doe as they doe and say as they say or else say nothing and so may a man live at Rome also IT is ordered by this Court and the Authority thereof That no mans life shall be taken away no mans honour or good name shall be stayned no mans person shall be arrested restrained banished dismembred nor any wayes punished no man shall be deprived of his wife or children no mans goods or estates shall be taken away from him nor any wayes indamaged under colour of Law or countenance of Authoritie unlesse it be by vertue or equity of some expresse Law of the Country warranting the same established by a General Court and sufficiently published or in case of the defect of a Law in any particular case by the word of God And in capitall cases or in cases concerning dismembring or banishment according to that word to be judged by the General Court see p. 1. For the suppressing of Anabaptists It is ordered by this Court and Authority thereof that if any person or persons within this Iurisdiction shall either openly condemn or oppose the baptizing of Infants or goe about-secretly to seduce others from the approbation or use thereof or shall purposely depart the Congregation at the administration of that Ordinance or shall deny the Ordinance of Magistracy or their lawfull right or authority to make war or punish the outward breaches of the first Table and shall appear to the Court wilfully and obstinately to continue therein after due means of conviction every such person or persons shall be sentenced to Banishment see pag. 2. Against Blasphemy being a capitall transgression It is ordered that if any person within this Iurisdiction whether Christian or Pagan shall wittingly an willingly presume to BLASPHEME the holy Name of God Father Son or Holy-Ghost with direct expresse presumptuous or high-handed blasphemy either by wilfull or obstinate denying the true God or his Creation or Government of the world or shall curse God in like manner or reproach the holy Religion of God as if it were but a politick device to keep ignorant men in awe or shall utter any other kind of Blasphemy of the like nature and degree they shall be put to death Lev. 24 15 16. See p. 5. To raise money for Publick charges in Church and Commonwealth It is ordered by this Court and the Authority thereof that every Inhabitant shal henceforth contribute to all charges both in Church Cōmonwealth whereof he doth or may receive benefit and every such Inhabitant who shal not voluntarily contribute proportionably to his ability with the Freemen of the same Town to all cōmon charges both Civil and Ecclesiastical shall be compelled thereto by assessment and distress to be levyed by the Constable or other Officer of the Town as in other cases and that the lands and estates of all men wherever they dwell shall be rated for all Town charges both Civil and Ecclesiastial as aforesaid where the lands and estates shall lye their persons where they dwell See p. 9. Lawes Ecclesiasticall 1 All the people of God within this Jurisdiction who are not in a Church way and be orthodox in judgement and not scandalous in life shall have full liberty to gather themselves into a Church estate provided they doe it in a Christian way with due observation to the rules of Christ revealed in his word Provided also that the General Court doth not nor will hereafter approve of any such companies of men as shall joyn in any pretended way of Church fellowship unless they shall acquaint the Magistrates and the Elders of the neighbour Churches where they intend to joyn and have their approbation therein 2 And it is further ordered that no person being a member of any Church which shall be gathered without the approbation of the Magistrates and the said Churches shall be admitted to the Freedom of this Common-wealth 3 Every Church hath also free liberty to excercise all the Ordinances of God according to the rules of the Scripture 4 Every Church hath free liberty of election and ordination of all her Officers from time to time Provided they be able pious and orthodox Now the question is who shall judge of these words of restraint Christian way rules of the Scripture word of God able and orthodox 13 That if any Christian so called within this Iurisdiction shall contemptuously behave himself toward the Word preached or the Messengers thereof called to dispense the same in any Congregation when he doth faithfully execute his Service Office therein according to the will and word of God either by interrupting him in his preaching or by charging him falsely with any errour which he hath not taught in the open face of the Church or like a son of Korah cast upon his true doctrine or himself any reproach to the dishonour of the Lord Iesus who hath sent him and to the disparagement of that his holy Ordinance and making Gods wayes contemptible and ridiculous that every such person or persons whatsoever censure the Church may passe shall for the first scandal be convented and reproved openly by the Magistrate at some Lecture and bound to their good behaviour And if a second time they break forth into the like contemptuous carriages they shall either pay five pounds to the publick Treasurie or stand two hours openly upon a block or stool four foot high on a lecture day with a Paper fixed on his brest written in Capitall letters AN OPEN AND OBSTINATE CONTEMNER OF GODS HOLY ORDINANCES that others may fear and be ashamed of breaking out into the like wickedness 14 It is ordered and decreed by this Court and Authority thereof That wheresoever the ministry of the word is established according to the order of the Gospell throughout this