| OCR Text |
Show 1BUt little about &\bt ®ualitt£'. ( 52 ) fidents of fo rmer Times, and Precepts laid down by Learnul Writers, abottt Witchcraft. And p. 82. c. 1. Fearing they had gone top far before-it 'JJJaJ thought· fafer to untler-do than over-do, efpecially in matters Capital, whtre 2vhat is once compleated, cannot be 1'etrieved. Obf. Here were great Doubrs, Fears, &c. concerning rhe purring rhefe Witches to Death ; but where were any fuch Doubts, Fears, or confciencious Concerns, as ro our Friends, in purring rhem to Death, left rhey lhoul4 over- do it, or go too far in matters c.~pital ? Or, what Pre-· fidents or Preceprs of former Times laid down by.learned Writers) abom Perfecution, did they confulr, eicher in the Bible or Book of Manyrs, except the worft Prefidenrs they could find of Heathens and Papifis againft Martyrs ; and nor the Precepts of God, Chrift, th~ Prophets and Apofiles againfi it, in rhe Sufferers behalf, and a.gainfl Perfecurion ? ' Great Gaurion about Witches, left any thould fuffer wrongfully (which I don'c difcommend) in that cafe ;. but where does any fuch ·appear, in Relation ro our Friends~ called f2.!!akers, left they ihould be pm ro Dearh wrongfully, rho' on a higher, viz... a Religious Account? Or, Doubrs, ro this Hour, about the freps taken, as ro th~m, in purring of them ro Death? No, no, lirrle enough of that; bur as to the other, I may apply that Verfe of J. Cotton's, concerning the Ceremonial Puritans (for it feems there were rwo forts in thofe days.) Hu tender Confcience, makes hi4 flejhly Heart, At fmaOefl Pric~s and Scruples, back to {!art. Book VI. p. 7'-. c. r. When a notorious Wiech hiJid co1tfeffid alt ( as he fays, j11e ;v(U heard tell the Devtt {he had) However, to make all clear, the i~urt a:ppoirJted five or fix Ph)ficia·m, to examine her very ( 51 ) very flriflly, wbet~er ~Je ·were 110 'lJJay cr::z..',J i-n her Int~lte~uals ; t/jve?s hours t!itl ~ hey /pwJ 'll'itb beranct dtvers days ptl{f betum:t; ber beir1g ArraiuneJ and Corulemnecl. So Cautions and Tcndtr ~e re they now ro Wi[che.s: _Yer, Book V!f. p. 23. c. 1. accufes our Fnends, that Lhey pur m Death, wirh being Mad-men, and with ]J/jre·n(ie; eur wherein did it appcc1r, uy any word or acti~n of theirs? Or, what Caution had rhc:y, or dtd they ufe to try them, as to that, WheH- ler they were fo or no? No, no, no fuch thing. Hang them (faid their Prieft 11/ilfon, that he commends fo much) om of rhe way, righr ot wrong, hand over head, wirhour any more a-do, and withour Fear or Wir, tho' never ro be retrieved ; yet chis c. M. to his own Confutation, and ro thew how liule Credir there is in what he fays, as w Friends being Mad-men, &c. Book II. p. 1. c. 1. He reprefencs the . Hulers of Nw;-Englancl as Mad, and fays rhey MtJ)e'· we~e Wifer_nen 'J~hom that Spirit ()f Opprej]ion be- Wtte tray d not mto.tlm Madnefs; and to be fure rhey ~ab~ were more likely w be Mad, as their ACtions befpeak, than our Friends, whom they put to Dearh, or elfe th ey would never hJve done as they did, if they had been in th<.:ir rio-h r Senfcs ~ben the. wh~}~ Scriptures, the M~~ryrs, and fev~ral ~dmomnons from among rhemfelves was agamft H, and would have perfw2dtd them co the contrary, had rhey had any Remorfe or Te~dernefs le fr ; and all chey could expetl ro gee by It, was rhe Wrath ofGod,Abhorrence of Good Men') and divine Vt:ngeance which harh follow-ed them ever Lince; and I dare leave it ro any that ar~ nor betray' J into that Mtulnej's, as he fays! VtZ.,. of o~~reffion or Envy, to judge by lhe mhumane Achons of the one, and innocent . Behaviour |
