The demons, these invisible tormentors, whispered of dark conspiracies, their voices mocking her by saying, she runs to the rock. But when she began to expose too much, they confounded her language, switching to Dutch to narrate further tales of their mischief. This led to the unmasking of Greensmith, a woman who, under the relentless questioning of the ministers, confessed to a league with the Devil, including unspeakable acts. She was put to death but not before the supernatural nature of her crimes was confirmed, painting a vivid picture of the Devil’s hand at work.

The second example, Elizabeth Knapp’s descent into hell, Mather’s magnolia, also recounts the horror in Groton in 1671, where Elizabeth Knapp’s story unfolds like a scene from the darkest horror. She was consumed by fits of weeping, laughter and violent convulsions, her voice echoing the chant, money, money, in a desperate plea. Her tongue would contort in ways that defied nature, speaking words without movement, hurling blasphemies at the very essence of God and his servants. She pointed a finger at a virtuous neighbor, accusing her of being the source of her agony, only to later reveal it was a deception by Satan himself.

The truth surfaced through prayer, showing that not one but many devils had conspired against her. The third example, the Morse family’s haunted hell. In the ecclesiastical history of New England, Mather describes the Morse family’s ordeal in Newberry, 1679, as a theater of terror. Objects flew through the air, hurled by an invisible, malicious force. Bricks, stones, even a cat were thrown, and a staff danced in the chimney like a specter. The disturbances were relentless, ashes in their food, shoes filled with coals, and in the dead of night, heavy stones would land upon them in bed.

The patriarch William Morse was physically assaulted by this invisible hand, even during prayer, but the true horror was reserved for their young boy, who was flung about, pricked by forks, needles and worse, yet miraculously survived the ordeal. This climaxed with the haunting vision of a black and white child, and the chilling echo of a song demanding revenge, a clear message from the depths of hell itself. The fourth example, Nicholas Desbrough’s haunted home. From Mather’s records of 1683 in Hartford, we find Nicholas Desbrough’s house under siege by an unseen force. The documentation speaks of stones, earth, and corn cobs thrown by an invisible hand through doors, windows, chimneys, and even from the floor.

This relentless assault followed him everywhere, a clear sign of demonic obsession. Interestingly, the trouble ceased once a dispute over clothes was resolved, showcasing how the devil thrives on human conflict. The fifth example, the Walton house under siege. Mather’s magnolia also captures the terrifying events of June 11th, 1682, at George Walton’s home in Portsmouth. Here, stones fell like rain, not just from outside, but from within, shattering windows with a forest belied by their gentle touch on human flesh. An iron spit danced up the chimney, only to be thrown out by an invisible force.

Even the woods weren’t safe, as a stirrup iron chased Walton, suggesting a malevolent intelligence at work. The sixth example, the tortured life of Mary Hortato near Salmon Falls in June, 1682. As detailed by Mather, Mary Hortato’s life became a horror story. Voices at her door, invisible blows, and apparitions like a man’s head and cat’s tail swimming in the air were just the beginning. Stones would appear and vanish, leaving bites and scratches on her, all without any visible cause. Her family’s attempt to escape the hauntings only proved that these spirits were relentless, underscoring the inescapable nature of evil once it has you in its sights.

The seventh example, the tragic death of Philip Smith. In the winter of 1684, Mather recounts the story of Philip Smith and Hadley, whose death was anything but natural. After helping a woman in need, he became the target of her curses, leading to his demise under what could only be described as supernatural influence. His body bore the marks of witchcraft, pins tormenting him, the smell of musk and inexplicable sounds. This wasn’t just death, it was a public declaration of the devil’s power over life itself. The eighth example, Mary Johnson’s confession to the Dark Lord.

Mather’s records from the trial of Mary Johnson in Harford, 1692, paint a picture of a soul corrupted by the darkness. Her confession was not just an admission of guilt, but a detailed narrative of her life entangled with the devil. She spoke of murder, of unholy unions with shadows, even in the mundane acts of daily life. Her testimony, as relayed by Mather, was one of a woman who had been seduced by Satan with promises of power and pleasure, leading her to perform acts that would horrify the soul. She confessed to acts of witchcraft, including the murder of a child, and described how the devil had become her constant companion, even helping her with everyday chores.

Her repentance before execution was a faint light in the overwhelming darkness. But the depth of her involvement with evil forces serves as a stark warning of how far one can fall when tempted by the darkness. The ninth example, in Mather’s accounts from Boston, 1688, we see the horrifying transformation of the Goodwin children into vessels of demonic torment. These four innocents were twisted by fits, their bodies betraying them, their minds filled with visions of torture. They were thrown about, seemingly by unseen hands, their cries for money, a twisted echo of greed manipulated by the infernal.

Mather describes scenes where their limbs were contorted, their tongues pulled, and their voices silenced by the very mention of God or prayer. The children experienced a synchronized torment, each feeling the same pain in the same place at the same time, despite being physically separated. Their tormentor, an Irish woman named Glover, was executed. But the children’s afflictions continued, suggesting a deeper conspiracy of evil. Their deliverance, as chronicled by Mather, came through intense prayer and fasting, a testament to the power of faith over the dark arts. The ordeal ended only after multiple days of spiritual warfare, showing that divine intervention is the only true counter to the Devil’s machinations.

The tenth example, the haunting voyage of the Margaret from Mather’s detailed logs. We learn of the ship Margaret’s voyage from Boston in 1695, which turned into a maritime nightmare. Here, the Devil seemed to take the helm, as one of the sailors, Windlock Curtis, was tormented by a spirit accusing him of crimes he hadn’t committed. His mind and body were racked by unseen forces, his sanity slipping into madness as he was pushed to sign his soul away to the Devil. The ship itself became a floating purgatory, with crew members disappearing under mysterious circumstances, objects moving or being destroyed by invisible hands, and even food turning inedible, as if cursed.

Mather notes how the very sea seemed to conspire with the dark powers, with waves and currents acting in unnatural ways. This was not just a bad voyage, it was a journey through the Devil’s dominion, where the elements themselves seemed to be in league with the dark forces at play. These accounts are not just old wives’ tales, they are a stark reminder of the spiritual reality we live with. They’re a call to arms, to vigilance, and to faith. The Devil’s not just in the details, he’s in the very fabric of our history trying to tear it apart.

I want to thank you all for watching, and until next time, God bless you all. [tr:trw].