We are among those who believe Mr. Parris was honest in his Belief in Witchcraft, and that he was not moved in this Affair by personal Malice, or the Desire to promote the Cause of Religion in his Parish, as has been supposed by the Author of the History of Danvers. We have not as yet, found a Particle of Evidence, that he entertained ill Will against those who were accused and executed.
Mr. Parris, in common with his ministerial Brethren, appears to have come, after the Confession of Tituba, to the full Conclusion, that Witchcraft had broken out in his Parish, and that the Devil had commenced his Operations in his own Family; and as a faithful Pastor, he should not hesitate, for a Moment, to grapple with the Enemy.
It was in this Point of View, that we discover the Courage of the People of Salem Village, who were engaged in opposing what they considered the Machinations of the Devil—they supposing that he was the Cause, operating through the Agency of Witches, of all the Torture and Misery they beheld, and that, by their Opposition, they were liable also to suffer from his Malignancy. They believed, also, that the Devil was about to establish an Agency, or Kingdom in New England; and had actually commenced Operations in Salem Village. This, Cotton Mather, Parris, and others, were determined should not be done, at least if they could help it. There was some very singular Evidence given at the Courts on this Point. Ann Foster, of Andover, a confessing Witch, testified at her Examination, July 21, 1692, "that she was at a Witch Meeting at the Village, where there was a large Number of Witches present, and that the principal Discourse at this Gathering, was in regard to the setting up of the Devil's Kingdom at the Village, and making it their Rendezvous!" And another confessing Witch testified, at a subsequent Meeting, that they had, by an unanimous Vote, concluded to set up the Devil's Kingdom at Salem Village—it being thought, all Things considered, the most suitable Place to begin the Enterprise, and, by so doing, they were in Hopes it would spread over New England. This was solemnly and religiously believed by many, and it required Courage and Pluck to stand up and resist the Designs of a powerful, malicious Being, capable, as they supposed, of tormenting them in various Ways, destroying their Cattle, &c.
Parris appears to have been very desirous of preventing his Daughter, Elizabeth, from participating in the Excitement at the Village. She was sent by her Father, at the Commencement of the Delusion, to reside at Salem with Capt. Stephen Sewall. While there, the Captain and his Wife were much discouraged in effecting a Cure, as she continued to have sore Fits. Elizabeth said that the great black Man, came to her, and told her, if she would be ruled by him, she should have whatsoever she desired, and go to a Golden City. She related this to Mrs. Sewall, who immediately told the Child it was the Devil, and he was a Liar, and bid her tell him so if he came to her again; which she did accordingly the next Time the black Man came to her. The Devil, it would seem, unaccustomed, in those Days, to experience such Resistance, and utterly astonished at the cool Impudence of Betsy Parris, never troubled her afterwards; and,—although this Girl was one of the first Originators of the Witchcraft Delusion, in connection with her Cousin Abigail Williams,—she appears to have had, afterwards, but little to do with Witchcraft. This arose in Consequence of following the sage Advice of Mrs. Sewall, in getting rid of the Devil; or, what was more probable, in her Father taking her from the weekly Circle of accusing and bewitching Girls, and placing her in a very respectable Family in Salem.
It has been said that Parris had a Rival in Rev. George Burroughs, who had Friends in Salem Village, desirous of his Settlement; and that that was a sufficient Reason why Parris should appear at the Courts against him. We have never seen any Proof of this Rivalship between these Clergymen. It is difficult now to ascertain the Cause of the Arrest of Burroughs who was preaching at Wells, at the Time, in his Pulpit. The Girl who accused him of bewitching her, was Mercy Lewis, who was then living with Thomas Putnam. She formerly lived with Burroughs, when he preached at the Village; and, upon one or more Occasions, he whipped her severely. This we suspect was the true Cause of her crying out against him.
It had been said that Rebecca Nurse was an Object of special Hatred to Parris; but this we have failed to discover. We cannot imagine the Cause of the alleged Complaint of Witchcraft against Rebecca Nurse. She appears to have been an amiable and exemplary Woman, and well educated for the Times in which she lived. We suspect, from an Examination of the Charges brought against her at the Courts, that she had several Times severely rebuked the accusing Girls for their Folly and Wickedness, when meeting in their Circles. In this Way, she probably incurred the Displeasure of Ann Putnam and her Mother—her principal Accusers. Mr. Parris has often been accused of being over Officious, and a swift Witness against the Accused at the Courts. Parris could not be said to have been a chief Witness in the Prosecutions, although he may be said to have been a frequent corroborating Witness with his Neighbors. The chief Witnesses were the accusing Girls, as they were called. At the preliminary Examinations before the Magistrates, Parris and others were required to be present when the Depositions were taken down, as related by the Girls, and afterwards made use of at the Trials before the Courts.
