As to those papers, I have (as I read them) noted in the Margin where, in a hasty reading, I thought it needful, of which it were unreasonable for him to complain; seeing I might not take a Copy, thereby to have been inabled, more at leasure to digest what were needfull to be said on so many Heads; and as I have not flatter'd him, so for telling what was so needful, with the hazard of making so many Enemies by it, I have approved myself one of his best Friends: And besides his own sense of the weakness of his Answer, testified by the prohibition above, he has wholly declined answering to most of those things that I had his promise for, and what he pretends to speak to, after mentioning, without the needful Answer or Proof drops it.
His first main Work is after his definition of a Witch, which he never proves (without saying any thing to Mr. Gauls Scriptural description, tho' so often urged to it, and tho' himself has in his Book recommended and quoted it) is to magnifie the Devils Power, and that as I think beyond and against the Scripture, this takes him up about 11 Pages, and yet in Page 22 again returns to it, and as I understand it, takes part with the Pharisees against our Saviour in the Argument, for they charge him that he cast out Devils thro' Beelzebub, Our Saviours Answer is, Mat. xii. 25. Every Kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every City or House divided against itself, shall not stand, and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself, how shall then his Kingdom stand: And yet notwithstanding this Answer together with what follows, for further Illustration, our Author is it seems resolved to assert that our Saviour did not in this Answer deny that many did so, (viz.) cast out Devils by Beelzebub, and Page 23 grants that the Devils have a Miraculous Power, but yet must not be call'd miracles, and yet can be distinguished, as he intimates, only by the Conscience or Light within, to the no small scandal of the Christian Religion.
Tho' our Saviour and his Apostles accounts this the chief or principal proof of his Godhead, John xx. 30, 31. John x. 37, 38. John v. 30. Mark xvi. 17, 18. Acts ii. 22. and iv. 30. with many others and that Miracles belong only to God, who also Governs the World, Psal. cxxxvi. 4. Jer. xiv. 22. Isa. xxxviii. 8. Psal. lxii. 11. Lam. iii. 37. Amos iii. 6. [32] But to forbear quoting that which the Scripture is most full in, do only say that he that dares assert the Devil to have such a Miraculous Power had need have other Scriptures than ever I have seen. In Page 12. our Author proceeds and states a question to this effect, If the Devil has such Powers, and cant exert them without permission from God, what can the Witch contribute thereunto? Instead of an Answer, to this weighty objection, our Author first concedes that the Devil's do ordinarily exert their Powers, without the Witches contributing to it, but yet that to the end to increase their guilt he may cheat a Witch, by making her believe herself the Author of them.[58] His next is, if Witchcraft be, as I suppose it is, the skill of applying the Plastic 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.) Plastic Spirit of the World, for who is it either knows that there is a Plastic Spirit, or what it is, or how this can any way serve his purpose.[59]
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 Scripture 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.
[33] And now, Sir, if you think fit to improve your Friendship with the Author for the Glory of God, the Sovereign Being, the good and welfare of Mankind, 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 Mankind 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 'tis 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, your to Command,
R. C.
Boston, March 18, 1694.