Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft, Chapter 3
CHAPTER III.
NExtly I will inſert the Confeſſion of a man about Forty years of Age, W. B. which he wrote himſelf in Priſon, and ſent to the Magiſtrates, to confirm his former Confeſſion to them, viz God having called me to Confeſs my ſin and Apoſtaſy in that fall in giving the Devil advantage over me appearing to me like a Black, in the evening to ſet my hand to his Book, as I have owned to my ſhame He told me that I ſhould not want ſo doing. At Salem Village, there being a little off the Meeting Houſe, about and hundred five Blades, ſome with Rapiers by their ſide, which was called and might be more for ought I know by B. and Bu. and the Trumpet ſounded, and Bread and Wine which they called the Sacrament, but I had none; being carried over all on a Stick, never bring at any other Meeting. I being at Cart a Saturday laſt, all the day, of Hay and Engliſh Corn, the Devil brought my Shape to Salem, and did afflict M. S. and R. F. by clitching my hand; and a Sabbath day my Shape afflicted A. M. and at night afflicted M S. and A. M. E. I. and A. F. have been my Enticers to this great abomination, as one have owned and charged her to her Siſter with the ſame And the deſign was to deſtroy Salem Village, and to begin at the Miniſters Houſe, and to deſtroy the Church of God, and to ſet up Satans Kingdom, and then all will be well. And now I hope God in ſome meaſure has made me ſomething ſenſible of my ſin and apoſtaſy, begging pardon of God, and of the Honourable Magiſtrates, and all God people, hoping and promiſing by the help of God to ſet to my heart and hand to do what in me lyeth to deſtroy ſuch wicked worſhip, humbly begging the prayers of all Gods People for me, I may walk humbly under this great affliction, and that I may procure to my ſelf, the ſure mercies of David, and the bleſſing of Abraham. Concerning this Confeſſion. (1) Note it was his own free act in Priſon. (2) He ſaith the Devil like a Black] This he had before explained to be like a Black man (3) That on a certain day was heard in the Air the ſound of a Trumpet, a Salem Village …igh the Meeting-Houſe, and upon all enquiry i… could not be found that any mortal man did found it. (4) The three perſons he ſaith the Devil in his Shape afflicted, had been as to the times and manner afflicted as he confeſſ…th (5) That E. I. confeſſ…d as much as W. B. chargeth her with. (6) Many others confeſſed a Witch Meeting, or Witch meetings at the Village as well as he.
Note alſo that theſe Confeſſors did not only witneſs againſt themſelves, but againſt one another; and againſt many if not all thoſe that Suffered for that Crime. As for example, when G. B. was Tryed, ſeven or eight of theſe Confeſſors ſeverally called, ſaid, they knew the ſaid B. and ſaw him at a Witch Meeting at the Village, and heard him exhort the Company to pull down the Kingdom of God, and ſet up the Kingdom of the Devil. He denied all, yet ſaid he juſtified the Judges and Jury in Condemning of him; becauſe there were ſo many poſitive witneſſes againſt him: But ſaid he dyed by falſe Witneſſes▪ I ſeriouſly ſpake to one that witneſſed (of his Exhorting at the Witch Meeting at the Village) ſaying to her; you are one that bring this man to Death, if you have charged any thing upon him that is not true, recal it before it be too late, while he is alive. She anſwered me, ſhe had nothing to charge her ſelf with, upon that account.
M. C. had to witneſs againſt her, two or three of her own Children, and ſeveral of her Neighbours that ſaid they were in confederacy with her in their Witchcraft.
A. F. Had three of her Children, and ſome of the Neighbours, her own Siſter, and a Servant, who confeſſed themſelves Witches, and ſaid, ſhe was in confederacy with them. But alas, I am weary with relating particulars; thoſe that would ſee more of this kind, let them have recourſe to the Records.
By theſe things you ſee how this matter was carried on, viz. chiefly by the complaints and accuſations of the Afflicted. Bewitched ones as it was ſuppoſed, and then by the Confeſſions of the Accuſed, condemning themſelves, and others. Yet experience ſhewed, that the more there were apprehended, the more were ſtill Afflicted by Satan, and the number of Confeſſors increaſing, did but increaſe the number of the Accuſed, and the Executing ſome, made way for the apprehending of others; for ſtill the Afflicted complained of being tormented by new objects▪ as the former were removed. So that thoſe that were concerned, grew amazed at the numbers and quality of the perſons accuſed▪ and feared that Satan by his wiles had inwrapped innocent perſons under the imputation o… that Crime. And at laſt it was evidently ſeen that there muſt be a ſtop put, or the Generation of the Children of God would fall under that condemnation.
Henceforth therefore the Juries generally acquitted ſuch as were Tried, fearing they had gone too far before. And Sir William Phips, Governour, Reprieved all that were Condemned, even the Confeſſors, as well as others And the Confeſſors generally fell off from their Confeſſions; ſome ſaying, they remembred nothing of what they ſaid; others ſaid they had belied themſelves and others. Some brake Priſon and ran away, and were not ſtrictly ſearched after, ſome acquitted, ſome diſmiſſed, and one way or other all that had been accuſed were ſet or left at liberty.
And although had the times been calm, the condition of the Confeſſors might have called for a melius inquirendum; yet conſidering the combuſtion and confuſion this matter had brought us unto; it was thought ſafer to under do than over-do, eſpecially in matters Capital, where what is once compleated cannot be retrieved: but what is left at one time, may be corrected at another, upon a review and clearer diſcovery of the ſtate of the Caſe. Thus this matter iſſued ſomewhat abruptly.