Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern SpiritualismPutnam, Allen
Religion
Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern Spiritualism
Putnam, Allen
Spiritualism; Witchcraft -- New England
"'Sarah Good, do you not see now what you have done? Why do you not tell
us the truth? Why do you thus torment these poor children?' _Ans._ 'I do
not torment them.' 'Who do you employ, then?' _Ans._ 'I employ nobody. I
scorn it.' 'How came they thus tormented?' _Ans._ 'What do I know? You
bring others here, and now you charge me with it.' 'Why, who was it?'
_Ans._ 'I do not know but it was some you brought into the meeting-house
with you.' _Response._ 'We brought you into the meeting-house.' _Reply._
'But you brought in two more.' 'Who was it, then, that tormented the
children?' _Ans._ 'It was Osburn.' 'What is it you say when you go
muttering away from persons' houses?' _Ans._ 'If I must tell, I will
tell.' 'Do tell us then.' _Reply._ 'If I must tell, I will tell. It is the
commandments. I may say my commandments, I hope.' 'What commandment is
it?' _Ans._ 'If I must tell, I will. It is a psalm.' 'What psalm?'
_Statement by reporter._ 'After a long time she muttered over some part of
a psalm.' 'Who do you serve?' _Ans._ 'I serve God.' 'What God do you
serve?' _Ans._ 'The God that made heaven and earth.'"
_Comments by the reporter._ "She was not willing to mention the word God.
Her answers were in a very wicked, spiteful manner, reflecting and
retorting against the authority with base and abusing words, and many lies
she was taken in. It was here said that her husband had said that he was
afraid that she either was a witch or would be one very quickly. The
worshipful Mr. Hathorne asked him his reason why he said so of her;
whether he had seen anything _by_ her. He answered, no, _not in this
nature_; but it was her bad carriage to him; and indeed, said he, I may
say with tears that she is an enemy to all good."
Reason for asking the children to look upon the accused, Cheever says,
was, that they might "see if this was the person that hurt them." That
statement fails to cover the whole ground. According to Cotton Mather,
belief then prevailed that "when the party suspected looks on the parties
supposed to be bewitched, and they are thereupon struck down into a fit
... it is a proof that the accused is a witch in covenant with the devil."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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