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Cotton Mather - Magnalia Christia Americana
Cotton Mather - Magnalia Christia Americana
»•>
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m
i
John c^irams
|0ibrar$>,
IN THE CUSTODY OF THE
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
//£. 3
ffitij;
1
i
OR, THE
Ccdeitaftital l^tfto^
O F
EW-ENGLAND FROM
Its Firft
Planting; in the Year 1620. unto the Year
of our LORD, 1698.
I.
AntiquitiesIn Seven Chapters.
: With an Appendix.
II.
Containing the Lives of the Governours, and Names of the Magifrrates
or Nevp-E/.'i'Lwd : In Thirteen
Chapters. With an Appendix.
III. The Lives of Famous
Sixty Divines, by whofe Miniftry the Churches of
New-England have been Planted and Continued.
IV. An Account of the Univerfity of Cambridge in New-EngUnd 5 in Two
Parts. The contains the Laws, the Benefa&ors, and Viciffitudes of
Firft
Harvard College ^ with Remarks upon it. The Second Part contains the Lives
of fome Eminent Perfons Educated in it.
V. Afts and Monuments of the Faith and Order in the Churches of
New-Eng-
land, paifed in their Synods
with Historical Remarks upon thofe Venerable
-
?
AflemblirS} and a great
Variety of Church-Cafes occurring, and refolved by
the Synods of thofe Churches In Four Parts.
:
LONDON:
Printed for Thomas Parkhurfl, at the Bible and
Crowns in Cheapfide. MDCCII.
ANTIQUITIES.
HDlje tfiT& Hoofe Jiuit**
OF THE
New-Englifh Hiftory.
REPORTING,
The D e g n w here-o#, s i
) r The ieveral" Colonies
The Manner where-/??, W -of New-England
And the People whzre-by, St were Planted.
WITH
A NARRATIVE of many Memorable Paffages,
Relating to the
A N D
By the Endeavour of
COTTON dM A T H E R.
».. I IF- .-v*m — " ^. • — — — .- -— -— -— — - I II J — ..- - -^ '
! I I
LONDON,
Printed for Thomas Tarkhursl, at the Bible and Three
Crowns in Cheap/ide near Mercers Chappel, 1702.
"t»V,A. Jt&liV
A N
ATTESTATION
T O T H I S
Church -Hiftory
O F
NEW-ENGLAND-
hath been defervedly efteemed, one of the great and wonderful Works of God
in this Laft Age, that the Lord ftirred up the Spirits of fo many Thoufands" ot his
IT Servants, to leave the P leafant L and of England, the Land of their Nativity, and
to tranfport themfelves, and Families, over thcOcean Sea, into a Defert Land, in Ame-
rica, at theDiftance of a Thoufand Leagues from their own Country ^ and this, meerly
on the Account of Pure andVndefded Religion, not knowing how they fliould have their
Daily Bread, but trufting in God for That, in the way of feeking firft the Kjngdom ofGod,
and the Right eoufnefs thereof: And that the Lord was pleafed to grant fuch a gracious
Prepuce of his with them, and fuch a Bhffinz upon
their Undertakings, that within a
few Years a Wilderness was fubdued before them, and fo many Colonies Planted, Towns
Krefted, and Chinches Settled, wherein the true and living God in Chrift jefus, is wor-
in a place where time out of mind, had been nothing before, but.
fliipped, and ferved,
Heathenifm, Idolatry, and Devil-worjhip and that the Lord has added fo many of the
-,
BleHings of Heaven and Earth for the Comfortable Sublicence of his People in thefe Ends
of the Earth. Surely of this Work, and of this Time, it fhall be Laid, What hath God
wrought ? the Lord's doings, it is marvellous in our
And, This is Eyes ! Even fo (0 Lord)
didst thou lead thy People, to make thy [elf a glorious ! Name Now, One Generation paffeth
arvay,
and another cometh. The First Generation of our \Others, that began this Planta-
tion of New-England, mod of them in their middle Age, and many of them in their de-
dining Tears, who, after they hadferved the Will of God, inlaying the Foundation (as W2
'
hope) of many Generations, and given an Example of true Reformed Religion in the Faith
and CWerofthe Gojpe!, according to their beft Light from the Words of God, they a; - '
.
I ithered unto their Fathers. There hath been another Generation fucceeding the
either of fuch as come over with their Parents very Young, or were born in tfo
Country, and thefe have had the managing of the Publick Affairs for many Years, Iv
are apparently paffing away, as their Fathers before them. There is alfo a Third Gen-
tton, who are grown up, and begin to ftand thick upon the Stage of Action, at t'
Day, and thefe were all born in the Country, and may call New-England their Na
Land. Now, in refpect of what the Lord hath done for thefe Generations,fucceeding <•
another, we have aboundant caufe of Thankfgiving to the Lord our God, who hath .
Increafed andBleffed this People, that from a Day of [mall things, he has brought
be, what we now are. We may fct up an Eh EN EZ ER, and fay, Hitherto I '
Lord hath helped ns. Yet in refpecl of cur Prefent State, we have need earneftly u
as we are directed, Let thy Work fan her appear unto thy Servants, tnd let thy Beat
A 3 ,
An Atteftation to this Church- Hi/tory, &c.
any People upon Earth, but expects the Realities of Practical Godlinefs, according to our
Profeflion and Engagement unto him. Much more may we, the Children of fuch Fa-
thers, lament our Gradual Degeneracy from that Life and Power of Godlinefs that was in
them, and the many Provoking Evils that are amongfi us which have moved our God ;
feverely to witnefs again ft us, more than in our first Times, by his leffer Judgments going
before, and his Greater Judgments following after ; He fhot off his Warning-piecesfirst,
but his Murthering-pieces have come after them, in fo much as in thefe Calamitous
Times, the Changes of Wars of Europe have had fuch a malignant Influence upon US
in America, that we are at this Day Greatly diminiffjed and brought low, through Opprefjion,
Affliction, and Sorrow.
And yet if we look on the Light the Divine fide of this Work, we
fide, may yet fee,
that the Glory of God which was with our Fathers, is not wholly departed from us their
Children ; there are as yet many Signs of his Gracious Prefeece with us, both in the way
of his Providences, and in the ufe of his Ordinances, as alio in and with the Hearts and
Souls of a considerable number of his People in New-England, that we may yet
fay as
they did, Thy Name is
Upon us, and thou art in the midst of us, therefore, Lord, Leavens
not! As Solomon prayed, fo may we, The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our
Fathers j Let him not leave nor forfake us but incline our Harts to keep his Commandments.
;
And then, That he would maintain his own, and his Peoples Caufe, at all times, as the mat-
termay require.
For the Lord our God hath in his infinite Wifdom, Grace and Holinefs, contrived
md eftablifhcd Ms Covenant, foashe will be the God of his People, and of their Seed
Witth them, and after them, in their Generations; and in the Ministerial Difpenfation of
the Covenant of Grace, in, with, and to his vifible Church, He hath promifed Covenant-
Mercies on the Condition of Covenant- Duties. If my People, who are called by my Name,
fhall
humble themfelves, and pray, and feek my Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then
hear their Prayers, forgive their Sins, and heal their Land ; and mine Eyes, and mine
I
r
-If
art, fjjall
be
upon them perpetually for Good! That fo the Faithfulnefs of God may ap-
in all Generations for ever, that if there be any Breach between the Lord and his
pear
People, it fhall
appear plainly to lye on his Peoples part. And therefore he has taken
care, that his own Dealings with the Courfe of his Providence, and their
his People in
Dealings with him in the Ways oiObedience or Difobedience, fhould be Recorded, and fo
tranfmitted for the Ufe and Benefit of After-times, from Generation to Generation ; as,
Exodus 17. 14.) The Lord [aid unto Motes, write this for a Memorial in a Books and,
that it may be a Witnefs for me again ft the Chil-
(fieut. 31. 19.) Write )e this Song for you,
'Ifrael; and {Pfal. 102. \%.)This and that fhall be written for the Generation to come,
oj
%nd the People that fhall be created fhall praife the Lord. Upon this Ground it was faid fin
°faL : j 1 .) We have heard with our Ears,
.
God, and our Fathers have toldVs, what Work
i:>t their
:
Days in times of Old, how thou c
a/test out the Heathen,
and planted ft them ;.
3 likewife in Pfal. 78. v. 5
to the 8th.) Upon the fame account it
may be faid, (Pfal.
at.y / will make
thy Name to be remembrt a io all one Reafon
Generations : And this is
the Lord commanded fo great a part of the Holy Scriptures to be written in an Hi-
hy
al way, that the wonderful Works of God towards his Church and People, and their
;s
towards him again, might be known unto all Generations: And alter the Script ure-
far as the Lord in his Holy Wifdom hath kzn meet, He hath ftirred up fome or
to write the Jits and Monuments of the Church of God in all Ages efpecially fince *,
both at home and abroad, and too long Delayed by Vs, and fometimes it hathfeemed a
ever to be attained, till God railed up the Spirit of this Learned and Pious
hopelefs thing
Perfon, one of the Sons of the Colledge, and one of the Miniftersofthe Third Generation,
to undertake this Work. His Learning and Godlinefs, and Miniflerial Abilities, were fo
that at the Age of Seventeen Tears, he was called to be a publick Preacher
Confpicuous,
in Bofton, the Metropolis of the whole Englifh America--, and within a while after that,
he was ordained Pa/tor of the fame Church, whereof his own Father was the Teacher,
and this at the unanimous Defire of the People, and with the Approbation of the Magi-
(hates, rs and Churches, in the Vicinity of Bofton And after he had, for divers
Year'-, approved himfelfin
an exemplary way, and obliged his Native Country, by
fuitable to the Prejent State of Religion
publishing many ufeful Treatifes, amongft us,
he himfelfto write the Churck-Hiftory of New-England, not at all omitting his Mini-
fet
having made a diligent Search, Collecting of proper Materials, and Selecting the choiceft
Memorials, he hath, in the IlTue, within a few Months, contrived, compofed, and metho-
dized the lame into this Form and Frame which we here fee: So that it deferves the
nameof, THE C HVRCH-H1STORT OF NEW-ENGLAND.
But as I behold this Exemplary Son of A while thus Toung
.
andTender, at
',
fuch a rate Building the Temple of God, and in a few Months difpatching fuch a piece of
this is ; a Work fo notably adjufted and adorned, it brings to mind the
r,
Temple-
Borellus :
Epigram upon young
As for been, by the Mercy of God, now above Sixty eight Tears in
my [elf, having
and ferved the Lord and his People in my weak Meafure,
New-England, Sixty Tears in
the Miniftry of the Gofpel, I may now fay in my Old Age, J have feen all that the Lord
hath done for his People in New-England, and have known the Beginning and Progrefs of
thefe Churches unto this Day ; and having read over much of this Hiftory, I cannot but
in the Love and Fear of God, bear witnefsto the Truth of it , viz. That this prefent
Church-Hiftory of New -England, Compiled by Mr. Cot ton Mather, for the Subftance, nd 1
and Scope of it, is, as far as I have been acquainted therewithall, according to Truth.
The manifold Advantage, and Vfefulnefs of this prefent titftory, will appear, if we con-
fidcr the Great and Good Ends unto which it may be ferviceable As, ;
Firfl, That a plain Scriptural Duty of Recording the Works of God unto After-times
may not any longer be omitted, but performed in the beft manner we can.
Secondly, That by the Manifestation of the Truth of things, as they have been and are
amongft us, the Mifreprefintations of New-England may be removed and prevented ; for,
Rectum eflfui &
obhiqui index.
Thirdly, That the True Original and Defign of this Plantation may not be loft, no'
buried in Oblivion, but known and remembred forever, {Pfal. 111.4. He hath ma
his
wonderful Works to be remembred. Pfal. 105. 5. Remember ye the marvellous We .
loving Kjndnefs of
the Lord, and the Praifes of the Lord,
according
to all the Great Goodn* ,
ments in his hand, for the beginning and carrying on of this Work, be embalm '
may 1
i,
and preferved,for the Knowledge and Imitation of Pofterity; for the Memory of tin
is
Blejfed.
S
An Attejiation to this Church-Hijtory, &c.
Sixthly, That the prefent Generation may remember the Way wherein the Lord hath
led his People in this
Wildernefs, for fo many Years paft unto this Day ; [according to
that in Deut. 8. i.
Tboujha.lt remember all the way wherein the Lord hath led thee in the WiU
dernefs this Forty Tears, to humble thee, and to prove and know what was in thy Heart
to
thee,
whether thou
wouldefl keep his Commandments or no.~\ All confidering Perfons cannot but
obferve, that our Wildemefs-concMuon hath been full of Provi-
humbling, trying, diftreffina
dences. We have had our Majfahs and Meribahs
5 and few of our Churches but have
had fome remarkable hours
of Temptation patting over them, and God's End in all has
been to prove us, whether,
according to our Profefjion, and his Expectation, we would
keep his Commandments, or not.
Seventhly, That the
Generations to come in
New-England, may know the God of their
fathers, and may ferve[him with perfect Heart and willing Mind 5 as efpecially the fir JZ
a
Generation did before them ; and that
they may fet their hope in God, and not forget hie
Works, but keep his Commandments. (Pfal, 78. 7.)
Eighthly, And whereas it
may be truly
faid, (as Jer. 23. 21.) That when this People
began Lord into this Wildernefs, they were, Hvlinejs to the Lord, and he
to follow the
planted
them as a noble Vine ; Yet if in procefs of time, when
they are greatly increafed and mul-
tiplied, they fhould fo far Degenerate, as to forget the Religious Defign of their Fathers,
andforfake the. Holy Ways of God, (ask was faid of them in
Hofea^.j. As they were
increafed, fo they finned against the Lord) and fo that many t vils and Troubles will befall
them j Then this Book may be for a them and yet thro' the Mercy of
Witnefs againfi ;
God, mav be alio a means to Reclaim them, and eaufe them to Return again unto the
Lord, and his Holy Ways, that He may Return again in Mercy unto them ; even unto
the many Thoufands of New-England.
Ninthly, That the Little Daughter of New-England in America, may bow down her
: to her Mother England, in Europe, prefenting this Memorial unto her j
1
affuringher,
thattho by fome of her Angry Brethren, fhe was forced to make a Local Seceffion,
yet
hot a. Separation, but hath always retained a Dutiful RefpecT: to the Church of God in
England and giving fome account to her, how gracioufly the Lord has dealt with
;
her felf in a Remote Wildernefs, and what fhe has been doing all this while ;
giving her
thanks for all the Supplies fhe has received from her and hecaufe fhe is ; yet in her Mino-
rity, flie craves her larther Bleffing and Favour as the Cafe may require ; being glad, if
what is now prefented to her, may be of any ufe, to help forward the "Union and Agree- ^
nt of her Brethren, which would be fome Satisfaction to her for her undefired Local
lance from her Dear England; and Finally, promifing all that Reverence and Obe-
dience whic h is due to her Good Mother, by Virtue of the Fifth Commandment. And
i hat this prefent Hifiory
%ajlly, may itand as a Monument, in relation to future times,
of a fuller and better Reformation of the Church of God, than it hath yet appeared in the
World. For by this Effay it may be fecn, that a farther Practical Reformation than that
which began at the firft coming out of the Darknefs of Popery, was aimed at, and en-
deavoured by a great Number of/- -"oluntary Exiles, that came into a Wildernefs for that
very end, that hence they might be free from humane Additions and Inventions in the
Worfhip of God, and might practice the pofitive part of Divine Inftituvions, according
•0 the Word of God. How far we have attained this Defign, may be judged by this
Book. But we befeech our Brethren, of our own and of other Nations, to believe that
we are far from thinking that we have attained a perfect Reformation. Oh, No I Our
Fachers did in their time acknowledge, there were many Defects and Imperfections in
air Way, and yet we believe they did as m "ch as could be expected from Learned and
Men in their Cireurnfiances ; and we, their Succeffors, are far fhort of them in
my refpeete, meeting with many Difficulties which they did not ; and mourning under
bukes fromlOur God which they had not, and with trembling Hearts obferving
.
Declinings that
. ... are amongft us from the Holy
Ways of God we are forced ;
at, and fay, Lord, what will become of thtfe Churches in time 1 And what wilt thou
reat Name ? And yet in the Multitude of our
Thoughts and Fears, the Confo-
drefrefb
our Souls, that all thofe that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity do ferve
die! id his feople in their Generation (tho they fhould mifs it in fome things,)
r their own Souls, they are accepted of the Lord, and their Reward is
with
An Attejlatiim to this Church^Hijiory, &c.
with him and in the approaching Days of a better Reformation, the fincere, tho' weak
i
Endeavours of the Servants of God, that went before them, will be alfo accepted of
the Saints in thofe times of greater Light and Holinefs, that are to come; and when the
Lord fhall make Jefufalem (or, the true Church of God, and the true Chriftian Religion)
a Praife in the Earth, and the Joy of many Generations, then the Miflakes of thefe times
will be rectified; and that which is of God in any of his Churches, now in any Part of
the World, will be owned and improved unto an higher Legiee of Practical Godlinefs,
that fhall continue for many Generations fucceeding one another, which hitherto hath
been fo rare a thing to be found in the World.
I fhall now draw to a Conclusion, with an Obfervation which hath vifited my
Thoughts That the:Lord hath blefled the Family of the AT HERS, among!* us, M
with a fingular Bleffing, in that no lefs than Ten of them, have been accepted of him,
to fervc the Lord and his People in the Miniftry of the Gofpel of JefusChrift ; of whom,
as the Apoftle faid in another cafe, tho' fome are fallen afleep, yet the greate ft part remain
unto thisDay do not know the like in our New-England, and perhaps it will he found
;
I
rare to parallel the fame in other Countries. Truly I have thought, it hath been a
Reward of Grace, with refpeft unto the Faiihfulaefs they have exprciTcd, in afferting,
clearing, maintaining, and putting on for the Practice of that great Principle, of the Pro-
pagation of Religion in thefe Churches, viz. The Covenant-State and Church-memberfoip of
the Children lorn in thefe Churches, together with the Scripture Duties
appertaining there-
unto, and that by vertue of God's Covenant of Grace, eftablifhed by God with his
People, and their Seed with them, and after them in their Generations. And this has
been done efpec.ally by Mr. Richard Mather the Father, and by Mv. lncreafe Mather his
Son, and by Mr. Cotton Mather his Son, the Author of this prefent Work.
I fhall give the Reader the Satisfa&ion to enumerate tins
happy Decemvir ate.
i. Richard Mather, Teacher of the Church in
Dorchefier.
2. Samuel Mather: He was the firft Fellow of
Harvard-Colledge in Cambridge in New-
England, and the firft Preacher at North-
Bofton, where his Brother and his Nephew are
now his Succeflbrs. He was afterwards one of the Chaplains in Magdalen-Colledge'itx
Oxford after that, a Senior Fellow of Trinity-Colledge in Dublin^ and Pifcftor of a Church
;
3.
Nathanael Mather \ which fucceeded his Brother Samuel as Paftor of that Church
in Dublin, and is now Paftor of a Church in London.
and much efteemed in thofe parts of the Country He died when he was but Thirty
:
5. lncreafe
Mather ; who is known in both Englands. Thefe four were the Sons of
Richard Mather.
6. Cotton Mather, the Author of this Hiftory.
7. Nathanael Mather. He died at the Nineteenth Year of his Age } was a Mafter of
Arts ; began to preach in private. His Piety and Learning was beyond his Years.
The Hiftory of his Life and Death was written by his Brother, and there have been
Thne Editions of it printed at London. He dyed here at Salem, and over his Grave there
is written, THE ASHES OF AN HARD STVDENT, A GOOD SCHO-
LAR, AND A GREAT CHRISTIAN.
Samuel Mather; he is now a publick Preacher. Thefe three laft mentioned, are
8.
the Sons Ot lncreafe Mather.
9. Samuel Mather , the Son of Timothy, and Grandfon of Richard Mather } He is
the Paftor of a Church in Windfor; a Pious and a Prudent Man ; who has been an
happy Inftrument of uniting the Church and Town, amongft whom there had been
great Divifions.
10. Warham
Mather, the Son of Eleazar Mather, and by his Mctker Grandfon
to the Reverend Mr. Warham, late Paftor of the Church in Wir,dfor : He is now
alfoapubiick Preacher. Behold, an happy Family, the Glad fight whereof, may well
infpire even an Old Age paft Eighty, with Poetry enough to add this,
Epigramma
An Atteftation to this Church- Hiftory, &c.
Now the Lord our God, the Faithful God, that keepeth Covenant and Mercy to a thou-
[and Generations, with his People; let him incline the Heart of this People of New-
England, to keep Covenant and
Duty towards their God, to walk in h is Ways, and
keep his Commandments, that he may bring upon them the Blefling of Abraham, the
Mercy and Truth unto 'Jacob, the fure Mercies of David, the Grace and .Peace that
Cometh from God the Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift and that the Grace of our
•,
Lord Jefus Chrift may be in and with thefe Churches, from one Generation to another,
until the Second Coming of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift Vnto him be Glory and
!
A
A Prefatory Poem,
On that Excellent Book, Entituled,
Reverendo Domino,
D. COTTONO <JMJDER0,
Libri Utiliflimi, cui Titulus, Magnolia
Chrifti Americana,
Authori Doftiffimo, ac Dile&iflimo,
Dwo Ogdoaftica, &: bis duo Anagrammata, dat Idem, N. Nojes.
Cottonus Maderus.
. .
C Eft duo Sanctorum.
° '
es Doclorum.
\Notus
Cottonus Maderus.
\
. , CVniJas demortuos.
° *
Dociorum.
)jSendtas
B 2 Ccleberrimi
Celeberriaii
COTTONI dMJTHERI,
Celebratio »
B. Thompfon.
To
To the Reverend
Ad
Ad Politum Literature, atque Sacrarum Literaturum Antiftitem,
Rivcrendurn Bominum,
D. COTTONUM MJTHERUM,
Apud Boftonenfes V. D. M.
Epigramma.
Aoagr,
Epigramma.
tj>Je7
-vales Tantum, Tu, mimemorm&e MAT HE2liii»
Fmis fro Chri/fo Miles, cs ipfe
cohors.
A Pindaric .
Cottonius ^jMatherm,
Anagr.
Tuos Tecum ornafti.
While thus the Dead in thy rare Pages Rife,
Thine, with thy felf, thon doit Immortalize.
To view the Odds, thy Learned Lives invite,
'Twixt Eleutherian and Edomite.
But all fucceding Ages Hull defpair,
A Fitting Monument for thee to Rear.
dMAGNALIA AMERICAN J,
Digefta in Septem Libros,
D Henricus
*££^So& Selijns,
1697.
Ecclefine NeO'EborAcenfis Mimfier Belgicus,
A
A General
INTRODUCTION
'Fpa S'l "fraTO, <f &/S lvTd/^A[AiVuy ejfihtia.( iy-KcL.
Dicam hoc propter utilitatem eorum qui LeEluri fa/ft hoc opus. Theodorit.
1 add hereunto, the Notables of the only Pro- and anfwering the Character ot Good
Men, given
tefl
tut "Jr.iverftty, that ever Jhone in that He- by lojephus, in his Paraphrafe on the words of
mifpliere or the New World; with particular Samuel tO Saul, yM^iy rtAAo »p*y6»«fi<M >eaha< up
Instances of Crioli.ins, in our Biography, pro- hanSy yopi(]orrss » \ rt lv mifoufi ii QiZ x€*sa<£*o7©-.
voking the whole World, with vertuous Objects They think they do nothing Right in the Service of
of Emulation. Cod, but what they do according to the Command
I introduce then, the Anions of a more Emi- oj God. And there hath been another Genera-
nent Importance, that have fignalized thoieCo- tion of Men, who have ftill employed the
lonits ; Whether the EjlMi/hments, directed by Power which they have
generally ftill had in their
their Synods; with a Rich Variety of Synodical Hands, not only to
ftop the Progi efs of the
and Ecslefiaftical Dsteiminations 5 or, the Di- Delncd Reformation, but alfo, with Innumer-
fturbances, with which they have been from all able Vexations, to Perfecute thofe that moft
lints ot Temptations and Enemies Tempeftuated Heartily wilhed well unto it. There were many
•,
and th<_ Methods by which they have ftill wea- of the Reformers, who joyned with the Reverend
thered cat each Horrible Tempefl. JOHN
FOX, in the Complaints which he
And into the midlt of thefe Atlions, I inter- then entred in his
Martyrology, about the Baits
pofe an entire Book, wherein there is, with all of Popery yet left in the Church; and in his
poflible Veracity, a CoUetlion made, of Me- Wifhes, God take them away, or eafe us from them
morable Occurrences , and amazing Judgments for God knows,
they be the Caufe of much Blindnefs
and Mercies, befalling many particular Perfuns and Strife amongft Men !
They Zealoufly decreed
among tuc People of A\w -England. c the
A General Introduction.
the Policy of complying always with the ble for me to do a greater Service unto the
Igno-
mce and Vanity of the People ; and cried out Churches on the Beft Ifiand of the llniverfe,than
earneftly for Purer Adminifrrations in the Honfe to give a diftinct Relation of thofe Great Exam-
of God, and more Conformity to the Law of pleswhich have been occurring among Churches
Chrift, and Primitive Chrifttanity While others : of Exiles, that were driven cut of that ffland
would not hear of going any further than the into an horrible Wildernefs, meerly for their be*
FirjlEffay of Reformation. 'T is very certain, ing Well-vvillers unto the Reformation. When
that the Firfi Reformers never intended, that that Bleffed Martyr Conftantine was carried, with
what They did, fhould be the Alfolute Boundary other Martyrs, in a Dung- Cart, onto the place
of Reformation, fo that it fhould be a Sin to pro- of Execution, he pleafantly Paid, Hell, yet we
ceed any further ; as, by their own going are a precious Odour to Cod in Chrift. Tho' the
yond Wicklift, and Changing and Crowing in their med Churches in the Ann rican Regions, have,
i
own Models alio, and the Confefuons of c.v<;;2- by very Injurious Reprefentations of their Bre-
raer, with the Str/pr Anglwana of Bucer, and a thren (all which they deli re to Forget and For-
«
thoufand other things, was abundantly demon- give !) been many times thrown into a Dung-
fixated. But after a Fruitlefs Expectation, where- Cart ; yet, as they have been a precious Odour to
in r.he trueft Friends of the Reformation long God in Chrift, fo, I hope, they will be a precious
waited, for to have that which Heylin himfelt Odour unto H'us People ; and not only Precioas t
owns to have been the Detign of the Firjl Re- but Vfeful alfo, when the Hi/lory of them (hall
formers, followed as it fhould have been, a Party come to be confidered. A Reformation: of the
very unju-ftly arrogating to themfelves, the Ve- Church is coming on, and cannot but there- I
nerable Name of, The Church of England, bv upon fay, with the dying Cyrus to his Children
Numberlefs Oppreffions, grievoufly Smote thofe in Xenophon, 'e* r$v ir%vyiys.m\ykvtiv fj-cwdcims, du]n
their Fellow- Servants. Then 'twas that, as our yd? ctfirjt hS'&<nuth!i&. Learn from the things that
Great WE N
hath expreifed it, A Htitudes of hive been done already, for this is the beft way of
Pious, Peaceable Prot eft ants,
were driven, by their Learning. The Reader hath here an Account
to leave their Native Country, and feek of The Things thai have bet n done already, Bernard
itics,
a Refuge for their Lives and Liberties, with Free upon that Claufein the Canticks, [0 thou fatrcjl
in a
dom^for the Worfhip of God, WUdtrnefs, in the
among Women] has this ingenious Glofs, Pul-
Ends of the Earth. chram, non omnimode quidem, ft d pulchram inter
mulieres earn docet, videlicet cum Dijlintlione, qua-
TESTANTS 'that highly honoured and of New- England are the moft Regular that can
affected The Church and hum- be^ yet I do lay, and am fure, That they arc
o/ENGI.AND,
bly Petition to be a Part of it But by the very like unto thofe that were in the Firfi Ages
:
Alifbke of a few powerful Brethren, driven to of Cluiftianity. And if I affeit, That in the
feek a place for the Exercife of the Proh Reformation of the Church,the State of it in thole
Religion, according
to the Light ot their C,m- firfi Ages, is to be not a little confidered, the
fciences, in the Defarts of America. And in this Great Peter Ramus, among others, has embol-
Attempt 1 have propofed, not only to preferve dened me. For when
the Cardinal of Lorrain,
and fecure thejntereft of Religion ja the Churches the Maecenas of that Great Man, was offended
of that Country
little E if £ N -
NG N
L A D, at him, for turning Protectant,, he replied, Met-
fo far as the Lord Jefus Chrift may pleafc to opes Mas, quibus me ditafii, has etiamin reternum
Blefs it for that End, but alio to offer unto the recordabor, quod Beneficio, Foejfiaca Refponfioms
Churches of the Reformatio;:, abroad in the tu* didici, de Quindecim a Chriflo faculbs, frinuon
World, fome (mall Memorials, that may be fer- vcre effe aurcum, Reliqua, quo longius abfcedt
viceablc unto the Defignsof Reformation, where- effe nequiora, atque deteriora Turn igitur cumj :
are quickly to be awakened. optio, Aureum frevdum delegi. In fliort, The Firfi
to, I believe, they
1 am far from any fuch Boa ft, concerning thefe Age was the Golden Age To return unto That^ ;
Churches, That they have Need of Nothing, I will make a Man a Proteftant,and may add, a
I
wifh their Worh were more perfe.0, before God. Puritan. 'Tis poffiblc, That our Lord jefus
that ich Aufiin called The Perfection
.- Chrift carried fome Thoufandsof Reformers into
Indeed,
of Chrijl;:r,i\ is like to be, until the Term for the Retirements of an American Defart, on pur-
pofe, that, with an opportunity granted
unto
Intijchrtflin* Apofiafie
:;c expired, The Per-
b -elm too; Vt
.'yvfc.mtfenunca'.am many cf his Faithful Servants, to enjoy the pre-
Nicvcithc!c!\
tis. ; fwade my felf, ! ;
•
1
lmetus that are to pi f ic, and
« of the : unto And This being done, He knows not whe-
:
which miv be ui< ft likely toobftruci ther there be not A'l cone, that New England
Difficulties,
:;d the mo!t likely DiretHom and Remedies was planted for-, and whether the Plantation
not pr may not, foon afrer this, Come to Nothing.
l
e,
Upon
A General Introduction.
Upon that ExpreQIon in the Sacred Scripture,- Lord, thou do'fl lift them np, and ca(t them down .')
Servant into Outer Darknefs, their Calamities,their
Caft the unprofitable Deliverances, the Difpofi-
it hath been imagined by fome, That the Pept- tions which they have ftill discovered, and the
ones Extern of America, are the Teuebrx Exteri confiderable Perfuns and Ailions found among
ores, which the Unprofitable are there condemned them, cannot but afford Matters of Admiration
Onto. No doubt, the Authors of thofe Ecclefi- and Admonition, above what any other Story
altical Impofitions and Severities, which drove can pretend unto 'Tis nothing but Atheifm in
:
the Englifh Chriftians into the Dark Regions of the Hearts of Men, that can perfwade them
otherwife. Let any Perfon of good Senfe perufe
America, efteemed thofe Chrifiians to be a very
But behold, ye the Hiftory of
unprofitable iort of Creatures. Herodotus, which, like a River
i
paffage, whereto all Mankind fubferibe, Hifioria Olympiad; and where he is defective, let it be
Nuntia vetuflat'vs, Luxveri- fupplied from Arianus, from
eft Tefivs temporum, Juftin, and from
tat'vs, vita memorise, magifira vit.t. But of all Curtius, who in the relifh of Colerus is,
Quovvi
Hifiory it muft be confeffed, that the Palm is to me'de dulcior. Let him hereupon confult Polybius
be given unto Church Hifiory ; wherein the Dig- and acquaint himfelf with the Birth and Growth
nity, the Suavity, and xhzVtility of the Subjecl is of the Roman Empire, as far as 'tis defcribed, in
tranfeendent. 1 obferve,that for the Defcription Five of the Forty Books compofed by an Author
of the whole World in the Book of Genefis, that who with a Learned Profcffor of
Hifiory is, Prti-
Firfl-born of all Hifiorians, the great Mofes, im- dens Scriptor, ft quvs alius. Let him now run over
plies but one or two Chapters, whereas he im- the Table of the Roman Affairs, compendioufly
plies, it may be feven times as many Chapters, given by Lucius Floras, and then let him confider
in defcribing that one little Pavilion, The Taber- the Tranfactions of above three hundred Years
nacle \nd when am thinking, what may be reported by Dionyftus Halicarnajfjus, who, if the
I
the '.. tfon of this Difference, methinks it inti- Cenfure of Bodin may be
I
taken, Gr^cos omnes &
mates unto us, That the Church wherein the Ser- Latinos fuperafje videatur. Let him from hence
vice of God is performed, is much more Precious pafs to Livy, of whom the famous Critick
fays
than the World, which was indeed created for Hoc folum ingenium (de Hifionch
Loquor) populus
the Sake and life of the Church. 'Tis very cer- Romanus par lmperio fuo
habuit, and fuppiy thofe
tain, that the greateft Entertainments muft of his Decads that are loft, from the beft
Frag-
needs occur in the Hiftory of the People, whom ments of Antiquity, in others
(and efpecially
the Son of God hath Redeemed and Purified unto Dion and Saluft) that lead us on ftill further in
hirilfelf, as a Peculiar People, and whom the Spirit our way. Let him then proceed unto the Wri-
of God, by Supernatural Operations upon their ters of the Cefarean
times, and firft revolve Sue-
Minds, does caufe to live like Strangers \\\thvs tonius, then Tacitus, then Herodian, then a whole
World, conforming themfelves unto the Truths Army more of Hifiorians, which now crowd into
and Rules of his Holy Word, in Expectation of a our Library, and unto all the
reft, let him no£
Kingdom, whereto they fhall be in another and a fail of adding the Incomparable Plutarch, whofe
better World advanced. Such a People our Lord Books they fay, Theodori Gaza
preferred above
Jefus Chrift hath procured and preferved in all any in the World, next unto the Infpired Ora-
Ages vifible ; and the Difpenfations of his jvom- cles of the Bible : But if the Number be ftill too
Jbnus Providence towards this People (for, O little to fatisfie an
Hijlorkal Appetite, let him add
C 2
Tolyhifict
A General Introduction.
Polyhiftor unto the number, and all the Chronicles nut vituperatime, Narratio: And if I am not
of the following Ages. After all, he mult fen- altogether a Tacitus, when Vertues or Vices oc-
fibly acknowledge, that the two fhort Books of cur to be Matters of Reflection, as well as of Re-
Eccleftaftical Hiftory, written by the Evangelifl lation, 1 will, for my Vindication, appeal to Ta-
himfelf, whom Lip/ins calls one of the Pru-
hath given us more glorious Entertainments, citus
Luke,
than all thefe voluminous Hiftorians if they denteft (tho* Tertullian, long before, counts him
were put all together. The Achievements of the Lyingeft) of them who have Inriched the
one Paul particularly, which that Evangelift World with Hiftory He lays, Pr-'cipuum nnmus .•
hath Emblaz.on'd, have more True Glory in them, Annalium reor, ne virtutes fileantur , utque pravis
than all the Afts of thofe Execrable Plunderers Diclis,Faclifque ex pofteritate Infamiametus fit. &
and Murderers, and irrefiftible Banditti of the I have not Commended any Perfon, but when I
World, which have been dignified with the have really judg'd, not only Tiwt he Dtferved it,
Name of Conquerors. Tacitus counted Ingentia but alfo that it would be a Benefit unto Pofte-
bella,Expugnationes urbium, fufos captofquc Reges, rity toknow, Wherein he deferved it: And my
the Ravages of War, and the glorious Violences, Judgment of Dcfert, hath not been Biaffed, by
whereof great Warriors make a wretched Often- Perfons being of my own particular Judgment
tarion, to be
the Nobleft Matte* fox an Hiftorian. in matters of Difputation, among the Churches of
But there is a Nobler, 1 humbly conceive, in the God. I have been a^,
willing to wear the Name
planting and forming cf Evangelical Churches, of Simplicius Verimts, throughout my whole un-
and the Temptations* the Corruptions, the Affiiclt- dertaking, as he that, before me, hath affumed
ons, which affauk them , and their Salvations it : Nor am Pope Zacbary^ impatient fo
I like
from thofe Aflaults, and the Exemplary Lives of much as to hear of
any Antipodes. The Spirit
thofe that Heaven employs to be Patterns of of a Schluffelbcrgius, who falls foul with Fury and
Holinefs and Vfefulncfs noon Earth And unto
:
Reproach on all who differ from him ; The Spiric
filch it is, that 1 now invite my Readers ; Things,
of an Heylin, who feems to count no Obloquy
in comparifon whereof, the Subjects of many too hard for a Reformer ; and the Spirit of thofe
other Hiftories, are of as little weight, as the (Folio-writers there are, fome of them, in the En-
Queftions about Z, the laft Letter of our Alpha- glifh Nation !) whom a Noble Hiftorian Stigma-
bet, and whether H is to be pronounced
with an tizes, as, Thofe Hot-headed, Pajfionate Bigots, from
Afpiration, where about whole Volumes have whom, 'tis enough, if you be of a Keligion contrary
been written, and of no more Account, than unto theirs, to be defamed, condemned and purfued
the Compofure of Didymus. But for the manner with a thoufand Calumnies. I thank Heaven I
of my treating this Matter, I muffc now give Hate it with all my Heart. But how can the
fome account unto him. Lives of the Commendable be written without
Commending them ? Or, is that Law of Hiftory
Reader ! I have done the of an Im- given in one of the eminenteft pieces of Anti-
§. ^ part
partial Hiftorian,
albeit not without all occafjon
quity we now have in our hands, wholly anti-
for the Rule which a worthy Writer, quated, Maxime proprium efl Hiftoria, Lav.dem
perhaps,
in his Hijiorica, gives to every Reader, Hijiorki rerum egregie geftarum pcrfequi F Nor have I, on
A&ions, as their Affection for their own Party ful of the Direction which Polybius gives to the
led them. I have eadeavoured, with all good Hiftorian, It becomes him that writes
an thftory,
to decline this meerly for a fometimes to extol Enemies in his Praifes, when their
Conscience, writing
in Hiftory, praife- worthy Ailions befpeak it, and at the fame
Party, or doing like the Dealer
whom Lucian derides, for always calling the time to reprove the bed Friends, when their Deeds
own appear worthy of a reproof; in- as much
but of the as Hiftory is
Captain of his Party an schittes,
adverfe Party a Therfites : Nor have
added I
good for nothing, if Truth (which is the very Eye of
unto the juft Provocations for the Complaint the Animal) be not in it. 1 ndeed I have thought it
made by the Baron Mauricr, That the greatejl my duty upon all accounts, (and it it have pro-
are but fo many Panegyricks com- ceeded unto the degree of a Fault, there is, it
part of Hiftories
elevate Iniquity may be, fomething in my Temper and Nature,that
jofed by Jntcrcfted Hinds, which
to the Heavens, like Paterculus, and like Machi- has betray'd me therein) to be more fparing and
the Opinion, that one cannot merit the Name this will alfo plead
1 Polybius in myExcufe;
my
of an Impartial Hiftorian, except he write bare It is not the Work of an Hiftorian, to commemorate
tell where to find this given as the Definition cf juft, their fair, their honcft
Atlions : And the Rea-
the Story of the Golden Calf, and I don't Charter- Honfe i whereas his Name was Thomas,
tiquities,
wonder to find Chamier, and Rivet, and others, and he was a married Man. I think I can Recite
|
in the Story of our Colonies, as commit none fuch. But altho' thus challenge, as
furable Occurrences
1
upon the Bridge, ask'd him, Whither he was bound ? was the firit Author (after Luke') that evercom-
St. Peter anfwered, / apprehend
form Danger pofed an entire Body of Fcclcfiaftical Hiftorv,
in
here ; I fear they'll call me in Queftion for which he divided into Five Books, and Entitled
flaying
denying my Mafter. And St. Paul replied, Nay, v'woy.v'ifj.ATo. $j ix.K*.HG tax mav ^(A^tav. hereas others W
then 1 had be ft be gone too, for they'll quejlion me it may be, will reckon the Sfy/eEmbellifhed with
alfo, for Perfeinting
the Chriflians before my Con too much of Ornament, by the multiplied Refe-
vcrfiun. Briefly, My Pen mall Reproach none, rences to other and former Concerns,
clofely
that can give a Good Word unco any Good coucfi'd, tor the Obfervation of the Attentive, in
Man that is not of their own Faction, and fhall almoft every Paragraph ; but I mult
confefs,
Fall out with none, but thofe that can Agree that I am of his mind who faid, Sicuti fdl nwdice
with no body elfe, except thole of their own cibis
afperfus Condit,& gratiam faporis addit, itafi
Schifm. If I draw any fort of Men with Charcoaf pa-alum Antiquitatis admifcueris,Ofatiofit venuftior.
it fhall be, becaufe 1 remember a notable paffage And 1 have feldom feen that ofWay Writing
of the Beft Queen that ever was in the World, faulted, but by thofe, who, for a certain odd
our late Queen Mary. Monfieur Juvien, that he Reafon, fometimes find fault, That the Grapes are
might Juftifie the Reformation in Scotland, made not ripe. Thefe Embellifhmcnts (of which yet I
a very black Reprefentation of their old Queen only -'Teniam pro laude peto) are not the puerile
Alary ; for which, a certain Sycophant would Spoils oiPolyanthea\ , but I mould have afferted
1 ive incenfed our Queen
Mary againffc that Reve- them to be as choice Flowers as rnoft that occur
rend Perfon, faying, Is it not a Shame that this in Ancient or Modern Writings, almoft una-
Man, without any Confideration for your Royal Per- voidably putting themfelves into the Authors
'
a
upon Que;:, from whom your Roy il Highncfs is Ambrofe had not a little frighted me, as well as
defcended? But that Excellent Princefs replied, they did Batonius, Vnumquemque Fallunt fua
No, not at not fcripta I obfervc that Learned Men have been fo
all Is it that by fulfome
; enough
Praifes great PerJons be lulled afleep all their Lives ; terrified by the Reproaches of Pedantry, which
But mufl Flattery accompany them to their very little Smatterers at Reading and Learning have,
Graves ? How fhould they fear the Judgment of by their Quoting Humours brought upon them-
Vofterity, if
I
ljiorians be not allowed to fpeak the felves, that, for to avoid all Approaches towards
Truth after their Death? But whether 1 do my that which thofe Feeble Creatures have gone to
ielf Commend, or whether I give my Reader an imitate, the belt way of Writing has been rnoft
opportunity to Cmfure, I am careful above all hijurioufly deferred. But what fhall we fay ? The
things to do it with Truth
,
and as I haveconfi- Beft way of Writing, under Heaven, fhall be the
dered the words of Flato, Dtum indigne &gra- Worft, when Erafmus his Monofy liable Tyrant
viter ferrc, cum
fimilem hoc eft, virtute pra-
quis et it fo And if I fhould have refignM
will have !
ever merited better than the Incomparable Thua- former was afterwards
Applauded by all, and
nus, yet learned Men have faid ot his Work, the latter Derided by thofe very Perfons who
what they never fhall truly fay of ours, that it had given their Directions for it. As for fuch
contains multafalfifjima &
indigna. 1 find Eraf- Vnaccuracies as the Critical
may difcover, Opere
ntut bimfelf miftaking One Man for
Two, when in longo, appeal to the Courteous, for a favour-
1
writing of the Ancients. And even our own able Conftruction of them ; and
certainly they
will
A General Introduction.
will be favourably Judged of, when there is con- the Work, now in the Readers hands,(whereoftb8
sidered the Variety of my other Employments , Pittures of Great and Good Men make aconft-
which have kept me in continual Hurries, I had derable part) I am fure there hath not b.-en the
alraofr faid,like thofe of the Ninth Sphere, for the length of the Time to do it. Our Englifh Martyro-
few Months in which this Work has been Di- loger, counted it a fufficient Apology, for what
gefiwg. It was a thing well thought, by the wife Meannefs might be found in the firlt Edition o*
r
Def!giK s of Chelfey- Cotledge, wherein able Hiflo- his Ads and
Monuments, that it was hafiily rafhei
rians were one fort of Perlons to be maintained ; up in about fourteen Months- And I may Apolo-
Tha' the Romanics do in one Point condemn gize for this Collection of our ACts and Monu-
the ! roteftants •,
for among the Romanifts,they ments, that ihould have been glad, in the little
I
do' : burden their Profeffors with any Parochial more than Two Tears which have ran
out, ftnee i
Ix-'imbrance..' ;
but among the Protejlants, the enter'dupon it, ill could have had one half o!
v. y fame Individual Man mnft Preacb,Catecbiz.e, About fourteen A-onths to have entirely devoted
Adminifter the Sacraments, Vifit the Aflii&ed, thereunto. But befides thzTime, which the Daih
; A manage all the parts of Church-Difcipline Services of my own
•
firlt, and then many oth'e"
; id if any Pools lor the Service of Religion, be Churches, have necefiarily call'd for, have lof: 1
'
written, Perfons thus extreamly incumbred mull abundance of precious Time, thro' the feeble and
be the Writers. Now,of all the Churches under broken State of my Health, which hath unfitted
Heaven, there ate none that expect lb much Va- me lor Hard Study, I csn do nothing to purpoft
at Lucubrations. And
riety of Service from their Pallors, as thofe of yet, in this Tune alfo of the
New.* England \ and of all the Churches in New- two or three Years laft pall, have not been ex- 1
England, there are none that require moi e, than cufed from the further Diverfion of Publffiiig
thote in Boflon, the Metro pel is of the Englilh (tho' not fo many as they fay Mercurita Tnfrrx-
Arrcrica; wheieof one is, by the Lord Jefus gifnts did, yet) more than aScor' cf other £<»kst
Chriit,commitced unto the Care of the unworthy upon a copious Variety of other Subjects, be:. ... ..'
Hand,by which this liiflory is compiled. Reader, the composing of fevcral more, that are not yet
Give me leave humbly to mention, with him in publifhed. Nor is this neither all the Task that I
Tally, Antcquam de Re, Pauca de
h\e\ Conftant have in this while bad lying upon me ; for (tfetf
Sermons, ufually more than once, and perhaps 1 am very fenfible of what Jerom faid, NmhaH
three or four times, in a Week, and all the other jit, quod occupato Ammo fit ; and of Quintili&tfs
Duties of a Pafloral Watcbfulnefs, a very large Remark, Am
fimul in multa intendere Animas
Flock has all this while demanded of me wherein, ;
totum poteft-f) when I applied my mind unto tfe
if I had been furnifhed with as many Heads as a wayofferving the Lord JESUS CHRIST
Typbeus, as many Eyes as an Argos, and as many in my
Generation, I fet upon another and a
Elands as a Briareus, I might have had Work greater, which has had, 1 fuppofe, more of aw
enough to have employed them all ; nor hath my Thought and Hope than this, and wherein there
Station left me free from Obligations to fpend hath paffed me, for the moftpart, Nulla dies fine
very much time in the Evangelical Service of linea. I
coniidered, That all fort of [.earning
others aifo. It would have been a great Sin in might be made glorioufly Subfervient unto the
me, to have Omitted, or Abated, my Juft Cares, Illuflration of the Sacnd Scripture ; and that so
to fulfil my Miniftry in thtfe things, and in a man- proftfjed Commentaries had hitherto given a thoa-
ner Give my [elf wholly to them. All the time I fandth part of fo much Illuflration unto it, as
had for my Church- tliflory hath heen per- might be given. I confidered,that Multitudes of
haps only, cr chiefly, that, which I might have particular Texts, had, efpxially of later Years,
taken elfe for lefs profitable Recreations; and it been more notably Jllujlrated in the Scattered
hath all been done by Snatches. My Reader will Pooks of Learned Men, than in any of the Ordi-
not find me the Pcrfon intended in his Littany, nary Commentators. And I confider'd, That the
when he fays, Libera me ah homine imius Ncgotis Treafurcs of Illuflration for the Bible, difperfeil in
Nor have 1 fpent Tlnrty Tears in fhaping this my many hundred Volumes, might be fetch'd all
Miflory, as Diodorus Siculus did for his, f_and together by a Labour that would refolve to Con-
yet both Bodinus and Sigonius complain of the quer all things , and that all the Improvamnts
2?*A/*aV attending it.] But I wilh 1 could have which the Later-ages have made in the Scier,tes t
enjoy'd entirely for this Work,one quarter of the might be alfo, with an inexprelhble Pleafire,
little mors than Tiro Tears which have roll'd call'd in, to Chrift the Illuflration of the Holy
away fince 1
began it
;
whereas I have been Oracles, at a Rate that hath not been attempted
forced fometimes wholly to throw by the Work in the vulgar Annotations and that a common •
whole Months together, and then refume it, but degree of Senfe,v/oM help a Perfon, who fhould
by a ftolen hour or two in a day, not without converfe much with thefe things, to attempt
fome hazard of incurring the Title which Coryat fometimes alfo an Illuflration of his own, which
put upon his Hiftory of his Travels, Cruditks might expect fome Attention. Certainly, it will
hastily gobbled up
in five Months. Protogcnes being not be ungrateful unto good Men, to have in-
feven Years in drawing a Picture, Apelles upon numerable Antiquities, Jewifh, Chaldee, Arabian,
the fight of it, faid, The Grace of the Work mas Grecian and Roman, brought home unto us, with
much allay'd by the length of the Time. Whatever a Sweet Light Reflected from them on the Word>
eWe the: e may have been to take off the Grace ofl which is our Light Or, To have all the Typical .-
Men
A General Introduction.
Men and things in our Book ofMyfleries, accom- M E. My Reader fees, why I com- WITH
modated with their Antitypes: Or, To have mit the Fault of a -zrsp/aoTi*, which appears in
many Hundreds of References to our dearefldthe mention of thefe Minute- parages ; 'tis to
LordMrffub, difcovered in the Writings which excufe whatever other Fault of Inaccuracy, or
Teftifie of Him, oft ncr than the moft of Man- Inadvertency, may be difcovered in an Hiftory,
kind have hitherto imagined Or, To have the : which hath been a fort of Rapfody made up
iiiftbries of all Ages, coming in with punctual (like the Paper whereon 'tis written !) with
and furprifingFw/pWmejjfj of the Div-inePropbeciet, many little Rags, tovn from an Employment,
as far as they have been hitherto fulfilled; and :
multifarious enough to overwhelm one of my
not meer ConjeStires, but even Mathematical and fmall Capacities.
Inconteftable Dem ns, given of Expofititms
offered upon the Pro <<\!bat yet remain to Magna dabit, qui magna
poteft ;
tnibi p.xrva
potenti,
be accomplifhed Or,
: To have in One Heap, Parvaque pofecnti, p itva dedijfefat eft.
Thovfands of thote Remark Difco eries af
the ..
fitsesof Grotius, ai I
and Light- Luther, who was himfelf owner of fuch an Heart,
'
advifed every Hiftorian to get the Heart of a
foot, and Scldeu, and Spencer ly felefted
and corrected) and many more ii tnts in Know- Lion ; and the more 1 eonlider of the Provoca-
ledge, all fet upon '.ne Table, rsteiius, tion, which this our Church Hiftory muft needs
That at Florence there is a rich Table, worth a give to that Roaring Lion, who has, through all
thoufanJ Crowns. m r!e of Pre< Ages hitherto, been tearing the Church to
tes neatly
inlaid ; a Table thai fifteen Years in making, pieces, the more occafion
-. i
fee to wifh my felf a 1
with no lefs than thin upon Caur de Lion. But had not my Heart been Trebly
it; even fuch a Tabl afford fa rich Oak'd and Brafs'd
i for fuch Encounters as this
Entertainments, as one ttut fhould have the our Hiftory may meet withal, I would have
Soui-feafting Thoughts ef thole Learned Men worn the Silk-worms Motto, Operitw dum Ope-
together fet upon it. Only 'tis
pitty, that in- ratur, and have chofen to have written Anonym'
ftead of one poor fceb titan, over.vbelm'd ; or, as Claudius Salnafws calls himfelf oufly
with thoufand Other Cares, and capable of
a Halo Mejfalinus, as Ludovtcus Molimus calls him-
touching this Work no other wife than in a Di- felf Ludiormus Colvinus, as Carolus Scribanius
greffion, there be no: more than Thirty Men calls himfelf Clarus Bonarfcius, (and no lefs Men
daily employ'd about it. Foi\when the excellent than Peter du Moulin, and Dr. Henry More, ftile
Mr. Fool had finifhed his Laborious and Immor- themfelves, the one Hippolytus Fronto, the other
tal Task, it was noted by ibme considerable Per- Francifcus Paleopolitanus.) Thus I would have
fons, That wanting slffiftance lo Colktl for him tried, whether I could not have Anagramma-
many mifcellaneous Criticifms, occaftonally fcattered tized my Name into fome Concealment ; or I
in other Authors, be left many better- Things behind would have referr'd ir to be found in the fecon i
hi m than he found. At more /than all this, our Chapter of the feconcl Syntagm of Selden de Diis
Ejfay is levell'd, if it be not
anticipated with Syris. Whereas now I freely confefs,'tisCO T-
that Epitaph, agnis tamen excidit mfis. Defin- that has written all thefe TON MATHER
ing accordingly, to give the Church of God fuch things;
difplays of his hie fled Word, as may be more
Entertaining fortheRai icy and Novelty of them, Me^me, adfum qui fcripfi ; in me convert ite Fet rum.
than any that have hitherto been leen together
,
[-xfo'ition-, and yet fuch as may be ac- I
hope 'tis aright Wotk that I have done-, but
Cable unto the moft Judicious, for the De- we are not yet arrived unto the Day, wherein
I'nuh of them, and unto the moft God will bring every Work into Judgment (the Day
< ix, for the re:', ird bad unto the
theiigirdhad Analogy of the Kingdom that was promifed unto David)
a; F
Fut'j in aill, 1hjvc now, in a few Months, got and a Son of David hath as Truly as Wifely
n bilge m mber c{ Golden
ieaciv
Keys to tip&a told us, that until the arrival of that Happy
the/ ndirts of Heawern, and feme thonfands of Day, this is one of the Vanities attending Hu-
clurr;
iag and cut ions and Sngnlar Votes, by the mane Affairs 5 For a right Work a Man /hall be
New Help wtoereofytle I! 'nrd of R S CH T
may envied of his Neighbour. It will not be fo much
1
years longer as "the Bartm Fig-tree bad in the unto Virgil, to read his Bucolichs reproached by
Parable, I may m ito the Church of
God, the Antibucolica of a Namclefs Scribbler, and his
an humble Tender of r HI B L A A I M
E R I- •Alneids traveftied by the i/Fneidomaftir of Car-
CAN A, aVoli h !i'd with better
things bilius Or Hercnnius taking pains to make a Col- -.
Seneca
A General Introduction.
Seneca themfelves, and our Jerom, reproaching Sed tu, crede mibi, vires Scriptura refumet,
him, as a Man of no Judgment, nor Skill in Sci- Tolleturque fuo tempore miffa nequam.
ences ; while Padianus affirms of him, that he
was himfelf, Vfque adeo invidi* Expert, ut [i quid In Englilh.
erudite diftum infpiceret alterius, non minus gau-
deret ac ft fuum efftt. How Ihould a Book, no The Lord beholding from his Throne, reply'd,
better laboured than this of ours, efcape Zoilian Doubt not, O Toutb) firmly in me confide ••
Scaliger, and Ariflotle\ by Lattantius ? In the Believe me, Scripture fhall regain her
fway,
time of our K. Edward VI. there was an Order And wicked Mafs in due time fade away.
to bring in all the Teeth of Sr. Apolloma, which
the People of his one Kingdom carried about Reader, I alfo expect nothing but Scourges
them for the Cure ot the Tooth acb ; and they from that Generation, to whom
the Mafs'book is
were fo many, that they almoft fill'd a Tun. dearer than the Bible But I have now likewife
.
Truly Envy hath 3s many Teeth as Madam Apol- confefTed another Expectation, that fhall be my
lonia would have had, if all thole pretended Re- Confolation under all. They tell us,Thaton the
liques had been really hers. And mult all thefe higheft of the Capfian Mountains in Spain, there
Teeth be faltned on thee, >
y Book ? It may be
is a
Lake, whereinto if you throw a Stone, there
fo! And yet the Book, when ground between prefently afcends a Smoke, which forms a denfe
thefe Teeth, will prove like Ignatius in the Teeth Cloud, from whence ifTues a Tempelt of Raia,
of the furious Tygers, The whiter Mancbet for the Hail,and horrid Thunder-daps, for a good quar-
Churches of Cod. The greateft and fierceft R.3ge ter of an hour. Our Church- Hiftcry will be like
of En^y, is that which 1 expect from thofe a Stone C3ft into that Lake, for the furious Tem-
Metal, and hear the fame Stamp, as I do, tbo the Council of twelve Judges, there was one Heffels a
Infcriptions difftr ; If I hate
any, 'tis thofe
Schifma- Elemming, who flept always at the Trial of Cri-
ticks that puzzle the fveet Peace of our Church ; fo minals, and when they wak'd him to deliver his
that I could be content to fee an An ah apt if go to Hell Opinion, he rub'd his Eyes, and cry'd, between
on a Broxomfs Back. The Writer whom 1 laft fleeping and waking,^ pattlulum ! ad Patibulum]
quoted, hath given us a Story of a young Man
-
To the Gallows with 'em f_And, bytheway,
!
in High-Hoibourn, who being after his death Dif- this Blade was himfelf, at the laft, condemned
fered., there was a Serpenc with divers tails, unto the Gallows, without an Hearing/] As
found in the left Ventricle of his Heart. I make quick Cenfures muft tbis our Labour expect from
no queftion, that our Church- Hiftory will find thofe who will not beftow waking thoughts upon
fome Reader difpofed like that Writer, with an the Reprefentations of Chriftianity here made
Heart as of Serpent and Venom as ever it
full unto the World , but have a Sentence of Death
can hold Nor indeed will they be able to hold,
: always to pafs, or at leaft, Wifh, upon thofe
but the Tongues and Pens of thofe angry Folks, Generous Principles, without which, 'tis impoffi-
will fcourge me as with Scorpions, and caufe me ble to maintain the Reformation And I confefs,
:
to feel ( if 1 will feel ) as many Lafhes as Corne- I am very well content, that this our Labour
lius Agrippa expected from their Brethren, for takes the Fate of thofe Principles
: Nor do 1 dif-
the Book in which he expofed their Vanities. feut from the words of the Excellent Vyhitaker
A Scholar of the gieat JUELS, made once upon Luther, Foelsx ille, quern Dominus eo Honore
about fourfcore Verfes, for which the Cenfor of dignatus eft, ut Homines nequijfunos fuos haberet
Corpus Chrifi t Colledgc in the beginning of Queen inimicos. But if the old Epigrammatift, when
Maries Reign, publickly and cruelly fcourged he faw Guilty Folks raving Mad at his Lines,
hrm, with one Lalh for every Verfe. Now in could fay>
thofe Verfes, the young Man's Prayers to the
Loid JESUS CHRIST, have this for part Hoc volo j nunc nobis carmina noftra placent :
of the anfwer given to them.
Ceitainly anHiftorian fhould not bedifpleafed
Tominus, de fedibus at it, if the Enemies of Truth difcover their
Kefpondet fpe&ans altis,
Ne dubites rede credere^ parve pucr. Madnefs at the true and free Communications of
Olim fum paffas mortem, nunc occupo dextram his Hiftory , and therefore the more Stones they
by the Men, who wil), with all poffible Monkery, mfi quod ipfe facit,
nil re{fe fa&um
putat.
ftrive to faveoff the approaching Reformation However, All th.efe things, and an hundred
Bat fincc anUndert iking or this Nature,muft more fuch things which 1 think of, sre very
thus encounter fo much Envy, fiom thofe who fmali Difcouragements for fuch a Service as I
are under the Power of the Spirit that works in have here endeavoured. I forefee a Recompence,
the Children of Vnierfwadeablenefs, methinks 1 which will abundantly fwallow up all Difcomage-
ther fort of Entertainment from thofe Good himfclf well recompenfed for his Labours, when
Men who have a better Spirit in them For, as Ptolomy beftow'd fouifcorc Talents on him. It
:
the Apoftle James haMi iwted,(fo with MonOeur may be Anhimelus the t'oet counted him ielf well
Claude I read it) The Spirit that vs in us, lufteth recompenfed, when Hiero fent him a thoufand
Envy and yet even in us alfo, there will Bufhels of for one little Epigram : And
Wh»at
againfl ;
try, befides a confiderable number ot loofe and when Caracalla fent him a piece of Geld for
vaio Inhabitants rifen up, to whom the Congre- every Line that he had inferibed unto him. As I
gational Church-Difcipline, which cannot Live live in a Country where fuch Recompences never
well, where the Power of Godlinefs dyes, is were in fafhion-, it hath no Preferments forme,
become diftaftful for the Purity of it ; there is and I count that I am well Rewarded in' it,
fhall
Apprehenfions, that Scripture, and Reafon, and From Him I (hall have a Recompence And :
Antiquity is fot ic ; and chat it is not far from what Recompence ? The Recompence, whereof
a glorious Refurredtion. Bat that,as the Famous do, with inexpreffibie Joy, allure my felf, is
I
Mr. Baxter, after Thirty or Forty Years hard this, That thefe my poor Labours will certainly
about the true [nftituted Church-Difci ferve the Churches and Inter efts of the Lord
Study,
pline, at la
ft,
not only own'd, but alfo invin- Chrift. And think I may fay, That 1 ask to I
cibly prov'dj That it is The Congregational ; fo, live no longer, than I count a Sei the
The further that the Unprejudiced Studies of Lord Jefus Chrift, and his Churches, to be it
Learned Men proceed in this Matter, the more felf a glorious Recompence for the doing of it.
generally the Congregational Church-Difcipline When David was contriving to boild the Houfe
will be pronounceu for. On the other tide, of God, there was that order given from Hea-
There arefome among us, who very ftrictly ven concerning him, Co tell Servant. D
profefs the Congregationd Church-Difcipline, but The adding of that mo:e than Royal Title unto
at the fame time they have an unhappy Narrow- the Name of David, was a fufneient F.eeompence
nefsof Soul, by which ihey confine their value for all his Contrivance about, the Houfe of God.
and Kindnefs too much unto their own Party •,
Inour whole Church- Hifloy , we have been at
and onto thofe my Church Hiftory will be offen- work for the Houfe of the Lord Jefus Chrift,
five, becaufe my Rega r d unto our own declared r_Even that Man who is the Lord God, and
Principles, does not hinder me from giving the whofe Fo»-w feems on that occafion reprcfented
Right hand of Fellow (hip unto the valuable Ser unto His David~] And herein 'tis Recompence
vants of the Lord Jefus Chi ift, who find not our enough, that I have been a Servant unto that
Church-Difcipline as yet agreeable unto their heavenly Lord. The greateft Honour, and the
prefent Underftandings and Illuminations. If it fweeceft Fleafure, out of Heaven, is to Serve
be thus in my own Country, ic cannot be other- our Uluftrious Lord who
JESUS CHRIST,
wife in That wheieio 1 fend this account of my hath loved us, and given himfelffor us ; and unto
own. Briefly, as it hath beenfaid, That if all whom it is infinitely reafonable that we fhould
D give
A General IntroduBim.
give mr (elves, and all that we have and Are .
Difpenfations of thy Providence hitherto proteihi
And h may be the Angels in Heaven too, afpire and prefcrved ; and of a People which thou didfe
not after an higher Felicity. Form for thy ftlf, to /hew Jorth thy Praifes. J blejs
thy great Name^ for thy inclining of me to, and
Vstto thee^ therefore, O thou Son of God, and carrying of me through, the Work of this Hijlory
-
^wrdsas'd with thy awn Blood, and with wonderful them. Amen.
The
The CONTENTS.
General Introduction , giving an Account of the
The Third Book, Entituled, P O L V B I U S.
whole enfuing Work.
It contains the Lives of many Divines, by whole
Evange-
ANT MinWtry, the Churches of New-England have been
The Firft Book, Entituled, I QU T I £ S.
I
lical
illuminated.
It reports the Defign where-tw, the Manner where-/», and The Introduction.
the People where-ty, the feveral Colonies of New- A General Hiftory, De Virts Iliuftribus, dividing into
England were planted. And fo it prepares a Field for three Claffes the Minifters who came out of Old England^
confuterable things to be afted thereupon. for the Service of New.
It contains, the Faith and Order in the Churches of New- dry Occafions,
Chap. III. hydra decapitata. Or, Thefirf.
England, agreed by their Synods : With Hiftorical Re-
marks upon all thofe Venerable Affemblies. And a great England, quelling a Storm of Antinomian Opinions:
and many remarkable Events relating thereunto.
Variety of other Church-Cafes, occurring and refolved
in thofe American Churches. Chap. IV. Ignes Fatui. Or, The Moleftations given to tlie
Churches of New-England, by that Odd Sect of 1-eople
The Firft Part.
The Faith profefled by the Churches of New-England.
called Quakers. And fome uncomfortable Occurrents,
With Remarks. relating to a Seel of other, and Better People.
T H E
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Book I.
ANTIQUITIES: O R,
The I N T R O D U C T O N. I
n »
«
the great Admiral France, a Noble and Diiafter In this, more unhappy Jure, than that
of
:
iions and threat ned with yet more Calamities, ment at Paris, an Hiftorian whom Cafaubon
fhence he wrote Home Letters unto that glori- Pronounces, A Singular Gift of Heaven, to the
to in- laft Age, for an Example of Piety and Probity,
ous Patron of the Reform'd Churches,
him, That he
had now a fair Prcfpefi of that is our Author, (befides others) for this
form
feeing thofe
Churches eretted, multiply d and Hifiory.
fhelterd in the
Southern Regions of the New'Tis now time for me to tell my Reader, that
That Geneva in our Age there has been another Elfay, made
World ; and requefted him, might ~
with Pallors the not by French, but by Englifli P R OTE-
fupply "them for planting of I
fuch Churches
fuch - in thefe New Plantations. ThelST AN
T S, to fill a certain Country in A-
with his Collegnes, thereupon merica with Reform'd Churches ; nothing in
Bleffed C.lvin,
Cent of their Number Two Worthy Perjons, Doctrine, little in Difcipline, different from
and Qjradrigarras, to ajfift thisthat of Geneva. Mankind will pardon me, a
namely Richerius
were Native that Country, if Imitten with a fu{i
Undertaking ; and unto theje joined feveral of
more, efpecially Lerius, and,
who became a Lea Fear of wcroaching and ill-bodied Degeneracies,
der to the reft, Corquillerius, an eminent Man, f fhall u/e my Modefl Endeavours to prevent
then refiding at the Lofs of a Country, fo fignalizd for the Pro-
for the Cauje of Chrifiiamty,
Geneva. EmbarKd in three Ships, mil fitted, felTion of the purefl Religion, and for the Pro*
came to the American Country, whither tection of God upon it, in that Holy Profeffion.
they
they had
been invited; and they foon Jet up an I fhall count my Country loft, in the Lofs of the
in thofe Corners of Primitive Principles, and the Primitive Pra-
Evangelical Church Order,
the Earth where God in our Lord Jefus Chrift had ctices, upon which it was at firft Eftallifhcd :
never before been called upon. But it was not But certainly one good way to Jave that Lois,
long before fome unhappy
Controverfies arcfe wou'd be to dofomething that the Memory of the
which drove their Principal Mi- great Things done for us by our God may not
among them,
nittersinto Europe again, befides thofe Three be loft, and that the Story of the Circumftances
were Murthered by their Apoftate Gover-
ilaat attending the Foundation and Formation of this
nour whofe M^'tyi'dom Lerius procured Crifpin Country, and of its Prefcrvation hitherto, may
to~Commem n atc * n bis Hi dory, but I now omit be impartially handed unto Pqfterity. THIS
B is
Magnalia Chrijli
Americana : Book L
is the Undertaking whereto 1 now Addrefs my l
ceptable and Profitable unto thy Churches, and
/elf; and now, Grant me thy Gracious A ffi- Serviceable unto the Inteteits of thy Gofpel ; fo
O let my God think upon me for Good
fbnces, my God •,
that in this my Underta- and ;
CHAP. I.
Venifti tandem ? Or Difcoveries of AM ERIC A, tending to, and ending in, Difcoveries
§. i. TTthe Opinion of fome, though 'tis two Hundred Years ago, nor the Clue that
is
1 but an Opinion, and but of fome might lead unto it, namely, the Loadjhne, (hould'
Learned Men, That when the Sacred Oracles be known, till a Neapolitan Humbled upon it
of Heaven alTure us, The Things under the about an Hundred Years before , yet the over-
frarth are fome of thofe, whofe Knees are ruling Providence of the great God is to be
to bow in the Name of Jejus, by thofe Things acknowledged, as well in the Concealing of A-
are meant the lnhabita: ts ot America, wh« merica for fo long a time, as in the Difcover*-
;n e
Antipodes to thole of the o;her Hemijphere. I ing of it, when the fulnefs of Time was come
would not Quote any Words of Laitantius, for the Difcovery For we may count America
:
tho' there arc J'owe to Countenance this In- to have been concealed, while Mankind in the
terpretation, becaufeof their being fo Ungeo- other Hemijphere had loft all Acquaintance
: I go to ftrengthen the with it, if we may conclude it had any from
Nor would
graphical
the Words of Diodorus Siculus, That Phcene-
Interpretation by reciting the Words of the
Indians to the firft White Invaders of their cians were by great Storms driven ort the Coaft
Territories, We hear are come from under of Africa, far Wejfward, l-ri 7ro^xd; »^a,(,
you for
the World to World from us. But
take our many Days together, and at laft fell in
with an
granting the uncertainty of fuch an Expofition, Ifland of prodigious Magnitude; or from the
I {hall yet give the Church of God a certain Words of Plato, that beyond the Pillars of Her-
Account ot thofe Things, which in America cules there was an Ifland in the Atlantick O-
have been Believing and Adoring the glorious cean, «//* *<£ v»f ^ A<ria,i ^«£ft>t>, larger than A-
Name of Jefus-, and of that Country in Ameri- frica and Afia/w/ together Nor f hould it pafs
-..
ca, where thofe Things have been attended with without Remark, that Three moft memorable
Circumftances moft remarkable. I can conten- things which have born a very great Afpeft upon
tedly allow that America (which as the Learn- Humane Affairs, did near the fame time, namely
ed Nicolas fuller Obferves, might more juftly at the Conclufion of the fifteenth, and the
begin-
be called Columbina) was altogether unknown ning of the Sixteenth Century, arife unto tha
to the Penmen of the Holy Scriptures, and in World The Firft was the Rejurretlion of Lite- :
the Ages when the Scriptures were Penned. I rature , the Second was the opening of Ame-
can allow, that thofe Parts of the Earth, which rica ; the Third was the Reformation of Reli-
do not include America, are in the infpired gion. But, as probably, rhe Devil feducing the
Writings of Luke, and of Paul, ftiled, All the firft Inhabitants of America into it, therein aim-
World. I can allow, that the Opinion of Torni- ed at the having of them and their Polterity
ellus, and of Pagius, about the Apoftles Preach- out of the found of the Silver Trumpets of the
ing the Gofpel in America, has been fufficient- Co/pel, then to be heard through the Reman
ly refuted by Bafnagius.
But I am out of the Empire ; if the Devil had any Expectation,
reach of Pope Zacharys Excommunication. I that by the Peopling of America, lie fhould
can affert rhe Exiftence of the American Anti- utterly deprive any Europeans of the Two Be-
podes : And 1 can Report unto the European nefits, Literature and Religion, which dawned
j
Churches great Occurrences among thefe Ame- upon the miferable World, one juit before, to
|
'
rtcans. Yet 1 will Report every one of them ther juft after, the firft famed Navigation hi-
with fuch a Chriftian and exacf Veracity, that ther, 'tis to be hop'd he will be diiappointed
no Man fhall have caufe to ufe about any one of that Expecf ation. The Church of God mult
of them, the Words which the great Auflin (as no longer be wrapp'd up in Strabo's Cloak:
great as he was) ufed about the Exiftence of Geography muft now find work for a Chriftia-
Antipodes ; it is a Fable, and, nulla ratione no-graphy
in Regions, far enough beyond the
credendum. Bounds wherein the Church of God had thro'
§. 2. If the Wicked One in whom the
whole all former Ages been drcumfcribc;!. Renown'd
World lyeth, were he, who like a Dragon, keep- Churches of Chrift mult be gathered where the
ing a Guard upon the fpacious and mighty Ancients once Derided them that look'd for a-
Orchards of America^ could have fuch a Pafci- ny Inhabitants. The Mylfery of our Lord's
nation upon the Thoughts of Mankind, that Garments, made Pour Parts, by the Soldiers that
neither this Ballancing half of the Globe fnould caft Lots for them, is to be accomplifhed in
be confidered in Europe till a little more than the good Sence put upon it by An/un, who if
Book I. Or, The Hifiory of New*- England.
he had known America could not have given ry VII. entering upon their generous Under-
a better §>uadripartita veftis Domini feju, takings the fear 1497. made further Dif-
in
toto coveries of America, than either Columbus of
quadripartitam Jiguravit ejus Ecclefiam,
terraram Vejputius; in regard of which notable Enter-
fcilicet, qui quatuor partibus conjht,
orbe diffujam. prizes, the younger of them h'ad very greaf
^. 3.
Whatever Truth may be in that Af Honours by the Grown pot upo.i him, till at
fertion of one who writes If we m./y
; credit ti-
length he died in a good Old Age, in which
ny Records befides the Scriptures,
! know it Old Age King Edward VI. hjd allowed him
might be /aid and proved well, that this an Honourable Peniion. .Yea. finee the Cabots*,
New World was kno:vn, and partly Inhabited by the King ot England, made a"
em ploy 'J
by Britains,
or by Saxons from England, Three Dilcovery of this Continent in the Year 1497.
or Four hundred Tears before the Spaniards and it was the Year 1498. before Columbus
coming thither ; which AiTertion is Demon- di (covered any parr of the Comment and ,
ftrated trom the Difcourfes between the Vejputtus came a confiderable time alter both
Mexicans and the Spaniards at their firft Ar- ot them ; I know not why the Spaniard fhould
rival and the Popish Reiiqucs, as well as go unrivall'd in the claim of this New World,
5
Neveithelels, Mankind generally agree to give the Sun, and ferved themfelves into an Ac-
unto Chriflopher Columbus, a Gcnoejc, the Ho- quaintance on the hither iide ot the Atlanltck
'
nour of being the Firft European that open- Ocean. And now 1 ha 11 drown my Reader I
ed a way into thefe Parts ot fhq World. It! with mv (elf in a tedious Digrtition, if I
was in the Year 1492. that this famous Man, enumerate all the Attempts made by a Wil
|
acted by a moft vehement and wonderful ////- loughby, a Frobrijher, a Gilbert, and befides
j
pulfe,
was carried into the Northern Regicni many others, an Incomparable Rawleigh, to
]
of this vaft Hemifphere, which might more lettle Englifl) Colonies in the Defarts of the
therefore have receiv'd its Name from Wefterri India. It will be
enough if I enter-
juftly
Him, than from Americus Vejputius a Ylo- tain him with the Hiftory of rhat Englifl? Set-
rentine, who in the Year 1497. made a fur- rlemenr, which may, upon a Thoufand accounts,
ther Detection of the more Southern Regions pretend unto more of True Englifh than all
in tins Continent. So a World, which ihas the reft, and which alone therefore has been
been one great Article among the Res deperdttjt called Neve-England,
of Pancirollus, is now found out, and the Af- §. 5. After a difcouraging Series of Difafters
fairs of the whole World have been affected attending the Endeavours of the Englifh ro
by the finding of it. So the Church of our fwarm into Florida, and the reft of the Conti-
Lora Jefus Chrift, well compared unto a Ship* nent unto the Northward of it, called Virgi-
is now viQorioufly failing round the Globe af- White Born in thofe Re-
nia, becaufe the firft
ter Sir Francis Drake's renowned Ship, called, gions was a Daughter, then Born to one Ana-
The ViZory, which could boaft, \nias Dare,
in the Year 1585. The Courage
of one Bartholomew Gofnold, and one Captain
Prima ego velivolis ambivi curfibus orbem. Bartholomew Gilbert, and feveral other Gentle-
men* ferved them to make yet more ElTays upon
And yet about Columbus him fell the like Defighs. This Captain Gofnold in a
the Story
muft be corrected trom the Information of De fmall Bark, on May n. 1602. Made Land
'
la Vega, That one Sanchez, a Native of Helva on this Coaft in the Latitude of Forty-Three -,
in Spain, did before him find out thefe Regi- where, tho' he liked the Welcome he had from
ons. He tells us That Sanchez ufing to Trade the Salvages that came aboard him, yet he
j
in a fmall Veftel to the Canaries, was driven difliked the Weather, lb that he thought it ne-
by a furious and tedious Tempeft over unto ceflary to ftand more Southward into the Sea.
|
thefe Weftern Countries ; and at his return he'. Next Morning he found himfelf Embayed
gave to Colon, or Columbus, an account of what within a mighty Head of Land which Pro-
I
:,
he had feen, but foon after died of a Dileale 'montory^ in remembrance of the Cod-Fifh in
he had got on his dangerous Voyage. Howe great quantity by him taken there, he calledj
ver, I lhall expect my Reader ere long to\Capc-Cod, a Name which fuppofe it will ne
I
that ibme done fince ver till Shoals of Cod-bi/h be feen fwi na-
grant, things by Almigh- lofe,
to be found out more for them than any o- ranging the Woods, and from the wilder Peo-
ther. ple now furprized into Courrefie, that he car-
§. 4. But indeed the two Cabots, Father and ried back to England a Report of the Coun-
Son, under the Comraiffion of out King Hen- try, better than what the Spies once gav?of t'titi
8 2 1
Land
Aiagnalia Chrifii Americana : Book I.
Land flowing zoith Milk and Honey. Not it noted, That all the vaft
Country from Flo-
only did the Merchants of Briflol now rida to Nova-Francia, was at firft called Vir-
raife a confiderable Stock to Profecute thefe ginia ;
but this Virginia was diflinguifhed in-
Difcoveries, but many other Perfons of fe- North Virginia and South Virginia, till that
to
veral Ranks Embarked in fuch Undertakings; Famous Traveller Captain John Smith, in the
and many Sallies into America were made Year 1614. prefenting unto the Court of
;
the exafcter Narrative whereof I had rather England a Draught of North Virginia, got it
my Reader ihould purchafe at the expence of called by the Name of NEW-ENGLAND;
confulting Purchas's Pilgrims, than endure a- which Name has been ever fince allowed unto
ny flop in our haftening Voyage unto the JMlfO- my Country, as unto the moft Refembling
$ of a Jl3etu--Cttfflifl) 3fraeU Daughter, to the chief Lady of the European
§. 6. Perhaps my Reader would gladly be World. Thus the Difcoveries of the Country
informed how America came to hi firft Peopled proceeded lb far, that K. James I. did by his
';
and if Homius's Difcourfes, De origine Gen- Letters Patents under the Great Seal of Eng-
tium Amencanarum, do not fatisfie him, I land, in the iSth Year of his Reign, give and
hope fhortiy the moft Ingenious Dr. Woodward, grant unto a certain Honourable Council Efta-
in his Natural Hificry of the Earth, will do blilhed at Plymouth, in the County of De-
it. In the mean time, to ftay thy Stomach, von, for the Planting, R-ding, and Ordering,
Reader, accept the Account which a very and Governing of New-Enghnd in America,
fenfible Ruffian, who had
been an Officer of and to their Succeflbrs and Atiigns, all that Part
Prime "Note in gave unto Father
Siberia, of America, lying and being in Breadth, from
Avril. Said he, 'There is beyond the Obi a Forty Degrees of Northerly Latitude, from the
great River called Kawoina, at the Mouth
'
Equinoctial Line, to the Forty-Eighth Degree
f whereof, difcharging it fell into the frozen of the fa id Northerly Latitude Indufively ;
'
Sea, there ftands a fpacious Ifland very well and the Length of, and within all the Breadth
'
Peopled, and no lefs confiderable for Hunt- aforelaid, throughout all the firm Lands from
ing an Animal, whofe Teeth are in great
'
Sea to Sea. This at laft is th Spot of Earth,
.-
efteem. The Inhabitants go frequently upon the which the God of Heaven Spied out for the
c
fideof the frozen Sea to Hunt this Monfter ;
Seat of fuch Evangelical, and Ecclefiaftical, and
*
and becaufe it requires great Labour with Affi- very remarkable Tranfacfions, as require to
1
duity, they carry their Families ufually along be made an 11)1(10$ h here 'twas that our
'with them. Now
it
many times happens, Bleffed Jtfttg intended a Refting-place, muft
that being lurprized with a Thaw, they are fay ? Or only an Hiding-place for thofe Re-
'
I
c
c
carried away, I know not whither, upon formed CHURCHES, which have given
huge peices of Ice that break off one from him
little Accomplifhment of his Eternal
a
'
another. For my part, I am
perfwaded that Father's Promife unto him to be, we hope, ;
feveral of thofe Hunters have been carried yet further accomplilhed, of having the utmofi
'
upon thefe floating pieces of Ice to the moft Parts of the Earth for his Pofeffion ?
'
Northern Parts of America, which is not §. 7. The Learned Jofeph Mede conjectures
'
'
far irom that Part of Afia that jutts out in- that the American Hcmifphcre will efcape the
1
to the Sea of Tartary. And that which con- Conflagration of the Earth, which we expect
c
firms me in this Opinion, is this, That the at the defcent of our Lord JESUSCHR1ST
c
Americans who Inhabit that Country, which from Heaven : And that the People' here will
c
advances tartheft towards that Sea, have the not have a lhare in the Blelfednefs which
c
lame Phyfiegnomy as thole Iflanders. Thus the Renovated World fhall enjoy, during the
the Vayvode of Smotensko. But all the con- Thoufand Tears of Holy Reft promifed unto
cern of this our Hiftory, is to tell how Englifli the Church of God And that the Inhabi- :
People firft came into America ; and what tants of thefe Regions, who were Originally
Englifl) People firft came
into that Part of and therein a notable fulfilment of
Scytheans,
America, where this Hiftory is compofed. the Prophecy, about the Enlargement of Ja-
Wherefore, inftead of reciting the many Ad- phet, will be the Gog and Magog whom the
ventures of the Englifh, to vilit thefe Parts of Devil will feduce to Invade the New-Jcrufa-
the World, I fhall but repeat the Words of an Envious Hope to gain the An-
lem, with
one Captain Weymouth, an Hiflorian, as well gelical Circumftances of the People there.
as an Undertaker of thofe Adventures who All this is but Conjecture ; and it may be
;
dertakings, wot to plant the Gofpel in thefe that of the later Pierre Poiret in his LVeco-
dark Regions of America. How well the moft of nomy Divine, that by Gog and Magog are
the Englijh Plantations have anfwered this main meant the Devils and the Damned, which he
End, it mainly becomes them to conlider How- thinks will be let loofe at the end of the
:
CHAP. II.
Primordia :
Or, The Voyage to NEW -ENGLAND, which produced the Tirfl Set-
tlement 0/ NEW-PLYMOUTH:, with an Account of many Remarkable and Me-
morable Providences relating to tkat Voyage.
|. j. A Number of devout and ferions CZvz'- very much embalm'd among the People that are
jTjl fiians in the Englijh Natidn, find- beft able tojudge of Merit; and even among
the Reformation of the Church in that fuch, as about the Matters of Cburch-Difcipline,
ing
Nation, according to the WORD
OF GOD, were not of his Perfwafion. Of fuch an emi-
and the Defign of many among the Firjl Re- nent Character was he, while he lived, that
fo much prevailed, as it
formers, to labour under a fort of hopelefs Re- when Arminianifm
tardation , Anno 1602. in the then did in the low Countries, thofe famous Di-
they did,
North 0? England, enter into a COVENANT, vines, Polyander, and Feftus Hommius, employ-
wherein expreffing themfelves defirous, not on- ed this our Learned Robinfon to difpute pub-
ly to attend the Worfhip of our Lord Jefus Chrift, lickly in the Univerfity of
Leyden againft Epif-
with a freedom from humane Inventions and copius,and the other Champions of that Grand
Additions, but alfo to enjoy all the Evangelical Choak-weed of true Chriftianity : And when he
Inftitutions of that Worfhip, they did like thofe Died, not only the Univerfity, and Minifters
Macedonians, that are therefore by the Apoftle the City, accompanied him to his Grave,
of
Paul commended, give them/elves up, firft unto with all their accuftomed Solemnities, but feme
God, and then to one another. Thefe Pious Peo-: of the Chief among them with fbtrowful Re-
fentments and Exprelfions affirmed, That all the
pie finding that their Brethren and Neigh-,
bours in the Church of England, as then effa-\ Churches of our Lord Jefus Chrift had fuft din-
Law, took offence at thefe their En- ed a great Lofs by the Death of thu
blijhed by worthy
deavours after a Scriptural Reformation and be- Man.
ing loth to live in the continual Vexations, §. 2. The Church had not been very
Englifl?
which they felt a'rifing from their Non-Confor- long at Leyden before they found themfelves
mity to things which their Confidences accoun- encountred with many Inconveniencies. They
ted Superjtitious and Unwarrantable , they felt' that they were neither for Health nor
Purfe,
peaceably and willingly embraced a Banifbmentnor Language well accommodated ; but the
into the Netherlands-, whete they concern which they moft of all had, was for
fettled at the
City of Leyden, about Seven or Eight Years af- their Pofterity. They faw, that whatever
ter their Firft Combination. And now in that Banks the Dutch had againft the Inroads of the
City this People fojoutned, an Holy CHURCH
Sea, they had not fufficient Ones againft a Flood
of the Bleffed JESUS, for feveral Years under of manifold Profanenefs. They could not with
the Paftoral Care of Mr. John Robin/on, who had Ten Tears Endeavour bring their Neighbours,
for his Help in the Government of the Chutch, particularly to any fuitable Obfervation of the
a moft W
ife, Grave, good Man, Mr. William LORD'S DAY; without which they knew,
Brcwfter, the ruling Elder. Indeed Mr. John that all pradical Religion muft wither Milerably.
Robinfon had been in his younger time, (as They beheld fbme of their Children, by the
very good Fruit hath fometimes been, before Temptations of the Place, which were efpeci-
Age hath Ripened itj Sowred with the Princi- ally given in the licentious Ways of many Young
ples of the moft Rigid Separation, in the
main- People, drawn into dangerous Extravagancies.
taining wheteof he compofed and publilhed feme Moreover, they were very loth to lofe their
little Treatifes, and in the Management of the Intereft in the Englifh Nation ; but were defi-
'Controverfie made no Scruple to call the incom- rous rather to enlarge their King's Dominions.
parable Dr. Ames himfelf, Dr. Amifs, for op- They found themfelves alio under a very ftrong
poling fuch a Degree of Separation. But this difpofition of Zeal, to attempt the Eftablifh-
worthy Man fuffered h'unfelf at length to be fo ment of Congregational CflUrCuCjS Jh 'the
far convinced by his Learned Amagonift, that. remote Parts of the World •
w,here they hoped
with a moft Ingenious Retractation, he afterwards they fhould be reached by the Royal Influence
writ a little Book to prove the Lawfulnefs of of their Prince, in whofe Allegiance they chofe
one thing, which his miftaken Zeal had for- to live and die; atthe fame time like wife
hoping
merly impugned feveral Years, even till 1625. that the EcclefiafUcks, who had thus driven them
and about the Fiftieth Year of his own Age, out of the Kingdom into a Neia World, for no-
continued he a Blefiing unto the whole Church thing in the World but their Non-Conformity to
of God, and at laft, when he dy'd, he left be certain Rates, by the Impofers confelfed lndif-
hind him in his immortal Writings, a NameVferent, would be afhamed ever to perfecuce them
with
6 Magmlia Americana Book I.
Chrifli
with any further Moleftations, at the diftance the King fa id, it w<zs a good and honeji Motion.
i
of a Thoufand Leagues. Thefe Reafons were All this notwithstanding, they never made ufe
'
j
deeply confideted by the Church ; and after of that Patent : But being inform 'd of IV E W-
many Deliberations^ accompanied with the moft E NG
L A AD, thither they diverted their De-
fblemn Humiliations and Supplications before fign, thereto induced"by fundry Realons-, but
the God of Heaven, they took up a Refolution, particularly by this, that the Coaft being ex-
under the conduct or" Heaven, to REMOVE treamly well circumlfanced for Fifhing, they
into A M ERIC A -,
might therein have fome immediate Affiftance
the opened Regions where-
of had now filled all Europe with Reports. againft the hardfhips of their Firft Encounters.
It was refolved, that part of the Church fhould Their Agents then again fent over to England,
go before their Brethren, to prepare a place for concluded Articles between them and fuch Ad-
the Reft and whereas the Minor part of ventures, as would be concerned with rhem in
^
younger and ftronger Men were to go firft, the their prefent Undertakings. Articles, that
was to ftay with the till were indeed hard for thofe poor
Pajior Major, they fufficiently
ihould fee caufe to follow. Nor was there any Men, that were now to tranfplant themf Ives
occafion for thisRefolve, in any wearinefs which into an horrid Wilder nefs. The Diverfwnoi their
the States of Holland had of their Company, Enterprize from the Firft State and Way of it,
as was bafely wbpfpered by their Adverfaries caus'd an unhappy Divifion among thofe that
;
therein like thole who of old ailign'd the fame fhould have Encourag'd it; and many of them
caufe tor the Departure of the Ifraelites out of hereupon fell off. But the Removers having
Egypt : For the Magistrates of Lcyden in their already fold their Eftates, to put the Money
Court, reproving the Walloons, gave this Tefti- into a Common Stock, for the welfare of the
mony for our Englifh Theje Englilh have lived Whole and their Stock as well as their Time,
, •,
now Ten Tears among us, and yet we never had fpending fo faft as to threaten them with an
any Accufation ogainl) any one of them-, zehere- Army of Straits, if they delayed any longer ;
ai your Qiiarr els are continual. they nimbly di (patent the beft Agreements they
§. 3. Thefe good People were now fatisffd, could, and came away furnifhed with a Re-
they had as plain a command of Heaven to folution for a large Tract of Land in the South-
a Removal, as ever their Father Abra- Well Parts of New-England.
attempt
ham had for his leaving the Caldean Territories ; §. 4. All things now being in fome Keadinefs,
and it was nothing but fuch a Satisfatlion that and a couple of Ships, one called., TJjc Speed-
could have carried rhem thro' fuch, otherwife well, t'other, The May- flower, being hired for
as they met withal. their Tranfporration, they folemnly let apart a
infuperable Difficulties,
But in this Removal the Terminus ad §luem Day for Fafting and Prayer ; wherein their Pallor
was not yet refolved upon. The Country of preached unto them upon Ezra 8. 21. I pro-
Guiana flattered them with the Promifes of a claimed a Faft there, at the River Ahava, that
and a Thoufand other com- we might afflill our felves before our God, to
perpetual Springs
fortable Entertainments. But the probable dif- feek of him a right way for us, and for our
of fo Torrid a Climate unto Eng- little ones, and for all our fubjiance.
agreement
lifh Eeiies; and the more dangerous Vicinity of
After the fervent Supplications of this Day,
the Spaniards to that Climate ; were Conside- accompanied by their affectionate Friends, they
rations which made them fear that Country took their leave of the pleafant City, where
would be too Hot for them. They rather pro- they had been Pilgrims and Strangers now for
pounded fome Country bordering upon Virgi- Eleven Years. Delft-Haven was the Town,
nia; and unto this purpofe, they fent over A- where they went on Board
one of their Ships,
gents into England, who
fo far treated not on- and there they had fuch a mournful parting from
but with feveral their Brethren, as even drowned the Dutch Spe-
ly with the Virginia Company,
about the Court; unto whom ctators themfelves, then ftanding on the Shore,
great Perfons
they trade Evident their Agreement with the in Tears. Their excellent Paflor, on his Knees,
French reformed Churches in all things what- by the Sea-fide, poured out their mutual Peti-
in a few /mall accidental Points tions unto God ; and having wept in one another's
foever, except ;
that at laft, after many tedious Delays, and af- Arms, as long as the Wind and the Tide would
ter the lofsof many friends and Hopes in thofe permit them, they bad Adieu. So failing to
delays, they obtained
a Patent for a quiet Set- Southampton in England, they there found the
tlement in thofe Territories-, and the Arch- of their Ships come from London, with
other
bifhop of Canterbury himfelf gave them fome the reft of their Friends that were to be the
Peace
Book I. Or, The Hifiory of New-England, 7
Peace with one another, and beware of giving tangled among dangerous Breakers, thus late
in the Year, that the Company got at lalt into,
or taking Offences; and avoid all Difcoveries ot
a Touchy Humour ; but ufe much Brotherly For- the Cape-Harbour, Broke off their Intentions of
or none have been found that fooner give Offence, him! This Falje-deaiing proved a Safe-dealing
than thofe that eafily take it;
neither have they tor the good People againffc whom it was ufed
ever provedfound and profitable Members of So- Had they been carried according to their defire
cieties, who have nourifhed this Touchy Humour {]
unto Hudfons River, the Indians in thofe Parr.-:
as alfo to take heed of" a private Spirit, and all were at this time fo Many, and fo Mighty, and
his own
retirednefs of Mind in each Man, for
fo Sturdy, that in all this little fee-
probability
and likewife to be careful, ble Number of Chriftians had been Maffacred
proper Advantage ;
that the Houfe of God, which they were, might by thefe bloody Salvages, as not long after tbmc
not be lhaken with unneceflTary Novelties or others were: Whereas the good Hand of God
Oppofttions
: Which LETTER afterwards now brought them to a Country wonderfully
them. for their Entertainment,
produced moft happy Fruits among prepared by a
fweep-
§. 5.
On Auguft 5th, 1620. they fet Sail ing Mortality that had lately been among the
from Southampton ; but if it fhall, as I believe Natives. We have heard with our Ears, God,
it will, afrlift my Reader to be told what Heart- our fathers have told us, what work thou didft
Difafters befel them, in the very be- in their Days, in the rimes of Old; how thou
breaking
ginning of their Undertaking, let him glorifiej draveft out the Heathen with thy Hand, and
God, who carried them fo well through their plantcdft them ; how thou did ft afjlitl the Peo-
greater Affliction. ple, and cafr them out ! The Indians in thefe
They were by bad Weather twice beaten Parts had newly, even about a Year or Two be-
back, before they came to the Land's End: fore, been vifitcd with fuch a prodigious Pefti-
But it vvas judged, that the Badnefs of the Wea- lence ; as carried away not a Tenth, but Nine
ther did not retard them fomuch as the deceit Parts of Ten, (yea, 'tis faid, Nineteen of
otzMafter, who grown Sick of the Voyage, Twenty) among them So that the Woods were :
made fuch Pretences about the Leakinefs of his almoft cleared of thofe pernicious
Creatures, to
VetTel, that thev were forced at laft wholly to make Room for a better Growth. It is Remark-
difmiSs that lefTer Ship from the Service. Be- able, that a Frenchman who not long before
ing now all flowed into one Ship, on the Sixth of thefe Tranfa&ions, had by a Shipwreck been
September they put to Sea; but they met with made a Captive among the Indians of this
fuch terrible Storms, that the principal Perfons Country, did, as the Survivers reported, juft
on Board had ferious Deliberations upon return- before he dy'd in their Hands, tell thofe Tawny
ing Home again ; however, after long beating Pagans, that God
being angry with them for
upon the Atlantick Ocean, they fell in with the their Wickednefs, would not
only deftroy them
Land at Cape-Cod^ about the Ninth of Novem- all, but alfo People the place with another Na-
ber following, where going on Shore they fell tion, which would not live after their Brutiflj
upon their Knees, with many and hearty Praifes Manners. Thofe Infidels then Blafphemoufly
unto God, who had been their Ajfurance, when God could not kill them-, which Blafphe-
reply'd,
they were afar off upon the Sea, and was to be mous miftake was confuted by an horrible and
further fo, now that they were come to the unufual Plague, whereby they were confumed
Ends of the Earth. in fuchvaft Multitudes, that our
firft Planters
Bur why at this Cape ? Here was not the found the Land almoft covered with their un-
Port which they intended ; this was not the buried Carcafes; and they that were left alive,
Land for which they had provided. There were fmitten into awful and humble Regards of
was indeed a moft wonderful Providence of the Englifh, by the Terrors which the Re
God, over a Pious and a Praying Petple, in this membrance of the Frenchman's Prophefie had
Difappointment ! The moft crooked Way that Imprinted on them.
ever was gone, even that of IfraePs Peregrina- §. 7. the Hardfhips to which
Inexpretfible
tion thro the Wildernefs, may be called a right this chofen Generation was now expofed Out !
Way, fuch was the way of this little Ifrael, now Saviour once diretkd his Difciples to depre-
going into a Wildernefs. cate a flight in the Winter but thefe Difciples
•,
§. 6. Their defign was to have fat down fome- of our Lord were now arrived at a very Cold
where abaut Hudfon's River but fome of their
-, Country, in the beginning of a Rough and Bleak
Neighbours in Holland having a Mind them- Winter ; the Sun was withdrawn into Sagitta-
felves to fettle a Plantation there, fecretly and rius, whence he fhot the penetrating Arrows of
finfully contracted with the Matter of the Ship, Cold feathered with nothing but Snow, and
•
employed for the Tranfportation of thefe our pointed with Hail ; and the Days left them to
Englifh Exiles^ by a more Northerly Courfe, behold the Froft-b'itten and Weather-beaten face
to put a Trick upon them. Twas in the pur- of the Earth, were grown friorter than the
fuance of this Plot, that not only the Goods, Nights, wherein they. had yet more trouble to
but alfo the Lives of all on Board were now get fhelter from the increaling Injuries of the
hazarded , by the Ships falling among the Frofl and Weather. It was a relief to thofe Pri-
Shoals of Cape-Cod: Where they were lb en- mitive Believers, who were caft on Shore at
•
8 Magmlia Americana : Book L
Chrifti
Malta, That the Barbarous People fhotod them bring to the Company fome Occafions of doubt-
no little Kindn eft, becaufe of the prefent Rain, ful Debate, whether they fhould here fix their
andbecaufe of the Cold. But thefe Believers in Stakes. Yet thefe Expeditions on Difcovery
our Primitive Times, were more afraid of the had this one Remarkable Smile of Heaven upon
Barbarous People among whom they were now them ; that being made before the Snow covered
calf, than they were of the Rain, or Cold ; the Ground, they met with fome Indian Corn-,
Thefe Barbarians were at the firft fo far from for which, 'twas their purpofe honeftly to pay the
accommodating them with Bundles of Sticks Natives on demand and this Corn ferved them ;
to Warm them, that they let Fly other forts of for Seed in the Spring following, which elfe
Sticks (that is to fay, Arrows) to Wound them :
they had not been feafbnably furnifhed withal.
And the very Looks and Shouts of thofe Grim So that it proved, in Effeft, their Deliverance
Salvages, had not
much lefs of Terrour in from the Terrible Famine.
them, than if they had been fo many Devils.. §. 9. The Month of November being fpent
It is not long fince 1 compared this remove of our in many Supplications to Almighty God, and
whereas I mull now
Fathers, to that of Abraham, Conjultations one with another, about the Di-
that if our Father Abraham, called out of rection of their Courfe; at laft, on Dec. 6.
add,
unto the Defarts of Ara 1620. they manned the Shallop with about
Ur, had been directed
bia, inftead of the Land flowing with Milk and eighteen or twenty Hands, and went out upon a
Trial of his Faith had been greater third Difcovery. So bitterly Cold was the Sea-
Honey, the
than it was; but fuch was the Trial of the ion, that the Spray of the Sea lighting on their
Faith in thefe holy Men, who followed the Cloaths, glazed them with an immediate Conge-
Call of God into Defarts full of difmal Cir- lation; ye? they kept Cruifing about the Bay of
cumftances. All this they chearfully under- Cape-Cod, and that Night they got fate down
fettle the Wor- the Bottom of the Bay. There they Landed,
went, in hope, that they Ihould
the and the Kingdom and there tarried that Night ; and unfuc-
Jhip and Order
of Gofpel, they
of our Lord Jefus Chrift in thefe Regions, and cefsfully Ranging about all the next Day, at
that thus enlarging the Dominion, they fhould Night they made a little Barricado of Boughs
fo Merit the ProteUion of the Crown of and Logs, wherein the moft weary flept. The
thereby
be never abandoned unto any next Morning after Prayers, they l'uddenly were
England, as to
further Perfections, from any Party of their furrounded with a Crue of Indians, who let
Fellow Subjects, for their Confciencious Regards Fly a Show'r of Arrows among them ; whereat
unto the Reformation. Their Propofal was, our diftrefTed handful ofEnglifl)
happily reco-
their Arms, which they had laid
Exiguam fedemSacris, Littufque rogamus, vering by from
Innocuum, &
cuntlis undamq; aurama; Patent em. the Moifture of the Weather, they vigoroufly
immediately in the Harbour, lign an Infirument, wounded by the Indian Arrows that flew like
as a Foundation of their future and needful Hail about their Ears, and pierced through fun -
Government ; wherein Declaring themfelves the dry of their Coats For which they returned
.•
of the Crown of England, they their folemn Thanks unto God their Saviour
Loyal Subjects ;
did combine into a Body Politick, and fblemnly and they call'd the place by the Name of, The
and Obedience to the Laws, Firft Encounter. From hence they coafted a-
engage Submifiicn
and Officers, long. till an horrible Storm arofe, which tore
Ordinances, Ads. Confutations
that from time to time thould be thought moft their Veffcl at fuch a rate, and threw them into
convenient for the general Good of the Colony. the midlt of fuch dangerous Breakers, it was
This was done on Nov. nth, 1620. and they reckoned little fhort of Miracle that they ef-
chofe one Mr. John Carver, a Pious and Pru- caped alive. In the End they got under the Lee
dent Man, their Governour. of a fmall If/and, where going Afhore, they
fent Athore to look a con- kindled Fires for their fuccour againft the
Hereupon they
venient Seat for their intended Habitation Wet and Odd it was the Morning before they
:
•,
j*nd while the Carpenter was fitting of their found it was an Ifland, whereupon they rendred
Shdllop.Sixteen Men him, that hitherto had helped
tender'd themfelves, to go, their Praifes to
on the Difcovery. Accordingly on and the Day following, which was, The
them-,
by Land,
Nov. 16th, 1620. they made a dangerous Ad- LoriTsDay, the difficulties now upon them,
venture following five Indians, whom they
•,
did not hinder them from fpending it in the
into the Woods for devout and pious Fxercifes of a Sacred Reft.
fpied Flying before them,
many Miles ; from whence, after
two or three On the next Day they founded the Harbour,
returned with fome Ears of and found it fit for Shipping; they vifited the
Days Ramble, they
Indian 'GwvJ^affiich were an Efhcol for their Alain Land alio, and found it accommodated
But with a poor and fmall Encourage- with pleafant Fields and Brooks ; whereof they
Company •,
(hall now call it for other- have foon annihilated this Poor Handful of
lepfis, my Reader ;
the Indians 'twas called, Patuxet ;] Men, thus far already diminifhed. They faw
wife, by
on the Twenty-fifth Day of December they no Indians all the Winter long, but fuch as at
the Firfi Houfe that ever was in the firft Sight always ran away ; yea, they
began to ereft
rhat memorable Town ; an Houfe for the gene- quickly found, that God had fo turned the
ral Enterrainment of their Perfons and Eftates : Hearts of thefe Babarians, as more to fear, than
And yet it was not long before an unhappy Ac- to Hate his People thus calt among them. This
cident burnt unto the Ground their Houfe, bleffed was as a lit tic tiock of Kids\
People
wherein fome of their principal Perfons then while there were many Nations of Indians left,
lay Sick ;
who were forced nimbly to Fly out ftill as Kennels of V/olves in every Corner of
of the fired Houfe, or elfe they had been blown I the Country. And yet the little Nock fuftered
up with the Powder then Lodged there. After no damage by thofe Rapid Wolves ! We may
this, they
loon went upon the Building of more and fhould fay, This is the Lord's Doing, 'tir
little Cottages and upon the fettling of good
-,
marvellous in our Eyes.
Laws, for the better Governing of fuch as were to But among the many Caufes to be ailigned
Inhabit thole Cottages. They then refolved, that for it, one was This. It was afterwards by
until they could be further ltrengthned in their Them confeffed, that upon the Arrival of the
Settlement, by the Authority of England, they Englifh in thefe Parts, the Indians employ 'd
would be governed by R#/W\r chofen from among 'their Sorcerers, whom they call Pcwaws, like
themfelves, who were to proceed according to Balaam, to Curfe them, and let loofe their De-
.the Laws of England, as near as they could, in mons upon them, to Shipwreck them, to Di-
the Adminiftration of their Government ; and ftracf them, to Poifon them, or any way to
fuch other By-Laws, as by Common Confent Ruin them. All the noted Powam in the Coun-
fhould be judged necefTary for the Circumftan- try fpent three Diys together in Diabolical
ces of the Plantation. Conjurations, to obtain the Affiftances of the
§. 10.
If the Reader would know, how thefe Devils againft the Settlement of thefe our Eng-
good People fared the reft of the Melancholy lift); but the Devils at length acknowledged un-
Winter; let him know, That befides the Ex- to them, that they could not hinder thofe People
ercifes of Religion, with other Work enough, from their becoming the Owners and Maflers of
there was the care of the Sick to take up no lit- the Country; whereupon the Indians refolved
tle part of their Time. 'Twas a moft heavy upon a good Correfpondence with our New-
Trial of their Patience, whereto they were cal- Comers and God convinced them, that there
:
led the fit ft Winter of this their Pilgrimage, was no Enchantment or Divination againft fuch
and enough to convince them, and remind them, a People.
that they were but Pilgrims. The Hardfhips §. 11. The doleful Winter broke up fooner
which they encountred, were attended with, than was ufual. But our crippled PLnters were
and productive of deadly Sicknejfes which in not more comforted with the early advance of
•,
two or three Months carried off more than Half the Spring, than they were furpriz'd with the
their Company. They were but meanly provi appearance of two Indians, who in broken
dedagainft thefe unhappy Sicknejfes but there Englifh bade them,
•
Welcome Englifhmen! It
7
died fometimes Two, fbmetimes Three in a Day -,
feems that one of thele Indians had been in the
Fifty of them were left alive
till fcarce ;
and of Eaftern Parts of New-England, acquainted with
thole Fifty, fbmetimes there were fcarce Five fome of the Englifh VelTels that had been for-
well at a time to look after the Sick. Yet merly Fifhing there ; but the other of the In-
their profound Submilfion to the Will of Gcd, dians, and he from whom they had moft of
their Chriftian Readinefs to help one another, Service, was a Perfon provided by the very
accompanied with a joyful Aflurance of another lingular Providence of God for that Service.
and better World, carried them chearfully thro' A moft wicked Ship-mafter being on this Coaft a
the Sorrows of this Mortality: Nor was there few Years before, had wickedly Spirited away
heard among them a continual Murmur againft more than Twenty Indians whom having enti-
-,
thofe who had by unreafonable Impojitions dri- ced them aboard, he prefently flowed them under
ven them into all thefe Diftreffes. And there Hatches, and carried them away to the Streights,
was this Remarkable Providence further in the where he fold as many of them as he could for
Circumftances of this Mortality, that if a Dif- Slaves. This avaritious and pernicious Felony
eaje had not more eafily fetcht lb many of this laid the Foundation of grievous Annoyances to
Number away to Heaven, a Famine would pro- all the Englifh Endeavours of Settlements, espe-
bably have deftroy'd them all, before their ex- cially in the Northern Parts of the Land for
pected Supplies from Englandviere Arrived. But feveral Years enfuing. The Indians would ne-
what a wonder was it that all the Bloody Sal- ver forget ox forgive this Injury ; but when the
vages far and near did not cut off this little Rem- Englijh afterwards came upon this Coaft, in
nant ! If he that once muzzled the Lions ready their Fifiing-Voyages, they were ftill affaulted in
to devour the Man of Defires, had not Admira- an Hoflile manner, to the Killing ard Wound-
bly, I had almoft faid, Miraculoufly reftrained ing of many poor Men by the angry Natives, in
them, Thefe had been all devoured! Bur this i
kind Vifit ; the IfTue of which Vifit was, that of things, was ex amly advantageous
pofition i
Maffafoit not only eutred into a firm Agreement j to our diftrelfed Planters: And who fees not
they decla- herein the fpecial Providence of the God who
of Peace with the Eng/ijl.h but alio
]
CHAP. III.
§. I.
QEtting
afide
the juft and great Grief of only three Days together-, no, for two or three
O our new Planters for the immature Months together, they had no kind of Corn a*
Death of their Excellent Governour, fucceeded mong them : Such was the fcarcity, accompa-
by the Worthy Mr. Bradford, early in the nied with the difproportion of the Inhabitants
Spring after their firft Arrival, they fpent their to the Provifions. However, Peter Martjr's
Summer fbmewhat comfortably, Trading with Conclufion may be ours, With their Mi cries f
the Indians to the Northward of their Planta- this People opened a to tbvfe new Lands,
way
tation ;
in which Trade they were nor a little and afterwards other Men came to Inhabit them
affifted by Squanto, who within a Year or zvitb cafe, in refpeH oj the Calamities which
two Dy'd among the Engliff) ; but before his thefe Men have fufjered. They were indeed
Death, defired them to Pray him, That befor very often upon the very point of Starving ;
might go to the Englilhman's God in Heaven. but in their fxttemity the God of Heaven al-
And befides the afliftance of Squanto, they had ways furnifhed them with ibmefudden Reliefs •,
alfo the help of another Indian, called either by cauiing fome Veffcls of Strangers oc-
Hobbamok,
who continued faithful unto the Englifh Inte- cafionally to look in upon them, or by putting
rests long as he liv'd
as tho' he fometimesl them into a way to catch Fifh in fome convenient
-,
went in Danger of his Life among his Coun- Quantitie^or by fome other furprizing Accidents ;
trymen for that Fidelity. So they jogg'd on till for which they render'd unto Heaven the
the Day Twelvemonth after their firft Arrival Solemn Thanks of their Souls. They kept in
j
would have thought a little parched Indian bandry. From about the middle of May to the
Corn a mighty Feafl ? But they wanted it, not middle of July, an extream hot Sun beat upon
their
Book I. Or, The Hiftory of New-England. li
then Fields, without any Rain, Co that all their meddle with him. Thus was the beginning of the
l
Corn began to Wither and Languilh, and feme Plot put by But the whole Plot came another
:
Morning of which Day there was no fign of a- Winflow, to viiit this poor Sachim: Whom,
but before the Evening the Sky was after their lung Journey, they found lying at
ny Rain \
overcalt with Clouds, which went not away the point of Death with a Que of Hellilh Po-
without fuch eafie, gentle, and yet plentiful ivaws, ufing their ineffectual Spells and Howls
as reviv'd a great part of their decay'd about him to Recovet him. Upon the taking
Showers,
Corn, for a comfortable Harvelt. The Indians of fome Engltfh Phyfick, he prefently revived ;
themfelves took norice of this Anfwer given and thus regaining his loft Health, the Fees he
from Heaven to the Supplications of this De- Paid his Engltft Doclor were, A Confejfion of
vout People and one of them laid, Now I fee the Plot among fever al Nations of the Indians,
•,
that the Englilhman'r God is a good God; for to deflroy the Englilh. He faid, that they had
he hath heard you and ,
you Rain^ and that in vain follicited him to enter into that
without fuch Tempefi and Thunder as we ufe bloody Combination but his Advice was, that the
;
to have with cur Rain ; ^bich after our Powaw- Governour of Plymouth (hould immediately take
mgjor it, breaks doto/tibe Corn ; whereas your off the principal Alters in this Bufiriefs, where-
Ccrn Jlands whole and good fill ; furely,your upon the relt being terrify "d, would foon defifL
God is a good God. The Harveji which God There was a Concurrence of many rhings to
thus gave to this pious People, caufed them to confirm the Truth of this Information \ where-
fet apart another Day for Solemn Thankfgiv- fore Captain Standifl) took Eight refolute Men
ing to the glorious Hearer of Prayers with him to the IVeJhnian Plantation ; where
!
§. 3.
There was another molt wonderful Pre- pretending to Trade with the Indians, divers
Jcrvation, vouchfaf,d by
God unto of the Confpirators began to Treat him in 3
this little
Knot of Chriftians. One Mr. IVefton, a Mer- manner very Infolent. The Captain, and his
chant of good No inrerefted at firft in the little Army of Eight Men, (Reader, allow them
afterwards deferted it ; and in I for their Courage to be called fo) with a
Plymouth Defign, prodi
the Year 1622, fent over two Ships with aboutl gious Refolution, prefently killed iome of the
Sixty Men, to begin a Plantation in the Maf- Chief among thefe Indians, while the reft, after
1
Jachufet-Bay.
Theft Beginners being well re a fhort Combate, ran before him as fait as their
frelhed at Plymouth, travelled more Northward Legs could carry them-, neverthelefs, in the
unto a place known fince by the Name oflVey- midft of the Skirmifhes, an Indian Youth ran
mouth ; where thefe Weftonians , who were to the Englifh, defiring to be with them ; and
Church of England men, did not approve them- declaring that the Indians waited but for their
felves like the Plymotheans, a pious, honeft, finithing Two Canoo's, to have furprized the
induftrious People ; but followed fuch bad Cour- Ship in the Harbour, and have Maffacred all
fes, as had
like to have brought a Ruin upon People ; which had been finilhed, if the
the
their Neighbours, as well as themfelves. Captain had not arrived among them juft in
Ha-
ving by their Idlcnefs brought themfelves the nick of Time when he did
to Pe- And an Indian :
ny other ways provoked them ; although the Captain return from this Expedition, with the
Governour of Plymouth Writ them his very Head 0? a famous Indian in his Hand, then with
fharp difapprobarion of their Proceedings. To a tain and frighted Countenance, acknowledged
fatisfie the exafperated Salvages, divers of the the whole Mifchief intended by the Indians a-
Thieves were U rhipt, and one of them
St ccAt and gainlt the Englifl). Releafing this Fellow, they
at laft put to Death by this miferable Compa- fent him to the Sachim
of the Maffachufets,
ny which did no other Service than to afford
;
with Advice of what he muft look for, in Cafe
an occafion for a Fable to the Roguifh Hudi- he committed any Hoftility upon the Subjects
bras, for all Accommodation was now too late. of the King of England whereof there was
•
The Indians far and near entred into ^Con/pi- this Eftecf , that not only that Sachim hereby
thefe abufive Englifh \ and leaft terrified, moft humbly begg'd for
racy to cut off Peace, and
the Inhabitants of Plymouth fhould revenge that pleaded his Ignorance of his Mens Intentions;
Excifion of their Countrymen, they refolv'd up- but the reft of the Indians, under the fame Ter-
on the Murther of them alfo. In purfuance of ror, withdrew themfelves to Live in the un-
this Plot, Captain Standijh^ the Commander of healthful Swamps, which provd Mortal to ma-
the Militia of Plymouth, Lodging on a Night, ny of them. One of the Weflonians was en-
with Two or Three Men in an Indian Houfe, deavouring to carry unto Plymouth a Report
the Indians propofed that they might begin the of the Straits and Fears which were come up-
Execution of their Malice by the Affaffination on them, and this Man lofing his Way, faved
of the Captain, as loon as ever he fhould be his Life; taking a wrong Track, he efcaped
fallen afleep. However, the watchful Providence the Hands of the Two Indians, who went on
of God lb ordered it, that the Captain could hunting after him ; however e're he reached
not Sleep all that Night ; and lb they durft not Plymouth, care had been already taken for thefe
C 2 wretched
12 Magnalia Chrifli Americana : Book I.
wretched Wejionians by the earlier and fuller Year 1629. when one Mr'.^Ralpb Smith under-
Communications ol Maffafoit. So was the took the Paltoral Charge of this Holy block.
Peau. > ''/y mouth preferved, and fo the Wejio- But long before that, namely, in the Year
riian Plantation broke up, went off, and cam.- 1624. the Adventurers in England., with whom
to nothing: Altho' 'twas much wilhed by the this Company held a Correjpondeuce, did lend
Holy Rebinfon, that iome of the poor Heathen over unto them a Minifter, who did them no
had been convened before any of them had manner of good but by his Treacherous and •,
the following Story contradict that Name'] was namely, Three Heifers and a Bull, that ever
employed in obtaining Irom the Grand Coun- were brought into this Land, now coming with
cil of Plymouth and England, a Patent in the him, did the Land certainly better Service than
Name or thefe Planters for a convenient quan- was ever done by him, who fufnciently forgot
tity of the Country, where the Providence of that Scriptural Emblem of a Minifter, The Ox
God had now dilpofed them. This Man Treading out the Corn. This Minifter at his
fpe.iking one Word for them, ipake two for lirft arrival did carets them with luch exii...!:i
himfelj : And furrcptitioufly procured the Patent Showers of Afle&ion and Humility, that they
in his own Name, referving for himlelf and were very much taken with him; nevcnhelels,
his Heirs an huge Tra£t of the Land ;
and within a little while, he ufed moft malignant
intending the Plymotheans to hold the reft as tndeavours to make Pactions among them, and
Tenants under him. Hereupon he took on Board confound all their Civil and Sacred Order.
many Pajfengers with their Goods ; but having At lalt there fell into the Hands of the Go-
Sailed no further than the Downs, the Ship vernour his Letters home to England, fiiled
fprang a Leak ; and beiides this DilTafter, with wicked and lying Peculations againft the
which alone was enough to have ftopt the People of which things being ihametully Con-;
Voyage, one Strand of their Cable was acciden- vicfed, the Authority Sentenced him to be ex-
tally cut by which means it broke in a ftrefs pell'd the Plantation, only they allowed him
5
of Wind; and they were in extream danger to ftay Six Montbs,vt\th fecrct Refcrvations and
of being wrack'd up:m the Sands. Having with Expectations to releafe him from that Sentence,
much a recruited chei) Lqfs, and encreafed if he approved himfelf found in the Repen-
.'
the Numbei oi their Pajfen^-rs, they put out tance which he now expreiled. Repentance,
again to Sea; but after they had got half Way, 1 fay ; for he did now publickly in the Church
one a the faddelt 3rd longeft Storms that had confeis with Tears, that the Cenfure of the
been known hnce ib f\iys of the Apoftle Paul, Church war lefs than he dejerved he acknow- •,
drove them heme t<, England again, with a VelTel ledged, That he had flanderoufy abused the good
well nigh rom to pieces, tho' the Lives of the People, and that God might juftly lay Inno-
IVole, which were above an Hundred, merci- cent Blood to his Charge ; for he knew not 1
fully preferved. This Man, by ill his tumbling what hurt might have come thro his Writings ;
backward and forward, was by this rime grown for the Interception whereof he now blejfed
fo Sick of his Patent, that he vomited it
up ; God ; and that it had been his manner to pick
he 'aligned it over to the Company, but they up all the Evil that wo* ever fpoken againji
afterwards obtained another, under the
Umbrage the People but he fhut his Ears and Eyes a-
;
whereof they could now more effectually car- gamft all the Good ; and that if God Jhould
ry on the Affairs of their New Colony. The make him a Vagabond in the Earth, he were
Pafleugers went over afterwards in another jull in doing fo ; and that thofc Three things^
Veflel : and quickly after that another Veilel of Pride, Vain-glory, and Self-love, had been the
Paffengers alio m ed in the Country Namely, Caujes of his Mifcarriages. Thefe things he
:
in the Year ^023. Among thefe PaiTengers uttered fo Pathetically, that they again permit-
w re divers Worthy and Ufeful Men, who ted him to Preach among them ; and fome
were come to jeek the We 'fare of this lit- were fb periwaded of his Repentance, that
tle lfrael ; tho ar their
coming they were as they profefs'd they would fall down on their
ditferfiy affected, is the Kcbuilders of the Tem- Knees, that the Cenfure pafs'd on him fhould
ple at Jerufalem Some were grieved when be remitted. But, Oh the deceitful Heart of
they faw how bad the Circumftances of their Man After Two Months time, he fb notori-
.'
were, and others were glad that they ously renewed th« Mifcarriages which he had
were no worje. thus bewailed, that his own Wife, through
§. 5. The Immature Death of Mr. Robin- her Affliction of Mind at his Hypocrifie, could
Jon in Holland, wich many enfuing Difafters, not forbear declaring her Fears, that God would
hindred a great part of the Englifh
Congregati- bring fbme heavy Judgment upon their Fami-
on at Ley den , from coming over to the Rem- ly, not only for
thefe, but fbme former Wick-
nant here feparated their Brethren. him committed,
from ednefles by efpecially as to
Hence it was, that altho' this Remnant of of the Seventh Commandment^
that fearful Breaches
Church were bleffed with an Elder fo apt to which he had with an Oath denied, tho' they
Teach, that he attended all the other Works were afterwards evinced. Wherefore upon the
of a Minifer ; yet they had not a Pajhr to whole, being banifhed from hence, becaufe his
difpence the Sacraments among them, till the Refidence here was utterly Inconfiftent with the
Life
"
Book I. Or, The Hiftory ^New-England. T
Virginia, where he fhortly after ended his own wonderful Prayerfulnefs, Watch fulne is, Thank-
after thefe Difficulties, the fuinefs, LUefulnefs,
I exacf Confciencioufnefs,
Life. Quickly
of Adventurers tor the fupport of this Piety, Charity, Weanednefs from the things
Company
of this World, and Atrettion to the things
Plantation, became rather Adverfaries to
it ;
or at leaft, a, Be you warmed and filled; a few that are above, are now at reft with the Blef-
all the help they afforded fed Jefus, whofe Names, tho' not Recorded in
good Words were
ir•
After thefe many Difficulties were thus their Children, even of the Third and Fourth
§. 6.
a little futmounted, the Inhabitants of this Generation, refolving to jollow them as they
Profecuted their Affairs at fo vigorous followed Chrift. I muft refer him to an ac-
Colony
and fuccefsful a rate, that they not only fell count given thereof by the Right Worfhipful
into a comfortable way, both of Planting and EdwardWinflow, Efq-, who was for forne time
of Trading ;
but alio in a few Years there the Governour of the Colony.
.
He gives us
was a notable number of Towns to be feen fet- to underftand, that they are entirely of the
tled among them, and very confiderable Churches fame Faith with the Reformed
Churches in
in the Europe, only in their Church-Govermrn >it
walking, to tar as they had attained, they
faith and Order of the Gofpel. Their Churches, are Endeavourous after a Reformation more
riourifhed to coniiderably, that in the Year thorough than what is in many of them
•
yet
and without any uncharitable Separation from them.
