But it left in the minds of men a sad remembrance of that sorrowful time and a Doubt whether some Innocent Persons might not This brought a gene|ral Consternation upon all sorts of People, doubting what would be the issue of such a dreadful Judg|ment of God upon the Country but the Lord was pleased suddenly to put a stop to those proceedings, that there was no further trouble, as hath been re|lated by others. But in the progress of the matter, a multitude of other persons both in that and other Neighbour Towns, were Accused, Exa|mined, Imprisoned, and came to their Trials, at Salem, the County Town, where about Twenty of them Suffered as Witches and many others in danger of the same Tragical End: and still the number of the Accused increased unto many Scores amongst whom were many Persons of unquestionable Credit, never under any grounds of suspicion of that or any other Scandalous Evil. Only one or two persons belonging to Salem Village about five miles from the Town being suspected, were Examined, &c. It is known to all men, that it pleased God some few years ago, to suffer Satan to raise much trouble amongst us in that respect, the beginning of which was very small, and looked on at first as an ordi|nary case which had fallen out before at several times in other places, & would be quickly over. Judgments of God which can be inflicted on the Societies of men, especially when the Lord shall please for his own Holy Ends to Enlarge Satans Commission in more than an ordinary way. Omitting other Examples, I shall Instance only in the matter of Witchcraft, which on the Humane side, is one of the most hidden Works of Darkness, managed by the Rulers of the darkness of this World, to the doing of great spoil amongst the Children of men: And on the Divine side, it is one of the most awful and tremendous

And to bring the truth to light in that manner and measure, and the times appointed, as it pleaseth him it is our duty in all humility, and with fear and trembling to search after truth, knowing that secret things belong to God, and only things revealed belong to us, and so far as they are revealed for in many things it may be said, what God is doing we know not now but we, or others that succeed us, shall know hereafter. It is the Prerogative of the God of Truth, to know all the truth in all things at once and together: It is also his Glory to con|ceal a matter, Prov.

IT hath been said of Old, That Time is the Mother of Truth, and Truth is the Daughter of Time. Where a Law is grounded upon a Pre|sumption, if the Presumption fail the Law is not to be holden in Conscience. Omnium legum est inanis censura nisi Divinae legis imaginem gerat. 1702 Page ĪNy general Custom against the Law of God is void. Allen, for Benjamin Eliot under the Town House. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,īOSTON in N. When they say unto you, seek unto them that have Familiar Spirits and unto Wizzards, that peep, &c.

A discovery of witchcraft