[57] It must have been difficult for a common-sense Man, as Mr. Calef was, to hear such Matters treated seriously in the Pulpit, and keep his Risibility under complete Controll. If Thunder and Lightning were the Work of the Devil, as it seems Mr. Mather believed, it is not very strange that he should discover some very odd Pranks in their Operations. The Father (Dr. I. Mather) relates, among his _Philosophical Meditations_, that as "a Man was walking, in August, 1682, in the Field, near Darking in England, he was struck with a Clap of Thunder; on being taken up, his dead Body was found exceeding hot, and withall smelling strong of Sulphur, insomuch that they were forced to drop him, and let him ly a considerable Time ere he could be removed. It is reported that sometimes Thunder and Lightning has been generated out of the sulphurous and bituminous Matter which the firey Mountain Ætna hath cast forth." [58] There seems always to have been great Confusion, and no less Perplexity, among Believers in Witchcraft respecting the Parts to be assigned to the Devil and the Witch respectively. Sometimes they assure us that the Devil commissions the Witch, and sometimes that the Witch governs the Devil. Hence, even Believers are very much puzzled to know _what to believe_. See Vol. I, _Introd._, Pages xviii, xix. [59] It would no doubt puzzle the Devil himself to explain that Term, _Plastic Spirit_. It appears to have been made use of for the same Reason that a certain Fish discolors the Water when pursued by an Enemy. The following Ideas respecting the Devil then entertained may not be out of Place in this Connection: "The Devil is the oldest Sinner, and the most cursed Creature in all the World. It is said, Isa. 65, 20. _That the Sinner of an hundred Years shall be accursed._ But then what shall the Sinner be that is more than 5000 Years old? The Devil and all the Angels that sinned with him, are Sinners of above 5000 Years old, and will therefore become the most accursed and damned Creatures in the whole Universe at the Great Day."--Dr. I. Mather, _Angelographia_, 120. [60] In Answer to this, the Dr. says: "The Reason that made me unwilling to trust any of my Writings in the Hands of this Man, was because I saw the _Weaver_ (though he presumes to call himself a _Merchant_) was a Stranger to all the Rules of Civility." This is the Kind of Answer which every impartial Reader will decide, redounds entirely to the Credit of Mr. Calef, and that _Civility_ is also altogether on his Side. Yet, in an Air of Triumph the Doctor adds: "The _Antiscriptural Doctrines_ espoused by this Man do also call for no further Answer." [61] In this Connection it may be interesting to have the Views of Dr. Increase Mather respecting the Attributes of the Devil.