the price of a wife and safetie of his owne life adjoyned carryed a Minister along with them of the same rise and breeding together with your owne to adde unto the blood so savagely and causelesly spilt with a company of such as you take pleasure to protect for they are all of one spirit if they have not hands in the same act we say their death is causelesse for wee have heard them affirm that shee would never heave up a hand no nor move a tongue against any that persecuted or troubled them but onely indeavour to save themselves by flight not perceiving the nature and end of persecution neither of that antichristian opposition and tyrannie the issue whereof declares it self in this soâ— and lamentable Note good Reader that I had order to publish these two Letters of his as well literatim as verbatim but because their Orthography was so bad as it would scarce have been understood I left it to bee corrected by the Printer but no word to be changed And the reason of the word here left out is because it was worne out and so soyled in the originall as wee could not read it and thought good rather to leave it a blanck then to put in a word of our own that was not theirs In the next place I present thee here with certaine Observations collected out of both their Letters by a godly and reverend Divine whereby the Reader may the better understand them and indeed try the spirits of these men whether they be of God or no. Now these his Observations are ranked into three Heads Viz. First their reproachfull and reviling speeches of the Government and Magistrates of the Massachusets which in Gortons Booke hee pretends so much to honour because their Government is derived from the State of England and therefore I desire thee to take the better notice of it The second Head of his Observations directs thee to their reviling language not onely against that particular Government and the Magistrates of it but against Magistracy it selfe and all Civill power And in his third Head thou art directed to take notice of their blasphemous speeches against the holy things of God All which because they are of great concernment I beseech the Reader to take a little paines to compare them with Mr. Gortons and his Companies Letters Certaine Observations collected out of both their LETTERS I. Their reproachfull and reviling Speeches of the Government and Magistrates of the Massachusets 1. THey say our Magistrates did lay their Wisdome prostrate in sending Letters to them which they scornfully call an irregular Note 2. That they bare them causlesse enmity the proofe whereof every occasion brings forth 3. They flily call them the seed of the ancient mother i. of the enmity of the Devill 4. That they know it is the name of Christ call'd upon them against which our Magistrates doe strive 5 That they goe about to hide their sin as Adam bearing the world in hand that they desire not to contend but to redresse something in point of Civill peace 6 That they stand on tip-toe to stretch themselves beyond their bounds to seek occasion against them 7 That those who accuse them are accusers of the Brethren Satan being a lyer and the father of it which thing our Magistrates cannot know though they be told of it 8 That this act of theirs to treat about their land is a mappe of their spirituall estate 9 That they delight daily to eate of the forbidden fruit which they call mans wisdome out of which our Churches and Common-wealth is formed to gaine conformity with their maker 10 They scorn at their purity and godlinesse telling them that Cole and Arnold their dissembling subjects are full of the spirit of their purity 11 They doe not say plainly that our Magistrates are dogs but compare them to dogs in resuming their vomit into its former concoction by receiving Cole and Arnold under our jurisdiction 12 That the whole structure and edifice among us i. the Churches and Common-wealth is raised up in the spirit of an hireling and that by submission to the Word of God in fasting feast-sting retirednesse for study contributing treasuring i. for Church uses in severall Churches they doe nothing else but bring forth fruit unto death 13 That farther then the Lord Jesus agrees with riches honour and ease our Magistrates minde him not nay renounce and reject him 14 That they plainely crucifie Christ and put him to an open shame which the Apostle Hebr. 6. applies to the worst of men who commit the unpardonable sin and for whom men are not to pray 15 That our Magistrates are as farre from yeelding subjection to Christ as Cole and Arnold from being honourable and loyall-subjects whom they call the shame of Religion the disturbance and disquiet of the place dissembling subjects Pag. 10. as also deboist rude inhumane Nabals il-bred apostatised persons and fellonious Page 23. with many such like speeches 16 That the things of Gods kingdome are infinitely beyond the reach of their spirit nor can they heare the lively Oracle and therefore are dumb in telling Justice 17 That the Magistrates are Jewes according to the flesh and stout maintainers of the man of Sin 18 That they know our Magistrates eyes are dazled with envy and their ears open to lyes 19 That they judge them before their cause be heard 20 That in inviting them to their Courts for their equal-ballanced Justice as they scornfully