[169] See Volume [I], Page [34].
[170] Dr. Douglass goes further in this Matter. He says that "some of the Confessing Witches, by overacting their Parts in accusing some of Gov. Phips's, and the Rev. Mr. Mather's Relations; as also some of the Accused good Christians, and of good Estates, those arrested the Accusers in high Actions for Defamation; this put a stop to Accusations."—Summary, i, 450.
[171] Referring to certain Answers in writing put into Mr. Calef's Hands, with an Injunction against his printing them. See ante, Vol. [II], Page [86].
[172] This Statement is fully borne out, as will be seen on referring to the Life of Phips, as directed above, or to the same in the Magnalia, B. ii, 60, et seq.; one Extract here must suffice: "But of all the Preternatural things which befel these People, there were none more unaccountable than those, wherein the prestigious Dæmons would ever now and then cover the most Corporeal Things in the World with a Fascinating Mist of Invisibility. As now; a Person was cruelly assaulted by a Spectre, that, she said, run at her with a Spindle, though no Body else in the Room could see either the Spectre or the Spindle: At last, in her Agonies, giving a Snatch at the Spectre, she pulled the Spindle away; and it was no sooner got into her Hand, but the other Folks then present beheld that it was indeed a Real, Proper, Iron Spindle; which, when they locked up very safe, it was nevertheless by the Dæmons taken away to do farther Mischief." In the Wonders of the Invisible World (Vol. I, 205), this Story of the Spindle will be seen among the Curiosities and is given, as the Author there tells the Reader, as "a Bone to pick" for the Dogmatical. See also Lawson, 102.
[173] It is highly interesting to hear the Doctor's Account of this: "It was also found, that the Flesh of the Afflicted was often Bitten at such a Rate, that not only the Print of Teeth would be left on their Flesh, but the very Slaver of Spittle too: As there would appear just such a set of Teeth as was in the Accused, even such as might be clearly distinguished from other People's. And usually the Afflicted went through a terrible Deal of seeming Difficulties from the tormenting Spectres, and must be long waited on before they could get a Breathing Space from their Tormentors to give in their Testimonies."—Life of Phips, in Magnalia, B. ii, 61-2.
[174] The Doctor must once again be heard, otherwise the Reader can have but a faint Idea of what our Author is exposing: "The Miserable exclaimed extreamly of Branding Irons heating at the Fire on the Hearth to mark them; now, though the Standers by could see no Irons, yet they could see distinctly the Print of them in the Ashes, and smell them too as they were carried by the not-seen Furies, unto the poor Creatures for whom they were intended; and those poor Creatures were thereupon Stigmatized with them, that they will bear the Marks of them to their Dying Day. Nor are these the Tenth Part of the Prodigies that fell out among the Inhabitants of New England."—Ibid., Page 61. If any one, after reading these strongly expressed Opinions of the learned Doctor, will entertain Doubts, as to his extreme Credulity and Faith in Witchcraft, it is not likely to be in human Power to remove them.
[175] The Cry of "Blasphemer, Sadducee, Infidel, Liar, Slanderer," &c., &c., could not then, nor at any other Time, alter the Facts so truly and so succinctly stated here. Against the above is found: "He insinuates, that our Reverend Ministers make the Devil an Independent Being, and (as he says) consequently a God. An abominable Charge!"—Some Few Remarks, 8, 9. See, also, Vol. [I], Page [72-3].
[176] And yet, as inconsistent with Reason as this absurd Stuff is, it was the generally prevailing Belief, and is thus defended in the Some Few Remarks, P. 8: "The whole Body of the Ministers in the Country are charged, as Guilty of Sacriledge in the highest Degree, if not direct Blasphemy, and Diabolical Wickedness." It will at once be seen that this is as unjust a Charge as Malignity in its Blindness could invent. Well did our Quaker Poet write, some 17 Years ago:
"When the Thought of Man is free,
Error fears its lightest Tones;