Editing Spectral evidence (section)

===Internal division===
The first to be tried by the court was [[Bridget Bishop]], who was found guilty and executed. At this point, however, a debate arose among the judges. Contrary to Mather's advice, spectral evidence had played a large part in securing Bishop's conviction, and this raised questions about the methods of the court.{{sfn|Le Beau|1998|pages=163–164}} Formal advice was requested from the ministry, and twelve ministers of the [[Boston]] area (including [[Increase Mather]]) drew up a document entitled "The Return of the Several Ministers Consulted". Once again, caution was advised:{{sfn|Mather|1693|page=45}}

{{quote|Presumptions whereupon persons may be committed, and, much more, convictions whereupon persons may be condemned as guilty of witchcrafts, ought certainly to be more considerable than barely the accused person's being represented by a specter unto the afflicted; inasmuch as it is an undoubted and notorious thing, that a demon may, by God's permission, appear, even to ill purposes, in the shape of an innocent, yea, and a virtuous man.}}

It was even suggested that a more critical approach to spectral testimonies might give "some remarkable affronts" to the devils responsible for them, and "put a period" to the troubles at Salem. On the other hand, the document closed by recommending "the speedy and vigorous prosecution" of those who had "rendered themselves obnoxious" to the laws of God and man.{{sfn|Mather|1693|page=45}} As a result, the overall message was equivocal. [[Robert Calef]], a contemporary critic of the trials, called the document "perfectly ambidexter, giving as great or greater encouragement to proceed in those dark methods, than cautions against them".{{sfn|Calef|1873|page=303}}{{sfn|Norton|2002|page=215}} The presiding judge, [[William Stoughton (judge)|William Stoughton]], read into it only an endorsement of the previous proceedings of the court, and the other judges followed his lead – the only dissenter being [[Nathaniel Saltonstall]], who resigned.{{sfn|Le Beau|1998|page=165}}