pronounce Come unto me ye blessed and depart ye cursed into Everlasting fire 4. That Soveraigns who have received the Gospel of our Lord have not therefore lost their Power of enacting Laws for the ruling and preserving their People and punishing Malefactors even with Death so that the Criminal is as justly condemned to die by our Municipal as he was heretofore by the Judicial Law among the Jews How much more then ought our Law to advert against the highest of all Criminals those execrable Men and Women who tho yet alive have listed themselves under Satan's banner and explicitly Sworn Allegiance to him to fight against God and Christ indeed all unholy Men afford great matter to the Devils of Blaspheming but these wretches have confederated themselves with the Devils to blaspheme and destroy all they can and do you think that these common Enemies of God and Mankind ought to be suffered to live in a Christian Common wealth especially considering that we have a President of putting them to death from God himself when he acted as King over his own peculiar People But me thinks I hear you saying all this doth not satisfie me for I am sure nothing can be added to the Devils Malice and if he could he certainly would appear and frighten all Men out of their wits I Answer 1. We must not reject a truth because we cannot resolve all the Questions that may be proposed about it otherwise all our Science must be turned into Sceptism for we have not a Comprehensive knowledge of any one thing 2. When you say that if the Devil could he would appear and frighten all Men the Lawful consequence is not that he cannot appear at all for we have undoubtedly proved the contrary but that we are Ignorant of the bounds that the Almighty hath hath set to him whose malice indeed if he were not restrain'd is so great as to destroy all Men but the goodness of our God is greater who hath given us means to escape his fury if we will give earnest heed to the Gospel of our Saviour which only is able to comfort us against the sad and miserable condition of our present state for not only the Devils but likewise all do conspire against us to work our ruine The deluge came and swept away all the race save eight persons of mankind the Fire will in time devour what the Water has left and all this cometh to pass because of Sin but we who have received the Lord Jesus look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Therefore he if we purifie our selves as he is pure will save us for when he appears we shall be made like unto him to whom be Glory for ever Amen from the great destruction that must come upon all the World and the Inhabitants thereof Farewell March 8 th 1693 4. Boston March 20. 1693 Worthy Sir THAT great pains you have taken for my Information and Satisfaction in those controverted points relating to Witchcraft whether it attain the end or not cannot require less than suitable acknowledgments and gratitude especially considering you had no particular obligation of office to it and when others whose proper Province it was had declined it It is a great truth that the many Heresies among the Christians nor the lying Miracles or Witchcrafts used by some to induce to the worship of Images c. must not give a Mortal wound to Christianity or Truth but the great question in these controverted points still is what is truth And in this search being agreed in the Iudge or Rule there is great hopes of the Issue That there are Witches is plain from that Rule of Truth the Scriptures which commands their punishment by Death But what that Witchcraft is or wherein it does consist is the whole difficulty That head cited from Mr. Gaule and so well proved thereby not denied by any makes the work yet shorter so that it is agreed to consist in a Malignity c. and seeking by a sign to seduce c. not excluding any other sorts or branches when as well proved by that infallible Rule That good Angels have appeared is certain tho that instance of those to Abraham may admit of a various construction some Divines supposing them to be the Trinity others that they were Men-messengers as Judges 2.1 and others that they were Angels but tho this as I said might admit of a debate yet I see no question of the Angel Gabriel's appearance particularly to the B. Virgin for tho the Angels are Spirits and so not perceptible by our bodily Eyes without the appointment of the most high yet he who made all things by his word in the Creation can with a word speak things into Being And whether the Angels did assume matter or a Vehicle and by that appear to the bodily Eye or whether by the same word there were an Idea fram'd in the mind which needed no Vehicle to represent them to the Intellects is with the All-wise and not for me to dispute If we poor shallow Mortals do not comprehend the manner how that argues only our weakness Two other times did this glorious Angel appear Dan. 8.16 Dan 9.21 The first of these times was in Vision as by the text and context will appear The second was the same as at the first which being considered as it will ascertain that Angels have appear'd so that 't is at the will of the Sender how they shall appear whether to the bodily Eye or Intellect only Mat. 1.20 The appearance of the Angel to Joseph was in a Dream and yet a real