What appears extremely surprising in this connexion is the statement of Cotton Mather that the New England witches “met in Hellish _Randezvous_, wherein the Confessors (i.e. the accused who confessed) do say, they have had their Diabolical Sacraments, imitating the _Baptism_ and the _Supper_ of our Lord.”[111] At the trial of Bridget Bishop, _alias_ Oliver, at the Court of Oyer and Terminer, held at Salem, 2 June, 1692, Deliverance Hobbs, a converted witch, affirmed “that this _Bishop_ was at a General Meeting of the Witches, in a Field at _Salem_-Village, and there partook of a Diabolical Sacrament in Bread and Wine then administered.” In the case of Martha Carrier, tried 2 August, 1692, before the same court, two witnesses swore they had seen her “at a Diabolical Sacrament ... when they had Bread and Wine Administered unto them.” Abigail Williams confessed that on 31 March, 1692, when there was a Public Fast observed in Salem on account of the scourge of sorcery “the Witches had a _Sacrament_ that day at an house in the Village, and that they had _Red Bread_ and _Red Drink_.” This “Red Bread” is certainly puzzling. But the whole thing, sufficiently profane no doubt, necessarily lacks the hideous impiety of the black mass. A minister, the Rev. George Burroughs, is pointed to by accumulated evidence as being the Chief of the Salem witches; “he was Accused by Eight of the Confessing Witches as being an Head Actor at some of their Hellish Randezvouses, and one who had the promise of being a King in Satan’s kingdom”; it was certainly he who officiated at their ceremonies, for amongst others Richard Carrier “affirmed to the jury that he saw Mr. George Burroughs at the witch meeting at the village and saw him administer the sacrament,” whilst Mary Lacy, senr., and her daughter Mary “affirmed that Mr. George Burroughs was at the witch meetings with witch sacraments.”[112] The abomination of the black mass is performed by some apostate or renegade priest who has delivered himself over to the service of evil and is shamefully prominent amongst the congregation of witches. It should be remarked from this fact that it is plain the witches are as profoundly convinced of the doctrines of Transubstantiation, the Totality, Permanence, and Adorableness of the Eucharistic Christ, and of the power also of the sacrificing priesthood, as is the most orthodox Catholic. Indeed, unless such were the case, their revolt would be empty, void at any rate of its material malice.