The Danger of Tolerating Levelers in a Civil State, Letter 1

The Danger of Tolerating Levelers in a Civil State · Letter 1

p. 9Mooshawset Novemb: 20, 1642.

To our Neighbours of the Massachusets.

VVhereas we lately received an irregular note, professing its forme from the Massachusets, with four mens names subscribed thereunto, as principall authors of it, of the chiefe amongst you; We could not easily give credit to the truth thereof, not onelyonly because the conveyers of it unto us, are knowne to bee men, whose constant and professed acts are worse, then the counterfeiting of mens hands; but also, because we thought that men of your parts and profession, would never have prostrated their wisdome to such an act. But considering that causlesse enmity you have against us; the proofe wherof, every occasion brings forth; Wee cannot but conclude, that no act so ill which that ancient mother will not bring forth her seed unto. For wee know very well, that it is the name of Christ called upon us, which you strive against; Thence it is that you stand on tip-toe, to stretch your selves beyond your bounds, to seeke occasion against us; (So) as you might hide your sinne with Adam, bearing the world in hand; it is not your desire to contend with us; But some civill breach in our courses, which you onelyonly seeke to redresse. Whereas neither you, nor any (in way of truth) can finde wherewith, to bring us under the Censure of a disorderly course of walking amongst men: And as for the way of that ancient spirit of accusation of the brethren, we weigh it not, knowing him to be a lyer, (or in the abstract, a lye) from the beginning, yea and the father of it also, which thing you cannot know, though it were told unto you.

Whereas you say, Robert Cole, William Arnauld with others, have put themselves under the Government and protection of your Jurisdiction, p. 10which is the occasion you have now got to contend; we wish your words were verified, that they were not elsewhere to be found, being nothing but the shame of Religion, Disquiet, and Disturbance of the place where they are. For, we know neither the one nor the other, with all their associates and Confederates, have power to enlarge the bounds, by Kinge Charles limited unto you.

Behold therfore in this your act, a Map of your spirituall estate, (to use your owne phrase) for we know that the Spirituality of your Churches, is the Civility of your Commonweale, and the Civility of your Comonwealth, is the spirituality of your Churches, the wisdome of man, being the whole accomplishment of them both; of which Tree, you delight dayly to eate (finding it faire and beautifull) to gaine Conformity with your maker. In these your Dissembling subjects; grossly profane amongst us, but full of the spirit of your purity, when they are with you, you may remember the brand your selves have set upon some of them, the Cause wherof was never yet removed, though it abide not upon their backe; Nor yet the Cause of your Commitment of them unto Sathan according unto your Law, for if that were removed, you should doe them wrong, in not resuming your vomit into its former Concoction againe; Nor are we ignorant of those disgracefull tearmes they use, and give out against you, behind your backes, their submission therfore can bee to no other end, but to satisfie their owne lusts, not onelyonly conceived, but in violent motion, against their Neighbours, who never offered the least wrong unto them, only the proposition of Amity, is object sufficient, for these mens enmitie.

Even so the passions of sin, which are by the Law, having force in your Members; you going about with great labour and industry to satisfie them by your submission unto the word of God, in your Fasting, and feasting, in Contributing, and treasuring, in retirednesse for Study, and bowing of the backes of the poore, going forth in labour to maintaine it, and in the spirit of that hireling, raising up, your whole structure and edifice, in all which you bring forth nothing but fruit unto death, some labouring for a price to give for the keeping of their soules, in peace and safe estate and Condition, and some to have their bodies furnished with riches, honour and ease, and further then the Lord Jesus agrees with these, you mind him not, nay you renounce and reject him, and with p. 11these (according to your Acceptation and practice) he holdes no Correspondency at all, being the Consultation and operation of that his onelyonly adversarie, man being that which you depend uppon, and not the Lord, Crying o…t in way of Elevation, and aplauding his ministers, when in the meane time, you know not what, nor who they are, professing them under a mediate Call of Christ, though formerly, they have beene Called immediately by him, herby showing your selves to be those, that destroy the Sacred ordinance of God: For if you make Christ to be that to day, in stateing his ministers; which he was not yesterday, and that in the tyme of the Gospell also, (to speake acording to your Law) to be found in them both, you therin affirm, that he hath beene that to his ministers, which now he is not, and to make the Son of God to have beene that which now he is not, is to make a Nullitie of him, not to be at all, for he is the Lord that changeth not, no not a shadow therof is found in him, so that you plainely Crucifie unto your selves, the Lord of glory, and put him to an open shame▪ So that as you know not, how Christ, conversing with his father in heven, is found on the earth, amongst the true worshippers, no more do you know, how in his conversing with Nicodemus on the earth, he concludes himselfe to be in heaven, with his father. On this foundation hangeth the whole building of your Doctrine, concerning the sufferings of Christ, you Annihilate the Cros…, then the which, the Saints have no other Consolation: and prepare no better a place then Purgatory, for the honourable fathers of our Lord: For you conclude, that Christ dyed in the Decree, and purpose God, in the time of the Law, but actually onelyonly when he hanged on the Crosse in the dayes of Herod and Pontius Pilate, that hee was crucified in the …pes and shadowes of the law, but in the truth, and substance, when hee appeared borne of the Virgin Mary: So must you also conclude that the fathers under the law, were only saved, in purpose and Decree, in Type and shadow, but actually and substantially onelyonly at the Comming of Christ in the flesh: therefore deale plainely with those that depend upon you for instruction (as your Ancestours in the papacie have don) and proclaime a place of purgatorie, provided for them in the meane, without which, your Doctrine hath no foundation. For if you raise up a shaddow, without a substance, and the substance of him that dwelleth in light, without a shaddow, you play the part of Wisards, or p. 12Necromancers, not the part of true Naturalists, in the things of the Kingdome of god.