appearance so was there a real appearance to the Apostle but whether in the body or out of the body he could not tell and that they are sent and come not of their own motion Luk. 1.26 And in the sixth Month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God Dan. 9.23 At the beginning of thy supplication the commandment came forth and I am come v. 21. Being caused to fly swiftly c. but from these places may be set down as undoubted truths or conclusions 1. That the glorious Angels have their Mission and Commission from the most high 2. That without this they cannot appear to mankind And from these two will necessarily flow a third 3. That if the glorious Angels have not that power to go till commissioned or to appear to Mortals then not the fallen Angels who are held in Chains of darkness to the Iudgment of the great day Therefore to argue that because the good Angels have appeared the evil may or can is to me as if because the dead have been raised to life by Holy Prophets therefore Men wicked Men can raise the dead As the sufferings so the temptations of our Saviour were in degree beyond those common to Man he being the second Adam or publick head the strongest assaults were now improved and we read that he was tempted that he might be able to succour them that
unto you The Devil tho superlatively Arrogant and Proud nevertheless depends on the first cause for his Being and all his Powers without whose Influx he or any other Creature cannot subsist a moment but must either return to their primitive Nothing or be continually preserved by the same Power by the which they were at first produced therefore the Beings and Powers of all Creatures because they immediately flow from God are good and consequently the simple Actions as they proceed from those Powers are in their own nature likewise good the Evil proceeding only from the Rebellious will of the Creature wherefore 't is no Paradox but a certain truth that the same Action in respect of the first cause is good but in respect of the second is Eviâ— for instance the act of Copulation is in it self good instituted by God and may be explicitly willed and desired by the Soul which sinneth not for exerting the simple Act but for exerting it contrary to the Laws prescrib'd by God as in Wedlock and Adultery there is the same specifical natural Action which consider'd simply as flowing from a Power given to Man by God is certainly good but considered with relation to the rebellious will of the Adulterer who lieth with his Neighbours Wife whom he is forbid to touch is a very great Evil. We may say the same of all humane Actions the Executioner and the Murtherer do the same natural Act of striking and killing The difference consists in the rectitude of the ones and depravation of the others will These things premised what more reason have we to conclude that the Devil because he shews signs and wonders to gain belief to lyes which is very contrary to the will of God must be therefore an Independent Power than that the Adulterer the Murtherer or any other sinner because their Actions being Evil of which God cannot be the cause must be Independent Beings The deceit of the last is very palpable and I doubt not but you will readily acknowledge it for it is obvious from what has been said to the meanest Capacity to distinguish between the Action it self which is good and flows from God and the Circumstances of the Action the choice whereof proceeds from the Iniquity of the Will wherein doth solely consist the Sin the parallel is so exact that I cannot see the least shadow of reason why we ought not in like manner to distinguish whatever effect is produced by the Devil To whom as to Man God having given Powers and a Will to Rule them Powers is truly and properly the cause of all the Actions in a Natural but not Moral Sense that flow from the Powers he has given Therefore the Wonder-working Power of the Devil and the effects thereof considered as Acts of one of God's Creatures are not Evil but Good the using that Power which proceeds from the Rebellion of Satan to bear testimony to a lye is that one which constitutes the Evil thereof And now I have done with your Argument wherein you have indeed shewn great skill and dexterity in turning to your Advantage what being fairly stated makes against you as the Appearance of Angels c. observing nicely the rules of Art and particularly that grand one of concealing nay dissembling the same Art as when you quote that Scripture concerning vain Philosophy of which tho altogether foreign from the matter in hand yet you intend to serve your self with the Unthinking who measure the Sense of words by their Jingle not knowing how to weigh the things they signifie and truly herein your end is very Artificial for you intend both to throw dirt at them that differ from you and at the same time to cover your self with such a subtle web through which you may see and not be seen What follows is rather a Rhetorical Lecture such as the Patriots of Sects who commonly Explain the Holy Scriptures according to their own Dogma's and so obtrude humane Invention for the pure word of God use with their Auditors to recommend any Principle they have a mind to establish than an Impartial and through disquisition of a controverted