Iurisdiction every person shall duely resort and attend thereunto respectively upon the Lords dayes and upon such publick Fast-days and dayes of Thanksgiving as are to be generally kept by the appointment of Authority and if any person within this Iurisdiction shall without just and necessary cause withdraw himself from hearing the publick ministry of the word after due means of conviction used he shall forfeit for his absence from every such publick meeting 5 shillings All such offences to be heard and determined by any one Magistrate or more from time to time 15 It is ordered by this Court That the civil Authoritie here established hath power and liberty to see the peace ordinances and rules of Christ to be observed in every Church according to his word As also to deal with any church-member in a way of civil justice notwithstanding any church relation office or interest so it be done in a civil and not in an ecclesiastical way Nor shall any church censure degrade or depose any man from any civil dignity office or authority he shall have in the Common-wealth It is ordered that from henceforth all lands cattle and other estates of any kind whatsoever shall be lyable
to be rated to all common charges whatsoever either for the Church Town or Cōmon-wealth in the same place where the estate is from time to time see pag. 18 19 20. Heresie Although no humane power be Lord over the Faith and Consciences of Men and therefore may not constrain them to beleeve or profess against their Consciences yet because such as bring in damnable heresies tending to the subversion of the Christian Faith and destruction of the soules of men ought duly to be restrained from such notorious impiety It is therefore ordered and decreed by this Court That if any Christian within this Iurisdiction shall go about to subvert and destroy the christian Faith and Religion by broaching or maintaining any damnable heresie as denying the immortality of the Soul or the resurrection of the body or any sin to be repented of in the Regenerate or any evil done by the outward man to be accounted sin or denying that Christ gave himself a Ransom for our sins or shall affirm that we are not justified by his Death and Righteousnesse but by the perfection of our own works or shall deny the morality of the fourth comandement or shall indeavour to seduce others to any the heresies aforementioned every such person continuing obstinate therein after due means of conviction shall be sentenced to Banishment see pag. 24. Disturbing of Churches It is ordered and decreed by this Court and the Authority thereof That if any person whether in Church-fellowship or not shall goe about to destroy or disturb the orders peace of the Churches established in this Iurisdiction by open renouncing their Church Estate or their Ministry or other ordinances dispenced in them either upon pretence that the Churches were not planted by any new Apostles or that ordinances are for carnall Christians or babes in Christ and not for spirituall or illuminated persons or upon any other such like grounded conceit every such person who shal be found culpable herein after due means of conviction shall forfeit to the publick Treasury forty shillings for every moneth so long as he continues in that his obstinacy Torture That no man shall be beaten with above forty stripes for one Fact at one time Nor shall any man be punished with whipping except he have not otherwise to answer the Law unlesse his crime be very shamefull his course of life vitious profligate see p. 50. The Testimony of John Clarke Obediah Holmes and John Crandall Prisoners at Boston in New-England concerning the faith and order of the Gospell of Christ Iesus the Lord as the same was laid down in four Conclusions and proffered to be openly and publikly defended against all gain-sayers when none would comeforth thus to oppose it now again by the aforesaid John Clarke reviewed particularly and strictly examined by the Word of God and Testimony of Iesus and thereby as is here at large to be seen confirmed and justifyed The first Conclusion ITestifie that Iesus of Nazareth whom God hath raised from the dead is made both Lord and Christ you may see this testimony clearly and plentifully witnessed and confirmed by the Scriptures of Truth for First that God raised him from the dead appears by the testimony of 12 chosen Witnesses Acts 2. 24. 32. This Jesus say they hath God raised up whereof we are Witnesses so also chap. 3. 15. And being alive again he was seeen of above 500 Brethren at once being faithfull Witnesses Children that will not lie see 1 Cor. 15. 6. And last of all he was seen of Paul whom he sent to the Gentiles see 1 Cor. 15. 8. Acts 22. 18. 21. And this is layd by Paul as the foundation of the hope of the Israel of God that they shall be raised and shall share in that glory that shall then be revealed yea it is that word of Truth as Peter witnesseth by which the Father of mercies doth again beget such as had sinned faln short of the glory of God were without hope unto a lively hope of the glory of God in an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away and is reserved in heaven for them see 1 Pet 1. 3. 4. And in the second place that God hath made this Iesus whom he hath raised from the dead both Lord and Christ see it also confirmed Acts the 2d the 36. 10. 36. 2 Cor. 4. 5. Acts 18. 