Further Account of the Trials of New England Witches, To the reader
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 perpretate 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 thing 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 mens 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.