Reverend Parris wants to prevent John Proctor's execution because, as he tells Danforth in Act Four, he "fear[s] there will be riot" in Salem. Rumor is that there's a rebellion in Andover, another town nearby that is also having witch trials, and Parris thinks that it is likely that there is "a faction here, feeding on that news [...]." Once people see that they can rebel and have an effect, it is likely to inspire...
Reverend Parris wants to prevent John Proctor's execution because, as he tells Danforth in Act Four, he "fear[s] there will be riot" in Salem. Rumor is that there's a rebellion in Andover, another town nearby that is also having witch trials, and Parris thinks that it is likely that there is "a faction here, feeding on that news [...]." Once people see that they can rebel and have an effect, it is likely to inspire or incite others to a similar rebellion. He fears that rebellion, like hysteria, will be catching.
Further, he says that when he "summoned the congregation for John Proctor's excommunication there were hardly thirty people come to hear it." He interprets the absence of the majority of his congregation as the result of their disapproval of the actions being taken against John (and likely the others, like Rebecca Nurse, who will also hang that morning). Parris says that "it were another sort that hanged till now." Many of the others that hanged before now had questionable reputations; however, Rebecca's reputation is spotless, and she and John are some of the most respected people in the community. Parris knows that Rebecca will never confess -- she hasn't even been willing to speak to him since she went to jail -- and so he tries to push for Proctor to confess so that the village will not turn against the court or himself.
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