call it they thereby strike at Christ their life 21 That our Magistrates are like Herod whom God smote with wormes for seeking by an out-reaching and circumventing policy to subdue Tyrus and Sidon and like Pontius Pilate and the people who out of the Judgement hall are all for mercy but in it nothing but crucifie him bee their accusations and witnesses never so false so say they in your dealings with men in way of the Jewish brotherhood your law is all for mercy to redresse reforme for preservation of soule and body doe but enter into the Common-hall then if witnesses bee but brought in and oath taken though never so untrue your Consciences are purged by law and your power must have tribute paid it so far as to brand mens names with infamy and deprive women and children of things necessary 22 That the professed clemency and mercy of their law is as much as in them lyes to send both soule and body downe to Sheol i. the grave and hell for ever without redresse and all hope of recovery 23 That their houre and power of darknesse is knowne what it is either to have mens persons in admiration because of advantage or else to seek all occasions against them with all manner of reproach and ignominie 24 That their wayes are wicked and to bee abhorred because in their professed course the two witnesses are slaine by them and put to death and that all their glory is to keep
make answer but said expresly she should not appeare and that if they had any thing against her they should proceed with him And though hee was lovingly disswaded by some of the Bench not to engage himselfe but let his maid appeare yet hee refused but when hee could not bee prevailed with the action was called and witnesses produced sworne and examined which being done hee moved for another witnesse to bee called which hee perswaded himselfe and the Bench was an honest woman and would speake the truth Now shee being sworne said Mr. Gorton I can speake nothing will helpe your maid And indeed her whole testimony was against her and for the old womans cause whereupon hee openly said Take heed thou wicked woman the earth doth not open and swallow thee up And then hee demanded of the Court if hee should have equity and justice in his cause or no To which was answered if he had either plea or evidence to produce in his maids cause it should be heard Then hee nominated one Weekes who could say something to it Weekes was called and required to take his oath before hee spake at which Gorton and Weekes both of them jeered and laughed and told the Court they were skilled in Idols and that was one and stood stoutly a long time to makeit good Hereupon some of the Court put him in mind how they had forewarned him of such carriages fearing he would fall into some extreames At length the Governour gathering up the summe of what was witnessed commends it to the Jewry At which time Gorton said the Court had perverted Justice and wrested the witnesses with very many high and reproachfull termes and in the midst of his violence throwing his hands about hee touched the Deputy Goveâ—nour with his handkerchiefe buttons about his eares who it seemes sate at a Table with his backe towards him whereupon the Deputy said what will you fall about my eares To which Gorton answered I know not whether you have any eares or no and if you have I know not where they stand but I will not touch them with a paire of Tongues The Governour often calling upon the Jewry to attend the Cause was as often interrupted by him Where upon many of their Freemen being present desired the Court they would not suffer such insolencies professing they were troubled the Court had borne with them so long For which in briefe hee was committed but when the Governour bade the Marshall take him away hee bade take away Coddington which was their Governours name a thing I thought meet to explaine lest thou shouldst not understand it by the Heads of the Presentment here following abusing all and every particular of the Magistrates with opprobrious terms But note when hee was committed upon his mutinous and seditious speeches Weekes Holden c. his abettors stopped the way with such insolency as the Governour was forced to rise from the Bench to helpe forward the Command with his person in clearing the way put Weekes in the stocks and was forced to command a guard of armed men to preserve themselves and the peace of the place And this they did because of some fore-going jealousies and now taking occasion to search the houses of that party that adhered to him they found many of their peeces laden with bullet and by meanes hereof they were forced to continue their guard whilst upon their banishment they were forced from the Island And however it were enough for a Book alone to relate all the particulars of his insolent carriage yet take notice onely of two or three particulars â— When hee was censured to bee whipt and banished he appealed to England they asked to whom Hee said with a loud voice To King Charles They told him hee should first have his punishment and then afterwards hee might complain To which hee replyed take notice I appeale to King Charles Câ—â—lv or Selah the party who was present told mee hee could not tell which but that word was spoken with an extraordinary high and loud voice A second thing to be observed