Witchcraft in America. Charles Wentworth Upham
to the unexpressible Terrour of that vast Assembly, made the Temple Ring with that Outcry But I have made this Day Quarrelsome! We are truly come into a day, which by being well managed might be very Glorious, for the exterminating of those Accursed things, which have hitherto been the Clogs of our Prosperity; but if we make this day Quarrelsome, thro' any Raging Confidences, Alas, O Lord, my Flesh Trembles for Fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy Judgments. Erasmus, among other Historians, tells us, that at a Town in Germany, a Witch or Devil, appeared on the Top of a Chimney, Threatning to set the Town on Fire: And at length, Scattering a Pot of Ashes abroad, the Town was presently and horribly Burnt unto the Ground. Methinks, I see the Spectres, from the Top of the Chimneys to the Northward, threatning to scatter Fire, about the Countrey; but let us quench that Fire, by the most amicable Correspondencies: Lest, as the Spectres, have, they say, already most Literally burnt some of our Dwellings there do come forth a further Fire from the Brambles of Hell, which may more terribly Devour us. Let us not be like a Troubled House, altho' we are so much haunted by the Devils. Let our Long suffering be a well-placed piece of Armour, about us, against the Fiery Darts of the wicked ones. History informs us, That so long ago, as the year, 858, a certain Pestilent and Malignant sort of a Dæmon, molested Caumont in Germany with all sorts of methods to stir up strife among the Citizens. He uttered Prophecies, he detected Villanies, he branded people with all kind of Infamies. He incensed the Neighbourhood against one Man particularly, as the cause of all the mischiefs: who yet proved himself innocent. He threw stones at the Inhabitants, and at length burnt their Habitations, till the Commission of the Dæmon could go no further. I say, Let us be well aware lest such Dæmons do Come hither also.
III. Inasmuch as the Devil is come down in Great Wrath, we had need Labour, with all the Care and Speed we can to Divert the Great Wrath of Heaven from coming at the same time upon us. The God of Heaven has with long and loud Admonitions, been calling us to a Reformation of our Provoking Evils, as the only way to avoid that Wrath of His, which does not only Threaten but Consume us. 'Tis because we have been Deaf to those Calls that we are now by a provoked God, laid open to the Wrath of the Devil himself. It is said in Pr. 16.17. When a mans ways please the Lord, he maketh even his Enemies to be at peace with him. The Devil is our grand Enemy; and tho' we would not be at peace with him, yet we would be at peace from him, that is, we would have him unable to disquiet our peace. But inasmuch as the wrath which we endure from this Enemy, will allow us no peace, we may be sure, our ways have not pleased the Lord. It is because we have broken the hedge of Gods Precepts, that the hedge of Gods Providence is not so entire as it uses to be about us; but Serpents are biting of us. O let us then set our selves to make our peace with our God, whom we have displeased by our iniquities: and let us not imagine that we can encounter the Wrath of the Devil, while there is the Wrath of God Almighty to set that Mastiff upon us. Reformation! Reformation! has been the repeated Cry of all the Judgments that have hitherto been upon us; because we have been as deaf Adders thereunto, the Adders of the Infernal Pit are now hissing about us. At length, as it was of old said, Luke 16.30. If one went unto them from the dead, they will repent; even so, there are some come unto us from the Damned. The great God has loosed the Bars of the Pit, so that many damned Spirits are come in among us, to make us repent of our Misdemeanours. The means which the Lord had formerly employ'd for our awakening, were such, that he might well have said, What could I have done more? and yet after all, he has done more, in some regards, than was ever done for the awakening of any People in the World. The things now done to awaken our Enquiries after our provoking Evils, and our endeavours to Reform those Evils, are most extraordinary things; for which cause I would freely speak it, if we now do not some extraordinary things in returning to God; we are the most incurable, and I wish it be not quickly said, the most miserable People under the Sun. Believe me, 'tis a time for all people to do something extraordinary, in searching and trying of their ways, and in turning to the Lord. It is at an extraordinary rate of Circumspection and Spiritual mindedness, that we should all now maintain a walk with God. At such a time as this ought Magistrates to do something extraordinary in promoting of what is laudable, and in restraining and chastising of Evil Doers. At such a time as this ought Ministers to do something extraordinary in pulling the Souls of men out of the Snares of the Devil, not only by publick Preaching, but by personal Visits and Counsels, from house to house. At such a time as this ought Churches to do something extraordinary, in renewing of their Covenants, and in remembring, and reviving the Obligations of what they have renewed. Some admirable Designs about the Reformation of Manners, have lately been on foot in the English Nation, in pursuance of the most excellent Admonitions which have been given for it, by the Letters of Their Majesties. Besides the vigorous Agreements of the Justices here and there in the Kingdom, assisted by godly Gentlemen and Informers, to Execute the Laws upon prophane Offenders; there has been started a Proposal for the well-affected people in every Parish, to enter into orderly Societies, whereof every Member shall bind himself, not only to avoid Prophaneness in himself, but also according unto to their Place, to do their utmost in first Reproving; and, if it must be so, then Exposing, and so Punishing, as the Law directs, for others that shall be guilty. It has been observed, that the English Nation has had some of its greatest Successes, upon some special and signal Actions this way; and a discouragement given under Legal Proceedings of this kind, must needs be very exercising to the Wise that observe these things. But, O why should not New-England be the most forward part of the English Nation in such Reformations? Methinks I hear the Lord from Heaven saying over us, O that my People had hearkened unto me; then I should soon have subdued the Devils, as well as their other Enemies! There have been some feeble Essays towards Reformation of late in our Churches; but, I pray what comes of them? Do we stay till the Storm of his Wrath be over? Nay, let us be doing what we can, as fast as we can, to divert the Storm. The Devils having broke in upon our World, there is great asking, Who is it that has brought them in? And many do by Spectral Exhibitions come to be cry'd out upon. I hope in Gods time it will be found, that among those that are thus cry'd out upon, there are persons yet Clear from the great Transgression; but indeed, all the Unreformed among us, may justly be cry'd out upon, as having too much of an hand in letting of the Devils into our Borders; 'tis our Worldliness, our Formality, our Sensuality, and our Iniquity that has help'd this letting of the Devils in. O let us then at last, consider our ways. 'Tis a strange passage recorded by Mr. Clark in the Life of his Father, That the People of his Parish, refusing to be Reclaimed from their Sabbath breaking, by all the zealous Testimonies which that good Man bore against it; at last, on a night after the people had retired home from a Revelling Prophanation of the Lords Day, there was heard a great Noise, with rattling of Chains up and down the Town, and an horrid Scent of Brimstone fill'd the Neighbourhood. Upon which the guilty Consciences of the Wretches told them, the Devil was come to fetch them away; and it so terrifi'd them, that an Eminent Reformation follow'd the Sermons which that Man of God Preached thereupon. Behold, Sinners, behold and wonder, lest you perish: the very Devils are walking about our Streets, with lengthened Chains, making a dreadful Noise in our Ears, and Brimstone even without a Metaphor, is making an hellish and horrid stench in our Nostrils. I pray leave off all those things whereof your guilty Consciences may now accuse you, lest these Devils do yet more direfully fall upon you. Reformation is at this time our only Preservation.
IV. When the Devil is come down in great Wrath, let every great Vice which may have a more particular tendency to make us a Prey unto that Wrath, come into a due discredit with us. It is the general Concession of all men, who are not become too Unreasonable for common Conversation, that the Invitation of Witchcrafts is the thing that has now introduced the Devil into the midst of us. I say then, let not only all Witchcrafts be duly abominated with us, but also let us be duly