Ill News from New England, Dedication 2
To the Honored Magiſtracy, the Presbytery, and their dependency in the Mathatuſets Colony in New-England, The Author wiſheth repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth as it is in Jeſus Chriſt.
HOnored Friends, for ſo without ſcruple or diſſimulation can I call you; ſome of you I honor for your parts, others for your places ſake, and both for many good things I ſee in you, and for evils reformed by you; I call you friends, for my love to you (in truth) is unfained, neither are there (I bleſs the Lord notwithſtanding the diſcourteous uſage which I and my friends received from you) any evill thoughts in my heart towards you, becauſe I judge you were put upon what you did by a zeal (I would not think, unto private or caanall intereſts but) towards God, thinking thereby to do him ſervice; although I confidently believe, and therefore boldly do affirm that his ſoul abhors it; And that I may deal plainly with you as a friend, I will tell you what in my heart I think and judge, that ſuch a zeal of God is not according to true knowledge, or knowledge of the truth as it is in Jeſus Chriſt, which would ſoon take you off, and free you from that ſoul murdering, and blood thirſty lie. I hope you will not be offended to ſee this Narrative brought forth into the publick view, it being upon the point forſt from me by your friends & agent here, ſeeing alſo the matter, which is contained therein is of no leſs than of publick concernment, was not done in a corner, is the fruit of your zeal, and that wherin I ſuppoſe you glory and count your ſelves herein a worthy pattern for all that ſear the Lord, to follow you, and withall their might to be conformed to; which if a truth, I then ſave you a labour, and further your deſign, yea I publiſh your praiſe, and glory, but my own diſgrace and ſhame; but if a miſtake, and falſehood, I ſhall then hereby give occaſion unto your faithful friends (whoſe words may be of more prevailing power, and force than mine, through prejudice for preſent, are like to be) to tell you friendly, and yet plainly, that you do but glory in your ſhame, ſo that the time may come, if ſo be the will of God, that you may ſmite upon your thigh, and ſay within your ſelves, what fruit had we then of thoſe things, whereof we are now aſhamed; neither let it be offenſive to your ſpirits to ſee my teſtimony for which thing ſake among you we were ſhamefully entreated, being alſo ſtrangers to you and belonging to another juriſdiction where and by whoſe means divers of you, and yours, and ſuch as have been of chiefeſt note, and moſt highly eſteemed by you, have enjoyed curteſies with far greater liberties in point of conſcience no man gainſaying: let it not offend I ſay to ſee this teſtimony when none of you (upon the oft repeated motion) would come forth to oppoſe it, then to be made yet more publick, & by the word of God, and teſtimony of Chriſt Jeſus the Lord to be brought forth into the open view of all, confirmed and juſtifyed▪ neither take it ill that fith I could not with freedom, and upon equal terms ſpeak with you, and diſcuſs theſe points for which we have been ſentenced, that then I have made bold to write unto you ſome few lines, that thereby I might remind you (leaſt you let it ſlip) that we were brought before you as by a hand from beneath, ſo not without a ſpeciall, and good hand from above, and that to be a teſtimony againſt you in theſe two weighty particulars; firſt to bear teſtimony againſt your ſtanding with reſpect to the worſhip of God appointed by Chriſt, which in plain terms (for it is not now a time to diſſemble ſeeing the Lord is at hand) is falſe, and evil, not the order of the Goſpel of Chriſt as you pretend, and therefore diſorder, confuſion, and that, which in Scripture language is called Babel; And ſecondly to bear teſtimony, or witneſs againſt that way by which you maintain it, which being chiefly as it appears by carnal weapons, which cannot reach to the heart or ſpirit of a man, which is the principal part, and upon the point the whole in the worſhip of God, without which there is no acceptance with him, this I ſay muſt needs alſo be falſ, but yet far worſe, it being no way appointed, or approved of Chriſt, nor yet groundedly expected or practiſed by Chriſtians who firſt truſted in Chriſt, and therefore upon due examination will prove moſt unchriſtian, yea Antichriſtian; I ſhall uſe but theſe two arguments in this place to convince you, The firſt wherof ſtandeth thus.