So that as farre as these men are from beinge honourable and loyall subjects, so farre are you from being voluntaries in the Day of Gods power, and from yeelding subjection unto the Beauties of holiness. Such also is your professed Rule, and Government, in the things that concern the Kingdom of our God, they are infinitly beyond, and out of the Reach of that Spirit which is gone out amongst you, the Capacity wherof can no wayes comprehend, the breadth of the land of Emanuel, nor en…reth it within the Vale, Therefore it cannot know those Cherubims of glory, neither can it h…re the voice of that lively Oracle, speaking onelyonly from off the covering Mercy-seate, and not elsewhere to be heard; We speake not but what wee know, these things are out of its Jurisdiction; Therfore dumb in telling Justice, nor speakes it any of that Righteousnesse and glory, comprysed in another circuit, then ever you were yet made Lords of: Long therfore may you boast, of your Jurisdiction before ever you attaine unto a Iurisprudentia, in these things.

In that you tell us wee offer you wrong, by a pretended purchase: you are as much mistaken in the purchase, as in the wrong, For it is right that we are about to do, neither is our purchase a pretence, but precedentiall, not onelyonly in this Civill respect, but may also admonish all men, to take heed, how they depend upon false and self-seeking interpreters, when both themselves, and they that have the vision, are ignorant of the Contract, and Covenant of God. Thence it is, that you teach, that the spouse of Christ, upon Contract with her Lord, may conceive the seed of immortalitie, and bring forth fruit unto God, when as yet the day of mariage, that great Feastivitie, and solemnization, of the Consolations of God, is not yet comne, witnesse your prorogation thereof, if not to the Descension of Christ from heaven unto the earth, to Raigne certaine years, yet to the Calling of the Jewes, whom yee your selves are, according to the flesh, and to the destruction of that Man of sinn whom yee so stoutly maintain, What is this, but to proclaime unto all the world, that Audacious spirit of whoredoms, professing Conception and bringing forth before the Nuptiall day?

In that you conclude your Clyents Right to arise out of foure years possession, wee have no such order, if you meane the Right p. 13of Conquest, (onelyonly held in that tenure) the true owners were never yet subdued, for that is the right they expect to injoy by you, for some of them committed part of their supposed right unto us, professing it was, that they might have help, to injoy the rest; But when they saw, wee would not be Abetters unto them without, much lesse contrary unto Covenant, then they flye unto you for help, Their possession, beeing a meere intrusion, as all the Natives know and ever exclaymed against them for the same, And so may our Countrymen also, whose eyes are not dazled with envie, and eares open to Lyes, as we know yours are, else you had heard both sydes speake, before you had Judged.

But wee profess right held, according to no such interest, but upon the ground of Covenant onelyonly, knowne in its nature; In the parties 'twixt whom it is plight, In the possesser, and the possessed, with the nature of all fruit arising from their accord and concurrencie, together with their Distinct, Harmonicall, Reciprocall, and Joint properties, and operations of them both: Such is the tenure wee hould, and maintain, before men and Angels, and oppose it against man and Divell, Not in taking up unto our selves, certaine offices and officers which wee can teach children to bee, and to perform, and from thence presently to conclude, the possession of the Kingdome, Crying out our peace offerings are upon us, this Day we have payd our vowes. But when that Dark cloud descended upon the Tabernacle, becomes the light, and glory of all Israell (there being nothing acknowledged amongst them, but what ariseth out thence) then, and then only, are the orders, as also the men of Israell, deriv…d from the true fountaine, which no tongue can confess, but it is salvation, and then, not else, is the heritage of our Lord in possession, yea, even the wayless wilderness knowes, how to afford them an habitation, which had its being before the hills and mountaines were borne: which men begin to flye unto for refuge, to hide them from the presence of the Lamb: this is a possession, which no man can intrude himselfe into: it is onelyonly Covenanted withim, thorow an inlightned eye, and boared eare, which man performeth not, nor can it be received from him.

