A Description of the New Heaven, Author to William Stoughton
TO THE HONORABLE, WILLIAM STOUGHTON Eſq Lieut. Governour AND COMMANDER in Chief, in and over His Majeſties Province of the Maſſachuſets Bay in New England.
WHEN I look upon the Longing Deſire,Non nos a tent ſiliqucorum, doci nae daemon rum. Ang. Pſal. 138. 1589, 15 Pſal. 47.4 and Parental Pity that was raiſed in Divines, and Chriſtians of all ranks; both in England, and here, upon the very firſt Appearance of the American Predigal his coming to himſelf, and being diſpoſed to return unto his Father: I cannot chuſe but judge it to be very like to, if not the very ſame that is ſpoken of Luke, 15.20. But when he was yet a great way off, his Father ſaw him, and had Compaſſion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kiſſed him. Venienti ocrit, & non verbe uno to, ſqual. & deform amplectits Calvin pFor as all phyſical Actions are of a Divine Original: ſo the Actions of good and holy Men, are in a peculiar manner aſcribed to God. A Relation entituled, The DAY-BREAKING, if not the SUN RISING of the GOSPEL with the INDIANS in New-England; which was printed at London, 1647. together with the following printed Relations, do give a very pleaſant Proſpect of this notable Tranſaction, from October, 28. 1646. unto July, 5. 1659. incluſively.Bullinger, Apoc. p. 2… Ipſe ſolus … diceretur Aphricant Europaeus, Aſiatious, Columbiun Chriſtus … tum hoc D ma hodic ſi vendicat. The ſorrowfull Decay and Languiſhing of the Work in many places, ſince that time; and the little Faith that is to be found in exerciſe concerning it: are ſo far from being a ground of Diſcouragement; that it gives us cauſe to expect that the ſet Time draweth very near for our bleſſed Lord Jeſus Chriſt to be Recogniſed and Crowned KING of Kings, & LORD of Lords. And I humbly crave leave to enter a Claim, that the New World may be no longer made an Outcast: but may be admitted to aſſiſt at the CORONATION. Perhaps ſome may think it ſuperfluous, at this time of day to publiſh any thing against thoſe Conjectures which, being groundleſs, fall of themſelves But on the other hand, when the Great KING was by his Ambaſsadors keeping up a Treaty of Marriage with America: Antich… Triplex ge Aret p. 2it was then very Unſeaſonable and abſurd to raiſe, or receive a Vain Report to her Diſparagement. And it ſeemeth convenient, that that which hath been ſaid, and written, and printed over and over again, to the Injury and Prejudice of Columbina: ſhould one time or other be Unſaid; that ſo the Scandal may be removed. And ſeeing the meer Conjectures of Learned and Great Men, do bear a great ſway with multitudes, who never enquire what the grounds are they go upon: it may ſeem a just Occaſion for this ſmall diſquiſition. In which I have endeavoured to prove that America's Name is to be ſeen fairly Recorded in the Scriptures; particularly, in the Book of Pſalms, in Daniel, and the Revelation. That Euphrates may be distinguiſhed from the Sea, and from other Rivers, it ought to be limited to ſome proper Place; for which place, I propound the New World: as being ſo far from deſerving the Nick names of Gog and Magog; that it ſtands fair for being made the Seat of the Divine Metropolis. In this manner Jeſus Chriſt will turn his back upon the pretended Vicar; untill He turn again, utterly to deſtroy him by the United Anger of the Seventh Vial.… 16.19. Another thing that ſeemeth probable to me, is, that the New-Engliſh Planters were the Forerunners of the Kings of the Eaſt; and as the Morning Star, giving certain Intelligence that the Sun of Righteouſneſs will quickly riſe and Shine with Illuſtrious Grace and Favour, upon this deſpiſed Hemiſphere. If ſome Accommodations ſeem novel and harſh at the first view; yet I ſuppoſe, I have Mr. Mede's Indulgence for the producing them: Illud pro ce…to habens, niſi in hiſce talibus liberius paulo ſentiendi, imo et errandi Venia concedatur: ad profunda illa et latentia Veritatis adyta, viam nunquam patefactum iri. Epist. p. 539. As for Daniel, 11.45. It is Planting, and not Replanting, that is there ſpoken of. And the Plantations that I have ordinarily found aſſigned for the Accompliſhment of this Propheſie, do not correſpond with that which is implied in the word [Tabernables, Tentoria] ſc. mobilia, et brevi removenda. *Mr. Thomas …ker, MSS …44.That which may ſeem moſt of all out of Time, is the Fourth Seal, and ſo conſequently, the Fifth. And yet Mr. George Giffard brings down his Examples of the Fulfillment of it as low as the Year,France, un… Charles the …th, above …nty Thou…d Martyrs …e ſlain in … monethmonth: …, Rev p 55 1428. p. 133. And Aretius placeth the Pariſian Maſſacre under the Fourth Seal. Mr. John Fox his Tranſition from the Fourth, to the Fifth Seal, is very remarkable; Meditat. in Apoc. p. 54, 55. Poſtquam de politicis Imperijs, et turbulentis eorum fatis, arcana e Coelo Conſilia patefacta audiſtis, in ſuperioribus Sigillis quatuor: ventum eſt tandem ad Quintum Sigillum, Sextum, et Septimum. In quibus proprie de Regno Chriſti, de Eccleſia, Rebuſque ad Eccleſiam per inentibus, uſque ad conſummationem Seculi, mira nobis Myſteria aperiuntur. &c. Duo praecipue diſtincta Tempora proponuntur a Spiritu Sancto, &c. The ſum is, This great Field Officer repreſenteth the Martyrs under the form of Two Armies; the Firſt is compoſed of the Martyrs ingaged in the Ten First Perſecutions, under the Roman Emperours: The Second was raiſed by JESUS CHRIST to maintain and defend his Dominion againſt the Invaſions of Antichrist, in a moſt Long, and Bloody War. This Army is likewiſe drawn up in Ten Brigades; the Ninth being the Engliſh Martyrs of the Marian Perſecution; and the innumerable Martyrs which were ſlain under Philip, in Spain and Flanders, make the Tenth. I hope the Reader wont ſtand with me for making the White Robes to be the frequent & Honorable Mention that is made of the Martyrs, & of their Doctrine, in Sermens, Martyrologies, and Acts of Parliament.*35 Edw Anno. 16 Rich: 24 H 8. 25 H 8. 20, 21. 1 Edw 6 2 & 3 c 3 & 4 cap 1 Eliſa cap & 13 cap & 27 cap There are very fair & full Maryrologies in Latine, Engliſh, French, and Dutch. The Dutch Edition printed at Amſterdam, 1671. continueth the general Hiſtory to the Year 1655. and gives an Account of the Unheard of Cruelty of Ireland, & the dreadfull Maſſacres and Murthers of the Waldenſes in Piemont, under the Duke of Savoy. Of this there is a large Account given by Samuel Morland Eſq and of the Collection of 38000 l. in England & Ireland, In Ireland Octob 23 … 200000. I… cent perſon were murd in one Mon & many, … exquiſite, … Unheard of Tortures. … ker's Chro… pag 512.to be diſtributed among the Remnant of that diſtreſſed People. Ile give but one particular Inſtance. Who is it hath not been affected by hearing mention made of the faithfull Servant of Jeſus Chriſt, and Martyr of bleſſed Memory, Valiant and Loyal Lambert? Who, to the eternal glory of CHRIST; and in defiance of Antichriſt's Halbert, and Chain, and Flame, Cried out, None but CHRIST! None but CHRIST! Vol. 2. pag. 358.
I knew not that the Conjecture was tranſlated into Engliſh, untill I ſaw the ſecond Edition, printed Anno 1650. the ſame Year that Mr. Tho. rowgood publiſhed his JEWS in America. Which forced me to follow my Latine Edition ſet forth 1664. The ſheets being wrought off before I ſaw the other. And when all is done, if there be any hope that may bring on an Agreement, I willingly grant the Infernum mentioned Pſal. 139.15. To be America; where, in theſe latter Ages, GOD hath begun in a Terrible, and Wonderful Way, to form a People for Himſelf, that they may ſhew forth his Praiſe. Iſai. 43. Rom. 9 21. Deut. 30.3, 4.
May it pleaſe your Honour, Mr. Secretary Addington did rather incourage than diſcourage this Vindication of America; for whoſe Opinion your Honour hath juſtly a great Value. It was your Permiſſion that opened my way into this Field: I ermit me therefore, humbly to offer theſe Firſt fruits to your Protection. Your ſtanding Related to the Honorable Corporation mentioned in the former Epiſtle, ſeemeth to render this Dedication homogeneous. And as I know not a more ſevere and accurate Cenſor of what is amiſs: ſo, no more quick and powerfull Defender of that which is Right. Neither could I contrive better, to deſign that in Two Epiſtles, which Mr. Richard Bernard hath perform'd in Five. For it is well known that you are a Friend of the BRIDEGROOM, To whoſe HONOR I earnestly deſire that all that I am & have, may be entirely and eternally dedicated.