point wherefore I do not think my self obliged to take any further notice of it especially seeing truth which for the most part is little regarded in such florid Discourses and not any prejudice of Education Interest or Party did set me about this subject I have never been used to Complement in points of Controversie therefore I hope you 'l not be angry because I have given you my thoughts naked and plain I have not the least motion in my mind of accusing you of any formal design to injure Religion I only observe unto you that your over eager contention to maintain your Principle has hurried you to assert many things of much greater danger both in themselves and their consequences than those you would seem to avoid which do amount to no more then that Men being in the ordinary course of Providence the Depositories of both Divine and Humane Laws may instead of using them to preserve pervert them to destroy which indeed is very lamentable But it is the inevitable consequent of our depraved nature and cannot be wholly remedied till Sin and the grand Author of Sin the Devil be intirely conquered and God be all in all to whom with the Son and Holy Ghost be Glory for ever Amen Sir Your Affectionate Friend to serve you Boston July 25. 1694. Boston August 17. 1694. Worthy Sir YOURS of Iuly 25. being in some sort surprising to me I could do no less than say somewhat as well to vindicate my self from those many Reflections mistakes and hard sensures therein as also to vindicate what I conceive to be Important truth and to that end find it needful to repeat some part of mine Viz. Conclusion 1. That the glorious Angels have their Mission and Commission from the most High 2. That without this they cannot appear to mankind 3. That if the glorious Angels have not that power to go till commission'd or to appear to Mortals then not the fallen Angels who are held in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the great Day 4. That when the Almighty free Agent has a work to bring about for his own glory or Mans good he can imploy not only the Blessed Angels but evil ones in it 5. That when the Divine Being will imploy the Agency of Evil Spirits for any service 't is with him the manner how they shall exhibit themselves whether to the bodily Eye or Intellect only or whether it shall be more or less formidable To deny these three last were to make the Devil an Independent Power and consequently a God The bare recital of these is sufficient to vindicate me from that reitterated charge of denying all appearances of Angels or Devils That the good Angels cannot appear without Mission and Commission from the most high is you say more than follows from the premises but if you like not
suppose it is the skill of applying the Plastick Spirit of the World c. then the consent of the Witch doth naturally contribute to that mischiefs that the Devil does And his last answer runs to this effect Is it not the Ordination of God that where the Devil can get the consent of a Witch for the hurting of others the hurt shall as certainly be as if they had set Mastiff Dogs upon them or had given them Poyson into their Bowels and Gods Providence must be as great in delivering from one as from the other and this it seems is not only his Belief but the most Orthodox and most learned answer that our Author could pitch upon If Witchcraft be as I suppose it is c. and is it not the Ordination of God that c. What is all this but precarious and begging the question and a plain dropping the Argument he cannot manage however to amuse the Ignorant and to confound the Learned he hooks in a cramp word if not a nonentity viz. Plastick Spirit of the World for who is it either knows that there is a Plastick-Spirit or what it is or how this can any way serve his purpose He then proceeds to Scripture Instances of Witches c. and where I thought it needful I have as I said shewed my dissent from his Judgment He accounts it unreasonable to be held to the proof of his definition of a Witch which he makes to consist in a Covenant with the Devil and chuses rather a tedious process about a Pistol to defend him from it which indeed is one particular way whereby Murder has been Committed and so the Dore becomes Culpable But his definition of a Witch which as I said still remains to be proved is to this effect That a Witch is one that Covenants with and Commissions Devils to do mischiefs that she is one in Covenant or that by Vertue of such Covenant she can Commissionate him to Kill The not bringing Sculpture to prove these two is a sufficient demonstration there is none and so that our Author leaves off just where he began viz. in a bare Assertion together with his own Biggoted experiences hinting also at multitudes of Histories to confirm him in the belief of his definition Here being all that I take notice of to be considerable And now Sir If you think fit improve your Friendship with the Author for the Glory of God the Soveraign Being the good and welfare of Man-kind and for his real and true Interest as you see it convenient put him in mind That the Glory of God is the End why Man-kind was made and why He hath so many Advantages to it That the Flames we have seen threatning the utter extirpation of the Country must own their Original to these dangerous Errors if not Heresies which if they remain Unextinguished may and most likely will be acted over again That 't is more Honour to own an Error in time than tenaciously after full Conviction to retain it But if our Author will again Vindicate such matters please to acquaint him that I shall not any more receive his Papers if I may not Copy and use them and that when he does instead of such abstruse matters I still pray his determination in those things I have his promise for And thus begging Pardon for thus long detaining of you I am Sir yours to Command R. C. To the Ministers whether English French or Dutch Boston March 18. 