I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God any more.
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 1. John Proctor reveals why he rarely goes to church. Like many others he stays away because Salem’s minister Reverend Parris’s sermons are more focused on the evils of hell and damnation than the goodness of God. Proctor believes Parris to be a hypocrite.