For wee know that Cloud of thick darknesse, that hides and covers the whole frame and fabrick of the work of God, to be the cle… ring and evidencing of every point and particular therof: yea to us, p. 14It is even that cloud of witness, which testifies unto us, they like workes to appeare, when ever the world hath occasion to make use of us.

Never doth it shine but in the night, never is it dark to Israel but in the day, but in the one, and the other, the only glory and sastie of all the tribes: but how, you know not, nor can you with all your libraries, give the interpretation thereof, but have lost it in the wilderness, and accordingly, have made the whole way, and will of our Lord, the ouldnesse of the letter, both to your selves, and to all that have an eare to lissen unto you; Thence it is that the day of Lord, is a day of Darkness and Gloominess unto you, but of Joy and gladness unto us; yea, it lifts up our head onelyonly, and then is our salvation neere; For wee know the worthies of David doubled about the bed of Solomon, which expell all feare in the night, handling the sword with sucess, making the adversaries nothing but meat to feede upon, so that the tyme of your feares is the time of our Courage and Conquest, for when you feare errour, schisme, Rents and Confusions in Church and …late, then do wee know the Messenger of the Covenant, the Lord whom Wee seek is speeding his passage into his holy temple: For who (under the terrors of your spirit) may abide his Coming, hee being like a refiners fire, and Fullers sope.?

In that you invite us unto your Courts to fetch your equall ballanced justice, upon this ground, that you are becomne one with our adversaries, and that, both in what they have, and what they are, and wee know them to bee such, as profess the day of the Lord an unhallowed thing. Now, if wee have our opponant, to prefer his action against us, and not only so, but to bee our Counsell, our Jurie, and our Judg, for so it must bee, if you bee one with them (as you affirm) wee know before hand, how our Cause will bee ended, and see the scale of your equall Justice turned alreadie, before wee have layd our Cause therein, and cannot but admire, to see you caried so contrarie to your owne received principles: For you know not how to finde Christ as a Ruling and teaching Elder both in one person, therfore he is not Complete amongst you by your owne law, except in severall persons, and you may thank tradition, else you know no more how to finde both a king and a priest in him, and yet in your way of making tender of your Justice unto us you know how to become one with our adversaries (so) as p. 15if wee deale with them, wee deale with you, and if wee have to doe with you, wee have to doe with them also, yea further, wee know, that the chiefe amongst you, have professed wee are not worthy to live; and that if some of us were amongst you, wee should hardly see the place of our abode any more; Now that they have brooded upon their law, to take away life, they must much more bring it up, in taking away all means of life, Witnes our prohibition, that no powder should besould unto us for our money, and that in a time when you could not thinke your selves safe, in all your owne, self provision and worldly furniture, except you disarmed a company of poor Indians, whom Aaron your Leviticall Sacrificer hath made Naked, as hee doth all those which triumph in a Calf, though the most costly and beautifull, that the Jewells and eare-rings of Learning, either in Language, or art, can possibly bring forth: your owne amazements upon meer Rumors, may testifie the truth hereof; so then; wee are Judged by your law before our Cause bee hard, or our selves brought forth under the liberties of it, which thing is well pleasing unto us, to have our Condition conformed unto Moses the man of God, who was dead in Pharaohs account, before he was brought forth, and so it was with Christ our lord, in the dayes of Herod also, who is our life (at which you strike) and makes all things, yea, Death it self, lively, and advantagious unto us.

Wee cannot but wonder, that you should read the Scripture, and not finde them fulfilled, in, and amongst your selves, when as they appeare so apparantly, that he that runs may read them▪ what think you of Herod, when the Lord had delivered Peter out of prison, and released him of those bonds, and brought him from that thraldom, which he had so Cruelly imposed upon him, to gaine the favour of the Jewes, and that by a power supereminent, transcending the bounds of his authoritie, and by a wisdom surpassing the Depth of his Counsell, and policie, to fynd out, together with his souldiers and Champions, he presently goes downe to Ces…rea, and Hero… i… angry with them of Tyrus & Sidon, (thumomachon) a heavie Friend, or hath a secret grudg or perturbation of mind, manifested in an outreaching, and circumventing policie, to subdue them unto himself, that he might Rule over them: Finding himself fall short of power and policie, to subject the word of God in the messinger of it, to satisfy his owne lusts, in his lordship over it, he pursues with all egarnesse to make himself a god, by Raigning over the bodies p. 16and estates of men; yea, though they be but such, as Tyru… and Sidon, can afford unto him, to make subjects of, and when they come unto him with one accord to make offer of themselves, in yeelding to his affectionate and politicall project, he sitting uppon the Judgment seate, in his Royall apparell, making his oration, of what power he hath to protect them, what wisdom and Counsell, to minister Justice and righteousuess unto them (which office belongs only unto the Lord) the people with a shout crying out, the voice of god and not of man, the truth and substance of which Cry is, this is the ordinance of god and not of man, immediately the angel of the Lord smites him, and hee that ever acknowledged himself, to bee a worme, and no man upon the earth, Consumes and eates up all his pomp and glory, even as those, whom you account the Shame and Contempt of the people, shall (thorow that angell of the Covenant) waste and bring to nought all those Rhetoricall, (though earthly) Orations that are made amongst you, by your so Learned, studious, and experienced Clarkes: take for illustration of your estate as above, the speech of your alderman Oliver, in case of committing Francis Hutchinson to prison; one of your Churchmembers wondering that brother Winthrop would do it before the Church had dealt with him, Brother, faith hee, why; hee is thy god man.

