Ill News from New England, Letter 1
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 …ender mercies, to fear none of thoſe things which you ſhall ſuffer for Ieſus ſake. …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 frō the Church (as they call it) at Tanto…, 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: VponUpon 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 Seat, and curſed me, ſaying, The Curſe of God, or Ieſus goe with thee; ſo we were carried to the Priſon where not long after I was deprived of my two loving Friends; at whoſe departure the Adverſary ſtept in, took hold on my Spirit, and troubled me for the ſpace of an hour, and then the Lord came in, and ſweetly releeved me, cauſing me to look to himſelf, ſo was I ſtayed, and refreſhed in the thoughts of my God; and although during the time of my Impriſonment, the Tempter was buſie, yet it pleaſed God ſo to ſtand at my right hand, that the motions were but ſudden, and ſo vaniſhed away; and although there were that would have payd the money if I would accept it, yet I durſt not accept of deliverance in ſuch a way, and therefore my anſwer to them was, that although I would acknowledge their love to a cup of cold Water, yet could I not thank them for their money if they ſhould pay it; ſo the Court drew neer, and the night before I ſhould ſuffer according to my ſentence, it pleaſed God I reſted, and ſlept quietly; in the morning many Friends came to viſit me, deſiring me to take the refreſhment of Wine, and other Comforts, but my reſolution was not to drink Wine, nor ſtrong drink that day untill my puniſhment were over, and the reaſon was, leſt in caſe I had more ſtrength, courage, and boldneſſe than ordinarily could be expected, the VVorld ſhould either ſay he is drunk with new VVine, or elſe that the comfort and ſtrength of the Creature hath carried him through, but my courſe was this: I deſired Brother John Hazell to bear my Friends company, and I betook my ſelf to my Chamber, where I might communicate with my God, commit my ſelf to him, and beg ſtrength from him; I had no ſooner ſequeſtred my ſelf, and come into my Chamber, but Sathan lets flie at me, ſaying, Remember thy ſelf, thy birth, breeding, and friends, thy▪ wife, children, name, and credit but as this was ſudden, ſo there came in ſweetly from the Lord as ſudden an anſwer, 'tis for my Lord, I muſt not deny him before the Sons of men (for that is to ſet men above him) but rather loſe all, yea wife, children, and mine own life alſo: To this the tempter replies, Oh! but that is the queſtion, is it for him? and for him alone? is it not rather for thy own, or ſome others ſake? thou haſt ſo profeſſed and practiſed, and now art loth to deny it; is not pride and ſelf in the bottom? ſurely this temptation was ſtrong, and thereupon I made diligent ſearch after the matter, as formerly I had done, and after a while there was even as it had been a voyce from Heaven in my very Soul, bearing witnes with my Conſcience, that it was not for any mans caſe or ſake in this world, that ſo I had profeſſed and practiſed, but for my Lords caſe, and ſake, and for him alone, whereupon my Spirit was much refreſht▪ as alſo in the conſideration of theſe three Scriptures, which ſpeak on this wiſe, Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? Although I walk through the valley and ſhadow of Death I will fear none evill, thy rod and thy ſtaff they ſhall comfort me. And he that continueth to to the end, the ſame ſhall be ſaved. But then came in the conſideration of the weakneſſe of the Fleſh to bear the ſtrokes of a whip, though the Spirit was willing, and hereupon I was cauſed to pray earneſtly unto the Lord, that he would be pleaſed to give me a ſpirit of courage and boldneſſe, a tongue to ſpeak for him, and ſtrength of body to ſuffer for his ſake, and not to ſhrink or yeeld to the ſtroaks, or ſhed tears, leſt the adverſaries of the truth ſhould thereupon blaſpheme, and be hardned, and the weak and feeble-hearted diſcouraged, and for this I befought the Lord earneſtly, at length he ſatisfied my ſpirit, to give up as my ſoul, ſo my body to him, and quietly to leave the whole diſpoſing of the matter to him, and ſo I addreſſed my ſelf in as comely a manner as I could, having ſuch a Lord and Maſter to ſerve in this buſineſſe: And when I heard the voyce of my Keeper come for me, even cheerfulneſſe did come upon me, and taking my Teſtament in my hand, I went along with him to the place of execution, and after