Founding Family Contracts

In the lair of Silent Hill: Homecoming and the penultimate chamber of the game, four walls are decorated with symbolic writing. After further examination, they appear to be the contracts the founding families of Shepherd's Glen signed to their god and the Order. Described in them are the means to which they appease their god and protect their town every 50 years.

Shepherd Family Contract
 We, the Family Shepherd, in order to ensure our continued protection and prosperity, do enter into this Holy Contract with our God, accept our duties as Master of Arms and willingly consign our child to the water in God’s name. 

Bartlett Family Contract
 We, the Family Bartlett, in order to ensure our continued protection and prosperity, do enter into this Holy Contract with our God, accept our duties as Executor of Law and willingly consign our child to the earth in God’s name. 

Fitch Family Contract
 We, the Family Fitch, in order to ensure our continued protection and prosperity, do enter into this Holy Contract with our God, accept our duties as Performer of Rites and willingly consign our child to the knife in God’s name. 

Holloway Family Contract
 We, the Family Holloway, in order to ensure our continued protection and prosperity, do enter into this Holy Contract with our God, accept our duties as Keeper of Lore and willingly consign our child to the noose in God’s name. 

Meaning
The contracts above describe the way that the families sacrificed their child:
 * Shepherd: Water (drowning)
 * Bartlett: Earth (buried alive)
 * Fitch: Knife (mutilated)
 * Holloway: Noose (air/suffocation)

The contracts also seemingly designate each founding family to a position in the town:
 * Shepherd: Keeper of Arms (Sheriff)
 * Bartlett: Executor of Law (Mayor)
 * Fitch: Performer of Rites (Chief doctor)
 * Holloway: Keeper of Lore (Judge/Town Hall keeper)

Trivia

 * Although it is a common rite in the Order religious traditions, on the Founding Family Contracts, there appears to be no sacrifice directly related to burning a child, as it has appeared in previous titles where characters are burned by means of a sacred ritual. That being said, it is worth noting that in witchcraft, an athame (knife/dagger) can represent fire, with the four elements being a key component in spells. "Spirit" binds the four together; in this case, possibly the contract itself.