That order, and way to maintain it which neither hath precept from Chriſt, and his Apoſtles in his laſt will and teſtament, nor yet preſident, or example among thoſe that firſt truſted in Chriſt, that order cannot be the order of the Goſpel of Chriſt, nor that way his way to maintain it.
But the order which you call the order of the Goſpel of Chriſt, and the way which you ſay is his way to maintain it, hath neither precept, nor preſident in his laſt will and teſtament.
The firſt propoſition I ſuppoſe none of you can deny, unleſs you can find a later than that which is called his laſt will and teſtament, and as for the ſecond the truth thereof, will as eaſily appear if you bring your order, and way to maintain it to the precept of Chriſt, and practiſe of thoſe that firſt truſted in him; and firſt for your order, what precept from Chriſt, or practiſe among thoſe that firſt truſted in him have you for baptizing of infants (who are declared to be but fleſh and by nature the Children of wrath one as well as another:) for rantiſing and ſprinkling them, and not baptizing or dipping them; for accepting ſuch as were ſprinkled with ſuperſtitious hallowed water, and by the hand of as ſuperſtitious conſecrated a miniſtery of Antichriſt, and for receiving of ſuch as are ſprinkled by your ſelves to the ordinance of baptiſm as you call it, but yet to deny them communion in the Apoſtles doctrine, and in breaking of bread: And if you cannot find either precept from Chriſt or his Apoſtles, or example among thoſe that firſt truſted in Chriſt for none of theſe, then will you be a… loſs for the reſt, and neither, find precept or preſident for your joining together, or for your imitation of thoſe that fi…ſt truſted in him in their miniſtery of continuance togegether in the Apoſtles doctrine and fellow ſhip and breaking of bread, and prayer. And touching your way to maintain it, what have you a precept and preſident in the laſt will and teſtiment of Chriſt for ſuch a gathering together with reſpect to the order of the Goſpell of Chriſt in the name, and by the leave of the Magiſtrate, ſo as to make it a thing unlawful for the ſervants of Chriſt to do it, without him, by the civil ſword to correct errour, hereſies, and all falſe worſhips, to conſtrain all Church-members, and ſuch alſo as are without (and ſo cannot but by you be looked upon to be without faith, without which it is impoſſible to pleaſe God) outwardly and hypocritically to conform to your worſhip, or to reſtrain them in like manner outwardly and hypocritically from enjoying their own, when according to that rule (to which is annexed the promiſe of peace to ſuch as walk thereby) the greateſt Apoſtacies and Blaſphemies (that unpardonable fin it ſelf not excepted) were but puniſhed with a delivery of the perſon that was guilty thereof unto Satan the God of this world, that he might learn not to blaſpheme the God of heaven, and ſo to leave him to the coming of the Lord who ſhall come in flaming fire to render vengeance upon ſuch; and ſo much is ſignified by the word anathema Maranatha. And I pray conſider whether this be not to place the Magiſtrate too high, or too low; too high in caſe you make him the chief, and upon the point the only Judge in ſpiritual things (…uch as appertain to the myſtery of godlineſs that is ſo great, and ſuch as belong to the myſtery of the Kingdome of Chriſt, that is ſo wonderful) ſo as to judge, and determine what is truth, and what is error and hereſie, what is the right way of the worſhip of God who being a ſpirit hath declared that he will be worſhipped in ſpirit, and in truth, and what is not; who are the worſhippers he ſeeks for, and who are ſuch as his ſoul abhors? and again too low in caſe you make him but the executioner only of other mens judgements; which indeed is the ordinary practiſe. And ſo I have done with the firſt argument; the ſecond ſtands thus.