was that after hee had been so deservedly whipt some of his faction said Now Christ Jesus had suffered And thirdly although the weather was very cold the Governour going away after execution of Justice upon him yet he ran a â—â—od way after the Governour drawing a chaine after one of his â—gs the upper part of his body being still naked and told him He had but lent him this and hee should surely have it again All this I had from a man of very good repute who then lived with them and was an eye and eaâ—e witnesse to all these proceedings In the next place take notice good Reader that when hee went from hence well whipt as before and entred upon his banishment the place hee went to in a sharpe season was a Town called Providence where Mr. Roger Williams divers others lived who in regard of the season entertained them with much humane curtesie but the Gortonians answered all like AEsops snake as thou maist read by the severall Letters of the chief Inhabitants of that place by a notorious faction there also by them raised to the great distraction and amazement of the Inhabitants as appeareth by their dolefull complaints in their own Letters a true Copy whereof I present unto thee The sum of the Presentment of Samuel Gorton at Portsmouth in Roade-Island by the Grand Iury. FIrst that Samuel Gorton certaine dayes before his appearance at this Court said the Government was such as was not to bee subjected unto forasmch as it had not a true derivation because it was altered from what it first was 2 That Samuel Gorton contumeliously reproached the Magistrates calling them Just Asses 3 That the said Gorton reproachfully called the Judges or some of the Justices on the Bench corrupt Judges in open Court 4 That the said Gorton questioned the Court for making him to waite on them two dayes formerly and that now hee would know whether hee should bee tryed in an hostile way or by Law or in sobriety 5 The said Gorton alledged in open Court that hee looked at the Magistrates as Lawyers and called Mr. Easton Lawyer Easton 6 The said Gorton charged the Deputy Governour to bee an Abeeter of a Riot Assault or Battery and professed that he would not touch him no not with a paire of tongues Moreover he said I know not whether thou hast any eares or no as also I think thou knowest not where thy ears stand and charged him to be a man unfit to make a Warrant 7 The said Gorton charged the Bench for wresting witnesse in this expression I professe you wrest witnesse 8 The said Gorton called a Freeman in open Couâ—t saucy Boy and Jack-an-Apes and said the woman that was upon her oath would not speake against her mother although she were damned where she stood 9 The said Gorton affirmed that Mr. Easton behaved himselfe not like a Judge and that himself
they are and wee know them to bee such as profess the day of the Lord an unhallowed thing Now if wee have our opponant to prefer his action against us and not only so but to bee our Counsell our Jurie and our Judg for so it must bee if you bee one with them as you affirm wee know before hand how our Cause will bee ended and see the scale of your equall Justice turned alreadie before wee have layd our Cause therein and cannot but admire to see you caried so contrarie to your owne received principles For you know not how to finde Christ as a Ruling and teaching Elder both in one person therfore he is not Complete amongst you by your owne law except in severall persons and you may thank tradition else you know no more how to finde both a king and a priest in him and yet in your way of making tender of your Justice unto us you know how to become one with our adversaries so as if wee deale with them wee deale with you and if wee have to doe with you wee have to doe with them also yea further wee know that the chiefe amongst you have professed wee are not worthy to live and that if some of us were amongst you wee should hardly see the place of our abode any more Now that they have brooded upon their law to take away life they must much more bring it up in taking away all means of life Witnes our prohibition that no powder should besould unto us for our money and that in a time when you could not thinke your selves safe in all your owne self provision and worldly furniture except you disarmed a company of poor Indians whom Aaron your Leviticall Sacrificer hath made Naked as hee doth all those which triumph in a Calf though the most costly and beautifull that the Jewells and eare-rings of Learning either in Language or art can possibly bring forth your owne amazements upon meer Rumors may testifie the truth hereof so then wee are Judged by your law before our Cause bee hard or our selves brought forth under the liberties of it which thing is well pleasing unto us to have our Condition conformed unto Moses the man of God who was dead in Pharaohs account before he was brought forth and so it was with Christ our lord in the dayes of Herod also who is our life at which you strike and makes all things yea Death it self lively and advantagious unto us Wee cannot but wonder that you should read the Scripture and not finde them fulfilled in and amongst your selves when as they appeare so apparantly that he that runs may read them what think you of Herod when the Lord had delivered Peter out of prison and released