Ill News from New England, Floating text 3 – Floating text 9
The Sentence of Iohn Clarke of Road-Iland. 31. 5. 51.
FOraſmuch as 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 3…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 fact, and practice; to which I replyed, you ſay the Court condemned me for matter of fact, and practice; be it ſo, but I ſay that matter of fact and practice was but the manifeſtation of my judgment and conſcience; and I make account that man is void of judgment, and conſcience, with reſpect unto God, that hath not a fact, and practice ſuitable thereunto; and for the things contained in my Sentence, they are rather collections, which the Court was pleaſed to make and draw from my words, than my words, themſelves; nevertheleſs I do not ſay they were unduly collected; for in truth, if the Faith and order which I profeſs do ſtand by the word of God, then the Faith and order which you profeſs muſt needs fall to the ground; and if the way you walk in remain, then the way that I walk in muſt vaniſh away, they cannot both ſtand together; to which they ſeem to aſſent; therefore I told them, that if they pleaſe to grant the motion under the Secretaries hand, I would draw up the Faith, and order, which I hold as the ſum of that I did deliver in open Court, into three or four Concluſions, which Concluſions I will ſtand by, and defend untill he, whom you ſhall appoint, ſhall by the word of God remove me from them; in caſe he ſhall remove me from them, then the diſputation is at an end, but if not, then I deſire like liberty by the word of God to oppoſe the Faith, and order, which he and you profeſs, thereby to try whether I may be an inſtrument in the hand of God to remove you from the ſame; they told me the motion was very fair, and the way like unto a diſputant, and thereupon concluded in my hearing, and directed alſo their ſpeech to me, ſaying, becauſe the matter is weighty, and we deſire that what can, may be ſpoken, when the diſputation ſhall be; therefore would we take a longer time; whereas therefore the time appointed was the next fift day, by reaſon of the commencement, which will be the next week, and the meeting of the Elders, we muſt defer it now untill the fift day come fortnight; and ſo I told them (to be brief) I was their priſoner, and ſhould atattend their pleaſure; ſo I returned with my keeper to priſon again, drew up the Concluſions, which I was reſolved through the ſtrength of Chriſt to ſtand in defence of, and through the importunity of one of the Magiſtrates, the next morning very early, I ſhewed them to him, having a promiſe I ſhould have my motion for a diſpute granted, under the Secretaries hand.
The Concluſions were as followeth.
The Teſtimony of Iohn Clarke a priſoner of Ieſus Chriſt at Boſton, in the behalf of my Lord, and of his people, is as followeth.
1 I Teſtifie that Ieſus of Nazareth, whom God hath raiſed from the dead, is made both Lord and Chriſt; this Ieſus I ſay is the Chriſt, in Engliſh, the Anointed One, hath a name above every name; He is the Anointed Prieſt, none to, or with him in point of attonement; The Anointed Prophet, none to him in point of inſtruction; The Anointed King, who is gone unto his Father for his glorious Kingdom, and ſhall ere long return again; and that this Ieſus Chriſt is alſo The Lord, none to, or with him by way of Commanding and ordering (with reſpect to the worſhip of God) the houſehold of Faith, which being purchaſed with his Blood as Prieſt, inſtructed, and nouriſhed by his Spirit as Prophet, do wait in his appointment as he is the Lord, in hope of that glorious Kingdom which ſhall ere long appear.
2 I Teſtifie that Baptiſm, or dipping in Water, is one of the Commandements of this Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and that a viſible beleever, or Diſciple of Chriſt Ieſus (that is, one that manifeſteth repentance towards God, and Faith in Ieſus Chriſt) is the only perſon that is to be Baptized, or dipped with that viſible Baptiſm, or dipping of Ieſus Chriſt in Water, and alſo that viſible perſon that is to walk in that viſible order of his Houſe, and ſo to wait for his coming the ſecond time in the form of a Lord, and King with his glorious Kingdom according to promiſe, and for his ſending down (in the time of his abſence) the holy Ghoſt, or holy Spirit of Promiſe, and all this according the laſt Will and Teſtament of that living Lord, whoſe Will is not to be added to, or taken from.
