woman desired something of some of the family, which being denied, she
either muttered or threatened, and some evil suddenly followed, and
they put her into a cart to carry her to Winchester; and, when they had
gone a little way, the team could not move the cart, though in plain
ground. The master commanded to carry a knitch of straw, and burn her
in the cart; which to avoid, she said they should go along, and they
did. This they did several times before they came to Winchester, of
which passages the men that went with her gave their oaths, and she was
executed.
Some have been transformed into dogs, cats, hares, hogs, and other
creatures; and in those shapes have sometimes received wounds which
have made them undeniably guilty, and so confessed. Sometimes having
their imps sucking them, or infallible tokens that they are sucked, in
the search of which great caution to be given, because of some
superfluities of nature, and diseases that people are incident unto, as
the piles, &c., of which the judges are, upon the testimony of the
witnesses, to determine what of crime is proved by any of these
circumstances, with many other, in which God is pleased many times, by
some overt acts, to bring to light that secret wickedness to apparent
conviction, sometimes by their own necessitated confession, whereby
those that he hath commanded to be put to death may be known to be
such, which, when known, then it is a duty to put them to death, and
not before, though they were as guilty before as then.
There are two queries more with respect to what is proper to us in this
juncture of time, of which we have no account of the like being common
at other times, or in other places; namely, these,—
_Query Fifth._—The fifth query is, what we are to think of those
persons at Salem, or the Village, before whom people are brought for
detection, or otherwise to be concerned with them, in order to their
being apprehended or acquitted.[ii.543]
_Answer_.—That I am, of all men, the least able to give any conjecture
about it, because I do not know it, having myself never seen it, nor
know nothing of it but by report, in which there must be supposed a
possibility of some mistake, in part or in whole; but that which I have
here heard is this: First, That they do tell who are witches, of which
some they know, and some they do not. Secondly, They tell who did
torment such and such a person, though they know not the person.
Thirdly, They are tormented themselves by the looks of persons that are
present, and recovered again by the touching of them. Fourthly, That,
if they look to them, they fall down tormented; but, if the persons
accused look from them, they recover, or do not fall into that torment.
Fifthly, They can tell when a person is coming before they see them,
and what clothes they have, and some what they have done for several
years past, which nobody else ever accused them with, nor do not yet
think them guilty of. Sixthly, That the dead out of their graves do
appear unto them, and tell them that they have been murdered, and
require them to see them to be revenged on the murtherers, which they
name to them; some of which persons are well known to die their natural
deaths, and publicly buried in the sight of all men. Now, if these
things be so, I thus affirm,—
First, That whatsoever is done by them that is supernatural, is either
divine or diabolical.
Secondly, That nothing is, or can be, divine, but what have God's stamp
upon it, to which he refers for trial (Isa. viii. 19, 20): "If they
speak not according to these, there is no light in them."
Thirdly, And by that rule none of these actions of theirs have any
warrant in God's word, but condemned wholly.
First, It is utterly unlawful to inquire of the dead, or to be informed
by them (Isa. viii. 19). It was an act of the Witch of Endor to raise
the dead, and of a reprobate Saul to inquire of him (1 Sam. xxviii. 8,
11-14; Deut. xviii. 11).
Secondly, It is a like evil to seek to them that have familiar spirits
(Lev. xix. 31). It was the sin of Saul in the forementioned place (1
Sam. xxviii. 8); and of wicked Manasses (2 Kings, xxi. 6).
Thirdly, No more is it likely that their racking and tormenting should
be done by God or good angels, but by the Devil, whose manner have ever
been to be so employed. Witness his dealing with the poor child (Mark
ix. 17, 19, 20-22); and with the man that was possessed by him (Mark v.
2-5); besides what he did to Job (Job ii. 7); and all the lies that he
told against him to the very face of God.
Fourthly, The same may be rationally said of all the rest. Who should
tell them things that they do not see, but the Devil; especially when
some things that they tell are false and mistaken?
_Query Sixth_.—These things premised, it now comes to the last and
greatest question or query; namely, How shall it be known when the
Devil do any of these acts of his own proper motion, without human
concurrence,[ii.544] consent, or instigation, and when he doth it by
the suggestion or consent of any person? This question, well resolved,
would do our business.
