P. III. The Differences between the Inhabitants of _Salem_ Village, and Mr. _Parris_ their Minister, in _New-England_. P. IV. Letters of a Gentleman uninterested, Endeavouring to prove the received Opinions about Witchcraft to be Orthodox. With short Essays to their Answers. P. V. A short Historical Accout of Matters of Fact in that Affair. To which is added, A Postscript relating to a Book intitled, _The Life of Sir_ +WILLIAM PHIPS+. Collected by _Robert Calef_, Merchant, of _Boston_ in _New-England_. Licensed and Entred according to Order. _LONDON:_ Printed for _Nath. Hillar_, at the _Princes-Arms_, in _Leaden-Hall-street_, over against St. _Mary-Ax_, and _Joseph Collyer_, at the _Golden-Bible_ on _London-Bridge_. 1700. [Illustration] [1] The Epistle to the READER. And more especially to the Noble _Bereans_[4] of this _Age_, wherever Residing. Gentlemen, _YOU that are freed from the Slauery of a corrupt Education; and that in spite of human Precepts, Examples and Precsidents, can hearken to the Dictates of Scripture and Reason:_ _For your sakes I am content, that these Collections of mine, as also my Sentiments should be exposed to publick view; In hopes that having well considered, and compared them with Scripture, you will see reason, as I do, to question a belief so prevalent (as that here treated of) as also the practice flowing from thence; they standing as nearly connext as cause and effect; it being found wholly impracticable, to extirpate the latter without first curing the former._ _And if the Buffoon or Satyrical will be exercising their Talents, or if the Bigots wilfully and blindly reject the Testimonies of their own Reason, and more sure word, it is no more than what I expected from them._ _But you Gentlemen, I doubt not are willing to Distinguish between Truth and Error, and if this may be any furtherance to you herein, I shall not miss my Aim._ _But if you find the contrary, and that my belief herein is any way Heterodox, I shall be thankful for the Information to any Learned or Reverend Person, or others, that shall take that pains to inform me better by Scripture, or sound Reason, which is what I have been long seeking for in this Country_ in vain.[5] _In a time when not only_ England _in particular, but almost all_ Europe _had been labouring against the Usurpations of Tyranny and Slavery. The_ English, America _has not been behind in a share in the Common calamities; more especially_ New-England, _has met not only with such calamities as are common to the rest, but with several aggravations enhansing such Afflictions, by the Devastations and Cruelties of the Barbarous_ Indians _in their Eastern borders, &c._ _But this is not all, they have been harrast (on many accounts) by a more dreadful Enemy, as will herein appear to the considerate._