1642. there were above a dozen Minilters,
fome of thofe Minilters were Stars of the He gives Inttances of their admitting to Com-
in their feveral Orbs munion among them the Communicants of the
firft Magnitude, fhining
Scotch Churches, meer-
among them. And as they proceeded in the french, the Dutch, the
Evangelical Service and Worihip
of our Lord ly by Virtue of their being lb ; and fays, We
Jefus Chrift, fo they proffered in
their Secu- ever placed a large difference between thofe
lar Concernments. When they firft began to that grounded their Praclice on the Word of
divide their Lands, they wifely contrived the God, tho differing from us in the Expofition
Divition lb, that they might keep clofe to- and Underjlanding of it, and thofe that hated
gether for their mutual Defence ;
and then fuch Reformers and Reformation, and went on
their Condition was very like that of the Ro- in Antichriftian Opposition to it,- and Perfecu-
mans time of Romulus, when every Man
in the tion of it : After which, he adds, 'Tis true,
contented himfelf with Two Acres of Land ; we profefs and dejire to pratTtce a Separation
and as P/iny tells us, // was thought a great from the World, and the Works of the World •
Reward for one to receive a Tint of Corn and as the Churches of Chriji are all Saints
from the People of Rome, which Corn they
al-
by Calling, fo we defire to fee the Grace of
fo pounded in Mortars. But fince then their God fhining forth (at lea/1 feemingly, leav-
Condition is marvelloufly altered and amended :
ing fecret things to God) in all we admit in-
Great farms are now feen among the Effe&s to Church-Fellowfhip with us, and to
keep off
of this good Peoples Planting and in their
; fuch as openly wallow in the Mire of their
fifhing, from the catching of Cod, and otherSins, that neither the Holy things of God,
Filh of lefs Dimenfions, they are fince paiTsd nor the Communion of Saints, may be leaven-
on to the catching of Whales, whofe Oil is ed or polluted thereby. And if any joining to
j
Whales, I fay, which living and moving Iflands, in Holland, or fince we came to New England,
do now find a way to this Coaft, where, have with the Manifeftation of their faith, and
notwithstanding the defptrate hazards run by Profejjion of Holinefs, held forth therewith
the Whale-Caichers in their thin Whale-Boats, Separation from the Church of England ; /
often torn to pieces by the ftroaks of thofe en- have divers times, both in the one place, and
raged Monfters ; yet it has been rarely known in the other, heard either Mr. Rob in ton our
that any of them have mifcarried. And Paf\or,or Mr. Brewfter our Elder, flop them forth-
within a few Days of my Writing this Para- with, /hewing them that we required no fuch
graph, a Cow and a Calf were caught at Tar- thing at their Hands ; but only to hold forth
mouth in this Colony ; the Cow was Fifty Five Faith in Chrift Jefus, Holinefs in the Fear
Foot long, the Bone was Nine or Ten Foot of God, and Submijjion to every Ordinance and
wide-, a Cart upon Wheels might have gone Appointment of God. Thus he. It is true
in at the Mouth of it ; the Calf was Twen- there have been fome Varieties among this
ty Foot long, for unto fuch vaft Calves, the People, but fuppole the Body of them
ftill I
Sea-Monfiers draw forth their Breajis. But do with Integrity eipoufe and maintain the
Co does the good God here give his People Principles upon which they were firft Eftablifh-
to fuck the abundance of the Seas ! ed However, I muft without fear of offend-
:
§. 7. If my Reader would have the Reli- ing exprefs my fear, that the Leaven of that
gion of thefe Planters more exactly defcribed rigid Thing, they call Brownifm, has prevailed
unto him ; after I have told him that many fometimes a little of the furrheft in the Ad-
Hundreds of Holy Souls, having been ripened minif rations of this Pious People. Yea, there
for Heaven under the Ordinances of God in was an Hour of Temptation, wherein the
fondnefs
4 Magnolia Chrifli Americana : Book I.
'
of the Brethren, as they called thofe Exercifes ; one another ; and whether I
may ever live to
that is to fay, the Preachments of thofe whom c
fee your Faces on Earth the God
'
any more,
they calfd Gifted Brethren, produced thofe of Heaven only knows 'But whether rhe
'
ptfqopragerrjQnts unto their Mimfters, that al- Lord have appointed that or no, I
' charge
moft all the Mi/lifters left the Colony ; ap- you before God, and before his Bleifed An-
prehending themlclves driven away by the "gels, rhat you J allow me no further than
you
Infuppoi table Neglect and Contempt, with
'
have leen me/d/Aiic the Lord
'
Jcjus Chnjl.
which the People on this occaiion treated them. If God reveal any
thing to you by any c-
And dark Hour of Eclipfe, upon the Light
this
'
ther Inftrument of hts, be as
1
ready to receive
of the Gofpel, in the Churches of the Colony, it, as ever you were to receive
'
any Truth by
continued until their Humiliation and Reformati- my Minitiry tor 1 am
'
verily perl waded, i
on before the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, who am very confident tf hath mere Truth .
|
hath (ince then blelfed them with a Succejfton yet to bceak torch of his
Holy Word.
of as Worthy Munliers as mod in the Land.
J
'
For my parr, 1 cannot
' fufficiemly bewail the
Moreover, there has been among them one Condition of the Reformed
Churches, who
'
Church, that have Zueftioned and Omitted the are come ro a Period in K
iligion and will
life of Infant- Baptifm neverthelefs, there be- 'go at prelent no further than She 'instruments
;
they have been Perfccuted with any harder ''faw: Whatever part of his Will our good
Means, than thofe of kind Conferences to re- God has imparted amd revealed unto Calvin
'
claim them. There have been alfo fbme un- they will rather Die than Embrace it.
' And
happy Salaries, namely, Speakers and Seekers, the Calvhrifi^ you fee, Hick fail where they
'
and other fuch Energumens, [pardon me, Rea- were left by that great Man of
God, who yet
der, that 1 have thought them io] which have ^Jaw not all things.
given nggly Diliurbances to thefe Good-Spirited 'This is a Miicry much to be lamented-
'
Men in their Temple-Work ; but they have for tho' they were
Blenaitig and Shining Lights
'
not prevailed unto the Subveriion of the t'irji in their Times, yet
they penetrated not into
Intsrefi.
the whole
Counfel of God
•
but were they
Some Controverfus likewife have now
little 'now living, rhey would be as
' willing to em-
and then arifen among them in the Admini- brace further Light, as that which
' they firfi
ftration of their Difcipline , but Synods then received. I befeech
you to remember it •
it
£
regularly called, have ufually
and prefently put is an Article of
your Church-Covenant, That
'
into Joint all that was apprehended out. Their you wiil be ready to receive whatever 'Truth
i
chief Hazard and Symptom of Degeneracy, is in Jha/i be made known unto you from the Writ-
1
the Verification of that Old Obfervation, Reli- ten Word of God. Remmber that, and every
gio peperit Divitias, &
Filia devoravit Matrem :
|
'
other Article of
your molt Sacred Covenant.
Religion brought forth Profperity, and the But I muft herewithal exiiort
'
you to take
Daughter deltroy'd the Mother. The one would heed what you receive as
Truth; examine it,
'
expect, that as they grew in their Ejhites, confider
it, compare it with the other
' Scrip-
they would grow in the Payment of their tures of Truth, before
you do receive it. For
^it-rents unto the God who gives them
'
it is not
poifible the Chrijliau World fhould
Power to get Wealth, by more liberally fupporting 'come 16 lately out of fuch thick
' Antichrifti-
his Alimfters and Ordinances among them^ the an Dqrknefs, and that Perfection
'
of Know-
molt likely way to lave them from the moft ledge fhould break forth at once. I muft al-
'
miferable Apoflacy the neglecf whereof In
•,
fo ad vile you to abandon, avoid and fhake off
the Name of Browmft : Ic is a meer Nick-
'
fome former Years, began for a while to be
punifhed with a fore Famine of the Word
i
Name, and a Brand for the making of Reli-
neverthelefs, there is danger left the En- gion, and the Profeffors of odious
'
Religion,
chantments of this World make them to forget unto the Chrifuan World. Unto this End, I
their Errand into the Wilder nefs : And fome
'
fhould be extreamly glad, if fome
Godly Mi-
woful Villages in the Skirts of the Colony, be- '
nifter would go with you, or come to you,
ginning to live without the Means of Grace a-
'
before you can have any For
Company.
mong them, are ftill more Ominous Intimati-
'
there will be no d inference between the Vn-
ons of the danger. May the God of New-Eng- c
conformable Minifters of England and you,
land preferve them from fo great a Death
'
! when you come to the practice of
Evangeli-
§. 3. Going
now to take my leave of this '
cal Ordinances out of the Kingdom. And I
'
littleColony, that I may Converfe for a while would with you by all Means to clofe with
'
with her Tounger Sifters, which yet have out- the Godly People of England ftudy Union ;
in growth exceedingly, and fo will with them in all things, wherein you can
'
ftript her
now draw all the Streams of her Affairs into '
have it without Sin, rather than in-the leaft
Channels, \ ihall repeat the Counfel
'
their meafure to affect a Divifwn or Separation
which their Faithful Robin/on gave the firft '
from them. Neither would I have you loth
Planters of the Colony, at their parting from
'
to take another Pa (lor befides my felf ; in as
'
him in Holland. Said he, [to this purpofe.] much-
Book I.
Or, The Hiftory ^New-England. 5
'
much as a Flock that hath Two Shepherds commending his departing flock unto the
1
isnot thereby endangered, but fecured. Grace of God, which now I alfo do the Off
So adding fome other things of great Con- fpring of that Holy block.
CHAP. IV.
Paulo Majora !
Or, The Efiays and Caufes which produced the Second, but
largeji Colo-
and the manner wherein the
ny ^NEW-ENGLANDj
was
Firft Church of this'
New-Colony gathered.
k, i .
t T 7" O R D S full of Emphafis, are thofe Envy, andUate, and Malice blu/Vd to fee
VV which my
and Pious Minifter of the
Reader may find Writ- Them/elves Eclips'd by fuch Deformity.
Her Feav'rilh Heat drinks down a Sea
ten by a Learned of Blood,
Church of England and I hope I may with- ;
Not of the Impious, /;/// the Juft and Good :
a foul and hideous Sight, is become of them ? I have heard that one
A monjirous Shape,
.
Which did all Hell with her dire Looks affright. of our Minifters once Preaching to a
Congre-
Huge full-gorged Snakes on her lean Shoulders gation there, urged them to approve themfelves
a Religious People from this
hung, Confideration,
And Death'* dark Courts with their loud hijjing That otherwife they would contradill the mam
end of Planting this Wildernefs ,
rung. whereupon
tier Teeth and Claws were Iron, and her Breath a well-known Perfon, then in the
Affembly,
Like Subterranean Damps, gave prefent Death. cry'd out, Sir, Tou are mifiaken, you think
Flames worfe than Hell's, jhot from her Bloody you are Preaching to the People at the Bay ;
ci >* rhings attended many other Endeavours, other Perfons of Quality about London ; as,
to nnke Plantations upon fuch a Main End in namtly, Sir Richard Saljonfiall,
Johnfon, [faac
feveral other Parts of our Country, before the Samuel Adderly, John Ven, Matthew Cradock,
Arrival of thoie by whom the Majfacbufet George Harwood, Increafe NoweL Richard Perry,
Colony was at lift formed upon more glorious Richard Bellingham, Natbanael Wright, Samuel
Aims All proving like the Habitations of the Vaffal,Theophilus Eaton, Thomas Goff, Thma-s
•
more fudden than that of Monfieur Finch, and George Foxcraft. Thefe Perfons being af-
vviicm in a Ship from France, trucking with fcciated unto the former, and having bought
the Malfachufet Natives ; thofe Bloody Sal- ef them all their Intereft in
New-England afore-
vages, coming on Board without any other Plantation
faid, now confuhed about fettling a
Artm. but Knives concealed under Haps, im- in that Country, whither fuch as were then
called Non-Conjomnfls, might with the Grace
mediately Burchered with all his Men, and
fet the Ship on Fire. Yea, fo many Fatalities and Leave of the King make a peaceable Se-
attended the Adventurers in their EtTays, that cejfion, and enjoy the Liberty and the Exercife
they began to fufpett, that the Indian Sorcerers
of their own Perfwafions, about the
Worfhip
had laid the place under fome Fafcination ; of the Lord Jefus Chrift. Whereupon Petition-
and that the Englifh could not profper upon ing the King to confirm what they had thus
fuch nchanted Ground, fo that they were purchafed with a New Patent, he granted
aim it afraid of Adventuring any more. them one, bearing Date from the Year 1628.
§ ?.. Several Perfons in the Weft of Eng which give them a Right unto the Soil,
land, h ing by Fiihing-Voyages
1 to Cape Ann, holding their Titles of Lands, as of the Man-
the No;r'nern Promontory of the Majfachufet- nor ot Eaft Greenwich in Kent, and in com-
Bay, obtained forne Acquaintance with thofe mon Socage. By this Carter they were em-
j
Parts .
This good Man engaged feveral Gentlemen a not make any Laws Repugnant unto thofe of
bour the Yeai 1624. in this Noble Defign and the Kingdom ; and the Filth part of all the
•,
Friends, Goods., Provifions, and what was ne- hum, fignifies Comfort, and fn
Keik, figni-
ceflary to alfift their Undertakings. Mr. Conant, fies an Haven and our Englifj not only found
;
of leaving him. Well, it was not long before cerned for the Plantation, made their Appli-
the Council ot Plymouth in England, had by cation to Two Non-Conformifts Minifiers, that
a Deed bearing Date, March 19. 1627. Sold they would go over to ferve the Caufe of God
unto lome Knights and Gentlemen about Dor- and of Religion in the beginning of thofe
cbe ter, viz. Sir Henry Rofwel, Sit John Young, Churches. The one of thefe was Mr. Hig-
1
mJA Soutbcott, John Humphrey, John En ginfon, a Minifter in Leiceferfhire, filenced
dicot, and Simon Whetcomb, and their Heirs tor his Non-Conformity the other was Mr, ;
and MTtgns,and their Alfociates for ever, that Part Skclton, a Minifter of Lincolnffnre, fullering
.-t New-England which lyes between a great alfo for his Non-Conformity Both of which :
River cali'd Mcrimack, and a certain other were Men eminent for Learning and Virtue,
R vet there cali'd Charles River, in the bot and who thus driven out of their Native Coun-
,1 ot
1 . the Majfacbufet-Bay. But fhortly after try, fought their Graves on the American-
this4 Mr. White brought the aforefaid Honoura- Strand, whereon the Epitaph might be inferi-
an with feveral bed that was on Scipio's, Ingrata
ble Perioris into Acquaintance Patria, ne
mortui
Book I.
Or, The tiiftory of New-England. *7
Mortal quidem habebk Ojfa. Thefe Minifters narinefs, that nothing left than a ftrange and
came over to Salem., in the Summer of the ftrong Impreffion from Heaven could have
Year 1629. and with thefe there came over thereunto moved the Hearts of fuch as were in
a confiderable number of Excellent Chriftians, it ; fo the Expence with which they carried on
who no fooner arrived, but they fet themfelves the Undertaking was truly Extraordinary. By
.ibout the Church- Work, which was their Computation, the Paffage of the Pcrfns that
Errand hither. peopled New-England, colt at lea ft Ninety Five
'Tis true, there were two other Clergy-Men, Thoufand Pound The Tranfportation of their
:
who came over about the fame time ; never- firft fmall Stock of Cat t el great and lmall, coft
thelefs, there has been very little Account given no lefs than Twelve Thoufand Poun.l, betides
of their Circumlfances ; except what a certain the Price of the Cattel themfelves The Pro- :
little Narrative-Writer has offered us, by fay- vifions laid in for Subfiftence, till Tillage might
ing, There
were Tivo that began to hew Stones produce more , coft Forty Five Thoufand
in the Mountains, for the Building of the Tem- Pounds-, the Materials for their firft Cottages
ple here ; f
but when they aw all forts of Stones coft Eighteen Thoufand Pounds ; their Arms,
would not Jit in the Building, the one betook Ammunition and Great Artillery, coft Twenty
himjelj to the Seas again, and the other to Till Two Thoufand Pounds befides which Hundred
•,
the Land\ for which caufe, burying all fur- and Ninety Two Thoufand Pounds, the Adven-
ther mention of them among the Rubbifh, in turers laid out in England, what was not In-
the foundation of the Colony, we will proceed confiderable. About an Hundred and Ninety
with our Story which is now to tell us, That Eight Ships were employed in palling the Pe-
;
the PaiTage of thefe our Pilgrims was attended rils of the Seas, ip the Accomplilhment of this
with many Smiles of Heaven upon them. They Renowned Settlement whereof, by the way>
;
were bleffed with a Company of honeft Sea- but one mifcarried in thoie Perils.
men with whom the Minifters and PalTengers
; Briefly, The God of Heaven ferved as it
conftantly fcrved God , Morning and Even- were, a Summons upon the Spirits of His Peo-
ing ; Reading, Expounding and Applying the ple in the Englifh Nation ; ftirring up the Spi-
Word of God, finging of His Praife, and rits of Thoufands which never law the Faces
fee king of His Peace; to which Exercifes of each other, with a moft Unanimous Inclina-
they added on the Lord's Day two Sermons, tion to leave all the Pleafant Accommodations
and a Catechifmg And fbmetimes they fet a- of their Native Country, and go over a Terri-
:
'
Fourthly, We
are grown to that Intempe- proving Prefence of MelYengers from the Church
c
ranee in all Excefs of Riot, as nomeanEftate of Plymouth, they fet apart the Sixth Dav of
almoft will fuftice a Man to keep Sail with Augujt, after their Arrival, for Faffing and Pray-
'
'his Equals, and he that fails in it, mult live er, Kox the fettling of a Church-State among them,
'
in Scorn and Contempt Hence it comes to
: and for their making a Confeffion of their Fai;h,
'
pafs, that all Arts and Trades are carried in and entering into an Holy Covenant, whereby
'
that Deceitful Manner , and Unrighteous that Church-Statewas formed.
'
Courfe, as almoft Impoitible for a good
it is Mr. tiigginfon then became the Teacher, and
'
upright Man to maintain his conftant Charge, Mr. Skelton the Paftor, oftheChurch thus con-
'
and live comfortably in them. ftituted at Salem ; and they lived very peaceably
'
The Schools of Learning and Reli-
Fifthly,
in Salem togethet, till the Death of Mr. tiig-
ginfon, which was about a Twelvemonth af-
'
as (belides the unfup-
gion are fo corrupted,
ter, and then of Mr. Skelton^ who did not long
'
portable Charge of Education,) moft Children,
'even the Bert, Wkticft,and of the Fairelt Hopes, furvive him. Now the Covenant whereto thele
'are perverted, corrupred,and utterly overthrown, Chriflians engaged themfelves, which wss about
'by the multitude of evil Examples and Licenti- Seven Years after folemnly renewed among
'
ous Behaviours in theft Seminaries. them, I fhall here lay before all the Churches
'
Sixthly, The
whole Earth is the Lord's of God, as it was then exprefild and inforced.
'
Garden, and he hath given it to the Sons of We Covenant with our Lord, and one with
and Improved by them another; and we do Bind our elves in the pre- f
'
Adam, to be Tilled :
'
Why then ihould we Hand
Starving here for fence of God, to walk together in all his Ways,
Places of Habitation, and in the mean time according as he is pleafed to reveal him/elf unto
'
furier whole Countries, as profitable for theufe us in his bleffed Word of Truth ; and do expli-
'
Jtttg
Book I. 0r 3 The
Hiftory ^New-Endand.
fing will be to the Lord., that they fhould have
it 1 teen Years of
Age, and laudably Anfwering all
Encouragement in their F'laces, by our not grie- the Characters expe£ted in a
Communicant, was
then fo Received.
ving their Spirits thro' our Irregularities.
f
We Refolve to approve our elves to the Lord §. 8. It is to be Remembred, that fome of
in our particular Callings ; ftunning Idlenefs, the PaiTengers, who came over with rhofe of our
as the Bane of any State-, nor will we deal hard- firft Salemites, obferving that the Minifters did
with- any, wherein we are the not ufe the Book of
ly or opprefjingly Common-Prayer in their Ad
Lord's Stewards. miniftrations that they Adminiftred the
;
Bap
Promifing alfo unto our beft Ability to Teach tifm and the Supper of the Lord, without any
our Children and Servants the Knowledge of unfcripturalC^m^/Vr •
that they refolved
up-
God, and of His Will, that they may ferve Him on ufmg Difcipline in the Congregation againft
alfo ;
and all this not by any ftrength of our own, Scandalous Offenders, according to the Word
but by the Lord Chrift ; whofe Blood we defire of God; and that fome Scandalous Perfons had
_
may jprinkle this our Covenant made in His been denied AdmiJJion into the Communion of
Name. theChutch; they began Erankford-Y^xon) (
By this Infirument was the Covenant of to raife a deal of Trouble hereupon. Herodiand
Grace Explained, Received, and Recognized, Malitia, nafcentem pcrjequi Religionem ! Of
by the Firft Church in this Colony, and applied thefe there were efpeciallv Two Brothers the ;
unto the Evangelical Defigns of a Church-Eftate one a Lawyer, the other a both
Merchant,
before the Lord: This Instrument they after- Men of Parts, Eftate and Figure in the Place.
wards often read over, and renewed the Conjent Thefe gather'd a Company together,
feparate
of their Souls unto every Article in it ; efpeci- from the publick AlTembly ; and there the
ally when
their Days of Humiliation invited
Common-Prayer-Worfhip was after a fort up-
them to lay hold on particular Opportunities held among fuch as would refort unto them.
for doing fo. The Governour perceiving a Difturbance to
So you have feen the Nativity of the Firft arife among the People on this Occafion, fent
Church in the Maffachufet-Colony. for the Brothers
; who accufed the Minifters,
§.7. As for the Circumftances of Admijfion as departing from the Orders of the Church
of
into this Church, they left it very much unto England ; adding, That they were
Separatifts,
the Difcretion and Faithfulnefs of their Elders, and would be fhortly Anabaptifts; but for them-
together with the Condition of
the Perfons to felves, They would hold unto the Orders
of the
be admitted. Some were admitted by expreffing Ciwrch of England. The Anfwerofths Mini-
their Confent unto their Confeffion and. Covenant ; ifters to thefe Accufations, was, That
they were
fome were admitted after their firft Anfwering neither Separatifts nor Anabaptifts that they -,
to Queflions about Religion, propounded unto did not feparate from the Church
^/"England, nor
them ; fome were admitted, when they had from the Ordinances of God there, but
'only
prefented in Writing fuch things, as might give from
the
Corruptions and Diforders of that
SatisfaUion unto the People of God concerning Church: That they came awayfrom the Common-
them ; and fome that were admitted, Orally ad- Prayer and Ceremonies, and had fuffered much
dreifed the People of God in fuch Terms 3 as for their Non-conformity in their Native
Land;
they thought proper to ask their Communion and therefore being in a place where they might
with which Diverfity was perhaps more Beau-
;
have their Liberty,
they neither could nor
tiful, than would have been
a more Punctilious would ufe them , inafmuch as
they judged the
Uniformity: But none were admitted without Impofitwn. of thefe things to be a ftnful Viola-
regard unto a Blamelefs and Holy Converfg- tion of the
Worfhip of God. The Governour,
tion. agree with their Brethren of
They did all the Council, the People,
generally approved of
Plymouth in That the Children of
this Point, the Anfwer thus given
by the Minifters but ;
the Faithful were Church- Members, with their thefe Perfons returned into
England with very
Parents ; and that their Baptifm was a Seal furious Threatnings
againft the Church thus
of their being fo ; only before their admifiion Eftablifhed , however the threat ned Folks have
to Fellowfhip in a Particular Church, it was lived fo long, that the Church has out-lived the
judged Neceffary, that being free from Scandal, grand CUmaSerical Year of Humane Age ; it
they fhould be examined by the Elders of «the now Flourifhing more than Sixty-three Years
Church, upon whofe Approbation of their Fit- after its firft
Gathering under the PaftoralCare
nefs, they fhould Publickly and Perlbnally own of a moft Reverend and' Ancient
Perfon, even
the Covenant ; fo they were to be received unto Mr. John Higginfon, the Son of that excellent
the Table of the Lord And accordingly the
: Man who laid the Foundations of that So-
Eldeft Son of Mr. Higginfon, being about Fif- ciety.
D CHAP,
io Magnalta Chrijii
Americana : Book I.
CHAP. V,
Peregrini Deo Curs Or, The Progrefs of the New-Colony ; with fome Account of thve
:
Perfons, the Me. hods,, and the Troubles, by which it came to Something.
Generations muft reckon him no lefs a Gloryy acknowledging that fuch Hope and Part as they
than he was a Patriot of the Country. The h ad obtained in the Common Salvation they had
Deputy-Governour was Thonuu Dudley, Efq; fuckedfrom her Breafls therewithal entreating \
a Gentleman, whofe Natural and Acquired their many Reverend Fathers and Brethren to re-
Abilities, joined with his excellent Morcti Qua- commend them unto the Mercies of God, in
lities, Entitled him to all the great Refpecfs their conftant Prayers, as a Church now fpring-
with which his Country on all Opportunities ing out of their own Bowels. Ton are not Igno-
treated him. Several moft Worthy AJfijhnts rant f foid they J that the Spirit of God fttrred
were a: the fame time chofen to be in this up the Apoflle Paul, to ?nake a continual ?nenti-
Transportation ; moreover, feveral other Gen- on of the Church at Philippi, which was a Co-
tlemen of prime Note, and feveral famous Mi- lony from Rome let the fajhe
Spirit, we be-
-,
mfiers of the Gofpel, now likewife embarked feech you, put you in Mind, that are the Lord's
themfelves with theft Honourable Adventurers : Remembrancers, to pray for t/s without ceafing,
Who Equipped a Fleet, confiding of Ten or who are the weak Colony from yourJelves. And
Eleven Ships, whereof the Admiral was, The after fuch Prayers, they Concluded, What Good-
Arabella (fo called in Honour^of the Right nefs you fhall extend unto us, in this or any 0-
Hon urable the Lady Arabella Johnfon, at this ther Chrijiian Kindnefs, zoe your Brethren in
time on Board) a Ship of Three Hundred and Chriji fhall Labour to Repay, in what Duty we
Fifty Tuns-, and in fome of the laid Ships there are or fhall be able to perform promifmg fo ;
were Two
Hundred Paffengers ; all of which Ar- far as Godjhall enable its, to give him nerefl on
rived before the middle ot July\ in the Year your Behalfs ; wiflimg cur Heads and Hearts may
167,0. iafe in the Harbours of New-England. be Fountains of Tears for your
everlafling
There was a time when the Britiil) Sea was Welfare, when Txtfbalt be in our Poor Cottages
by Clements, and the other Ancietrs, called, in the Wiliernefs, overfnaduwed with the Spirit
'messy®* i)rif&r@-j The ttnpajfable'Qcea/i. What of Supplication, thro the manifold Neccffities
then was to be thought of the vaft AYlantick Sea. and Tribulations, which may no; altogether un-
on the Weftward of Britain ? But this Ocean cxpetlcdly, nor we hope unprofitably, bcfal
mull now be faffed I An Heart of Stone muft us.
have diffolved into Tears at the AifecTionate §. 3, Reader, If ever the Charity of a Right
Farcwel, which the Governour and other Emi- Chriftian, and Enlarged Soul, were exemplarily
nent Perfons took of their Friends; at a Feajf feen in its proper Expanfions, twas in the Ad-
which the Governour made for them, a little drefs which thou haft now been Reading :
before their going off; however they were But if it now puzzel the Reader to Reconcile
acted by Principles that could carry them thro' thefe Pafiages with the Principles declared, the
Tears zn&Occans yea, thro' Oceans oi' Tears : Practices followed, and the Pnfecu/ions under-
Principles that enabled them to leave, Dufcfd gone, by theie American Reformers, let him
Limind, alq-, amabilem Larcm, quern iff paren know, that there was more trrtrrforle Dijtimlion,
turn memoria, atq-, ipfius (to ufe Stupim words) whereof rKe'fe excellent Perfons were not Igno-
Infamix Rudimenta Confirmant. Some very Firft, They were able to Diftinguifh be-
rant.
late Geographers do aflure us, that the Breadthtween the Church of England, as it contained
of the Atlantick Sea is commonly over-reckonedthe whole Body of the Faithful , fcattered
unto thofe worthy People that were now to Angles knew could comply with many things,
it. to which our Confidences otherwise enlightned
pafs
and
Book I. 0r y The Hiftory 0^ New-England. 21
and perfwaded could not yeild fuch a Compli- laid afide. If any of thofe envious Brcthrcr.
ance And the Church of England, as it was
: do now call thefe Diffenters, as not very long
confined unto a certain Conftitution by Canons, fince a great Prelate in a Setmon did, The Ba-
which pronounced Excommunicate Jiards of the Church oj England, I will not make
Ipfo Fatlo,
all thoie who fhould affirm the Return which was made upon it by a Per-
that the Worfhip
contained in the Book or Common Grayer, and fon of Quality then preient but inftead there- ;
Admimfrations of Sacraments, is unlawful, or of humbly, Demand, who are the Truer Sons
that any of the Thirty Nine Articles are Er- to the Chutch of England; they that hold all
roneous, or that any of the Ceremonies com- the Fundamentals of Chriflianity embraced by
manded by the Authority of the Church might that Church, only Queltioning and Forbearing
not be Approved, Ufed and Subfcribed ; and a few Bifciplinary Points, which are confclTed
which will have to be Accurfei all thofe, who Indifferent by the greateft Zealots for them -,
maintain that there are in the Realm any other or they that have made Britain more unhabi-
Meetings, Affemblies or Congregations of the table than the Torrid Zone ? For the poor Non-
King's Born Subjects, than fuch as by the Laws Conformijis, by their hot preffing of thofe //;-
of the Land are allowed, which may rightly difli'rencies, as if they had been the only Ne-
Challenge to themfelves the Name of True and cejfaries, in the mean time utterly fubvetting
Lawful Churches : And by which, all thofe trie Faith in the important Points of Predejli-
that refute to Kneel at the Reception of the nation, Free-will,
Juflificalion, Perfeverance,
Sacrament, and to be prefent at Publick Pray- and fome other things, which that Church re-
ers, according to the Orders of the Church, quires all her Children to give their Affcnt and
about which there are prefcribed many Forma- Confent unto? If the Former-, then^
fay I, the
lities of Refponfes, with Bowing at the Name of Firlf, Planters of New
England were Truer Sons
3&fU& ate to be denied the Communion and to the Church of England, than that part of the
;
all whodare not fubmit their Children to be Church, which, then by their mifemploying
Baptized by the Undertaking of God-Fathers, their heavy Church-keys, banifhed them into
and receive the Crojs as a dedicating Badge of this Plantation. And indeed, the more Genu-
Chriflianity, mud not have Baptifm for their ine among the moft Conformable Sons
of the
Children: Befides an EtCetera of how many Church, did then accotdingly vvilh all Profpe-
more bnpofitions Again-, they were able to rity to their New-Englifl) Brethren
!
in the -,
formation begun in the former Century, among printed Anno 1637, does tnu s Exprefs himfelf,
whom we may Reckon fuch Men, as the fa- Many now promife to them) elves but nothing
mous AJfembly oj'Divines atWefminfter^whozlllfuccejfJive Happinefs at New-England; which
'
but Eight ox. Nine, and the Scots, had before then for a time, thro' God's Mercy,
they may enjoy ;
lived in Conformity ; and the Church of England, and I pray God, they may a long
time, but in this
as limiting that Name unto a certain Fattion, World there is no Happinefs Nor
,
perpetual.
who together with a Difcipline very much Vn would I on this Occafion leave unquoted fome
\
fcriptural, vigoroufly profecuted the Tripartite notable Words of the Learned, Witty, and
Plot of Armini anifm and Conciliation with Rome, Famous Dr. Fuller, in his Comment on
Ruth,
in the Church, and unbounded Prerogative in Page 16. Concerning our Brethren
tvhichoflate
the State ; who fet themfelves^to Cripple as faff left this Kingdom, to advance a Plantation in
as they could the more Learned, Godly, Painful New-England, / think the Counfel that
beji,
Minifters of the Land, and Silence and Ruin King Joalh prefcribed unto Amaziah, Tarry at
fuch as could not Read a Book for Sports on the Home let as for thefe that are:
already gone,
Lord's Days-, or did but ufe a Prayer of their far be it from us to conceive them to be
fuch,
own Conceiving, before or after Sermon or to whom we may not fay, God fpeed But let us
•
:
did but Preach in an Afternoon, as well as in Pity them, and Pray for them. I conclude
of the
a Morning, or on a Leilure, or on a Market, two Englands, what our Saviour faith
of the
or in aniwife difcountenance Old Superftitions, two Wines, No Man having talted of the
Old,
or New Extravagancies ; and who at laft threw prefently defireth the New for he faith, The
;
the Nation into the lamentable Confufions of a Old is better.
Civil War. By the Light of this Dijiin&ion, §. 4. Being happily arrived at New-Eng-.
we mayeafily petceive what Church of England land, our new Planters found the difficulties of
it was, that our New- England Exiles called, a rough and hard
Wildernefs prefently affaulting
Their Mother ; though their Mother had been them Of which the worft was the Sicklinefs
:
fo hard) to them, as to turn them out of Doots, which many of them had contracted
by their
yet they highly honoured Her believing that other difficulties.
-,
Of thole who foon af- dy'd
it was not 16 much fome of
their Mother, but ter their firft Arrival, not the leaft confiderable
their angry Brethren-, abufing the Name of their was the Lady Arabella, who an Earthly Pa-
left
Mother, who fo harihly treated them ; and all radice in the Family of an Earldom, to Encoun-
the harm they wilhed her, was to fee her put ter the Sorrows of a
Wildernefs, for the Enter-
off thofe III Trimmings, which at her firft coming tainments of a pure Worfhip in the
Houfe of
©ut of the Popifh Babylon, fhe had nor fo fully God and then immediately left that Wilder -
-,
ntfi
22 Magnolia Cbrifli
Americana : Book I.
nefs for the Heavenly Paradife, whereto the by the Lord Deputy of
belaud fenr hither, al-
Companionate Jefus, ol whom Ihe was a Fol- tho* he did not know the Neceffyies of the
lower, called her. We have Read concerning a Country, to which he fent her ;
and if he had
Noble Woman of Bohemia, who forfook her known them, would have been thought as un-
Friends, her Plate, her Houfe and All , and be- likely as any Man living to have helpt them :
caufe the Gates of the City were Guarded, crept In thefe Extremities, 'twas marvellous to lee
through the Common-Sewer, that ihe might how Helpful thefe good People were to one a-
enjoy the Inflitutions of our Lord at another following the Example of their moft
nother,
Place where they might be had. The Spirit Governour Winthrop, who made an e-
liberal
which afted that Noble Woman, we may fup- qual Diftribution of what he had in his own
pofe carried this Bleffed Lady thus to and thro' Stores among the Poor, taking no thought for
the Hardfhips of an American Defart. But as to Morrow ! And how Content they were ;
for her Virtuous Husband, Ifaac John/on, Efq-, when an Honeft Man, as I have heard, invi-
ting his Friends to a Diih of Gams, at the Ta-
-He tty'd ble gave Thanks to Heaven, who had given
To Live without her, lik'd it not, and Dy'd. them to fuck the abundance of the Seas, and oj
the Treafures hid in the Sands I
His Mourning for the Death of his Honourable Another thing that gave them no little Ex-
Confort was too bitter to be extended a Tear ercife, was the fear of the Indians, by whom they
-,
about a Month after her Death, his enfued, un- were fometimes Alarm d. But this Fear was
to the extream lofs of the whole Plantation. wonderfully prevented, not only by Inteftme
But at the End of this perfed and upright Man, Wars happening then to fall out among thole
there was not only Peace, but Joy ;and his Joy Barbarians, but chiefly by the Small-Fox, which
it felf, That God had
particularly exprelTed kept prov'd a great Plague unto them, and particu-
his Eyes open fo long as to fee One Church of larly to one of the Princes in the Majjacbufet-
the Lord Jejus Cbrift gathered in thefe Ends Bay, who yet feemed hopefully to be Chnfti-
oj the Earth, before his own going away to Heaven. aniz'd before he Dy'd. This Diftemper get-
The Mortality thus threatning of this New Planta- ting in, I know not how, among them, fwept
tion, To enlivened the Devotions of this good Peo- them away with a moft prodigious Defolation,
altho' the Englifh gave them all
ple, that they let themfelves by Fafting and Prayer infbmuch that
to obtain from God the removal of it ; and the affiftances of Humanity in their Calamities,
their Brethren at Plymouth alfo yet there was, it may be, not One in Ten a-
attended the
like Duties on their Behalf: The whereof mong them left alive, of thole few that liv'd ;
IfTue
was, that in a little time they not only had many alfo fled from the Infection, leaving the
Health reftored, but they likewife enjoyed the Country a meer Golgotha of unburied Carca-
fpecial Direction and Affiftance of God in the fes ; and as
for the reft, the Englijl? treated
further Profecution of their Undertakings. them with all the Civility imaginable; among
§. 5. But there were Two terrible Diftreffes
the Inltances of which Civility, let this be
more, befides that of Sicknefs, whereto this Peo- reckoned for One, that notwith {landing the Pa-
ple were expofed in the beginning of their Set- tent which they had for the Country, they fair-
tlement : Tho' a moft feafonable and almoft ly purchafed of the Natives the feveral Trails
unexpected Mercy from Heaven relcued
ftill of Land which they afterwards pojfejfed.
them out of thofe Diftreffes. One thing that §. 6. ThePeople in the Fleet that arriv'd at
fometimes extreamly exercifed them, was a New-England, in the Year 1630, left the Fleet
Scarcity ofProvifwns ; in which 'twas wonder- almoft, as the Family of AW; did the Ark, ha-
ful to lee their Dependance upon God, and God s ving a whole World before them to be peo-
Mindfulnefs of them. When the parching pled. Salem was already fupplied with a com-
Droughts of the Summer divers times threat- petent Number of Inhabitants ; and therefore
ned them with an utter and a total Confump- the Governour, with moft of the Gentlemen
tion to the Fruits of the Earth, it was their that Accompanied him in his Voyage, took
manner, with Heart-melting, and I may fay, their firft Opportunity to profecute further Set-
Heaven-melting Devotions, to Faft and Pray be- tlements about the bottom of the Maffacbufet-
fore God ; and on the very Days, when they Bay : But where-ever they fat down, they weje
poured out the Water of their Tears before fo mindful of their Errand into the Wilder-
him, he would fhower down the Water of his nefs, that ftill one of their Firft Works was to
Rain upon their Fields while they were yet gather a Church into the Covenant and Order
;
/peaking, he would hear them ; infbmuch that of the Golpel. Firlt, There was a Church thus
the Salvages themfelves would on that Occafi- gathered at Charles-Town, on the North fide of
on admire the Engliftman s God ! But the Eng- Charles's River ^ where keeping a Solemn Faft
lifhmen themfelves would Celebrate their Days on Augufl 27. 1630, to Implore the ConducF
of Thank/giving to him. When their Stock and Bleffing of Heaven on their Ecdefiaftical
was likewife wafted fo far, which divers times Proceedings, they chofe Mr. Wiljon, a moft
it was, that they were come to the loft Meal Holy and Zealous Man, formerly a Mini'fter
in the Barrel, then, unlook'd for, arrived of Sudbury, in the County of Suffolk, to be their
I
juft
feveral Ships from other Parts of the World Teacher ; and altho' he now fubmitted unto an
loaden with Supplies , among which, One was Ordination, with an Impofitwn effuch Hands
j
as
Book I. Or, The Hiflory 0/~ New-England. 3
as were by the Church invited fo to pronounce and of this take one Inftance inftead of
many:
the Benediction of Heaven upon him yet it ;
Before the woful Wars which broke forth in
was done with a Proteflation by ail, that it the Three Kingdoms, there were divers Gentle-
fhould be only as a fign of his Eletlion to the men in Scotland, who being uneaiie under rhe
Charge of his Newwithout any Intention
Flock, Ecclefiajiieal
Burdens of the Times, wrote unto
that he ihould thereby Renounce the Miniftry New-England their Enquities, Whether they
he had received in England. After the gather- might be there fuffered freely to Ex'ercife their
ing of the Church at Charles-Town, there quick- Presbyterian Churcl-Govcr/:j,:c,',t ? And it was
ly followed another at the Town of Dor- freely anfwered, That they might. Hereupon
chefter. they fent over an Agent, who pitched upon i
And followed another TraQ of Land near the Mouth of Merimack
after Dorchefier there
at the Town of
Bofton, which IlTued out of River, whither they intended then to Tranf
Charles-Town one Mr. James took the Care of plant therafeives
;
But alrho' they had fo far :
the Church at Charles-Town, and Mr. Wilfon proceeded in their Voyage, as to be Half
went over to Bofton, where they that formerly Seas thorough the manifold CrclTes they met ;
belonged unto Charles-Town, withllniverfal Ap- withal, made them give over their intentions •
prcbatiori became a diftintl Church of them- and the Providence of God lb ordered it, that
selves. To Bo/ion foon fucceeded a Church at fome of thole very Gentlemen were afterwards
j
Roxbury
•
to Roxbury, one at Lyn to Ly/7, the •
Revivers of that well-known Solemn
one at Watertoxan fb that in one or two Years
; League and Covenant, which had lb great an
time there were to beieen Seven Churches in this Influence upon the following Circumltances of
Neighbourhood, all of them attending to what the Nations. However, the number ofi thofe
the Spirit in the Scripture /aid unto them ;
who did actually arrive at New-England be-
all of them Golden Candeljlicks,il\\iftLT2XZ<i with fore the Year 1640. have been computed about
a very feniible Prefence of our Lord Jefus Four Thou/and ; fince which time far more
Chrift amoug them. have gone out of the Country thin have come
§. 7. It was for a matter of Twelve Tears to it ; and yet the God of Heaven fo fmiled
up-
together, that Perfons of all Ranks, well af- on the Plantation, while under an eafie and
fefted unto Churcly-Reformation, kept fome- equal Government, the Defigns of Chtiftianity
times Dropping, and fbmetimes Flocking into in well-formed Churches have been carried
J
on,
New-England, tho fbme that were coming into that no Hiftory can parallel it. That faying
New-England were not fuffered fo to do. The of Eutropins about Rome, which hath been
of thofe Puritans, as they were
Perfecutors fbmetimes applied unto the Church, is capa-
called, who were now Retiring into that Cold ble of fome Application to rhis little
part of
Country from the Heat of their Perfecution, the Church Nee Minor ab Exordio, nee
:
did all that was poffible to hinder as many as major Incrementis ulla. Never was any Plan-
was poffible from enjoying of that Retirement tation brought unto fuch a Confiderablenels, in
There were many Countermands given to the a fpace of time fo Inconfidetable An Howl- !
PafTage of People that were now fleering ing Wilder nefs in a few Years became a
of this Weftern Courfe ; and there was a fort of Plea/ant Land, accommodated with the Ne-
Uproar made among no fmall part of the Na- cejfaries, yea, and the Conveniencies of Hu-
tion, that this People fhould not be let go. mane Life , the Go/pel has carried with it a
Among thole bound for New-England, that fulnefs of all other Bleffings and (albeit, ;
were 16 ftopt, there were efpecially Three Fa- that Mankind generally, as far as we have a-
mous Perfons, whom I fuppofe their Adverfa- ny Means of enquiry, have increafed, in one
ries would not have fb ftudioufly detained at and the fame given Proportion, and fo no
Home, if they had forefeen Events ; thofe more than doubled themfelves in about Three-
were Oliver Cromwel, and Mr. Hambden, and Hundred and Sixty Years,^ in all the paft Ages
Sir Arthur Hafelrig : Neverthelefs, this is not of the World, fince the fixing of the prelent
the only Inltance of Perfecting Church-mens Period of Humane Life J the Four-Thouiand
not having the Spirit of Prophecy. But many Firjl Planters, in lefs than Fifty Years, not-
others were diverted from an intended Voyage withftanding all Tranfportations and Mortali-
hither by the pure Providence of God, which ties, increafed into, they fay, more than an
had provided other Improvements for them ;
hundred Thoufand.
CHAP. VI.
--—
Qui Tranfmare Currant. —
Or, The Addition of fever other Colonies to the for- d
mer 3
with fome other Conjiderables in the Condition of thefe later Colonies.
and didft caufe it to lake Jeep root, and it a Year or two after their Settlement, the
filled the Land; the Wills were covered with marvellous Providence of' God immediately ex-
the flialow of it, and the Boughs thereof were tinguilhed that War, by profpering the Nets-
like the goodly Cedars ; (he fint out her Boughs [Englifh Arms, unto the utter fubduing of' the'
unto the Sea. But ftill there was one ftroak iQuarrelfome Nation, and affrightning of all the
wanting for the compleat Accommodations of other Natives.
the Defcription ; to wit, She fent forth her \
§. 3. It was with the Countenance and Af-
Brancbcs unto the River ; and this therefore is fiftance of Brethren in the Majfachufei-
their
to be next attended. The Fame of Connecticut i
River, a Long, Froth, Rich River (as indeed their EiTays thus to Difcover and Cultivate the
the Name Connecticut is Indian ibr a long Ri- remoter Parts of this mighty Wildernefs; and
ver) had made a little Niltas of it, in the Ex- accordingly feveral Gentlemen went fumUhed
pectations of the good People about the Mcf- with fome kind of Commijfion from the Govern-
(achufet-Bay : Whereupon many of the Planters
ment of the Maffackufet-Bay, for to maintain
belonging efpecially to the Towns of Cambridge, 1 ibme kind of Government among the Inhabi-
till there could be a more
Dorchrfter, Watertown and Roxbury, took up ; tints, orderly Set-
Refolutibns to Travel an Hundred Miles Weft- dement. But the Inhabitants quickly perceiv-
toard from thofe Towns, for a further ina; themfelves to be without the Line of the
Settle-]
ment upon this Famous River. When the MaJJ'achufet-Charter, entred into a Combi nation,
Learned Eernandius had been in the Indies, lie; among themfelves, whereby with mutual Con-
did in his Preface to his Commentaries after- lent they became a Body-Politick, and framed
wards publilhed, give this Account of it a Body\,of necelTary Laws and Orders, to the
;
!
Deojic volente, prodii in remotijfimos uff, ln-\ Execution whereof they chofe all neceiliry Of-
clos. tarn n r>i avidus luca 15 glonx,_ ut earn fleers, very much, tho' not altogether after the
vere dixerim, ultro elegerim mei iffus adhuc form of the Colony from whence they IfTued.
viventii verijfimam Sepulturam. Reader, come So they jogg'd on for many Years ; and where-
with me now to behold fome Worthy, and as before the Year 1644. tnat Worthy Gentle-
Learned, and Genteel Perfons going to be man, George Fenwick, Efq did on the behulf of;
Buried Alive on the Banks of Connecticut, feveral Perfons of Quality begin a Plantation
be en firft Slain bj the Ecdefiaftical Im- about the Mouth of the River, which was cal-
having
led Say-Brook, in Remembrance of thofe Right
p lions and Perlecuttons of Europe.
s. 2. i was in the Year 1635. that this Honourable Perfons, the Lord Say, and the Lord
D fign was firft formed ; and the Difpofi Brook, who laid a Claim to the Land therea-
1 Celebrated Mr. Thomas Hooker, bouts, by Virtue of a Patent granted by the
.
They then ut their Agents to view the Tra£l of Land. But the Confufions then Em-
-
",'
if.
h ziWindfor they
, that tbrop\ Efq; the accomplilhed Son of that
H iertow at tloymitWetbersJield; and they Excellent Perfon, who had been fo Contidera-
that tet'c Roxbury were Jn-Cburched higher up ble in the Foundations of the Majjacbufet-Qo-
the River at Springfield, a place which wasat- lony. This Renowned Virtuofo had juitiy been
t. vards found within the Line of the Majfa- the Darling of New-England, if they had only
chufet-Chaxtei. Indeed the firft Winter after confidered his Eminent Qualities, as he was a
an bard one •
and Cbrijltan, a Gentleman,and a Pbilofopher, well
their going thither proved
the grievous Difappointments which befel them, worthy to be, as he was, a Member of the
tii/ the unfeafonable Freezing of the River, Royal-Society ; but it mult needs further endear
their VeflTel of Provifwns was detained his Memory to his Country, that God made
whereby
at the Mouth of the River, Threefcore Miles him the Inftrument of obtaining for them, as
below 'hem, caufed them to Encounter with he did from rhe King of England, as amply
verv Difaftrous Difficulties. Divers of them priviledged a Charter as was ever enjoy 'd per-
Were hereby obliged in the Depth of Win- haps by any People under the Cope of Hea-
twr to Travel back into the Bay ; and fome ven. Under the Protection and Encouragement
of them were frozen to Death in the Jour- of this Charter they Mourifhed many Years 5
ney.
and many Towns being fucceffively created a-
However, fuch was their mong them, their Churches had Reji, and walked
Courage, that they
Profecuted their Plantation-Work with fpeedy in the Fear of God, and in the Comfort of the
and bleffed Success ; and when Bloody Sal- Holy Spirit.
$. 4. The
Book I. Or, Tbe Hijiory 0/" New-England. 5
§. 4. The
Church-Order obferved in Being Londjners, or Merchants, and Men
the]
Churches of Connecticut, has been the fame of Traffick and Bufinels, their Defign was in a
j
that is obferved by their Sifters in the Maffa- manner wholly to apply themfelves umoTrade
\ :
cbufet-Bay ;
and in this Order they lived ex- but the Delign failing., they lound their great
j
the Eleven Years that Eftates to link fo fait, that they muft quickly
ceeding peaceably all |
Mr. Hooker lived among them. Neverthelels Ida fometbing. Whereupon in the Year 1646.
there arole at length lome unhappy Contefts in gathering together almoft
\
ail the Strength
one Town of the Colony, which grew into which was left -em, they Built one Ship more,
an Alienation that could not be cured without! which they fraighted lor England with tie
iiich a Parting, and "yet, indeed, hardly fo belt part of their Tradable Eltates j and ("un-
kind a Parting, as that whereto once Abraham dry of their Eminent Perfons Embarked them-
and hot were driven. However, thefe Little felves in her for the Voyage. But, alas, the
Idle, Angry Controverfies, proved Occafions
or Ship was never after heard of! She foundred
ot the Inhabitants as chofe a Cottage in a Wil- Hopes of their future Trade, but alio the Lives
Jernefs, belore the
moft beautiful and furnilh- of feveral Excellent Perfons, as well as divers
ed Edifice, overheated with the tire of Gon- Manufcripts of fbme great Men in the Conn-
tendon, removed peaceably higher up the Ri try, lent over for the Service of the Church,
ver, where a whole County of Holy Churches
which were now buried in the Ocean, The
has been added unto the number of our Con- fuller Story of that grievous Mutter, let the
Reader with a juft AftoniIhmentacce.pt from
gregations.
^•. 7. But there was one thing that made this the Pen of the Reverend Perlbn, who is, now
cut, which might be more capable to entertain ous Surviving Obfervers of it.
thole that were to follow them, they defired 'In the Year 1647. befides much other La-
c
that their Friends at Connecticut would purchafe ding, a far more Rich Treafure of PalTengers,
'
of the Native Proprietors for them, all the (Five or Six of which were Perfons of chief
Land that lay between themfelves and Hudfon's Note and Worth in New-Haven) put them-
•
they fpread themfelves along the Sea-CoaJJs ; would prove their Grave. In the Month of
•
and one might have been fuddenly, as it were- January, cutting their way thro' much Ice, on
furprized with the fight of fuch notable Towns, which they were accompanied with the Re
•
c
as firft New-Haven ; then Guilford ; then Mil- verend Mr. Davenport, befides many other
:
'
E Sri i
i6 Magnalia Cbrifti
Americana Book I.
'the Spectators, as that they imagined a Man it has been growing ever (ince it Hid wat\ But
'
might hurl a Stone on Board her, her Main- when Conneftt cut -Colony Petitioned the Refto-
i
top feem'd to be blown off, but left hanging
red King for a CfjilttEtj they piocund Keaf-
'
in the Shrouds ; then her MiJJe-n-top ; then all Haven Colony to be annexed unto them in the
'
her feemed blown away by the Board: fame Charter ; and this, not without having in It
Majiing
Quickly after the Hulk brought unto a Ca the private Concurrence of (bme Leading Men
'
'
tho' the Minds of others were
reen, (he overfer, and lb vanithed into a in the Colony ;
which in Ibme time dillipared, fo uneafie about the Coalition, that It cell ibme
'
fmoaky Cloud,
the Arrival of the Charter for the
leaving, as everywhere elfe, a clear Air. The time after
'
'
admiring Spectators could diftingnilh the fe- Colony, like Jefbtab's Daughter, to bewail her
'
veral Colours of each Parr, the Principal Rig Condition before it could be quietly complied
'
ing, and fuch Proportions, as caufed not on- withal. Nevertheltfs they have lived evef'
'
ly the generality Perfbns to fay, This toM fince, One Colony, very happily together,
of and
'
the Mould
oj Ship, and thus mat her
then- the Go J of Love andPeace has rematkaMv dwelt
'
TragickEnd : But Mr. Davenport alfo. in pub among them However, thefe Children ol God :
'lick declared to rhis F.ffcct That God had have not been without their
Cbajfifiments, espe-
'
condescended, for the quieting
oj their aj- Malignant fevers and Agues, which
cially in the
c
flitted Spirits, this
Extraordinary Ac-count oj have often proved very Mortal in moil or all of
'
his Soveraign Difpofal oj thofe for their Plantations.
whomfo many
§. 8. While the South-Wejl Parts of Kern-
'
fervent Prayers were made continually. Thus
I am, Sir, England were thus filled with New Colonies,
the North fa ft Parts of the Country were not
Your Humble Servant, forgotten. There were ample Regions beyond
the Line of the Majfachufet-Pateut, where
James Pierpont. new Settlements were attempted, not only by
fuch as deligned a fijbing-Ttade at Sea, or a
Reader, There being yet living fo many Cre- Bever-Trddz on Shore nor only by fome that •,
dible Gentlemen, that were Eye-Wftnefles of were uneafie under the Majjachujet -Government
this Wonderful Thing, I venture to Publiih it in a Day of Temptation, which came upon
for a thing as undoubted, as 'tis wonderful. the Firft Planters ; but alfo by fome very fe-
But let us now proceed wirh our Story. rious Chriftians, who propounded the Enlarge-
Our Colony of Neio Haven apprehended them- ment and Enjoyment of our Lord's Evangeli-
felves Difadvantageoully feared for the Affairs cal Interefrs in thofe Territories. The Effecf
of Husbandry ; and therefore upon thefe Difafters of thefe Excurfions were, That feveral well-
they made many Attempts of removing into conflituted Churches were gathered in the
fome other Parts of ihe World. One while Provnce of HaJi-HampPnre, befidts one or two
they were invited uiito Delaware Bay, another in the Province of Mam, whereto were added
while they were invited unto Jamaica ; they a large number of other Congregations, where-
had offers made them from Inland alfo, after in weekly Prayers and Sermens were made,
the Wars there were over and they entred in- altho' the Inhabitants belonging to thole Con-
•,
to Ibme Treaties about the City of Galloway, gregations, proceeded not lo far as to all the
which they were to have had as a fmall Pro Ordinances of a more com pi eat Church State
vinee to themfelves. But the God of Heaven among them. That which contributed more
ftill ftrangely difappointed all thefe Attempts ; than a little to the growth of Chnjlianity in
and whereas they were concerned how their thole Parts of New England, was the Appli-
Pojierity ihould be able to-live, if they muft cation,
which the People being tired with ma-
make Husbandry their main fhift for their Liv- ny Quarrelfbme Circumftances about their Go-
ings that Pojierity of theirs by the good Pro- vernment made unto the General Court of
vidence of God, inltead of coming to Beggary the Majfacbufet-Buy, to be taken under their
•and Mifery, have thriven wonderfully The Protecf ion which Petition of theirs being an-
:
,
land brought about; thefe were the &£*>?- gulat Profpeft of Churches ere&ed in an Ame-
j
the Foundations ofthofe Colonies, rican Corner of the World, on purpofe to ex-
nings, thefe ]
which have not only enlarged the Englijh Em- prefs and purfue the Proreftant Rejormation.
j
CHAP. VII.
Hecatompolis :
Or, A Field which the Lord hath Bleffed.
that War, but what have re- and forpiidablenefs above the vher
fachufet-Line by Engliih 1
vived out of their Afbe's. Neverthelefs the ma- tations, exceeding it much in fertility,
wa-
ny Calamities, which have ever finc^.been
ther Inviting Qualities.
had one touch from that Angel of Death. And New- England, thither, that though they who
c
the Sword hath cut oft' Scores in fundry Places, gathered our Churches are all Dead and gone,
when others, it may be, have not loft a Man ' yet the Churches are ftill Alive, with as nu-
v
Ik
^o Book f.
B The
TON,
Chief Toivn of Nerv-England, and of the Engli
AMERIC A.
With Some
izeealile jftet$o
FOR
and Promoting the Good State of
Preferving THATj as
well as any other Town in the like Circumftances.
Humbly Offered by
a Native
of BOSTON.
Ezek. 48. }5- The Name of the City from that Day Jhall be, T HE
LORD IS THERE.
Iben SAMUEL took, a Sto»e t and fet it up, and called the Name of it, €bCnf?et,
the Lord hath Helped us.
faying. Hitherto
E thankful Servants of God have ufed Town is continued until almojl the Age of
TH fometimes to Erect Monuments of Stone. Man is pajfed over it ! The Town hath indeed
as durable Tokens of their Thankfulnefs to Three Elder Sifters in this Colony, but it
God for Mercies received in the places thus hath wonderfully outgrown them all ; and her
1
diftinguifhed. Jacob did fo Jojhua did fo ; Mother, Old Bojlon, in England alfo ; yea,
;
and Samuel did lb ; but they fo did it, as to within a few Years after the tirft Settlement it
keep clear of the TranfgrefFion forbidden in grew to be. CI)C ^ttrOpOlig Of tfjC UJfjOle
Lev. 26. 1. Te Jhall not fet up an Image of CngUflj America. Little was this expected
Stone in your Land^ for to Bow down unto by them that firft fettled the Town, when for
it. awhile 150ff0tt was proverbially called, JLoiT
The Stone Erected by Samuel, with the COtDtt, for the mean and fad Circumftances
Name of Ebenezer, is as much
which as to of it. But, Bojlon, it is becaufe thou halt O
fey, A Stone of Help ; I know not whether a- obtained help from God, even from the Lord
ny thing might be Writ upon it, but I am fure Jefus Chrift, who for the fake of his Gofpel,
there is one thing to be now Read upon it, Preached and once prized here, undertook thy
1
by our fclves, in the Text where we find it Patronage. When the World and the Church
:
am immediately to transfer it into the Heart of periences. There have been feveral Years
Bojhn, a place where the Remarkable Help re- wherein hath terribly
the Terrible JfaUlittC
ceived from Heaven by the People, does loudly flared the Town
have been in the Face : We
call or an Ebenezer. And I do not ask you brought fometimes unto the laji Meal in the
to change the Name of the Town into that of Barrel we have cry'd out wfth the Difciples,
,
5)Clp--©tCnC) as there is a Town in England We have not Loaves enough to feed a Tenth
of that Name, which may feem the Englifh Part of us ! But the fear'd Famine has al-
of dJOtCjet , but my Sermon fhall be this ways been kept off"; always we have had Sea-
Day, your Ebenezer, if you will with a Fa* fonable and Sufficient Supplies after a fur-
vourable and a Profitable Attention Entertain prizing manner fent in unto us Let the Three :
it.
May the Lord jefus Chrift accept me, and laji Tears in this thing molt eminently Pro-
atfift me now to Glorife him in the Town claim the Goodnefs of our Heavenly Shepherd
where I drew my tirft finful Breath a Town and Feeder. This has been the help of out
;
whereto I am under great Obligations for the G< God ; Becaufe his Mercy endureth for ever 1
precious Opportunities to glorifie him, which I he Angels of JDcatf) have often Shot the
have quietly and publickly enjoy'd therein for rrows oj 3Dcat!) into the midft of the Town ;
11
near Eighteen Years together. my Lsrd God. the Small-Pox has efpecially jfOUt Cl'ttttSf
remember me, I pray thee, and flrengthen me been a great Plague upon us How often :
fectionately did he fet up an Ebenezer, with reth for ever. Never was any Town under
an acknowledgment in Ails 26. 22. Having ob- the Cope of Heaven more liable to be laid in
tained help of God, I continue to this Day ! 3ftjC& either through the Carelefnefs, or
Our Town is now Threefcore and Eight Years through the Wickednefs of them that Sleep in
Old 5 and certainly 'tis time for us, with all it. That fuch a Combujlible heap of Contigu-
poflible Affection, to fet up our Ebenezer, ous Houfes yet Hands, it may be called, A Stand-
faying, Having obtained help from God, the ing Miracle j
it is not becaufe the Watchman
keeps
52 Magnalia Chrijii
Americana Book I.
keeps the City : Perhaps there may be too on fome Accounts, has more ro.anlwer for. Such,
much caufe of Reflection in that thing, and of Q luch has been our help from our God, be-
lnfpellion too ; no. It is from thy watchful Prote- caufe his Mercy endureth for ever.
ction, th >u keeper of Bolfon, who neither II. Let us
acknowledge U)f)0fc Help it is that
Slumbers nor Sleeps. Ceil ClltlCS has the we have received, and not Give the Glory
of
Fire made notable Ruins among us, and our our God unto another. Poorly Helped had we
good Servant been almoft our Mafier : But the been, I may tell you, if we had nunc but Hu-
Ruins have moftly and quickly been Rebuilt. mane Help all this while to depend upon. The
I fuppofe, that many more than a Thou/and Favours of our Superiors we deny not; we for-
Houfes are to. be feen on this little piece of get not the lnltruments of our Never-
Help.
all fill'd with the undeferved Favours theless, this little outcaft Zion. (hall, with my
Ground,
of God. Whence this Prefervation This hath Content, Engrave the Name of no
?
up- MAN
been the help of out God becaufe hk Mercy on her Ebenezer! It was well confefs'd in
;
endureth for ever I But fever this Town faw a Pfal. 108. 12. Vain is the help of Man I It was
i
Tear of Salvations, tranfeendently fuch was the well counfell'd in Pfal. 146. 3. Put not your
Lafl ^tUt unto us. A Formidable French truji in Princes, nor in the Son of man, in
Squadron hath not Shot one Bomb into the midft whom there is no Help.
of thee, O thou Munition of Rnchs-, our Streets Wherefore, Firji, Let 0oU -. Lordlfe- •
have not run with Blood and Gore, and horri- fttS Cf#ff, have the Glory of
beftming onus
ble devouring Flames have not raged upon our all the
help that we have hid. When the Spi-
Th fe are Ignorant^ and Unthink- rit of God came
Subflance :
upon a Servant of his, he cried
ing, and Unthankful Men, who do not own out unto David, in 1 Cbrdn. 12. iS. Thy God
that we have narrowly efcaped as dreadful helpeth thee. This is the voice or God from
things, as Carthagcna, or Newfoundland, have Heaven to B^Un this Day,
Thy God hath help-
fuftered I am fure our more confiderate Friends ed thee : Thau haft by thy Sin
defiroyed thy/elf,
Beyond-Sea were very Sufpicious, and well but in thy God hath been thy hip. A Great
nigh Defpainng, that Victorious Enemies had Man once building an Edifice, caufed an Infcrip-
fwallowed up the Town. But thy Soul is efca- tion of this Importance to be written on the
ped, Bofton, as a Bird out of the Snare of Gates of it, Such a place Planted me, fuch a
the Fowlers. Or if you will be Infenfible of place Watered me, and CaTar gave the Increafe.
this, ye vain Men, yet be fenfible, That an One that pafs'd by with a witty Sacarfm,
Englifh Squadron hath not brought among us wrote under it, Hie Deus nihilfecit ; i. e. God,
the tremendous Pefiilence,uadex which a Neigh- itfeems, did nothing for tins Man. But the In-
hath our
bouring Plantation undergone prodigi- icription upon Ebenezer, owning what
ous Delblations.
Bojlon , 'tis a marvellous help this Town hath had, (hall fay, Our God
thing a Plague has not laid thee Defblate ! Our hath done all that is done ! Say then,
helped
Deliverance from our friends has been as full Qi50ffOI1, fay as in Pfal. 121. 2. My help is
of aftonilhing Mercy, from from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth.
as our Deliverance
ouiFoes. We read ofa certain City in [fa. 19. Say
as in Pjal. 94. 17.
Vnlefs the Lord had
18. called, The City of Dcfirucfion. Why fo been my help, my Soul had quickly dwelt in fi-
?
fome fay, Becaufe delivered from Deftrutlion. le nee. And boldly fay, lis only becaufe the
if that be fo, then half thou been a City of Lord has been my helper, that Earth and Hell have
Deftrutlion : Or
I will rather Fay, A City of never done all that they would unto me.
Salvation : And this by the help of God ; becaufe Let our 1 ord J E S LI S C H R I S T be prai-
hk Mercy endureth for ever. Shall I go oriJ| fed as our BleiTcd Helper : That Stone which
I will. We have not had the Bread of Advert '™ (the FoolifJ) Builders have refifed, Oh Set up !
fity and the Water of Affliction, like many that Stone ; even that high Rock fet him on -,
ther places. But yet all this while Our Eyes high in our Praifes, and lav, That That is our
have feen our Teachers. Here are feveral Gol- Ebenezer. Tis our Lord JESUS CHRIST,
den Candle/ticks in the Town. Shining and who in his Infinite Companions tor the Town
Burning Lights have illuminated them. There hath faid, as in Ifa. 63. 5. I looked, and there
are gone to ihine in an higher Orb Seven Di- was none to help ; therefore my own Arm hath
vines that were once the Stars of this Town, brought Salvation unto it It is foretold con-
in the Paftoral Charge of it befides many 0- cerning the Idolatrous Roman Catholicks, That
;
long upon
this Glory ! The Difpenfations of the led unto the Patronage of fuch a Town
among
Go/pel were never enjoy
'd by any Town with them, and fuch a Saint tor another: Old 050=
3
more Liberty and Purity for fo long a while ftOtt,by Name, was but Saint Q5Ota{p()
Our Opportunities to draw near unto COftUt. Whereas Thou, Bofton, lhalt have
together.
the Lord Jefus Chrift in his Ordinances, cannot but one ProteUor in Heaven, and that is our
be Bofton, thou haft been lifted up to
paralleled.
Lord JESUS CHRIST. Oh !
Rejoice in him
Heaven ,
there is not a Town upon Earth, which, alone, and fay, The Lcrd is
?ny Fortrefs and
my
Book I. Or, The Hiftory gf New-England. 31
once made Bofton, and therefore fay. Therefore it is that
my Deliverer! There was a Song
for a Town, which in its Dirtrefles had been the Town is not made a Sacrifice to the Venge-
and the Firft Claufe in that ance of God..
God fern help to the Town that
helped wondroufly •,
26. 1.] may befd; was the very Heart and Life of the Land
Song Cyou have it in If a.
a ftrong Toion ; Salvation that he had a pity tor But why fo? He laid
renewed, We have
:
whofe Name hath in Ifa. 57. 35. / mil defend this Town, to
Tor TE'sUS the Lord, j
For Among the Gods there is none like unto Town with all the Plagues of thy Juft Indig-
thee, LORD: Kor is any help like unto nation. If thou wilt Spare, and teed, and Keen,
thine i And there is no Rock like to our
and Help this poor Town, the Sufferings
of
our Lord Jefus Chrift jfhall be own'd at the
God.
the Name of Helper Prize of all our help. Tis this that hath pro-
Yea, when we afcribe
cured all our
unto our Lord JESUS CHRIST, ler us al- us Help 'Tis this that mult
.-
fo acknowledge that the Name is not fufficient- have all our Praife.
Laffantii/s of old blamed the Heathen for! ner Glorified for the Miniltry or .
of their Gods no higher a 3ngt{0, in that help that has been Mi 'fired
giving the higheft
Title than that of Jupiter, or 'juvans Pater, unto us. A Jacob lying on a Stone, hw t
i. e. An helping Father 5
and he lays, Non in- Angels of God helping him. We are letting
a Deo tantum- up an Ebenezer but when we
telligit Divtna Beneficia, qui fe
;
lay our Heads
tnodo Juvari putat : The Kindnejfes of God and our Thoughts upon the Stone, let us then
are not underftood by that Man, who makes no fee, The Angels of God have helped us. When
"^more than an Helper of him. Such indeed is Macedonia was to have fbme help from God
the penury of our Language, that we cannot an Angel, whom the Apoftle in Ads 16. 9!
Coin a more Expreffive Name. Neverthelefs, law Habited like a Man of Macedonia, was a
when we fay, The Lord JESUS CHRIST Mean of its being brought unto them. There
hath been our Helper, let us intend more than is abundant Caufe to think, That every Town
we exprefs Lord, thou haft been AH unto in which the Lord Jefus Chrift is Wprfhip-
•,
in the Mofaic Pedagogy. 'Tis notorious that have not the Deft royers broke in upon us, to
the Sins of this Town have been many Sins, Prey upon us with fore Deftruffion ? 'Tis be-
and mighty Sins ; the Cry thereof hath gone caufe we have had a Wall of Eire about us ;
the Wildernefs Daily Bread ; Their fers not very much. Now ftand ft ill, my
to their
Manna was Angels food : And is it nothing Friends, and behold the help of God Were !
that fuch Angels have done for this Town, any of thefe ever ftarved yet J No, thefe
think you ? Oh Think not fo. Indeed if" we Widows are every one in fome fort provided for.
!
fhould go to thank the Angels for doing thefe And let me tell you, ye Handmaids of the
things, they would zealoufly lay, See thou do Lord, you fhall be ftill provided for The !
it not ! But if we thank their Lord and ours Lord, whofe family you belong unto, will con-
for his employing them to do thefe things, it veniently and wonderfully provide for you if ;
will exceedingly gratitie them. Wherefore, you fay, and Oh Say of him, Ike Lord is I
Blcfs ye the Lord, ye his Angels \ and Blefs Helper, I will not fear !
my
the Lord, O
my Town, ior thofe his An- What fay ? When Mofes was ready
fhall I
People, we
to faint in his Prayers for his
gels.
III. Let the help which we have hitherto read in Exod. 17, 12. They took a Stone, and
had from our God, encourage us to hope in put it under him. Chriftians, there are fbme
him for |)Clp hereafter, as the Matter
of you who abound in Prayers, that the
$00$
may require. The help that God had given help of God may be granted unto the Town -,
with Monumental Pillars, conveying down the of yours. Now that you may not faint in
Remembrance of it unto their Children. And your Prayers, I bring you a Stone The Stone, :
truft that he will ft ill deliver. We are to in a fiourilhing State, he made this Anfwer,
hitherto the Lord hath The Orators are Men of Learning and
Day Writing, helped Wif-
us let us Write under it, And we hope the dom,
,
the Magiftrates do Jujiice, the Citizens
Lord hajt mere help for us in the time of love Quiet* and the Laws are kept among
need ! It may be fbme are purpofing fudden- them all. May Bofion flouriih in fuch happy
ly and haftily to leave the Town through Order !
upon it. But I would not have you be too 39imfter0 of the Lord Jefus Chrift among
fudden and haity in your Furpofes, as too you will be Joyful to approve themfelves, as
many have been unto their After-Sorrow. the Book of God has called them, The Helpers
There was a time when People were fo Dif- of your Joy. O
our dear flocks, we owe you
our All; our Love, all our Strength, all our
about Sulffience in the Principal
a all
couraged
Town of the Jews, that they talk'd of pluck- Time •
we watch for you as thofe that mufi
ing up Stakes and flying away ; but the give an account : And 1 am very much mi (taken
Minifter of God came to them, Cand do if we are not willing to
you too, if called
fo I Die for
to you this Day~] Saying, Ifa. 30. 7.
! If our Lord in
Jefus Chrift fhould fayunto it.
/ cried concerning this, their flrengtb is to to us, Servant, if you 11 Die to l^ight, you My
ft fill ! Bcfion was no fooner come to fhall have this Reward; The People that you
fbme Confidence Threefcote Years ago, but Preach to fhall be all Converted unto me ! I
the People found ibemfelves plunged into a think we (hould with Triumphing Souls reply,
fad Kon-plus what way to take for a Sub- Ah ! Lord, Then Vil Die Kith ail my Heart.
God then immediately put them in- Sirs, v;e fhould go away liejoy a rig with fry
fiftence.
I am latisfied,
to a way, and \ntherto the Lord hcut helped unfpeakable and full of Glory.
us ! The Town is at this Day full of Widoios that the moft Furious and Foul-mouth'd Reviler
and Orphans, and a multitude of them are very that God may give any of us to be Buffeted
helplejs Creatures. 1 am aftonifh'd how they withal, if he will but come to fbber Thoughts,
live J In that Church whereof I am the Ser- he will fay. That there is not any One Man in
vant, 1 have counted the Widows make about the Town, but the Minifters with that Man
a Sixth "Part or our Communicants, and no as well as they do their own Souls, and would
doubt in the v.- hole .Town the proportion dif- gladly ferve that Man by Day or by Night,
-
in
Book I. Or, the Hiftory of New-England
will Addrefs them faithfully, and even Travel was Written on the Stones : But what was
in Birth for them. Nor will we give over Written See Jofh. 8.! 3 2. fofhua wrote upon
and Crying to our great the Stones a the Law. Truly upon
Praying, and fafiing, Copy of
LORD for you until we Die. Whatever o- thofe Ebenezers which we let up, we Ihould
ther helpers the Town enjoys, they fhall have Write the Law of our God, and Recognize the
that Convenience in Ezra 5. 2. With them Obligations which the help of our God has laid
were the Prophets of God, helping them. Well upon us to keep it.
then, let the reft of our Worthy Helpers lend We
are a very Unpardonable Town, if af-
an helping Hand for the promoting of thofe ter all the help which our God has given us,
things wherein the Weal of the Town is wrap- we do not ingenuoufly enquire,
What fhall we
ped up ! When the Jews thought that a Defi- render to the Lord jor alt ha Benefits .? Ren-
ling thing was breaking in among them, in der ! Oh Let us our lelves thus anfwer the
!
Atts 21. 28. They cried out, Men of lfad,help. Enquiry ; Lord, we
will render all Pojfible and
Truly there is Caufe to make that Cry, Men filial Obedience unto thee, becauje hitherto thou
of Bolton, help ! For Ignorance, and Prophane- haft helped us : Only do thou alfo help us to
nefs, and Bad Living, and the worlt things in render that Obedience Mark what I fay ,
'.
Town fet themfelves to confider, how they may Inexcufable then will be all flagitious Outra-
help to fupprefs all growing Vices among ges ? There was a Town, L'twas the Town of
us r Sodom ! ] that had been wonderfully laved
Will the CONSTABLES of the Town out of the Hands of their Enemies. But af-
fet themfelves to confider, how ter the that God
they may help help fent unto them, the
to prevent all Evil Orders among tts ? Town went on to Sin againft God in very
There are fome who have the Eye of the prodigious Inltances. At laft a provoked God
Town fo much upon them, that the very Name fent a fire upon the Town that made it an
of T OWN S- E M N
is that
by which they Eternal Defolation. Ah, Boflon, beware, be-
are diftinguifhed. Sirs, Will you alfo confider ware, left the Sins of Sodom get footing in
how to help the Affairs of the Town, Jo as thee ! And what were the Sins of Sodom ?
that all things may go well among us ? We find in Ezek. 16. 45?. Behold, this was
Moreover, may not SCHOOL-MASTERS of Sodom ; Pride, fulnejs of
the Iniquity
do much to inftil Principles of Religion and Bread, and Abundance
of ldlenefs was in her ,
Civility, as well as other Points of good Edu- neither did fhe jirengthen the hand
of the
cation into the Children of the Town f
Only let Poor and the Needy there was much Op- -,
the Town well Encourage its well If you know of any Scanda
deferving preffion there.
School-Majiers bus Diforders in the Town, do all you can
There are fome other Officers ; but concern- to
fupprefs them, and redrefs them And let not :
ing all, there are thefe Two things to be de thofe that fend their Sons hither from 0-
fired. Firlt, It is to be defired, That fuch ther Parts of the
World, for to be improved
Officers as are Chcfen among us, may be cho- in Virtue, have caufe to
complain, That af-
fen in the fear oj God. May none but Pious ter they came to Bofton they loft what little
and Prudent Men, and fuch as Love the
Town, Virtue was before Budding them : That in m
be chofen to ferve it. And, It is to Bofton they grew more Debauched and more
Secondly,
be defired, That Officers of feveral forts would
Malignant than ever they were before I It
often come together for Each of 1 was noted concerning the fiamous Town of Port-
Confutation.
the forts by often come Royal
themfelves^ may they | m_ Jamaica, which you know was
fome of the finful Inhabitants. I wifh the may be faid, 'There is no Room for him in the
Town could be made too Hot for thefe Inn! Friends, let me beg it of you, banifh
My
Dangerous Tranfgrefjors. I am fure the the unfruitful works of Darknefs from
your
prefervation
of the Town from horrendous Houfes, and then the Sun of Right eoufnefs will
Earthquakes, one thing that befpeaks our
is fhine upon them. Don't countenance Drun-
Ebenezers ; 'tis from the Merciful help of our kennefs, Revelling, and Mif-fpending of preci-
God unto us. But beware, I befeech you, of ous Time in your Houfes Let none have the
:
thofe provoking Evils that may expofe us to a Snares of Death laid for them in your Houfes.
that are in the Catalogue You'll fay, I frail Starve then ! \ fay, better
Plague, exceeding all
of the Twenty-eighth of Deuteronomy. Let me Starve than Sin : But you flmil not. It is the
go on to fay, What, fhall there be any Bawdy- Word of the Molt High, Truji in the Lord,,
Houfcs in fuch a Town as this It may be the and do
!
Good, and verily thou fhalt be Fed. And
Neighbours, that could Smoke 'em, and Rout is not Peace of Confidence, with a Little, bet-
'em, if they would, are loth to Stir, for fear ter than thofe Riches, that will (hortly melt a-
of being reputed /// Neighbours. But I fay un- way, and then run like Scalding Metal down
to you, that you are /// Neighbours becaufe the very Bowels of thy Soul ?
you do it not All the Neighbours are like to
: What lhall I fay more? There is one Article
have their Children and Servants Poifoned, of Piety more to be Recommended unto us all •
and their Dwellings laid in Afhes, becaufe you and it is an Article which all Piety does ex-
do it not. And Oh That the D^nfeftlg* ceedingly turn upon, that is, CfjC ^antttfica-
I
J])0Ufc5
in t ne Town might once come under ttOnOftfjelO^Dap* Some very Judici-
a laudable Regulation. The Town has an ous Perfons have oblerved, that as they fantti-
Enormous Number of them ; will the Haunters fied the Lord's Day, liemifly or Carefully, jufl
or thofe Houfes hear the Counfels of Heaven fo their Affairs ufually prqfpered all the enfu-
>
For Tou that are the Town-Dwellers, to be oft, ing Week. Sirs, you cannot more confult the
or long in your Vifits of the Ordinary, 'twill Profperity of the Town, in all its Affairs, than
certainly expofe you to Mifchiefs more than by Endeavouring that the Lord's Day be may
ordinary. I have feen certain Taverns, where exemplarily Sanllified. When People about
the Pictures of horrible Devourers were hang'd Jerusalem took too much Liberty on the Sab-
out for the Signs ; and, thought I, 'twere well bath, the Ruler of the Town Contended with
if fuch Signs were not fometimes too too Signi- them, and faid, Te bring wrath upon Ifrael, by
ficant : Alas, Men have their
Eftates devour-
prophaning the Sabbath. I fear, I fear there are
ed, their Names devoured, they Hours devour- many among us, to whom it may be Te faid,
ed, and their very Souls devoured, when they bring wrath upon Bofton, by prophaning the
are fo befotted, that they are not in their Ele- Sabbath. And what Wrath? Ah, Lord, prevent
ment, except they be Tipling at fuch Houfes. iti But there is an awful Sentence in Jer. 17.
When once a Man is bewitched with the Ordi- 27." If ye will not hearken unto me, tofan&i-
of him ? He is a fie the Sabbath Day, then will I kindle a fire
nary , what ufually becomes
gone Man-, and when he comes to Die, he'll on the Town, and it /hall Devour, and fhall
cry out as many have done, Ale-Houjes
are not be Quenched.
Hell-Houjes ! Ale- Houfes are Hell- Houfes But
!
Finally, Let the Piety of the Town mani-
let the Owners of thole Houfes alfo now hear feft it felf in a due
Regard unto the 3ittffttU»
our Counfels. Oh ! Hearken to me, that God tiOt\$ of him whofe help has hitherto been a
may hearken to you another Day ! It is an Ho- Shield unto us. Ltt the Ark be in the Town,
nejl,
and a Lawful, tho' it be not a very Defire- and God will Blefs the Town I believe it !
Thy Soul toithereth I It is thus with too many a proportion of thefe in hisCommiffion, as he
:
Efpecially',
when they that get a Licenfe per- has had of others. Whether this be fo, or no,
haps 'to Sell Drink out of Doors, do ftretch to uphold, and fupporr, and attend the Ordi-
then- Licenfe to Sell within Doors. Thofe nances of the Lord Jefus Chrift in Reforming
Private Houfes, when once a Profeflbr of the Churches, this will Entitle the Town to the help
Gofpel comes to Steal a. Living out of them, it of Heaven for, Upon the Glory there fhall be
-,
nifter of the Gofpel, his farewel of plaint I muft here figh it over again.
taking Idle-
you dare to go away, you'll carry the whole Tri- any Goodnefs Idlenefs, which is a reproach to
,
nity
with you! How much more may beitcri- any People. We work hard all Summer, and
ed out, If we lofe or flight the Ordinances of the Drones count themfelves wrongd if they
the Lord Jefus Chrift, we forego the help of have knot in the Winter divided among them.
all the Trinity with them ! The Poor that can't Work, are Objects for your
VI. Extraordinary Ctltlitp and CJjatftp, Liberality. But the Poor that can Work and
as well as Piety, well becomes a Town that won't, the belt Liberality to them is to make
hath been by the help of God fo Extraordina- them. I befeech
you, Sirs, find out a Method
rily fignalized. A Town marvelloufly helped quickly, that the Idle Pcrjons in the Town
in may earn their Bread; it were the bed
by God, has this foretold concerning it, piece
1. 26. Afterward thou fhalt be called, the of Charity that could be fhown unto them, and
Ifa.
City of Right eoufnefs,
the faithful City. May Equity unto us all. Our Beggars do ihamelul-
the Ebenezer s of this Town render it a Town ly grow upon us, and fuch Beggars too as our
and a Town ! Oh There Lord Jefus Chrift himfelf hath exprefly for-
of Equity, of Charity !
fhould be none but fair Dealings in a Town bidden us to Countenance. I have Read a
wherewith Heaven has dealt fo favourably. Printed Sermon which was Preached before
Let US Deal fairly in Bargains ; Deal fairly Both Houfes of Parliament, the Lord Mayor
in Taxes Deal fairly paying Refpeas and Aldermen of London, and the A jfembly of
in
to fuch as have been Benefattors unto the Divines the greateft Audience then in the
;
Town. 'Tis but Equity, that they who World And in that Sermon the Preacher had
:
have been old Standers in the Town, and this paflage ; I have lived in a Country where in
both with Per/on and Eftate ferved the Town Seven Tears I never faiv a Beggar, nor heard
unto the utmoft for many Years together, fhould an Oath, nor looked upon a Drunkard. Shall
on all proper Occafions be confidered. For Cha- I tell you where that Utopia was 'Twas NEW- >
Works and Charity. From that Bleffed Lord \our Salvations. The Israelites had formerly
I may venture to bring that Meffage unto the feen DifmalThings, where they now fet up iheiv
|
good People of this Town the glorious Lord of Ebenezer The Philifl.nes had no lefs than
\ :
i
Heaven knows thy works, Bofton, and all thy Twice beaten them there, and there taken from
Charity. Thi9 is a
poor Town, and yet it may them the Ark of God. Now we are letting up
be laid of the Boflonians, as it was of the Ma- our Ebenezer, let us a little call to mind ibme
cedonians, their deep Poverty hath abounded un- Di/mal Things that we have feen the Ebene- -,
to the Riches of their Liberality. ye Oboun- zer will go up the better for it.
hath beheld your helpfulnefs, and readinefs to ered many a Stone for an Ebenezer, fo we
every good Work; and he hath required" may ereft many a Great Stone of ABEL,
it
with his helpful Ebenezers. It was faid, in that is to fay, we may write and MOURNING
Ifa. 32. 8. The Liberal devifeth Liberal things, SORROW, upon the Condition of the Town in
and by Liberal things he fhall Jiand. There are various Examples. Now from the Stones of
fome in this Town that are always devifing Abel, we will a little gather what we fhould
Liberal things, and our Lord Jefus Chrift lets wifh to write upon the Stones of our Ebenezer.
the Town Jiand for the fake of thofe Inftead !What Changes have we foen in point of
of exhorting you to Augment your Charity, EEliffl'Olt t It was noted by Luther, He could
I will rather utter an Exhortation, or at leaft never fee good Order in the Church laft more
a Supplication, that you may not abufe your than Fifteen Tears together in the Purity of it.
Charity by mifapplying of it. I remember I BlefTed be God, Religion hath here flouriihed
have Read, that an Inhabitant of the City Pi/a in the Purity of it for more than Fifteen Tears
together.
3§ Magnalia Chrifti
Americana. Book I.
together. But certainly the -Power of Godli- made unto our God Lord, help us to enjure a
nejs is now grievoufly decay'd among us. As better anda lading Subftance in Heaven, and
the Prophet of old Exclaimed in Joel i. 2. the good part that cannot be taken away.
Hear this, ye old Men, and give Ear, ye Inha- In fine, How
dreadfully have theToung Peo-
bitants has this been in your Days ? Thus may
•, ple of Bofton perilhedunder the Judgments
I lay, Hear this, ye old Men, that are the In- of God ! A
renowned Writer among the Pa-
habitants of the "Town: Can't- you Remember gans could make this Remark ; There was a
that your Days, a Prayerful,
in a Watchful, Town fo Irreligious and Atheiftical, that they
a Fruitful Chriftian, and a well Governed Fa- did not pay their Firft-fruits unto God :
mily, was a more common Sight, than it is
(which the Light of Nature taught the Pagans
now in our Days ? Can't you Remember that to do!) and, lays he, they were by a fudden
in your Days thofe abominable Things did Defolation fo ftrangely
deftroy'd, that there
not /how their Heads, that are Bare-faced row were no Remainders either of the Perjons, or
among us i Here then is a Petition to be made of the Houfes, to be feen any more. Ah, my
unto our God ; Lord, help us to Remember Joung folks, there are few Firft-fruits paid
whence we are jalien, and to Repent, and to unto the Lord Jefus Chrift among you. From
do the jirft Works. hence it comes to pafs, that the confuming
.Again, WhatChanges have we feen in Point Wrath God is every Day upon you. New-
of
of $j£0?talitp ? By Mortality almcft all the England has been like a lott'ring Houje, the
Old Race of our Firft Planters here are carried very foundations of it have been fhaking But :
oft\ the Old Stock is in a manner expired. We the Houfe thus over-fetting by the Whirlwinds
fee the fulfilment of that Word in Eccl. i. 4. of the Wrath of God, hath been like Job's
One Generation paffelh away, and another Gene- Houfe ; 1/ falls upon the Young Men, and they
ration cometh. It would be no unprofitable are Dead ! The Difafters on our Joung Folks
thing for you to pafs over the feveral Streets, have been fo multiplied, that there are few
and call to mind, Who lived hereJo many Tears Parents among us, but what will go with
ago? Why? In that place lived fuch an Wounded Hearts down unto their Graves:
one and in that place lived fuch an one.
•,
Their daily Moans are. Ah, my Son cut off in
But, Where are they Kow ? Oh
They ! his Youth ! My Son, my Son ! Behold then the
are
Gone ; they are Gone into that Eternal World, help that we are to ask of our God ; and why
whither we muft quickly follow them. Here do we, with no more Days of Prayer with
is another Petition to be made unto our God Lord, help the young People of
>
lafting, ask it ;
Lord, help us to 'Number our Days, and Apply Bofton to Remember thee in the Day? of their
our Hearts unto Wifdom, that when the places Youth, andjanttifie unto the Survivers the ter-
that now know us, do know us no more, we may rible things that have come upon Jo many of that
he gone into the City of God. Generation.
Furthermore, What Changes have we feen And now as Jofhua having realbned with his
in point of pofTeffiOllg f Iffome that are now People, a little before he Died, in Jofh. 24.
Rich, were once Low in the World, 26, 27. Took a Great STONE, and Jet it up,
'tis poffi-
ble, more that were once Rich, are now brought andjaid unto all the People, Behold, this Stone
very Low. Ah.! Bofton, Thou haft feen the Jhall be a witnejs unto you, left ye deny your
Vanity of all Worldly Pojjcffions. One fatal God. Thus we have been this Day fetting up
Morning, which laid Fourfcore of thy Dwel- a STONE, even znEbenezer among you; and
ling-houjes, and Seventy of thy Ware-houjes, I conclude, earneftly teftifying unto you, Be-
in a Ruinous Heap, not NineteenNineteen Years
Years ago, hold this Stone fhall be a witnejs unto you,
gave thee to Read it in Fiery Characters. And that the Lord JESUS CHRIST has been a
an huge Fleet of thy VefTels, which they would good Lord unto you ; and ifyou Jeek him, he
make if they were all together, that have mif- will be fill found oj you; but ifyouforjake him,
carried in the late War, has given thee to Read \be will cafi you offfor ever.
more of it. Here is one Petition more to be
CONTAINING THE
LIVES O F T H E
Perpetuated by
the Ejjay of Cotton Mather.
Prifcaq-j ne
Veterh vanefcat Gloria Steffi,
llvida defendant, qu£ Momtmenta damur.
LONDON:
Printed for Thomas Parkburfi, at the Bible and Three
Crown? in Cheaffide. 1702.
I
_i
Book II.
INTRODUCTION
5>"T"S W E RE to be wip'd that there
away upon the Sea-fhores with Neglect and
I might never be any Englifh Tranfla- Contempt and faid, That People would
•-,
tion of that Wicked Pofition in Machiavel, certainly treat their Old Rulers with the
Non requiri in fame Contempt. But, Reader, let us now
Principe ver.ira pietatem,
fed fufficere quandam umbram,
illius takp up our Old Oars with all pojjible Refpett,
6c
fimulationem Externam. It may be there and
fee whether we
cant fill make ufe
of
never was any Region under Heaven happier them to Jerve our little Vejfel. Bat this
than poor New-England hath been in Magi- the rather, becaufe we may with an eafie
ftrates, whofe True Piety was worthy to be turn change the Name into that of Pilots.
made the Example of After- Ages.
thou Land! O
The Word GOVERNMENT,^
perly fignifies the Guidance of a Ship :
Happy haft been, in
Lord Jefiis Chrift, unto whom they jiill con- Plutarch, the Art of Steering a Ship, //,
the Ts^ni KvfanTiKti.
fidered themfelves accountable, anfwered New-England is a little
good Rule of Agapetus, Quo quis in Re- Ship, which hath Weathered many a Terri-
a- ble Storm 5 and it is but
publica Majorem Dignitatis gradum reafonable that
deptus eft, eo Deum Colat Submifiius :
Magi- they who have fat at the Helm of the Ship,
ftrates, whofe Difpojition to ferve the People fiould be remembred in the Hiftory of its
that chafe them to Rule over them., argued Deliverances.
them fenfible of that great Stroal^ in Cicero, Prudentius calls judges, The Great
Nulla Re propius Homines ad Deum Acce- Lights of the Sphere 5 Symmachus calls
dunt, quam falute Hominibus danda Judge?, The better part of Mankind.
:
pofition to Opprefs
other Men, does often fo much as once occurring in them. They
make thofe that
are otherwife very Wife are not written like the
Cyrus 0/Xenophon,
Men, to forget the Rules of Reaion, and likg the Alexander of Curtius, like Virgil'/
commit mojl
Unreafonable Exorbitances. ,/fc.neas, and like Pliny'/ Trajan : But the
Rehoboam fome things afted wifely ;
in Reader hath in every one of than a Real
but this Admonition of his Infpired Father and a Faithful Hifory. And I pleafe my
could not him from afting madly, felf with hopes, that there will yet be
found
refrain
when spirit of Oppreffion was upon Sons
the among the
of New-England, thofe
him. The Rulers of New-England have been Young Gentlemen by whom the Copies given
Wife Men, whom that Spirit of Oppreffi- in this Hiftory will be written after 5 and
on betray d not into this Madnefs. that faying of Old Chaucer be remembred,
The Father of Themiftocles diffwading To do the Genteel Deeds, that makes the
him from Government, fhowd him the Old Gentleman.
Oars which the Marriners had now thrown
<w,
Ecclejtarum
Book II.
TLcclefiamm Clypet.
h
T has been a Matter of fome Obser- thefe muft needs have been fuch
Difcourage-
vation, that although Torkfhire "he ments as could have been
Conquered by none,
I one of the largeft Shires
yet, for all
in
England , thofe who fought
fave
firft the Kingdom of
Martyrdom God, and the Right eoujhefs thereof But that
the Fires of
which were kindled in the Days of Queen Mary, which would have made thefe Dilcouragements
it afforded no more Fuel than one poor Leaf; the more Unconquerable unto an
ordinary
namely, John Leaf an Apprentice, who fufter- Faith, was the terrible Zeal of their Enemies
ed for the Dottrine of the Reformation at the to Guard all Forts, and Search all Ships, that
fame Time and Stake with the Famous John none of them (hould be carried off I will not
Bradford. But when the Reign of Queen Eli- relate the fad things of this kind, then feen
zabeth would not admit the Reformation of and felt by this People of God but only ;
fome crying for Fear, fome fhaking for Cold, (were caft by the good Spirit of God, had been
all dragg'd by Troops of Armed and Angry Deformed by• the Apoflacy
of the Succeeding
Men from one Juttice to another, till not know- limes and what little Progrels the Refor-
;
to do with them, they e'en difmifs'd mation had yet made in many Parts of
ing what
them to fhift as well as they could for them- Chriftendom towards its Recovery, he let him-
ielves. But by their lingular AffliUions, and felf by Reading, by Dii'courle, by Prayer, to
the Caufe for learn whether it was not his Duty to withdraw
by their Chriftian Behaviours,
which they expofed themfelves did gain con- from the Communion of the Parifjj-Ajfemblies,
In the mean time, the Men at Sea and engage with fome Society of the Faithful,
fiderably.
found Reafon to be glad that their Families that fhould keep dole unto the Written Word
were not with them, for they were furprized of God, as the Rule of their Wrrfhip. And
with an horrible Tempeft, which held them after many Diftreffes of Mind concerning it,
for Fourteen Days together, in Seven whereof he took up a very Deliberate and Underftand-
Sun, Moon or Star, but were ing Refolution of doing fo which Refolution
they faw not ;
driven upon the Coaft of Norway. The Mari- he chearfully Irolecuted, although the pro-
ners often dei'paired of Life, and once with voked Rage of his Friends tried 3II the
ways
doleful fhrieks gave over all, as thinking the imaginable to reclaim him from it, unto all
Veffel was Foundred But the Veffel rofe a- whom his Anfwer was. Were I like to endanger
:
and when the Mariners with funk Hearts my Life, or confume my Ejhue by any
gain, ungodly
often cried out, We Sink ! We Sink ! The Courjes, your Counjels to me were very feafon-
fuch Diftraclion of Mind, able : But you know that I have been Diligent
Paffengers without
even while the Water was running into their and Provident in my Calling, and not only de-
Mouths and Ears, would chearfully Shout, Jiroz/s to augment what I have, but alfo to en-
thou canji Jove ! Yet Lord, thou joy it in your Company to part from which
let, Lord, ;
! And the Lord accordingly brought will be a* great a Crofs ax can befal me.
canjlfave
them at Iaft fafe unto their Dejired Haven: Aeverthelefs, to keep a good Confcicnce, and
And not long after helped their DiftreiTed Re- walk in fuch a Way a# God has prefcribed in
lations thither after them, where indeed they his Word, is a thing which I muft prefer before
found upon almoft all Accounts a new World, you all, and above Life it felf. Wherefore,
but a World in which they found that they Jince 'tis for a good Caufe that I am like to
muft live like Strangers and Pilgrims. fuffer the Difafters which you lay before me,
§. 2. Among
Devout People was our
thofe you have no Caufe to be either angry with ?nej
William Bradford, who was Born Anno 1588. in or forry for me -,yea, I am not only willing
an obfeure Village call'd Anfierfield. where to part with every thing that is dear to me
the People were as unacquainted with the in this World for this Caufe, but I am
alfo
Bible, as the Jews do
feem to have been with thankful that God has given me an Heart
of it in the Days of Jofiah a mod Ig- do, and will accept me fo to fuffer for
fo to
part ;
norant and Licentious People, and like unto their Some lamented him, fome derided him,
him.
Here, and in lbme other Places, he all difiwaded him Neverthelefs the more
:
Trieji.
had a Comfortable Inheritance left him of his they did it, the more fixed he was in his Pur-
Honeft Parents, who died while he was yet poie to feek the Ordinances of the Gofpel,
a Child, and calf him on the Education, tirft where they fhould be difpenfed with moft of
of his Grand Parents, and then of his Uncles, the Commanded Purity ; and the fudden Deaths
who devoted him, like his Ancefiors, unto the of the chief Relations which thus lay at him,
Affairs of Husbandry. Soon and long Sicknefs quickly after convinced him what a Folly it
him, as he would afterwards thankfully had been to have quitted his Profejfion, in
kept
lay, from the
Vanities of Toutb, and made him Expectation of any Satisfaction from them.
the fitter for what he was afterwards to un So to Holland he attempted a removal.
dergo. When he was about a Dozen Years §. 4. Having with a great Company of Chri-
Old, the Reading of the Scriptures began to ftians Hired a Ship to Tranfport them for
caufe great Impreiiions upon him and thofe Holland, the Mailer petfidiouily betrayed them
;
Impretiions were much affifted and improved, into the Hands of thofe Perfecutors, who
when he came to enjoy Mr. Richard Clifton's Rifled and Ranfack'd their Goods, and clapp'd
Illuminating Miniftry, not far from his Abode; their Perfons into Prifon at Bofton, where they
he was then alfo further befriended, by being lay for a Month together. But Mr. Bradford
brought into the Company and Fellowihip ol being a Young Man of about Eighteen, was
fuch as were then called Profeffors though difmiffed fooner than the reft, ib that within a
•,
the Young Man that brought him into it, did while he had Opportunity with fome others to
after become a Prophane and Wicked Apo- get over to Zealand, through Penis both by
Nor could the Wrath of his Uncles. Land and Sea not inconfiderable where he ;
fiate.
nor the Scoff of his Neighbours now turn'd was not long Afhore e're a Viper feized on
upon him, as one of the Puritans, divert him his Hand, that is, an Officer, who carried him
from his Pious Inclinations. unto the Magiftrates, unto whom an envious
§. ?. At laft beholding
how
fearfully PafTenger had accufed him as having fled
the
Evangelical and Apoftolical Church-Form, where- out of England. When the Magiftrates un-
A a 2 derftood"
4 Magnalia Cbrifti
Americana ; Book II.
derftood the True Caufe of his coming thi- with Paflime and Frolicks ; and this gentle Re-
ther, they were well fatisfied with him ; and proof put a final flop to all fuch Difoideis for
lb he repaired joyfully unto his Brethren at the future.
Amfterdam, where the Difficulties to which he ^. 6. For Two Years together after the be-
afterwards Hooped, in Learning and Serving of ginning of the Colony, whereof he was now
a frenchman at the Working of Silks, were Governour, the poor People had a great Expe-
abundantly Compenfated by the Delight where- riment of Man's not living by Bread alone
with he fat under the Shadow of our Lord in for when they were left all together without:
his purely difpenfed Ordinances. At the end one Morfel of Bread for many Months one after
of Two Years, he did, being of Age to do another, ftill the good Providence of God
it, convert his Eltate in England into Money ; relieved them, and fupplied them, and this
but Setting tip tor himfelf, he found fome of his for the moft part out of the Sea. In this lowCon-
Defigns by the Providence of God frowned dition of Affairs, there was no little Exercife
upon, which he judged a Correction bellowed for the Prudence and Patience of the Governour,
by God upon him for certain Decays of In- who chearfully bore his part in all And that
:
ternal Piety, whereinro he had fallen ; the Induftry might not flag, he quickly fee him-
felf to fettle Propriety among the New- Plan-
Confumpinm of his Eflate he thought came to
prevent a Conjunction in his Virtue. But ters; forefeeing that while the whole Country
after he had reiided in Holland about half a labour'd upon a Common Stock, the
Husbandry
Score Years, he was one of thofe who bore a and Bufinejs of the Plantation could not fiourijh,
part in that Hazardous and Generous Enter- as Plato and others long dream'd that
fince
it would, if a Community were eftablifhed. Cer-
prize of removing into New-England, with
at Leyden, where tainly, if the Spirit which dwelt in rhe Old
part of the Engl'ifl) Church
at their fir ft
Landing, his deareft Confort ac- Puritans, had not infpired thefe New-Planters,
cidentally falling Overboard, was drowned in they had funk under the Burden of thefe Dif-
the Harbour ; and the reft of his Days were ficulties ; but out Bradford had a double Por-
fpent in the Services, and the Temptations, of tion of that Spirit.
§. 7. The Plantation
that American Wilier nefs. was quickly thrown in-
§. 5. Here was Mr. Bradford in the Year to a Storm that almoft overwhelmed it, by the
1621. Unanimoufly chofen the Governour of unhappy Aftions of a Minifter fent over from
the Plantation : The Difficulties whereof England by the Adventurers concerned for the
were inch, that if he had not been a Perfon Plantation ; but by the Bleffing of Heaven on
of more than Ordinary Piety, Wifdom and the Conducf of the Governour, they Weathered
Courage, he muft have funk under them. He out that Storm. Only the Adventurers here-
had w ith a Laudable Induftry been laying up upon breaking to pieces, threw up all their
a Treafure of Experiences, and he had now Concernments with the Infant Colony ; where-
occafion to ufe it Indeed nothing but an Ex- of they gave this as one Reafbn, That the
:
perienced Man could have been fuitable to the Planters dijjembled with His Alajefty, and their
Neceffities of the People. The Potent Nati- Erie/ids in their Petition, wherein they decla-
ons of the Indians, into whofe Country they red for a Church-Difcipline, agreeing with the
were come, would have cut them off, if the French and others of the Reforming Churches
Bleffing of God upon his Conduct had not in Europe. Whereas 'twas now urged, that
them and if his Prudence, Juftice they had admitted into their Communion a
quell'd ;
and Moderation had not over-ruled them, they Perfon, who at his Admif lion utterly renounced
had been ruined by their own Diftempers. One the Churches of England, (which Perfon by
Specimen of his Demeanour is to this Day the way, was that very K'an who had made
particularly fpoken of A Company of Young the Complaints againft them) and there-
Fellows that were newly arrived, were very fore though they denied the Name of Browniffs,
unwilling to comply with the Governour's yet they were the Thing, in Anfwer
hereunto,
Order for Working abroad on the Publick Ac- the very Words written by the Governour were
count ; and therefore on Chriflmafs-Day, when thefe ; Whereas you Tax us with dijfembling
he had called upon them, they excufed them- about the French Difcipline, you do us wrong,
felves, with a pretence that it was againft
their for we both hold and prallice the Difcipline
of
Confcience to Work fuch a Day. The Go- the French and other Reformed Churches (as
vernour gave them no Anfwer, only that he they have publi/hed the fame in the Harmony
would fpare them till they were better in- of Confeffions) according to our Means, in
formed ,
but by and by he found them all at Effect and Subjiance. But whereat you would
the themfelves with tie us up to the French
Play in Street, f
porting Difcipline in every
various Diverfions whereupon Commanding
;
Circun:fiance, you derogate from the Liberty we
the Inftruments of their Games to be taken have in Chriji Jefus. The Apofile Paul would
from them, he efilQually gave them to un- have none to follow him in any thing, but
der ftand,That it was againft his Confcience wherein he follows Chrift ; much lefs ought
that they flmild play whilft others were at any Chrifiian or Church in the World to do it.
Work ; and that if they had any Devotion to The French may err, we may err, and oilier
the Day, they fhould fbow it at Home in the Churches may err, and doubtlefs de in many
Exercijes of Religion, and not
in the Streets 1 Circumfiances. That Honour therefore belongs
only
Book II. Or, The Hiftory ojf New-England!. *
the Word of God unto the bottom, as precifely hutch Tongue was become almoft us Vernacu-
to Jet down the Churches Difciplitic without lar to him as the Englijh the trench Tongue •
Efrof in Subftance or CircumjUnce, that no o- he could alfo manage; the Latin and the Greek
thcr without blame may digrcfs or differ in any he had Mattered-, but the Hebrew he molt of
thing from the fame. And it is not difficult all ftudied, Becaufe, he laid, he would fee with
to fhew that the Reformed Churches differ in his own Eyes the Ancient Oracles of God
many Circumftances among them/elves. By in their Native Beauty. He was alfo well
which Words it appears how for he was free skill'd in Hiftory, in Antiquity, and in Philoso-
from that Rigid Spirit of Separation, which phy and for Theology he became fo verfed in
;
broke to pieces the Separates themfeives in it, that he was an Irrefragable DiJ'putant a-
the LowCountries, unto the great Scandal of gainft the Errors, efpecialiy thofe of Anabap-
the Reforming Churches. He was indeed
a tijm, which with Trouble he law riling in
Perfon of a well-temper d Spirit, or elfe it had his Colony wherefore he wrote fome Signi-
-,
been fcarce potftble for him to have kept the ficant things for the Confutation of thofe Er-
Affairs of Plymouth in fo good a Temper for rors. But the Crown of all was his Holy,
Seven Years together in every one Prayerful, Watchful and Fruitful Walk with
Thirty ;
j
of which he was chofen their Governour, ex- God, wherein he was very Exemplary,
cept the Three Tears, wherein Mr. Winflow,
and §. ic. At length he fell into an Indifpofi
the Two Tears, wherein Mr. Prince, at the tion|
of Body, which rendred him unhealthy
choice of the People, took a turn with him. for a whole Winter , and as the Spring ad-
8. The Leader of a People in a Wilder- vanced,his Health yet more declined ; yet he
§.
had need be a and if a felt himlelf not what he counted Suk, till one
nejs Mofes ; Mofes
had not led the People of Plymouth Colony, Day-^ in the^ Night after which, the God of
when this Worthy Perfon was their Governour, Heaven fb fill'd his Mind with Ineffable Con-
the People had never with fo much Unanimity folations, that he feemed little ffiort of Paul.,
and Importunity ftiJi called him to lead them. rapt up unto the Unutterable Entertainments
Among many Manxes thereof, let this one of Pat'adije. The next Morning he told his
That the good Spirit of God had
piece of Self-denial be told for a Memorial of Friends,
this fhall be confide red. given him a.
Pledge of his Happinefs in ano-.
bint, toberefoever Hiflory
The Patent of the Colony was taken in his ther Worlds and the Firft-fruits of bis Eter-
Name, running in thefe Terms, To William nal Glory : And on the Day following he
Bradford, bis Heirs, and Affigns : died, May 9. i6<;-j.
in the 69th Year of his
Affociates
But when the number "of the Freemen was Age. Lamented by
of Neva- all the Colonies'
much and many New Townfbips England, as a Common Blefiing and Father to
Increafed,
Elected, the General Court there defired of
them all 1
fulnefs of the Divine Promifes ; That he had &»/«& T^?»{ dybut dyfyoirltri.
I
Jake of the Go/pel, and the Lord gave them are but FLOCKS:
\MEN BRADFORD
him again. Here he profpered in his Efiate-, beheld their Need, I
and befides a Worthy Son which he had by a And kvg did them at once both Rule arid
former Wife, he had alfo Two Sons and a
!
Feed.
CHAP;
Magnalia Chrifti
Americana. Book II.
CHAP. II.
SUCCESSORS.
Inter Omnia qu& Rempublicam, ejufq-^ fmlicitattm confervant, quid utilius, quid pr<e-
jlantius, quant
ad Magiflratus gerendps Eligere, fumma prudentia
Viros Virtute &
ad Honor es obtinendos, non An/bit ione, non
Largitionibus^ fed Virtute
preditos, quiq-j
& Modejiia fibi parent adytum
!
fj.
i. ~T^
>
HE Merits of Mr. Edward Win/low, one of the Grand Commijjtoncrs in the Expe-
X
the Son of Edward Win/low, Efq^ dition Hifpaniola, where a Difeafe
againft
of Draughtwich, in the Country of Worcefler, (rendred yet more uneafie by his Diflatisfatti-
obliged the Votes of the Plymouthean Colony on at the ftrange mifcarriage of rhat
Expedi-
(whereto he arrived in the Year 1624. after his tion) arrefting him, he died between Domingo
Prudent and Faithful Difpatch of an Agency and Jamaica, on May 8. 165 7. in the
Sixty-
in England, on the behalf of that Infant Colony ) firft Year of his
Life, and had his Body Ho-
to chufe him for many Years a Magiftrate, nourably committed unto the Sea.
and for Two or Three their Governour. Tra- §. 2. Sometimes during the Life, but
always
velling into the
Lou-Coentries, he fell into after the Death of Governour
Bradford, even
Acquaintance with the Englijh Church at Ley- until his own, Mr. Thomas Prince was
den, and himfelf to them, he Shipped chofen tSOutntOUt of Plymouth He was
joining
himfelf with that part of them which firft a Gentleman whofe Natural Pans exceeded
_
called for. But their Publick Affairs then re- in ipite of much Contradi&ion, procured
quiring an Agency
of as wife a Man as the Revenues for the Support of Grammar-Schools
Country could find at Whitehall for them, he in that Colony. About the time of Governour
was again prevail'd withal in the Year 1635:. Bradford's Death,
Religion it felf had like to
to appear for them at the Council-board'; and have died in that
Colony, through a Liber-
his appearance there proved as EffeSual, as it tine and BrcwnijYick Spirit then prevailing a-
was very Seafonable, not only for the Colony mong the People, and a ffranee Difpofition to
of Plymouth, but for the Majfachufets alfo, on Difcountenance the Gofpel-Alimjiry, by fetting
very important Accounts. It was by the up the Gifts of Private Brethren in
Opposi-
Bleffing of God upon his wary and proper Ap- tion thereunto. The good People being in ex-
plications, that
the Attempts of many Adver- tream Diftrefs from the Profpcft which this
faries to overthrow the whole Settlement of matter gave to them, faw no way fo
likely
New-England, were themfelves wholly over- and ready to fave the Churches from Ruin,
thrown and as a fmall Acknowledgment for as by the Eleclion of Mr. Prince to the
,
place'
his great Service therein, they did, upon his of Governour ; and this Point being by the
return again, chufe him their Governour. But Gracious and Marvellous Providence of the
in the Year 1646. the place of Governour be- Lord Jefus Chrift gained at the next Election-,
^
ing reaffumed by
Mr. Bradford, the MaJJachu- the Adverfe Party from that very time funk
Addreffed themfelves unto Mr. into Confufion. He had Sojourned for a while
/^/-Colony
Winjlow to take another Voyage for England, at Eajlham, where a Church was by his means
that he might there procure their Deliverance gathered ; but after this time he returned unto
from the Defigns of many Troublefome Adver- his former Scituation at Plymouth^ where he
faries that were Petitioning unto the Parliament refided until he died, which wis March
29.
againft them and this Hercules having been 1673. wn en he was about Seventy-Three Years
•,
from his very early Days accuftomed unto of Age Among the many Excellent Qualities
:
the crufiing of that fort of Serpents, generoufly which adorned him as Governour of the Co-
undertook another Agency, wherein how many lony, there was much notice taken of that In-
good Services he did for New-England, and tegrity, wherewith indeed he was tnoft exem-
with what Fidelity, Difcretion, Vigour and Suc- plarily qualified :, Whence it was that as he
cefs he purfued the Interefts of that Happy ever would refufe any thing that lookd like
the Conduct of the Word of God, and a ftritf of Old, Epaminondas being upbraided with
Walk with God, which might juftly have been want of Ilfue, boafted that he Ieir behind him
made an Example to a whole Colony. cne_ Daughter, namely,
the Battel of 'Leijtfra,
Reader, If thou would'lt have feen the which would render him Im fo our
§. 3.
true Picture of Wifdom, Courage and Genercfi- General Winjlom hath kit behind him his Bat-
ty,
the Succeffor of: Mr. Thomas Prince in the tel at the Fort of the Narraganfcis, to Im-
Government of Plymouth would have repre mortalize him There did he with' his own:
fented it. It was the truly Honourable Jofiah Sword make and frvape a Ten to Write his
the firft Governour that was Hiftory. But fo large a Held of Merit is now
Winjlow, Efq,
Born in and one well worthy to before me, that I dare not give my felf the
New-England,
be an Example to ihould come after liberty to Range in it left I lofe my felf.
all that He
him A True Englijh Gentleman, and (that I died on Dec, iS. 1680.
:
Yield, as well as on the Bench, ought never to §. 4. And what Succeffor had he ? Me-
be Buried in Oblivion. All that Homer defired thinks of the Two laH Words in the won-
in a Ruler, was
in the Life of this Gentle- derful Prediction of the
Succejfwn, Oracled un-
man expreifed unto the Life ; to be, Fortes in to King Henry VII.
0, L E NULL
US, the
Bonus in Gves. Though he hath Firft would have well fuited the Valiant
Hoftes, and,
left an Offspring, yet I muft ask for One Winjlow of Plymouth ; and the la It were to
Daughter to be remembred above the reft. As have been wiih'd for him that followed.
CHAP. III.
Thomas Hinkley. 1658. mouth Colony, in the Year 1669. Since the11
there have been added at feveral
James Brown. 1665. times,
John Freeman. 1666.
Nathanael Bacon. 1667. Conftant Southworth. 1 6 jo.
Daniel Smith.
1674.
Thus far we Book Entituled y New* Barnaba* Lothrop.
find in a 1681.
England's Memorial, which was Publifhed by John Thatcher.
Mr. 'Nathanael Morton, the Secretary of Ply- John Walley,
CHAP. IV.
of her Devout Numa, the Lawgiver*, by whom with Heaven madeJris chief Opportunities to be
the moft Famous Commonwealth law Peace Serviceable.
Triumphing over extinguifhed War, and
cruel §. 3. Being made, at the
unufually early
the Age of Eighteen, a
Plunders, and Murders giving place
to
Juftice of Peace, his Vir-
more mollifying Exercifes of his Religion. Our tues began to fall under a more general Ob-
New-England fhall tell and boalt of her fervation ; and he not only fo Bound himfelf
as patient to the Behaviour of a
(I^itttljtOp, a Lawgiver, as^ Lycur- Chriftian, as to become
gus, but not admitting any
of his Criminal Exemplary for a Conformity to the Laws of
liable to Christianity in his own Converfation, but alfo
Diforders; as Devout as Numajovx not
Heathenifh Madneffes a Governour difcovered a more than ordinary Meafure of
any of his ;
in whom the Excellencies of Chriflianity made thofe Qualities, which adorn an Officer of
a moft improving Addition unto the Virtues, Humane Society. His Jujlice was Impartial,
wherein even without thofe he would have and ufed the Ballance to weigh not the Cajh
made a Parallel for the Great Men of Greece, but the Cafe of thofe who were before him :
or of Rome, which the Pen of a Plutarch has Profopolatria, he reckoned as bad as Idololatria :
Eternized. His WiJdom did exquifitely Temper
things ac-
2. A ftock of Heroes by right fhould af- cording to the Art of Governing, which is a
§.
ford nothing but what is Heroical ; and nothing Bufinefs of more Contrivance than the Seven
but an extream Degeneracy would make any Arts of the Schools : Oyer ftill went before
from a Stock of Terminer in all his Administrations His Cou-
thing lefs to be expeQed :
Mr. Adam Winthrop, the Son of rage made him Dare to do right, and fitted
Winthrops.
a Worthv Gentleman wearing the fame Name, him to ftand among the Lions, that have
was himfelf a Worthy, a Difcreet, and a fometimes been the Supporters of the Throne :
Learned Gentleman, particularly Eminent for All which Virtues he rendred the more Illu-
Skill in the Law, nor without Remark for ftrious, by Emblazoning them with the Con-
Love to the Go/pel, under the Reign of King fiant Liberality and Hojpitality of a Gentle-
to a Memorable man. This made him the Terror of the
Henry VIII. And Brother
Favourer of the Reformed Religion in the Days Wicked, and the Delight of the Sober, the
of Queen Mary, into whofe Hands the Famous Envy of the many, but the Hope of thofe who
which had any Hopeful Defign in Hand for the Com-
Martyr Philpot committed
his Papers,
afterwards made no Inconfiderable part of our mon Good of the Nation, and the Interefts of
This Mr. Adam Winthrop had Religion.
Martyr-Books.
a Son of the fame Name alfo, and of the §. 4. Accordingly when the Noble Defign
fame Endowments and Imployments with his of carrying a Colony of Chofen People into
Father; and this Third
Adam Winthrop was an American IVilderneis, was by Jome Eminent
the Father of that Renowned John Winthrop, Perfons undertaken, This Eminent Perfon
was,
who was the Father of New-England, and the by the Confent of all, Chofen for the Mofes,
Founder of a Colony, which upon many Ac- who muft be the Leader of ib great an Un-
counts, like him that Founded it, may challenge dertaking
And indeed nothing but a Mofaic
:
the Firfl Place among the Englifh Glories Spirit could have carried him through the
of America. Our 31afjtt Caitntfjl'Op thus Temptations, to which either his Farewel to
Born at the Manfion-Houfe of his Anceftcrs, his own Land, or his Travel in a Strange
at Groton in on June 12. 15 87. en- Land, mult needs expofe a Gentleman of
Suffolk,
* his
Book II.
Magnalia Chrifli Americana 9
bis Education. Wherefore having Sold a fair deed, a Governour, who had moft exactly ftu-
Eftate of Six or Seven Hundred a Year, he died rhar Book, which pretending to Teach IV
Tranfported himfelfwith the EfTecls of it into liticks, did
only contain Three Leaves, and
New-England in the Year 1650. where hefpent but One Word in each of thofe Leave^, w
it upon the Service of a famous Plantation Word was, ^OOeratlOlt- Hence, though he
rounded and formed for the Seat of the raoft were a Zealous Enemy to all Vice, yet his Pra-
Reformed Cbriftianity : And continued there. ctice was according to his Judgment thus ex 7
conflicting with Temptations of all forts, as ma- preffed ; In the Infancy of Plantations, Ju
Years as the Nodes of the Moon take to\ fhould be adminiflrcd with more Lenity than in
ny
difpatch a Revolution. Thofe Perfons were ne a fettled State becaufe People are more apt
;
ver concerned in a New-Plantation, who know then to Tranfgrefs partly out of Ignorance of
;
not that the unavoidable Difficulties of fuch a new Laws and Orders, partly cut of Oppreffion
thing, will call for all the Prudence and Pa- of Bufinejs, and other Straits. [ICHW ®ltl-
tience of a Mortal Man to Encounter there-
JJU,] was the old Rule ; and ij
the Strings of a
withal i and they muft be very infenfible of new Inftrument be wound up unto their height!?,
the Influence, which the Juft Wrath of Hea- But when fbme Lead^
they will quickly crack.
ven has permitted the Devils to have upon this and Learned Men took Offence at his Con-
ing
World, if they do not think that the Difficul- duct in this Matter, and upon a Conference g ive
ties of a New-Plantation, devoted unto the Evan- it in as their Opinion, That a ftriffer 1
gelical WorJJnp of our Lord Jefus Chrilt, muft pline was to be ufedin the beginning of a Plan
be yet more than Ordinary. How
Prudently, tation, than after its being with more Age e-
how Patiently, and with how much Refigna- ftablifhed and confirmed, the Governour being
tion to our Lord Jefus Chrilt, our brave Win- readier to fee his own Errors than other Mens,
throp waded through theie Difficulties, let profeffed his Purpofe to endeavour their Satif
Pofterity Confider with Admiration. And know, facnon with lefs of Lenity in his Adminiftra-
that as the Pillure of this their Governour, tions. At that Conference there were drawn
was, after his Death, hung up with Honour in up feveral other Articles to be obferved be-
the State-Houfe of his Country, \o the Wifdom. tween the Governour and the reft of the Ma-
Courage, and Holy Zeal of his Life, were an giftrates,
which were of this Import That the :
Example well-worthy to be Copied by all that Magiftrates, as far as might be, fhould afore-
lhall fucceed in Government. hand ripen their Confutations, to produce that
§. •;. Were he now to be confider 'd only as a Unanimity in their Publick Votes, which might
Chrijiian, we might therein propofe him as make them liker to the Voice of God ; that if
greatly Imitable. He was a very Religious Differences fell out among them Pub-in their
Man and as he ftri&ly kept his Heart, fo he
-,
lick Meetings, they fhould fpeak only to the
kept his Houfe, under the Laws of Piety there Cafe, without any Reflection, with all due Mo-
•
he was every Day conftant in Holy Duties, both defy, and but by way of Qiieftion ; or Defire
Morning and Evening, and on the Lord's Days, the deferring of the Caufe to further time and ;
and Leilures ; though he wrote not after the after Sentence to imitate privately no Diflike ;
Preacher, yet fuch was his Attention, and fuch that they fhould be more Familiar, Friendly and
his Retention in Hearing, that he repeated unto Open unto each other, and more frequent in their
his
Family the Sermons which he had heard in Vifitations, and not any way expofe each o-
the Congregation. But it is chiefly as a Gover- thet's Infirmities, but feek the Honour of each
nour that he is now to be confider'd. Being other, and all the Court; that One Magiftrate
the Governour ©ver the confiderableft Part of ihall not crofs the Proceedings of another, with-
New-England, he maintain'd the Figure and out firft advifing with him-, and that they
Honour of his Place with the Spirit of a true (hould in all their Appearances abroad, be fo
Gentleman-, but yet with fuch obliging Condefcen- circumft3nced as to prevent all Contempt of
tion to the Circumftances of the Colony, that Authority , and that they fhould Support and
when a certain troublefome and malicious Ca- Strengthen all Under Officers. All of which
lumniator, well known in thofe Times, prin- Articles were obferved by no Man more than by
ted his Libellous Nick-Names upon the chief the Governour himfelf
Perfons here, the worft Nick-Name he could §. 6. But whilft he thus did as our A'nc-
find for rheGovernour, wis John Temper- well; Englifh Nehemiah, the part of a Ruler in Ma-
and when the Calumnies of that ill Man caufed naging the Publick Affairs of our American Je-
the Arch-Bifhop to Summon one Mr. Cleaves rusalem, when there were Tobijabr and San-
before the King, in hopes to get fome Accufa- ballats enough to vex him, and give him the
tion from him againft the Country, Mr. Cleaves Experiment of Luther's Obfervation, Omnis qui
gave fuch an Account of the Governour's lau- regit, eft tanquam fignum, in quod omnia ja
dable Carriage in all Refpecfs, and the ferious cula, Satan &Mundus dirigunt he made ;
Devotion wherewith Prayers were both pub- himfelf ftill an exatter Parallel unto that Go-
lickly and privately made for His Majefty, that vernour of Ifrael, by doing the part of a Neigh-
the King exprefTed himfelf moft highly Plea- bour among the diftrefTed People of the New-
fed therewithal, only Sony that fo Worthy a Plantation. To teach them the Frugality ne-
Perfon fhould be no better Accommodated than ceflarjr for thofe times,
he abridged himfelf of
with the Hardfhips of America. He was, in- a Thoufand comfortable things, wh'ch he had
B b &
IO Magnalia Americana : Book II.
Chrifti
to the Needy was even beyond meafure Gene- a feeming Anger did reply, Does be/a? I'll
jin
rous ; and therein he was continually caufing \take a Courfe with him ; go, call that Man to
The Bleffing of him that was ready to Perifh I'll warrant
you I'll cure him of Stealing !
fie,
to come upon him, and the Heart oj the Widow When the Man came, the Governour confider-
and the Orphan to jing for Joy : But none more ing that if he had Stoln, it was more out of
than thofe of Deceas'd Minijiers, whom he than Difpofuicn, faid unto him, Friend,
a\-\Necejftty
ways treated with a very lingular Compaflion ; /' *V afevereWinter,andI doubt you arc but mean-
among the Inftances whereof we ftil!
enjoy withKV provided for Wood-, wherefore I would have
us the Worthy and now Aged Son of
that\youfupply y.ourfelf at my Wood-Pile till this cold
Reverend Higginfon, whofe Death left his Fa-! Sea/on be over. And he then Merrily ask-
mily in a wide World foon after his arrival ed his Friends, Whether he had not effeflually
here, publtckly acknowledging the Charitable cured this Man of Stealing his Wood ?
