Truth Held Forth and Maintained, Part 1 · Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI. Something of an Account concerning Gods Judgments upon divers of the chief perſecuting Priests and Rulers in New-England, as alſo relating to ſome of their Laws, Acts and Orders, for the further Reformation of them called their Churches, with ſome what relating to their form and manner of Habit in that day.
IT hath been found lawful and expedient in all Ages, (as appears by the holy Scriptures) to record the Works of the Righteous, that as Land Marks they might remain for all to follow them in the way of Righteouſneſs, and alſo to record the Works of the Unrighteous, that as Way-Marks all might take warning to hate evil and do good; for had the firſt Inhabitants of New-England remained faithful under the Biſhops Yoke, in fleeing from one City and Town to the other, the Yoke and Burden of Chriſt would have become eaſie and light, but not bearing the Croſs of Chriſt, in oppoſition to their natural Wills, they fled beyond the Command of God, in fleeing the Land, though ſeemingly under a fair pretence of gathering Churches, and planting them where Chriſt had not been once named. But their preaching their Goſpel and planting their Churches, ſeemeth to me of the nature of the Spaniards among the Indians in New Spain, who deſtroyed the Natives by Fire and Sword, even ſo was it with them that at firſt came to preach the Goſpel and plant Churches in New-England, the effect of which Work is recorded in their Book of Gods Providences towards them, in ſuffering them to deſtroy the Natives, not conſidering how to love their Enemies, and to pray for them, unto whom the King of Heaven and Earth had given this Land to poſſeſs; but as in that day, by reaſon of the Native not underſtanding the nature of Guns and Powder, one Engliſh Man with his Gun, would put ten Indians to flight, ſo in fifty or ſixty years time of being acquainted with the Unrighteouſneſs of the Engliſh, they are now become ſo unrighteous in the ſame way, that as a Judgment upon the Engliſh, their Fire and Sword is ſo terrible, that at the ſight of ten Indians do one hundred well armed Engliſh men take their flight; for the Natives now underſtanding Trade, do ſay, the Engliſh cheated them of their Land, and alſo of the many ten Thouſand Pounds worth of Furs, with which they have traded with the Engliſh, who were bounded by a Law, that only a few of them, which were moſtly in the Prieſts and Rulers favour, could trade, without paying five pounds in Money for every pint of ſtrong Drink they ſold to any Indian, without liſence from the Rulers, who did liſence ſuch as aforeſaid, to ſell what they thought good, inſomuch that ſome of the Traders have boaſted, that their profit was one thouſand pound in Furs, for one hundred pounds in Rum, Gun powder, and other Goods with which they traded; but of all their trading goods, they ſaid Rum was the chief; for the Indians nature did ſo require and deſire after ſtrong Drink, that all would be drunk in ſome ſhort time, for which cauſe the Engliſh Traders might then buy at any rate, and alſo to lengthen out out their ſtock by mixing Rum and Brandy with two thirds Water; but ill gotten goods do not long remain with the Wicked; for the Indian Traders, with their great Eſtates, have the Indians deſtroyed moſt of them and their Eſtates with Fire and Sword; and if New-England hath been purchaſed of the Natives, as they ſay, after the like nature it hath been, how can the Engliſh have peace with the Indians, until they have repented of their ſin, and made full reſtitution to them for their wrong received from the Engliſh, eſpecially about their Land, which all know God gave unto them; and before the Engliſh came here, its generally acknowledged, the Indians were a moral People in way of Trade with each other; but ſince the Engliſh undertook the work of reducing them into the knowledge of their Doctrine, Principles and Practices, they are become the worſt of men in ſtupidity, to work …ickedneſs; ſo that it is concluded, that thoſe Indians which have complyed with the former Government, by which they have gained the Name of Praying Indians, have been the greateſt Enemies to the Engliſh in the late Wars; and this I know, that ſome of them called praying Indians, have far exceeded them called curſing Indians, in Miſchief againſt the Engliſh, and in general, the praying Indians are no more to be credited than they that never prayed in their life; ſo that the great ſums of Money or Goods ſent from England, to promote the Prie…s and Rulers Work of converting the Indians in New England, hath no more anſwered the end, than all the Money and Goods, which in the time the Prieſts have received of their people for preaching; for in that day, the nearer people were drawn, by their Prieſts, to joyn with their Church, the further they were drawn from ſerving God in the true and living way, as is ſufficiently manifeſt by their perſecuting of People to death; ſo that the more the Indians complyed, in joyning with the Church, the more ſubtiler they grew, and now in ſubtilty exceed the Foxes, Bears, Lyons and Wolves, which if a true man were b… by the one, he could have no true recompeace by complaint to the other; in which day they accounted their Devotion ſo holy, that if one that was a Member was was reading in his Pſalm Book, and another that was no Member did but caſt his eye, to behold what he was reading, the prerſon that was reading would cloſe his Book, as a thing unfit for them, accounted as Dogs, to partake with with them in their holy things; and at that day, in the Church of Salem, the Women in time of ſervice had their faces covered with a Vail, which practice did not many years continue, and when this practice was laid aſide, they had (for the more order in their Church) to keep people from ſleeping, a man that wholly tended with a ſhort clubbed ſtick, having at the one end a knop, and at the other end a Fox Tayl, with which he would ſtroke the Wemens faces that were drouſie to ſleep, and with the other end would knock unruly Dogs, and Men that were a …; in which time the Perſecutors were not only known by their perſecuting, but alſo by their habit of high crowned Hats, and two inch broad Bands, with ſhort hair above or even with their Ears, and peaked Beards, for their manner was to cut their hair by the brims of a diſh upon their heads. They had alſo a Law about Men and Womens Apparel, by which in wearing of black ſilk Hoods and Scarfs, the Prieſts and Rulers Wives might be known from others, and them accounted rich might be known by their fine Cloth, and Gold and Silver Buttons, and thereupon came they to receive Honour of the poorer ſort, which were yearly rated to maintain their Prieſts, &c. And in that day a man or woman, tho' never ſo baſe and wicked, yet ſhould they find acceptance of favour with the Prieſts and Rulers, by informing againſt the Quakers, who were recorded as Lyars, Blaſphemers, Seducers, Hereticks, Rogues and Vagabonds, with much more of the like nature.
