the \Names\ of them that stole them away, they were miserably
\Scurged\ for it, until some of them were killed. The \Judges\ found the
marks of the Lashes on some of them; but the Witches said, \They would
Quickly vanish\. Moreover the Children would be in \strange Fits\, after
they were brought Home from these Transportations.

VI. The \First Thing\, they said, they were to do at _Blockula_, was to
give themselves unto the Devil, and \Vow\ that they would serve him.
Hereupon, they \cut their Fingers\, and with \Blood\ writ their \Names\
in his \Book\. And he also caused them to be \Baptised\ by such
\Priests\, as he had, in this Horrid company. In \some\ of them, the
\Mark\ of the \cut Finger\ was to be found; they said, that the Devil
gave \Meat\ and \Drink\, as to _Them_, so to the Children they brought
with them: that afterwards their Custom was to _Dance_ before him; and
_swear_ and _curse_ most horribly; they said, that the Devil show'd them
a great, Frightful, Cruel _Dragon_, telling them, \If they confessed any
Thing\, he would let loose that Great Devil upon them; they added, that
the Devil had a \Church\, and that when the \Judges\ were coming, he
told them, \he would kill them all\; and that some of them had
\Attempted to Murder the Judges\, but \could not\.

VII. Some of the \Children\, talked much of a \White Angel\, which did
use to \Forbid\ them, what the Devil had bid them to do, and \Assure\
them that these doings would \Not last long\; but that what had been
done was permitted for the wickedness of the People. This \White Angel\,
would sometimes rescue the Children, from \Going in\, with the Witches.

VIII. The Witches confessed many mischiefs done by them, declaring with
what kind of \Enchanted Tools\, they did their Mischiefs. They sought
especially to \kill the Minister\ of _Elfdale_, but could not. But some of
them said, that such as they wounded, would \Be recovered\, upon or before
their Execution.

IX. The \Judges\ would fain have seen them show some of their \Tricks\;
but they Unanimously declared, that, \Since they had confessed\, all,
they found all their \Witchcraft\ gone; and the Devil then Appeared very
Terrible unto them, threatning with an \Iron Fork\, to thrust them into
a Burning Pit, if they persisted in their Confession.

X. There were discovered no less than _threescore and ten_ Witches in
One Village, \three and twenty\ of which \freely confessing\ their Crimes,
were condemned to dy. The rest, (\One\ pretending she was with Child) were
sent to _Fahluna_, where most of them were afterwards executed. Fifteen
Children, which confessed themselves engaged in this Witchery, dyed as
the rest. Six and Thirty of them between _nine_ and _sixteen_ years of
Age, who had been less guilty, were forced to run the Gantlet, and be
lashed on their hands once a Week, for a year together; twenty more who
had less inclination to these Infernal enterprises, were lashed with
Rods upon their Hands for three Sundays together, at the Church door;
the number of the seduced Children, was about three hundred. This
course, together with \Prayers\, in all the Churches thro' the Kingdom,
issued in the deliverance of the Country.

XI. The most Accomplished Dr. _Horneck_ inserts a most wise caution, in
his preface to this Narrative, says he, _there is no Public Calamity,
but some ill people, will serve themselves of the sad providence, and
make use of it for their own ends; as +Thieves+ when an house or town is
on fire, will steal what they can._ And he mentions a Remarkable Story
of a young Woman, at _Stockholm_, in the year 1676, Who accused her own
Mother of being a Witch; and swore positively, that she had carried her
away in the Night; the poor Woman was burnt upon it: professing her
innocency to the last. But tho' she had been an Ill Woman, yet it
afterwards prov'd that she was not _such_ an one; for her Daughter came
to the Judges, with hideous Lamentations, Confessing, That she had
wronged her Mother, out of a wicked spite against her; whereupon the
Judges gave order for her Execution too.

But, so much of these things; And, now, _Lord, make these Labours of thy
Servant, Profitable to thy People._

MATTER OMITTED IN THE TRIALS.

Nineteen Witches have been Executed at _New-England_, one of them was a
Minister, and two Ministers more are Accus'd. There is a hundred Witches
more in Prison, which broke Prison, and about two Hundred more are
Accus'd, some Men of great Estates in _Boston_, have been accus'd for
_Witchcraft_. Those Hundred now in Prison accus'd for Witches, were
Committed by fifty of themselves being _Witches_, some of _Boston_, but
most about _Salem_, and the Towns Adjacent. Mr. _Increase Mather_ has
Published a Book about _Witchcraft_, occasioned by the late Trials of
Witches, which will be speedily printed in _London_ by _John Dunton_.

THE DEVIL DISCOVERED.

2 Cor. II. 11. _We are not Ignorant of His DEVICES._

Our Blessed Saviour has blessed us, with a counsil, as Wholsome and as
Needful as any that can be given us, in _Math. 26.41._ _Watch and Pray,
that yee Enter not into Temptation._ As there is a Tempting _Flesh_, and
a Tempting _World_, which would seduce us from Our Obedience to the Laws
of God, so there is a Busy _Devil_, who is by way of Eminency called,
_The Tempter_; because by him, the Temptations of the _Flesh_ and the
_World_ are managed.

It is not _One Devil_ alone, that has Cunning or Power enough to apply
the Multitudes of _Temptations_, whereby Mankind is daily diverted from
the Service of God; No, the _High Places_ of Our Air, are Swarming full
of those _Wicked Spirits_, whose Temptations trouble us; they are so
many, that it seems no less than a _Legion_, or more than twelve
thousands may be spared, for the Vexation of one miserable man. But
because those Apostate Angels, are all _United_, under one Infernal
Monarch, in the Designs of Mischief, 'tis in the Singular Number, that
they are spoken of. Now, the _Devil_, whose Malice and Envy, prompts him
to do what he can, that we may be as unhappy as himself, do's ordinarily
use more _Fraud_, than _Force_, in his assaulting of us; he that
assail'd our First Parents, in a _Serpent_, will still _Act Like a
Serpent_, rather than a _Lion_, in prosecuting of his wicked purposes
upon us, and for us to guard against the _Wiles_ of the _Wicked One_, is
one of the greatest cares, with which our God ha's charged us.

We are all of us liable to various _Temptations_ every day, whereby if
we are carried aside from the strait _Paths of Righteousness_, we get
all sorts of wounds unto our selves. Of _Temptations_, I may say, as the
Wise Man said, of _Mortality_; _there is no discharge from that war._ The
_Devils_ fell hard upon both _Adams_, nor may any among the Children of
both, imagine to be excused. The _Son_ of God Himself, had this _Dog_ of
Hell, barking at Him; and much more may the Children of _Men_, look to
be thus Visited; indeed, there is hardly any _Temptation_, but what is,
_Common to Man_. When I was considering, how to spend one Hour in
Raising a most Effectual and Profitable _Breast-work_, against the
inroads of this Enemy, I perceived it would be done, by a short answer
to this.

CASE.

_What are those Usual +Methods+ of +Temptation+, with which the Powers
of Darkness do assault the Children of Men?_

The _Corinthians_, having upon the Apostles Direction, Excommunicated
one of their Society, who had married his Mother-in-law, & this, as it
is thought, while his own Father was Living too; the Apostle encourages
them to Re-admit that man, upon his very deep and sharp _Repentance_. He
gives divers Reasons of his propounding this unto them; whereof one is,
_Lest Satan should get advantage of them_; for, had the man miscarried,
under any Rigour of the Sentence continued upon him, after his
_Repentance_, 'tis well if the Church itself had not quickly fallen to
pieces thereupon; besure, the Success of the Gospel had been more than a
little Incommoded. The Apostle upon this Occasion, intimates, That
_Satan_ has his _Devices_; by which word are meant, Artifices or
Contrivances used for the _Deceiving_ of those that are Treated with
them well, But what shall _we do_ that we may come to this _Corinthian
Attainment_, _We are not Ignorant of Satan's Devices?_ [_Non cuivis
homini Contingit!_]

Truly, the Devil has _Mille Nocendi Artes_; and it will be impossible
for us, to run over all the _Stratagems_ and _Policies_ of our
Adversary. I shall only attempt a few Observations upon the
_Temptations_ of our Lord Jesus Christ: who was _Tempted in all things
like unto us, except in our Sins_. When we read the _Temptations_ of
our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Fourth Chapter of _Matthew_ There, Thence,
you will understand, what was once counted so difficult; Even, _The way
of a Serpent upon the Rock_. There are certain Ancient and Famous
_Methods_ which the Devil in his _Temptations_, does mostly accustome
himself unto; which is not so much from any Barrenness, or Sluggishness
in the Devil, but because he has had the Encouragement of a, _Probatum
est_, upon those horrid Methods. How did the Devil assault the First
_Adam_? It was with Temptations drawn from _Pleasure_, and _Profit_, and
_Honour_, which, as the Apostle notes, in _1 Joh. 2.16._ are, _All that is
in the World_. With the very same temptations it was, that he fell upon
the Second _Adam_ too. Now, in those _Temptations_, you will see the
more _Usual Methods_, whereby the _Devil_ would be Ensnaring of us; and
I beseech you to attend unto the following Admonitions, as those
_Warnings_ of God, which the Lives of your souls depend upon your taking
of.

There were especially Three _Remarkable_ Assaults of _Temptations_,
which the _Devil_ it seems, visibly made upon our Lord; after he had
been more invisibly for Forty dayes together _Tempting_ of that Holy
One; and we may make a few distinct _Remarks_ upon them all.

§ The first of our Lords three Temptations is thus related, in _Mat. 4.3._
_He was an Hungry; and when the Tempter came to him, he said, If thou be
the Son of God, Command that these Stones be made Bread._

From whence, take these _Remarks_.

I. The Devil will ordinarily make our _Conditions_, to be the
Advantages of his _Temptations_. When our Lord was _Hungry_, then
_Bread! Bread!_ shall be all the Cry of his Temptation; the Devil puts
him upon a wrong step, for the getting of _Bread_. There is no
Condition, but what has indeed some _Hunger_ accompanying of it; and the
Devil marks what it is, that we are _Hungry_ for. One mans Condition
makes him _Hunger_ for Preferments, or Employments, another mans makes
him _Hunger_ for Cash or Land, or Trade; another mans makes him _Hunger_
for Merriments, or Diversions: And the Condition of every Afflicted Man,
makes him _Hunger_ with Impatience for Deliverance. Now the Devil will
be sure to suit his Perswasions with our _Conditions_. When he has our
_Condition_ to speak with him, & for him, then thinks he, _I am sure
this man will now hearken to my Proposals!_ Hence, if men are in
_Prosperity_, the Devil will tempt them to Forgetfulness of God; if they
are in _Adversity_, he will tempt them to Murmuring at God; in all the
expressions of those impieties. Wise _Agur_ was aware of this; in _Prov.
30.9._ says he, if a man be _Full_, he shall be tempted, _to deny God,
and say, who is the Lord?_ if a man be Poor, he shall be tempted, _to
steal, and take the Name of God in vain._ The Devil will talk suitably;
if you ponder your Conditions, you may expect you shall be tempted
agreeably thereunto.