2. Arg. That order, and way to maintain it which is not only different from, but contrary unto the precept of Chriſt in his laſt will and teſtament, and the practiſe of Chriſtians that firſt truſted in him, that order cannot be the order of the Goſpel of Chriſt, nor that way his way to maintain it. But the order which you call the order of the Goſpel of Chriſt, and the way which you ſay is his way to maintain it, is not only different from but contrary unto the precept of Chriſt, and the practiſe of Chriſtians that firſt truſted in him.
The firſt propoſition it undeniable, and the ſecond will eaſily appear to be true if your order▪ and that way by which you ſeek to maintain it be brought to and compared with the precept of Chriſt, and his Apoſtles, and the example of thoſe churches that firſt truſted in him; and firſt compare but your order with either precept, or preſident; and it will evidently appear not only to be differing from, but contrary unto the order of the Goſpel of Chriſt: for according to the precept of Chriſt every creature to whom the Goſpel was to be preached was by the preaching thereof to be made a diſciple before he was to be baptiſed, and then being ſo made, and baptized he was to be taught to obſerve all things which Chriſt had commanded, which was in reference to a ſober, righteous, and godly converſation in the order of his houſe, according to which precept was the practiſe of thoſe that firſt truſted in him, for they, and they only that gladly received the word of ſalvation by Jeſus Chriſt were baptized, Acts 2 and they, and all they that were baptized were joined without the leave of the Magiſtrate, and continued together ſteadfaſtly in the Apoſtles doctrine; and in fellowſhip, and breaking of bread and prayer: but your joining together not at the command of the Lord, but by the leave of the Magiſtrate, and your continuing together in imitation of the firſt Churches, and appointing a miniſtery before your ſelves be baptized, and ſo viſibly planted into the death of Chriſt as they were; and your adminiſtring baptiſm (as you call it) to ſuch as are not the true ſubjects thereof before they are taught, or made diſciples; and after a falſe manner, viz. by ſprinkling, which no way reſembles the death, burial, or reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, being that which his baptiſme is appointed to do; and your admitting ſome unto baptiſm (as you own it) which you refuſe to admit unto breaking of bread, and your receiving ſuch to breaking of bread, which yet were never baptized with the baptiſm appointed by Jeſus Chriſt the Lord; and your ſhutting out the exerciſe of the gift of prophecying, which in the Church of Chriſt doth admirably tend to edification; and your introducing a mixt confuſed way of ſinging which fills the ear rather with a loud ſound of words, than the heart with any thing that is truly edifying, all which is not only differing from, but contrary unto both precept, and preſident, and ſo cannot be the order of the Goſpel of Chriſt, and therefore is no better than diſorder, confuſion, and a part of that which in Scripture language is called Babell. And compare that way by which you maintain it, either with the precept of Chriſt or with the preſident of primitive Chriſtians and it will as evidently appear not only to be different from, but contrary unto them both; for firſt the precept of Chriſt was to learn of him who was meek and lowly, and to expect trouble, and perſecution from others, and not to perſecute, neither to force the Jews that would not follow him, nor yet to fire the Samaritans that would not receive him, yea he expreſſely commands his Servants to let the rares alone with the wheat, and ſuffers no ſmall inconvenience thereby to avoid a greater, and further declares that the ſervant of the lord muſt nor ſtrive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach (not to ſtrike) patient, in meekneſs inſtructing thoſe that oppoſe themſelves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth that they may recover themſelves out of the ſnare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will; according to which precepts of Chriſt we find the primitive Chriſtians were meek, and gentle, and yet able by ſound doctrine both to exhort, & convince the gainſayers, who called not for carnall weapons to mannage their warfare, but declared their weapons were mighty through God, and either by the word and a good converſation wonne men to the acknowledgement of the truth as it is in Jeſus, or elſe left them wi…hout excuſe together with the world, unto the judgement of the great day of the Lord; but now all men may ſee that your way is not only different from, but contrary unto this precept of Chriſt and preſident of Chriſtians, and therefore cannot be eſteemed any better than unchriſtian, yet Antichriſtian.
