[44] Probably the same whose Name appears in sundry Publications as
_Symmonds_. Walker, _Sufferings of the Clergy_, ii, 361, calls him
Simmons, and speaks very dubiously of him, as though he was a great
Sufferer both for, and for not being a Puritan. See also _Ibid_, Part
i, 67, 68. Neale, _Hist. Puritans_, ii, 19-20. Brooks's _Lives_, iii,
110-11. Old Thomas Fuller was well acquainted with Mr. Symonds, and
gives an Anecdote or two about him in his _Worthies_, and tells us he
died _about_ 1649, in London. He died in 1649, in London.
[45] As to the _Loyalty_ professed, _that_ required pretty strong
Assurances on the Part of the prominent Men of New England, to gain it
Credence among the Officials in Old England; for not long before an
Agent of Massachusetts had asserted that "the Acts of that Colony were
not subject to any reëxamination in England;" and a Writer of 1688 that
"till the Reign of his present Majesty, James II, New England would
never submit to any Governor sent from England, but lived like a Free
State."
[46] The Work here referred to was published in 1689. Its Title
abridged was--_Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and
Possessions, with some Sermons annexed_. Its being republished and
commended by Baxter, only shows that that great Man was as much
benighted as the Rest of the World, so far as the Matter in Hand is
concerned.
[47] This Amalgamation of Creeds was often attempted by the more
catholic Portion of the Community, and as often defeated by the more
dogmatical Part, from the first Settlement of the Country to this Day.
When there is but one Interest to serve, and when that one Interest is
agreed upon, then will a millenial Amalgamation of Creeds take place.
[48] In the first Settlement of the Country, when all, or nearly all
were within the Pale of the Church, or directly under the Eye of the
Minister or a Magistrate, there was little Need of Courts, Constables
and Lawyers; but in a growing Community those Days must necessarily
be of limited Duration; and as there never was a Community of any
considerable Numbers, in Times past, wherein there were no _Monsters or
Goblins_, such a Community is hardly to be expected to be found in Time
to come.
[49] It is human Nature for People to resent being taunted with Faults,
whether they be real or imaginary. While a few will reform the many
will cling to Error with more Tenacity. Thus the enormous Crime of
Slavery--few Men were so depraved by Nature as to maintain that it
was right, in reasoning with themselves; while, when it was harshly
denounced as a vile Felony, Anger took the Place of Reason in the
Slaveholder, and here Argument only served to rivet firmer the Fetters
intended to be removed. So it was with other less heinous Offences.
[50] This and similar Expressions were in frequent Use by nearly all
the early Writers on American Affairs. "In this Howling Wilderness,"
"in these goings down of the Sun," &c., &c.
[51] This "famous Person" was Mr. Giles Firmin. See _N. E. Hist.
and Gen. Reg._ iv, 11; _also_ Felt, _Eccl. Hist. N. Eng.,_ ii, 48.
Nathaniel Ward has a very similar Passage: "I thank God that I have
lived in a Colony of many thousand English almost these twelve Years,
am held a very sociable Man, yet I may considerately say, I never
heard but one Oath sworne, nor never saw one Man drunk, nor never
heard of three Women Adulteresses in all this time, that I can call to
mind."--_Simple Cobber_, 67, Pulsifer's _Edition_, 1843. The Reader
will find much that is highly interesting respecting the Worthies
mentioned in this Note in Mr. J. Ward Dean's _Life of Nathaniel Ward_,
now ready for Publication.
[52] Ideas similar to these are often met with in the _Magnalia_ and
other Writings of the Author. But he was by no means singular in his
Notions regarding the Devil. Most of the Divines of Dr. Mather's Day
inculcated the same Sentiments, to say nothing of those of a later Day.
[53] This frank Acknowledgment that Witchcraft was "snarl'd" and
"unintelligible," would seem to have been a sufficient Reason for
letting it alone. But Reason and Superstition cannot exist together.
[54] It is not very clear to what particular Case the Author refers.
See _Hist. and Antiqs. Boston_, 283, 309. "More than forty Years ago"
is too indefinite for present historical Purposes.