II. The Devil does often manage his _temptations_, by urging of our
_Necessities_. Our Lord, was thus by the Devil bawl'd upon; _You want
Bread, and you'll starve, if in my way you get it not._ The Devil will
show some forbidden thing unto us, and plead concerning it, as of
_Bread_ we use to say, _it must be had._ _Necessity_ has a wonderful
compulsion in it. You may see what _Necessity_ will do, if you read in
_Deut. 28.56._ _the tender and the delicate Woman among you, her eye shall
be evil towards the Children that she shall bear, for she shall eat them
for want of all things._ The Devil will perswade us that there is a
_Necessity_ of our doing what he does propound unto us; and then tho'
the _Laws_ of God about us were so many _Walls_ of Stone, yet we shall
break through them all. That little inconvenience, of our coming to beg
our _Bread_, O what a fearful Representation does the Devil make of it!
and when once the Devil scares us to think of a sinful thing, _it must
be done_, we soon come to think, _it may be done_. When the Devil has
frighted us into an Apprehension, that it is a _Needful_ thing which we
are prompted unto, he presently Engages all the Faculties of our Souls,
to prove, that it may be a _Lawful_ one; the Devil told _Esau_, _You'll
dye if you don't sell your Birthright;_ the Devil told _Aaron_, _You'll
pull all the people about your ears, if you do not countenance their
superstitions;_ and then they comply'd immediately. Yea, sometimes if
the Devil do but Feign a Necessity, he does thereby _Gain_ the Hearts of
Men; he did but feign a Need, when he told _Saul_, _the Cattel must be
spared, and the sacrifice must be precipitated_, & he does but feign a
Need, when he tells many a man, _if you do no servile work on the
+Sabbath-day+, and if you don't Rob God of his evening, you'll never
subsist in the world._ All the denials of God, in the world, use to be
from this Fallacy impos'd upon us. It never can be necessary for us to
violate any Negative Commandment in the Law of our God; where God says,
_thou shalt not_, we cannot upon any pretence reply, I _must_. But the
Devil will put a most formidable and astonishing face of necessity upon
many of those _Abominable things, which are hateful to the soul of God_.
He'll say nothing to us about, the one thing needful; but the petite and
the sorry _Need-nots_ of this world, he'll set off with most bloody
Colours of _Necessity_. He will not say, _'tis necessary for you to
maintain the Favour of your God, and secure the +welfare of your Soul+;_
but he'll say, _'tis necessary for you to keep in with your Neighbours;
and that you and yours may have a good Living among them._

III. The Devil does insinuate his most Horrible _Temptations_, with
pretence, of much _Friendship_ and _Kindness_ for us. He seemed very
unwilling that our Lord should want any thing that might be comfortable
for him; but, he was a _Devil_ still! The _Devil_ flatters our Mother
_Eve_, as if he was desirous to make her more Happy than her Maker did;
but there was the _Devil_ in that flattery. _Sub Amici fallere
Nomen_,----to Salute men with profers to do all manner of Service for
them; and at the same time to Stab them as _Joab_ did _Abner_ of old;
this is just like the _Devil_, and the _Devil_ truly has many Children
that Imitate him in it. Some very Affectionate Things were spoken once
unto our Lord; _Lord, be it far from thee, that thou shouldest suffer
any Trouble!_ But our Lords Answer was, in _Mat. 16.23._ _Get thee behind
me Satan._ The Devil will say to a man, _I would have thee to Consult
thy own Interest, and I would have Trouble to be far from thee._ He
speaks these _Fair Things_, by the Mouths of our professed Friends unto
us, as he did by the Tongue of a Speckled Snake unto our Deluded
Parents at the first. But all this while, 'tis a Direction that has been
wisely given us; _When he speaks fair, Believe him not, for there are
seven Abominations in his Heart._

IV. Things in themselves _Allowable_ and _Convenient_, are oftentimes
turned into sore _Temptations_ by the Devil. He press'd our Lord unto
the making of _Bread_; Why, that very thing was afterwards done by our
Lord, in the Miracles of the _Loaves_; and yet it is now a motion of the
_Devil_, _Pray, make thy self a Little Bread._ The Devil will frequently
put men by, from the doing of a _seasonable Duty_; but how? Truly by
putting us upon another _Duty_, which may be at that juncture a most
_Unseasonable_ Thing. It is said in _Eccl. 8.5._ _A Wise Mans heart
discerns both Time and Judgment._ The _Ill-Timing_ of good Things, is
One of the chief Intregues, which the Devil has to Prosecute. The Devil
himself, will Egg us on to many a _Duty_; and why so? But because at
that very Time a more proper and Useful Duty, will have a _Supersedeas_
given thereunto. And, thus there are many Things, whereof we can say,
though no more than this, yet so much as this, _They are Lawful ones_,
by which Lawful Things----_Perimus Omnes._ Where shall we find that the
Devil has laid our most fatal Snares? Truly, our Snares are on the
_Bed_, where it is _Lawful_ for us to Sleep; at the _Board_, where it is
_Lawful_ for us to Sit; in the _Cup_, where 'tis _Lawful_ to Drink; and
in the _Shops_, where we have _Lawful_ Business to do. The _Devil_ will
decoy us, unto the utmost Edge of the _Liberty_ that is _Lawful_ for us;
and then one Little push, hurries us into a Transgression against the
Lord. And the _Devil_ by Inviting us to a _Lawful_ thing, at a wrong
time for it, Layes us under further Entanglement of Guilt before God.
'Tis _Lawful_ for People to use Recreations; but in the Evening of the
Lords Day, or the Morning of any Day, how Ensnaring are they! The
_Devil_ then too commonly bears part in the Sport. If _Promiscuous
Dancing_ were Lawful; though almost all the Christian Churches in the
World, have made a Scandal of it; yet for Persons to go presently from a
_Sermon_ to a _Dance_, is to do a thing, which Doubtless the _Devil_
makes good Earnings of.

V. To _distrust_ Gods Providence and Protection, is one of the worst
things, into which the Devil by his _Temptations_ would be hurrying of
us. He would fain have driven our Lord unto a Suspicion of Gods care
about Him, said the Devil, _You may dy for lack of Bread, if you do not
look better after your self, than God is like to do for you._ It is an
usual thing for Persons to dispair of Gods _Fatherly Care_ Concerning
them; they torture themselves with distracting and amazing Fears, that
they shall come to want before they dy; Yea, they even say with _Jonas_,
in _Chap. 2.4._ _I am cast out of the sight of God;_ He wont look after
me! But it is the Devil that is the Author of all such Melancholly
Suggestions in the minds of men. It is a thought that often raises a
Feaver in the Hearts of _Married_ Persons, when Charges grow upon them;
_God will never be able in the way of my Calling, to feed and cloath all
my Little Folks._ It is a Thought with which _Aged_ persons are often
tormented, _Tho' God has all my dayes hitherto supplied me, yet I shall
be pinched with Straits before I come to my Journeys end._ 'Tis a
malicious Devil that raises these _Evil surmisings_ in the hearts of
Men. And sometimes a distemper of Body affords a Lodging for the Devil,
from whence he shoots the cruel Bombs of such _Fiery Thoughts_ into the
minds of many other persons. With such thoughts does the Devil choose to
persecute us; because thereby we come to _Forfeit_ what we _Question_.
We _Question_ the Care of God, and so we _Forfeit_ it, until perhaps the
Devil do utterly _drown us in Perdition_. Our God says, _Trust in the
Lord, and do good, and verily thou shall be fed._ But the Devil says,
_don't you trust in God; be afraid that you shall not be fed;_ and thus
he hinders men from the _doing of Good_.

VI. There is nothing more Frequent in the _Temptations_ of the Devil,
then for our _Adoption_ to be doubted, because of our _Affliction_. When
our Lord was in his Penury, then says the Devil, _If thou be the Son of
God;_ he now makes an _If_, of it; _What? the Son of God, and not be
able to Command a Bit of Bread!_ Thus, when we are in very Afflictive
Circumstances, this will be the Devils Inference, _Thou art not a Child
of God._ The Bible says in _Heb. 12.7._ _If you are Chastened, it is a
shrow'd sign that you can't be Children._ Since he can't Rob us of our
_Grace_, he would Rob us of our _Joy_; and therefore having Accused us
unto God, he then Accuses God unto us. When _Israel_ was weak and faint
in the Wilderness, then did _Amalek_ set upon them; just so does the
Devil set upon the people of God, when their Losses, their Crosses,
their Exercises have Enfeebled their Souls within them; and what says
the Devil? E'en the same that was mutter'd in the Ear of the Afflicted
_Job_, _Is not this the Uprightness of thy Ways? Remember, I pray thee,
who ever perished, being Innocent? If thou wert a Child of God, He would
never follow thee, with such Testimonies of his Indignation._ This is
the _Logic_ of the Devil; and he thus interrupts that patience, and that
Chearfulness wherewith we should _suffer the will of God_.

VII. To dispute the Divine Original and Authority of _Gods Word_, is not
the least of those _Temptations_ with which the Devil troubles us. God
from Heaven, had newly said unto our Lord, _this is my Beloved Son_; but
now the Devil would have him to make a dispute of it, _If thou be the
son of God._ The Devil durst not be so Impudent, and Brasen fac'd, as to
bid men use _Pharaohs_ Language, _Who is the Lord, that I should obey
his voice?_ But he will whisper into our Ears, what he did unto our
Mother _Eve_ of old, _It is not the Lord that hath spoken what you call
his Word._ The Devil would have men say unto the _Scripture_, what they
said unto the _Prophet_, in _Jer. 43.2._ _Thou speakest falsely; the Lord
our God hath not sent thee to speak what thou sayst unto us;_ & he would
fain have secret & cursed Misgivings in our hearts, _that things are not
altogether so as the Scripture has represented them._ The Devil would
with all his heart make one huge Bonefire of all the Bibles in the
world; & he has got Millions of persecutors to _assist him in the
suppression of that miraculous book_. _It was the +devil+ once in the
tongue of a Papist_, that cry'd out, _A plague on this bible; this 'tis
that does all our mischief._ But because he can't _Suppress_ this Book,
he sets himself, to _Disgrace_ it all that he can. Altho' the Scripture
carries its _own Evidence_ with it, and be all over, so pure, so great,
so true, and so powerful, that it is impossible it should proceed from
any but God alone; yet the Devil would gladly bring some Discredit upon
it, as if it were but some _Humane Contrivance_; Of nothing, is the
Devil more desirous, than this; That we should not count, _Christ_ so
precious, _Heaven_ so Glorious, _Hell_ so Dreadful, and _Sin_ so odious,
as the Scripture has declared it.