Winthrop for his toilet -Father. It was of § 7. One would have imagined that fb good
tentimes no fin ill Trial unto his Faith, to think, a Man could have had no Enemies if we had ;
How a Table for the v pie Jhould be furnifhed] not had a daily and woful Experience to Con-
I
whcn they firft came into the Wilder nejs ! And vince us, that Gcodnefs it (elf will make Ene-
for very many of the People, his own good mies. It is a wonderful Speech of Plato, (\a
Works were needful, and accordingly employ- |©ne of his Books, Tie Viepublico) For the trial
ed for the anfwering of his Faith. Indeed, ''tis
neceffafy that a good Man
\of*frue Vertue,
for a while the Governour was the un- u»J\iv aJIihov, Jl'otctv \~/ii t piy'isw dJ\ty.ia< Iho
•
Jofepb,
to whom the whole Body of the People he do no
unjud thing, fhould fuffer the
repair- Infamy
ed when their Corn failed them And he con- of the great eft Injuftice. The Governour had
:
tinued Relieving of them with his open-handed by his unfpotted Integrity, procured himfelf a
Bounties, as long as he had any Stock to do great Repntation among the People-, and then
it with and a lively Faith to fee the return the Crime of Popularity was laid unto his
-,
of the Bread after many Days, and not Starve Charge by fuch, who were willing to deliver
in the Days that were to pafs till that return him from the Danger of having all Men
peak f
fhould be fieen, carried him chearfully through well of him. Yea, there were Perfons eminent
thofe Expences. Once it was obfervable, that both for Figure and for Number, unto whom
oh Feb. %. 1630. when he was diftributing it was almoft Effentidl to diflike every thing
the laft Handful of the Meal in the Barrel un- that came from him; and yet he always maintain-
to a Poor Man diftreiTed by the Wolf at the ed an Amicable Correfpondence with them -.as be-
Door, at that Inftant they fpied a Ship arrived lieving that they aOed according to their Judg-
at the Harbour's Mouth Laden with Provifi- ment and Conlcience, or that their Eyes were
ons for them all. Yea, the Governour fome- held by fome Temptation in the worft of all
times made his own private Purfe to be the their Oppofitions. Indeed, his right Works were
Publick not byfucking into it, but by freez- fo many, that they expofed him unto the
; Envy
ing out of it ; for when the Publick Treafure of his Neighbours^ and of fuch Power was that
had nothing in it, he did himfelf defray the Envy, that fometimes he could not ft and before
Charges of the Publick. And having learned it; but it was by not Jlanding tnat he molt
that Leflon of our Lord, That it is better to effeftually withftood it all. Great Attempts were
Give, than to Receive, he did, at the General fometimes made among the Freemen, to get him
Court when he was a Third time chofen Gover- left out from his Place in the Government
up-
nour, made a Speech unto this purpofe, That on little Pretences, left by the too frequent
be had received Gratuities from divers Towns, Choice of One Man, the Government fhould
which he accepted with much Comfort and Con- ceafe to be by Choice; and with a particular
tent ; and he had likewife received Civilities aim at him, Sermons were Preached at the An-
from particular Perfons, which he could not re- niveriary Court of Elettion, to diflwade the
in himfelf : Neverthe- Freemen from chufing One Man Twice together.
fufc without Incivility
less,
he took them with a trembling Heart, in This was the Reward of his extraordinary Ser-
vice able nefs I But when thefe Attempts did fuc-
regard of Gods Word, and the Confidence of
bis own Infirmities ; and therefore he defired ceed, as they fometimes did, his Profound Hu-
them that they would not hereafter take it III mility appeared in that Equality of Mini, where-
if he refufedfuch Prcfents for the time to come. with he applied himfelf cheerfully to ferve the
'Twas his Cuftom alio to fend fome of his Fa- Country in whatever Station their Votes had
mily upon Errands, unto the Houfes of the Poor allotted
for him. And one Year when the Votes
about their Mealtime, on purpofe to fpy whe- came to be Numbered, there were 'found Six
ther they wanted; and if it were found that they lefs for Mr. Winthrop, than for another Gentle-
wanted, he would make that the Opportunity man
who then flood in Competition But feveral :
other
Book II. Or, TbeHiftoryofNcw-JLnzlmd. 1 1
other Perfons regularly Tend ring their Vdtes be- then tendered before their Proceeding thereun-
fore the Election was publifhed, were, upon a to. Mr. Winihrcp i'.uv that this was only a
refufed by fome of the Trick to throw nil into Gorifufion, by
very frivolous Objection, putting;
Khciftrates, that were afraid left the Eleflion off the Choice of the Govemour and Ajfftents
(hould atlaft fall upon Mr. Wtnthrop Which until theDfvy (houid be over* and therefore he
it was. well perceived, yet fuch was the did, with a ftrenuous Rcjohaton, procure a dif-
though
Self-denial of this Patriot , that he would not appointment unto that mifchievous and jfiiiri
permit any Notice
to be taken of the Injury. Contrivance. Neveuheleis, Mr. Wmtbrep'him-
But thefe 'TV/'tf/r were nothing in Companion felf being by the Voice of the Freemwi in this
of thole harfher and harder Treats, which he Exigence chofln the G'SvWndur, and all of the
fometimes had from the Frowardnefs of not a other Party left our, that ill-aifettVd PUfty dis-
few in the Days of their Paroxifms ; and from covered the Dirt and Mir,-, which remained
the Faction of feme againft him, hot much un- with them, after the Storm was over ; particu-
like that of the Piazzi in Florence againft the larly the Serjeant s, whole Office 'twas to attend
the Govemour, laid down their Huberts-, but
Family of the Medices i All of which heat
hit Conquered by Conforming to the Famous fuch was the Condefcention of this Govemour,
Judges Motto, Prudens qui
Patiens. The Ora- as to take no prefent Notice of this
Anger and
cles of God have laid, Envy is rottennejs to Contempt, but only Order fome of his own Ser-
the Bones ; and Gulielmus Parifienfis applies vants to take the Halberts : And when- the
it unto Rulers, who areas it. were the Bones of Countty manifefted their deep Refentments of
the Societies which they belong unto Envy, rhe Affront thus offered him. he prayed them to
:
them, and it is overlook it. But it was not long before a Com-
lays he, is often found among
rottennejs unto them. Our Winthrop Encoun- penfation was made for thefe things by the
tred this Envy from others, but Conquered it, doubled Rejpeffs which were from all Parts paid
Gentleman was compelled by the fcarciry of the Govemour underftanding the Ferment a-
Provifions to fend unto him that he would Sell mong the People, took that occafion to make a
him fome of his Cattel ; whereupon the Go- Speech in the Congregation to this EfteSfc.
'
vernour prayed him to accept what he had fent Brethren, Underftanding that fome of you
for as a Token of his Good Will-, but rhe
'
have deGred that I fhould Anfwer for an Of-
Gentleman returned him this Anfwer, Sir, your '•'fence lately taken among you had I been cal- ;
'
There was a time when the Court of EleUwn, Eldersof this Church, and fome others, do very
'
being for fear of Tumult, held at Cambridge, well apprehend that xheChitrcb cann t enquire
'
May 17. 1637. The Sectarian part of the Coun- into the Proceedings of the Court yet for the
;
'
try, who had the Year before gotten a Gover- Satisfaction of the weaker who do not appre-
nor more unto their Mind, had a Project now ' hend it, I will declare my Mind concerning
'
to have confounded the Election, by demand- ir. If the Church have any fuch Power, they
'
have it from the Lord Jefus Chrift; but the
ing that the Court would eonfider a Petition
Bb 2 Lord
12 Magnalia Chrifli
Americana : Book II.
'
Lord Jefus Chrift hath declaimed little more and all had been in the Pi re.
it, not only In
'by Pratficc, but alfo by Precept, which we thefe Agitations the Governour was informed
'have in his Gofpe!, Mat. 20. 25, 26. It is that an offence had been taken by ibme eminent
'
true indeed, that Magifirates, as they are Perfons, at certain PalTages in
'
aDifcourfeby
Church-Members, are accountable unto the him written thereabout , whereupon with his
'
Church for their Failings ; but that is when ufual Conde/cendency, when he next came into
'
they are out of their Calling. When Uzziah the General Court, he made a Speech of this
' '
would go offer Incenfe in the Temple, the Import. I underhand, that fome have taken
'
'Officers of the Church called him to an ac- Offence at fomething that I have lately written
5
'
count, and withftood him ; but when A/a put
'
which Offence I remove now, and be-
defire to
' '
the Prophet in Prifon, the Officers of the gin this Year in a reconciled State with you all.
' '
Church did not call him to an account for that. As for the Matter of my Writing, I had the
1 c
If the
Magiflrate (hall in a private way Concurrence of my Brethren it is a Point of ;
'
'wrong any Man, the Church may call him to Judgment which is not at my own difpofing.
4 '
an Account for it ; but if he be in Purfuance of I have examined it over and over
again, by
'
'
a Courfe of Jufiice, though the thing that he fuch Light as God has given me, from the
' '
does be unjujt, yet he is not accountable for it Rules of Religion, Rea/on and Cujiom ; and I
'
'
before the Church. As for my felf I did nothing fee no caule to Retraft
any thing of it Where- ;
'
Caufes of any of the Brethren, but by
in the 'fore I muft enjoy my Liberty in
'
that, as you
'
the Advice of the Elders of" the Church. More- do your But for the Manner, this, and
felves.
c
'over, in the Oath which I have taken there all that was blame-worthy in it, was
' '
wholly
is this Claufe, In all Cau/es whercinyou are to '
my own; and whatlbever f might alledge for
'
give your Vote, you (hall do a# in your Judg-
'
my own Juftification therein before Men, I
'
ment and Confcience you _fl.mll fee to be Julf, wave it, as now letting my felf before another
'
*
and for the publick Good. And I am fatisfied, Judgment-Scat. However, what I wrote was
' '
molt for the Glory of God, and the pub-
it is upon great Provocation, and to vindicate my
' '
lick Good, that there has been Rich a Sentence felf and others from great Afperfion
yet that -,
'
'
yea, thole Brethren are fo divided
was no fufficlent Warrant for me to allow
palTed ;
'
any
'
from the reji
of the Country in their Opinions Dijiemper of Spirit in my felf; and I doubt
* '
I have been too
and Practices, that it cannot Hand with the prodigal of my Brethren's Re-
'
loufly convinced, fatisfied and mollified the let Religion and found Rea/on give Judgment in
'
of the Cafe it look'd as if I
arrogated too much
uneafie Brethren the Church; Sic cunilus
Pelagi cecidit Fragor
— And
after a little pati-
.
'
unto
;
fent of feveral Hundreds of Pounds. Once own Heart breathing in them. For thefe Fail*
'
more there was a time, when fome a£Kve Spi- ings I ask Pardon both of God and Man.
rits among the Deputies of the Colony, by their
endeavours not only to make themfelves a Court Sic ait, tV diUo citius Tumida JEquora placat,
of Judicature, but alfo to take away the Negative Colletiafq; fugat Nubes, Solemq; reducit.
by which the Magiftrates might check their
Votes, had like by over-driving to have run the
This acknowledging Di/pofition in the Gover-
whole Government into lbmething too Demo- nour, made them
acknowledge, that he was
all
cratical. And if there were a Town in Spain truly a Man of an excellent Spirit. In fine,
undermined by Coneys, another Town in Thrace the Vi [lories of an Alexander, an Hannibal, or
deftroyed by Moles, a Third in Greece ranverfed zCefar over other Men, were not fo Glorious,
by Frogs, a Fourth in Germany fubverted by as the Viflories of this great Man over him/elf
Rats-, I muft on this Occafion add, that there which alio at laft prov'd ViUcries over other
was a Country in America like to be confound- Men.
ed by a Swine. A certain ft ray Sozo being found, §. 9. But the ftormieft of all the Trials that
was claimed by Two feveral Perfons with a ever befel this Gentleman, was in the Year
Claim fo equally maintained on both fides, that 1645. when he was in Title no more than De-
after Six or Seven Years Hunting the Bufi- puty-Governour of the Colony. If the famous
from one Court unto another, it was Cato were Forty-four times call'd into Judg-
nefs,
brought at laft into the General Court, where ment, but as often acquitted ; let it not be won-
the final Determination was, that it wan im- dred, and if our Famous Winthrop were one
to proceed unto any Judgment in the time lb. There hapning certain Seditious and
pojTible
Cafe. However in the debate of this Matter, Mutinous Practices in the Town of Hingham,
the Negative of the Uppcr-Hou/e upon the the Deputy-Governour as legally as prudently
Lower in that Court was brought upon the interpofed his Authority for the checking of
a them Whereupon there followed fuch an £ n-
Stage , and agitated with fo hot a Zeal, that
:
chantment
Book II. Or, The Hijlory of New-England. *9
'
cbantment upon the minds of the Deputies in SumusOmnes Deteriores : Tis the Grand
Ene-
c
Pe- my of Truth and Peace, and all the Ordinan-
the General Court, that upon a fcandalous c
pretended Invafion
made upon the Liberties ol Civil, a Moral, a Federal
Liberty, which is
c
the proper End and
the People was complained of the Depi/ty- Object of Authority
•
it is
6
a Liberty for that
Governour, was molt Irregularly eall'd forth
'
only which is ju/I and good;
unto an Ignominous Hearing before them in a 1
for this
Liberty you are to ttand with the
valt Alterably whereto with a Sagacious Humi-
•,
hazard of your very Lives; and whatsoever
c
touchy Jealoufie of
the People about their Li-
'
nty fet over you, will in all Adminiftrations
berties lay at the bottom of all this Proiecuri-
for your good be
'
quietly fubmitted unto, by
Mr. Winthrop was publickly Acquitted, all but fuch as have a
on, yet '
Difpofition to /hake off
and the Offenders were feverally Fined and the Yoke, and lofe their true
'
Liberty, by their
Cenfured. But Mr. Wintbrop then renaming
'
murmuring at the Honour and Power of Au-
the Place of Deputy-Governour on the Bench, thority. j
faw caufe to fpeak unto the Root of the Matter The Spell that was upon the Eyes of the Peo-
\
'
about the pad Proceedings of this Court, raged notions of things all vani'lhed and the
thing ;
'
or the Perfons therein concerned. Only I People would not afterwards entruft the Helm
blefs God that I fee an IfTue of this trouble- of rhe Weather-beaten Bark in
'
orher any
'
fome Affair. I am was Hands, but Mr. Wmthrop's, until he Died.
well fatisfied that I
*
fo much amifs in my Adminiftrations, as calls ncfsofSoul, which rendered him Grave, Gene-
to be bumbled; and indeed for me to have
'
me rous, Courageous, Refolved, Well-applied,
c
been thus charged by Men, is it felf a Matter and every way a Gentleman in his
Deameanour^
'
of Humiliation, whereof I defire to make a did not hinder him from taking fometimes the
c
before the Lord. If Miriam's Fa- old Romans way to avoid Confufions,
right ufe namely,
*
ther fpit in her Face, lhe is to be Afhamed. Ccdendo or from difcouraging fome
;
things
*
But give me leave before you go, to lay fome- which are agreeable enough to moft that wear
c the Opinions of many the Name of Gentlemen. Hereof I will give
thing that may re£tifie
'
from whence the Diftempers have no Inftances, but only oppofe two
People, Paflages of
lately prevailed upon the Bo- his Life.
c
rifen that have
' The
Queftions that have In the Year 1632. the Governour. with his
dy of this People.
troubled the Country have been about the Au Paftor Mr. Wilfon, and fome other Gentkmea
1
'
thority of
the Magiflracy, and the Liberty of to fettle a good undefftanding betwet.. the Two'
'
the People. It is Ton who have called us un- Colonies, travelled as far as Plymouth more
'
to this Office but being thus called, we have than Forty Miles, through an Howu^Wilder-
•,
'
our Authority from God; it is the Ordinance nefs, no better accommodated in thole early
of God, and it hath the Image of God itamp- Days, than the Princes that in Solomon's time
1
ed upon it ; and the contempt of it has been faw Servants on Horfeback, or than Genus and
4
vindicated by God with terrible Examples of Species in the old Epigram, going on Foot. The
4
this Purpofe, That we fhall govern you, and of the Rigid Separation, that they infilled ve-
4
for our Skill, you mult run the hazard of it; fuch an One, until by their indifcreet urging
c
and if there be an Error, not in the Will, but of this Whimfey, the place began to be dif-
'
' becomes you to bear it. quieted. The wifer People being troubled at
only in the Skill,
it
'Not would I have you to miltake in the thefe Trifles, they took the opportunity of
Point of your own Liberty. There is a Li Governour Winthrofs being there, to have rhe
'
'
berty of corrupt Nature,
which is affe£ted thing publickly propounded in the Congrega-
4
both by Men and Beafts, to do what they lilt 5 tion , who in anfwer thereunto, diftinguiihed
is inconfiftent with Authority, between a Theological and a Moral Goodnefs ;
*
and this Liberty
by this Liberty, adding, that when Juries were firft uled in Exg-
4
impatient of all Reltraint
landy
x
4 Magnalia Chrifii
Americana : Book II.
K it was ufual
for the Crier, after the cefiively Buried Three Wives-.-, the Firft of
Names of Petfons fit for that Service were which was the Daughter and Heirefs of
called over, to bid them all, Attend, Good Men, Mr. Forth, of MuchvSiambrddgs in Ejfex, by.
'
True ; whence it grew to be a Civil Cufiom whom he had Wijdom t&i'tb an inheritance; and
in the Englijh Nation, for Neighbours living an excellent Son. The Second was the Daugh-
by one another, to call one another Good-man ter of Mr. William Clapton, of London, who
until an Order of Court came to be made againft he then wrote this account of himfelf, Age now
that Ceremony in Drinking, and then the old comes upon me, and Infirmities therewithal,
Wont violently returned, with a Nitimur in which makes me apprehend, that the time of my
Vetitum. departure out of this World is not far off. How-
(j.
n. Many were the Afflitiions of this ever our times are all in the Lord's Hand,
good Falhion
and Credit. Moreover, he fuc- exert it grew Short-, and he was Buffetted with
the
Book II. Or, The Hiftory qf New-Ensland. J
5
'
the Difconfolate Thoughts of Black and Sore di£led, even by Young Men, and fome o^
wherein he could ufe that lad Re- 'low degree-, yet not replying, but offering Sa-
Defcrtions, '
of his own Condition. tisfa&ion alio when any luppofed Offences
prelentation
'•have arifen ; a Governour who has been un-
Ante Tri-
Nuper Eram Judex ; Jam Judicor ;
'to us as a Mother, Parent-like
'
diftributing
bunate his Goods and Neighbours at his
to Brethren
'
modo. firft
coming ; and gently bearing our Infirmi-
Subjijlens paveo, Judicor ipfe 1
ties without
taking notice of them.
t
he enjoyed in his Holy Soul the than Ten feveral times by the
Difpelled, and
People choferi
their Governour, was
Great of God ! While he thus lay
Confolations
Nciv-Hngland now to
he did out of Obedience lofe ; who having, like Jacob, firft left his
Ripening for Heaven, Council and Blejfing with his Children
unto the Ordinance of our Lord, fend for the gather-
ed about his Bed fide
Elders of the Church to Fray with him ; yea, and, like David, ferved
;
his Generation
and the whole Church Fafled as well as by the Will of God, he gave up
they the Ghoft, and
for him
and in that Fuji the venerable
;
fell aflccp on March 26. 1649.
Prayed like the dying
Cotton Preached on PJal. 35. 13, 14. When Having, Emperour Valentinian,
I humbled with this above all his other Victories for his Tri-
they
were Sick, my felf Fafi-
as though he had been umphs, his overcoming of himfelf.
i„g ; I behaved my felf The Words of Jofephus about Nehemiah, the
/ bowed down heavily,
my Friend or Brother ; Governour of Ifrael, we will now ufe
at one that Mourned for his Mother : From upon
I find him that Obfervation, The this Governour of New-England, as his
whence raifing
one that is to us as a Friend, a
Sicknefs of
Brother, a Mother, is
a juft occafwn of deep EPITAPH.
humbling our Souls with Fafiing and Prayer;
k
'Avtij iy'ivSTo X? M?""< ?M
and making this Application, Upon this Occa- Ketl 'Tiei T»V
0jl/C5-Jy«f
yvtriv, iy Jlhatii,
QlhOTlUOTO.1 @- :
'
fion wenow to attend this Duty for a
are Mcm««oi/ diuvtav omtu %&To,hfnclv 7<£ ray
*
Governour, who has been to us as a Iriend in Ii$o<rohv[J.it>v Ti'iyv'
c
Bodies Phyfick, for our Eflates by Law,
by
VIR FUIT INDOLE BONUS, AC JUSTUS:
4
and of whom there was no of his becom-
fear ET POPULARIUM GLORIiE AMANTISSI-
c
ing an Enemy,
like the Friends of David : MUS:
'
A Governour who has been unto us as a Bro- QUIBUS ETERNUM RELIQUIT MONU-
'
ther not ufurping Authority over the Church ;
•
MENTUM,
'
often fpeaking his Advice, and often contra- Novanglorum M OE N I A.
CHAP. V.
S V C C E S S R S.
§. 1.
S~\ N E-as well acquainted with the Governours in this our CI)urch-Hiflory. E-
V_y That ven while the Maffachufettenftans had a Win-
Matter, as Ifocrates, informs us,
the Judges of Areopagus none were throp for their Governour, they could not re-
among
admitted vhiv 0/ x.*A<wf yiyovoTi;, X) irahXw ftrain the Channel of their AffeUioris from
iv ra $ia ivAtJluypiroi^ un-
<tfi7nr x) <rv$(offCmv running towards another Gentleman in their
lefs they were Nobly Born, and Eminently Ex- Elections for the Year 1634. particularly,
Virtuous and Sober Life.
a The when chofe unto the Place of Governour
emplary for a they
Report may be truly made concerning the Thomas Dudley, Efq-, one whom after the
were not Death of the Gentleman abovementioned,
Judges of New-England, tho' they they
were Well again and again Voted into the Chief Place of
Nobly Born, yet they generally
Bom and by being Eminently Exemplary for Government. He was Born at the Town of
;
a Virtuous and a Sober Life, gave Demon- Northampton, in the Year 1574. the only Son of
ftrat'ion that they were New-born. Some Ac- Captain Roger Dudley, who being Slain in the
count of them is now more particularly to be Wars, left this our Thomas, with his only Sifter,
Endeavoured. for the Father of the Orphans, to take them up.
We read concerning Saul, [_ 1 Sam. 15. 12.3 In the Family of the Earl of Northampton he
He fet up himfelf a place. The Hebrew had opportunity perfectly to learn the Points of
Word, "F there ufed, fignifies A Monumen- Good Behaviour ;
and here having fitted him-
tal Pillar. It is accordingly promifed unto felf to do many
other Benefits unto the World,
them who pleafe God, 56. 5.] That they he next became
[Ifa. a Clerk unto Judge Nichols,
fhall have a Place and a Name in the Houje who being his Kinfman by the Mother's Side,
of God that is to fay, a Pillar Erecled for therefore took the more fpecial notice of him.
•,
Fame in the Church of God. And it (hall be From his Relation to this Judge, he had and
fulfilled in what fhall now be done for our ufed an Advantage to attain fuch a Skill in
the
i<5 0r 3 The Book
Hiflory (^New-England. II.
the Law, as was of great Advantage to him of near Twenty Thoufand Pounds, whereinto the
in the future changes of his Life ; and the Toung Earl found himfelf defperatcly Ingul-
Judge would have preferred him unto the phed, were happily waded through and by
;
under vaft Entanglements, out of which his was a perpetual Terror to Evil Doers His :
Father was never able to Extricate himfelf- Courage procured his being the firft Major-Ge-
Fo that the Difficulties and Incumbrances were neral of the Colony, when they began to put
now devolved upon this Theophilm, which themfelves into a Military Figure. His Ortho-
caufed him to apply himfelf ur.to this our dox Piety had no little Influence into the De-
Dudley for his Affiftances,
who proved fo liverance of the Country, from the Contagion
Able, and Careful, and Faithful a Steward of the Famaliftical Errors, which had like to
unto him, that within a little while the Debts have overturned all. He dwelt firft at Cam.
bridge ;
Book II. Or, The Hifiory ^New-England 7
the Importunity and Neceffity of the of our Governour Dudley, and the Confort of
lefs, upon
Government for his coming to dwell nearer our Governour Bradjireet, whole Poems, di-
the Center of the whole, he fixed his Habitati- vers times Printed, have afforded a
grateful En-
on at Roxbury, Two Miles out of Bofton, where tertainment unto the Ingenious, and a Monu-
he was always at Hand upon the Publick Exi- ment for her Memory beyond the Sratelieft
Here he died, July 51. 1653. in Marbles. It was upon thefe Poems that an in-
gencies.
the Seventy-Seventh Year of his Age , and genious Perfon bellowed this Epigram .-
Shuttles foot, my Race is run, The Moon hath totally Eclips'd the Sun
My is done. Not with her Sable Mantle muffling inm.
:
My Sun is Jet, my DayTale But her bright Silver- makes bis Gold look
My Span is meafurd,and is told, dim :
My Flower is faded, grown old.
Shadow's Juft as his Beams force our pale Lamps to
My Dream va/tifh'd,
is fled,
Dead.
My Soul with Chrift, my Bodyand wink,
Farewel Dear Wife, Cffildren Friends, And
Earthly Fires within their Afbes JhrinL
Hate Herefie, make Blejfed Ends.
Bear Poverty, live with good Men ;
So (hall we live with Joy agen. What elfe might be faid of Mi- Dudley, the
and Churches watch Reader (hall ConftruC from rht; Enfuing
Let Men of God in Courts
Cre fuch ai do a Toleration hatch,
HI Egg bring forth a Cockatrice, E P I T A P H.
Left that
To poifon all with Herefw and Vice.
Helluo Librorum, Leftzmn theca
If Men be left, and otherwife Combine, '
'
Sacra
%EpitaphV 5 3i Dp'ti no libertine* Communis,
Ad Men/am Comes, hint is, Roftra di-
mult now be faid, that a Judge of New- §. 2. In the Year 1635;. at the Anniverfary
Thomas had a Election, the Freemen of the Colony tefrified
England, namely, Dudley, Kfq^
Daughter (beiides other Children)
to be a their grateful Efteem of Mr. John Haines, a
Crown unto him. Reader, America jultly ad- Worthy Gentleman, who had been very Ser-
mires the Learned Women of the other Hemif viceable to the Interefts of the Colony, by
phere. She has heard of thofe that were Tu- chufing him their Governour. Of him in an
tor effes to the Old Profefibrs of all Philofophy Ancient Manufcript
: I find this Teff.imor.y
She hath heard of Hippatia, who formerly given To him is New-England many ways be- -,
and of Patnphilia, who wrote other Hiftories ther Year the Governour of that Colony. And
unto the Lite The Writings of the moft Re- as he was a great Friend of Peace while he
:
nowned Anna Maria Schurnian, have come 0- lived, fo at his Death he entred into that Peace
ver unto her. But (he now prays, that into which attends the End of the perfell and up-
fuch Catalogues of Authorejjcs, as Beverevicius, right Man, leaving behind him the Character
Hettinger, and Voetius, have given unto
the fometimes given of a Greater, tho' not a Better^
C c" Maa y
Magnalia Cbrifti Americana Book II.
Man, [Ve/'paf/a/!) Bonk Legibm multa eorrexit^i Speeches alfo his Speech and Prayer on the
;
netficut^ yet in the Year 1636. the Maffachufet- Defile my Confidence ; Chajiity and Puri-
the
Colony chofe him their Governour. And now, ty of which J d all this World I ;
Reader, I am as much
a Seeker for his Cha- would not for Ten Ihoufand Worlds part with
racter, as many hive taken him to be a Seeker the Peace and Satisfaction It.
my own
in Religion, while no lefs Perfons than Dr. Man- Heart. When mention was made of the Dif-
ton have not been to fee k for the Cenfiure oflficult Proceeding againft him, all his
reply
A flacked Book, with which they have noted was, Alas, what a Do do they keep to make a
the Myftical Divinity, in the Book of this
Knight, poor Creature like his Saviour ! On the Scaffold
Entituled, The Retired Alans Meditations. they did, by the Blaft of Trumpets in his Face
There has been a lfrange variety of Tranflati- with much Incivility, hinder him from
(peak-
ons bellowed upon the Hebrew Names of fome ing what he intended ; which Incivility he
Animals mentioned in the Bible : Kippod, for aforehand fufpeiVing, committed a true
' Copy
Inftance, wnich we tranflate a Bittern ; R. Salo- of it unto a Friend before his going thither ;
mon will have to be an Owl, but Luther will the laft Words whereof were thefe, As my laji
have it be an Eagle, while Paynin will Words with you, That as the Pre-
I leave this
have i: be an Hcdg-hog, but R. Kimchi will fent Storm zve now lye under, and the chirk
have it a Snail fuch a Variety of Opinions
,
Clouds that yet hang over the Reformed Churches
and Relentments has the Name of this Gentle- of Chrift, (which are coming thicker and thicker
man fallen under ; while fome have counted for * Seafon) were not unjorcfeen by me for
him an Eminent Christian, and others have many Tears pajl ; (as fome Writings oj mine
counted him almoft an Heretick fome have ; declare) fo the coming of Chrift in thefe
counted him a Renowned Patriot, and others Clouds, in Order to a fp.eedy and J'udden re-
an Infamous Traitor. If Barak fignifie both to vival of his Caufe, and fprcaduig his King-
Blefs and to Curfie and Euao^s/? be of the dom over the Face oj the whole Earth, is
5
mojl
fame Significancy with B^ao-wy.w, j n fuch clear to the Eye oj my Faith, even that Faith
Philology as that of Suidas and Hefychtus ;
in which I Die. His Execution was June 14.
the tlfage which the Memory of this Gentle- 1662. about the Fiftieth Year of his Age.
man has met withal, feems to have been Ac- §. 4. After the Death of Mr. Dudley, the
commodated unto that Indifferency of Signifi- Notice and Refpecf of the Colony fell chiefly
cation in the Terms for fuch an Ufage. on Mr. John Enlicot, who after many Services
On the one fide, I find an Old New-Engliff done for the Colony, even before it was yet a
Manufcript thus reflecting, His Elefiion will re- Colony, as well as when he law it grown into a
main an a Blemift) to their Judgments who did Populous Nation, under his Prudent and Equal
Eletf him, while New-England remains a Nati- Government, expired in a good Old Age, and
on ; for he coming from Old-England, a Toung was Honourably Inten'd at Bofton, March 23.
Unexperienced Gentleman, (and as young in 1665.
Judgment as he was in Tears) by the Industry The Gentleman that fucceeded Mr. Endicot,
of fome that could do much, and thought by was Mr. Richard Bellingham, one who was
him to play their own Game, was prefently E- bred a Lawyer, and one who lived beyond
leffed Governour ; and before he was fcarce Eighty, well efteemed for his laudable duali-
warm in his Seat, began to Broach New Tenets ties ; but as the Thebans made the Statues of
;
and thefe were agitated with as much Violence, their Magiftrates without Hands, importing .
as if the Welfare of New-England tnuft have that they mult be no Takers ; in this fafhion
been Sacrificed rather than thefe not take place. muft be formed the Statue for this Gentleman •,
But the Wifdom of the State put a Period to his for among all his Virtues, he was noted for
Government necejftty caufed them to undo the none more, than for his notable and perpetual
.
Works oj their own Hands, and leave us a hatred of a Bribe, which gave him, with his
Caveat, that all good Men are not jit for Go- Country, the Reputation of Old Claimed
vernment. But on the other fide, the Hiftori- by Pericles, to be, C/AfcToA;; ts kaI '/jv\ij.£tw
an who has Printed The Trial of Sir Henry Kgtiff<rur Civitaiis Amans, iy ad peciinias In-
Vane, Kkt< at the KingV Bench, Weftminfter, villus. And as he rv any from any
June 2. and 6. 1662. with other occaftonal one living j fo he neither could nor would
have
Book II. 0ry The Hiftory of New-England.
have given any to Death ; but in the latter much Recommended by Martial A£tlons a-
end of the Year 1672. he had his Soul gather- broad in his Younger Years, as his Wifdom
ed not with Sinners, whofe Right Hand is full and Juflice were now at Home in his Elder.
of Bribes,
but with fuch as walk in their up- The Anniverjary Elettion conftantly kept him
rightnefs.
at the Helm from the time of his firft Sitting
The Gentleman that fucceeded Mr. Belling- there, until March 16. 1678. when Mortali-
ham, was Mr. John Leveret, one to whom the ty having firft him on fevere Trials of
put
Affe&ions of the Freemen were fignalized, in his more difficult than
Fajjiye-Courage, (much
his quick advances through the leffer Stages of the Attive) in pains of the Stone, releafed
Office and Honour unto the higheft in the him.
Country ; and one whofe Courage had been as
Pater Patriae :
Or, The LIFE of SIMON BRADSTR.EET, Effi
E Gentleman that fucceeded Mr. Leve- Bofton, his Place of Steward unto the Earl
TH ret,
of a Minifter in
was Mr. Simon
Bradftreet, the Son
Lincoln/hire, who was always a
was conferred on Mr.
he with much ado
Bradftreet. Afterwards
obtained the Earfs leave
home,at as well as when to Anfwer the Defires of the
Aged and Pious
Non-Conformift
Preacher at Middleburgh
abroad. Him the Counters of Warwick, that he would
accept
in their AddrefTes full of pro- the Stewardjhip of her Noble
Family, which
New-Englanders
found Refpefts unto him, have with good as the former he
difcharged with anExempla-
reafon called, The venerable Mordecai oj his ry Difcretion and
Fidelity. Here he Married
Country. He
was born at Horbling, March 1 603 the Daughter of Mr. Dudley, by whofe per-
.
His Father (who was the Son of a Suffolk Gen- fwafion he came in Company with him to
tleman of a fine Eftate) was one of the Firft New-England, where he fpent all the reft of
Fellows in lmmanuel-Colkige, under Dr. Cha- his Days, Honourably ferving his Generation.
derton, and one
afterwards highly efteemed by It was counted a lingular Favour of Heaven
Mr. Cottoni and by Dr. Frefton. Our Bradftreet unto Richard Chamond, Efq^ one of England's
was brought up at the Grammar- School, until Worthies, that he was a Juftice of Peace near
he was about Fourteen Years Old ; and then Threefcore Years but of Simon Bradftreet. Efq;•,
the Death of his Father put a flop for the pre- one of New-England's Worthies, there can more
fent unto the Deligns of his further Education. than this be faid ; for he was chofen a Magi-
But according to the Faith of his Dying Father, ftrate of New- England before New-England it
that he fhould be well provided for, he was felf came into New-England even in their
within Two or Three Years after this taken firft great Voyage thither Anno 1630. and fb
into the Religious Family of the Earl of Lin- He continued annually chofen fometimes alio
,
Husband of that Queen fucceflively (howed Voluptuoujly; thus this excellent Perfon attain-
therafelves, in the Enchanted Circle, inwhich ed his good old Age, in part, By Living very Tem-
that Conjurer had made his Invocations, and perately. And the New-Englanders would
they took as many Turns as there had been have counted it their
Satisfaction, if like Ar-
Years in their Government. The Kings that ganthonius, who had been Fourfcore Years the
were to come, did then in like manner fuc- Governour of the TarteJJians, he might have
lived unto the Age of an Hundred and
ceflively come upon theStage, namely, FrancislL, Twenty
-
Charles IX. Henry III. henry IV. which being or, even unto the Age of Johannes de
Tempori-
done, then Two Cardinals, Richlieu and Ma- bus, who was Knighted by the Emperour
zarine, in Red Hats, became vifible in the Spe- Charlemaign, and yet was Living till the Em-
ctacle But after thofe Cardinals, there entred perour Conrade, and faw, they fay, no fewer
:
moYoz$, QBtargj %vw& and Lfoiwi, to Years than Three Hundred Threefcore and One,
confummate the Entertainment. If the People Though, TobeDiJJolvedandbewithChriJi^ was
of New-England had not Imagined, that a Num- the Satisfaction which this our Macrobius
ber of as .Rapacious Animals were at laft himfelf was with a weary Soul now
i
waiting
come into their Government, I fuppofe they and longing for; and Chrift at length granted
'
would not have made fuch a Revolution as they it unto him, on March 27, 1S97. Then it
did, on April 18. 1689. in conformity to the was, that one of the oldeft Servants that God
Pattern which the Englijh Ration was then and the King had upon Earth, drew his
Loft,
fetting before them. Neverthelefs, I have no- in the very place where he drew his
Firji, A-
thing in this Paragraph of our Hiftory to
Re- merican Breath. He Died at
Salem, in a Trou-
port of it,
but that Mr. Bradjireet was at this blefome Time, and entred into
everlafting Peace.
time.alive whofe Paternal Compaffions for a And in Imitation of what the Roman Orator
-,
CHAP. VI.
in the wife and good ConduCt of thofe whom miffioners unto thefe, for the more effectual Ex-
they had Elected. If they called fome few of ecution of the Laws in fome
Emergencies, can-
their Magijirates from the Plough to the Bench, not be brought into our Catalogue ; but the
fo the Old Romans did fome of their DiRators Names of all our Magijirates, with the Times
-,
Richard Ruffel, 1659 Love to, and Zeal for, and Cafe of thele
Thomas Danfortb, 16S9 Churches, was not the leaft part of their Cha-
William Hawthorn, 1662 racter.
Eleazer Lufher, 1662 The Inftances of their Concern for the Wel-
John Leveret, i65j fare of the Clmrchcs were innumerable. I will
John Pinchon, 166? fingle out but one from the reft, becaufe of
Edward Tyng, 1668 lbme Singular Subfervieney to the Defigns of
William Stoughton, 1671 our Church-Hijiory, therein to be propos'd. Ill
Thomas Clark, I673 do it only by Tranlcribing an Inftrument, pub-
Jofeph Dudley, 1676 lifhed Anno 166Q, in fuch Terms as thefe.
Peter Bulkley,
1677
To
11 Magnalia Chrifti
Americana : Book II.
Neglect in
many places, notwithftanding the
To the Elders and Minifters of every Town Laws long fince provided therein, we do
therefore think it our Duty to emit this
within the Jurifdi&ion of the Maflachu-
Declaration unto you, earneftly
fets in the Governour Defiring, and
New-England, in the Bowels of our Lord
Jefus, requiring
and Council fendeth Greeting.
you to be very Diligent and Careful to Cate-
chife and Inftruct all People (efpecially the
Reverend and Beloved in the Lord,
Touth) under your Charge, in the found Prin-
WE
only
'
find in the
ture
excited and
,
that
Examples of Holy Scrip-
Alagtfirates have not
commanded
People all the
ciples of Chriftian Religion ; and that not
only in Public k, but privately from Houfe to
Houfes as Bleffed Paul did (AS. 20. 20.) or•,
under their Government, tofeek the Lord God at leaft, Three, Four, or more Families meet-
of their Fathers, and do the haw and Com- ing together, as Time and Strength may per-
mandment, (2. Chron. 14. 2, 5,4. Ezra 7. 2j, mit ; taking to your Affiftance fuch
godly
26, 27.) but alio Itirred up and fent forth and grave Perfons as to you may feem moft ex-
the Levites, accompanied with other Princi- pedient : And
alfo that you Labour to Inform
pal Men,
to Teach the good Knowledge of the your much as may be meet) how
lelves fas
Lord throughout all the Cities, (2. Chron. 17. your Hearers do profit by the Word of God,
^> !> 8, 9-) which Endeavours have been and how their Conversions do agree there-
Crowned with the Blefling of God. with and whether the Youth are
; to Taught
c
Alfo we find that our Brethren of the Con- Read the Englifh Tongue :
Taking all occafi-
gregational Perfwafion in England, have made ons to apply fuitable Exhortations
particularly
a good Profeflion in their Book, Entituled, unto them, for the Rebuke
ofthofe that do
AVeclaration of their Faith and Order, (Page evil, and the Encouragement of them that do
CHAP. VII.
Publicola Chriftianus. The LIFE o/EDWARD HOPKINS, Efa Gover-
nour ^/CONNECTICUT -COLONY.
§.1
w
Wildernejs,
fas he was
the
for
HEN
carried
Theocracy,
that Rcafon
the Great God of Heaven had
the Oracle of the Scriptures ; and though their
fudges were ftill Eleffed by themfelves, and
his Peculiar People into a
wherein he became not lnfpired with fuch
extraordinary Influences
ftiled ) Tloe Lord of as carried them of Old, yet
thefe alfo being
unto them and the Pour Squadrons of Angularly furnifhed and offered by the fpecial
Hofls,
their ii>«zy, was moft eminently difplay'd in his Providence of God unto the Government of his
his Directing of their New-EngHJh People, were fo
Enacting of their Laws, eminently acted
Wars, and his Electing and Infpiring of their by His Graces, and His Precepts, in the Dif-
Judges. In fome refemblance hereunto,
when charge of their Government, that the Bleffed
of had marched like People were ftill fenfibly Governed
by the Lord
Four Colonies Chriftians
fo many 'Hefts under the Conduct of the good of All. Now among the Firft Judges of New-
Spirit of our Lord Jefus Chrift into an American England, was CDfoacD JpOpfeillg, Efq in whofe ;
Wildemefs, there were feveral Inftances where- time the Colony of Connecticut was favoured
in that Army of 'Conjejjors was under a Theo- with Judges as at the firft and put under the -,
Shrewsbury, about the Year 1600.) tirft fitted Attention in the People of his
Family, which
him for the Condition of a Turky- Merchant, was to ask any Perfon that feemed Carelels in
in London-, where he lived feveral Years in the midlt of his Difcourle, What was it that I
good Faihion and Efteem, until a powerful Par- Read or Spoke laji ? Whereby he Habituated
ty in the Church
of England, then' reiolving them unto fuch an Attention, that they were
not only to feparate from the Communion of Ifill ufually able to give a ready Account. But
all the Faithful that were Avetfe to certain as for his Prayers, they were not only
frequent,
confeffedly unfcriptural and uninflituted Kites but io fervent alio, that he frequently fell a
in the Worihip of God, but alio to Perfecute Bleeding at the Nofe through the
Agony of
with deftroying Severities thole that were Non- Spirit with which he labout'd in them. And,
Conformifts thereunto, compelled a confiderable efpecially when imploring fuch Spiritual Blef-
Number of good Men to feek a fhelter among the fings, as, That God would grant in the End
of
Salvages of America. Among thefe, and with our Lives, the End of our Hopes, even the
his Father-in-Law, Mr. Theophilus
Excellent
'
Salvation of our Souls, he would be fo Trans-
Eaton, he came to d where then ; ported, that the Obferving and Judicious Hear-
removing from the Majfachufet-Bay unto Hart- would fay fometimes upon it, Surely this
ers
jord upon Connefficut-Kiver, he became a Ruler Alan cant be long out of Heaven. Moreover,
and Pillar of that Colony, during the time of in his Neighbourhood he not only fet himfelf
his Abode in the Country. to Encourage and Countenance real
Godlinefs^
§. 3. In his Government
he acquitted himfelf as but alfo would himfelf kindly viiit the Aleet-
the Solomon of his Colony, to whom God gave ings that the Religious Neighbours privately
'
Head, fo he was the Heart of the People, for would, with a prudent and fpcedy Endeavour,
;
the Refolution to do WeH, which he maintained Extinguilh it. But the Poor he fo cqnfidered,
among them. An unjufl Judge is, as one fays, that befides the Daily Reliefs which with his
A cold lire, a dark bun, a dry Sea, an ungood. own Hands he difpenced unto them, he would
God, a contradictio in Adjecto. Far from luch put confiderable Sums of Money into the
was our Hopkins no, he was, Aikaiw Iij.1.vx<>v, Hands of his Friends, to be by them employed
-, !
a meer piece of Living Juftice. And as he had as they faw Opportunity to do good unto all, e-
no feparate Interefts of his own, fo he purfued fpecially the Houfhold of Faith. In this
their Interefts with luch an unfpotted and liic- thing he was like that Noble and
Worthy
cefsful Fidelity, that they might call him as Englifh General, of whom 'tis noted, He never
the Tribe of Benjamin did their Leader in the thought he had any thing but what he gave it-
Wildernels, Abidan. that is to fay, Our Father way and yet after all, with much humility
;
is
Judge. Kew-England faw little Daw/tings, he would profefs, as one of the molt Liberal
and Emblems, and Eamejis of the Day, That Men that ever was in the World often would,
the great nefs of the Kingdom, under the whole I have often turned over my Books of
Accounts,
Heaven Jhall be given unto the People of the but I could never find the Great God charged
Saints of the moji high, when fuch a Saint as a Debtor there.
our 3|)opkiH0 was one of its Governours. And §. ?.
But Suffering as well as Doing belongs
the Felicity which a Great Man has Prognofti- to the Compleat Character of a Chrifiian and;
cated for Europe, That God mill flir up fome there were feveral Trials wherein our Lord
happy Governour in fome Country in Chrijien- called this Eminently Patient Servant of his to
dom, indued with Wifdom and Confederation, Suffer the Will of God. He Confliaed with
who Jhall difcern the true Nature of Godlinefs Bodily Infirmities, but efpecially with a Waft-
and Chrifiianity, and the Neceffity and Excel- ing and a Bloody Cough, which held him for
lency of ferious Religion, and jhall place his Thirty Years together. He had been by Per-
Honour and Felicity in pleafing God, and doing fecutions driven to crofs an Ocean, to which he
Good, and attaining Everlajiing Happinefs, had in his Nature an Antipathy and then a
•
Charity , and while he governed others by the and that was this, He Married a Daughter
Laws of God, he did himfelf yeild a profound which the Second Wife of Mr. Eaton had by
Subjection unto thofe Laws. He was exempla- a former Husband ; one that from a Quid had
rily watchful over his own Behaviour, and been Obfervable for Defirable Qualities. But
made a continual C -lion of, and Pre- fome time after (lie was Married (he tell into
paration for Death, to be the. Character of his a Diftempered Melancbolly, which at laft Iilu-
It was his manner to
Life. Rife early, even ed in an Incurable Diflraclwn, with fuch 111-
before Day, to
enjoy the Devotions of his Ciofet fhaped Ideas in her Brain, as ufe to be
•,
after which he
fpent a confiderable time in formed when the Animal Spirits are fired by
I
Reading, and Opening, and Applying the Word] Irregular Particles, fixed with Acid, Biiious,
Vene-
24 Magnolia Chrifii
Americana : Book II.
Venemous Ferments in the Blood. Very Grie- New-England, with which he left it, was di-
vous was this Afflidion unto this her worthy verted fo far, that be fent for his Family and
;
Conforr, who was by temper a very Affefti- about the time that he looked for
them,
oriate Perfon: And who now left no part of a he being advantaged by his great Places to em-
tender Husband undone, to Eafe, and, if it were ploy certain Frigots for their fafety on the
poilible, to Cure the Lamenrable Defolation thus Coaft, by that means had them fafely brought
come upon, "The 'Defire of his Eyes; but when unto him. When they were with him in Lon-
the Phyiician gave him to underftand, that no don, one of them told him how much his
means would be Likely to Reftore her Senfc, but Friends in New-England Wilh'd and Pray'd for
fuch as would be alio likely to Hazard her Life, his Return And how that Paffage had been :
he Replied with Tears, I had rather bear my ufed in our Publick Supplications for that Mer-
Crofs unto the End that the Lord fhall give ! cy, Lord, If we may win him in Heaven, we
But upon this Occafion he faid unto her Sifter, (hall yet have him on Earth : But he Reply'd,
who, with all the reft related unto her, were I have had many Thoughts about my Return,
as dear unto him as bis own ; / have often and my AffetTions have been bent very
firongly
thought, what fhouldbe the -meaning of the Lord, that way and thd I have now, bleffed be Cod,;
in chaftifing of me with Jo [harp a Rod, and with received my Family here, yet that /hail be no
Jo long a Stroke ! Whereto, when fhe Reply'd, hindrance to my Return. I will tell you, though
I am little worth,
Sir, nothing Jingular hat, in this Cafe, befallen yet I have that Love which
you ;
God hath afitiilicd others in the like way ;
will
difpnfc me to ferve the Lord, and that
and we mufi be content with our Portion : He People oj his. But as to that matter, I incline
Anfwered, Sifter, This is among the Lord's Ra- to think they will not win it in Heaven and ;
rities. For my part I cannot tell what Sore to I know not -whether the Terrors of my dreadful
lay my Hand upon :
However, in General, my Voyage hither might not be ordered by the Di-
vine Providence, to Stake me in this
Sovereign Lord is
Juft, and
I will' jujiifie him Land, be'
for ever : But in Particular, 1 have thought the tng in my Spirit fufficiently loth to run the
matter might lye
here my hazard of fuch another. 1 mufi alfo
: I promifed fay to
felf too much Content Relation you, I mourn exceedingly, and 1 fear,
in this I fear,
and "Enjoyment \ and the Lord will make me to the Sins of New-England will ere long be
know that this World jh all not afford it me. So read in its Punifhments. The Lord has planted
he wifely, meekly, fruitfully bore this that Land with a Noble Vine ; and Bleffed
heavy
Affiitlton unto his Dying Day ; having been haft thou been, Land, in thy Rulers But, O !
far out- Mine. But he is our Father I I the reft of his Days, in feveral places of Great
(Inning
cannot fay, a* he can y I have had hard work Honour and Burden faithfully lerving the Na-
with my own Heart about it. But upon the tion; but in the midft of his Publick Employ-
Death of his Elder Brother, who was Warden of ments moft exacfj.y maintaining the Zeal and
the Fleet, it was neceflary for him to Return Watch of his own private Walk with God. His
into England, that he might look after the Mind kept continually Mellowing and Ripening
Eftate which then fell unto him ; and accord- for Heaven ; and one Expreflion of his Heaven-
ingly, after a Tempeftuous and a Terrible Voy- ly Mind, among many others, a little before his
age wherein they were eminently endangered End, was, How
often have I pieafed my felf with
a with my Father
by Fire, accidentally enkindled on the Ship, as thoughts of joyful Meeting
well as by Water, which tore it fo to Pieces, Eaton I
! remember with what pleajure he would
that it was Towed in by another Ship, he at come down the Street, that he might meet me
length, when I came from Hartford unto New-Haven :
But with how much greater Pleafure fhall we
"Per Varios Cafus tot Jhortly meet one another
in Heaven ! But as an
; per Difcrimina Rerun?,
Heavenly Mind is oftentimes a Prefacing
arrived there. There a great Notice was quick- Mind, ib he would fometimes utter this Prejfage
ly taken of him He was made Warden of the
: unto fbme that were Near and Dear unto him %
Fleet, Commiiiioner of the Admiralty, and the God will Jhortly take the Protecf or away, and
Navy -Office, a Parliament-Man; and he was Joon after that you will fee great Changes
placed in lome oiher confiderable Stations In :
overturning the prefent Conftitution, and Jore
all which he more than anfwered the Expecta- Troubles come upon thofe that now promife
tions of thofe who took him to be a Perfon better things unto themfelves. However, he
Eminently Qualified for Publick Service. By did not Live to fee the Fulfilment of this
thefe Employments, his defign of Returning to PrediUicn.
§>.
8. For
Book II. Or, The Hiftory of New-England. 2
5
one of them laid, Sir, The Lord hath enlarged Part of E D tVA R D HOPKINS,E{%
he Friend, this is SenJ'e •
Praifes, and
in Inexpreffible Joys : In which Intends to Sue out, by a New
Revile,
time, when fome Eminent Perfons of a very His Habeas Corpus at the Grand Affize.
CHAP. VIII.
S V C C E S S R S.
A
Lternately, for the
moft part every which occurr'd in their Lives, they
|< I. might
J\
other Year, Mr. Hains, whom we have made more of a Figure in this our Hi-
have already mentioned elfewhere, took a turn ftory 5 whereas I muft now Sum up all, with
with Mr. Hopkins in the Chief place of Go- alluring my Reader, that it is the want of
vernment. And befides thefe, (Reader, the Knowledge in Me, and not of Defert in Them,
Oracle that once Predicted Government unto a that has confined us unto this Brevity.
would now and here Predial it unto a W.) §. 2. After the Union of ConncUicui with
©,
there were Mr. Willis, Mr. Wells, and Mr. Kewhaven, there were in Chief Government
whom alfo had Opportunity toMr. Leet, whom we have already paid our
Webfter, all of
Dues unto ; and Mr. Treat, who is yet living,
Liberal and Generous Difpofiti-
exprefs their
ons, and the Governing Virtues of Wifdom, a Pious and a Valiant Man, and
(if even Aiino-
the Eleftion of the
fa §>iicrcus be an Honourable
Juftice and Courage, by thing ) worthy !
to be Honoured for An
its being United
Freemen in the Colony before Hoa?y Head found in
with Kewhaven. Had the Surviving Relations the Way of Righteoufnefs : Befides, Mr. Win-
of thefe Worthy Men fent in unto me a Tenth throp, of whom anon, Reader, expe& a Com-
Part of the Confiderable and Imitable Things pleater Hiftory.
Vd € H A P>
i6 Magnalia. Chrijli Americana Book II.
CHAP. IX.
§. I. T
has been enquired, why the Evan- try, he there at School fell into the Inti-
gelift Luke in the Firfl Sacred Hifto-
mate Acquaintance of that Worthy John Dw
vj which he
AddrelTed unto his Fellow-Citizen, venport, with whom the Providence of God
gave him the Title of The moji Excellent The- many Years after united him in the great
but in the next he ufed no higher aiStile Undertaking of fettling a Colony of Chriftiart
ophilus,
than plain Theophilus ? And though feveral o- and Reformed Churches on the American
ther Anfwers might be given to that Enquiry, Strand. Here his Ingenuity and
Proficiency
'tis enough to fay, That neither the Civility of render'd him notable ;
and fo vaft was his
that although he wrote not at the
Luk£, nor Nobility of Theoplilus, were by Age Memory,
abated but Luke herein considered the Difpo- Church, yet when lie came home, he would,
-,
Excellent Per/on, and this was Theophilus Father was Mimfler of Coventry, contrary to
his Intentions, became a Merchant.
Eaton, Efq; the firft G&vernour of that Colony. His Parents
is a Virtue whereof Amyr aldu s ob- were very loth to have complied with his
Humility
ferves, There is not Jo much cut a Shadow oj Inclinations ;
but their Compliance therewith-
Commendation in all the Pagan Writers. But al did at laft appear to have been directed by
the Reader is now concerned with Writings a fpecial Favour of Heaven unto the
Family,
which will Commend a Perfon for Humility ;
when after the Death of his Father,hs, by this
and therefore our EATON, in whom the means, became the Jofepb, by whom his Mother
ihine of every Virtue was particularly fet off
was maintained until Ine died, and his Orphan
with a more than ordinary Degree of Humili- Brethren and Sifters had no Small part of their
ty,
muft now be propos'd as Commendable. Subiiftence.
§. 2. 'Tis Reported, that the Earth taken §. 4. During the time of his hard Appren-
from the Banks of Nilus, will very Strangely ticclhip he behaved himjelj wifely ; and his
with the place from whence it was Wifdom, with God's Favour, particularly
appear-
Sympathize
ed in his cbafte Ficape pom the Snares of a
taken, and grow moift or dry according to the
Increafe and the Decreale of the River. And in Young Woman in the Houie where he lived,
to ob- who -would fain have taken him in the Pits
fpite of that Popifk Lie which pretends by
ferVe tile contrary, this thing has been fignal- the Wife Alan cautioned againft, and who
in the daily Obfervation, that the was herlelf fo taken only with his molt Come-
ly Moralizd
Sorts oj Mimjfeff, though betaking themfelves ly Perfon. that She dy"d for the Love of him,
to other Imployments, do ordinarily carry about when (he faw him gene too far to be obtained :
with them an Holy and Happy Savour of Whereas, by the like Snares, the Apprentice that
their AMnifterial Education. 'Twas remarkably next fucceeded him was undone for ever.
Exemplified in our
Iheophilus Eaton, who was But being a Perfon herewithul moft fignally
Bom at Stony-Stratford in Oxfordfhire, the Diligent in his Bujinefs, n was not long be-
Eldeft Son to the Faithful and Famous Mim- fore the Maxim of the Wife Man was molt
fter of the place. But the Words of Old ufed literally accomplished )n his coming to Stand
the Son of a Great before Prino&s for being made a Freeman of
by Philofiratus concerning ;
Man, As jor his Son I have nothing elje to London, he applied himfelf unto the Eafl-
Jay, but that he wot his Son ^ they could Country Trade, and was publickly chofen the
not be ufed concerning our Theophilus, who Deputy-Govanour of the Company, wherein
having received a good Education from his he lo acquitted himfelf as to become confide-
Pious] Parents, did live many Years to An- rable. And afterwards going himfelf into the
fwer that Education in his own Piety and XJJe- Eafi-Country, he not only became fo well Ac-
fulnejs. quainted with the Affairs of the Baltick-Sea,
§.9. His Father being removed unto Coven- but alfo became fo well Improved in the Ac-
complishments
Book II. Or, The Hiftory of New-England,
his Agency he fo difcreetly managed, that as moving thither himfelf until Mr. Davenport,
he much obliged and engaged the Eaft-Land under whole Excellent Minillry he lived, was
Company, (who in Token thereof prefented his compelled unto a ihare in this Removal. How-
Wife with a Bafon and Ewer double gilt, and ever, being fully fatisfied in his own Confcience,
a- that Vnlawjul things were now
curiouily wrought with Cold, and weighing violently de-
bove Sixty Pound,) fo he found much Accep- manded of him, he was willing to accompa-
tance with the King of Denmark, and was af- ny his Perfecuted Pallor in the Retreat from
terwards ufed by that Prince to do him no Violence now Endeavoured, and many Eminent
little Services. Neverthelefs he kept his Inte- Londoners chearfully engaged with him in this
grity amongft the Temptations of that Court, Undertaking. Unto New-England this Compa-
whereat he was now a Refide nt and not fel ny of good Men came in the Year 1637. where
;
dom had he moft Eminent Caufe to acknow- chufing to be a diftinft Colony by themfelves,
ledge the Benignity and Interpofal of Heaven more Accommodated unto the Defigns of Mer-
for his Prefervations ; once particularly, when chandize than of Husbandry, they fought and
the King of Denmark was beginning the King bought a large Territory in the Southern Parts
of England's Health, while Mr. Eaton, who of the Country for their Habitations. In the
dilliked fuch Health-Drinking, was in his Frofecution hereof, the chief Care was devol-
Pretence ; the King fell down in a fort of ved upon Mr. Eaton, who with an Unexempled
a Fit, with the Cup in his Hand, whereat all Patience took many tedious and hazardous
the Nobles and Courtiers wholly applied them- Journies through a Delblate Wilderneis full of
felves to convey the King into his Chamber, Barbarous Indians, until upon Mature Delibe-
and there was no notice taken who was to ration he pitched upon a place now called
Pledge his Health whereby Mr. Eaton was New-Haven, where they foon formed a
•,
very
the more eafily deliver'd from any fhare in the regular Town and a number of other Towns
•,
ters. But the Second of his Children by his England and Mr. Eaton being yearly and ever
;
latter Wife dying fome while before, it was chofen their Governour, it was the Admirati-
not long before his Two Children by his on of all Spectators to behold the
Difcretion,
former Wife were fmitten with the Plague, the Gravity, the Equity with which he ftill
whereof the Elder died, and his Houfe there- managed all their Publick Affairs. He carried
upon (hut up with a, Lord have Mercy ! How- in his very Countenance a
Majejly which can-
ever the Lord had this Mercy on the Family, not be defcribed ;
and in his Dilpenfations of
to let the Diftemper fpread no further ; and fo Juftice he was a Mirrour for the moft Imitable
Mr. Eaton fpent many Years a Merchant of Impartiality, but Ungainfayable Authority of
great Credit and Fafhion in the City of Lon- his Proceedings, being awfully fenfible of the
don. Obligations which the Oath of a Judge lays up-
§. 6. At length Conformity to Ceremonies on him. lis font
plus tenus de raifon de
Humanely Invented and Impofed in the Wor- garder Leur Serment, doubter mort, ou au-
(hip of God, was urged in the Church of cutie forfeiture : And hence he, who would
England with fo much Rigour, that Mr. Da- moft patiently bear hard things offered unto
venport was thereby driven to feek a Refuge his Per fon in private Cafes, yet would never
from the Storm in the Cold and Rude Corners of pafs by any Publick Affronts, or Neglefite
D
d offered;
28 Ameritchui : Book
Magnalia Cbrijli II.
offered when he appeared under the Chara&er dally tending unto the Sariciification of the
of a Mugijh-cte. But he ftill was the Guide Day. At Noon he fang a
Pfalm, and at
of the Wind, the Staff" of the Lame, the Help- Night he retired an Hour into his Clofet; ad-
er of the Widow and
the Orphan, and all the vihng thofe in his Houfe to improve rhe 'fame
Diftrcfled none that had a Good Caufe was a- time for the good of their own Souls.
; He
fraid of coming before him On the one fide,
: then called his Family
together again, and in
In his Days did the Righteous flourijh ; on thean obliging manner conferred with them
about
other fide, tic wot the Terror oj Evil Doers. the things with which
they had been Enter-
As in his Government of the Commonwealth, lb tained in the Houfe of God,
(hutting up all
in the Government of his family, he was Pru- with a Prayer fot the
Bleffing of God upon
.
dent, Serious, Happy to a Wonder and 3lbeit them all. For Solemn
•, of
Days Humiliation
he fometimes had a large family, confifting of or of Thank/giving, he took the fame Courfe'
no lefs than thirty Pcrfons, yet he managed and Endeavoured ftill t<3 make thofe that be-
them with fuch an Even Temper, that Ob- longed unto him, underftand the meaning of the
fervers have affirmed. They never jaw an Houfe Services before them. He feldom uied any
ordered .with more Wifdom ! He kept an Ho- Recreations, but being a great Reader, all the
nourable and Hofpitable Table but one thing time he could (pare from
Company and Bufi-
I
-,
that ftill made the Entertainment thereof the nefs, he commonly fperit in his Beloved Stu-
:
bettcr, was the continual Prefence of his Aged\dy; fo that he merited the Name which was
Mother, by feeding of whom with an Exempla once given to a Learned Ruler of rhe Engftfh
ry Piety till Jbe died, he enfured his own Prc- Nation, the Name of Bcauclerk : in Ccnver-
jperity as long as
he lived. His Children and fing with his Friends, he was Affable, Cour-
Servants he would mightily Encourage unto teous, and generally Plcajant, but Grave
per-
the Study of the Scriptures* and Countenance petually and lb Cautelous and
Circumfpecf in
their Addrcilis unto himfelf with any of their his Difcourfcs, and fo Modcft in his
Expreffi-
but when he difcerned any of ons, that it became a Proverb for Inconteftabie
Enquiries ;
them fintully negligent about the Concerns either Truth, Governcur Eaton faid it.
of their General or Particular Callings, he But after all, his humility appeared in his
would admonilh them with fuch a Penetra- having always but Low Expectations,
looking
ting Efficacy, that they
could fcarce forbear for little Regard and Reward from
any Men
falling down
at his Feet with Tears. A Word after he had merited as highly as was poflihle
of was enough to fleer them
his !
by his Univer/al Serviceablenefs.
§. 8. So Exemplary was he for a Chriftian, k;. 9. His Eldeft Son he maintained at the
that one who had been a Servant unto him, Colledge until he proceeded Mafter
of Arts
-
could many Years after fay, Whatever Difficul- and h£ was indeed rhe Son of his Vows, and a
in my daily Walk I now meet withal, ftill Son of great Hopes. But a fevere Catarrh
ty
that I cither Jaw or heard in
my diverted this Young Gentleman from rhe Work
j'omcthing
Buffed Majler Eaton
jConverfation^ helps me of the Miniftry whereto his Father had once
/ have Reojon to blejs God devoted him and a Malignant Fever then
through it all •,
,
that ever I knew him ! It was his Cuftom raging in thofe Parts of the
Country, carried
when he fitft rofe in a Morning, to repair un- oft him with his Wife within Two or Three
to his Study ; a Study well Perfumed with the Days of one another. This was counted the
Meditations and Supplications of an Holy fbreft of all the Trials that ever befel his Fa-
Soul. After this, calling his Family together, ther in the Days of the Tears of his
Pilgri-
he would then read a Portion of the Scripture mage ; but he bore it with a Patience and
among them, and after fome Devout and Ufe- Compofure of Spirit which was truly admi-
ful Reflections upon it, he would make a Pray- rable. His dying Son look'd
earneftly on him,
er not long, but Extraordinary Pertinent and and faid, Sir, What fhall we do I Whereto,
Reverent and in the Evening fome of the with a well-ordered Countenance, he
replied^
fame Exercifes were again artended. On the Look up to God ! And when he paffed by
Saturday Morning he would ftill take notice his Daughter drowned in Tears on this Occafi-
of the Approaching Sabbath in his Prayer^ and on, to her he faid, Remember the Sixth Com-
ask the Grace to be Remembring of It, and mandment, hurt not your felf with Immode-
and when the Evening arri- rate Grief; Remember Job, who
Preparing for it ; faid, The
ved, he, befides this, not only Repeated a Ser- Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken
mon, but alio Inftrutfcd his People, with put- away, BlelTed be the Name of the Lord !
any time inefficient, he would wifely and charging of him when we don't
foolifhly, fub-
gently Enlighten their Underftandings ; all mit unto his Will patiently. Accordingly he
which he concluded with Singing of a Pfalm. now governed himfelf as one that had attained
When the Lord's Day came, he called his Fa- unto the Rule of Weeping as if we wept not ;
mily together at the time for the Ring- for it being the Lord's Day, he repaired unto
ing of the Fitft Bell,
and repeated a Sermon, the Church in the Afternoon, as he had been
Wherettnto he added a Fervent Prayer^ efpe- there in the Forenoon, though he was never
like
Book II. Or, The Hi/iory of Ncw^uglmd. \9
like to fee his Deareft Son alive any more in den to every one but himfelf !
Having Wor-
this World. And though before the Firfl Pray- lhipped God with his Family after his ufual
er a
began, MelTenger
came to prevent Mr. Daven- manner, and upon fornp
Occafion with much
for the Sick Peribn, who was now Solemnity charged the Family to carry it
all
port's, praying
Dead, yet his Aftecfionate Father alter'd not well imp rhejr Milfteis who was now confined
his Courfe, but Wrote after the Preacher as by Sickneis, he Supp'd, and then took a turn
formerly \ and when he came
Home he held on q[ two abroad for his Meditations. After that
his former Methods of Divine Worfhip in his he came in to bid his Wife Good-night, before
Family, not for the Excufe of Aaron, omitting he left her with her Watchers which when he
;
i§.
jo. Thus continually he, for about a Score
of Years, was the Glory and Pillar of Kew- —Scdcs, ubi Fata, §>uietas
Haven Colony. He would fay,often Some
Gflendunt.
count it a great matter to Die well,' but I am
fure 'tis a great matter to Live well. All our Now
let his Gravcftone wear at leaffc the
Care fhould be while we have our Life to ufe following
it well, and Jo when Death puts an end unto
that, it will put an end unto all our Cares. EPITAPH.
having Excellently managed his Care to
1
"But
Live well, God would have him to Die well, NEW-EN.GL
A.ND'x Glory, full of
without any room or time then given to take Warmth and Light,
any Care at all ; for he enjoyed a Death Jud Stole away (and fa id nothing,) in the Night.
CHAP. X.
SUCCESSORS.
-4. 1. \T7 HEN the Day arrived in the which through Death was not fuffered to
VV Anniverjary Courfe for the Free- continue above Three or Four Years, by
That he walk'd exaUly in the
men of the Colony to ElecF another Gover- only faying,
nour in the place of the Deceafed Eaton, Mr. Steps of his Predeceffor.
Davenport Preached on that PafTage
of the Di- §. 2. Upon the letting of Mr. Francis New-
vine Oracle, in Jofh. 1. I, 2. ~Nevo after the man, there arole Mr. William Leet, of whom
Death of Mofes, the Servant of the Lord, it let not the Reader be difpleafed at this brief
came to pafs that the Lord fpake unto Jofhua, Account. This Gentleman was by his Educati-
the Son of'Nun, Mofes Minifter, faying. Now on a Lawyer, and by his Imployment a Regi-
arife thou and all this People. The Colony fter in the Bi_fhop's Court. In that Station, at
was abundantly fenfible that their CiitOlt had Cambridge, he obferved that there were Sum-
been a Man of a Mofaic Spirit; and that moned; before the Coutt certain Perfbns to an-
while they chofe him, as they did every Year fwer for the Crime of going to hear Sermons
of his Life among them to be theit Governour, abroad, when there were none to be heard in
they could not chufe a better. But they now their own Parifh Churches at home ; and that
confidered that Mfl". Francis Newman, who had when any were brought before them for For-
been for many Years the Secretary of the Co- nication or Adultery, the Court only made
as themfelves merry with their Peccadillo's ; and
lony, was there a Minifler to their Mofes,
he had been otherwife his intimate Friend, that thefe latter Tranfgreflbrs were as favoura-
Neighbour, Companion and Counfellor. For bly dealt withal, as ever the Wolf was when
this Caufe the Unanimous Choice of the Free- he came with an Auricular ConfeJJton of his
men fell upon this Gentleman to fucceed in Murders to his Brother Fox for Abfolution -,
the Government. And I fhall here give but the^ former found as hard meafure as ever,
.
a furfkient Hiftory of his Government the- poor 4/>, that had only taken a Straw by
•,
miirake
3° Magnolia Cbrijii
Americana : Book II.
mifiake out of a Pilgrim's Pad, and yet upon i Generation of Men, he aflbciated himfelf
Confejfidn, -was by Chancellour Fox pronounced with fuch as would go Hear the Word, that
Unpardonable. This Obfervation extreamly they might get Faith ; and in Hearing he did
fcandalized Mr. Leet y who always thought, happily get the Like precious Faith. On this,
that Hearing a good Sermon had been a lefler and for this, he was expoied unto the Perfecu-
Fault than Lying with one's Neighbour's Wife : tion, which caufed him to retire into New-
And had the lame Refentments that Auftin England with many Worthy Minilters and o-
fometimes had of the Iniquity which made ther Chriftians in the Year 1639. I" that Coun-
the Tranjgrejfwn of a Ceremony more feverely try he fettled himfelf under the Miniftry of
reprehended than a Tranfgrejfion of the Law of the Excellent Mr. Whitfield at Gilford, where
God ;
but it made an Everlafting Impreffion being alfo chofen a Magijlrate, and then Go-
upon his Heart, when the Judge of the Court vernour of the Colony ; and being fo at the
furiouflydemanded of one then to be cenfured, Juncture of time, when the Royal Charter did
How he durfl be fo bold an to break the Laws join Connecticut and New-Haven, he became
of the Churchy in going from his own Parifb next unto Governour W'mthrop, the Veputy-
to hear Sermons abroad ? And the Honeft Man Governour of the whole and after the Death
;
anfwered; Sir, How fhould I get Faith elfe ? of Mr. Winthrop, even until his own Death.,
For the Apoflle faith, Fait!: comes by Hearing the Annual Eletlwn for about a Decad of Years
the Word F reached which Faith is necejfary
; together ftill made him Governour. But in
to Salvation ; and Hearing the Word is the his whole Governmenr he gave continual De-
Means appointed by God for the obtaining and monftrations of an Excellent Spirit, especially
encreafwg of it : And thefe Means I mufi ufe, in that part of it where the Reconciliation and the
whatever I fiiffcr for it in this World. Thefe Coalition of the Spirits of the People under it
Words of that Honelt Man were Bleffed by was to be accomplilhed. P r. Robert Treat is
God with fuch an Effect upon the Mind of Mr. the Follower of his Example, as well as the
Leei\ that he prelcntly left his Offife in the Succeffor in his Government.
Bifhop's Court, and forfaking rhat Untoward
CHAP. XI.
Hermes Chriftianus. The LIFE of JOHN WINTHROP,*£/fi Qever~
now of CONNECTICUT and NEW-HAVEN United.
GefnW1HS.-
§. i.TF the Hiftorian could give that Cha- Opportunity of Converting with all forts of
i of the beft Roman Emperor, Learned Men, that he returned home equally a
rafter
that he was Bonus a Bono, Pius a Pio, the Son Subject of much Experience, and of great Ex-
of a Father like himfelf, out Hiftory may pectation.
affirm concerning a very good Nevc-Englifh Go- $;. 3. The Son of Scipio Afncanus proving
vernour he was the Father of a Son
alto, that a degenerate Pcrfon, the People forced him to
like himfelf] The
Proverb of the Jew! which pluck off aSignet-Ring, which he wote with
doth obferve, That Vinegar is the Son of Wine; his Father's Face engraven on it. But the Son
and the Proverb of the Greeks, which doth ob- of our Celebrated Governour Winthrop, was on
ferve, That the Sons of Heroes are Trefpaffers, the other fide fo like unto his Excellent Father
has been more than once contradicted in the fot early Wifdom and Virtue, that arriving at
happy Experience of the New-Englanders : But New-England with his Father's Family, Nov.
none of the lealt remarkable Contradictions 4. 163 r. he was, though not above Twenty
given to it has been in the Honourable Family Three Years of Age, by the Unanimous Choice
of our ©Hmt&ropjB. of the People, chofen a Magijlrate of the Co-
§. 2. The Eldelt Son of ^Ofjlt 2Bitttl)t0p, lony, whereof his Farher was the Governour.
Efq; the Governour of one Colony, was Jofjlt For this Colony he afterwards did many Ser-
C&lintfjCOp, Efq; the Governour of another, vices, yea, and he did rhem Abroad as well as
in, thereforehappy, New-England,hoxn Feb. 12. at Home ; very particularly in the iear 1634.
T605. at Groton in England. His Glad Father when returning for England, he was by bad
beltowed on him a liberal Education at the Weather forced into Ireland, where being in-
Univerlity, rirft of Cambridge in England, and vited unto the Houfe of Sir John Clciworthy^
then of Dublin in Ireland ; and becaufe Tra- he met with many Confiderable Perfons, by con-
vel has been efteemed no little Accomplifher ferring with whom, the Affairs of New-Eng-
of a Toung Gentleman, he then Accomplifhed land were not a little promoted ; but it w?s a-
himfelf by Travelling into France, Holland, nother Colony for which the Providence of Hea-
Flanders, Italy, Germany, and as far as Turky ven intended him to be fuch another Father, as
'it felf in which places he fo improved his
; his own Honourable Father had been to this.
§. 4.. In
Book II. Or, The Hiflory ijfNeW-Enghmd. 3*
§. 4. Year 1675. Mr. Wintbrop re- A> tiabites in uric ubi caput urbh eft
In the
turned unto New-England, with Powers iiom Medicus : But highly reafonable the Sentence of
f
the Lord Say and the Lord Brook, to fettle a Atiflotle, I 6i j .(jus fuefit Pbilofopbus, ibi :
Plantation upon the Long River of ConncUicut, Ctvitds cut hvi\; and this the rather for
and a Commiiiion to be himfelf the Govcrnour tVhat is truly noted by Thucyciidcs, Mdgiftra-
of that Plantation. But inafmuch as many tus eft CtvinttU Medicos. Such an one was
our
good People of the MajTachufet-Colony had juff. gftlHiiljrOpj whole Genius and Faculty
betore this taken Pofieliion of Land for a New- (or txptnmcnuil Pbilofopby, was advanced in
his Travels abroad,
Colony thereabouts, this Courteous and Peacea- by his Acquaintance with
ble Gentleman gave them no Moleftation ; but many Learned Vtrtuofi.Om Effecl of this Difpofi-
the Mouth of the River, where a Town, with a much that w -here-ever he came, ftili the Difeafed
Fort, is now diftinguilhcd by the Name of
flocked about him, as if the
Healing Angel of
Say-Brook by which
, happy A£tion, the Plan- Bctbejda had appeared in the place and fo ;
ten further up the River had no fmall Kind- many were the Cures which he wrought, and
[
nets done unto them; and the Indians, which the Lives that he laved, that if
Scandcrbeg
might eile have been more Troublelbme, were might bxift of his having fhin in his Time
kept in Awe.
Two Thoufarid Men with his own Hands,
§. 5. The Self-denying Gentleman, who had this
Worthy Perfon might have made a far
of Govcrnour fo more defiruble Boaji or his
imployed his Commijfion little
having in his Time
ro the Disadvantage of the Infant-Colony at Healed more than fo many Thoufands iri ;
ConneQicut^ was himfelfj e're long, by Election which Beneficence to Mankind, there are of his
made G&Uerncur of that Colony. And upon Worthy Children, who to this Day do follow
the jkeftfiraticn of King Charles 11. he willing- his Direction and Example. But it was not un-
undertook another to England, on to NeK-England alone that the
ly Voyage Refpefrs of
the behalf of the People under his Govern this
Accompiilhed Pbilofopber were confined.
ment, whole Affairs he managed with fuch a For, whereas in purfuance of the Methods be-
Succefsfdl Prudence, that he obtained a Royal gun by that Immortally Famous Advancer of
Charter for them, which Incorporated the Co- Learning, the moft Illuftrious Lord Chancellor"
lony of New-Haven with them, and Invelfed Bacon, a Select. Company of Eminent Perron's,
both Colonies, now happily United, with a firm ufing to meet in the Lodgings of Dr. Wilkin*
Giant of Priviledges, beyond thofe of the Plan- of Wadbam Colledge in Oxford, had laid the
tations which had been fettled before them. Foundation of a Celebrated
Society, which bf
i have been informed, that while he was en- the Year 1663. being Incorporated with a
Royal
gaged in this Negotiation, being admitted unto Charter, hath fince beenamong the Glories of
a private Conference with the King, he pre England, yea, and of Mankind and their De- ;
fented His Majefty with a Ring, which King fign was to make Faithful Records of all the"
Charles I. had upon fome Occaiion given to his Works of ]\aturc or of Art, which might
Grandfather and the King not only accepted
•,
come under their Obfervation, and Correct
his PreLnt. but alfo declared, that he accounted what had been lalfe, Reftore what (hould be'
it one of his
Ricbefl Jewels
which indeed : i True, Prefcrve what fhould be Rare^ and Ren-
was the Opinion that New-England had oftrie 1 der the Knowledge of the World, as welt
Hand that earned it. But having thus laid his ! more Perfect as more Vfeful ; and by multi
Colony under Everlafting Obligations of Gra plied Experiments both of Light and Fruit,
ritude, they did, after his return to New-Eng- advance the Empire of Man over the whole
land, exprefs of their Gtatitude, by faying to vifible Creation ; it was the Honour of Mr.
him as the [fraelites did unto Gideon, Rule Wintbrop to be a Member of this Royal Soci-
thou ever us, for thou haft delivered us ; chil- ety. And accordingly among the Pbilofopbtcal
ling him for their Govcrnour twice Seven Years Tr anfallions Pufililhed by Mr. Oldcnbutgb, there
together. are fome notable Communications from this
§. 6. When
the Governour of Atbens was a Inquiiitive and Intelligent Perfon, Whole Irtfight
Pbiloje,[i->er, namely Demetrius, the Common- into many Parts of the Creation, but
efpecially
wealth' fo Mourithed, that no lefs than Three !
of the Mineral Kingdom, was beyond wli3t had
Hundred Brazen Statues were afterward by the been attained by the moft in many Parts of A-
Thankful People Erected unto his Memory. mcrica.
And a Bteffed Land was New-England, when §. 7. If one would therefore defire an exa£t
there was over part of it a Governour, who Picture of this Worthy Man, the Defcription
trs$ not only a Chriflian and a Gentleman. which the moft Sober and Solid Writers of the
hot alfo an Eminent Philofopber , for indeed Great Philofopbick Work do give of thofe Per-
ffce Government of the Stale
then molt fuc-
is ions, who alone are qualified for the Smiles of
ceftfclfy managed, when
meafures of it
the Heaven upon their Enterprizes, would have
ire.
by a Wife Obferver, taken from the Goverii- exactly fitted him. He was a Studious, Bum-
oi the World and very unreafbnable is
-,
ble.
Patient, Referved and Mori ifed Perfort,
f& j ®fjf> Proverb, and' ori6 iri whom the Love" of God was Fer-
vent,
3
2
Magnalia Chrifli
Americana : Book II.
vent, the Love of Man fincere : And he had by a Fathei's Power, but ike!/ ufigncd bv
herewithal a certain Extenfton of Soul, which your felt^ out of a Living and Filial Refpect
him to a Generous Behaviour towards unto me, and your own readineis unto the
difpofed
thofe, who
by Learning, Breeding and Virtue, Work it felf From whence, as I do often
deferve Refpecf s, though of a Perfwafion and take Occafion to Blefs the Lord tor you, fb do
I alio Commend
Profeifion in Religion very different from his you and yours to his Fa-
own- which was that of a Reformed Prote- therly Blejfing, for a plentiful Reward to be
and a Neiv-Englijh Puritan. In fum, he rendred unto you. And doubt nor, my Dear
ftani,
was not more an AJcptift in thofe Noble and Son, but let your Faith be built upon his
Secret Media nes, which would reach the Roots Promife and Faithfulnefs, that as he hath
of the Diftempers that annoy Humane Bodies, carried you hitherto through many Perils, and
and procure an Vniverfa! Reft unto the Arcbtus provided liberally for you, fr> he wiil do
on all Uccalions of Dilturbance, than he was in for the time to come, and will never fail
you,
thofe Chnftian Qualities,
which appear upon nor forfake you. My Sen, the Lord
the Cure of the Diftempers in the Minds of knows how Dear thou art to me, and that my
the Effectual Grace of our Lord Je- Care has been more for thee than for my felf.
Men., by
fus Chrift. But / know thy Profperity depends not on my
§. 8.
made
In the
in fome
Year 1643. a ^ er divers
former Years, the feveral
M J)' S
Colo-
Care, nor on thine own, but upon the Bleffing
of our Heavenly bather ; neither doth it on
nies of New-England bcime in Faff, as well as the things of this World, but on the Light of
Name, OfnttCTl Colonies And an Inftrument God's Countenance, through the Merit and Me-
was formed, wherein having declared, That diation of our Lord Jefus Chrift. It is that
we all came into thefc parts of America with only which can give us Peace of Conjcience
the fame End and Ann, namely, to advance the with Contentation which can as well make
•,
Glory oj our
Lord jefus Chrift, and enjoy the our Lives Happy and Comiurrable in a mean
Liberties of the Go/pel. with Purity
and Peace, Eftate, as in a great Abundance. But if you
it was firmly agreed between the feveral Jurif- weigh things aright, and flim up all "the
di&ions, that there thould yearly
be chofen Turnings of Divine Providence together, you
Two Commilfioners out of each, who fhould (hall find great Advantage. — The
Lord hath
meet at fit "Places appointed for that purpofe, brought us to a Good Land ; where a Land,
with full Powers from the General Courts in we enjoy outward Peace and Liberty, and a-
each, to Concert and Conclude
Matters of Ge- bove all,the Blcffings of the Gofpel, without
neral Concernment for Peace or War of the the Burden of lmpofitions in Matters of Re-
feveral Colonies thus Confederated. In purfu- ligion. Many Thou finds there are who would
ance of this Laudable Confederacy, this moft give Great Eftatcs to enjoy our Condition.
Meritorious Gqvernour of Connecticut Colony Labour therefore, my good Son, to increafe
of appearing as a Com- our Thankfulnefs to God for all his Mercies
accepted the Trouble
mijfioner for that Colony,
with the reft met at to thee, especially for thathe hath revealed
in the Year 1676. when the Calamities his Everlafling Good-will to thee in Jefus
Bofton,
of the Indian-War were diftreffing the whole Chrift, and joined thee to the vifible Body
But here falling Sick of a Fever, he of his Church, in the Fellowfhip of his Peo-
Country :
§. 9.
His Father, as long ago as the Year cy vouchfafed but unto few Young Gentlemen
1643. had feen Caufe to Write unto him an Travellers.) Let him have the Honour of it
Excellent Letter, wherein there were thefe a- who kept thee, he it was who gave thee
mong other Paffages. Favour in the Eyes of all with whom thou
You are the Chief of Two
'
Families ; I had hadft to do, both by Sea and Land ; He it
<
Three Sons and Three Daugh- was who faved thee in all Perils ; and He
by your Mother
1
and I had with her a Large Portion of it is who hath given thee a Gift in Under-
ters,
'
outward Eftate. Thefe now are all gone , ftanding and Art and he it is who hath pro-
-,
c
Mother gone Brethren and Sifters gone ; you
;
vided thee a Bleffing in Marriage, a Comfor-
c
only are left to fee the Vanity of thefe Tem- table Help, and many Sweet Children ; and
c and learn Wifdom thereby, hath hitherto provided liberally for you all:
poral things,
I would have
*
whicji may be of more ufe to you, through And therefore you to Love him
and Serve and Truji him for the
c
the Lord's Blefling, than all that Inheritance again, him,
c
which might have befallen you And for : time to come. Love and Prize that Word of
c
which this may ftay and quiet your Heart, Truth, which only makes known to you the
'
That God is able to give you more than this ; Precious and Eternal Thoughts and Councils
1
and that being fpent
it in the furtherance of of the Light Inacccjfible. Deny your own Wif-
'
his Work, which hath here profpered fo well, dom, that you may find his; and efleem it
and yours the greateft Honour to lye under the Simpli-
through his Power hitherto, you
'
certainly cxpeff a
liberal Portion in the city of the Gofpel of" Chrift Crucified, without
'
may
'-
and Blejfing thereof hereafter ; and which you can never enter into the Secrets of
Prosperity
the father, becaufe it was not forced from you hk Tabernacle, nor enjoy thofe fwcet things
'
which
Book II. Or, The Hiflory of New-England. 33
c
which Eye hath not feen, nor Ear heard, nor Doubtlefs. the Reader confiders the
Hiflori-
'
can the Heart of Man conceive but God hath
;
cal Paflages in this ExtraSt of the Letter thus
'
unto iome few to know them even Recited. Now, but by making this Reflecf ion
granted
*
in this Life. Study well, my Son, the faying upon the Reft, that as the Prophetical Part of
'of the Apoftle, Knowledge puffeth up. It is a it was notably fulfilled in the Pirate, whereto
of God, but when it lifts up the the good Providence of God Recovered this
'good Gift
' the Crofs ofChrift, it is the Pride
Mind above Worthy Gentleman and his Family, fo the Mo-
'of Life, and
the High-way to Apoftacy, where- nitory Part of it was moft Exemplarily atten-
'
in many Men of great Learning and Hopes ded in his Holy and Ufeful Conversation. I
'
have perifhed.
—
In all the Exercife of your (hall therein briefly fum up the
Life of a Per-
1
Gifts, and Improvement of your Talents, have fon whom we fhall call a Second unto none of
'
an Eye to your Mafter's End, more than your our Worthies, but as we call him our Second
1
own ; and to the Day ofyour Account, that you Winthrop.
'
may then have your Quietus eft, even, Well
'•done, Good and Faithful Servant ! But my laft EPITAPHIUM.
c
and 'chief Requeft to you, is, that you be
'
careful to have your Children brought up in Abi Viator ;
'
the Knowledge and Fear of God, and in the Et Luge plures Magiftratus in Uno periiffe.
c
Faith of our Lord Jefus Chrift. This will Redi Viator.
'
<nve y ou ^e beft Comfort of them, and keep Non Periit, fed ad Cceleftem Societatem
'them fure from any Want or Mifcarriage : Regia Magis Regiam,
c
And when you part from them, it will be no Vere Adeptus,
fmall joy to your Soul, that you fhM meet Abiit
' :
'
them again in Heaven f WINTHROPUS, Non minor magnii Majoribus.
CHAP. XII.
ASSISTENTS.
Connellicut-Co- Thomas Baker, i6j8
MAGISTRATESof
lony, before
annexed
New-Haven Colony was Mulford,
unto it, were/befides the two Alexander Knowles,
1658
actually 1658
Alternately, for the moft Part, Elected Gover- John Wells, 1658
nours, HOPKINS, and HAINS)
Robert Band, 1659
Rayner, 166 1
Roger Ludlow, I6?6 John Allyn, 1662
1636 Daniel Clark, 1662
"]ohn Steel,
William Phelps, 1636 Samuel Sherman, 1662
William Wefiwood, 1636 John Toung, 1664
Andrew Ward, 1636
Thomas Wells, 1637
William Swayn, 1637 MAGISTATES of New-Haven Colony,
Matthew Mitchel, 1637 before Conneclicut-Colony could accomplifh
Pieta*
Book II.
35
Tietas m Tatnam :
THE
1. j JL X- JlIj
OF HIS
EXCELLENCY '•flrtti
£^7V" Sir- N
P
Late Captain General, and Governour in Chief of the Province
:)
Knt.
of the Majfachufet-Bay,
doubt, there arc many bad Peifons among there were lately four and twenty Afiem-
them, and too m my diflempcr'd Humours, bliesin which th.- Name of the Lord Jefus
thofe who are truly was conftantly and celebrated
perhaps even among
called on,
THE
Book II.
V
THE
NE J
F fuch a Renowned Chymift, as thefe Learned Men fhould pafs for Incredible
I Labourers in the Fire, fince that that Bleffed Refurre&ion, carrying in it Ibme
Learned Man, find it no eafie thing Refemblance of thefe Curiofties, which is per-
to make the common part of Mankind believe, formed, when we do in a Book, as in a Glafs,
That they can take a Plant in its more vigorous referve the Hiftory of our Departed Friends ;
fer- and by bringing our Warm Ajfetiicns unto fuch
Confiftence, and after a due Maceration,
mentation and Separation, extract the Salt oi an Hiftory, we revive, as it were, out of their
that Plant, which, as it were, in a Chaos, in- Afhes, the true Shape of thofe Friends, and
the Form of the whole, with its bring to a frefh View, what v/as Memorable
vifibly referves
vital Principle ; and, that keeping the Salt in a and Imitable in them. Now, in as much as Mor-
has done its part upon a Considerable
Glafs Hermetically fealed, they can, by ap- tality
a Fire to the Glaf"J J 5 make the Ve- Perfbn, with whom I had the Honour to be
plying Soft
rife" little and little out of its Aftes, well acquainted, and a Perfon as Memorable for
getable by
to liirprize the Spectators with a notable II- the Wonderful Changes which befel him, as I-
luftration of that Refurrettion, in the Faith mitable for his Virtues and Atfions under thofe
whereof the Jews returning from the Graves of Changes-, I (hall endeavour, with the Qymiftry
pluck up the Grafs from
their Friends, the of an Impartial Hifiorian, to raife my Friend fo
Earth, ufing thofe Words of the Scripture far out of his Afhes, as to (hew r him again
Bones full'jhurifh like an herb : unto the World ; and if the Chara :
of He*
thereupon,T^«r
Tis likely, that all the Obfervations of fuch roick Virtue be for a Man to defet e 11
of
Writers, as the Incomparable Borcllus,Vi\\l find Mankind, and be great in the Purpafe and Suc-
it hard enough to produce our Belief, that the cefs of EJjays to do fo, I may venture to pro-
EJJential Salts
of Animals may be fo Prepared mife my Reader fuch Example of Hcroick
and Preferved, that an Ingenious Man may Virtue, in the Story whereto I invite him, that
have the whole Ark of Koah in his own Stu- he ihall fay, it would have been lktle ihort of
of an Animal out a Vice in me, to have withheld it from him.
dy, and raife the fine Shape
of its Allies at his Pleafure And, that by rte
: Nor is it any Partiality for the Memory of my
like Method from the EJjential Salts of Hu- Deceafed Friend, or any ether Smifter Design
mane Duft, a Philofopher may, without any whatfoever, that has Invited me to this Under-
Criminal 'Necromancy, call up the Shape of a- taking ; but I have undertaken this Matter
ny Dead Anceftor Irom the Duft whereinto
his from a fincere Deiire, that the Ever Glorious
Body has been Incinerared. The Refurreffion Lord JESUS CHRIST may have the
ticle of our Creed, although the Relations of Providence, in what he did for fugh a Perfon,
and
3« Magnalia Cbrifti
Americana : Book II.
and in what he difpofed and affifted that Per- was as great a Bleiilng as England had in the
ibn to do for him. Now, May he ajfift my Wri- Age of that Man, was a Smith, fo a Gun-
ting, even he that prepared the Subjett, where- Smith, namely, James Pbips, once of Bri/io/
of I am to Write ! had the Honour of being the Father to him'
§. So objcure was the Original of that whom we ihall prefently fee, made by the God
2.
Memorable Perfbn, whole Aclwns I am going of Heaven as great a Bleffing t^kew-EnglantL]
to relate, thar J rnuft in a
way of Writing, as that Country could have had, if they them-
like that of PMarM prepare my Reader lor had pleafed. His fruitful Mother,
felyes yet
the intended Rdarion, by firft fearching the living, had no lefs than Twenty-Six
Children,
Archives of Antiquity for a Parallel. Now. whereof Twenty-One were Sons but Equiva- •
becaufe we will not Parallel him with Eumenes, lent to them all was WlL
LI AM, one of the
who, though he were the Son of a Poor Car- youngeft, whom his Father dying, left young
rier, became a Governour of Mighty Provinces: with his Mother, and with her he lived, keep-
nor with Marias, whole mean Parentage did ing of Sheep in the Wildernefs, until he was
not hinder his becoming a Glorious Defender Eighteen Years Old ; at which time he
began
of 'his Country, and Seven tines the Chief to feel fome further Difpofitions of Mind
the Chiefeft City in the Uni- from that Providence of God. which took him
Magiftrate of
verie Nor with Iphicrates, who became a Suc- from the Sheepfolds, from following the Eives
:
cefs ru! and Renowned General of a Great Peo- great with Youngs and brought him to
ple, though his Father were a Cobler: Nor with feed his People. Reader, enquire no further
Bioclefian, the Son of a poo Scrivener : Nor who was his Father } Thou lhalt anon fee,
:
with Bonofus, the Son of. a poor Schsol-Mafter, that he was, as the Italians exprefs it, A Son
who yet came to fway the Scepter of the Ro- to his own Labours I
man Empire Nor, laltly, will
:
compare him
1
§. 3. His Friends earneftly folicired him to
to the more late Example of the Celebrated fettle among them in a Plantation of the Eafi
M \zarini, who though no Gentleman by his but he had an Unaccountable Intpulfe upon "his
Extraction, and one fo forrily Educated, that Mind, perfwading him, as he would privately
he might have wrote Alan, before he could hint unto fome of them, That he was Born to
write at all yet afcended unto that Grandeur, greater Matters.
; To come at thofe greater
frith? Memory of many yet living, as to Urn- Matters, his firft Contrivance was to bind him-
felf an Apprentice unto a
pin, die moit Imporrant Affairs of Chriftcndom: Ship-Carpenter for
We will decline looking any further in that Four Years in which time he became a Ma-
•,
Hcmifphere of the World, and make the Hue tter of the Trade, that once in a Veffel of
and Cry throughout the Regions of America, the more than Forty Thou/and Tuns, repaired the
.New World, which He, that is becoming the Ruins of the Earth Noah's, I mean he then
; ;
Subjecf of our Hiftory, by his Nativity, be- betook himfelf an Hundred and
Fifty Miles
long'd unto. And in America, the firft that further a Field, even to Bofton, the Chief Town
meets me, is Francifco Pizarro, who, though of New-England which being a Place of the
;
a Spurious Offspring, expofed when a Babe in moft Bufinefs and Refort in thofe Parrs of the
a Church- Porch, at a forry Village of Navarre, World, he expecf ed there more Commodioufly
and afterwards employ 'd while he was a Boy, to purfue the Spes
Majorkih &
Meliorum
in keeping of Cattel, yet, at length, ftealing Hopes which had infpir'd him. At Bofton,
into America, he lb thrived upon his Adventures where it was that he now le.irn'd, firft of
all,
there, that upon fome Difcoveries, which with to Read and Write, he followed his Trade for
an handful of Men he had in a defperate Ex- about a Year ;
and by a laudable
Deportment,
pedition made of Peru* he obtain'd the King fo recommended himfelf, thar he Married a
oi Spain's Com million for the Conqueft of it, Young Gentlewoman of good Repute, who
and at laft fo incredibly enrich'd himfelf by was the Widow of one Mr. John Hull, a well-
the Conqueft, that he was made the firft Vice- bred Merchant, but the Daughter of one
Cap-
Roy of Peru, and created Marquefs of Ana- tain Roger Spencer, a Perfon of
good Fafhion,
tilla. who
having fufter'd much damage in his E-
To the Latter and Higheft Part of that by fome unkind and unjuft Anions,
Sto- ftare,
ry, if any thing hindred His Excellency Sir which he bore with fuch Patience, that for
WILLIAM PHIPS, from affording of a fear of thereby injuring the Publick, he would
Parallel, it was not the want either of Dejign, not feek Satisfacf ion, Poflerity might afterward
or of Courage, or of Condutl in himfelf, but it foe the Reward of his Patience, in what Pro-
was the Fate of a Premature Mortality. For vidence hath now done for one of his own
my Reader now being fatisfied, that a Perfons Poflerity. Within a little while after his Mar-
being Ob/cure in his Original, is not always a riage, he indented with ieveral Perfons in
Juft Prejudice to an Expectation of Confidera- Bofton, to Build them a Ship at
Sheeps-coat
lie Matters from him 1 lhali now inform River, Two or Three Leagues Eaftward of
;
§. 4. But he was hitherto no more than be- him to be a Person of no contemptible Capacitv.
ginning to make Scaffolds for further and high- While he was Captain of the Algier-Rofe, his
er Allions ! He would frequently rellrhe Genue- Men growing weary of their uni'uccefsiul H>:~
woman his Wife, That be lhouid yet be Cap- terprize, made a Mutiny, wherein they ap-
tain of a King's Ship ; That he lhouid come to proach'd him on the Quarter-Deck, with
have the Command of better Men than he was Drawn Swords in their Hands, and required
now accounted himfelf ; and, That he fhonld him to join with them in Running awiy'wiih
be Owner of a Fair Brick-Houfc in the Gr, -en- the Ship, to drive a Trade of Piracy on rue
Lane of Nortb-Boflon ; and, That, it maybe, South Seas. Captain Phips, though he had not
this would not be all that the Providence of fo much of a Weapon as an Ox-Goad, or a
God would bring him to. She entertained jjK-bone in his Hands, yet like another Sham*ar
thefe Paffages with a lufficient Incredulity ; but or Sam/on, with a moft undaunted Fortitude
he had fo Jerious and ppfuive an Expectation he rulh'd in upon them, and with the BWs
of them, that it is not eafie to fay, what was the of his bare Hands, FeWd many of them, and
Original thereof He was of an Enterprizing QiieU'd all the Reft. But this is not the In-
Genius, and naturally difdained Littlencfs But ftance which I intended That which I intend
.- :
his Difpofition for Bujinefs was of the Dutch is, That fas it has been related unto
me) One
Mould, where, with a little fhew of Wit, there Day while his Frigot lay Careening, at 2
is as much Wifdom demon ft rated, as can be defolate Spanijh ifland, by the fide of a Rock,
fhewn by any Nation. His Talent lay not in from whence they had laid a Bridge to the
the Airs that ferve chiefly for the pleafant and Shoar, the Men, whereof he had about an
fudden Turns of Converfuion ; but he might Hundred, went all, but about Eight or
Ten, to
lay, as Themiftocles, Though he could not play divert themitlvcs, as they pretended, in the
upon a Fiddle, yet he knew bow to make a In tie Woods : Where they all entred into an Agree-
City become a Great One. He would prudently ment, which they Sign'd in a Ring, That about
contrive a weighty Undertaking, and then pati feven a Clock that Evening they would feize
ently purfue it unto the,End. He was of an In the Captain, and thofe Eight or Ten, which t
clination, cutting rather like a Hatchet, than they knt v to be True unto him, and leave them
like a Razor ; he would ptopofe very Confide- to periih on this Ifland, and fo be
gone away
rable Matters to himfelf, and then fo cut through unto the South Sea tofeek their Fortune. Will
them, that no Difficulties could put by the Edge the Reader now imagine, that Caprain
Phips
of his Refolutions. Being thus of the True having Advice of this Plot but about an Hour
Temper, for doing of Great Things, he betakes and half before it was to be put in Execution,
himfelf to the Sea, the Right Scene for fuch yet within Two Hours brought all thefe Rogues
Things and upon Advice of a Spanifh Wreck
•,
down upon Knees to beg for their Lives ;
their
about the Bahamas, he took a Voyage thither ; But 10 it was !For thefe Knaves
confidering
but with little more fuccefs, than what juft that they lhouid want a Carpenter with them
forved him a little to furnilh him for a Voyage in their Villanous
Expedition, fent a Meflenger
to hngland , whither he went in a VelTeL not unto them the Carpenter, who was
to fetch
much unlike that which the Dutchmen ftamped then at Work upon the Vefiel ; and unto him
on their Firft Coin, with thefe Words about it, they fhew'd their Articles ,
telling him what he
Incertum quo Fata ferant. Having firft inform muft look for if he did not
fubferibe among
ed himfelf that there was another Spaniflj them. The Carpenter being an honelt Fellow,
Wreck, wherein was loft a mighty Treafure, hi- did with much importunity prevail for one half
therto undifcovered, he had a
ftrong Imprefli- hours Time to confider of the Matter ; and re-
on upon his Mind that He muff be the Dif- turning to Work upon the Veffel, with a
Spy
coverer; and he made fuch Representations of by themfet upon him, he reigned himfelf taken
his Defign *x.W}->ite-Hall, that by the Year 1683. with a Fit of the
Cholick, for the Relief where-
he became the Captain of a King's Ship, arid of he fuddenly run unjto the
Captain in the Great
arrived at New-England Commander of the ICabbin for a Dram where, when he came, his' •,
•
bufiriefi-
4° Magnolia Chrijli
Americana Book II.
buiinefs was only in brief, to tell the Captain Company, with a Boat full of Plate, faved out
of the horrible Diftrds which he was fallen in- of their Sinking Frigot :
Neverthelefs, when
to;
but the Captain bid him as briefly return to he had fearched very narrowly the Spot,
the Rogues in the Woods, and Sign their Arti- whereof the old Spaniard had advifed him, he
cles, and leave him to provide for the Reft. had not hitherto exactly lit upon it. Such
The Carpenter was no fooner gone, but Captain Thorns did vex his Affairs while he was in the
Phips calling together the few Friends (it may Rofe-Frigot but none of all thefe things could
;
be leven or eight) that were left him aboard, retund the Edge of his Expectations to find the
whereof the Gunner was one, demanded of Wreck; with fuch Expectations he return'd then
them, whether they would Hand by him in the into England, that he might there better furniCh
Extremity, which he informed them was now himfelf to Profecute a New Dijcovery-, for
come upon him whereto they reply'd, They
; though he judged he might, by proceeding a
wouldJiand by him, if he could fave them and little further, have come at the right Spot,
; yet
he Anlwer'd, By the help of God he did not fear he found his prefent Company too ill a Crew to
it. All their Provifions had been carried Athoar be confided in.
to a Tent, made for that purpoie there; about
which they had placed feveral Great Guns to §. 6. So proper was his Behaviour, that the
defend it, in cafe of any AJfault from Spaniards, I beft Noble'Men in theKingdom now admitted
that might happen to come that way. Where him into their Converfation but yet he was
;
fore Captain Phips immediately ordered thofej oppofed by powerful Enemies, that Clogg'd his
Guns to be filently Drawn d and Turn'd; and Affairs with fuch Demurrages, and fuch Dif-
fo pulling up the Bridge, he charged his Great appointments, as would have wholly Difcoura-
Guns aboard, and brought them to Bear on eve- ged his Deiigns, if his Patience had not been
ry iide of the Tent. By this Time the Army invincible. He who can wait, hath ivhat he de-
of Rebels comes out of the Woods but as they ; ftreth. This his Indefatigable Patience, with a
drew near to the Tent of Provifions, they faw proportionable Diligence, at length overcame
fuch a change of Circumltances, that they cried the Difficulties that had been thrown in his
out, We are Betray d ! And they were foon con- way ; and prevailing with the Duke of Albe-
firm 'd in it, when they heard the Captain with marle, and fome other Perfons of Quality, to fit
a ftern Fury call to Jthem, Stand off, ye Wret- him out, he fet Sail for the Fifl)ing-Groundy
ches, at your Peril ! He quicklv faw them caft
which had been
fo well baited half an Hun-
into more than ordinary Confufion, when dred Years before And as he had already dif-
a :
they law Him ready to Fire his Great Guns up- covered his Capacity for Bufmefs in many con-
on them, if they offered one Step further than liderable Actions, he now added unto thofe Dif-
he permitted them And when he had fignified
:
coveries, by not only providing all, but alfo by
unto them his Refolve to abandon them unto all inventing many of the Inftruments neceilary to
the Dcfolation which they had purpofed for the profecution of his intended Fijhery. Cap-
tain Phips arriving with a Ship and a Tender
him, he cauled the Bridge to be>again laid,
and his Men begun to take the Provifions a- at Port de la Plata, made a flout Canoo of a
broad. When the Wretches beheld what was ltately Cotton-Tree, fo large as
to carry Eight or
coming upon them, they fell to very humble Ten Oars, for the making of which Periaga
Entreaties; and at laft fell their! (as they call it) he did, with the fame induftry
down upon
Knees, protefting, That
they never had any that he did every thing elfe, employ his own
thing againji him, except only his unwillingnefs Hand and Adfe, and endure no little hardfhip,
to go away with the King's Ship upon the South lying abroad in the Woods many Nights toge-
Sea Defign: But upon all other Accounts, they ther. This Periaga, with the Tender, being
would chafe rather to Live and Die with him, Anchored at a place Convenient, the Periaga
than with any Man in the World; however, kept Busking to and again, but could only
jince they Jaw how much he WcU dijjatisfied at difcover
.
a Reef of PJfing Shoals thereabouts,
it, they would infift upon it no more,
and hum- called, The Boilers, which Riling to be within
bly begged his Pardon. And when he judg'd that Two or Three Foot of the Surface of the Sea,
he had kept them on their Knees long enough, were yet fo fteep, that a Ship ftriking on there,
he having firft iecur'd their Arms, received would immediately fink down, who could fay,
them aboard but he immediately weighed An- how many Fathom into the Ocean? Here they
;
chor, and arriving at Jamaica, he Tum'd them could get no other Pay for their long peeping
off. Now with a fmall Company of other among the Boilers, but only fuch as caufed them
Men he failed from thence to Uifpaniola. to think upon returning to their Captain with
where by the Policy of his Addrefs, he filhed the bad News of their total Difappointment.
out of a very old Spaniard^ (or Port uguefe) a Neverthelefs, as they were upon the Return,
little Advice about the true Spot where lay the one of the Men looking over the fide of the
Wreck which he had been hitherto feeking, as Periaga, into the calm Water, he fpied a Sea
unprofperouily, as the Chymip
have their Au- Feather, growing, as he judged, out of a Rock ;
njick Stone : That it was upon a Reef of Shoals, whereupon they bad one of their Indians to
a few Leagues to the Northward of Port de la Dive and fetch this feather, that they might
lb call 'd, it feems, however carry home fomething with them, and
Plata, upon Uifpaniola, a Port
from the Landing of fome of the Shipwreck' d make, at leaft, as fair a Triumph as Caligula's.
The
Book II. Or, The Hiftory of New-England. 41
The Diver bringing up the Feather, brought I which they alfo lit upon; and indeed, for
a more Comprehenlive Invoice,
therewithal a furprizing Story, That he per- nuift but
I
ceived a Number or" Great Guns in the Watry liimmarily fay, All that a Spanilh Fngot ufes
World where he had found his Feather the Re- •,
to be enricht withal. Thus did they continue
Great Guns exceedingly attonilh- Pifhing till their Proviiions failing them, twas
port of which
ed the whole Company and at once turned
•,
time to be gone ; but before they went, Captain
their Dejpondencies for their ill fuccefs into Phips cauied Adderly and his Folk to lwear,
that they had now lit upon the That they would none of them Difccver the
Affuranccs,
true Spot of Ground which they had been look- Place of the Wreck, or come to the Place
any
for ; and they were further confirmed in more till the next Year, when he expected a-
ing
thefe Ajjurances, when upon further Diving, gain to be there himfelf. And it was alfo Re-
the Indian fetcht up a Sow, as they ftil'd it, markable, that though the Sows came up ftill
or a Lump of Silver, worth perhaps Two or on the very laft Day of their being
fo laft, that
Three Hundred Pounds. Upon this they pru- up Twenty, yet it was afterwards
there, they took
the that they might readily found, that they had in a manner wholly clear-
dently Buofd place,
find it again and they went back unto their Cap- ed that Room of the Ship where thofe Majfy
;
tain whom for fiome while they diftreffcd with things were Stowed.
But there was one extraordinary Diftrels
nothing but fuch Bad Neios,
as they formerly
he might fee' that Odd Thing before him. At allamong themfelves, and be gone to lead afhort
laft he J aw it-, feeing it, he ctied out with forrr; Life and a merry, in a Climate where the Ar-
Whence comes of thole that had hired them fhould not!
Agony, Why ? What is
this ? reit
this I And then, with changed Countenances, reach them. In this terrible Diflrefs he made
and where they got it his Vows unto Almighty
they told him how,
:
God, that if the Loid
Then, fdid he, Thanks be to God!
We are made would carry him late home to England with
;
and fo all hands to what he had now given him, to fuck of the A-
Work
away they went, ;
had this one further piece of Re- \bundancc of the Seas, and of the Treafures hid
whereinthey
markable Profperity, that whereas if they had in the Sands, he would for ever Devote him-
firft fallen upon that part of the Spanifh Wreck, lelf unto the Interefts of the Lord
fef'm Cbrift,
where the Pieces of Eight had been flowed in and of his People, efpecially in the Country
which he did himfelf Originally belong unto.
Bags among the Ballaft, they had feen a more
laborious, and lefs enriching time of it: Now, And he then ufed all the obliging Arts imagina-
moft happily, they firft fell upon that Room in ble to make his Men true unto him, efpecial-
the Wreck where rhe Bullion had been ftored ly by alfuring them, that befides their Wages,
fo prospered in this Neio Fifhery, they Ihould have ample Requitals made unto
up ; and they
tha't in -a little while they had, without the lofs them ; which if the reft of his Employers would
of any.'Man's Life, brought up Thirty Two not agree unto, he would himfelf dil'hihute his
Tuns of Silver for it was now come to meafu-
•.
own fhare among them. Relying upon the
ring of Silver by Tuns.
Befides which, one Word of One whom they had ever found wor-
Adderly of Providence, who had formerly been thy of their Love, and of their Trull, they de-
to Phips in the Search of clared themfelves Content : But ftill keeping a
very helpful Captain
this Wreck, did upon former Agreement meet moft careful Eye upon them, he haitrted b !ck
him now with a little Veffel here and he, ;
for England with as much Money as he thought
with his few hands, took up about Six Tuns of he could then fafely Traft his Veffel withal,
Silver ; whereof neverthelefs he madefb little not counting it fafe to fupply himfelf with
'
Seamen, and partly by his exa£t and punctual Treatment that Sir William had
' formerly met
Care to have his Employers defrauded of no- with from the People and Government of
'
thing that might confciencioufly belong unto New-England. But Sir William loon Ihewed
'
them, he had lefs than Sixteen Thou/and them, that what they expected would be his
'
Founds left unto himfelf As an acknowledg- :
'
Temptation to lead them into their little Tricks,
ment of which Honefty in him, the Duke of he embraced as a Glorious
Opportunity to
Albemarle made unto his Wife, whom he never
'
fhew his Generofity and Great nejs of
Mind;
law, a Pretent of a Golden Cup, near a Thou- 'for, in Imitation of the Greateft Worthies that
fand Pound in value. The Character of an 'have ever been, he rather chofe to join in the
'
Honeji Man he had fo merited in the whole Defence of his Country, with fome Perfons
Courfe of his Life, and efpecially in this laft
c
who formerly were none of his Friends, than
'
a£t of ic, that Conjunction with his o-
this, in become the Head of.a PaUion, to its Ruin and
'
ther ferviceable Quilities, procured him the Defolation. feems this Noble Difpofiticn of
It
'
Favours of the Greateft Perfons in the Nation ;
Sir William,
joined with that Capacity and
'
and be that had been Jo diligent in his Bufinefs, good Succefs wherewith he hath been atten-
;
muft now ftand before Kings, and not Jiand be- '
ded, in Railing himfelf by fuch an Occafion,
fore mean Men. There were indeed certain
'
as it may be, all things
confidered, has never J,
mean Men, if bafe, little, dirty Tricks, will happened to any before him, makes thefe Men
'
entitle Men to Meannefs, who urged the King apprehenfive ; .And it muft needs heighten
'
to feize whole Cargo,his inftead of the their trouble to fee, that he neither
'
hath, nor
Tenths, upon his firft Arrival on this pretence, doth fpare himfelf, nor any that is near
;
'
thing
that he had not been righdy inform'd of the and dear unto him, in promoting the Good of
'
True flate of the Cafe, when he Granted the his Native Country.
Knight of the Golden Fleece, the Stile might Thus he was worthy to pais among the In-
pretend unto fome Circumtlances that would ftances of Heroick Vertue for that Humility that
juftifie it. Or call him, if you pleafe, The ffill Adorned him He was Raifed, and though
:
'Knight of Honefty , for it was Honefty with In- he prudently accommodated himfelf to the Qua-
duftry that railed him ; and he became a lity whereto he was now Raijed, yet none
Mighty River, without the running in of Mud- could perceive him to be Lifted up Or, if
dy Water to make him fo. Reader, now this were not Heroick,
yet I will Relate one
make a Paufe, and behold One Raifed by Thing more of him that muft certainly be ac-
God! counted fo. He had in his own Country of New-
$;. 7. I am willing to Employ the Teftimo- England met with Provocations that were
nies of others, as much as may be, to fupport enough to have Alienated any Man Living, that
the Credit of my Hittory And therefore, as : had no more than ilrfh and Bwod in him, from
I have hitherto related no more than what the Service of it and fome that were Enemies
;
'
Difpofuion to feek the Wealth of his People its Interetts, with all of his, even with his
'
with as great Zeal and Unweariednefs, as Eftate, his Time, his Care, his Priends, and
our Publicans me to feek their Lofs and Ruin. his very Life ! The
c
old Heathen Virtue of
'
At firft it feems they were in hopes to gain PIETAS IN PATRIAM, or, LOVE TO ONES
'
'
this Gentleman to their Party, as thinking him COUNTRY, he turned into Chriftian ; and
Good Natur'd, and ea'fie to be flattered out of fo notably exemplified it, in all the Reft of his
'
his Underftanding an I the more, becaule
; Life, that it will be an EfTential Thread which
u
rhey had ths: advantage of fome, no very good, is to be now interwoven iDto all that remains of
his
Book II. Or, The Hiftory of NeW-Ensland. 43
his Hiftory, and his Character. Accordingly faysof the Time, when Strangers were domi-
he had the Offers of a very Gainful Place neering over SubjcBs in England, Judiaa commiU
though
among the Commijfioners of the Navy\ with tebantur Injitftis, Leges Exleg'tbm, fax Difcor-
many other Invitations to fettle himielf' in Eng- dantibus, Juftaia Injuriofts ; and Foxes were
land nothing but a Return to 'New-England made the Admin iftra tors of Juftice to the foal-
would content him. And whereas the Charters trey; yet fome Abridgment of them isnecciiu-
of New-England being taken away, there was a ry tor the better underftanding of the Matters
Governour lmpofed upon the Territories with vet before us. Now to make this Abridgment
as Arbitrary and as Treafonable a Commijjion, Impartial, (hall only have
Recourfe unto a
I
as ever was heard of, a Commijfion, by little Book, Printed at London, under the Title
perhaps, -
which the Governour, with Three or Four ot The Revolution of New-England Junified;
more, none of whom were chofen by the Peo- wherein we have a Narrative of the Grievances
ple, had
Power to make whatL<m.'.r they would, under the Male Adminiltrations of that Govern-
and Levy Taxes, according to their own Hu- ment, written and figned by the chief Gentle •
mours, upon the People; and he himielf had men of the Governour s Council together with ,
Power to fend the belt Men in the Land more the Sworn Teftimonies of many good Men, to
'
than Ten Thoufand Miles out of it, as he plea prove the feveral Articles of 'the Declaration,
fed And in the Execution of his Power, the which the New-Eng landers pubiilhed againft
:
Country was every Day fullering Intolerable their Oppreflbrs. It is in that Eook demon-
Lives of the belt Men in the Territory began'to That the Governour neglecting the
greater
be praclifed upon Sir William Phipi applied
: Number of h is Council, did Adhere principally
himfelfto Confider what was the moft fignifi- to the Advice of a
feiv Strangers, who were
cant Thing that could be done by him for that Perfons without any
Intercft in the Country,
but of declared
poor People in their prefent Circumllances. Prejudice againft it, and had
Indeed, when King James offered, as he did. j
plainly laid their Defigns uTmake an Unreafon-
unto Sir William Phips an Opportunity to Ask able Profit of the poor
People And jour ox five
:
what he pleafed of him, Sir William Generoufly Perfons had the abfolute Rule over a Terri-
but this, That New-Eng- the mojl Confiderable
prayed for nothing tory, of any belonging to
land might have its loft Priviledges Reftored. the Crown.
The King then Replied, Any Thing but that ! That when Laws were propofed in the Coun-
Whereupon he fet ffmfelf to Confider what was cil,tho' the Major
part at any time Diffented
the next Thing that he might ask for the Ser- from them, yet if the Governour were
pofitive,
vice, not of himfelf,
but of his Country. The there was no fair Counting rhe Number of Coun-
Refult of his Confideration was, That by Petiti- cellors Confenting, or Diifenting, but the Laws
on to the King, he Obtained, with expence ©f were immediately Engrojfed, Publifhed and Exe-
fome Hundreds of Guinea's, a Pateni, which con- cuted.
ftituted him The High Sheriff of that Country-, That this Junto made a Law, which
pro-
in that Office, to fup- hibited the Inhabitants of
hoping, by his Deputies any Town to meet
ply the Country ftill
with Confciencious Juries, about their Town- Affairs above once in a Year •
which was the only Method that the New- for fear T you mult Note, of their having any op-
Englaniers had left them to fecure any thing portunity to Complain o^Grievances,
that was Dear unto them. Furnifhed with this That they made another Law, requiring all
Patent, after he had, in Company with Sir John Matters of Vejjels, even Shallops and Wood-
Narborough, made a Second Vifit unto the boats, to give Security, that no Man fhould be
Wreck, (not fo advantageous as the former for a Transported in them, except his Name had been
Reafon already mentioned j in his way he Re- fo many Days potted up
Whereby the Pockets
:
turned unto New-England, in the Summer of of a few Leeches had been filled with Fees, but
the Year 1688. able, after Five Years Abfence the whole Trade of the Country deffroyed ,,
to Entertain his Lady with fome Accomplifh- and Attempts to obtain a Redrefs of thefe
all
ment of his Predictions ; and then Built him- Things obftrucled \ and when this Aff had been
felf a Fair Brick Houfe in the very place which ffrenuoufly oppofed in Council at Bofton, they
we foretold, the Reader can tell how many carried it as far as Ncw-Tork, where a Crew of
SelTions ago. But the Infamous Government' them .enacted it.
coming in upon poor New-England, by reafon of oner to Tax the Town, until the King fhould
the Arbitrary Government then impofed on firft be Petitioned for the Liberty of an Ajfembly,
them ; a Government wherein, as old Wendover they were committed unto Goal for it, as an
F f 2 UigJi
44 Magnalia Chrifti
Americana : Book II.
High Mij'demeanour, and were denied an Ha- found there. The Greateji Rigour
being ufed
ftill towards the
beas? Corpm, and were dragg'd many Miles out Jobereji fort of People, whilftin
of their own County to anfwer it at a Court the mean time the moft horrid Enormities in
in Bojhn-, where Jurors were pickt for the the World, committed by Others, were over-
Turn', that were not Freeholders, nay, that were looks.
meer Sojourners ; and when the Prisoners plea- lhat the publick Miniftry of the
Gofpel, and
ded the Priviledges of Englijh-men, That they all Schools
of Learning, were difcountenanced
jhouli not be Taxed without their own confent ;
unto the Utmoft.
defrayed the Charges of Patenting the Lands he might there lay hold on all Opportunities to
at the Hands of thefe Crocodiles : Befides the procure fome Relief unto the Oppreffions of
confiderable Quit-Rents for the King. Yea, that afflicled Country. But feeing the Neva-
the Governour caufed the Lands of particular Englifo Affairs in fb able an Hand, he thought
Perfons to be meafured out, and given to his the beft Stage of Affion forhim would now be
Creatures And fome of his Council Petitioned
:
New-England it
felf;
and fowith certain In-
for the Commons belonging to feveral Towns ;
ftru£tions from none of the leaft confiderable
and the Agents of the Towns going to get a Perfons at White-Hall, what Service to do for
his Country, in the Spring of the Year
voluntary Subfcription of the Inhabitants to 1689.
maintain their Title at Law, they have been he haftened back unto it. Before he left Lon-
dragg'd Forty or Fifty Miles to anfwer as Cri- don, a Meffenger from the Abdicated King
minals at the next Aflizes; the Officers in the him the Government of New-England^
tendet'd
mean time extorting Three Pounds per Man he would accept it But as that excellent At-
if :
and
Book II. Or, The Hiftory ^New-England- 45
and all other Grants that might cut fhort any of any whom the Prince might fend thither, this
itsAncient Priviledges. But when SiiWii/iam put them almoit out of" Patience. And one
arrived at New- England, he found a new Face thing that plunged the more Confederate Per-
1
of things ; for about an Hundred Indians in the Tons in the Territory into uneafie thoughts, was
the Faulty Atfion of fome Soldiers, who upon
Eaftern Parts of the Country, had unaccounra-
bly begun a War upon the "&ngbfh in 'July,
the Common Sufpicions , deferred their
1688. and though the Governour then in the Stations in the Army, and caufed their Friends
j
Wefiern Parts had immediate Advice of it, to gather together here and there in little Bodies,
!
extreamly diffatisfie the Suspicions People Who try People, by any violent Motions puih'd the
:
were doubtleis more extream in fome of their Matter on fo far, as to make a Revolution un-
there was any real Occafwn avoidable, then to prevent the lhedding of
Sufpicions, than
for But
: the Governour at length raifed an Ar- Blood by an ungoverned Mobile, fome of the
my of a Tboufand Englifj to Conquer this Hun- Gentlemen prefent ihould appear at the Head of
dred Indians., and this Army, whereof fome of the Aftion with a Declaration accordingly pre-
the chief Commanders were Papifls, underwent pared. By the Eighteenth of April, 1689.
the Fatigues of a long and a cold Winter, in Things were puihed on fo far by the People,
the moft Caucafmn Regions of the Territory, that certain Perfons firft Seized the Captain of
till, without
the killing of One Indian, there the Frigot, and the Rumor thereof running like
were more of the poor People killed, than Lightning through Bofton, the whole Town was
they had Enemies there alive This added not immediately in Arms, with the moft Unanimouf
!
a little to the Diflatisfaftion of the People, and Refolution perhaps that ever was known to
it would much more have done fo, if they had
have Infpir'd any People. They then feized
feen what the World had not yet feen of the thofe Wretched Men, who by their innumera-
ble Extortions and Abufes had made them-
Suggeflions made by the Irifl) Catbolicks unto
the Late King, publifhed in the Year 169 1. felves the Objects of Univerfal Hatred; not
in the Account of the State of the Protejlants giving over till the Governour himfelf was be-
in Ireland, Licenfed by the Earl of Notting- come their Prifoner : The whole AtTion being
ham, whereof one Article runs in thefe Exprefs managed without the leaft Bloodjhedov Plunder^
and with as much Order as ever attended any
Terms, That if any of the Iriih cannot have
their hands in Specie, but Money in Lieu, fome Tumult, it may be, in the World. Thus did the
of them may Tranfport them/elves into America, Ncw-Eitglanders afTert their Title to the Com-
pofjibly near New-England, to check the growing mon Rights of Englifhmen and except the
that : Or if had Plantations are willing to Degenerate from the
Independants of Country they
feen what was afterwards feen in a Letter irom Temper of True Englifhmen, or except the Re-
K. fames to His Hclinefs, (as they ftile his volution of the whole Englifh Nation be con-
Foolifhnefs) the Pope of Rome that it was his demned, their Atlion mult fo far be juftified;
5
full Purpofe to have fet up Roman~Catholick On their late Opprejjbrs, now under juft Con-
Religion in the Englifh Plantations of America: finement, they took no other Satisfaction, but
Tho' after all, there is Caufe to think that fent them over unto White-Hall for the Juftice
there was more made of the Sufpicions then of the King and Parliament. And when the
flying like Wild*Fire about the Country, than Day for the Anniverfary Election, by their va-
a ftrong Charity would have Countenanced. cated Charter, drew near, they had many De-
When the People were under thefe Frights, bates into what Form they fhQuld caft the Go-
they had got by the Edges a little Intimation vernment,
which was till then Adminiftred by
of the then Prince of Orange's glorious Under- a Committee for the Confcrvation of the Peace^
taking to deliver England from the Feared E eompofed of
Gentlemen whole Hap it was to
vils, which were already felt by Neva-England appear in the Head of the late Atlion
; \
but
but when the Perfcn who brought over a their Debates IfTued in this Conclulion • That
Copy of the Prince's Declaration was Im- the Governour and Magifir at es, which were in
prifoned for bringing into the Country a Power before the late Ufurpaticn, fhould Re-
Treafonable Paper, and the Governour, by his fume their Places, and apply themfelves unto
the Peace, and put forth
Proclamation, required all Perlons to ufe their the Confervation of
utmoji Endeavours to hinder the Landing of what AOs of Government the Emergencies
might
46 Magnalia Cbrifii
Americana : Book II.
might make needful for them, and thus to Order, the Lord Jefus Chrift himjelf will one
wait for further Directions from the Authority Day be afhimed of that Man Upon this Ex-
'.
of England. So was there Accomplifhed a citation, Sir n 'iltiam Phips made his Addrefs
Revolution which delivered New-England from unto a Congregational-Church, and he had there-
grievous Oppreffions, and which was molt in one thing to propound unto himlelf, which
graciouily Accepted by the King and Qiteen, few Perfons of his Age, fo well fatisfied in
when it was Reported unto their Majeities. Infant Baptifm as he was, have then to ask
But there were new Matters for Sir William for. Indeed, in the Primitive Times, although
Phips, in a little while, now to think up- the Lawfulnejs of Infant-Baptifm, or the Pre-
on. cept and Pattern of Scripture for it, was
§.
o. Behold the great things which were never fo much as once made a Queftion,
yet '
done by the Sovereign God, Perfon once we find Baptifm was frequently delayed by
for a
as little in his own Fyes^ as in other Mens. Perfons upon feveral fuperltitious and unreafon-
All the Returns which he had hitherto made able Accounts, againft which we have fuch
unto the Gcd of his Mercies, were but Preli- Fathers as Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory Nyffen,
minaries- to what remain to be related. It Bafil, Chryfijfom. Ambroje, and others, employ-
has been the Cuftom in the Churches of New- ing a variety of Argumenr. But Sir William
England, Hill to expect from fuch Perfons as Phips had hitherto delayed his
Baptifm, becaufe
they admitted unto conftant Communion with the Years of his Childhood were fpent where
them, that they do not only Publickly and So- there was no fettled Minifter, and therefore he
lemnly Declare their Confcnt unto the Covenant was now not only willing to attain a good Sa^
of Grace, and particularly to thofe Duties of tisfaction of his own Internal and Practical
it, wherein a
Particular Church-State is more Chriftianity, before his receiving that Mark
immediately concerned, but alfo firft: relate un- thereof, but he was alfo willing to receive it
to the Pajlors, and by them unto the Brethren, among thofe that feemed molt fen-
Chrifiians
the Ipecial Impreffions which the Grace of fible of the Bonds which it laid them un-
God has made upon their Souls in bringing der. Offering himfelf therefore, firft unto
them to this Cgnjent. By this Cuftom and Cau- the Baptifm, and then unto the Supper of
tion, though they cannot keep Hypocrites the Lord, he prefented unto the Paftor of the
from their Sacred Fellowfhip, yet they go Church, with his own Hand-Writing, the fol-
as far as they can, to render and preferve them- lowing Inftrument ; which becaufe of the Ex-
felves Churches of Saints, and they do further emplary Devotion therein exprelfed, and the
very much Edijie one another. When Sir Wil- Remarkable Hifiory which it gives of feveral
liam Phips was now returned unto his own Occurrences in his Life, I will here faithfully
Houje, he began to bethink himfelf, like Da- Tranfcribe it, without adding fo much as one
vid, concerning the Houfe of the God who
Word unto it.