3 I Teſtifie or Witneſs, that every ſuch believer in Chriſt Ieſus, that waiteth for his appearing, may in point of liberty, yea ought in point of du…y to improve that Talent his Lord hath given unto him, and in the Congregation may either aske for information to himſelf; or if he can, may ſpeak by way of Prophecie for the edification, exhortation, and comfort of the whole, and out of the Congregation at all times▪ upon all occaſions, and in all places, as far as the juriſdiction of his Lord extends, may, yea ought to walk as a Child of light, juſtifying wiſdom with his ways, and reproving folly with the unfruitfull works thereof, provided all this be ſhown out of a good converſation, as Iames ſpeaks with meekneſs of wiſdom.
4 I Teſtifie that no ſuch believer, or Servant of Chriſt Jeſus hath any liberty, much leſs Authority, from his Lord, to ſmite his fellow ſervant, nor yet with outward force, or arme of fleſh, to conſtrain, or reſtrain his Conſcience, no nor yet his outward man for Conſcience ſake, or worſhip of his God, where injury is not offered to the perſon, name or eſtate of others, every man being ſuch as ſhall appear before the judgment ſeat of Chriſt, and muſt give an account of himſelf to God, and therefore ought to be fully perſwaded in his own mind, for what he undertakes, becauſe he that doubteth is damned if he eat, and ſo alſo if he act, becauſe he doth not eat or act in Faith, and what is not of Faith is Sin.
Theſe Concluſions being ſeen at leaſt by one of the Magiſtrates, notwithſtanding the Meſſage to the priſon, anſwer to my ſelf in the Chamber, promiſe by him that came for the Concluſions, common report abroad that a diſputation was granted, the Court broke up, and did nothing; and the next ſecond day following, a Meſſenger was ſent to the priſon from the Magiſtrate, with a releaſe to the keeper, which having received he ſpeedily put me forth; The words of the releaſe follow.
To the Keeper of the priſon.
BY Virtue hereof you are to releaſe and ſet at liberty the Body of Mr. Iohn Clarke, and this ſhall be your diſcharge for ſo doing.
Given under my hand the 11th. of the 6th. Month, 1651. WILLIAM HIBBINS.
To be brief, &c. Vnderſtanding that ſome friends had laid down the Money, although contrary to my Counſell, when formerly at ſeverall times, and by ſeverall perſons I was moved thereunto, and perceiving now that the Countries expectation (which was not a little raiſed) touching a diſputation was utterly fruſtrate, and being ſenſible that it was an eaſy matter to lay the blame on me, being a perſon condemned, and alſo abſent, I drew up the former motion, and added thereunto theſe words following.
VVHereas through the indulgency of tender hearted friends, without my conſont, and contrary to my judgment, the Sentence, and Condemnation of the Court at Boſton (as is reported) have been fully ſatisfied on my behalf, and thereupon a Warrant hath been procured by which I am ſecluded the place of my impriſonment, by reaſon whereof I ſee no other call for preſent but to my habitaetion, and to thoſe neer relations which God hath given me there, yet leſt the cauſe ſhould hereby ſuffer, which I profeſs is Christs, I would hereby ſignifie, that if yet it ſhall pleaſe the honoured Magiſtrates, or generall Court of this Colony, to grant my former requeſt under their Secretaries hand, I ſhall cheerfully imbrace it, and upon your motion ſhall through the help of God come from the Iland to attend it, and hereunto I have ſubſcribed my name,
11th. 6. 51. John Clarke.
Both theſe the next morning I delivered to the keeper to deliver to the Magiſtrates, who were to meet at the Commencement at Cambridge, which being accordingly performed it was noiſed abroad the motion was granted, and the writing was in Mr. Cottons hand, who was thereby judged to be the man, and beſt of all approved of by my ſelf for that ſame purpoſe, he being the inventor and ſuportor of that way, in theſe parts, wherein they walk, and thereupon I took the thing for granted, and to that purpoſe wrot to my friends who ſent to viſit me in the priſon, but upon the fift day, a little before their Lecture at Boſton, I received a writing ſubſcribed with five of the Magiſtrates hands, which when I had peruſed, and ſaw that they waved the motion, and inſtead thereof laid two or three ſnares before me, I drew up an Anſwer to their Writing, being hopeleſs of a diſputation, deſired the Iaylor to deliver it to the Magiſtrates, took my leave of my friends, and ſo departed to go towards the Iland, having ten miles that night to travell.
Here followeth their Writing, and my Anſwer alſo.