him of those bonds and brought him from that thraldom which he had so Cruelly imposed upon him to gaine the favour of the Jewes and that by a power supereminent transcending the bounds of his authoritie and by a wisdom surpassing the Depth of his Counsell and policie to fynd out together with his souldiers and Champions he presently goes downe to Cesâ—rea and Heroâ— iâ— angry with them of Tyrus Sidon thumomachon a heavie Friend or hath a secret grudg or perturbation of mind manifested in an outreaching and circumventing policie to subdue them unto himself that he might Rule over them Finding himself fall short of power and policie to subject the word of God in the messinger of it to satisfy his owne lusts in his lordship over it he pursues with all egarnesse to make himself a god by Raigning over the bodies and estates of men yea though they be but such as Tyruâ— and Sidon can afford unto him to make subjects of and when they come unto him with one accord to make offer of themselves in yeelding to his affectionate and politicall project he sitting uppon the Judgment seate in his Royall apparell making his oration of what power he hath to protect them what wisdom and Counsell to minister Justice and righteousuess unto them which office belongs only unto the Lord the people with a shout crying out the voice of god and not of man the truth and substance of which Cry is this is the ordinance of god and not of man immediately the angel of the Lord smites him and hee that ever acknowledged himself to bee a worme and no man upon the earth Consumes and eates up all his pomp and glory even as those whom you account the Shame and Contempt of the people shall thorow that angell of the Covenant waste and bring to nought all those Rhetoricall though earthly Orations that are made amongst you by your so Learned studious and experienced Clarkes take for illustration of your estate as above the speech of your alderman Oliver in case of committing Francis Hutchinson to prison one of your Church-members wondering that brother Winthrop would do it before the Church had dealt with him Brother faith hee why hee is thy god man Lend your eye yet farther to parallel your practise personated in Pylate and the people when Pylat offereth Jesus unto the people to be judged they profess they have such a law as puts no man to Death they are all for mercy and forgiveness when they are out of the Judgment hall but let Pylat enter in thither and then nothing but Crucifie him Crucifie him be their accusations and witnesses never so false even so in your dealings with men in way of your Jewish brother hood your law is all for mercie to Redress reform and for preservation both of soule and bodie Do but enter into the Common hall and then as Pylat asked am I a Jew so do you Doe I sit or speake here as a brother I tro not I am now in a higher sphere then that though they be acknowledged coheirs with Christ can ataine unto therfore if witness be brought in and Oath taken though never so untrue your consciences are purged by law and your power must have tribute payd unto it so far as mens Names to bee branded with infamie estates depryving women and children of things necessarie and precious lives of men can extend themselves to contribute any thing thereunto so that the professed mercie and Clemencie of your law to exercise censures only for amendment of life and recoverie comes unto this issue as much as in you lies to send both soule and body downe unto hell for ever without redresse and all hope of recovery But your houre and the power of Darknesse is known what it is either to have mens persons in admiration because of advantage or else to seek all occasions against them to brand them with all manner of reproch and ignominie but for the truth taught daily in the Temple you know not how to streatch out your hand or exercise your ministry againstil left it become leprous and you take it back again with losse when it appeares dried and withered And wherefore reason yee amongst your selves saying
of God and not of man that he was immediately smitâ—en of God for it As also they tell us p. 26. that to set up men to Judge of good and evil for which all men are set up in that kinde that this is re-acting that ancient spirit of the Serpent If yee eate yee shall bee as Gods Now this strikes at all Magistracy for if the office of ministring justice and righteousnesse belongs to God onely then not unto any man for that is to make Gods of men and if to judge betweene good and evill bee to act over againe the ancient spirit of the Serpent then 't is not onely unlawfull but diabolicall to make Judges of what is right and wrong good or evill by any man If it bee objected is it possible that any men should bee so grosly blind and wicked as to abolish all ministration of Justice and righteousnesse Answ. 1. These men seeme to acknowledge some way of ministring Justice but the mysterie lies in that word Office they would have no man set up in the Office of Magistracy distinguished from other men but would have such a power common to the Brethren so that a man may judge as a brother but not as an Officer and therefore they slily justifie him who called one of our chiefe Magistrates in the open face of the Court Brother and condemne all our Magistrates because every man doth