The American Witch Trials P3

Last week I spoke about the American Witch trials being brought to a close by the Rev. Wise, the Rev. Mather and Thomas Brattle. Pointing out that the rules of evidence and due process set forth in the Bible were not being followed in the courts, thus convincing civil officials to end those trials.

What are some of those Biblical policies for achieving justice? One answer comes from modern Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Although one of the most secular-minded Justices in the Supreme Court history, he nonetheless openly acknowledged that “The right of an accused to meet his accusers face-to-face is mentioned in, among other things, the Bible.” Breyer cites Federal Practices and Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, which devotes more than 20 pages to the ways the Bible directly shaped several of the due process protections that became incorporated into the federal Bill of Rights. 

In many European countries at that time, due process rights ranged from non-existent to far behind those of New England. 

Content sourced from The American Story, The Beginnings by Dave Barton & Tim Barton