§. The Second of our Lords Three Temptations, is related after this
manner, in _Mat. 4.5, 6._ _Then the Devil taketh him up, into the Holy
City, and setteth him upon a Pinacle of the Temple; and saith unto him,
if thou be the Son of God, cast thy self down; for it is written, He
shall give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their Hands, they
shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy Foot against a
Stone._

From whence take these _Remarks_.

I. The places of the greatest _Holiness_ will not secure us from
Annoyance by the _Temptations_ of the Devil, to the greatest wickedness.
When our Lord was in the Holy City, the Devil fell upon him there.
Indeed, there is now no proper _Holiness_ of _Places_ in our Days; the
Signs and Means of Gods more special Presence are not under the Gospel,
ty'd unto any certain _places_: Nevertheless there are _places_, where
we use to enjoy much of God; and where, altho' God visit not the
_Persons_ for the sake of the _Places_, yet he visits the _Places_ for
the sake of the _Persons_. But, I am to tell you that the Devil will
visit those _Places_ and best _Persons_ there. No _Place_, that I know
of, has got such a _Spell_ upon it, as will always keep the Devil out.
The _Meeting-House_ wherein we Assemble for the Worship of God, is
fill'd with many Holy People, and many Holy Concerns continually; but if
our Eyes were so refined as the Servant of the Prophet had his of old, I
suppose we should now see a Throng of _Devils_ in this very place. The
Apostle has intimated, that Angels come in among us; there are Angels it
seems that hark, how I _Preach_, and how you _Hear_, at this Hour. And
our own sad Experience is enough to intimate, That the _Devils_ are
likewise Rendevouzing here. It is Reported, in _Job 1.5._ _When the Sons
of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan came also among
them._ When we are in our Church-Assemblies, O how many _Devils_, do you
imagine, croud in among us! There is a _Devil_ that rocks one to Sleep,
there is a _Devil_ that makes another to be thinking of, he scarce knows
what himself; and there is a _Devil_, that makes another, to be pleasing
himself with wanton and wicked Speculations. It is also possible, that
we have our _Closets_, or our _Studies_, gloriously perfumed with
Devotions every day; but alas, can we shut the Devil out of them? No,
Let us go where we will, we shall still find a Devil nigh unto us. Only,
when we come to Heaven, we shall be out of his reach for ever; _O thou
foul Devil; we are going where thou canst not come!_ He was hissed out
of _Paradise_, and shall never enter it any more. Yea, more than so,
when the _New Jerusalem_ comes down into the _High Places_ of our Air,
from whence the Devil shall then be banished, there shall be no Devil
within the Walls of that Holy City. _Amen, Even so Lord Jesus, Come
quickly._

II. Any other acknowledgments of the Lord Jesus Christ, will be
permitted by the Temptations of the Devil, provided those
Acknowledgments of him, which are _True_ and _Full_, may be thereby
prevented. What was it, that the Devil hurried our Lord Jesus Christ
unto the Top of the _Temple_ for? Surely it could not meerly be to find
_Precipices_; any part of the Wilderness would have afforded _Them_. No,
it was rather to have _Spectators_. And why so, Why, the carnal Jews had
an Expectation among them; that _Elias_ was to fly from Heaven to the
Temple; and the Devil seems willing, that our Lord should be cry'd up
for _Elias_, among the giddy multitude; or any thing in the World, tho
never so considerable otherwise, rather than to be received as the
Christ of God. The Devil will allow his Followers to think very highly
of the Lord Jesus Christ; O but he is very lothe to have them think,
_All_. We read in _Col. 1.19._ _It has pleased the Father, that in Him
there should all Fullness dwell._ But it is pleasing to the Devil that
we deny something of the Immense _Fullness_, which is in our Lord. The
Devil would confess to our Lord, _Thou art the Holy One of God!_ but
then he claps in, _Thou art Jesus of Nazareth;_ which was to conceal our
Lords being _Jesus of Bethlehem_, and so his being, _The True Messiah_.
All the _Heresies_, and all the Persecutions, that ever plagued the
Church of God, have still been, to strike at some _Glory_ of our Lord
Jesus Christ. A CHRIST Entirely Acknowledged, will save the Souls of
them that so Acknowledge Him; but, says the Devil, _Whatever tides I
must not give way to that._ As they say, the Devil makes Witches unable
to utter all the _Lords Prayer_, or some such System of Religion,
without some Deprevations of it; thus the Devil will consent that we may
make a very large Confession of the Lord Jesus Christ; only he will have
us to deprave it, at least in some one Important Article. Some one
Honour, some one Office, and some one _Ordinance_ of the Lord Jesus
Christ, must be always left unacknowledged, by those that will do as the
Devil would have them.

III. _High Stations_ in the Church of God, lay men open to violent and
peculiar _Temptations_ of the Devil. When our Lord was upon the
_Pinacle_, that is not the _Fane_, or _Spire_, but the _Battlements_ of
the _Temple_, there did the Devil pester him, with singular
Molestations, and he therein seems to intend an Entanglement for the
Jews, as well as for our Lord. Believe me they that stand High, cannot
stand safe. The Devil is a _Nimrod_, a mighty Hunter; and common or
little Game, will not serve his Turn: he is a _Leviathan_, of whom we
may say, as in _Job. 41.34._ _He beholds all high things._ Men of high
Attainments, and Men of high Employments, in the Church of God, must
look, like _Peter_ to be more _Sifted_, and like _Paul_, to be more
_Buffeted_ than other Men. _Ferunt Summos Fulmina Montes._----The Devil
can raise a Storm, when God permitteth it, but as for those Men that
stand near Heaven, the Devil will attack them with his most cruel storms
of Thunder and Lightening. It was said, _let him that standeth take
heed;_ but we may say, _They that stand most high, have cause to take
most heed._ The Devil is a _Goliah_; and when he finds a _Champion_,
he'l be sure most fiercely to Combate such a Man. He is for, _Killing
many Birds with one stone_; and he knows that he shall hinder a world
of _Good_, and produce a world of _Ill_, if once he can bring a Man
Eminently Stationed into his Toyls. Hence 'tis that the _Ministers_ of
God, are more dogg'd by the Devil, than other persons are. Especially
such _Ministers_, as more in the highest Orb of Serviceableness; and
most of all such _Ministers_ as have spent many years in Laudable
Endeavours to be serviceable; Those Ministers are the _Stars_ of Heaven,
at which the _Tayl_ of the _Dragon_, will give the most sweeping and
most stinging strokes; the Devil will find that for them, that shall
make them _Walk softly_ all their Days. These are the Men, that have
creepled, and vexed the Devil more than other Men; for which the Devil
has an old Quarrel with them. O Neighbours, little do you think, what
black Days of Mourning, and Fasting, and Praying before the Lord, a
Raging Devil does fill the lives of such _Men of God_ withall.

IV. The Devil will make a deceitful and unfaithful use of the
_Scriptures_ to make his _Temptations_ forceable. When the Devil
Solicited our Lord, unto an evil thing, he quoted the _Ninty First_
Psalm unto him, tho' indeed he fallaciously clip'd it, and maim'd it, of
one clause very material in it. O never does the Devil make such
dangerous Passes at us, as when he does wrest our _own Sword_ out of our
Hands, and push _That_ upon us. We have to defend us, that Weapon in
_Eph. 6.16._ _The Sword of the Spirit, which, is the word of God_; but
when the Devil has that very Weapon to fight us with, he makes terrible
work of it. When the Devil would poyson men with false _Doctrines_, he'l
quote Scriptures for them; a _Quaker_ himself, will have the First
Chapter of _John_ always in his mouth. When the Devil would perswade men
to vile _Actions_, he'l quote Scriptures for them; he'l encourage men to
go on in Sin, by showing them, where 'tis said, _The Lord is ready to
Pardon._ I say this, The one story of _Davids_ Fall, in the Scripture,
has been made by the Devil an Engine for the Damnation of many Millions.
The Devil will fright men from doing those things, that are, _the Things
of their Peace_; but How? He'l turn a _Scripture_ into a _Scare-crow_
for them. The Devil will fright them from all constant Prayer to God, by
quoting that Scripture, _The Sacrifice of the Wicked, is an Abomination
to the Lord;_ the Devil will fright them from the Holy Supper of God, by
quoting that Scripture, _He that Eats and Drinks unworthily, Eats and
Drinks damnation to himself._ And thus the Devil will by some abused
Scripture, Terrifie the Children of God; the Scripture is written as we
are told, _For our Comfort_; but it is quoted by the Devil, _for our
terror_. How many Godly Souls have been cast into sinful Doubts and
Fears, by the Devils foolish glosses upon that Scripture, _He that
doubts is Damned;_ and that, _the fearful shall have their portion in
the burning Lake;_ The Devil sometimes has play'd the _Preacher_, but I
say, _Beware all silly Souls when such a fool is Preaching._

V. Grievous and Pulling Hurries to _Self-Murder_ are none of the
smallest outrages, which the Devil in his _Temptations_ commits upon us.
Why, did the Devil say to our Lord, _Cast thy self down_, but in hopes
that our Lord would have broke his Bones, in the fall? The Devil is an
_Old Murtherer_; and he loves to _Murder_ men; but no _Murder_ gives
him so much satisfaction, as that which at his instigation, men
perpetrate upon themselves. We see that such as are _Bewitched_ and
_Possessed_ by the Devil, do quickly lay violent hands upon themselves,
if they be not watched continually, and we see that when persons have
begun that _Unnatural_ business of _killing themselves_, there is a
_Preternatural_ Stupendious Prodigious Assistance, by the Devil given
thereunto. When people are going to Harm themselves, we call upon them,
like those to the Jailor, in _Acts 16.28._ _Do thy self no harm!_ And we
have this Argument for it, _It is the Devil that is dragging of you to
this mischief; but will you believe, will you obey such an one as the
Devil is?_ What was it that made _Judas_ to strangle himself? We read it
was when the _Devil was in him_. I suppose there are few
_self-murderers_, but what are first very strangely fallen into the
Devils hands; and possibly, 'tis by some Extraordinary _Discontent_,
against God, or _back-sliding_ from him, that the Devil first entred
into those disturbed Souls. Indeed, some very great Saints of God, have
sometimes had hideous Royls raised by the Devil in their minds; untill
they have e'en cry'd out with _Job_, _I choose strangling rather than
Life;_ and sometimes the ill Humours or Vapours in the Bodies of such
Good Men, do so harbour the Devil that they have this woful motion every
day thence made unto them; _You must Kill your self! you must! you
must!_ But it is rarely any other than a _Saul_, an _Abimelek_, an
_Achitophel_, or a _Judas_; rarely any other, than a very Reprobate,
whom the Devil can drive, while the man is _Compos Mentis_, to
Consummate such a Villany. Yea, no Child of God, in his Right Senses
can go so far in this impiety, as to be left without all Time and Room
for true _Repentance_ of the Crime; 'tis _thus_ done, by none but those
that go to the Devil. A _self-murder_, acted by one that is upon other
accounts a Reasonable man, is but such an attempt of Revenge upon the
God that made him, as none but one full of the Devil can be guilty of.
If any of you are Dragoon'd by the Devil, unto the murdering of your
selves, my Advice to you is, _Disclose it_, _Reveal it_, _make it known
immediately_. One that Cut his own Throat among us, Expired crying out,
_O that I had told! O that I had told._ You may spoil the Devil, if
you'l _Tell_ what he is a doing of.