common ſalutation there ſtood; there ſtood by alſo one of the Magiſtrates, by name Mr. Encreaſe Nowell, who for a while kept ſilent, and ſpoke not a word, and ſo did I, expecting the Governours preſence, but he came not. But after a while Mr. Nowell bad the Executioner doe his Office, then I deſired to ſpeak a few words, but Mr. Nowell anſwered, it is not now a time to ſpeak, whereupon I took leave, and ſaid, Men, Brethren, Fathers, and Countrey-men, I beſeech you give me leave to ſpeak a few words, and the rather, becauſe here are many Spectators to ſee me puniſhed, and I am to ſeal with my Blood, if God give ſtrength, that which I hold and practiſe in reference to the Word of God, and the teſtimony of Ieſus; that which I have to ſay in brief is this, Although I confeſſe I am no Disputant, yet ſeeing I am to ſeal what I hold with my Blood, I am ready to defend it by the Word, and to diſpute that point with any that ſhall come forth to withſtand it. Mr. Nowell anſwered me, now was no time to diſpute, then ſaid I, then I deſire to give an account of the Faith and Order I hold, and this I deſired three times, but in comes Mr. Flint, and ſaith to the Executioner, Fellow, doe thine Office, for this Fellow would but make a long Speech to delude the people; ſo I being reſolved to ſpeak, told the people; That which I am to ſuffer for, is for the Word of God, and teſtimony of Ieſus Chriſt; No, ſaith Mr. Nowell it is for your Error, and going about to ſeduce the people; to which I replyed, not for Error, for in all the time of my Impriſonment, wherein I was left alone (my Brethren being gone) which of all your Miniſters in all that time came to convince me of Error? and when upon the Governours words a motion was made for a publick diſpute, and upon fair terms ſo often renewed, and deſired by hundreds, what was the reaſon it was not granted? Mr. Nowell told me, it was his fault that went away, and would not diſpute; but this the Writings will cleer at large: ſtill Mr. Flint calls to the man to doe his Office, ſo before, and in the time of his pulling off my cloathes I continued ſpeaking, telling them. That I had ſo learned, that for all Boſton I would not give my bodie into their hands thus to be bruiſed upon another account, yet upon this I would not give the hundredth part of a *A Wampon Peague is the ſix…h part of a penny with us.Wampon Peague to free it out of their hands, and that I made as much Conſcience of unbuttoning one button, as I did of paying the 30 l. in reference thereunto; I told them moreover, the Lord having manifeſted his love towards me, in giving me repentance towards God, and Faith in Ieſus Chriſt, and ſo to be baptized in water by a Meſſenger of Ieſus into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, wherein I have fellowſhip with him in his death, buriall, and reſurrection, I am now come to be baptized in afflictions by your hands, that ſo I may have further fellowſhip with my Lord, and am not aſhamed of his ſufferings, for by his ſtripes am I healed; And as the man began to lay the ſtroaks upon my back, I ſaid to the people, though my Fleſh ſhould fail, and my Spirit ſhould fail, yet God would not fail; ſo it pleaſed the Lord to come in, and ſo to fill my heart and tongue as a veſſell full, and with an audible voyce I brake forth, praying unto the Lord not to ſay this Sin to their charge, and telling the people, That now I found he did not fail me, and therefore now I ſhould truſt him for ever who failed me not; for in truth, as the ſtroaks fell upon me, I had ſuch a ſpirituall manifeſtation of Gods preſence, as the like thereto I never had, nor felt, nor can with fleſhly tongue expreſſe, and the outward pain was ſo removed from me, that indeed I am not able to declare it to you, it was ſo eaſie to me, that I could well bear it, yea and in a manner felt it not, although it was grievous, as the Spectators ſaid, the Man ſtriking with all his ſtrength (yea ſpitting on his hand three times▪ as many affirmed) with a three-coarded whip, giving me therewith thirty ſtroaks; when he had looſed me from the Poſt, having joyfulneſſe in my heart, and cheerfulneſſe in my countenance, as the Spectators obſerved, I told the Magiſtrates, you have ſtruck me as with Roſes; and ſaid moreover, Although the Lord hath made it eaſie to me, yet I pray God it may not be laid to your charge. After this many came to me, rejoycing to ſee the power of the Lord manifeſted in weak fleſh; but ſinfull fleſh takes occaſion hereby