what kinds of arguments and statements does parris in the crucible typically try to discredit the testimony of those who oppose him?

Parris claims that any statement signed or spoken is an attack on the court. He wants each witness called in, and he defends Abigail in the sense that she was under Tituba's power. The man knows what the girls were doing, and yet he uses the church and the superstition of the people to discredit those who oppose him.