Reformation and the Salem Witch Trials

VisionForum e-mail ^ | 10/31/02 | Douglas Phillips

[Mitzi]

There's a recent book some of you might find interesting: "In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692".

From the amazon review:

-snip-

Cornell historian Mary Beth Norton now offers a significant reinterpretation of the events that (by her count) led to legal action against at least 144 people, 54 confessions of witchcraft, 19 hangings, and one "pressing to death ... by heavy stones." Norton's contribution is to contextualize what happened. She studies not just Salem itself, but all of Essex County and northern New England, because so many of the people involved in the witchcraft crisis didn't live in Salem proper. She also says these grim events must be understood in relation to King William's War, which the early Americans called the Second Indian War.

-end-

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/037540709X/qid=1036186096/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/103-2517083-3251847

[traditionalist]

This is why Premillennial theology is important.

The premillennial heresy has other problems. The only way to go is the way of the Fathers: Amillenialism.

[fortheDeclaration]

The premillennial heresy has other problems. The only way to go is the way of the Fathers: Amillenialism.

The 'Fathers' were Premillennial for the first 3 centuries.

Amillennialism started with the allegorical method of Origen and Augustine.

[traditionalist]

Not true.

[fortheDeclaration]

This is from Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol.2, p.614.

The most striking point in the eschatology of the anteNicene age is the prominent chiliasm or millennarianism that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in Glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years before the general resurrection and judgement. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion but a widely current opinion of distinquished teachers, such as Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Ireanaeus, Tertuallian, Methodius and Lacantius; while Caius, Origen, Dionysisus, the Great, Eusbius as afterwards Jerome and Augustine opposed it.

For the first three centuries it was the domiant view.

With the combination of the Church and State, the view changed.

[traditionalist]

Pre-millenialism was only "dominant" in Asia minor (i.e. Justin Martyr and Barnabas) and among those influced by Fathers from Asia minor (i.e. Ireneaus). It was also commonly held among montanist heretics, such as Tertullian. The rest of the Church did not hold it.

[SunkenCiv]

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[JouleZ]

“I had this librarian friend who is related to the only man killed during the Salem witch trials.”

__________________________________________

I recently read “The Heretics Daughter” written by a descendant of one the women hung during the Salem witch trials. Very good novel.

[Beowulf9]

“I had this librarian friend who is related to the only man killed during the Salem witch trials.
Official reason for death: Consort with the devil!

Real reason for death: being engaged to a lady who was desired by more powerful men.”

I don’t know who told you this information, but this is the list of the 19 men and women who were hung as witches in the Salem Witch Trials:

Bridget Bishop
Rebecca Nurse
Susannah Martin
Elizabeth Howe
Sarah Good
Sarah Wilds
George Jacobs Sr.
Martha Carrier
George Burroughs
John Willard
John Proctor
Martha Cory
Margaret Scott
Mary Esty
Alice Parker
Ann Pudeator
Wilmott Redd
Samuel Wardell
Mary Parker
Giles Cory

Many others died in jail before being hung. About 1/2 the town ended up in jail, but the trials came to an abrupt halt when Governor Phips outlawed Spectral Evidence.

[spetznaz]

Hmmm ...interesting (I never checked the list). The person who told me was some old lady who used to work in the Chambers Library at the University of Central Oklahoma, and she claimed that one of her ancestors was killed at the witch trials for those reasons, and he was the only man killed. It is impossible to follow up with her now, but those were her words.