1694 I Having had not only occasion but renewed provocation to take a view of the Mysterious Doctrines which have of late been so much contested among us could not meet with any that had spoken more or more plainly the sense of those Doctrines relating to the Witchcraft than the Reverend Mr. C. M. but how clearly and consistent either with himself or the truth I medle not now to say but cannot but suppose his Strenuous and Zealous asserting his opinions has been one cause of the dismal Convulsions we have here lately fallen into Supposing that his Books of Memorable Providences relating to Witchcraft as also his Wonders of the Invisible World did contain in them things not warrantable and very dangerous I sent to him a Letter of Quotations out of those Books c. That so if it might have been I might understand what tollerable Sense he would put upon his own words which I took to be a better way of Proceeding than to have affixed what I thought to be their natural consequences and left I might be Iudged a Sceptic I gave him a full and free account of my belief relating to those Doctrines together with the grounds thereof And prayed him that if I err'd I might be shewed it by Scripture and this I had his reiterated promise for But after more than a Years waiting for the performance thereof all that is done in compliance therewith is that in Feb. last he sent me four sheets of his writing as his belief but before I might receive it I must engage to deliver it back in a Fortnight and not Copy'd A Summary accoun of which I shall give you when I have first acquainted you what the Doctrines were which I sent to him for his concurrence with or confutation of and to which I had his promise as above These by way of Question Viz. whether that fourth Head cited and recommended by himself In Wonders of the Invisible World of Mr. Gauls ought to be believed as a truth which runs thus Among the most unhappy circumstances to Convict a Witch one is a Maligning and Oppugning the Word Work and Worship of God and seeking by any Extraordinary sign to seduce any from it Dâ—u 13.1 2. Mat. 24. 24. Acts 13. 8 10. 2 Tim. 3 8. do but mark well the places and for this very property of thus oppugning and perverting they are all there concluded arrant and absolute Witches And if in Witchcraft the Devil by means of a Witch does the Mischief how 't is possible to distinguish it from Possession both being said to be performed by the Devil and yet without an Infallible distinction there can be no certainty in Judgment And whether it can be proved that the Iewish Church in any Age before or in our Saviours time even in the time of their greatest Apostacy did believe that a Witch had power to Commissionate Devils to do Mischief So much to the Questions These were sent as my belief That the Devils bounds are sett that he cant pass That the Devils are so full of Malice that it cant be added to by Mankind That where he hath power he neither can nor will omit executing it That 't is only the Almighty that lets bounds to his rage and that only can Commissionate him to hurt or destroy And now I shall give you the Summary account of his four sheets above mention'd as near as memory could recollect in Ten Particulars 1. That the Devils have in their Natures a power to work Wonders
Word if not to prove Doctrine yet as illustrations thereof Cases of Conscience concerning Witch pag. 25. Remarkable Providences pag. 250. This perhaps might be the cause that in England a people otherways sober and Religious have for some ages in a manner wholly refused the admitting those so educated to the work of the Ministry Such education and practice have so far prevailed that it has been a means of corrupting the Christian World almost to that degree as to be ungainsayable for tho' there is Reason to hope that these Diabolical principles have not so prevail'd with multitudes of Christians as that they ascribe to a Witch and a Devil the Attributes peculiar to the Almighty yet how few are willing to be found opposing such a torrent as knowing that in so doing they shall be sure to meet with opposition to the utmost from the many both of Magistrates Ministers and People and the name of Sadducee Atheist and perhaps Witch too cast upon them most liberally by men of the highest profession in Godliness And if not so learned as some of themselves then accounted only fit to be trampled on and their Arguments tho both Rational and Scriptural as fit only for contempt But tho this be the deplorable Dilemma yet some have dared from time to time for the glory of God and the good and safety of Mens lives c. to run all these