not sit there to judge as a Brother Pag. 16. and their reason seems to bee drawne from this because that to bee a Brother and consequently a coâ—eire with Christ is a higher sphere then to bee a Civil Officer as their owne words intimate Pag. 16. Now the rule is evident à quatenus ad omne that if ministration of Justice and judgement belongs to no officer but to a man as a Brother then to every Brother and if â—o every Brother whether rich of poore ignorant or learned then every Christian in a Common-wealth must bee King and Judge and Sheriffe and Captaine and Parliament man and Ruler and that not onely in New-England but in Old and not onely in Old but in all the Christian world downe with all Officers from their Rule and set up every Brother for to Rule which the godlyâ—wise may easily discerne to bee the establishment of all confusion and the setting up of Anarchy worse then the greatest Tyranny 2. Although these may beare the world in hand that they allow ministration of Justice and righteousnesse by men as Brethren yet some Cakes of these mens dough have been so farre leavened and sowred against all Civill power as that in our Publike Courts being demanded how murderers theeves and adulterers should bee punished if there should bee no Civill power coercive they openly and roundly answered before many witnesses that such persons must be left to the judgment of God both which not long after God himself sate Judge upon being suddenly and barbarously slaine by the bloody Indians in the Dutch plantation First they exclaime against us for choosing men that are honourable learned wise experienced and of good report or else they may not rule among us and this they say is of man and by man and putting the second witnesse to death viz. the death or weaknesse of Christ or in plaine English 't is a killing of Christ. Now however the application is made unto our Civill State yet it manifestly strikes at all Civill States in the world who shall choose any Officers for rule and government and administring of Justice although they bee never so honourable learned wise experienced and of good report and consequently most fit for government and that in so chusing them they doe put Christ himself to death So that these men still harp on that string to have every man judge as a Brother whether honourable or not honourable whether wise or foolish whether of good report or evill report otherwise Christ weaknesse is slaine 3. They affirme that they who can create make void and remove offices and officers at their pleasure are of that evill one i. the devill and not of Jesus Christ but of Shedim that waster and destroyer of mankind for ever Their proofe is from that monstrous interpretation of Yea yea and Nay nay and they instance not onely in Church-officers but in Common-wealth-officers whether Rulers or Captaines Their words are these viz. Hee with whom it is yea I am a Ruler but it was nay when I was none at all renounceth the spirit of him that rules in righteousnesse professing the spirit of him that is Prince of the power of the aire who is working now so effectually in the children of disobedience so also hee with whom it is yea I am captaine or chief-slaughter-man but it was nay time was that I was none at all renounceth the victory and slaughter made by the Captaine and High-priest of our profession professing himselfe to bee a superfluous Giant made in the host of the Philistims to defie the host of the living God By which speeches 't is evident that they doe not onely oppose Civill officers chosen amongst us here but all such as are chosen Rulers Captaines and Officers at any time in any place and were not so before and such they say are of the Devill the destroyer of man 4 They say men limit and so destroy the holy one of Israel whose life is infinite and without circumscription and containment as they call it if men acknowledge that Christ rules on earth onely by his Deputies Litvtenants and Vicegerents i. by persons invested with Civill authority and office for so they are called by Orthodox Divines and therefore they say that his putting Christ to death when onely wise and honourable and learned and experienced and men of good report are chosen to rule because they would have the Power to rule common to all Christians but as for the office of rule to bee peculiar to none and therefore Pag. 24. they tell us that none shall see Christ come into his kingdome with comfort untill the authority and power of man appeares to be as the building of Babel and the name and authority of God onely to bee that wherein the blessing consists meaning that 't is Babylonish building which God misliked and confounded for any man in office to rule and governe because this is to limit the power and life of Christ which is in every brother as well as in any officer and so to kill the life of Christ so that if any of them say that although they distaste officers as Kings and others by election yet not such as are so by hereditary succession they are but words to sute their owne ends for a time and to delude others for if it bee limiting the holy One of Israel a circumscribing and so destroying the life of Christ which is infinite for to make him rule by his Deputies and Vicegerents on earth then not onely Kings and Princes whether by election or no