Now having related in ſeveral places of this Book ſome, what of the unrighteous Laws, Acts, Orders and Practices of New-England, I ſhall now relate a little concering their laſt inſnaring Law againſt the ſame people called Quakers, through their pretended zeal for Conformity, by chuſing Tyding Men in each Town under their Government, which were year after year ſworn to give true Information vvhere they found the Quakers to meet, or any other profeſſing people vvhichwhich vvere not liſenced to meet by the Prieſts and Rulers, vvho for ſo meeting, according to that Lavv, did forfeit Houſe and Land to the Country, and then the Prieſts and Rulerrs vvere called the Country; and the perſons, of vvhat quality ſoever, that vvere taken at any of the the aforeſaid Meetings, were forth-vvith to be vvell vvhipt in the houſe of Correction, the penalty of which Law ſeveral honeſt rich Merchants in Boſton received, vvhichwhich Law vvell pleaſed the Prieſts, not knovving hovv little time they had to ride the Rulers at their pleaſure; but ſoon after this King Charles the ſecond, vvith his Council o… Parliament, called them to an account, and found tha… they had forfeited their Charter, and which was condemned, and for their miſdemeanour towards him and his Subjects juſtly taken away. And in that Day their pretended Holyneſs was ſuch, that none but them of their own Profeſſion were admitted to bear Office, or fight againſt their Enemies; but now they will accept the Mahoque Indians, or Pyrats, or them highly accuſed of Witch-craft, to be their chief Commanders; and inſtead of differing Apparel, all that can get it may wear w…at they pleaſe, moſt ſtriving who ſhall come neareſt the neweſt French faſhion; and inſtead of Womens Vails in their Worſhip, ſtrive who can ſpy out the neweſt faſhioned Apparel, and the richeſt and higheſt Top-kno…s, &c. and too much let their minds out to diſcourſe of theſe things, till their next Worſhip day I write not theſe things to reflect upon the People of New-England, but that they may repent of their evils, which provoke the Lords Judgments againſt a People that profeſs him in words, but deny him in Works; for which cauſe it was, that divers of the former Prieſts and Rulers were ſuddainly removed by the juſt hand of the Lord, which reached them by ſuddain Death. according as I have read in a printed Paper given to King Charles the ſecond, and to his Council, that upon the day of putting to Death them four Perſons called Quakers, many people to ſee them put to death, run over the Draw-bridge in Boſton, which broke down, and ſeveral people hurt but only one Woman big with Child killed, and that was her who had ſaid, That rather than thoſe four Quakers ſhould not be put to Death: for want of ſome one to hang them, that her Husband ſhould perform the Work.
The next in order was their Major General, whoſe Horſe threw him in all his Pomp, at the head of the Trainbands, and he dyed immediately in the ſame place.
The third was the Captain of their Caſtle, who was ſuddainly killed with Thunder, at which time the blades of his Souldiers Swords melted in their ſheathes by their ſides, yet all preſerved alive.
The fourth and fifth were their two Captains which drove thoſe innocent perſons to their bloody Altar; the one was deprived of his natural Reaſon, and for filthineſs degraded of his Church Brethren, and became eaten of Lice, and a reproach to them that met him. The other was given up to ſtrong Drink, and ſuddainly dyed.
The ſixth of their Rulers, was one Webb, who was accuſed of Uncleanneſs with his near Kins-woman, he was ſtrangely drowned, when all others in the ſame Boat, were out of danger.
The ſeventh was their Jaylor, a devout Member of their Church, who departed this Life in great horror of Conſcience, confeſſing, it was for his great Cruelty to the poor Quakers.
The eight is ſaid to have rotted alive, and was he that condemned the innocent to dye
The nineth bled to Death, not known to have any Wound.
The tenth was one Ʋnderwood, a rich Baker, which waſted his Eſtate, and became a Servant in Virginia And another, which I well knew, did the like.
The twelfth (a great …erſecutor) was a rich Collonol, he ended miſerably, being killed by the Indians in his own Houſe, in a taunting way of reproach. And at the ſame time his Riches conſumed by fire, and his Daughter taken Captive.
The thirteenth was John Norton, their high Prieſt in Boſton, who preached in the fore-part of the day, and in the latter part of the day, its ſaid, he confeſſed, the hand of God was upon him, and …o dyed.
And as the Word of the Lord was by the Mouth of his Servants to John Indicot Governour, even ſo is it, for his fair Dwellings in Boſton are become a Barn, and Stable for Cows and Horſes; and one can hardly find where his fair D… in Salem ſtood. And of all his other great Eſtate in Lands and Livings, its well known, that on four pence a day for labour, many honeſt men in Old England have and do live far more better than any of his Poſterity upon the aforeſaid great Eſtate, and yet I know not any of them extravagant, but things do not proſper with them.