The one incident that has forever marked the Puritans as incurably devilish is, ironically, their opposition to the devil in Salem. The Salem witch trials have become the epitome of Puritanism -- typical and symbolic of all that the Puritans were and did. Let me be quick to say that this incident was, in many ways, deplorable (as will be shown below). Godly men of that day and this have condemned it for the injustices allowed and excesses condoned. But it does serve again to illustrate the bias of unbelieving historians against Christianity in this country. This incident has become inseparably joined with Puritanism (if you say "puritan" they say "witch trials"). Strangely, one seldom hears of the "witch-hunting" frenzy that gripped Europe long before (and after) this incident in Massachusetts. The contrast between the two incidents is quite revealing.