Lend your eye yet farther, to parallel your practise personated in Pylate and the people, when Pylat offereth Jesus unto the people to be judged, they profess, they have such a law, as puts no man to Death: they are all for mercy and forgiveness, when they are out of the Judgment hall, but let Pylat enter in thither; and then, nothing but Crucifie him, Crucifie him; be their accusations, and witnesses, never so false: even so, in your dealings with men, in way of your Jewish brother hood, your law is all for merciemercy, to Redress, reform, and for preservation, both of soule and bodie; Do but enter into the Common hall, and then, as Pylat asked (am I a Jew?) so do you, Doe I sit, or speake here, as a brother? I tro not, I am now in a higher sphere, then that (though they be acknowledged coheirs with Christ) can ataine unto, therfore if witness be brought in, and Oath taken, though never so untrue, your consciences are purged by law, and your power must have tribute payd unto it, so far as mens Names, to bee branded with infamie, estates, depryving women and children of things necessarie, and precious lives of men p. 17can extend themselves, to contribute any thing thereunto; so that the professed merciemercy, and Clemencie of your law, to exercise censures only for amendment of life, and recoverie, comes unto this issue, as much as in you lies, to send both soule and body downe unto hell for ever without redresse, and all hope of recovery.

But your houre, and the power of Darknesse, is known what it is, either to have mens persons in admiration because of advantage; or else, to seek all occasions against them, to brand them with all manner of reproch, and ignominie, but for the truth, taught daily in the Temple, you know not how to streatch out your hand, or exercise your ministry againstil, left it become leprous, and you take it back again with losse, when it appeares dried and withered.

And wherefore reason yee amongst your selves, saying, wee exercise the power of your ministrations against none but such as are Delinquents, whereby we cleer the innocent, and establish peace in all our borders?

Wee demand, what think you of those two witnesses, prophecying in Sackcloth, a thousand two hundreth and threescore Dayes: those two olive trees, and two candlestickes, standing before the God of the earth? are thesegu ltie and vile persons, out of whose hands (by the power of your ministries) you are delivering and releasing the world? then indeed are your wayes justifiable: But if these bee the Just, Chosen, and peculiar friends of God, yea such, as without which, his truth and Righteousnesse are not justified, his wisdom, and holinesse maintained and upheld in the world, in point of salvation by Christ, then are your wayes wicked, and to bee abhorred; for in your professed Course, you are they, by whom these are …laine, and put to Death, and all your glory is to keepe their Corpes unburied in your streetes, and yet you know not what you are doing, no more then you know what these witnesses are, whom you are altogether ignorant of, for your Libraries never saw them, and you see not but by their eyes, for these are two, and never more, nor yet lesse, yea ever the same, they are olive trees, else no witnesses, and also Candlesticks, else both the former faile, yea, are not at all. Wee must tell you what these are, else wee cannot declare how you kill them, for it is not our intent to open unto you the house of the treasures, the silver and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oyntment, nor the house of our armour, because you take all as p. 18execrable, and put all to a profane use that commeth from us; but these two witnesses are the life and death of our Lord Jesus; or, in the true language of heaven also, the strength and the weaknesse of Christ, for hee was crucified through weaknesse, but hee liveth by the power of God: this is the word of the Lord in Zerubbabel, Not by an army, nor by power, and so deprives him of all strength, but by aspirit, that the greatest mountaine, or loftiest hill in the world cannot stand before, but becomes a plaine, which with facility and ease hee passeth upon; thence it is that hee doth not onelyonly lay the top or the head stone of all, but also the lowest in the foundation, and then onelyonly is the voice of shouting heard, Grace, grace in the house for ever; and then doth the day of small things become the day of joy and triumph, yea, of parting the rich spoiles and prey of all the world, for then hee that doth but turn and lift up his eyes he cannot looke besides that great flying book of the Curse that is gone forth over the whole earth.