First, That the Devil can do acts supernatural without the furtherance
of him by human consent or concurrence; but men or women cannot do them
without the help of the Devil (must be granted). That granted, it
follows, that the Devil is always the doer, but whether abetted in it
by anybody is uncertain.
Secondly, Will it be sufficient for the Devil himself to say such a man
or woman set him a work to torment such a person by looking upon him?
Is the Devil a competent witness in such a case?
Thirdly, Or are those that are tormented by him legal witnesses to say
that the Devil doth it by the procurement of such a person, whenas they
know nothing about it but what comes to them from the Devil (that
torments them)?
Fourthly, May we believe the witches that do accuse any one because
they say so (can the fruit be better than the tree)? If the root of all
their knowledge be the Devil, what must their testimony be?
Fifthly, Their testimony may be legal against themselves, because they
know what themselves do, but cannot know what another doth but by
information from the Devil: I mean in such cases when the person
accused do deny it, and his conversation is blameless (Prov. xviii. 5;
Prov. xix. 5).
First, It is directly contrary to the use of reason, the law of nature,
and principles of humanity, to deny it, and plead innocent, when
accused of witchcraft, and yet, at the same time, to be acting
witchcraft in the sight of all men, when they know their lives lie at
stake by doing it. Self-interest teaches every one better.
Secondly, It is contrary to the Devil's nature, or common practice, to
accuse witches. They are a considerable part of his kingdom, which
would fall, if divided against itself (Matt. xii. 26); except we think
he that spake the words understood not what he said (which were
blasphemy to think); or that those common principles or maxims are now
changed; or that the Devil have changed his nature, and is now become a
reformer to purge out witches out of the world, out of the country, and
out of the churches; and is to be believed, though a liar and a
murtherer from the beginning, and also though his business is going
about continually, seeking whom he may destroy (1 Pet. v. 8); and his
peculiar subject of his accusation are the brethren: called the accuser
of the brethren.
_Objection._—God do sometimes bring things to light by his providence
in a way extraordinary.
_Answer._—It is granted God have so done, and brought hidden things to
light, which, upon examination, have been proved or confessed, and so
the way is clear for their execution; but what is that to this case,
where the Devil is accuser and witness?
[ii.545]
IV.
EXTRACTS FROM MR. PARRIS'S CHURCH RECORDS.
[The following passages are taken from the records of the Salem Village
Church, as specimens of Mr. Parris's style of narrative in that
interesting document, and as shedding some light upon the subject of
these volumes:—]
Sab: 4 Nov. [1694].—After sermon in the afternoon, it was propounded to
the brethren, whether the church ought not to inquire again of our
dissenting brethren after the reason of their dissent. Nothing
appearing from any against it, it was put to vote, and carried in the
affirmative (by all, as far as I know, except one brother, Josh: Rea),
that Brother Jno. Tarbell should, the next Lord's Day, appear and give
in his reasons in public; the contrary being propounded, if any had
aught to object against it. But no dissent was manifested; and so
Brother Nathaniel Putnam and Deacon Ingersoll were desired to give this
message from the church to the said Brother Tarbell.
Sab: 11 Nov.—Before the evening blessing was pronounced, Brother
Tarbell was openly called again and again; but, he not appearing,
application was made to the abovesaid church's messengers for his
answer: whereupon said Brother Putnam reported that the said Brother
Tarbell told him he did not know how to come to us on a Lord's Day, but
desired rather that he might make his appearance some week-day.
Whereupon the congregation was dismissed with the blessing: and the
church stayed, and, by a full vote, renewed their call of said Brother
Tarbell to appear the next Lord's Day for the ends abovesaid; and
Deacon Putnam and Brother Jonathan Putnam were desired to be its
messengers to the said dissenting brother.