Let not your adverſary and mine (Dear Countreymen) fill your hearts with indignation, and thoughts of revenge againſt him, who in a faithful diſcharge of his conſcience both towards God, and you, have made bold to deal plainly with you, leaſt my God to whom vengeance belongs, repay it upon you, and ſmite you with blindneſs of mind, and hardneſs of heart that cannot repent, but rather ſet before your eyes that memorable practice, and worthy pattern of thoſe noble Bereans, and (laying profits, honor and prejudice aſide if it be poſſible) peruſe my teſtimony, and ſearch the ſcriptures diligently to ſee whether the things contained therein be ſo or no; if you find them ſo, viz. confirmed, and juſtifyed by the word of God, and by the teſtimony of Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, then conſider, not I but the Lord from heaven calls upon you to break off your ſins by repentance, and let me hereby give you warning to take heed that you diſpiſe not him that ſpeaketh from heaven. As touching the wrong and injury done to us, you having thereby much more wronged your own ſouls in tranſgreſſing the very law, and light of Nations, doing as you would not be done unto, it is in my heart to pitty you rather, and to petition my Lord in heaven not to lay this ſin to your charge, than to complain againſt you, or to petition your lords and ours here on earth for juſtice herein; no, no, we have better learned Chriſt than ſo, having alſo given up our hearts to be led by his ſpirit; and to walk in his ſteps, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he ſuffered, he threatned not, but committed his caſe to him that judgeth righteouſly, and who knowes but that the ſpirit of judgement, and the ſpirit of burning, hath been, or may be ere long in your hearts, whereby you may be made affectedly ſenſible, that the cauſe is the ſame, or very little differing from this.
A poor innocent traveller paſſeth along the Countrey upon his occaſions: a man having ſtrength in his arm findeth him, frames himſelf offended with him for no cauſe he hath given him, and becauſe he cannot draw him unto his party, either to rob, or to kill, or to ſay amen to his practiſes, he therefore binds him, and caſts him into a pit, and declares himſelf reſolute there to keep him, till he hath his blood, unleſs he will deliver him his purſe; the man either hath not a purſe about him, or a heart to deliver it; and being unwilling either to part with his blood, or that the other ſhould be ſo deeply guilty in taking it from him, he meekly, and earneſtly thrice moveth the ſtrong man for a diſcourſe, and humbly entreats him that he would not ſeek by the ſtrength of his arme, but by the force of ſome arguments to convince his underſtanding, and conſcience, and ſo to draw him (as a man) to his party, but the ſtrong man delaies him, and ſo puts him off; whereupon a good tender hearted Samaritan paſſing by, and perceiving how the caſe ſtood, and that the ſtrong man would have his purſe; or his blood without any diſpute, being moved with compaſſion to redeem this innocent blood from the handof the ſtrong man he delivers him his own purſe, and ſo the man is releaſed. Take it not ill that I have uſed ſo much plaineſs of ſpeech, for my ſtudie is now to ſpeak plainly, and neither flatteringly nor invectively: and to uſe plain dealing with all men, although I verifie the Proverb, and die a begger; for as I told ſome of your ſelve… (and that in publick) I abhor diſſimulation, neither can I account him a wiſe man who doth not hate diſſembling, or that doth love to diſſemble; and therefore ſaith Solomon rebuke a wiſe man and he will love thee, &c. and David the King ſaith on this wife, let the righteous ſmite me and it ſhall be a precious balm; I know inſtruction is grievous to him that is out of the way, but what ſaith the wiſe man, he that hateth inſtruction ſhall die. Conſider I pray what hath been ſpoken, and turn not away your eye, nor your ear, nor your heart from inſtruction, leaſt that which was ſaid by the prophet of old Iſa. 9. 14, 15. 16. be in you verified, which to prevent is the humble and earneſt requeſt unto the fathers of mercies of
Your loving friend and Couutreyman JOHN CLARK.