VI. Presumptuous and Unwarrantable _Trials_ of the Blessed God, are some
of those things whereinto the Devil would fain hook us with his
_Temptations_. This was that which the Devil would have brought our Lord
unto, even, _A tempting of the Lord our God_. It is the charge of our
God upon us, in _Deut. 6.16._ _Thou shalt not Tempt the Lord thy God._
But that which the Devil _Tries_, is, to put us upon _Trying_ in a
sinful way, whether God be such a God as indeed he is. 'Tis true as to
the ways of Obedience, our God says unto us, _Prove me, in those ways;
Try, whether I won't be as good as my Word._ But then there are ways of
_Presumption_, wherein the Devil would have us to trie, what a God it
is, _With whom we have to do_. The Devil would have us to trie the
Purpose of God, about our selves or others; but how? By going to the
_Devil_ himself; by Consulting _Astrologers_, or _Fortune Tellers_; or
perhaps by letting the Bible fall open, to see what is the first
Sentence we light upon. The Devil would have us trie the Mercy of God,
but how? By running into _Dangers_, which we have no call unto. He would
have us trie the Power of God; but how? By looking for good things,
without the use of Means for the getting of them. He would have us trie
the Justice of God; but how? By venturing upon Sin in a _Corner_, with
an Imagination that God will never bring us out. He would have us trie
the Promise of God; but how? By _Limiting_ the Lord, unto such or such a
way of manifesting Himself, or else believing of nothing at all. He
would have us trie the Threatning of God; but how? By going on
impenitently in those things, for which the _Wrath of God comes upon the
Children of Disobedience_. Thus would the Devil have us to affront the
Majesty of Heaven every day.

VII. The _Temptations_ of the Devil, aim at puffing and bloating of us
up, with _Pride_; as much perhaps as any one iniquity. The Devil would
have had Our Lord make a _Vain glorious_ Discovery of himself unto the
World, by _Flying in the air_, so as no mortal can. _Hoc Ithacus
velit_--the Devil would have us to soar aloft, and not only to be above
other men, but also to _know_ that we are so, _Pride_ is the Devils own
sin; and he affects especially to be, _The King over the Children of
Pride_, it is a caution in _1 Tim. 3.6._ A Pastor must not be _A Novice_;
_Lest being lifted up with Pride, He fall into the condemnation of the
Devil._ (_Summo ac Pio cum Tremore Hunc Textum Legamus nos Ministri
Juvenes!_) Accordingly, the Devil would have us to be inordinately taken
and moved with what _Excellencies_ our God has bestowed upon us. If our
_Estates_ rise, he would have us rise in our Spirits too. If we have
been blessed with Beauty, with Breeding, with Honour, with Success, with
Attire, with Spiritual Priviledges, or with Praise-worthy Performances;
Now says the Devil, _Think thy self better than other Men._ Yea, the
Devil would have us arrogate unto our selves, those _Excellencies_ which
really we never were owners of; and _Boast of a false Gift_. He would
have us moreover to Thirst after Applause among others that may see Our
_Excellencies_! and be impatient if we are not accounted _some-body_. He
would have us furthermore, to aspire after such a _Figure_, as God has
never yet seen fitting for us; and croud into some _High Chair_ that
becomes us not. Thus would the Devil Elevate us into the _Air_, above
our Neighbours; and why so? 'Tis that we may be punished with such
_Falls_, as may make us cry out with _David_, _O my Bones are broken
with my Falls!_ The Devil can't endure to see men lying in the _Dust_;
because there is no falling thence. He is a _Fallen Spirit_ himself, and
it pleases him to see the _Falls_ of men.

§. The Third of Our Lords Three Temptations, is related in such Terms as
these. _Matth. 4.8, 9._ _Again the Devil taketh him up, into an exceeding
High Mountain, and sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the world, and the
glory of them: and saith unto him, all these things will I give thee, if
thou wilt fall down and Worship me._ From whence take these Remarks.

I. The Devil in his _Temptations_ will set the Delight of this world
before us; but he'll set a fair, and a false _Varnish_ upon those
Delights. They were some unknown _Perspectives_, which the Devil had,
both for the Refracting of the _Medium_, and for the Magnifying of the
Object, whereby he gave our Lord at once a prospect of the whole Roman
Empire; but what was it? It was the _World_, and the _Glory_ of it; he
says not a word of the _World_, and the _Trouble_ of it. No sure; not a
word of that; the Devil will not have his Hook so barely expos'd unto
us. The Devil sets off the Delights of Sin, which he offers unto us,
with a stretched and raised Rhetorick; but he will not own, _That in the
midst of our Laughter, our Heart shall be sorrowful;_ and _That the end
of our Mirth shall be Heaviness._ There is but one Glass in the
Spectacles, with which the Devil would have us to read, those passages
in _Eccles. 11.9._ _Rejoyce, O young Man in thy youth, and let thy Heart
chear thee in the Dayes of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy Heart,
and in the sight of thine Eyes._ Thus far the Devil would have us to
Read; and he'll make many a fine Comment upon it; he'll tell us, That if
we'll follow the Courses of the World, we shall swim in all the Delights
of the World. But he is not willing you should Read out the next words;
_But know thou, that for all these things God shall bring thee into
Judgment._ O he's loth we should be aware of the dreadful Issues, and
Reckonings that our Worldly Delights will be attended with. He sets
before us, _The Pleasures of Sin_; but he will not say, _These are but
for a Season._ He sets before us, _The sweet Waters of Stealth_; but he
will not say, _There is Death in the Pot._ He is a _Mountebank_, that
will bestow nothing but Romantic Praises upon all that he makes us the
Offers of.

II. There are most Hellish _Blasphemies_ often buzz'd by the
_Temptations_ of the Devil, into the minds of the best Men alive. What a
most Execrable Thing was here laid before our Lord Himself: Even, To own
the _Devil as God_! a thing that can't be uttered, without unutterable
Horror of Soul. The best man on earth, may have such _Fiery Darts_ from
Hell shot into his mind. One that was acted by the _Devil_, had the
impudence to propound this unto such a good man as _Job_, _Curse God_. And
the Devil pleases himself, by chusing the Hearts of good men, with his
base Injections, _That there is no God_, or, _That God is not a
Righteous God_; and a thousand more such things, too Devilish to be
mentioned. A good man is extreamly grieved at it, when he hears a
_Blasphemy_ from the mouth of another man; said the Psalmist, in _Psal.
44.15, 16._ _My Confusion is continually before me, for the voice of him
that Blasphemeth._ But much more when a good man finds a _Blasphemy_ in
his own Heart; O it throws him into most Fevourish Agonies of Soul. For
this cause, a mischievous Devil, will _Flie blow_ the Heart of such a
man, with such Blasphemous Thoughts, as make him crie out, _Lord I am
e'n weary of my life._ Yea, the Devil serves the man just as the
Mistress of _Joseph_ dealt with him; he importunes the man to think
wickedly from Day to Day; and if the man refuse, he cries out at last,
_Behold, what wicked thoughts this man has lodging in him._ Sayst thou
so? _Satan!_ No, they are Baits of thy own; and at thy Door alone shall
they be laid for ever.

III. There is a sort of Witchcrafts in those things, whereto the
Temptations of the Devil would inveigle us. To worship the Devil is
Witchcraft, and under that notion was our Lord urged unto sin. We are
told in _1 Sam. 15.23._ _Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft:_ When
the Devil would have us to sin, he would have us to do the things which
the forlorn Witches use to do. Perhaps there are few persons, ever
allured by the Devil unto an Explicit Covenant with himself. If any
among ourselves be so, my councel is, that you hunt the Devil from you,
with such words as the Psalmist had, _Be gone, Depart from me, ye evil
Doers, for I will keep the Commandments of my God._ But alas, the most
of men, are by the Devil put upon doing the things that are Analogous to
the worst usages of Witches. The Devil says to the sinner, _Despise thy
Baptism, and all the Bond of it, and all the Good of it._ The Devil says
to the sinner, _Come, cast off the Authority of God, and refuse the
Salvation of Christ for ever._ Yea, the Devil who is called, _The God of
this World_, would have us to take Him for Our God, and rather Hear Him,
Trust Him, Serve Him, than the God that formed us.

IV. The _Temptations_ of the Devil do Tug and Pull for nothing more,
than that the Rulers of the World may yield Homage unto him. Our Lord
has had this by his Father Engag'd unto him, _That he shall one day be
Governour of the Nations._ The Devil doe's extreamly dread the approach
of that Illustrious time, when _The Kingdom of God shall come and his
Will be done, as in Heaven, and on Earth._ For this cause it was that he
was desirous, Our Lord should rather have accepted of him, that Kingdom,
which _Antichrist_ afterwards accepted of him, for the Establishment of
_Devil-worship_, in the World. I may tell you, The Devil is mighty
unwilling, that there should be one _Godly Magistrate_ upon the face of
the Earth. Such is the influence of _Government_, that the Devil will
every where stickle mightily, to have that siding with him. What
_Rulers_ would the Devil have, to command all mankind, if he might have
his will? Even, such as are called in _Psal. 94.20._ _The throne of
iniquity, which frames mischief by a Law_; such as will promote Vice, by
both Connivance, and Example; and such as will oppress all that shall be
_Holy, and Just, and Good_. All men have cause therefore to be jealous,
what Use the Devil may make of them, with reference to the Affairs of
Government; but Rulers may most of all think, that the Lord Jesus from
Heaven calls upon them, _Satan has desired that he might Sift you, and
have you; O Look to it, what side you take._

Thus have you in the Temptations of our Lord, seen the principal of
those Devices, which the Devil has to Entrap our Souls. But what shall
we now do, that we may be fortified against those Devices? O that we
might be well furnished with the _Whole Armour of God_! But me thinks,
there were some things attending the Temptations of our Lord, which
would especially Recommend those few Hints unto us for our Guard.