'
had furrounded him with fb many Favours in The firft of God's making me fenfible of
c
his own ; and accordingly he applied himfelf my Sins, was in the Year 1674. by hearing
c
unto the North Church in Bofion, that with his your Father Preach concerning, The Day of
'
Pfalm To make
: a public k and an open ing then fome time under your Father's Mi-
Firft
niitry, much troubled with my Burden, but
-
is a thing not mif-
Profeffton of Repentance, '
he hath brought me to fee my felf altogc- felf in this World \ I may ft fill ut Home, if
'
ther unhappy, wirhout an lntercft in the Lord I will, and enjoy my Erfe for the rcji oj my
'
to dofe heartily with him, Life but I believe that I fhould offend God
Jefus Chrift^ and -,
'
whatever 1 ihould know to be Dilpleafing un- long 1 have to live 5 but 1 think 'tis my Duly
'
to Gcd, and that I would Serve him all the to venture my Life in doing oj good, before an
'
my felf unable
k
*
my ferious Prayers are to the Moft High, Country ; I was Born for others, a-r well at
that he would enable me. God hath done io my felf 1 fay, many a time have I heard him
*
much for me, that 1 am fenfible I owe my io exprefs himfelf And agreeable to this Ge- :
felf to him ; To htm would I give my felj, nerous Difpojilion and Rejolutton was all the
'
'
and he has given to me.
all that 1 can't ex- rtlt of his Life. About this time New Eng-
'
Mercies to me. But as icon as e- land was milerably Briar 'd in the Perplexities
prefs his
*
ver God had i'miled upon me with a Turn of an Indian War; and the Salvages, in the
'
of my Affairs, I had laid my ielf under the Eaji part of" the Country, iffuing out from their
'VOWS of the Lord, That I would jet my inacctiiible Sivamps, had for many Months
'
felf to ferve his People, and Churches here,
made their Cruel Depredations upon the poor
'
unto the utmeji of my Capacity. 1 have had Englifh Planters, and furprized many of the
'great Offers made me
tngland but the
in •
Plantations on the Frontiers, into Ruin. The
'
Churches of Aew-England were thole which New-Englanders found, that while they coa-
'
tinued only en the Vefenfive part, their Peo-
'
my Heart was moft let upon. I knew, That
if God
had a People any wl.'ere, it was here : ple were thinned, and their Treajures wafted ^
'
And I Refolvcd to rije and fall with them j
without any hopes of feeing a Period put un-
'
Advantages for my to the Indian Tragedies nor could an Army
neglecting very great -,
'
'
Worldly I
might come and en- greater than Xcrxes's have eafily come at the
Intereft, that
the Ordinances of the Lord Jefus here. ieemingly contemptible handful of Tawnies
'
joy
it has been my Trouble, that fince I came which made all this Difturbance or, Tamer- ;
'
Home I have made no more hafte to get into lain, the greateft Conqueror that ever the
4
the Houfe oj God, where / defire to be : E- World faw, have made it a Bufinefs of no
'
fo much about the E- Trouble to have Conquered them
fpecially having heard They found, :
'but 1 defire to wait upon him in his Ordi- their Enfwamped Adverfaries, except Mr. Mil-
nances, and to live to his Honour and Glo- ton could have fhown them how
'
4
aflmmed. When God had bleficd me with ed Pagans. This was a Motion urged by Sir
'
fomething of the World, I had no Trouble fo William Phips unto the General Court of the
'
great as this, Left it fhould not be in Mercy-, Majfachufet -Colony and he then made unto -.
'
and I trembled at nothing more than being the Court a brave Offer of his own Perfon and
'
put off with a Portion here. That I may Eftate, for the Service of rhe Publick in their
'
make lure of better things, I now offer my prefent Extremity, as far as they Ihould fee
'
felf unto the Church of Caule to make ufe thereof. Whereupon they
Communion of this
'
the Lord JESUS. made a Fir ft Ejfay againft the French, by fend-
Accordingly on March 23. 16 90. after he ing a Naval Force, with about Seven Hundred
had in the Congregation of North-Bofion given Men, under the Conduct of Sir William Phips,
himfelf up, firji unto the Lord, and then unto againft L'Acady and Nova Scotia-, of which
his People, he was Baptized, and fo received Aclion we (hall give only this General and
into the Communion ot the Faithful there. Summary Account 5 that Sir William Phips fet
(j.
10. Several times, about, before and af- Sail from Nantafcot, April 28. 1690. Arri-
ter this
time, did 1 hear him exprefs him- king at Port-Royal, May 11. and had the
felf unto this
purpole / have no need at a// Fort
:
quickly Surrender'd into hi* Hands by
1
i the
4§ Magnalia Chrifti
Americana : Book II.
the trench Enemy, who defpaired of holding It was Canada that was the chief
Source of
out againft him. He then took PofTeffion of New-England'% Miferies. There was the main
that Province for the Englifh Crown, and ha- Strength of the French ; there the Indians were
ving Demolithed the Fort, and fent away the moftly fupplied with Ammunition ; thence Iffu-
Garrilbn, Adminiftred unto the Planters an Oat b ed Parties of Men, who uniting with the Salva-
of Allegiance to King William sad Queen Mary, ges, barbaroufly murdered many Innocent New-
he left what Order he thought convenient for the Engenders, without any Provocation on the
Government of the Place, until further Order New-Englifh part, except this, that New-Eng-
fhould be taken by the Governour and Council land had Proclaimed King William and
Q. Ma-
of the Ma Ifachufet-Co\ony, unto whom he re- ry, which they fa id were Ufurpers ; and as
turned May 30. with an acceptable Account of Cato could make no
Speech in the Senate with-
his Expedition, and accepted a Place among out that Conclufion, Delenda -
fo
eft Carthago
the M'tgift rates of that Colony, to which the it was the
general Conclufion of all that Argued
Free-Men had cholen him at their Anniverfary lenfibly about the fafety of that Country, Ca-
EleUion Two Days before. nada muft be Reduced. It then became the con-
Thus the Country, once given by King James curring Refolution of all New-England, with
the Firft unto Sir William Alexander, was now Neva-York, to make a Vigorous Attack upon Ca-
V/ill'iam recovered out of the nada at once, both by Sea and Land.
by another Sir
Hands of the French, who had afterwards got And a Fleet was accordingly fitted out from
the Pdfdfion of k\ and there was added unto Bojion, under the Command of Sir William
the Englijh Empire, a Territory, whereof no Phips, to fall upon ^teebeque, the chief City of
Man can Read Monfieur Denys's Dejcription Canada. They waited until Auguft for fome
de I' Ame- Stores of War from England, whither
Geographique iff tiiftorique des Cojles they had
but he muft reckon the fent for that in the
rique Scptentnonale, purpofe early Spring ; but
of a Region fo Improvable, for Lum- none at la ft arriving, and the Seafon of the Year
Conqneft
tor Mines, and for Furrs, a being fo far fpent, Sir William could
ber, tor Fifhing, not, with-
very confideraole Service. But if a fmaller Ser- out many Difcouragements upon his Mind,
pro-
vice has, e er now, ever merited a Knighthood. ceed in a Voyage, for which he found himfelf
Sir W'llliam was willing to Repeat his Me- to
poorly provided. However, rhe Ships being
rits by Actions of the gteateft Service pof- taken up, and rhe Men on Board, his ufual
fible :
Courage would not permit him to Defift from
the Enterprize ; but he let Sail from Hull near
Nil Attum credens, fiquidfupereffet agendum- Bofton, Auguft 9. 1690. with a Fleet
of Thirty
Two Ships and Tenders
; whereof one, called the
§. 11. The Addition of this French Colony to Six Friends,
carrying Forty Four great Guns,
the Englijh Dominion., was no more than a and Two Hundred Men, was Admiral. Sir
little ftep towards a. greater Affion, which was William dividing the Fleet into feveral
Squa-
titft in the Defign of Sir William Phips, and drons, whereof there was the Six Friends, Cap-
which was, indeed, ihegrcateft Allien that ever tain Gregory Sugars Commander, with Eleven
the New-Englanders Attempted. There was a more of the Admiral's Squadron, cf which one
time when the Philiftines had made fbme In- was alfo a Capital Ship, namely, The John and
roads and Affaults from the Northward, upon Thomas, Captain Thomas Carter Commander;
the Skirts of Go/hen, where the Ifraelites had a of the Vice- Admirals, the Swan, Captain Tho-
Retidence, before their coming out of Egypt. mas Gilbert Commander, with Nine more ; of
The Ifraelites, and efpecially that Aftive Colo- the Rear-Admirals, the America-Merchant,
ny of the Ephraimites, were willing to Revenge Captain Jofeph Eldridge Commander, with Nine
thefe Injuries upon their wicked Neighbours ; more , and above Twenty Hundred Men on
they prefumed themfelves Powetful
and Nume- Board the whole Fleet He fo
happily managed
:
rous enough to Encounter the Canaanites, even his Chr-rge, that they every one of them Arri-
in their own Country and they formed a brisk ved fafe at Anchor before Quebeck, although
-,
Expedition, but
came off unhappy Lofers in it they had as dangerous, and almoft untrodden a
•,
the Jewifl) Ra ''bins tells us, they loft no lefs than Path, to take Un-Piloted, for the whole Voyage,
Eight Thou/and Men. The Time was not yet as ever any Voyage was undertaken with. Some
come there was more tiafte than good Speed fmall French Prizes he took by the way, and
,
in the Attempt they were not enough concern- fet up Englifh Colours upon the Coaft, here
;
ed tor the Counfel and Prefence of God in the and there, as he went along; and befote the
Undertaking; they mainly propounded the Month of Auguft -was out, he had fpent feve-
Plunder to be got among a People, whofe Trade ral Days as far onward of his Voyage, as be-
was that wherewith Beafts entiched them ; fo the tween the Ifland of Antecofta, and the Main.
bafiriefs mifcarried. This Hiftory the Pfalmift But when they entred the mighty River of Ca-
utter dark Sayings nada, fuch adverfe Winds encountred the Fleet,
going to recite, fays, I will
of o'd. Now that what befel Si: William
Phips, that they were Three Weeks difpatching the
with his whole Country of New-England, may way, which might otherwife have been gone in
not be almoft forgotten among the dark Sayings Three Days, and it was the Fifth of Oiiober,
of old, I will here give the true Report of a ve- when a freth Breeze coming up at Eaft, carried
ry memorable
Matter. them along by rhe North Shore, up to the Ifle
of
Book II. 0r3 The Hiftory ^New^Englatid. 49
of Orleans ;
and then haling Southerly, they Ltbe aforrjaid Sin Wlllmn Phi ps. Knight,
the end of that with the do hereby, in the Name, and in the Behalf
paffed by Eaji Iiland, aj%
whole Fleet approaching the City of Quebeck. Their Moft Excellent Majcjiies, Wiiliam ami
This lofs of Time, which made it folate before Mary, King and .Queen oj England, Scotland.
the Fleet could get into the Country, where a France and Itcland, Lhyenders. of the Fkitb ,
cold and fierce Winter was already very far ad- .and by Order oj 'Thar u<d Ma'cjh'es Govern-
ment -oj\. the MuHichLia-el'/.'/T in New Fin-
vanced, gave no very good Profpecl of Succefs to
the Expedition ; but that which gave a much land, Demand aprejent Surrender of your torts
voorfe, was a moft horrid MiJ manage me nt r which and' Caffies, undemolijhed, and the King's, and
the mean while, happened in the Weft. other- Shores, unimbezzelled, -with a feafoftabli
had,
For a Thoufand Pngltfh from New-Tor/;, and Delivery of. alt Captives ; together with a Sur-
Albany, and Conncclicut,
with Fifteen Hundred render oj all your Perjons andt/tites to my Dtft
Indians, were to have gone over-land in the pofa: T'pon the doing whereoj you may expeel
while the Mercy jrom me, as a Chrilfian, according to
Weft, and fallen upon Mount-Royal,
Fleet was to Vifit §>uebeck in the Eaft \
and no what (l)iill be found for Their Majefties Service,
Expedition could have been better laid than I his. and the Subjects Security. Which if you Rejufe
Which was thus contrived. But thole hng'lijh forthwith, to do, 1 am come Provided, and am
Companies the Weft, marching as far as the
in Refolded, by the help oj God, inichum Itruji, by
great Lake that was to be pafled, found their Porce of Arms, to Revenge all Wrongs and
Inju-
Canoosnot provided, according to Expectation ries offered, and bring you under
; Subjellion to
and the Indians alfo were {how ? God knows, the Crown ^/England \
and when too late, make I
and will one Day Judge! Diffuaded from Join- you wif) you had accepted of the tavour ten-
ing with the EngHfh; and the Army met with
dered.
fuch Difcouragements, that they returned.
Had this Wefttrn Army done but lb much as Tour Anfwer Pofitive in an Hour, returned
continued at the Lake, the Diverlion thereby by your own Trumpet, with the Return si
given to the French Quartered
at Mou/wRoyal, .mine, is Required, upon the Peril that
would have rendered the Conqueft of Qliebeck will enjue.
eaBe and certain; but the Governour ofc Canada
being Informed of the Retreat
made 'by the The Summons being Delivered unto Count
Wejlern-hxmy, had opportunity, by the crofs Prontenac, his Anlwer was 5
the City, before the Fleet could come up unto were Hereticks and Traitors to their King, and;
it. However, none of thefe Difficulties hin- haji taken up with that Ulurper, the Prince ofi
dred Sir William Phips from fending' on Shoar Orange, and had made a Revolution,, which if it
the following Summons, on Monday the Sixth had not been made, New-England and the French'
of OSober. had been all One; andthat no other Anfwer za.rf
to be
expe&ed jrom him, but what fhould be ft om
the Mouth of his Cannon.
'
yet bang defirous to avoid all Inhumane and V/i- The French, with Indians, that faw them lye
cbriftian-like Alliens, and to prevent f>edding oj there, came near, arid Fired thick upon them,
Blood as much as may le , and were bravely Anlwered ; and when two or
G g thret
_i_
5° Magnalia Chrifii
Americana : Book II.
Three Hundred of the Enemy, at laft planted a quilinio ,or Cocks Crowing on their ovtn
Dunghil.
Fi -Id-Piece againlt the Bar/:, while the Wind They were, in truth, now poctcri into the grie-
blew lo hard, that no help could he fent unto vous Caie which Livy defcribes whui he fays, Ibi
his Men, the General advanced (6 far, as to Le grave eft Bellum gerere, ubt nun vonjijiendi aut
vel Two or Three great Guns, conveniently procedendt incus quoLitnque aj'pexcns Heft ilia
;
enough to make the AiTailants Fly; and when funt omnia ; look on one fide or t'oihcr, all
the Flood came, the Bark happily got oft", was full of Hoflile Difficulties. Arid indeed,
without the hurt or one Man aboard. But fo whatever Popular Clamour has been nude a-
violent was the Storm of Wind all this Day, gainft any of the Commanders, it is apparent
that it was not pollibie foe them to Land until that they acled confiderately, in making a Paufg
the Eighth of October ; when the Englifh count- upon what was before them and they did a •,
Four Companies of thefe were drawn out as more in his Element, than when (as the Poet
b'orlorns, whom, on every fide, the Enemy fired exprelTeth it,)'
at ; neverthelefs, the Englifh Rulhing w ith a
lhout, at once upon them caufed them to Run The Slaughter Breathing Brafs grew hot, and
as faft as Legs could carry them : So that the
fioke
whole Fnghlh Army, expreiiing as much Refo- In Flames of Lightning, and in Clouds of
lution as was in Cejar's Army, when they firft Smoke :
the EnglifJ) Army on that fide, were gone back in an Anniverfary Diverfion every April among
to Notwithftanding this dif-fpiriting the Ancient Romans, taught' by the Phcnicians.)
Albany.
Information, the common Souldiers did with While the Meafures to be further taken were
much vehemency Beg and Pray, that they might debating, there was made an Exchange of Pri-
be led on profefling, that they
;
had rather lofe foners, the Englifl) having taken feveral of the
their Lives on the Spot, than fail of taking the French in divers Aftions, and the French ha-
City but the more wary Commanders
;
eonfi- ving in their Hands divers of the Englifh, whom
dered how ralh a thing it would be, for about the Indians had brought Captives unto them.
Fourteen Hundred Raw Men, tired with a long The Army now on Board continued ftill Retb-
Voyage, to aflault more than
Twice as many lute and Courageous, and on fire for the Conqueft
Expert Souldiers, who were Gatli in fuo fter- of Rebeck or if they had miffed of doing it by ;
Storm,
. ___
'
.,__ •
•
••'-I
Book II. Or, The Hiftory <?f New-England, fi
'
Storm, they knew that they might, by pofTef- ' his, threw him over the Bridge into the YVa-
fing themfelves
of the Ifle of Orleans, in a ter, where he was drowned. And the Fourth,
'
little while have ftarved them out. Incredible being in like manner molt courreouih
Damage they might indeed have done to the 'Treated at the Houfe of a very Godly Man,
Enemy before they Embarked, but they were \ the Angel before Morning did unaccountably
willing to preferve the more undefenfible Parts
'
kill his only Child. The Companion of
the
'
of the Country in fuch a Condition, as might Journey being wonderfully offended at rheie
c
more fenfibly Encourage the Submiflion of the things, would have : But
left his Guardian
'
inhabitants unto the Crown of England, whole the Angel then thus Addreflcd him,
Under-
'
Protection was defired by lb many of them. jland now the fecret Judgments of God ! Jhe
And 1UU they were loth to play for any lelTer [ firji
Man that entertained us, dtd mordinate-
Game than the immediate Surrender of £>iiebeck f ly afjitl that Cup vob/cb 1 took from him ;
'
it ielf. But e're a full Council of War could twos for. the Advantage of his Interiour
'
conclude the next Steps to be taken, a violent
'
that I took it
away, and I gave it unto the
Storm arofe that feparated the Fleet, and the impious Man, as the prefent Reward of his
c
Snow and the Cold became fo extream, that good Works, which is all the Reward that be
they could not continue in thofe Quarters any
'
is like to have. As for our Third Hojl, the
1
longer.
Servant which I few had formed a
bloody
Thus, by an evident Hand of Heaven, fend- Defign to have fain his Mafic?; but nozv,
•
'
ing one unavoidable Difafter after another, as you fee, I have faved the Life of the Majier.
'
well-lbrmed an Enterprize, as perhaps was e- and prevented jome thing growth unto theoj
'
ver made by the New-Englanders, moll: un- Eternal Punifhment oj the Murderer. As for
i
happily mifcarried ; and General Pkips under our Fourth Hoft, before his Child w.ti Born
'
went a very mortifying Difappointment of a unto him, he was a very liberal and bounti-
Dciign, which his Mind was, as much as ever ful P erfon, and he did abundance of good with
c
applying the Remarkable Story reported by fand Pounds, more or lefs, now to be paid,
Bradwardine. and not a Penny in the Treafury to pay it
'
There was an Hermit, who being vexed withal. In this Extremity they prelently found
s
with Blafphemous Injections about the Juftice out an Expedient, which may lerve as an Ex-
and Wifdom of JJtoine Providence, an Angel ample for any People in other Parts of the
'
1
in Humane Shape invited him to Travel World, whofe DittreiTes may call for a fud-
'with him, That he might fee the hidden den fupply of Money to carry them through
'"
Judgments of God. Lodging all Night at any Important Expedition. The General Af
the Houfe of a Man who kindly entehain'd fembly lirft pafs'd an Ail for the Levying of
'
them, the Angel took away a valuable Cup fuch a Sum of Money as was wanted, within
1
'
from their Hoft, at their going away in the fuch a Term of time as was judged conveni-
Morning, and bellowed this Cup upon a very ent and this AS was a Fund, on which the
'
;
'
wicked Man, with whom they lodged the Credit of fuch a Sum (hould be rendered paf
'
'Night enfuing. The Third Night they were fable among the People. Hereupon there was
molt lovingly Treated at the Houfe of a very appointed an able and faithful Committee of
Godly Man, from whom, when they went in Gentlemen, who Printed, from Copper-Plates, i.
'
'the Morning, the Angel meeting a Servant of ljuft Number oi Bills, and Florilhed, Indented,
G g i and
5 Magna It
:
a
Chrijii
Americana : Book II.
and Contrived them in fuch a manner, as to the Governour and Council had the Pleafure of
make impoiiible to Counterfeit any of them,
it feeing the Treafurcr burn before their Eyes
without a fpeedy Difcovery of the Counterfeit : many a Thoufand Pounds Worth of the Bills
Belides which, they were all Signed by the which had paifed about until they were
again
Hands of T.hree to that Committee. returned unto the Treafury ; but before their
belonging
Thefe Bills being or leveral Sams, from Tzvo being returned, had happily and honeilly
Shillings, to "Tea Pox/ids, did confers the Maf- without a Farthing of Silver Coin,
difcharged'
-Colony to be Endebted unto the Perfon, the Debts, for which they were intended. But
fachufet
in whofe Hands they were, the Sums therein that which helped thefe Bills unto much of
expreffed ; and Provifion
was made, that if their Credit, was the Generous Offer of
many
any Particular Bills were Irrecoverable Loft, or Worthy Men in Bofion, to run the Rifque of
Torn, or Worn by the Owners, they might be felling their Goods reasonably for them And :
Recruited without any Damage to the whole in of thefe, I think I may lay, that General
general. The Publick Debts to the Sai/ort Phips was in fome fort the Leader who at 5
and Soldiers, now upon the point of Mutiny, the very beginning, meerly to Recommend
Anna Omnia the Credit of the Bills unto other
(for, Tcnenti, dat, qui Juftu Pcrfons,
negat ! ) were in paid immediate-
thefe Bills chearfully laid down a confiderable quantity of
ly : But that further Credit might be given ready Money for an equivalent parcel of them.
thereunto, it was Ordered that they ihould be
And thus in a little time the Country waded
accepted by the Treaiurer, and all Officers through the Terrible Debts which it was fal-
that were Subordinate unto him, in all Publick len into In this, though
:
unhappy enough, yet
Payments, at Five per Cent, more than the Va-
not fo
unhappy as in the Lojs of Men, by
lue expreffed in them. The People knowing which the Country was at the fame time con-
that the lax- Aft would, in the fpace of Two fumed. Tis true, there was very little Blood
Years at Treafury as much
leaft, fetch into the the Attack made upon Rebeck
fpilt in ; and
as all the Bills of Credit, thence emitted, therewas a Great Hand of Heaven leen in it.
would amount unto, were willing to befurnilhed The Churches, upon the Call of the Govern-
with Bills, wherein 'twas their Advantage to ment, not only obferved a General taji through
pay their 'taxes, rather than in any other the Colony, for the Welfare of the
Army
and Soldiers put off lent unto ^uebeck, but alfo
Specie-, and fo the Sailors kept the Wheel of
their Bills, inltead of Money, to thofe with Prayer in a Continual Motion, by Repeated
whom they had any Dealings, and they Cir- and Succeffive Agreements, for
Days of Prayer
culated through Hands in the Colony pretty with Pajiing, in their feveral Vicinities. On
all the
Comfortably. Had the Government been fo thefe Days the Ferventeft Prayers were fent up
fettled, that there had not been any doubt of to thz God of Armies, for the Safety and Suc-
cefs of the New-Engli.fh
any Obltruction, or Diverfion to be given to Army gone to Canada ;
the Profecution of the lax-Ail, by a total and though I never underftood that any of the
Change of their Affairs then depending at Faithful did in their Prayers arife to any affu-
Whitehall, 'tis very certain, that the Bills of rance that the Expedition lfiould profper in
Credit had been better than fo much ready all refpeffs, yet
they fometimes in their Devo-
Silver ; yea, the Invention had been of more tions on thefe Occasions, uttered their Perfwa-
ufe to the Nev-Evglanders, than if all their fion, thatAlmighty God had heard them in this
or the Moun- thing, that the Englifh Army fhould not fall by
Copper Mines had been opened,
Enemy. Now they
tains of Peru had been removed into thefe the Hands of the French
Parts of America. The Majfachufet Bills of were marvelloufly delivered from
doing Jo -,
Credit had been like the Bank Bills of Venice, though the Enemy had fuch unexpected Advan-
where though there were nor, perhaps, a Ducat tages over them, yea, and though the horrid
of Money in the Bank, yet the Bills were e- Winter was come on fo far, that it is a Won-
fteemed tmre than Twenty per Cent, better der the Englijh Fleet, then Riding in the River
than Money, among the Body of the People, of Canada, fared any better than the Army
in all their Dealings. But many People being which a while fince befieged Poland, wherein,
afraid, that the Government would in half a of Seventy Thoufand Invaders, no left than
Year be fo overturned, as to Convert their Bills Pony Thoufand fuddenly perifhed by the feveri-
of Credit altogether into Waft Paper, the Cre- ty of the Cold, albeit it %re but' the Month
dit of them was thereby very much impaired of November with them. Neverthelef;, a kind
;
and they, who firft received them, could make of Camp-Fever, as well as the Small-Pox, got
them yield little more than fourteen or Six- into the Fleet, whereby fome Hundreds came
teen Shillings in the Pound from whence thort of Home. And befides this Calamity,
;
there arofe thofe Idle Sufpicions in the Heads it was alfo to be lamented, that although the
of many more Ignorant and Unthinking Folks molt, of the Fleet arrived fafe at New-England,
concerning the ufe thereof which, to the In- whereof fome Veffels indeed were driven off
credible Detriment of the Province, are not by Crofs-Winds as far as the Weft-Indies, be-
wholly laid afide unto this Day. However, fore fuch Arrival ; yet there were Three or
this Method of paying the Publick Debts, did Four Veffels which totally mifcarried One was :
no lefs than fave the Publick from a perfett never heard of, a Second was Wreck'd, but
Rain: And ere nuny Months were expired, moft of the Msn were faved by another in
Com-
Book II. Or, The Hiftory o/"New».Engtand. 53
a //.7/7/was Wreck'd it was not
that all the But
long before they began to feel
Company 5 16,
after was by means of the French rcftored mons, their Drink of Snow-Water, their Hard,
:
And & fourth met with Accidents, which, it and Wet, and Smoaky Lodgings, and their
may be, my Reader will by and by pronounce Grievous Defpair oj Mind, overwhelmed fome
not unworthy to have been Related. of them at luch a rate, and fo ham-
firing d
A Brigantine, whereof Captain John Rains- them, that fooner than be at the pains to go
about Threeicore abroad, and cut their one Fuel, they would lye
ford was Commander, having
Men aboard, was in a very ftormy Night, after a Sottilh manner in the Cold thefe things ;
03ob. 28. 1690. ftranded upon the defolate and quickly brought Sickneffes among them. The
hideous Ifland of Antecofia, an Ifland in the full of their Number who Died was their Do-
mouth of the Mighty River of Canada; but on the 20th of December
lt or, and then they
•
through the lingular Mercy of God unto them, dropt away, one after another, till between
the Veffel did not, immediately, ftave to pieces, Lhirty and Forty of the Sixty were buried by
which if it had happened, they mult have, one difconfolate Friends, whereof every one
thtiir
or another, quickly perifhed. There they lay look'dftill to be the next that ihould
way lay his
for divers Days, under abundance of bitter Bones in that Forfaken Region. Thefe
poor
Weather, trying and hoping to get oft their Men
did therefore, on Monday the
Twenty Se-
one Day venth of January, keep a Sacred Fafi (as they
Veffel; and they fblemnly let apart
for Prayer with Fajiing, to obtain the Smiles did, in fome fort, a Civil one, every Day, all
of Heaven upon them in the midft of their this while) to befeech of Almighty God, that
Diftreffes ; and this efpecially, That if they his Anger might be turned irom them, that he
mult go Alhoar, they might not, by any ftrefsof would not go on to cut them off in his Anger,
Srorm, lole the Provifions which they were to that the Extremity of the Seafon might be mi-
carry with them. They were at laft convin- tigated, and that they might be profpered in
ced, that they mult continue no longer on Board,
fome Effay to get Relief as the Spring Ihould
and therefore, by the Seventh of November, Advance upon them and they took Notice
;
they applied themfelves, all Hands, to get their that God gave them a Gracious Anfwer to every
Provifions Alhoar upon the difmal Ifland one of thefe Petitions.
where they had nothing but a lad and cold Win But while the hand of God was killing fo
ter before them ;
which being accomplifhed, many of this little Nation (and yet uncapable to
their Veffel cverfet fo, as to take away from become a Nation, lot it was, Res uw//y,T talis,
them all expectation of getting off the Ifland in populus virorum I) they apprehended, that they
it. Here they now built themfelves Nine fmall mufc have been under a moft uncomfortable Ne-
Chimney-lefs things that they called
Houfes \
One of their Company.
celiity to kill
to this putpole employing fuch Boards and Whatever Penalties they Enacted for other
Planks as they could get from their fhattered Crimes, there was One, for which, like that of
Veffel, with the help of Trees, whereof that Pamcidc among the Antients. they would have
to ferve them promifed themfelves, that there fhould not have
fqualid Wildernefs had enough
.
and they built a particular Store-Houfe, where- been Occafion for any Puniflments ; and that
in they carefully Lodg'd and Lock'd the poor was, the Crime of Stealing from the Common-
which though fcarceStock of their Provifions. Nevertheless they
quantity of Provifions,
enough to ferve a very abftemious found their Store-Houfe divers times broken
Company for
one Month, mutt now be lb ftinted, as to hold open, and their Provifions therefrom Stolen
out Six or Seven • and the Allowance agreed by divers unnatural Children cf the Leviathan,
amon b them could be no better than for One while it was not pollible for them to preferve
Man, Two Biskets, half a pound of Pork, half their feeble Store-Houfe from the Stonc-Wall-
a pound of Flower, one Pint and a quarter of breaking Madneis of thefe unrea finable Crea
Peafe, and two Salt Fiftes per Week. This tures. This Trade of Stealing, if it had not been
little Handful of Men were now a fort of Com- ftopp'd by fome exemplary Severity, they muft
monwealth, extraordinarily and miferably fe- in a little while, by Lot or Force, have come to
parated from all the reft of Mankind ; (but I have Canibally devoured one another ; for there
believe, they thougnt little enough of an Uto- was nothing to be done, either at Ftfhing, or
that Rueful Ifland,
pia: Wherefore they confulted and concluded Fowling, or Hunting, upon
fuch Lazes among themfelves, as they judged in the depth of a Frozen Winter; and though
neceffary to their firbiiftence, in the doleful Con- they fent as far as they could upon jJifcovery,
dition whereinto the Providence of God had they could not find on the Ifland any Living
call them : now thing in the World, befides themfelves. Where-
fore, though by an Ail they made Stealing to
Pen it us toto divifos Orbe. be lb Criminal, thatfeveral did Run the Gant-
let for it,, yet they were not far from being
They fet up Good Orders, as well as they driven, after all, to make one Degree and In
could, among themfelves and ;
befides their daily fiance of it Capital. There was a wicked
Devotions, they Obferved the Lord's Days, with Irifhman among them, who had fuch a Vo/ya-
more folemn Exercifes of Religion. om Devil in him, that ,after .divers Burglaries
upon
Magnalia Americana : Book
54 Chrijli II.
upon the Store-Houfe, committed by him, at Frigot that ever cut the Seas; and yet the fig-
la It he Stole, and Eat with fuch a Pamphagoits nal Hand of Heaven lb preferved this
petty
Fury, as to Cram
himfelf with no lefs than Boat, that by the Eleventh of April they had
Biskets at one Stolen Meal,and he was got a quarter of their way, and came to an An-
Eighteen
tain to have his Belly Itrok'd and bath'd before the chor under Cape St. Lawrence,
having feen
Fire, left he lhould
otherwife have burft. This Land but once befbie, and that about feven
Amazing, and indeed Murderous Villany of the Leagues oft, ever fince their firft fetting out t -
Irifhman, brought them all to their Wits Ends, and yet having feen the open and Ocean Sea not
how to defend themfelvesfrom the Ruin therein fo much at once in all this while, for the Ice
threatned unto them ; and whatever Methods that ftill encompafled them. For their fupport
were propofed, it was feared that there could in this Time, the little Provifions
they brought
be no ftop given to his Furacioits Exorbitances with them would not have kept them alive -,
he could not be paft Steal- only they killed Seale upon the Ice, and
any way but One they
ing, unlefs
he were paft Eating too. Some melted the upper part of the Ice for Drink ; but
think therefore they might have Sentenced the fierce, wild, ugly Sea-Horfes, would often fo
Wretch to Die, and after they had been at pains, approach them upon the Ice, that the fear of
to pre- being devoured by them was not the leaft of
upon Chriftian and Spiritual Accounts,
pare him for it, have Executed the Sentence, by their Exercifes. The Day following they
Shooting him to Death Concluding
: Matters weighed Anchor betimes in the Morning but
come to that pals, that if they had not Shot him, the Norwejl Winds perlecuted them, with the
he mult have Starved them unavoidably. Such an raifed and raging Waves of the Sea, which al-
A£tion, if it were done, will doubtlefs meet moft continually poured into them and Mon-
;
with no harder a Cenfure, than that of the Seven ftrous Illands of Ice, that feemed almoft as big
Englifomen, who being
in a Boat carried oft" to as Antecojla it felf, would ever now and then
Sea from St.- Chriflopher% with but one Days come athwart them. In fuch a Sea they lived
Provifion aboard for Seventeen, Singled out by the fpecial aililtance of God, until, by the
fome of their Number by Lot, and Slew, them, Thirteenth of April, they got into an Ifland of
and Eat them ,
for which, when they were af- Land, where they made a Fire, and killed fome
terwards accufed of Murder, the Court, in con- Fowl, and fome Seale, and found fome Goofe-
federation of the inevitable Necejfity, acquitted Fggs, and fupplied themfelves with what Bil-
them. Truly the inevitable Neceffity of Star- lets of Wood were necelfary and carriageable
ving, without fuch
an A£tion, fufficiently grie- for them and there they flayed until the Seven-
•,
vous to them all, will very much plead for teenth. Here their Boat lying near a Rock, a
what was done (whatever it were !) by thefe great Sea hove it upon the Rock, lb that it
poor Antecofiians. And Starved indeed they was upon the very point of overfetting, which
muft have been, for all this, if they had not if it had, fhe had been utterly difabled for
any
Contrived and Performed a very defperate Ad- further Service, and they muft have called that
Harbour by the Name, which, I think, one a
venture, which now remains
to be Related.
There was a very diminutive kind of Boat be- more Northward bears, TfoCape without
little
longing to their Brigantine, which they reco- Hope. There they muft have ended their wea-
vered out of the Wreck, and cutting this Boat ry Days! But here the good Hand cfGod again
in Two, they made a fhift, with certain odd interpofed for them; they got her off"; and
Materials preferved among them, to lengthen though they loft their Compafs in this Hurry,
it lb far, that they could therein form a little they fufficiently Repaired another defective one
Cuddy, where
Two or Three Men might be that they had aboard. Sailing from thence,
flowed, and they fet up a little Maft, whereto by the Twenty-iourth of April, they made
they fattened a little Sail,
and accommodated it Cape Brittoon ; when a thick Fog threw them
with fome other little Ctrcumjiances, according into a new Perplexity, until they were
lafely
to their prefent poor Capacity. gotten into the Bay of {(lands, where they a-
On Twenty Fifth of March, Five of the
the gain wooded, and watred. and killed a few
Company Shipped themfelves upon this Doughty Fowl, and catchtd fome Filh, and began to
if were poflible, to carry
it reckon themfelves as good as half way home.
Fly-Boat, intending,
unto Boflon the Tidings of their woful Plight They reached Cape Sables by the Third of Mayy
but by the Fifth all their Provifion was again
upon Antecofla, and by help from their Friends
there, to return with feafonable Succours -for fpent, and they were out of fight of Land ; nor
the reft. They had not Sail'd long before they had they any profpeft of catching any thing
were Hemm'd in by prodigious Cakes of Ice, that lives in the Atlantick : which while
they
were lamenting one unto another, a ftout Hali-
whereby their Boat fometimes was horribly
but comes up to the top of the Water, by their
wounded, and it was a Miracle that it was not
Crulh'd into a Thou/and Pieces, if indeed a fide whereupon they threw out the Fifhing-
;
of fo minute a Cock-Boat. They kept labour- ved 16 heavy, that it required the help of ft-
enor- veral Hands to hale him in, and a
ing, and fearfully Weather-beaten, among thankful
mous Rands of Ice, which would ever now and Supper they made on't. By the Seventh of
then rub formidably upon them, and were May feeing no Land, but having once more
Ribs of the ftrongeft fpent all their Provifion, were grown
enough to have broken the they al-
moft
Book II. Or, The Hiftory cfNew-Englmd*
'
moft wholly hopelefs of Deliverance, but then The Caufe of the Englijh in New-
Secondly,
'
a Filhing Shallop of Cape Ann came up with England, their failing in the late Attempt up-
•
Cape! And yet before they got in, they had of Ammunition from England until Auguji ,
fo Tempeltuous a Night, that they much feared 'their long Paffage up that River; the Cold
'
the Rocks after all : But God Sea/on coming en, and the Small-Pox and Fe
perilhing upon 1
carried them into Bojion Harbour the Ninth of vers being in the Army and Fleet, lb that they
'
furnithing themlclves with a VelTel fit for their beck; yet, if a few Frigots be fpeedily lent,
'
Undertaking, they took a Courfe in a few they doubt not of an happy Succefs ; tht
'
Weeks more to letch home their Brethren that Strength of the French being fmall, and the
'
left behind them at Antecojia. Planters defirous to be under the Englijh Go-
they '
But it is now time for us to return unto Sir vernmenr.
'
William !
1
Thirdly, The Jefuires endeavour to feduce
the Maquas, and other Indians (as is by'
'
them affirmed) fuggcthng the Greatnefs of
much written upon Sir Williams Heart, as King Lewis, and the Inability of King Willj-
CA LLIC E, they laid once, was upon Queen '
am, to do any thing againft the French in thole
Parts, thereby to engage them in their Inte-
'
He needed not one to have been his
Marys.
Monitor about Canada : It lay down
'
;efts In which, if they lhould fucceed, not :
daily '
with him, it role up with him, it engtoffed al- only New-England, but all our American
'
moft all his thoughts ; he thought the fubdu- Plantations, would be endangered by the great
'
of Canada to be the greateft Service that' increafe of Shipping, for the French (built in
ing '
could be done for New-England, or for the Neu-tngland at ealie rates) to the Infinite
'
Crown of England, in America. In purfuance Difhonour and Prejudice of the Englijh Ni-
'
whereof, after he had been but a few Weeks tion.
at Home, he took another Voyage for bngland, But now, for the Succefs of thefe Applicatf
in the very depth of Winter, when Sailing was ons, I muft entreat the Patience of my Reader
now dangerous conflicting with all the Diffi- to wait until we have gone through a little
\
of State, for affiftance to renew that no Man could lay any thing was his own,
pal Minifters
an Expedition againft Canada, concluding his he did, with the Encouragement of the Prin-
Representation to the King
with fuch Words as cipal Gentlemen in the Country, but not with-
thefe : out much Trouble and Hazard unto his own
'If Your Majefly fhall gracioufly pi cafe to Perfon, go over to Whitehall in the Summer
Comttiiflion and Aflift me, I am ready to of the Year 1688. and wait upon King James,
*
1
venture my Life again in your Service. with a full Reprefentation of their Miferies.
'
And I doubt not, but by the Bleffing of God, That King did give him Liberty of Accefs
<
Canada may be added unto the reft of your unto him, whenever he defired it, and with
'
Dominions, which will (all Circumftances many Good Words promifed him to relieve
'confidered) be of more Advantage to the the Oppreffed People in many Injiances that
1
Crown of England, than all the Territories in were propofed But when the Revolution hid ;
'
Eng/ifr Crown and Nation by the Addition joined with Mr. Mather in fome of thofe Ad-
;
«
of the Bever-Trade, and Securing the Hudjbris dreffes Whereto His Majefty's Anfwers were :
Boy Company, fome of whofe FaUories have always very expreflive of his Gracious In-
*
*
French Crown'. in the Couvsnt ion- Parliament, until a Bill for the
Rjestorin
Magnolia Cbrifii
Americana : Book II.
5<*
New-England-,
r
but that Parliament being Prorogu'd, whereto the Lord Chief Ju f1.!ce. and fome
'England;
and then DifToIvcd, all that Sifyphnean Labour thers of the Council, anlkv.vl, That whate-
came to nothing. The Di (appointments which ver might be the Merit oi the Caufe, inaf-
afterwards moll wonderfully Halted all the much as the Charter of Nita-England ftpbd
vacated by a Judgment agairift them, it was in
hopes of the Petitioned Reftoration, obliged
Mr. Mather, not without the Concurrence of the King's Power to p t them under what
!:
'
other Agents, now alio come from New-Eng- Form of Government he Ihonid think belt lor
unto 'that Method of Petitioning the them.
land,
for a New Charter, that ihould contain The King then faid, ' That he believed it
King '
more thin all the Priviltdges of the Old ; and would be for the Advantage of the People in
'
Sir Willi mi Phips. now being again returned that Colony, to be under a Governour
c
appoin-
into England, Lent his utmoft alfiftance here- ted by himfelf NevertfreleisfDeeanie of what
:
greareft part
of the Lords of His Majefties moft ftanding this, he would have Charter-Privi-
'
Honourable Privy Council, offering them a Pa- ledges reftored and confirm^ unto them.
per of Reafons for the Confirmation of
the The Day following the King began another
Chatter-Priviledges granted unto the Maffachu- Voyage to and when the
Holland;
Attorney
fet-Colony ;
but alio having the Honour to Genetal's Draught of a Charier,
according to
be introdiic'd unto the Queen, he alTured Her what he took to be His Mydlies Mind, as ex-
Majefty, That there
were none in the World prefled in Council, was prefentedattheG#?«7-
better affected unto their Majefties Government Board, on the Eighth of Juney fome Objections
than the People of New-England, who had in- then made, procured an Order to
prepare minutes
deed been expofed unto gteat Hardfhips for for another Draught, which deprived the
their being fo ; and entreated, that fince the New
Englanders of leveral Ejfential PrfaiFedges
King had referred th&New-Engli/b Affair unto other Charter.
in their Mr. Mather put in his
the Two Lord Chief Juftices, with the Attor- Objections, and vehemently protefted, That he
ney and Solicitor General, there might be
would fooner part with his Life, than content
granted unto us what they thought was rea- unto thofe Minutes, or any
thing elle that
fonable. Whereto the Queen replied, Thar fhould infringe any Liberty or Priviledge of
the Requelt was reafonable ; and that (he had Right belonging unto his Country : but he was
fpoken divers times to the King on the behalf arifwered, That the Agents of Nets-England
of New-England and that for her own parr, were nor Plenipotentiaries from another Sove-
•
(he delired that the People there might not raign State; and that if the? would not fubm'u
meerly have J u ft ice, but Favour done to them. unto the King's Pleafure in the Settlement of
When the King was returned, Mr. Mather. the Country, they muft take what would
fol-
being by the Duke of Devonffnre brought into
low.
the King's Prefence on April _28. 1691. hum- The difTatis Factory Minutes were, by Mr.
His Majefties Favour to New-Eng- Mather's Induftry, fent over unto the
bly pray'd King in
land; urging, That if their Old Charter-Privi- Plunders ; and the Minifters of State then with
ledges might be reftored unto them, his Name
the King were earneftly
applied unto, that e-
would be great in thofe Parts of the World as very miftake about the good Settlement of
long as the World ihould ftarrd adding,
•, New-England might be prevented ; and the
Queen her felf, with her own Royal Hand,
Sir, wrote unto the King, that the Charter of AVre-
da was a Great and Noble Undertaking. But after all, His Majefties Principal Secre-
May ft pleafc your Majejiy, in your great rary of State received 'a Signification of the
Wifdom aljo to conjidcr the Circumftances oj King's Pleafure, that the Charter of New-Eng-
that People,- as- in your Wijdom you have confi- land fhould run in the Main Points of it as
dered the Grcunijhinces oj England, and of it was now granted Only there were fcveral
:
Scotland.. In New-F.ngland they differ from Important Articles which 'Mr. Mather
by his
other Plantations ; they are called Congregati- unwearied Solicitations obtained afterwards to be
onal and Presbyterian. So that fuch a Go- inlerted.
vernour will narjuit with the People of New- There were fome now of the
Opinion, that
England, ai may be very proper for other of fubmitting to this New
inftead
Settlement,
Englilh Plantations. they fhould. in hopes of getting a Reverfion
of the Judgment againft the Old
Charter, de-
'Two- Days after this, the King, upon what clare .to the Minifters of Sate, That they had
was. pro poled by certain Lords, was very in- rather have no Charter at all, than fuch an on?
as
Book II. Or, The Hi/lory ofNew-En^land. 57
Country's Enemies might probably have
as was now propofed unto Acceptance. But crept
into Opportunities to have done Ten Thouiand
Mr. Mather adviiing with many unprejudiced
things, and have treated the beft Men in the
Perfons, and Men
of the greateft Abilities in ill
the Kingdom, Noblemen, Gentlemen, Divines Land after a very uncomfortable manner.
and Lawyers, they all agreed, that it was not It was LlUy argued, That by the New
'
^
Charter very great Priviledges were granted
onlv a lawful, but all Circumltances then con-
unto New- England and in form iefpecfs
(idered, a Needful thing, and a part of Duty ;
and Wifdom to accept what was now offered, greater than what they formerly enjoyed.
The
and that a peremptory retufal would not only Colony is now made a Province, and their
an Inconveniency, but a Fatal, and per- General Court, has, wiih the King's Approba-
bring
the Country ; where- tion, as much Power in New-England, as the
haps, a Final Ruin upon
of Mankind would lay the blame upon the A- King and Parliament have
in England. They
have all Englilh Liberties, and can be touched
gents.
by no Law, by no Tax, but of their own
It was argued,That fuch a Submiffion was no making. All the Liberties of their Holy Reli-
Surrender of any thing ; that the Judgment, gion are for ever (enured, and their Titles to
not in the Court of King's Bench, but in Chan- their Lands, once for want of lome Forms of
on Re- Legal Conveyance, contefted, are now confirmed-
cery againft the Old Charter, (landing
Annihilated 5 unto them If an ill Governour fhould hap-
cord, the patten was thereby
that all attempts to have the Judgment againlt pen to be impofed on them, what hurt could he
the Old Charter taken oft", would be altogether do to them None, except they themlelves
!
in vain, as Men and Things were then difpo- plea fed ior he
; cannot make one Counfellor,
fed.
or one Judge, or one Juftice, or one Sheriff
It was further argued, That the Ancient to ferve his Turn : Di fad vantages enough, one
Charter of New-England was in the Opinion would think, to Dilcourage any ill Gover-
of the as to feveral nour from defiring to be Stationed in thoie
Lawyers very Defettive,
Powers, which yet were abiblutely neceflary uneafie Regions. The People have a Nega-
to the fubfiltence of the Plantation It gave
: tive upon all the Executive part of the Civil
the Government there no more Power than the Government, as well as the Legiflative,
which
Power in Ca- is a valt Priviledge, enjoyed by no other
Corporations have in England ;
was not therein particularly ex- Plantation in America, nor by Ireland, no,
pital Cafes
prelTed.
nor hitherto by England it fell; Why (hould
It mentioned not an lioufe of Deputies, or all of this good be refufed or defpifed, be-
an Affembly of Reprefentatives ;
the Gover- caufe of fome what not fo good attending it ?
nour and Company had^thereby (they faid) no The Deipiiers of fo much good, will cer-
Power to impofe Taxes on the Inhabitants that tainly deferve a Cenfure, not unlike that of
were not Freemen, or to erecf Courts of Admi- Caufabon, upon fome who did not value what
ralty. Without fuch Powers the Colony could that Learned Man counted highly valuable,
not fubfift ; and yet the beft Friends that New- Vix illis optari quidquam pejus potefl, quam
N4uch good may
England had of Perfons mod Learned in the ut fatuitate fua fruantur
:
Liberties unto them, them in their part of the People then caufed the Sence of
to confirm
with Mr. Mather killed the King's Hand on innumerable Occafions; and they bad it emi-
January ?d, 169 1. he haftned away to his Go- nently demonft rated, as well in his promoting
vernment and arriving- at New-England the and approving the Council's choice of
•,
good
Fourteenth of May following, attended with Judges, Juflices and Sheriffs, which being once
the Non-fucb-Fr/gaf, both of them were wel- eftablifhed, no Succeffor could remove them
comed with the loud Acclamations of the long as in his urging the General
AJfembly to make
fhakeh and fhatter'd Country, whereto they themfelves happy by preparing a Body of good
were now returned with a Settlement (b full of Laws as faft as they could, which being paffed
happy Priviledges. by him in his time, could not be nulled by any
other after him.
§.
When Titus Flaminius had freed the
15.
He would often fpeak to the Members of
poor Grecians from the Bondage which had the general AiTernbly in fuch Terms as thefe,
long oppreffed them, and the Herald Proclaim- Gentlemen, Ton may make your Jelves as cafie
ed among them the Articles of their Freedom,they as you will for ever ; conftder what
may have
cried out, A Saviour ! A Saviour ! with any tendency to your welfare and you
-
fuch loud Acclamations, that the very Birds may be fure, that whatever bills you offer to
felldown from Heaven aftonifh'd at the Cry. me, confiftent with the Honour and Inter eft of
Truly, when Mr.
Mather brought with him the Crown, III pafs them
readily ; I do but feek
unto the poor New-Engldnders, not only a Opportunities to ferve you \ had it not been
Charter, which though in
divers Points want- for the fake of this thing, I had never accep-
ing what both he and they had wilhed for, ted the Government of this Province and when- ;
for ever delivers them from Oppreffions ever you have fettled fuch a
yet Body of good Laws,
on their Chriftian and Englifh Liberties, or that no Perfon coming after me ?nay make you
on their Ancient Pofleffions, wherein ruining uneafie, I fhall defire not one Day longer
Writs of Intrufion. had begun to Invade them to continue in the Government. According-
all, but alfo a GOVERNOURwho might ly he ever paffed every Act for the welfare
call New-England his own Country, and who of the Province propofed unto him and in- 5
was above moft Men in it, full of Affe&ion ftead of ever putting them upon Buying his
to the Interefts of hh Country the fenfible Aflent unto any good At\,
-, he was much
forwarder
Book II. Orl The
: '-
Hiftory gf New-Jinglarid. 19
.y
while he was not fure of having any Proporti- whereas 'tis impoiiible for a rneer Man
that
onable or Honourable Acknowledgments. to govern without fbme Error whenever this ;
But yet he minded the Preiervation of the Governour was adviled of any Error in any of
King's Rights with as careful and faithful a his Adminillrations, he would immediately re'
Zeal as became a good Steward for the Crown tract it, and revoke it with all poilible
:
Inge-
And, indeed, he ftudied nothing more than nuity ; lb that if any occaiion of juft Complaint
to obferve fuch a Temper in all things, as to arole, it was ufually his endeavour that it fhould
extinguifh what others have gone to diftinguilh not long be complain'd of."
;
vince is under the Jpecial Care of Jonie Angel, that Ihcreafe has been made a Matter of fbme
by a fmgular Deputation of Heaven ajjigncd Enquiry. Now though the Devils might
thereunto, I could back them with a- far herein defign by Preternatural Operations to
greater Authority than any of them all. The blalt the Miracles of our Lord Jefts Chrift,
Scripture it felf does plainly affert it And which
: point they gained among the Blafphe-
hence the molt Learned Grot ins, writing of mous Pbarifees and the Devils might herein ;
Commcnipealths, has a Paffage to this purpofe, alfo defign a Villanous Imitation of what was
His Jin&ulis\ fuos Attributos, effe Angelos, ex coming to pafs in the Incarnation of our Lord
J
Daniclt, viagno conjenfu, t> Jud.ri 6" Chrijiiani Jefus Quilt, wherein God came to dwell in
vetercs colligebant. FlefJ); yet I am not without lufpicion, that
But New-England had now, betides the Guar- there may be fomething further in the Con-
of the Learned Bartholinus
dian-Angel, who more invifibly intended its jecture hereupon,
Governour that became wonderfully who It was Quod jud.ci
prater modum, Ar~
welfare, a fays,
ftom the time of his Arrival to the Govern- Talmuds tell us of the little 'Parchments with
ment, until there arrived an Order for his Words, upon them, which were their common
leaving it (Except one thing which was be- Amulets, and of the Charms which they rnut-
:
gun before he entred upon the Government :) ter'd over Wounds, and of the various En- •
But inftead thereof, the Indians were notably chantments which they ufed
againft all fotts
defeated in the AfTaults which they now of Difafters whatfoever. It is affirmed in the
made upon the Englijh, and feveral French Talmuds, that no lefs than Twenty-four Scholars
Ships did alio very advantageoufly fall into in one School were killed by Witchcraft ; and
his Hands j yea, there Was by his means a that no lefs than
Four/hpre Perfons were Hanged
Peace rcltored unto the Province, that had been fbT Wirchraft by ofie Judge in one
Day. Th*
H H 2
Biofi
I
6o Magnalia Chrijli
Americana : Book II.
G/ofs adds upon it, That the Women of Ifrael with Spetlres that appeared in more Humane
had generally [alien to the Praffice of Witch- Circumftances.
crafts and therefore it was required, that
;
Thefe Tormentors tendred unto the afflicted
there ihould be Itill chofen into the Council a Book, requiring them to Sign it, or to Touch
one skilful in the Arts of Sorcerers, and able it at
leaft, in token of their -eon finting to be
thereby to di (cover who might be guilty of thofe Lifted in the Service of the Devil; which
Black Arts among fuch as were accufed before they refufing to do, the SpeUres under the
them. Command of that Blackman, as they called
Now the Arrival of Sir William Phips to the him, would apply themfelves to Torture them
Government of New-England, was at a time with prodigious Moleftations.
when a Goveinour would have had Occafion The afflicted Wretches were horribly Difiorted
for all the Skill in Sorcery, that was ever ne- and Convulfed they were Pinched Black and
-,
then generally thought had been by Witchcrafts things before Hundreds of Witnefies were done
introduced. It is to be confefied aud bewailed, unto them, evidently Preternatural : For if it
that many Inhabitants of New-England, and were Preternatural to keep a rigid Faft for
Young People especially, had been led away with Nine, yea, for Fifteen Days together or if ;
little Sorceries, wherein they did fecretly thofe it were Preternatural to have one's Hands
tfd
things that were not right againft the Lord clofe together with a Rope to be plainly feen,
their God ; they would often cure Hurts with and then by unfeen Hands prefently pull'd up
Spells, and prattife deteftable Conjurations with a great way from the Earth before a Croud of
Sieves, and Keys, and Peafe, and A'<i;7j, and People ; fuch Preternatural things were endu-
Horfe-Jhocs, and other Implements, to learn the red by them.
things for which they had a forbidden and im- But of all the Preternatural thirfgs which
pious Curiofity. Wrerched Books had ffoln in- befel thefe People, there were none more un-
to the Land, wherein Fools were inftrutted accountable than thofe, wherein the preftigious
how to become able Fortune-Tellers Among Damons would ever now and then cover the
:
which, I wonder that a blacker Brand is not fet moft Corporeal things in the World with a
upon that Fortune- Telling Wheel, which that Fafcinating Mift of lnvifibility. As now ; a
Sham-Scribler, that goes under the Letters of Perfon was cruelly afTaulted by a Speclre, that,
R. B. has promifed in his Delights for the (he faid, run at her with a Spindle, though no
Ingenious, as an honeft
and pleafant Recreati- Body elfe in the room could fee either the
on : And by thefe Books, the Minds of many Spcllre or the Spindle : At laft, in her Agonies,
had been fo poifoned, that they ftudied this giving a fnatch at the Speclre, fhe pulled the
Finer Witchcraft •
until, 'tis well, if fome of Spindle away ; and it was no iboner
got into
them were not betray 'd into what is GrofTer, her Hand, but the other Folks then prefent
and more Senfible and Capital. Although thefe beheld that it was indeed a Real, Proper, Iron
Diabolical Divinations are more ordinarily Spindle ; which when they locked up
very
committed perhaps all over the whole World, iafe, it was neverthelefs by the Damons taken
than they are in the Country of New-England, away to do farther Mifchief,
yet, that being
a Country Devoted unto the Again, a perfon was haunted by a moft abu-
Worfhip and Service of the Lord fESUS five
Speclre, which came to her, fhe faid,
CHRIST above the reft of the World, He with a Sheet about her, though fsen to none
thefe Wicked- but her felf. After fhe had undergone a deal
fignalized his Vengeance againft
nefles, with fuch extraordinary Difpenfations of Teaze f
rqm the Annoyance of the Speclre,
as have not been often icen in other places. fhe gave-*a violent Snatch at the Sheet that
The Devils which had been fo play'd with- was upon it ; where-frpm fhe tore a Corner,
al, and, it may be, by fome
few Criminals more which in her Hand immediately was beheld
Explicitely engaged and imployed,
now broke by all that were prefent, a palpable Corner of a
in upon the Country, after as aftonilhing a man- Sheet: And her Father, which was now hold-
ner as was ever heard of. Some Scores of ing of her, catch'd, that he might keep what
People, firft about Salem, the Centre and Firft- his Daughter had fo ftrangely feized but the
;
Born of all the Towns in the Colony, and af- Speclre had like to have wrung his Hand off,
terwards in feveral other places, were Arretted by endeavouring to wreft it from him How- -.
with many Preternatural Vexations upon their ever he ttill held it ; and feveral times this
Bodies, and a variety of cruel Torments, which
odd Accident was renewed in the Family.
were evidently infh£t ed from the Damons, of There wanted not the Oaths of good credible
the lnvifible World. The People that were People to thefe particulars.
Infecled and Infeft
ed whh fuch Damons, in a Alfo, it is well known, that thefe wicked
few Days time arrived unto fuch a Refining Spetlres did proceed fo far as to fteal feveral
Alteration upon their Eyes, that they could fee of Money from divers People, part
Quantities
their Tormentors they faw a Devil of a Little of which Individual Money was dropt fome-
rimes out of the Air, before fufficient
Stature, and of a Tawny Colour, attended ftill Spetlators,
into
Book II. Or 3 The Hiflory of New-England.
6
into the Hinds of the Afflicted, while the Spe- accompliih the things defired of them : To fi-
have with much Relu&ancy fw allowed, they dent, or too profane for any Honefi to ufe;
have fvooln prefently, fo that the common Me- and they had not only the well-atteftefl Rela-
dicines for Poifons have been found necefftry to tions ofthegravelt Authors from BiJ/n to Bovet,
relieve them: Yea, fometimes the Spell res in and fr©rn Binsfeldxo Brom'ha.1 and bixier-, to
the Jlruggles have lb dropc the Poifons, that deny ail which, would be as reafbnabl'e as to
the Scanders-by have fmelt them, and view "d turn the Chronicles of all Nations into Roman-
ces of Don Qdixot and the Seven Champions-,
them, and beheld the Pillows of the miierable
ftained with them. bat they had alfo an Ocular Demonflvation in
Yet more, the miferable have complained one, who a little before had been executed for
of burning Rags run into their lore .ably
bitterly Witchcraft, when Jrfeph Dudley, Efq^ was the
diftended Mouths and though no Body could
;
Chief Judge. There was one whole Magical
lee any fuch Clothes, or indeed any Fires in the Images wete found, and who confejfing her
Chambers, yet prefently the fcalds were leen Deeds, fwhen Jury of Doctors returned her
a
treamly ot Branding Irons heating at the Fire again before the whole Court, the Effell fol-
on the Hearth to mark them , now though the lowed exa-Etly in the Hurts done to People at
Sanders-by could fee no Irons, yet they could
a diftance ftom h;r.The Exittence of fuch
fee diftinctly the Print ot them in the Ashes, and Witches was nowtaken for granted by thole
fmellthem too as they were carried by the not- good Men, w herein fo far the generality of rea-
feen Furies-, unto the Poor Creuures for whom
lisable Menhave thought they ran well and •
are Witches, or wicked Children of Men, who Teeth as was in the eccufed, even fuch as
with, and Commiffioning ot might be diftiriguithed from other Peo-
upon Covenanting clearly
Evil Spirits, are attended by their Miniftry to ples. And utually the afflilled went through a
terrible
62 Magnolia Chrifti
Americana : Book II.
terrible deal of Teaming Difficulties from the "Without any private Agreement or Collufion,
tormenting SpeUres, and muft be long waited when fuccellively brought into a Room, have
on, before they could get a Breathing Space all afierted the lame Apparitions to be there
from their Torments to give in their Teftimo- before them Thefe Murders did feem to call
:
many Circumflances would prove an accufeJ would get fb far into the Faith of the People,
Peribn to be in a Confederacy with the Dxmons that for the fake cf many Truths, which they
thus afflicting of the Neighbours ; they judged, might find him telling of them, they would
that except thefe things might amount unto a come
at length to believe all his Lies, where-
though the Con tell ion had been kept never fb agitated by Devils, who in her Fits cried out
Secret, but inftead thereof the Accufed them- much againft a very Godly Woman in the
felves became in all Vexations jutt like the Af- Town, and when that Woman approached unto
fldted this yet more confirmed many in the
; her, though the Eyes of the Creature were ne-
Opinion that had been taken up. ver fo fhut, fhe yet manifefled a violent Senfe
And another thing that quickned them yet |
of her approach But when the Gracious Wo-
:
more to Aft upon it, was, that the Afflicted man thus Impeached had prayed earneftly
,
were frequently entertained with Apparitions of with and for this Creature, then inftead of
Ghojis at the fame time that the Spettres of crying out againft her any more, fhe owned,
the fuppofed Witches troubled them: Which that fhe had in all been deluded by the Devil.
Ghojis always calf the Beholders into far more They now law, that the more the AffliUed were
Confternation than any of the Spectres ; and Hearkned unto, the more the number cf the
when they exhibited themfelves, they cried Accufed encreafed ; until at laft many fcores
out of being Murdered by the Witchcrafts, ox were cried out upon, and among them, fbme,
other Violences of the Perfons reprelented in the who by the Unblameablenefs, yea, and Service-
Spelhes. Once or Twice thefe Apparitions ablenefs of their whole Converfation, had ob-
were feen by others at the very fame time that tained the Jult Reputation of Good People a-
they thevv'd themfelves ro the afflicted and lel-
-, mong all that were
acquainted with rhem. The
dofri were they feen at all, but when ibmething Charafter of the affliUed likewife added unto
unufual and fufpicious had attended the Death the common Diltafte ; for though fome o&them
of the Party thus appearing. too were Good People, yet others of them, and
The afflicted People many times had never fuch of them as were moft Flippent at Accufing,
heard any thing before of' the Perfons appearing had a far other Charafter.
in Ghoft, or of the Perfons accujed by the Ap- the Country was in a dreadful Fer-
In fine,
Examina- and wife Men forelaw a long Train of
paritions; and yet the accufed upon ment,
tion have confeffed the Murders of thofe very Diffnal and Bloody Confequences. Hereupon
Perfons, though thefe accufed alfo knew no- they firft advifed, that the affliiled might be
thing of"the Apparitions that had come in a- kept afunder in the clofeft Privacy and one
•,
gainft them ; and the affliUed Perfons likewife, particular Petfort (whom I have caufe to know)
in
Book II. 0r 3 The Hifiory gf NevT-England. 3
in purfuance of this Advice, offered himfelf The Minifters of the Province alfo
being
fingly to provide Accommodations led this Ceunfel fhould not be duly
for any fix Jealous
of them, that fo the Succefs of more than or- followed, requeued the Prefident of Harvara'Col-
dinary Prayer with. Rifting, might, with Patience, ledge to Compofe and Publilh (which he did)
be experienced, before any other Courfes were fome Cafes ofConfacnce referring to thefe Diffi-
taken. culties: In which Treatife he did, with De~
And Sir William Phips arriving to his Govern- monltrations of incomparable and Read-
Reajon
ment, after this enfmiring horrible Storm was ing, evince it, that Satan may appear in the
begun, did confult the neighbouring Minifte is Shape of an Innocent and a Virtuous
Perfon, to
of the Province,who made unto his Excellency and afflicf thofe that Puffer
by the Diabolical Mo-
the Council a return, ('drawn up at their defire lejiations : And that the Ordeal of the
Sight,
and the Touch, is not a Conviction of a Covenant
by Mr. Mather the Younger, as I have been in-
fortri d) wherein they declared. with the Devil, but liable to great
Exceptions
againft the Lawfulnefs, as well as the Evidence
We judge, that in the Profccution of thefe of it And that either a Free and Fair
:
and allfucb Witchcrafts, there is need of a ve- Confclfiffn of the Criminals, or the Oarh of two
ry Critical and Exquifite Caution Left by too Credible Perfons proving fuch Things againft
: •
much Credulity for things received only upon the perfon accufed, as none but fuch as have a
the Devil's Authority, there be a Door opened Familiarity with the Devil can know, or do,
for a long Train of inferable Confequcnces, is neceiliry to the Proof of the Crime. Thus,
and Satan get an Advantage over us-, for we
fhould not be Ignorant of his Devices. Cum mifit Natura Fer.tr, t> Ahnftra per
As in complaints upon Witchcrafts, there may Orbem,
be Matters of Enquiry, which do not amount un- Mifit &
Alciden qui Fera
Monftra domet.
to Matters of Preiumption ;
and there may be
Matters of Prefumption, which yet may not be ,
The Dutch and French Minifters in the Pro-
reckoned Matters of Conviction ; Jo 'tis neceffa- vince of New York, having likewife about the
ry that all Proceedings thereabout be managed
fame time their Judgment asked by the
Chief
with an exceeding Tendernefs towards thqfe fudge of that Province, who was then a Gen-
that may be complained of; especially if they tleman of New-England, they gave it in under
have been Perfons formerly of an unblemiihed their Hands, that if we believe no Vcnefick
Reputation. Witchcraft, we muft Renounce the Scripture of
When the firft Enquiry is made into the Cir- God, and the Confent of almoft all the World ;
cum fiances of fuch ax may lye under any juft but that yet the Apparition of a Perfon afflicting
Sufpicion of Witchcrafts, we could wifh that another, isa very Infufficient proof of a Witch
-,
there may be admitted as little as is pojfible nor is it Inconfiftent with the Holy and
Righ-
of fuch Noife, Company, and Opennefs, as teous Government of God over Men, to
permit
the Affliction of the Neighbours, by Devils in
may too haftily expfe them that are Examined
•
and that there may nothing be ufed as a Tefkfor the Shape of Good Men ; and that a Good Name,
the 'Trial of the Sufpetled, the lawfulnefs obtained by a Good Life, fhould not be Loft
whereof may be doubted among the People of by Meet Spectral Accufations.
God : But that the Directions given by fuch Now upon a Deliberate Review of thefe
judicious Writers as Perkins and. Bernard, be things, his Excellency firft
Reprieved, and
confulted in fuch a Cafe.
then Pardoned many of them that had been
Preemptions, whereupon Perfons may be Condemned and there fell out feveral ftrange
•,
committed, and much more Convictions, where- things that caufed the Spirit of the Country to
upon Perfons may be condemned a* guilty of run as vehemently upon the Acquitting of all
Witchcrafts, ought certainly to be more consi- the accufed, as it by miftake ran at firft upon
derable, than barely the accufed Perfons being the Conde mning of them. Some that had been
reprefented by a Spe&re to the afflicted :
Inaf- zealoufly of the Mind, that the Devils could
much as it is an undoubted and a notorious not in the Shapes of good Men afflict other
Thing, that a Daemon may, by God's Permijfion, Men, were terribly Confuted, by having their
appear even to ill Purpojes in the fhape of an own Shapes, and the Shapes of their molt inti-
Innocent, yea, and a Virtuous Man : Nor can mate and' valued Friends, thus abufed. And
we efteem Alterations made in the Sufferers, by though more than twice Twenty had made
a look or touch of the accufed, to be an infal- fuch voluntary, and harmonious, and uncontroul-
lible Evidence of Guilt ; but frequently liable to able Confeffions, that if they were all Sham,
be abufed by the Devil's Legerdemains. there was therein me greateft Violation made
We know not whether fome remarkable Affronts by the Efficacy of the Invifible World, upon
given to the Devils, by our dif-believing ofthofe the Rules of Underftanding Humane Affairs,
Teftimonies vohofe whole torce and Strength is that was ever feen fince God made Man upon
fro?n them alone, may not put a Period unto the the Earth, yet they did fo recede from their
Progrefs of a direful Calamity begun upon us, Confeffions, that it was very clear, fome of
in the accufation offo many Perfons, whereof, them had been hitherto, in a fort of a Prater-
we hope, fome are yet clear from the great natural Dream, wherein they had Paid oflhem-
Tranfgreffion laid unto their Charge- felves. they knew not what them/elves.
Iri
64 Magnalia Chrtjli
Americana : Book II.
threatned that he would fet the Town on Fire, ges, whereof, it the Veracity of the Relator in
and at length Mattering fome Alhes abroad, the any one Point be contcfted, there are whole
whole Town was prelently and horribly Burnt Clouds of Witneffes to vindicate it, I will take
unto the Ground. my leave of trie Matter with an wholeforne
Sir William Phips now beheld fuch Dxmons Caution of Laffantius, which, it may be, fome
hid oufly fcattering Fire about the Country, other Parts of the World befides
New-England
in the Exafperations which the Minds of Men may have occafion to think
upon Efficiunt
;
were on thcfe things riling unto-, and therefore D.tmones, ut qu.t non funt, fie
tamen, quafi
when he had well Canvafed a Caufe, which Jint, confpicienda Homimbus exhibeunt.
But the Devils being thus
perhaps might have puzzled the Wilciom vanquilhed, we
ot the
wifeft Men on Earth to have managed, without lhall next hear, that fome of his moft devoted
he thought, and refernbling Children are lb too.
any Error in their Adminiftrations,
if it would be Error at all, it would cer- £. 17. As one of the firft Actions done
any by Sir
tainly be the fafeft tor him to put a ftop unto William, after he came to the Age ot Doing,
all future Profecutions, as far as it
lay in him to was to lave the Lives of many poor People from
do it. the Rage of the Diabolical Indians in the
He did fo, and for it he had not only the Eafiern Parts of the Country, to now he was
Printed Acknowledgments of the New Engen- come to the Government, his Mind was
very
ders, who publickly thanked him. As one of vehemently fet upon recovering of thofe Parts
the Tribe of Zebulun, raifed up from among from the Miferies, which a New and a
Long
them/elves, and Spirited as well
as CommilTt- War of the Indians had brought upon them.
oned to be the Steers-man of a Veffel befogg'd in His Birth and Toutb in the Edji, had rendred
the Mare Mortuum of Witchcraft, who now jo him well known unto the Indians there ; he
her Courfe, that jhe efcaped had Hunted and Filhed many a
happily fleered weary D.\y
and vast* fajely again Moored under in his Childhood with them and when thole
Shtpwrack, -,
the Cape of Good Hope and cut afunder the rude Savages had got the Story by the End, that
\
Circran Knot of Enchantment, more difficult to he had found a Ship full of Money, and was
be Diffolvcd than the famous Gordian one of now become all one-a-King ! They were mighti-
'
1669, and 1670.J had fome Hundreds of their no lefs than the whole Englifh Nation, from
Children by Night often carried away by Spe- the Lumber, and Eifhery, and Naval-fores^
ffres to an Hellifh Rendezvous, where the which thofe Regions might foon fupply the
Monfters that fo Spirited them, did every way whole Nation withal, if once they were well
Tempt them to AiTociate with them;, and the fettled with good Inhabitants.
Judges of the Kingdom, after extraordinary Sup- Wherefore Governour Phips took the firft
plications to Heaven, upon a Ariel: Enquiry, Opportunity to raife an Army, with which he
were fo fatisfied with the Confejfions of more Travelled in Perfon, under rhe Eaft Country, to
than Twenty of the accufed, agreeing exa&ly find out and cut off the Barbarous Enemy,
unto the Depofitions of the afflicted, that they which had continued for near four Years toge-
put feveral Scores oF Witches to Death, where- ther, making horrible Havock on the Plantati-
upon the Con fu lions came unto a Period ; yet ons that lay all along the Northern Frontiers
after all, the chiefeft Perfons in the Kingdom of New-England : And having purfued thofe
would Queftion whether there were any Witch- worfe than Scythian Wolves, till they could be
it muft not be no longer followed, he did with a very laudable
crafts at all in the whole Affair ;
wondredat, if the People oF New-England are Skilly and unufual Speed, and with lefs Cofi unto
the
Book II. 0ry The Hiftory gf New-England. ^5
the Crown, than perhaps ever fuch a thing was mitting themfelves herewithal to be Governed by
done in the World, erett a ftrong Fort at Pem- His Majefties Laws.
maquid.
And for the Manifeftation of their Sincerity
This Fort he contrived fo much in the very in the Submijfion thus made, the
Hypocritical
Heart of the Country now pofTeffed by the E- Wretches delivered Hoftagcs for their Fidelity ;
nemy, as very much to hinder the feveral Na- and then fet their Marks and Seals, no lets than
tions of the Tawnies from C/anning together for Thirteen Sagamores of them, ('with Names of
the Common Difturbance and his Deiign was ; more than a Perfian length) unto this lnftru-
•,
Subjects of the Crown of England, 'and hold a from the unfuccefsfulnefs of their former Armies,
conltant Friendihip with all the Englifh. That that it could not imagine how to take one ftep
they would utterly abandon the French Interefts, further in its Wars. The moll happy Refpite
and not Succour or Conceal any Enemy Indians^ of Peace beyond Mcrimack-River being thus pro-
from Canada or elfewhere, that fhould come to cured, the Governour immediately fet himfelf
any of their Plantations within the Englifh Ter- to ufe all poilible Methods, that it might be
ritories: That all Englifh
Captives, which they Peace, like a River, nothing fhort of Everlafting .
had among them, Ihould be returned with all He therefore prevailed with Two or Three
poffible fpeed, and no Ranfom or Payment be Gentlemen to join with him, in fending a Sup-
given for any of them : That Their Majefties ply of Nccrfjaries for Life unto the Indians^
Stibje&s the Englijh, now ihould quietly enter until the General AiFembly could come together
upon, and for ever improve and enjoy all and to fettle the Indian-Trade for the
Ad^ant-ge of '
lingular their Rights of Lands, and former Pof- the Publick, that the Indians might not y
Ne-
ieffions, within the Eaftern Parts of the Pro- ceffity be driven again to become a French P*o-
vince, without any Claims from any Indians priety ; audio' by this Aclion, as the Gentlemen
or being ever difturbed therein That all Trade themfelves were great Lofers in their Elites,
:
and Commerce, which hereafter might be al- thus he himfelf declared unto the Members of the
lowed between the Englijh and the Indians, General Affembly, that he would upon Oath
Ihould be under a Regulation ftated by an A£t give an Account unto them of all his own Gains,
of the General
Affembly, or as limited by the and count himfelf a Gainer, if in lieu of ail they
Governour of the Province, with the Confent would give him one Beaver-Hat. The fame Ge-
and Advice of h.s Council. And that if any nerality alfo cauied him to take many a tedious
Controverfie hereafter happen between any of Voyage, accompanied fometimes with his Fidus
the Englifh and the Indians, no Achates, and very dear Friend, Kinfman and
private Revenge
was to be taken by the Indians, but proper Neighbour, Colonel John Philips, between Bofion
Applications to be made unto His Majefties and Pemmaquid ; and this in the bitter Weeks of
Government, for the due remedy thereof; Sub- theAvw-E^/z/^jWhich is almoft a RuJJiavWinittJ
It He
66 Magnolia. Christ Americana : Book IL
He was a fort of Confefifor under fuch Tor- untouch'd: 1 The Governour was extreamly of-
merits as once made the
of Cold, of fended at this notorious Deficiency ; it call: him
Martyrdom
Muria, and others, Commemorated in Orations into a great Impatience to fee the Kation Co
of the Ancients • and the Snow and Ice which wretchedly ferved and he would himfelf have •,
Pliny calls, The Punifiment of Mountains, he gone to Saint John's with a Refolution to Spoil
chearfully endured, without any other Profit that Harbour of Spoilers, if he had not been
unto himfelf, but only the Pleafure of thereby taken off, by being fent for home to Whitehall
eftablifhing and continuing unto the Peeple the in the
very midft of his Undertakings.
Liberty to Sleep quietly in their warm Nefils at But the Treacherous Indians
being poifoned
home, while he was thus concerned for them with the French Enchantments, and furnifhed
abroad. Non rn'ihi fed Populo, the Motto of with brave New Coats, and New Arms, and all
the Emperor Hadrian, was Engraved on the new Incentives to War, by the Man ef War
,
by other prudent and Proper Treatments ; but tle more to the Life, the Pitture of the Per-
he alfo furnithed himfelf with an Indian fon, the ASions of whofe Life we have hi-
Preacher of the Gofpel, whom he carried unto therto been looking upon. Know then, that for
the Eajiward. with an Intention to Teach them his Exterior, he was one
Tail, beyond the
the Principles of the Protefiant Religion, and common Set of Men, and Thick as well as
Unteach them the mixt Paganry and Popery Tall, and Strong as well as Thick
: He was,
which hitherto Viaboliz'd them. To Unteach in all refpe&s, exceedingly Rebufi, and able to
them, I fay ; for they had been Taught by the Conquer fuch Difficulties of Diet and of Travel,
French Priefts this among other things, that the as would have kill'd moft Men alive Nor did :
Mother of our Bleffed Saviour was a French the Fat, whereinto he grew very much in his
Lady, and that they were EngUflmen by whom later Years, take
away the Vigour of his Moti-
our Saviour was Murdered and that it was
;
ons.
therefore a Meritorious thing to deftroy the He was Well-fet, and he was therewithal of
Englifh Nation. The Name of the Preacher a very Comely, though a very
Manly Counte-
whom the Governour carried with him, was nance A Countenance where any true skill in
:
Nahauton, one of the Natives ; and becaufe the Phyfiognomy would have read the Characters
paffing of fuch Expreifions from the Mouth of of a Generous Mind. Wherefore palling to his
a poor Indian, may upon fome Accounts be wor- Interior, the very firft thing which there
thy of Remembrance ; let it be Remembred, that offered ir felf unto
Obfervation, was a moft In-
when the Governour propounded unto him fuch comparable Generofity.
a Mijfion to the Eafiern Indians, he replied, I And of this, befides the innumerable Inftan-
know that I fihall probably Endanger my Life, ces which he gave in his ufual Hatred of
by going to Preach the Gofpel among the Frenchi- Dirty or Little Tricks, there was one Inftarice
fied'Indians but I know that it will be a Ser-
;
for which I muft
freely fay, I never Jaw Three
vice unto the Lord fefus Chrifi, and therefore Men in this World that Equaled him this was •>
having Intelligence of a French Man of War the moft venemous Malice could ever tiifs at
expected at St. John's, he difpatched away the his Memory, I never did hear unto this Hour,
Non-fuch-Frigat thither to intercept him-, ne that he did ever once deliberately Revenge an
verthelefs by the grofs Negligence, and perhaps Injury.
Cowardice of the Captain, who had lately come Upon certain Affronts he has made fudden
from England with Orders to take the Com- Returns that have fhewed Choler enough, and
mand of her, inftead of one who had been by he has by Blow, as well as by Word, chaftifed
Sir William a while before put in, and one who Incivilities : He was, indeed, fufficiently im-
had fignalized himfelf by doing of notable patient of being put upon; and when' Bafe
Service for the King and Country in it, the Men, furprizing him at fome Difadvantages
Frenchman arrived unladed, and went away (fbrelfefew Men durft have done it) have fome-
* times
Book II. 0ry The Hi/lory 0/~ New-England. <v
rimes drawn upon him, he has, without the Horfe, and the next Perfon in Dignity to him-
Wicked Madncfs of a Formal Duel, made them felf, did firft privately Traduce him, as one
feel that he knew how to Cor red Fools. Ne- that was no Soldier, and lefs Politician ; and
verthelefs, he ever declined a Deliberate Re- he afterwards did both by Speeches and Letters
venge of a Wrong done unto him ; though few prejudice not only the Army, but alio the Senate
Men upon Earth have, in their Vicijfitudes, againft him, fo that Alinutius was now by an
been furniihed with fuch frequent Opportunities unprefidented Commiilion brought into an /
oi Revenge, as Heaven brought into the Hands quality with Fabn/s.
of this Gentleman. All this while the great Fabim did not throw
Under great Provocations, he would com- up his Cares for the Commonwealth, but with
monly fay, 'Tis no Matter, let them alone a wondrous Equality of Mind endured equally
Jome time or other they'll fee their W.eaknefs the Malice of the fudges, and the Fury of the
and Raf}>ncj's 1
and have occafion for me to do Commons-, and when Minutius a while after
them a Kindnefs : And they fhall then fee I was with all his Forces upon the Point ofpe-
have quite fo> gotten all their Bafencfs. Ac- riihing by the viftorious Arms of Hannibal^
cordingly 'twas remarkable to lee ir, tlr.t few this very k'abiM, not liftening
to the Dictates'
Men ever did him a Mifchief, but thofe Men ui'Revenge, came in and helped him, and laved
afterwards had occafion for him to do them a him; and 16 by a rare Virtue, he made his
Kindnefs; and he did the Kindnefs wirh as word: Adverfariest\\t Captives of his Generofity,
forgetful a Bravery, as
if the MiJchief had ne- One of the Antients upon fuch an Hilton';
ver been done at all. The Emperor Theodo- cried out, If Heathens can do thus much for the
fius himfelf' could not be readier to Forgive, Glory of their 'Name, what fhall not Chrifiians
lb worthily did heverifie that Obfervation. do for the Glory of Heaven ! And Sir William
Phips did fo much more than thus much, that
§Luo quifque eft Major, magk eft Placabilis befides his meriting the Glory of fuch a Name,
as PU1PP1US MAXIMUS, he therein
Ira,
Et Faciles Motus, Mens Genercfa capt. had upon him the Symptoms of a Title to the
Glory of Heaven, in the Seal of his own Pardon
In thofe Places of Power whereto the Provi- from God. Nor was this Generofity in His
dence of God by feveral Degrees railed him, EXCELLENCY the Govemour of New-Eng-
Itltill fell out fo, that before his Rife thereunto land, unaccompanied with many other Excel-
he underwent fuch things as he counted very lencies-, whereof the Piety of his Carriage to-
hard Abufes, from thofe very Perlbnsover whom wards God is worthy to be firft Mentioned.
the Divine Providence afterwards gave him the" It is true, He was very Zealous for all Men
By fuch Trials, the Wifdom of Heaven ft 111 judged a Native Right of Mankind : And he
prepared him,as DavidbQibie him, for fucccfjive was extreamly Troubled at the over-boiling
Advancements ; and as he behaved himfelf with Zeal of fome good Men, who formerly took
a marvellous Long-fuffering, when he was Tried, that wrong Way of reclaiming Hereticks by Per-
by fuch Mortifications, thus when he came to be fection. For this Generofity, it may be, fome
advanced, he convinced all Mankind, that he had would have compared him unto Gallio, the Go-
Butitd all the old Offences in an Eter- vemour of Achaia,w horn our Preachers, perhaps
perfectly
nal AmncfJy. 1 was my Self an Ear-wit nefs, with Miftake enough, think to be condemned
that one, who was an Eye-witnefs of his Beha- in the Scripture, lor his not appearing to be a
viour under fuch Probations of his Patience, fudge, in Mattets which indeed fell not under
his
did, long before his Arrival to that Honour,
.
Cognizance.
fay unto him, Sir, Forgive thofe that give you And
I lhall be content that he be
compared
thefe Vexations, and know that llx God of Hea- unto that Gentleman ; for that Gallio was the
ven intends, before he hat dove with you, to Brother of Seneca, who gives this Character of
make you the Govemour of New-England And !
him, That there wan no Man who did not love
when he did 'indeed become the Govemour of him too little, if he could Love him any more ;
New-England, he lhew'd that he ftill continued and, That there was no Mortalfo Dear to any,
a Govemour of himfelf, in his Treating all ;
as he was to all ; and, That he hated all Vices,
that had formerly been in ill Terms with him, \but none more than Flattery.
wirh as much Favour and Freedom, as if there i Bur while the Generofity of Sir William
had never happened the leaft Exafperations : caufed him to defire a Liberty of Confcience,
his Piety would not allow a Liberty of Pro-
Though any Govemour that Kens Hobbianifm,
can eafily contrive Ways enough to wreak a phanenefs, either
to himfelf or others. He did
not aftecl any mighty fhow of Devotion ; and
Spite, where he owes it.
It was with fome
Chriftian Remark, thaf
he when he faw any that were evidently caj-eful
read the Pagan-ftory of the Renowned Fabitts ro make a fhow, and efpecially, if at the fame
Maximus, who being preferred unto the high Time they were notorioufly Defective in the
eft Office in the Commonwealth, did, through a Duties of Common Juftice or Goodnejs, or the
Relations wherein God had fid-
Zeal Country, overcome the gieateft Duties of the
for his
Contempts that any Perfon of Quality could tioned them, he had an extream Averfion for
have received. Minutii/s the Mafter of the them.
Ii 2 Never-
68 Magnalia Chrifii
Americana : Book II.
Neverthelefs he did (how a Confciencious But although he rofe from fo little, yet he
Defire to obferve the Laws of the Lord Jefus difcovered a Marvellous Contempt of thofe
Chrift in his Convcrfation ; and he Confcien- Airy things, and as far as he handfbmely could,
cioufly attended upon the Exercifes of Devotion
he declined, being Ceremonioufly, or any other-
in the Seafons thereof, on Lcilures, as well as wife than with a Dutch Mode fly waited
upon.
on Lord's Days, and in the Daily Sacrifice, the And it might more truly be {aid ®f than him,
Morning and Evening Service of his own Fa- it was of Arijiides, He was never feen the
mily ; yea, and at the Private Meetings of the Prouder for any Honour that was done him from
Devout People kept every in the bis Countrymen.
Fortnight
Neighbourhood. Hence, albeit I have read that
Complaint,
Befides all this, when he had great Works made by aWorthy Man, I have often obferved
before him, he would invite good Men to cotne and this not without fome bluflnng, that even
and Faji and Pray with him at his Houfe tor good People have had a kind of Shame upon them,
the Succefs thereof j and when he had fuccecd- to acknowledge their low beginning, and ufed
ed in what he had undertaken, he would pre- all Arts to hide it. I could never
obferve the
vail with them to come and keep a Day of lealt of that Fault in this Worthy Man but ;
Solemn Than/giving with him. His Love to he would fpeak of his own low beginning with
Almighty God, was indeed manifefted by nothing as much Freedom and Frequency, is it he had
more than his Love to thole that had the been afraid of having it forgotten.
Image of God upon them he heartily, and
;
It was counted an
Humility in King Agatho-
with real Honour for them, Loved all Godl) clcs, the Son of a Potter, to be terved therefore
Men-, and in fo doing, he did not confine in Earthen Veffels, as ? IMarch harh informed
Godiincfs to this or that Party, but whers-ever us: It was counted an Humility in Archhilhop
he faw the Fear of God, in One of a Congrega- Wil/igis, the Son of a Wheelwright, thetefore to
tional, or Presby.erian, or Antip.edobajmft, or have Wheels hung about his Bed-Chamber,
Episcopalian Perfwafion, he did, without any with this lnfcription, Recole undo Veneris i. e.
Difference, exprefs towards them a Reverent Remember thy Original. But fuch was the Hu-
Affe&ion. mility and Lowlinrfs of this Rifmg Man ! Not
But he made no Men more welcome than only did he after his return to his Country in
thole good Men, whofe Office 'tis to promote hisGreatnefs, one Day, make a fplendid Feait
and preferve Goodnefs in all other Men ; even for the Ship-Carpenters ofBojion, among whom
the Minifters of the Gofpel Efpecially when he was willing at his Table to Commemorate
:
they were fuch as faithfully dilckarged their the Mercy of God unto him, who had once
Office And from theie at any time, the lealf been a Ship-Carpenter himfelfj but he would on
:
Admonition or Intimation of any good thing to all Occafions Permit, yea a Study to have his
be done by him, he entertained with a moft Meannejfes remembred.
obliging Alacrity. His Religion in truth, was Hence upon frequent Occafions of Uncnflnefs
one Principle that added Virtue unto that vaif in his Government, he would chute thus to ex-
Courage, which was always in him to a De- prefs himfelf, Gentlemen, were it nu that I
gree Heroical. Thofe terrible Nations which am to do Service jor the Publick, I fbould be
made their Defcents from the Northern on the much eafier in returning unto my broad Ax a-
Southern Parts of Europe, in thofe Elder Ages, gain ! And hence, according to the
Affable
when fo to /warm out was more frequent with Courtefie which he ordinarily ufed unto all
them, were infpired with a Valiant Contempt forts of Perlbns, fquite contrary to the Afperity
of Life, by the Opinion wherein their Famous which the old Proverb expects in the Raifed)
Odin inftruQed them. That their Death zvcu he would particularly, when Sailing in
light of
but an Entrance into another Life, wherein they Kennebeck, with Armies under his Command
who died in Warlike Altions, were bravely call the Young Soldiers and Sailors upon Deck'
Fcalled with the God of War for ever : 'Tis in and fpeak to them after this Falhion Tonne
•
expreflible how much the Courage of thofe Men, It was upon that Hill that I kept Shee%
fierce Mortals was fortified by that Opinion. a few Tears ago and fince you fee that Al-
•
But when Sir William Phips was asked by mighty God has brought me to jomethin", do
fome that obferved his Valiant Contempt of [you learn to Fear God, and be Hone
ft, and
Death, what it was that made him fo little a- mind your Bufinefs, and follow no bad Courfes
fraid of Dying, he gave a better grounded Ac- and you don't know what
you may come to '.
count of it than thofe Pagans could ; his An A Temper not altogether unlike what the ad-
fwer was, / do humbly believe, that the Lord vanced Shepherd had, when he wrote the Twen-
Jefus Chrift fhed his Precious Blood for me, by ty-third Plalm ; or when he Imprinted on the
his Death procuring my Peace with God : And Coin of his
Kingdom the Remembrance of his
what fhould I now be afraid of dying for ? Old Condition For Chriftianus
Gcrfon, a
:
But this leads me to mention the Humble Chriftianized Jew, has informed us, That on
and Modefi Carriage in him towards other Men, the one fide of David's Coin were to be icen
which accompanied this his Piety. There were his old Pouch and Crook, the luftrurnents of
certain Pomps belonging unto the feveral Places Shepherdy on the other fide were
,
cr.lhmped
of Honour, through which he pallid ; Pomps the Towers of Zwn'.
that are very taking to Men of little Souls •
1b
Book II. Or, The Hiftory <^ New-England. 6<p
$. 19. When do by Studies full of land, that Sir William was corning over with a
Perfons
feek to inform themfelves of things Commiffion to be Governour of Nczo-
Curioftty, England,
about which the God of Heaven hath forbidden in that very Year of his Life, which the Papet
our Curious Enquiries, there is a marvellous fpecified fhe was afraid of letting it lye a-
-,
which the Damons do often make ny longer in the Houfe, but caft it into the
lmprejfwn,
on the Minds of thofe their Votaries, about the Fire.
future or Secret Matters unlawfully enquired Now the thing which I muft invite my
after, and at laft there is alfo an horrible Reader to remark, is this, That albeit Almighty
Poffeffwn, which thole
Fat idle Damons do take God may permit the Devils to Predift, and
of them. The Snares of Hell, hereby laid for perhaps to Perform very many particular things
miferable Mortals, have been fuch, that when to Men, that fhall by fuch a Prefumptuous and
I read the Laws, which Angellius affirms to Unwarrantable Juggle as Aflrology (fo Dr. Hall
have been made, even in Pagan Rome, againft well calls it ) or any other Divination, confult
!
the Vaticinatores ; I wonder that no Englifh No- rhem, yet the Devil which foret el many True
bleman or Gentleman fignalizes his regard unto things, do commonly foret el fome that are Falfe,
Cjriftianity, by doing what even a
Roman Tully and it may be, propofe by the things that are
would have done, in promoting An A3 of True to betray Men into fome fatal Misbelief
Parliament againft that Paganifh Practice of and Mifcarriage about thofe that are Falfe.
if fuch Men as Very lingular therefore was the Wifdom of
Judicial Aflrology, whereof,
Auflin were now living, they would afiert, The Sir William Phips, that as he ever Treated
Devil firfl found it, and they that profefs it thefe Prophefies about him with a moft Pious
are Enemies of Truth and of God. Negletl, fo when he had feen all but the Two
In the mean time, I cannot but relate a won- laft of them very punctually fulfilled, yea, and
derful Experience of Sir William Phips, by the feen the beginning of a Fulfilment unto the
Relation whereof fomething of an Antidote laft but one alfo, yet when I pleafantly men-
may be given againft a Poifon, which the Di- tioned them unto him, on purpofeto Try whe-
abolical Figure-Flingers and Fortune-Tellers ther there were any occafion for me humbly
that fwarm all the World over may infinuate to give him the ferious Advice, necefTary in
into theMinds of Men. Long before Mr. Phips fuch a Cafe to Anticipate the Devices of Satan,
came to be Sir William, while he fojourned in he prevented my Advice, by faying to me,
in London, there came into his Lodging an Old Sir, I do believe there might be a curfei Snare
Aflrologer, living in the Neighbourhood, who of Satan in thofe Prophefies : I believe Satan
making fome Obfervation of him, though he might have leave to foretel many things, all
had fmall or no Converfation with him, did of which might come to pafs in the beginning,
(howbeit by him wholly undelired) one Day to lay me aflcep about fueh things
as are to
lend him a Paper, wherein he had, with Pre- follow, efpe dally about the main Chance of all ;
tences of a Rule in Aflrology for each Article, / do not know but I am to die this Tear : For
diftin&ly noted the moft material Paffages that my part, by the help of the Grace of God, I
were to bcfal this our Phips in the remaining fhall endeavour to live as if I were this Tear
part of his Life it was
-, particularly AfTerted
to die. And let the Reader now attend the E-
and Inferted, That he (hould be engaged in a vent !
V So- "Tfc
Magnalia Cbrifti
Americana : Book II.
which I have Learn- hove and Serve the Country : Yea, had the
'
§. 20.
Tis a Similitude
ed from no Perfornban
lefs a the great Bafd : Country had the Choice of their own Governour
That as the Eye fees not thofe Obje£ts which
'tis
judged their Votes, more than Forty toOne,
are applied clofe unto it, and even lye upon it ;
would have ftill fallen upon him to have been
but when the Objefts are to fom'e diltance re- the Man And the General Affembly therefore
:
moved, it clearly difcefns them $, we: have on all occafions renewed their Petitions unto the
little fenfe of the Good which we have in our King for his Continuance.
Enjoyments,
until God, by the removal thereof, Neverthelefs, there was a little Party of
teach us better to prize what we once enjoyed. Men,
who thought they muft not flccp till they
It is true, the Generality of fober and thinking bad caujed him to fall : And they fo vigoroufly
People among the Neva- Englanders.d\d
as highly prolccuted certain Articles before the Council-
Government of Sir William board at Whitehall againft him, that
value the Fhips, they ima-
whilft he lived, as they do his Memory, iincehis gined they had gained an Order of His Majeffy
Death neverthelefs it mult be corjfejjed, that in Council, to fufpend him
; immediately from
the Blelllng whicli the Country had in his in- his Government, and appoint a Committee of
Perfons nominated by his Enemies, to hear all
defatigable Zeal, tolefvethe Pubtick
in all it's
been. i
the whole to be made unto the Kin^ and Coun-
Jt was mention'd long fince as a notorious ; cii.
vitavcrit Culpam, Contumcli-vn non Procedure ; and therefore he fignitied unto His
Ji quit forte
: And New-England h is been at the belt moll Honourable Council, that nothing (hoald
effugit
too in that very Character, .i be done againft Sir William, until he had
always faulty, Op-
Province very Talkative-, and Ingenious for the portunity to clear himfelf; and thereupon he
vilifying of
its Publick Servants. fent His Royal Commands unto Sir William to
But Sit William Phips, who might
in a 'Calif come over. To give any retorting
Accounts of
of the Commonwealth have adminiihul all the , Principal Perfons who thus
adverfaried
things with as General an Acceptance as any that
him, would be a Thing fo contrary to the Spi-
have gone before him, had the Difadvantage of rit of Sir William Fhips himfelf, who at his
of New-England bravely declared that
being fet at Helm in a time as full (£S tariff as leaving
ever that Province hadfeen; and the People he freely forgave them all; and if lie had return-
-
himfelf fometimes almoft as bad as Rolled a- that when any falfe Accufer approached, as the
bout in Regu/us's Barrel ;
and had occafion to Fabel fays, immediately flew at him, and ftuck
thir.k on the Italian Proverb To wait for one in him, until he had ceafed Injuting his Adver-
who decs not come-, to lye a Bed not able to fie cp firy. \
and to fi;;.l )t impoljible to plcaj'e thofe whom Wherefore in Obedience unto the King's
tee ferve ; are three Gncjs enough to kill a Commands, he took his leave of Bofion on the
Man. feventeenth of November, 1694. attended with
But as Frowardas the People were, under all proper Teftimonies of Relpeft and Honour
the Ep'edemical Vexations of the Age, yet there from the Body of the People, which he had
were very few that would acknowledge unto the been the Head unto and wirh Addreffes unto ;
very Lift, It will be hardly pojjible for us to fee their Majefties, and the Chief Mini iters of
another Governour that /hall more intirefji State from the General AfTembly, humbly im-
I
ploring,
Book II. 0r 3 The Hiftory of New-England. 7*
they might not be deprived of ed in the former I do not mean the
ploring, that Jnftances.
the Happinefs which they had in fuch
an making of New-England the Seat of a Spanifl)
Head. Trade, though fd vaftly profitable a thing was
Arriving at Whitehall, he found in a few likely tohave been brought about, by his being
one of an Honourable Company
Days, that notwithftanding all the Impotent engaged in fuch
Rage of his Adverfaries particularly vented and a Projeft.
in a Yillanous Libel, as well as almoft But the Spanifl) Wreck, where Sir William
printed
in as many otherwaysas there are Mouths,at had made his firft^W Voyage, was not the Only,
which Fyal fometimes has vomited out its In- nor the Ricbejl Wreck, that he knew to be lying
fernal Fires, he had all Humane Affurance of his under the Water. He knew particularly, that
returning in a very few Weeks again theGover- when the Ship which had Governour Boadilla
nour of New-England. Aboard, was caft away, there was, as Peter
Wherefore there were efpecially two Defigns, Martyr %s, an entire Table of Gold of Three
full of Service to the whole Englifh Nation, Thoufand Three hundred and Ten Pound
as well as his own particular Country of New- Weight.
England, which he applied his Thoughts unto. The Duke of Albemarle'*, Patent for all fuch
F/V/?, He had anew Scene of A£lion opened un- Wrecks now expiring, Sir William thought on
to him, in an opportunity to fupply the Crown the Motto which is upon theGcld Medal, be-
with all Naval Stores at molt eafie Rates, from flowed by the late King, with his Knighthood
thofe Eaftem Parts of the Maffaclmfet Province, upon him, Semper Tibi pendeat Hamus : And
which through the Conquelt that he had made fuppofing himfelf to have gained fufficient In-
thereof, came to be Inferted in the Majfachufet- formation of the right Way to fuch a Wrecks
Charter. As no Man was more capable than heio it was hispurpofe upon his Difmiffion from his
improve this Opportunity unto a vaft Advantage, Government, once more to have gone unto his
fo his Inclination to it was according to his Ca- old Fiffnng-Trade, upon a mighty Shelf of Rocks
pacity.
and Bank of Sands that lye where he had in-
And he longed with fome Impatience to fee formed himfelf.
the King furnilhed from his own Dominions, But as the Prophet Haggai and Zecbariab^
with fuch floating and ftately Caftles, thofe in their PJalm upon the Grants made unto their
Wooden-Walls of Great Britain, for much of People by the Emperors of Perfia have that
which he has hitherto Traded with Foreign Reflection, Man's Breath goeth forth, he re-
Kingdoms. Next, if I may fay next unto this, turns to his Earthy in that very Day bis thoughts
he had an Eye upon Canada ; all attempts for perifl). My Reader mult now fee what came of
the reducing whereof had hitherto proved A- all thefe coniiderable Thoughts. About the mid-
bortive. dle of February, 1694. Sir William found him-
It was but a few Months ago that a confide- felf indifpofed with a Cold, which
obliged him
rable Fleet, under Sir Franca Wheeler, which to keep his Chamber-, but under this Indifpo-
had been fent into the Weft-Indies to fubdue fition he received the Honour of a Viiit from a
Martcnico, was ordered then to call at New- very Eminent Perfon at Whitehall, who upon
England, that being recruited there, they might fufficient Affurance, bad him Get well as jaft
make a further Defcent upon Canada but Hea- as he could, for in one Months time be fl)ould be
;
ven frowned upon that Expedition, efpecially again difpatched away to his Government of
by a terrible Sicknefs, the moft like the Plague New-Engfand.
of any thing that has been ever feen in Ameri- Neverthelefs his Diftemper proved a fort of
ca, whereof there Died, e'er they could reach Malignant Feavcr, whereof many about this
to Bofton, as I was told by Sir Francis himfelf time died in the City-, and it fuddenly put an
no lels than Thirteen Hundred Sailers out of End at once unto his Days and Thoughts, on the
'Twenty One, and nolefsthan Eighteen Hundred Eighteeath of February ; to the extream fur-
Soldiers out of Twenty-four. prize of his Friends, who Honourably interr'd
It was now therefore his defire to have fatif- him in the Church of St.
Alary Woolnotb, and
fied the King, that his whole Intereft in Ame- with
him, how much of New-England's Hap-
rica lay at Stake, while Canada was in French !
pinefs
Hands And therewithal to have laid before fe-
:
§. 21. Although he has now no more a Por-
veral Noblemen and Gentlemen, how benefi- tion for ever in any Thing that is done under
cial an Undertaking it would have been for the
Sun, yet Juftice requires that his Memory
them to have purfued the Canadian-Bufmeis, for be not forgotten. I have not all this while faid
which the New-Englanders were now grown tie wcu Faultlefs, nor am 1 unwilling to ufe for
too Feeble ; their Country being too far now, him the Words which Mr.
Calamy had in his
as Bede fays England once was, Omni Milite iff Funeral Sermon for the Excellent Earl of War-
floridx Juventutis Alacritate wick, It v/ufi be confefj'ed, left I fbould prove a
fpoliata.
Betides thefe raw Deligns in the Thoughtsof Flatterer, be bad his Infirmities, which I truft
Sir William, there was a Third, which he had
Jefus Cbrift bath covered with tbe Robe of his
Hopes that the King would have given him Right eoufnejs : My Prayer to God is, that all his
leave to have purfued, after he had continued Infirmities
may be Buried in tbe Grave of Obli-
fo long in his Government, as to have obtain- and that all his Virtues and Graces
vion, may
ed the more General U 'elfare which he defign-
Supervive ; although perhaps they were no In-
firmities
Americana Book
72 Magnalia Chrifti II.
firmities in that Noble Perfon, which Mr. Cala- The old Perfians indeed, according to the
my counted lb. Report of Agatbias, expofed their Dead Friends
Neverthelefs I muft alfo fay, That if the to be Torn in Pieces by Wild Beajh,
believing
Anguifh of his Publick Fatigues threw Sir Wil- that if they lay long unworried, they had been
liam into any faults of Pajfion • they were but unworthy Perfons but all attempts of \
furviving
Faults of Pajfion foon Recall'd And Spots be- Malice to demonftrate in that way the worth
:
ing fooneft feen in Ermin, there was ufualiy the of this Dead Gentleman, give me leave to Rate
mofl made of them that could be, by thofe that off with Indignation.
were leaft Free themfelves. And 1 muft with a like Freedom
fay, That
After all, I do not know that I have been, great was the Fault of New-England no
more
by any perfonal Obligations or Circumftances. to value a Perfbn, whofe Opportunities to ferve
charmed into any Partiality for the Memory of all their
Inteteftf, though very Eminent, yet
this Worthy Man but I do here, from a real
•,
were not fo Eminent as his Inclinations. If this
Satisfaction of Confcience concerning him, de- whole Continent carry in its Name of
very
clare to all the World, that I reckon him to AMERICA, an unaccountable Ingratitude
have been really a very Worthy Man ; that few unto that Brave Man who firlt led any num-
Men in the World rifing from fo mean an Ori- bers of Europeans thither, it muft not be won-
ginal as he, would have acquitted themfelves dred at, if now and then a particular Country
with a Thoufand Part of his Capacity or Integri- in that Continent aftord fome tyltances of In-
ty that he left unto the World a notable Exam
; gratitude: But I muft believe, that the Ingrati-
of a to do Good, and encountred tude of many, both to God and
pie Difpofition Man, for fuch
and overcame almoft invincible Temptations iri Benefits as that Country of New-England en-
'd from a Governour of their
doing it. joy own, by
And I do moft folemnly Profefs, that I have whom they enjoyed great
quietnefs. with' very
moft confeiencioufly endeavoured the utmoft worthy Deeds done unto that Nation by his Pro-
Sincerity and Veracity of a Cbriftian, as well as vidence, was that which haftned the Removal
an Hiftorian, in the Hiftory which 1 have now of fuch a Benefactor from them.
given of him. I have not written of Sir Wil- However, as the Cyprians buried their Friends
liam Pbips, as they fay Xenopbon did of Cyrus in Honey, to whom they gave Gall when
they
Non ad Hijlori£ Fidem, Jed ad Effigiem veri were Born thus whatever Gall might be given
;
fore though the Gentleman in England that ed there is no way tor us to fetch back our
;
once publifhed a Vindication of Sir William Sir William Pbips, and make him yet Living
with us, but by fetting up a Statue for him, as
Pbips again!! fome of his Enemies, chole to pur
the Name of Publicans upon them, they muft 'tis done in thefe Pages, that may out-laft an
in ibis be counted worfe than the Publicans of ord n a ry Monument i .
whom our Saviour fays, They Love thofe that Such was the Original Defign of
erecfing
Love bim. Statues, and if in Venice there were at once no
And I will fay this further, That when cer lefs than an Hundred and Sixty-two Marble,
tain Perfons had found theS&ull of a Dead Man. and Twenty-three Brazen Statues, erecfed by
as a Greek Writer of Epigrams has told us, the Order, and ar the Expence of the Publick,
upon ineFace of him that threw them, and mi- ever they did before, it will be well, if after
fersbly woranded him : Thus if any fhali be Sir William Pbips, they find many as meritori-
ib Urubriftian, yea, fo Inhumane, as libelloufly ous as he to be fo acknowledged.
to throw Stones at fo deferved a Reputation as Now I cannot my felf provide a better Statue
this Gent! man hasdkd withal, they fhall fee for this Memorable Perfon, than the Words ut-
a Jufl Rebound of all their Calumnies. tered on the occafion of his Death in a very great
Affembly, by a Perfon of fo Diftus'd and £m-
ButtheNameofSirH^/LL/ii/M PHI PS balm'd a Reputation in the Church of God,
will be heard Honourably mentioned in the that fuch a
Character from him were enough
Trumpets of Immoral Fame, when the Names to Immortalize the Reputation of the Perfbn
cfmany that Anapatbied him will either be upon whom he fhould bellow it.
Buried in Eternal Oblivion, without any Steer The Grecians employ 'd ftill the moft Ho-
Vates to preferve them ; or be remembred, but nourable and Confiderable Perfons they had a-
like that otjudai in the Gofpel, or Pilate in mong. them, to make a Funeral Oration in
the Creed, with Eternal Infamy. Commendation of Soldiers that had loft their
Lives
Book II. Or, The Hiftory of New-England. 73
Lives in the Service of the Publick: And when ' I have been with
c
him at Home and Abroad,
the General of New- near at Home, and afar off, by Land and by
Sir William Phips, Captain
'
who had often ventured his Life to Sea, J never Jaw him do any evil Aliion, or
England, *
ferve the Publick, did expire, that Rjverend f
beard him peak any thing unbecoming a Chri-
who was the Prefident of the only Uni- 'ftiaa.
Perfon,
veihty then in
the Englifl) America, Preached a 'The Circumftances of his Death fcem tc
intimate the Anger of God, in that he was in
'
Scrrrion on that PafTage of the Sacred Writ,
Ifa. 57. i. Merciful Men arc taken away, none 'the Midft of his Days removed ; and 1 know
'
ionfidering that the Righteous are taken away (though Pew did that he had great Purpbfei )
i
fhamed of owning them: No, how often have
c
I heard him expreUing his Defires to be an In- Nee poterit Pcrrum, nee edax abolerc vetujlaj.
ftrument of Good unto them He was a Zea-
'
!
'lous Lover of his Country, if any Man in the And there now remains nothing more for me
'
World were lb He expofed him/elf to ferve it ; to do about it, but only to recite herewithal a
:
'
he ventured his Life to fave it In that, a true well-known Story related by Suidaf, That an
:
Nehemiah, a Governour that fought the wel- Envious Man, once going to pull down a
*
c that it might be fo, to fe- extol the Exploits of Ccfar in Britain to the
exprefs his Defires,
deral of the Chief Minifters of State in the very Skies, were now Extant in the World, I
'
Court of England. would have Borrowed fome Flights of That at
'
He is now Dead, and not capable of being leaft, for the Subject now to be Adorned.
1
Flattered : But this I muft teftifie concerning But inftead thereof, let the Reader accept the
«
him. That though by the Providence of God enfuing Elegy. J
Kk UPON
Maenalia
O
Chri'U
<y Americana Book II.
74
UPON THE
A1 O F
This they for efaw not, of our greater PHI PS. Such Faults as thefe we
knew, and lik'd them
PHI PS our great Friend, our Wonder; and our well.
<
Glory,
The Terror of our Foes, the World's rare Story. Jult to an Injury-, denying none
England will Boa ft him too, whofe Noble Mind Their Dues •,
but Self-denying
oft his own.
did thofe TreafuresyW,
Impel! d by Angels,
Long in the bottom of the Ocean laid, Good to a Miracle ; refolvd to do
Which her Three Hundred Thoufand Richer Good unto All, whether they would or no.
made, To make Us Good, Great, Wife, and all
Thing r
By Silver yet neer Canker'd, nor defiPd elfe,
By Honour nor Bet ray' d when FonunefmiI'd. He wanted but the Gift of Miracles.
Since this bright Phoebus vifitcd our Shoar, On him, vain Mob, thy Mif chiefs to
ceafe
We faw no Fogs but what zvere raisd before : throw -,
Thofe vaniflid too ; harrafs'd by Bloody Wars Bad, but alone in This, the Times were fo.
Our Land faw Peace, by his n/ofi generous
Cares. Stout to a Prodigy ; living in Tain
The Wolvilh P3gans at his dreaded Name, To fend back Quebeck-Bullets once
again.
Tarrid, fhrunk before him, and his Dogs be- Thunder, his Mufick, than the
fweeter
came !
Spheres,
Fell Moxus and fierce Dockawando/j//, Chim'd Roaring Canons in his Martial Ears.
Chardd at the leet of our Brave General.
* Frigats
Book II. Or, The Hijiory 0^ New-England. 75
Frigats of
armed Men could not withft and, 'Tis He : With Him Interr'd how great de-
'Twm try'd, the Force of
his one Sword lefs fans
'
As low in Carriage, flooding unto all. In thk, like to the Grand Aurifick Stone,
Rais'd in Eflate, in figure and RenOwn, By any but Great Souls not to be known.
Not Pride; Higher, and yet not Prouder grown. And Thou Rich Table, with Bod ilia /<?/?,
In the Fa/r.Galeon, on our Spanifh Coafi.
Of Pardons full; ne'er to Revenge at all,
Was that which he a*W</ Satisfaction call. In weight Three Thoufand and Three hundred
Pound,
True to hk Mate; from whom though often But of pure Maffy Gold, lye Thou, not found^
flown. Safe, fince tics laid under the Earth afleep,
A Strangery ct to every hove but one. Who learnt where Thou dofi under Water keep.
Write him not Childnels, uhoje whole People
were But Thou Chief Lofer, Poor NEW-ENGLAND,
Sons. Orphans now, of his Paternal Care. [peak
Thy Dues tofuch as did thy Welfare feek,
Novo left ungrateful Brands we fhould incur, The Governour that vow d to Rile and Fall
Tour Salary well pay in Tears, GREAT SIR ! With Thee, Thy Fate fhows in His Funeral.
Write now His Epitaph, 'twill be Thine own,
To England often blown, and by hk Prince Letitbethk, A PUBLICK SPIRIT'S GONE.
Often jent laden with preferments thence. Or, but Name PHIPS more needs not be ex-
•,
i*m^'- **;
The Third
O F T H
BOOK
E
ew Englifh Hiftory :
CONTAINING THE
LIVES OF MANY
Reverend, Learned, and Holy DIVINES,
(arriving fucb fromEurope to America) by whofe
Evangelical Miniftry the Churches of NEfF-
ENGLANV have been Illuminated.
By Co tton Mather.
Teflor,
— Cbriftianum de Chrijliano vera proferre.
Eqnidem eferor ftndio Patres veftros, qms colui, & dilexi, videndi.
Cic. de Senec.
L N T> N :
INTRODUCTION,
was that obliged Jerom to write
it Arnobius was put upon an Apology, againji our
Book, De Viris Illuftribus particular Calumny, among the reft, That at the
WHat
> //
bis
was the common Reproach of old caji Meetings of the Chriftians, a Dog ty'd unto the
That they were all poor, drew away the Light, whereupon
upon the Chriftians, Candleftick,
weak, unlearned Men. The fort of Men fome- they proceeded unto the moft Adulterous Confu-
tunc called Puritans, in the Englifh Nation have fions in the World. And a great Man in his Wri-
been reproached with the fame CharaUer ; 'and at tings does affirm, I have heard this very thing,
a malignant Stapleton, counted the Terms of an told more than
once, with no fmall Confidence
A is, and a Fool, good enough to treat our incom- concerning the Puritans:
parable Whitaker.
No lefs bafely are the bejl of Reader, thou fhalt now fee, what fort of Men
Proteftants often tcrm'd and thought, by the Men, they were : Zion is not a City ot Fools. As
who know no Chriftianity but Ceremony. There Ignatius in his famous Epiftles to the Trallians,
bath been too much of that Envy, that Sapientior mentioning their Pafior, Polybius, reports him\
lis Socrate, Doctior Auguftino, Calvenianus, Si
A Man of fo good and juft a Reputation, that the
modd dicare, clam, vel propalam, mox Tartaris, very Atheifts did ftand in fear of him. / hope
Mofcis, Afris, Turcifque, facvientibus, jacebis our POLYBIUS, will afford
many deferv'mg
execratior. AWretchednefs often feen in Engiifh ; fucb a CharaUer.
It way mentioned at the
, \fhall not Englifh it. This is one thing that has Bufinefs and Bleffed-
laid me under Obligation, here to write a Book, nefs of John Baptift, To turn the Hearts of the
De Viris Illuftribus In the whole whereof, I will Fathers to the Children. After a deal of more
:
with a moft Confcientious and Religious Regard of ado about the Sence of the parage thus tranflated,
Truth, Jove our Hiftory from any flmre, in that f
I contented my elf with another Tranflat ton, To
old Complaint of Melchior Canus, Dolenter hoc turn the Hearts of the Fathers WITH
the Chil-
Laertio feverius Vitas dren I the
dico, raulto a Pbilofopho- ; becaufe find Prepofition, ion, as well
rum fcriptas elfe, quama Chriftianis, VitasChri- at the Prefix in^Mai. 4. 6. whence the paffage
ftianorum : The Lives of Philofophers more truly is taken to be rendred With, rather than To.
Tlie Sence therefore I took to be, That John fhould
written, than the Lives <?/" Chriftians.
Reader, Behold thefe Examples ; admire and convert both Old and Young. But further Thought
hath offered unto me a further Glofs upon it : To
follow what thou doft behold Exemplary in them.
turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children, is
They are offered unto the Publick, with the Inten-
tion fometimes mentioned by Gregory lit qui
: toturn the Children by putting the Hearts of the
Prxceptis noh accendimur, faltem Exemplis inci- Fathers into them ; to give them fucb Hearts at
temur ; atque ac Appetitu Recfitudinis nil fibi were in Abraham, and others of their famous and
meus noftra difficile jeftimet, quod perfe£te pe- faithful Fathers.
ragi ab aliis videt : That Patterns may have upon 1
vs the force which Precepts have not. Reader, The Book now in thy Hands, is to ma-
If a Man were Jo abfurd, as to form his Ideas nage the Defign of a John Baptift, and convey the
of the Primitive Chriftians, from the monftrom Hearts of the Fathers unto the Children.
Accufations of their Adversaries, he would foon Archilocus being defirous to give prevailing and
perfwadc himfelf, that their God was the Deus effeEtual Advice unto Lycambes, by an elegant Pro-
Chriftianorum Ononychites, whofe Image was ere- fopopceia, brought in his dead Father, at giving
tied at Rome. And if a Man (houldhave no other the Advice he was now writing, and as it, were put
Ideas of the Puritan Chriftians in our Days, than his Pen into his Father's Cicero being to
Hand.
what the Tory-Pens of the Sons of Bolfecus have read a Fctlure of Temperance and Modefty unto
given them, we would think that it wot a ju(i Clodia, raifed.up her Father Appius Caius from
thing to banijh them into the cold Swamps of the the Grave, and in his Name delivered his Dire-
North America. But when Truth Jball have li- ctions. And now, by introducing the Fathers of
berty to fpeak, it will beknown, that Chriftianity New-England, without the leafi Pillion,
or Figure
never wot more expreffed unto the Life, than in 0/ Rhetorick, jf
hope the plain Hiftory of
their
the Lives of the that have been thus re- Fives, will be a powerful way of propounding their
Perfons
proached, among the Legions of the Accufer of the Fatherly Counfels to their Pofierity. Stroke A
Brethren. It fpeaks in the enfuing Pages !
Here, with the Hand of a dead Man, hat before now
behold them, of whom the World was not wor- been a Remedy for a Malady not eafily remedied.
thy, wandring in Defarts !
A a a the
The Third BOOK.
T)e Ifms Ulujlribus*
In Four PARTS.
CONTAINING
Xhe L I V E S of near Fifty Divines,
Confiderable in the
€$mtyt8 o! &tfctn$Um>
Credunt de nobis qua non probantur, & nolunt
inquifi,
ne
frobentw
nontffe, qu£ malunt credidijffe. Tert. Apol.
'
Avlng entertained
a
'
my Readers with
more imperfecf Catalogue, ' Of The FirU Cla s s i s.
'
many Perfons whofe Memories
deferve to be embalmed in a of fach as were in the M5W Exer-
Shall be
6
Civil Hijiory -,
I muft fo far con- ITcife
of their Ministry, when the)' lei: Eng*.
sider, that it is an Ecclejiaftical Hijiory, which I land, and were the Iriltruments of bringing the
have undertaken, as to haften unto a fuller and Gofpel into this Wildernefs, and of fettling Chur-
larger Account of thofe Perfons who have been ches here according to the Order of the Go,
the Mimfters of the Gofpel, that fed the flocks
in the Wildernefs : And indeed, New-England' aiJI^nnn^n: Ox, Our Firft Go;:! Al;;;.
having been in Some fort an Ecclejiaftical Country
above any in this World, thofe Men that have- I. s\.Thomas AUt/:c.'\ Cwr
here appeared mod considerable in an Ecclefmfti-^ Mr. John Allen df'Bedh
Avery of A
'
3'.
Mr.
molt Consideration in our Hijiory. 4 Mr.
. AdjmBL:c':m.!r2 of Strctfou.
5. Mr. Richard B'innwn of G
Take then a Catalogue of New-England's firft 6. Mr. Brucy of Br,:;,? ford.
Minifters, who tho' they did not generally affe£t 7. Mr. Edmund Brown of Sudbury.
the Exercife of Church-Government, as confined 8. Mr. Peter Bulkely of Concord.
unto Gaffes, yet Shall give me leave to ufe the 9. Mr. Jonathan Burr of Dorchefter,
Name of Gaffes in my marfhalliog of them, 10. Mr. Charles Chaimcey of Scituate.
11. Mr. Thomat Ccbbct of hyn.
12. M: •'
Book ILL The Hiftory of New-England.
