--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In that treatise Mather wrote his famous…" description: "\"“In that treatise Mather wrote his famous formulation: It were better that Ten Suspected Witches should escape, than that one Innocent Person should be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/john-e-douglas-17408_innocent-person_in-that-treatise-mather-wrote-his-famous_2808489.jpg" --- # In that treatise Mather wrote his famous formulation: It… ![“In that treatise Mather wrote his famous formulation: It were better that Ten Suspected Witches should escape, than that one Innocent Person should be Condemned. That sentiment, of course, evolved into the moral underpinning of our modern system of justice. It” quote by John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/john-e-douglas-17408_innocent-person_in-that-treatise-mather-wrote-his-famous_2808489.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/john-e-douglas-17408_innocent-person_in-that-treatise-mather-wrote-his-famous_2808489.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/john-e-douglas-17408_innocent-person_in-that-treatise-mather-wrote-his-famous_2808489.jpg) > ““In that treatise Mather wrote his famous formulation: It were better that Ten Suspected Witches should escape, than that one Innocent Person should be Condemned. That sentiment, of course, evolved into the moral underpinning of our modern system of justice. It”” [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mather argued it’s better to let suspected witches go than to condemn an innocent, a view that shaped modern justice. **In simple terms:** Protecting the innocent outweighs punishing the guilty. Key Takeaway Prioritize safeguarding the innocent. Themes justice ethics historical law Mood serious thoughtful Type legal ethical When to use this quote - courtrooms - policy making - law enforcement - public debate Key Concepts legal philosophy human rights Questions to Reflect On - How do we avoid wrongful convictions? - What safeguards are essential? A Different Perspective Balancing safety and liberty is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Condemned Sentiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condemned-sentiment-3502682/) [Evolved Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolved-moral-3502681/) [Innocent person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent-person/) [Mather Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mather-wrote-3502679/) [Moral Underpinning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-underpinning-3146278/) [Treatise Mather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treatise-mather-3502680/) ## Related quotes > [There is a moral underpinning to economics. And the kinds of questions that it asks and the kinds of solutions it proposes do seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/there-is-a-moral-underpinning-to-economics-and-the-kinds-of-questions/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [Economics evolved as a more moral and more egalitarian approach to policy than prevailed in its surrounding milieu. Let's cherish and extend that heritage.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/economics-evolved-as-a-more-moral-and-more-egalitarian-approach-to/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [I don't believe that we evolved moral psychology; it just doesn't seem plausible to me as a biological phenomenon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/i-don-t-believe-that-we-evolved-moral-psychology-it-just-doesn-t-seem/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [The grand jury process is secretive for a reason, to protect the safety and anonymity of all the grand jurors, witnesses, and innocent persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-cameron/the-grand-jury-process-is-secretive-for-a-reason-to-protect-the/) [Daniel Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-cameron/) > [“That was the cold equation. How many lives is one person, even a totally innocent person, going to be worth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/that-was-the-cold-equation-how-many-lives-is-one-person-even-a/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [In our criminal justice system, we say it's better for 10 guilty people to go free than for even one innocent person to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/in-our-criminal-justice-system-we-say-it-s-better-for-10-guilty/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Judy Miller is the most innocent person in this case. I really thought that was outrageous that she was jailed and we needed as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/judy-miller-is-the-most-innocent-person-in-this-case-i-really-thought/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [I believe we are still so innocent. The species are still so innocent that a person who is apt to be murdered believes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-believe-we-are-still-so-innocent-the-species-are-still-so-innocent/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Courts across the country had long approved the use of deception and trickery by police in an interview setting with a suspect, holding that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/courts-across-the-country-had-long-approved-the-use-of-deception-and/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [But I know human nature, my friend, and I tell you that, suddenly confronted with the possibility of being tried for murder, the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/but-i-know-human-nature-my-friend-and-i-tell-you-that-suddenly/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [I look back at myself, this innocent person, and I think, 'Gosh, she's okay.' I handled a lot, and I'm still here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-shields/i-look-back-at-myself-this-innocent-person-and-i-think-gosh-she-s/) [Brooke Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-shields/) > [Patriotism has served, at different times, as widely different ends as a razor, which ought to be used in keeping your face clean and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-montague/patriotism-has-served-at-different-times-as-widely-different-ends-as/) [Charles Edward Montague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-montague/) > [“In contrast, innocent persons expect to expel the sassywood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-t-leeson/in-contrast-innocent-persons-expect-to-expel-the-sassywood/) [Peter T. Leeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-t-leeson/) > [The only things that I can tell you is that every case I have reviewed I have been comfortable with the innocence or guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-only-things-that-i-can-tell-you-is-that-every-case-i-have/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) ## More by John E. Douglas > [“Serial murder may, in fact, be a much older phenomenon than we realize. The stories and legends that have filtered down about witches and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/serial-murder-may-in-fact-be-a-much-older-phenomenon-than-we-realize/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Manipulation. Domination. Control. These are the three watchwords of violent serial offenders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/manipulation-domination-control-these-are-the-three-watchwords-of/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“One of the first things every trainee is taught is that an FBI agent only shoots to kill. The thinking that went into this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/one-of-the-first-things-every-trainee-is-taught-is-that-an-fbi-agent/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Traditionally, most murders and violent crimes were relatively easy for law enforcement officials to comprehend. They resulted from critically exaggerated manifestations of feelings we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/traditionally-most-murders-and-violent-crimes-were-relatively-easy/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“It all comes down to this: Whenever theory supersedes evidence, and prejudice deposes rationalism, there can be no real justice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/it-all-comes-down-to-this-whenever-theory-supersedes-evidence-and/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“of Edgar Allan Poe’s 1841 classic “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” may have been history’s first behavioral profiler.