to bring others in trouble, informs the Magiſtrates hereof, and ſo two more are apprehended as for contempt of authority, there names were Iohn Hazell, and Iohn Spur, who came indeed and did ſhake me by the hand, but did uſe no words of contempt or reproach unto any; no man can prove that the firſt ſpoke any thing, and for the ſecond, he only ſaid thus, Bleſſed be the Lord; yet theſe two for taking me by the hand, and thus ſaying after I had received my puniſhment, were ſentenced to pay 40 ſhilling, or to be whipt. Both were reſolved againſt paying their Fine: Nevertheleſſe after one or two dayes impriſonment, one payed Iohn Spurs Fine, and he was releaſed, and after ſix or ſeven dayes Impriſonment of Brother Hazell, even the day when he ſhould have ſuffered, an other payd his, and ſo he eſcaped, and the next day went to viſit a Friend about 6 miles from Boſton, where he the ſame day fell ſick, and within 10 dayes he ended this life; when I was come to the Priſon, it pleaſed God to ſtir up the heart of an old acquaintance of mine, who with much tenderneſſe, like the good Samaritan, poured oyl into my wounds, and plaiſtered my ſores; but there was preſent information given what was done, and inquiry made who was the Chirurgion, and it was commonly reported he ſhould be ſent for, but what was done, I yet know not. Now thus it hath pleaſed the Father of Mercies ſo to diſpoſe of the matter, that my Bonds & Impriſonments have been no hinderance to the Goſpel, for before my return, ſome ſubmitted to the Lord, and were baptized, and divers were put upon the wayof enquiry; And now being adviſed to make my eſcape by night, becauſe it was reported that there were Warrants forth for me▪ I departed; and the next day after, while I was on my Iourney, the Conſtable came to ſearch at the houſe where I lodged, ſo I eſcaped their hands, and was by the good hand of my heavenly Father brought home again to my neer relations, my wife, and eight children, the Brethren of our Town, and Providence having taken pains to meet me 4 miles in the woods, where we rejoyced together in the Lord. Thus have I given you as briefly as I can, a true relation of things: wherefore my Brethren rejoyce with me in the Lord, and give all glory to him, for he is worthy, to whom be praiſe for evermore, to whom I commit you, & put up my earneſt prayers for you, that by my late experience, who have truſted in God, and have not been deceived, you may truſt in him perfectly: wherefore my dearly beloved Brethren truſt in the Lord, and you ſhall not be aſhamed, nor confounded, ſo I alſo reſt,
Yours in the bond of Charity, Obediah Holmes.
Three things would be well minded in this relation, 1 that God gave me Power to confeſs his name before the Sonnes of Men.
2 That he kept my tongue that I did not ſpeak evill of men, nor of Authority.
3 That he gave ſtrength to weak Fleſh that it failed not.
This Tragedy being thus acted in the face of the Country, muſt needs awaken and rouſe up the minds, and ſpirits of many, cauſe ſad thoughts to ariſe in their hearts, and to flow forth at their mouthes as men offended, to ſee Strangers profeſſing Godlineſs, ſo diſcourteouſly uſed, for no Civill Tranſgreſſion, but meerly for Conſcience, and that by their hands who pretended, that Liberty of Conſcience was alſo the cauſe of their flight, together with the other to the hazard of their lives by hard hearted, cruell, and ſavage Barbarians, and other miſchiefs which a vaſt, and howling Wilderneſſe is apt to produce; wherefore to ſtop their mouthes, and to lull them aſleep, the old ſubtile Serpent as his cuſtome ever hath been, raiſed up a cloud of diſgrace, thinking thereby to darken the truth he profeſt, and to obſcure the glory that appeared in his ſufferings, giving out, that he was but an Excommunicate, and ſo an accurſed perſon, and that it was vehemently ſuſpected, that he was notoriouſly given to that filthy luſt of uncleanneſs, which God will judge, and that the ſame was hinted in open Court, and that by perſons of no mean credit; wherefore againe to reſiſt the adverſary who hath been a lyer from the beginning, and thereby a deſtroyer and murderer, and to deliver the Children of truth at leaſt from his ſnare, whereby they might be taken captive at his will, he drew up, and ſent a letter unto the Governour of the Mathatuſets Colony, and deſired it might be publiſhed ſo that the Sons of Men, ſo far as the lye and ſlander might ſpread, might be acquainted therewith. The Letter followeth.