5. This Iesus I say is the Christ in English the Anointed One hath a name above every name that he is not onely said to be a Christ and an Anointed one which although it be a name of eminency among men yet may there be sound many both before the time of Reformation and since upon whom this worthy name of Christ or Anointed one may be worthily called as were those names of eminency among the Israel of old as King Priest and Prophet and such as being washed in the blood of the Lamb are also Anointed and made Kings and Priests unto God and Prophets to men compare the 2 Cor. 1. 21. 1 Io. 2. 27. with Rev. 5. 10. 19. 10. I say he is not onely a Christ but that he might appear in this eminent name to have the preheminence he is called the Christ see Mark 8. 29. Io. 11. 27. 6. 69. 20. 31. which in English is the Anointed one as will appear 1 Io. 41. We have found saith Andrew to Simon the Messias being the Hebrew word which being interpreted into the Greek Language is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Christ but rendered in English as in the margent is the Anointed and hence he is called in the 9 Luk. 20. the Christ of God or in more plain English the Anointed of God suitable to this are such expressions of the spirit of God in the Scriptures of truth as these Him hath God Anointed and that with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes see Acts 4. 27. 10. 38. 1 Heb. 9. And that he hath a name above every name doth evidently appear for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell yea all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily that in all things or as it is in the Margent among all he might have the preeminence see Coll. 1. 18 19. 2. 9. so Phi. 2. 9. Wherefore saith the Apostle God hath also highly exalted him and given him a name above every name he hath a name above the Anointed Kings Priests and Prophets of old they being but types and shadowes of him and yet were the highest names in Israel which was a Family that had a name above all the Families of the Earth and so a name above all the names on the Earth and yet this is not all for he hath a name above all Principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not in this world only but also in that which is is to come Ephe. 1. 20 21 22. Phi. 2. 10 11. He is the Anointed Priest none to or with him in
you Iohn Clarke being come into this Iurisdiction about the 20th of Iuly did meet at one William Witters house at Lin upon the Lords day and there did take upon you to Preach to some other of the Inhabitants of the same Town and being there taken by the Constable and coming afterward into the Assembly at Lin did in disrespect of the Ordinances of God and his worship keep on your Hat the Pastor being then in Prayer insomuch you would not give reverence in valing your Hat till it was forced off your head to the disturbance of the Congregation and professing against the institution of the Church as not being according to the Gospell of Iesus Christ And that you the said Iohn Clarke did upon the day following meet again at the said Witters and in contempt to Authority you being then in the custody of the Law and did there administer the Sacrament of the Supper to one excommunicate person to another under admonition and to another that was an Inhabitant of Lin and not in fellowship with any Church and upon your answer in open Court you affirmed that you did never Re-baptize any yet did acknowledge you did Baptize such as were Baptized before and thereby did necessarily deny the Baptism that was before to be Baptism the Churches no Churches and also all other Ordinances and Ministers as if all were a Nullity And also did in the Court deny the lawfullness of Baptizing of infants and all this tends to the dishonour of God the despising the ordinances of God among us the peace of the Churches and seducing the Subjects of this Commonwealth from the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and perverting the strait waies of the Lord therefore the Court doth fine you 20 pounds to be paid or sufficient sureties that the said sum shall be paid by the first day of the next Court of Assistants or else to be well whipt and that you shall remain in Prison till it be paid or security given in for it By the Court ENCREASE NOWELL After my Sentence was read the Sentence of the other two were likewise pronounced the Sentence of Obediah Holmes was to pay by the aforesaid time 3â—li or be well whipt and the sentence of Iohn Crandall was to pay 5 pounds or be well whipt this being done I desired to know whether I might not speak a few things to the Court to which the Governour replied your sentence is past I told him that which I was to speak was in reference unto a promise that was made us by Mr. Bridges when we were first apprehended and brought before him then said the Governour speak on When we were at first apprehended and brought before Mr. Bridges said I I said unto him we are Strangers and Strangers to your Laws and may be transgressors of them before we are aware we would therefore desire this curtesy of you as Strangers that you would shew us the Law by which we are transgressors But then no other answer could we have from him than this when you come to the Court you shall know the Law now we have been before the Court in the forenoon upon examination this afternoon we have heard our Sentence read yet have we not heard the Law produced by which we are condemned we therefore now desire to see the Law in which our Sentence may be read and the rather because we find in the beginning of your Laws this provision for the security of your own and we hope you are not less regardfull of strangers viz. That no man shall be molested but by a Law made by the generall Court and lawfully published or in defect of a Law in a particular case by the Word of God When this was spoken Mr. Bridges