The True Story of Salem: Book 1-7. Charles Wentworth Upham

Things to be impressed on the Imaginations of bewitched Persons; the Blood and Spirits of a Man, that is bitten with a Mad-Dog, are so envenomed, as that strange Impressions are thereby made on his Imagination: let him be brought into a Room where there is a Looking-Glass, and he will (if put upon it) not only say but swear that he sees a Dog, tho' in truth there is no Dog it may be within 20 Miles of him; and is it not then possible for the Dogs of Hell to poyson the Imaginations of miserable Creatures, so as that they shall believe and swear that such Persons hurt them as never did so? I have heard of an Inchanted Pin, that has caused the Condemnation and Death of many scores of innocent Persons. There was a notorious Witchfinder in Scotland, that undertook by a Pin, to make an infallible Discovery of suspected Persons, whether they were Witches or not, if when the Pin was run an Inch or two into the Body of the accused Party no Blood appeared, nor any sense of Pain, then he declared them to be Witches; by means hereof my Author tells me no less then 300 persons were Condemned for Witches in that Kingdom. This Bloody Jugler after he had done enough in Scotland, came to the Town of Berwick upon Tweed; an honest Man now living in New-England assureth me, that he saw the Man thrust a great Brass Pin two Inches into the Body of one, that some would in that way try whether there was Witchcraft in the Case or no: the accused Party was not in the least sensible of what was done, and therefore in danger of receiving the Punishment justly due for Witchcraft; only it so happened, that Collonel Fenwick (that worthy Gentleman, who many years since lived in New-England) was then the Military Governour in that Town; he sent for the Mayor and Magistrates advising them to be careful and cautious in their proceedings; for he told them, it might be an Inchanted Pin, which the Witchfinder made use of: Whereupon the Magistrates of the place ordered that he should make his Experiment with some other Pin as they should appoint: But that he would by no means be induced unto, which was a sufficient Discovery of the Knavery and Witchery of the Witchfinder. There is a strange Diabolical Energy goeth along with Incantations. If Balak had not known that he would not have sent for Balaam, to see whether he could inchant the Children of Israel. The Scripture intimates that Inchantments will keep a Serpent from biting, Eccles. 10.11. A Witch in Sweedland confessed, that the Devil gave her a wooden Knife; and that if she did but touch any living thing with that Knife, it would die immediately: And that there is a wonderful Power of the Devil attending things inchanted, we have confirmed by a prodigious Instance in Major Weir, a Scotch Man: That wretched Man was a perfect Prodigy; a Man of great Parts; esteemed a Saint, yet lived in secret Uncleanness with his own Sister for thirty four Years together: After his wickedness was discovered, he did not seem to be troubled at any of his Crimes, excepting that he had caused a poor Woman to be publickly whipped, because she reported that she had seen him committing Bestiality; which thing was true, only the Woman could not prove it. This horrid Creature, if he had his Inchanted Staff in his Hand could pray to admiration, and do extraordinary things, as is more amply related in the Postscript to Mr. Sinclares his Book before mentioned: But if he had not his Inchanted Rod to lean upon, he could not transform himself into an Angel of Light: But by all these things we may conclude, that it is not impossible, but that a guilty Conjurer, that so he may render himself the less suspected, may by his Magical Art and Inchantment, cause innocent Persons to be represented as afflicting those whom the Devil and himself are the Tormentors of.

      Arg. 5. The Truth we affirm is so evident, as that many Learned and Judicious Men have freely subscribed unto it.

The memorable Relation of the Devils assuming the shape of an innocent Citizen in Zurick, is in the Judgment of that great Divine Lud Lavater, of weighty Consideration: And he declares, that he does therefore mention it, that so Judges might be cautelous in their Proceedings in Cases of this nature, inasmuch as the Devil does often in that way intangle innocent Persons, and bring them into great Troubles. His Words are, 40Hanc Historiam ideo recito, ut Judices, in hujusmodi, Casibus cauti sint: Diabolus enim hac via sæpe innocentibus insidiatur. He confirms what he saith by reciting a Passage out of Alertus Granzius, who writes that the Devil was seen in the shape of a Nobleman to come out of the Empress's Chamber: But to clear her Innocency, she (according to the superstitious Ordeals then in fashion) walked blindfold over a great many of glowing hot Irons without touching any of them. Voetius in his 41Disputation of Spectres proposeth that Question, whether the Devil may not untruly personate a Godly Man, and answers in the Affirmative: And withal adds, that it is a sufficient Argument (ad hominem) to answer the Papists with their own Histories, which give Instances of Satan's appearing in the Figure of Saints, nay of Christ himself. And in his Discourse concerning the Operations of Dæmons42 he has the like Problem, whether the Devil may not possibly put on the shape of a true Believer, a real Saint, not only of such as are dead, but still living, and answers, Quidni? Why not? It is true Popish Casuists43 do generally incline to the Negative in this Question: Nevertheless, the Instance of Germanus, who saw a Company of honest People represented by the Devil, as if they had been feasting together, when they were really asleep in their Beds, does a little puzzle them, so as that they are necessitated to take up with this Conclusion, 44That by an extraordinary Permission of God, innocent Persons may be represented by Satan in the Nocturnal Conventicles of Witches: And if so, much more as afflicting bewitched Persons. Delrio giveth an account of an innocent Monk, whose Reputation was indangered by a Dæmon's appearing in his shape. He writes more like a Divine than Jesuits use to do, when he saith that, 45It is not absolutely to be denied, but that the Devils may exhibite the Forms of innocent Persons, if God permit it, who when he does permit it, usually by some Providence discovers the Fraud of the Devils, that so the Innocent may be vindicated, or if not, it is to bring them to repentance for some Sin, or to try their Patience. It is rare to see such Words dropping from the Pen of a Jesuit: As for Protestant Writers, I cannot call to mind one of any Note, that does deny the Possibility of the Affirmative, in the Question before us. Dr. Henkelius has lately 46published a learned and elaborate Discourse concerning the right Method of curing such as are obsessed with Cacodæmons, in which he asserts, that Satan may possibly assume the Form of innocent and pious Persons, that so he might thereby destroy their Reputations, and expose them to undue Punishments. As for our English Divines, there are not many greater Casuists than Mr. Perkins; nor do I know any one that has written on the Case of Witchcraft with more Judgment and Clearness of Understanding: He has these Words,47 "If a Man being dangerously sick and like to die upon suspicion, will take it on his death, that such an one has bewitched him, it is an allegation which may move the Judge to examine the Party, but it is of no moment for Conviction." The like is asserted by 48Mr. Cooper, Mr. Bernard, (once a famous Minister at Batcomb in Somerset) his Book called A Guide to Grand Jury-men in Cases of Witchcraft, is a solid and wise Treatise. What his Judgment was in the Case now under debate, we may see, pag. 209, 210. where his Words are these; "An Apparation of the Party suspected, whom the Afflicted in their Fits seem to see, is a great suspicion; yet this is but a presumption, tho' a strong one, because these Apparitions are wrought by the Devil, who can represent to the Phansie such as the Parties use to fear, in which his representation he may well lye as in his other Witness: For if the Devil can represent to the Witch a seeming Samuel, saying, I see Gods ascending out of the Earth, to beguile Saul, may we not think he can represent a common ordinary Person, Man or Woman unregenerate, tho' no Witch to the Phansie of vain Persons, to deceive them and others that will give Credit to the Devil." Thus Mr. Bernard.

      As for the Judgment of the Elders in New-England, so far as I can learn, they do generally concur with Mr. Perkins, and Mr. Bernard. This I know, that at a Meeting of Ministers at