[
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himself as an eye-witness, resolved hencefor-
ward to regard ‘the denial of devils, or of witches,’ as a personal affront, the evidence ‘of ignorance, inci-
“I was myself in eyewitness.”
p. 40. |
vility, and dishonest impudence.’
This book, thus prepared and recommended, and destined to have a wide circulation, was printed in 1689, and distributed through
New England.
Unhappily, it gained fresh power from
England, where it was ‘published by
Richard Baxter,’ who declared the evidence strong enough to convince all but ‘a very obdurate Sadducee.’
This tale went abroad at a moment when the enthusiasm of the country was engrossed by the hopes that sprung from the accession of King William.
The conquest of New France was the burning passion of
New England, in harmony with its hatred of legitimacy and the old forms of Christianity.
To subdue the
French dominions—this was the joint object which was to foster a common feeling between
England and the
American colonies.
This passion advanced even to action, but, at that time, was only fruitful of disasters.
Meantime, the agents of
Massachusetts, appealing to the common enmity towards
France, solicited a restoration of its charter.
King William was a friend to Calvinists, and, on the first interview with Increase
Mather, conceded the recall of
Sir Edmund Andros.
The convention parliament voted that the taking away of the
New England charters was a grievance; and the
English Presbyterians, with singular affection, declared that ‘the king could not possibly do any thing more grateful to his dissenting subjects in
England, than by restoring to
New England its former privileges.’
The dissolution of the convention parliament, followed by one in which an influence friendly to the
