t break away from the fact that
the sacred Scriptures explicitly recognise witchcraft and demoniacal
possession as realities, and enjoin against witchcraft the penalty
of death. Therefore it was that in 1689 he published his Memorable
Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions. The book, according
to its title-page, was "recommended by the Ministers of Boston and
Charleston," and its stories soon became the familiar reading of men,
women, and children throughout New England.

Out of all these causes thus brought to bear upon public opinion
began in 1692 a new outbreak of possession, which is one of the most
instructive in history. The Rev. Samuel Parris was the minister of
the church in Salem, and no pope ever had higher ideas of his own
infallibility, no bishop a greater love of ceremony, no inquisitor a
greater passion for prying and spying.(397)

(397) For curious examples of this, see Upham's History of Salem
Witchcraft, vol. i.

Before long Mr. Parris had much upon his hands. Many of his hardy,
independent parishioners disliked his ways. Quarrels arose. Some of the
leading men of the congregation were pitted against him. The previous
minister, George Burroughs, had left the germs of troubles and
quarrels, and to these were now added new complications arising from the
assumptions of Parris. There were innumerable wranglings and lawsuits;
in fact, all the essential causes for Satanic interference which we saw
at work in and about the monastery at Loudun, and especially the turmoil
of a petty village where there is no intellectual activity, and
where men and women find their chief substitute for it in squabbles,
religious, legal, political, social, and personal.

In the darkened atmosphere thus charged with the germs of disease it
was suddenly discovered that two young girls in the family of Mr. Parris
were possessed of devils: they complained of being pinched, pricked,
and cut, fell into strange spasms and made strange speeches--showing the
signs of diabolic possession handed down in fireside legends or dwelt
upon in popular witch literature--and especially such as had lately been
described by Cotton Mather in his book on Memorable Providences. The
two girls, having been brought by Mr. Parris and others to tell who
had bewitched them, first charged an old Indian woman, and the poor old
Indian husband was led to join in the charge. This at once afforded
new scope for the activity of Mr. Parris. M