Note 84 — PART III.

One who was as firm a Believer as Dr. Mather in Witch Mysteries, remarks in Justification of what was done—"That I may satisfy such as are not resolved to the Contrary; that there may be (and are) such Operations of the Powers of Darkness on the Bodies and Minds of Mankind; by Divine Permission; and that those who sate Judges in those Cases, may by the serious Consideration of the formidable Aspect and perplexed Circumstances, of that Afflictive Providence; be in some measure excused; or at least be less censured, for passing Sentence on several Persons, as being the Instruments of Satan in those Diabolical Operations, when they were involved in such a Dark and Dismal scene of Providence, in which Satan did seem to Spin a finer Thred of Spiritual Wickedness than in the ordinary methods of Witchcraft; hence the Judges desiring to bear due Testimony, against such Diabolical Practices, were inclined to admit the validity of such a sort of Evidence, as was not so clearly and directly demonstrable to Human Senses, as in other Cases is required or else they could not discover the Mysteries of Witchcraft; I presume not to impose upon my Christian or Learned Reader; any opinion of mine, how far Satan was an Instrument in God's Hand, in those amazing Afflictions, which were on many Persons there, [at Salem] about that time; but I am certainly convinced, that the Great God was pleased to lengthen his Chain to a very great Degree, for the hurting of Some and reproaching of Others, as far as he was permitted to do so."—Lawson, pages 93-4.

From this Author's uncertain view of the Operations of the Devil (which was the View of a great majority of the World), it is not at all strange that some among the very Conscientious people inquired as to the Difference between the Malignant and Supreme Power; that is, if the Supreme controlled the Malignant, there was no question to whom the Consequences were to be charged; and hence it is in no wise to be wondered at that some in their Simplicity could not understand what use there was for any Devil at all, mutch less for Witches.