On the 27th of March, 1693, the dissenting Brethren handed to the Pastor the following Document:—

"To our Pastor and Minister, Mr. Samuel Parris, of Salem Village, and to some others of the Plantation. We, whose Names are underwritten, being deeply sensible, that those uncomfortable Differences that are amongst us, are very dishonorable to God, and a Scandal to Religion, and very uncomfortable to ourselves, and an ill Example to those, who may come after us. And by our maintaining and upholding Differences, that are amongst us, we do but gratify the Devil, the great Adversary to our Souls. For the Removal of which we have thought meet to proffer our present Thoughts to your serious Consideration, hoping, that there may be such Methods propounded, as may be for the settling and confirming Peace and Unity amongst us, both at the Present and for the Future. And our Desires are, that such a Foundation may be laid for Peace and Truth, that the Gates of Hell may not prevail against it. And in Order thereunto, Solomon adviseth Counsel; and our Desires are, that a Council of Elders may be chosen, to hear all our Grievances between Mr. Parris and us, and determine where the blameable Cause is. And we hope, that their Wisdom and Prudence may direct us to such a Method, as may be for our Comfort for both Present and Future."

Much Time was spent by the Committee of the Church, in endeavoring to obtain Satisfaction from the dissenting Brethren, while the Latter 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, the dissenting Brethren gave their Reasons for withdrawing from the Ministry at the Village. They are the following.[196]

After the Pastor had read the Charges against him, he brought forward his "Meditations for Peace." This Paper, having been considered at the Time as an Acknowledgment of his Mistakes in the Witchcraft Delusion, we have given it entire. It is as follows.[197]

Notwithstanding the discontented Brethren continued to press the Acceptance of their Petition, for a mutual Council. Parris refused to notice it, and says, "I put it up in my Pocket, and told them I would consider it." It appears, by the Records, that the Acknowledgment of Mr. Parris was first read before the Church, November, 18, 1694, in the Presence of the dissenting Brethren, when Tarbell remarked, that if the Pastor had formerly made but half the Acknowledgment he now had, it had never come to this. It would seem that the Acknowledgment of the Pastor was not satisfactory to the Brethren, and they continued to persist in the calling of a Council. In the Meantime, Parris brought sundry Objections, as he called them, against Tarbell and his Friends, which were read before the Church, November 13th. These Objections, were as follows:—"Their precipitant, schismatical and total withdrawing from the Church; Their bringing forward a factious Libel to the Pastor, consisting of Calumnies, or Reflections on said Minister, and others of the Plantation; their impetuous Pursuit of the Minister at his House, for Answer to said Libel to his great Disquietude; there restless Pursuit of the Minister, on the 14th of April, 1693, for an Answer to said Libel; their persisting with great Heat, that their Charge might be read, yea loudly and fiercely before the whole Brotherhood, clamouring against the Church, and their publishing under their own Hands, in divers Places of the Country, sundry Obloquies against the Church; their ensnaring several to join them in a Petition to his Excellency and General Court, scandalizing the Church and Minister, as unpeaceable with their Neighbors; their withdrawing their Purses, as well as their Persons from upholding the Lord's Table, and the Ministry; their gross Mistake in their Letter to the Church at Malden, wherein they profess so much Dissatisfaction with the Doctrine, Practice and Administration of their Pastor, for above a Year, before the Date of said Letter, as that they were forced to withdraw from all public Worship; whereas it is most notorious, that they were not wanting as to a Profession of much Respect to their Pastor, all along before, yea, and a considerable while after the breaking out of the late horrid Witchcraft." These are some of the Charges brought against the three Brethren by Parris, and he informs us, "as soon as the public Reading of these Articles was ended, Brother Thomas Wilkins, in a scoffing and contemptuous Way, said openly, 'this is a large Epistle.'" It would seem by the Records, that the dissenting Brethren continued to make strenuous Efforts to bring Parris before a Council, which was at last recommended by the Pastors of the Churches in the Neighborhood, when Parris in his last Attempt to evade it, proposed to give the discontented Brethren, a Dismission to some other orthodox Church, to which Tarbell replied, "Aye, if we could find a Way to remove our Living too." After a Delay of more than two Years, the Church consented to call a Council, who met at the Village, April 3d, 1695. Dr. Increase Mather was chosen Moderator, and offered the following Report, which was accepted by the Council, and presented to the Church:—1st, They unanimously declared that "we judge that altho' in the late and dark Time of the Confusions, wherein Satan had obtained a more than ordinary Liberty to sift this Plantation, there were sundry unwarrantable and uncomfortable Steps taken, by Mr. Samuel Parris, the Pastor of the Church in Salem Village, then under the hurrying Distractions of amazing Afflictions; yet the said Mr. Parris, by the good Hand of God, brought unto a better Sense of Things, hath so fully expressed it, that a Christian Charity may, and should, receive Satisfaction therewith. 2, They advised the dissenting Brethren to accept the Satisfaction, which he had tendered in his Christian Acknowledgment of the Errors therein committed, and in case Mr. Parris finds after all, that he can not with any Comfort and Service, continue in his present Station, his Removal from thence, will not expose him to any hard Character with us. Having observed that there is, in Salem Village, a Spirit full of Contention and Animosity, too sadly verifying the Blemish, which hath heretofore lain upon them; and that some Complaints against Mr. Parris have been either causeless or groundless, or unduly aggravated, we do, in the Name and Fear of the Lord, solemnly warn them to consider whether, if they continue to devoure one another, it will not be Bitterness in the latter End."

