58 



aminations 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 Eastj, 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 bring- 

 ing him before a council to answer for his conduct in the Witch- 

 craft 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 discon- 

 tented 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 Au- 

 gust, 1692, caused the church to be stayed, and entered a com- 

 plaint against Samuel Nurse and wife, John Tarbell and wife, 

 and Peter Cloyce, for absenting themselves from the communion. 

 This complaint was entertained by the church, and brother 

 Nathaniel Putnam, and the two deacons were chosen to be join- 

 ed with the pastor to discourse with the absentees. Much time 

 was spent by this committee, in endeavoring to obtain satisfac- 

 tion 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 dissent- 

 ing brethren gave their reasons for withdrawing from the com- 

 munion. 



" Whereas we, Thomas Williams, and John Tarbell, and Sam- 

 uel 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 de- 