could easily turn to the Law by which we might be freed but none were able to turn to the Law of God or Man by which we were condemned At length the Governour stept up and told us we had denyed Infants Baptism and being somewhat transported broke forth and told me I had deserved death and said he would not have such trash brought into their jurisdiction moreover he said you go up and down and secretly infinuate into those that are weak but you cannot maintain it before our Ministers you may try and discourse or dispute with them c. To this I had much to reply but that he commanded the Iaylor to take us away so the next morning having so fair an opportunity I made a motion to the Court in these words following To the Honoured Court Assembled at Boston WHereas it pleased this Honoured Court yesterday to condemn the Faith and Order which I hold and practise and after you had past your Sentence upon me for it were pleased to expresse I could not maintain the same against your Ministers and thereupon publickly profered me a dispute with them be pleased by these few lines to understand I readily accept it and therefore do desire you would appoint the time when and the person with whom in that publick place where I was condemned I might with freedom and without molestation of the Civill Power dispute that point publickly where I doubt not by the strength of Christ to make it good out of his last Will and Testament unto which nothing is to be added nor from which nothing is to be diminished thus desiring the Father of Lights to shine forth and by his power to expel the darkness I remain From the Prison this 1. 6. 51. Your well wisher Iohn Clarke This motion if granted I desired it might be subscribed by their Secretaries hand as an Act of the same Court by which we were condemned It was presented on the sixth day and after much ado upon the last day it was concluded it should be granted and the disputation should be upon the fifth day following and so by one of the Magistrates information was given me in prison upon the second day when their Elders were come together there was no small stir as I heard about the businesse and afterward about the stating of the Question we should dispute upon whereupon in the closure of the day the Magistrates commanded the Iaylor to bring me before them into the Chamber which when he had done they drew forth the motion and shewing it to me asked me if I owned that paper I answered yea they quaeried further whether I was of the same mind touching a disputation I told them I had not the least reluctancy in my mind touching the thing provided my motion might be granted and the grant subscribed with the Secretaries hand as an act of the same Court by which I was condemned they answered that was but reasonable c. Then they demanded of me what the question was that I would dispute upon whether I would dispute upon the things contained in my Sentence and maintain my practice for said they the Court Sentenced you not for your judgement or Conscience but for matter of
oppose themselVes which word signifieth a setting a mans self in an opposition to the truth in a more than an ordinary manner even by way of covenant or resolution of spirit yet are they still to be waiting with meekness upon them if God at any time will giVe them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth that they may recoVer themselVes out of the snares of the deVil who are taken captiVe by him at his will Another argument that there can be no warrant from Christ for such a practice as this is taken from such expressions of his wherein he shews his dislike thereof and it standeth thus 7. Arg. If Christ Jesus the Lord have sharply reproved and checked his servants when he hath espied such a spirit as this but breaking forth in them then can no servant of his have any countenance much less authority from him so to practise But the first is true he hath sharply reproved them when he espied such a spirit as this but breaking forth witness his words Luke 22. 24 25. c. Joh. 18. 10 11. Mat. 26. 51 52 53. 54. Luke 9. 46 47. 49 50. 52 53 54. 55 56. where it is said when the Samaritans perceived that Christs face was towards Ierusalem they did so envy him for Ierusalems sake which was the place of Gods worship that they would not receive him nor afford unto him such common curtesie as belonged unto strangers for which discurteous repulse of their Lord and master James and John in a preposterous zeal judged that they deserved to dy and thereupon moved the question to Christ in these words verse 55. Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them but what is the answer of Christ it is said he turned and rebuked them saying ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of They were scarce awar that they were hereunto moved by no other spirit than the spirit of Antichrist for saith he The Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them and if he came into this world to save mens lives and not to destroy them and will have his Servants to learn of him meekness and mercy and to be as he was in this present evil world I say if he came to save mens lives even the rebellious then no servant of his can have any authority from him for such cases as these to destroy them The last Argument standeth thus 8. Arg. That which of it self is inconsistent with the civil peace liberty prosperity and safety of a Place Commonwealth or nation no servant of Christ Jesus can have liberty much less authority from his Lord to do But this outward forcing of men in matters of conscience towards God to believe as others believe and to practise and worship as others do cannot stand with the Peace Liberty Prosperity and safety of a Place Commonwealth or nation Therefore no servant of Christ can have any liberty much less authority so to do The first proposition can scarce be denyed if these things be considered sci That Christ Jesus the Lord is the Prince of Peace Isa 9 6 Heb 7. 