Sab: 18 Nov.—The said brother came in the afternoon; and, after sermon,
he was asked the reasons for his withdrawing: whereupon he produced a
paper, which he was urged to deliver to the pastor to communicate to
the church; but he refused it, asking who was the church's mouth. To
which, when he was answered, "The pastor," he replied, Not in this
case, because his offence was with him. The pastor demanded whether he
had offence against any of the church besides the pastor. He answered,
"No." So at length we suffered a non-member, Mr. Jos: Hutchinson, to
read it. After[ii.546] which the pastor read openly before the whole
congregation his overtures for peace and reconciliation. After which
said Tarbell, seemingly (at least) much affected, said, that, if half
so much had been said formerly, it had never come to this. But he added
that others also were dissatisfied besides himself: and therefore he
desired opportunity that they might come also, which was immediately
granted; viz., the 26 instant, at two o'clock.
26 Nov.—At the public meeting above appointed at the meeting-house,
after the pastor had first sought the grace of God with us in prayer,
he then summed up to the church and congregation (among which were
several strangers) the occasion of our present assembling, as is hinted
the last meeting. Then seeing, together with Brother Tarbell, two more
of our dissenting brethren, viz., Sam: Nurse, and Thomas Wilkins (who
had, to suit their designs, placed themselves in a seat conveniently
together), the church immediately, to save further sending for them,
voted that said Brother Wilkins and Brother Nurse should now, together
with Brother Tarbell, give in their reasons of withdrawing from the
church. Then the pastor applied himself to all these three dissenters,
pressing the church's desire upon them. So they produced a paper, which
they much opposed the coming into the pastor's hands, and his reading
of it; but at length they yielded to it. Whilst the paper was reading,
Brother Nurse looked upon another (which he said was the original):
and, after it was read throughout, he said it was the same with what he
had. Their paper was as followeth:—
"The reasons why we withdraw from communion with the church of Salem
Village, both as to hearing the word preached, and from partaking with
them at the Lord's Table, are as followeth:—
"1. Why we attend not on public prayer and preaching the word, these
are, (1.) The distracting and disturbing tumults and noises made by the
persons under diabolical power and delusions, preventing sometimes our
hearing and understanding and profiting of the word preached; we
having, after many trials and experiences, found no redress in this
case, accounted ourselves under a necessity to go where we might hear
the word in quiet. (2.) The apprehensions of danger of ourselves being
accused as the Devil's instruments to molest and afflict the persons
complaining, we seeing those whom we had reason to esteem better than
ourselves thus accused, blemished, and of their lives bereaved,
foreseeing this evil, thought it our prudence to withdraw. (3.) We
found so frequent and positive preaching up some principles and
practices by Mr. Parris, referring to the dark and dismal mysteries of
iniquity working amongst us, as was not profitable, but offensive. (4.)
Neither could we, in conscience, join with Mr. Parris in many of the
requests which he made in prayer, referring to the trouble then among
us and upon us; therefore thought it our most safe and peaceable way to
withdraw.
"2. The reasons why we hold not communion with them at the
Lord's[ii.547] Table are, first, we esteem ourselves justly aggrieved
and offended with the officer who doth administer, for the reasons
following: (1.) From his declared and published principles, referring
to our molestation from the invisible world, differing from the opinion
of the generality of the Orthodox ministers of the whole country. (2.)
His easy and strong faith and belief of the affirmations and
accusations made by those they call the afflicted. (3.) His laying
aside that grace which, above all, we are required to put on; namely,
charity toward his neighbors, and especially towards those of his
church, when there is no apparent reason for the contrary. (4.) His
approving and practising unwarrantable and ungrounded methods for
discovering what he was desirous to know referring to the bewitched or
possessed persons, as in bringing some to others, and by and from them
pretending to inform himself and others who were the Devil's
instruments to afflict the sick and pained. (5.) His unsafe and
unaccountable oath, given by him against sundry of the accused. (6.)
His not rendering to the world so fair, if true, an account of what he
wrote on examination of the afflicted. (7.) Sundry unsafe, if sound,
points of doctrine delivered in his preaching, which we esteem not
warrantable, if Christian. (8.) His persisting in these principles, and
justifying his practices, not rendering any satisfaction to us when
regularly desired, but rather further offending and dissatisfying
ourselves.
"John Tarbell.
Tho: Wilkins.
Sam: Nurse."