12 . Mr. John Cotton of Bofion. 76. Mr. William Worccfier oi Salisbury.
I?. Mr. Timothy Halton oi Hampton. 77. Mr. 20///7* of Soul hold.
I p. Mr. 5^Z>/* K'^ °f Chelmsford. Know Reader, that it was by a particular Divcr-
20. Mr. //tv//;y N//// of Braintree. fwn given by the Hand of Heaven, unto the///
21. Mr. Fordham of Southampton. tentions of that Great Man, Dr. William Amcs, t
22. Mr. Green of Reading. that we don't now find his Name among the firlt
23. Mr. 7i?Zv: Harvard of Charles-Town. in the Catalogue of our NewEng/ifl) Worthies,
24. Mr. Francis Higginfon oi Salem. One of the moft Eminent and Judicious Perfons
65. Mr. William Hook ofNew-Haven. that ever lived in this World, was Intentionally
2 6. Mr. Thomas Hooker of Hartford. a NewrEngland-Man, tho' not Eventually, when
'-'7. Mr. IViV;- Hobart of Hingham. that Profound, that Sublime, that Subtil, that
28. Mr. Ephraim Huet of Wind/or. Irrefragable, yea that Angelical Do'ffor, was de-
29. Mr. W//// of the i/fc 0/ -Mw. figning to tranfport himfelf into England New -,
30. Mr. James of Charles Town. but he was hindred by that Providence, which
3'- Mr. jfow-f of Fairfield. afterwards permitted his Widow, his Children,
32. Mr. Knight of Topsfield. and his Library, to be tranllated hither. And
33- Mr. Knowles of Water-Town. now, 0//r Fathers, where are they ? 1 'hefe Pi
34- Mr. Lever ick of Sandwich. phets have they lived for ever ? 'Twas the Charge
35- Mr. y#Zw Lothrop of Barnflable. of the Almighty to other Kings, Touch not mme
35. Mr. Richard Mather of Dorchejler. Anointed, and do my Prophets no harm : But th;
37- Mr. Maud of Dover. IG'zg of Terrors pleading an Exemption from that
38. Mr. Muverick of Dorchejler. Charge, has now touched every one of thefe Ho
39- Mr. j^tf /H/yc of Bofion. ly Men j however, all the W/» it has done unto
40. Mr. ,/(^/7 Millar of Tarmouth. them, has been to carry them from this prefent
41. Mr. Moxcn of Springfield. evil World, unto the Spirits of jufl Men made
Mr. Samuel Newman of Rehoboth. 1 may now write upon all thefe CVi
42. perfett.
43. Mr. Norris of Salem. Minifters of New-England, the Epitaph which
44« Mr. T^tf Norton of Bofion. the Apoftle hath left upon the 2>/>y?.r of the 0/i
7
45- Mr. JdMW A /?//"? of Newberry. Tefiament, Thefe were not fuffered to continue,
46. Mr. Thomas Parker of Newberry. by reafon of Death adding the Clau'fe which he
-,
47° Mr. R<///>/.> Partridge of Duxbury. hath left upon the Patriarchs of thatTeftament,
48. Mr. P^<r,£ oi Hingham. 17;<?/~?
<z// rfz>i z» JRwV/;.
whereof made glad the City of God. From that ting afide fbme Eminent Perfons of a AVey En-
Hour Old-England had more Miniffers from glifh Original, which were .driven back out ol
New, than our New-England had fince then, Europe into their own Country again, by that
from Old ; neverthelefs after a Celfation of Mi- Storm.
Thefe few were the moft of the Mini
nifters coming hither from Europe, for Twenty fters, that fled hither iron: it. 1 will not pre
Years together, we had another fet of them, fume to give the Reafons,
why, No
more ; but
Coming over to help us : Wherefore take yet the obferving a Glorious Providence of the Lord
Names of Two Sevens more. Jefus Chriff, in moving the Stars to fhine,
where they were moft wanted, I will
conclude';
We will now proceed unto, lamenting the Difafter of Kew England, in the
Interruption, which a particular Providence of
c Heaven gave unto the Dcfigns of that
fbe 7 bird CLAsS i s. rable Perfon Dr. John
Owen, who had
Incompa-
fo gone
far as to fhip himfelf^ with Intents to have ta-
flnll be of fuch Minifters, as came over ken this Country in his to his Eternal
way
ITto New-England after the Re muft have been our lingular
eftablifhment Reft: It
Advantage
of the Epifcopal Church-Government in England, and Ornament, if we had thus enjoyed among
and the Perfecution, which then hurricano'd, us, One of the Great elf Men, that this la ft Age
fuch as were Non Conformifts unto that Efta- produced.
blilhment.
io. Mr. Charles Nicholet of Salem. the Year 1640. that part of rhe Church of En-
IT* Mr. John O.xenbridge ofBofton. gland, which took up Arms in the Old Caufc of
12. Mr. Thomas Thornton of Yarmouth. the Long Parliament, and which
among all its
Mr. Thomas Walley of Barnfable. Parliament-Men, Commanders, Lord-Lieute-
'
14. Mr. William Woodrop oiLancafter. nants, Major-Generals, and Sea-Captains, had
fcarce any but Conformifts ; I fay, That
part of
It is well known, that quickly after the Revi- the Church of England, knowing the Puritans
val of the Englifh Hierarchy, thofe, whofe Con- to be generally inclinable unto thofe Principles
fciences did not allow them to worfhtp God, in of fuch Writers as Bilfon and Hooker, where-
fome Ways and Modes then by Law eftablifhed, upon the Parliament then afted and feeing -,
were purfued with a Violence, which, doubtlefs them to be generally of the trueft Englift) Spi-
many thoufinds. of thofe whom the Church of rit, for the Prefetvation of the Englifh Liberties
and Properties, for which the Parliament then
England, in its National Conffttution acknow-
ledges for her Sons, were fo far from Appro declared, faltho' there were fome Non-Confor-
ving or Affifting, that they Abhorred it. What mifis in the King's Army alfo :) it was found
Spirit a&ed the Party that Raifed this Perfe- neceffary to have the Afliftance of that consi-
one from a which derable Whereupon enfued fuch a
ction, may guefs Paflage, I People.
find in a Book of Mr. Giles Finnius. A Lady Change of Times, that inftead of Old England's
affured him. that flie fignifying unto a Parlia- driving its beft People into New, it was it felf
ment-Man, her Diflike of the Aft of Uniformity, turned into New. The Body of the Parliament
when they were about rt, Ind faying, 1 fee you and its Friends, which were Conformifts in the
are laying a Snare in the Gate, he replied, Ay, beginning of that miferable War, before tht
if we can find any way to catch the Rogues, we War was ended, became fuch as thofe Old
will have them ! It is well known that near Five Non Conformifts, whofe Union with them
and Twenty Hundred faithful Minifters of the Political Interefts produced an Union in Relig-
Gofpel, were now filenced in One Black Day, ous. The Romanizing Laudians mifcarricd in
(
becaufe they could not comply with fome things, their Enterprize^ the Anglicane Church could
by themfelves counted finful, but by the Impo- not be carried over to the Gallicane. This was
not
c
Book III. Ibe Hi/lory of New-England. 5
not the Inftance of a Sbipwrack befalling a
firft Devotions^ but behold, they prefently appeared
VelTel bound for Rome ; nor wilt it be the lait : in
greater Numbers, and many other Nations
A Veflel bound iiich a Voyage, muft be Ship- began tp be Illuminated by them.
IV. Mofi, if not All, of the
wrack\l, tho' St. Paul himielr were aboard. Minifters, who
II. The Occafion upon which thefe Excellent then vifited thefe Regions, were either attended
retired into an Horrid Wildernefs or followed, with a Number of pious People,
Minifters
of America, and encountred the difmal Hard- who had lived within the reach of their Mini
ships of
fuch a Wildernefs, was the Violent ftry in England. Thefe, who were now alio
wherewith a prevailing Party in become generally NonConformifts, having found
Perfecuiion,
the Church of England tmaffed them. In their the powerful lmpreffions of thofe Good Mens
own Land they were hereby deprived, not only Miniifry upon their Souls, continued their fin-
of their Livings, but alfo of their Liberty to cere Affections unto that Miniitry, and were
exerciie their Miniftry, which was dearer to them willing to accompany it unto thofe'utmoft Ends
than their Livings, yea, than their very Lives: of the Earth. Indeed, the Minilters of Meh-
And they were expofed unto extreme Sufferings, England have this always to recommend them
becaufe they confeientiouily dilfented from the unto a Good Regard with the Crown of Eng-
life of fome things in the Worfhip of God, land, that the molt floutifbing Plantation in alt
which they accounted Sins. But I leave it unto the American Dominions of that Crown, \<
the Confideration of Mankind, whether this for- more owing to them, than to any fort of Men
bidding of J itch Men to do their Duty, were no whatfoever.
that Iniquity, which immediately V. Some of the Miniffers, and
Ingredient of many of the
upon the Departure of thefe Good Men brought Gentlemen, that came over with the Miniffers*
upon Great Britain, and efpecially upon the we^e Perfons of confiderabie Ellates; who there-
Greatest Authors of this Perfecution, A Wrath with charitably brought over many poor Fami-
unto the uitermoft, in the enfuing Defolations. lies of Godly People, that were not of them-
All that I fhall add up'on it, is, That, I re- ielves able to bear the Charges of their Tranf-
member, the Prophet fpeaking of what had portation ; and they were generally careful al-
been done of old, by the Affyrians, to the Land fo to bring over none but Godly Servants in
of the Cbaldxans, ufes an Expreffion, which we their own families, who, afterwards by God's
tranflate, in I/a. 23. 12. He brought it unto Ru- Blefling on their Indufhy have arrived, many
inc : But there is a Punic Word, Mapatra, of them, unto fuch plentiful Eftates, that they
which old heft us (and Servius) affirm to fig- have had Occafion to think of the Advice, which
nify, Cottages according to Philargyrius, it
, a famous Perfon, gave in a Publick Sermon, at
JHgnifies, Cafat
in Eremo habit aniium: Now that theirfirlf coming over ; Tou (Taid
he) that are
is the very Word here ufed, rV?SO and the Con- Servants, mark what I fay I
-,defire and exhort
dition of Cottagers in a Wildernefs, meant, you to be kind a while hence, unto your Maffer's
is
by The Ruine, there fpoken of. Truly, fuch Children. It won't be long
before, you that came
was the Ruine, which the Ceremoniotts Perfe- with nothing into the Country, will be rich Men,
cutors then brought upon the mod Confcientious when your Mafters, having buried their Rich
NonConformifts, unto their Unfcriptural Cere- Effates in the Country, will go near to leave their
monies. But as the Kingdom of Darknefs ufes Families in a mean Condition ; wherefore, when
to be always at length overthrown by its own be well with
it Jhall
yout I charge you to remem-
Policy, lb will be at lafl found no advantage ber them.
unto that Party in the Church of England, that VI. Miniffers and Chriffians, by whom
The
the Orders and Atlions of the Churches by them New-England was firfr planted, were a chqfen
thus produced, become an Hiffory. Company of Men ; picked out of, perhaps, all
III. Thele fylinifters of the
Gofpel, which the Counties in England, and this by no Human
were (without any Odious Comparifon) as Faith- Contrivance, but by a llrange Work of God upon
ful, Painful, Ufeful Miniffers, as mod in the the Spirits of Men that were, no ways, ac-
Nation, being thus exiled from a Sinful Nation, quainted with one another, infpiring them, as
there were not known to be left fo many Non- one Man, to Jecede into a Wildernefs, they
Conformiff Minifters, as there were Counties in knew not where, and fuffer in that Wildernefs
England : And yet they were quickly fo mul- they know not what. If was a reafonable Ex-
tiplied, that a Matter of Twenty Tears after, preffion once ufed by that eminent Perfon, the
there could be found far more than
Twe-nty prefent Lieutenant-Governour of Nezv-England
Hundred, that were fo grounded in their Non- in a very great Aflembly, God fifted three Na-
Conformity, as to undergo the Lofs of all things, tions, that he might bring choice Grain into this
rather than make Sbipvorack of it. When An- Wildernefs.
tiochus commanded all the Books of Sacred Scri- VII. The Deffgn of thefe Refugees, thus car-
pture to be burnt, they were not only preferred, ried into the Wildernefs, was, that they might
but prefently after they appeared out of their unto the Lord their God: It was,
there, facrifice
hidden Places, being Tranllated into the Greek that they might maintain the Power ofGodlinefs
Tongue, and carried abroad unto many other and pracfife the Evangelical Worfhip of Our
Patrons. It was now thought, there was effe- Lord Jefus Chrifr, in all the Parts of it, with-
ctual Care taken, to deltroy all thofe Men, out any Human Innovations and Impofitions ;
that made thele Books the
only Rule of their Defended by Quarters, which at once gav6
therra
The Hiftory of New-England. Book III.
them fo far the Protection of their King, and pounded, Hos Aaron genuit, Mofes verd docuit,
the Election or lb many their
Subordi-
of" own ideoq-, ejus Nomine cenfentia (Thus the Sons
.
nate Rulers under him, as might fecure them of Merob, are called the Sons of Michal, as the
the U/idijiurbed Enjoyment of the Church-Order the Talmud judges, becaufe
by her educated}
ettablilhed amonglf them. I fhall but repeat And on this account no lefs than Twelve, were
the Words once ufed in a. Sermon preached un- the Sons of Mr. Parker. I
may add, that fome
to the General Count- of the MaJfaobufetX2o[oay, of our Minifters, having theif Sons
comfortably
at one of their Anniversary Elections. 'The fettled, at, or near, the Place of their own
'
Queftion was often put unto our Predeceflors, Miniffry, the People have thereby feen a com-
'
What went ye out into the Wilder nefs to fee ? fortable Succeffion in the Affairs of Chriff
ianity ;
'
And the Anfwer to it, is not only too Excel- thus, the Writer of this Hifiory, hath, he knows
'lent?, bat alfo too Notorious,
to be dhTembled. not how often, feen it ; that his Grandfather,
'
Let all Mankind know, that we came into the baptized the Grand-Parent, his Father baptized
c
Wil'dernefs, becaufe we would worfhip God the Parent, and He himfelf has
baptized the
'
without that Epifcopacy, that Common Prayer, Children in the fame Family.
'
and thofe unwarrantable Ceremonies, with X. In the Beginning cf the Country, the Mi-
*
which the Land of our Fore Fathers Sepulchres nifiers had their frequent Meetings, which were
has been defiled $ we came hither becaufe we molt ufually after their Publick and Weekly
•
would have our Polterity fettled under the or Monthly Leclures, wherein they confulted
c
de- for the Welfare of their Churches
pure and full Difpcnfat ions of theGofpel •, nor had -,
c
fended by Rulers, that JJjould be of our fclves. they ordinarily any Difficulty in their Churches,
VIII. None of the lealr Concerns, that lay which were not in thefe Meetings offered unto
upon the Spirits of thefe Reformers, was- the Consideration ; for their mutuaf Direction and
Condition of their Pofterity For which cauic Afhttance
.- And thefe Meet ings are maintained
:
in the Firft Constitution of their Churches, they unto this Day. The private Chnfians alfo had"
did more generally with more or lefs Expreffive- their private Meetings, wherein they would
feek the Face, and ling the Pra'ife of God
nefs take in their Children, as under the Church- and •,
watch with themfelves. They alfo did betimes Confer upon fome Questions of Praiiical Reli-
endeavour the Erection of a College, for the gion, for their mutual Edification. And the
up of a fuccefhve Ministry in the Coun- Country Hill is full of thofe Little Meetings ;
training
try but becaufe it was likely to, be fome yet they have now moffly left off one Circum-
-,
while, before a Considerable Supply could be ltance, which in thofe our primitive Times,
expected from the College, therefore they took was much maintained namely, their conclu- •,
notice of the younger, hopeful Scholars, who ding of their more Sacred Exercifes. with Sup-
came over with their Friends from England, and pers whereof, I Sincerely think, I cannot give
•,
affifted their liberal Education ; whereby being a better Account, than Tertulhan gives of the
fitted for the Service of the Churches, they were Suppers among the Faithful, in his more pri-
in an orderly manner called forth to that Ser- mitive Times ; Therein their Spiritual Gains
vice. Of thefe we have given you a Number ;
countervailed their Worldly Cojis ; they remem-
whereof, think, all but One or Two are now
I brcd the Poor, they ever began with Prayer ; [and
unto their Fathers- other Devotions] In Eating and Drinking
gone they
IX. Of ttefe Miaiflers, there were fome relieved Hunger, but fhoi<?d no Excefs. Jn feed-
few, fuppofe Ten or a Dozen, that after di ing at Supper they rcmembred they were to pray
vers Years, returned into England, where they in the Night. In their Difcourfe they confidered
were eminently ferviceable unto their Genera- that God heard them : And when they departed,
tion ; but, by far, the biggeft part of them, their Behaviour wan fo Religious and modejf,
continued in this Country, jerving their Gene- that one would have thought, we had rather been
ration by the JVi 11 of God. Moreover, I find near at a Sermon, than at a Supper. Our Private
half of them iignally BlelTed with Sons. Meetings of good People to pray and praife
who did work for our Lord Jefus Chriff, in God, and hear Sermons, either preached per-
the Miniffry of theGofpel, yea fome of them haps by the younger Candidates for the Miniltry,
as Mr. Chancy, Mr. Elliot, Mr. Hohart, Mr. (who here ufe to at their En-
form themfelves,
Mather, had (tho' not like R. Joje, a wife trance into their or elfe repeated by
Work,,)
Man among the Jews, of whom they report, exact Writers of Short-Hand after their Pafiors ;
that he had Eight Sons, who were alfo celebra- and fbmetimes to fpend whole Days in Fafling
ted for wife Men among them r yet) not lefs -
and Prayer, efpecially when any of the Neigh-
than Four or Five Sons a piece thus employed : bourhood are in Affiiclion, or when the Com-
And though Mr. Parker, living always afingle munion of the Lord's Table is approaching ;
Man, had no Children, yet he was instrumen- thofe do ffill abound among us ; but the Meals
tal to bring up no lefs than Twelve ufeful that made Meatings of them, are generally laid
Ministers. Among the Jews they that have afide. I
fuppofe, 'twas with fome Eye to what
been instructed by another, are called, The Sons he had feen in this Country, that Mr. Firmin
of their Instructor. We read, Thefe are the h3S given this Report in a Book Printed i68k
c
Generations of Aaron and Mofes ; when we find Piain Mechanicks have I known, well Cate-
'
none but the Sons of Aaron in the enumerated chifed, and Humble Christians, excellent in
'
Generations. But in the Talmud, it is thus ex- Practical .Piety They kept their Station, ' did
:
not
Book ili. '/ he Hijtory of New-England.
<
not afpire to be Preachers, hut for Gifts of the Lord Bifhops •,
but I can't join with you, be-
'
Prayer, few Clergy-Men mult come near them. cauje 1 would not be under the Lord- Brethren.
'
I have known fome of" them, when they did There were fome likewife that fell into grols
di- M/carriages, and the Hunter of Souls
keep their Falls, (as they did often J they
'•
having
'
vided the Work of Prayer The &ft begun with ltuck the Darts of fome extreme Diforder into
:
'
the fecond went on with Petition thofe poor Hearts, the whole Flock pufhed them
Confeffwn ;
'•
for themfelves ; the third with Petition for Out of their Society. Of thefe, tho' there were
Church and Kingdom ; the fourth with Thank/ fome fo recovered, that they became true Peni-
•
giving : Every
one kept his own part, and did tents -, yet inafmuch as the Wounds which they
'
nyt meddle with another part. Such excel- received by their Falls, were not in all regards
without Tautolo- throughly cured, I will choofe rather to forbear
k
lent Matter, lb compacted
'
gies ; each of them for a good time, about an their Names, than write them with
any Blots
'
Hour, if not more, apiece to the
-, wondering upon them. For the fame Caufe, tho' I have
'
of thofe which joined with them. Here was his Name in our Catalogue, yet I will not fay
'
no reading of Liturgies : Thefe were old Ja- which of them it was, that for a while became
•
cob's Sons, they could wreftle and prevail with a Seeker, and almoft a Quaker, and i'educed a
great part of his poor People, into hlsbewi/dnng
•
God.
XI. Bellies the Minifters enumerated in the Errors : At Lift the Grace of God recovered this
three Claffes of our Catalogue, there
might a Gentleman out of his Errors, and he became a
fouith Gtafs.he offered, under the Name of the very good and found Man, after his Recovery :
Anomalies of New-England. There have at fe- But alas, it was a perpetual Sting unto his peni-
veral t/mes arrived in this Country, more than a tent Soul, that he could not now reduce his wan-
Score of Jvliniiters from other parts of the World ; dring Flock, which he had himfelf fedticed into
who proved either fo erroneous in their Princi the molt unhappy Aberrations. They Wandred
or i'o/candalous in their Practices, or fo dif on obftinately (till in their Errors and being ir-
pies, -,
agree itile to the Church Order, tor which the recoverable, he was forced thereby unto a Re-
Country was planted, that I cannot well croud moval from rhem, taking the Charge of a more
the n into the Company of our Worthies : Orthodox Flock, upon Longljland.
Nor know I where better than among thefe
Non bene conveniunt, nee in una/ede morantur. Anomalies, to mention one Mr. Lenthal, whom
I find a Minifter at
Weymouth, about the Year
And, indeed, I had rather my Church Hijtory
fhouldipeak nothing f\\:\x\ fpeak not well of them He had been one of good Report and Repute
that might elfe be mentioned in it :
Being en- in England ; whereas, here, he not only had im-
it is better it bibed fome Antinomian Weaknefles, from whence
tirely of Plutarch's Mind, That
fhould never be faid, there was fuch a Man as he was by Conference with Mr. Cotton foon re-
Plutarch at all, than to have it faid, that he was covered , but alfo he fet himfelf to oppofe the
not an honefl; and a worthy Man. I confefs, way of gathering Churches. Many of the com-
there were fome of thole Perfons, whofe Names mon People eagerly fell in with him, to fet up
deferve to live in our Book for their Piety, al- a Church State, wherein all the Bapti/ed might
tho* their particular Opinions were fuch, as to be be Communicants, without any further Trial of
differviceabie unto the declared and fuppofed them ; for which end many Hands were pro-
Interejis of our Churches. Of thefe there were cur'd unto an Injtrument, wherein they would
fome Godly Anabaptifts as namely, Mr. Han- have declared againft the New England Dehgn of
-,
B b b jo-
8 The Hi/lory of New-England. Ecok ill
JOHANNES in Eremo.
AND
MlThomas Hooker, who Died 7.2). 5.M 1647,
Paftor of the Church at
Hartford, NerP'England.
To the R E A D E R.
lictle pare of the Earth which this who had been burning zx&Jbhmng Lights in that
Age has known by the Name of New- which was the firft Candleftiek, let up in this
THat England,
fignal,
has
both
been an Objeft of very populous Town 5 but a
Frowns and Favours of
ed
him.
fpecial Providence divert-
Long before that, Dr. Ames, ( whofe
Heaven- Befides thofe Stars of the firft Magni- Family, and whofe
Library New-England has
tude, which did fometimes 7^/w, andatlafty^/ had) was upon the Wing for this American De-
in this Horizon, there have been feveral Men of
fart : But God then took him to the heavenly
Renown, who were preparing and fully refolved Canaan. Whether he left his Fellow upon Earth
to tranfport themfelves hither, had not the Lord I know not :Such Acutenefs of Judgment, and
ieen us unworthy of more fuch Mercies. It is affe&ionate Zeal as he excelled
t in, ieldom does
Itill frefh in the
Memory of many yet living, meet together in the fame Perfbn. I have often
that that Great Man, Dr. John Owen, had given thought of Mr. Paul
Bay ne, hisFarewel Words
order for his paiTage in a Veffel bound for to Dt.Amcs, when
Bofton-,
going for Holland; Mr. Bayne
being invited to fucceed the other famous Johns, perceiving him to be a Man of extraordinary
Parts,
Book III. The Hijlory of New -England. 9
Parts, Beware (faid he) of a Strong Head, and a publifhed, viz. Mr.
I
folent
the Latter End of Pmteftants like
mori : Is who were the Worthies of New England,\\ox. only
this Man's ? But altho' fome excellent Perfons, in the Churches, but in the Civil State, whom
have, by a Divine Hand been kept from coming the Lord Chrift faw meet to ufe as Inftruments,
into thele Ends of the Earth, yet there have been in planting the Heavens, and laying the Founda-
others, who whilft living
made this Land (which tion of the Earth, in this New World. If thefe
before their Arrival was an Hell of Darknefs) to find a candid Acceptance, tho/e may poffibly fie
be a place of Light and Glory 5 amongft
full the Light in due time.
whom the Champions, whofe Lives are here de-
ferred, are worthy to he
reckoned as thofe that Whether what is herewith emitted and written
the Memories of fome that did wor- has given me an opportunity to know many ob-
preferved
thily, and
were in their Day famous. There are fervable things concerning him. Both Boftons
two learned Men who have very lately engaged have reafon to Honour his Memory and New- -,
in a Service of this nature, viz. Paulus Freherus, EnglandBofton moft of all,which oweth its Name
who has publifhed two Volumes in Folio, with and Being to him, more than to any one Perfon
the Title of, The at rum virorum Eruditione claro- in the World He might fay of Bofton, much
:
rum, ad hac ufque Tempora. He proceeds as far what as Auguftus faid of Rome, Lateritiam re-
as the Year 1 6bo. The other is Henningus Wit- peri, marmoream re/iqui : He found it little bet-
ten, who has written, Memorise Theologorum no- ter than a Wood or Wildernefs, but left it a fa-
It is a trite (yet a true) Affertion, mous Town with two Churches in it. I remem-
ftri feculi.
that Historical Studies are both profitable and ber, Dr. Lightfoot, in Honour to his Patron, Sir
pleafaht.
nnd of all Hiftorical Narratives, thofe Roland Cotton, called one of his Sons, Cotton :
which give a Account of the Lives of
faithful It doth not repent me, that I gave my EldettSon
eminent Saints, muft needs be the moft edifying. that Name, in Honour to his Grandfather And :
The greateft part of the Sacred Writings are Hi- the Lord grant that both of us may be Followers
a confiderable part of them is ta- of him, an he followed Chrift.
forical; and
ken up in relating the Actions, Speeches, exem-
of fuch as had been Asthe other three Worthies who have
plary Lives, and Deaths,
for
choice Inftruments in the Hand of the Lord, to taught the Word of God in this place, they had
promote his Glory in theWorld. No doubt but their peculiar Excellencies.
that the Commemoration of the remarkable Pro Mr. Wilfon (like John the Apoftle) did excel
"
vidences of God towards his Servants, will be in Love ; and he was alfo ltrong in Faith. In the
fome part of their Work in Heaven for ever, that time of the Pequod War, he did not only hope,
fo he may have Eternal Praifes for the Wonders but had affurance, that God would make the En~
of his Grace in Chrift towards them. It muft
\glijh
Victorious. He declared, That he was as
needs therefore be in it felf, a thing pleafing to certain of it, as if he had with his Eves feen the
God, and a fpecial A£f. of Obedience to the Fifth Victories obtained which came to pafs accord- •,
Commandment, to endeavour the prefervation of ing to his Faith. I well remember, that 1 heard
theNames, and Honour of them, who have been him once fay, that when one of his Daughters
Fathers in Ifrael. On which account, I cannot was lick, and given up as dead, paft recovery,
but rejoice in what is here done. Altho' New- he defired Mr. Cotton to pray with that Child 5
England has been favoured with many faithful And (faid hej whileft Mr. Cotton wai praying,
and eminent Minifters of God, there are only I w.tf
fure that Child Jlmdd not then die, but live.
Three of them all, whofe Lives have been as yet That Daughter did live to be the Mother of many
Bbb 2 Children 5
IO The Hijlory <^ New-England, Book ill.
llor of the Church oiTpfwicb, \nN. E.) oppofed was then very fervent and vehement, as to the
Mr. Norton's removal rrom Iffwicb : Some fay- manner of his Delivery Bur in his, later 'Limes,
:
Providrmes, which he himfelf had the certain great a Manas he was-, then whom Connecticut
knowledge of. WhiHr I am writing this, there never did, and perhaps never will, fee a greater
comes to mind, one very pleaiant, and yet
my Perfon. Mr. Cotton, in his Preface ro Mr. Nor,*
I do Anfwer to ApoUomus, lays of Mr. Hooker\
very feripus Story, which, he told me, and ton's
not remember that ever I met with it any where Dominatur in Concionibus. Dr. yiwf.ru led to fay,
but from him. It was this : There was one Mr he never knew bis Equal : There was a great In-
Snape, a Puritan Minilter, who timacy, between them two.
was by the Bi I remember-,
my Fa-
calf into Prilon, for his Nonconformity $ ther told me, That Mr. Hooker .was the Author
(hops
when his Money was (bent, the Jailor was un- of that targe Preface which is before Dr. Ames,
kind to him But one Dav as Mr. Snape was en his Prejjb Suit again)} Ceremonies. He would fome-
:
his Knees at Prayer, the Window of his Cham- times lay. That next to converting Grace, he biff*
ber being open, he perceived fomething was Jed God jor his Acquaintance with the Principles
thrown into his Chamber 5 but refolved he would and Writings of that Learned Alan, Mr. Alexan-
finifh his Work with God, before he would di- der Ruhardfen. It was a Black
Day to Nezo-Eng-
vert to fee wlnt it was. When he arofe from land, when that great Light was removed.
his Knees, he luw a Pur/e on the Chamber-floor, There are fbme who will nor be pie. fed, that 1
which was. full of Gold, by which he could make any Notice is taken of the hard I\Laiure which
his Keeper better natured than he had been. thefe excellent Men had from rhofe perfccuting
Many fuch PalTages could that good Man relate. Prelates, who were willing to have the World rid
of them. But it is impofhble to write the Kiftoty
Mr. Norton was one whofe Memory, I muff of New-England, and of the Lives of them who
acknowledge, I have peculiar caufe to love and were the chief in it, and yet be wholly filent in
honour. I was his Pupil fe\ eral Years. He had that matter. That eminent Perfon, Dr. 'LUlot-
a very Schalajlical Genius,
in the Doctrine of fon (the late Arch Bimop of Canterbury) did, not
Grace he was exceeding clear 5
indeed another above four Years ago, fometimes exprefs to me,
Auftiu. He loved and admired Dr. Twifs more his Refentments of the Injury which had been
than any Man that this Age has produced. He done to the fitft Planters ot New-Eng/and,3.nd his
has fometimes (aid to me, Dr. Twifs is Omni Ex- great diflike of Arch Bifhop Laud's Spirit towards
cept'wne Major. He was much in Prayer : He them. And to my knowledge, there are Bifhops
would very often lpend whole Days in Prayer, at this Day, of the £\me ChxiiYnn Temper and
with fafling before the Lord alone in his Study. Moderation with that Great and Good Mandare-
He kept a ffricl: daily Watcb over his own Heart. ly dead. Had the Sees in England, fourfcore Years
He was an hard Student. He took Notice in a ago, been rilled with fuch Arch Bifhops, and Bi-
private Diary, how he fpent his time every day :
fhops, as thofe which King William (whom God
If he found himfelf not id much inclined to Df grant long to Live and to Reign) has preferred to
ligence and Study, as at other times, he would re- Epifcopal Dignity, there had never been a New-
flect, on his Heart and W 7
ays, left haply fomeun- England. It was therefore neceflary that it fhould
obferved Sin fhould provoke the Lord to give him beotherwife rhen, than ar this Day, that fo the
up to a flothful liftlefs Frame of Spirit. In his Gofpel in the Power and Puriry of ir,mightcome
thefe dark Corners of the Earth, and that here
Diary, he would fometimes have thefe Words, into
Leve defiderium ad fudendum Forfan : ex pecca- might be feen a Specimen of the New Heavens and
to adnnjjo. I blefs the Lord rhat ever I knew Mr. a New £"<2/7Z>,wherein dwells Right eoufnefs, which
Norton, and that I knew fo much of him as I did. fhall e'er long be feen all the World over, and
which, according to bis Promije nee look for.
The HSJTKOVVCTIO N.
car- the common Rates.and Men
*
"W
Reformation, he
ried a
Hen the God of Heaven had
Nation into a
after his own Heart
Wildernefs, And it would be an Ingratitude many ways per-
'
upon the Defigns of a Glorious nicious, if the Churches of Nrw England fhould
there gave them a fingular Con- nor, like thofe of the Primitive Times, have
duel of his Prefence and Spirit, in a certain Pil- their Diptycbs, wherein the Memory of thofe Emi-
lar, which by Day appear'd as a Cloud, and by nent Confeffors, may be recorded and preferved.
Night as a Fire before them 5 and the Report § 2. Four or five of thole eminent Pcrfons are
of the RefpecF paid by the Ifraelites unto this now to have their Lives defcribed unto us, and
became lb noifed among the Gentiles, offered unto the Contemplation and
Pillar, Imitation,
that the Pagan Poets derided them on this Ac- efpecially of the Generation which are now rifine,
count, up, after the Death of Cotton, and of the Elders
that out -lived him, and had fern all the Great
Nil prater Nubes &
czli Lumen adorant, Works of the Lords, ivhuh he did jor New-
England. I faw a fearful Degeneracy, creeping,
I fuppofe, the true Reading of I cannot
fay, butrufhing in upon tlicle Churches;
[Whifh is,
that famous Verfe in Juvenal : And I thus tran- I faw to multiply continually our Dangers, of
ilate it,] our lofing no fmall Points in our fir/} Faith, as
well as our firft Love, and of our
giving up Dhe
Only the Clouds and Fires of Heavn they do.
Ejjentials of that Chard* Order, which was the
worfhip at all I imes. very End of theft Colonies ; I law a vrftbfe
thank in all Orders of Men among us, from that
But I muft now obferve unto my Reader, that Greatncfs, and that Gdddtfefs, which was in the
more than a Score of Years, after the beginning firfi Grain, that our God brought from Three
of the Age which is now expiring, our Lord Je- lifted Kingdoms, into this Land, when it was a
fus Chrilt, with a thoufand Wonders of his Pro- Land not fown that while the Papijis in
;
Europe
vidence, carried into an American Wildernefs, a have grown better of late
Years, by the Growth
to fee, and of Janfenifm among them, the
People perfecuted for their defire Protcflants have
feek a Reformation of the Church, according to prodigiouily zcaxed worfe, for a Revolt unto Pe-
the Scripture Of which matter I cannot give a lagianifm, and Socinianifm, or what is half tiDay
:
1
4
hold Communion with the Lord Jefus Chrift, briety and Education, thofe Parts which were
'
will admit nothing, practice nothing, in the planted with a more noble Vine, do fo fait give a
Worfhip of God, but what they have his War- Profpecl of affording only the degenerate Plants
'
'
rant for -,
unlefs it comes in his Name, with of a ft range Vine. What mould be done for the
r
'
a, Thus faith
the Lord ] cJ'vs; they will not hear ftop, the turn of this Degeneracy ? It is
report-
an Angel from Heaven : They know, the Apo- ed of the Scythians, who were, doubtlefs, the
'
'
files
themfelves were to teach the Saints, only Anceflors of the Indians firft inhabiting thefe Re-
c
what he commanded them And you know, how gions, that in Battels, when they came to ftand
-.
many in this very Nation, in the Days not lortg upon ihzGravcs ot their dead Fatbers,ihey would
fince palled, yea how many Thoufands, left there ftand immovable, 'till they dy'd upon the
'
*
their Native Soy/, and went into a vait and fpot And, thought I, why may not fuch a
:
c
howling Wildernefs, in the uttermoft parts of Method now effectually engage the Englijh in
'
the World, to keep their Souls undefiled and thefe Regions, to Handfaft in their Faith and their
c
chart unto their dear Lord Jefus, as to this of Order, and in the Power of Godlinefs ? I'll (hew
c
his Worfhip and Inftitutions. Nov/ tho' the them,the Graves of their'dead Fathers-, and if any
•Reformed Church thus fled into the Wildernefs, of them do retreat unto a Contempt or NeglecF of
enjoy'd not the miraculous Pillar, vouchfafed Learning, or unto the Errors of another Gofpel, or
unto the Erratick Church of lfrae/, for about unto the Superstitions of WillWorflnp, or unto a
forty Years together ; yet for that Number of worldly, zfe/fifh, a little Converfation, they mall
Years, we enjoy'd many a Perfon, in whom the undergo the irrefiftible Rebukes of their Progeni-
good Spirit of God, gave a Conduct unto us, and tors, here fetch'd from the dead, for their Admo-
mercifully difpenfed thofe directing, defending, nition ; and I'll therewithal adverrile my New-
fefrefhing Influences which were as neceiTary
, Englanders, that if a Grandchild of a Mofes be-
for us, as any that the celebrated Pillar of Cloud, come an
Idolater, he thall, [as the Jews remark
and Fire, could have afforded. The great and upon Judg.iS.^of] be deltroy'd,as if not a Mofes,
good Shepherd of the Church, favoured hisdiftref- but a Manajjeh.hfd been his Father. Befides, F7/vs
fed Flocks in the Wildernefs, with many Paftors, Vivitur
Exemplis quant Praceptls !
that were learned, prudent, and holy, beyond § 3. Good Men in the Church of England, I
hope,
*2 The Hi/lory 0/ New-England. Book III.
hope, will not be offended at it, if the Unrea- Church, as well as the Names of fuch Reverend
and Excellent Perfons
finable Impofitions, and Intolerable Perfections, among the Diffenters, as
of certain Little-Soul'd Ceremony- Mongers , Bates, Annefly, How, Mead, and A/fop, ("with
which drove thefe worthy Men out of their Na- Others) are, on that Score, together Pre-
many
tive Country, into the horrid Thiokets of Ame- cious unto this part of the Chriflian America.
rica, be in their Lives complained and refented. On the other fide,
the True Proteflant Reform-
For, dtitinguilhing between a Romanizing Faffwn ing Church of England, contains the whole Body
in the Church of England, and the True Prote- of the Faithful, fcatterred through the Englifh
ftant Reforming Church of England, (Things as Dominions, though of different Periwafions
different as a Jewel, from an Heylin, or a Grin about fome Rites and Modes, 3nd lefler Points
dal, from a Laud!) the Firft Planters
of New of Religion And all the Friends of the laft
:
England, at their fi.ift coming over, did in a Reformation, who, whether they think there
Publick and a Printed Addrefs, call the Church needs a furt her Progrefs in that Work or no ,yet
of England, their Dear Mother, defiring their are willing to make the Word of God the Rale
Friends therein, To recommend them unto the of their ferving him, do come under this Deno-
Mercies of God, in their conjiant Prayers, as a mination. Thofe Divines, who, with Arch-
Church novo Springing out of their own Bowels : Bifhop UfJier in the Head of them, did more
Nor did they think, that it was their Mother than Fifty Years ago, give in a Paper touching
who turned them out of Doors, but fome ot the Innovations of Doctrine and of Discipline
their angry Brethren, abufingthe Name of their in the Church of England, and make near Forty
Mother, who fo harfhly treated them. As for Exceptions againft things in the Liturgy, were
the Romanizing Faction in the Church ^/England, (fill as good Members of that Church, as they
or, that Party, who refolving (altogether
con that Hated to be Reformed and the Aflembly
-,
trary to the Defire of the molt Eminent Perfons, of Divines at Weftmmftcr, which made the Ca-
by whom the Common- Prayer was made Englijh) techifms now ufed among us, were as genuine
that the Reformation Should never proceed one Sons of the Church after they became Aon Con-,
Jot further than the Firft Effay of it, in the for- formifts, as while they lived in Conformity,
mer Century, did mike certain Unfcriptural which every one of them, except Eight or Nine,
Canons, whereby all that could not approve, did when they fitft came together. One who is
fubfctibe, and pra£life, a multitude of, (by them- at this Day a Right Reverend Bifhop, has in his
felves confeffed purely Humane) Inventions in Irenicum. well expreffed the Senfe which I be-
the Worfhip of God, were accurfed, and Ipfo lieve, the biggelt Party of Chriftians in the
Fatlo Excommunicate -,
and by the Ill-obtained Realm, Three to One have of thofe ma tters,which
Aid of Bitter Laws to back thefe Canons, did by have been, The Apples of Strije among us:
Fines and Goals and innumerable Violences, con-
4
That Chrift, who came to take away the In-
'
trary to the very Magna Charta of the Nation, fupportable Yoke of the Jewifh Ceremonies,
'
ruine many Thoufands of the fobereft People in certainly did never intend to gall the Necks
'
the Kingdom ; and who continually made as of the Difciples with another inftead of it;
4
many Shibboleths as they could, for the Disco- and itwould be ftrange, the Church would
'
vering and the Extinguishing of all real Godlinefs, require more than Chrift himfelf did, and
'
ind never gave over profecuting their Tripartite make more Terms of Communion, than our
'
Plot, of Arminianifm, and a Conciliation with Saviour did of Djfciple-fhip. The Grand Com-
4
the Patriarch of the Weft, and Arbitrary Go- mijjion the Apoftles were fent out with, was
4
vernment in the State, until at laft they threw only to Teach, What Chrift had commanded
'
all into the lamentable Confufions of a Civil them ; not the leaft Intimation of any Power,
4
War ; the Churchas of New-England fay, Come given them to impofe or require any thing,
not into their Secret, my Soul. Wedare not '
beyond what he himfelf had fpoken to them,
be guilty of the Schifm, which we charge upon 8
or they were directed to, by the immediate
that Party in the Church of England And if any
:
'
Guidance of the Spirit of God. And,
~—
FacFion of Men will and Con- [Speaking of the Reafon, why our firft Com-
require the Affent
fent of other Men, to a vaft Number of Difpu- pilers of the Common-Prayer, took in fo much
'
tableand Uninftituted things, and, it may be, of the Popifh Service'] Certainly, thofe Holy
Men, who did
4
a Mathematical Falfkood, among the firft of them, feek by any means, to draw in
c
and utterly renounce all Chriflian Communion others, at fuch a diftance from their Principles,
'
with all that Shall not give that Affent and Con- as the Papifts were, did never intend, by what
fent, we look upon thofe to be Separatifls ; we
'
they did for that end, to exclude any truly
'
dare not be fo Narrow-Spirited: The Churches tender Confciences, from their Communion ;
'
of New-England profefs to make only the Sub- That which they laid as a Bait for them, was
'
ftantialsof the Chriflian Religion to be the Terms never intended by them as an Hook for thofe
of our Sacred Fellowship : We dare make no '
of our own Profeffion. And if this be the
Difference between a Presbyterian, a Congrega True Church of England, give me leave to fay,
twnal, an Epifcopalian, and an Antipadobaptift, The Churches of New England, are no inconsi-
where their Vifible Piety, makes it probable, that derable part of /'/ and that accordingly we
•,
the Lord Jefus Chrift has received them. And may have a Room in it, I may fafely in the
fuch Reverend Names, as Hall, and Kidder, Name of them all, offer, fas did the Renowned
moft Worthy Bifhops now adorning the Englijh Author of our Martyr-Books, when they de-
manded
Book III. The Hi/lory of New- England. 13
manded Sabfcription from him,) To fubfcribe land would have the True Story thereof, within
a while, as irrecoverably loft, as the Story of
the Neu Teftament.
the whole then, if any be difpleafed at the World, relating to thofe Times, which Far
Upon
of the and Perfe- ro diftinguifhed unto Incognit, and Fabulous, pre-
my Report Unjult Impofitions
cutions which drove into America, as Good ceding the Hiftorical, and we ihould fhordy
and Proteftants, as any that were have as wretched Narratives of the frrft Perfons
Coriftians,
left behind them, it will not be the True Church and Aflions in rhis Land, as Juftin gives ot the
of England;
for why fhould Th.it be called, Jews, when he makes Alofes the Son oi' their
The Church of England, which has caufed Thou- Jofeph, and the Sixth of their Kings, or when
finds of as real and thorough Cbriftians, as any he makes Them Expell'd from Egypt, becauie
It is no better to dwell in
to fay, the Gods would not otherwife allay a Plague
Upon Earth,
; be
Wildernefs, than with fuch an Contentious that raged there, or fuch as are given by Pliny,
and Angry One I That Church of England, which when he makes Aloj'cs a Magician, or Strabo,
alone is worthy to be called jo, will bewail, that makes him an Egyptian Prieft ; if no i'peedy
Epii'copal
Sees hive done, the injuries offered Firft Settlement -,
fo I with, the Laudable Prin-
unro our Fur it an Fathers. ciples and PraHices of that Firfl Settlement, may
kj 4.
Let my Reader, thus prepared, now en be kept from utterly being loft in our Apoltafies,
rertain himfelf, as far as he with our by the Care which is now taken thus to
pleafes, preferve
Four Johns, to whole Lives, I have upon the what was Alemorable, of the Men that have
Counfel and Command of an Ever-Honoured delivered them down unto us.
Parent, Append iced the Life
of a Famous Tho- § 5. Finally ; When the Apoftles had let be-
rn <u in this Publication Johns, with whom fore Cbriftians the Saints, which were a Cloud
among the Five or Six Hundred Noted Peribns ofWitneftes, by imitating of whofe Exemplary
of that Name, celebrated by One Hiftorian, I Behaviour we might kmer into Reft, he con-
find not many that were worthy to be compared ; cludes with a Looking unto Jefus -, or, accor-
.n our Churches. I remember a Learned Man's would pray, that the Minds of all that fee it,
That 1 Tim. it is Ti- may be raifed ftill to think, Out- Precious Lord
Conjecture, [in 3. 15.]
is greater than thefe Johns : All
mothy, and not The Church, which is called, Jefus Chrift,
The Pillar and Ground of Faith : Such Able, Ho their Excellencies are in him Tranfcendently, In-
ly, and Faithful Minilters
as Timothy, are the finitely; as they were from Him derived. High
Great Proclai mers and Prefervers of Truth, for Thoughts of the Lord Jefus Chrift, provoked by
the Church of God Such were thefe Famous Reading the Defcriptions of thefe his Excellent
:
Johns while they Lived, and now they are Servants, that had in them a little oi Him, and
as they had fo,
Dead, I have done my Endeavour that they may were no farther Excellent than
Hill be Such unto the Churches, unto whom I will make me aa abundant Recompence, for all
owe my All. I'll fay but this, the lait Words the Difficulties, and all the Temptations, with
of the molt Renowned Prebend of Canterbury, which my Writing is attended. And as it
Dr. Peter du Moulin, who died a very Old quickens the Joys of my haftening Death, when-
Man, about Eleven Years ago, were, Since Cat- I have through Grace, a Profpecf of being then
the Spirits of thefe Juft
vinifm is cried dozen [Actum eft de Religione in that State whereto
Chrifti apud Anglos] Chriftianity is in Danger Men made PerfeH, are all ol them Gathered, fo
to be in the Englifh Nation. Alluding to I would have This now to out do all thofe Joys,
loft
what he faid, about his John Calvin, 1 will To be with Jefus Chrift, That furely, is by far
take leave to fay with refpecF unto our John the beft of all.
is nonfaciunt, nam
Cotton, and the reft that here accompany him, Monument a SepuLhralia Juft
will be their Faith Ditta ecrum Sunt Memorise Eorum.
Chriftianity loft among us, if
and Zeal, mujl all be buried zvith them : Which, Sentent. Judaic, in Berefcbit. Rabba-.
God forbid As there would be an hazard, that
the
Early
!
CHAP. I.
Sed $uk ut adoremus eum ? Algazel, in Libro Sta terse. Refp. Hie eft !*—
pcrfcffus eft
: eft Hie,
ERE I Matter of the Pen, pious Father in this worthy Lawyer, as wen
vv
§ as
wherewith Palladms em- a pious Mather, to Intereft him in
theOw-
balmed his Cbryfoftom, the nant ot God. That worthy Man was indeed
Greek Patriark, or Pofido- very lingular in two molt Imitable Pratfices.
Kim Eternized his Auftin, the Latin Oracle, a- One was, that when any of his
Neighbours de-
owner of the firous to fue one another, adrefled
mong the Ancients Or, were I ;
Beza ce-
him for
Quill wherewith among the Moderns, Counfcl, it was his manner, in the molt perfwa-
lebrated his Immortal Calvin, or Fabius Immor- five and obliging Terms that could be, to en-
talized his Venerable Eeza ; the Merits of John
deavour a Reconciliation between both Parties-
Cotton would oblige me to employ it, in the preferring the Conjolatwns of a Peace maker, be-
Famous Memory. If be fore all the Fees, that he
preferving his Boflon might have got by
the chief Seat of New England, it was Cotton blowing up of Differences. Another was, that
that was the Father and Glory of Boflon: Upon every Night it was his Cuftom to Examine him-
which account it becomes a piece of pure Ju- felf with Refleftions on the Tranfaftions of
fticc, that the Life
of him, who above all Men the Day paft ; wherein, if he found that he had
gave Life to his" Country, fhould bear no little not either Done good unto others, or Got good
in its intended Hiitory and indeed if any >into his own Soul, he would be as much
Figure -,
r grieved
Peribn in this Town or Land, had the Bkjfedj as ever the Famous Titus was, when he could
the Roman Hiftorian long fince pro- complain in the Evening, Amici Diem Perdidi f
nefs which
nounced yW.\ even, To do things worthy to be Of fuch Parents was Mr. John Cotton born, at
to be Read, it the Town of
Writ, and to Write Things worthy Derby, on the Fourth of December y -
was He-, who now claims a Room in our Pages. in the Year 1585.
If it were a Comparifon fometimes made of the § 3. The Religious Parents of Mr. Cotton,
were folicitous to have him indued with a
Reformers, Pomcranus was a Grammarian, Ju-
Melanilhon was a Lo- Learned as well as a Pious Education
\\m Joncu was an Orator, and ;
butL«//wwas All: Even that Propor- being neither fo Rich, that the Mater Artis
gician,
be acknowledged, could have no room to do her part, nor fo Poor
tion, it may without Envy
that Cotton bore to the reft of our New Englijh that the Res Angufta Domi, fhould clog his
Divines ; He that, whilft he was Living had Progrefs, they were well fitted thereby, to be-
this Vertue extraordinarily Conlpicuous in him, ftow fuch an Education upon him. His firft In-
That it was his delight always, to acknowledge ftru&ion was under a good School Matter, one
the Gifts of God, in other Men, muft now he is Vii.Johnfon, in the Town of Derby : Whereon
Dead, have other Men to acknowledge of him the Intellectual Endowments of all forts, with
what Erafmus does of Jerom, In hoc uno con- which the God of our Spirits adorned him, fo
'.
had a Honourable
Dcfcsut from Proge- teen Years of Age, and Luther, who commen-
fcjjion,
nitors, to render him doubly Honourable. His ced Mafter of Arts at Twenty but alfo our -,
immediate Progenitors being bv lbme lnjuftice. Dr. Juel fent unto Oxford, our Dr. UJher fent
Eft-ate, wkereoi his Family had been wronged . lisDiligent Head, with Gods Bleffngs, made
and forhe Pro! >f'a Lmapto\ was that an nim a Rich Scholar-, and his generous Mind
iae applied himfelf all his found no little Nourifhment
his I
by that Labour,
But oui n
Happier which like the Sage Philofopher, he ibundjweet-
in this
Cotton^
than huftin, who! '-fuller to make cr than ldlenefs : Infbmuch that his
-
being Elect-
an Orator than a v ion ©f him, while his ed Fellow ot Trinity Colledge, as the Reward of
nakuag him on greater his quick Proficiency, was diverted by nothing
was makyjg
its, A Son of her ;;.:njTe\"-s,
had a verv but this that the extraordinary Charges for
theii
Book III. i he
Hijlory of New- 1
rig land. *5
their Great Hall then in ed this Epitaph to be written on his
Building, did put by Grave,
their Eletfion. And there was this Remarkable Here
lies an Old Man, who lived but Seven
Father's Practice was, by the fpccial Providence God, until he had experienced that Regenera-
of God, augmented fo much beyond what it tion, in his own
Soul, which was thus accom-
been before, was enough to maintain him
as pli flied. The Holy Spirit of God had been at
there: Upon which Obfervation Mr. Cotton af- work upon las Toung Heart, by the Miniftry of
terwards would fay, 'Twos God that kept me at that Reverend and Renowned Preacher ofRigh-
the Univerfity ! Indeed fome have faid, That teoufnefs, Mr. Perkins; but he refifted and
the great Notice quickly taken of the.Eminen- fmothered thofe Convitlions, through a vain
cy in the Son,
was one Reafon, why his Father Perfwafion, that if he became a Godly Man,
not only came to be complemented on all fides, 'twould lpoil him for being a Learned One.
and Omnes Omnia Bona dicere, ilf laudare For- Yea, fuch was the Secret Enmity and Prejudice
tunas ejus, qui I'ilium habere!
Tali lngenio pr£- of an Unregenerate Soul, againft Real HolineJ's,
ditum, but alfo had his Clients more than a lit- and fiich the Torment, which our Lords Wit-
tle multiplied. neffes give to the Confciences of the Earthly-
§ 4. Upon the Defires of
Emanuel Colledge, minded, that when he heard the Bell toll for
Mr. Cotton was not only removed unto that Col- the Funeral of Mr.
Perkins, his Mind fecretly
ledge, but alfo preferred,
unto a Fellovcfhip in it ; rejoiced in his Deliverance, from th3t Power-
in order whereunto, he did according to the ful Miniftry, by which his Confcience h3d
Critical and Laudable Statutes of the Houfe, been fo oft Beleagured The Remembrance of
:
go through a very fevere Examen of his Firnefs which thing afterwards, did break his Heart
tor fuch a Station ; wherein 'twas particularly exceedingly But he was, at length, more efte-
!
remarked, that the Pofsr trying his Hebrew clually awakened, by a Sermon of Dr. Sibs,
Skill by the Third Chapter ol Ifaiah, a Chapter wherein was difcomfed the Mifery of thofe,
which, containing more hard Words than any who had only a Negative Righu-ottjnejs, or a
one Paragraph of the Bible, might therefore Civil, Sober, Honeit Blamclefnefs before Men.
have puzled a very good Hebrician, yet he made Mr. Cotton became now very fenfible of his
nothing of it. He was afterwards the Head own miferable Condition before God ; and the
Leffurer, the Dean, the Catechifi, in that. Fa Arrows of thefe Convictions, did ftick fo f aft
mous Colledge ; and became a Tutor to many upon him, that after no lefs Three Tears Dif-
Scholars, who afterwards proved Famous Per- confolate Apprehenfions under them, the Grace
fons, and had caufe to blefs God for the Faith- of God made him a throughly Renewed Chri-
ful, and Ingenious and Laborious Communica- and filled him with a Sacred Joy, which
ftian,
tivenefs of this their Tutor. accompanied him unto the Fulnefs of' Joy for
Here, all his
Academical Exercifes, whether in Difputations ever. For this Cauie, as Perfons truly convert-
or in common Places, or whatever elfie did fo ed unto God have a mighty and lalting Affe-
fmellof the Tamp, that the Wit, the Strength, ction for the Inftruments of their Converfion ;
the Gravity, and the Fulnefs, both of Reafon thus Mr. Cotton's Veneration for Dr. Sibs, was
and of Reading in them, caufed him to be much after this very particular and perpetual and it -,
admired by the Sparkling Wits of the Univer- caufed him to have the PiSure of that Great
fity. But One thing among the reft, which Man, in that part of his Houfe, where he might
caufed a great Notice to be taken of him, ofteneft look upon it. But fb the Toke of fore
throughout the whole Univerfity, was his Fit Temptations and Afflictions and long fpiritual
neral Oration upon Dr. Some, the Mafter of Trials, fitted him to be an eminently ufeful
Peter Houje, wherein he approved himfelf Servant of God in his Generationl
fuch a Mafter of PericUan, or Ciceronian Ora- § 6. Some time after this Change upon the
tory, that the Auditors were even ready to have Soul of Mr. Cotton, it came unto his turn again
acclaimed, Non Vox Homincm Sonat ! And that to preach at St. Maries-, and becaufe he was to
which added unto the Reputation, thus raifed preach, an High Expectation was raifed,
for him, was an Univerfity Sermon, wherein
through the whole Univerfity, that they fhould
aiming more to preach Self than Chrift, he ufed have a Sermon, flouriftnng indeed, with all
fuch Florid Strains, as extremely recommended the Learning of the whole Univerfity. Many
him unto the moft, who relifhed the Wifdom of Difficulties had Mr. Cotton in his own Mind
Words above the Words of Wifdom : Though now, what Courfe to freer. On the one fide
the pompous
Eloquence of that Sermon, after- he confidered, That if he fhould preach with
wards gave fuch a Diftaft unto his own Re- a Scriptural and Chriftian Plainnefs, he fhould
newed Soul, that with a Sacred Indignation not only wound his own Fame exceedingly, but
he threw his Notes into the Fire. alfo tempt Carnal Men to revive an Old Cavil,
§ 5. Hitherto we have Teen the Life of Mr. That Religion made Scholars turn Dunces,
Cotton, while he was not yet Alive! Though whereby the Name of God might fuller not a
the Reftraining and Preventing Grace of
God, little. On the other fide, he confidered, That
had kept him from fuch Out-breakings of Sin, it was his
Duty to preach with fuch a Plain-
yet \nefs, as became the Oracles of God, which
as Defile the Lives of molt in the World,
like the Old Man, who for fuch a caufe order- 'are intended for the Conduct of Meu in the
C c c 'Paths
\6 7 he Hi/lory of New- England. Book ill.
Paths of Life, and not for Theatrical Oftenta the Mayor moft unaccountably miftook again,
tions and Entertainments, and the Lord needed as he did before.
Extreamly dilpleas'd hereat^
not any Sin of ours to maintain his own Glory. he preffed for zThird Vote but the reft would -,
Hereupon Mr. Cotton refolved, that he would not confent unto it ; andfo the Election fell
up!
preach a plain Sermon, even fuch a Sermon, as on Mr. Cotton, by the
involuntary Call of that
in his own Confcience he thought would be moft very Hand, which had moft oppofed'ir. This
pleafing unto the Lord Jefus Chrift ; and he di- Obftru&ion to the Settlement of Mr. Cotton in
fcourfsd practically and powerfully, hut very Bofton, being thus conquered, another follow'd :
iciences, dilcovered their Vexation at this Dif- That Mr. Cotton being a Toung Man, he was
appointment, by their not Humming, as accord- not Jo fit upon that Score, to be over
fuch a nume-
ing to their finful and abfurd Cuftom, they had rous and fuch afaUious And Mr. Cot-
People.
formerly done ; and the Vice-Chancellor, for /<?/?
having learned no otherwife to value himfelf,
the verytfams Reafon alfo, graced him nor, as than to concur with the Apprehenfions of the
he did others that pleafed him. Neverrhelefs, Bifliop , intended therefore to return unto Cam-
the Satisfaction which he enjoyed in his own bridge : But fome of his Friends, againft his In-
faithful Soul, abundantly compenfated unto him, clination, knowing the true way of doing it, foon
the lofs of any Human Favour or Honour ; nor charmed die Bifhop into a declared
Opinion,
did he go without many Encouragements from that Mr. Cotton was an Honeft, and a Learned
fome Doctors, then having a better Sence of Man. Thus the Admiflion of Mr. Cotton unto
Religion upon them, who prayed him to perfe- the Exercife of his Miniftry in
Bofton, was ac-
vere in the good way of Preaching, which he had complished.
now taken. But perhaps the greateft Confola- (j
8. Mr. Cotton found the more peaceable Re-
tion of all, was a notable Effea: of the Sermon ception among the People,through his own want
then preached The famous Dr. Prefton, then
! of internal Peace ; and becaufe his continual
a Fellow of ^teen's Colledgc in Cambridge, and Exercifes, from his Internal Temptations and
of Great Note in the Univerfity, came to hear Afflictions, made all People fee, that inftead of
Mr. Cotton with the fame itching Ears, as others ferving this or that Party, his chief care was
were then led withal. For fome good while about the Salvation of his own Soul. But the
after the beginning of the Sermon, his fruftra- Stirs, which had been made in the Town, by
ted Expectation caufed him to manifeft his Un- the Arminian Controverfies, then
raging, put
eafinefs all the ways that were then poflible ; him upon further Exercifes ; whereof he has
but before the Sermon was ended, like one of himfelf given us a Narrative in the
enfuing
Peter's Hearers, he found himfelf pierced at the Words :
'
When I was firft called to Bofton in
'
Heart : His Heart within him was now (truck Lincoln/hire, fo was, that Mr. Baron, Son
it
c
with fuch Refentments of his own interior flate of Dr. Baron, ( the Divinity Reader of Cam-
c
before the God of Heaven, that he could have bridge) firft broached, that which was then
'
no Peace in his own Soul, till with a wounded called Lutheranifm, fince Arminianifm_ ; as
'
Soul, he had repaired unto Mr. Cotton ; from being indeed himfelf, Learned, Acute, Plau-
whom he received thofe further Affiftances, '
fible in Difcourfe, and fit to infinuate into the
'
wherein he became a Spiritual Father, unto one Hearts of his Neighbours. And tho' he were
of the greateft Men in his
Age.
'
a Phyfitidn by Proleffion (and of
good Skill in
'
§ 7. The well difpofed People of Bofton in that ArtJ yet he fpent the
greatelf Strength
'
Lincoln{hi're, after this, invited Mr. Cotton to be- of his Studies, in clearing and promoting the
come their Minifter; with which Invitation, out c Arminian Tenents. Whence it came to pals,
of a fincere and ferious defirc to ferve our Lord ' that in all the great Feafts of the Town, the
'
in his Gofpel, after the folemneff Addreffes to chiefeft Difcourfe at the Table, did
'
ordinarily
Heaven for Guidance in fuch a folemn Affair, fall upon Arminian Points, to the
great Of-
c
he complied. At this time the Mayor of the fence of Godly Minifters, both in and
'
Bofton,
Town, with more corrupt Party, having pro-
a Neighbour-Towns. I coming among them, a
'
cured another Scholar from Cambridge, more young Man, thought it a part both of Mode-
'
agreeable to them, would needs have him to fty and Prudence, not to fpeak much to the
'
preach before Mr. Cotton : But the Church- Points, at firft, among Strangers and Ancients:
'
Warden pretending to more of Influence upon Until afterwards, after hearing of many PL
their F.ccleiiaftical Matters, overruled ir. How- [' fcourfes, in Publick Meetings, and much pri-
'
ever when the matter came to a Vote, amongft vate Difcourfe with the Do&or, I had learned
thofe towhom the Right of Election did by '
at length, where all the
great Strength of the
'
Charter belong, there was an Equi-Vote for Mr. Doclor lay. And then obferving ( by the
'
Cotton, and that other Perfon only the Mayor,
-, Strength of Chrift) how to avoid fuch Ex-
who had the Calling Vote, by a ifrangeMiftake '
preffions gave him any advantage in the
as
pricked fcr Mr. Cotton. When the Mayor fiw '
Expreflions of others, I began publickly to
'
his Miftake, a new Vote was urged and grant preach, and in private Meetings to defend the
'
ed j wherein it again proved an EquiVote-, but Doftrine of God's Eternal Elctliox, before al!
Fere
c
Book i
III.
hejli/hry of &ew^gng]^^ .
_JJ
'
fyrefiohtof Good ox Evil, in the Oeutare^ embraced hy the
greateftpartof the Town, How-
at rhe
c
ancj |]ie Redemption (ex gratia) only •ever, at la ft, Complaints being made againft him
Vocation of a Sinner, P«- unto
c
ff/^. the effectual xheSifhops Courts, he was for a while, then
' Gratne vim, without all refpect. put under rhe Gircumttances of a file need Mini-
irnfiftibUem
' of Free Will; and finally,
of the Preparations ftcr , in all which zvhile, he would (till give his
i the Impoilibility
of the Fall of a fincere Belie- Prefence at the Publick Sermons, tho' never at
<
ver either totally or finally from a State of the Common Prayers of the Conformable. He was
6
Grace. Hereupon, when the Dottor had ob now oifered,not only the Liberty of his Miniftry,
'
iefted many things, and heard my
Anfwers to but very great Preferment in italfo; if he would
'
thofe Scruples, which he was
wont moil plau- but Conform to the Scrupled Rites, tho' but in
• after our Publick one Ail, and but for one Time : Neverrhelefs
fibly to urge 5 prefently
were filent his tender Soul, afraid of
Fealts, and Neighbourly Meetings,
'
being thereby polluted,
'
from all further Debates about Predefti nation, could not in the lealt comply with fifth Tern
c
or any of the Points which depend thereupon, A Storm of many Troubles upon him,
ptations.
'
and all Matters of Religion were carried on was now gathering but it WJs very
,
ftrangely
'
calmly and peaceably.
diverted ! For thac very Man who had occafion-
About half a Year after, Mr. Cotton had been ed this Affliction to him, now became heartily
he vifited afflicFed for his own Sin in doing of
at Bofton, thus ulefully employ'd, it; and 1
that he might then and there proceed ftedfaft, conltant, prudent Friend, pfefenting
Cdinbridge,
Batcbellor of Divinity „ which he did
And his
: a Pair of Gloves to a Proflor of an
higher Court,
Concio ad Clerum, on Mat. 5. 1 }. Vos eft
is Sal then appeal'd unto that Protlor without Mr. Chi-
ton's knowledge, fwore, /// Am mam.
Tcrrx, was highly eiteemed by the Judicious. Domini, that:
Nor was he lels admired for his very lingular Mr. Cotton was a Conformable Alan : Which
Acutenefs in Deputation, when he anfvvered the things ittued in Mr. Cotton's being rettored unto
the Schools 5 wherein he had the Exercife of his Miniftiy.
Divinity All in
for his Opponent a molf acute Antagonist, name- ^11. The Storm of Perfectttion being thus
ly Dr. Chappel, who was afterwards Provoif of blown over, Mr. Cottafn enjoyed Reft for many
in Dublin and one unhappily Years. In which time He raithluliy
employed
Trinity Colledge ;
fuccelsful in promoting the New Pelagianifm: his great Abilities, not in gaining Men to this
Spirit of God, effecFually applying his Promifc Anfwers he opened and applied unto the general
of Eternal Grace and Life unto him, which hap- Advantage of the Hearers. Whilft he was in
pily kept with
him all the reft of 'his Days For t this way handling the Sixth Commandment, the
which caufe he would afterwards often lay, God Words of God which he uttered were fo quick
made that Day, a Day of double Marriage to me ! and powerful, that a Woman among his Hearers,
The Wife, which by ihe Favour of God he had who had been married fixteen Years to a Second
now found, was a very great help unto him, in Husband, now in Horror of Continence, openly
the Service of God but efpecially upon this,
•,
confetTed her murdering her former Husband,
'among many other Accounts, that the People of by Poifbn, tho' thereby the expofed her felf to
her own Sex, obferving her more than ordinary the Extremity of being burned. In the Fore-
Difcretion, Gravity,
and Holinefs, would ft ill noons of the Lord's Days, he preached over the
improve the Freedom of their Addrefs unto her, firft fix Chapters iri the Gofpel 0$ John, the
to acquaint her with the Exercifes of their own whole Book of Eccleftafles the Prophecy of •,
profitably, to difcourfe
thofe things that were of he handled the Eleventh Chapter in the Firft
everlafting Benefit. Epiftle to the Corinthians, and the Thirteenth
§ 10. After he had been three Years m
Bofton, Chapter in the Second Book of the Chronicles ,
his careful Studies and Prayers brought him to and fome other pertinent Paragraphs of the Bi-
;
apprehend more of Evil remaining Unreformed ble. In his Leffures, he went through the whoIe
in the Church of England, than he had hereto- Firft and Second Epiftles of John the whole •,
fore confidered ; and from this time he became Book of Solomon's Song- ; the Parables of our
a Conscientious A on-Conformift, unto the Unfcrt- Saviour to the Seventeenth Chapter of Matthew.
ptural Ceremonies and Conftitutions, yet main- His Houfe alfo was full of young Students ;
tained by that Church ; but fuch was his Intereft whereof fome were fent unto him out of Ger-
in the Hearts of the
People, that his Noncon- many, fome out of Holland, but moft out of
formity inite.id of being difturbed, was indeed Cambridge : For Dr. Prefton would Hill advife
Cc c 2 his
18 The Hiftory
-.,
of
j
—— — —
New-rngland__—
were appointed to rule no larger a Diocefs than
Book ill.
_
to go live
wjrh Mr.Gtf-
ton, that they might be fitted for Publick Ser a particular Congregation and that the Mini--,
'
the Morning, and on Saturdays at Three in the preach a crucified Ch rift , and the Inhabitants of
Afternoon. And belides rheie immenfe Labours, Boflon oblerved, that God blelled them in their
he was frequently employ 'd on extraordinary Secular Concernments, remarkably rhe more,
Days, kept
Pro Temporis &
Caufis, whereon he through his dwelling among them: For many
would, fpend fometimes no lefs than Six Hours Strangers, and fome too, that were Gentlemen
in the Word and Prayer. Furthermore, 'twas his of good Quality, reforted unto Bofton, and fome
Cuftom, once Year, to vifit his Native-Town
a removed their Habitations thither, on his Ac-
of Dt;rl% where he was a notable Exception to count whereby the Prof peri ty of the place was
•,
among the Body of the People yea, the Mayor, any Mimflers publick Prcaching that he knew in
-,
with molt of the Magiffrares, were now called England. Whilft he continued in Boflon, Dr.
Puritans, and the Satanic J Party was become Preflon would contra nfly come once a Year to
infigniheant. As to the matter of Nonconfor- vifit him, from his exceeding Value for Mr. Cot-
mity, Mr. Cotton was come to forbear the Cere- Arch-Bifliop Williams did like-
ton's Friendffiip.
monies enjoy ned in the Church of England for wife greatly elfeem him for his incomparable
-,
'
which he gave this Account. The Grounds Parts ; and when he was Keeper of the Great
1
were two :
Firji,
The Significacy and Efficacy Seal, he recommended Mr. Cotton to the Royal
1
put upon 'em, in rhe Preface to the Book of Favour. Moreover, the Earl of Dorchefter and
1
Common-Prayer : That they were neither dumb of Lindfey, had much regard unto him ; which
'
nor dark, but apt to flir up the dull Mind
of happened partly on this occafion : The Earl's
4
Man, to the remembrance of Duty his coming into Lincoln/hire, about the Dreining of
to God,
c
by fome notable and fpecialfigmfication, where- tome Fenny Grounds. Mr. Cotton was rhen in
'
by he may be edified ; or Words to the like his Courfe of Preaching on Gal. 2. 20. Intend-
'
purpoie. The Second was the Limitation of ing to preach on the Duties of living by Faith
'
Church- Power, even of the highelt Apoltolical in Adverfity but confidering that thefe Noble- -,
Commifiion, to the Obfervation of the Com men were not much acquainted with AjfUtlicns,
'
4
mandii.cnts of Chnjl, Mat. 28. 20. Which he altered his Intentions, and fo ordered it, that
'
made it appear to me utterly unlawful for any when they came to Boflon, he dilcourfed on the
4
Church Power to enjoyn the Obfervation of in- Duties of living by Faith in Profperity : When
4
different Ceremonies which Chrilt had not the Noble-men were ib much taken with what
,
4
commanded: And all the Ceremonies were alike they heard, that they allured him, If at any time
deltitute of the Commandment of Chriir, tho' he lhould want a Friend at Court, they would
4
'
they had been indjfferent otherwife which, •, improve all their Intereft for him. And when
'
indeed others have julfly pleaded they were Mr. Cotton did plainly, but wifely admonifh
Bat this was not all For Mr. Cotton them, of certain Paflimes on the Lord's Day,
L
nor. :
was alfo come to believe, That Scripture Bifiops whereby they give fome Scandal, thev took ic
moft
Book III. The Hijlory of New-England. 19
moft kindly from him, and promifed a Reforma Wifp, ujedby the Hand of God, for the J'cowring
tion. But none of the Rofes caft on this applau- of his People : But mark the Words now fpoken
ded ASo?, /mothered that humble, that loving, by a rn.inifi.er of the Lord I I am verily perfvoa-
that gracioss Difpofition, which was his perpe- ded, the Judgments of God, will overtake the
tual Ornament. Man that has done this thing : Either he will die
At length, doubtlefs tochaftife the fel- under an Hedge, or fomething elfe, more than the
§ 14..
dom unchallifed Evils of Divifions, crept in a- ordinary Death of Men {hall befal him. Now
mong the Chriftians of Bofton, it pleafed the behold, how this Prediction was accompli! hed :
God of Heaven to deprive them of Mr. Cotton's This miferable Man quickly after this, dy'd of
Miniftry, by laying a Tertian Ague upon
him for the Plague, under an Hedge, in Ycrkjlnre ; and
a Year together. But being invited unto the it was a long time, e'er any could be found,
Earl of Lincoln's, in purfuance to the Advice of that would bury him. This 'tis to turn Perjc-
his Phyhcians, that he fhould change the Air, he cutor.
removed thither ; and thereupon he happily re- §id. Mr. Cotton knowing that Letters Mif-
covered. Never thelefs, by the fame Sicknefs he five were out againlt him, from the High Com-
then loft his excellent Wife ; who having lived mijfion Court, and knowing, that if he appeared
with him Childlefs for Eighteen Years, went from there, he could expect no other, than to be
him now, to be for ever with the Lord; where- choaked with fuch a perpetual Im-prifoitftienfa as
'
upon he travelled further afield, uritb London, had already murdered iuch Men as Bates
and
and fome other places, whereby the recovery ol Udal, he concealed himlelf as well as he could,
his loft Health was further perfected. About a from the raging Purjcvants. Application was
1
Year after this, he pracf ically appeared ift op- made, in the mean time, to the Earl of Dorjer,
to Tertullianij'm, by proceeding unto a for the Fulfilment of his old Engagement unto
pofition
Second Marriage ; wherein one Mrs. Sarah Story, Mr. Cotton , and the Earl did indeed intercede
a vertuous Widow, very dear to his former Wile, for him. until the Arch Bifhop of Canterbury.,
became his Confort -,
and by her he had both who would often wiih, Oh ! that I could meet
Sons and Daughters. with Cotton! iendred all his Intercelhons both
§ 1 5. Altho' our Lord had hitherto made the ineffectual and unleaionaLle. Hereupon that
Discretion and Vigilancy of Mr-Thomas Leveret Noble Perfon fent word unto him, That, it he
( aiterwards a doubly honoured Elder of the had been guilty of Drunkennefs, or Vncieannejs,
Church, in another Land) the happy occafion or any fuch lefjer Fault, he could have obtained
of diverting many Defigns to moleft Mr. Cotton his Pardon ; but inafmuch as he had been g\i\[-
for his Non-Conformity, yet when the Sins of the ty oi Non-Conformity, and Puritanifm,ths Crime
of was unpardonable ; and therefore, faid he, Tcic
place had ripened it, for fo dark a Vengeance
Heaven, as the removing of this eminent Light, muft fly for your Safety. Doubtlefs, itwasfrcm
a Storm of Perfecution could no longer be avoid- fuch unhappy Experiments, that Mr. Cotton af-
ed. A debauch'd fellow in the Town, who terwards publifhed this Compl lint the Eccle- :
had been punilhed by the Magiftrates for his fiaftical Courts, ore like the Courts oj the High-
Debaucheries, contrived and refolved a Revenge Pr lefts and Pharijces, which Solomon by a Spirit
upon them, for their Juftice : And having no of Prophecy flileth, Dens of Lions, and Moun
more effectual way to vent the curfed Malice of tains of Leopards. And thoje who have to do
his Heart, than by bringing them into Trouble itith them, have found ihctn Markets oj the Sins
V
at the High Commijfwn Court, up he goes to Lon- of the Pcpple-jJx Cages of nolo annej's. the Forges
don, with Informations to that Court, that the of Extortion, the Tabernacles rf Bribery, and
Magiftrates did not kneel at the Sacrament, nor they have been contrary to the End of Civil Go-
obferve fome other Ceremonies by Law impofed. vernment, which is, The Punijhment of Evil-
When fome that belonged unto the Court figni- Doers , and the Praife of them which do
fied unto this Informer, that he muft put in the well.
Minifter's Name : Nay, ( faid hej the Mmifter § 17. Mr. Cotton, therefore, now, with Sup-
is an honeji Man, and never did me any wrong : plications unto the God of Heaven for his Dire-
But it being further preffed upon him, that all ction, joined Confutations of good Men on
his Complaints would be infignificant, if the Earth ; and among others, he did with fome of
incontinently, to Convent Mr. Cotton, before fore him, without any Intimation of his own In-
the infamous High Commijfion Court. But before clination , whereby the Advice of that holy
we relate what became of Mr. Cotton, we will Man, might have been at all foreftalled. Mr.
enquire what became of his Accufer. The Re- Dod upon the whole, faid thus unto him: lam
nowned Mr. John Rogers of Dedham, having old Peter, and'therefore muft ft and ft ill, and bear
j
been on his Lecture Day, juff before his going the Brunt ; but you being young Peter, may go
to preach, advifed, that Mr. Cot ton was brought whether you will, and ought, being perjeculed in
into this trouble, he took occafion to fpeak of one City, to flee unto another. And when the
it in the
Sermon, with juft Lamentations tor it •,
Bofton Friends, urged, That they would fupport
and among others, he ufed Words to this pur andproteft Mr. Cotton, tho" privately and that -,
pofe
: As for that Man, who hath canfed a faith- if he fhould leave them, very many oj them would
ful Paftor, to be driven from his flock, he Is a be expojed unto extremeTempt aiwn
I
: He readily
anfwered,.
20 The Hiftory of New- England. Book III,
artfwered, That the removing of a Minifter, ivoj Mr. Cotton being now at London, there were
like the draining of a Fifh-pond ; the good Fif) three places which offered tb.emi.lves to fan.
Kill follow 'the Water, but Eels, and other Bog- for his Retreat
; Holland, BarbaJoes, and Nej§-
gage Fiji}, will flick in the Mud. Which things England. As for Holland, the Character and
when Mr. Cot ton heard, he was not a little con- Condition, which famous Mr. Hooker had re-
firmed in his Inclination to leave the Land. Nor ported thereof, took off his Intentions of rfnjo-
did he forget the Conceffion of Cyprian, That a ving thither. And Barbad-cs had nor near JTuch
feaibnable Flight, is in effect, a Confcjfion of our encouraging Ctrcu'rpftaaces, upon the belt Ac-
faith : For it is a Profejjion that our faith is counts, as AV;j En-.'a.':d ^hereour Lord Jefiis
,
dearer unto us, than all the Enjoyments from Chrilt had a more than ordinaiy thing to be
which we./?/. But that which is further me- done for his Glory, in kn American Wilderneis,
morable in this matter, is, That as the Great and fo would lend py'pr a more than ordinary
God often makes his Truth' to fpread by the Man, to be employed in the doing of it. Lhi-
Sufferings of them that profefs the Truth Four -, ther, eyen to that Religious and Reformed Plan-
hundred were converted by the Death of one tation, after the folemned Applications to Hea-
perfecuted Cecilia : And the Scotch Bilhop would ven for Direction, this great Perfon bent his
leave off burning of the Faithful, becaufe the Refoluttons And Letters procured from the
:
Smoke of Hamilton intecfed as many as it blew Church of Boflon, by Mr. Wuvtfrop, the Gover-
upon. Thus the Silencing and Removing of nour of the Colony, had their Influence on the
Mr. Cotton, which was to him, a thing little matter.
ihort of Martyrdom, was an occafion of more t) 19. The God that had carried
him through
thorough Repentance in fundry of his bereived the hire of Perjccution, was now gratiouily
People, who now began to confider, that God with him in his Paffage through the Water of
by taking away their Miniiter, was punifhihg the Atlantic Ocean, and he enjoyed a comfor-
their former Unfruitfulnefs under the molt fruit- table Voyage over the great and wide Sea. There
ful Miniftry, which they had thus long enjoyed. were then three eminent Minifters of God in
And there was yet another fuch effect of the the Ship namely, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Hooker, and
;
Holland; but when he came near the place, in fome fort aniwer their three great Neceflities
,
where he would have fhipped himfelf, he met Cotton for their Cloathing, Hooker for their Fifk-
with a Kinfman, who vehemently and effectu- mg, and Stone for their Building : But by one
ally perfwaded him to divert into London. Here
or other of thefe three Divines in the
Ship, there
the Lord had a Work for him to do, which he was a Sermon preached every Day, all the while
little thought of. Some Reverend and Renown- they were aboard, yea they had three Sermons,or
ed Miniflers of our Lord in that Great City, Expofitions,for the mod part every Day : Of Mr.
who yet had not leen fufficient Reafon toexpo'fe Cotton in the Morning, Mr. Hooker in the After-
themfelves unto Perfecutions for the fake of noon, Mr. Stone after Supper in the Evening.
Non-Conformity, but look'd upon the impofed And after they had been a Month upon the
Ceremonies as indifferent and fufferable Trifles, Seas, Mr. Cotton received a Mercy, which God
and weigh'd not the AfpecL of the Second Com- had now for Twenty Years denied unto him, in.
mandmett, upon all the Parts and Means of In- the Birth of his Eldeft Son, whom he called
ftitutcd Worfhip, took this Opportunity for a Seaborn, in the Remembrance of the never-to-be-
Conference with Mr. Cotton ; being perfwaded, forgotten Blellings, which he thus enjoyed upon
That fince he was no Pajfionate, but a very Ju the Seas. But at the end of Seven IVeeksthey,
dicioi/s Man, they mould prevail with him ra- arrived at New-England, September 3. in the
ther to conform, than to leave his WorkztA his Year 1633. Where he put a-fhore at New-
Land. Unto the Motion of a Conference Mr. Boflon, which in a few Years, by the Smile of
Cotton molt readily yielded And all their God ; efpecially
:
firff, upon the Holy Wifdom, Con-
Arguments for Conformity,together with Mr. duct, and Credit of our Mr. Cotton, upon fome
Byfiehrs, Mr. Whatelfs, and Mr. Sprint's, were Accounts of Growth, came to exceed Old Boflon
produced ; all of which Mr. Cotton anfwered, in every thing that renders a Town confiderable.
unto their wonderful Satisfaction. Tl)en he And it is remarkable, that his Arrival at New-
gave his Arguments for his Non-Conformity, and England, was juft after the People there, had:
the Reafons why he muff rather forgo his Mini- been by folemn Faffing and Prayer
feeking unto,
fry, or at lea ft his Country, than wound his God, that inafmuch as they had been engaging.
Confacr.ce with unlawful Compliances The to walk with him in his Ordinances, according
:
Iffue whereof was, that inftead of bringing Mr. to his Word, he would
mercifully fend over to
Cotton back to what he had now forfaken, he them, fuch as might be Eyes unto them in the
brought them off altogether from what they Wildernefs, and ftrengthen them in difcerning
had hitherto practifed Every one of thofe emi and following of that Word.
:
nertt Perfons, Dr. Goodwin, Mr. Nye, and Mr. § 20. There were divers Churches gathered in
Dn-onport, now became all that he was, and the Country, before the Arrival of Mr. Cotton ;
u lafl left the Kingdom for their being fo, fiat hut upon his Arrival, the Points of Church-
Order
Book IlTT The Hi/lory of New- England. 21
Order, were with
more of Exacfnefs revived, dilTeminate and diiiemble their Errors and be- -,
and received in them, and further obferved in caufe the chief of them in their private Confe
fuch as vvere gathered after them. He found rences with him, would make luch fallacious
the whole Country in a perplexed and a divided Profejfion of GofpclTruths, that his Chriltian
their Civil Conftitution, but at the and abufed Chanty, would not permit him to
Eftate, as to
Publick Defircs, preaching a Sermon on thofe be fo hafty as many others were, in Confining
words, Hag.z.^. Be ftrong, Zerubbabel, faith of them. However, the Report given of Mr.
the Lord; and be ftrong, fojhua, Sonofjofe- Cotton on this occafion, by one Baily, a Scotch-
dech the High-Prieft j and be ftrong all ye People man, in a moll Icandalous Pamphlet, called, A
the Lord, and work : For lam Dijfwafive, written to calf an Odium on the
of the Land, faith
mtb you, faith the Lord of Hofts. The good Churches of New England^ vilifying/;;//?, that
Spirit
of God, by that Sermon, had a mighty was one of their molf eminent Servants, are rfiolt
Influence upon all Ranks of Men, in the Infant horrid Injuries for there being upon the En-
-
:
Plantation ; who from this time carried on their couragement of the Succefs which the old Ki-
Affairs, with a new Life, Satisfaction, and U- cene, Conftantinopolitan, Ephefine, and Choice-
It was then requeued of Mr. Cotton, donian Councils had, in the extinguishing of le-
nanimity.
That he would, from the Laws wherewith God veral fucceffive Herefies, a Council now called at
governed his ancient People, form an Abflratt Cambridge, Mr. Cotton, after fome Debates with
of fuch as were of a Moral and a Lafting Equi-the Reverend Atfembly, upon fome controvert-
ed Points of J'unification, molt vigoroully joined
ty : Which
he performed as acceptably as judi-
cioufly. But inafmuch as very much of an A- with the other Minifters of the Country, in te-
thenian Democracy, was in the Mould of the Go-stifying againft the hateful Dotlrines, whereby
vernment, by the Royal Charter, which was then the Churches had been troubled. Indeed there
acfed upon, Mr. Cotton effecfually recommend- did happen Paroxifms in this Hour of Tempta-
ed it unto them, that none fhould be Eletlors, between Mr. Cotton, and fome other zea-
tion,
nor Elecled therein, except fuch as were vifible worthy Perfons, which tho' they did
lous and
Lord Jefus Chrilf, perfonally not amount unto the /:^/?and heigtith of thofe
Subjefts of our
confederated in our Churches. In thefe, and that happened between Cbryfo/iom and Epipha-
many other ways, he propounded unto them, fiius, or between Hierom and Ruffini/s, yetthev
an Endeavour after a Theocracy, as near as might inclined him to meditate a Removal into another
be, to that which was the Glory of Ifrael, the Colony. But a certain Icandalous Writer, ha-
peculiar People. ving publickly reproached Mr. Cotton, With his
But the Ecclefiaftical Conftitution of the Coun- former Inclination to Remove, there was there-
try, was that on which he employ'd his peculiar by provoked his publick and patient Anfwer -,
Cares ; and he was one of thofe Olive-Trees, which being a fummery Narrative of this whole
which afforded a lingular Meafure of Oyl, for Bufinefs, I fhall here tranferibe it.
'
the Illumination of our SanUuary. There was a Generation of Familifts'- in our
c
1)
2 1. Tl)e Churches now had
Reft, and were own, and other Towns, who under pretence
'
edified : And there were daily added unto the of holding forth what I had taught, touching
'
Churches, thofe that were to be faved. Now, ' Union with Chrift, and evidencing that Union,
the' the poor People were fed with the Bread did fecretly vent fundry and dangerous Er-
4
of Aav--rfity, and the Waters of AJflillion, yet rors and Herefies, denying all inherent Righte-
c
the- .ounted themfelves abundantly compenfa- oufnefs, and all evidencing of a good Eftate
'
Ilj.
by this, that their Eyes might fee fuch Tea-
'
thereby in any fort, and fome of them'alfo
chers, as were now to be feen among them. The denying the Immortality of the Soul, and the
faith and the Order in the Churches, was gene- Refurre&ion of the Body. When they were
''
'
rally glorious, whatever little popular Confufions, ' queftioned by fome Brethren about thofe
might in fome few places eclipfe the Glory. But things, they carried it, as if they had held
c
the warm Sunfhine will produce a Swarm of forth nothing, but what they had received
'
Infers , whilft Matters were going on thus pro- from me Whereof, when I was advifed to
:
c
fperoufly, the Cunning and Malice of Satan, to clear my felf, I publickly preached againft
'
break the Prosperity of the Churches, brought thofe Errors. Then faid the Brethren to the
'
in a Generation of
Hypocrites, who crept in un Erring Party, See your Teacher declares him-
Jc 'f clearly to differ from you. No maiur (fay
'
Artificesof which bufie Opinionifts, there was not enfily believe, that thofe Erring Brethren
'
a dangerous Blow were fo corrupt in their Judgments
given, firft unto the Faith, and '
and' Sifters,
they feeming to me
lb unto the Peace of the Churches. In the Storm as they were reported -,
'
thus raifed, it is incredible what Obloquy came forward Chriifians, and utterly denying anv
c
to be calf
upon Mr. Cotton, as it he had been fuch Tenents, or any thing elfe, but what they
'
the Patron of thefe
Deftroyers merely becaufe
-,
received firm my felf. All which bred in fun-
they willing to have a great Pcrfon in admira dry of the Country, a Jealoufie that I was in
'
tion, becaufe of advantage, falfly ufed the Name) fecret a Foment or of the Spirit of F*v;i'ijy>i, if
'
of this great Perfon, by the Credit thereof to not leavened my felf that way Which I
'
difcein-
22 The Hijlory of New-England. Book III,
1
fitableneis of my Minift ry there, where my ter pity that ever that Reverend Perfon fhould
'
way was fufpefted to be Doubtful and Dan-
make it be Read in Latin-, but this it was -
'
gerous. I chofe therefore rather to meditate Cottonus, honore Ordinis EpifcopaUs, in Aliud
4
a Silent Departure in Peace, than by tarrying Extremum prolapfus, Omnia plebi abjque Vinculo
'
here, to make way for the breaking forth of Ecclefiarum concedebat. Cottonus //?<?, pri-
'
'Temptations. But when, at the Synod, I had mum in Anglia, alterius Longc
Scntcntutfuerat.
'
difcovered the Corruption of the Judgment unde, ty plurimorum Error urn Her eft'unique Re-
? of the Erring Brethren, and faw their Frau- us, Maximm Ordims iftius,vcl potius ATAXIAS.
'
dulent Pretence of holding forth no other, but promotor extitit ; habuitque fecum, quemadmo-
'
what they received from me ( when as indeed dum Montanus dim Maximillam, Suam Hut-
*
they plead for Grofs Errors contrary unto my chinfonam, de quavari iff
prodigiofa mult a rcje-
'
Judgment^ I thereupon did bear Witnefs a- runt. From thefe miferable Hiflorians, who
4
gainlt them ; and when in a private Confe- would Imagine what a Slur has been abroad
4
rence with fome Chief Magift rates and. Elders, call upon the Name of as Holy, as Learned as
4
I perceived, that my Removal upon fuch Dif- Orthodox, and Eminent a Servant of our
Lord,
'
ferences was unwelcome to them, and that in his Reformed Churches, as was known in his
'
fuch Points need not to occafion any Diftance Age Among the reft, it is particularly obfer-
!
4
(neither in Place nor in Heart) amongft Bre- vable how a Laborious and Ingenious Foreigner,
'
thren, I then refted fatisfied in my abode in his Bibliotheca Ang/orum Theologica,
4
having'
amongft them, and fo have continued, by the in his Index mentioned a Book of this our Mr.
4
Grace of Chrift unto this Day. Cotton's, under the Style of Johannh Cottoni,
'Tis true, fuch was Mr. Cotton's Holy Igenu- Via Vita, Liber Utilijfimus, prefently
adds,
ity, that when
he perceived the Advantage, Alius Johannes Cottonm mala ~Not£ Homo :
which Erroneous and Heretical Perfons in his Whereas 'twas only by the Mifreprefentations
Church, had from his abufed Charity, taken of contentious and unadvifed Men, that John
to fpread their Dangeious Opinions, before he Cotton, the Experimental Author of fuch an
was aware of them, he did publickly fometimes ufeful Book, muft be branded with a Note of
with Tears bewail it, That the Enemy had/own Infamy. But if the Reader will deal juftly,
fo many Tares whilji he had been afleep. Ne- he muft join thefe Grofs Calumnies upon Cot-
verthelefs 'tis as true, that nothing ever could ton, with the Fables of Luthers Devil, Zuin-
be Bafer than the Difingenuity of thofe Pam- gliia's Dreams, Calvin's Brands, and Junius's
phletteers, who took Advantage hence, to catch Cloven Foot. If Hoornbeck ever faw Cotton's
thefe Tears in their Venemous Ink-horns, and mild, but full Reply to Baily, which as the
employ them for lb many Blots upon the Me- Good Spirited Beverly fays, would have been
mory of a Righteous Alan, worthy to be had in efteemed a fufficient Refutation of all thefe
Everlafting Remembrance. wretched Slanders, Nifi Fratrum quorundam au-
7
§ 22. When the Virulent and \ \o\mt Edwards res erunt ad veritatem, tanquam Afpidum, ob-
had been after a molt Unchriftian manner, be turata, 'tis
impofftble to excufe his wrongful
fpattering the Excellent Burroughs, That Revi- Dealings with a Venerable Minifter of our Lord!
led Saint, in his Anfwer, had that PafTage -, Pray, Sir, charge not our Cotton with an Horror
The Extreme Eager nefs of fome to afperfe our Ordinis Epifcopalis ; until you have chaftifed
Names i makes us to think, that God hath made your Friend Honorius Reggius, that is Georgius
more life of our Names, than we were aware of, Hornius, for telling us, as Voetius quotes it -,
We fee
by their Anger even almoji to Mad Mult orum Animos Subiit Recordatio illius, quod
nefs, bent that zvay,
that they had little Hope, Venerabilis Beza, non fincProphetia Spirit u, olim
to prevail with all their Argument
againji the iefcripfit Knoxo, Ecclefia Scotica Reform at ori :
Caufe we profefs, till they could get down our Sicut Epifcopi Papatum pepercrunt, ita Oculis
EJieem (fuch as it wcu) m
the Hearts of the pcene ipfis jam cernitui\ Pfuedo Epifcopos, pa-
People But our Names are not in the Pow- pains Reliquiae, Epicureifmum Terris InveSu-
er of their Tongues and Pens ; they are in the ros. Atque hac pramittere Vifum, ut eo mani-
Hands of God, who will preferve them fo far, feftius ejfet Britanniam diutius Epifcopos non
an fie hath
ufe of them; and further, we fhall potuijfe ferre, nifiin Papifmum Atheifmum &
have no ufe of them our felvcs. That Bitter Labi Charge not our Cotton with an
vellet.
Spirit in Baily, muff for fuch Caufes expofe Omnia Plebi abfque Vinculo Aliarum Ecclefiarum
Name of the Incomparable Cot'ton, unto Irre concedebat until, beh'des the whole Scope and
-,
parable Injuries :
For, from the meer Hear- I Scheme of his Ecclefiaftical Writings, which
fays of that Uncharitable Writer, haftily Pub- j
allow no more ftill unto the Fraternity, than
Parker,
Book III. -'the Hifiory of New- England. 23
Tarker Ames, Cartwrigbt ; and advance no they changed it into hierofolyme, and bore the
other than that Ariftocrafie, that Beza, Zancby, Name of Hierofolymitans. But thus muft a
Wbitakcr, Bucer, and Blondel pleaded for ; you
Bad Report, as well as a Good Report, foilow
have better conftrued his Words in his Golden fuch a Man as Mr. Cotton, whofe only Fault
Prelate to Norton's Anfwer unto the Sylloge after all, was thar, with which that memora-
Ncque nos Regimen proprie diffum ble Ancient Nazienzen was taxed fometimes ;
igitaftiortam,
alibi quam penes Presbyteres ftabiliendum namely, the Fault of Manfuetude.
Cupi-
mus : Convenimus ambo in Subjetlo Regiminis § 25. Thele Clouds being thus happily blown
Ecclefiaftici
: Convenimus etiam in Regula Regi- ever, the reft of his Days were fpent in a more
minis, ut Adminftrentur Omnia Juxta Canonem fettled Peace ; and Mr. Cotton's growing and
Sacrarum Script arum : Convenimus etiam in Fi fpreading Fame, like Jofeph's Bough, Ran over
ne Regiminis, ut Omnia Tranfigantur ad Edtfi- the Walt of the Anlantic Ocean, unto fuch a
catiohem Ecclefix, non ad Pompam aut Luxum Degree, that in the Year 1641. Some Great Per-
Secularem : Synodes nos, una Vobifcum, cum opus fons in England, were
intending to have fent
iff Sujcipimus iff veneramur. Qiiantil- over a Ship on purpofe to fetch him over, lor
fuerit,
lum eft', quod Reftat, quod Diftat ! Alius Regi- the fake of the Service, that fuch a Man as
minis, quos vos a Synodis peragi Velletis, eos a lie, might then do to the Church of God, then
iff ab Ecclefiis, ex Sy- in the Nation. But although their
Synodis porrigi Eeclefm, Travelling^
nodal 'i DIORTHOSEI peragi peter emus. Doubt of his Willingnefs to Remove, caufed
Charge not our Cotton with an ATAXIAS
them to forbear that Method of obtaining him,
Promotor Extitit, until you, your felf, ToUor, yet the Principal Members in both Houfes of
have revoked your own two Conceflions, which Parliament wrote unto him, with an Importu-
are all the Ataxics that ever could, with fo nity for his Return into England; which had
much as the leait Pretence, be imputed unto prevailed with him, if the Difinal Showres of
this Renowned Perfbn ; Ecclefia particulars Blood, quickly after breaking upon the Nation,
Adequation iff proprium had not made fuch AffiLSlive Imprefiions upon
quxlibet SubjeUum eft
blance to Montani Maximilla, the truer Com- Upon Lord's-Days and Leffure-Days, he Preach-
parifon would have been, Mulier ifta, qua per ed thorow the Ails of the Apoftles ; the Pro
Calumniam notijjimam Objiciebatur Atbanafw ; phefies of Haggai and Zecbanab the Books of
-,
All the Favour which that Prophetefs of Thya- Ezra, the Revelation, Ecclefiaft.es , Canticles,
tira had from this Angelical Man, was the Second and Third Epifiles of John, the Epiftle
fame, that the provoked Paul fhow'd unto the to Titus, both Epiftles to Timothy ; the Epiftle
Pytbomfs. In fine, The Hiftories which the to the Romans ; with innumerable other Scrip-
World has had of the Nczv Englift Churches, rures on Incidental Occafions. Though he had
under the Influence of Mr. Cotton, I have fome- alfo the molt Remarkable Faculty, perhaps of
times thought much of a piece, with what we any Man living, to Meet every Remarkable Oc-
have in the Old Hiftories of Lyfimacbus-, That casion, with pertinent RefieStons, whatever
when a Leprous, a Scabby fort of a People were Text he were upon, without ever wandring
driven out of Egypt into the Wilderneis, there out of fight from his Text: And it is poftible
was a certain Man cali'd Mofcs, who counfelled there might fometimes be a particular Opera-
them to march on in a Body, till they came to tion of Providence, to make the Works and
fome Good Soyl. This Mofcs commanded them Words of God meet in the Miniftry of his Holy
to be kind unto no Man To give Bad Advice
-,
Servant. But thus did he Abound in the Works
rather than Good, upon all Occafions and to of the Lord'.
•,
deftroy as many Temples as they could find § 24. At length, upon Defire, going to preach
•,
So, after much Travel and Trouble, they came a Sermon at Cambridge, (which he did, on Jfa.
the tailing of his Voice in Sermon-time- which while he had Strength to utter the profitable
ever until now, had been a clear, neat, audible Conceptions of his Mind, caufed them to rec-
kon thefe their Vifits the Gainfulefl that ever
Voice, and eafily heard in the moll Capacious
Auditory. Being found Jo doing, as it had of- they had made. Among others, the then Pre-
ten been his declared Wifh, That be wight not fident of the Colledge, with many Tears, de-
out live bis Work Princi- fired of Mr. Cotton before his Departure, to be-
(faying upon higher
!
took in Courfe for his Text, the Four laft Ver- through Grace, been more than Forty Tears a Ser-
fes of the Second Epiftle to Timothy, giving vant unto the Lord Jefus Chriji, and have ever
this Reafon for his infilling on fo many Verfes found him a good Mafter. When his Collegue
at once, Becaufe elfe (he laid ) I /ball net Live Mr. Wilfon, took his Leave of him with a Witt),
to make an End of this Epiftle ; but he chiefly that God would lift up the Light of his Coun-
infilled on thofe Words, Grace be with you all. tenance upon him, he inllantly replied, God
Upon the Lord's Day following, he preached hath done it already, Brother He then called
<
his laft Sermon on Joh. 1. 14. About that Glo- for his Children, with whom he left the Gra-
fumed with many fuch Days before, he now more Freedom of his Applications unto the
a Day in Secret Humiliations and Suppli- Lord. So lying Spcechle/s a few Hours, he
fpent
before the Lord ; feeking the Special breathed his Bletted Soul into the Hands of his
cations,
Afliftances of the Holy Spirit, for the Great Heavenly Lord ; on the Twenty third of De-
Work of Dying, that was now before him. cember 1652. entring on the Sixty Eighth Year
What Glorious TranfaUions might one have of his own Age And on the Day, yea at the
:
heard patting between the Lord Jefus Chrift, Hour, of his conftant Weekly Labours in the
and an Excellent Servant of his, now coming Lefture, wherein he had been fo long fervice-
unto him, if he could have had an Hearing able, even to all the Churches of A 'ew-England.
Place behind the Hangings of the Chamber, in Upon Tucfday the Twenty Eighth of December,
fuch a Day But having finittied the Duties of be was mod Honourably Interred, with a moft
!
the Day, he took his Leave of his Beloted Stu- numerous Concourfe of People, and the molt
7 fhall go into that Grievous and Solemn Funeral that was ever
dy, faying to his Confort,
Room no morel And he had all along Pre/ages in known perhaps upon the American Strand and -,
his Heart, that God would by his PrefentSick- the Leftures in his Church, the whole Winter
nefs, give him an Entrance into the Everlajimg following, performed by the Neighbouring
Kingdom of the Lord Jefus Cbrift. Wherefore, Minifters, were but fo many Funeral Sermons
Setting his Houfe in Order, he was now fo far upon the Death and Worth of this Extraordi-
from unwilling to Receive the Mercy Stroke of nary Per/on: Among which, the Firft, I think,
Death, as that he was defirous to be with him, was preached by Mr. Richard Mather, who
With whom to be, is by far the beft of all. And gave unto the bereaved,Church of Boft on this
athough the chief Ground of his Readinefs to gteat Character of their Incomparable Cotton,
be gone, was from the unutterably Sweet and Let us pray, that God would rd'ife tip fome Elea-
Rich Entertainments, which he did by Fore- zar tofucceed this Aaron But you can hardly :
§ 26,
Book III ^he of
Hi/lory New-England. 25
memorable Saying of A/gaze/, In quo nothing Indeed his Library
It is a Extemporaneous.
Lumen Religion's & Devotion is, Fumus genera- was vaft, and vaft was his Acquaintance with
tus ex Luniinc Scicntix
non extinguit, ille per- it but although amongft his
-,
Readings, he had
Mm eft:
Scd qui s eft hie , ut adcremus eum? given a Special Room unto the
1
Exemplified
for his Logic, he was compleatly furnimed And he would fometimes give the fame Realbn
therewith to encounter the fubtilelt Adverfary for it,- which the Great Auftin gave, If I Preach
ot the Truth. But although he had been Edu- more Scholaftically, then only the Learned, end.
ca.ei in the Peripatetick way, yet like the not the Unlearned, can fo under ft and as to pro-
other Puritans of thofe times, he rather a ffe£F jit by me
,
but if I Preach plainly, then both
-,
ed the Ramtan Difcipline^ and chofe to follow Learned and Unlearned"will undcrftaiid me, and
the Methods of 'hat Excellent Ramus, who like fo I fthill profit all. When a Golden Key of
Juilm of old, was not only a Philojopher, hilt Oratory would not fo well open a Myftery of
a Cbriftian, and a Martyralfo:, rather than the Chfiftianity, he made no ftick ro take an Iron
more Empty, Trifling, Altercative Notions, tb One, that mould be lefs Rhetorical. You fhould
which the Works of the Pagan Ariftoile deri- bear few Terms of Art, few Latinities, no Exo-
ved unto us, through the Mangling Hands of tic or Obfelete Phrafes, obfeuring of the Truths,
the Apoftate Porpbyrie, have diipofed his Dif which he was to bring tinto the People of God.
ciples. Laftly, for his Theologie, There 'twas Nevertheless his more Judicious and Obferving
r
that he had h\s Gren A\ Extract- Jinarinefs, and Hearers, could by his rribft Untrinid Sermons
molt of all, his Textual Divinity. His Abilities perceive that he was a man of more than Ordi-
to Epound the Scriptures, cauf'ed him to be Ad nary Abilities. Hence when a Dutchman of
mired by the Ablelt of his Hearers. Although Great Learning, heard Mr. Cotton Preach at Bo-
his Incomparable Modefty would not permit (ton, in England, he profeffed, That be never
him to fpeak any more than the Lcaft of Him- in bis Life Jaw fuch a Conjunction of Learning
/elf, yet unto a private Friend he hath laid, and Plamnefs, as there was in
the Preaching of
Tb.:: be knew not of any Difficult Place in all this worthy Alan. The Glory of God, and not
the whole Bible, which be had not weighed, fomc his own Glory, was that at which he aimed in
what unto- Satisf:':lion. And hence, though he his Labours for which caufe, at the end of
-,
ordinarily bellowed much pains upon his Pub'- his Notes, he ftill inferted that Claufe, Tibi
lick Sermons, yet he hath ibmetimes Preached Domine : Or, For thy
Glory, God'. For his
moil Admirably, without any Warning at all-, Delivery, though it were not like Farels, Noify
and a New Note upon a Te::t before him, 00 and Thundring, yet it had in it a very awful
curring to his mind, but juft as he was going Majefty, fet off with a Natural and Becoming
into the AiTemhly, has taken up his Difcourfe Motion of his Right Hand; and the Lord v; -
for that Hour, fo Pertinently and Judicioufly, in the Still Voice at fuch a Rate, that Mr. If//
that the moft Critical of his Auditors, imagined Jon would fay, Mr. Cotton Preaches with fuch
D d d ?. Aitihoriti
26 The Hijlory of New- England. Bouk III,
not much abroad , but he judged ordinarily that been broken, as is ufual,
upon fuch a foft Bag
more Benefit was obtain'd, according to the Ad- of Cotton ! But alas !he found it otherwife, e-
vice of the Wife King, by converting with the ven among fome who pretended unto high At-
Dead [ in Books ], than with the Living [in tainments in Chriftianity. Once particularly,
Talks ;-] And that needlefs Vifits do commonly an humorous and imperious Brother, following
unframe our Spirits, and perhaps difturb our Mr. Cot/on home to hisHoufe, after his Publick
Comforts. He was an early Rifer, taking the Labours, inftead of the grateful RefpecFs with
Morning for the Mufes ; and in his latter Days which thote Holy Labours were to have been
forbearing a Supper, he turn'd his former Sup encouraged, rudely told him, That his Miniftry
ping time, into a Reading, a Thinking,a Praying- was become generally, either dark, or flat:
time. Twelve Hours in a Day he commonly Whereto this meek Man, very mildly and
ltudied, and would call that a Scholar's Day gravely,
-,
made only this Anfwer Both, Brother, :
refolving rather to wear out with Ufing, than it may be, both : Let me have your Prayers that
with Rutting. In truth, had he not been of an it may be otherwife. But it is remarkable, that
healthy and hearty Conftitution, and had he the [Mxn lick thus of wanton Singularities,
not made a careful, tho' not curious Diet lerve afterwards died of thofe damnable Herefies, for
him, inftead of an Hippocrates, his continued which he was defervedly Excommunicated. A-
Labour muft have made his Life, as well as his nother time, when Mr. Cotton had modeftly re-
Labour, to have been but of a fhort continuance. plied unto one that would much Talk and Crack
And, indeed, the Work which lay upon him, of his Infight into the Revelations : Brother, I
could not have been performed, without a La muft confefs my Jelf to want Light in thofe My-
hour more than ordinary. For befides his con- fteries. The Man went home, and fent him a
ftant Preaching, more than once every Week, Pound of Candles :
Upon which A£t ion this
many Cafes were brought unto him far and good Man beftowed only a filent Smile. He
near, in refolving whereof, as he took much would not fet the Beacon of his Great Soul on
time, fo he did much good, being a moft excel- fire, at the landing of fuch a little Cock-boat.
lent Cafuift. He was likewife very deeply con- He learned the LelTon of Gregory, It is better,
cerned in peaceable and effectual Difquilitions many times, to fly from an Injury by Silence, than
of the Controverfies about Church-Government, to overcome it by Replying : And be ufed that
then agitated in the Chutch of God. And tho' Practice of Grymei/s, To Revenge Wrongs by
he chiefly gavehimielf to Reading,and Dottrine, Chriftian Taciturnity.
and Exhortation, depending much on the Ruling I think, I
may not omit, on this occafion, to
Elders to inform him, concerning the State of tranferibe a remarkable paiTage, which that
his particular Flock, that he might the better good Man, Mr. Flavel, reports, in a Sermon on
order himfelf in the Word and Prayer, yet he Gifpel-Vnity. His Words are thefe :
'
thou art an old fool. Mr. Cotton replied, Children and Servants, and prayed with them,
hej
I confejs I amfo : The Lord make both me
' and and fang a Pfalm ; from thence he retired unto
*
thee wifer than we arc, even wife unto Salva- Study and fecret Prayer, till the time of his go-
'
thn. He relates this palTage to his wicked ing unto his Repofe. The next Morning, after
f which calt a great Damp upon his ufual Family Worfhip, he betook himfelf to
Companions,
'
their in the midft of a Frolick. the Devotions of his Retirements, and fo unto
Sports,
And it may pafs for a Branch of the fame the Publick. From thence towards Noon, he
hated all
Temper in him, that he extremely repaired again to the like Devotions, not per-
Allot rio-Epifcopacy : And tho' he knew as pra- mitting the Interruption of other Dinner,
any
ctically as moll Men in the World, That we than that of a fmall Repair carried up unto him
have a Call to do good, as often as we have Tower Then to the Publick, once more From whence :
and Occafwn 5 yet he was How of apprehending returning, his firft Work was Clofet Prayer, then
any Occaiion at all, tho' he might have had ne- Prayer with Repetitions of the Sermons in the
ver fo much Power to meddle for Good, any Family. After Supper he ftill fang a Pfalm ;
particularly obfervable
in his Government of his deliver. My Reafon is, much Reading and
'
Family, where he would never correct any thing Invention, and Repetition of things, to com-
c
in a Palfion ; but firft, with much deliberation mit them to Memory, is a wearinefs to the
fhew what Rule in the Holy Word of God, had Flefh and Spirit too ; whereas the Sabbath day
;
pter, with a little Applicatory Expofition, be- Bufinefs, not to be avoided, I doubt not, but
the Lord, who allowed the Priefts to employ
c
fore and after which he made a Prayer ^ but he
c
was very fhort in accounting as Mr. Dod,
all, their Labour, in killing the Sacrifices on the
'
Mr. Bains, and other great Saints did before Sabbath-day, will allow us alfo to labour in
'
him, That it was a thing inconvenient many ways our Callings on the Sabbath, to prepare our
'
to be tedious in Family Duties. He alforead con- Sacrifice for the People.
stantly a Portion of the Scripture alone, and he Thefe were his ordinary Sabbaths : But he alfo
was the Advice of the Ancient, Si vis effe Sem- yea, he would likewife by himfelf, keep whole
per cum Deo, Semper Ora, Semper Lege : And Days of Thanksgiving unto the Lord: Befides the
agreeably hereunto, Mr. Cotton might fay with many Days of this kind, which he celebrated in
David, Lord, I am (till with thee. But he that Publick Aifemblieswifh the People of God.Th//s
was with God all the Week,was more intimate- did this Alan of God continually.
ly with him on his own Day, the chief Day of § 31. Without Liberality and Hofpiuility, he
the Week, which he obferved moft Coni'cienti- had been really as undeferving of the Character
oufly. The Sabbath he began the Evening be- of a Minifler of the Go/pel, as the Sacrilegious
fore For which keeping of the Sabbath from Niggardlinefs of the People, does often endea-
:
Evening to Evening, he w rote Arguments before vour to make Minifters uncapable rA anfwerin^
r
his coming to New- England And I fuppofe. that Character. But Mr. Wetion was moft bk s
eroplary
w
28 The Hiftory of New-England. Book III.
emplary for wherein there are of nance. He was rather low than tall, and rather
this Venue :,
his Children, that have alio learned of him. fat than lean, but of a becoming Mediocrity.
The Stranger and the Needy were fiill enter- In his younger Years his Hair was brown, but
tained at his Table, Epi/copal'iter iy Benigne, as in his latter Years as whire as the Driven Snow,
was the Phrafe inftrudively ufed, for a charita In his Countenance there was an inexpreffible
ble Entertainment ol" old. It might be faid of fort of Majelty., which commanded Reverence
him, as once it was of the Generous Corinthian, from all that approached him This Cotton was :
Semper aliquis in Cottoni Domo : He was ever indeed the Cato of his Age, for his Gravity; but
fhewing of Kindnefs to Some-body or other. had a Glory with it which Cato had not. I can-
What Pofidonius relates of Aufiin, and what not indeed, fay, what they Report of Hilary,
Peter Martyr affirms of Bucer, was very true that Serpents were not able to look upon him •
ol our Cotton : His Houfe wo* like an lnn,for the neverthelefs, it was commonly obferved, that
which he gave upon the the worfer lbrt of Serpents, would from the Awe
conftant Entertainment
Account of the Go/pel And he would fay, If of his Prefence keep in their Poifons. As the
a Man want an Heart for this Charity, it is not Keeper of the Inn, where he did ufe to lodge,
fit fitch a
Man fhould be ordained a Minifier : when he came to Derby, would profanely lay
Confenting therein to the great Canonift, Ho- to his Companions, That he wilhed Mr. Cotton
fpitalitai ufquc
adeo Epifcopis eft neceffana, utfi were gone out of his Houfe ; for he was not able
ab ea inveniantur alicni, Jure prohibentur Ordi- to Swear, while that Man war under his Roof.
nari. While he lived quietly in England, he So other wicked Perfons could not fhew their
was noted for his bountiful Difpofition, efpeci- Wickednefs, whilff this holy and righteous Man
ally to Mitrifters driven
into England by the was
But the exacfer Picfure
in the Company.
Storms of Periecution, then raging in Germany : of him,
from his Printed Works,
is to be taken
For which caufe Libingus, Saumer, Tolnci\ and whereof there are many, that praife him in the
others of the German Sufferers, in their Accounts [Gates, tho' few of them were Printed with his
of him, would (tile him, Tauter Doflijfimus, Cla- own Knowledge or Confent.
riifwu/s, Yidclijjimi/s, plurimumquc Honor anius. We will mention a Catalogue of his Works,
It was remarkable, that he never omitted invi- becaufe (as it was faid of'Calvin's),
brings to mind a moft memorable Story. A lit- with the Church of God 5 tho' being preached
tle Church, whereof the worthy Mr. White was in his Youth, and not publifhed by himfelf,
Pallor, being by the ftrange and ftrong Malice there are fome things therein, which he would
of their prevailing Adverfaries, forced of Bar- not have inferted.
mudji in much Mifery, into a Defart of Ame- There are alfo of his abroad, Sermons on the
rica, the Report of their Diftreffes came to their Thirteenth of the Revelations, and on the Vials,
Fellow Sufferers,tho' not alike Sufferers, at New1 and on Rev. 20. 5, 6. and 2 Sam. 7. laft in
diflrejfed
Saints ; and a Collecfion of about 700 /. Way of Life. The Reverend
Prefacer whereto
was immediately obtained, whereof Two hun- faith, Ever fmce I had any knowledge of this ju-
dred was gathered in that one Church ofBofton, dicious Author, I have look'd
upon him at one
where there was no Man who did exceed, and intruded with an great^a part of the Churches
but one Man who did equal, this Devifer of Treafure, as any other whatjoever.
Liberal Things, in that Contribution. But be- Several Volumes of his Expofitions upon Ec-
hold the wonderful Providence of God This !
clefiafies and Canticles, are alfo publilhed in
Contribution arrived unto the poor People on the Otlavo.
Perfonal Divifion of the little Meal then left in Which being only a Poffhumom Piece, and only
the Barrel upon the fpending whereof, they
-,
Notes written after him, is accordingly to be
eould forelee nothing but a lingring Death , judged of.
and on that very Day, when their Paftor had And there have feen the Light, An Anfvver
preach'd unto them , upon that mod: luirable-
to Mr. about Forms of Prayer. A Dif-
Ball,
Text, PJiil. 23. 1. The Lord is
my Shepherd, I courfe about the Grounds and Ends of Infant-
findI not want.
,
Baptifm. A Difourfe about Singing of Pfalms,
^> 32. The Reader that is
inquifitive after the proving it a Gofpel-Ordinance. An Ahfiratlof
Profopography of this Great Man, may be in-
Laws in Chrift s Kingdom, for Civil Govern,
formed, that he was of a Clear, Fair, Sanguine menr. A Trea tife about the "Bolinefs of CfiurSl
Complexion, and like David oi & ruddy Count c- Members , proving tint vifi&Ie Saints are the
matter
Book Hi. The Hijhry of
New-England 29
matter of a Church. Another Difcourfe upon for the Object, of their Difpleafure, altho' he
Things indifferent, proving that no Church Go- had, moft of all Men, declined Interesting him-
vernors have Power to impofe indifferent felf in the A&ions of the Magistrate, and had
Things, upon the Confciences of Men. Add alfo done more than all Men, to obtain
Healing
hereto, The Way of the Churches in New,- and Favour for thole ungrateful
Delinquents.
England : And that Golden Difcourfe of The However, the venemous Tongues all this while,
Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven In a written only lick'd a Pile , which made themftlves to
:
taining, that in the Government of the Church, profitable Experience, have added another Book
Authority is peculiar to the Elder's only ; and unto this Catalogue, it might have been on the
anfwering all the Browniflical Arguments to the Subject handled by Plutarch, De Capienda ex
contrary. But whereas there may occur a paf- Hoftibus Utilitate. This is the Elenchi/s of Mr.
fage in his Book of The Way of the Churches, Cotton's publifhed Writings whereupon we
which may have in it a little more of the Mo- might make this Conclufion.
relffanlzvfci Reader, 'twas none of Mx.Cot ton's ;
Mr. Cotton was troubled when he law fuch a Digna Legi Scribk, Pack C Dignijfima Scribi •
ment, and Dexterity of Argument, all Orthodox tain'd our felves with a Memorable Demonstra-
Divines do highly honour, and whom all Armini- tion of it, in one furprifing and fiupendious Ar-
ans (///t/Jefuites do fall down before, with Silence. ticle of our Church Hijhry, we will put a Period
God forbid I fhould fhut my Eyes againfl any unto this part oik.
Light brought to me by him. Only I defire I may At the time when fome unhappy Perfons were
not be condemned as a Pelagian, or Arminian, juft going from hence to England, with certain
before I be heard. Petitions, which had a tendency to dilfurb the
Moreover, Mr. Cawdry fell hard upon him ; good Order of Things in both Church and State,
to whom he prepared an Anfwer, which was then fettling among us, Mr. Cotton in the ordi-
afterwards Publifhed ana* Seconded by Dx.Owen. nary Courle of his Lectures on the Canticles,
But befides thefe, he was twice compelled unto preached on Cant. 2.15. Take us the Foxes, the
fome other Eriftical Writings Once in Anfwer :
Foxes, which deftroy the Vines.
little
Having
to Baily , another time in Anfwer to Williams : thence oblerved, That when God has delivered
In both of which, like Job, he turned the Books his Church from the Dangers of the perfecuting
which hk Adverfaries had written againfl him, Bear and Lyon, then there were Foxes that would
into a Crown. I believe, never any meer Man, feex by Policy to undermine it : And, That all
under fuch open and horrid Injuries, as thefe thofe who go by a Fox like Policy to undermine the
two Reporters heaped upon Mr. Cotton, did An- Churches of the Lord Jefus Chrifl, fliallbe taken
fwer with more Chriflian Patience: HisAnfwers and overtaken by his Judgments. He came at
are indeed a Pattern for all Anfwerers to the length to his Application, where with a more
World's end. But was
particularly remarka-
it than ordinary Majefty and Fervency, he after
ble, that in this matter, certain Perfons, who this manner expreiTed himfelf
'
had fallen under the Cenfures of the Civil Au- Firlf, Let fuch as live in this Country take
'
thority in the Country, fingled out Mr, Cotton heed, how they go about in any indirect Way
'
or
3o The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
or Courfe to prejudice the Churches of the Thefe Things were then uttered by a Perfon
Lord Jefus Ghrift in the Land, or the Govern- that was as little of an Enthufiafi, as moft Men
ment of the Land. If you Do, The Keeper in the World. Now attend the Event !
federates abroad, and from the Plots of the and fome of thole Papers were by them there-
Ueathen here at home ; there is no Queftion upon given to the Seamen, who immediately
But He will defend us from the Undermi- cut them in pieces and threw them over board.
as are join- The Storm forthwith abated ; however there
nings of Falfe Brethren, and iuch
ed with them. Wherefore let fuch know, afterwards came up New Storms, which at laft
That this is, in many refpeefs, ImmanuePs hurried the Ship among the Rocks of
Stilly-
Land, and they (hall not profper that rife up where they yet received a Deliverance, which
againft it, but (hall be Taken every
One of moft of them that confidefdir, pronounced Mi-
them in the Snares they lay for ir. This I raculous. When the Rude Cornifh Men law
(peak as a Poor Prophet of the Lord, accor- how Miraculoufly the Veflcl had efcaped, they
ding to the Word of His Grace now before
us! faid, Cud itai aGood Man tofavc them
fol But
Rut in the Second Place, whereas many of the- moft Inftructed Obliged PafTcngers kept a
our Brethren are going to England, Let me Day of Solemn Thankfgiving to God ; in which
direct a Word unto Them alio. I defire the even the Profaneft Perfons on
Board, under the
Gracious Prefence of our God may go with Impreflion of what had happened, then bore a
you, and his Angels guard you, not onlyfrpm part. However, the Corn-fields in New-Eng-
the Dangers of the Seas, while you are there. land, (fill (food Undifturbed,
notwithftanding
upon, but alfo from the Errors of the Times, the Various Names affixed unto the Tailes of
when you arrive. Nevertheless, if there be Petitions againft their Liberties. For, as Mr.
any among you, my Brethren, as 'tis Reported Cotton elegantly exprefled it, God then Rocque'd
there are, that have a Petition to prefer unto Three Nations, with fluking Difpenfations, that
the High Court of Parliament, that may con- he might procure fome Reft unto his People in
duce to the Diffraction and Annoyance of the this Wildernefs !
Peace of our Churches, and the vveakning the § 34. This was Mr. Cotton What more he !
Government of the Land where we Live, Let was, let thefe Lines, taking no Licenfe but
Such know, the Lord will never fuffer them from the Real Truth J Delineate.
to profper in their Subtil,
Malicious, Defpe-
rate Undertakings againft his People, who Upon the Tomb of the moft Reverend Air. John
are as tender unto him as the Apple of his Cotton, late Teacher of the Church of Bofton
Eye. But if there be any fuch among You, in New-England.
who are to Go, I do exhort you, and I would
advife you in the Fear of God, that when the lies Magnanimsus Humility •
Terrors of the Almighty (hall befet the Veffel HERE Majefty, Meeknefs; Chriftian Apathy
wherein you are, when the Heavens (hall On foft Affellwns; Liberty in Thrall;
frown upon you, and the Billows of the Sea A Noble Spirit, Servant unto All ;
(hall fwell above you, and the Dangers of Learnings Great Maftcrpiecc, who yet would fit
Deal]) (hall threaten you, as I am verily per- As a Difciple, at his Scholars Feet ;
Counf'el that was taken concerning Joneis, to Neatnefs Embroider'd with It fe/f alone,
caft fuch*a Perfbn into the Sea ; God forbid ! And Civils Canonised in a Gown;
But I counfel fuch to come then unto a Refo- Embracing Old and Young, and Low and High,
lution in themfelves to Be/if} from their En. Ethics Imbodyed in Divinity-,
terpriles, and Caft their Petitions into the Sea. Ambitious to be Loweft, and to Raife
It may be, that Hardnefs of Heart and Stout- His Brethrer.s Honour on his own Decays ;
nefs of Spirit may eaufe you to perflit, and (Thus doth the Sun retire into his Bed,
yet in Mercy to fome Gracious Perfons among That being gone the Stars may (hew their head)
you, the Lord may deliver the Ship from Ut- Could Wound at Argument without Divi/ion,
ter Deft riSion for tlieir lake;. But the Lord Cut to the Quick, and yet make no Incfion :
hath further Judgments in Store He is the Ready to Sacrifice Domqf/n k Notions
:
God of the Land, as well as of the Sea. I To Churches Peace, and Miniftets Devotions.:
fpeak this alto, u an tin, .
