Robert Calef

“ A Spiritual Wickedness, that is, A wicked Spirit. A Devil is a Fallen Angel, an Angel Fallen from the Fear and Love of God, and from all Celestial Glories; but Fallen to all manner of Wretchedness and Cursedness. ”

“ 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 ”

“ Thus would the Devil Elevate us into the Air, above our Neighbours; and why so? 'Tis that we may be punished with such Falls, as may make us cry out with David, O my Bones are broken with my Falls! The Devil can't endure to see men lying in the Dust; because there is no falling thence. He is a Fallen Spirit himself, and it pleases him to see the Falls of men. ”

“ And now his Book is come abroad, I cannot hear (and many observe the Like) of so much as one vertuous and sensible Man, but let their Opinions about the Salem Troubles be what they will, they detest it, as, a Vile Book; as being an intire Libel upon the whole Government and Ministry in the Land; yea, they think it beneath a Minister of the Gospel to bestow the Pains of an Answer upon it. The Book serves but as an Engine to discover (by their approbation of it) a few Persons in the Land that will distinguish themselves by an exalted Malignity. ”

“ What was done in the dark Time of our Troubles from the Invisible World, all honest Men believe, they did in Conscience of the Oath of God upon them, and they followed unto the best of their Understanding, as we are informed, the Precedents of England and Scotland, and other Nations on such a dark and doleful Occasion. ”

“ That the devils bounds are sett, that he cant pass; That the devils are so full of Malice, that it cant be added to by Mankind; That where he hath power he neither can nor will omit executing it; That 'tis only the Almighty that sets bounds to his rage, and that only can Commissionate him to hurt or destroy. ”

“ As a Tyger, thro' his Hatred at man will tear the very Picture of him, if it come in his way; such a Tyger the Devil is; because God said of old, Let us make Man in our Image, the Devil is ever saying, Let us pull this man to pieces. ”

“ Why, there are many of you, for whom I am to do that office this day: I am to tell you You are come to your Eleventh hour; there is no more than a twelfth part at most, of your life yet behind. But if we neglect our business, till our short Time shall be reduced into none, then, woe to us, for the great wrath of God will send us down from whence there is no Redemption.
Corollary IV.
How welcome should a Death in the Lord be unto them that belong not unto the Devil, but unto the Lord! ”

“ No Christian can, I say none but evil workers can criminate my visiting such of my poor flock as have at any time fallen under the terrible and sensible molestations of Evil Angels; let their Afflictions have been what they will, I could not have answered it unto my Glorious Lord, if I had withheld my just Counsels and Comforts from them; and if I have also with some exactness observ'd the methods of the Invisible World, when they have thus become observable, I have been but a Servant of Mankind in doing so ”

“ No better would the Devil have the World provided for. Nor should we, or any else, have one convenient thing about us, but be as indigent as usually our most Ragged Witches are; if the Devil's Malice were not overruled by a compassionate God, who preserves Man 66 and Beast. Hence 'tis, that the Devil, even like a Dragon, keeping a Guard upon such Fruits as would refresh a languishing World, has hindred Mankind for many Ages, from hitting upon those useful Inventions, which yet were so obvious and facil, that it is every bodies wonder, they were no sooner hit upon. ”

“ That the Devil is the Prince of the Power of the Air. So that there is a Power, an Host, a vast Army of those Evil Spirits, that did joyn with the Devil, in setting themselves against the Great God. How many, is not for us to say, the Written Word of God not speaking anything as to the Quantity of their Number; only it is manifest from the Scripture, that there are far more Angels that have sinned, far more Devils than there are Men in all the World. There is not a Man in the whole World but there are Devils to tempt him continually. ”

“ No, the Devil was never more let loose than in our Days; and it is very much that any should imagine otherwise: But the same thing that proves the Thousand Years of prosperity for the Church of God, under the whole Heaven, to be not yet begun, does also prove, that it is not very far off; and that is the prodigious wrath with which the Devil does in our days Persecute, yea, desolate the World. ”

“ As to several that have confessed against themselves, they being wholly strangers to me, but yet of good account with better Men than myself, to whom also they are well known, I do not pass so much as a secret condemnation upon them. But rather seeing God hath so amazingly lengthened out Satan's Chain, in this most formidable outrage, I much more incline to side with the Opinion of those that have grounds to hope better of them. ”