Mr. John Clarke,
VVE conceive you have miſ-reported the Governours ſpeech in ſaying you were challenged to diſpute with ſome of our Elders, whereas it was plainly expreſt, that if you would confer with any of them, they were able to ſatisfie you, neither were you able to maintain your practice to them by the word of God, all which was intended for your information, and conviction privately; neither were you enjoyned to what you then were Counſelled unto; nevertheleſs if you are forward to diſpute, and that you will move it your ſelf to the Court, or the Magiſtrates about Boſton, we ſhall take order to appoint one who will be ready to Anſwer your motion, you keeping cloſe to the queſtions to be propounded by your ſelf, and a moderator ſhal be appointed alſo to attend upon that ſervice; & whereas you deſire you might be free in your diſpute, keeping cloſe to the points to be diſputed on, without incurring damage by the Civill Iuſtice, obſerving what hath been before written, it is granted; the day may be agreed if you yeeld the premiſſes.
11th. of the 6th. 1651.
Iohn Ind…cott, Governour.
Tho. Dudley, Deputy Govern.
Rich. Bellingham.
William Hibbins.
Encreaſe Nowel.
My Anſwer followeth, ſuperſcribed,
To the Honoured Governour of the Mathatuſets, and the reſt of that Honorable Society, theſe preſent. Worthy Senators,
I Received a writing ſubſcribed with 5 of your hands by way of anſwer to a twice-repeated motion of mine before you, which was grounded as I conceive ſufficiently upon the Governours words in open Court, which writing of yours doth no way anſwer my expectation, nor yet that motion which I made, and whereas (waving that grounded motion) you are pleaſed to intimate, That if I were forward to diſpute, and would move it my ſelf to the Court, or Magiſtrates about Boſton, you would appoint one to anſwer my motion, &c. Be pleaſed to understand, That although I am not backward to maintain the Faith, and Order of my Lord the King of Saints, for which I have been Sentenced, yet am I not, in ſuch a way ſo forward to diſpute, or move therein, leaſt inconvenience ſhould thereby ariſe, I ſhall rather once more repeat my former motion, which if it ſhall pleaſe the Honoured General Court to accept, and under their Secretaries hand ſhall grant a free diſpute without moleſtation or interruption, I ſhall be ſo well ſatisfied therewith, that what is paſt I ſhall forget, and upon your motion ſhall attend it; Thus deſiring the Father of Mercies not to lay that evill to your charge,
From Priſon this 14. 6. 51. I remain your Well-wiſher. Iohn Clarke.
This Anſwer with the motion for a diſpute upon theſe fair termes the third time repeated, (being a thing alſo generally deſired, and longed for) was (as I ſaid before) by me delivered to the Keeper, and by him preſented to the Magiſtrates, and ſo to the General Court, yet was there no anſwer returned: what made the obſtruction conſidering the equity of the Caſe, the former conſent and grant of the Magiſtrates, and the peoples earneſt deſire thereof, I know not, neither will I too readily conclude (leſt it ſhould …avor of prejudice) that it was either an apprehenſion it would be diſgracefull, firſt to Iudge and Condemn the perſons, and afterward to have the matter examined, or elſe a fear and jealouſie leſt upon the examination thereof by the word of God (which is a quick & powerful divider aſunder of the Soul, and Spirit, and of the joynts, & marrow, and a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart) their ſtanding (in reference to the worſhip of God) ſhould appear falſe, and evill, and the way by wch. they maintayn the ſame with a forcing of others thereto, ſhould appear far worſe; ſurely, the ſtanders by, and ſuch, whoſe minds are diſ-engaged in the buſineſſe will aptly conclude, and not without probable grounds, that the utmoſt they can ſay for themſelves, and to ſtop the mouth of him that is contrary minded, lyes in the Sword and power of the Magiſtrate, which although it be a good Ordinance of God in this preſent evill World, to reſtrain the oppreſſor, and let the oppreſſed goe free, and ſo approved and owned by Chriſt and all true Chriſtians, in caſe of wrong and wicked lewdneſſe, as Gallio expreſſeth it yet was it never appointed by Chriſt, (to whom all power, not only in Earth, but alſo in Heaven, is committed, and by whom all Earthly powers are to be judged, in that day in which he ſhall judge the World in righteouſneſſe; I ſay it was never appointed by Chriſt) to inform and rectifie the minds and conſciences of men in the worſhip of God, in that great myſtery of Godlineſſe, and in thoſe myſticall matters concerning the Kingdom of Chriſt, that being a matter that onelyonly belongs to the Holy Spirit of Promiſe, and to the 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 (ſ…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 nonappearance was conſtrained to pay the money; hereupon not long after Brother Crandall went to Boſton, and charged the …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.