2. and the more a man is made partaker of and led by the Spirit of the Lord which is the Spirit of Peace the more peaceable and quiet is he like to be towards all men with whom he hath to do for this Prince of Peace hath given express command unto all his Servants who are the Children of Peace in whose hearts his word stands with power as the word of a King to be at peace among themselves 1 Thes 5 13. To live in peace 2 Cor. 13. 11. To follow peace with all men Heb 12. 14. To seek peace and ensue it 1 Pet. 3. 11. To follow after those things that make for peace Rom. 14. 19. If it be possible as much as in them lyeth to have peace with all men Rom. 12. 16. Yea not to seek their own but every man anothers wealth 1 Cor. 10. 24. To seek the peace of the place where God hath bounded his habitation yea and to pray unto God for it and for the rulers thereof Jer. 29. 7. 1 Tim. 2. 2. By all which it doth evidently appear that that which of it â—elf cannot stand with the peace and prosperity of a place and nation that can no servant of Christ have by the authority of this Lord unless by a just judgement from him upon the rulers of this world for giving their power and sword to the beast thus to be abused and made drunk with the blood of the Saints which his tender heart cannot but avenge upon themselves and upon the Nations for their loving to have it so And as for the second Proposition which is this that this outward forcing of men in matters of conscience towards God to believe as others believe and to practise and worship not as themselves but as others are perswaded cannot stand with the peace liberty prosperity and safety of a Place Nation and Commonwealth this will as plainly appear in the examination of each particular thereof And first it cannot stand with the peace of a Commonwealth for as there could be no peace expected in the Israel of old so long as that harlot Jezabel who thirsted after innocent blood could at her pleasure obtain the seal and power of the King to effect her bloody design upon the servants of the Lord who withstood her Idolatrous Priests and that Idolatrous way and worship which they had set up so likewise as long as that spirituall Jezabell among those that account themselves the Israel of God who is seen in Rev. 17. 3. to ride upon that scarlet-coloured beast and to own her self as the City and spouse of that great King the King of Saints so long I say as she can by her glorious deckings and splendours so deceive and allure the Kings and Rulers of the earth to commit fornication with her and to give their sword and power to the beast that bears her up there can be no expectation of peace in the earth but still of wars and rumours of wars untill mens hearts fail them for so long as there is an outward force or power to be had to maintain and uphold the carnall interests and advantages of some upon religious accounts and to persecute others who for conscience sake towards God dare not yea cannot conform to their way What hopes are hereby begotten and nourished in some what jealousies suspicions and fears in others what revengfull desires in most yea what plottings and contrivings in all and as a fruit and effect hereof what riding running troublesome and tumultuous assemblings together and â—idings yea and outragious murderings and bloodshedings are hereby produced in a Nation to gain that power and sword to their party either to crush suppress or cause the other to conform or at the least and best to save themselves from being crushed suppressed or forced to
Sword of that Spirit which is the Word not of man but of God to effect much lesse to conform their outward man contrary to their minds and consciences in the Worship of God and therefore that Sword and Power ought to take heed how they meddle herein lest they attempt to take the place enter upon the Throne and Kingdom of Christ either to force such as be conceived to be true Worshipers to the true Worship and service of God for it is written Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts And again In the day of thy power thy people shall be a willing people much lesse to force such as are no Worshipers or false to that Worship which is true and yet much lesse to force false to that which is false or true to that which is false and hence it is that although the Kings of the Earth have been deceived and through the righteous judgment of God have given their power to the Beast to their own dishonor and detriment who have improved the same to bear up the Whore and to bear down and crush the Spouse of the Lamb so that Babel hath for a long time rejoyced and Sion hath mourned yet when the time appointed is come at the voyce of her King Sion shall deliver her self from the Daughter of Babel though all the powers of this World seek to withstand it neither shall the gates of Hell prevail against it for it is written concerning those that keep the Commandements of God and the Testimony of Iesus that they overcame him sâ—il that great Red-Dragon called the Devill and Satan who also gave his power to the Beast they overcame him I say by the Blood of that Lamb and by that word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Now touching Iohn Crandall aforesaid to whose charge they had also nothing to lay but his being with