[55] It has long been perfectly clear that the Devil _did get in
his Juggles_, and that he _did_ succeed, almost beyond Belief, in
confounding the Understanding of the whole Community, and particularly
that of our Author. Respecting Witchcraft in Sweden, &c., consult Dr.
Anthony Horneck's _Relation of the Swedish Witches_.
[56] It is not strange that English Writers talk about the "Colony of
Boston," when our own best informed Natives speak in this careless
Manner about the "Province of New-England."
[57] The serious Consideration of this Postulate was the primary Cause
of the Reaction which followed the Prosecution. See Dr. I. Mather's
_Cases of Conscience_. MS. in the Editor's Possession.
[58] The Incomprehensibleness of the Creator is nowhere more strikingly
expressed than in the following old Lines:
What mortal Man can with a Span mete out Eternity?
Or fathom it by Depth of Wit or Strength of Memory?
The lofty Sky is not so high, Hell's Depth to this is small;
The World so wide is but a Stride, compared therewithal.
It is a main great Ocean, withouten Bank or Bound:
A deep Abyss, wherein there is no Bottom to be found.
_Day of Doom_, Edit. 1715, P. 51.
[59] In the Notes of Butler and Dr. Nash to _Hudibras_ the Reader will
find some Amusement respecting the Witches of Lapland. Although the
Laplanders are described as a miserable Race, they could not have been
much behind the English in Matters of Superstition at this Period.
Dr. Heylyn says the Laplanders, "at their first going out of their
Doores in a Morning vse to giue worship and diuine honour all the Day
following, to that liuing Creature what ere it be, which they see at
their first going out." _Mikrokosmos_, 328, Edit. 1624, 4to.
[60] It does not appear to have occurred to the Doctor that a _good
Spirit_ might have been the Author of such _darting_ Operations.
[61] It would have been gratifying to at least some of the Author's
Readers if he had informed them how, where and when he became possessed
of the Art of Sorcery, and as he acknowledges having the Art, how he
escaped Prosecution. This is _parum claris lucem dare_ indeed.
[62] This Hopefulness occasionally breaks out. It ill agrees with
the doleful Tone often expressed, in various Parts of the Doctor's
Writings--that "New England is on the broad Road to Perdition."
[63] This has Reference to the Favor expected at the Hands of William
and Mary. The new Charter granted by them was received in Boston on
the 14th of May, 1692. Sir Wm. Phipps came over at the same Time and
assumed the Office of Governor.
[64] William Stoughton, afterwards Governor.
[65] These were to be 28 in Number. As the early Histories do not name
them I copy them here from the Charter as printed in 1726: "Simon
Broadstreet, John Richards, Nathanael Saltonstall, Wait Winthrop, John
Philips, James Russell, Samuel Sewall, Samuel Appleton, Bartholomew
Gedney, John Hathorn, Elisha Hutchinson, Robert Pike, Jonathan Corwin,
John Jolliffe, Adam Winthrop, Richard Middlecot, John Foster, Peter
Sergeant, Joseph Lynd, Samuel Heyman, Stephen Mason, Thomas Hinkley,
William Bradford, John Walley, Barnabas Lothrop, Job Alcot, Samuel
Daniel, and Silvanus Davis, Esquires." Isaac Addington was appointed
Secretary. Nearly all noticed in Allen's _Amer. Biog. Dict._
[66] The horrible Picture drawn in this long Paragraph has Reference
especially to the still deep Current among the few who did not believe
in Witchcraft, or at least who did not believe in extreme Measures
against those accused of it.
[67] Strange Source, indeed, whence to hear a Plea for Charity!
[68] Did this Fact suggest the Idea of the _Happy Family_ to the
Keepers of modern Menageries? The Freshet is not mentioned by the
Chroniclers.
[69] There was a Proposition, it is said, to send to England to engage
one Matthew Hopkins, a professed Witch-finder, then in high repute in
that Country. See _History and Antiquities of Boston_, 309.
[70] It is at every Step surprising to observe how the Writer assumes
to be the Judge, in this at the same Time "dark and incomprehensible
Business," as it is frequently acknowledged by him to be.