Pietas in patriam the life of His Excellency Sir William Phips, Knt. late Captain…

We Judge, That in the Prosecution of These and all such Witchcrafts, there is need of a very Critical and Exquisite Caution. Lest, by too much Credulity, for things received only upon the Devil's Authority, there be a Door opened for a long Train of miserable Consequences, and Satan get an Advantage over us; for we should not be Ignorant of his Devices. As in complaints upon Witchcrafts, there may be Matters of Enquiry, which do not amount unto Matters of Presumption; and there may be Matters of Presumption, which yet may not be reckoned Matters of Conviction, so 'tis necessary, that all Proceedings thereabout, be managed with an excee•••g Tenderness towards those that may be complained of; especially if they have been Persons formerly of an unblemished Reputation. When the first Enquiry is made into the Circumstances of such as may lie under any just Suspicion of Witchcrafts, we could wish, that there may be admitted as little as is possible of such Noise, Company, and Openness, as may too hastily expose them that are Examined; and that there may nothing be used as a Test for the Trial of the Suspected, the lawfulness whereof may be doubted among the People of God: But that the Directions given by such judicious Writers as Perkins and Bernard, be consulted in such a Case. Presumptions, whereupon Persons may be committed, and much more Convictions, whereupon Persons may be condemned, as guilty of Witchcrafts, ought certainly ⟨p. 78⟩to be more considerable, than barely the Accused Persons being represented by a Spectre to the Afflicted: Inasmuch as it is an undoubted, and a notorious Thing, that a Daemon may be God's Permission, appear, even to ill Purposes, in the shape of an Innocent, yea, and a Virtuous Man: Nor can we esteem Alterations made in the Sufferers, by a look or touch of the Accused, to be an infallible Evidence of Guilt; but frequently liable to be abused by the Devil's Legerdemains. We know not whether some remarkable Affronts given to the Devils, by our disbelieving of those Testimonies whose whole Force and Strength, is from them alone, may not put a Period unto the Progress of a direful Calamity begun upon us, in the Accusation of so many Persons, whereof, we hope, some are yet clear from the great Transgression, laid unto their Charge.

We Judge, That in the Prosecution of These and all such Witcherafts, there is need of a very Critical and Exquisite Caution. Lest, by too much Credulity, for things received only upon the Devil's Authority, there be a Door opened for a long Train of miserable Consequences, and Satan get an Advantage over us; for we should not be Ignorant of his Devices. As in complaints upon Witchcrafts, there may be Matters of Enquiry, which do not amount unto Matters of Presumption; and there may be Matters of Presumption, which yet may not be reckoned Matters of Conviction, so 'tis necessary, that all Proceedings thereabout, be managed with an exceeg Tenderness towards those that may be complained of; especially if they have been Persons formerly of an unblemished Reputation. When the first Enquiry is made into the Circumstances of such as may ly under any just Suspicion of Witchcrafts, we could wish, that there may be admitted as little as is possible of such Noise, Company, and Openness, as may too hastily expose them that are Examined; and that there may nothing be used as a Test for the Trial of the Suspected, the lawfulness whereof may be doubted among the People of God: But that the Directions given by such judicious Writers as Perkins and Bernard, be consulted in such a Case. Presumptions, whereupon Persons may be committed, and much more Convictions, whereupon Persons may be condemned, as guilty of Witcherafts, ought certainly