First, If you are not fond of Temptation, be not fond of Needless, or
Too much Retirement. Where was it, that the Devil fell upon our Lord? it
was when he was Alone in the Wilderness. We should all have our Times to
be Alone every Day; and if the Devil go to scare us out of our
Chambers, with such a Bugbear, as that he'll appear to us, yet stay in
spite of his teeth, stay to finish your Devotions; he Lyes, he dare not
shew his head. But on the other-side by being too solitary, we may lay
our selves too much open to the Devil; You know who says, _Wo to him
that is alone._

Secondly, Let an _Oracle_ of God be your defence against a _Temptation_
of _Hell_. How did our Lord silence the _Devil_? It was with an, _It is
written!_ And _all_ his Three Citations were from that one Book of
_Deuteronomy_. What a _full_ Armoury then have we, in _all_ the sacred
Pages that lie before us? Whatever the Words of the _Devil_ are, drown
them with the words of the _Great God_. Say, _It is Written_ The
_Belshazzar_ of _Hell_ will Tremble and Withdraw, if you show these
_Hand-Writings_ of the Lord.

Lastly, Since the Lord Jesus Christ has conquered all the _Temptations_
of the Devil, Flie to that Lord, Crie to that Lord, that He would give
you a share in his Happy Victory. It was for Us that our Lord overcome
the Devil: and when he did but say, _Satan, Get hence_, away presently
the Tygre flew: Does the Devil molest Us? Then let us Repair to our
Lord, who says, _I know how to succour the Tempted._ Said the
_Psalmist_, _Psal. 61.2._ _Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I._ A
Woman in this Land being under the Possession of Devils, the Devils
within her, audibly spoke of diverse Harms they would inflict upon her;
but still they made this answer, _Ah! She Runs to the Rock! She Runs to
the Rock!_ and that hindered all. O this _Running to the Rock_; 'tis
the best Preservation in the World; the _Vultures_ of _Hell_ cannot prey
upon the _Doves_ in the _Clefts_ of that _Rock_. May our God now lead us
thereunto.

  A FURTHER
  ACCOUNT
  OF THE
  TRYALS
  OF THE
  \New-England Witches\.

  WITH THE
  OBSERVATIONS
  Of a Person who was upon the Place several
  Days when the suspected Witches were
  first taken into Examination.

  To which is added,

  \Cases of Conscience\
  Concerning Witchcrafts and Evil Spirits Personating
  Men.

  Written at the Request of the Ministers of _New-England_.

  By _Increase Mather_, President of _Harvard_ Colledge.

  \Licensed and Entred according to Order.\

  _London_: Printed for \J. Dunton\, at the _Raven_ in the _Poultrey_.
      1693. Of whom may be had the _Third Edition_ of Mr. _Cotton
      Mather's First Account_ of the Tryals of the _New-England_
      Witches, Printed on the same size with this _Last Account_, that
      they may bind up together.

  A TRUE NARRATIVE of some Remarkable
    Passages relating to sundry Persons afflicted
    by _Witchcraft_ at _Salem_ Village in _New-England_,
    which happened from the _19th._ of _March_
    to the _5th._ of _April_, 1692.

COLLECTED BY DEODAT LAWSON.

On the Nineteenth day of _March_ last I went to _Salem_ Village, and
lodged at _Nathaniel Ingersol's_ near to the Minister Mr. _P.'s_ House,
and presently after I came into my Lodging, Capt. _Walcut's_ Daughter
_Mary_ came to Lieut. _Ingersol's_ and spake to me; but suddenly after,
as she stood by the Door, was bitten, so that she cried out of her
Wrist, and looking on it with a Candle, we saw apparently the marks of
Teeth, both upper and lower set, on each side of her Wrist.

In the beginning of the Evening I went to give Mr. _P._ a Visit. When I
was there, his Kinswoman, _Abigail Williams_, (about 12 Years of Age)
had a grievous fit; she was at first hurried with violence to and fro in
the Room (though Mrs. _Ingersol_ endeavoured to hold her) sometimes
making as if she would fly, stretching up her Arms as high as she could,
and crying, _Whish, Whish, Whish_, several times; presently after she
said, there was Goodw. _N._ and said, _Do you not see her? Why there she
stands!_ And she said, Goodw. _N._ offered her THE BOOK, but she was
resolved she would not take it, saying often, _I wont, I wont, I wont
take it, I do not know what Book it is: I am sure it is none of God's
Book, it is the Devil's Book for ought I know._ After that, she ran to
the Fire, and begun to throw Fire-brands about the House, and run
against the Back, as if she would run up Chimney, and, as they said, she
had attempted to go into the Fire in other Fits.

On Lords Day, the Twentieth of _March_, there were sundry of the
afflicted Persons at Meeting, as Mrs. _Pope_, and Goodwife _Bibber_,
_Abigail Williams_, _Mary Walcut_, _Mary Lewes_, and Doctor _Grigg's_
Maid. There was also at Meeting, Goodwife _C._ (who was afterward
Examined on suspicion of being a _Witch_:) They had several sore Fits in
the time of Publick Worship, which did something interrupt me in my
first Prayer, being so unusual. After _Psalm_ was sung _Abigail
Williams_ said to me, _Now stand up, and name your Text!_ And after it
was read, she said, _It is a long Text._ In the beginning of Sermon,
Mrs. _Pope_, a Woman afflicted, said to me, _Now there is enough of
that._ And in the Afternoon, _Abigail Williams_, upon my referring to my
_Doctrine_, said to me, _I know no Doctrine you had, If you did name
one, I have forgot it._

In Sermon time, when Goodwife _C._ was present in the Meeting-House,
_Ab. W._ called out, _Look where Goodwife C. sits on the Beam suckling
her Yellow Bird betwixt her fingers!_ _Ann Putman_, another Girle
afflicted, said, _There was a Yellow Bird sat on my Hat as it hung on
the Pin in the Pulpit;_ but those that were by, restrained her from
speaking loud about it.

On _Monday_ the _21st._ of _March_, the Magistrates of _Salem_ appointed
to come to Examination of Goodwife _C._ And about Twelve of the Clock
they went into the Meeting-House, which was thronged with Spectators.
Mr. _Noyes_ began with a very pertinent and pathetical _Prayer_; and
Goodwife _C._ being called to answer to what was alledged against her,
she desired to go to _Prayer_, which was much wondred at, in the
presence of so many hundred People: The Magistrates told her, they would
not admit it; they came not there to hear her Pray, but to Examine her,
in what was Alledged against her. The Worshipful Mr. _Hathorne_ asked
her, _Why she afflicted those Children?_ She said, she did not Afflict
them. He asked her, who did then? She said, _I do not know; How should I
know?_ The Number of the Afflicted Persons were about that time Ten,
_viz._ Four Married Women, Mrs. _Pope_, Mrs. _Putman_, Goodwife
_Bibber_, and an Ancient Woman, named _Goodall_; three Maids, _Mary
Walcut_, _Mercy Lewes_, at _Thomas Putman's_, and a Maid at _Dr.
Griggs's_; there were three Girls from 9 to 12 Years of Age, each of
them, or thereabouts, _viz._ _Elizabeth Parris_, _Abigail Williams_, and
_Ann Putman_; these were most of them at Goodwife _C.'s_ Examination,
and did vehemently Accuse her in the Assembly of Afflicting them, by
_Biting_, _Pinching_, _Strangling_, _&c._ And that they in their Fits
see her Likeness coming to them, and bringing a _Book_ to them; she
said, she had no _Book_; they affirmed, she had a _Yellow Bird_, that
used to suck betwixt her Fingers, and being asked about it, if she had
any _Familiar Spirit_, that attended her? she said, _She had no
Familiarity with any such thing._ She was a _Gospel Woman_: Which Title
she called her self by; and the Afflicted Persons told her, Ah! she was
_A Gospel Witch_. _Ann Putman_ did there affirm, that one day when
Lieutenant _Fuller_ was at Prayer at her Father's House, she saw the
shape of Goodwife _C._ and she thought Goodwife _N._ Praying at the same
time to the Devil; she was not sure it was Goodwife _N._ she thought it
was; but very sure she saw the shape of Goodwife _C._ The said _C._
said, they were poor distracted Children, and no heed to be given to
what they said. Mr. _Hathorne_ and Mr. _Noyes_ replyed, It was the
Judgment of all that were present, they were _Bewitched_, and only she
the Accused Person said, they were _Distracted_. It was observed several
times, that if she did but bite her under lip in time of Examination,
the Persons afflicted were bitten on their Arms and Wrists, and produced
the _Marks_ before the Magistrates, Ministers, and others. And being
watched for that, if she did but _Pinch_ her Fingers, or _Grasp_ one
Hand hard in another, they were Pinched, and produced the _Marks_ before
the Magistrates, and Spectators. After that, it was observed, that if
she did but lean her _Breast_ against the Seat in the Meeting-House,
(being the _Bar_ at which she stood), they were afflicted. Particularly
Mrs. _Pope_ complained of grievous Torment in her _Bowels_, as if they
were torn out. She vehemently accused the said _C._ as the Instrument,
and first threw her Muff at her; but that flying not home, she got off
her _shoe_, and hit Goodwife _C._ on the Head with it. After these
Postures were watched, if the said _C._ did but stir her Feet, they were
afflicted in their _Feet_, and stamped fearfully. The afflicted Persons
asked her, why she did not go to the Company of Witches which were
before the Meeting-House Mustering? Did she not hear the _Drum_ beat?
They accused her of having Familiarity with the _Devil_, in the time of
Examination, in the shape of a Black _Man_ whispering in her Ear; they
affirmed, that her _Yellow Bird_ sucked betwixt her Fingers in the
Assembly; and Order being given to see if there were any sign, the Girl
that saw it, said, it was too late now; she had removed a _Pin_, and put
it on her _Head_; which was found _there_ sticking upright.

They told her, she had Covenanted with the _Devil_ for ten Years, six of
them were gone, and four more to come. She was required by the
Magistrates to answer that Question in the Catechism, _How many persons
be there in the God-head?_ She answered it but oddly, yet was there no
great thing to be gathered from it; she denied all that was charged upon
her, and said, _They could not prove a Witch;_ she was that Afternoon
Committed to _Salem_ Prison; and after she was in Custody, she did not
so appear to them, and afflict them as before.