Without these two witnesses jointly uttering themselves in every particular Scripture undertaken to bee divulged by any, no evidence nor testimony of God is given, or brought in at all, but a meere refuge of lies for the soules of men to betake themselves unto; without these two pipes of the olive trees emptying themselves into the bowle of the candlesticks, no unction nor oyle at all is found in them, and that being wanting the light of the Sanctuary is gone out; so that the light appearing amongst you is onelyonly the light of Bala…m, whose eye was open, which you may read either S…et…um or Sethum, for that opening is nothing else but the shutting up of the holy things of God, so that in seeing you see not, but communicate onelyonly in the light of that beast, who puts the witnesses to death, as Balaam did in the sight of that dumbe beast of his whose eyes were opened to see the angel before him; so that while you thinke it is our wisdome to stoope unto you for light, wee never come amongst you but see our selves in a regiment of grosse and palpable darknesse, and discern you very plainly, how you scrabble upon the wall to finde the doore of Lots house, and cannot. As also how you toil your selves to climbe up into the sheep-fold, another, yea, so many other wayes, and have no fight nor discerning of us the Door, at all, by the which whosoever entereth, becomes a true feeder of the flock of God; yea, none entereth in thereat, but the true Shepheard himself.

p. 19Most impious it is to put to death two such Noble witnesses, that have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying; to turne the waters into bloud, and to smite the earth with all manner of plagues as oft as they will, whom that spirit that is amongst you kills on this wise, the life or power of the sonne of God, as above, which is infinite, not admitting of circumscription or containment, for the heaven of heavens cannot containe him, yet have you not dared to graspe and inviron that power in the heavens, and therefore have resolved and concluded that hee onelyonly rules upon the earth in these dayes by his Deputies, Lievtenants, and Vicegerents, whereby you limit, and so destroy the holy One of Israel; for give him that in one time, or place, which afterwards, or elsewhere you deny him, and you make a nullity of him unto your selves, and in so doing, you kill that other witnesse, namely, the death or weaknesse of the Lord Jesus: for you must have man to bee honourable, learned, wise, experienced, and of good report, else they may not rule among you; yea and these things are of man, and by man, as appeares, in that they onelyonly officiate so, as man may disanull and take it away againe; witnesse your change of officers, constantly speaking for us herein; thus have you slaine also the death or theweaknesse of Christ, who professeth himselfe to bee a worm and no man, the shame and contempt of the people; and these faith full and true witnesses thus slaine, you must of necessity deny buriall, and keep them both in open view in your streets, or other wise all your pompe and glory falls to the dust whence it came, and on which it feeds. Nor can you send your presents one to another of your acts of Justice, power to protect, wealth, honour, and friends where with you gratifie each other; and where these are thus slaine, and their corps lie in open view, none of the gentiles, peoples, tongues, and kindreds suffering their carkasses to bee put in graves, there is that great City which spiritually is Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord is crucified; but after there dayes and an half, the spirit of life from God shall enter into them, and they shal stand up upon their feet to the terrour of you all: Nor doe you thinke that wee onelyonly inveigh against the great ones of this world for thus doing, for wee know that the basest peasant hath the same spirit with the greatest Princes of this world, and the greatest of the Princes of this world, hath the very same spirit wherewith the basest peasant hath laid himselfe open in the view of all men: these p. 20wee say, are the two witnesses if you can receive it, and what a dishonour is it to trade so much by meanes of witnesses, and yet not know what a true witnesse is? which if you did, you durst not attempt the things you doe, whereby you cast reproach upon all the world, in that you professe your selves a choice people pickt out of it, and yet goe on, in such practices as you doe, maintaining them as your onelyonly glory. Our Lord gives you in charge not to sweare at all, but it is your dignity to bring men to your seates of Justice with nothing but oathes in their mouthes, why doe you not ballance the scriptures in this point? viz.

It hath beene said of old, Thou shalt not committ adultery, but I say unto you, hee that looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her in his heart already: so also it hath beene sayd of old, Thou shalt not forsweare thy self, but I say unto you, sweare not at all: so that if it be adulterie, to looke to lust, it is also forswearing a mans self, to sweare at all; if the one be adultery, the other is perjury, if one be admitted in some cases, the other also, so that in preaching the toleration, nay the duty of an oath, you preach the toleration, yea the duty of adulterie it self; So that our Lord plainly evinceth unto all mens consciences, not onelyonly the guilt but the folly and madnesse of the oath of man, shewing how farre it is, either from investing into place, or demonstrating Causes, so that hee that concludeth upon honour, and power, received from the oath of man, or upon knowledge and bouldness, to judge in a cause, from that testimony without the which he could not have it, is as vaine in his thoughts, as if hee should herupon conclude, I have now altered the frame of heaven, which is no less stable then the throne of the great God, or demolished the earth, which is as firme as his foot-stoole for ever, or made a fraction in the orders of Ierusalem, that choice and peculiar City of the great King, whose institutions no mortall breath can intrench upon, or to professe his authority and skill to be such, whereby he can make a haire of his head blacke or white, cause his age to wax old as doth a garment, or renew it with the Eagle at his pleasure, hereby doth man (in this point of swearing) professe his folly to bee such, that hee is become not onelyonly-vaine in his imaginations, but unto that pride and usurpation therein, as to intrude himselfe into the prerogative royall of his Maker.

