"The Devil, exhibiting himself
ordinarily as a small black man, has decoyed a fearful knot of proud,
froward, ignorant, envious and malicious creatures to list themselves in
his horrid service by entering their names in a book, by him tendered
unto them." "That they, each of them, have, their spectres or Devils,
commissioned by them, and representing them, to be the engines of their
malice." He enumerates, as facts, all the statements of the "afflicted"
witnesses and confessing witches, as to the horrible and monstrous
things perpetrated by the spectres of the accused parties; and he
applauds the Court, testifying to the successful and beneficial issue of
its proceedings. "Our honorable Judges have used, as Judges have
heretofore done, the spectral evidence, to introduce their further
enquiries into the lives of the persons accused; and they have,
thereupon, by the wonderful Providence of God, been so strengthened with
other evidences, that some of the Witch-gang have been fairly
executed."--_Pages 41, 43._

The language of Cotton Mather, as applied to those who had suffered, as
witches, "a fearful knot of proud, froward, ignorant, envious and
malicious creatures--a Witch-gang,"--is rather hard, as coming from a
Minister who, as the Reviewer asserts, had officiated in their death
scenes, witnessed their devout and Christian expressions and deportment,
and been their comforter, consoler, counsellor and friend.

The dissatisfaction that pervaded the public mind, about the time of the
last executions at Salem, which Phips describes, was so serious, that
both the Mathers were called in to allay it. The father also, at the
request of the Ministers, wrote a book, entitled, _Cases of Conscience,
concerning Evil Spirits, personating men, Witchcrafts, &c._, the general
drift of which is against spectral evidence. He says: "Spectres are
Devils, in the shape of persons, either living or dead." Speaking of
bewitched persons, he says: "What they affirm, concerning others, is not
to be taken for evidence. Whence had they this supernatural sight? It
must needs be either from Heaven or from Hell. If from Heaven (as
Elisha's servant and Balaam's ass could discern Angels) let their
testimony be received. But if they had this knowledge from Hell, though
there may possibly be truth in what they affirm, they are not legal
witnesses: for the Law of God allows of no revelation from any other
Spirit but himself. _Isa._, viii., 19. It is a si