us owning the same Faith and Order of the Gospell and therefore refusing to stoop to that likenesse thereto which they had set up yet as is said they sentenced him to pay 5 pounds by the next Court of Assistants or else to be well whipt Whereupon the day following he inquired of the Keeper when that Court of Assistants would be being resolved not to chuse his punishment they being not able to make it appear by the Law of God or Man that he was a Transgressor so to be punished and being by him informed that it would be a quarter of a yeer before that time came and also that if he were so resolved he might put in Bail for his appearance at the time aforesaid and so depart he forthwith put in Bail and so departed to visit his Family being distant from thence threescore and ten miles He was no sooner at home but his Spirit was unsatisfied in what he had done in leaving us behind in the Prison though with our consent and counsell he did what he did whereupon leaving his Harvest upon the spoyl within a few dayes he returned to us again and tendered his person unto the Keeper who refused it saying Since your departure I perceive your Sentence is That you should not depart the Prison without either paying the money or putting in security for the payment of it wherefore now either you or your Surety must pay it To whom Brother Crandall replyed you informed me otherwise before I went and upon other termes I departed wherefore for my own part I am resolved I will not pay it and for my Surety he is at his liberty being no otherwise bound than for my appearance and here I am and am your Prisoner neverthelesse when I was released and turned out of Prison and could no longer upon that account there remain I counselled him to put the matter quite out of doubt wherefore he said to the Iaylor Let me know what I shall trust to for if you accept me upon the former account well I shall willingly tarry and remain your Prisoner but if not I shall now repair home with my Friend to my Family so after the Jaylor had advised with the Magistrate he friendly told him If he would promise to appear at the time appointed he would take his word become his Surety and he might be gone whereupon I being doubtfull though he was confident concerning the time there being an other Court between desired him to send us certain word to the Iland when that Court of Assistants would be so having his promise we thankfully accepted his kindnesse so departed And being at home we waited for a word from the Keeper for a return but the first word we heard touching that matter was that the Court was past which was that Court I suspected that Brother Holmes had had his tryal by cruel scourgings that the Iaylor being Brother Crandals Surety by reason of his non-appearance was constrained to pay the money hereupon not long after Brother Crandall went to Boston and charged the â—aylor with his mis-information and neglect of his promise and moreover declared that he had told him That being Innocent he would not make himself a Transgressor by chusing his punishment and therefore had resolved as he also knew not to pay them a penny and further he told him that there was no necessity he should lay down the money it being but through a mistake and he being but Surety when the Principall was present and was able through the strength of Christ to answer the penalty and thus having argued the case with the laylor he left him without any grounds of hope to have it repaid neverthelesse if advantage will be so strictly taken upon the Keepers mistake neither Conscience nor Equity will suffer us it appearing to be a meer mistake and no plotted thing not to suffer him to bear it and thus it appears how a second came off and escaped a scourging Now as concerning the third by name Obediah Holmes what is laid to his charge this Sentence under their Secretaries hand a Copy whereof is here under written will plainly expresse The Sentence of Obediah Holmes of Seacuck the 31 of the 5th M. 1651. FOrasmuch as you Obediah Holmes being come into this Iurisdiction about the 21 of the 5th M. did meet at one William Witters house at Lin and did hear privatly and at other times being an Excommunicate person did take upon you to Preach and to Baptize upon the Lords day or other dayes and being taken then by the Constable and comming afterward to the Assembly at Lin did in disrepect of the Ordinance of God and his Worship keep on your hat the Pastor being in Prayer insomuch that you would not give reverence in veiling your hat till it was forced off your head to the disturbance of the Congregation and professing against the Institution of the Church as not being according to the Gospell of Iesus Christ and that you the said Obediah Holmes did upon the day
following meet again at the said William Witters in contempt to Authority you being then in the custody of the Law and did there receive the Sacrament being Excommunicate and that you did Baptize such as were Baptized before and thereby did necessarily deny the Baptism that was before administred to be Baptism the Churches no Churches and also other Ordinances and Ministers as if all were a Nullity And also did deny the lawfullness of Baptizing of Infants and all this tends to the dishonour of God the despising the ordinances of God among us the peace of the Churches and seducing the Subjects of this Commonwealth from the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and perverting the strait waies of the Lord the Court doth fine you 30 pounds to be paid or sufficient sureties that the said sum shall be paid by the first day of the next Court of Assistants