When, in a New Edition, he comes forth, which was raging among rhe Inhabitants of
Without Errata s, may we think he'l be Bofton, in the Winter of the Yean 640. The
In Leaves and Covers of Eternity ! Death of thole two Lovely Children, required
A Man of Might, at Heavenly Eloquence, the Faith of an Abraham, in the Heart ot their
To Fix the Ear, and Charm the Confcience ; Gracious Father -,
who
indeed moft exemplarilv
As if Apollos were Reviv'd in Him, Exprejfed
what was required. On this Occafion,
Or lie had Learned of a Seraphim : I fir..!, that on a fpare Leaf of his Almanack,
Spake Man/Tongues in One One Voice and Senfe
: he wrote in Greek Letters theft Englijh Verfes;
Wrought, Joy and Sorrow, Fear and Confidence :
RocksRmt before him,B//WReceiv'd their Sight; In Saram.
Souls Levelled to the Dunghill, flood Upright:
Infernal Furies, Burlt with Rage to fee Farewel,dear Daughter Saf'q, Now Thoifrt gone,
Their Prifoners Captivd into Liberty : (Whither thou much defiredil) to thine Home:
A 5"/^/- that, in our Eaftern
England, Roft, Pray, my Dear Father, Let me iiova go Home !
Thence hurry 'd by the Blaft of Stupid Foes, Were the laft Words thou ipak'lt. to me alone.
Whofe Foggy Dark'irfs, and Benummed Senfes, Go then, fweet Sara, take thy Sabbeth Reft,
Brookt not his Daz ling Fervent Influences With thy Great Lord, and all in Heaven Bieif-
:
§. 3 5. Three Sons, and Three Daughters, was We do not only Suffer them,
this Renowned Walker with God BlelTed withal. But Offer them to Thee,
His Eldeft Son did fpend and end his Days in Now, BleiTed Lord, Let us Believe,
the Miniftry of the Gofpel, at Hampton : Being Accepted, that they be :
leftumed a thorough Scholar, and an able Prea- That Thou haft Took them, in Thine j»rms,
cher and though his Name were Seaborn, yet
, And on them Put thine Hafid,
none of the lately Revived Herefies were more And Bleffed them with Sight of Thee,
Abominable to him, than .that of his Name- Wherein our Blejftngs Stand.
fake, Pelagius [or, Morgan] of whom the Wit-
nefs of the Ancient Poet is true, But he has at this Day Five Grandfons, all
of them Employed in the Publick Service of the
Peftifero Vomuit coluber Sermone Britannus. Gofpel ; whereof, Let the Reader count him
the Meaneft, that is the Writer of this Hiftory •
H\s Second Sen was a Minifter of the Gofpel, and accept further one Little Piece of
Hiftory,
at Plymouth , and one
by whom, not only the relating hereunto.
Englijh, but alfo the Indians of America, had The Gathering of the Second Church in Bo-
the Glad Tidings
of Salvation, in their own fton, was evidently very much to the Difadvan-
Language carried unto them. tage of Mr. Cotton, in many of his Interefls,
Ee But
-
32 The Hiftory of New-England. Book 111.
But he was who reckoned his Joy ful- than Twice Seven Years, the Minifters of the
a John,
filled in This,That in his own Decreafe the In- Gofpel, in That very Church, accommodated
Lord Jefus Chrift would Increafe-, with happy Opportunities, To
ters lb of the
ferve their Ge-
and therefore, with an Exemplary Self-Denial, neration.
diverting himfelf of all carnal Refpe&s, he fet
himfelf to encourage the Foundation of that
Church, out of RefpecF unto the Service and
Worfhip of our Common Lord. Now, it has
pleafed the Lord lb to order it,
That many Efitapbium.
Years after his Deceafe, that Self Denial of his
Holy Servant, has turned unto lbme Account, Johannes Cottonus,
in the Opportunities which That very Church
has given unto His Children, to Glorify the
Cttjus Ultima. Laits
Lord Jefus Chrift, in the Conduct of it : eft,
His Son-in-Law has been been for more than QttodfucrH inter Nov- Anglos Primus.
Thrice Ten Years, and his Grandfon for more
CHAP. II.
nourable Anceftors. In his early Childhood he came at once Vfher to the School, and Curate
difcovered a Ripenefs of Wit, which gave juft in the Church at Stafford: Where a Leilure
Hopes of his proving Extraordinary: And under being maintained by a Combination of feveral
Mr. Strange in the School of Bunmngford, he Godly and Able Miniifers, he on that Occafion
made fuch a Proficiency, that he could betimes fell into Acquaintance with feveral of them;
write Good Latin, with a more than common efpecially Mr. Jeremiah Dyke, of Epping, by
Elegancy and Invention. At Fourteen Years of
whofe Miniffry the Holy Spirit of God,
gave
Age, being fent unto Peter Houfe, he ftaid him a Difcovery of his own manifold Sinful-
nefs and Wretchedneis in an
there, till alter his taking of his Firji Degree; Unregenerate Suite,
where a Rontijh EmifTary, taking a curious and and awakened him unto fuch a Self-Examination,
exact Qbfcrvation of his Notable Accomplifh- as drove him to a Sorrow little fhort ofDefpair ;
ments, ufed all the Methods he could think of, but after fome time, the fame Holy Spirit,
to have feduced him over unto the Romifh Irre- enabled him to receive the Chrift and Grace,
ligion But God intending him to be a Pillar tendered in the Promifes of the Gofpel, with an
:
In his own
Temple, mercifully prevented his Unfpeakablc Conflation. Whereupon he thought
himfelf concerned in that Advice of Heaven,
hearkening unto any Temptations to become a
unto the Tower of Babel. IVlien thou art
Support Converted, Strengthen thy Bre-
In his Touth he was accuftomed unto thren !
§ 3.
fome Touthful Vanities; efpecially unto Card- § 5. Having before this been well ftudied
in the Tongues and Arts, he was the better fit-
Playing ; an Evil which he did rlrlt Ponder and
ted for the higher Studies of
Reform upon a Serious Admonition, which a Divinity; whereto
Servant of his Father's gave unto him. When he now wholly addicted himfelf: And being in
his
Book III. The Hiflory of New-England. 33
his own happy Experience acquainted with Faith, being Santlified, he became a Man of an Excel-
and Repentance, and He/inefs, he did from that lent Spirit.
Experience now
make Lively Sermons on thole was the Treafure of Learning in
§ 8. Valt
points unto his Hearers. He foon grew Emi- this Reverend Man.He was not only a molt
nent in his Miniftry ; fetting off the Truths he Accurate Grammarian, which is abundantly
deliver'd, not only with fuch Ornaments of La- manifefted by his Printed Works in Divers
conic and well contriv'd ExprefTion,as made him Languages ; but an Univerfal Scholar: Never-
worthy to be called, The Majier of Sentences, thelefs, 'twas as a School-man that he fhow'd
but alio with fuch Experimental Pajfages of De- himfelf the molt of a Scholar. He accounted
votion, as made him admired for A Preacher that the Excellency of a Scholar, lay more in
out Acceptable Words. Difti nilnefs of Judgment, than in Elegancy of
feeking
§ 6. His Accomplifhments render'd him Language-, and therefore, though he had a nea-
as
capable of Preferments, as mod in his Age Style than molt other Men, yet he was De-
•,
ter
but Preferments were then fo clogg'd with firous to furnifh himfelf ad pagnam, rather
Tioublefome and Scruplefome Impofitions, that than ad Pompam. Hence having intimately ac-
Mr. Norton, as well as other Gonfcientious quainted himfelf with the Subtilties of Schola-
Young Minilters, his Contemporaries, declined ftic Divinity,
he made all to illuftrate the Do-
llrine of Chrifi and
medling with them. His Avcrfion, and indeed of Grace, unto which he
Annpatby to Arminianifm Rafter he was, as made all the Spoils of the Schools glcrioufiy
Bradwardin fpeaks, Gratis Radio ViCttatus,) and fubfervient. He was
a molt Eiegjnt Preacher,
his Dillike of the Ceremonies, particularly hin- and the True Follower of Dr. Sibs !
dered him from a Confiderable Benefice, where § p. But let his Excellencies have been what
to his Unkle might have helped him. Dr. Sibs they will, there was in thole Days a Set of Men,
alfo, the Matter of 'Katharine Hall in Cambridge, rtfolved that the Church ofGodlhould lofe
taken with his Abilities, did earneflly follicits the Benefit of all thofe Excellencies, except the
him, to have accepted of a Fellowfljip in that Perfon which had rhem, could comply with
College^ but his Confcience being now fatisfied cerrainUninltituted Rites in the Worfhip of
in the Unlawfulnefs of fome things then requi- God ; which our Mr. Norton could not ; and it
red in Order thereunto, would not permit him was that which made him ouis. This drove
to do ir. One asked once a great Prelate at him to the remote Regions of America, where
Court, how it came to pafs, that fuch a Prea- he hoped, as well he might, that there would
cher fan Ancient Chaplain therej a Wife, never be done fo unreasonable a Thing, as to
Grave, Holy Man, did not Rife ? Meaning by obftruft that Evangelical Worfhip of our Lord
way of Preferment : The Prelate anfwered him, Jefus Chrifi, for the fake whereof thofe Re-
Truly, let me tell you,
That I verily think, he gions have been added unto the Englifl) Domi-
never zvill Rife until the RefurreUion. Truly, nions. Wherefore in the Year 1634. having
Let me now tell the World, That fuch were married a Gentlewoman both of Good Eltate,
the Principles of Mr. Norton, there was no and of Good Efteem, he took (hipping for New-
likelihood of his Rifing in this World, as things England, accompanied in the lame Ship with
then went in the World. Wherefore he contented the Famous Mr. Tbomax Shepard.
himfelf with a more Private Life, as Chaplain §io.In theRoad bezwixtHarwichand Yarmouth,
in two Knights Houfe at High Laver in Effex, he very narrowly efcaped a Terrible Shipwrick-.
namely, Sir William Mafham^S; there waiting, For by the Vehemency of a Storm all their An.
till God might furniih him with Uncxceptable chors gave way, lb that they were driven with
-
Opportunities, for his more Publirk Preaching in a Cable's Length of the Sands ; but yet the
of the Gofncl. But generally, all thofe who Anchor of their Hope in God, held fad unto
had any Taft of his Miniftry, had a very high the lafi. Mr. Shepard having raken the Man-
Opinion of it; nor was there any Man intharpart ners above Decks, Mr. Norton took the Pajfen-
of the Country more efleemed than he was,for all gers between Decks, and each of them with
forts of Excellencies ; infomuch, that when he their Company, applied themlelves unto Fer-
came away, an Ancient Minifler faid, He be- vent Prayer, whereto the Almighty God gave
lieved there war not more Grace and Holincfs a prefent Anfwer in their wonderful Deliver-
left in all Elfex, than what Air. Norton had ance. After this Tempelt, which diijppointed
carried voiih him. their Voyage to New England for that Sea for.,
kj 7.
His Natural Temper had a Tincture of Mr. Norton returned unto his Friends in EjJ'ex -,
Choler in it ; but as the fowreft and harfheft where Mr. Dyke welcomed him , as one
Fruits become the mofl Pleafant, when tem- come from the dead ; profefiing to him, That
pered with a due Proportion of Sweet nefs added he would have given many Pounds for fuch a
thereunto, lb the Grace of God fwcetned the Try a I of his Faith, at this his Friend had newly
Difpofition of this good Man, into a molt Affa- met withal.
ble, Courteous, and Complaifant Behaviour, §11. The next Year Mr. Norton renewed
which render'd him exceeding Amiable. Indeed his Voyage to New-England; but intervening
when the Apoftle fpeaks of the Spirit, and Soul Accidents made it very late in the Year, before
and Body, being Santlified, fome do by Spirit he could begin the Voyage And fo, coming :
underftand the Natural Te.iper, or Humour ; upon the American Coaft in the Month of OCtv-
and accordingly the Spirit of this §>uick Man \bert they encountred with another very terrible
E e e 2 Storm,
3+ Tbe Hijhry of New-England. Book 111,
Mr. Mather of Dorchefter, who tho of longer Sir, There are fome of your Peopk, who think
ftanding than he, yet coniulted
him as an Ora- that the Services wherein you are engaged for all
greateit Confequence unto
in Matters of the Churches, do fomething take off the
cle, Edge of
him and found him fo accomplished and expe the 'Minift ry, wherewith you fhould ferve
; your
rienced a Perlbn, that he maintained a moft va- own particular Church : 1 would intreat you, Sir\
luable Friendfhip with him to the laff. Yea, matter j
to confider this for our great eft Work is
tho' he were yet a young Man, and fhort of topreach the Go/pel unto that Flock, whereof we
Thirty, when he fir ft came into
the Country, are Ovcrfeers. Our great and good Man took
yet the Magillrates of the Colony foon became the excellent Oyl of this Intimation, with the
lb fenlible of his Abilities, as to make ufe of Kindnefs which became fuch a Man, and made
him in fome of their molt arduous Affairs. And it ferviceable unto his holy Studies.
there happened feveral Occafions to try theScho- § 16. Another confiderable Service, which
laftick Emmencies, whereto he was arrived ;
then called for the Studies of this excellent Man,
one of which was, when there was in thefe Parts was the advifing, modelling, and recommend-
a French Friar, who found in Mr. Norton, a ing the Platform of Cburch-Difcipline, agretd by
Proteftant, equal to his own School-men, and a Synod at Cambridge, in the Year 1 647. Into
well acquainted with them all. Indeed there that Platform he would fain have had inferred,
was in him the Union of two Excellencies, which certain Propofitions concerning the Watch, which
do no: always meet. It was the Chancier of our Churches are to have over the Children bora
in them ; which Propofitions were
liortenfws, that he was weak in Writing, and
'
certainly the
yet able to Speak It
: was the Character of A- firjl Principles of New-England Only :the fierce
that he was weak in Speech, and yet Oppofitions of one eminent Perlbn, caufed him
beric//s,
able in Writing: But our Norton was in both that was of a peaceable Temper, to forbear ur-
of thefe a very able Perfon. ging them any further by which means, when
•,
mm Apollonii,
at the Direction of the Divines Mr. Norton preaching the next Le£ture there,
in Zealand, in the Year 1644. fent over to A ew wherein he handled the Nature of Councils, and
Number of Queftions, relating to rhe Power of Civil. Magijirates to call fuch Af-
England -i
our Way of Church Government ; whereto the femblies, and the Duty of the Churches in re-
Minifters of NewEnglpnil unanimoufly impofed garding rheir Advice, the Church oiBofton were
fo fatisfied, as to tell ifie their Com-
upon Mr. Norton the Task of drawing up an therewithal
Anfwer, which he finifhed in the Year 1645. munion with the reft of the Churches, by fend-
ing
Book III. The Hiftory of 35
New-England.
to accompany their Elders of his Obedience and Sufferings to us, are
tion
ing three Meffengers
now in the Synod. And when the Refult of the formal Caufe of our Juftijication-^rA that
tins
c
Synod Game
to try Acceptance in the Churches, c
its they who deny this, do now take away both
he did his parr, efpecially in his own, with
a
'
pf thefe, both Matter and Vet m of our Jufti-
and Diligence to obtain it ^ which ft'cation, which is the Life of our Souls, and
prudent pious c
was happily accomplilhed. of our Religion, and therefore called the
' Jujii-
6 17. There was yet one Comprehenfive Ser- fication cf Life.
vice more, which this Learned Man here did for This being the Primitive- Do&rine of'Jollifi-
the Church of God ; and that was this : A cation, among the Churches of New. England ;
Gentleman of Keza-Englandhai written a Book, rhe things that were judged oppofite hereunto,
entituled, The Meritorious
Price of Man's Re- in the Renowned Richard Baxters
Aphorifms of
Wherein he pretends to prove, That Juftification, did then give a great and
demption juft Of-
nor for us thofe unutterable Tor- fence unto the Faithful in this Country Yea,
Cbriji fuffered :
ments of God's Wrath, which are commonly called they look'd upon many tilings in his Writings,
Piell-Torments, to redeem our Souls from them ; to be; as Photius has ir, upon fome things in
and that Chrifl bore not our Sins by God's Impu- Clemens Alexandrinus that is to fay, Things
-,
the Law for them. The General Court of the beit, the other more Practical and Savory Books
the Glorious Truths of of that Holy Man, were highly valued in thefe
Colony, concerned that
the Gofpel might be refcued from the Confufi- American Regions ; and not a few have here
oris, whereinto the Effiy of this Gentleman had bleffed God for him, and 'tor his Labours. And
thrown them, and afraid left the Church of God as in thofe Elder Days of Nex-EnglanJ, the E- .
abroad fhould fufpecf that JVho-Eflg/Wallow'd fteem which our Churches had tor that emi-
of fuch exorbitant Aberrations, appointed Mr. nent Man, did not hinder them from rejecting
Norton to draw up an Anfwer to that Erroneous that New Covenant of Works, with which they
Treat ife. This Work he performed with a moft thought he confounded that moft important Ar-
Elaborate and Judicious Pen, in a Book after- ticle, upon the Notions whereof the Church ei-
wards publifhed under the Title of, A Difou/jion ther frauds or falls Thus it is a Grief of Mind
;
in Divinity, The Sufferings unto our Churches at this Day, to find that
of that Great Point
of Chrift And the ^iiejiions about his Active grear and good Man, in fome of his Lift Works,
;
and Paffive Right coufnefs, and the Imputation under the blinding Heat of his Indignation a-
thereof. In that Book the true Principles of gainft fome which we alfo account unjuftifiable,
the Gofpel are if a ted with fo much Demonft ra- yea, dangerous Opinions and Expreffions cf Dr.
tion, as is indeed unanfwerable. _
The Great Crifp, reproaching fome of the moft undoubted
Affertion therein explained and maintained, is, Points in our common Faith. We read him un-
(according to the exprefs Words of the Reve- accountably enumerating among Errors, which
rend Author),
'
That the Lord Jefus Chrift as he lays, hav.e corrupted Cbnftianity, and Jnb-
1
God-Man, and Mediator, according to theWill verted c
the Gofpel, fuch things as thefe :
*
of the Father, and his own voluntary Con fen t, They feign,ThntGoi made a Covenant with
c
fully obeyed the Law, doing
the Command in c Adam, that if he flood, God would continue
c '
a way of Works, and fuifering the Ejfential him, and his Pofterity ; and if he fell, God
' '
Punifhment of the Curfe, in a way of obedient would take ir, as if all his Posterity, then per -
* '
Satisfaction unto Divine Juffice, thereby ex- fonally finned in him.- feigning God to
\ aftly fulfilling the firff Covenant : Which c
make Adam, not only the Natural Father and
c '
AcYive and Paffive Obedience of his, together Root of Mankind, but alfo arbitrarily, a con-
c '
with his Original Righteou/hefs, as a Surety, flit ut ed Repre/enter of all rhe Perfons that
' '
God, of his rich Grace, actually imputeth un- fhould fpring from him. Whence they infer,
' '
to Believers ; whom, upon the Receipt there -
that Chritt was by God's Impofition, and his
'
of, by the Grace of faith, he declareth and
'
own Sponfion, made the Legal Representative
* '
accepteth , as pcrfellly Righteous , and ac- Perfon of every one of the Elecf, taken fingu-
1 '
knowledgeth them to have a Right unto Eter- ' larly So that what lie did for them, God
:
'
nal Life. .
reputeth rhem to have done by him. Here-
And in every Claufe of this Pofition, the Au- ' by they falily make the Perfon of the Me-
thor expreffed not his own Sence alone, tut the diator, to be the Legal Perfon of the Sin-
'
Sence of all the Churches in the Country : In nef.
'
Teftimony whereof!, there was publifhed at the They forge a Law, that God never made,
'
End of the Book, an Inftrument figned by five that faith, Thou or thy Surety, fh all obey per*
'
confiderable Cotton, Wilfon, Mather,
Names, feffly, or die.
Symmcs, and Tompfon, who in the of 0-Name '
'
puted for Right eoufnefs~] and [our being jufti- of the Schoolmen into folid and wholefomu Chri-
fied by Faith'] is not meant, the AH, or Habit ftianity, which he publifhed in a Treatiie enti-
1
of Faith, but the Objett, Chrift's Righteoufnefs : tuled, The Orthodox Evangelifi : Wherein he
c
Not flicking thereby to turn fuch Texts into handles the abftruie Points of the Exiftence and
'
worfe than Nonfence. [ All thefe are Mr. Subfiftence, and Ejficience of God, and the Per-
Baxter's Words, in his Defence of Chrift , fon of Chrift, and the Methods of the Spirit in
chap. 2] uniting us to him ; and the Doclrine of Jufli-
Thefe Things, which our Churches with A- fication, with- the future and happy State of the
mazement, behold Mr. Baxter thus calling R- Saints all in fuch a manner, that Mr. Cotton
-,
thus,
Nor do our Churches at this Day confider them, fuch Gifts and Labours pajfing under the Prejs,
as any other, than glorious Truths of the Gofpel; may be fitly communicated to all Churches. The
f
which, as they were maintained by Mr. Norton. Pbyficians do peak, there are Pillule fine Qui-
So two Divines, which were the Scholars of bus effe nolo -Jo the re are Libelli line quibus,yw«*?
Mr. Norton, well known in both Englands, Na- Books,Sine quibus effe nolo ; and this is one of 'cm.
thanael, and lncreafe Mather, (Fratrum dulce This Book he dedicated unto his own Church, in
Par;) and a third, a worthy Minifter of the Ipfwich ; and in the Clofe of his Dedication, I
Gofpel, Mr. SamuelWillard, now living in the cannot forget this emphatical palfage, Tou are
fame Houfe from whence Mr. Norton went, our Glory and Joy : Forget not the Emphafis in
unto that not made with Hands, have in their the Word, Our Minifters, compared with other
:
Printed Labours moft accurately expreffed them, Chrift tans, have little to joy in in this World : It
and confirmed them. Hence, altho' as on the is not with the Mtnijlers of the prefent, as with
one fide, I have this pafTage of Mr. Baxter's, the Minifters of late Times nor zvith the
-,
Exiles^
in a Letter from him, written but a few Months as with the reft; nor with your Exiles, as with
before he died,/ am as zealous a hover of the New- fome others. Let this Out, or if you pleafe Your
England Churches as any m an,according to A^Nor Condition, for therein you have been both Parta-
ton'x, and the Synods Alodel : So on the other kers with us, and Supporters of us-, be your Pro-
fide, the Memory of Mr. Baxter is on many vocation. Thus and more than thusuleful, was
accounts zealoufly loved among the Churches of this Bradwardin of New-England, while Ipfwich
New-England, yet efpoufing the Principles for had him.
their Eftablifhrnenr, wherein Mr. Norton had §ip. When Cotton, that Man of God, layfick
appeared Neverthelefs,
: inafmuch as Mr. Bax- of the Sicknefs whereof he died, his Church de-
ter, juft before his Entrance into his Everlafting fired that he would nominate and recommend a
Reft, requefted
of my Parent then in London : fit Perfon tofucceedhim ; and headvifed thern
Sir, If you know of any Errors in any of my Wri to apply themfelves unto Mr. Norton,
hoping
tings, 1 pray you to confute them after I am dead. that the Church of Ipfwich being accommodated
I thought it not amifs, to regard fo far the with fuch another eminent Perlbn asMr.
Rogers,
GofpelTruths of Juflification at this day labour- would out of refpe£t unto the general Good of
ing, as to take occafion from the mention of all the People of God throughout the Land, fo
Mr. Norton's Book, to fay, That in that one far deny themfelves, as to difmifs him from
Book of his, there is a Confutation of Mr. Bax- themfelves. That ivhich gave Encouragement
ter, who feems to oppofe thofe things, which unto this Bufinefs, was not a Dream of Mr. Cot-
the Churches of New-England judge cannot be ton's, tho' it was indeed a ftrange
thing, that
denied without corrupting of Chriftianity, and Mr. Cotton in his Illnefs, being follicitous what
fubverting of the Gofpel. But waving any fur- Counfel to give unto his Church, he dream'd,
ther mention of the Book, I cannot leave unmen- that he law Mr. Norton riding unto
Boflon, to'
tioned a couple of Paffages in the Preface of it, fucceed him, upon a White Horfe, in Circ'um
which is Dedicatory to the General Court of the Itances that were exaffly afterwards accom-
MafJ'achufet Colony. One is this / appeal to any plifhed And when Mr. WilJ'on, with his
: :
Flock, X
competently judicious and fober-minded Man, if faw the thing accomplifhed, it caufed them to
the Denial of Rule in the Presbytery, of a Deci- look upon Mr. Norton, almoft with the fame
five Voice in the Synod, and of the Power of the
Eye,, that old Narciffus, with the Church at
Magifirate in Matters of Religion, do not in ibfc Jerufalem, did upon Alexander, when upon the
Point tranflate the Papal Power unto- the Bro- warning of a Voice from Heaven, to take
him,
therhood of every Congregation. Another is this : whom they fhould fo find, they found him out
Tou have been among the firft of Magi Urates, of the City, provided for them, But it was a
Defign
Book 111. I he Hijloxy of New-England. 37
Defign which
Mr. Norton had of returning for without any Prelatical Epifcopacy, a Care of all
England: A Deiign which he hid ib laid before the Churches. And New-England being a Coun-
his People, as to obtain their Grant, that ir' up- try whofeInterefts were moft remarkably and
on Itaying a Twelve Month longer among them, generally enwrapped in itsEcclefiaftical Circum-
there did occur no occafion lor him to alter his Itances, there were many good Offices, which
purpofes,rhey
would not oppofe his going. Now Mr. A orton did for the Peace of the whole Coun-
when the Agents of the Church at Bofton, made try, by his wife Counjels upon many Occafions,
this Motion to the Church of Ipfwich, there was given to its Counfellors. In truth, if he had ne-
much debate about it ; wherein at length an ver done any thing, but that one
thing of pre-
honeft Brother made this Propofai Brethren, a
:
venting by his wife Interpofition, the Afts of
Cafe in fome things like to this, was once that Hoftility, which were like to pais between Our
way determined : We
will call the Damfel, and People, and the Dutch at Manhatocs, that alone
enquire at her Mouth Wherefore I propoje,
: were well worth his coming into the Station
that our Teacher himfelf be enquired of, whether which he now had at Bofton. But the Service
he be inclined to go ? They then put that Que- which now moft fignalized him, was, his Agency
ftion to Mr. Norton himfelf, who being troubled it White Hall; for it being found neceffary to
at the Offer of the Queftion unto him, anfwer- Addrefs the Reftored King ; the Worfhipful Si-
ed, That if they judged fuch Reajons as caujed
mon Bradjlreet, Efq; and this Reverend Mr. John
his Removalfrom Europe into America, now calVd Norton, were lent over as Agents from the Co-
for his Removal from Ipfwich to Bofton, hefhould lony ,with an Addrefs unto His Majefty where- -,
Rogers, as if he had not been Attive enough, al- by Your Royal Father. Our Liberty to Walk
c
tho' he had, indeed, been as A£live, as he well in the faith of the Go/pel, with all good Conjci-
'
could be, to retain his Collegue among them. ence, according to the Order of the Go/pel, was
'
The Melancholly Temper of Mr. Rogers felt fo the Caufe of our tranfporting our felves, with
'
deep an Impreflion from thofe Paroxijms, and our Wives,our Little Ones, and our Subftance.
'
Murmurings of the People, that it is thought, from that pleafant Land, over the Atlantick
'
his End was thereby haftned ; but the Church, Ocean, into the Vaft Wildernefs ; choofing
c
upon the Death of Mr. Rogers, renewing their c
rather the pure Scripture Worfhip, with a
Demands of Mr. Norton's Return, a Council was good Confcience, in this remote Wildernefs,
'
upon that occafion called ; which Council advifed than the Pleafures of England, with Submif-
'
Ipfwich to grant Mr. Norton a fair DifmifTion fion to the Impofitions of the then fo difpofed,
unto the Service of Bofton, and in Bofton, of all
'
and fo far prevailing Hierarchy, which we
c
Ne tv England. However divers lefler Councils, could not do without an evil Confcience
that were fucceffively called on this Occaiion,
'
We are not Seditious as to the Interefts of C*-
Jar, nor Schifmatical as to the Matters of Re-
'
could not comfortably procure this Difmiffjon,
till Governour and Magiftrates of the
at laft the
c
ligion. We diftinguifh between Churches,
Colony called a Council for this end ; in their
•
and their Impurities. We could not live
'
Order for which, they intimate their Concern, without the Publick Worfhip of God, nor be
'
left while the two Churches were contending, permitted the Publick Worfhip, without fuch
'
which of them fhould enjoy Mr. Norton, they a Take of Subjcriptwn and Conformity, as we
'
fhould both of them, and the whole Country could not confent unto without Sin. That we
'
with them, lofe that Reverend Perfon, by his might, therefore, enjoy Divine Worfhip, free
profecuting his Inclination to remove into Eng-
'
from Human Mixtures, without Offence to
'
land. Hereupon fuch a Difmijfion could- not be God, Man, and our own Confciences, we,
'
denied ;
but now Bofton joyfully receiving Mr. with Leave, but not without Tears, departed
c
Norton, Ipfwich applied themfelves unto Mr. from our Country, Kindred, and Fathers Hou-
Cobbet, who afterwards continued a rich Bleffing
c
fes, into this Patmos.
——
among them. And Mr. Norton did indeed, the It was in February 1 <5<5*, that they began
part of a furviving Brother for Mr. Cotton, in their Voyage, and it was in September follow-
railing up, or at leaft keeping up the Name of ing, that they returned Mr. Norton's place
:
that Great Man, by publifhing a moft elegant being the mean time fupplied by the Neigh-
Account of his Life, part whereof was after- bouring Minifters, taking of their Turns. And
wards tranferibed by Sam. Clark, into his Colle- by their Hands the Country received the King's
ctions. Letters, wherein he fignified, That the Expref-
§ 20. Mr. Norton being now tranfplanted in- fions of their Loyalty and Affe&ion to Him,
to that Garden which our Lord had in
Bofton,
were very acceptable, and that confirming to
did there bring forth much of that Fruit where- them their Priviledges,He would cherifh them
by the heavenly father was glorified. There he with all manner of Encouragement and Prote-
preached, he wrote, hepray'd. ;md maintained ction.
§ 21.
38 The Hijlory of New-England. Book III.
may be the Wifdom of the Hoiy and Righteous Which Lines accompanied with Mr. Wilfori's
God, as well as the Malice of the Evil One, Anagrammatifing of NOR- JOHANNES
acknowledged, in the Ordering of fuch Tempta- US TON
into Nonne ii Honoratus ? Will give
tions. Of thefe Temptations, a conhderahle him his deferved Character.
fhare fell to Mr. Norton concerning whom
-, §23. He that ihall Read the Tragical Ro-
there were many, who would not Hick to fay, mances, written by that Brazen fic'd Lyar Bol-
that he had laid the Foundation of Ruine to all /ecus, concerning the Deaths of fuch Men as
our Liberties and his melancholly Mind ima- Calvin and Beza, or fuch monftrous Writings
;
as thofe of
gined, that his belt friends began t-herefore to Tympius, Cochleus, Gcnebard, and
look awry upon him. fome others, who would bear the World in
§ 22. In the Spring before his going for Eng- hand, that Luther and Qecolampadim Learn'd
'
land, he Preached an Excellent Sermon unto the Protcftant Religion of the Devil, and were
the Representatives of the whole Colony, Af- at laft kill'd by him and that Bucer had his.
-,
fembled at the Court or Ekiiion, wherein I Guts pull'd out and call about by the Devil ;
take particular Notice of this Paifage, MSfes will net wonder if I tell him, that after the
was the Me ekeft Man on Earth, yet it went III Death of Mr. Norton, the Quakers published a
ioith Mofes, 'tit Jaid, for their Sokes. How Libel by them called, .i Reprefentation to King
long did Mofes live at Meribah ? Sure 1 am ; it and Parliament-, wherein, pretending to Re-
kilfd him in a Jhort Time ; a Alan of at Good port fome Remarkable Judgments upon their Per-
'
a Temper as could be expeffed jrom a meer secutors, they infert this PalTage, John Nor-
Man : I tellyou, it will not only kill the 'People, ' ton Chief Prieft in Bojion, by the immediate
c
hut it will quickly kill Mofes too And in the
1
. Power of the Lord, was fmitten, and as he
c
Spring after his Return from England, he found was finking down by the Fire fide, being un-
'
his own Obfervation in himfelf too much Ex- der juft Judgment, he confeffed the Hand of
'
emplified. It was commonly
judged, That the the Lord was upon him, and fo he uicd.
Smothered Griefs of his Mind, upon the Un- Which they mention, as a Judgment upon.
kind Refentments, which he thought many a Perfecutor. Whereas, the Death of this
People had of his Faithful and Sincere En- Good Man, was attended with no Circumftan-
deavours to ferve them, did, more than a ces, but what unto a Good Man might be Eli-
little, haften his End an End, wheteat JOHN gible and Comfortable, and circumfVanced far
•,
NORTON went, according to the Anagram other-wife than it was by thofe Revilers Repre-
of his Name INTO HONNOR. But he had fented. But it was neceffary for that Enchanted
the Privilege to enter into Immortality, with- People, thus to revenge themfelves upon one,,
out fuch a Formal and Feeling Death, as the who amongft his other Services to the Church
moll of Mortals encounter with ; for though of God, already mentioned, had, at the defire
in the Forenoon of April 5. 316153. it was his of the General Court, written a Book, Entituled,
Dehgn to have Preached in the Afternoon, he The Heart of New England rent at the Blafphe-
was that Afternoon taken with a fudden Lypo niies of the Prefent Generation-, Or, a Brief
1 ratiate concerning the Dollrine of the Quakers:
thymic, which prefently and eafily carried him
away to thofe Glories, wherein the Weary are Which Dotlrine was in this Tractate folidly
at Rcji , but it was a Dark Night, which the confuted. And perhaps, it had been better if
Inhabitants of Bojion had upon the Noife of this had been all the c onfutation ; which I add,
his Death :
Every Corner of the Town was becaufe I will not, I cannot make my felf a
filled with Lamentations, which left a Chara Vindicator of all the Severities, with which
fter upon that Night, unto this Day, not for- the Zeal of fome Eminent Men hath fometimes
gotten !His deareft Neighbour, Mr. Richard Enraged and Increafed, rather than Reclaimed
Mather, wept over him at his Funeral, which thofe miferable Hoeticks : But wifh that the
was on. the next Leilure Day, a Sermon moff Quakers may be ireared as Queen Elisabeth di-
agreeable to the occafion And the Son of his recled the Lord Prelident of the North to treat
-,
Fellow-Traveller, Mr. Thomas Shepard, was the Papifts ; when fhe adviied him to convince
one of the many, who bellowed their Elegies them with Argument, rather than fupprefs them
upon him ; ufing this, among his other Strokes. with Violence-, to that purpofe ufing of the
Words of the Prophets, Nolo Mortem Pecca-
The 5'choolmens Doclors, whomfoe're they calf toris.
Subtil, Seraphic k, or Angelical: § 24. Not long after his Death, his Friends
Dull Souls ! Their Tapers buriit exceeding Dim ; publifhed Three Sermons of his, which for the
Again, In matters of State and Church, Let Souls, MelanUhon and Parens, now among
..
c
it be Jhovon that we are his Difciples, who J aid. the Bleffed, the one no lefs Famous
'
among
Give unto Cefar the things that are Cefars, and the Reformed, than the other among the Evdn-
Give unto God the things that are God's And gelicks. Of thefe, the one going towards
'
:
'
in Matters of Religion, Let it be known, That Haganoa, with Sighs uttered thefe Words,
we are for Reformation and not for Separation.
— Once more, I may fay thus much (and In Synods hitherto we lived have,
pardon my Speech) A more yielding Miniftry And novo in them, return unto the Grave.
unto the People than ours, I believe is not in
'
the World. J befeech
you, Let not Carfar be The other ferioufly meditating on the Con-
6
killed in the Senate, after he hath conquered in troverfy of the Eucharijl, brake forth into thefe
the Field. Let us acknowledge the Order of the ' Words; I am weary with Difputing. Thus, if
'
Elderfhip, in our Churches, in their Way ; and thefe might be Judges, we ought rather to
'
the Order ^Councils in theirWay, duely backed Pray than Difpute, and ftudy how to Livet
'
and encouraged : Without which Experience will rather than Contend. And perhaps the Di
'
witnefs that thefe Churches cannot long conftjl. vines of either Part, after they have been
'
The Second of the Sermons, was the laji Ser- wearied and broke in their Spirits with
daily .
'
mon which he preached on the Lord's Day. It and continual Contentions, will more
readily
'
is on Joh. 14. 3. entituled, The Believers Con- accept of the Counfels of Peace, which hither-
c
Jolation in the Remembrance of his Heavenly Man- to have been lefs acceptable, while the Senfe
5
fion,prepared for him by Chrijl. of Anger has been fpurring of them: After
'
The Third of the Sermons was the laji Ser-
..,
they have been taught by long ufe, they may
'
mon, which he Preach'd on his Leffure. It is on prefer the Waters of the Pacific Sea, before
c
Heb. 8. 5. entituled, The Evangelical Worfhipper, thofe of Meribah.
fubje fling to the P refer ipt ion and Sovereignty of Graticut agimus Domino Dureo, cut
Jofephi
Scripture Pattern. Longe terra maiique a fratribus DiJJiti, memi-
nifje Cordi fuit : §>_ui nos Mifellos, in Cilicio,
§ 25. The Three Sermons thus Publifhed as Cilicio autem ipfi confidimus Evangelico, Mili-
the laji, or the Dropt Mantle of this Elias, are t antes, tarn
Aufpicato Nuncio invifere dignatut
accompanied with the Tranllation of a Letter, eft : §>ui Novam Angliam, quafi particulam ali.
which was compofed in Latin by Mr. Norton, quam Fimbria Vejlimenti Aaronid, unguento
pr<e~
and fubferibed by more than Forty of the Mi- diviti delibutam, in Album Syncretifmi,
Longe
nifters, on this Occafion. . The Famous John celeberrimi, adferibere, non adfpernatur : §>ui
Dury having from the Year 1635. been moft porro Litteris aiSyncretifmum hortatoriis, fub-
indetutigably labouring for a Pacification, be- inde nobis An/am pr<ebuit Teflimonium hoc, quale
tween the Reformed Churches in Europe, com- quale, perhibendi Communionis
nojlra fraterna,
municated his Defign to the Minifters of New- cum univerfa Cohorte Protelfantium, fidem
Jefu
England, requeuing their Concurrence and Coun- Chrijli profit entium. Ingenue enim fatemur,
tenance unto his Generous Undertaking. In tranquilla tarn quum erant
Omnia, nee Signa Mi'
anfwer to Him, this Letter was written and nantia ftgnis ad hue nobis confpiciebdntur
-,
quip- -,
Omnium Afflucntia, Confcientix autem Difpendw, could have feen the Diary, which he kept of
fuccubuiffe. At patriam fugiendo^
nos Ecclefia- his Daily Walk. However he was well known
rumEvangelicarum Communioni A 'uncium mififfe,
1
to be a Great Example of Holinefs, Watchful
hoc vera cfi quod fide /iter Hf Santle pernegamus. and Extraordinary Wifdom ; and nefs,
though
he left no Children, yet he has a Better Name
We
give thanks to Mr. Dury % into whofe
'
than that of Sons and of Daughters. More-
"Heart it came to remember, Jofepb feparatc over, there was one Considerable part of Mi-
'
from bis Brethren at lb great a Diltance both nisterial Work, wherein he not only went-ie-
by Sea and Land : And who hath vouchfafed ybnd
'
moft of his Age, but alfo proved a
c
with fo comfortable a to vifit us Leader unto many Followers.
1
Meflage Though the
cloathed in Sackcloth, for our Minilfers of New-England counted it Unlaw-
poor People,
4
Warfare ; yet, as we truit, the Sackcloth ot ful for them, Ordinarily to perform their Mi-
c
the Gofpel Who
hath not refuted to put
: niflerial Alls of Solemn and Publick
Prayer
c
New England as part of the Skirt of Aaron's by Reading or Ufing any Forms of Prayer
Garment, upon which hath defcended fome
c
compofed by other Perfons for them , They
c Reckoned an Ability to exprcjs the Cafe
of the Precious Oyl, into the Catalogue of of a
'
the fo much famed Agreement And who .-
Congregation in Prayer, to be a Minifieri al
Gift, which our Lord forbids His Minilfers
'
hath by his Letter exhorting to fuch Agree
u
ment given us an Occafion to bring in this to Neglect; They fuppofed that a Minifter,
*
Teitimony, fuch as it is, for our Brotherly who fhould only Read Forms of Sermons
compoled tor him, would as Truly Difcharge
1
Communion with the whole Company of Pro-
'
the Faith of Chriit Jefus. the Duty of Preaching, as One that fhould
tefiants pro tiffing
For we mult" ingenuoully confefs, that then, only Read fuch Forms of Prayers, vvoifld the
c
'
into the remote and unknown parts of the Minifters, in our more Early rimes, did nor
'
Earth, for the fake of a Purer Worfhip, than ufe to Expatiate with fuch a
Significant and
to ly down under the Hierarchy in the Abun Admirable Variety in their Prayers before their
dance of all things, but with Prejudice of Sermons, as many of our Later Times have
'
;
Confcience. But that in flying from our attained unto: Nor indeed Then did
They, nor
Still do We, count all Forms of
Country, we fhould renounce Communion with
;
Prayer Simply
-
fuch Churches, as profefs the Go/pel, is a Unlawful. But the more General
Improve-
thing,, which we confidently and iolemnly
ments and Expreflions of The Gift of
Prayer
'•
*
• in our Minifters, have Since been the matter
deny.
of Obfervation ; and particularly Mr.
Norton,
Evan- therein was truly Admirable It even Tranf-
Qiiofcunque apud Cati/s, per Univerfum f
gelicorum chorum, Fundamental Doftrina: & ported the Souls of his Hearers to accompany
Effentialia Ordinis, Vigeunt, quamvis in plcrif- hhn in his Devotions, wherein his Graces would
que Controverfia: Theologicar, Apicibus nobif-
make Wonderful Salleys into the vafl Field of
cum ju.xta tamen ad unum Entertainments, and Acknowledgments, with
minus Sentiant, illos
Omnes, pro Fratribus agnofcimus, iifque cetera which we are furnifhed in the New-Covenant, for
pacific/*,
£y Ordinate incedentibus, a F x I a s our Prayers. I have heard of a
Godly Man.
KOINP.NIA2 in Domino porrigere, paratijfi- in tyfiCich, who after Mr. Norton's
going to
mos, nos ej}e bijee palam jacimus. Bofion, would Ordinarily Travel on foot from
Ipjwich to Bofion, which is about Thirty
'
In whatever Affemblies amongft the whole Miles, for nothing but the Weekly Declare.
Gofpel, there $ and he would profefs, That it wot
c
Company of thole that profefs the
'
the Fundamentals of Dottrine, and Effentia/s worth a threat Journey, to be a Partaker in
4
of Order, are maintained, though in many cue of Mr. Norton's Prayers. This Pattern
Niceties of Controverfal Divinity, they are at of Prayer in Mr. Norton, had fome Influence
1
lefs Agreement with us, we do hereby make upon ir, that fince his Time, our Pulpits have
*
it manifefr, that we do acknowledge them been fuller than ever of Experimental Demon-
'
*
all, and every one for Brethren, and
that we firations, that the Minilfers of the
Gofpel
fhall be ready to give unto them the Right may on all Occafions prefent their Supplica-
'-
*
Hand of Fellowfhip in the Lord, if in other tions
before God, in the
Difcharge of their
:
Things they be Peaceable, and walk Or- Miniftry, with more Pertinent, more Affeci-
4 more Expanded Enlargements, than
derly. ing, any
§ 26. This was our Norton ! And we might Form covld Afford unto them. New England
have given yet a fuller Account of him, if we can fhow, even Toung Minilfers, who never
did
— — r* •
over, in
that part of their Miniftry wherein for ever.
we 'are firft of AH, to make Supplications,
Inter cejjions, and Thankfgwings and •,
Prayers,
for much more than an hour
yet fometimes,
out their Souls unto the
together, they pour
Almighty God in fuch a Fervent, Copious, and Epitapbium.
that their moft Critical
yet Prober Manner,
Auditors, can complain
of Nothing Difagree
themfelves Edi-
Johannes Nortonus,
able, but profefs extreamly
fyed. §>uh fuerat, Ultra fi quceras,
CHAP. III.
Line of his hiftory, fell upon a Verfe, that I muft now exhibit
him, even as a Father
to the Infant Colonies of
New-England.
Vrbem Roman, In Principio Reges habuere;
§ 2. Mr. John Wilfon, defcending from Emi-
So the Roman Orator^ though a very Mean nent Anceftors. was born at Wind/or in the
Poet, yet making an Oration tyr a
Good One, Wonderful Tear 1588. The third Son of Dr.
could not let his Firft Sentence pafs him, with- William Wilfon, a Prebend of St. Pauls, of fo-
chefler and of Winfor, and Reftor of Cliff :
r
out a perfect Hexameter^
Having for his Mother, a Neece of Dr. Ed-
In Qua me non Inficior mediocriter Effe. mund Grindal, the moft Worthily Renowned
Arch-Bifhop of Canterbury. His exa£t Educa-
If therefore, I were not of all Men the moft tion under his Parents, which betimes Tinged
Unpoetical, my Reader might now expeft an him with an Averfation to Vice, and above all,
Entertainment altogether Verfe; for I am
in to the very fhadow of a Lye, fitted him to un-
to write the Life of that NewEnglifh Di- dergo the further Education, which he received
going
vine, who had fo nimble a Faculty of putting j
in Eaton Colledge, under Udal (and
Langley)
his Devout Thoughts into Verfe, that he Sig- whom now we may venture, after Poor Tom
nalized himfelf by the Greateft frequency, per- Tujfer, to call, The fever eft of Men. Here he
haps, that ever Man ufed, of fending Poems to was moft Remarkably twice delivered from
allPerfons, in all Places, on all Occafions ; and drowning but at his Book, he made fuch Pro- -,
upon this, as well as upon Greater Accounts, ficiency, that while he was the Leaft Boy in
was a David unto the Flocks of our Lord in the the School, he was made a Propojitor-, and
Wildernefs : when the Duke of Biron, Embaflador from the
French King henry IV. to Queen Elizabeth, vi-
Quicquid tentabat Dicere, Verjus erat ; fited the School, he made a Latin Oration, for
which the Duke beftowed Three Angels upon
Wherein, if the Curious Reliftied the Piety him. After four Years Continuance at Eaton,
fometimes rather than the Poetry, the Capacity he was removed unto Cambridge, between the
of the Moft, therein to be accomodated, muft Fourteenth and Fifteenth Year of his Age ; and
be confidered. But I intend no further Account admitted into Kings Colledge in the Year 1602.
of this matter, than what is given by his Wor- When he came to ftand for a Fellow/hip in that
thy Son, (Reprinting at Bofton in the Year Colledge, his Antipathy to fome Horrid Wicked-
1680. the Verfes of his Father, upon the Fa- neflesjwhereto a Deteftable Wretch that had been
mous Deliverances of the Englifh Nation Print- acquainted with him, would have betray'd him,
ed at London, as long ago as the Year 1626.) caufed that Malicious Wretch by Devifed and
Whofe Words are, What Volumes hath he Pen- Accurfed Slanders to ruin fo far the Reputation
ned, for the help of Others, in their feveral of this Chaft Youth with the other Fellows,
Changes of Condition ? how wo* Heart full that had not the Provoft, who was a Serious
his
oj Good Matter ? And his Verfes paft, like to and a Reverend Perfon, interpofed for him, he
the
handkerchiefs earned from Paul to uphold had utterly loft his Priviiedge which now by -,
the ttifconfolate, anil he. al their Wounded Souls? the Major Vote he obtained. But this Affliction
F t f 2
put
42 ^fhe Hifiory of New-England. Book III.
put him upon many Thoughts and Prayers be- him unto feveral Doftors of Grear Fame, to get
fore the Lord. his
Objections refolved ; but when much Di-
§ 3. hitherto -teen according to his fcourfe, and much Writing, had paifed between
He had
good Education, very civilly and foberly difpo- them, lie was rather the more confirmed in his
ied : But being by the good Hand of God, led Principles about Church-Reformation. Where-
unto the Miniltry of fuch holy Men as Mr. fore his Father, then diverting him from the
Bains, Dr. Taylor, Dr. Chaderton, he was by Defigns of the Mmifiry, difpofed him to the
their Sermons enlightned and awakened, unto Inns of Court , where he fell into Acquaintance
more fpl'rcitous Enquiries after, The one thing with fome young Gentlemen, who aflbciatcd
yet lacking in him. The ferious Difpofitions or with him in conftant Exercifes of Devotion , to
his Mind, were now fuch, that befides his pur- which Meetings the repeated Sermons of Dr.
fuance after the Works of Repentance in him- Gouge were a continual Entertainment And :
everlalfing Happinefs ; and purfuant unto the he made frequent and ufeful Vifits unto his
Advice which he had from Dr. Ames, he af- Friends in the Counties adjoining, and became
fociated himfelf with a Pious Company in further fitted for his intended Service. But while
the Univerfity who kept their Meetings in he was pairing under thefe Changes, he took up
-,
Mr. Wilfon's Chamber, for Prayer, Faiting, a Refolution which he thus expreffed before the
Holy Conference, and the Exercifes of true De- Lord That if the Lord would grant him a Li-
:
with all the Books that he could find written on § 6. At length preaching his firft Sermon at
the Cafe of Conformity, both Pro and Con, and Newport, he Jet his Hand unto that Plough, front
pondered with a molt Confcientious Delibera- whence he never afterwards looked back : Not
tion, the Arguments on both fides produced. He very long after which, his Father lying on his
was hereby fo convinced of the Evil in Confor- Deathbed, he kneeled, in his Turn, before him,
mity, that at length, for his obfervable OmifTi- for his Bleffing, and brought with him for a (hare
on, of certain Uninttituted Ceremonies in the in that Bleffing, the Vertuous young Gentlewo-
Worfhip of God, the Bifhop of Lincoln then man, the Daughter of the Lady Mansfield, (Wi-
vifiting the Univerfity, pronounced upon him dow of Sir John Mansfield, Matter of the Mino-
the Sentence of Qiiindenum ; that is, that befides ries) and the Queen's Surveyor) whom he de-
other Mortifications,he muff within fifteen Days figned afterwards to marry Whereupon the old
:
have been expelled, if he" continued in his Of- Gentleman faid, Ah, John, J have taken much
fence. His Father being hereof advifed, with Care about thee, fuch time as thou waft in the U-
all Paternal Affe&ion, wrote unto him to Con- niverfity, becaufc thou wouldcfi not Conform ; /
form and at the fame time interceded with the
-,
would fain have brought thee to fome higher Pre-
Bifhop, that he might have a Quarter of a Year ferment than thou haji yet attained unto : I fee
allowed him ; in which time, if he could not thy Conjcience
is
very fcrupulous, concerning
be reduced , he fhould then leave his Fel- fome things that have been obferved and impojed
lowfhip in the Colled ge. Hereupon he fent in the Church : Ncverthelefs, I have rejoiced to
fee
Book 111. 7 be Hi/lory of New-England. 43
fee the Grace and Year of God in thy Heart and -, ;
to hear him, they invited him to fucceed the
Rage of Perfecution •,
bur by the Friendfhip of fubfcribe, with many Scores of others, their
the Juflice, namely Sir William Bird, a Kinf Defires of it ; and yet he accepted not the Pj
man of his Wile , and by a Miitake of the ftoral Charge of the Place, without a Solemn
Informers, the Rage of that Storm was mo Day of Prayer with Faffing, (wherein the Neigh-
derated. bouring Minifters affiff ed) at his Elefrion: Great
§ 7. After this he lived as a Chaplain fuecef- Notice was now taken of the Succefs, which
fively, in Honourable
and Religious Families •,
God gave unto his Labours, in this famous
and at laft was invited unto the Houfe of the Town , among other Inftances whereof, one was
molt Pious Lady Scudamore. Here Mr. Wilfon A Tradefman much given to Stealing, as
this :
Lord's Holy Day, and we have been hearing his found a Sermon, as it were, particularly dire-
Word, and after the Word preached, every one cted unto himfelf, on Eph. 4. 28. Let him that
Jhould think, andfpeak about fucb things cm have hath ftole, fteal no more ; and fuch was the Im-
been delivered in the Name of God, and not la- prefhon thereof upon his Heart, that from this
vijh out the time in Difcourfe s about Hawks and. time he became a
changed and pious Man.
Hounds. Whereupon a Gentleman then prefent
made this handfome and civil Anfwer :
Sir, We § p. But if they that will live godiily muftfuf
deferve reproved by you ; this
all of us to be thus fer Perfection, a peculiar (hare of it mult fall
is indeed the Sabbath-day, and we jhould furely upon them, who are zealous and ufeful Inftru-
have better Difcourfe ; I hope it will be a Warn- ments to make others live fo. Mr. Wilfon had
ing to us. Notwithltanding this, the next Lord's a fhare of this Perfecution and one A—
n, was
Day, the Gentry at the Table were at their Old a principal Author of it.
•,
—
This A n had for-
Notes which caufed Mr. Wilfon again to tell
-, merly been an Apprentice in London, where the
them, That the Hawks which they talk'd of were Bifhops detained him fome Years, under an hard
the Birds that picked up the Seed of the Word, af- Imprifonment, becaufe he refufed the Oath Ex
ter the fowing of it ; and pray'd them, That their Officio, which was preffed upon him to tell, Whe-
Talk might be of fuch things, at might fanSijie ther he had never heard his Majier pray againft
the Day, andedifie their own Souls : Which cau- the Bifhop ?
fed the former Gentleman to renew his former The Charity of well-difpofed People now fup-
Thankfulnefs for the Admonition. But Mr. ported him, he got abroad, recommended by
till
Leigh, the Lady's Husband, was very angry ; his hard Sufferings, unto the good Affecf ions of
whereof when the Lady advifed Mr. Wilfon, the Puritans, at whofe Meetings he became fo
wifhing him to fay fomething that might fatif- converfant, and thereupon fuch a forward and
fie him, he replied, Good Madam, I know not zealous Profeffor, that at length he took upon
wherein 1 have given any jujl Offence ; and there- him, under the Confidence of fome Latinity,
fore I know of no Satisfaction that I owe : Tour whereof he was Owner, to be a fort of Preacher
Ladifhip has invited me to preach the good Word among them. This Man would Reverence Mr.
of God among you ; and fo I have endeavoured Wilfon as his Father, and yet upon the Provo-
according to my Ability : Now fuch Difcourfe a* cation of feeing Mr. Wilfon more highly Valued
this, on the Lord's Day, is profane and difordcr- and Honoured than himfelf, he not only became
ly :
If your Husband like me not, I will be gone. a Conformift himfelf, but alfo, as Apoltates ufe
When the Lady informed her Husband how pe to be, a malignant and violent Perfecutor of
remptory Mr. Wilfon was in this matter, he thofe from whom he had Apoftatized. By his
mended Countenance and Carriage and means Mr. Wilfon was put into trouble in the
his •,
the Effect of this Reproof was, that unfuitable Bifhops Courts ; from whence his Deliverance
Difcourfe, on the Lord's Day, was cured among was at length obtained by certain powerful Me-
them. diators. And once by his Tricks, the moft no-
§ 8.
Removing from Family, this of thofe Times, was employed
after he ted Purfivant
had been a while at Henly, he continued for for the feizing of Mr. Wilfon but tho' he fei- -,
three Years together, preaching at four places, zed upon many Scores of the People
coming
by turns, which lay near one another, on the from the Lecture, he difmilfed the reft, becaule
Edges of Suffolk, namely Bumfted, Stoke, Clare, he could not meet with Mr. Wilfon himfelf,
Sudbury happening who by a fpecul Providence, went out of
and Candijh. Here fome of his
direa
44 The Hiftory of New-England. Book III,
direct Way, to vifit a worthy Neighbour, and mine, that he would fell his Goods, to convert
fo efcaped this mighty Hunter. them into Alms for the Poor ; yea, that Quadam
Afterwards an eminent Lady, happening in- die proprium Atramentarium Argenteolum, ut
the
nocently to make fome Comparifon between
ditaret hopes, inter pignora
obligavit : Our Mr.
Mr. and one Dr. B. of B.
Wilfon, tho' a greater Difclaimer of Merit than
preaching of Wilfon,
the angry Doctor presently applied himfelf unto Bellarmine was, not only in his
Writings, but
the of London, who lor a while fufpen- on his Death bed it felf, came not
Bilhop yet behind
ded him. And when that Storm was over, he Bellarmine for the extenfion of his
Charity. To
with feveral other worthy Miniflers, came to be give Inftances of his, even over-doing
Liberality,
wholly fiienced in another, that was raifed upon would be to do it Injuries ; for indeed
they were
Complaints made by one Mr. Bird, unto
the innumerable He afted as if the Primitive A-
:
Bifliop of Norwich againft them. Concerning greement of having all Things in common, had
this /// Bird, there happened one paffage here- been of all Things the moft
agreeable un-
,
Mr.Wilfon a Vifit,
nion, fafely recovered, gave
with an Account of it. Recovered! fays Mr. When as the Poor want Succour, where a he
Tou are miflaken, Mr. Doctor ; he's a Can fay, all can be /aid,
WilJ'n/i, Extempore ?
dead Man ! The Do&or anfwered, If ever I re Vie with the Lightning, and melt down to th'
covered a fick Man in my Life, that Man is re- quick
covered. But Mr. Wilfon replied, No, Mr. Their Souls, and make themfelves their Pockets
Doclor, fas a dead Man, hefhall not live Mark :
pick ? m
my Words.! The Do£lor imiled but for all that,
-,
Where's fuch a Leader, thus hat got the flight
before they parted, the News was brought them, T' teach holy Hands to War, Fingers to
right ;
that the Man was dead indeed, and the Lord Their Arrow hit ? Bowels to Bowels meant
it,
known by the Judgment which he executed. But God, Chrift, and Saints, accept, but Wilfon
at laft Mr. Wilfon obtained from the truly No- fent it.
ble Earl of Warwick, to fign a Letter, which the Which way fo e'er the Propofitions move,
Earl bid himfelf to draw up, unto the Bilhop, The Ergo of hts Syllogifms Love.
on his behalf; by the Operation of which Let- So bountiful to all: But if the Poor
ter, his Liberty, for the Exercife
of his Mini- Was Cbrifiian too, all's Money went, andmore,
ftry, was again procured. This Bifhop was the His Coat, Rug, Blanket, Gloves ; he thought
well-known Dr. Harfnet, who a little while their due
after this, travelling Northward, upon Defigns Was all his Money, Garments, one of two.
of Mifchief againft the Reforming Paftors and
Chriftians there, certain Miniftersof the South But he was moft fet upon the Main Bufinefs
fet apart a Day for folemn Falling and Prayer, of this new Plantation ; which was, To
fettle
to implore the Help of Heaven againft thofe and enjoy the Ordinances of the Gqfpel, andWor-
Defigns ;
and on that very Day, he was taken Jhip the Lord Jefus Chrift according to his own In-
with a Sore and an odd Fit, which caufed him ftitutions And
accordingly, he, with the Go-
:
to flop at a blind Houfe of Entertainment on the vernour, and others that came with him on the
Road, where he fuddenly died. fame Account, combined into a Church-State,
J$ 10. At laft, being persecuted in one Country, with all convenient Expedition.
he mujlfiee into another. The Plantation of a § 11. Mr. Wilfon s Removal to New England,
New Engiifh Colony was begun And Mr. Wil- : was rendred the more difficult, by the Indilpofi-
fon, with fome of his Neighbours, embarked tion of his deareft Confort thereunto but he -,
themfelves in the Fleet, which came over thi- hoping., that according to a Dream which he
ther in the Year 1630. Where he applied him- had before his coming hither, That he faw here
felf with with all the Vigor imaginable, to a little
rifing cut of the Ground, which
Temple
encourage the poor People, under the Difficul- by Degrees increafed into a very high and large
ties of their New Plantation. This good People Dimenfions, the Lord had a Temple to build in
buried near Two hundred of their Number, thefe Regions ; refolved never to be difcoura-
within a Quarter of a Year after their firft ged from his Undertaking. Wherefore having
Landing which caufed Mr. Wilfon particularly
•,
firft fent over an
encouraging Account of the
to endeavour their Confolation, by preaching good Order, both Civil and Sacred, which now
on Jacob's not being difheartned by the Death began to be eltablifhed in the Plantation, he did
of his neareft Friends in the way, when God himfelf return into England, that he might- fur-
had called him to remove. And how remarka- ther purfue the Effeft thereof ; and accordingly
forrowtul Farting they now had from their old loft by a large Leak fprang in the Ship, if
Friends in Sudbury, but a fafe and quick paffage God had not, on a Day of Solemn Fafting,
over the Atlantic and whereas the Church of
-,
and Prayer, kept on board for tnar pulpoie,
that he arrived not at the mercifully dilcovered this dangerous Leak unto
Bofton, obferving
time expelled, had fet apart a Day of Humilia- them.
tion on his behalf, his joyful Arrival before the §15. That Phtsnix of his Age, Dr. A
Dav,caufed them to turn it into a Day ofThankf would lay. That if he might have
giving. But Mrs. Wilfon being thus perfwaded the beft Condition that he could propound .
over, into the Difficulties of an American De himfelf on -this fide Heaven, h would lk^ .'.
fart, I have heard, that her Kinfman, old Mr. might be the Teacher of a Congregate nal Chunb
Dod, for her Confolation under thole Difficul- whereof Mr. Wilfon jhquld be the Fafiwr: This
ties, did fend
her a Prefenr, with an Advice, Happinefs, this Priviledge, now had Mr. Cotton
which he had in it, fomething of Cunofity. He in the Church of
Bojion. But Satan envious at
fent her, at the fame time, a Brafs Counter, a the Profperity of thatfkmrifhiug Church, railed
Silver Crown, and a Gold Jacobus all of them -,
aStorm of Axlinomian, and Familiftical Errors,
feverally wrapped up : With this InftrucVion which had like to have thrown all into in ir-
unto the Gentleman who carried it : That he recoverable Confuiion, if the good God had not
fhould firft of all deliver only the Counter, and remarkably blefTed the Endeavours ot
a Synod -,
his whole Prefent, and the annexed Advice ; of when one asked, What fhall be done with
which luth in a good Meafure been accom- them ? The wonted Zeal of Mr. Wi'fon made
plifhed. Anfwer, Let them go to the Devil of
this blunt
§ 12. It was not long Mr. Wilfon 's Hell, from whence they came.
before
Return to England once more, was obliged by In the midft of thefe Temptations alfo, he
the Death of his Brother, whofe Will, becaufe was by a Lot, chofen to accompany the Forces,
it bequeathed a Legacy of a Thoufand Pounds then fent forth upon an Expedition againft the
unto New-England, gave Satisfaction unto our Pequod Indians ; which he did with fo much
Mr. Wilfon, tho' it was otherwife injurious unto Eaith and Joy, that he profeffed himi'dt' <u fully
himfelf. A Tedious and Winter- Voyage he now fatkfied, that God would give the Englifh a Vi-
had ; being twice forced into Ireland, where tlory over thoje Enemies, as if he had Jccnjhe
firft at Galloway, then at Kingjale, afterwards at Victory already obtained. And the whole Coun-
Bandon- Bridge, he occafionally, but vigorouily try quickly fhared with him in theConfolations
and fuccefslully ferved the Kingdom of God. At of that remarkable Victory.
lilt he got fate among his old friends at Sudbu- § 14. In the Wildernefs he met with his Dif-
ry , according to the Prediction which he had let ficulties ; for beiides the lots of Houles, divers
fall in his former Earewel unto them ; It way be times by Eire, which yet he bore with fuch a
John Wilfon may come and fee Sudbury once a- cheerful Submifiion, that once one that met him
gain. From whence, vifiting Mr. Naihanael on the Road, informing of him, Sir, I have J ad
Rogers, at AJfington, where he arrived before News for you ; while you have beer, abroad, your \
their Morning Prayers , Mr. Rogers asked him Houfe h burnt. His firft Anfwer was, Blejfed
to fay fomething upon the Chapter that was be God : He has burnt this Houjo, becaufe he in-
read, which happened then to be the firft Cha tends to give me a better. (Which accordingly
in the firft Book of Chronicles ; and from a came to pafs.J
fter
Paragraph of meer proper Naurs, that feemed He was alio put upon complying with the-In-
altogether barren of any edifying Matter, he dinations of his Eldoft Son to Travel who ac- -,
raifed fo many fruitful and ufeful Notes, that a cordingly travelled, firft into Holland, then into
pious Peribn then prefenr, amazed therear,could Italy, where he proceeded a Doffor of Ph-
have no reft, without going over into America and fo returned into England, excellently un-
after him. Having difpatched his Affairs in adorned with all Che Accomplithrnerts oi a molt
England, he again embarked for New England, pious and ufeful Gentleman. - But this worthy
in
Company with four Minifters, and near two Perfon died about the Year 10^8. And this b 1
hundred Palfengers, whereof fome were Perfons ftencd the Do :th of his C '!'•- Year
came
+6 The Hiftory of New-Fngland, Book III.
came about ;
which more than Doubled the Preached (Nov. 16. 1655.) and one who writ
§ 15. In his Younger Time, he had been But though he were thus, like John, a Son of
ufed unto a more Methodical way of Preaching, Thunder againft Saducers, yet he was like that
and was therefore admired above many, by no Blefled and Beloved Apoltle alfo, all made up
lefs Auditors than Dr. Goodwin, Mr. Burroughs, of Love. He was full of AffeUion, and ready-
and Mr. Bridge, when they travelled from to help and relieve and comfort the Diftreffed-^
Cambridge into Effex, on purpofe to obfervethe his Houfe was Renowned for Hofpitality, and
Minilters in that County ; but after he became his Purfe was continually emptying it felt into
a Paflor, joined with fuch Illuminating Teach- the hands of the Needy : From which Difpofi-
ers, he gave himfelf a Liberty to
Preach more tion of Love in him, there once happened this
after the Primitive Manner; without any di- Paffage when he was beholding a great Mu-
•,
itincF Propofitions, but chiefly in Exhortations tter of Souldiers, a Gentleman then prefent
and Admonitions, and good wholefome Councils, faid unto him, Sir, V 11 tell you a great Thing ;
rending to excite good Motions in the Minds here's a mighty Body of People, and there is not
of his Hearers ; (but upon the fame Texts that Seven of them all, but what lovesMr. Wilfon ;
were Do&rinally handled by his Colleague in- but rhat Gracious Man prefently and plealant.
ftantiy before:) and yet fometimes his Pafto- ly replied, Sir, Vll tell you as good a Thing as
ral Difcourfes had fuch a Spirit in them, that that, here's a mighty Body of People, and there
Mr. Shepard would fay, Methinks I hear an is not fo much en one of them all, but Mr. Wil-
Apcfik^ zvhen I hear this Alan ! Yea, even one fon loves him. Thus he did, by his own Exam-
of his Ex Tempore
Sermons, has been fince his ple, notably Preach that Leflbn, which a Gen-
Death, counted worthy to be publilhed unto tleman found in the Anagram of his Name,
the World. The Great Lefture of Bofton, be- Wifh no one ill : And thus did he continue, to
ing difappointed of him, that Ihould have Do every one good, until his Death gave the.
Preached it, Mr. Wilfon Preached that Le&ure fame Gentleman Occafion thus to Elegize upon
on a Text occuring in the Chapter that had been him :
caufe to be Dreamed; from whence he gave a Since one more's added to their Sacred Quire;
Seafonable Warning unto the People a gainft Wilfon the Holy, whofe Good Name doth frill,-
the Dreams, wherewith fundry forts of Opini- In Language Sweet, bid us [Wifh no 111.']
onilfs, have been endeavouring to led uce them.
It wss the laft Bofton Lecfure that ever he
§1!
Book III. The Hiftory of New-Fngland.
§ 17. He was one, that confulting not
only The Evening before he died, his Daughter ask-
his own Edification, but
the Encouragement ing him, Sir, Hov: do you do? He held up his
of the Miniftry, and of Religion, with an In- and laid, Vanifhing Things! Vanifhing
hand,
defatigable Diligence
vifited the Congregations Things'. But he then made a paoft affectionate
of the Neighbouring Towns, at their Weekly Prayer, with and for his Friends and lb quiet-
-,
teSures, until the Weakneffes of Old Age ren- ly tell Afleep on Auguft 7. 667.
1 in the Seventy
dered him uncapable. And it was a delightful Ninth Year of his Age. Thus expired that Re-
to fee upon every Recurring Oppor- verend Old Man: Of whom, when he left
thing then
tunity, a large Company of Chriftians, and England, an Eminent Peribnage, laid, New-
even Magiftrates and Minifiers among them, England fhall flour ijh, free from all General
and Mr. Wilfon in the Head of them, vifiting Defo/ations, as long as that good Man liveth in
the Lcffures in all the Vicinage, with fuch Hea- it ! Which was comfortably accomplifhed. He
venly Difcourfes
on the Road, as caufed the was Interred with more than ordinary Solem-
Hearts of the Difciples to burn within them : nity and his Neighbour Mr. Richard Mather
-,
And indeed it was remarked, That though the of Dorchefter, thereat lamented the Publick
Chriftians then fpent lefs Time in the Shop, or Lofs in his Departure, with a Sermon upon
Field,than they do now, yet they did in both prof Zech. 1. 5. Tour Fathers where are they, and
for Mr. Wilfon}. am faying,That the Prophets, do they live for ever ?
per more. But
a Lefture was a Treafure unto hirr^ he Priz'd § rp. Being a Man of Prayer, he was very
he fought it, until Old Age at length brought much a Man of God ; and a certain Prophetical
it,
with it a Sicknefs, which a long while confin'd Afflatus, which often direefs the Speeches of
him. In this Illnefs he took a Solemn Farewel fuch Men t did fometimes remarkably appear in
of the Minifiers, who had their Weekly Meet- the Speeches of this Holy Man. Inttances
ings at his Hofpitable Houfe, and were now hereof have been already given. A few more
come together from all parts, at the Anniver- fhall now be added.
fary Elettion for
the Government of the Colony. Beholding a Young Man extraordinarily Du-
They asked him to declare folemnly, what he tiful in all poflible ways of being
ferviceable,
be the Sins, which provoked the unto his aged Mother, then Weak in Body, and
thought might
Difpleafure of God againft the Country. Poor in Eftate, he declared unto fome of his
Whereto his Anfwer was, I have long feared Family what he had beheld adding there-
•,
al Sins Whereof, one, he faid, was Co- withal, I charge you to take notice of what I
fever j
"That when People as Corah fay ; God will certainly blefs that Toung Man $
rife up
rahijm -, is,
" as took
if too John Hull (for that was his Name) fhall grow
againft their Minifters y they
V much upon them, when indeed they do but Rich, and live to do God good Service in his
" rule for Chrift, and according to Chrift yet Generation! It came to pafs accordingly, That
•,
" it is nothing for a Brother to ftand up and this Exemplary Perfon became a
very Rich, as
" without Scripture or Reafon, the well as Emphatically a Good Man, and after-
oppofe,
" Word of an Elder, wards died a Magiflrate of the Colony.
faying [lamnot fatisfied!]
f And hence, if he do not like the Adminiftra- When one Mr. Adams, who waited on him
" tion from Hartford unto Weathersfield, was follow-
(be it Baptifm or the like) he will turn
" his back
upon God and his Ordinances, and ed with the News of his Daughter's being fal-
" len fuddenly and doubtfully fick, Mr. Wilfon
go away. And for our Neglecf: of Baptifing
" the Children of the fome
Church, thofe that looking up to Heaven, began mightily to wre-
" call Grand-
children, I think God is
provoked file with God for the Life of the Young Wo-
B Another Sin I take to be man Lord (Taid he) wilt thou now lake away
:
by it. (faid he)
w the and not to Servants Child, when thou feefi he is attend-
making light of, fubjefting thy
" the on
Authority of Synods, without which the ing thy Poor unworthy Servant in mofl Chri-
<c
Churches cannot long fubfift. fiian Kindnefs Oh ! do it not ! And then turn-
•,
§ 18. Afterwards, having folemnly with ing himfelf about unto Mr. Adams, Brother
Prayer, and Particularly and very Prophetically (faid he J
/ trufil your Daughter fhall live, I be-
Bleffed his Relations and Attendants, he now lieve in God fke fhall recover of this Sicknefs !
Tr-
ill
thus comforted himfelf, I /hall e'er long be And fo it marvelloufly came to pafs, and fhe
with my old Friends, Dr. Prefion, Dr. Sibs, is now the fruitful Mother of feveral defireable
Dr. Taylor, Dr. Gouge, Dr. Ames, Mr. Cotton, Children.
Mr. Norton, my Inns of Court Friends, and my A Peauot Indian, in a Canoo, was efpied by
Confort, Children,
Grand- children in the King the Englifh, within Gunfhot, carrying away
dom of God. And when fome then prefent an Englifh Maid, with a Defign to Deftroy her
magnified God for making him a Man of fuch or Abufe her.
The Souldiers fearing to kill the
Ufe, and lamented themfelves in their own
Maid if they (hot at the Indian, asked. Mx.Wilfori'%
Lofs of him, he replied, Alas, Alas-, Ufe no Counfel, who
forbad them to fear, and allured
Suffer'd,
Church there
•, Whereupon Mr. Wilfon told the
When his own hands his Only Darling otter d, Council, he was confident, That the Jealoufy of
In whom was bound up all his Joy in this God wouldfet a Mark upon that Man, and that
Life prefent, and bis hope of future Biifs ? the ordinary Death of Men fhould not bejal him.
And what if God their Other Children Call, It happened fhortly after, that the Man was
it fhould be barbaroufly Butchered by the Salvages !
Second, Third, Fourth, fuppofe
AIL? While Mr. Wilfon was Minifter of Sudbury
What's this to Holy Job, his Trials fad, in England, there was a noted Peribn who had
Who neither thefe nor t'other Comforts had ? been abfent for fome while among the Papilis.
His Life was only given him for a Prey,
This Man returning Home, offered himfelf to
Yet all his Troubles were to Heaven the way; the Communion ; whereat Mr. Wilfon in the open
Yea to far Greater Bleflings on the Earth, Affembly, fpoke unto him after this manner ;
"
The Lord rewarding all his Tears with Mirth. Brother, you here prefent your felf, 3S if you
" would
partake in the Holy Supper of the
" Lord.
And behold, as if that he had been a Vates, You cannot be ignorant ol what you
in both Senfes of it, a Poet and a Prophet, it
'•
have done in withdrawing your lelf from our
"
God afterwards to give his Daughter a Communion, and how" you have been much
pleas'd "
a Third, and a Fourth Child, and then converfant for a confiderable while, with the
Seeond, "
to take them all away at once, even in one Papiffs, whofe Religion is Antichriftian.
"
Fortnights time; but afterwards, happily
to Therefore, though we cannot fo abfolutely
"
make up the Lois. charge you, God knows, who is the Searcher
"
Once paffing over the Ferry unto a Letture, of all Hearts ; and if you have defiled your
"
on the other fide of the Water, he took no- felf with their Worfhip and Way, and not
"
tice of a Young Man in the Boat, that worded
" repented
of it, by offering to partake at this
it very unhandfomely unto his Aged Father : time in the Holy Supper with us, you will
u eat and
Whereat this Faithful Seer, being much trou- drink your own Damnation ; but if
" are clear, and have nothing wherewith
bled, faid unto him, Young Man, I advife you " you
to repent of your Undutiful Rebellious Carriage to charge your felf; you your felf know,
" on this account up-
towards your Father J expeU elfe to hear, that
-, you may receive. The Man
God Ihif cut you off, before a Twelve-month come did then partake at the Lord's Table, profefling
to an End ! And before this time expired, it his Innocency. But as if the Devil had entered
came to pafs, that this unhappy Youth going into him, he foon went and hanged himfelf.
to the Southward, was their hack'd in pieces, In the Circumftances of his own Children, he
mighty hot upon a Project of removing to Pro- into the Countries, which the Bloody Popifh
vidence, an Ifland in the Weft-Indies -,
and a Ve- Inquifition has made a Clime too Torrid for a
nerable Affembly of the Chief Magiftrates, and Froteftant, was extreamly expofed: But the
Mimfters in the Colony, was addreffedfor their Prayers of the young Gentleman's continually
Council about this undertaking ; which Affem- diftreffed Father, for him, were anfwered with
bly laid
before the Company very weighty Rea- Signal Prefervations. When he was under
fons to diffwade them from it. A Prime Ring- Examination by the Inquifitors , a Friend of
leader in that Bufinefs, was one Venner a Coo- the Chief among them, fuddenly arrived •,
and
per of Salem, the Mad Blade, that afterwards the Inquifitor not having feen this Friend for
in a Nonfenfical Uproar, which he, many Years before, was hereby fo diverted and
perifhed
with a Crew of Bedlamites, pofTeffed like him- mollified, that he carried the Young Mr. Wil-
felf, made in London. This Venner, with fon to Dinner with him and, though he had -,
fome others, now flood up and faid. That not- palled hitherto unknown by his true Name, yet
mthftanding what had been offered, they were this Inquifitor could now call him, to his great
clear in their Call to remove : Whereupon, Mr. Surprize, by the Name of Mr. Wilfon, and re-
Wilfon (food up and anfwered, Ay, do you come port unto him the Chancier of his Father, and
to ask Counfel in
Jo weighty a matter as this, his Fathers Induftry in ferving the Hereticks
and to have Help from an Ordinance of God in it ? of New-England. But that which I here mod
And are you aforehand refolved, that you will go of all defign, is an Account of a thing yet more
on? Well, you may go, if you will ; but you (hall Memorable and Unaccountable. For, at ano-
not profper. What ? Do you make a Alock of ther Time, his Father dream't himfelf tranfpor-
God's Ordinance ? And it came to pafs according- ted into Italy, where he faw a Beautiful Per-
ly , the Eiuerprize was not long after dafhed in fon in the Son's Chamber, endeavouring with a
pieces -,
and Venner's precipitating hnpulfes, Thoufand Enchantments, to debauch him;
afterwards carried him to a miferable End, I
whereupon the Old Gentleman made, and was
by
Book ill. The Hiftory of I\ew- England. 45>
by his Bed-fellow overheard making, firft, Pray- Thefe were Extrordinary Paffages ; Many of
ers toGod full of Agony, and then Warnings them, are things which Ordinary Chriftians may
unto his Tempted Son, to beware of Defiling more fifely Ponder and Wonder, than Expell in
himfelfwith the Daughter of a Strange God. CW-Days Though fometimes Great Reformers,
!
New, fome confiderable while after this, the and Great Sufferers, muft be fignalized with
Young Gentleman writes to his Father, that on them. I know very well what fays, Da Livy
fuch a Night, (which was upon Enquiry found tur hxc Venia Antiauitaik, ut mifcendo Humana
the veryfameNight &
Gentlewoman had careffed Divink, Primordia Urbium Augufiiora faciat :
into the Street-,, from whence he was taken up was uled as long ago at leaft as the
Days of
for Dead, and fo battered and bruifed and Old Lycophron: And which fometimes has af
bloody with his Fall, that it tfruck Horror in- forded Reflections very Monitory, as Alftedius
to the Beholders But Mr. Wilfon had a won- by his juft Admirers changed into Sed'ulita*
:
-,
derful Return of his Prayers in the Recovery of or very Char ailerifing, as Renal us Cartefim, by
the Child, both unto Life and unto Senfe ; his Difciples turn'd into, Tufcis res Nature-,
infomuch, that he continued unto Old Age, a or very Satyr teal, as when Satan ruleih me, was
Faithful, Painful, Ufeful Minifler of the Go- found in the Tranfpofed Name of a certain
fpel; and but lately went from the Service of Aclive Perfecutor: And when, Lo, a Damned
the Church in Medfield, unto the Glory of the Crew, was found in the Name of one that made
Church Triumphant. among the Popiifi Plotters againft the
a Figure
After Mr. Wilfon's Arrival at New-England, Nation. Yea, 'tis poffible, that they who affeft
his Wife, who had left off bearing of Children fuch Grammatical Curiofities, will be
willing
for many Years, brought him another Daugh- to plead a of much higher and El-
Prescription
ter which Lamb was indeed unto him as a
-,
der Antiquity for them ; even the Temurah, or
Daughter and he would prefent her unto other
•,
Mutation, with which the Jews do Criticife
Minifters, for their Blefling, with great Affe- upon the Oracles of the Old Teftament. There,
ftion, faying, This is my New-England Token I they fay, you'll find the Anagram of our Firft
But this Child fell fick of a Malignant Fever, Fathers Name Ha adam, to exprefs Adamah, the
wherein fhe was gone fo far, that every one Name of the of the Earth, whence he had his
defpaired of her Life except her Father, who Original.
-,
An Anagram of a Good Signification,
called in feveral Minifters, with other Chri- they'll fhow you [Gen.<5.8.] and of a Bad one
ftians, unto a Faft on that Occafion ; and hear- [Gen. 38. 7.] in thofe Glorious Oracles ; and
ing the Prayers of Mr. Cotton for her, found they will endeavour to perfwade you, that
his Heart fo raifed, that he confidently decla- Maleachi in Exodut in
Anagrammatically ex-
red, While I heard Mr. Cotton at Prayer, I was pounded Michael, in Daniel. But of all the
confident the Child fhould Live ! And the Child Anagrammatizers that have been trying their
accordingly did Live yea, fhe is to this Day Fancies, for the Two Thoufand Years which
•,
alive, a very Holy Woman, adorned like them of have run out, fince the Days of Lycophron,
Old Time, with a Spirit of Great Price yea, or for the more than Five Thoufand, fince
!
The BleJJings pronounced by Mr. Wilfon, upon the Days of our Firft Father, I believe there never
many Perfons and Affairs, were obferved fo was Man, that made fo many or fo nimbly, as
Prcphetical,and dpecially his Death-bed Bleflings our Mr. Wilfon who, together with his Quick
-,
upon his Children and Grand-children werefo, Turns, upon the Names of his Friends, would
that the mo(t confiderable Perfons in the Coun- and rather than Lofe, would
ordinarily Fetch,
try thought it not much to come from far, and even Force Devout InftruSions out of his Ana-
bring their Children with them, for the Enjoy- grams. As once, upon hearing my Father preach
ment of his Patriarchal BenediUions. For which a Sermon about The Glories of our Lord
Jefuf
caufe, Mr. Thomas Shepard, in an Elegy upon Chrifi, Mr. Wilfon immediately gave him" that
him, at his Death Pathetically thus expreffed it , Anagram upon his Name, Crefcentius Matherut,
Anagr. En ! Chriftus Merces tua : So there
Whofo of Abraham, Mofes, Samuel, reads, could fcarcely occurr the Name of any Remar-
Or of Elijah's or Elijba's Deeds, kable Perfon, at leaft, on any Remarkable Oc-
Would furely fay, Their Spirit and Power was cafion unto him, without an Anagram raifed
his, thereupon ; and he made this Poetical, and
And think there were a Metempfychofts. Peculiar Difpofition of his Ingenuity, a Subjeft
As Aged John, th' Apolfle us'd to Blefs whereon he grafted Thoughts far more Solid
The People, which theyjudg'd their Happinefs, and Solemn and Ufeful, than the Stock it felf.
So did we count it worth our Pilgrimage Wherefore methoughts, it looked like a Piece
Unto him for his Blejf.ng, in his Age. of that his own Funeral produced
Injuftice,
G g g 2 amnog
So The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
no more Anagrams upon his Name, who had exprelfed his Bounty to them, he would then
fo often thus handled the Names of others ; and bellow upon them fuch gracious Admonitions
fome thought the Mufes look'd very much dif- and Exhortations, as made them to become in-
'
Johannes Wiljonus. fing it, he would reply, What ! fuch a poor vile
Anagr. Creature an I am ! Shall my Future be drawn f
In uno Jcfu, nos Sa/vi. Ifay, A o;
r
it never Jhall ! And when that Gen-
thy Men ; for his low Opinion of himfelf, was be made up with feveral exprefiive PaiTages,
the top of all his other Excellencies. His Hu- which I find in Elegies written and printed upon
mility not only caufed him to prefer rhe meaneft his Death Whereof rhere were many Com po-
:
of his Brethren above himfelf, but alfo to com- led, by thofe whofe Opinion was well figniried
ply with the meaneft Opportunities of being by one of them :
ferviceable. He might
juftly
be reckoned the
Names fake of that John, the Bifhop of Alexan- Sure Verfelefs he does mean, to's Grave to go,
dria, who was called not only Johannes Elee- And well delerves,that now no Verfe canjhovs.
mofyndrius, but alfo Humilis Johannes. Hence
'twas, that when his Voice
in his Age did fo But waving the reft, let the following Poem,
fail him, that his great Congregation could be never before Printed, offer fome Odours for the
no longer edified by his Publick Labours, he Reader's further Entertainment.
cheerfully and painfully fet himfelf to do all
the good that he could by his Private Vifits -,
Some Offers to Embalm the Memory of the truly
and fuch alfo as he could not reach with Ser- Reverend and Renowned JOHN WILSON ;
mons, he often found with Verfes : Hence 'twas thefrji Pajior of Bofton, in New-England
:
that when that Piea was ufed with the Church Interr'd(and agreat part of his Country's Glory
of Ipfwich, to refign Mr. Norton unto the Church with him) Auguft n. 1667. Aged 79.
oiBoflon, after the Death of Mr. Cotton ; be
caufe it was faid, Let him that hath two Coats, Aaron's Rod (fuch funerals mayn't
give to him that hath none : And a Perfon of Mighthe dry)
Quality replied, Bo/lon hath one, (meaning Mr. But broach the Rock, 'twould gufh pure Elegy,
Wilfon .] this good Man anfwered, Who ? Me ! To round the Wildernefs with purling Lays,
I am nothing ! Yea, hence 'twas, that when And tell the World, the great Saint Wilfon's
Malefa&ors had been openly fcourged upon the Praife,
]uft
Sentence of Authority, be would prefently
Here's
Book III. the Hifiory of New-England. 5*
Here's ons(P ear Is are not in great Clutters found) He travers'd oft the fierce Atlantic Sea,
Here's one, the Skill of Tongues and Arts had But Patmos of Confr/Jbrs 'twas for Thee
Crown'd ;
This Voyage lands him on the wifhed Shore,
Here's one (by frequent Martyrdom was try'd) From whence this Father will return no more,
That could forego Skill, Pelf, and Life befide, To fit the Moderator of thy Sages.
For Chrilt Both England* Darling, whom in
: But tell his Zeal for thee to After-Ages,
Swarms His Care to guide his Floc/:,avA feed his Lambs,
They preis'd to fee, and Hear, and felt his By Words, Works, Prayers, Pfalms, Alms, and
Charms. Anagrams :
Thofe Anagrams, in which he made no Start
'Tis one (when will it rife to Number two ? Out of meer Nothings, by Creating Art,
The World at once can but one Phivnix mow:,) Whole Words of Counfel did to Motes unfold -,
For Truth a Paul, Cephas for Zeal, for hove Names, till they Leffons gave richer than Gold,
A John, infpir'd by
the Cceleftial Dove. And every Angle fo exactly fay,
Abram's true Son for Faith and in his Tent -,
It fhouldout-fhine the brighteit Solar Ray.
Angels oft had their Table and Content.
Sacred his Verfe, writ with a Cherub's Quill -,
So humble, that alike on's Charity, But thole wing'd Chorifters of ion-Hill, Z
Wrought Extracl Gent ; with Extracl Rudii. Pleas'd with the Notes,czll'd him a part to bear.-
Pardon this Fault his great Excefs lay there,
-,
With them, where he his Anagram did hear, I
He'd Trade for Heaven, with all he came a near ; I
pray come in, heartilyWclcome, Sir. 3
His Meat, Clothes, Cafh, he'd ftill tor Ventures
fend —
Confign'd, Per Brother Lazarus, his Friend.
Chrifl'sWord, it was his Life, Chriji's Church, To which this might be added, from
his Care -, y \
another Hand :
j
Not Heat,nor Cold,not Rain, or Froft, or Snow, Aurea,qu<jc (obflupeo referens.!) Primdva Vetuftas j
Could hinder, but he'd to their Sermons go Condidit Arcano, Saxula Apoftolica,
:
Aaron's Bells chim'd from far,he'd run, and then Officii*, Domfijue itidem SanBijfimus Heros,
His ravifh'd Sould echo'd, Amen, Amen ! WILSONUS, tacit is Protulit Ex Tenebris,
1
. H 1 11
CHAP. IV.
thd' not a Brother (as a certain Woodden Hiftori- where there was moft want of fuch a Miniitry.
an, in his Athene Oxonienfes, has reported) yet The Divines concerned in this Defign, were Dr.
a Kin/man of that SanHa Clara, who was among Gouge, Dr. Sibs, Mr. Offspring, and our Mr. Da-
die mo ft
eminent Puritans or" thofe Days and -, venport , and fuch an incredible Progrels was
this was our holy and famous Mr. John Daven- made in it, that it is judged, all the Impropriati-
port : One of whom I may, on many Accounts,
on? in England would have been
honeftly and
ufe the Elogy, with which the Learned ftill eafily recovered unto the immediate Service of
mention Salmafius, Vir nunquam fatis Laudatus,the Preformed Religion. But Bifhop Laud look-
nee Ten/ere fine Laudc nominandus. ing with a jealous Eye on this Undertaking,
§ 2. Mr. John Davenport was born at Coven- leatt it might in time give a Secret Growth to
try, in the
Year 1597. of worthy Parents ; a Noh-Conformity, he obtained a Bill to be exhi-
hither who was Mayor of the City, and a pious bited in the Exchequer Chamber, by the King's
Mother, who having lived juft long enough, to Attorney-General, againlt the Feoffees, that had
devote him, as Hannah did her Samuel, unto the Management of it. Upon this occafion, I
the Service of the Sanffuary, left him under the find this Great Man' writing in his Great Eible>
more immediate Care of Heaven to fit him for the enfuing Paffages :
London, as an Aififtant unto another Divine •, gave. Which feeing he hath gracioully done,
where his notable Accomplifhments for a Mini- and delivered me from the thing I feared, I
Jier, and his Couragious Refidence with, and record to thefe Ends :
Jion
:
He, when he dy'd, left his Notes with mous Mr. John Cotton was fallen under fuch a
Mr. Davenport, by him to be published ; and Storm of Perfecution for his Non-Conformity, as
accordingly with Dr. Sibbs, you'll find Mr. Da- made it
neceffary for him to propofe and pur-
venport ligning fome of their Dedications. pofe a Removal out of the Land Whereupon ;
§4. About the Year 1626. there were feveral Mr. Davenport, with feveral other great and
eminent Perfons, among whom were two DoUors good Men, confidering the eminent Learning,
of Divinity, with two other Divines, and four Prudence, and Holinefs of that excellent Perfon,
could be at no reft, until they had by a folemn
Lawyers, whereof one the King's Serjant at
Law, and four Citizens, whereof one the Lord Conference inform'd themfelves of what might
Mayor of London, engaged in a Defign to pro- move him to fuch a Refolution. The Iflue of
cure a Purchafe of Impropriations, and with the the Conference was, that inftead of their diflwa-
Profits thereoi to maintain a conftant, able, and ding him from expofing himfelf to fuch Suffer-
painful Miniitry, in thofe parts of the Kingdom, ings, as were now before him, he convinced
their,
Book lllT The Hijlory of New-England. 53
them of the Truth in the Gw/?. for which he fuf an Hour after the Publick Sermons were over.
fered ; and they became fatisfied both of the But fome confiderable number of People, .;;
Evil in fundry Matters of Worjhip and Order, length, reforting to this Exercife, a Jealoufie
and of the Duty which lay was pretended by his Adverfary, that the De-
impofed upon them,
upon them, in their places to endeavour theRe fign of it was to promote i'ach Sects, as in
of in the Church, according to the chief Defign of it was to prevent ; and upon
formation things
the Word of God. Mr. Davenport's Inclination this pretence he was hindered, even from this
to Non Conformity from this time, fell under the leifer Opportunity of doing Service alio. The
Notice and Anger of his Diocefan ; who pre- fuller Story of theie uncomfortable and unrea-
Marks of his Vengeance fonable Brangles, the Reader may find in an A-
fently determined the
for him Of
: which being feafonably and futfi pologetical Difcourfe of Mr. Davenports, pub-
he convened the principal lished for his own Vindication wherein he do's
ciently advertifed, -,
Peribns under his Paftoral Charge in Coleman- with a Learned Pen, handle feveral Points much
at a General Vejiry, defiling them on controverted in the Reformed Churches , and
fireet,
this occafion to declare,what they would ad- (hew himfelf a Divine well ftudied in the Con-
troverfies of the prefent, and the former Ages.
vife , acknowledging the Right which they
for
had in him, as their Faifor, he would nor, by But the Llpfhotof all was, that he returned back
which to London where he told his Friends, That he
any danger, be driven from any Service, -,
lafety but by retiring into Holland. Ground in Reformation, after and beyond the
Over to Holland he went, in the latter Remove of the Reformers. And this Obfer-
§ 6. firfl
end of the Year 1633. Where the Meffengers vation quickned him to embark in a Defign of
of the Church, under the Charge of Mr. Paget, Reformation, wherein he might have Opportu-
met him in his way to Amfterdam, inviting him nity to drive things in ths firlt Effay, as near to
to become the Co'llegue of their Aged Paftor. the Precept and Pattern cf Scripture, as they
But Mr. Davenport had not been long there, be- could be driven. The Plantation of New Eng-
fore his Indifpofition to the promifcuous Bapti- land afforded him this Opportunity, with the
fing of Children, concerning
whom there was no chief Undertakers whereof he had many Con-
charitable or tolerableTeftxmony of their belong- fultations, before he had ever taken up any pur-
lb pofe of going himfelf into that part of the
ing to Cbrifiian Parents, was by Mr. Paget
improved againft him, as to procure him the World ; and he had, indeed, a very great ltroke
Difpieafure of the Dutch Gaffes in the Neigh- in the encouraging and enlivening of that Noble ,
bourhood. The Contention on this Occahon Undertaking. He was one of thofe by whom
proceeded fo far, that tho' the D/z/yZ> Minifters the Patent for the Majfachufet Colony
was pro-
had under their Hands declared We defire cured and tho' his Name were not among the
•,
nothing more, than that Mr. Davenport, whqfe Patentees, becaufe he himfelf
defired it might
eminent Learning, and fmgular Piety k much be omitted, left his Enemy, the'Bifhop of Lon-
all the Englifh. our don, then of the King's Privy Council, fhould
bpproved and commended of
Brethren, may be lawfully promoted unto the Mi- upon his Account appear the more fiercely a-
nijiry of the Englifh
Church : We do alfo greatly againft it yet his Purfe was in it, his Tw^ was
-,
his good Zeal andCarc, of his having in it, and he contributed unto it all manner
of
approve of
fame precedent private Examination of the Pa- Affiltances This he did before his going to
:
rents, and Sureties of Children to be Baptifed in Holland. And while he was in Holland, he re-
the Cbrifiian Religion. Yet the matter could ceived Letters of Mr. Cotton, from the Country
not be accommodated Mr. Davenport could whereto he had thus been a Father telling him,
-,
-,
not be allowed, except he would promife to That the Order of the Churches, and the Common-
Baptize the Children of fuch whofe Parents and Wealth, was now fo fettled in New-England, by
Sureties were, upon Examination, found never common Confent, that it brought into hh Mind
fo much Un
briftianifed3 Ignorant, or
Scanda- the New Heaven, and the Acw Earth, where-
lous. He
therefore debited from his Publick m Right eoufnejs. Wherefore, foon af-
dwells
Miniftry in Amfierdam, about the beginning of terReturn for London , he fhipp'd him-
his
the Yeat 1635,' contenting himfelf to fet up a felf , with feveral eminent Chriftians, and
Catechetical Exercije in the Family, where he their Families , for New England where, -,
fojourned on the Afternoon of the Lord's Days, by the good Hand of G upon them, D
they
54 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book II J.
they arrived in the Summer of the Year, preffing hisgood Affections unto the Irenio De-
1637. figns and Studies, which were in thole
Days
§ 8. Mr. Cotton welcomed Mr. Davenport, as managing by fome great Men, for the reffo"-
Mo/es did Jetbro, hoping that he would be a* ing of Communion among the divided Churches
Eyes unto them in the Wildernefs. For by the Cun- of the Reformation. Perhaps, I cannot
give an
ning and Malice of Satan, all things in this New- exa&er Chancier of this eminent Perfon's Dif.
r
Englifh H ildcmefs,weK then furprifedjmo a deal my Tranfcribingand myTran-
pofition, than by
of Confufion, on the Occafion of the Antmomianflatingof a few Paffages in a Letter to the Fa-
Opinions then fpread abroad ; but the Learningmous Dury, by him compofed, and by the reft
and Wifdom of this worthy Man in the Synod of the Minifters in his Colony fubferibed.
then affembled at Cambridge, did contribute Flagrante Schifmatis incendio, Ecclefias, qua*
more than a little to difpel the Fafcindting oportebat Artlijfimo Pacts Unitatis Vinculo &
Miffs which had fuddenly difordered all our Colligari, mi/era in fellas Invifa Deo Lacerabat
Affairs. Having done his part in that Bleffed Erinuys Ufque adeo ut qui mutuam contra com- -,
Work, (as we have elfewhere more fully rela- munes Hoftes of em conferrent, proh dolor ! Con-
ted J He, with his Friends, who were more fit certationes Midianiticas invicem agunt ; Sicut
for Zebu Ion's Ports, than for ijfacbar's Tents, Enim Juvenes quos ad Dimicandum Abnerus
choie to go farther Weftward ; where they be- Provocabat, fe mutuis Yulneribus Confecerunt h
gin a Plantation and a Colony, fince diftin- Sic, quorundam Vitio, qui partes potiut agunt
guifhed by the Name of New Haven-, and en- ?nale Difputantium, quam £<?/« Evangelizantium,
deavoured, according to his Underlfanding, a Jurgia, Lites, Ammo rum Divortia r Schijmata
yet ftrifter Conformity to the Word oj God, in Of Scandala, in Ecclefus Evangchcis, Suboriun-
fettling of all Matters, both Civil and Saered, tur, non fine gravi lnfirmorum Offendiculo, nee
than he had yet feen exemplified in any other fine Summo Bonorum Omnium M<erore, ac Jui-
Part of the World. There the Famous Church micorum Evangelic^ Veritatis Obletlamento. —
'
—
of New-Haven, as well as the other Neighbour- While the Fire of Scbifm has been
'
raging,
ing Towns, enjoyed Minifiry, his Difci-
his the Hateful Fury has miferably torn to
'
Pieces,
pline, his Government, and
his Univerfal Di- the Churches that fhould have been held to-
'
rection formany Years together even till after -, gecher in the ftri&eft Bonds of Love and Uni-
'
the Reftoration of King Charles II. Conneilicut ty ; infomuch that they who fhould have
'
and New Haven, were by One Charter incor- united, for mutual Help againft the common
c
porated. An here, with what Holinefs, with
1
Enemy, alas, have even fallen upon one ano-
'
what Watcbfulnefs, with what Ufefulnefs he ther, at in the Day of Midian. As the young
c
is worthy of a Re- Men, upon the Provocation of Abner, wound-
difcharged his Miniftry, it
'
membrance among all that would propofe unto ed one another to Death ; thus, by the Fault
'
themfelves a worthy Example. Neverthelefs, of fome, who do the part rather of Bad
of it, is this One
all that I fhall here preferve -,
fome curious Obfervers, That Mr. Davenport dam effe, Neceffarium Judicarint, En ! Bonorum
himfelf, was well ufed unto that facred Skill omnium Animi, in Spem erefli, Malorum ifiorum
of, Walking with God, and, Having bis Eyes Salutarem Claufulum Expeflant, & Votis inti-
ever towards the Lord, and, Being in the fear mk, Patron Mifericordiarmn Vobifcum invocant,
of the Lord all the Day long, by the ufe of Eja- ut Spirit us fui Gratia, Secundum Verbum Suum,
culatory Prayers, on the Innumerable Occafions, Confilia &
alliones Servorum Suorum dirigere,
which every Turn of our Lives does bring for ad SanQ't Nomims Sui Gloriam dig netur.—-—
'
thofe Devotions. He was not only conftant in But now that the Keeper oflfrael, the God
'
more Settled, whether Social or Secret Prayers -, of Peace, hath put it into the Hearts of ma-
'
but alfo in the midlf of all befieging Incum ny Churches and Rulers, to apprehend it ne-
'
brances, tying the Wifhes of his Devout Soul celfary, that a Cure (hould be fought for thefe
<
unto the Arrows of Ejbculatory Prayers, he Wounds, Behold! The Minds of all Good
'
would fhoot them away unto the Heavens, Men, do with a raifed Hope expe£f an Happy
'
from whence he fiill expefted all his Help. Clofe of thefe Mifchiefs ; and with molt
'
With fuch a Glory} with fuch a Defence, was hearty Prayers, do befeech the Father of
Mer-
'
New Haven Bleffed !
cies, that he would, by the Grace of his
'
ner, unto the Promoting of this Affair, in the deir Friend, rim Great Man, Dr. Thomas Goof
'
c
Communion of Saints invited us, who belong win, perfwaded, That (as he fpeaks) there air
'
to the fame Myiiical Body, with your felves, many Rules in the Word,
ivbereby it is meet for
under One Head, our Lord Jefus Ghrilf
'
us, to judge who are Saints by which Rules thofe
.
Died Vero non eft Orthodoxis impingcn.li, who are betrufted to receive Men unto Orduian
quafi Optatiffmx
illi Paci,
qua inter Sci/fa ces in Churches, are to be guided, andfo toff :
fcvangelicas Ecclefias quxritur, Offendiculum rate between the Precious and the Unclean, as tie
XIj Remoram
pofuerint, qui Neceffitate Poftulante, Priejls of old were enabled and commanded by Ce-
ea ut unt ur Libert ate Refutandi Errores, quam -e mo mal Differences, which God then made lot)
Pax non debet impedire : adeoque fuo Exemplo pifie the like Difcrimi nation Perfons. And of
futuram pacem prxmuniant, a Vitiis in Excefu therefore, making rhe Marks of a repenting and
pojitis. Qiippe quod fincere de Error ib us a believing Soul, given in the Word of God, '.he
Judicare, iff Errores tamen in Fratribus Infirmis Rules of his Tryals, he ufed a more than ordi-
Tolerare, Utrumque Judicamus effe Apoftolicx nary Ex.iftnefs in Trying, thofe that were Ad-
Doffrint Conjonum. Toleratio Vero Eratrum mitted unto the Communion of the Church :
Infirmoruw, non debet effe abfque Re.iargutione, Indeed fo very Thoroughly, and I had almolt laid,
Sed tantum abfque Rejecfione. feverely ftricf-, were the Terms of his Commu-
4
Neverthelefs, 'tis not to be made an Artl nion, and fo much, I had well nigh laid, over-
1
cle of Complaint againft the Orthodox, as if much, were rhe Golden Snuffers of the Sanctua-
'
they would hinder or delay the Peace defired ry employ'd by him in his Exercife of Djfcipline
fo much among the Reformed Churches, be- towatds thofe that were Admitted, that he did
'
*
caufe they do, as Neceifity fhall call for it, all that wrj
pofnbls* to render the Renowned
*
ufe that Liberty of Refuting Errors, which Church of New Haven, like the New ferufalem ;
*
Peace ought to be no Bar unto ; and by their and yer, after all, the Lord him to fee that gave
'
Example, would refcue the future Peace from in this World, it was
impoffible to fee a Church
i the Extremes wherewith it would be reudred State, whereinto there enters nothing zvbich de-
1
Faulty. For we reckon that as well to This Great Man, hath himfllf, in one
files.
'
Judge what things ate Errors, as to bear with of his own Treatifes obferved it, The Officers
'
fuch Errors in Weaker Brethren, are both of and Brethren of the Church, are but Men, who
'
them agreeable to what we have been taught judge by the outward appearance. Therefore
'
by the Apotlles. The Toleration of our Erro- their Judgment is fallible, and hath been decei-
'
neous Brethren, fhoutd not be without Rcbu- ved as we fee in the Judgment of the Apoftles,
-,
1
king, but it fhould be without Reletting of and the Church at Jerufalem, concerning Ananias
1
thole Brethren. and Sapphira ; and in that of Philip, and the
§ io. It is a Notable Expreflion, and a Won Church in Samaria, concerning Simon Magus.
derful Conceflion of that great Cardinal Bella! Their
Duty is to proceed, as far as Men may, by
mine, the laft Goliah of the Romijh Philiftines Rule, with due Moderation and Gentlenefs, to try
Ecclefia ex Intent tone Fideles 'ant urn Colligit,
t &them, who offer themfelves to Fellowfhip, whether
fi noffet Impios iff
incredulos, eos aut nunquam they be Believers or not \ re'jufing known Hypo-
'
admit teret, aut cafu Admijfos Excluder et : The crites ; thtf when they have done all they can,
*
Church (he fays) intentionally gathers only clofe Hypocrites will creep in. And now, I might
4
True Believers, and if fhe knew who were entertain my Reader, I hope, with a profitable,
*
Wicked and Faithlefs, eithet (he would not I am fure, with a very prodigious Hiftory ; I
'
admit them at all, or if they were acciden- will on this occafion, relate moft horrible things
'
tally admitted, fhe would exclude them. Our done in the Land, which this good Man faw, to
Davenport conceiving it a Shame, that any confirm his own Obfervation But I will take a
:
Proteftant fhould proteft for lefs Church Purity, fitter Occafion for it.
than what the ConfelTions of a Learned §n. After rhis, the remaining Days of this
Papift
allow'd e'er he was aware, to be contended for, eminent Perfon, were worn
away under the un-
did now at Newhaven, make Church of a Wildernefs. It fo hap-
Purity happy Temptations
to be one of his greateft Concernments and En-
pened, that the mod part of the firft Church in
deavours. It was his declared That the of the out of
Principle, Bojlon, Metropolis Colony,
mote is required of Men, in order to their be Refpe£t unto his vaft Abilities, had applied
ing Members of an Inftituted Church, than that themfelves unto him, to fucceed thofe famous
they profefs the Chriftian Faith, and ask the Lights, Cotton, and Norton, and Wilfon, who
Vifible Seals of the Covenant in the Fellowfhip having from that Golden Candleflick, illumina-
or the Church ; all which may be done,
by ted the whole Country, were now gone tofhine
Perfons notorioufly fcandalous in their Lives, in an His Removal from New-
higher Orb.
from whom the Command is, Turn : Bur Haven was with many temptatious Dif-
away clogg'd
only fuch Perfons may be received as Members ficulties :
(For, Miraculi inftar, vita her, fi
of a particular who (according to Mat. longum, fine Offenfwne, Percurrere Bur he
Church, :
)
H h h broke
^ The Hlfiory of New-England. Book ill.
broke through them all, in Expectation to do nowned Men to wit, Mr. Hook, and Mr. Ca-
'
what he judged would be a more comprehenfive ryl , give this Atteftation : As touching the
1
Service unto the Churches of New-England,than Author of this Treatife, in whole Heart the
'
could have been done by him, in his now undi- Text was written by the Finger of God, be-
'
On this occafion, if I fhould fore the Difcourfe was Penned by his own
ftinguifhed Colony.
mention that lamentable Obfervation of Old:
Hand his Piety, Learning, Gravity, Expe-
-,
who delivered up their and their to all that know him, than this Work of his
feffors, Body, c
inanity',
and Religion, and vsere continual in I'aji- long fince publifhed, tor the Demonjhation of
in Vert ue ; and our bleffed Jefus, to be the true Mejfias. Not
ings, and in a word, flourijhed
Men were blcmifhed with fome Vice, would I forget a Sermon of his on 2 Sam.
23.3.
yet thefe very
as either they were prone to reproach Men, or at the Anniverfary Court of Election at Bojion,
wbulcl fwcar profanely, or were over talkative, 1669, afterwards publilhed. And among the
cr were prone to Anger, or got Gold and Silver, many Epiltles which he hath prerix'd unto the
or were defied with feme fuch filth ; which ne- Books of other Authors, I know not whether his
detralt not from the jit hi Praifes of excellent Epiltle before Mr-ScuddeSs Daily Walk,
vertheless
their Vertuc. I muit add upon it, that Mr.D<z may nor, for the worth of it, be reckon'd it felf a
venport was a Confeflbr flourifhing in Vertue, Book, as the Book it felf was the Direftory of his
whom that upon the Score of his Re- own Daily Walk. Moreover, there is publilhed a
upon they
moval,were moft of all diffatisfied at him,would Treatife of his under thisTitle,TZv Power of Con-
not yet charge thole unhappy Blemif)es : And gregational Churches in the Preface whereof Mr.
-,
if any good Men in the Sifting Timet, did count Nathanael Mather, (at this time the worthy and
him either too ftrait, or too high, in fome of his well-known Paftor of fuch a Church in the City
Apprehenfions :
Neverthelefs, thefe Things alfo of London) has thefe very Significant Exprclhons
detract not from the juji Praifes of his Vertue. concerning him : Certain it is, the Principles
1 2. So rich a Treafure of the beft Gifts, as held forth in this Treati/e, coji the Reverend Au-
§
was in our Davenport, was well worth covet- thor, not only many Sufferings, bat alfo ?nany,
ing by the considerable!!: Church in
the Land. very many fad Searchings, and much Reading and
He was a moft incomparable Preacher, and a Study, on Jet purpofe, accompanied with manifold
Man of more than ordinary Accomplishments ; Prayers and Cries to the Father of Lights, for
a Prince of Preachers, and worthy to have been Light therein. After all which t he teas more
a Preacher to Princes He had been acquainted
:
confirmed in them, and attained to fuch comfor-
with Great Men, and Great Things, and was table Clearnefs therein, as bore him up with much
Great himfelf, and had a Great Fame abroad inward Peace and Satisfaction, under all his Af-
in the' World ; yea, now he was grown old, fliU'wns, on the Account of his Perfwafon in thefe
like Mofes, his Force ivai not abated. And the Points. And fo perfwaded, lived, and fo died
Character which I remember that old Pagan this grave and ferious Spirited Man. There is
Hiftorian, Diodorus the Sicilian, gave of our likewife publifhed, A
Difcourfe about Civil Go-
Mofes, every Body was ready to give of our vernment, in a New Plantation, whofe Dcfign is
D.ibenport, He wets a Man of a Great Soul, and Religion : In the
Title-Page whereof, the Name
he was by an Apoplexy fetch'd away to that Account given of the things preached and writ-
Glorious World, where theSpirits of Cotton and ten by this Reverend Man, if we do not men-
tion one lingular Favour of Heaven unto him.
Davenport, are together in Heaven, as their Bo-
dies are now in one Tomb on Earth. It is well known, that in the earlieft of the Pri-
§13. His conftant and various Employments mitive Times, the Faithful did in a literal Sence,
otherwife, would not permit him to leave ma- believe the Second Coming of the Lord Jefus
ny Printed Effects of his Judicious Induftry, be Chrilt,and the Rifing and Reigning of the Saints
fides thole few already mentioned : Altho' he with him, a thoufand Years before the reft of the
were fo clofe and bent a Student, that the rude Dead live again : A Doctrine , which however
Pagans themfelves took much Notice of it, and fome of later Years have counted it Heretical;
the Indian S-ilvages in the Neighbourhood , yet, in the Days of lrenxus, was quellion'd
would call him, So Big Study Man. Only thereby none but fuch as were counted Here(icks.
Tis evident from Juftin Martyr, that this Do-
is in the Hands of the Faithful, a Savory Trea-
'
ctrine of the Chiliad, was in his Days embraced,
tife of his, entituled, The Saints Anchor-hold;
in the Preface whereof, a Duumvirate of Re- among all Orthodox Chriftians ; nor did this
King-
Book Hi. The Hiftory of New-England 57
Kingdom of our Lord, begin to be doubted, un- fay? into and both preach'd and wrote thofe
it,
til the Kingdom of Antichrift began to advance very things, about the Future State, the Coming
into a confiderable Figure ; and then it fell of the Lord, the Calling of the
Jews, and the
chiefly under the Reproaches
of fuch Men, as Firft and Second of the Dead,
Refurretlion
were fain to deny the Divine Authority of the which do now of late Years get more ground
Book of Revelation, and of the Second Epiftle againft the oppofition of the otherwife minded,
of Peter. He is a Stranger to Antiquity, who and find a kinder Entertainment among them .
Joes not find and own the Ancients generally of that fearch the, And whereof he af-
Scriptures:
the Perfwafion, which is excellently fumm'd up terwards, when he was an Old Man, gave the
in thole Words of Lattantius, Veniet fummi &
World a little Taft, in a Judicious PreKice before
maximi Dei filim. Verum Me, earn deleverit a moft Learned and Nervous Treatife, compoled
injuftitiam, Judiciumque
maximum f-ecerit, ac
by one that was then a Toung Man , about the
a Principio fuerunt , ad vitam Re-
Juftos, qui Myftery of the Salvation of Ijrael. Even, then,
Mille Annis inter Homines Verfa- lb long ago it was, that he aliened, A
ftauraverit, Perfonal,
Never-
bitur, eofque Juftijfimo Imperio reget. Vifible,Powerful, and Glorious Coming of the-
thelefs, at laft Men
came, not only to lay afide Lord Jefus Chrift unto Judgment, long before the
the Modelfy expreiTed, by one of the firft confi-End of the World.
derable Ant i Millenaries, namely Jerom, when But thus we take our Leave of this Renown-
he faid, §fu£ licet non fequariiur, tamen Condem- ed Man, and leave him refting in hope, xofiand
nare non pojfumus, eo quod multi Virorum Eccle- in his Lot, at that End.
Jiafkicorum & Mdrtyruhi, ifta dixerint
: But al-
In Portum Delatus.
ment, Learned and Pious Men, in great Num-
bers every where, come to receive, explain, and
maintain the Old Faith about it. But here was
the fpecal Favour of Heaven, to our Davenport, Vivus Nov-Angli<e, ac Ecclefa Qrnamentum,
that fo many Years ago, when in both Englands
E T
the true Notion of the Chiliad, was hardly ap-
as many Divines of Note, as there
prehended by Mortuus, Utriufque Trifte Defiderium.
are Mouths ofNilus, yet this worthy Man clearly
APPENDIX.
The Light of the Wefiern Churches Or, The L I F E of Mr.
: THOMAS
HOOKER, the Renowned Paftor of Hartford-Church, and Pillar of
Connecticut -Colony, in New-England.
EfTay'd by C T T N MATHER.
§lnod fi digna Tua minus ejl
mea, Vagina. Lattde,
At volttiffe fat eji.
twn of Work, was in his Day, well aware, Church, I was for certain Jpedal Cnifes, unwil
that
that Satan would make all the haft he could, un- ling to have it complained, as once it was of the
in the Degeneracies of Difciplcs, Thomas was not with them
happily to get all buried Where-:
Ignorance, IVorldlincfis, and Profanity. To ad- fore I was willing to make this Appendix unto that
vifie you of your Dangers,
and uphold the Life of Hifiory, confefjmg that thro want of Information
to be- I have Under-done in this, more than in
Religion among you, Iprefume humbly lay any part
fore you, the Life of that excellent Man, who for of the Compofure ; yet Jo done, that I hope the
Learning, Wifdom, and Religion, was a Patern 'good Hand of the Lord, whom I have de/ignd
well worthy of perpetual Confide rat ion. Having therein to glorifie, will make what h done' to be
ferved my own Province, with the Jiiftory oj n neither nor unprofitable utito h/s
\
unacceptable,
lefs than Four famous Johns, all fetcf/d from One People. Cotton Mather.
him Solon, as the Perlbn in whom there Center- rit of God very powerfully to break into the
ed all the Glories of that City, or
Country. I Soul of this Perfon, with fuch a Senfe of his
fhall now my Reader to
invite behold at once being expofed unto the juft Wrath of Heaven,
the Wonders oi'Kew England, and it is one Tho- as fill'd him with moft unufual
Degrees of
mas Hooker that he (hall behold them Even : Horror and Anguifh, which broke not
only his
in that Hooker, whom a worthy Writer would Reft, but his Heart alfo, and caufed him to cry
needs call, Saint Hooker, for the fame Reafion, out, While I fiufier thy Terrors, Lord, J am
(he laid ) and with the fame Freedom that Lati- derailed! While he long had a Soul haralTed
mer would fpeak of Saint Bilney, in his Com- with fuch DiftrelTes, he had a lingular
Help in
memorations. 'Tis that Hooker, of whom I may the prudent and piteous Carriage of Mr.
Afh,
venture to lay, that the famous Romanifi, who who was the,Sfzer, that then waited upon him \
wrote a Book, De Tribus Thomi-s or, Of Three and attended him with fuch difcreet and
•,
proper
Thomas's-, meaning T/.w/mj' the Apofile, Thomas Companions, as made him afterwards torefpect
Becket, and Sir Thomas Morc^ did not a Thou- him highly all his Days. He afterwards gave
iandth part fo well fort his Thomases, as a Nezv- this Account of himfelf, That in the time his
of
Eng/ander might, if he (hould write a Book, Agonies, he could Reafon himfelf to the Rule, and
De Duobus Thomis, or. Of Two Thomas's-; and conclude that, there was no
way but Sub million to
with Thomas the Apofile, joyn our Celebrious God, and lying at the Foot of his Mercy in Chriji
Thomas Hooker : My One Thomas, even our A- and waiting humbly there, till he
Jefus, Jhould
poltolical Hooker , would in juft Ballances, pie ofe to per/wade the Soul of his Favour Ne-
":
weigh down two of Stapleton's Rebellious Arch- verthelefs when he came to apply this Rule ur.to
Bilhops, or Bigotted Lord Chancellors. 'Tis himfelf in his own Condition,
hisReafomng would
he, whom 1 may call, as Ll<eoJoret calfd Ire- fail htm, he was able to do nothing. Haying been
n£t/s, The Light of the IVeftemChunhes.
'
§ 2. This our Hooker was born at Alar field, Imprellions for the Spirit of Bondage, as Were to
in Leiceftcrjhire, about the Year 1586, of Pa- fit him for the great Services and
Enjoyments,
rents that were neither unable, nor unwilling which God intended him ; at length he recei-
to bellow upon him a Liberal Education ; where- ved the Spirit of'Adopt ion with well-grounded
to the early and lively Sparkles of Wit ohferved Perfivafions of hislntereft in the New Covenant.
in him, did very much encourage them. His It became his manner, at his lying down for
Natural Temper was cheerful and courteous-" Sleep, in the Evening, to fingle out fbme certain
but it was accompanied with luch a fenfible Promife of God, which he would
repeat and
Grandeur of Mind, as caufed his Friends, with- ponder, and keen his Heart dole unto it, until
out the help of Aftrology, to prognolticate that he found that Satisfaction of Soul wherewith
he was born to be co/ifiderab.'r. The influence he could fay,-/ will lay me dox? in Peace, and
which he had upon the Reformation of fome Sleep; for thou, Lord, make!} me dwell in
growing Abufes, when he was one of the Pro Afiurancc. And he would afterwards Counfel
cfors in the Llniverfity, was a thing that more others to take the fame Courfe j
telling them,
er.iiieiitly fignalized him, when his more pub- That the P/oyije wai ', was to
lick Appearance in the World was Eftraiag GQffy apenjfring Sinner over unto th. L d Jfins
r
Which s
1
attended with an Advancement Chriji.
unto a kf'ilowfliip, in Emanuel C.ollz&gz, in Cam- §4. Mr. Hooker being now well got through
bridge the
\
Students whereof were originally thsStoim pT Soul, whiclrhad helped .nun unto
for the o£ a molt
Study wjtn the
Divinity. .•
cbeiignei I 1
§ s". With what Ability and Fidelity he ac- Truths of the Gofpe!, an the w n of employ-
I
ing,
Book III. The Hi/hry of New-England. 59
thole Truths, he was therein fo touch the Confcijexces of his Auditors,
ing, and applying willing
to ferve the Church of God in the Miniltry, that a Judicious Perlbn would fay of him. He
Whereto he was devoted. At his firft leaving of was the Be jf at an Ufe that ever he heard. Here-
theUniverfity,he fojourned in theHoufe or
Mr. by there was a great Reformation wrought, not
a Gentleman of great Note, not far only in the Town, but in the
adjacent Country,
Drake,
from London ; whole worthy Confort being vi- from all parts whereof they came to hear the
fited with fuch Dittreffes of Soul, as Mx.Hooker Wifdom of the Lord jtfus Chrifi, in his GofpeL
himfelf had palfed through, it proved an on- by this worthy Man difpenfed And fome of ;
had that opportunity of being ferviceable ; for from far to his AlTembly particularly the
;
indeed he now had no Supcriour, and fcarce any truly Noble Earl of Warwick^ whofe Counte-
a troubled Soul. nance of Good Miniiters, procured more Pray-
Equal, for the Skill of Treating
ers to God for him, than moft Noble men in
When he left Mr. Drake's Family, he did more
publickly and frequently preach about London ; England.
and in a little time he grew famous for his Mi- When he firft fet up his Lecture, there was
nifterial Abilities, but efpecially for his Notable more Profane nefs than Devotion in the Town ,
Faculty at the wife and fit management of And the multitude of Inns and Shops in the
wounded Spirits. However, he was not Ambi- Town, produced one particular Diforder, of
tious to exerciie his Ministry among the Great Peoples the Streets with unfuitable Beha-
filling
Ones of the World, from whom the molf of viours, after the Publick Services of the Lords
Preferment might be expe&ed ; but in this, imi- Day were over. But. by the Power of his
of
tating the Example and Character
of our bleffed Miniltry in Publick, aud by the Prudence
Saviour, of whom 'tis noted, that according his Carriage in Private, he quickly cleared
to the Propheiie of Ifiiiab, by him, The Poor the Streets of this Diforder, and the Sabbath
had The Go/pel preached unto them ; he chofe to came to be very vilibly fanctified among the
be where great Numbers of the Poor might re People.
ceive the Go/pel from him. § 7. The Joy of the People in this Light
was
§ 5. About this time it was, that Mv. Hooker but for a. Sea/on. The Confcicntious I\on Con-
grew into a moft intimate Acquaintance with formity of Mr. Hooker, to fome Rites of the
Mr. Rogers of Dedliam who fo highly valued
-,
Church of England, then vigoroufly prefled,
him for his Multifarious Abilities, that he ufed efpecially upon fuch able and ufcfui Minifters,
and gained many Endeavours to get him fettled as were molt likely to be laid "afide by their
at Colchefter h whereto' Mr. Hooker did. very fcrupling of thofe Rites, made it neceffary for
much incline, becaule of its him to lay down his. Miniltry \n Cu e!msf^rJ,
being fo near to.
