“’Brethren, you may all have taken notice, that, several sacrament days past, our brother Peter Cloyse, and Samuel Nurse and his wife, and John Tarbell and his wife, have absented from communion with us at the Lord’s Table, yea, have very rarely, except our brother Samuel Nurse, been with us in common public worship:  now, it is needful that the church send some persons to them to know the reason of their absence.  Therefore, if you be so minded, express yourselves.’

“None objected.  But a general or universal vote, after some discourse, passed, that Brother Nathaniel Putnam and the two deacons should join with the pastor to discourse with the said absenters about it.

“31st August.—­Brother Tarbell proves sick, unmeet for discourse; Brother Cloyse hard to be found at home, being often with his wife in prison at Ipswich for witchcraft; and Brother Nurse, and sometimes his wife, attends our public meeting, and he the sacrament, 11th September, 1692:  upon all which we choose to wait further.”

When it is remembered that the individuals aimed at all belonged to the family of Rebecca Nurse, whose execution had taken place three weeks before under circumstances with which Mr. Parris had been so prominently and responsibly connected, this proceeding must be felt by every person of ordinary human sensibilities to have been cruel, barbarous, and unnatural.  Parris made the entry in his book, as he often did, some time after the transaction, as the inserted date of Sept. 11, shows.  What his object was in commencing disciplinary treatment of this distressed family is not certain.  It may be that he was preparing to get up such a feeling against them as would make it safe to have the “afflicted” cry out upon some of them.  Or it may be that he wished to get them out of his church, to avoid the possibility of their proceeding against him, by ecclesiastical methods, at some future day.  He could not, however, bring his church to continue the process.  This is the first indication that the brethren were no longer to be relied on by him to go all lengths, and that some remnants of good feeling and good sense were to be found among them.

But Mr. Parris was determined not to allow the public feeling against persons charged with witchcraft to subside, if he could help it; and he made one more effort to renew the vehemence of the prosecutions.  He prepared and preached two sermons, on the 11th of September, from the text, Rev. xvii. 14:  “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:  for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful.”  They are entitled, “The Devil and his instruments will be warring against Christ and his followers.”  This note is added, “After the condemnation of six witches at a court at Salem, one of the witches, viz., Martha Corey, in full communion with our church.”  The following is a portion of “the improvement” in the application of these discourses:—­