GO 



Mr. Parris appears to have been nettled with the last recom- 

 mendation of the council for him to leave his parish, and says, 

 in the church records, under his own hand, that the paper (in 

 ansAver to the instrument and classical letter from Cambridge) 

 was brought by Deacon Putnam to the Elders, assembled at 

 ]3oston, 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 dale of May 20th, 1695, and 

 signed by 53 householders and 52 church members, all belong- 

 ing to Salem Village. In this letter, they say, that the remov- 

 ing 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 pre- 

 sent 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 Salera 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 wil- 

 ling 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 mo- 

 tion. 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 m,iich 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 

 ministery 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 resolv- 

 ed— G^oc/ helping against such a separation during our abili- 



