Bounds, yet they were constant Hearers, and therefore it was meet to have their Help." "In fine, after much Agitation here, it was agreed on my Part and theirs, that such out Persons had Liberty to please themselves, in paying to the Minister or the meeting House. And so I left them, fully acquiescing with my aforesaid Conditions, not doubting but that they had truly entered it on the Records, as I took for granted, nor heard any Thing otherwise, till after my Ordination a good while, in another public Meeting of the Village; when another Vote, recorded and read, vastly different from the Agreement, as above said--which I then openly did, and still must deny, to be any Contract of mine." We have now presented Mr. Parris's Account, of the Transactions between himself and the People of Salem Village, in regard to his Settlement. This was drawn up by him, and used upon his Trial before the Court of Common Pleas at Ipswich in 1696-7. We have been thus particular in Relation to the Settlement of Mr. Parris at Salem Village, it being one of the Causes, which led to the most bitter parochial Quarrel, that ever existed in New-England, and in the Opinion of some Persons, was the chief or primary Cause of that world-wide famous Delusion, the Salem Witchcraft. Salem Village, since embraced in the Parish of Rev. Dr. Milton P. Braman, in Danvers, Massachusetts, was, on the 19th of November, 1689 (when the Rev. Samuel Parris entered upon his Duties there as a Pastor and Teacher,) a small Hamlet or Village, inhabited principally by Farmers, but embracing within its Limits, much adjoining Territory, extending its Lines to Wills Hill, now Middleton, there being many Families who attended Worship at Salem Village. The number of rateable Polls in the Parish was 100. It appears, from the Records, that Mr. Parris presented to his Church, upon his Settlement, a new Covenant and Form of Admission for its Members, together with the Question, who were the proper Subjects of Baptism? These caused some Debate in the Church, but none opposed the final Action upon them. Some singular and unusual Cases of Discipline came before them, but they appeared to have been disposed of peaceably. It was not until the 8th of October, 1691, that we discover any unfriendly feeling, existing between Mr. Parris and his People. It was on that Day, he says in his Church Records,--"Being my Lecture Day after public Service was ended, I was so bare of Fire Wood, that I was forced publicly to desire the Inhabitants to take Care that I might be provided for, telling them, had it not been for Mr. Corwin (who had brought Wood, being here at my House), I should hardly have had any to burn." Upon the Pastor's informing the Church of his Destitution of Fire Wood, the Brethren raised a Committee, who were instructed to see the Town Committee, and desire them to make a Rate for the Minister. The Committee on Rates met November 10th, 1691,