When the pastor had read these charges, he asked the dissenters above
mentioned whether they were offended with none in the church besides
himself. They replied, that they articled against none else. Then the
officer asked them if they withdrew from communion upon account of none
in the church besides himself. They answered, that they withdrew only
upon my account. Then I read them my "Meditations for Peace," mentioned
18 instant; viz.:—
"Forasmuch as it is the undoubted duty of all Christians to pursue
peace (Ps. xxxiv. 14), even unto a reaching of it, if it be possible
(Rom. xii. 18, 19); and whereas, through the righteous, sovereign, and
awful Providence of God, the Grand Enemy to all Christian peace has, of
late, been most tremendously let loose in divers places hereabouts, and
more especially amongst our sinful selves, not only to interrupt that
partial peace which we did sometimes enjoy, but also, through his wiles
and temptations and our weaknesses and corruptions, to make wider
breaches, and raise more bitter animosities between too many of us, in
which dark and difficult dispensation we have been all, or most of us,
of one mind for a time, and afterwards of differing apprehensions, and,
at last, are but in the dark,—upon serious thoughts of all, and after
many prayers, I have been moved to present to you (my beloved flock)
the following particulars, in way of contribution[ii.548] towards a
regaining of Christian concord (if so be we are not altogether
unappeasable, irreconcilable, and so destitute of the good spirit which
is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, James
iii. 17); viz., (1.) In that the Lord ordered the late horrid calamity
(which afterwards, plague-like, spread in many other places) to break
out first in my family, I cannot but look upon as a very sore rebuke,
and humbling providence, both to myself and mine, and desire so we may
improve it. (2.) In that also in my family were some of both parties,
viz., accusers and accused, I look also upon as an aggravation of the
rebuke, as an addition of wormwood to the gall. (3.) In that means were
used in my family (though totally unknown to me or mine, except
servants, till afterwards) to raise spirits and create apparitions in
no better than a diabolical way, I do look upon as a further rebuke of
Divine Providence. And by all, I do humbly own this day, before the
Lord and his people, that God has been righteously spitting in my face
(Num. xii. 14). And I desire to lie low under all this reproach, and to
lay my hand upon my mouth. (4.) As to the management of those
mysteries, as far as concerns myself, I am very desirous (upon farther
light) to own any errors I have therein fallen into, and can come to a
discerning of. In the mean while, I do acknowledge, upon
after-considerations, that, were the same troubles again, (which the
Lord, of his rich mercy, for ever prevent), I should not agree with my
former apprehensions in all points; as, for instance, (1.) I question
not but God sometimes suffers the Devil (as of late) to afflict in the
shape of not only innocent but pious persons, or so delude the senses
of the afflicted that they strongly conceit their hurt is from such
persons, when, indeed, it is not. (2.) The improving of one afflicted
to inquire by, who afflicts the others, I fear may be, and has been,
unlawfully used, to Satan's great advantage. (3.) As to my writing, it
was put upon me by authority; and therein I have been very careful to
avoid the wronging of any (_a_). (4). As to my oath, I never meant it,
nor do I know how it can be otherwise construed, than as vulgarly and
every one understood; yea, and upon inquiry, it may be found so worded
also. (5.) As to any passage in preaching or prayer, in that sore hour
of distress and darkness, I always intended but due justice on each
hand, and that not according to man, but God (who knows all things most
perfectly), however, through weakness or sore exercise, I might
sometimes, yea, and possibly sundry times, unadvisedly expressed
myself. (6.) As to several that have confessed against themselves, they
being wholly strangers to me, but yet of good account with better men
than myself, to whom also they are well known, I do not pass so much as
a secret condemnation upon them; but rather, seeing God has so
amazingly lengthened out Satan's chain in this most formidable outrage,
I much more incline to side with the opinion of those that have grounds
to hope better of them. (7.) As to all that have unduly suffered in
these matters (either in their persons or relations), through the
clouds of human weakness, and Satan's wiles and sophistry, I do truly
sympathize with them; taking it for granted that such as drew
themselves clear of this great trans[ii.549]gression, or that have
sufficient grounds so to look upon their dear friends, have hereby been
under those sore trials and temptations, that not an ordinary measure
of true grace would be sufficient to prevent a bewraying of remaining
corruption. (8.) I am very much in the mind, and abundantly persuaded,
that God (for holy ends, though for what in particular is best known to
himself) has suffered the evil angels to delude us on both hands, but
how far on the one side or the other is much above me to say. And, if
we cannot reconcile till we come to a full discerning of these things,
I fear we shall never come to agreement, or, at soonest, not in this
world. Therefore (9), in fine, The matter being so dark and perplexed
as that there is no present appearance that all God's servants should
be altogether of one mind, in all circumstances touching the same, I do
most heartily, fervently, and humbly beseech pardon of the merciful
God, through the blood of Christ, of all my mistakes and trespasses in
so weighty a matter; and also all your forgiveness of every offence in
this and other affairs, wherein you see or conceive I have erred and
offended; professing, in the presence of the Almighty God, that what I
have done has been, as for substance, as I apprehended was
duty,—however through weakness, ignorance, &c., I may have been
mistaken; I also, through grace, promising each of you the like of me.