“ Indeed, the Devil's time for his Wrath upon you in this World, can be but short, but his time for you to do his Work, or, which is all one, to delay your turning to God, that is a Long Time. When the Devil was going to be Dispossessed of a Man, he Roar'd out, Am I to be Tormented before my time? You will Torment the Devil, if you Rescue your Souls out of his hands, by true Repentance: If once you begin to look that way, he'll Cry out, O this is before my Time, I must have more Time, yet in the Service of such a guilty Soul. ”

“ Thus, although the Appearance of Innocent Persons in Spectral Exhibitions afflicting the Neighbourhood, be a thing Rare and Extraordinary; yet who can be sure, that the great Belial of Hell must needs be always Yoked up from this piece of Mischief? The best man that ever lived has been called a Witch: and why may not this too usual and unhappy Symptom of A Witch, even a Spectral Representation, befall a person that shall be none of the worst? ”

“ If we would lay aside all fierceness, and keenness, in the disputes which the Devil has raised among us; and if we would use to one another none but the soft Answers, which turn away wrath: I should hope that we might light upon such Counsels, as would quickly Extricate us out of our Labyrinths. But the old Incendiary of the world, is come from Hell, with Sparks of Hell-Fire flashing on every side of him; and we make ourselves Tynder to the Sparks. ”

“ Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God. How much more now ought we to humble our selves under that Mighty Hand of that God who indeed has the Devil in a Chain, but has horribly lengthened on the Chain! [124] When the old people of God heard any Blasphemies, tearing of his Ever-Blessed Name to pieces, they were to Rend their Cloaths at what they heard. I am sure that we have cause to Rend our Hearts this Day, when we see [45] what an High Treason has been committed against the most high God, by the Witchcrafts in our Neighbourhood. ”

“ II. There are most Hellish Blasphemies often buzz'd by the Temptations of the Devil, into the minds of the best Men alive. What a most Execrable Thing was here laid before our Lord Himself: Even, To own the Devil as God! a thing that can't be uttered, without unutterable Horror of Soul. The best man on earth, may have such Fiery Darts from Hell shot into his mind. One that was acted by the Devil, had the impudence to propound this unto such a good man as Job, Curse God. ”

“ Many now promise to themselves nothing but successive Happiness there, which for a time through God's 10 Mercy they may enjoy; and I pray God, they may a long time; but in this World there is no Happiness perpetual.' An Observation, or I had almost said, an Inspiration, very dismally now verify'd upon us! It has been affirm'd by some who best knew New-England, That the World will do New-England a great piece of Injustice, if it acknowledge not a measure of Religion, Loyalty, Honesty, and Industry, in the People there, beyond what is to be found with any other People for the Number of them. ”

“ It has, beyond Question, occurred to all thinking Men in every Age, that Witches and Devils could not have a Being without God's Permission; that if they did or do exist, it is his Pleasure that they should; that, therefore, if God wished to destroy such Miscreants he would do it by making War on them himself, instead of compelling Mankind to fight them blindfolded for all Eternity, or during the World's Existence. ”

“ II. In all the Witchcraft which now Grievously Vexes us, I know not whether anything be more Unaccountable, than the Trick which the Witches have to render themselves, and their Tools Invisible. Witchcraft seems to be the Skill of Applying the Plastic Spirit of the World, unto some unlawful purposes, by means of a Confederacy with Evil Spirits. Yet one would wonder how the Evil Spirits themselves can do some things: especially at Invisibilizing of the Grossest Bodies. ”

“ But just Three years and a half after the scattering of that holy people, to the surprise of all the World, Spirit of life from God is come into them; and having with a thousand Miracles repossessed themselves of their antient Seats, their hot Persecutor is become their great Protector. ”

“ Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft: When the Devil would have us to sin, he would have us to do the things which the forlorn Witches use to do. Perhaps there are few persons, ever allured by the Devil unto an Explicit Covenant with himself. If any among ourselves be so, my councel is, that you hunt the Devil from you, with such words as the Psalmist had, Be gone, Depart from me, ye evil Doers, for I will keep the Commandments of my God. But alas, the most of men, are by the Devil put upon doing the things that are Analagous to the worst usages of Witches. ”

“ When I did a few years ago, publish a Book, which mentioned a few memorable Witchcrafts, committed in this country; the excellent Baxter, graced the Second Edition of that Book, with a kind Preface, wherein he sees cause to say, If any are Scandalized, that New-England, a place of as serious Piety, as any I can hear of, under Heaven, should be troubled so much with Witches; I think, 'tis no wonder: Where will the Devil show most Malice, but where he is hated, and hateth most: And I hope, the Country will still deserve and answer the Charity so expressed by that Reverend Man of God. ”