or else to be well whipt and that you shall remain in Prison till it be paid or security given in for it By the Court ENCREASE NOWELL And now because his sufferings and the sence which his Soul felt of the Lords Support according to promise is affectionately set forth and commended as a token of his love in a Letter written with his own hand and sent unto those that have obtained like precious faith in London or elsewhere whereby by an experiment which God hath been pleased to give to him and us they may evidently discern that Iesus Christ is in point of tender compassions touching those that confess his name before the Sonnes of men the same to day that he was yesterday that as yesterday so to day it may be said as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ so that they which keep the commandements of God and Testimony of Iesus Christ may be hereby incouraged to fear none of those things which they shall suffer before they come nor when they look them in the face and begin the incounter with them be soon weary and wax faint in their minds but faithfully and hopefully expect they suffering for the name of Christ and as Christians that the spirit of their Lord and of glory shall rest upon them The words of his Letter followeth Unto the well beloved Brethren Iohn Spilsbury William Kissin and the rest that in London stand fast in that Faith and continue to walk stedfastly in that Order of the Gospell which was once delivered unto the Saints by Iesus Christ Obediah Holms an unworthy witness that Iesus is the Lord and of late a Prisoner for Iesus sake at Boston sendeth greeting Dearly Beloved and longed after MY hearts desire is to hear from you and to hear that you grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ and that your love to him and one unto another as he hath given commandment aboundeth would be the very joy and great rejoycing of my Soul and Spirit had I not been prevented by my beloved Brethren of Providence who have wrot unto you wherein you have my Mind at large and also by our beloved Brother Clarke of Road-Iland who may if God permit see you and speak with you mouth to mouth I had here declared my self in that matter but now I forbear And because I have an experimentall knowledge in my self that in members of the same Body while it stands in union with the head there is a sympathizing Spirit which passeth through and also remain in each particular so that one member can neither mourn nor rejoyce but all the members are ready to mourn or rejoyce with it I shall the rather impart unto you some dealings which I have had therein from the Sons of Men and the gracious supports which I have met with from the Son of God my Lord and yours that so like Members you might rejoyce with me and might be encouraged by the same experiment of his â—ender mercies to fear none of those things which you shall suffer for Iesus sake â—t pleased the Father of Light after a long continuance of mine in death and darknesse to cause life and immortality to be brought to light in my soul and also to cause me to see that this life was by the death of his Son in that hour and power of darknesse procured which wrought in my heart a restless desire to know what that Lord who had so dearly bought me would have me to do and finding that it was his last will to which none is to adde and from which none is to detract that they which had faith in his death for life should yeeld up themselves to hold forth a lively consimilitude or likenesse unto his death buriall and resurrection by that Ordinance of Baptisme I readily yeelded thereto being by love constrained to follow that Lamb that takes away the sins of the World whither soever he goes I had no sooner separated from their assemblies and from Communion with them in their worship of God and thus visibly put on Christ being resolved alone to attend upon him and to submit to his will but immediately the adversary cast out a flood against us and stirred up the spirits of men to present my self and two more to Plymouth Court where we met with 4 Petitions against our whole company to take some speedy course to suppress us one from our own Plantation with 35 hands to it one froÌ„ the Church as they call it at Tantoâ— one from all the Ministers in our Colony except two if I mistake not and one from the Court at Boston in the Mathatusets under their Secretaries hand whereupon the Court straitly chargeth us to desist and neither to ordain Officers nor to Baptize nor to break bread together nor yet to meet upon the first day of the week and having received these strait charges one of the three discovers the sandy foundation upon which he stood who when the flood came and the wind blew fell yet it pleased the Father of mercies to whom be the praise to give us strength to stand to tell them it was better to obey God rather than man and such was the grace of our God to us-ward that though we were had from Court to Court yet were we firmly resolved to keep close to the rule and to obey the voyce of our Lord come what will come Not long after these troubles I came upon occasion of businesse into to the Colony of the Mathatusets with two other Brethren as Brother Clark being one of the two can inform you where we three were apprehended carried to the prison at Boston and so to the Court and were all sentenced what they laid to my charge you may here read in my sentence Vpon the pronouncing of which as I went from the Bar I exprest my self in these words I blesse God I am connted worthy to suffer for the name of Iesus whereupon Iohn Wilson their Pastor as they call him strook me before the Iudgment