So that however you boast of the Ordinances of God, yet he tels p. 21you there is no more then yea, yea, and nay, nay, in them, for what is once nay, is ever nay in the Ordination of Christ, and what is once yea, is ever yea with him, and according to his account however man reckoneth, whose account shall be called over againe, what is once curse, is ever the curse, and what is once the principality and power of Christ, is ever the principality and power of Christ, as that which is once the principality and power of Darkenesse, is ever the same, what hands soever it cometh into for manifestation: measure your kingdome whether it bee eternall, and your Jurisdiction whether it bee illimited, for he hath given (him) the heathen for his inheritance, the utmost parts of the earth for his possession, and a kingdome of lesse extent hee professeth not, nor can hee approve or acknowledge any that doe, no more then light can approve of darkenesse, or the Lord Iehovah of the Lord Ba…l.

Bee wise therefore, and bethinke your selves while it is called to day, harden not your hearts, as though you would make your selves Meriba nothing but strife and contention against the Lord, rather kisse the sonne (if it bee possible) lest his wrath bee kindled and you perish from the way for ever, O blessed onelyonly they, that hope in him.

So that hee which professeth on this wife, it is yea, I am a pastour, but it was nay, at such a time I was none, hee renounceth that spirit of the true pastour, yet onelyonly feeder of Israel, professing onelyonly that spirit that pusheth the weake with the horne, and pudleth with his feet the waters where the flocke of God should drinke. Hee with whom it is yea, I am a Ruler, but it was nay when I was none at all, renounceth that spirit of him that rules in righteousnesse, professing the spirit of him that rules according to the god of this world, that Prince of the power of the Aire, who is now working so effectually in the children of disobedience. So also hee with whom it is yea, I am a Captaine, or chiefe slaughter-man, but it was nay, time was I was none at all, renounceth that victorie and slaughter made by the Captaine and High-priest of our profession, (who as hee is a Lambe slaine from the beginning, his victory and slaughter must bee of the same antiquity,) professing himselfe to bee a chiefe slaughter-man, or super…uous Giant, made in that hoast of the Philistims, standing in readinesse to come out, to defie the hoast of the living God: yea, it is evident, that whatsoever is more then yea, yea, and nay, nay, not settlingeach upon its Base, whereon it standeth p. 22for ever without controule, but can remove, create, or make void offices and officers at their pleasure, is of that evill, or not of Jesus, the salvation of his people, but of Shedim that waster and destroyer of mankinde for ever: know therefore that it is the oath of God which confirmes and makes good his Covenant and promise unto a thousand generations: and it is the oath of man, which is the bond and obligation of that league and agreement made with death and hell for ever; bee yee assured it is not the tabernacle of witnes which you have amongst you, brought in by Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, but it is Siccuth your King, or the tabernacle of Mol…ck, the starre of your God Remphan, figures which you have made unto your selves, which you have taken up, and are bearing so stoutly upon your shoulders. Now to tell you what an oath according to God is, that the scriptures are delivered upon no other ground or termes of certainty, where ever they are divolged, is a thing out of your jurisdiction, you cannot discerne or judge of it, therefore according to our word above, wee leave it as a parable unto you, as all the holy word of our God is, as your conversation in all points, as in this, daily declareth.

In a word, when wee have to doe in your jurisdiction, we know what it is to submit to the wise dispensations of our God, when you have to doe amongst us, in the liberties hee hath given unto us, wee doubt not, but you shall finde him judge amongst us, beyond and above any cause or thing you can propose unto us; And let that suffice you, and know, that you cannot maintaine a jurisdiction, but you must reject all inroades upon other mens priviledges, and so doe wee.

In the meane time, wee shall (as wee thinke good) bee calling over againe some matters that you have taken up and had the handling of them amongst you, to see what justice or equity wee finde hath beene exercised in them, and redresse them accordingly: for wee professe right unto all men, and not to doe any violence at all, as you in your prescript threaten to doe to us, for wee have learned how to discipline our children, or servants, without offering violence unto them, even so doe wee know how to deale with our deboist, rude, nay inhumane Neighbours, (or if you will, Nabals) without doing violence, but rather rendring unto them that which is their due.

