[e] Wonders of the Invisible World, p. 141.—Notes in the Original.
A Letter to Mr. B. W.
Mr. Benjamin Wadsworth.[76]
Reverend Sir,
AFTER that dreadful and severe Persecution of such a Multitude of People, under the notion of Witches, which in the day thereof, was the sorest tryal and affliction that ever befel this Country. And after [53] many of the principal Actors had declared their fears and jealousies, that they had greatly erred in those Prosecutions. And after a Solemn day of Fasting had been kept, with Prayers that God would shew us what we knew not; viz. what errors might therein have been fallen into, &c. And after most People were convinc'd of the Evil of some, if not of most of those Actions. At such a time as this it might have been justly expected that the Ministers would make it their work to Explain the Scriptures to the People; and from thence to have shown them, the evil and danger of those false Notions, which not only gave some occasion; but in a blind Zeal hurried them into those unwarrantable practices, so to prevent a falling into the like for the future.
But instead of this, for a Minister of the Gospel (Pastor of the old Meeting[77]) to abet such Notions; and to stir up the Magistrates to such Prosecutions, and this without any cautions given, is what is truly amazing, and of most dangerous consequence.
It is a truth, Witchcraft is, in the Text then insisted on, reckon'd up as a manifest work of the Flesh. Viz. Gal. v. 19. But it is as true, that in recounting those other Works (which are indeed Manifest Fleshly Works) the Magistrate was not stirred up against those others; but as if the rest were either not to be taken notice of by him, or as if all Zeal against Murder, Adulteries, &c. was swallowed up, and over-shadowed by this against Witchcraft.
The description that was then given, was that they were such as made a Covenant with the Devil, and sold themselves to the evil Angels. It seems faulty, that when such Minister is inquired of, and requested to give the Reasons, or Grounds in Scripture of such Description; for such Minister to assert that it is the Inquirers work to disprove it. And his saying further, in answer that there are many things true, that are not asserted in Scripture; seems to speak this Language, viz. that the Law of God is imperfect, in not describing this Crime of Witchcraft, though it be therein made Capital.
These perfect Oracles inform us, concerning Ahab, that he sold himself to work Wickedness; which may signifie to us, that great height of Wickedness he had arrived at; which yet might be, without his being properly, or justly accounted a Witch; any more than those that are said to have made a Covenant with Death, and with Hell, &c. Can it be thought that all those, or such as are there spoken of, are Witches, and ought to suffer as Witches?