The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-12-05
Vol, T. No, 10, Whole No, S3l.

ola sun, TO which the misty day Of their cold island
was ms moonlight-they no beauty they recog,
nized no holy revelation. II was to them terrible Us
Abe forest which Dante travorsed in his way 10 the
World Of Pan.-Evnry step they made was upon
the Enomy's territory. And has only read the
writings Of the two Mathers, to perceive TINT the
Enemy was to them no netapl odcal nbsfnction--Eo
scholastic do6nilion,no 6gment of poetical fancy,
but living, active reality, alternating between the
submost possibility Of evil, and the lowest tricks Of
moan mischief; now 'triGksey spirit, disturbing
the good wfe's plutters or soing her new.wushed
Iiuuon, and anon riding the storm cloud, and point
ing its hundeboIts; for, as the elder Malher peril
nently inquires-how else is il that our meeting
houses are burned by the ghtnng?' What was il,
for instance, hat his subtey which, speaking through
the lips Of Madame Hutchinson, confused the Judg-
Of Israel and put to their wits end the godly min
listers Of the puritan Zon' Was not his evil fnger
manifested in the contumacoua horesy of Roger
Williams who else gave the Jesuit missionaries
locusts from the pit MS they were-such hold on
the affections of those very savnges who would not
have scruped to hing the scalp If pious father Will
liams himself from their girdles! To the viglOn eye
Of Puritanisrn, he not alike discernible in the
light wantonncss Of the May-pole jewellers, beating
time it'll eleven foot to the vain music of dances
and in the silent, ha-canopicd gatherings of the Qua
kers, Tho most melancholy of the sects,' DR..
Moore calls them. Perious aud glorious WINS it, un-
der these circumstances, fo such men Mar,her and
Souton to grid up their stout Joins, and do battle with
the unmeasured, all surrounding Terror.
lie; no man lightly estimate their spiritual knight
erranlry. The heroes Of old who went
about shifting dragons, looping giants heads, and 9th
crwise pleasantly diverting themselves, scarcely de-
serve mention in comparison with our New England
champions who, trusting not carnal sword and lance,
in a contest with principnhies and powers
-"Spirits throughout,
Vital in every part, MT rs lraii man.
encountered their enemies with weapons forged by
the stern spiritual armorer of Geneva The life Of
Cotton Malher is full of romance as the legends of
Aoslo, the tales OF Beltencbros, and Florsando in
in Amadis dc Gaul. All about him was enchanted
grounddevils g!ured on him in his closet wrestngs'
-portenls blazed in the heavens above him while
he, commissioned, appointed and set apart, us the
watcher and warder, and spiritual companion Of the
choscn people, stood ready for battle, with open
eye and quick ear for the subtle approaches of the
enemy. No wonder is il that the spirits Of evil COM
hined against hin-tlat they beset him they did
old ST Anthony-thnt they shut up the bowels of the
general court against his long cherished hope OF the
presidency Of old llarvard-that they even had the
audacty TO lay hands on his anti dabocal manu.
scripts, that ye divi tibet in the girl newe at
and tore his grand sermon against witches How
edi(yng is the account of the young newched maiden,
whom he kept in his house for the purpose of maxi
ing experiments which should satisfy all obstinate
ssdducees' How satisfactory to orthodoxy, and
conoundng TO heresy is the nice discrimination Of we
dvil the girl who checked in attempting to
read the catecism yet found no trouble with pes
tent Quaker pamphet-who quiet and good
humOred when the worthy doctor was idle, but went
into paroxysms Of rage wren he sat down to sindite
his diatribes against witches and familiar spirits.
Az this is pleasant enough now; can laugh OF
the doctor and his demons but little laugh
ter it to the victims Salem IIiIl-to the prison
ers in the jals-,o poor Giles Corey, tortured with
planks upon the breast which forced the tongue from
his mouth and his life from his old palsed body-to
bcreaved and quaking familes-to whole commun-
ity prest-rid and spectre smten-gaspng in tho
sick dr. eam Of spiritual night maie, and given over
to believe lie. We may laugh, for the grotesque
blended with the horrible; but must also pity and
shudJer. God be thanked that the deuson hus
vauquished; and they who confronted
that delusiou, in its age Disseminating with
strong clear and sharp rdicue their spell bound
generation-the German Wierus, the italian D'A-
poue, the English Scot and the New England Chief
deserve high honors the beneactors Of their
They indeed branded through life as inldels and
'damnable Sadducees, by corrupt priesthood, who
to a creduty which will be so well turned
to their advantage but tho truth which they uttered
lived after them, and wrought out his appointed
work, for it had divine commission and God-speed.
The oraces are dumb, uf
No voice or hdcous hum .-. e 81. .-sr,
Runs thro tho arched roof in words dcceiving; '
Apollo from his shrine .r. .. t..l'-a ia
Can now no more divine. ..., ,t
With hollow shrek the step ofDelphos leaving
Dipmer and dimmeras the generations pass away.
this tremendous Tewor--this we-nigh infinite haun-
and tenpter-ths active incarnation Of moiivcless
presents itself to the mnginalioa The
once imposing & solemn rite of exorcsm has become
obsolete in the march, Men longer in any
quarter orthe world racked,or pressed under punks,
10 extort n confession Of diabolical alliance. The