Nor shall wee deprive a witnesse of his modest testimony for the p. 23out-cries, and clamours of such a one as ill bred apostatized Arnauld that fellonious Hog-killer, being the partie to bee testified against, or for the oath of any interested in the cause, nor shall wee bee forward to come so farre, to finde your worke upon your request, till wee know you to beare another minde, then others of your Neighbours doe, with whom wee have had to doe in this country, whose pretended and devised Lawes wee have stooped under, to the robbing and spoiling of our goods, the livelyhood of our wives and children, thinking they had laboured, (though groping in great darkenesse) to bring forth the truth, in the rights and equity of things, but finding them to bee a company of grosse dissembling hypocrites, that under the pretence of Law and Religion, have done nothing else, but gone about to establish themselves in wayes to maintaine their owne vicious lusts, wee renounce their Diabolicall practice, being such as have denyed in their publique Courts, that the lawes of our Native Country should bee named amongst them, yea those ancient statute lawes, casting us into most base nastie and insufferable places of imprisonment for speaking according to the language of them, in the meane while, breaking open our house in a violent way of hostilitie (abusing our wives and our little ones) to take from us the volumes wherein they are preserved, thinking thereby to keepe us ignorant of the courses they are resolved to run, that so the viciosity of their owne wills might bee a law unto them, yea they have endeavoured, and that in publique expressions, that a man being accused by them, should not have liberty to answer for himselfe in open Court. Dealings of like nature wee finde in the place whereof you stile us your neighbours, (on whose unbridled malice, wee finde a higher then you putting a curbe) and yet in your account and reckoning wee are the parties that still are doing the wrong, and must beare the guilt in your most mature sentence, in whomsoever the spot ariseth and abideth. But the God of vengeance (unto whom our cause is referred, never having our protector and Judge to seeke) will shew himselfe in our deliverance out of the hands of you all, yea all the house of that Ish…osheth and Mephibusheth, nor will he faile us to utter and make knowne his strength (wherein wee stand) to serve in our age, and to minister in our Course, to day and to morrow, and on the third day, can none deprive us of perfection, for hee hath taught us to know what it is to walke to day, and tomorrow, and the day p. 24following also, when a perishing estate cannot arise out of Ierusalem, though she be the onelyonly one, (yea, none but she) that kills the Prophets, and stones them that are sent unto her.

Behold yee that are looking after, and foretelling so much of the comming of Christ, driving the day before you still for certaine yeares, which some (you say) shall attaine unto, and unto the day of death for therest, You blinde guides, as your fathers have ever done, so doe yee. Behold wee say, when ever hee appeareth, your house (which yee so glory in) shall bee left unto you desolate, it shall be turned into nothing but desolation and confusion, for Babel is its name; Nor shall you see him to your comfort in the glory of his kingdome, until you can say, Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord, when the authority and power of man appeares to bee the building of Babel unto you, and the name and authority of God onelyonly, to bee that, wherein the blessing con…ists, and that in such wise also, as is nothing but a way of reproach, in the eyes of all the world, that a King should ride into his chiefe City, so strangely furnished, upon an Asse borrowed, her furniture old, overworn garments, and accompanied with none but poore, meane, excommunicated persons, such as your Elders, Scribes, Pharisees, Lawyers, and all your credible persons among you, make full account they are not onelyonly accursed by, but also destitute and void of all law, when you can finde Hosanna in the highest, arising out of such contempt and shame, then, and then onelyonly shall you sing unto him with comfort. In the meane time acknowledge your portion, which is to trust and stay your selves on the name of man, and in his beautie to delight and glory, which shall fade as a leafe, and like the grasse shall wither when it is fitting it self for the oven, such is man whose breath is in his nostrills, and the sonne of sorrie man, in whom you delight to trust, his power and his policy brings forth nothing else, but as you shall see and heare in the Countrey from whence wee are brought. We are not ignorant of those shamefull lies and falsities gone out against us, and the daily wresting of our words, to cast contempt upon us, thinking to bow downe our backs under ignominie and reproach; Neither of those straits & difficulties they have cast us upon, in the things which concerne this present life, to the taking away of the lives of many, if our God had not been seen beyond and above what their thoughts could reach unto (as their owne confession hath witnessed,) doing p. 25it in such a way of painted hypocrisie and false glosse unto the eye of the world, that wee might seeme unto it self-executioners. We RESOLVE therefore to follow our imployments, and to carry and behave our selves as formerly wee have done (and no otherwise) for wee have wronged no man, unlesse with hard labour, to provide for our families, and suffering of grosse, idle, and idol droanes to take our labour out of the mouths, and from off the backs of our little ones, to lordaneit over us.

So that if any any shall goe about to disturbe or annoy us henceforth in our imployments and liberties, which God hath, or shall put into our hands, that can claime no interest in us but by these courses; what their businesse is, wee know by proofe sufficient, to bee nothing else but that ancient errand of Nimrod, that rebellious hunter after the precious life; which errand of his shall bee no more delivered unto us in that covert cruelty, and dissembling way of hypocrisie, but in direct and open termes of tyrannie, wee will not bee dealt with as before, wee speake in the Name of our God, wee will not; For if any shall disturb us, as above, secret hypocrites shall become open Tyrants, and their lawes appeare to bee nothing else but meer lusts in the eyes of all the world.

