The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Vol. 3 of 3)Mather, Cotton
History
The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Vol. 3 of 3)
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England
_To the Honorable Judge and Bench now sitting in Judicature in_ Salem
_and the Reverend Ministers, humbly sheweth, That whereas your humble
poor Petitioner being Condemned to die, doth humbly beg of you, to take
it into your Judicious and Pious Consideration, that your poor and
humble Petitioner knowing my own Innocency (blessed be the Lord for it)
and seeing plainly the Wiles and Subtilty of my Accusers, by myself,
cannot but judge charitably of others, that are going the same way with
myself, if the Lord step not mightily in. I was confined a whole Month
on the same account that I am now condemned for, an then cleared by the
Afflicted persons, as some of your Honour know, and in two days time I
was cried out upon by them, and have been confined and now am condemned
to die. The Lord above knows my Innocency then, and likewise doth now,
as at the great day will be known to Men and Angels. I Petition to your
Honours not for my own Life, for I know I must die, and my appointed
time is set; but the Lord he knows it is, if it be possible, that no
more Innocent Blood be shed, which undoubtedly cannot be avoided in
the way and course you go in. I question not, but your Honours do the
utmost of your powers, in the discovery and detection of Witchcraft
and Witches, and would not be guilty of Innocent Blood for the World;
but by my own Innocency I know you are in the wrong way, the Lord in
his infinite Mercy direct you in this great work, if it be his blessed
will, that Innocent Blood be not shed; I would humbly beg of you, that
your Honours would be pleased to Examine some of those confessing
Witches, I being confident there are several of them have belyed
themselves and others, as will appear, if not in this World, I am sure
in the World to come, whither I am going; and I question not, but
yourselves will see an alteration in these things: They say, myself and
others have made a league with the Devil, we cannot confess, I know
and the Lord he knows (as will shortly appear) they belye me, and so I
question not but they do others; the Lord alone, who is the searcher of
all hearts, knows that as I shall answer it at the Tribunal Seat, that
I know not the least thing of Witchcraft, therefore I cannot, I durst
not belye my own Soul. I beg your Honours not to deny this my humble
Petition, from a poor dying Innocent person, and I question not but the
Lord will give a blessing to your Endeavours._
Mary Esty.
[108] After Execution Mr. _Noyes_ turning him to the Bodies, said, what
a sad thing it is to see Eight Firebrands of Hell hanging there.[45]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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