•
Dedham, where he might enjoy the Labours and when he had been about tour Years there em-
Leftures of Mr. Rogers, whom he would fome- ployed in ir. Hereupon, at the Requeft of
fe-
times call, The Prince of all the Preachers in veral eminent Perfons, he kept a School in his
England. But the Providence of God gave an own hired Houfe, having one Mr. John Eliot for
Obftru£tion to that Settlement ; and, indeed, his Ufher, at little Baddow, not tar from Coelmf
it was an. Obfervation which Mr. Hooker would
ford; where he managed his Charge with fuch
fometimes afterwards ufe unto his Friends, That Difcretion, fuch Authority, and Inch Lificaev,
the Providence of God often diverted him from that able to do more with a Word,, or a Look,
-
Employment in fuch Places as he hhnfelf defirecl', than moft other Men could have done by a feve-
and ftill diretledhim to fuch Places, as he hadnc rer Dilcipline, he did very great Service to the
Town of great Concourle, wanting one to break afterwards proved themfelves not a little ler-
the Bread of Life unto them ; and hearing the viceable. I have irj my Hands, a Maniifcripr,
Fame of Mr. Hookers powerful Miniltry, ad- written by the Hands oi our bleiTed JL''^'*/', where-
drefied him to become their Lecturer : And he in he gives a very great Account of the little
accepted their Offer about the Year 1626. beco- Academy then maintained in the Houfe of Mr.
ming hot only their Lecturjr, but alfo on the Hooker; and. among other things, he fays. To
Days, an Afiiftant unto one Mr. Mitchel, il -is place I was calPJ, tfir,:
Lord's- '
.
the Incumbent of the place, who tho' he were a of God" s Mercy in Cbj-ift fefU to u:y Nor Soul :
'
Smaller, yet being a Godly Perfon, gladly encou- tor here the Lord [aid unto my ... 4 Live •,
raged Mt.Hoo'ker, and liv'd with him in a moft and through the Grace of Chrift , / dp uve
comfortable Amity. Iflhill live for ever ! When I came to this brief
§ 6. Here his Lecture wis exceedingly fre- Jed Family, I then fazv, and never before, the
quented, and proportionably fucceeded ; and Power oj Godlinefs, in its Lively
•
•
and
:
•
'
it
6o The Hiftory of New- England. Book III,
it was by his means that thofe Godly Minifters ly had that which Quintilian calls, A Natural
held their Monthly Meetings, and Moveable nefs of Soul, whereby the diftin£l
for Tafting •
hindred his taking his Degree of Batchellor in was the Divine Relifl) which he had of the
Divinity, muft alio, it feems,
hinder his being a things to be fpoken, the Sacred Panting of his
Preacher of Divinity namely, his being a AW- holy Soul after the Glorious Objecfs of the
;
tition to the Bifhop lor his Continuance in the of our Hooker, being raifed by a Coal from the
Miniftry at Chelmsford; in which Petition, tho' Altar of a moft real Devotion, touching his
he was of a Perfwafion fo different from them, Heart 5 it would be a wrong unto the Good
yet they teftifie in fo many words, 'That they e- Spirit of our God, if he lhould not be acknow-
ftecm and know the/aid Mr. Thomas Hooker, to ledged the Author of it. That Spirit accor-
be for Doctrine, Orthodox ; for Life and Conver- dingly gave a wonderful and unufual Succefsy
fation, Hone ft for Dijpofition, Peaceable, and in
-,
unto the Miniftry wherein he Breathed fo Re-
no wife Turbulent or Fa&ious. And yet all would markably. Of that Succefs there were many
not avail Bonus vir Hookerus, fed idea mains,
: Inftances ; but one particularly I find mentioned
quia Puritanus.
in Clark's Examples, to this
purpofe. A pro-
The Ground-work of his Knowledge,and
§ 9.
fane Perfon defigning therein only an
Ungodly
Study of the Arts, was in the Tables of Mr. A- Diverfion and Merriment, faid unto his Com-
lexander Richard/on, whom he clofely followed, panions, Come, Let ih go hear what that Baw-
admiring him for a Man of tranfeendent Abili- ling Hooker will fay to us ; and thereupon with
ty, and a moft exalted Piety and would fay of an Intention to make Sport, unto Chelmsford
-,
him, That be was a Mafter of fo much Under- Left ure they came. The Man had not been
he long in the Church, before the Quick and Pow-
ftanding, that like the great Army of Gideon,
was too many to be employed in doing what zvas to erful Word of God, in the Mouth of his Faith-
be done for the Church of God. This moft emi- ful Hooker, pierced the Soul of him ; he came
nent Richard/on leaving the Univerfity, lived a out with an awakened and a diftrefled Soul,
private Life in Effcx, whither many Students in and by the further Blefling of God upon Mr.
Cambridge relorted unto him, to be illuminated Hookers Miniftry, he arrived unto a true Con-
in the abflrufer parts of Learning and from verfwn ; for which caufe he would not after-
•,
him it was, that the incomparable Docfor Ames wards leave that Bleffed Miniftry, but went a
imbibed thofe Principles both in Philofophy, and Thou/and Leagues to attend it, and enjoy it.
in Divinity, which afterwards not only gave Another Memorable thing of this kind, was
clearer Methods and Meafures to all the Liberal this ^ it was Mr Hooker's manner once a Year .
Arts, but alfo fed the whole Church of God to vifit his Native County And in one of thofe :
with the choicett Marrow. Neverthelefs, this Vifits, he had an Invitation to preach in the
excellent Man, as he lived, fo he died in a moft Great Church of Leicefter. One of the Chief
retited Obfcurity but fo far as a Metempfycho-
-, Burgefies in the Town much oppofed his Preach-
fts was attainable, the Soul of him, I mean the ing there ; and when he could not prevail to
Notions, the Accomplifhments, the Difpofitions hinder it, he fet certain Tidlers a work to di-
of that Great Soul, tranfmigrated into our moft fturb him in the Church porch, or Church-yard.
Richardjonian Hooker. But fuch was the Vivacity of Mr. Hooker, as to
§ 1 o. As his Perfon was thus adorned with a proceed in what he was about, without either
well grounded Learning, fo his Preaching was the damping of his Mind, or the drowning of
omnes vividi : He was all that he was, and he to Mr. Hooker with a penitent Confeffion of
did all that he did, Unto the Life ! He not on- his Wicked nefs, and became indeed fo peniteDt
a Con-
Book Hi. The Hi/lory of New-England. <**>
Paflage thither, he quickly had occafion to of two Years In all which time
:.
they lived fo
difcover himfelf, when they were in Eminent like Brethren, that an Obferver might
fay of
Hazzard of Shipwrack upon a Shelf of Sand, them, as they faid of Baft/ and N'azianzen
whereon they ran in the Night ; but Mr. Hooker, They were but one Soul in two Bodies; and if
like Paul, with a Remarkable Confidence, af they had been for any little while afunder,
they
fured them, that they mould be all preferved ; ft ill met with fuch Friendly and Joyful Con-
and they had. as Rematkable a Deliverance. I gratulations, as tellihed a moft affe'cVionare Sa-
have alio heard, that when he fled from the tisfaction in each others Company.
PurlevantSj to take his Paffage for the Low- § 13. At the end of two Years, he had a
Countries, at his laft parting with fome of his Call to Rotterdam; which he the more
heartily
Friends, one of them faid, Sir, What if the and readily accepted, becauie it renewed his
Wind Jhould not be fair, when you come to the Acquaintance with his Invaluable Dr. Ames,
Veffel-? whereto he inffantly replied, Brother, who h3d newly left his Place in the Frifian
Let us leave that with him, who keeps the Wind Univeriity. With him he fpent the Refidue
in the hollow of bis hand : And it was obierv'd, of his Time in Holland, and affined him in
That although the Wind was crofs, until be compofing fome of his Difcourfes, which are,
came aboard, yet it immediately then came His Yrejh Suit againft the Ceremonies ; For fuch
about fair and frefh, and he was no fooner un- was the Regard which Dr. Ames had for him,
der Sail, but the Officer arriv'd at the Sea fide that notwithftanding his vail
Ability and Expe-
happily too late now to come at him Whicli rience, yet when it came to .the Narrow of any
:
minds me of what befel Dr. Goodwin, not long Queltion about the Inftit utedWorJhip of God, he
after. That Great Man lay Wind bound in would Hill profefs himfelf conquered by Mr.
hourly Sufpicions- that the Perfevants would Hooker's Reafon ; declaring, that though he had
flop his Voyage, and ieize his Perfon before been acquainted with many Scholars of divers Na-
the Wind would favour his getting away for tions, yet he never met with Mr. HookerV E-
Holland. In this Diftrefs, humbly praying to qual, either for Preaching or for
Difpuling,
the Lord Jefus Quilt, for a more propitious And fuch was the Regard, which on the other
Wind, he yet faid, Lord, If thou baft at this fide, he had for Dr. Ames, that he would fay,
time, any poor Servant of thine, that _wants this If a Scholar was but well ftudied in Dr. Ames
Wind, more than I do another, I do not ask for h"is Medulla Tbeologi<e,.an& Cafits Confcientix,
the Changing of it ;
I fubmit unto it. And im- jfo
rhem throughly, thty would
as to jnderftand
mediately the Wind came about, unto the piake him (Tuppofing him veiled in the Scrip-
Right Point ;
and carried him clear from his tures,) a Good Divine, tho' he had no more
Purfuers. Books in. the' World. But having tarried in
§ 12. Arriving iji If Hand, he was invited Holland long enough to fee the State of Reli-
unto a Settlement with old Mr. Paget ; but the
gion in the Churches there, he became fatjsfied,
old Man that Mr. Hooker that it was neither Eligible for him to tarry in
being fecretly willing
ftiould not accept of this Invitation, he con- that Country, not convenient for bis Friends
to
62 The Hiftory of New*- England. Book III,
to he invited thither after him. I have at this that which once helped 'Athtittafim, made this
time in my Hands, his Letter from Rotterdam true Anfwer, If it be he you look for,
IJavdMn
to Mr. Cotton, wherein are thefe words ; The '
about an Hour ago, at fuch an in
Houfe tlie
'
State of thefe Provinces to my weak Eye, Town ; you had be ft haft en thither
after him.
'
feems wonderfully ticklifh and miferabic. The Officer took this for a fufficient'Accou'nr.
*
For the better parr, Heart Religion, they con- and went his way ; but Mr; Hooker, upon this
tent themfelves with very Forms, tho' much Intimation, concealed himfelf more cudullv
*
*
blemifhed •,
but the Power of Godlinefs, for and fecurely, till he went on Board, at the
*
can fee or hear, they know not ; and Downs, in the Year 1633. the
ought I
Ship which
if it were throughly preffed, I fear leaft it brought him, and Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Stone
'
'
will be fiercely oppoled. My Ague yet holds to Revo-England : Where none but Mr. Stone
1
me ; the ways of God's Providence, wherein was owned for a Preacher, at their firlf coming
c
he has walked towards me, in this long time aboard; the other two delaying to take their
'
of my Sicknefs, and wherein I have drawn Turns in the Publick Worfhip of the Ship,
'
forth many wearyifh Hours, under his Al till they were got fo far into the Main
Ocean,
mighty Hand (Bleffed be his Name) toge- that they might with Safety, difcover who they
*
1
ther with Purfuits and Banifhmenr, which were.
'•
have waited upon me, as one Wave follows § 15. Amongft Mr. tenner's Works, I find
another, have driven me to an Amazement
'
fome imperfect and (nattered, and I believe,
:
'
His Paths being too fecret and paft finding Injurious Notes of a Farewel Sermon upon Jer.
*
out by fuch an Ignorant, Worthlefs Worm as 14. 9. We are called by thy Name, leave as Hot :
my felf. I have looked over my Heart and Which Farewel Sermon was indeed,Mr. Hooker's,
*
4
Life, according to my meafure ; aimed and at his leaving of England. There are in thole
c
gueffed as well as I could
.- And entreated his Fragments of a Sermon, fome very Pathctual
(
*
Majeffy to make known his Mind, wherein and moft Prophetical Paffages, where fome arc
*
I miffed; and yet methinks I cannot fpell out thefe.
'
I confefs have been wonderful in Miferies, // is not Gold and Profperky which makes
'
and more than wonderful in Mercies to me God to be cur God; there is more Gold in the
'
and mine. Wherefore, about this time, un- Weft-Indies, than there is in all Chriftendom -,
derftanding that many of his Friends in Effcx, but it is God's Ordinances in the Vert tee
of them,
were upon the Wing, for a Wildernefs in Ame- that fhow the Prefence of God.
riai; where they hoped for an opportunity to Again, Is not England ripe? Isftje not weary
enjoy and praftife the Pure Worjhip of the Lord of God? Nay, fheisfedfatforthejlaughter.
Jelus Chriff, in Churches gathered according Once more, England hath feen her Days, beft
to his Direction, he readily anfwered their In- and now evil
Days are befalling us.
vitation to accompany them in this Underta- And, Thou England, which haft been lifted
king. Dr. A?nes had a defign to follow Mr. up to Heaven with Means, ftmll be dbafed and
Hooker-, but he died ibon after Mr. Hooker's brought down to Hell for if the mighty Works,
•
Removal from Rotterdam. However his Wi- which have been done in thee, had been done
dow and Children afterwards came to New- in India or Turkey,
they would have repented
England; where having her Houfe burnt, and e'er this.
'
Perfons of Sobriety ; being alio of a fudden its former
Strength.
- The notable Fulfilment
and pleafant Wit, he Ifept unto the Door, with which that Paffage hath ken, would carry one
his Pipe in his mouth, and fuch an Air of to confider the unaccountable Word? which
Speech and Look, as gave him fome Credit Our Hooker uttered in his Farewel Sermon. Tis
with the Officer. The Officer demanded, Wl)e- very likely, that the Scribe has all along
ther Air. Hooker were not there ? Mr. Stone wronged the Sermon; but the Words now re-
replied with a braving fort of Confidence, Wl)at ferr'd unto, are of this Purporr, That it had
Hooker? Do you mean Hooker that Uv'd once at been told him from God, That God will
defray
Chelmsford! The Officer anfwered, Tes, He! England, and lay it waft; and that the People
Mr. 'Stone immediately, with a Diverfion like Jhould be put unto the Sword, and the Temples
burnt
Book III. The Hi/lory of New- England. S3
burnt, and many Houfes laid in Aflies. Long good People had overdone in that Affection :
Lord Jefus Chi ift will plead his own, and his cwn turning then to the Congregation, he preached
Caufe, and the Caufe of them who have fufjered a molt admirable Sermon, wherein he held them
for their fidelity to her Injit tut ions : He will for two Hours together in an extraordinary Strain
plead it in a more dreadful way, and break the both of Pertinency and Vivacity.
Nation of England in pieces,like a Potters Vcf- After Sermon, when fome of his Friends were
fel. Then a Man
fhall be precious as the Gold fpeakingof the Lords thus withdrawing his Af-
of Ophir ; but a fmall Remnant /hall be left : liltance from him, he humbly replied, We daily
And afterward God will raife up Churches to tonfefs, tl>at we have nothing, and can do nothing,
himfe/f, after his own Heart, in has own time and without Chrtji ; and what ij Qjrijl wilt make this
way. God knows, what there may in us, and on Us, before our Congrega-
be in this manife/i
Prediction. What remains, but that we be humbly
tions §
§ 1 6. Mr. Hooker and Mr. Cotton were, for uj/itcnted ? And what manner oj Di/couragement
their different Genius,the Luther and Melantlhon k there in all of this ? Thus content was he to
of New England ; at their Arrival unto which be nullified, that the might Le mag- LORD
Country, Mr. Cotton fettled with the Church ot nified !
Bojion, but Mr. Hooker with the Church ol § 18. Mr. Hooker that had been born to ferve
New-Town, having Mr. Stone for his AfTiftant. many, and was of fuch a Publick Spirit, that I
find him occafionally celebrated in the Life of
Inexpreffible now was the Joy of Mr. Hooker, to
find himlelf furrounded with his Friends,' who Mr. Angier, lately publilhed for one, who would
were come over the Year before, to prepare for be continually inquifitive how it fared with the
his Reception ; with open Arms he embraced Church of God, both at home and abroad, on
them, and uttered thefe words, Now I live, ij purpofe that he might order his Prayers ar.d
you jiand faji in the Lord. But fuch multitudes Cares accordingly [Which, by the way, makes
:
flocked over to New-England after them, that me think on Mr. Firm ins words J look on it, :
the Plantation of Ne-w Town became to ftraight (faith he) as an All of a grown Chrijiian, wbofe
for them ; and it was Mr. Hooker's Advice, that Interefi in Chrifi is well cleared, and his Heart
they Should not incur the danger of a Sttna, or walking clofe ivitb God, to he really taken up
an Efek, where they might have a Rehoboth. with the Publick Intereji of Chnf.l He never
Accordingly in the Month of June 16^6,' they took his Opportunity to ferve hin.f-lf, but li-
removed an Hundred Miles to the Weltwaid, ved a fort of Exile all his Days, except the lalt
with a purpofe to fettle upon the delightful fourteen Years of. ill is Life, among his own Spi-
Banks of Connecticut River : And there were a ritual Children at Hartford ; however, here al-
bout an Hundred Perfons in the firlt Company fo he was an Exile. Accordingly, where ever
that made this Removal $ who not being able he came, he lived like a Stranger in the World !
to walk above Ten Miles a Day, took up near a When at the Lands end, he took his laft fight
Fortnight in the Journey having no Pillows to
•,
of England, he faid, Farewel. England I expcll
!
take theit Nightly Rell upon, but fuch as their now no more to fee that Pjeligious Zeal^ and
Father Jacob found in the way to Padan-Aram. Power of Godlinefiy which I have feen among
Here Mr. Hooker was the chief Instrument of Profejjors in that Land ! And he had Sagacious
beginning another Colony, as Mr. Cotton, whom and Prophetical Apprehenfipns of the Declenfi-
he left behind him, was, of preferving and per- ons which would .attend Reforming Churches,
fecting that Colony where he left him ; for, in- whemthey came to enjoy -a; place of Liberty .-
deed each of them were the Oracle of their fe- He faid, That Adverfty badJain its Thottjands,
veral Colonies. but Profpertty would flay its Ten Thoufands I
§ 17. Tho' Mr. Hooker had thus removed He fear'd, That. they who bad feen lively Chnfii-
from the Maffacbufet-Bay, yet he fometimes ans in the Eire of Perfections -would foon become
came down to vifit the Churches in that Bay cold in the ?nidfi of Univerfal Peace, except fome
:
But when ever he came, he was received with few, whom God by fharp Tfyjilfc would keep- in
an Affe£fion, like that which Paul found among a Faithful, Watchjul, Humble,,qnd Praying Frame.
thought, that once there But under thefe Pre apprehefjh,ons, it was
the Galatians 'tis his
; yea,
ieemed fome Intimation from Heaven, as if the own endeavour to beware; ©f abating his own
I i i fiift
H The Hifiory of New-England. Book III.
'
-would be the Amazement of the World there (hone fo many Excellencies, as were in
§ i p. He wjs a Mm
of Prayer, which was this incomparable Hooker
'
a Alan in whom ;
the Life of Religion, and the Power of Godlinefs, mighty Vigour and Fervour of Spirit, which as
nutft be prefcrvedby the frequent life offuch. ex- occafion ferved, was wondrous ufeful unto him,
cold. NeverthelefS; in the Duty of Prayer, he his Dog, at he pleajed: And another that ob-
affeciei Strength ra titer than Length and tho' fervedthe
•,
Heroical Spirit and Courage, with
he had not foWnidi variety m his Publick Pray- which this Great Man fulfilled his Minifhry,
this Account of him. He wot n Per/on who
ing, as in his Publick Preaching, yet he always gave
had a ieaionableKefpctt unto prefent Occa-fions. vaBtfe 'doing his Alaftci's J! 'crk, would put a King
And it was ohfcrvedj that his Prayer was ufu- in h/s Pocket.
ally like Jacoblk Ladder, wherein rhe nearer
he Of this there was art In fiance, when the Judges
came to an End, the nearer -he drew towards were fn their Circuit, prefent at Chedmsjord, on
Heaven^ and he grew into fuch Rapturous a Faff kept.throughout the Nation, Mr. Hoo-
Pleadings with God^ and Praifings of God, as ker then, tin the pretence of
the Judges, and
;
>That like
1
rriarkable Deliverances which they fometimes' nutted,. J-Mah hath married the Daughter of- 'a
experienced. It was very particularly obferved, flrange'God, the Lord 'will cut off the Alan that
when there was a Battel to be fought between doeth this. Though the. Judges turned unto the
the Narraganfe t, 'and the Menhegin Indj-axs, m
place thus quoted, yet Mr. Hooker came into no
the' Year 1^43. -The. Narragdnfet Indians, had trouble but it was long before the Kingdom -,
pie of God, I will b lefts them that blefs thee^ vincing Reafon of another Man';, andivery rea-
but I will eurfs-him that curfes thee. Ana dy to acknowledge any Miftake, or Failing, in
the EfFe£t of it was, that the Narganfets re- himfelf. Ill give one Example: There hap-
pened
Book III. The Htftory of .New-England 65
be done unto a. Neighbour, of the Cretians, They mufi be reproved Jharply,
pened a damage to
immediately whereupon, Mr. Hooker meeting that they may be found in the faith fharp Re- -,
with an unlucky Boy, that often had his Name bukes make found Chriftians; Indeed, of fome
liich Mifchiels, he fell to he had Compalfion, making a Difference ; and
up, for the doing of
chiding of that Boy, as the Doer ot this. The others he javed with Pear, pulling them out of
denied and Mr. Hooker Still went on in the Fire. , i
Boy it,
an angry manner, charging of him ; whereupon §23. Altho' he had a notable Hand at the
laid the Boy, Sir, I fee you are in a Pajjion, Vll Difcuifing and Adjusting of Controverlal Points,
Jay no more
to you : And lb ran away. Mr. yet he would hardly ever handle any Pok?nica!
Hooker, upon further Enquiry, not rinding that Divinity in the Pulpit ; but the very Spirit of
the Boy could be proved Guilty, lent for him \ his Miniftry, lay in the Points of the moft Pra-
and having firlt by a calm Question, given the ctical Religion, and the Grand Concerns of a
Boy opportunity to renew his Denial of theFaft, Sinner's Preparation for, Implantation in, and
he laid unto him Since I cannot prove the con-
: Salvation bv, the Glorious Lord Jefus Chrift.
trary,
I am bound to believe ; and I do believe And in theie Difcourfes he would frequently in-
what you fay ; And then added, Indeed I w<u in termix molt affectionate Warnings of tneDodcn-
a Pajjion, when Ifpake to you before -,
itwru my fions which would
quickly betal the Churches of
Sin, and it is
my Shame, and J am truly j orry Nav England-
for it : And I hope in God Ifkallbe more watch-
His Advice to young Miniflers, may on this
ful hereafter. So giving the Boy ibme good It was, That at
occafion be fitly mentioned.
Counfel, the poor Lad, went away extreamly their Entrance on their Ministry, they would
affe£ted with luch a Carriage in lb good a Man -,
witli careful Study preach over the whole
Body
and it proved an occafion of good unto the Soul of Divinity methodically, (even in the Amefian
of the Lad all his Days. .
Method) which would acquaint them with all
On this occafion it may be added, That Mr. the more intelligible and agreeable Texts of
Hooker did much abound in Ads of Charity. Scripture, and prepare them tor a further Ac-
It was no rare thing for him to give fometimes quaintance with the more difficult, and turnifh
Five Pound, fometimes Ten Pound at a time, them with Abilities to preach on whole Cha-
towards the Support of Widows and Orphans, pters, and all Occafional Subjects, which by the
elpecially thofe of deceafed Ministers. Providence of God, they might be directed unto.
Thus alfo, when the People at Southampton, Many Volumes of the Sermons preached by
twenty Leagues from Hartford, wanted Corn, him were Since Printed and this Account is to
-,
Mr. Hooker, and fome few that joined with be given of them.
them, fent them freely a whole Bark's Load of While he was Fellow of Emanuel-CoWz&Qz,
Corn, of many Hundred Bulhels, to relieve them. he entettained a Special Inclination to thofe
Thus he had thole that Chryfoftom calls, Zt/Mo?iV- Principles of Divinity, which concerned, the
l*xs dvamfftiTK, unanfwerable Syllogifms, to de- Application of Redemption and that which emi-
•,
monstrate Chrilt ianity. nently fitted him for the Handling of thofe
§ 22. He had a lingular Ability, at giving Principles, was, That he had been from his
Anfwers to Cafes of Confcience whereof hap- -,
Youth trained up in the Experience of thofe
py was the Experience of fome Thoufands : Humiliations and Conflations, and Sacred Com-
And for this Work he ufually fet apart, the munions, which belong to the New Creature %
-
Second Day of the Week ; wherein he admitted and he had moSt critically compared his own
all forts of Perfons in their Difcourles with him, Experience, with the Accounts which the quick
to reap the Benefit of the extraordinary Experi- and powerful Word of God, gives of thofe Glo-
ence which himfelf had found of Satan's De- rious Things. Accordingly he preached firlt
vices. Once particularly, Mr. Hooker was ad- more briefly on thefc Points, wliillt he was a
dreffed by a Student in Divinity, who entring CatechiSt in Emanuel Colledge, in a more Scho-
upon his Miniltry, was, as the mod ufeful Mi- laftick way ; which was molt
agreeable to his
nisters, at Entrance thereupon, ufe to be
their prefent Station ; and the Notes of what he then
horridly buffeted with Temptations, which were delivered were fo eSteemed, that many Copies
become almoft intolerable Repairing to Mr.
: thereof were tranferibed and preferved. After-
Hooker in the DiftrefTes and Anguifhes of his wards he preached more largely on thofe Points,
Mind, and bemoaning his own overwhelming in a more popular way at Chelmsford, the Pro-
Fears, while the Lion was thus roaring at him, duft of which were thofe Books of Preparation
Mr. Hooker anfwered, 7 can compare with any forChrifl, Contrition, Humiliation, Vocation, Pi-
Man living for Fears ! My Advice to you is,That nion with Chriji, and Communion, and the reft,
which go under his Name $ for many wrote
you fe arch out, and analife the humbling Caufes
of them, and refer them to their proper places •,
after him Short-Hand and fome were fo
in •,
ing with troubled Consciences, obferved, that tudes of paSfages among which I will Suppofe
-,
there were a fort of crafty and guileful Souls, that crude paliage, which Mr. Giles Firmin, in
which he would find out with an admirable h\sReal Chrijiian, fo well confutes, That if the
Dexterity -,
and of thele he would fay, as Paul Soul be rightly humbled, it is content to bear the
I i i 2 State
66 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
State of Damnation. But when he came to New- which the Confent of the People is to have in
the Exercife of this
England, many of his Church, which had been Difcipline. The firft fair
his old Effex Hearers, defired him once more to and full Copy of this Book was drowned in
go over the Points of God's Regenerating Works its with many Serious and
Paflage to England,
upon the Soul of his Elett ; until, at laft, their Eminent Chriftians, which were then Buried
Defires prevailed with him to Relume that by Shipwrack in the Ocean For which caufe :
ple.ifmt Subject The Subject hereby came to there was another Copy fent
afterwards, which
have a Third Concoction in the Head and Heart through the Pre-mature Death of the Author,
of one, as able to digeft it, as molt Men living was not fo perfect as the former but it was •,
in the World , and it was his defign to perfect a Reflection,, which Dr. Goodwin made
upon
with his own Hand his Compofures for the it, The Defiiny which hath attended this Book,
Prefs, and thereby vindicate both Author and
hath vifited my Thoughti with an
Apprebenfion.
Matter, from the Wrongs done to both, by of Something like Omen to the Caufe it J elf :
Surreptitious Editions heretofore. He did not That after the overwhelming of it with a Flood
live to finifh what he intended ; yet a Worthy of Obloquies, and Difadvantages and Mifrepre-
Minifter, namely, Mr. John Higginfon, one jent ions, and injurious Opprejfions caft out af-
tit
richly able himfelf to have been an Author of ter it, it might in the lime, which God
alone!
a not unlike Matter, Tranfcribed from his Ma- hath put in his own Power, be again emergent.
Sermons, which were fent over into England, and all that flnudd be
/aid of it, was Ordained,
that they might be publifhed ; but by what as Chrift of whom every Truth is a Ray, to be
means 1 know not, fcarce half of them have a-f a Seed corn, which unlefs it fall to the Ground
E;en the Light unto this Day. However, 'tis and die, and this perhaps together with fome of
the Valuablenefs of thofe that are pub- the Perfons that profefs if, it
poflible, brings yet forth
lifhed, may at fome time or other awaken much Fruit. However, the Ingenious Mr. Stone
fome Enquiries after the unknown Hands where who was Collegue to Hooker, accompaniedMr 1
§ 24. But this was not all the Service which were the concluding Diificks.
the Pen of Mr. Hooker did for the Church of
God ! It was his Opinion, That there were Two If any to this Platform can Reply
great Referves of Enquiry, for this Age of the With better Reafon, Let this Volume Die -,
World , the firft, wherein the Spiritual Rule But better Arguments, if none can give.
of our Lords Kingdom does confift, and after Tlien Thomas Hooker's Policy Jhall Live.
what manner it is Internally Revealed, Mana-
ged and Maintained in the Souls of his People? § 25. In his Adminiftration of Church Difci-
The fecond, after what Order the Government pline there were feveral things as Imitable, as
of out Lord's Kingdom is to be Externally ma- Obfervable. As he was an hearty Friend unto the
naged and maintained in his Churches ? Accor- Confociation of Churches , and hence all the time
dingly, having done his part for delivering the that he lived, the Pallors of the
Neighbouring
Former Subject, from Pharifaical Formality, on Churches held their frequent Meetings for mu-
the one Hand, and from FamUijtical Erithu- tual Confutation in things of common Con-
ftam on the other, he was by the follicitous cernment fo, in his own particular Church,
-,
Importunity of his Friends, prevailed withal to he was very careful to have every thing done
compofe a Treatife on the other Subject alfo. with a Chriftian Moderation and Unanimity.
Upon this Occafion, he wrote his Excellent Wherefore he would have nothing publickly
Book, which is Entituled, A Survey of Church propounded untoithe Brethren of the Church,but
Difipline ; wherein, having in the Name of what had been firft
privately prepared by the El-
the other Minifters in the Country, as well as ders -,
arid if he feared the happening of any
his own, profefled his Concurrence with Holy Debate, his way aforehand was, to vifit fome
and Learned Mr. Rutherford, as to the Number of the more noted and leading Brethren, and
and Nature of Church-Officers 5 the Right of hiving engaged them to fecond what he fhould
People to call their own Officers the Unfit- move unto the Church, he rarely milled of a
•,
Vifible Church ; the Unwarrantablenefs of Se- lay, The Elders mufl have a Church in a Church,
paration from Churches for certain Defective if they would preferve the Peace of the Church :
Circumftances ; the Lawfulnefs, yea, Needful- And he would fay, The debating Matters of
nefs of a Confociation among Churches and Difference, firft before the whole Body of the
•,
Calling the Help of fuch Confociatiorts, upon Church, will doubt lefs break any Church in pie-
in
emerging Difficulties , and the Power of fuch ces, and deliver it up unto loathjbme Contempt.
Conibciations to proceed againft a Particular But if any difficult or divided Agitation was
Church, pertinacioufly offending^ with a Sen- raifed in the Church, about any matter offered,
tence of Non-Communion He then proceeds he would ever put a flop to that publick Agi-
:
and Charge I and with his Elders he would or- them could enjoy no Peace in their own Souls,
der them to make before the whole Church a until they had obtained Leave of the Elders to
Proteflion of a Repenting Faith, as they were confefs before the whole Congregation" wvrn
to do it. Some, that could many Tears, that Inadvertency. But as for
able, or willing
unto Edification do it, he put upon thus rela- Mr.. Hooker htm elf ; an Epidemical Sicknefs,
f
ting the
manner of their Converfion ro God which had proved mortal to many,
thoughjat
but ufually they only anfwered unto certain firft fmall or no Dinger appeared in it, arretted
probatory Queitions, which were tendered him. In, the time oi' his Sicknels he did,' not
them ; and fo after their Names had been for hy much to the Standers by but being asked,
a tew Weeks before fignified unto the Congre- that he would utter his Apprehenfions about
learn whether any Objection or Ex- fome important things, especially about the
gation, to
ception could be made againft them, of any State of Aew-England, he anfwered, i"
Jj^je
tiling
Scandalous in their Conventions,' now loot that Work now to do-, I have already de-
contenting unto the Covenant, they
were ad- clared the Counfel of the Lord; And wheu.one
mitted into the Church Communion.' As for that ftood weeping by the Bed fide (aid unto
F.cdefiafticalCenfures, he was very watchful him, Sir, You are going to receive the Re;va/\l of
to prevent Proceedures unto them, as far all your Labours, he replied, Brother, I J,:,
all
as was confident with the Rules of our Lord ; ing to receive Mercy ! At laft he doted his o\yi\ 4
for which caufe (except in grofTer Abp'mina- Eye's with his own Hands, and gently ikoa'k.ing'
tionsj when Offences happened, he- did his his own Forehead, with a Smile id his Coun-
utmolf, that the Notice thereof might be tenance, he gave a little Groan, and fo expired
extended no further, than it was when they his bleffed Soul into the Arms of his Feffbw
firft were laid beforehim ; and having recon- Servants, the Holy Angels, on July 7. 1 54.7.
ciled the Offenders with fenfible and conve- In which laft Hours, the Glorious Peace of Soul,
nient Acknowledgments of their Mifcarruges, which he had enjoyed without any Interrup-
he would let the Notice thereof be confined tion for near Thirty Yeats together, fo glori-
unto fuch as were aforehand therewith ac- oufly accompanied him, that a* worthy Specta-
there was but dhe Pe-rfon
quainted , and hence
tor then writing to Mr, Cotton a Relation {there-
admonifhed in, and but one Perfon excommu- of, made Reflettion, "T/v//y 67/-, the 'Sight
this
nicated from the Church of Hartford, in all of his
Death, will make me have more pie afant
the Fourteen Years, that Mr. Hooker lived Thoughts of Death, than ever I. yet had in my
there. He was much troubled at the too fre- Ufe !
Cenfures in fome other Churches ; and Thus lived and thus died one of the
27.
quent t)
'
therefore the utmoft CircumfpecYion is need- ritm Sanffi &
virtute plenis ; and that he was,
ful, that we do not fpoil the Ordinances of Vir Solertis iff Accerrimi Judicii ; and at Length
'
God, by our Management thereof. In this uttered his Lamentations in a Funeral Elegy,
point he was like Beza, who defended the Or- whereof fome Lines were thefe.
dinance of Excommunication againft Eraftus -,
and yet, he with his Collegues, were fo cau- ^Twa.i ^Geneva'j Worthies /aid with Wonder,
telous in the ufe of it, that in eleven Years, (Thofe Worthies Three J Farel wan wont to
there was but one Excommunication paffed in Thunder,
all Geneva. Viret like Rain on tender Grafs to fhowr,
§ 26. He would fay, That he fhould Eft e em But Calvin, lively Oracles to pour.
ita Favour from God, if he might live no longer
than he Jhould be able to hold up lively in the All thefe in HookerV Spirit did remain,
Work of his Place ; and that when the time of A Son of Thunder, and a Shozv'r of Rain ;
his Departure fnould come, God would fborten A. Pourer forth of lively Oracles,
the time : And he had his Defire. Some of his In faving Soul, The Summ of Miracles.
moft obfervant Hearers obferved an aftonifhing
fort of a Cloud in his Congregation, the lalt This was He, of whom his Pupil Mr. Ajb y
Lord's Day of his publick Miniftry, when he gives this Teltimony ; For his great Abilities
alfo adminiftred the Lord's Supper among and glorious Services, both in this and in the
them and a moft unaccountable Heavinefsand other England, he deferves a Place in the firft
-,
Sleepinefs, even in the molt Watchful Chriftians Rank of them, who/'e Lives are of late recorded.
of the Place, not unlike the Drowfinels of the And this was He, of whom his Reverend Con-
Difciples, when our Lord was going to die ; temporary, Mr. Ezekiel Rogers, tendered this
for which, one of the Elders
publickly rebuked for an Epiraph ; in every Line whereof, me-
them. When thofe Devout People afterwards thinks the Writer deferves a Reward equal to
perceived that this was the laft Sermom and what Virgil had, when for every Line, referring
Sacrament wherein they were to have the Pre toMarcellui in the end of his Sixth JEneid, he
perceived
68 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book 111,
received a Sum, not much lefs than Eighty Education our Colledge and Country has re-
Pounds Money, or as ample a Requital as ceived, fo many of its Worthy Men, that he is
in
Cardinal Rich/ieu gave to a Poet, when he, he r^mfelf Worthy to have his Name celebrated in
itow'd upon him two Thoufand Sequins ior a no lefs a Paragraph of'our Church Hi ory, than 'ft
one Vcrfe of but leven Words, that wherein I may introduce him, endeavour-
witty Conceit in
upon his Coat of Arms. ing to celebrate the Name of our Great Hooker
unto this purpofe.
America, although She do not Boaft,
5/ mea cum veftris,
Of all the Gold and Silvfef ffotn that Coaft, valuiffent vota, .Nov-Angli
Lent to her Sifter Europe s Need or Pride ; Hookerus Tardo viferat Aftra Gradu.
(tor that repaid her, with much Gain be fide, Te, Reverende Senex, Sic Te dileximw omne
s%
In one Rich Pearl, which Heaven did thence Ipfa lnvifaforent ut tibi Jura poli.
afford,
Morte Tua Infandum Cogor Rcnovare
do/orem,
As Pious Herbert gave his honeft word\) Quippc Tua videat Terra Nov-Anghfuam.
Yet thinks, She in the Catalogue may come Dignus eras, Ac\u\\xfimiiis, Renovaffe Juventam,
With Europe, Alrick, Afia, for one Tomb. Et Fato in Terris Candidwre
frui.
Tu Domus Emanuel, Soror Auguftijfima, Mater
But could Thco- Miiie Prophet arum, Tu
as Amh-efc fay concerning mihiTejhs em.
doftus, Kon lotus recejfit ; reiiquit nobis Libe- Te Tcftem apeilo, quondam Chelmsrordia, Oiis
ros, in qui bus cum deb cm us agnofecre, in & Proxima , Te prsco Suftulit illc Turn.
,
Sephber
Book III. 7be Hiftory of New-England. 19
In the HISTORY of
'•_
By —
— .-i L^
COTTON MOTHER.
— - ' '
]
£>cconD #art.
W wets L J
Bono ejlote Aninto, ^DilcEli Frates) appropinquat ,tempus quandb. erit Nomirmtn <ecjHe
"Condon, ad Academic.
ac Corporum ftefiifrc&io. Wilkinion.
•- " •-
———
1
..
rfrr-
__^
INTROD UCTION.
HE N-'the
Incomparable
Hevelihs Reppderiamim, a Lacus Galilati, a Palus Mxft-
was preparing for ffie World, his lini, an Infula Scheiveriaiia, a Peninfula Gaf-
Nero, and Rare, <ind mofl Accurate fendi, a Mons Merfenni, a Vallis Bulltaldi, a
Selenography, Mi D'ef/gn was, to advance into Sinus Wendellni, 4 Promontorum Crugerianum,
the heavens, thc'Wdmes of the moft' Meritori- a Defertum Linnemanni, and other fuch Deno-
ous Aftrorioners, by Warning from' them the Je minations. Bin upon Second Thoughts, he Jaw
veral diftinguifhable Flirts of the Planet, which that this cmild not be lone without Envy and
was to be dejcribeil by him ; Jo that in the Moon, Offence ; fir jhere were certain Places more
there would now have been feen, an Oceanus Eminent than other s t and he might happen to
Coperniceus, an Oceanus Tychonicus, h Mare ajfign them unto fuch Perfors as were lefs Emi-
nent,
70 1 he Hijlory of New-England. Book III.
nenti/7 the Opinions of Mankind about their Me-lvour to preferve the Memory of thefe worthy
rits :
Wherefore he chofe rather Geographical^ Men.
Macule Lunares, which I read in Prov. 10. 7. The
Denominations, for the Memory of the
were now to be diflinguifhed. Jull is Hefted 5 or, for a Blefling ; And I know
Reader, There is a Number of Divines now be the common Gloffes upon it. But I have met with
fore us, demanding their Places in our Church- a Note of Dr. Jermyn'j- thereupon, which I will
Hiftory ; their Souls are in the Heavens j their now count as worthy to be tranferibed, as I have
Names alfo fhould be there. I was thinking to heretofore counted it worthy to be pondered.
have ranked them according to their Alerits I •,
would have affigned their Places, according to The very remembring of them [Jaith he~\ (hall
their Eminencies in the Church of God. But bring a BlrJJing to fuch as do remember them.
finding that this Attempt would have been too in- God will blefs thofe that honour the Memory
vidious ; / will have them to take their Places, as of his Servants : And befides, the Memory of
in the Hijhry of Lives ujcs to be done, Secundum them will make them imitated , which is a
Annorum Emortualium Seriem, according to the Blejfing that will be rewarded with Bleffed-
Years wherein they died. nefs.
What I zvrite, Jhall be written with all Chriftian
Veracity, and Fidelity. Heaven forbid, that I I will
add, That Examples do ft range ly charm
fhould indulge my Pen, in fuch flourifhing Platte us into Imitatidn. When Holinels is prejfed upon
ries, as fill the Lives of the Lutheran Divines, us, we are prone to think, that it is a Dottrine
in the CollelTwns that Witten hat made of the calculated for Angels and Spmts,zohofe Dwelling
Memorial Theologorum nofiri iiculi Clarilfimo is not with Flefh. But when we read the Lives
rum, renovatx. Heaven forbid, thut I fhould in of them that excelled in Holinefs, tbo' they were
any one Infiance deferve to be thought a Writer of Pcrfons of like Paflions with our felves t the
fuch Legends, as they generally {and it may be Convillion is wonderful and powerful. Reader,
fometimes unrighteoufly ) have reproached the Behold loud Calls /t> Holinefs, from thofe lohofaid,
Lives of the Ancients, zvritten Simeon Meta- not, Ite illuc ; but, Venite hue, when the Calls
by
phratfes For I will now confefs to my Reader,
: were uttered.
one thing that has encouraged me, in my Ended
\
CHAP. I.
§ 1. TTTlthout Recourfe to any fabulous, word, yB. Jajin, forWine, which was the true
VV whether Egyptian or Grecian Shams Original of it ; and fo his famous
Vineyard was
oR Antiquity, we have ocher Intimations enough, therein commemorated. For which caufe Cato
that our Father Noah, after a New World began alfo tells us, Janus primus invenit Far [ff Vi-
to be Peopled from him, did remove with his num, iff ob id dullus fuit Prifcus Oenotrius :
Eldeft Son Japhet, from his own, and his old- And Ant iochus SyracuJ anus, mentions the Oeno-
Country of Ogyge, or Paleftine, into the Coun- which Noah carried with him.
tr'n, Of this
try which is now called Italy. And it is parti- the Thufcians employed a Ship, as a
Janus,
cularly remarkable, that his Great Grandfon Memorial 5 they had zShip on his Coins, doubt-
Dodanim, removing with a Colony of his increa- lefs with an Eye to the At k of Noah ; but there
sing Pbfreiiry, into Epirus, he- built a City, was alfo on the Reverfe, as Ovid relates, Altera
which with the whole Province, was called by Forma Biceps ; and this Double Face was afcrib'd.
the Name of Dodona ; where he built a Tern-, unto Janus, heeaufeof the View which he had
pie, in which the People did allemble to wor- of the Two Worlds, the Old and the New. The
ihip God, and hear the Precepts or/ the Patri- Covenant which;" God eftabliflied with Noah,
arch preach'd upon. Rut it was not long be- was by After-Ages referfd unto, when they
fore a fearful Degeneracy overtaking the Pofte- feigned Janus- to be the" Prefident of all Cove-
,
rity of thefe Planters, they foon left arid loft the nant and Concord and the Figure which Noah
-,
Religion of their Progenitors ^ and in that very made among Mankind was confeffed by them,
place where Dodanm had his Church, there fuc- when they gave Janus the Sir-name of Pater,
ceededthe Dodons.:/i Oracles. Now among the as being fo to all the Hero's, who obtained a
memorable Names, which in other Monuments place among the Gods. Moreover, the Mythical
of Antiquity, befides thofe of Tufcany, expos'd Writers tell us, that in the Reign of this Janus,
by Inghirqwii/s, we find ourilluftrious all the Dwellings of Men were hedged in with
put upon
Fath.-r Noah, one is that of Janus, which at Piety and Santlity; in which Tradition the ex*
Hr ft they pronounced Janes, from the Hebreio emplary Righteoufnefs of Noah feems to have
been
Book 111. The Hi/lory of 1i
New-England. IT .—.
als, he was
called Cents, Alanus, which is as quaintance with Mr. Arthur Hilderfkam, and
much as to fay, Santfi/s & Bonus. But with Mr. Thomas Hooker, he let himfelf to ftudy the
out purfuingthefe Curiofities any further, 1 will Con trover fies, about the Evangelical Church -
now lay before my Reader the Story of that DifciplLne, then agitated in the Church of God ;
worthy Man who when 'tis confidered, that he And then the more he ftudied the Scripture,
;
crofted the Sea with a Renowned Colony, and which is the foie and full Rule of Church-Ad*
that hiving feen an Old J'/orld in Europe, where miniftrations, the more he became dilTatisfied
a Flood of Iniquity and Calamity carried all be- with the Ceremonies, which had crept into the
fore it, he alfo law a Neu> World in America ; Worfhip of the Lord Telus Chrift, not only
where he appears the tirft in a Catalogue of without the Allowance of the Scripture, but
Hero's, and where he with his People were ad- alfo without the Countenance of the earlieft
mitted into the Covenant of God whereupon an Antiquity. From this time he became a Cort-
•
Hedge of Piety and Sanftity continued about lcientious Non ConjormiH and therefore he was
>,
that People as long as he lived , may therefore deprived of his Opportunity to exercife his
be called the Noah, or Janus of New-England. Miniftry, in his Parifh Church Neverthelefs,
:
This was Mr. brands Higginfon. his Miniftry was generally fo defirable unto the
will be accounted no DefecF. in our Hiffory of reft of the Minifters there continued Conformifis,
this worthy Man, if neither the Day, nor the yet they all freely invited him, unto the ufe of
Place of his Birth can be recovered. We will their Pulpits, as long as they could avoid any
therefore begin the Hiftory of his Life, where trouble ro themfelves by their fo doing
By :
and the Malignants were fmitten with a Dread § 6. There were many fuch marvellous Judg-
upon their Minds, That the Judgments of God ments of God, which came like fire from Hea-
would purfue thofe, that (hould go to harm fuch ven, to reftrain and revenge the Wrongs which
a follower of htm that it good. were ofter'd unto this faithful
Witnejs of our
§ 5. Even the Ef ifcopal Party of the Englifj Lord Jefus Chriit. Particularly, there was a
Nation, among whofe Thirty Nine Articles, pious Gentlewoman, the Wife of a very profane
one is, That the vifible Church is a Congregation Gentleman, dwelling in another Pariih, who
of Faithful Men, where the Word of Chrijl is would frequently go to attend upon Mr. Hig-
duly preached, and the Sacraments be rightly ad ginfon's Miniltry, both in the puhlick and pri-
mini/ired have concluded it, as a Godly Difci-
;
vate Exercifes of our Holy Religion ; whereat
pline in the Primitive Church, That Notorious her Husband, after many other Expreffions of
Sinners were put to open Penance. And in the his deep Difpleafure, vowed, That he would
Rubric before the Communion, have ordered Mi- be revenged on Higginfon and accordingly he
-,
miters to advertife all Notorious Evil Livers, refolved upon a Journey to London, there to ex-
and fuch as have wronged their Neighbours by hibit aComplaint againft this good Man, at the
Word or Deed, or fuch as have Malice and Ha- HighCommiffion Court But when he had got
:
tred reigning between them, That they Jhould all things ready for his Journey, juft as he was
not prefume to come to the Lord's Table, till they his Horfe, he was
mounting by 'an immediate
have openly declared themfelves to have truly re- Hand of Heaven, fmitten with an intolerable
pented. Under the Encouragement hereof, Mr. Torment of Body, and Horror of Confcience,
Higginfon, before he became a N
on-Conformift, and was led into his Houfe, and hid upon his
profejfed this Principle, That ignorant and fan- Bed where within a few Hours, Death did his
-,
dalous Perfons, are not to be admitted unto the Office upon him.
Lord's Supper : And as far as he could, hepra- § 7. And unto the remarkable Appearances of
Uifed what he profefled. Wherefore he did Heaven, on the behalf of this faithful Man,
Catechife and Examine Perfons about their Fit may be enumerated that which betel a famous
nefs for the Communion and if any Perlbns Docfor of Divinity, Prebend of a Cathedral, and
-,
were notoriouily fcandalous, he not only told Chaplain to His Majeity, who then lived in
them of their Sins in private, but alfo in Pub- Leicefter This Gentleman preached but very
:
//^declared, that they were not to be admitted feldom and when he did at all, it was after
•,
unto the Lord's Supper, until the Congregation that Fafhion, which has been fometimes called
had fome Teftimonies of their ferious Repen- Gentleman-Preaching j altera Haunting manner,
tance. and with fuch a vain Oftentation of Learning t
It was a good Courage of Old Cyprian, to and Affectation of Language, as ill became the
declare : If any think to join themfelves unto the Oracles of God the People generally flocking
-,
Church, not by their Humiliation and SatUfaUi- more to the more edifying Miniftry of Mr. Hig-
on, when they have fcandalized the Brethren, but ginfon, than to thefe Hatangues. Our Do&or
by their Great Words and Threats, let them know, fo extreamly refented it, that both publickly
that the Church of God will oppofe them, and the and privately, on all Opportunities, he
expref-
Tents of Chrijl will not be conquered by them. fed his Indignation againft Mr. Higginfon, and
And no lefs was the good Metal in our Higgin- vow'd, That he would certainly drive him out of
fon. Accordingly after a Sermon on thofe Words the Town. Now
it fo fell out, that the Sheriff
of our Saviour, Give not that which is holy unto appointed this Do£tor to preach at the General
Dogs, unto this purpofe applied, going to ad- Affizes there, and gave him a Quarter of a Year s
minifter the Lord's Supper unto the Communi- time to provide a Sermon for that occafion But :
cants, now come into the Chancel, he efpied in all this time, he could not provide a Sermon
one that was known unto them all , to be a unto his own Satisfaction ; infomuch, that a
common Drunkard and Swearer, and a very vi- Fortnight before the time was expired, he ex-
cious Perfon he told that Man before them preffed unto fome of his Friends, a Defpair of
5
all, That he was not willing to give the Lord's being well provided Wherefore his Friends
:
Supper unto him, until he had profejj'ed his Re perfwaded him to try telling him, That if it
•,
pentance^ unto the SatisfaUion of the Congrega- came to the worft, Mr- Higginfon might be pro-
tion : And therefore he defired the Man to with cured to preach in his room he was always •,
draw The Sinner withdrew, but went out full ready. The Doclor was wonderfully averfe un-
:
of fuch Paffion and Poifon againft Mr. Higgin- to this laft Propofal ; and therefore Itudied with
fon, and Horror in his own Confcience, that he all his might, for an agreeable Sermon ; but he
fell fick upon it and while he lay lick he was had fuch a Blaft from Heaven upon his poor
-,
vifited, as well by good People, that endea- Studies, that the very Night before the Affizes
voured his Converfion, as by bad People that began, he fent his Wife to the devout Lady
had been his old Companions, and now threat- Cave, who prevail'd with Mr. Higginfon to fup-
ned what they would do againft Mr. Higginfon. ply his place the Day enfuing which he did, -,
The Wretch continued in an exorbitant Frame with a molt fuitable, profitable, and acceptable
for a few Days, and at laft roared out, That he Sermon ; and unto the great Satisfaction of the
was damrfd, and that be was a Dog, and that he Auditory. When the Lady Cave had let it be
voas going to the Dogs for ever. So he cried , a nd known, how this thing, which was much won-
fo he died : And this was known to all People. dered at, came about, the common Difcourle
of
Book III. The Hiflory of New-England. 13
of the Town upon it, fo confounded the Do- and he was called, while a Conformity, fre-
ctor, that Town, vowing, That he quently to preach Vifitation -Sermons, Ajfzc-
he left the
would never come into it again. Thus Mr. Hig- Sermons, and ftwKvv/-Sermons.: And as well
ginfon was
left in the Town ! But I pray, Who then, as afterwards, he was. often engaged in
was driven out ? Fafts, both publick and private, both at Home
kj
8. We lately Styled
a Faith- and Abroad ; and many repaired unto him with
Mr. Higginfon
ful Man
: And innumerable were
the Inftances, Cafes of Confcience, and for Help about their
wherein he fo approved himfelf, particularly Interiour State. Befides all this, he was very
there was a time when many Courtiers, Lords, ferviceable to the Education ~6$ Scholars, either
and Gentlemen coming in a Frolick to Leicejhr, going to, or coming from the Univerfity ; and
which was counted a Puritanical Town, re- iiich, as afterwards proved eminently fervice-
folved, that they would put a Trick upon it. able to the Church of God : Whereof fome
Wherefore, they invited the Mayor and Alder- were Dr. Seaman, Dr. Brian, Mr. Richardfon,
and Mr. Howe, all of them Lmcefterfbire Men,
men, whereof divers weie efteemed Puritans,
unto' a Collation-, and overcame them to drink a who would often fay, how much they owed
of
number Healths, with the aceultomed Ceremo- unto Mr. Higginfon. And he was very uleful
nies of drinking upon their Knees, till they all in forwarding and promoting of Contributions,
became (hamefully and extreamly Drunk. This for the Relief of the Proteftant-Exile's, which
Bufinefs becoming the common Difcourfe of came over from the Ruined Bohemia, and the
the Town, Mr. Higginfon, from a Text chofen DiftreiTed Palatinate, in thole Times 3 and
to the purpofe, in the Audience of the Mayor many other Pious Defign.s. But when (as he
and Aldermen themfelves, demonftrated the that writes the Life of Holy Mr. Bains expfeffes
Sinfulnefs of Health-drinking, and of Drunken- \l) the Hour and Power of Darknefs was come
nefs, and the Aggravation
of that Sinfulnefs, from Lambeth, or when the Bifhop of London,
when it is found in Magiflrates, whole Duty prevailed, and the Bilhop of Lincoln retired,
'tis to punifii it in other Men: Therewithal the Blades of the Laudian FaOaon about Lei-
admonishing them to Repent ferioufly of the cefter appeared, Informed and Articl'd againft
Scandal which they had given. This Faith- Mr. Higginfon, fo that he lived in continual
fulnefs of Mr. Higginfon was varioufly Re- Expectation to be dragg'd away by the Purfe
lented: Some of the People' diiliked it very vants, unto the HighCommiJJwn-Court, where a
much, and fome of the Aldermen were fo di- Sentence of Perpetual Imprifonment was the
lturbed and enraged at it, that they Breathed beft thing that could be looked for.
out Threatnings till they were out of Breath : § ro. Now behold the Interpofing and Sea-
But the better fort of the People generally ap fonable Providence of Heaven! A confiderable
proved it, as a Conformity to that Rule, Them Number of Wealthy and Worthy Merchants,
that fin before all, Rebuke before all, that obtaining a Charter from K. Charles I. whereby
others may fear and feveral of the Aldermen they were Incorporated by the Name of, The
•,
confefled their Sin with a very penitent and Governour and Company of the Maffachufct-Bay
pertinent Ingenuity. The Iffue was, that Mr. in 'New-England and intending to fend over -,
Higginfon was brought into no Trouble and Ships with PafTengers for the Beginning of a
•,
the God of Heaven fo difpofed the Hearts of Plantation there, in the Beginning of the Year
the Mayor and Aldermen, that after this, upon 1629. And refolving to fend none upon their
the Death of old Mr. Sachcverel, they chofe Account, but godly and honeft Men, profefling
Mr. Higginfon to be their Town-preacher, unto that Religion, which they declared was the
j
which place there was annexed a large Main- End of this Plantation : Thefe were informed of
1
tenance, to be paid out of the Town-Treafury. the Circumitances whereto Mr. Higginfon was
In anfwer hereunto, Mr. Higginfon thank'd them 'now Reduced-, and accordingly they difpatched
for their good Will; but he told them, that he! a couple of Meflengers unto him, to invite him
could not accept of it, becaufe there were fome; unto a Voyage into New-England, with kind
Degrees of Conformity therein required, which Promifesjto fupport him in the Voyage. Thefe
he could not now comply withal Nevertheless two Meflengers were Ingenious Men and un-
:
there being divers Competitors for the Place, derftanding that Purfcvants were expected eve-
about whom theVotes oftheAldermen were much ry Hour, to fetch Mr. Higginfon up to London,
divided, he prevailed with them to give their they defigned for a while to Acl the Parrs of
Votes for a Learned and Godly Conformift, one Purfevants : Coming therefore to his Door,
Mr. Angel; who thereby came to be fettled in they knock'd roundly and loudly, like Fellows
it. There were alio made unto him, feveral equipp'd with fome Authority ; and faid, Where
Offers of fome of the Greateft and Richeft Li- ts Air. Higginfon? We muft fpeak with Mr.
vings in the Country thereabouts-, but the Con- Higginfon ! Iufomuch that his affrighted Wife
fcientious Difpofition to Non- Conformity, now ran up to him, telling him that the Purfcvants
growing upon him, hindred his Acceptance of were come, and praying him to ftep afide out
them. of their way, but Mr. Higginfon laid, No, I
§ p. While Mr. Higginfon continued in Lei- will go down and fpeak with them ; and the Will
cefter,he was not only a Good Man full of of the Lord be done ! When the Mefiengers
Faith, but alfo a''Good Man jull of Work. He were come into the Hall, they held out their
preached conftantly in the Parifh Churches Papers unto him, and with a certain Roughnsfi
-, '
K k k- 2 an!
74- Tbe Hiftory of New-tngland. Book ill.
and Boldnefs of Addrefs told him, Sir, We nistry And he told them <af his intended Re-
:
come from London, and our Bufinefs is to fetch moval to New England, the Principal End of
you up to London, as you may fee by tkefe Pa which Plantation, he then declared, was the
pen! Which they then put into his Hands ; Propagation of Religion ; and of the Hopes
whereat the People in the Room were confirm which he had, that New-England might be de-
ed in their Opinion, that thefe Blades were signed by Heaven, as a Refuge and Shelter for
Purfevants and Mrs. Higginfon her fell' Said,
-,
the Non-Ccnjormijls againlt the Storms that
I thought fo: And fell a weeping. But when were coming upon the Nation, and a Region,
Mr. Higginfon had lookt upon the Papers, he where they might pracfife the Church Reforma-
foon perceived, that they were Letters from the twn, which they had been bearing Witnefs un-
Governour 2\\dCompany inviting him zoNew Eng to. And fo he concluded with a moft affectio-
land; with a Copy of the Charter, and Propo
'
with his dear Friend Mr. Hilda flam, who told Honeft Paffengers, among whom there were
him, That were he himfelf a younger Man, and Two other Non- Conform/ft Ministers. They fet
under his Cafe and Call, he Jhould think he bad fail from the ISle of Wight, about the firft of
a plain Invitation of Heaven unto the Voyage , May, 1629. and when they came to the Land's
And fo he came unto a Refolution to comply End, Mr. Higginfon calling up his Children,
therewithal. and other Paffengers unto the Stern of the Ship,
§ 1 1. When Mr. Higginfon's Refolution came to take their la It Sight of
England. He laid,
to be made fo much Noife among We will not fay at the Scparatijls were wont to
known, it
many of them receiving Sa- fay at their leaving of England, Farewel Baby'
the Puritans, that
many Enquiries which they Ion! Farewel Rome! But we will Jay, Farewel
tisfaction unto the
made on this Occafion, refolved, that they Dear England ! Farewel the Church of God in
would accompany him. And now it was not England, and all the Christian Friends there !
Offer of a Voyage to New England. In his but J epar ate from the Corruptions in it : But ivff
Meditations about the State of England, he go to prallife the pofitroe Part of Church Refor-
had Strange and Strong Apprehenfions that God mation, and propagate the Go/pel in America.
would Shortly pumfhEngland with theCalamities And to he concluded with a fervent Prayer for
of a War,an& he therefore compofed a Sermon up- the King, and Church, and State, in England;
on thole Words of our Saviour, Luk. 21. 20,21. and for the Pretence and Bleffing of God with
When you fee Jcrufalem comfaffed with Armies, themielves, in their prefent Undertaking for
then. flee to the Mountains. Now after he was New England. At length by the Good Hand
determined for New-England, he did, in a vaSt of God upon them, they arrived, after a com-
Affembly, preach this for his Farewel Sermon -,
fortable PaSTage, unto Salem Harbour on the
and therein having mentioned unto them, what Twenty fourth of June enfuing.
he took to be the Provoking Sins of England in § 15. Mr. Higginfon being in this Voyage
General, and of Leicefler in particular, he affociated with Mr. Skelton, a Minister of the
plainly told them, that he was perfwaded, like Principles with himfelf, they were no Soo-
God would chaStife England with a War, in ner got on Shore, but they like wife affociated
the Sufferings whereof Leicefler would have a in purfuing their Principles and Intentions of
more than ordinary fhare. How this Prediction Religion, which were the end of their coming
was afterwards accomplished, is known to hither. Accordingly, laying before the chief
Mankind ; and it was efpecially known to Lei- of the People their Defires, and their Defigns
cefler,
which being Strongly Fortified and Gar- of fettling a Reformed Congregation in the Place,
rifon'd, and having the Wealth of all the Coun- after a frequent Converle about the Methods
horribly plunder'd, and Eleven Hundred People In order hereunto Mr; Higginfon drew up a
were flain in the Streets. Co/if effion cf Faith with a Scriptural Represen-
But Mr. Higginfon having ended this his tation of the Covenant of Grace applied unto
Prophetical Sermon, he gave thanks to the Ma- their prefent purpofe, whereof Thirty Copies
gistrates, and the other Christians
of the Place, were taken for the Thirty Perfons, which were
for all the Liberty, Countenance, and Encou- to begin the Working of Gathering the Church. .
ragement, which they had given unto his Mi- The Day was kept as a Faji ; wherein, alter
the
Book III. The Hiftory tf New-England. 75
the Prayers and Sermons of the Two Minifters, rightnrfs of their Hearts, in the end of their
thefe Thirty Terfons did folemnly and feverally coming hither. After this, he was confined
unto the Confeflion and unto his Bed, and vifited by the chief Perfons
profefs their Confent
Covenant then read unto them ; and they pro- of the New-Colony, who much bemoaned their
ceed then to ehufe Mr. Skelton, Mr. Higginfon Lofs of lb ufeful a Perfon, but "comforted him
their Teachers, and one Mr. Houghton, for a with the Gonfideration of his Faithfulneis to
Ruling Elder. And after this, many others the Lord Jefus, in his former Sufferings and
joined unto the Church, thus gathered ; but Services, and the Honour which the Lord had
none were admitted, of whole good Converfation granted him, to begin a Work oi'Churcb-Rcforma-
in Cbrift, there was not a Satisfactory Tefti- tion, in America. He replied, / have been but an
monv. By the fame Token, that at this Firft Unprofitable Servant ; and all my own Doings
Church-Gathering, there fell out a Remarkable I count but Lofs and Dung : All my Defirc is
Matter which is now to be Related. At a time to win Chrifi, and be found in him, not having
when the Church was to be gathered at Salem, my own Right eoufnej's ! And he feveral times
there was about 30 Miles to the Southward of declared, That though the Lord called him away,
that place, a Plantation of Rude, Lewd, Mad, he was perfwaded God would raife up others, to
Englijh People, who did propofe to themfelves carry on the Work that was begun, and that
.1Gainful Trade with the Indians, but quickly there would yet be many Churches of the Lord
came to nothing. A Young Gentleman belong- Jefus Cbrift in this Wildernejs. He likewife
the added, That though he Jliould leave his Defolate
ing to that Plantation being at Salem, on
Day when the Church was gathered, was at Wife and Eight Children, whereof the Eldeft but
what he faw and heard, fo deeply afFe£ted, about fourteen Tears old, in a low Condition,
that he Hood up expreffing with much Affe- yet he left them with his God, and he doubted
ction, hisdefire to be admitted into their Num- not but the faithful God would gracioufly pro-
ber, which when they demurred about, he de- vide jor them. So, in the midlt of many Pray-
fired that they would at leaft admit him to ers, he fell afleep ; as in the Month oi'AuguJf,
make his Profeflion before them. When they 1630. and in the Forty Third Year of his Age.,
allow'd this, heexprelTed himfelffo agreeably, and his Funeral was attended with all poffible
and with lb much Ingenuity^ and Simplicity, Solemnity.
that they were extreamly pleafed with it ; and § 15. Reader, Prepare to behold and admire
the Minifters told him, That they highly ap- and adore the Faithfulnefs of our God, in pro-
proved of his ProfcJJion, but inafmuch as he viding for the Children of them, that faithfully
was a Stranger to them, they could not Re have lerved him. He moved the Hearts of ma-
ceive him into their Communion, until they ny Charitable Chriftians, who yet were fpend-
had a further Acquaintance with his Converfa- ing on the Stocks, which they brought out of
tion. However, iuch was the Hold which the England with them, to provide as comfortably
Grace of God now took of him, that he became for the Widow and OfFfpring of this deceafed
an Eminent Chriftian, and a Worthy and Ufe Minifier, as if he had left them fome Thou-
ful Perfon, and not only afterwards joined unto fands of Pounds. And his two Sons, who had
the Church of Boflon, but alio made a great Fi- been brought up at the Grammar-School in Lci-
gure in the Commonwealth of New England, as cefter, had a particular Talt of this Liberality,
the, Major-General of all the Forces in the Co- in the Provifion which was thus made for their
lony •,
it was
Major-General Gibbons. having fuch a Learned Education, as might fit
§ 14. The Church oi' Salem now being fettled, them for the Service of the Church in the Mi-
they enjoyed many Smiles -of Heaven upon niltry of the Gofpel.
them and yet there were many things, that
•,
One of thefe, brands by Name, was for a
lookt like t'roivns : For, they were exerciled Time a Schoolmafter at our Cambridge but ha-
-,
with many Difficulties, and almoft an Hundred ving attained as much Learning as A'ew England
of good People died the Firlt Winter of their could rhen afford, he wasdefirous to vifit fome
being here-, among whom was Mr. Houghton, European Univeifity and being recommended
-,
an Elder of the Church. Mr. Higginfon alio unto Roterdam, fome Dutch Merchants, out of
fell into an He£tic-Fever, which much difabled refpett unto an hopeful Scholar of AVw England,
him for the Work of his Miniltry ; and the laji contributed Fourfcore Pounds in Money to aflift
Sermon under the Incurable Growth of this Ma- his Juvenile Studies at Lcyden. Afterwards
lady upon him, was upon the Arrival of many having vifited fome other Qniverfities in thofe
Gentlemen, and fome Hundreds of PaflTengers Parts, he returned into England where he de-
-,
to Keiv-England, in the beginning of the en- clined a Settlement in fome other, which he
fuing Summer. He then preached on. thofe thought more Opinionative, and fo more Con-
Words of our Saviour, Matth. it. 7. What tentious and Undeiireable Places, to which he
went yen out into the IVildernefs to fee * From was invited, and fettled at Kerby Steven in Weft-
whence, he minded the People of the Dcfign, moreland, hoping to do molt good among the
whereupon this Plantation was ere&ed, name ignorant People there. But it pleafed the God
ly, Religion And of the Streights, Wants, of Heaven to permit the firft out-breaking of
:
and various Trials, which in a IVildernefs they that Prodigious and Comprehenfive Herefy ^/ea-
mult look to meet withal ; and of the need kerifm in that very place j and a Multitude of
which there was for them to evidence the Up- People being bewitched thereinto, it was a grear,
Affli&tdn
16 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book Iii.
Aniiclion unto this worthy Man; but k occa- and about the Sixtieth Year of his Publick
Eon'd his writing the firft Book that ever was Work, and he, that from a Child knew the
written againft that Sink of Blafphemies, En- Holy Scriptures, does at thofe Years wherein
tituted, The lrreligion of Northern ^takers.
Men ufc to be Twice Children, continue preach-
This Learned Peribn was the Author of a La- ing them with fuch a manly, pertinent, judi-
tin Ticatiic, De <juinq, maximk Luminibus ; cious Vigour, and with fo little Decay of his
De Luce Incrcata 3 De Luce creata ; De Lu Intellectual Abilities, as is indeed a Matter
of
mine Nat ura, Gratis W
Gloria ; and Having Jult Admiration. But there was a famous Di-
Illuminated the Hotife of God in that part ot vine in Germany, who on his Death bed when
had fet him to JJjine, he fome of his Friends took Occafion to commend
it, where our Lord
went away to the Light of'Glory, in the Fifty his pair painful, faithful, and fruitful Mini-
Filth Year of his Age. ftry, cried out unto them \_Auferte Ignem adhuc
The other named John, has been on fome Lau- enim puleus babeo!] Oh ! bring not the Sparks
dable Accounts another Or/gen ; for the Father aj your Praijcs near vie, as long at I have any
in me I And I am fenfible that I fhall
oi'Ongen would kifs the uncovered Breaft of that Chaff left
Excellent whilfl he alleep, as being the receive the like Check from this my Reverend
Youth, lay
Temple where the Spirit of God was refident, Father, if 1 prefume to do him the Juflice
and as Origen, after the untimely Death of his which a few Months hence will be done him'
Father, had his poor Mother with Six other iia all the Churches ; nor would I deferve at
his Hands, the Blow which
Children to look after ; whereupon he taught Conftant me gave to
hill a Grammar-School, and then betook himlclf him, who Imperatorem aufus eft, in Os Beatum
unto the Study of Divinity thus this other dicere.
•,
been always valued for his ufeful Preaching, they became Fellow-Travellers in their Voyage
and his holy 'Living ; and befides his conftant to NewEngland, and Fallow-Labourers in their
Labours in the Pulpit, whereby his own Flock Service here. All the Remembrance that I can
has been edified the whole Country has, by recover of this Worthy Man is, that he furviv'd
-,
the Prefs, enjoyed fome of his Compofures, his Colleague, a Good and Faithful Servant of our
and by his Hand, the Compofures of fome Lord, well doing, until Aug. 2. 163^. and re-
others alfo, parting the Prefs, have been accom- tired from an Evil World, then to
partake
panied. Having formerly born his Teftimony with him in the Joy of their Lord.
in New-
to, The Cauje of God, and his People
England, in a Sermon fo entituled, which he
preached on the greateft Anniverfary Solemnity,
which occurfd in the Land, namely, the Anni-
CHAP.
Book7fr~~~T^ Hiftory of New-England. 77
CHAP. II.
It has been Remarked, that there mifcarried bifcum poffunt fimul evatare in Naufragio.
but One Vejfel of all thofe Great Fleets which The next Ifland was therefore called Thacher\
brought Paffengers unto New-England upon the Woe, and that Rock Avery's Fall.
Pious and Holy Defigns of the Firft Settle- Who can without fhedding Tears, almcft e-
ment ; which Veffel alfo was but a Pinnace nough to make a fenfible Addition unto the
-,
neverthelefs richly laden, as having in it Mr. Lake Leman, call to mind the Fate of the in-
Avery. comparable liottinger, upon that Lake, in the
Mr. Avery, a Worthy Minifter, coming into Year 1667 ? That incomparably Learned and
New England, was invited unto Marble head; Godly Man, being by the States General of the
but there being no Church there, and the Fijlier- United Provinces, after much Importunity, pre-
men being there generally too remiis to form a vailed withal, to come unto Leyden, the Boat
Church, he went rather to Newberry, intending wherein he was, with his Wife and three Chil-
there to fettle. dren, and a Kinfman, and another Perfon of
Neverthelefs, both the Magiff rates and the Quality, unhappily overfet, by ffriking on an
Minifters of the Country urging the Common unfeen Rock, a little way off the Shoar. He,
Good, that would arife from his being at with the two Gentlemen, got fafe out of the
Marble-head, he embarked in a Pinnace, with Water but feeing his Wife, and Three Chil-
-,
Two Families, his own and his Coufin Mr. An- dren, in extream Danger of Drowning, they
went into the Water again to fave them, and
thony Thacher's, which, with fome others then
aboard, made in all
Twenty Three Souls de--,
there he, with one of the Gentlemen, fand his
iigning in a few Hours to have reached the three Children) were drowned themfelves. But
Port. eight Days before this lamentable Accident, he
But on Auguft 14. 1635. in the Night, there found this Verfe written on the Dotfor's Chair,
came on as mighty a Storm as perhaps was at his afcending it for the Publick Exercifes •,
ever known in thefe Parts of the Wotld a whereof the Writer could never be found
•,
:
Mr. Thacher, having been a confiderable while of a Minute, before his Expiration, fang in the
toffed hither and thither,
by the Violent Seas, Ears of Heaven.
was at laft
very ffrangely caff alive upon the
Shore; where much wounded, he found his What was applied once to hottinger, fhall
Wife a Sharer with him in the like Delive- now be borrowed for Avery, as an
rance.
While thefe diffreffed Servants of God were
hanging about the Rock, and Mr. Thacher had
Mr. Avery by the Hand, refolvifig to die
toge-
ther, and expe&i^g by the Stroke of the next Epitaphiwn.
Wave Mr. Avery lift up his Eyes to
to die,
Heaven, faying. We know not what the Pleafure Virtutem quis non pofi Te fecletttr eitndo,
of God is Ifear we have been too unmindful of
-, Virtutem quandb gloria, tanta manet.
former Deliverances : Lord, I cannot challenge
a
Promife of ibe Prcfervation of my Life ; but
thou
hafl prom/fed to deliver us from Sin and
And add,
Condemnation, and to bring us fafe to Heaven,
through the Allfufficient SatisfaBion of Jefus •Ttttnm tenet Anchora porUwi,
Chriji ; this therefore I do challenge of thee. Nunc Hilaris Ventos ridet, TntnidafoHe
Which he had no fooner fpoken, but he was by
a Wave proctllas.
fweeping him off, immediately wafted
CHAP.
78 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
CHAP. III.
there was a whofe hove there- reduced him to that modelt, gracious, careful
nels, Jonathan,
unto was indeed fo wonderful, that it carried Frame, which made him the filter for the Work
him through the many Waters of the Atlantic of turning, many to Righteoufnefs.
Ocean, to be ferviceal.le thereunto and this was
-,
§ 4. Having for a while attended that Work
Mr. Jonathan Burr. at Hor ninger, near Bury in
Suffolk, he after-
§ 2. He was horn ar Redgrave, in Suffolk, a- wards undertook the Charge of Recking
Jhal, in
bout the Year 1604 defcended of Godly Pa- the fame County, wherein he did molt exem-
-,
Rod oi Aaron was made of an Almond-Tree of And therefore in the Form of a Solemn Covenant
-,
which 'twill be no Piinyifm to obferve (tho'P// he obliged himfelf unto the moil Con fcient ions
ny obferve it), that it flowers the firft of all Difcharge
of his Miniflerial Duties ; in which
even in in the more Southern Difcharge he would always beg of
Trees, January, God, that
Countries, and bears in Mar ch ; which has been whatever
Exhortation he gave unto others
fometimes employ'd as an Intimation, how might firft be fhaped in his own Experience :
parations for ir, he fent him unto the Univer- mon, Mr.
Burr had a particular Meafure of
his lowly and model! Reflections thereupon
sity. 5
he fpent fome Hours intrud- pondering upon fomething, which his Wife de-
Worfhip, wherein
ing of the Family^
and performing of other Du- firing to know, What it woj ? He replied, See-
ties: And when his Wife defired him to abate ing thou art fo near me, if it may do thee good,
of his exceflive Pains, his Anfwer would be, "Its Pll tell thee: Firft, He laid, he called himfelf
better to be worn out with Work, than to be eaten unto an Account,
he had fpent the Day ? How
out with Ruft. It was indeed his Joy, to be And what
Commiffwns, or Omijfwns, he
finful
his Life unto the uttermoft for God, had been overtaken with for which, he then,
fpending -,
and for his People ; yea, he would fay, tho' he begg'd Pardon of God. Secondly, He reckoned .
fhould have no Temporal Rewards. Accordingly, up the particular Mercies he had received in the
when that had been benefited by his Mini- Day, rendring of Praifes to Heaven for thofe
any
ftry, fent Gratitude, he
him any Tokens of theii Mercies. Laftly, He made his Petitions to God,
would ( like Luther) beg of God, That he might that he might be prepared for Judden Death :
not have his Portion infuch things : And he de- Unto which Third Article in his Thoughts,
,
fired of his grateful Friends, That if they had that which gave more fpecial Uccafion was, the
unto God fudden Death of his Brother, an eminent and ex-
gotten any good oj him, they would give
alone the Glory of it. Moreover, if he had un- cellent Cbriftian, whom, hefaid, he could never
derstood, that any had gained in the Concern forget.
of rheir Souls, by his Labours, he would men- 8. When he travelled abroad, he
kj though:
tion it, in fome of his privater Devotions, with long to be at home, again, through his Diflatif-
this Expreflion, Lord, of thine own have I given, facliion at his not having elfewhere, fb conveni-
take then the Glory unto thy elf : As for me, let
f ent Seafons for his Communion with God. And
my Portion be in thy J elf, and not in the Things when he took any Journeys with his Friends, it
of this World. But when he was debarred of his was his manner to enquire, What Good had beer.
Liberty to preach, he was even like a Fiji) out done, or gained therein ? And what good Exam-
of the Water and his very Body languifhed
-, ples had been fee n I And what good Infractions
through a Sympathy, with the Refenrments of had been heard? And that there might be no
his Mind ; faying, That his Preaching wat his lofs of time in the Journeys, he would be full of
Life ; and if he were laid afide from that, he proftable Difcourje, efpecially by way of Occa-
fhould quickly be dead. fwnal Reflecliont upon things that then occurr'd
§7. It was not on the Lord's Day only, but unto Observation. What he was in a Journey,
every Day, that this good Man was ufually , the fame he was at theTable ; even like the Fire,
In the Fear of the Lord all the Day long. He (what was once writ of Athenodorus) 'E&T-mv
might fay with the Pfalmift, When I awake, 1 mv% W mfynelfitm. So that they who would
am fill with God
For at his firft awaking, he
: bear no part in a gracious Communication, would
would biefs God for the Mercies of the Night, be dumb, whereever he came^ and fome of the
and then pray, That he might Jo number his Days, rougheft and rudeft Hearers, would have Tears
of to apply his Heart to Wifdom : And if he a- fetched from their Eyes, at the Soul
melting
waked in the Night, it would commonly be .
Exprefiions that palTed from his Mouth. More-
with fome Thankfgivings unto Heaven. Rifing over, at a Feafl he would eat more fparingly
in the Morning, he would repair to his beloved than at another time, giving us his Reafon for
Study,where he began the Day with Secret his Temperance, the Advice of the Wife Man :
Dinner, he would, after fome Diverfion for a fome oi his Friends intimated, that he might
while with his Children, return to his Study, err, in referving no more far himfelf, he would
where he would then have a time to pray with anfwer, I often think of thofe Words, He that
his Wife : But if at any time he were invited foweth fparingly, flhill reap fparingly. It was
unto a Dinner abroad, he would have a time alfo remarkable, to fee how much his own Per-
for that Service in the Forenoon, before his go- fonal Joys, and Griefs, were fallowed up in
ner, he would read a Chapter in the New TV- it was well with the Church, he would fay,
fiament, making his Family Partakers of his Re- Bleffed be God, that it goes well with them, what-
L 1 I ever
8o The Hi/lory of New-England. Book II j.
And when Evil hath been charged on him, he Duplici Marty no, which goes under the Name
has replied, If Men fee jo much, what does God of Cyprian ; Si deeft Tyr annus, ft Tort or, ft
be- Spoliator, ndn deerit
fee ? Disgraceful and unworthy Speeches concupifcentia, Martyrii,
ffowed upon him, he would call, bis Gains 3 Matcriam, quotidianam nook exhibens. The
but it was his Trouble to find himielf applaud next Year alter he came to New England, he
eJ. His Friends might indeed have faid of hitn, was taken Sick of the Small-Pox ; out of which
as Luther of Melindhon, Alibi plane videtur he neverthelels recovered, and came forth as
faltem in hoc errarc, quod Chriflum ipfe fingat Gold that had been tryedin the tire. He then
long i us abeffe a Corde fito, qua
m Jit revera, eerie renewed and applied the Covenant oj Grace,
by
niiti/s Null its in hoc eft nofter Jonathan. the fuitable Recognitions of the
following In-
^ 10. This bright Star
mult move Weftward. ftrument.
for the Tejfi-
He, with many Fellow Sufferers
forefeeing a difmal Storm a coming upon the T Jonathan Burr, being brought in the Arms
l
Nation, till the overpaying whereof he faw J. of Almighty God over the Vail
'
Ocean,
many Praying Saints directed unto America, for '
with my Family and Friends, and
Gracioufly
Chambers of Safety 3 and willing to forego all provided for in a Wilderne(s 5 and being left*
'
Worldly Advantages, for the Enjoyment of Go fible of my own Vnproft able nefs and Sclf-
fpel Ordinances, adminiftred without the mix- Jeeking 3 yet of Infinite Mercy, being called
r
c
tures of Humane Inventions 3 he removed into unto the Tremendous Work of feeding Souls,
New England, having his three Children with r and being of late with my Family deliver 'd
'
him, and his Wife big with a Fourth, in his Re- out of a Great Affliction of the Small-Pox 3
move where arriving, it refrefhed him not a r and having found the Fruit of that Affliction 3
•,
'
Evil thereof, fo as I have been gracioully and
Mofes. He came into -New England, at a time, fpeedily deliverM- I do proraile and vow to
when, there was not lb much want of Lights, as
'
him, that h irh done all things for me ; Firfl,
'
of Golden Candlejlicks, wherein to place the That Twill aim only at his Glory, and the.
Lights; but he was not long there, before he G*W of Souls, and not myfelfdnd Vain Glo-
'
was invited by the Church of Dorchefter, to be" ry And that, Secondly, I will walk Humbly,
'
:
c
an AlTilrant unto the well-known Mr. Richard
'
with loKcr Thoughts of my elf eonfidering f
Mather. what a poor Creature I am 3 a Puff of Breath,
§ 11. The Evil One, difturbed at the -Tuftained
Happi- ' only by the Peioer of his Grace 3
nefs of Dorchefter, very ftrongly endeavoured And therefore, Tf)irdl}\ I will be more watch-
'
a Mifunderjianding -between Mr. Mather and ful over my Hem, rO keep it in a due Frame
Mr. Burr ; 'and the Mifunderounding did pro- "%P Holinefs and Obedience, without running
ceed fo far, as to produce a Patoxifm. outfo far to the Creature 3 for I have feen,
-
'
It was judged by fome of the Brethren in That he isanine only Help in time of need-,
'
the Church, that Mr. Burr had expreffed him- Fourthly, That I will put more weight upon
1
felf erroneoufly in certain Points, then much thitfirniPtOmife, and fure Truth, That God
\
'
their -
Mather, upon my
pofirions which this Good Man had written, '
felft W0>
Children and Servants 3 conver-
'
thought he could not altogether clear them, fing with them in a more ferious and conftant
'
from Exceptions. Hereupon grew fuch Aliena- manner-, for This, God aimed at, in fending
*
tions, that they could not be well Re-united, j
his Hand into my Family at this time.
without calling in the Help of Neighbour-
Churches in a Council which Council directing
-,
Memento Mori.
both Mr. -Mather and Mr. Burr, to acknow-
ledge what Mifunderflandings were then difcO- In Meipfo Nihil; in Chrifto Omne.
vered in this Bufinefs, thofe two Good Men fet
apart- a Day for the Reconciliation-, and witfi
fuch Fxemplary Expreffions of Humility and Not
Book J II. The Hiftory of New~Englao&
Nor was his Heavenly Converfation after- though he be a fubtil Enemy, and would if it
wards difagreeable to thefe Grateful Refolu- were pojflble, deceive the very Eleil; he pre-
tions of his Devout Soul. By the lame Token, fently laid hold on that latt Expreffion, // it
that the famous Mr. Thomas Hooker, being one were pojfible faid he, Bleffed be God there is no
-,
of his Auditors, when he preached in a great Au- Pojfibility ! After this, he requelted the Com-
dience at Charlefiown, had this Expreffion about pany might withdraw, that lb he might have
him. Surely, this Man wont be long out of Hea- an Opportunity to pray for a while by himfelf 5
ven, for he preaches an if he were there already. but feeing the Company loth to leave the
And the moft experienced Chriftians in the Room, he pray'd in Latin as long as he had
Country, found ftill in his Miniflry, as well as Strength to do it. When he was to Appearance
in his whole Behaviour, the Breathing of fuch juftexpiring,he called for his Wife and ftedfaft- -,
a Spirit, as was very greatly to their Satisfa- ly fixing his Eyes upon her, he faid, Cafl thy
ction. They could not but him, as Diony-
call Care upon God, for he careth fqr thee. About
fius was once called, xitTetvfo n
IWfih The Bird halfan Hour after this, when Death had been for
of Heaven. Had it not been Old Adam's World, fome while drawing the Cumins about him,
fo Innocent, fo Excellent, fo Heavenly a Per- his laft Words were thofe unto his Wife. Hold
fon, could not have met with fuch Exercifes iafi, Hold Fafi So he finifhed his Pilgrimage,
!
he expreffed a wonderful Patience, and Sub being Honourably and Comfortably married un-
miffion, upon all Occafions. His Wife perceiv- to another Gentleman of Good Eftate. namely,
ing his Willingnefs to die, asked him, Whether Richard Dumiher, Elq^ once a Magiftrate of
he were defirous to leave her and his Children ? the Colony, lived with him near Forty Years j
Whereto his Anfwer was, Do not miflake me, and was more than Forty Years after alive to
1 am not defirous
of that ; but I b/efs God, that teffify her Experience of the Accompliffimenr,
now my Will is the Lord's Will : If he will have' which God had given unto that Faith of her
me to live yet with my dear Wife and Children, Dying Husband Who at his Death commend- :
who would be Better than Ten Husbands : Tu quoq-, Pafee meos defende, tuere, doceq-,
Et tandem ad Cali guadia transfer, Amen.
Adding, Our Parting is but for a Time, lam I
terided him,
he Vivit.
faid. unto her, Don't
jpend fo much Time
with me, but go
way and fpend^fome time
thy' Omnts Vlrtutesi cjuie
Vivuht pofi Futterd,
in Prayer thou
-,
knoweji not what "thou mayft In ZJtrius BURRJ Funere invehernrit
obtain from God-, t
fgaY'lefi 'thou' look' too much
Scpidchrum,
upon this AfflitTion. A'Day 0^ two' before his
Death, he blefTed his Children') and' the Night '''''
'"
''•'. . -
before he died, he was overheard ibmetimes to To make up his Epitaph, I will borrow a
fay, / will wait until my Change come ; and Line oi two from the Tomb-ftone of Volk-
Why art thou fo loath to die> A few Hours be marus.
fore his Death, it was
obferved, that he had a
fore Conflict with the
Angel of Death, who Hie Jacet Exutis nimium citd BURRIUS
Annti,
was now fhooting his laft Arrows at him ; and
Adjuga Suggejius, Magrte MATHERE, Tut
when one of the Standers by faid, The Sting of Si magis
Anno/am licuiffet condere Vitam,
Death is taken Ac Scriptis Animum notificare Libris%
away the Lord Jefits Chrifi hat
-,
laft Affaults ; his Work is now almoft at an end Sufficerent guatuor, BURRIUS hie fitus
•,
eft.
•
til CHAP,
82 The Hiflory of New-England. Book III.
CHAP. IV.
The LIFE of Mr. GEORGE PHILIPS.
Vita Miniftri eft Cenfura tf Cynofura.
"0 T
only the Common Sign-Pofts of Preaching j whereupon fome of his unfatisfied
every Town, but alfo fome famous Hearers repair'd unto Old Mr. Rogers of Ded-
Orders of Knighthood, in the moft famous Na ham, with fome Intimations of their Difiatis-
tions of Europe, have entertained us with Tra- faftion. But Mr. Rogers, although he had not
ditions of a certain Champion, by the Name of much ftudied the Controverfy, yet had fo high
St. GEORGE dignified and diftingutjhed.
Now a Refpett for Mr. Philips, that he faid, He be-
reckon this No- lieved Mr. Philips would preach nothing without
whilft many do with Calvin,
table. St. George, with his Brother St. Kit, fome good Evidence for it from the Word of God,
among the %arv& and tables of the Romantic and therefore they ffmtld be willing to regard
Monks ; others from the Honourable mention whatever Mr. Philips might, from that Word,
of him in fo many Liturgies, do think there make evident unto them. And as for Mr. Phi-
might be fuch a Man But then,
: he muff be lips, the more he was put upon the Study and
no other, neither better nor worfe, in the moft fearching of the Truth, in the Matter contro-
the verted, the more he was confirmed in his own
probable Opinion of Rainolds, than George
Arnan Biihop of Alexandria, the ftntagonift Opinion of it.
and Adverfary of Athanafius; of this Memora- §4. When the Spirit of Per edition did at length f
ble Trooper, the Arnans feigned Miracles, and with the extreameft Violence, urge a Confor-
with certain Difguifes, impofed the Fame of. mity to Ways and Parts of Divine Worfhip,
him upon the Orthodox. But the Churches of confeientiouily fcrupled by fuch Perfons as our
New-England being, wholly unconcerned with Mr. Philips. He, with many more of his
any fuch a St. George, and wiihing that they Neighbours, entertained. Thoughts of tranfport-
had been lefs concerned with many Quakers, ing themfelves and their Families into the De-
whofe chief Apoftles have been fo many of them farts of America^ to prolecute and propagate .
call'd George's, but in Effect fo many Dragons, the Glorious Defigns of the Gofpel, and fpread
there was one George who was indeed among the Light of it in thofe Goings dawn of the Sun,
the firft Saints of New- England! And that Ex- and being refolved accordingly to accompany
cellent Man of our Land was Mr. George the Excellent Mr. Wintbrop in that Underta-
and folid Judgment, with the Blefhng an only Child, had cheerfully left her Parents,
mory, of]
God upon all, attained a Degree of Learning; to ferve the Lord Jefus^Ghrift, with her Hus-
that may be called Eminent. The diligent band, in a Twible Wiklemefs. At Salem (he
Reading of the Fathers, while he was yet him- died, entering, into the Everiafting Peace ; and
j
felf among Young Men, was one of the things; was veryTolemnly interr d^near the Right Ho-
?
that gave a fpecial Ornament unto that Skill! nourable ,the\ Lady Arabella ; the Sifter of the
in Theology, whereto he attained-, but that Earl of Lincoln, who alfo took New England
which yet further fitted him to become a Di- in her Way to Heaven.
vine, was his being made Partaker of the Di- § 5. Mr*
Philips, with feverai Gentlemen,
vine Nature, by the San£tification of all his and other Chriftians having chofen a place upon
Abilities for the Service of God, in a True Re-- Charles-Klvex^ for a Town which they called ;
Devoting
^3. him felf to the Work of the combinelnto a Church-Fellow/bip there, as their
ty in the Scriptures.
But his Acquaintance God I Andiindeed, Mr. Philips being better ac-
with the Writings and Perfons of fome Old quainted with the True Church- Difciplme, than
Non i
Conform ft s had inftilled into him fuch moft of the Minifters that came with him in-
Principles about Church Government,
as were to the Country, their Proceedings about the ga-
like to make him unacceptable unto fome, who thering and ordering of their Church, were Me-
then drove the World before them. Some of thodical enough, though not made in all
things
thefe Ptinciples he had intinaated in his publick a Pattern for all the reft. Upon a Day fet
|
apart
Book III. The Hi/lory of New-England. %i
and Prayer, the very towards another, as he hath prefcribed in his
apart for folemn Falling
next Month after they came afnore, they en- Holy Word. Further fwearing to cleave unto
ured into this Holy Covenant. that alone, and the true Senfe and
meaning
thereof to the utmoft of out Power, as unto
the moft clear Light and infallible Rule, and
Prayer, that we might know what wot Good Family affirmed, He read
over the whole Bible
in his Sight : And the Lord was intreated fix times every Tear : Neverthelefs he did ufe
of us. to fay, That every time he read the Bible, he
'
For in the End of that Day, after the fl- objerved or colletted fometbing, which he never
niihing of our publick Duties, we do all, be did before. There was a famous Prince of
fore we depart, folemnly and with all our Tranfylvania, who found the time to read over
Hearts, personally, Man by Man for our the Bible no lefs than Twenty Seven Times.
felves and ours ('charging them before Chrift There was a Famous King of Arragon, who
and his Elecf Angels, even them that are not read over the Bible fourteen Times, with Ly-
here with us this Day, or are yet unborn, ra's Commentaries. A Religious Perfon, who
That they keep the Promife unblameably and was a clofe Prifoner, in a dark Dungeon, ha-
faithfully unto the coming of our Lord Je- ving a Candle brought him, for the few Mi-
fus) promife, and enter into afure Covenant nutes in the Day when his poor Meals were to
with the Lord our God, and before him with be eaten, chofe then to read a little of his Bi-
one another, by Oath and ferious Protcftation ble, and eat his Necejfary Food, when the Can-
made, to Renounce all Idolatry and Supe/jli- dle was gone. Yea, the Emperour Theodofius
tion, WillWorJhip, all Humane Traditions wrote out the Neio-Tefiamcnt with his own
and Inventions whatfoever, in the Worfhip Hand ; and Bonaventure did as much by the
of God ; and fbrfaking all Evil Ways, do Old; and fome have, like Zuingluts and Beza,
give out felves wholly unto the Lord Jefus, lodg'd vaft Paragraphs of it in the Memories,
to do him faithful Service, obferving and Among fuch Memorable Students in the Scri-
keeping' all his Statutes , Commands, and ptures, our Philips deferves to have fome Re-
Ordinances, in all Matters concerning our membrance: Who was
fully of the Opinion
Reformation-, his
Worfhip, Adminiftrations, expreffed by Luther, If the Letters of Princes
Miniftry, and Government and
-,
in the Car- are to be read three times over, furely then
*
of our felves our and one God's Letters (as Gregory calls the Scriptures)
riage among felves,
are
84 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
are to be read Seven times Thrice, yea, Seventy § 8. About fourteen Years continued he in
times Seven, and if it could be a Thottfand times Miniitry at Watertown in which time his
his -,
over-, and he might fay with Ridley, giving an Minitiry was Bleffed, tor the Convrrfon of
Account how much of the Bible he had learnt many unto God, and for the Edification and
x
by Heart, Tho in time a great Tart of the Study Confirmation of many that were converted. He
departed from me, yet the fweet Smell thereof was, indeed, A
Good Man, and full of Faith,
I truft I Jliall carry with ?ne to Heaven. In- andoj tbe
Holy Ghoji : And for that Caufe he
deed being well skill'd in the Original Tongues, was not only in publick but in private alibi
he could not fee further into the Scriptures very full of Holy Difcourje on all Occafions ;
than mod other Men
;
Andthereby being made efpecially on the Lord's Day at Noon, the time'
Wife unto Salvation, he alfo became a Man of intervening between the Two Exercifes, he
God, throughly furnifhed unto all good Works. would fpend in conferring with fuch or his
ij 7.
Hence alfo, he became an able D/fpu Good People, as reforred unto his Houfe, at
tant , and ready upon all Occafions, to main- fuch a Rate, as marvelloufly Grace
Miniflred
tainwhat he delivered from the Word of God unto the Hearers; not wanting any time then,
•,
for which Caufe, his Hearers counted him, as it feems, for any further
Preparations, than
The Irrefragable Dcflor : Though he were lb what he had ftill aforehand made, for the pub-
Humble and Modeft, as to be very averfe unto lick Sermons of the Afternoon.
Difputation, until driven thereto by extream § 9. He laboured under many Bodily Infir-
Neceflity. One of his Hearers alter fome Con- But was efpecially liable unto the
mities:
ference with him about Infant-Baptifm, and fe- Cl'olick; the Extremity of one Fit
whereof,
veral Points of church Difcipline, obtain'd a was the Wind which carried him afore it, into
Copy of the Arguments in Writing for his fur- the Haven of Eternal Reft, on July 1. in the
ther Satisfaction. This Copy the Man fends Year 1644. much Defired and Lamented
by his
over to England, which an Anabaptilt there Church at Watertown ; who teft iried their. Affe-
publifhed with a pretended Confutation ; where- ction to their Deceafed Paftor, by a fpecial
.by the Truth loft nothing, .for Mr. Philips, Care to promote and perfe£t the Education of
hereupon published a Judicious Treatife, Enti his Eldeit Son, whereof all the Country, but
tuled, A Vindication of Infant-Baptifm, where efpecially the Town of
Rovoly, have fince reap-
to there is added another, Of the Church. This ed the Benefit.
Book was honourably received and mentioned, t
as could be gueffed, at the very Hour, when drawing up a Catalogue of the Divine Favours
the Blow -fhould have been given in the Exe- unto him, he had therein thefe Paflages among
crable Gunpowder Treafon; a Villany, con- the reft, which are from thence now tranferibed.
ther, to become a Father unto him who, tor of Sin, efpecially Je/fjeeking i and Love of Ho-
the Life of his Portion, brought him up. nour of Men in all 1 did; and humbled me under
§ 3. Bending his Mind now to Study, he both, fo as to make me fet an higher price upon
became fit for the Univerfity, at fifteen Years f
Chrift, and Grace, and loath my elf the more,
of Age where he was placed under the Tui-
; andfo I was cafe d of a World of Dijcouragentent.
tion of Mr. Cockrel, a Korthamptonfhire Man, He alfo fhow'd me the Worth of Chrift, and made
Fellow of Immar.uelColledge. my Soul fatisfied with him, and cleave to him,
But when he had been upwards of two becaufe God had made him Righteoufncfs and
;
Years in that Colledge, this young Man, who hence alfo Revealed his Free Jufiificatwn, and
had been heretofore under more Ineffetfual Ope- gave me Support and Rep} upon and in his Pro-
rations of the Divine Word upon him, was mifes made to them that Receive him As Lord
now more Effectuality Called unto a faving Ac- and King ; which I found My Heart long Unwil-
quaintance with him, that is our true Immanuel. ling to. And this was the Grdund, or rat her
The Miniltry of Mr. Chadcrton and Mr. Dickin- Occafion of many horrid Temptations of Atheifm,
fon, ffruck his Heart with powerful ConviUions Judaifm, F'amilifm, Popery, Defpair, as having
of his Miferies in his Unregeneracy ; and while finned the Unpardonable Sin ; yet the Lord, at
he fhook off thofe ConviUions, it pleafed God la
ft, made me yield up my felf to his Condemning
that a Devout Scholar walking with him, fell Will, as good; which gave* me great Peace and
into Difcourfes about the Miferies of an Unre- Qitietnefs of Heart, through the Blood and Pity
generate Man, whereby the Arrows of God of Chrift. 1 have met with all Kinds of Tem-
were ffruck deeper into him. At another time, ptations, but after my Convcifwn. I was never
falling into a pious Company, where they con- tempted to Arminianifm, my own Experience fo
ferred about, The Wrath of God, and the Ex- fenfibly confuting the Freedom of Will.
tremity and Eternity of it, this added unto his § 4. One Dr. Wiljon, having a purpofe, with
Awakenings ; and tho' profane Company after- a molt Noble and Pious Charity, to maintain
wards caufed him to lofe much of the Senfe, a Lecture, the Minifters of Ejfcx, in one of
which he had of thefe things, yet when Dr. their Monthly Fafts, propounded unto Mr.
Prefton came thither, his firft Sermon on that Shepard, the Service of this Lecture to beat-
[Be Renewed in the Spirit of you'?' Mirtd~\ fo tended in the Great Town of Coggefhal.. But
Renewed the former ImprefTions, which had the People of Earl's Coin, on that very Day,
been upon him, that he foon approved him- when the Minifters were together in Parting at
felf a Perfon truly Renewed in his own Spirit, Prayer, for the Direction of Heaven in this
and converted unto God. From this time, Matter, fo afFecfionarely addreffed them, for
which was in the Year i6i\. he fet himfelf the Benefit of this Lecture, that it was granted
efpecially on the Work of Daily Meditation, unto Ttaw, for the Three Years enfuing. Mr.
which he attended every Evening before Sup- Shepard, having proceeded Mafter of Arts at
per , Meditating on, The Evil of Sin, The Cambridge, accepted now an Invitation to Earls
Terror of God's Wrath, The Day of Death and Coin ; and at the End of Three Years the In-
Judgment, The Beauty of the Lord J ejus Chrift, habitants were fo loath to let him go, that they
and The Dcceitfulnefs of his own Heart, until gathered among themfelves a convenient Sa-
he found the Transforming Influence of thofe lary to fupport him frill amongft them Though :
Things upon his own Soul ; a Courfe which his Letlure were gone. At EdrlsColn then he
afterwards, he would mightily commend unto tarried, and prevailed for the Letfure to be
others that confulted him and he relied not fettled the next Three Years in Tmvcefter, the
•,
Chrifi alone, there was laid up the full Sup- be employed in the Labour. of tt which was •,
ply of all Spiritual Wants, he found the Grace to him an Extreame Satisfaction.
of God enabling him to accept of that Altho' Mr. Shepard were but a young
precious f) 5.
Words
Book ill. The Hificry 87
of New-England
Words of Mr. Shepard, in the Hearing of this Society of Mr. Wilfon, Mr. Jones, and other
unlucky Boy, ftruck him with Horror to think, ChriftianSj which more figniricantly made good
that he Ihould be fo wicked, as to betray fuch the Name of the Ship, The Defence. In their
an Holy Man. Whereupon the convinced Boy, rirlt Storm, the VefTel fprang a Leak, which let
did with Teirs difcover the whole Plot, unto in the Water
falter, than both Pumps were able
his Godly Miller, who forthwith convey'd Mr to turn out a Leak eighteen Inches long,
it •,
out of the way, and confounded the and an Inch wide But ic was, tho' with much
:
Shepard,
Setters that would havecatched him. difficulty found and ltop'd, jult as they were up-
on diverting into Ireland for their
§ p. It was
the latter end of the Year 1634, Safety Being
when Sailing vaas now dangerous, that Mr. She- thus again delivered, they got into Novo England,
pard (hipped himfelf, in a Ship of about Four and on Oil. 3. they were let afhore at Bofton ;
hundred Tun commanded by a very able Sea-
-,
from whence, within a Day or two, his Friends
man, but under a perpetual Entail and Series of at Cambridge gladly fetched him.
verances from feveral DiltrefTes, within a few and confiderable Demefnes, were hereby feme
Hours of their firft fetting out, the Winds drove what prepared for Sale to the good People,
them again back into Tarmouthwhere which Mr. Shepard brought over with him, who
Road ;
there arofe one of the molt fearful Storms that were loth to lofe any more of their ffiort Lives.
ever was known. They thought they had loll by more tedious Removals. Accordingly, ta-
all their Anchors, and with their Anchors all king up their Station at Cambridge, Mr. Shenard,
their Hopes and tho' Thoufands from Yarmouth with feveral of his good People, did on the firft
-,
Walls did pity them, yet none could relieve of the enfuing February, in a vait Ailembly,
them However, the Companions of an emi- wherein were prefent the Mag if'rates of the Co-
:
nent Officer, then amongft the Spectators, were lony, with the Mmifers and Mefengers of the
a littlediftinguifhed, when he fcoffingly faid Neighbouring Churches, keep a Day of Prayer ;
:
As for a poor Collier there in the Road, he pitied in the Clofe of which Day, they made a Con-
him very much ; but of for the Puritans in the fejfton of their Faith, with a Declaration of what
other Ship, he wcis not concerned, their Faith mould Regenerating Impreffions the Grace of God had
fave them. In this Extremity, Mr. Shepard, made upon them and then they entred into -,
with all the Mariners in one part of the Ship, their Covenant, whereby they became a Church ;
and Mr. Norton, with Two hundred Pajfengers to which Mr.Cottonjn the Name of the
re(t,gave
in the other, poured out their molt fervent the Right Hand of Fellowfhip. However, the
Prayers unto Almighty God ; whereupon the Ordination of Mr. Shepard, unto the Paftoral
Wind immediately fo abated, that the Ship Charge 0? this Church, was deferred, until ano-
Itay'd j and they found, tho' the Upper part of ther Day, wherein there was more time to go
the VefTel all broken, yet their laft Anchor un- thro' the other Solemnities, proper to fuch a
Day, he went afhore to Tarmouth, where one of Shepard in that Church the Country wjs mi-
-,
his firfl Works, was to bury his Firfl born Son -, ferably diffracted by a Storm of Antinomian and
tho' he durlt not himfelf be prefent at the Bu- Familiflical Opinions then raifed. The Mother
rial, becaufe his Danger from the horrid Alan- Opinion of all the reft was, Th.it a Chriflian
lefs of Mercy, and more fhould not fetch
had
catchers afhore, any Evidence of his good State
of Horror in
it, than what he efcaped from the before God , from the fight of any inherent
mercilefs and horrible Waves of the Sea. Mr. Qualification in him ; or from any Conditional
Bridge of Norwich, now kindly invited him thi- Promife made unto fuch a Qualification. From
ther -,whither, when he came, the worthy Ma- the Womb of this fruitful Opinion, and from the
dam Corbet freely offered him a great Houfe of Countenance hereby given to immediate and un-
hers, then Handing empty at. Baftwick ; and warranted Revelations, 'tis not eafie to relate,
there he fpent all the Winter, in the Company, how many Monfiers, worfe than African, arofe
and with the Afliftance of Mr. Harlackinden, a in thefe Regions of America : But a
Synod af-
Friend that loved him at all times. In the Spring fembled at Cambridge, whereof Mr. Shepard was
he went up to London ; where by a Removal no fmall part, moft happily crufh'd them all,
from the Lodgings, which he took at his firft The Vigilancy of Mr. Shepard was bleffed, not
Arrival there, he again very narrowly efcaped only for the Prefervation of his own Congrega-
thofe, to whom fuch a Shepherd was an Abomina- tion from the Rot of thefe Opinions, but alfo
tion. for the Deliverance of all the Flocks, which our
The Perils wherein he was continually, from Lord had in the Wildernefs. And it was with
hk own Country-men, compelled him once more a refpeSt unto this Vigilancy, and the Enlight-
to encounter the Perils at Sea ; fo that in
July ning and Powerful Miniltry of Mr. Shepard,
following, he failed from Grave fend, in a Bot- that when the Foundation of a Col'ledge was to
tom too decay'd and feeble indeed, for fuch a be laid, Cambridge rather than any other place,
3
Voyage ; but yet well accommodated with the was pitch'd upon to be the Seat of that happy
1 1 Mmm Se-
88 7 be Hifiory of New-England. Book ill.
Seminary : Out of which there proceeded many And it was an extreme Grief unto his devout
rotable Preachers, who were made Soul, to lee the extreme Ignorance and Profane-
fuch, very
much by their fitting under Mr. Shepard's Mi- nejs, wherewirh many in the Englifh Nation de-
cried the Sacred Obfervation of the Lord's
niftry. Day,
§ 13. It has been a Queflion of feme Curio- as a Novelty no older than Perkins, and as the
fity, whatmight be the Diftemper of Hezekiah, Stratagem of a few old Difcipirnatian Puritans.
whereof he recovered fo remarkably, and mi-
Wherefore as the moft Comprehenfive Service
raculoufly ? Now when
confide: the
I Chatter- to be done for the true Power of Godhnefs,
ing, whereto the lick Prince was brought by his which he faw would rife and fall with the Sab-
Difeale, and the Cataplafm which he ufed of bath, he did in thefe iearned Thefes maintain the
difcuffive and emollient, I incline, with Morality, and advife the Santltjication of that
things
Bartholinm, to that his Diftemper might Sacred Reft. Having thus manilcfted his Con-
thjnk,
be a Malignant k&injie, whereof dually the cern for the fourth Commandment, he manife-
Sick are either kill'd, or (like Hezekiah) cur'd fted a Concern tor the Second alio ; by a Di-
on the Third Day. Such a Diftemper arretted fcoutfe, wherein befides a more full opening of
our holy Shepard, when in the Coutfe of Na- fundry Particulars concerning Liturgies, the
ture, and in the Wifh of good Men,
he might Powet of the Keys, the Matter of the Yifible
have yet lived with us, for much more than t'tj- Church, there is more largely handled the Con-
tcen Years ; yea, twice fifteen more, would troverlie concerning the Catholick Yifible Church ,
icarce have carried him further than die Common lending to clear up the Old Way of Chiilt, in
Agt of Man. Returning home from a Council the Churches of'New-England. That which in-
at Rbwly, he fell into a gtiinjie, with a Sym- fpired him, with Mr. John Allin of Dedham, to
ptom tic rl Fever, which fuddenly ftop'd a Sil- write this Difcourfe, was efpecially a two-fold
1
ver Trumpet, from whence- the People of God Confideiation, expreffed among other things, in
had often heard the joyful Sound. Among other the Fair Porch of this Book, about the Temple
Paffages uttered by him, when he lay of God. One thing that moved him, was his
a dying
he addrefled thofe that were about him, with Defire of Reformation ; whereof he lavs, We
thele words :Oh love the Lord Jefi/s very dear freely cohfefs, that we think the Reformation of
ly ;
that little part that [have in hint, is nofmall the Church doth net onlv confijl in purging out
Wives, which he fucceflively married, Three fpel, and makes the Lord weary of his own Ordi-
Sons, who have fince been the Shepherds of three nances.
feveral Churches in this Country. About the way of attaining which Reforma-
§ 14. Tis a good Saying, Kon Annis fed tion, he adds, 'Tis true where there is no
-,
Fact is vivunt mart ales. Accordingly, we will Church Relation, but a People are ready to begin
meafure thejJwt Lije of Mr. She- a new Confti tilting of Churches, be format ion zs to
overagiin
paid, by the great Work which he did
in it In be fought in the Jirft Confti tut ion : This is our
:
all of which, the Motto of Weber was the De- Cafe But where corrupted Churches (fuch
or i Vit.t Yivcndum att we conceive the Congregation of England ge-
fign of our Shepard, Ant
Deo. nerally to be) are to be Reformed there we con-
-,
Now befides the other frequent and conftant ceive, that fuch Congregations fhould be called by
Labouts of his Miniliry, which left their Im- able Mtmfters unto Repentance for former Evils,
preflionson the Souls of Multitude, where ever and confejjing and bewailing their Sins, renew a
he came, the Prefs has preferved fome of his Solemn Covenant with God, to reform themjelves,
Labours for the furviving Generarion And the and to fubmit unto the Difcipline oj Chriji. By
:
publifhed Compofures of this Laborious Perfon, which means fuch at refufe fo to do, exclude
are of two forts ; namely, the mere Dotlrinal, themjelves, and others, by the Severity of Difci-
and the more PraUical ; tho' indeed he was of pline fhould be purged out, iffalling into Sin they
fuch a Spirit, as always to gain the Point, of remain impenitent in the fame.
mixing both in the fame Difcourfes. Another thing that moved him, was his Re-
§ 15. Among his Compofures of the more gard for New-England , whereof his Words
Dotlrinal fort, the Bell feems to be born by his there muft nevet be forgotten ;
and the Reafon
Elaborate and Judicious Treadle, entituled, of my tranferibing them, is, becaufe the Church
Thejes Sabbatics ; wherein he hath handled the briefly comprifed in
Hiftory oj my Country, is
'
fon, Reading, and Religion, which is truly ex- Longings and Panting s of Heart, have been in
'
traordinary. It was his Obfervation, if any ' many after the Lord Jejus, to fee his Goings
State would reduce the People under it, unto all in the Sanctuary, as the one thing their Souls
'
fort of Super/tit ion and Impiety, let them ercll a defired and reqttefled of him, and thac they
Dancing Sabbath ; and ij the God of this World
'-
would have all Projejfors enjoy a total Immunity of which Prayers, and Delires, this Liberty of
from the Law oj God, and all manner of Licen- New-England, hath been taken to be, and
tioufnejs wlovo'd them without Check of Confci- thankfully received of God. Yea, how many
ence, let him then make an Every day Sabbath. ferious Confukatiorti with one another, and
'
with
~
c
Book Hi. Ihe Hijtory of iSew-hngland. 85*
'
'
with the faithful Minifters, and other eminent lure of Cheerfulneis-and Contentment. But
'
4
Servants of Chrift, have been taken about this above all,, we muff acknowledge the lingular
'
unknown to foftie and Pity and Mercies of our God, that hath dune
c
Work, is not ; furely
'
1
Perfons, whofe Hearts the Lord all this, and much more, tor a
all the ltirred
'
People lb un-
by J \it> »:. trings of
4
in rhis Bufinels,were not rafkjaeak-fpirited, fo ^niful, that
up '
worthy,
1
inconfiderate of what they leftbebind^orofwbat many, Unfaiwfulnefs in Pr'omifes, OppreJJion},
'
'
;'/zo.u to go into a Wildernefs. But it we were and other Evils, which are found among Us,
' 1
able to recount the lingular Workings of Di- have fo difhonoured his
Majefty, expofed his
4
vine Providence, for the bringing on this
f
Work here to much Scandal
arid Obloquy,
'
4
Work, to what it is come unto, it would ftop for which we have caufe for ever to be alha-
'
'
the Mouths of whatever many may fay
all -,
med, that the Lord fhould yet own us, and
'
or think, we believe After times will admire rather correct us in Mercy, than caff us off' in
4 '
and adore the Lord herein, when all his Holy Difpleafure, and fcatter us in this Wildernefs ;
4 c
Ends, and the Ways he has ufed to bring them wdiich gives us caufe to fay, Who is a God
1 e
about, fia/l appear. Look from one end of like our God, that pardons Iniquities, and
paf-
1 '
the Heaven unto another, Whether the Lord fes by the Tranfgreffions of the Remnant of
hath allayed to do fuch a Work as this, in
1 '
his Heritage even becaufe he delight eth in
-,
1 '
4
Report of this Country, the Straits, Wants, going to that Lord, whofe Charge had been,
and Trials of God's People in it. yet fhould for little Children to be confidered as belonging to
leave our Accommodations, and Comforts, the Kingdom of Heaven : And it was written to
4
4
forfake our deareft Relations, Parents, Bre- one that was then wavering about the Point of
4
thren, Sillers, Chriftian Friends and Acquain- Infant-Baptifm, but hereby recovered and efta-
4
ces over look all the Dangers and Dirficul- blifhed.
-,
The Son of this Reverend Perfon pub-
4
ties of the vafi Seas, the Thoughts whereof lifhed this Letter, with hopes, that it might
4
was a Terror to many ; and all this, to go into have a better Effect:, than the famous Letter of
a Wildernefs, where we could forecaft nothing Elijah had upon fehoram, which many think
4
4
hut Care and Temptations, only in of written before his Tranilation, and concealed
hopes
4
enjoying Chrift in his Ordinances, in the Fel- until a Seafon, afterwards, appeared, for the
fit
4
low/hip of bis
People. Was
this from a ftupid prefenting of it. But 1 (hall conclude the Ca-
4
Sencelefnejs, or defperate Carelefnefs, what talogue of his Dolfrinal Tra£ts, with the mention
c
became of us, or ours ? Or want of Natural of another Letter ef his, Printed at London in
Affdlions to our dear Country, or nearelf Re the Year 1645, under the Title of, New
4
En-
lations ? No furely, with what Bowels of gland's Lamentation , for Old England's Er-
4
4
Companions to our dear Country with what rors. -,
domof Chrift ? And 7the Form of a Common- Day ? And Divifions and Diftratfions ? Nothing
4
4
wealth erected in a W
ildernefs, and in fo few done without Divifwn and Contention
? Certainly
Years brought to that State, that fcarce the fomething is am ifs ? And to pafs by a Treadle
4
4
like can be feen in any of our Englijl) Colonies. of his, Printed under the Title of, SubjeEiionto
4
in the richeft places of this America, after Chrift, in all his Ordinances and Appointments,
many more Years Handing ? That the Lord the beft Means to prcferve our Liberty. To
4
4
hath carried the Spirits of fo many of his which Treatife is annexed another, Concerning
4
People, through all their toilfome Labours, bteffetlual Hearing of the Word.
There are efpe-
s
Wants, Difficulties, LofTes, with fuch a Mea- three of his Books, which have been more
cially
M mm z con-
9o 1 be Hiflory of New-England. Book ill.
confidered. The firft and leaft of thofe Books, the Teltimony, That though a Vein
of ferious.
is called, The Sincere Convert : Which the Au- /olid and hearty Piety run through ail thii A,
thor would commonly call, His Ragged Child .- ttior's
Works, yet he hath referved the bell
And fourth Edition, wrote
once, even after its Wine till the /aft. Thefe were the Works of
unto Mr. Giles Firmin, thus concerning it : That that Man, whole Death in tife Lord has now-
which is cal/dj The Sincere Convert J have carried him to a Reft from his his Labours.
:
not the Book : I once faw it. It was a Colleflion § 17. As he was a very Studious Perfon, and
offuch Notes in a dark Town in England, which a very
Lively Preacher ; and one who therefore
one procuring of me, publijhed them without my took great Pains in his Preparations, for his
Will, or my Jfcarce know what it con publick Labours, which Preparations he would
Privity.
tains, nor do Hike to fee it ; confidenng the ma
ufually finifli on Saturday, by two a Clock in
ny 2?*aju«7* Typographical mcjl abfurd ; and the the Afternoon
with Refpect whereunto he -,
People, and the wofui Horrors which have knows, that Tirkp were little enough to pray m
thereby been railed in many Godly .Souls, oblige and weep in, and get his Heart into a fit Frame
me to add the Cenfure of Mr. Giles Firmm, for the Duties of the approaching Sabbath. So
'
whofe Words in his Real Chrijhan are In the Character of his
daily Converfation was
:
c
ihort, as to that Book, for the general part of
A Trembling Walk with God. Now to rake
c
it, the
Book is very lolid, quick, and fearch true Meafures of his Converfation, one of the
'
It is not a Book for belt Glafes that can be
ing, it cuts very lharply. ufed, is the Dion,
c
an unfound heart to delight in : I mean, in •.Therein he did himfelf keep the Remembran-
'
thole Places Where he agrees, both with the ces of many Remarkables that palled betwixt
Scriptures, and with other able Divines, and his God^ and himfelf; who were indeed Afujf-
'
*
of tiide makes ufe but lor the other pailages cient Theatre to one another. It would give
§
'
which do not agree Willi either (as there are fome Inequality to this Pare ofour Church Hiflo-
'
fame things in it) 1 will let them go, as being ry, it all the Holy Memoirs left in the Private
1
none of Mr. Shepard.% and not trouble my fell' Writings of this Walker with God, fhould here
'
with 'em ; and with no Cbriftian xhax'ystwtiet be Tranfcribed But I will fingle out
: from
'
and Jincere, to trouble himfelf with them. rhence a few PafTages, which more
'
might be
This I put in, becaule I hear that Book hath agreeably and profitably expofed unto the
'
caus'd much Trouble in Gracious Chriftians : World.
Had it been to Chriftians in Name only, un § 18. We will begin with what his Eminent
c
'
found Believers, Hypocrites, I fhould not have Succeffbr Mr. Mitchel entred in his own Diary,
'
troubled my fell' about it, for I know it is as Reported by Mr. Shepard unto himfelf -,
'
not for their Tooth. But this Book was fol- which runs in thefe Latin Terms, Olim Canra-
lowed with a fecond and larger, called, The brigia:, Ego Horrore iff Tenebris opplctus, An
Sound Believer which in a morediftinel:, cor- ad Menfam Domini accederem, maxime Dubi-
-,
reef, and moll judicious Treatifeof Evangelical tavi ; Tandem autem accejji utcunq-,. Cum vera
Converfion, diicovers the U'ork of the Spirit of Panis &
Vinum jam effent Communicanda, mihi
the Lord jefi/s d'ry.f in reconciling of a Sinner Exeundem putavi ; tanta confufwne
jui Oppref-
unto God. And, as in the Preface to that Book, fvs ! Sed Devs me ibi retinuit, ac tandem hue
'
he gives that Realbn for his writing it, I con- me adegit, ut^ Licet, ego nihil pojfim in accipi-
'
1
Cider cd my zveak Bo'dy, and my fhort Time of
endoChrifto; ad ilium tamen rejpicerem, ut Me
fojourning here, and that 1 fhall not fpeak me prehenderet iff ad me veniret. Statim, tarn
c
long to Children, Friends or God's precious perfpicue, fenfi Chrifium illucefcentem Animo,
'
People / dm fire not to many in England, quam folem Orienrem Jentire pojfum. Hoc tan.
•,
'
L
to whom I owe ahiwft
my whole Jelf, and whom topere me evexit, de Vita Fidei hac ufq-, Eru- &
Ifhall fee in this World no more-, I have been divit, ut non
'
pojfum non magni pendere. Mr.
therefore -willing to take the Seafon, that I Mitchel had this of Mr,
Shepard, Aug. 15.
'
might leave feme part of God's precious Truth 1646.
*
en Record, chat it might fpeak (Oh! that it § 19. How experimentally acquainted he
'
might be to the Heart) among whom I can- himfelf was with the Praltice and of Import
'
and when I (hall not be So the next the Doclrine wherein he
not, chiefly infilled, in his
:
Book of his occurring to our Notice, is a preaching unto others, will be illullrated from
Pofthumous one. And that is a Volume in Fo- this rnoft Edifying-Record'in his Diary.
lio, opening and applying the Parable of the
'
Ten Virgins-, and handling the Dangers inci- April ic. I had many Thoughts which'
'
dent unto the molt Flourifhing Churches or came in, to prefs me to give up my felf to
Chriftians 5
which Book from the Authors
is
'
Chrift Jeji/s, which was the Dearcfi Thing
Notes, a Tranfcript of Sermons preached at '
1 had : And I faw, that if when I gave my
his Lecture, from June 1696. to May 1640. felf to Chrift, he would
give himfelf tome
'
would take me, if I gave my felf to him ? To fee God in the Creature ! God
fpeak, God
Then, Whether I might take him again upon act, the Deity not being the Creature, and
it ? And fo I refolved to feek an Anfwer to turned into it ; but rilling of it,
(Tuning
both, from God in Meditation. So on the through it to be covered with God as with
,
Thing !
In anfwer whereto, Firft, I faw that the Meannefsof what 1 have provided in private
Lord defired and commanded me to Give Meditations, and unto this I faw alfo an An-
me my Heart. Secondly, I faw, that this fwer-, to wit, that every thing fancFified to
was plcafing to him, and the contrary dif do Good, Its is not to be feen in it
Glory
pleafing. Thirdly, 1 faw, that it was fit for felf, but in the Lord's fan&ifying of it Or, :
him to take me, and to do what he will from an Apprehenfion of the Unfavourineis
with me. But then I queftioned, Will the of Peoples Spirits, or their Unreadinefs to
Lord receive, and do me good everlaftingly ? hear in Hot or Cold Times. Secondly, or Care-
becaufe I gave up my Friends and the whole lefnefs poffeffes me arifing, becaufe I have
-,
Church to the Lord alfo, as I did my felf ; done well, and been enlarged, and have been
and will the Lord take all them ? For anfwer, refpecFed formerly, hence it is no fuch mat-
Here I faw the Great Privilege of it, and the ter, though I be not always alike ; Beftdes,
July io. 164.1. On the Evening of this Refting on my own Right eoufnefs. Secondly,
'
Day, before the Sacrament, I law it my Du- I faw I could not do it. Thirdly, I law
'
ty to fequefter my felf from all other things, Righteoufnefs readv made, and already firft
*
Ihed,
j2 The "Hi/hry~^~Nc\x-'Enghnd. Book III.
'
feparated
ing reconciled and
made Righteous by Faith
in Cbrift, which I law a little of that Night.
:
'
This Day alfo I found my Heart untoward, The Firjl was this.
fad and heavy, by muling on the many Evils
'
Firjl,
That in my felf, I am a dying condem- fenfible of thefe Sins in the Churches. 1.
Ig-
'
ned Wretch, but by Chrift reconciled and norance oftbemfe/ves becaufe of fecret Evils. -,
'
alive. Secondly, In and in all Crea-
my felf 1. Of God becaufe molt Men were full of
;
tures finding. Inefficiency, and no Reft but
'
Dark and Doubtful Confciences. 3. Not ca-
'
God All fufficient, and enough to me. Third- ring for Chrift, dearly, only. 4. NeglecF of
Feeble and unable to do any thing my
'
ly, Duties becaufe of our Place of Security.
•,
'
felf ; but in Chrilt able to do all things. 5.Standing againft all Means, becaufe we
Although I enjoyed all thefe but in
'
Fourthly, grow not better. 6. Earthlinefs; becaufe we
World, yet I fhould have them
'
in this And I faw Sin,
part, long not to be with Chrift.