And wherefore doe you murmure among your selves at this saying, thinking it is not a Christian expression? it is because you are ignorant of the crosse of our Lord Jesus, not knowing what it is: Therefore it is, that whi…e you inveigh against such as set up a Statue of wood and stone, to bow downe unto it, and are so vaine, … crosse the aire, (to use your owne expression) upon the face of infants, when they sprinkle them with water to as great purpose: And in the meane time you preach and set up Seghnirim for your crosse, whom you fall downe unto so willingly, and lest you let the word passe without exposition of it unto all, it signifies, Horrour and feare, which is the crosse you hold and teach, and by and thorow which you thinke to bee saved, which is a name given by our Lord unto the Devill himself, as our English translate it, and the Lord never gives name, as an empty title, but according to the nature of the thing named; so that if hee speake, I have said yee are gods, of any besides himselfe, it is to declare, that there is not onelyonly the name, but the very nature of the god of this world, and therefore hee saith, they shall …ie, even as Adam, which aspired and usurped the place of God, and fall also as one of the Princes, even p. 26as one of those princes of Midian, whose carkasses became dung for the earth; and hee that gives that title unto any but the true God (that made heaven and earth) in any other sense but as it declares a flat opposition against God, is re-acting that ancient spirit of the serpent, if yee eate, you shall bee as gods, to judge of good and evill, for which all men are set up in that kinde; even so, while you tell the people, that by sorrow, compunction, and anxiety, and trouble of minde, they communicate in the sufferings of Christ, out of which condition their comfort is to flow, is nothing else but to conclude the sonne of God to be belial, yea, to affirme him to bee Seghnirim himself; this doth hee receive at your hands in your ministries, for all your fawning upon him with a kisse; so that if you will know how farre you are from communicating in the death of Christ, take it in this parable, verily, as farre as the weakness of God is stronger then man.

Country-men, for wee cannot but call you so, though wee finde your carriage towards us to bee so farre worse then these Indians, wee advise you to take things together, and what God hath joyned, let none dare to put asunder: So that if you bee ashamed of the crosse in Baptisme, bee ashamed of the Baptisme also, for such as the crosse is, such is the Baptisme, therefore your ancestors goe beyond you in that, to joyne crossing of the aire, and sprinkling with the element of water together, but where ever Baptisme according to the word of Christ is, there is the crosse of Christ also, they can no more bee separated, then his scepter and kingdom can, for where the one is, there is the other also, and as they are coincident, so are they co-apparant; So that if ever you see the baptisme of Christ truly in use, and exercised upon any, you do as truly see that party partaking and communicating with the crosse and sufferings of the Lord…Jesus Christ, and to see persons in such estate, and to conclude that afterwards they may bee worthy of censure, yea possibly unto an anathema maranatha, is nothing else but to conclude a totall and finall falling away from the grace of God, as your fathers have done before you; for no grace greater then the crosse of our Lord Jesus.

Behold therefore you despisers, the vanity and abomination of all your baptismes, how prejudiciall they are to the crosse of Christ: bee ashamed and return in time, or hee shall bee a swift witnesse against you for ever, when your repentance shall come too p. 27late; but you thinke the crosse of Christ is not, but onelyonly in bowing the back under every burden, and cringing and crouching unto the lust of every man, otherwise his Shebett is not fit, nor suiteth it at all with your Regiment, unlesse so servile, that every man may serve his owne lusts of him, to get wealth and honour, friends and allies, by setting bounds and limits unto the holy Word of God; some in the way of one device, and some according to another, and be that will not either walk as a dumbe beast, (worse then Bala…ms Asse) and say nothing, or else give a sense of the holy writings to maintaine the devised platforme, if mercy must bee used, not to hang and burn, yet banishment is ready waiting upon them; therefore shall you know by the Rod of his power that comes out of Sion, that hee will bee Ruler, even in the midst of his enemies.

Per us whom you stile your neighbours of Providence, you have said it, Providence is our Hold, the neighbourhood of the Samaritan wee professe. And for the lookings on, and turnings aside of your Priests and Levites, without either unction, or bowells of compassion, all those slaine and wounded in soule amongst you, finding no remedy, doe plainly testifie unto all men the nature of your travailes and neighbourhood what it is, that neither the oyle of those two olive trees, nor the fatnesse of that vine, which maketh glad God and man, is conversant amongst you; your speech to us in generall, not using our names, whereas wee know, it is particulars you aime at, gives us plainely to see, the word AElem revived and living in you, as it stands with its coherence in Psalme 58.

Iohn Wickes

Randall Howldon

Rohert Potter

Samuel Gorton

Iohn Greene

Francis Weston

Richard Carder

Richard Waterman

Nicholas Power

Iohn Warner

William Waddell