It was in the dreadful
days of the Salem Witchcraft delusion that one Jonathan Singletary, being
then in the prison at Ipswich, gave his testimony as to certain fearful
occurrences,--a great noise, as of many cats climbing, skipping, and
jumping, of throwing about of furniture, and of men walking in the
chambers, with crackling and shaking as if the house would fall upon him.
"I was at present," he says, "something affrighted; yet considering what
I had lately heard made out by Mr. Mitchel at Cambridge, that there is
more good in God than there is evil in sin, and that although God is the
greatest good and sin the greatest evil, yet the first Being of evil
cannot weave the scales or overpower the first Being of good: so
considering that the authour of good was of greater power than the
authour of evil, God was pleased of his goodness to keep me from being
out of measure frighted."
I shall always bless the memory of this poor, timid creature for saving
that dear remembrance of "Matchless Mitchel." How many, like him, have
thought they were preaching a new gospel, when they were only reaffirming
the principles which underlie the Magna Charta of humanity, and are
common to the noblest utterances of all the nobler creeds! But spoken by
those solemn lips to those stern, simpleminded hearers, the words I have
cited seem to me to have a fragrance like the precious ointment of
spikenard with which Mary anointed her Master's feet.
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