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/of-edgar-allan-poe-s-1841-classic-the-murders-in-the-rue-morgue-may/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“from the Adairsville PD. What you’ve got to do is imply that you understand the subject, understand what was going through his mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/from-the-adairsville-pd-what-you-ve-got-to-do-is-imply-that-you/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“I knew the way these guys operated; I'd seen it over and over again. They had a need to manipulate and dominate their prey.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/i-knew-the-way-these-guys-operated-i-d-seen-it-over-and-over-again/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“By studying as many crimes as we could, and through talking to the experts—the perpetrators themselves—we have learned to interpret those clues in much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/by-studying-as-many-crimes-as-we-could-and-through-talking-to-the/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“So much of what a law enforcement officer does is difficult to share with anyone, even a spouse. When you spend your days looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/so-much-of-what-a-law-enforcement-officer-does-is-difficult-to-share/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Even though their crimes were completely different, the one thing the maladjusted genius Ted Kaczynski and the sadistic but banal underachiever Dennis Rader shared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/even-though-their-crimes-were-completely-different-the-one-thing-the/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“If a bank robber tapes over the lens of a surveillance camera, that’s MO. If he feels a need to tear his clothes off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/if-a-bank-robber-tapes-over-the-lens-of-a-surveillance-camera-that-s/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“I've come out many times publicly in support of the death penalty. I've stated that I'd be more than willing personally to pull the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/i-ve-come-out-many-times-publicly-in-support-of-the-death-penalty-i/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“The problem with offering up the top guy, in addition to encouraging other desperate little people to try the same thing, is that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/the-problem-with-offering-up-the-top-guy-in-addition-to-encouraging/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Behavior reflects personality. The best indicator of future violence is past violence. To understand the "artist," you must study his "art." The crime must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/behavior-reflects-personality-the-best-indicator-of-future-violence/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) [Explore all 37 John E. Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) ## More Innocent person quotes > [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) > [The only things that I can tell you is that every case I have reviewed I have been comfortable with the innocence or guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-only-things-that-i-can-tell-you-is-that-every-case-i-have/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“In contrast, innocent persons expect to expel the sassywood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-t-leeson/in-contrast-innocent-persons-expect-to-expel-the-sassywood/) [Peter T. Leeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-t-leeson/) > [Patriotism has served, at different times, as widely different ends as a razor, which ought to be used in keeping your face clean and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-montague/patriotism-has-served-at-different-times-as-widely-different-ends-as/) [Charles Edward Montague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-montague/) > [I look back at myself, this innocent person, and I think, 'Gosh, she's okay.' I handled a lot, and I'm still here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-shields/i-look-back-at-myself-this-innocent-person-and-i-think-gosh-she-s/) [Brooke Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-shields/) > [But I know human nature, my friend, and I tell you that, suddenly confronted with the possibility of being tried for murder, the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/but-i-know-human-nature-my-friend-and-i-tell-you-that-suddenly/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Courts across the country had long approved the use of deception and trickery by police in an interview setting with a suspect, holding that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/courts-across-the-country-had-long-approved-the-use-of-deception-and/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [I believe we are still so innocent. The species are still so innocent that a person who is apt to be murdered believes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-believe-we-are-still-so-innocent-the-species-are-still-so-innocent/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Judy Miller is the most innocent person in this case. I really thought that was outrageous that she was jailed and we needed as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/judy-miller-is-the-most-innocent-person-in-this-case-i-really-thought/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [In our criminal justice system, we say it's better for 10 guilty people to go free than for even one innocent person to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/in-our-criminal-justice-system-we-say-it-s-better-for-10-guilty/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [“That was the cold equation. How many lives is one person, even a totally innocent person, going to be worth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/that-was-the-cold-equation-how-many-lives-is-one-person-even-a/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The grand jury process is secretive for a reason, to protect the safety and anonymity of all the grand jurors, witnesses, and innocent persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-cameron/the-grand-jury-process-is-secretive-for-a-reason-to-protect-the/) [Daniel Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-cameron/) > [The English Writers of Tragedy are possessed with a Notion, that when they represent a virtuous or innocent Person in Distress, they ought not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/the-english-writers-of-tragedy-are-possessed-with-a-notion-that-when/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [For my job, I act tough. I'm not tough. On the street, I don't go out beating people up and this and that. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/for-my-job-i-act-tough-i-m-not-tough-on-the-street-i-don-t-go-out/) [Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/) > [I'll tell you that when an innocent person is killed, we never go about asking or inquiring whether they were Jewish or Christian or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-rouhani/i-ll-tell-you-that-when-an-innocent-person-is-killed-we-never-go/) [Hassan Rouhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-rouhani/) [Browse all 54 Innocent person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent-person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In that treatise Mather wrote his famous formulation: It were better that Ten Suspected Witches should escape, than that one Innocent Person should be Condemned. That sentiment, of course, evolved into the moral underpinning of our modern system of justice. 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