And so again, I beg, entreat, and beseech you, that Satan, the devil,
the roaring lion, the old dragon, the enemy of all righteousness, may
no longer be served by us, by our envy and strifes, where every evil
work prevails whilst these bear sway (Isa. iii. 14-16); but that all,
from this day forward, may be covered with the mantle of love, and we
may on all hands forgive each other heartily, sincerely, and
thoroughly, as we do hope and pray that God, for Christ's sake, would
forgive each of ourselves (Matt. xviii. 21 _ad finem_; Col. iii. 12,
13). Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels
of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering,
forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. If any man have a
quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye (Eph.
iv. 31, 32). Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and
evil-speaking be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one
to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for
Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Amen, amen.
Sam: Parris.
"26 Nov., 1694."
[In the record, off against (a) as above, the following is in Mr.
Parris's writing:]
(_a_) Added, by the desire of the council, this following paragraph;
viz., Nevertheless, I fear, that, in and through the throng of the many
things written by me, in the late confusions, there has not been a due
exactness always used; and, as I now see the inconveniency of my
writing so much on those difficult occasions, so I would lament every
error of such writings.—Apr. 3, 1695. Idem. S.P.
[The above passage (_a_) is inserted in a marginal space left for it on
a page containing the record of a meeting, Nov. 26, 1694, while it is
dated April 3, 1695, and[ii.550] purports to be added "by the desire of
the council," which met at the last-named date. There are other
indications, that the record of Mr. Parris's controversy with the
dissatisfied brethren, consequent upon the proceedings in 1692, was
made originally on separate sheets of paper, and then compiled, and
inscribed in the church-book, as it there appears. There are several
other entries, which refer to dates ahead. He probably made out his
record near the close of the struggle which resulted in his dismission,
and left it, on the pages of the book, as his history of the case.
After giving his "Meditations for Peace," the record goes on:—]
After I had read these overtures abovesaid, I desired the brethren to
declare themselves whether they remained still dissatisfied. Brother
Tarbell answered, that they desired to consider of it, and to have a
copy of what I had read. I replied, that then they must subscribe their
reasons (above mentioned), for as yet they were anonymous: so at
length, with no little difficulty, I purchased the subscription of
their charges by my abovesaid overtures, which I gave, subscribed with
my name, to them, to consider of; and so this meeting broke up. Note
that, during this agitation with our dissenting brethren, they
entertained frequent whisperings with comers and goers to them and from
them; particularly Dan: Andrews, and Tho: Preston from Mr. Israel
Porter, and Jos: Hutchinson, &c.
Nov. 30, 1694.—Brother Nurse and Brother Tarbell (bringing with them
Joseph Putnam and Tho: Preston) towards night came to my house, where
they found the two deacons and several other brethren; viz., Tho:
Putnam, Jno. Putnam, Jr., Benj. Wilkins, and Ezek: Cheever, besides
Lieutenant Jno. Walcot. And Brother Tarbell said they came to answer my
paper, which they had now considered of, and their answer was this;
viz., that they remained dissatisfied, and desired that the church
would call a council, according to the advice we had lately from
ministers.