These being given in and related by Children, and young Persons, the Court required an Endorsement from some older Persons, who witnessed their supposed Afflictions, and could attest to their Depositions. It is in this Way Mr. Parris's Name, as well as his Neighbors, frequently appear in the Court Documents. Parris appears to have been frequently at the Examinations of those accused of Witchcraft, and put Questions to those on Trial. He also acted as a Recorder to the Magistrates more frequently than others. The Reason for his being often employed by the Courts was simply because he was requested to do so, and was discovered to be well qualified for that Purpose. We have seen the Records of several Persons thus employed, and should say Parris's was the Best. It was his Practice to take down the Examinations in short Hand,—he being a good Stenographer,—and then write them out in full, in a plain, legible Hand.
We have not been able to discover the Cause of the alleged Complaint of Witchcraft, against those three excellent Women, viz: Rebecca Nurse, Mary Easty, and Sarah Cloyce. They were Sisters, of a good Education, and fair Reputation. It is not to be denied, that the Part Parris took in the Trials of these Women, was the chief Cause of the Opposition towards him, and led at last to his Dismission from the People at the Village. His principal Opposers were the Relatives of these three unfortunate Sisters. Samuel Nurse, a Son of Rebecca Nurse, John Tarbell, who had married her Daughter, and Peter Cloyce, who had married Sarah Cloyce. These three Persons, together with one Thomas Williams, after the Execution of Rebecca Nurse and Mary Easty, and the Imprisonment of Sarah Cloyce, became much dissatisfied with Parris, and sought Advice of the Elders in some of the neighboring Churches, as to the best Mode of bringing him before a Council to answer for his Conduct in the Witchcraft Delusion. They were Members of the Village Church, and had for some Time neglected Public Worship on the Sabbath, and absented themselves from the Communion. While these discontented Brethren were considering what Course to pursue against their Pastor, Parris, either in order to divert their Proceedings from himself, or to administer Discipline, on the 14th of August, 1692, caused the Church to be stayed, and entered a Complaint against Samuel Nurse and Wife, John Tarbell and Wife, and Peter Cloyce, for absenting themselves from the Communion. This Complaint was entered by the Church, and Brother Nathaniel Putnam, and the two Deacons were chosen to be joined with the Pastor to discourse with the Absentees. Much Time was spent by this Committee, in endeavoring to obtain Satisfaction from the offending Brethren;—while on the other Hand, they were striving by all the Means in their Power, to bring Parris before a Council. At last, on the 16th of February, 1693, at a Meeting of the Committee of the Church, the Dissenting Brethren gave their Reasons for withdrawing from the Communion.
"Whereas we, Thomas Williams, and John Tarbell, and Samuel Nurse, having a long Time gone under the Burden of great Grievances, by Reason of some unwarrantable Actings of Mr. Parris, as we esteem them, and were proceeding in an orderly Way, to obtain Satisfaction from him, and had taken some Steps thereunto, according to the Advice of some neighboring Elders. But obstructive to our Proceedings therein, Mr. Parris and some Brethren of the Church, were appointed by the Church, to demand a Reason of us, of our withdrawing from Communion. The Regularity of which Proceeding, we do not understand, because in this Case, we esteem ourselves to be Plaintiffs and Parties offended, and in an orderly Way, seeking Satisfaction, tho' hitherto denied. Our Answer to the Church is, that we esteem ourselves hereby prevented in our Duty, which we account a Grievance, seeing we were first in Prosecution of the Rule of our Lord Jesus Christ, laid down in Mathew 18 C., 15, 16 vs. Wherefore, if the Church give us the Liberty and Freedom of attending our Duty, as according to Rule bound, possibly then further Trouble may be prevented, or otherwise, the Case will necessarily and regularly come before them. But if they deny us the Request, we shall, as in Duty bound, give the Reasons of our Proceedings to the Church, or any others, when orderly demanded."
Parris says, in the Records of the Church, "that these displeased Brethren were told in Reply to their Communication, that they did ill to reflect on the Church, who, as also the Pastor, were ignorant of their Methods, and that they should have spoken with the Pastor himself, before they went to consult neighboring Elders. But to this Last they pleaded Ignorance. So we gave Way to their Request of proceeding orderly."