History of the War with the Indians, Part 5 – Part 6
October the 7th. This day of Humiliation appointed by the Council, was solemnly observed: Yet attended with awful testimonies of Divine displeasure. The very next day after this Fast was agreed upon by those in Civil Authority, was that dismal and fatal blow, when Captain Lothorp and his Company (in all near upon fourscore souls) were slaughtered, whereby the Heathen were wonderfully animated, some of them triumphing and saying, That so great slaughter was never known: And indeed in their Wars, one with another, the like hath rarely been heard of. And that very day when this Fast was kept, three Persons were killed by the Indians near Dover, one of them going from the publick Worship. Also that very day at the close of it, the sad tidings of Springfields Calamity came to us here in Boston. And inasmuch as this news came at the conclusion of a day of Humiliation, surely the solemn voice of God to New-England is still as formerly, Praying without Reforming will not do. And now is the day come wherein the Lord is fulnlling the word which himself hath spoken, saying, I will send wild Beasts among you, which shall rob you of your Children, and destroy your Cattle, and make you few in number, and if you will not be reform'd by these things, I will bring your Sanctuaries to Desolation, and I will not smell the sweet Savor of your Odours. The Providence of God is never to be forgotten, in that Churches have been signally spared for so long a time. Although some Plantations wherein Churches have been settled were in most eminent danger, and the Enemy might easily have swallowed them up, yet God so ordered that they received little or no detriment, when other places were laid utterly waste, the Lord manifesting how loth he was to disgrace the Throne of his Glory, but now he begins with the Sanctuary. As for Springfields misery, it thus came to pass: Whereas there was a body of Indians that lived in a Fort near to that Town of Springfield, and professed nothing but Friendship towards the English; they treacherously brake in upon the Town, when a party of our Souldiers who had been there, were newly gone to Hadly. They killed several, amongst others their Lieutenant Cooper was most persidiously Murthered by them, without the least occasion or Provocation given. They burnt down to the ground above thirty dwelling-houses; and above twenty out-houses: amongst others, Mr. Pelatiah Glover, Teacher of the Church there, is a great sufferer, his House, and Goods, and Books, and Writings being all consumed in one hour. Nevertheless there was a great mixture of mercy in this dark and dismal dispensation. For God so ordered, as that an Indian who knew what was designed the next day, ran away in the night, and acquainted the English therewith, whence they had time and opportunity to escape to an house that was Fortified; otherwise in probability the Inhabitants had surely had their lives as well as their dwelling places cut off.
October 13. The General Court sat in Boston, during this Session, a Committee was with the concurrence of both Houses appointed in order to a Reformation of those Evils which have provoked the Lord to bring the Sword upon us, and to withdraw from our Armies from time to time. The Assistance of the Teaching Elders in the Churches was desired, as in a case of that nature, it was proper for them to advise and help according to God.
There was a gracious presence of God with them in their consultations, all that were there with one voice agreeing in many particulars, in respect whereof Reformation should be, and must be: e. g. That some effectual course should be taken for the Suppression of those proud Excesses in Apparel, hair, &c. which many (yea and the poorer sort as well as others) are shamefully guilty of. That a due testimony should be born against such as are false Worshippers, especially Idolatrous Quakers, who set up Altars against the Lords Altar, yea who set up a Christ whom the Scriptures know not. That whereas excess in drinking is become a common Sin, means should be used to prevent an unnecessary multiplication of Ordinaries, and to keep Town dwellers from frequenting Taverns: and that whereas Swearing hath been frequently heard, they that hear another Swear profanely and do not complain of it to Authority, shall be punished for that concealment. Also that some further care should be taken, that the fourth and fifth Commandments be better observed than formerly; and that there may be no more such Oppression, either by Merchants or day-Labourers as heretofore hath been; and that the Indian Trading-houses, whereby the Heathen have been debauched and scandalized against Religion, be suppressed; and that more care should be taken respecting the Rising Generation, than formerly hath been, that they might be brought under the discipline of Christ, &c. These things were unanimously consented to.