The Recommendation of the Council appears to have been satisfactory to the Friends of Mr. Parris and the Pastor was resolved to continue in the Ministry. At the same Time, the Report of the Council was unsatisfactory to those Persons opposed to Mr. Parris, as it did not recommend his Dismission; accordingly, on the 3d Day of May, 1695, a Paper, signed by 16 young Men, 52 Householders and 18 Church Members, was handed to the Rev. Elders, composing the late Council at the Village, requesting them to give Parris's Case a rehearing, and more plainly advise the Pastor to cease his Labors, and seek to dispose himself elsewhere, &c. On the 6th of May, 1695, in Answer to the Opponents of Mr. Parris, the Council sent a Letter to the Pastor, informing him of the Extent of the Opposition to his Ministry, and advising him to come away from his present Station, and unite in calling another Minister, and forgiving and forgetting all former Grievances.

Mr. Parris appears to have been nettled with the last Recommendation of the Council for him to leave his Parish, and says, in the Church Records, under his own Hand, that the Paper (in Answer to the Instrument and classical Letter from Cambridge) was brought by Deacon Putnam to the Elders, assembled at Boston, at Mr. Willard's, May 29th, 1695, being the Day of Election after Dinner, when was assembled the Body of Elders, belonging to this Province. This Paper was addressed to the Rev. Mr. Increase Mather and others of the Rev. Elders, which lately met at Cambridge, under Date of May 20th, 1695, and signed by 53 Householders and 52 Church members, all belonging to Salem Village. In this Letter, they say, that the Removing of Mr. Parris from his present Station will not unite us in calling another Minister. That they justly fear, should he be removed, they would be left, as a Sheep, without a Shepherd. Therefore they desire, that Mr. Parris may continue in his present Station.

The Council appear to have been at last fully satisfied that Mr. Parris should leave Salem Village, and they therefore procured a Parish for him in Suffield, and sent two Messengers from that Church, to persuade the Church at Salem Village to dismiss their Pastor. Parris informs us, in his Church Records, that at a Meeting of the Church, held at his House, June 3d, 1695, he acquainted the Brethren, that here were two Messengers from Suffield, who were looking out for a Minister, and by the Desire of some Elders in Boston, made application to him, and was willing to go with them, if the Brethren pleased, and in his Absence for a few Months, they might try if they could (with others who now dissented,) unite in some other Minister. But, after several Hours debate, both with the Brethren, and some other Christian Neighbors, they all declared an Averseness to his Motion. Thereupon thanking them for their professed Love to him, he told them, he was not free to go, without their Consent, and seeing they would not let him go, he prayed for them to keep him, and make much of him. The same Day, June 3d, 1695, the Church sent the following decisive Letter to Rev. Increase and Cotton Mather, saying, "we cannot fault ye Intendment of our Brethren Sergent David Winchell, and Corporal Victory Sikes, Messengers from Suffield, sent by yourselves to obtain the Ministry of our Pastor if we were so minded, as to part with him. But upon maturing together, this Day both of Church and others, to consult that Affair, do hereby signify at the Desire of the above Suffield Messengers, with unanimous Agreement, not one excepted—(save the Four known Dissenters) we are resolved—God helping against such a Separation during our ability to prevent it. And our Pastor tho' otherwise inclined, yet as unwilling to leave so many of his Flock, as testify so strong Affections towards him. So earnestly requesting the constant Helps of your Prayers, and as much otherwise as you can, we rest, worthy and much esteemed Sirs, your needy Brethren.

Samuel Parris, Pastor,

in the Name of the Church and other Christian Neighbors.