On Wednesday the _23d._ of _March_, I went to _Thomas Putman's_, on
purpose to see his Wife: I found her lying on the Bed, having had a sore
Fit a little before; she spake to me, and said, she was glad to see me;
her Husband and she both desired me to Pray with her while she was
sensible; which I did, though the Apparition said, _I should not go to
Prayer._ At the first beginning she attended; but after a little time,
was taken with a Fit; yet continued silent, and seemed to be _Asleep_:
When Prayer was done, her Husband going to her, found her in a _Fit_; he
took her off the Bed, to set her on his Knees, but at first she was so
stiff, she could not be bended; but she afterwards sat down, but quickly
began to strive violently with her _Arms_ and _Leggs_; she then began to
Complain of, and as it were to Converse Personally with, Goodwife _N._
saying, _Goodwife N. Be gone! Be gone! Be gone! are you not ashamed, a
Woman of your Profession, to afflict a poor Creature so? What hurt did I
ever do you in my life? You have but two Years to live, and then the
Devil will torment your Soul; for this your Name is blotted out of God's
Book, and it shall never be put in God's Book again; be gone for shame,
are you not afraid of that which is coming upon you? I know, I know what
will make you afraid; the wrath of an Angry God, I am sure that will
make you afraid; be gone, do not torment me, I know what you would have_
(we judged she meant, _her Soul_) _but it is out of your reach; it is
cloathed with the white Robes of Christ's Righteousness._ After this,
she seemed to dispute with the Apparition about a particular _Text_ of
Scripture. The Apparition seemed to deny it; (the Womans Eyes being fast
closed all this time) she said, _She was sure there was such a Text_,
and she would tell it; and then the Shape would be gone, for, said she,
_I am sure you cannot stand before that Text!_ Then she was sorely
Afflicted, her Mouth drawn on one side, and her Body strained for about
a Minute, and then said, _I will tell, I will tell; it is, it is, it
is_, three or four times, and then was afflicted to hinder her from
telling, at last she broke forth, and said, _It is the third Chapter of
the Revelations._ I did something scruple the reading it, and did let my
scruple appear, lest Satan should make any Superstitiously to improve
the Word of the Eternal God. However, tho' not versed in these things, I
judged I might do it this once for an Experiment. I began to _read_, and
before I had near read through the first Verse, she opened her Eyes, and
was well; this Fit continued near half an hour. Her Husband and the
Spectators told me, she had often been so relieved by reading Texts that
she named, something pertinent to her Case; as _Isa. 40.1._ _Isa. 49.1._
_Isa. 50.1._ and several others.

On Thursday the Twenty-Fourth of _March_, (being in course the
Lecture-Day at the Village,) Goodwife. _N._ was brought before the
Magistrates Mr. _Hathorne_ and Mr. _Corwin_, about Ten of the Clock in
the Forenoon, to be Examined in the Meeting-House, the Reverend Mr.
_Hale_ begun with Prayer, and the Warrant being read, she was required
to give Answer, _Why she afflicted those persons?_ She pleaded her own
Innocency with earnestness. _Thomas Putman's_ Wife, _Abigail Williams_,
and _Thomas Putman's_ Daughter accused her that she appeared to them,
and afflicted them in their Fits; but some of the others said, that they
had seen her, but knew not that ever she had hurt them; amongst which
was _Mary Walcut_, who was presently after she had so declared bitten,
and cryed out of her in the Meeting-House, producing the _Marks_ of
_Teeth_ on her wrist. It was so disposed, that I had not leisure to
attend the whole time of Examination, but both Magistrates and Ministers
told me, that the things alledged by the afflicted, and defences made by
her, were much after the same manner as the former was. And her motions
did produce like effects, as to _Biting_, _Pinching_, _Brusing_,
_Tormenting_, at their _Breasts_, by her _Leaning_, and when bended
back, were as if their Backs were broken. The afflicted Persons said,
the _Black Man_ whispered to her in the Assembly, and therefore she
could not hear what the Magistrates said unto her. They said also, that
she did then ride by the Meeting-House, behind the _Black Man_. _Thomas
Putman's_ Wife had a grievous Fit in the time of Examination, to the
very great impairing of her strength, and wasting of her spirits,
insomuch as she could hardly move hand or foot when she was carried out.
Others also were there grievously afflicted, so that there was once such
a hideous scrietch and noise (which I heard as I walked at a little
distance from the Meeting-House) as did amaze me, and some that were
within, told me the whole Assembly was struck with Consternation, and
they were afraid, that those that sate next to them were under the
Influence of _Witchcraft_. This Woman also was that day committed to
_Salem_ Prison. The Magistrates and Ministers also did inform me, that
they apprehended a Child of _Sarah G._ and examined it, being between 4
and 5 years of Age. And as to matter of Fact, they did unanimously
affirm, that when this _Child_ did but cast its Eye upon the afflicted
Persons, they were tormented; and they held her _Head_, and yet so many
as her _Eye_ could fix upon were afflicted. Which they did several times
make careful Observation of: The afflicted complained, they had often
been _Bitten_ by this Child, and produced the marks of _a small set of
teeth_ accordingly; this was also committed to _Salem_ Prison, the Child
looked _hail, and well_ as other Children. I saw it at Lieut.
_Ingersol's_. After the Commitment of Goodw. _N._ _Tho. Putman's_ Wife
was much better, and had no violent Fits at all from that _24th._ of
March, to the _5th._ of _April_. Some others also said they had not seen
her so frequently appear to them, to hurt them.

On the _25th._ of _March_ (as Capt. _Stephen Sewal_ of _Salem_ did
afterwards inform me) _Eliz. Paris_ had sore Fits at his House, which
much troubled _himself, and his Wife_, so as he told me they were almost
discouraged. She related, that the great _Black Man_ came to her, and
told her, if she would be ruled by him, she should have whatsoever she
desired, and go to a _Golden City_. She relating this to Mrs. _Sewal_,
she told the Child, it was the _Devil_, and he was a _Lyar from the
Beginning_, and bid her tell him so, if he came again: which she did
accordingly, at the next coming to her, in her Fits.

On the _26th._ of _March_, Mr. _Hathorne_, Mr. _Corwin_, and Mr.
_Higison_, were at the Prison-Keeper's House to Examine the Child, and
it told them there, it had a little _Snake_ that used to suck on the
lowest Joynt of its Fore-Finger; and when they enquired where, pointing
to other places, it told them, not there, but _there_, pointing on the
lowest Joint of the Fore-Finger, where they observed a deep Red Spot,
about the bigness of a _Flea-bite_; they asked who gave it that _Snake_?
whether the great Black Man? It said no, its Mother gave it.

The 31 of _March_ there was a _Publick Fast_ kept at _Salem_ on account
of these Afflicted Persons. And _Abigail Williams_ said, that the
Witches had a _Sacrament_ that day at an house in the Village, and that
they had _Red Bread_ and _Red Drink_. The first of _April_, _Mercy
Lewis_, _Thomas Putman's_ Maid, in her Fit, said, they did eat _Red
Bread_, like _Man's Flesh_, and would have had her eat some, but she
would not; but turned away her head, and spit at them, and said, _I will
not Eat, I will not Drink, it is Blood, &c._, she said, _That is not the
Bread of Life; that is not the Water of Life; Christ gives the Bread of
Life; I will have none of it!_ The first of _April_ also _Mercy Lewis_
aforesaid saw in her Fit a _White Man_, and was with him in a glorious
Place, which had no _Candles_ nor _Sun_, yet was full of Light and
_Brightness_; where was a great Multitude in White glittering Robes, and
they Sung the Song in the fifth of _Revelation_, the 9th verse, and the
110 _Psalm_, and the 149 _Psalm_; and said with her self, _How long
shall I stay here! let me be along with you:_ She was loth to leave this
place, and grieved that she could tarry no longer. This _white Man_ hath
appeared several times to some of them, and given them notice how long
it should be before they had another Fit, which was sometimes a day, or
day and half, or more or less, it hath fallen out accordingly.

The 3d of _April_, the Lord's-day, being Sacrament-day, at the Village,
_Goodw. C._ upon Mr. _Parris's_ naming his Text, _John 6.70._ _One of
them is a Devil_, the said _Goodw. C._ went immediately out of the
Meeting-House, and flung the Door after her violently, to the amazement
of the Congregation. She was afterwards seen by some in their Fits, who
said, _O +Goodw. C.+ I did not think to see you here!_ (and being at
their _Red bread and drink_) said to her, _Is this a time to receive the
Sacrament, you ran away on the Lord's-Day, and scorned to receive it in
the Meeting-House, and, Is this a time to receive it? I wonder at you!_
This is the sum of what I either saw my self, or did receive Information
from persons of undoubted Reputation and Credit.

REMARKS OF THINGS MORE THAN ORDINARY ABOUT THE

AFFLICTED PERSONS.

1. They are in their Fits tempted to be _Witches_, are shewed the List
of the Names of others, and are tortured, because they will not yeild to
Subscribe, or meddle with, or touch the BOOK, and are promised to have
present Belief if they would do it.

2. They did in the Assembly mutually _Cure_ each other, even with a
_Touch_ of their Hand, when Strangled, and otherwise Tortured; and would
endeavour to get to their Afflicted, to relieve them.

3. They did also foretel when anothers Fit was a-coming, and would say,
_Look to her!_ she will have a Fit presently, which fell out
accordingly, as many can bear witness, that heard and saw it.

4. That at the same time, when the _Accused_ Person was present, the
_Afflicted Persons_ saw her Likeness in other places of the
Meeting-House, suckling her _Familiar_, sometimes in one place and
posture, and sometimes in another.

5. That their Motions in their Fits are _Preternatural_, both as to the
manner, which is so strange as a well person could not Screw their Body
into; and as to the violence also it is preternatural being much beyond
the Ordinary force of the same person when they are in their right mind.

6. The _eyes_ of some of them in their fits are exceeding fast closed,
and if you ask a question they can give no answer, and I do believe they
cannot hear at that time, yet do they plainely converse with the
Appearances, as if they did discourse with real persons.

7. They are utterly pressed against any persons _Praying_ with them, and
told by the appearances, they shall not go to _Prayer_, so _Tho.
Putman's_ wife was told, _I should not Pray;_ but she said, _I should:_
and after I had done, reasoned with the _Appearance_, _Did not I say he
should go to Prayer._

8. The forementioned _Mary W._ being a little better at ease, the
Afflicted persons said, _she had signed the Book_; and that was the
reason she was better. Told me by _Edward Putman_.

REMARKS CONCERNING THE ACCUSED.

1. For introduction to the discovery of those that afflicted them, It is
reported Mr. _Parris's_ Indian Man, and Woman, made a Cake of _Rye
Meal_, and the Childrens water, baked it in the Ashes, and gave it to a
Dog, since which they have discovered, and seen particular persons
hurting of them.

2. In Time of Examination, they seemed little affected, though all the
Spectators were much grieved to see it.

3. _Natural_ Actions in them produced _Preternatural_ actions in the
Afflicted, so that they are their own _Image_ without any _Poppits_ of
Wax or otherwise.

4. That they are accused to have a Company about 23 or 24 and they did
_Muster in Armes_, as it seemed to the Afflicted Persons.

