To Capt John putnam: Mr Joseph Hutchinson &ct

To be comunicated to the Rest of the Inhabitants of Salem village Loveing Bretheren friends and Neighbors: upon serious consideration of: and Mature Deliberation upon what hath ben offered to us About your calling and transacting In ordor to the settleing and ordaining The Revernd Mr: Deodate Lawson: and the grievances offred by some to obstruct and Impede that proceeding: our sense of the Matter is first

[39] 1. That the affair of calling and transacting in ordor to thee setling and ordaining the Reverend Mr Lawson hath not ben so Inoffensively Managed as might have ben: at least not in all the parts and passages of it: 2: that the grievances offered by some amongst you are not in themselves of sufficient weight to obstruct so grate a work and that they have not been Improved so peaceably and ordorly as christian prudence and self Denial doth Direct

3 to our grief we Obsarve such uncharitable expressions and uncomly Reflections lost to and fro: as Look Like the effects of setled prejudice and Resolved animosity though we are much rather willing to account them the product of weaknes then wilfullness however we Must needs say that come whence they will they have a tendency to make such a gap as we fear: If not timely prevented will Lett out peace and ordor: and let In confusion and every evell work: 4: as things drew to a conclusion when you mett with us: you did seem on both parts to be under a conviction of the nesiescity of peace: and there was some promising appearance of mutuall condescension and that for the future you would on all hands study to be quiett: and to that end you Desiered us: to give you such advice as we judged would conduce to the promotion of righteousnes peace and ordor among you: thus you have our sence of the matter as to what is past and present: and att your Request wee shall give you what is with us to Direct by way of advice to prevent contention and troble for the future: that it may not Devour for ever and that if the Lord please you may be happier henceforth then to Make one another Miserable and not make your place uncomfortable to your present: and undesirable to any other Minister: and the Ministry it self in agrate measure unprofitable: and that you may not bring Impositions on yourselves by convincing all about you that you cannot or will not use your Liberty as becomes the ghospill: as also in testimony of the care we Have of you and our unfeigned Desier and endeavour of your peace and welfare-

For these ends we advise you

that you Desist at present from urging the ordination of Thee Reverend Mr: Lawson till your spirits are better quieted and composed-
that you encourage Him in his Ministerial work from time to time by an honest fulfilling of your Last Agreement with Him till [40] Till such time as He is ordained amongst you unless any juster cause shall appear to the contrary then any yet hath Done-
That the last Agreement about His Maintenance be not held binding after the time of His ordination unless that act be again confirmed by Full and free consent of the major part of the Householders Lawfully called to gether upon sufficient notice of time place and end of the meeting: yea if more then A meer Major part should not consent to it: we should be loth To Advise our Bretheren to proceed but Rather advise upon that condition that some other way may be propounded as may be acceptable to Mr. Lawson and may be more pleasing to the people: as part mony and part as mony or part money and part In pay at common price so as Mr: Lawson be not endammaged and the people better pleased: we confiding in Mr: Lawsons readiness to comply with any proposition that will suite with the condition of His family-
we advise all possible care be taken for the future to prevent the grievanc objected about the choise of thee committee though we cannot totally comply with that proposition which pretends a court ordor for choising a committee with out your own Limits seing we find no such ordor but a committee nominated and appointed by thee court in case of Disagreemeet Among your selves: two of which three are dead we advise therefore that whilest this contention lasts one at Least of the Town of Salem out of your Limits be fairly Chosen as one of your Committee and that the Householders Have Liberty to chuse the Rest of themselves or other wise as they please
We advise the old Book of Records be kept in Being and that such votes in it as are offensive to any come to a further consideration in some lawful meeting appointed to that end: that all inconvenient votes may be Repealed or Regulated to satisfaction and such Repeals and Regulations be Inserted in the new Book of Records and all [41] other votes fairly fully and Impartially transcribed and for the future that no votes be Recorded But in thee presence of thee assembly that votes them: or at least at the next Lawfull Meeting being again publickly Read which If it be done and the vote read publickly after it is Recorded will undoubetdly prevent any Reflection for the future upon the Book or Book Keeper Finally we think peace cheap if it may be procured by complying with the aforementioned particulars which are few: fair: and easy: and that they will hardly pass for Lovers of peace: truth and Ministry and ordor in the Day of the Lord that shal so lean to their own understanding and will: that they shall reffuse such easy methods for the obtaining of them: and if peace and Agreement amongst you be once comfortably obtained we advise you with all convenient speed to go on with your Intended ordination and so we shall follow our advise with our prayers: But if our advise be Rejected we wish you better and harts to follow it : and onely add if you will unreasonably trouble your selves We pray you not any further to trouble us: we Leave all to the Blessing of God thee wonderfull Counsellour and your own serious consideration praying you to Read and consider the whole and then act as God shall Direct you Farewell- Bartholomue Gidney John Hathorne William Brown junr John Higginson Nickolas Noyes Salem February:14th 1686 7

Salem Village Records