Risques And that God who has said My glory I will not give to another is able to protect those that are found doing their duty herein against all opposers and however other ways contemptible can make them useful in his own hand who has sometimes chosen the weakest Instruments that his power may be the more Illustrious And now Reverend Sir if you are conscious to your self that you have in your principles or practices been abetting to such grand Errors I cannot see how it can consist with sincerity to be so convinc'd in matters so nearly â—eidting to the glory of God and lives of Innocents and at the same time so much to fear disparagement among Men as to stifle Conscâ—â—nce and dissemble an approving of former sentiments you know that word he that honoureth me I will honour and he that despiseth me shall be â—ightly esteemed But if you think that in these matters you have done your duty and taught people theirs and that the Doctrines cited from the 〈◊〉 Book are ungainsayable I shall conclude in almost his words He that teaches such Doctrine if through Ignorance he believes not what he saith may be a Christian But if he believes them he is in the broad path to Heathenism Devilism Popery or Atheism It is a solemn caution Gal. 1. 8. But tho we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed I hope you will not misconstrue my Intentions herein who am Reverend Sir Yours to command in what I may R. C. To the Ministers in and near Boston Ianuary 12. 1696. Christianity had been but a short time in the World when there was raised against it not only open prosest Enemies but secret and imbred underminers who sought thereby to effect that which open force had been so often basled in And notwithstanding that primitive purity and sincerity which in some good measure was still retained yet the cunning deceivers and Apostate Hereticks found opportunity to beguile the unwary and this in fundamentals Among others which then sprung up with but too much advantage in the third Century the Maniche did spread his Pestiferous sentiments and taught the Existence of two Beings or Causes of all things viz. a good and a bad but these were soon silenced by the more Orthodox Doctors and Anathematized by General Councels And at this day the American Indians another sort of Maniche entertaining thus far the same belief hold it their prudence and interest to please that evil Being as well by perpetrating other Murders as by their Bloody Sacrifices that so he may not harm them The Iron teeth of time have now almost devoured the name of the former and as to the latter it is to be hoped that as Christianity prevails among them they will abhor such abominable belief And as those primitive times were not priviledged against the spreading of dangerous Heresie so neither can any now pretend to any such Immunity tho professing the enjoyment of a primitive purity Might a Iudgment be made from the Books of the modern learned Divines or from the practice of Courts or from the Faith of many who call themselves Christians it might be modestly tho sadly concluded that the Doctrine of the Maniche at least great part of it is so far from being forgotten that 't is almost every where profest We in these ends of the Earth need not seek far for Instances in each respect to demonstrate this The Books here Printed and recommended not only by the respective Authors but by many of their Brethren do set forth that the Devil inflicts Plagues Wars Diseases Tempests and can render the most solid things invisible and can do things above and against the course of Nature and all natural causes Are these the Expressions of Orthodox believers or are they not rather expressions becoming a Maniche or a Heathen as agreeing far better with these than with the sacred Oracles our only rule the whole current whereof is so Diametrically opposite thereto that it were almost endless to mention all the Divine cautions against such abominable belief he that runs may read Psal. 62.11 and 136.4 Lam. 3.37 Amos 3.6 Jer. 4.22 Psal. 78.26 and 148.6 8. Job 38.22 to the 34. v. These places with a Multitude more do abundantly testifie that the Assertors of such power to be in the eâ—il Being do speak in a dialect different from the Scriptures laying a firm foundation for the Indians adorations which agrees well with what A. Ross sets forth in his Mistag Poetic p. 116. that their ancients did Vsurp the furies and their God Averinci that they might forbear to hurt them And have not the Courts in some parts of the World by their practice testified their concurrence with such belief prosecuting to Death many people upon that notion of their improving such power of the Evil one to the raising of Storms afflicting and killing of others tho at great distance from them doing things in their own persons above humane strength destroying of Cattle flying in the Air turning themselves into Cats or Dogs c. Which by the way must needs imply something of goodness to be in that evil Being who tho he has such power would not exert it were it not for this people or else that they can some way add to this mighty power And are the people a whit behind in their beliefs is there any thing abovementioned their strong Faith looks upon to be too hard for this evil Being to effect Here it