5. Since they were confined, the Persons have not been so much Afflicted
with their appearing to them, _Biteing_ or _Pinching_ of them &c.

6. They are reported by the Afflicted Persons to keep dayes of _Fast_
and dayes of _Thanksgiving_, and _Sacraments_; Satan endeavours to
Transforme himself to an _Angel of Light_, and to make his Kingdom and
Administrations to resemble those of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7. Satan Rages Principally amongst the Visible Subjects of Christ's
Kingdom and makes use (at least in appearance) of some of them to
Afflict others; that _Christ's Kingdom, may be divided against it self_,
and so be weakened.

8. Several things used in _England_ at Tryal of Witches, to the Number
of 14 or 15 which are wont to pass instead of, or in Concurrence with
_Witnesses_, at least 6 or 7 of them are found in these accused: see
_Keebles Statutes_.

9. Some of the most solid Afflicted Persons do affirme the same things
concerning _seeing_ the accused _out_ of their Fitts as well as _in_
them.

10. The Witches had a _Fast_, and told one of the Afflicted Girles, she
must not _Eat_, because it was _Fast Day_, she said, she _would_: they
told her they would _Choake_ her then; which when she did eat, was
endeavoured.

A FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE TRYALS OF

THE NEW-ENGLAND WITCHES, SENT IN A LETTER FROM

THENCE, TO A GENTLEMAN IN LONDON.

Here were in _Salem_, _June 10, 1692_, about 40 persons that were
afflicted with horrible torments by _Evil Spirits_, and the afflicted
have accused 60 or 70 as Witches, for that they have _Spectral
appearances_ of them, tho the Persons are absent when they are
tormented. When these Witches were Tryed, several of them confessed a
contract with the Devil, by signing his Book, and did express much
sorrow for the same, declaring also thir _Confederate Witches_, and said
the Tempters of them desired 'em to sign the _Devils Book_, who
tormented them till they did it. There were at the time of
_Examination_, before many hundreds of Witnesses, strange Pranks play'd;
such as the taking Pins out of the Clothes of the afflicted, and
thrusting them into their flesh, many of which were taken out again by
the _Judges_ own hands. Thorns also in like kind were thrust into their
flesh; the accusers were sometimes _struck dumb, deaf, blind_, and
sometimes lay as if they were dead for a while, and all foreseen and
declared by the afflicted just before it 'twas done. Of the afflicted
there were two Girls, about _12 or 13 years of age_, who saw all that
was done, and were therefore called the _Visionary Girls_; they would
say, _Now he, or she, or they, are going to bite or pinch the Indian_;
and all there present in Court saw the visible marks on the _Indians_
arms; they would also cry out, _Now look, look, they are going to bind
such an ones Legs_, and all present saw the same person spoken of, fall
with her Legs twisted in an extraordinary manner; Now say they, we shall
all fall, and immediately 7 or 8 of the afflicted fell down, with
_terrible shrieks and Out-crys_; at the time when one of the Witches was
_sentenc'd, and pinnion'd_ with a Cord, at the same time was the
afflicted _Indian_ Servant going home, (being about 2 or 3 miles out of
town,) and had both his Wrists at the same instant bound about with a
like Cord, in the same manner as she was when she was sentenc'd, but
with that violence, that the Cord entred into his flesh, not to be
untied, nor hardly cut----Many _Murders_ are suppos'd to be in this way
committed; for these Girls, and others of the afflicted, say, _they see
Coffins, and bodies in Shrowds_, rising up, and looking on the accused,
crying, _Vengeance, Vengeance on the Murderers_----Many other strange
things were transacted before the Court in the time of their
Examination; and especially one thing which I had like to have forgot,
which is this, One of the accus'd, whilst the rest were under
Examination, was drawn up by a Rope to the Roof of the house where he
was, and would have been choak'd in all probability, had not the Rope
been presently cut; the Rope hung at the Roof by some _invisible tye_,
for there was no hole where it went up; but after it was cut the
_remainder_ of it was found in the Chamber just above, lying by the very
place where it hung down.

In _December 1692_, the Court sate again at _Salem_ in _New-England_,
and cleared about 40 persons suspected for Witches, and Condemned three.
The Evidence against these three was the same as formerly, so the
Warrant for their Execution was sent, and the _Graves digged_ for the
said three, and for about five more that had been Condemned at _Salem_
formerly, but were Repreived by the Governour.

In the beginning of _February 1693_, the Court sate at _Charles-Town_
where the Judge exprest himself to this effect.

_That who it was that obstructed the Execution of Justice, or hindred
those good proceedings they had made, he knew not, but thereby the
Kingdom of Satan was advanc'd_, &c. _and the Lord have mercy on this
Country:_ and so declined coming any more into Court. In his absence
_Mr. D----_ sate as Chief Judge 3 several days, in which time 5 or 6
were clear'd by Proclamation, and almost as many by Trial; so that all
are acquitted.

The most remarkable was an Old Woman named _Dayton_, of whom it was
said, _If any in the World were a Witch, she was one, and had been so
accounted 30 years._ I had the Curiosity to see her tried; she was a
decrepid Woman of about 80 years of age, and did not use many words in
her own defence. She was accused by about 30 Witnesses; but the matter
alledged against her was such as needed little apology, on her part not
one passionate word, or immoral action, or evil, was then objected
against her for 20 years past, only strange accidents falling out, after
some Christian admonition given by her, as saying, _God would not
prosper them, if they wrong'd the Widow._ Upon the whole, there was not
proved against her any thing worthy of Reproof, or just admonition, much
less so heinous a Charge.

So that by the _Goodness_ of God we are once more out of present danger
of this _Hobgoblin Monster_; the standing Evidence used at _Salem_ were
called, but did not appear.

There were others also at _Charles-town_ brought upon their _Tryals_,
who had formerly confess'd themselves to be Witches; but upon their
tryals deny'd it, and were all clear'd; So that at present there is no
_further prosecution of any_.

  CASES of CONSCIENCE
  Concerning
  Evil Spirits
  Personating MEN;
  WITCHCRAFTS,
  Infallible Proofs of Guilt in such as are
  Accused with that CRIME.

  All Considered according to the Scriptures, History,
  Experience, and the Judgment of many Learned
  MEN.

  By _Increase Mather_, President of _Harvard_ Colledge at _Cambridge_,
  and Teacher of a Church at _Boston_ in _New England_.

  PROV. xxii. xxi.

  _----That thou mightest Answer the Words of Truth, to them
  that send unto thee._

  _Efficiunt Dæmones, ut quæ non sunt, sic tamen, quasi sint,
    conspicienda hominibus exhibeant._ _Lactantius_ Lib. 2. _Instit._
    Cap. 15. _Diabolus Consulitur, cum iis mediis utimur aliquid
    Cognoscendi, quæ a Diabolo sunt introducta._ _Ames Cas. Cons._ L. 4.
    Cap. 23.

  Printed at _Boston_, and Re-printed at _London_, for \John Dunton\, at
  the _Raven_ in the _Poultrey_. 1693.

CHRISTIAN READER.

_So Odious and Abominable is the Name of a Witch, to the Civilized, much
more the Religious part of Mankind, that it is apt to grow up into a
Scandal for any, so much as to enter some sober cautions against the
over hasty suspecting, or too precipitant Judging of Persons on this
account. But certainly, the more execrable the Crime is, the more
critical care is to be used in the exposing of the Names, Liberties, and
Lives of Men (especially of a Godly Conversation) to the imputation of
it. The awful hand of God now upon us, in letting loose of evil Angels
among us to perpetrate such horrid Mischiefs, and suffering of Hell's
Instruments to do such fearful things as have been scarce heard of; hath
put serious persons into deep Musings, and upon curious Enquiries what
is to be done for the detecting and defeating of this tremendous design
of the grand Adversary: And, tho' all that fear God are agreed, +That no
evil is to be done, that good may come of it+; yet hath the Devil
obtained not a little of his design, in the divisions of Reuben, about
the application of this Rule._

_That there are Devils and Witches, the Scripture asserts, and
experience confirms, That they are common enemies of Mankind, and set
upon mischief, is not to be doubted: That the Devil can (by Divine
Permission) and often doth vex men in Body and Estate, without the
Instrumentality of Witches, is undeniable: That he often hath, and
delights to have the concurrence of Witches, and their consent in
harming men, is consonant to his native Malice to Man, and too
lamentably exemplified: That Witches, when detected and convinced, ought
to be exterminated and cut off, we have God's warrant for, +Exod. 22.18.+
Only the same God who hath said, +thou shalt not suffer a Witch to
live+; hath also said, +at the Mouth of two Witnesses, or three
Witnesses shall he that is worthy of Death, be put to Death: But at the
Mouth of one Witness, he shall not be put to Death+, +Deut. 17.6.+ Much
debate is made about what is sufficient Conviction, and some have (in
their Zeal) supposed that a less clear evidence ought to pass in this
than in other Cases, supposing that else it will be hard (if possible)
to bring such to condign Punishment, by reason of the close conveyances
that there are between the Devil and Witches; but this is a very
dangerous and unjustifiable tenet. Men serve God in doing their Duty, he
never intended that all persons guilty of Capital Crimes should be
discovered and punished by men in this Life, though they be never so
curious in searching after Iniquity. It is therefore exceeding necessary
that in such a day as this, men be informed what is Evidence and what is
not. It concerns men in point of Charity; for tho' the most shining
Professor may be secretly a most abominable Sinner, yet till he be
detected, our Charity is bound to Judge according to what appears: and
notwithstanding that a clear evidence must determine a case; yet
presumptions must be weighed against presumptions, and Charity is not to
be forgone as long as it has the most preponderating on its side. And it
is of no less necessity in point of Justice; there are not only
Testimonies required by God, which are to be credited according to the
Rules given in his Word referring to witnesses: But there is also an
Evidence supposed to be in the Testimony, which is throughly to be
weighed, and if it do not infallibly prove the Crime against the person
accused, it ought not to determine him guilty of it; for so a righteous
Man may be Condemned unjustly. In the case of Witchcrafts we know that
the Devil is the immediate Agent in the Mischief done, the consent or
compact of the Witch is the thing to be Demonstrated._

_Among many Arguments to evince this, that which is most under present
debate, is that which refers to something vulgarly called +Spectre
Evidence+, and a certain sort of Ordeal or trial by the sight and touch.
The principal Plea to justifie the convictive Evidence in these, is
fetcht from the Consideration of the Wisdom and Righteousness of God in
Governing the World, which they suppose would fail, if such things were
permitted to befal an innocent person; but it is certain, that too
resolute conclusions drawn from hence, are bold usurpations upon
spotless +Sovereignty+: and tho' some things if suffered to be common,
would subvert this Government, and disband, yea ruine Humane Society;
yet God doth sometimes suffer such things to evene, that we may thereby
know how much we are beholden to him, for that restraint which he lays
upon the Infernal Spirits, who would else reduce a World into a Chaos.
That the Resolutions of such Cases as these is proper for the Servants
of Christ in the Ministry cannot be denied; the seasonableness of doing
it now, will be justified by the Consideration of the necessity there is
at this time of a right Information of men's Judgments about these
things, and the danger of their being misinformed._

_The Reverend, Learned, and Judicious Author of the ensuing Cases, is
too well known to need our Commendation: All that we are concerned in,
is to +assert our hearty Consent to, and Concurrence with the substance
of what is contained in the following Discourse+: And, with our hearty
Request to God, that he would discover the depths of this Hellish
Design; direct in the whole management of this Affair; prevent the
taking any wrong steps in this dark way; and that he would in particular
Bless these faithful Endeavours of his Servant to that end, we Commend
it and you to his Divine Benediction._

  William Hubbard.
  Samuel Phillips.
  Charles Morton.
  James Allen.
  Michael Wigglesworth.
  Samuel Whiting, _Sen._
  Samuel Willard.
  John Baily.
  Jabez Fox.
  Joseph Gerrish.
  Samuel Angier.
  John Wise.
  Joseph Capen.
  Nehemiah Walter.

CASES OF CONSCIENCE CONCERNING

WITCHCRAFTS.

The First Case that I am desired to express my Judgment in, is this,
_Whether it is not Possible for the Devil to impose on the imaginations
of Persons Bewitched, and to cause them to Believe that an Innocent, yea
that a Pious person does torment them, when the Devil himself doth it;
or whether Satan may not appear in the Shape of an Innocent and Pious,
as well as of a Nocent and Wicked Person, to Afflict such as suffer by
Diabolical Molestations?_

The Answer to the Question must be Affirmative; Let the following
Arguments be duely weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary.

_Argu. 1._ There are several Scriptures from which we may infer the
Possibility of what is Affirmed.

1. We find that the _Devil by the Instigation of the Witch at Endor
appeared in the Likeness of the Prophet Samuel_. I am not ignorant that
some have asserted that, which, if it were proved, would evert this
Argument, _viz._ that it was the true and not a delusive _Samuel_ which
the Witch brought to converse with _Saul_. Of this Opinion are some of
the Jewish Rabbies[1] and some Christian Doctors[2] and many late Popish
Authors[3] amongst whom _Cornel. a Lapide_ is most elaborate. But that
it was a _Dæmon_ representing _Samuel_ has been evinced by learned and
Orthodox Writers: especially [4]_Peter Martyr_, [5]_Balduinus
[6]Lavater_, and our incomparable _John Rainolde_. I shall not here
insist on the clearing of that, especially considering, that elsewhere I
have done it: only let me add, that the Witch said to _Saul_, _I see
Elohim_, i. e. _A God_; (for the whole Context shows, that a single
Person is intended) _Ascending out of the Earth_. _1 Sam. 28.13._ The
Devil would be Worshipped as a God, and _Saul_ now, that he was become a
_Necromancer_, must bow himself to him. Moreover, had it been the true
_Samuel_ from Heaven reprehending _Saul_, there is great Reason to
believe, that he would not only have reproved him for his sin, in not
executing Judgment on the _Amalekites_; as in Ver. 18. But for his
Wickedness in consulting with Familiar Spirits: For which Sin it was in
special that he died. _2 Chron. 10.13._ But in as much as there is not
one word to testify against that Abomination, we may conclude that it
was not real _Samuel_ that appeared to _Saul_: and if it were the Devil
in his likeness, the Argument seems very strong, that if the Devil may
appear in the form of a Saint in Glory, much more is it possible for him
to put on the likeness of the most Pious and Innocent Saint on Earth.
There are, who acknowledge that a _Dæmon_ may appear in the shape of a
Godly Person, _But not as doing Evil_. Whereas the Devil in _Samuel's_
likeness told a pernicious Lye, when he said, _Thou hath disquieted me._
It was not in the Power of _Saul_, nor of all the Devils in Hell, to
disquiet a Soul in Heaven, where _Samuel_ had been for Two years before
this Apparition. Nor did the _Spectre_ speak true, when he said, _Thou
and thy Sons shall be with me:_ Tho' _Saul_ himself at his Death went to
be with the Devil, his Son _Jonathan_ did not so. Besides, (which suits
with the matter in hand) the Devil in _Samuels_ shape confirmed
_Necromancy_ and _Cursed Witchery_. He that can in the likeness of
Saints encourage Witches to Familiarity with Hell, may possibly in the
likeness of a Saint afflict a Bewitched Person. But this we see from
Scripture, Satan may be permitted to do.

And whereas it is objected, that the Devil may appear indeed in the form
of Dead Persons, but that he cannot represent such as are living; The
contrary is manifest. No Question had _Saul_ said to the Witch, bring me
_David_ who was then living, she could as easily have shown living
_David_ as dead _Samuel_, as easily as that great Conjurer of whom
[7]_Wierus_ speaks, brought the appearance of _Hector_ and _Achilles_,
and after that of _David_ before the Emperour _Maximilian_.

And that evil Angels have sometimes appeared in the likeness of living
absent persons, is a thing abundantly confirmed by History.

[8]_Austin_ tells us of one that went for resolution in some intricate
Questions to a Philosopher, of whom he could get no Answer; but in the
Night the Philosopher comes to him, and resolves all his Doubts. Not
long after, he demanded the reason why he could not answer him in the
Day as well as in the Night; The Philosopher professed he was not with
him in the Night, only acknowledged that he dreamed of his having such
conversation of his Friend, but he was all the time at home, and asleep.
_Paulus_ and _Palladius_ did both of them profess to _Austin_, that one
in his shape, had divers times, and in divers places appeared to them:
[9]_Thyreus_ mentions several Apparitions of absent living persons,
which happened in his time, and which he had the certain knowledge of. A
Man that is in one place cannot (_Autoprosopos_) at the same time be in
another. It remains then that such _Spectres_ are Prodigious and
Supernatural, and not without Diabolical Operation. It has been
Controverted among Learned Men, whether innocent Persons may not by the
malice and deluding Power of the Devil be represented as present amongst
Witches at their dark Assemblies. The mentioned _Thyreus_ says, that the
Devil may, and often does represent the forms of Innocent Persons out of
those Conventions, and that there is no Question to be made of it, but
as to his natural Power and Art he is able to make their shapes appear
amongst his own Servants, but he supposeth the Providence of God will
not suffer such an Injury to be done to an Innocent Person. With him
[10]_Delrio_, and _Spineus_ concur. But _Cumanus_ in his _Lucerna
Inquisitorum_ (a Book which I have not yet seen) defends the Affirmative
in this Question. _Bins Fieldius_ in his Treatise, concerning the
Confession of Witches, inclines to the Negative, only [11]he
acknowledges _Dei extraordinaria Permissione posse Innocentes sic
representari._ And he that shall assert, that Great and Holy God never
did nor ever will permit the Devil thus far to abuse an Innocent Person,
affirms more than he is able to prove. The story of _Germanus_ his
discovering a Diabolical illusion of this nature, concerning a great
number of Persons that seemed to be at a Feast when they were really at
home and asleep, is mentioned by many Authors. But the particulars
insisted on, do sufficiently evince the Truth of what we assert, _viz._
That the Devil may by Divine Permission appear in the shape of Innocent
and Pious Persons. Nevertheless, It is evident from another Scripture,
_viz._ that in _2 Cor. 11.14._ _For Satan himself is transformed into an
Angel of Light._ He seems to be what he is not, and makes others seem to
be what they are not. He represents evil men as good, and good men as
evil. The Angels of Heaven, (who are the Angels of Light) love Truth and
Righteousness, the Devil will seem to do so too; and does therefore
sometimes lay before men excellent good Principles and exhort them (as
he did _Theodore Maillit_) to practise many things, which by the Law of
Righteousness they are obliged unto, and hereby he does more effectually
deceive. Is it not strange, that he has sometimes intimated to his most
devoted servants, that if they would have familiar Conversation with
him, they must be careful to keep themselves from enormous Sins, and
pray constantly for Divine Protection? But so has he transformed
himself into an Angel of Light, as [12]_Boissardus_ sheweth. He has
frequently appeared to Men pretending to be a good Angel, so to
_Anatolius_ of old; and the late instances of [13]Dr. _Dee_ and _Kellet_
are famously known. How many deluded _Enthusiasts_ both in former and
latter times have been imposed on by Satans appearing visibly to them,
pretending to be a good Angel. And moreover, he may be said to transform
himself into an _Angel of Light_, because of his appearing in the Form
of _Holy Men_, who are the _Children of Light_, yea in the shape and
habit of Eminent Ministers of God. So did he appear to Mr. _Earl_ of
_Colchester_ in the likeness of Mr. _Liddal_ an Holy Man of God, and to
the _Turkish Chaous_ Baptized at _London_, _Anno 1658._ pretending to be
Mr. _Dury_ an Excellent Minister of Christ. And how often has he
pretended to be the Apostle _Paul_ or _Peter_ or some other celebrated
Saint? Ecclesiastical Histories abound with Instances of this nature.
Yea, sometimes he has transfigured himself into the Form of Christ. It
is reported that he appeared to [14]St. _Martin_ Gloriously arrayed, as
if he had been Christ. So likewise to [15]_Secundellus_, and to another
Saint, who suspecting it was Satan, transforming himself into an _Angel
of Light_ had this expression, _If I may see Christ in Heaven it is
enough, I desire not to see him in this World_; whereupon the _Spectre_
vanished. It has been related of _Luther_, that after he had been
Fasting and Praying in his Study, the Devil come pretending to be
Christ, but _Luther_ saying, _away thou confounded Devil, I acknowledge
no Christ but what is in my Bible_, nothing more was seen. Thus then the
Devil is able (by Divine Permission) to Change himself into what form or
figure he pleaseth,

    _Omnia transformat sese in miracula rerum._

A Third Scripture to our purpose is that, in _Rev. 12.10._ where the
Devil is called the _Accuser of the Brethren_. Such is the malice and
impudence of the Devil, as that he does accuse good Men, and that before
God, and that not only of such Faults as they really are guilty of, he
accused _Joshua_ with his filthy Garments, when through his Indulgence
some of his Family had transgressed by unlawful Marriages, _Zach. 3.23._
with _Ezra. 10.18._ but also with such Crimes, as they are altogether
free from. He represented the Primitive Christians as the vilest of men,
and as if at their Meetings they did commit the most nefandous Villanies
that ever were known; and that not only Innocent, but Eminently Pious
Persons should thro' the malice of the Devil be accused with the Crime