'
all pertecf ly fhortly in Heaven where God <
as my Greatelt Evil, becaufe I faw my felf
'
will (how himfelf fully reconciled, fufficient was not better than God. I was vile, but he
L
and efficient, and abolifh all Sin, and live in was Good only, whom my Sin did crofs^ and
'
me perfectly. I law what caufe I had to loath
my felf, and
not to ieek honour unto my felf. Will any
§ 22. How fenfible he was of the Leaji defire his Dunghill to be commended ? Will
Failings in himfelf, and how defirous to mend he grieve, if it be not ? If he judge fo indeed
thofe Failings, may be gathered from the en- of it. So my Heart began to fall off from
fuing Brief Meditations. it and the Lord alfo gave me fome Glimpfe
-,
the Liberties of God's that all hath been Dead. Works, and bruit of
land, where confidering
Houfe, I refolved and thought it fit to be Pnde y walking daily without C.hrifr, and
wholly for the Lord, in all manner of Holt- without approving my felfunto him. And
nefs, at Bed, at Board, everywhere, fourth- hence, tho' I do his Work, I, don't mind him
Then the Lord took my Dear Wife from in it-, Hk Command, his Prefence, nor yet
ly
me, and this made me refolve to delight no endeavour to grow fomewhat everv Day.
'
more in Creatures, but in the Lotd, and to My not lamenting the Falls of Profeffors,
feck him. Fifthly,
The Lord then threatned and the Condition of the Country, who are
Blindncfs to Child ;my not indeed the Glory of God in the World,
and this made God's
Will Afflicting fweet to me, but much more
nor the Holy People. Is it not hence., that
Commanding and Promifing : And then I could many Pillars in the Church have fallen, as
do his Will, and leave thofe things to him- if the Lord would not beturft fuch precious
felf. But Oh! How is my Gold become dim ) VeJJels to my Care
> And
hath not the Sor-
And how little have I anfvvered the Lord row lain upon me? And hence Univerfal
!
'
for he has perfwaded my Heart to this 5 hut And I have now had a long Sickncfs, as if
'
my own Concupifcence and vile Nature, ' the Lord would delight no more in me to
which Lord that I might mourn for That
! ufe me.! Oh! My God, who fhail be like o
'
thou mayft Rejlore Comforts to me Apoftacy thee i ?2 pardoning and fubduing mine Ini.
!
'
from God is grievous, tho' it be in a little quities.
Degree-, to ferve Satan without Promife! To
fbriake the Lord againjt Promife! What Evil Behold. Reader, the Language of an Holy
have I found in the Lord ? This brings more Soul!
Difgrace upon the Lord, than if there had
never been any coming to him. But I will now take my Leave of Mr. Shep- ,
II. The
'
CHAP. VI.
Greateft of Peace-Makers, the Son into NewEnglartd, there came therefore many"
THAT
of God, has allured us, Bleffed are the confiderable Perfons with him.
Peace-Makers, for thy fhail be called the Chil- At their Arrival in this Country, they were
dren of God. I am fure then, 'tis a Bleffed fo mindful of their
Bufinejs here, that they
Child of God, whofe Name is now before us ; gathered Churches, before had ere£led
they
(Prudden we call him
fhail >
or, Prudent,) Houfes, for the Churches to meet in. There
who belides his other Excellent Qualities, was were then Two Famous Churches gathered at
noted for a Singular Faculty to fweeten, corn- New-haven ; gathered in Two Days, one fol-
pole and qualify Exafperated Spirits, and flop lowing upon t'other; Mr. Davenport's and
or heal all Contentions. Whence 'twas that Mr. Prudden's : And this with one lingular
his Town of
Mi/ford enjoyed Peace with Truth Circumftances, That a mighty Barn was the
all his notwithstanding fome Difpofi- Place, wherein the Duties of that Solemnity
Days,
which afterwards broke forth were attended.
tions to Vatiance, Oirr Glorious Lord Jefus
among them. Chrift himfelf being Bom a Stable, and laid m
God had marvellouily Blefled his Minifhy in one of thofe Moveable and Four-fquar'd
in
England, unto many about Herefordfhire, Little Vefjels wherein they brought Meat unto
and near Wales from whence when he came the Cattel, it was the more allowable, that 2
-,
Church 1
94 The Hi/lory of New-England, Book ill.
Church, which is the Myftical Body of that Lord, lony, as the Fall of a Pillar, which made the
thould thus be born in a Barn. And in this whole Fabrick to (hake.
Tranflation, I behold our Lord, With his Fan
in his Hand, purging his Floor, andgathering her
Wheat into the Garner.
That holy Man, Mr. Philip Henry, being re-
CHAP. VII.
had the Name of Niger. And in the Primitive It was his Opinion, that as for our
Bodies,
Churches of New-England, alfo, there was a- thus for our Spirits alfo, Cibm fimplex efi Opti-
rhong our famous Teachers, a good Man, who Wiis And accordingly he ftudied plain Preach-
:
Wore the fame Sir name, this was omMx. Black- ing, which was entertained by his People with
man, concerning whom, none but a Romanift a profitable Hearing. And as Luther would lay,
would have ufed that Rule : He is the ableft Preacher, §>ui pueriliter, Trivi-
aliter, Populariter, fimp/icijj/me docet : So our
Hie Niger eft, hunc tu Romane, caveto. Hooker, for the fake of the facred and folid
Simp/icity,]n the Difcourfes of this worthy Man,
For he was highly efteemed in the Protefiant would fay, If I might have my Choice, I would
Country, where he fpent the latter Days of his choofe to live and die under Air. Blackman'^
Lite. I
Minifiry.
He was a ufeful Preacher of the Gofpel, There was a Great Perfon among the Refor-
firft
then in Derbyjhire : But com- mers in Germany, who had almoft the fame
in Lciceftcrjhire,
ing to New-England, from the Storm that began Name with our Blackman ; that was Melantlhon,
to look black upon him, he was attended with and indeed this good Perfon was a Melantlhon,
a defirable Company of the Faithful, who faid among the Reformers of Newhaven in this -,
unto him, Entreat us not to leave you, or to re- happier than he, that his Lot was caft among a
turn irom following after you : For whither you pious People, who did not adminifter fo frequent
go, we will go and your God jhall be our Occafions as the Germans did for the Complaint,
•,
God. That Old Adam was too hard for his young Name-
New England having received this Holy Man, fake.
who notwithftanding his Name, was for his
Holinefs, ANazarite purer than Snow, whiter For a Clofe, I may apply to him the ingeni-
than Milk. It was firlt at Guilford, and after- ous Epitaph of Beza upon Melantlhon.
wands at Stratford, that he employ'd his Talents ;
TJmtm cut Cerium, cur a labor que fit it : [For this is a well known Sea, call'd Euxinc.
Num Rogitus, qitk Jit diefns Rat/one
Me or Harbor ous, becaufe there are no good Harbors
in it.
lan&hon f ]
CHAP. VIII.
The L I F E of Mr. A B R A II A M P I E R S N.
ceeding in their Plantation, by the Acceffion of ham, now fafely lodged in Sinu-Abraha.
near an hundred Families, they called Mr. Pier-
/on to go thither with them ; who with feven
or eight more of their Company, regularly in-
corporated themfelves into a Church State before
their going the whole Companyalfo entringat
: Fpitaphium.
the fame time, with the Advice of the Govern
ment of the MaJJachu/et.Bay, into a Civil Com- Terrfc di/cej/zt, fnfpirans Gaudia cdli,
CHAP. IX.
not Clouds without Water, where they came ; Body, was an Iliad in a Nut-Jljell.
they came with Showers of Bleljing, and rained 3 think he was blind of one ; neverthelefs
Eye
very gracious Impreflions upon the Vineyard of ho was not the leafl among the Seers of our Ij-
the Lord. N n n rael;
9* The Hiftory of New- England. Book III.
rael; he faw a very confiderable Proportion of when he will have his Reward among the
thofe things which Eye hath not fee n. Saints.
He was far from Cloudy in his Conceptions
and Principles of Divinity ; whereof he wrote a
Sacra ; foacurately,
Syflem, encituled, Soliloquia
confidering the Fourfold State of Man; in his,
I. Created Purity. II. Contracted Deformity. Epitaphium.
I'll. Relfored Beauty. IV. Cceleftial Glory.
That Judicious Perlbns, who have feen it, very
Hie Jacet, & fruit ur Trattquilla fede Ri-
much la'ment the Churches being fo much depri chardus
ved of it. Dentonus, cujus Fama perennts crit.
At length he got into Heaven beyond Clouds,
Incolajam C£li veltit dflra tfticantia fidget,
and fo beyond Storms , waiting the Return of
:
CHAP. X.
f he L I F E of Mr. P E TE R B V L K L T.
§ i. TT fome Reflexion,
has heen a Matter of § 3. When he came ahfoad into the World, a
I
X
that among the pretended SuccefTors of good Benefice befel him, added unto the Eitate
j
at the font, they afterwards changed it, when tions enough to keep him out of a Wilder-
they came unto the Chair. No doubt, as Raphael nefs.
Urbi/te,the famousPainter,being tax'd,for making Neverthelefs, the Concern which his renewed
the Face in the Picture of Peter too Red,replied, Soul had for the pure Worfhip of our Lord Jefus
He did it on purpofe, that he might reprefent Chrift, and for the Planting of Evangelical
the Apoltle Slutting in Heaven, to fee what Suc- Churches to exercife that Worfhip, caufed him
cefTors he had on Earth : So thefe infamous A- to leave and fell all, in hopes of gaining the
Peter, while they are Confcious unto themfelves, pled New-England, upon thofe Glorious Ends.
of their being Strangers to all the Vertues of It was not long that he continued in Conformity
that Great Apolile. But the Denomination of to the Ceremonies of the Church of England -,
Peter, might be with an Everlafting Agreeable- but the good Bilhop of Lincoln connived at his
nefs claimed by our eminent Bulkly, who, ac- Non-Conformity fas he did at his Fathers), and
cording to the Spirit and Counfel of Peter, Fed
he lived an unmoletted Non-Conformift, until he
the Flock of God among r/s } taking the Overfight had been Three Prentice-fhips' of Years in his
thereof not by Confiraint, but Willingly ; not Miniftry. Towards the latter end of this time,
his Miniftry had a notable Succefs, in the Con-
for fitly Lucre, but of-a willing Mind.
verfion of many unto God , and this was one
§ 2. He was dcicended of an Honourable Fa-
mily, in Bedfordshire ; where for many fucceflive
occafion of a latter end for this time. When
Generations, the Names of Edward and Peter, Nathanael Brent was Arch-Bifhop
Sir LWs
were alternatively worn by the Heirs of the Fa General, as Arch-Bifhop Laud was another's,
rnily.His Father w2$Edward Bulkly D.a D
faithful Complaints were made againft Mr. Bulkly , for
Mtnitter of the Gofpel ; the lame whom we his Non-Conformity, and he was therefore Si-
rind making a Supplement unto the laft Volume lenced.
of our Books of Martyrs. He was born at Wood- § 4. To New-England he therefore came, in
hil, ( or Odrl ) k Bcdford-fhire, January 3 1 ft. the Year 1635; and there having been for a
1582. while, at Cambridge, he carried a good Number
His Education was anfwerable unto his Ori- of Planters with him, up further into the Woods,
ginal ; it was Learned, it was Genteel, and where they gathered the Twelfth Church, then
which was the top of all, it was very Pious ; formed in the Colony, and call'd the Town by
At length it made him a Batchellor of Divinity, the Name of Concord.
and a Fellow of Saint jfa/w's Colledge in Cam- Here he buried a great Eftate, while he raifed,
bridge : The Colledge wheteinto he had been one ftill, for almoft every Perfonwhom he em-
Admitted, about the Sixteenth Year of his Age ploy'd in the Affairs of his Husbandry. He had
-,
and it was while he was but a. Junior Batchellor many, and godly Servants, whom after they had
that he was chofen a Fellow. lived with him a fit Number of Years, he ftill
dif-
-
knew what would go to make a Scholar. But had in much Reverence by hisPeople^ and when
being edential unto a Scholar,
it to iove a Scho- at any time, he was either
hafiy in /'peaking to
lar, lb did he ; and in
Token thereof, endowed fuch as were about him, whereto he was
difpo-
the Library of 7f<zm7/"<f-Colledge, with no fmall fed by his Bodily Pains, oifevere in
Preaching
part of his owa againlt fome things, that others thought were
And he was therewithal a mod exalted Chri- no way momentous, whereto the great Exaft,-
jlii/i; lull of thofe Devotions,
which accompa nefs of his Piety inclined him
yet thofe little
-,
ny a Converfation in Heaven ; efpecially, fo an Stingineffes took not away the Intereft which
exaft a Sabbath-keeper, that if at any time he he had in their Hearts ; they knowing him to be
had been asked, Whether he had fir id. ly kept the a juft Man, and an holy, obferved him.
Sabbath ? Ke would have replied, Chrifiianus And the Obfcrvance which his own People
fum, intermitterenon pojfum. And Confeientious had for him, was alfo paid him fiom all forts
even to a degree of Scrupulofity. That Scrupu of People throughout the Land but efpecially
-,
hardly ever came into his Company, but what- laft healed, by their calling in the help of a
ever Bufmefs he had been talking of, he would Council, and the Ruling Elder's Abdication. Of
let fall fome Holy, Serious, Divine, and life- the Temptations which occurr'd on thefe Occa-
ful Sentences upon them, e'er they parted : An fions, Mr. Bulkly would fay, He thereby came,
Example many ways worthy to be imitated, by 1 To know mere of God. 2. To know more of
.
every one that is called, A Minifier of the Himjelf. 3 To know more of Men. Peace be-
.
of conftant Catechiiing^ wherein, after all the §9. It is remarked, That a Man's Whole Re-
Unmarried People had anfwered all the People ligion isaccording to his Acquaintance with the
of the whole Aflembly were edified, by his Ex- AVro Covenant. If then, any Perlon would know
politions and Applications. what Mr. Peter Bulkly was, let him read his Ju-
His firft Sermon was on Rom. i. \6. I am not dicious and Savory Treatife of the Gofpel Cove-
ajhamed of the Go/pel of Chrift. At Ode/ he nant which has palled through feveral Editi-
•,
preached on part of the Prophecy of Ifaiah, and ons, with much Acceptance among the People
part of Jonah, and a great part of the Gofpel ol of God. Quickly alter his firft coming into
Matthew, and of Luke ; the Epiftles to the Phi this Country, he preached many Sermon's on
Itppians,
and of Peter and of Jude ; befides Zech. 9. 1 1. The Blood of thy Covenant. The
many other Scriptures. At Concord he preached Importunity of his Congregation prevailed with
over the Illuitrious Truths, about the Perfon, him, to preach this Dothine of the Covenant
the Natures, the Offices otChriJl. [What would over again in his Lectures, and fit it for the
he have laid, if he had lived unto this Evil Prefs. He did accordingly ; and of that Book
Day, when 'tis counted good Advice for a Mi- the well-known Mr. Shepard of Cambridge, has
nilter of the Gofpel, Not to preach much on the given this Teftimony. The Church of God is
Perfon of Chrifl ? ] The greateft part of the bound to blefs God, for the holy, judicious, and
Book of Pfalms the Converfion of Zacheus
-, -,
learned Labours, of this aged, experienced, and
Paul's Commifiion, in A7. 26. 18. His Death precious Servant of J ejus Chrifl, who hath taken
found him handling the Commandments and
-,
much pains to difcover, and that not in Words
John 1 6. 7, 8, p. He expounded Mr. Perkins and
Allegories, but in the Demonfi ration and E-
his Six Principles, whereto he added a Seventh, vidence of the Spirit, the great Myflery of God-
and Examined the young People, what they linefs wrapt up in the Covenant ; and hath now
N
n n 2 fully
S>8 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III,
in a fhort Epigram,
fully opened many knotty S>tteftions concerning thusexprefled, compofed
J he
fame, which happily have not been brought Jo March 25. 1657. (
Firft born of New England, I may not forbear Finiat opt magi s, mors proper at a Dies.
1
'
thou, New-England, which art exalted
And He was /'//, as well as old, when he writ thefe
inPiiviledgcs of the Gofpel, above many other Verfes-; but God granted him his Defire. He
People, know thou the Time of thy Vijitation, recovered, and preached near two Years after
and'eonfider the Great Things the Lord hath this, and then expired, March p. 165*, j n the
done for thee. The Gofpel h .ihfree pafthge Seventy feventh Year of his Age.
in all Places where thou dwelleft Oh! that :
it
might be ^A.'7/Walfo by thee' Thou en ^ 12. The Epigram newly mentioned, invites
ioyeft truny faithful WirnelTes, -which
have me to remember, that he had a competently
tefiiried umvj thefc, the Go/ pel of the Grace cj good Stroke at Latin Poetry and even in his -,
G •
Tlv'i; It
!.
my bright Stars ftnning in Old Age , affected fometimts to improve ft.
* :
i flf]
thv Firmament, to p;ive thee the Knowledge of 'Many of his Compofure are yet in our Hand--.
Salvati <nfrom on high, fdgaiite thy beet in the One was written on his Birth Day, June
51 if
way of Peace, Be not high minded, becaufe
of 165..
Salvation. The Lord looks for more from Pr.eterito Veteri jam nunc novas incipit Annus
at i nam mi hi Jit mens
thee, than from other People, more Zeal for nova, vita nova.
God, more Love to his Truth, more Juftice
and Equity in thy ways Thou fhouldeft be a Another of them was written on an Earth-
:
Gofpel, and the Miniifers of it, having them Ecce Dei nutu Pellus pavcfatla tremifcit
mfingular Love for Work*s fake. their Terra Tremens ?nota eft Je dibits
ipfa fills
'
Glorifie thou the Word of the Lord, which Nut ant fulcra Orbis,mundi compagofoluta ell
has glorirlcd thee. Take heed, lealf for neg Ex vttltu frati contremit Hie Dei.
left of either, God remove thy Gandlejcick out Contremttit tellus, imis concufa Cavemis
of the mid If of thee ; left being now, tu a Ponderibus quanquam fit gravis
illafuis.
City upon an Hill, which many Peek unto, thou
Evomit ore putres magno cum murmure
venlos,
be left like a Beacon upon the top of a Moun- Qitos in vifceribits clauferat ante fuis.
tain, defohte and fbrfaken. If we walk un Ipfa t remit Tellus feelerurn gravitate virorum,
worthy of the Gofpel brought unto us, the f
Sub ceteris nojiri ponder e Terra t remit.
greater our Mercy hath been, in the enjoying quam duri I Sunt ferrea peUora nobis
nos
•of it, the gteater will our Judgment be for Non etenim gemhnus cum gemit omnefolum.
the Contempt. Qitis te non met nit, met nit quern Fabrica mundi
^itemque timent aeli, terraque tot a tremit.
§ 1 1. His flrft Wife was the Daughter of Mr. T
Mot lb us d ant is nunc tandem terra
quiefcat,
Tbonidi Allen, of Goldington : A molt vertuous Sed cefjent potius crimina ncftra
precor.
Gentlewoman, whofe Nephew was the Lord
Mayor of London, Sir Thoma-r Allen. By her The reft we will bury with him, under this
he had nine Sons, and two Daughters. After
her Death, he lived eight Years a Widdower,
and then married a vertuous Daughter of Sir E P I T A P H.
Richard Chitwood ; by whom he had three Sons,
and one Daughter. Obiit jam
qui jamduchtm obierat Bulklceus 5
Age at length creeping on him, he grew much Nee r&riam tile mutavit, nee
pen e vita/ft:
afraid of out-living his Work ; and his Fear he Eh roit, quo he confueverat, & ubijam erat.
CHAP.
- „ .-- - .^. „
_ ,....,.... .
.^. I — !!! !
, _
CHAP. XL
The LIFE of Mr. R A L P H PARTRID G I
David was driven from his Friends up each of them, A Model of Church-Govern
WHen into the Wildernefs, he made this Pa- went,
according to the Word of God, unto the
of his Condition, 'Tina*
thetical Representation end, that out of thofe, the Synod might form
'Oivoben one doth hunt a Partridge in the Moun- what fhould be found moll agreeable ^ which
tains. Among the many worthy Perfons who three Perfons were Mr. Cot ion, and Mr.
Mather,
Were perfecuted American Wildernefs, and Mr. Partridge. So that in the
into an
Opinion of
for theit Fidelity to the Ecclefnflic.il Kingdom that Reverend Aflembly, this Perfon did not
of our true David, there was one that bore the come far behind the firlt three, for fome of his
Name, as well as the State, of an hunted Par- Accomplifhments.
tridge. What befel him, was, as Bede faith of After he had been Forty Tears a faithful and
what was done by Fa'lix, Juxta nominis fui Sa- painful Preacher of the Colpel,
rarely, if ever,
cfamdnium. in all that while interrupted in his Work, by
This was Mr. Ralph Partridge, who for no any Bodily Sicknefs, he dy'd in a good Old Age
Fault but the Delicacy of his good Spirit, being about the Year 1658.
diltrefs'd by the Ecclefiafiical Setters, had ho There was one lingular Inftance of a weaned
Defence, neither o\' Beak, nor Claw, but a Flight Spirit, whereby he fignalized himfelf unto the
over the Ocean. Churches of God- That was this There was :
The Place where he took Covert, was the a time, when molf of the Minifters in the Co-
Colony ot Plymouth, and the Town of D.ixbury lony of Plymouth, left the Colony, upon the
in that polony.
Discouragement which the want of a competent
This Partridge had not only thelnnocency of Maintenance among the needy and froward In-
the Dove, corilpicuous in his blamelefs and pious
habitants, gave unto them. Neverthelefs Mj,
Life, which made him very acceptable in his
Partridge was, notwithftanding the Paucity and
Conversation but alfb the Loftinels of an Ea
; the Poverty of his Congregation, fo afraid of
gle, in the great Soar of his intellectual Abilities.
being any thing that look'd like a Bird voandring
There are fome Interpreters, whounderflanding from his Neft, that he remained with his poor
Church Officers by the living Creatures, in the
People, till he took Wing to become a Bird of
Fourth Chapter of the Apocalypfe, will have the Paradife, along with the winged Seraphim of
Teacher to be intended by the Eagle there, for Heaven.
his quick Infight into remote and hidden things.
The Church of Duxbury had fuch an Eagle in
their Partridge ,
when they enjoy 'd fuch a
Teacher.
By the fame Token, when the Platform oj Epitapkium.
Church-Difapline was to be compos'd, the Sy
nod at Cambridge appointed three Perfons to draw Avolavit !
CHAP. XII.
that thole Fathers were not infallible. And/a- And alas ! How much
of Babylon is there in his
dius, among others, in his Defence ot the Coun- bell Book, De Civitate Dei. Hilary deny'd the
cil ot Trent, has this paffage, There can be no- Soul Sorrows oi' our Lord in his Pallion, if you
thing devifed more fuperftitious, than to count will believe the Report of Bellarmine. Clemens
all th'uigs delivered
by the Fathers, Divine Ora Alexandrines affirm'd, That our Lord neither
cles. And indeed, it is plain enough, that thofe Eat nor Drank from the Necefluies of Human
excellent Men, were not without Errors and Life ;
and that he and his Apoflles after their
Frailties, of which, I hope, 'twill not be the Death, preached unto the Damned in Hell, of
part of a Cham to take fome little Notice. Thus whom there were many converted. Origen
j'erom had his Erroneous Opinion of Peter's be- taught many things contrary unto the trueiaith%
and
ICO The Hifiory of New-England. Book III.
which concerns our Metrical Tranflation of the Guadimel let Melodious Tunes unto them.
PSA L MS now fung in our Churches. The Singing hereof charm'd the Souls of Court
About the Year 163 p. the New-Englijh Re- and Ciry, Town and
Country. They were
formers, confidering that their Churches en- fung in the Lovre it felf, as well as in the
joy'd the other Ordinances of Heaven in their Proteffant Churches : Ladies, Nobles, Princes,
Scriptural Purity, were willing that the Ordi- yea, King Henry himfelf fang them. This one'
nance of The Singing of Pfalms, as fhould be thing mightily contributed unto the Downfal
of
Book III. The of IOI
Hiftory New-England.
of Popery, and the Progrefs of the Gofpel. Thou art in a Confort with Angels I How much
All Ranks of Men practis'd it-, a Gentleman more may that Now be faid of our Dunfier}
of the Reformed Religion, would not eat a
Meal without it. The Popifh Clergy raging
From the Epitaph of Henricus Rentzi.is, we
hereat, the Cardinal of Lorrain got the Pro-
will now furnifli our Henry Dunfler with an
fane and Obfcene Odes of the Pagan Poets to
be turn'd into French, and fang at the Court :
ringingof Pfilms on Earth, Cbryfoftom could Virttis, Chriflw, Humtts ; Laude, Salute,
well fay, M«t' 'hyy'ihuv a/Wr, (HT 'kyyihav lipveif,
Sime.
CHAP. XIII.
The LIFE of Mr. EZEKIEL ROGERS.
§ i-TT among the Greater Prophets of If ty. Removing thence to be Chaplain in a Fa*
is
mentioned by his Grandfon Mr. William Jen- lively Miniftry might be particularly fuccefs-
'
kyns, in his Expofition upon Jude, That ful in Awakening thofe
' drowfy Corners of the
Bleffed Saint, faith he, was another Enoch in And
' Noi(th: the Church accordingly there,
his Age ; a Man whofe
walking with God ap- Handing in the
Center of many Villages, there
*
peared by that Incomparable Dire&ory of a was now a great Refort unto the Service there-
•
Chriftian Life, called The Seven
Treatifes, in performed.
1
woven out of Scripture, and his own experi- § 4- Neverthelefs Mr. Rogers had much Un-
'
mental Practice he would fometimes fay,
-, eafinefs in hisMind about his own Experience
That he fhould be forty, if
'
every Day were of thofe Truths which he
preached unto others -,
not to him at his It is his Ezekiel he feared, that
laft Day. notwithftanding his pathetical
Rogers, whereof we are now to give an Account. Expreifions, wherewith his Hearers were aftecL
The early Sparklings of Wit, Judgment and ed, he was himfelf^ in his own Soul, a Stran-
Learning, in him, gave his Father no little Sa- ger to that Faith, and Repentance, and Conver-
tisfaction, and Expectation of his Proficiency -, Jion, which he preffed upon them. This Con-
and at Thirteen Years of Age made him fideration very much
capa- perplexed him and his -,
Parts of the Kingdom, to whom he might ut § 7. At laft, the Severity wherewith Sub-
ter the Trouble that was upon him. At laft, \fcription was then urged, put a Period unto the
Years publick Miniftry of our tlfefui
hoping that either from his Brother of Wea- Twenty
or his Cofin of Dedham, he might Rogers although the Man, who fufpended
tbersfield, him,
receive fome Satisfaction, he took a Journey ftlew'd him lb much Refpect, as to let him en-
into Elfex on purpole to be by them refolved joy the Profits of his Living, two Years after
of" his Doubts. His Defign was to have came the Sufpenfion, and let him alio put in ano-
at his famous Kinfman before his Lefture be- ther, as good as he could ger. He employed
one Mr Bifhop to fupply his Place in the Mi-
gan ; but miflang of ibat, he gat into the Af
iembly before the Beginning of the Sermon ; niftry, from which a Bifhop had confined him$
where he found that by the lingular Providence nevertheless this good Man alio was quickly
of God, his Doubts were as punctually and lilenced, becaule he would not in publick read
the Cenfure which was paffed
exactly refolved, as if the excellent Preacher upon Mr. Ro-
had been acquainted with his Doubts before- gers.
hand. § 8. Many prudent Men in thofe times, fore-
§ 5. Being now fatisfied of his own Effectual feeing the Storms that were likely in a few
Vocation, he went on in his Miniftry with a Years to break upon the Englif]) Nation, did
very fignal Blefling of Heaven upon it, unto propofe Reno England lor their Hiding-place.
the Effetlual Vocation of many more: His ylii- And of thefe, our Mr. Rogers was one, who
niflry was
much frequented, and remarkably had been accompanied by Sir William Conftable
fuccefsjul. In the Exercife whereof, he once and Sir Matthew Boynton alfo in his Voyage
had opportunity to preach in the ftately Min- hither, if lome lingular Providences had not
fter ol York, on a publick Occafion,
which he hind red them. Hither did the Good Hand of
ferved and fuited notably. Dr. Matthews was God bring him, with many of his Torkfhire
then the Arch Bifhop of Tork, who permitted Friends, in the Year 1638. Ships having been
the ufe of thofe Lellures, which Arch-Bifhop by his Difcretion and Influence brought from
Grindal had erected ; whereby the Eight of the London unto Hull, to take in the Paffengers.
Gofpel was marvelloufly diffufed unto many Arriving at New England, he was urged very
Places that fat in the Region and the Shadow of much to fettle with his Torkfhire Folks at New-
Death. All the pious Minifters in fuch a Pre- Haven but in Confideration of the Depen-
-,
and concluding the whole Exercife with Pray- come hither after him, he was advifed rather
er. Mr. Rogers bore his part in thefe LeQures, to another Place, which he was profered very
as long as Dr. Matthews lived ; from one of near his Reverend Kinfman, Mr. Nathanael
'
which, an Accufer of the Brethren, went once Rogers of Ipfwich. The Towns 0? Ipfwich and
unto the Arch-Bifhop with this Accufation, That Newberry were willing, on eafy Terms, to
\
one of the Minifters had made his Petition in part with much of their Land, that they might
I
his Prayer, May the A/mighty fhut Heaven admit a Third Plantation in the middle be-
ogainfl the Arch-Bifhop"
s Grace whereat the tween them
-,
which was a Great Advantage
-,
Arch-Bifhop inftead of being offended, as the to Mr. Ezekiel Rogers; who called the Town
Pick-thankly Reporter hoped he would have Rowly, and continued in it about .the fame
been, fell a laughing heartily and anfwered, Number of Years, that he had fpent in that
Thofe Good Men know well enough, that if 1 Rowly, from whence he came on the other fide
were gone to Heaven, their Exercifes would of the Atlantic Ocean.
foon be put down. And it came to pafs accor- § p. About five Years after his coming to
dingly ! New England, he was chofen to preach at the
§ 6. In Deliverying the Word of God, he Court of EleQion at Boflon-, wherein though
would fometimes go beyond the Strength, the Occafion and the Auditory were Great, yet
which God had given him ; for though he had he fhew'd his Abilities to be Greater-, info-
a Lively Spirit, yet he had a Crazy Body much, that he became famous through the
-,
which put him upon ftudying Phyfick, wherein whole Country. And what RefpeCt all the
he attained unto a Skill confiderable. But the Churches abroad paid him, he much more
worft was this, That riding far from home, found in his own Church at Home^ where he
fome violent Motion ufed by him in ordering was exceedingly fuccefsful, and approved in
.
of his Horfe, broke a Vein within him where- his Miniftry, in which the Points of Regenera-
-,
upon he betook himfelf to his Chamber, and tion and Union with the Lord Jefus Chrift by
there kept private, that his Friends might not Eaith, were thofe whereon he moft infilled.
In the Management of thofe Points, he had
perfecute him, with any of theit Unfeafonable
Kindnefs. But in two Month's time, he ob- a notable Faculty at penetrating into the Souls
tained a Cure, fo that he returned unto his of his Hearers, and manifefting the very Secrets
Family and his Employment God would not of their Hearts.
: His Prayers and Sermons
fuffer that Mouth to be flopped, which had fo would make fuch lively Reprejcntations of the
many Teflimonies to bear itill for his Truths Thoughts then working in the Minds of his
and Ways ! People, that it would amaze them to fee their
own
Book Hi. The Hijlcry of iNew-Mogland ioj
own Condition fo exafrly reprefented. And his upon Learning to Write with his Left
Occasional Difcourfes with his People ; efpe- Hand.
ones among them ; and
dally with the young
with fuch as had been, by their
rnoft of" all, —-—Pollebat mira Dextcritate tamen. —
Dtxeafed Parents, recommended unto his watch
iul Care ; were marvclloufly profitable. He Thus having done the Will of God, he was
was a Tree of Knowledge, but fo laden with put upon further Trial of his Patience ! But
Fruit, that
he ftoopt for the very Children to this Comfortable in his Trial, that
there^was
oft" the Apples ready to drop into their the Good Spirit of God enabled him to bear
pick
Mouths. Sometimes they would come to his his Croffes chearfully, and Rejoice in his Tri-
Houfe, a Dozen in an Evening ; and calling bulations.
them up into his Study, one by one, he would
examine them, How they walked with God ? § 12. The Natural Conftitution of his Body
how they fpent their Time > What good Books was but Feeble and Crazy Nevertheless, by a :
they read ?
Whether they pray'd without cea- Prudent Attendance to the Rules of Health, his
iing ? And he would therewithal admomff Lite was lengthened out confident bly But at :
them to take heed of fuch Temptations and laft a Lingring Sicknefs ended his Days, Jan.
Corruptions, as he thought molt endangered 23. 1660. in the Seventieth Year of his Age.
them. And if any Differences had fallen out His Books wherewith he had Recruited his Li-
amongft his People, he would forthwith fend brary, after the Fire, which confumed the good
for them, to lay before him the Reafon of their Library, that he had brought out of England,
Differences ; and fuch was his Intereft in them, he bellowed upon Harvard College.
that he ufually heal'd and ftopt all their little His Lands, the greateft part of them, with
Contentions, before they could break out into his Houfe, he gave to the Town and Church
any open Flames. of Rowly.
§ i o. After Ten or Twelve Years moil pro- §13. Becaufe 'twill give fome Illuftration
fperous Attendance on his Miniftry in Rozvly, unto our Church Hiftory, as well as notably de-
fome unhappy Griefs befel htm, which were fence the Excellent and Exemplary Spirit of
thus occafioned. It was thought pity, that fo this Good Man, and it hath been fometimes
Great an Ability, as that wherewith Mr. Ro noted, Optima Hijloria, eft Hifloria Epiflolaris^
gers was Talented, fhould be confined into fo I will here infert one of his Letters, written
/"mail an Auditory, as that whereto his Lord's (with his Left Hand) unto a Worthy Mini-
Day Labours were confined , and he was per- fter in Charlefiown, the 6th of the 12th Month,
fwaded therefore to fet up a Leffure, once in a 1657.
Fortnight, whereto the Inhabitants of other
Towns reforted, with no fmall Satisfaction .
ftent
was
: But through the Devices of Satan, there
raifed a Jcaloufy in the Hearts of many
among the People, that their Old Paflor was
T Hough
'
I have now done my
the other Paper, yet methinks, I am
not fatisfied to leave you fo fuddenly, fo
Errand in
not Real and Forward enough, in profecuting barely. Let us hear from you, I pray you $
the Settlement of that Ajf/ijient and this Jea--,
How you do. Doth your Miniftry go on
loufy broke forth into almoft unnaccountable comfortably ? Find you Fruit of your La-
DffatiffaQions between him and them; which bours ? Are New Converts brought in ? Do
though they were afterwards cured, yet the your Children and Family grow more Godly ?
Cure was in fome Regards too Palliative. I find
greateft Trouble and Grief about the
Rifing Generation. Young People are little
1}
The Reft of this Good Man's Time in
1 1. ftirred here
;
but they ftrengthen one another
the World was Winter ; he faw more Nights in Evil, by Example, by Counfel. Much a
than Days, and in of Affli&ion,
Viciffitudes do I have with my own Family ; hard to get
The Clouds returning after the Rain. He bu- a Servant that is Glad of Catechifing, or Fa-
ried his Firft Wife, and all the Children he had mily-Duties : I had a rare Bleffing of Ser-
by that Wife. He then married a Virgin Daugh- vants in York/hire-, and thofe that I brought
ter of the well known Mr. John Wilfon, in over were a Bleffing But the Young Brood
:
hopes of Iffue by her;, but God alfo took her doth much afflicF me. Even the Children of
away, with the Child fhe had conceived by the Godly here, and elfewhere, make a wo-
him. ful Proof. So that, / tremble to think, what
After this, he married once more a Perfon, will become of this Glorious Work that we have
in Years agreeable to him ; but that very Night begun, when the Ancient fhall be gathered un-
a Fire burnt his DwellingHoufe to the Ground, to their fathers. I fear Grace and Bleffing
with all the Goods that he had under his Roof will die with them, if the Lord do not alfo
Having Rebuilt his Houfe, he received a Fall' fhow fome Signs of Difpleafure, even in our
from his Horfe, which gave to his Right Arm
'
:
Days. We grow Worldly every
•
fuch a Bruife, as made it ever after ufelefs unto where methinks I fee little Godlinefs, but
-,
c
him upon which Account he was now put |
all in a Hurry about the World; every ' one
Ooo for
Book
io4
^^-— . n fcji—.—
Good.
'
hath been God's way, not to fend fweep-
It
gathering.
For what was Mortal,
'
1 am haft ning Home, and grown very Afth- of the Reverend
matical, and Short-breathed. Oh that I might !
CHAP. XIV.
God faw the Firft Sinners under a Tree, fo in formed a Church for our God in the Country,
the Neva Tefiament, Chrift faw one of the Firft there was a Famous Nathanael, who retired
Believers under a Tree, with a particular Ob- American Woods, that he might ferve
into thefe
fervation. The Sinner hid himfelf among the the King of Ifrael : This was our Nathanael
Trees of the Garden, ailifted with Fig-Leaves, Rogers. One
of the Firft Englifh Arch-bifhops
but it was a falfe Covert and Shelter whereto affumed the Name
of Detts dedit, and the Hi-
he trufted ; the moft High difcovered him. (torian fays, he anfwered the Name that he af-
The Believer alio hid himfelf under a Fig-Tree, fumed. Our Nathanael was not in the Rank
where nevertheless, the Shady Leaves hindred of Arch-bifhops ; but at was his Name, A GIFT
not our Lord from feeing of him. The Sinner OF GWd,Jowa*hc\
when he was difcovered, expreffed his Fear, § 2. Cornelius Tacitus, who is
by the Great
faying, I heard thy Voice, and I was afraid. The! Buintm called, The Wickedeft of all Writers,
Believer feen by our Lord, expreffed his Faith, reports of the Jews, That they adored an Afs's
faying, Mafter, Thou art the Son of God. Thel Head; Becaufe by a Direftion from a Company
Name of this Believer was Nathanael. At the of Affles, erroremfitimque depeclerant and this -,
Beginning of the Law under the O/^Teftament, Report, received by him from a Railing Egyp-
you have Nature in an Adam under a Tree at •, tian, became fo received, that no Defence a-
the Beginning of the Go/pel, under the New gainft it would be allowed. That Excellent
Teftament, you have Grace under a Tree in a Company of Divines, which led the People of
God
Book IU. The Hifiory of New-England. ios
God, unto the fweet Waters of his Inftitutions,
him once that Advice, To let all go for loft, and.
in the Wilder nefs of New-England, whereinto begin again upon a new foundation but Upon -,
were driven, have been elteemed nc better his recollecting himfelf, he found that he could
they
than a Company of Ajfes, by the Romijhty affe&ed not forego, he might not renounce all his for-
Writers of this Age. But thofe Heads, which mer bleifed Experience. And 16 his Doubts
are juftly admired (tho' not adored) among that expired.
People, had
more of Angels, than of AJJes in § 5. The firft Specimen that he gave of his
them : The Englifh Nation had few better Chri- Minifterial Abilities, was as a Chaplain in the
and if had not many better Houfe of a Perfon of
than Quality , whence after a
-
ftians molt,
'Scholars than fome, who then retired into theie Year or two thus fledged, he adventured a Flight
Ends of the Earth. Now among all thofe Great unto a great Congregation at Backing, in Efjex,
Men who fubmitted themfelves unto all the under Dr. Barkam , not without the wonder of
Littleneffes of a Wildernefs,
there is a very high many, how the Son of the moit noted Puritan
Rank to be affigned unto one, who is now to be in England, fhould come to be employed under
defcribed. an Epifcopal Doftor lb gracious with Bilhop
,
He was the Second Son of that famous Man, Laud; but this Dr. Barkam was a good Preacher
Mr. John Rogers of Dedham ; and born while his himfelf, and he was alfo willing to gratifie hi?
Father was Minilter of Have.nl, about the \ ^ar Parifhioners, who were many of rhem Religi-
598. He was educated at the Grammar
i School oufly difpofed Hence, tho' the Doctor would
:
in Dedham, cill he was near Fourteen Years old, not fpare a Tenth-part of his Revenues, which
and then he was admitted into Emanuel College from his divers Livings, amounted unto near a
in Cambridge. There he became a remarkable Thoufand a Year, to one who did above T/v<v
and incomperable Proficient in all Academick Quarters of his Work, yet he was otherwife
Learning ; but fome Gircumitances of his Father very Courteous and Civil to our Mr Rogers,
would not permit him to wait for Preferments, whom his Parifhioners handfomely maintained
after he was become capable of Employments in out of their own Purfes, and fhew'd what
other places. His ufual manner there, was to a room he had in their Hearts, by their doing
be an early and an exact Student by which fo.
•,
means he was quickly laid in with a good Stock § 6. All this while, Mr. Rogers had, like his
of Learning ; but unto all his other Learning, Father, applied his Thoughts only to the main
there was that Glory added, The bear of God, Points of Repentance from dead Works, and Faith
for the Crown of all ; the Principles whereof towards God ; and he had never yet look'd into
were inlYilled into his young Soul, with the the controverted Points of Difcipline. Indeed
Counfels of his pious Mother, while he yet the Difpofition of his famous Father towards
fat on her Knees, as well as his holy father, thofe things, I am willing to relate on this oc-
when he came to riper Years. From his very cafion and I will relate it in his own words,
•,
Childhood he was exemplary for the Succefs which I will faithfully ttanferibe, from a MSS.
which God gave unto the Cares of his Parents, of his now in my Hands ' If ever I come into :
c
to principle him with fuch things , as rendred Trouble, [he writes] for want of Conformity,
'
him wife unto Salvation. I refolve with my felf, by God's AtMance,
c
§ 3. Having from his Youth been ufed unto the to come away with a clear Confcience, and
mod Religious Exercifes, not only Social, but c yield to nothing in prefent, until I have pray-
'
alio Secret, neverthelefs the Hurries of Avoca- ed and failed, and conferred And tho' the
:
'
tion carried him abroad one Morning before he Liberty of my Mini ft ry beprecious, yet buy it
I am fomewhat
'
had attended his ufual Devotions in his Retire not with a guilty Confcience.
ments ; but his Horfe happening to Humble in
'
troubled fometimes at my Subfcription, but I
a plain Road, it gave him a bruifing, bloody, faw fundry Men of good Gifts, and good Hearts,
dangerous Fall ;
which awakened him lb to con as I thought, that did fo. And I could not
fider of his Omiffzon in the Morning, that for prove that there was any thing contrary to
the reft of his Life, he was wondrous careful the Word of God Tho' I mill iked them
:
to omit nothing of his Daily Duties : Wherein much, and I knew them uprofitable Burthens
at length he fo abounded, that as Carthufian to the Church of God, But if I be urged unto
fpeaks, Dukiffimo Deo totus immergi cupis, & the Ufe of them, I am rather- refolved never to
invifcerari. yield thereto. They are to me very irkfome
§ 4. Tho' he were of a plea fa nt and cheerful Things yet feeing I was not able to prove
-,
Behaviour, yet he was therewithal fometimes them flatly unlawful, or contrary to God's
inclined unto Melancholly ; which was attended Word, I therefore thought better to fave my
with, and perhaps produilive of fome Dejeflions Liberty with Subfcribing, (feeing I did it not
in his own Mind, about his Intereft in the Fa- againft my Confcience) than to lofe it, for
vour of God. Whence even after he had been not yielding fo far. Yet this was fome fmall
a Preacher of fome Handing, he had fometimes trouble to rne, that I did it, when I was in
very fore Defpondencies and Objections in his no fpecial Peril of any prefent Trouble which
•
own Soul, about the Evidences of his own Re- yet I thought I were as good do of my felf,
generation , he would conclude, that no Grace as when I fhould be urged to it. But it may-
of God had ever been wrought in him. Where be, I might not have been urged of a long
upon a Minilter, that was his near Friend, gave time, or not at all ; but might have efcaped
*
2
by
io6 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book 111.
Money, as before ; which yet with the Converfion of Souls more than him.
'.by Friends and
'
Heared But it was my Weaknefs, as I now And good Bifhop Brownrig would
:
fay, John
conceive it ; which I befeech God to pardon Rogers will do more good with his Wild Notes
'
c
unto me. Written 1627. This I fmarted for than we fhall do with our Set Mufick. But
had read this, it may be, I had our Nathanael Rogers, was a Fijher
'1631. If I of Men, who
1
not done what I did. came with a Silken Line, and a Golden Hook
a large and God profpered him alfo. He was an Apollo
Reader, In this one Paffage thou haft
Hiitory, of the Thoughts and Fears, and Cares, who had his Harp and his Arrows and the
-,
with which the Puritans of thofe Times were Arrows his charming and piercing Eloquence,
exercifed. which had 8-fytt £ b*^?, in it were Arrows in the
But Mr. Hooker, now Lecturer at Chelmsford, Hand of a mighty Alan. He not only knew how
Preacher was the to build the Temple, but alfo how to carve it:
underltanding that this young
Son of a Father, whom he molt highly relpeft- And he could fay with Lallantius,
(his very
ed, he communicated unto him the Grounds of Names-fake) Vellem mihi dari Eloquentiam, vel
his own DiiTatisfa&ion, at the Ceremonies then quia magis credunt Homines Vcritati ornat& vel
that very time, Ajjington, in Suffolk, being void tron, that fo fome Godly and Learned Confor-
by the Death of the former Incumbent, the Pa- mifl, might be invefted with it Neverthelefs. :
tron thereof was willing to beftow it upon the not being free in bis Confcience, wholly to lay
Son of his honoured Friend in Dedham ; whither down the Exercife of his Miniftry, he defigned
he now removed, after that 'Booking had for a Removal into New-England; whereunto he
four or five Years enjoyed his Labours. The In was the rather moved, by his Refpeft unto Mr.
habitants of Bromly, near Colchefler, were at the Hooker, for whom his Value was extraordinary
|
fame time extreamly difcontented at their mif- Reader, In all this, there is no Reproach caft
fing of him. However, fee again the Provi- upon this excellent Rogers.
dence of our Lord ;
the Bifhop of Norwich let
him live quietly five Years at Ajjington, which § 10. He had married the Daughter of one
the Bifhop of London would not have done at Mr. Crane of Cogefloal, a Gentleman of a very
Bromly. This was the Charge now betrufted confiderable Eftate, who would gladly have
with our Rogers ; concerning whom, I find an mentioned this his worthy Son-in Law, with his
eminent Perfon publifhing unto the World, this Family, if he would have tarried in England '{'
Account Mr. Nathanael Rogers, a Man jo able but obferving the ftrong Inclination of his Mind
:
and fo judicious in Soul-work, that I would have unto a Aew-Eng/iJhVoyage, hedurft not oppofe
,
§ 8. Here his Miniftry was both highly refpe- ImpreJJton which God had made upon his Heart,
cled, and greatly profpered, among Perfons of like what he then made upon the Hearts of ma-
all Qualities, not only in the Town it felf, but ny Hundreds more, perhaps as weakly and fee-
in the Neighbourhood. He was a lively, curi- ble as he, carried him through the Enterprize
ous, florid Preacher ; and by his Holy Living, with an unwearied Refolution ; which Refolu-
he fo farther preached, as to give much Life tion was tried, indeed, unto the utmoft. For
unto all his other preaching. He had ufually, whereas the Voyage from Graves/end unto Bo-
every Lord's Day, a greater Number of Hearers Jion, ufes to be difpatched in about Nine or
than could croud into the Church ; and of thefe Ten Weeks, the Ships which came with Mr.
many Ignorant Ones were inftruSted, manyU/?- Rogers, were fully Twenty four Weeks in the
godly Ones were Converted, and many Sorrow- Voyage •,
and yet in this tedious Paffage, not
ful Ones were comforted. Tho' he had not his one Perfon did mifcarry. After they had come
Father's notable Voice, yet he had feveral Mi- Two Thirds of their way, having reached the
nifterial Qualifications, as was judged, beyond length of Newfound-land, their Wants were ib
his Father ; and he was one prepared unto every multiplied, and their Winds were fo contrary,
good Work ; tho' he was alfo exercifed with Bo that they entred into a ferious Debate, about
dily Infirmities,
which his Labours brought upon returning back to England : But upon their fet-
him. 'Tis a thing I find obferv'd by Mr. Virmin, ting apart a Day for folemn Faffing and Prayer,
John Rogers was not John Chryfoftom ; and yet the Weather cleared up and in a little time -,
God honoured no Man in thofe Parts of England they arrived at their defired Port , namely, a-
bout
Book III. '1 he Hijhxy of
Nevv-hngland. 1 07
bout the middle of November, in the Year choly Heart of Mr. Rogers, thought for a
16 36. while, they were too much a Crown of Thorns
& if, It was an extream Difcouragement un- unto him.
to him, at his Arrival, to find the Country § 14. It belongs to bis Character, that he
thrown into an horrible Combuf lion, by the f a-feared God above many, and walked, with God,
^iMieal Opinions, which had newly made fyeh at a great Rate of Hohnej's : Tho fuch was his
1
the nex * Year whereto our Mr. Ro the. Graces of a Christian, fo the of a Mi-
Qwbnigt -,
Gifts
gers and Mr. Pat ridge, who came in the lame nifter, in him, were beyond the
ordinary At-
Ship with him, contributed not a little by their tainments of good Men. Yea , I (hall do a
Judicious Difcourfes and
Collations. wrong unto his Name, if I do not freely lay,
§ 12. His firft Invitation
was to Dorcbefier ; That he was one of the great cjl Men, that ever
but the Number of Good Men who came hi- let foot on the American Strand. Indeed, when
ther, delirous of a Settlement under his Mini the Apcftle Paul makes that juft Boaft, / iva*
ftry, could
not be there accommodated ; which not a whit behind the very
chiefifl Apoflles : He
cauied him to accept rather of an Invitation to does not fpeak (as we commonly take it) in
he was Ordained P aft or of the relpecF of fuch as were true Apoftles, but in re-
lpfwich, where
Church, on Feb. 10. 1638. At his Ordination ference to xhotefalfe Apoftles, who had nothing
on 2 Cor. 2. 16. Who is fujficient for to let them out,but their own lofty Words, with
preaching
theje things : A
Sermon fo Copious, Judicious, an unjulf flight of him. Whereas our blelfed,
Accurate, and Elegant, that it Itruck the Hearers Rogers, I may without Injury, or Odium, ven-
with admiration. Here was a Renowned Church ture to compare with the very belt of the true
confiding moilly of fuch illuminated Chriftians, Minifters, which made the beft Days of New-
that their Pallors in the Exercife of their Mini- England, and fay, He came little, if at all be-
faid of that brave Woman hind the very chiefeft of them all.
itry, might (as Jerom
Murcella) Sent ire fe non tarn Difcipuhs habere §15. He was much troubled with Spitting
mam Judices. His Collegue here, was the Ce- of Blood ; wherein he would comfort himfelf
lebrious Norton ; and glorious was the Church with the Saying of one Mr. Price, upon fuch an
of Ipfwich now, in two fuch extraordinary Per- Occafion, That tho' he fhould /pit out his own
fons, with their different Gifts , but united Blood, by which his Life was to be maintained,
Hearts, carrying on the Concerns of the Lord's yet he fhould never, Expuere Sanguinem Chrifti,
Kingdom in it. While our humble Rogers was or lofe the Benefits of ChrifPs Blood, by which he
none of thofe, who do, T*« -mv iSixyav haynrg}' wai redeemed. He was alfo fubjecF unto the
7»73f, lavTuv i;jA\j^<sHi vofMt^iHv,
Think the Bright- Plat us Hypocondriacus, even from his Youth ;
ness of their Brethren to jhadow and obfeure wherewirh when he was firft furprized, he
them/elves. But if Norton were excellent, there thought himfelf a dying Man ; but a good Phy-
are Perfons of good Judgment, who think them fician, and a long Experience, convinced him,
felves bound in Juftice to fay, That Rogers it was a more Chronical that
Diftemper. And
came not fhort of Norton, in his greateft Ex- while he was under the early Difcouragements
cellencies. of this Diftemper, I find the famous Mr. Cotton,
While he lived in Ipfi-jich, he went over in a Letter dated March <?. 163 r. thus encoura-
§13.
the Five laft Chapters of the Epiftle to the Epbe- ging of him :
the Doctrine of Self din:. ind walking with your feeble Body, to do him Service, and mean
1
',
God , and the Fifty third Cha; er of Ifaiah to 6 while perfecFeth the Power of his Grace in
-,
'
the great Satisfaction of all his Hearers, with your Weaknefs. You know who faid it,
Un-
c
fcribing any of his Compofures, his Difpofition your fainting Pits, and wearifome Nights, are
weighed and limited by his Hand, who hath
'
to Accuracy would fo deeply engage him in it,
L
as to endanger his Life Wherefore he left tew
:
given you his Lord Jefus Chrift, to take upon
'
Monuments of his Miniftiy, but in the Hearts him your Infirmities, and bear your Sick-
"
of his People, which were many. But tho' they ncftfes.
were fo that he did juftly reckon tint
many,
well inftrucFed, and well-inclined People, his Nor was it this Diftemper which at laft end-
the of ed his Days; but it was a Flood of Rheum, oc-
Croivn,yzi in Varoxiftn Temptation among
them, upon Mr. Norton's Removal, the melan- cafioned partly by his difufe of Tobacco, whereto
he
io8 The Hiflory of New-Fngland. Book 111.
he had formerly accustomed himfelf, but now yea, Rejecting Motions of Reformation in for-
left it off, becaufe he found himfelf in Danger mer Parliaments, and proceed now more
fully
of being Enflaved unto it ; which he tnought to anfwer the juft Expectations of Heaven'. Bur
a thing below a Chriftidn, and much more a I have my
Hands, a brief Manufcript, writ-
in
Minifter. He had often been feized with Fits ten in a Neat Latin
Style, whereof he was an
ot Sicknefs in the Courfe of his Life And his :
Incomparable Mailer. 'Tis a Vindication of
laft feemed no more threatning than the for- the Congregational Church Government , and
the of An there is one Paffage in ir, by
laft Metning
till it. Epide-
mer, Tranfcribing
mical fort of Cough had arretted molt of the whereof, I will take the Leave to addrefs the
Families in the Country which proved mod
; prefent Age.
particularly Fatal to Bodies, before labouring
with Rheumatic Indifpofitions. This he felt •,
Kon rani Reformat ionem impedit Difficult at
but in the whole time of his Hinds, he was Refbrmandi, iff Ecclefios vera Difciplina Con-
full of Heavenly Difcourie and Counfel, to formes reddendi. Jehojhaphat excelfa non amo-
thofe that came to vifit him. One of the laft vebat quia Populus non Comparaverat Animum
was Three Chil- Deo. ' l\on defuerunt (inquit Bucerus) intra
things he did, to Blefs the
'
dren of his only Daughter, who had purchafed hos Triginta Annos, qui Yideri voluehnt
Ju-
'
his Blefling by her lingular Dutifulnefs unto flam Evangelii Pradicationem plane amplefli,
'
him. It is a notable Palfage in the Talmuds, atq-, Religionk Chrifti rite Conftituenda pra-
'
That the Inhabitants of TJippor exprefling an
'
cipuam Curam fufcipere, propter quam etiam
extreme Unwillingnefs to have the Death of non par um pencil! ari funt. Vetum perpauci
'
K. Judah (whom they Surnamed, The -Holy, ) adhuc reperti funt, qui Je Chrifti
Evangeiio iff
'
reported unto them, he that brought the Re- Regno omninofubjeciffent. Multo vero minus
'
Angels took hold of the Tables oj the Covenant, Mmijirk, nee adeo mu/ti Miniftrorum vohi-
'
arid the Hand of the Angels prevailed, fo thai iffent id fibi concedi, ut qui Privatk Admoni.
c
the Tables ! And the People then tionibus non acquievijjent, atq-, a manifests
they look away '
Tranquilitatem m
Ecclefia, quam impofjibile
'
§ i<J. He was known to keep a Diary ; but eft ut habeant, ft Gregem Chrifti reffe pa/ci
he kept it with fo much Refervation, that it
'
volucrint. Hmc
Regula Prudentix pro Re-
is not known, that ever any one but himfelf gula Pracepti proponitur ; iff ^jiariter potius
did read one Word of it And he determined
:
quid fieri convenient er poiht, quam quid debeat.
that none evcvj7?ould; for he ordered a couple tall it hac Regula-, cum mult a Deus efficiat
per
of his Intimate Friends to caft it all into the Zelotas (quos vecant) qux Politicis ImpoJJibilia
Fire, without ever looking into the Contents Vifa fuerint Puta Hezekiam, Jofiam, iff Ed-
-,
Epitaph. And
the Epitaph
for the fame life borrow the Words,
of Brentius, the Younger.
ia
APPENDIX.
E Invaluable Diary of Mr. Nathanael Dedham, I fhall alfo defcribe the
TH
is nor fo:
:
very Spirit
Rogers is lolt Something of his Fathers of the Old Puritans, in the Former Age, by the
We'll do fomething towards Repair- View whereof, I hope there will more be made
ing our Lofs out of That : Some Secret Papers in that Age which is to come.
Sirs, Read thele
01 Old Mr. John Rogers^ are fallen into my Holy Memorials, and let it not be faid
of us,
Hands I will make them as Publick as I can ; according to the Complaint which the Tal-
:
and I will annex them to the Life of his Excel- muds thus utter Si
prifci fuerunt Filii Reg- 5
lent Son, becaufe that Son of his, did live over num, nos fumus Filii Horn inurn
the Life of his Renowned Father.
Vulgar ium &
Thus, Fa fi prifci fuerunt Homines Vulgares, nos fumus
ther and Son fhall live here together ; and by velut Afim. Let it not be faid, as it ufes to
offering theReader an Extraft of fome Obfer- be by the Jewifh Rabbi's, Elegant wr
eft Sermo
vable Memorials for a Godly Life, contained in familiaris Patritm, quam Lex Filiorum.
Referved Experiences of Mr. John Rogers of
I. 1 Have
firmly purpofed, (by God's Grace,) ing regarded, That I may tend my own Good
A to make my
whole Life, a Meditation of going forward, (my own Heart, I mean, Call-
a Better Life, and
Godlinefs in every part ing and Life, and my Family and Charge)
That I may from Point to Point, and from
looking for my Change, and preparing for the
Step to Step, with more Watchfulnefs, walk Crqfs, yea, for Death it (elf : And to like little
with the* Lord. of mine Eftate, when I (hall not find it
Oh The Infinite Gain of it Nofmall Help thus with me And whiles God fenfibly
! !
affordeth me
\
Evil, and to endeavour after a more continual To Watch and oft and
Pray earneftly in the D^y,
Watch from thing to thing, that as much as for
holding fa ft this Courfe To hearten on :
may be, I may walk with the Lord for the my felf hereto by mine own
Time of my abiding here below. Experience f who
have ever feen, that it
goeth well with thofe,
which walk after this Rule, 1 Pet.
3. 13. GaJ.
A Form of Dire&ion. 6. 16.) and
by the Example of others. fHek.
13- 7-) And for the better
helping my felf for-
This Refolutely Determine, That God be
II.
ftill in this
ward, my
Purpofe and De-
Courfe,
always my Glory, through the Day: And, as fire is, to learn
Humility and Meeknefs more
ard
no The Hi/lory oj New-England. Book HI.
a nd The worft Day wherein
more, by God's Cha/rifements, and encou- XIII. a Man keeps
rage my felf to this Courfe of Life, by his dai- his Watch, and holds to the daily Rules of Di-
ly Bleffings and Mercies and to make the fame
-, rections, is freer from danger, and brings more-
ufe of all Exercifes in my Family. And faith- Safety than the belt Day, wherein this is net
fully to perufe and examine the leveral parts of known or practifed.
my Life every Eveningjnow this Courfe hath been XIV. I am ofr, I cbnfefs, afhamed of my
kept ol me, where it hath to keep it ftill* where felf, when I have been in Company, and lee!;
it hath nor, to leek Pardon and Recovery and -, Gifts oj Knowledge, in many careleis uncon-
all Behaviour that will not ftand with this, to fcionable, and odd Minifters which (with bet-
-,'
hold me from it, as from Bane. ter Reafons) hath ftirred up a Defire oftimes in
me, that I could follow my Studies. Yet I
A Form would never have been willing to have changed
for a Minifler's Life
with them For what is all Knowledge, with- :
Ilf. In Solitarinefs to be leaft folitary In out a fanctified and comfortable ufe of it, thro'
:
Company, taking or doing of Good to Wife, Love ; and without Fruit of our Labour, in do-
-,
modefi ; low in mine own Eyes ; oft with the XV. Many Minijlers fet their Minds much
Sick and Afflicted Attending to Reading; pain
:
upon this World, either Profit or Preferment, ,
continuance, even all my Days. pentance And that is, to be always doing, or :
IV. Chief Corruptions to be watch'd againft, feeking occafion to do fome Good. The Lord
be, Sournefs, Sadnefs, Timoroufnefs, Forget- help me herein.
fulnefs, Fretting, and Inability to bear Wrongs. XVII. When God hedgeth in a Man with
V. I am very backward to private Vifaing of many Mercies, and gives him a comfortable
Neighbours Houfes, which doth much hurt :
Condition, its
good to acknowledge it often, and
For thereby their Love to me cannot be fo great be highly thankful for it. Elfe God
may foon
as it would be ; and 1 know not their particu- bring a Man fo low, as he would think that
lar Wants and States fo well, and therefore State happy, that he was in before, if now he
cannot fpeak fo fitly to them as I might. had it again. Therefore, God make me
wife. _
VI. A Minifter had need look, that he profit XVIII. Right good Men have
complained,
by all[his Preaching himfelf, becaufe he knows that they are oft-times in
very bad Cafe, their
not what others do Many, he knows, get no
: Hearts difordered and diftempered
very fore, for
good ; of many more he is uncertain So that if want of taking to themfelves a certain DireUion
:
he get no good himfelf, his Labour and Travail for the Government of their Lives.
ihall be in vain. XIX. Idle and unprofitable Talk of By. mat-
VII. Begin the Day with half an Hour's Me- ters, is a Canker that confumeth all
Good, and
ditation and Prayer. And let me refolutely fet yet our Heart much lufteth after it Therefore :
my felf to walk with God through the Day If refolve firmly againft it. :
any thing fall out amifs, recover again fpeedily, XX. A neceffary and moft comely thing it is,
humble for Par- for a Minifter to carry himfelf fo
by ConfefTion, hearty Prayer wifely and
don, with Confidence of obtaining. And fo amiably unto all, as he may do good unto all
proceed. forts ; to bring back them that be fallen off, in
VIII. Oh MUdnefs, and Cheerfulnefs, with meeknefs and kindnefs, to pafs by an Offence in
!
Reverence, how fweet a Companion art thou thofe that have wronged him, which is an
!
high
IX. Few rare and worthy Men, continue fo Point of Honour, and not to keep from
them,
to their End but one way or other, fall into and eftrange himfelf from their
-,
Acquaintance,
Coldnefs, grofs Sin, or to the World There- and fo fuffer them to fall further, to be lowly
:
not fweet, but where Sin is four. that have done well, and very commendably for
XXV. It is an hard thing for a Man to keep a while, have fhrewdty fallen to great Hurt.
the Rules Daily Dircflion,
of
at Times of Sick- This may moderate our Grief, when young Me n
nefs or Vain.
Let a Man labour to keep out of great Hopes be taken away.
Evil, when he wants litnefs, Strength, and Oh ! how much rather had I die in Vea'et quick-
Occafwn, to do Good,
and that is a good Portion ly , than live to difgrace the Go/pel, and be
for a fick Body. Alio in Sicknefs that is fore and a Stumbling-block to any and live with Re-
,
oft Prayers
to God, for Patience, Contentment, XXXV. What a fweet Life is it, when every
Meekneis, and Obedience to his holy Hand, its part of the Day, hath fome Work or other allot-
well, tho' he can't
bend the Mind much, or ted unto it, and this done conftantly, but without
earneftly upon any thing. Commonnefs, or Cuftomarinefs of Spirit in the
XXVI. Innocence is a very good Fence and doing it.
Fort againft Impatience,
in falfe Accufations, or XXXVI. When a Man is in a drowfie unpro-
great Afflictions.
Let them that be Guilty fret fitable Courfe, and is not humbled for it, God
and vex chemfelves, and fhew Bitternefs of Sto- oft lets him fall into fome fenfible Sin, to fhame
mach againft fuch as fpeak ill of them ; but him with, to humble his Heart, and drive him
to their Hearts and more throughly to God, to bewail and repent of
they that look carefully
at Mens Eye), let both.
Ways , (without looking
them- be ftill, and of a meek and quiet XXXVII. A true Godly Man, hath never his
Spirit. Life joyful unto him, any longer than his Con-
XXVII. Befidestheufe of the Daily DireUion, verfation is holy and heavenly. Oh let it be !
there muft be now and then the ufe of fafting, XXXVIII. It is fome Comfort for a Man,
to purge out Wearinefs, and Commonnefs, in the whofe Heart is out of Order, if he feeth it, and
ufe of it. that with hearty Miflike, and cannot be content
XXVIII. Tis a rare thing for any Man, fo to until it be bettered.
ufe Profperity, as that his Heart be drawn the XXXIX. I have feen of others, (which I de-
nearer to God. Therefore we had need in that fire to die, rather than it fhould be verified ot
Eftate, to watch diligently, and labour to walk me !) that many Miniflers did never feemgrofly
humbly. to depart from God, until they grew wealthy
XXIX. Oh , frowardnefs ! How
unfeemly. and great.
and hurtful a thing to a Man's felf and others XL. How much better is it to refift Sin, when
!
Mind my going Homeward Let my Life ne- it, and may be comfortable, in whatfoever falls
:
ver be pleafant unto me, when I am not fruitful, out thereupon. But where Ignorance, Rafhnefs,
and fit to be employ'd in doing good, one way or our own Will carry us, we offend.
or other. XLIL Let no Man boaft of the Grace he
XXXI. It is a great Mercy of God to a Mi- hath had ;
for we ftand not now by that, but
and a much to be that he it muft be daily nourifhed or elfe a Man mail
nifter, thing defired, -,
be well moved with the Matter that he preaches become as other Men, and fall into noifome E-
to the People ; either in his private Meditation, vils For what are we but a Lump of Sin ot
:
hope there is then, that the People will be mo- XLIII. If God in Mercy arm us not, and keep
ved therewith Which we fhould ever aim us not in compafs, Lord what Stuff will break
:
XXXII. If the Heart be heavy at any time, Hearts, if it may have Iffue And therefore !
and wounded, for any thing, fhame our felves, what need of Watchfulnefs continually ?
and be humbled for our Sin, before we attempt XLIV. The worft Ddy (commonly) of him
any good Exercife or Duty. that knoweth, and endeavoureth to walk by the
XXXIII. It's a and moft Daily Diretlion. is freer from danger, and palled
very good Help,
P p p in
112 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
Man, that knows not this DireUion. fettled, unquiet, or out of order,
then get alone
XLV. Many fhew themfelves forward Chri- and mufe, and fee what hath
brought us to itil*
that yet where they pafs * confider how irkfome a State this is, and
fiians in Company abroad,
ftiould (hew molt Fruits, fas at home) are too Unprofitable, pray to God, and work with thy
fecure ; either thinking they are not marked, or own .Heart, until it be brought in frame. An
if they be, do not much regard it. This ought Hour or two alone, fhall do a Man more good,
not to be, than any other Courles or Duties.
XLVI. Be careful to mark what falls out in LL Aim fif it be poflible) to l'pend one After-
the Day, in Heart, or Life ; and be fure to look noon in aWeek,in vifiting the Neighbours houfes-,
over all at fright, that hath been amifs in the Great uk there is of it Their Love to me will :
Day : That fo I may lie down in Peace with be much increafed Much occafion will be mi :
God, and Confcience. The contrary were a niftred unto me, for Direction to fpeak themorg
woful and would caufe Hcllijh Unquiet-
thing, fitly in my Miniltry. I am exceedingly grieved,
Kefs. Be
lure therefore, that none of the ma that I am fo diltracfed with Journeyings about,
licious Subtleties of the Devil, nor the Naugh- that I cannot bring this to pafs.
tinefs of my own Heart, do carry me further LII. I never
go abroad, (except feafon my I
than at Night, I may fleep with quiet to God- Mind with good Meditations by the way, or
ward. read, or confer ) but hefides the lois of my Tim %
XLVII. When God faith, Dcut. 12. 7 . That neglecting my ordinary Task at home, at my
his mayreJoyce before him, in all that they put Study, I come home weary in Body, -unladed
their Hands unto : It's a great Liberty, and en- in Mind, untoward to Study. So that I have
joy 'd of but few. No doubt, many of our Sor- fmall caufe to rejoice in my" Goings forth, and
rows come rhrough our own Default, which we I defire God to free me more and more from
might avoid. And as for Godly Sorrow, it may them So may I alfo attend my own Neigh-
:
Hand with this Rejoicing. If therefore we may bouts more diligently, which is my
great defire \
in all things rejoice, then from one thing to ano and the contrary hath been, and is my great
ther, from our Waking to our Sleeping Firft, : Burthen.
In our firfl Thoughts of God in the Morning ; LIII. I have ever obferved, that
by Journey-
then in our Prayer ; after in our Calling, and ings and Dijlrallions of divers kinds, in theie my
while we are at it •,
then at our Meat, and in later Times, and by too often in Preaching my
Company, and Alone, at Home, and Abroad, in I have been
younger Tears, held from ufing
Prosperity, and Adverjity, in Meditation, in means to get Knowledge, and grow therein :
Dealings, and Affairs : And Laftly, in Ihutting Which I counted ever the julf Punifhment -of
up the Day in Examination, and viewing it over. God upon me, for the neglett of my young Time,
And what hinders ? If we be willing and refol- when I fhould and might have furnimed mv
ved to do the Will of God, throughout the felf.
Day, but that we may rejoice before him, in all LIV. When 1 am in the beft Eftare
my felt;
we put our Hand unto. I
preach molt zealouily and profitably tor the
XLVIII. He that makes Confcience of his People.
Ways, and to pleafe God his only Way, is to LV. It breeds an incredible Comfort and
Joy
take him to a Daily Direction, and fome Jet when one hath got power over fome fuch Co>i
Rules, thereby looking conltantly to his Heart ruption, as in former Times hath tiled to the get
all the Day : And
thus, for the mod part, he Maltery over him.
good Provocation This is a
may live comfortably ; either not to Itrive hard lb to do, and a Caufe of
falling into great
any thing that mould much difquiet him, or Thankfulnefs when it fo comes to pafs.
ibon returning by Repentance to Peace again. LV1. If we be at any time much
deje&ed for
But if a Man tie not himfelf thus to Rules, his Sin, or otherwife difquieted in our Minds tht
Heart will break from him, and be difguifed beft way that can be, is to fettle and them quiet
one way or another, whic.h will breed continual by private Meditation and Prayer. Probata?*
Wound unto his Confcience, and fo he mail ne- eft.
ver live any time together in Peace. The Caufe LVIL The humble Man is the
ftrongeft Man
why many Chritlians alfo give themfelves great in the World, and fureft to Hand, for he ^oes
Liberty, in not accufing themfelves for many out of himfelf for help. The proud Man isthe
Offences, is the want of fome certain Direttwn weakeft Man, and fureft to fall For he trulte
:
Untowerdnefs, and lhake it off, and flee toGod called upon his frame He changed his Plut\ :
by Prayer, even force our felves to pray for but nevtr changed his God
Grace, and fitnefs to pray and being earneff,
-,
LIX. Our whole Life under the Go/pel fhould
and praying in Faith, we may be allured, that we be nothing but Thankfulnjs and
bruiifubxj..
mall obtain Life and Grace. And if we muft judge our felves for our imvard
Lulls
Book III. The Hiftory of New-England. 113
Luftre and Corruptions of Pride, Dulnejs in Saint j tho' he did conform, I never faw him
If we wear a nor heard him ufe but a few
good Duties, Earthlinejs, hnpatience. Surplice,
make not Confcience of , and be not humbled Prayers-, and thofe, I faid memo-
think, he
for thefe, God will and doth, oft give us up riter, he did not read
them: But this he
to Sins, that Stain and Blemifh our Pro- would do in his Preaching, draw his Finger
open
feflion. about his Throat, and fay, Let them take mc
LX. The more we Judge our felves Daily, and hang tne up, Jo they will but re-move theje
the lefs we have to do on our Sickbeds,
fhall Stumbling Blocks out of the Church. But how
and when we come to die. Oh! That is an many Thoufands of Choice Chriftiafis pluck'd
Time ! We fhould have nothing
unfit for This up their Stakes here, forfook their Dear
to do then, but bear our Pain wifely, and be Friends and Native Country, (hut up them-
Reader, Having thus entertained thee with great Hardlhips, Water was their common
the Memorials of the Famous Mr. John Rogers, Drink, and glad if they, might have had but
I will conclude them with tranfcribing a Re- that which they had given at their Doors
mark, which I find in a Book publifhed by here, (many of them :) and all this Suffering
Mr. Giles Firmin, 1 <58 1. was to avoid your
Impofmon?, and that they
might dwell in the Houie of God, and enioy
'
Some Excellent Men. at home conformed, all things therein, according to his own Ap-
c
but groaned under the Burden as, I remem- •, pointment.
'
ber, Mr. John Rogers oi'Dcdbam,
an Eminent
CHAP. XV.
§ i.TWTONE of the leaft Services, which yet by his more, but yet not quite perfe£t Concor*
the Pens of Ingenious and Induftrious dance and his Diligence, obliged all Qergy-ment,
J_\
Men have done for the Church of God, hath and afterwards Bernard, who yet (no more than
been in the Writing of CONCORDANCES
his Name's tike) faw not all things; and then
for that Miraculous Book, where, Qiricquiddo- Downham, Wickens, Bennet, and how many
cetur eft Veritas ; Quicquid pracipitur, Boni more ? have done vertuoujly ; but Thou, New-
tcu ; £>uicquid promittitur, Fxlicitaa. The Ufe man, haji excelled them all ! It hath been a juft
of fuch Concordances is well understood by all Remark, fometimes, made by them, who are
xh.il Jearcb the Scriptures, and think thereby to fo wife as to objerve thefe things, that the
have Eternal Life : But molt of all by thofe Lord Jefus Chrilt,
Holy Providence, hath in his
Bezaleels, whole Bufinefs 'tis fas one fpeaks) chofe efpecially to make the Names of thofe
to cut and Jet in Gold the Diamonds of the Di- Perfons Honourable, who have laboured in their
vine Word. Works, efpecially to put Honour upon the Sa->
And therefore there have been many Concor- crcd Scriptures. And in Conformity to that
dances of the Bible fince that Origen firft led the Obfervation, there are Dues to be now paid
way for fuch Compofures, and divers Langua unto the Memory of Mr. Samuel Newman, who
ges •, whereof, it Maxim* tl? abjo that the Scriptures might be preferved for the
may be, the
lutiffim£ molt Compleat, have Memory, as well as the \fnderfanding of the
Concordant! a,
been thofe that were compofed by the Two Cbriftian World, firft compiled in England, a
Stephens, Robert the Father and Henry the Son ; more Elaborate Concordance of the Bible,, than
thefe, as their Name fignifies a Crown, fo in had ever yet been feen in Europe and after he -,
this Work of theirs, like Demofthenes in his came to New-England, made that Concordance
Oration, Dei Corona, have carried away the yet more elaborate, by the Addition of not only
Garland from all that went afore them. many Texts, that were not in the former, but
Now, in the Catalogue of Concordances, even alio the Marginal Readings of all the Texts
from that of R. IJaac Nathans, in Hebrew, to that had them, and by feveral other Contri-
all that have in many other derived Languages vances to made the whole more Expedite, for
imitated it, there is none to be compared unto the Ufe of them that Confulted it.
that of Mr. Samuel Newman, in Englifli. In-
§ 2. The Life of Mr. Samuel Newman, com-
deed, firft Marbeck in a Concordance, which menced with the Century now running ; at Ban-
pointed unto Chapters, but not unto Verjes-, bury, where he was born of a Family, more
then Cotton, who though no Clergy-man himfelf, Eminent and more Ancient for the Profeflion
P p p 2 of
ii4 Ihe Hijiory of New-England. Book ill.
held out, under the Scandalous Negleft and ful, that they do little confider the Guard of
Contempt of the Miniftry, which the whole Holy Angels, wherewith our Lord Jefus Chrift
Colony of Plymouth, was for a while Bewitch- wonderfully fupplies us againft the Mifchief
ed into, it is beft known unto the Companio- and Malice of Wicked Spirits. Thofe Holy An-
nate Lord, who faid unto him, J know thy gels, are, it may be, Two Hundred and Sixty
Works, and horn thou had born and haft Patience, times mentioned in the Sacred Oracles of Hea-
and for mv Name's fake haft laboured, and ven-, and yet we that read fo much in thofe
haft
not fainted. But, no doubt, the Straits Oracles, are fo Earthly-minded, as to take little
did but more effectually Recommend Heaven Notice of them. 'Tis a marvellous thing, that
to him as the only Rehoboth ; whether he went as one fays, The Natives of Heaven do not
July*,, in the Year of our Lord 1663. when grudge to attend upon thofe, who are only the
by palling through Nine Sevens of Years, he Denifons thereof; and that, as the Ancient
was come to that which we call, The Grand expreffes it, we may fee the whole Heaven at
Climaclerical. Nor let it be forgotten, that in work for our Salvation; God the Father fend-
this Memorable and Miferable Year, each of ing his Son to Redem us, both the Father and
the Three Colonies of New-England was be- the Son fending their Spirit to guide us, the
headed of the Minifter from whence they had Father, Son and Spirit lending their Angels to
moft of their Influences ; Norton went from minilfer for us. Now of the whole Angelical
the Maffjchufet Colony, Stone went from Con- Miniliration concerned for our Good, there is,
nctticut Colony, and Newman from Plymouth it may be, none more confiderable, than the
Temper of Soul, obfervably irradiated him. Churches, for many Years together. But the
At length, being yet in Health, he preached a mention hereof, ferves particularly to introduce
Sermon on thefe Words in Job 14. 14. All the a few more Memoirs of our
Holy Kewman.
All Good Chriflians do fometimes Examine
Days of my appointed Time will I wait, until
my Change come : Which proved his Laft. Fal- themfelves about their Interiour State : And
ling fick hereupon, he did in the Afternoon of they that would be Great Chriflians, muff of-
a following Lords P<7/,askaD^w7ofhisChurch ten do it. Tho' the Referv'd Papers of our
to pray with him ± and the pious Deacon having Newman, are too carelefly loft, yet I have re-
finifhed his Prayer, this Excellent Man turned covered one, which runs in fuch Terms as
about, faying, And now ye Angels of the Lord thefe-
Jefus Chrifi, Come, Do your Office ! with which '
or Marks of Grace, I find in my
Words he immediately expired his Holy Soul, Notes^
'
felf j
Not wherein I defire to glory,
into the Arms of Angels : The Spirit of this '
but to take ground of Affurance, and
Juji Man, was immediately with the Innume '
after our Apollles Rules, To make
ruble my
Company of Angels. '
Election Jure, tho' I find them but in
§ 6. The Believing Sinner, then has the For '
weak Meafure.
givenefs of Sin effectually declar'd and alTur'd
*
unto him, when the Holy Spirit of God, with 1. I find, I love God, and defire to love
'
a Special Operation (which is call'd, The Seal God, principally/w him/elf.
of the Holy Spirit) produces in him a Solid,
'
2. A Defire to Requite Evil with Good.
Powerful, Wonderful, and Well grounded Per 3.
'
A looking up to God, to fee
him, and
fwafion of it ; and when he brings home the ''his Hand, in all things that befai me.
'
Pardoning Love of God unto the Heart, with ' 4. A Greater Fear of difpleaftng God, than
fuch Immediate and IrrefilTible Efficacy, as mar- all the World.
'
veloufly moves and melts the Heart, and over- 5. A Love to fuch Chriflians as I never Caw,
received Good from.
'
whelms it with the Inexpreflible Confolations or
'
of a Pardon. The Forgive nefs of Sin, may be 6. A Grief, When I fee God's Commands
'
6
can find upon ourfelves, we do well; we work fervc God as I fhould.
8. A Willingneis to give God the
'
right-, we are in an orderly way of proceeding. Glory of
'
But yet, we cannot well fee our Sanffification, any Ability to do" Good.
'
9- A
116 The Hiftory of New-England. Book III.
'
p. A Joy, when I am Company, fhould arrive fafe to Heaven in the Iflue, yet
in Cbriftian
1
in he fhould not in the mean time have that one
Golly Conference.
10. A Grief, when I perceive it^j- ill with Sin mortified, and be delivered from the
'
Reign
'
Cbr/jlians, and the contrary. and Rage of that one Sin, Whether this
ii, A conllant Performance of Secret Du- would content him ? Hereunto he found and
'
c
tics, between
God and my felf, Morning and faid, before the Lord, That this would not con-
4
Evening.
tent him. And hereupon the Spirit of God im-
'
12. A bewailing of fuch Sins, which none mediately irradiated his Mind, with a ftrange
c
in the World can accufe me of. and a Itrong Affurance of the Divine Love unto
'
1 A choofing of Suffering to avoid Sin. him. He was diffolved into a Flood of
3. Tears,
with affurance , That God had loved him with
an everlafting Love. And from this
But having thus mentioned the Self-Examina- time, the
which this holy Man accuftomed himfelf Affurance of his Pardon, conquered his Doubts
tion,
be a very pro and Fears, I think, all the reft of his Days.
unto, I know not ; but this may
to obferve, That the Holinefs
per Opportunity,
of our Primitive Chriftians, in this Land, was Our too defective Hiftory of our Newman,
I will
more than a little exprefled and improved, by conclude, as Blahoflim did l.i his Hiftory
And that ferve of Johannes Cornu : Lengum
this piece of Chrifiianity.
I may eftct Elogia bujus
viri nana, e. Sed perfeclicr Hiftoria, ut de a-
this Defign of CbriJhanity,upon the devout Rea-
der, I will take this to
digrefs, (If
Opportunity
Hi* vires, it a &
de ijio, confummatur, & qucti-
die augetur in Vita eterna §>uam da
it be a Digrelfon) fo far, as to recite a paftage ; nobis,
I lately read in a Paper, which a private Cbri-
Domino Devs, in gloria cum gaudio legendam.
our Godly Old Men, who died Amen.
jiian, one of
not long fince, (namely Mr. Clap, once the Ca-
at his Death, leave
ptain of our Caftlej did,
behind him.
That Godly Man had long been labouring
under Doubts and Fears, about his interiour Epitaphium.
State before God. At laft he was one Day con-
what was
moft belo- eji
MortttM NEANDER.
Nov-Anglus,
fidering with himiilf,
his
ved Sin. Herewithal he confidered, whether Qui ante mortem dedicit mori,
in cafe the Lord would allure him. that all Sin Et obiit
ea morte,
qn£ potefi ejffe, Ars bene
fhould be for ever pardoned unto him, and he moriendi.
CHAP. XVI.
±
Cornelius a Lapide, who hath publilhedfuch a Scholar, fhould have a double Portion of
Leatned Commentaries upon almoft the whole the Spirit, which there was in fuch a Tutor.
Bible, the Proteftant and Reformed Church of § 3. Having been an accomplifhed, induftrt-
New England, may boaft of her Samuel Stone, ous, but yet petfecuted Minifter of the Gofpel,
who was better than the other in Sacred in England, he came to New- England, in the
skill'd
niverfity of Cambridge, where Emanuel-Colledge which had on Board, among other Treafares,
had inltructed him with the Light, and nou- one entire Table of Gold, weighing above Three
rifh'd him with the Cup of that famous Univer- thoufand and three hundred Pound. Indeed the
iity,
he did, with feveral other Perfons, that Foundation of NewEnglandhzi. a precious Jem
proved famous in their Generation, fit
at the laid in it, when Mr. Stone arrived in thefe Re- .
pointed
Book III. 7 be Hi/lory of New-England. 117
Mr. Cotton for that pur- a Man of Principles, and in the Management of
pointed of obtaining
who neverthelefs took it very kindly, that thofe Principles, he was both a Loadpm\ and
pole/
Mr. "hooker had lent them unto himj they be- a Hint one. f
that a couple of fuch great Men § 7. He had a certain Pleafancy in Converfi-
gan to think,
be more ferviceable afunder, than toge- tion, which was the Effect and
might Symptom of hU
ther. So their next Agreement was, to procure molt ready Wit and made Ingenious Men to be
-,
ibme able and godly\omg Man, who might be as Covetow of his familiarity as Admirers of ,
an unto Mr. Hooker, with fomething his Ingenuity. Poifibly he might think of what
AJJiffttit
v\' a Dfciple alio , and thofe Three, Mr.
She- Sutdai reports
concerning Macarws, That by
pard, Mr. Norton,
and Mr. Stone, were to this the Pleafancy of his Difcourjes on all Occaiion.s
end propofed ; and Mr. Stone, then a Lecturer he drew many to the Ways of God. He might
at To'-celln in Northampton fivre, was the Per be inclined, like Dr. Staunton, who laid, /
'
. .
fon upon whom at length it fell, accompany ufed my felf to be cheerful in Company, that fo
to
Mr. Hooker into America. Standersby might be the more in Love with Re-
From the New-Engiijh Cambridge he ligion, feeing it confident with Cheeifulnefs.
§ 4. ,
went Collegue to Mr. Hooker, with a chofen Hence facetious lions were almoft aural to N
and a devout Company of Chriltians, who ga- him, in his Convert ion nith fuch, as had the
thered a famous Church, at a Town which they Sence to comprehend the bubt'etws of his Re-
call'd Hartford, upon the well-known River of panics. But Hill under fuch a Relerve, as to
Connecticut. There he continued feeding the efcape the Sentence oi the Canon of the Council
Flock of our Lord, fourteen Years, with Mr. ol Carthage* Cicricum jcurrilem verbis turpi- &
Hooker, and fixteen Years after him till he b'fs foculatorem, ab officio Retrahendum
•, ejfe cen-
that was born at Hartford in England, now on femtfs.
July 20. 1665. died iu Hartford of New Eng- ^8. Reader, What fhould be the meaning of
land , and went unto the Heavenly Society, this ? Our Mr. Stone, about, or before the Year
whereof he would with fome Longing fay, Hea- 1650, when all things were in a profound Calm,
th'/: h the more defirable, for fuch Company at delivered in a Sermon his Pre apprehenfions, that
Hooker, and Shepard, and Hains, w}w are got Churches among them would come to be broken
there before me. by Schifm, and fudden Cenfures, and angry Re-
His way of living was godly, fober, and moves : And that e'er they were aware, thefe
§ 5.
like that great Apoftle who was Mifchiefs would arife among them ; in the
righteous, and
his Name-fake, he could ferioully and iincerely Churches Prayers againlt Prayers,Hearts againft
profels, Lord, thou knowefl all things ; thou Hearts, Tears againft Tears, Tongues againft
knowefi that I love thee. But there were two Tongues, and Pajts againft fafis, and horrible
things, wherein the Power of Godlinefs ufes to Prejudices and Underminings. Many Years did
be molt remarkably manifefted and maintained -,
not pafs, before he faw in his own Church, all of
and he was remarkable for both of thefe things this accomplilhed.
-,
He little thought that his
namely, irequent faftmgs, and exact Sabbaths. own Church, mult be the Stage of thefe Trage-
He would, not rarely, let apart whole Days for dies, when he told fome o{' his Friends, That he
fafting and Prayer before the Lord, whereby he (l)ould never want
their Love. He did live to
ripened his blelfed Soul for the Inheritance oj undergo what we are now going to fignifie :
the Saints in Light. And when the Weekly Towards the latter end of his time, this/vr-
Sabbath came, which he Hill began in the Even- was made yet more Evil unto
fent evil World,
ing before, he would compofe himlelf' unto a him, through an unhappy Difference which
,
moft heavenly Frame in all things, and not let arole between him and a Ruling Elder in the
fall a Word, but what fhould be grave, ferious, I
Church, whereof he was himlelf a Teaching
pertinent. Moreover, it was his Cuftom, that Elder. They were both of them Godly Men ;
the Sermon which he was to preach on the and the true Original of the Mifundeijianding
Lord's Day in his AlTembly , he would the between Men that were of fo Good an Uridcr-
Night before, deliver to his own Family. A ftanding, has been rendred almoft as obfeure as
Cultom which was attended with feveral Ad- the Rife of Connetficut-Kwzx. But it proved in
vantages. it? unhappy Confequences, too like that River
§ 6. Being ordained i\\&Teacher of the Church in its great Annual Inundations 5 for it
over-
in Hartford, he apprehending himlelf under a fpread the whole Colony of Connecticut. Such
particular and peculiar Obligation, to endeavour a monftrous Enchantment there was upon the
the Edification of his People, by a more Dollri- Minds even of thofe who were Chrifiians, and
nal way of Preaching :
Accordingly, as he had Brethren, that in all the Towns round abour,
the Art of keeping to his Hour, io he had an the People generally made themfelves Parties,
incomparable Skill at filling of that Hour with either to one fide, or t'other, in this Squirrel ;
5
Nervous Dilcourfes, in the way of Common-place tho Multitudes of them, fcarce ever diltin£tly
and Proportion, handling the Points of Divinity, knew, what the Quarrel was And the Factions :
which he would conclude with a brief and clofe inlinuated themfelves into the fmalleft, as well
Application : And then he would in his Prayer, as the greateft Affairs of rhofe
Towns. From
after Sermon, put all into fuch pertinent Con- the fire of the Altar, there iifued Tkundrmgs
feffions, Petitions, and Thankfgivings, as nota and Lightnings, and Earthquakes, through the
He that
bly digelled his Dotlrine into Devotion. was Colony. As once in Conflantinople a Fire l
began
n8 The Hlflory iifi New-England. Book III.
began Church continued the Senate-Houff.
in the Argumentatwcly difpute againft him whereby-,
Thus the fire which began in the Church more having difputed one another into the Narrow
than -i little arreted the Se/utc-HouJe \wCon- of the Cafe, he would then give the
Enquirer
netlicut : And the People alio were many of the moll. Judicious and fatisfying Determination
them as fiercely fet againft one another, as the of his Problem, .that could be imagined.
Yea,
Combites in the Poet were againft the Tentyrites. what Cteero fays of. one, might almoft be faid
A World of Sin was doubtlefs committed, even him, Nullam unqtiam in Difputationibus rem
-of
by Pious Men on
this Occafion, while they defendit, qudm non probarit nullum oppugna-
-,
permitted lb many things contrary to the Law vit, quern non everterit.
Brangles, there was the Help of Council called in fome thought, that as a Stone from the
in ; but every Council fetch'd from the Neigh- Sling of David, he has mortally wounded the
bourhood, was thought prejudiced; for
which Head of that Goliah, A National Political
Caule, atlaft, a Council was defired from the Church. At leaft, he made an EfTay, to do
Churches about Bojhn, in the Majjachufet Bay, what was done by the Stone of Bohan, letting
whole MeflTengers took the pains, thus to Tra- the Bounds between Church and Church, as
vel more than an Hundred Miles for the Paci- That between Tribe and Tribe.
Animofities and a fort of Pa- Moreover, I find in a Book, which a late
fication of thefe •,
cification was thereby attained but yet not Author hath written On Free-Grace, this Paf-
without the Difmillion and Removal of many fage ; Might the World be fo happy, as to fee
Vertuous People, further up theRnw-, where- a very Elaborate Confutation of the Antino-
by fome other Churches came to be gathered, mians, zvntten by a very acute and folid Per- ^
which are now famous in our Ifrael. 'Tis not fon, a Great Dijputant, viz. Mr. Stone of New-
and I wilh no fuch Faith- England, a Congregational Divine, it would ea-
eafy to comprehend,
ful Servant of God may
experience it ; how fily appear,
that the Congregational are not
much the Spirit of Mr. Stone, was worn by the Antinomian. And Mr. Baxter, in one of his
Continual Dropping of this Contention. Gutta — laft Works, does utter his Dying Willies, for
cavat Lapidem. But the Duji of Mortality be- the Refurreftion of that buried Manufcript.
Metaphorically (what they Proverbially New-Englifh Churches ; and the Marrow of all
true
laid) ofBeza, that he had no Gall, the Phyfi- that had been Reached, by the hard and long
ciar.s that opened him after his Death, found Studies of this Great Student in Theology. This
it Literally true in this worthy Man. Rich Treafure has often been Tranfcribed by
§ In his Church-Difcipline, he was, per-
P. the vaft Pains of our Candidates for the Mini-
CHAP.
Book lit. i he Hijlory of
New-England. H5>
CHAP. XVIL
The L I F E of Mr. IV ILL I A M THO M P SO N.
I)
i. T^ Here no Experienced Miniftet of the
is Exercife of his Miniftry But the end of this
:
A. Gofpel, who hath not in the Cafes Melancholy,, was not fo Tragical, as it fome-
of Tempted'Souls, often had this Experience, that times is with fome, whom
yec becaufe cf their
the 111 Cafes of their diftempered Bodies, are the Exemplary Lives, we dare not cenfure for their
frequent Occafion and Original of their Tempta- Prodigious Deaths, ft is an Obfervation of no
Title-Page of feveral Books, with his Country- upon Mr. Thompfon, by continually Drawing
man, Mr. Richard Mather, as a Writer. Nor near to God, with ardent Supplications on his
was New- England the only part of America, Behalf: And by praying always, Without Faint-
where he zealoufly publifhed the Meffages and ing, without ceafing, they law- the Devil at
Myfteries of Heaven, after that the Englifh length Flee from him, and God himfelf Draw
Hierarchy had perfecuted him from the like near unto him, with unutterable Joy. The End
Labours in Lancafhire, over into America; but of that Man is Peace !
upon a Million from the Churches of New-Eng- § 3. A fhort Flight of our
Poetry fhall tell
land, he carried the Tidings of Salvation by the reft.
our Lord Jefus Chrift into Virginia : Where he
faw a Notable Fruit of his Labours, until that
Faclion there, which call'd it felf, The Church
Re MARKS v
Qqq I under-
120 The Hiftory of New- England. Book ill,
cur'd,
To do Good Works, and Be what Now he is. Would in his own Turn hardly be endur'd.
His fulgent Venues there, and Learned Strains,
Tail .comelyFrefenee, Life
unfoil'd with Stains, Apqllyon owing him a curfed Spleen
Things molt on WORTHIES, in their Stories Who an Apollos in the Church had been, '
Shaking a Crab-Tree thus by hot Difputes, By his Bed-fide an Hebrew Sword there lay,
The Acid Juice by Miracle turn'd Wise, With which at hit he drove the Devil away.
And rais'd the Spirits of our Young Divine. Quakers too durft not bear his keen Replies,
contentious But Fearing it half drawn, the Trembler flies.
Hearers, tike -Doves, flock't with
Like Lazarm, new railed from Death,
Wing, appears
Who fhould be firft, feed moft, moft Homeward The Saint that had been Dead fox
many Years.
Our Nehemiah faid, Shall fuch at I
bring.
Laden with Honey, like HybUan Bees, Defert my Flock, and like a Coward fly I
They knead it into Combs upon their Knees. Long had the Churches begg'd the Saints Re-
lea fe -,
Why he from Europe's Pleafant Garden fled, Releas'd at he dies in Glorious Peace.
Iaft,
In the Next Age, will be with Honour faid. The Night not fo long, but Phofphor's Kzj
is
Braintree was of this Jewel then pofTeft, Approaching Glories doth on High difplay.
Until himfelf, he laboured into Reft. Faith's Eye in him difcern'd the Morning
Star,
His Inventory then, with Johns, was took; His Heart leap'd ; fure the Sun cannot be far.
A Rough Coat, Girdle with the Sacred Book. In Extafies of Joy, he RavifiVd cries,
Love, love the Lamb, the Lamb ! In whom he
When Reverend Knowles and he, fail'd hand dies.
in hand,
To CHRIST efpoufing the Virginian Land, Dec. 10. 1666.
Upon a Ledge of Craggy Rocks near ftav'd,
His Bible Bofom thruiting fav'd ;
in his
The Bible, the beft of Cordial of his Heart, But the Churches of New England having
Come Floods, Come Flames, (cry'd he J we'll ne- had another Inftance of Affliction like that
ver part. which exercifed our Thompfon, I fhall
A Conjiellation of
Great Converts there, chufe this Place to introduce it. Lives
Shone round him, and his Heavenly Glory were. have been fometimes beft written in the
GOOKINS was one of thefe : By Thompfon's way of Parallel. To Mr. William Thomp-
Pains, fon, (hall now therefore be Parallefd, our
CHRIST and NEW-ENGLAND, adear Mr. John Warham. ,
GOOKINS gains.
CHAP,
Book III. The Hijhry of New-England. 121
CHAP. XVIII.
the Time of Reformation was come Men, who had never heard him, yet when once
WHen one
towards
on, of the more effectual things, they came to hear him, they could not but ad-
that Reformation in England, a- mire rhe notable
done Energy of his Miniftry. He
bout the middle of the former Century, was to was a more vigorous Preacher than the moft of
•
lend about the Kingdom certain Itinerant Prea- them who have been applauded for, never look-
chers, with a Licenfe to preach the Fundamen- ing in a Book in their Lives. His latter Days
tals of Religion, inftead of the Stuff, with which were fpent in the Paftoral Care and
Charge of
the Souls of the People had been formerly h- the Church at Windfor, where the whole
Colony
mifhed. Upon this occafion 'tis a Patftge otConnetfwut confider'd him as a
,
principal Pil-
mentioned by the famous Dr. Burnet : Many lar, and Father of the Colony.
Q.q q 2 GHAP,
122 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
CHAP. XIX
The LIFE of Mr, H E N R T F L I N T,
have been fome notable Inftances of Refemblance plary Life, he was John Cotton to the
Life -,
in the World. They are not only Twins, which and in all theCircumltances of his Miniftry, he
have fometimes had this Refemblance, in fuch a propounded John Cotton for his Pattern
as'ap- -,
Yea, thjs Likenefs has proceeded fo far, that He that was a Solid Stone, in the Foundations
Polyjlratus,
and Hippoclides, two Philofophers of New-England, is gone to be a
glorious One,in
much alike, were both born in the fame Day ; the Walls of the New ferufalem.
they were School- Fellows , and of the fame
Seel ; they both dy'd in a great Age, and at the He died April 27. 166%. and at his Death de-
very fame Inftant. Further yet, the two famous ferved the Epitaph once allowed unto Ment-
Brothers at Riez, in France, perfectly alike, if zer.
one of them were lick, or fad, or fleepy, the
other would immediately be fo too. And the
Story of the three Gordians, the one exactly
like Auguflus, the fecond exa&ly like Pvmpey,
the third exaftly like Scipio ; he that has read Epitaphmum.
Pezelim, doubtlefs will remember it.
, I know not whether any of thefe LikeneJJ'es
FlintJPUS femper Medttatus Gaudia Calz,
are greater, than what it was the Dejire and Nunc tandem C<eli Gaudia L#tus habit.
Study, and in a lefler meafure the Attainment
of
CHAP. XX.
The L I F E of Mr. R I C H A R D MATHER.
§ is a memorable Paflage, which Do- Reader, If thou haft any feeblenefs upon thy
1 SoxHalL after a Perfonal Examination Mind, in regard either of Piety, or thy Per-
of it, ventures to relate, moft credible, [in
as fwafion about the Church Order of the Gofpel, I
his Book of A??gels,~] That
a certain Cripple cal- will carry thee now to a Well of a S. Mathern ;
led John Trelille, having been fixteen Years a which Name, I fuppofe, to be the Cornijh Pro-
miferable Cripple, did upon three Monitions in nunciation of that, which was worn by the good
a Dream to do fo, waft himfelf in S. Mathern's Man, whofe Hiftory is now going to be of-
Well, and was immediately reftored unto the fered.
ufe of his Limbs, and became able to walk, In the Night whereon our Lord was born,
and work, and maintain himfelf. there was a glorious Light, with an Hoft of An-
gels
Book i . ^Ibe Hi/lory of New-hogland. 123
over Bethlehem ; and the
gels gloriouily finging fcend to
my Re queft, but by putting me in hope,
Birth of the great and good Shepherd, was thus that by his f peaking to the Maftcr, things would
revealed unto the Shepherds of that Country. be amended, would ill overrule me to
ft go on in
The Magicians in the
Eaft, whether they had my Studies : And good it wot for me to be over-
by their Converfations with the Invifible World, ruled by him, and his
Difcretion, rather than to
a readier Eye to difcern fuch Objects, or whe-
be left to
my own Affeclions and Defire. But, 0,
ther it were only the Sovereign and Gracious that all School
Mafter s would learn
Wifdom, Mo-
Providence of God, which thus directed them, deration, and Equity, towards their Scholars j
they probably
faw that Glory of the Lord. Pof- andfeck rather to win the. He arts of Children
by
iibly to
them at a diftance, it might feem a new righteous Loving, and courteous Ufage, than to
Star hanging over Judxa but after two Tears
-,
alienate their Minds
by Partiality, and undue Se-
of Wonder and Sufpence about it, they were verity , which had been my utter Undoing, had
informed by God, what it fignihed ; and when not the good Providence
of God, and the Wifdom
they came near the place of the Lord's Nativity,
and Authority of my Father prevented.
'tis likely that this Glory, once again appeared, §3. Yea, and here Almighty God made ufe
lor their fullelt Satisfaction. This, till I fee a of his otherwife cruel School
Mafter, to deliver
better Account, mull be that which I fhall take this hopeful
young Man from an Apprenticelhip
about, The Star of the Wife Men in the Eafi. unto a Popifh Merchant, when he wjs very near
But I am now to add, that in all Ages, there falling into the woful Snares of fuch a Condi-
have been Stars to lead Men unto the Lord Je- tion which Mercy of Heaven unto him wasac-
-,
fus Chrift :
Angelical Men employ'd in the Mi- companied with the further Mercy of living un-
niltry of our Lord, have been thofe happy Stars; der the Miniftry of one Mr. Palm, then Preacher
and we in the Weft, have been &> happy, as to at Lcagh : Of whom he would
long after fay,
fee fome of xh.Qfi.rfi Magnitude among which -,
That tho" his Knowledge of that good Man was
one was Mr. Richard Mather. only in his Childhood, yet the Remembrance of
§ 2. It was
at a fmall Town, called Lowton, him wot even in his Old Age comfortable to him \
in the County of Lancajler, Anno i5P<5, that fo inafmuch as he obferved fuch a penetrating Effi-
a
great Man, as Mr. Richard Mather was born, cacy in the Miniftry of that Man, at was not in
of Parents that were of Credible and Ancient the common fort of Preachers.
Families. And thefe his Parents, tho' by fome § 4. There were at this time, in Toxteth Park
Difafiers, their Ettate was not a little funk be- near Liverpool, a well difpofed People, who
low the Means of theitAnceftors, yet were wil- were defirous to erect a School among them, for
ling to beftow a Liberal Education on him ; up- the good Education of their Pollerity. This
on occafion whereof Mr. Mather afterwards thus People fending unto the School-Mafter of Win-
expreffed himfelf By what Principles and Mo. wick, to know whether he had any Scholar that
:
Boarded him in theWinter but in the Summer carried it with fuch Wifdom, Kindnel's, and
-,
fo warm was his defire of Learning, that he tra- grave Refervation, as to be loved and feared by
velled every Day thither, which wasfour Miles hisyoung Folks, much above the mod that ever
from his Father's Houfe. Whilit he was thus ufed the Ferula fo 'twas many ways advanta-
at School, Midtu tulit fecitque Puer he met — -,
quently and earneftly importuned of his Father, Temptations and Corruptions , which undid
ma-
that being taken from the School, he be ny of his Contemporaries in the Univerfity.
might
difpofed unto fome Secular Calling ; but when That more thorough and real Converfwn in him,
he had waded through his Difficulties, he wrote was occafioned by obferving a Difference be-
this Reflection thereupon God intended better tween his own Walk, and the molt exaft, watch-
:
for me, than I would have chofen for myfelf; ful, fruitful, and prayerful Converfation
of
and therefore, my Father, tho' in other things in- fome in the Family, of the learned and pious
dulgent enough, yet in this would never conde- Mr. Edward 3 of Toxteth,
where he fo-
Afpi;nva/
journed.
124 7 he Hifiory of New-England. Book ill.
journed. This Exemplary Walk of that Holy you, Sir, and you mufi not deny me : 'Tts, that
I
Man, caufed many lad Fears to arife in his you would pray for me ; for I know (fiid he)
own Soul, that he was himfelf out of the way,' the Prayers of Men thai- fear God will avail
which Confideration with his hearing of Mr. much, and you I believe are fuch a one. And
Harrifon, then a Famous Miriifter at Hyton, being fo fettled in Toxteth, he matried the
preach about Regeneration, and his reading of Daughter of Edmund Holt, YAq-, of Bury in Tan-
Mr. Perkins's Book, that (hows, How far a cajhire, Sept. 3.9. 1624. which Vertuous Gen-
Reprobate m.iv go mRelig wn were the means tlewoman, God made a Rich Blefling to him,
whereby the "God of Heaven brought him into tor Thirty Years
together 5 and a Mother of
the Scare of a New Creature. The Troubles oj Six Sons, moft of whom afterwards
proved fa-
Seal, which attended his New Birth, were fo mous in their Generation.
from his appointed Meals unto fecret Places, Toxteth, and every Fortnight he held a Tuefday
to lament his Miferies ; but after fome time., Lefture, at Pre/cot: Befides which, he often
and about the Eighteenth Tear or' his Age, the preached upon the Holy-Days, not as thinking
Good Spiiir of God healed his Broken Heart, that any Day was now Holy, except the Chri-
by pouring thereinto the Evangelical Confola- llianWeekly Sabbath, but becaufe thete was
trons of His Great and Precious Promtfes. then an Opportunity to caft the Net of the Go-
kj 5. After this, lie became a more Eminent fpel among much Fifh in Great Affemblies,
i
Bleljmg, in the Calling, wherein God had now which then were convened, and would other-
difpolcd him-, and fuch Notice was taken of wife have been worfe
employed. In this, he
him, that many Perfons were fent unto him, followed the Examples of the
Apoftles, who
even from Remote Places, for their Education 5 preached moft in populous Places, and this alfo
whereof, not a few went well accomplished, on the Jewifh Sabbaths, which
yet were fo far
from him to the Vnrccrfity. But having fpent abrogated, that they charged the Faithful to
fome Years in this Employment, he judged it Let no Man judge them in
impofing the Obfer-
many ways advantageous for him to go unto vation thereof upon them.
the Vniverfity himfelf, that he might there He preached likewife very frequently at fu-
converfe with Learned Men and Books, and more nerals, asknowing, that though Funeral Ser-
improve himfelf in Learning, than he could have mons are wholly difufed in fome
Reformed Chur-
done at Home. Accordingly, at Oxford, and ches, and have been condemned by fome De-
particularly at Brazen-Nofe College in Oxford, crees of Councils, yet this was chiefly becaufe
he now refided, where together with the Satis- of the common Error committed in the Lavifh
fatlion of feeing his Old Scholars, who had by Praifes of the Dead on fuch Occafions, which
his Education, been fitted for their being there, therefore he avoided, inftead rhereof,
only gi-
he had the Opportunity further to enrich him- ving Counfels to the Living. Indeed, the Cu-
felf by Study, by Conference, by Difputation, ftom of Preaching at Funerals
may feem Eth-
and other Atadetiiical Entertainment As confi- nical in its Original ; for Publicola made an Ex-
:
dering, tint the Lamps were to be lighted, be- cellent Oration in the Praife of Brutus, with
fore the Ixtefife was to be burned in the San- which the People were fo taken, that it became
cFuary. And here, he was more intimately ac- a Cuftom, for famous Men, after this, at their
quainted with famous Dr. Woral, by whofe Ad- Death, to he fo celebrated ; and when the Wo-
vice, he read the Works of r^ter RaMn/s, with men among the Romans parted with their Orna-
a lingular Attention and Affecf ion ; which Ad- ments, for the Publick Weal, the Senate made
vice, he did not afterwards repent that he had it lawful for Women alfo to be in the like man-
followed. ner celebrated. Hmc mortuos Laudandi Mos
^ 6. But it wis not very long before the fluxit, quern nos ho die fervami/s, if Poly dor e
People offoxteth fent after him, that he would Virgil may, as he Jometimcs may be believed.
return unto them, and inftruft, not their Chil- But the Madgeburgenfian Centuriators tell us
dren as a School-majler, but themfelves as a that this Rite was not pracfifed in the
Church,
Minifter : With which Invitation, he at laft before the Beginning of the Apoftacy. However,
complied; and at Toxteth,Nov. 13. 1 618. he this Watchful Minifter of our Lord, made his
preached his Firft Sermon, with great Accep- Funeral Speeches to be but a Faithful Difcharge
tance in a vaft Affembly of People But fuch of his Miniftry in Admonitions
concerning the
:
was the Strength of his Memory, that what he laft things, whereby the Living might be edi-
had prepared for one, contained no lefs than fied. But thus in his Publick
Miniftry, he
Sr.v long Difcouifes. He was after this or- went over the 24th Chapter in the fecond of
dained, w itii many others, by Dr. Morton, the Samuel ; the firft Chapter of Proverbs ; the firft
Bilhop of Chejler, who after the Ordination and fixth Chapters of l/aiah the twenty fe-
-,
was over, iingled out Mr. Mather from the reft, cond and twenty third Chapters of Luke-, the
fi'ving, I have femething to fay betwixt you and Eighth Chapter of the Romans-, the fecond Epi-
me a>hne. Mr. Mather was now jealous, that ille
toTimothy ; the fecond Epiftle of John, and
fome 'Informations might have been exhibited the Epiftle of Jude.
him for his Puritanifm, inftead of which
'a gain ft
§8. Having fpent about Fifteen Years, thus,
when the Bifhop had him alone, what he faid in the Labours of his
Miniftry, his Le&ure at
unto him was, I have an earnefl Reauefl unto Prefcot in fine, gave him to find the Truth of
Qiiintiliari's
hook III. the Hijlory of New-England 125
Quint ilian's Obfervation, Magnam
.
Famam iff far off, and remain in the Wilde rnefs I would-,
Magnam ghuctem, eodem Tempore, Nemo po- haft en my efcapc from the Windy Storm and
teft Acquirere. Through the Malice of Satan, Tempefi.
and the Envy of the Sat amen!, there were now New England was the Retreat which new
him, thofe Complaints for his offered it felf unto him ^ and accordingly, he
brought againit
Non Conjormity to the Ceremonies, which in drew up fome Arguments for his Removal thi-
Awufl, 1 63 3- procured him to be J upended. ther, which Arguments were indeed, the very
The Sujpenlton continued upon him, till the Reafons, that moved the Firft Fathers of ?
November following, but then by the Inter- England unto that unpaniliel'd Undertaking of
ceffion of lbme Gentlemen in Lancaflnre, and Tranfponing
their Families with themfelves,
the Influence of Simon Biby, a near Alliance of over the Atlantic Ocean.
the Bilhop's Vifitor, he was Reftored. After
I. A Removal from a
his ReftairatioR, he more exactly than ever, ftu- Corrupt Church to a
died the Points of Churcb-Difcip/iae ; and the Purer.
EffecF of hismoft careful Studies was, that the II. A Removal from a Place, where the
afferted by Cart-wright, Par- Truth and Profeffors of it are perfecuuJ
Congregational Way,
ker, Baines and Ames, was the Pitch of
Re- unto a Place of more ^uiel and Safety.
formation,
which he judged the Scriptures di- III. A Removal from a Place, where all the
rected the Servants of the Lord humbly to en- Ordinances of God cannot be enjoyed, un-
deavour. But this Liberty was not longer lived to a Place where they may.
than the Year 1634.. for the Arch-Bilhop oi IV. A Removal from a Church, where the
York now was that Gentleman, whom King Difciplrne of the Lord Jefus Chrilt is want-
James pleafantly admonilhed ot his Preaching ing, unto a Church where it may be pra-
for a Blejfing on his Dead Predecejjor ; and he niflers of God are unjuftly inhibited from
now lending his Vifuors, among whom the the Execution of their Functions, to a
Famous Dr. Coufins was one, into Lancajhire ; Place where they may more freely execute
where they kept Court at Wigan, among
their the fame.
other Hard Things, they palled a Sentence of VI. A Removal from a Place, where there
Sufpenfwn upon Mr. Mather, meerly for his are Fearful Signsof Defolation, to a Place
Non Conformity. His Judges were not willing, where one may have well grounded Hope
that he fhould offer the Reafons, which made of God's Protection.
him Confcientioufly fo difpoled, as then he was,
hut the Glorious Spirit of God enabled him with Such a Removal, he judged That unto New-
much Wifdom, to encounter what they put England now before him.
upon him ; inibmuch, that in his Private Ma-
mifcripts, he entred this Memorial of it, In Thefe Confiderations were prefented unto
the PajJ'ages of that Day, I have this to Blefs many Ministers and Chriftians of Lancajhire,
the Name of God for, That the Terr our of their at feveral Meetings, whereby they were per-
Threat rung Words, of their Purfevants, and of fwaded,*and even his own People of Toxteth,
the reft of their Pomp, did not terrifie my Mind, who dearly loved him and prized him, could
but that I could ft and before them without being not gain-fay it, that by removing to New Eng-
daunted in the leaft Meafure, but anfwered for land, he would not Go out of his way. And
my fclf fuch Words of Truth and Sobernefs,- ru hereunto he was the more inclined by the Let-
the Lord put into my Mouth, not being afraid ters of fome Great Perfons, who had already
of their Paces at all: Which fupporting and com- fettled in the Country ; among whom the Re-
forting Prefence of the Lord, I count not ?nuch nowned Hooker was one, who in his Letters
lefs Mercy,
than if I had been altogether pre- thus exprefled himfelf, In a Word, if I may
ferved out of their Hands. But all means uied fpeak my own Thoughts freely and fully, though
afterwards, to get off this unhappy Sufpenfwn, there are very many Places where Men may re-
were ineffectual for when the Vifitors had ceive and expeel more Earthly Commodities, yet
-,
been informed, that he had been a Minifter do 1 believe there k no Place this Day upon the
Fifteen Years, and all that while never wore a
Face of the Earth, where a Gracious Heart and
Surpiifs, One of ihem fwore, It had been better a Judicious Head, may receive more Spiritual
for him, that he had gotten Seven Baflards. Good to himfelf, and do more Temporal and Spi-
§ p. He now betook himlelf to a private ritual Good to others. Wherefore being fatis-
without of
Hope again enjoying- the Liberty hed in his Defign for Nczo England, after Ex-
Life,
of doing any more publick Work, in his Native traordinary Supplication for the Smiles of Hea-
Land but herewithal fore feeing a Storm ofCa ven upon him in it, he took his Leave of his
•,
lamities like to be hallncd on the Land, by the Friends in Lancaflnre, with Affections on both
Wrath of Heaven incenled, particularly at the fides like thofe, wherewith Paul bid Farewel
Injustice ufed in depriving the truly Conicten-
to his in Ephcfus ; and 'in April, 1635. he
tious of their Liberty, his Wilhes became like made his Journey unto Bnjlol, to take Ship
thofe of the Deprived Pfalmift, 0, that I had there; being foced as once Brentius was,
iV'wgs like a Dove ! La, then would I wander to change his Apparel, that he might efcape
the
126 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
he Purfevants, who were endeavouring to ap the-PalTagei of that Morning, until our Dying
prehend him. . . Day. In all this grievous Storm , my Fear
§ 10. On May 23. KS35, he fet Sail
from was the lefs, when I confidered the Clear
nefs
Brifiol for New-England
: But when he came God this way. A nd in fome
of ?ny Calling from
an meafure (the Lord's holy Name be bleffedfor
upon the Coafts of New-England, there arofe
horrible Hurricane, from the Dangers whereof it) he gave us Hearts contented and
willing,
his Deliverance was remarkable, and well nigh that he fhould do with us, and
ours, what he
miraculous. The belt Account of it, will be pleafed, and what might be molt for the Glo-
from his own Journal ;
where the Relation runs ry of his Name * and in that we relied our
in thefe Words : ielves. But when News was brought us into
the that the
Gun-Room, Danger was paft, Oh !
i<*35-
how our Hearts did then relent and melt with-
Auguft if.
in us We burft out into Tears of Joy among
!
'
The Lord had not yet done with us, nor our felves, in Love unto the gracious
c
God,
had he let us fee all his Power and Goodnejs, and Admiration of his Kindneis, in
4 granting
which he would have us take the knowledge to his poor Servants fuch an
1
extraordinary and
of. And therefore about break of Day, he miraculous Deliverance, his Holy Name be
lent a mod terrible Storm of Rain, and Ea-
'
blelTed for evermore.
1
flerly Wind, whereby we were, I think, in as
4
much Danger When we
ar ever People were. The Storm being thus allay'd,
they came to
*
came to Land, we
found many mighty Trees an Anchor before BoJIon ,
Augufi 17. 1^35.
*
rent in pieces, in the midft of the Bole, and Where Mr. Mather abode for a little
4
while, and'
others turned up by the Roots, by Fiercenefs with his vertuous Confort,
joined unto' the
.
c
thereof! We loft in that Morning three An- Church in that place.
4
chors and Cables ; one having never been in § 11. He quickly had Invitations from feve-
4
the Water before two were broken by the
:,
ralTowns, to bellow himfelf upon them ; and
1
Violence of the Storm, and a third cut by the was in a great Strait, which of thofe Invitations
'
Sea- men in extremity of Diftrefs, to fave the to accept. But applying himfelf unto
4 Counfel,
Ship, and their, and our Lives. And when as an Ordinance
of God, for his Dire&ion, Dor-
*
our Cables and Anchors were all loft, we had chefhr was the place, wherero a
*
Council, where-
no outward Means of Deliverance, but by in Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Hooker, were the
4 prin-
hoifting Sail, if fo be we might get to Sea, cipal, did advife him. Accordingly to Dorche-
4
from among the Ijlands and Rocks, where we fter he repaired and the Church '
' formerly -,
were Anchored. But the Lord let us fee, that planted there, being tranjplanted with Mr. War-
c
our Sails could not help us neither, no more ham to ConneUicut, another Church was now
*
than the Cables and Anchors for by the force gathered here,
-,
Augufi 23. 163 6. by whofe Choice
*
of the Wind and Storm, the Sails were rent Mr. Mather was now become their Teacher.
4
afunder, and fplit in pieces, as if they had Here he continued a Blefling unto all the Chur-
4
been but rotten Rags ; fo that of divers of ches in this Wildernefs, until his
4 dying Day,
them, there was fcarce left fo much as an even for near upon Four and thirty Years
4 toge-
Hand's-breadth, that was not rent in pieces, ther. He underwent not now fo
* many Changes,
or blown away into the Sea 7 fo that at that as he did before his
4
coming hither ; and he ne-
time, all Hope that we fhould be faved, in re ver changed his Habitation after this, till he
4
gard of any outward Appearance, was utterly went unto the Houfe Eternal in the Heavens ;
4
taken away and the rather, becauie we feem- albeit his old People of Toxteth
:
4 vehemently fol-
ed to drive with full force of Wind, dire£tiy licited his Return unto when the trouble-
'
them,
upon a mighty Rock, ftanding out in fight a- fome Hierarchy in England was depofed.
4
bove Water ; fo that we did but continually § 1 2. Neverthelefs, if Luther's three Tutors
1
wait, when we fhould hear and feel the dole- for an able Divine, Study, and
4 Prayer, and
ful Crufhing of the Ship upon the Rock. In Temptation, as Mr. Mather could not
leave the
4
this Extremity and Appearance of Death, as twofirfl, fo the
laft would not leave him the -,
4
come, he found
cried unto the Lord, and he was pleafed to not without its Temptations. He was for fome
c
have Companion upon us ; for by his over-ru- Years exercifed with Spiritual
4 Diftreffes, and
ling Providence, and his own immediate good Internal Defertions, and Uncertainties about his
4
Hand, he guided the Ship paft the Rock, af- Everlafting Happinefs , which Troubles of his
4
fwaged the Violence of the Sea, and of the Mind he revealed unto that eminent Perfon Mr.
4
Wind. It was a Day much to be remembred, Norton, whofe well-adapted
4
Words, comforted
becaufe on that Day the Lord granted us as his weary Soul. It was in thefe dark
4 Hours,
wonderful a Deliverance as, I think, ever any that a glorious Light rofe unto him, with a cer-
4
People had felt. The Seamen confeffed, they tain Difpofition of Sou!, which I find in his pri-
4
never knew the like. The Lord fo imprint vate Papers thus exprelTed
My Heart relented :
4
Prayer, That God would not
be the better for it, and be careful to pleafe deny me an Heart to and not blafpheme
blefshim,
him, and to walk uprightly before him as long him, that is fo holy, juft, and good; tho 1 Jbould
•
4
as we live. And I hope we fhall not forget be excluded from his Prefence, and go down into
ever-
Book III. the Hijiory of
New-England. iftf
everfafting Darknefs and
terrible from
But when
within
Difcomfort.
were
Earthly Things. Mat.
1 Pet,
6. 25,0V. pfil. %f. &
thefe Temptations 5. 7. Phil. 4. 6.
1
were feveral and fucceffive AffliUions, 2. To be more
over,there frequent arid -conffarit in
which he did from abroad meet withal Of all :
private Prayer. Mat. 6. 6. &14. 23. Pfal.5<c.
which Afflictions, the molt calamitous was, the 17. Dan. 6. 10.
'
Death of his dear, good, and wife Con fort, by 3. To more carefully and ferioufly
pra£tife {
whofe difcreet Management of his Affairs, he and frequently the Duty of Self-Examination.
had been fo releafed from all Secular Incum- ham. 3. 40. Pfal. 4. 4. Pfal. t\<y. 59. efpeci-
brances, as to be wholly at Liberty, for the Sa- ally before the Receiving of the Lord's Supper-
cred Employment of his Miniftry. However, 1 Cor. 11. 28.
he had continued in his Widowhood a
'
after 4. To ftrive againft carnal
Security,- and ex-
Year and half the State of his Family made it ceifive
Sleeping. Prov. 6. 9, 10.' be Prov,
neceflary for
him to apply himfelf unto a Second 20. 13.
'
Marriage ;
which he made with the pious Wi- 5- To vain Jangling';- and mJ-
ftrive againft
dow of the moft famous Mr. John Cotton ; and fpending precious Time. Eph. 5. 16.
her did God make a Bleffing unto him the reft
of his Days, IV. Touching Others.
§ 13. My
defcribing his general of Manner
1
Life, after he came to New-England, fhall be To be more careful and zealous, to dc
1.
only a tranferibing of thofe Vows, which tho'he good unto their Souls, by private Exhorrationsx
made before his coming thither, yet he then re- Reproofs, Inftrucfions, Conferences of God's
newed. In his private Papers, wherein he left Word. Prov. 10. 21. & 15. 17. Lev. 19. 17,
fome Recotds of the Days which he fpent fome- Pfal. 37. 3 o.
'
times in fectet Humiliations, and Supplications, To
be ready to do Offices of Love and
2.
before the God of Heaven, and of the Ajfurances Kindn'efs, not only, or principally, for the
which with the Tears of a melted Soul, in thofe Praife of Mem, to purchafe Commendation for
D.:ys, he received of Bleflings obtained for him- a.
good Neighbour, but rather out of Confcience
felf, his Children, his People,' and the whole to the Commandment of God. Phil.i.\. iCon
Country, 1 find Recording the enfuing Inftru to. 24. Heb. 13. \6.
ment.
'
Renewed with, a Profeflion of Difabili-
'
ties in my for Performance,
Promifflones Deo fail £,
'
I.
Touching the Miniftry. 15. D. 6. Mi 1636,
Richard Mather,
' s
I. I be more painful and
diligent in pri-
'
X
vate Preparations for
Preaching, by
Reading, Meditation, and Prayer and not •
§ 14. His way of Preaching Was very plain.,
ilightly and fuperficially. Jer. 48. 10. Excl. 9. ftudioufly avoiding obfeure and foreign Terms,
10. 1 Tim. 4. 13, 15. and unneceffary Citation of Latine Sentences. ;
B
In and after Preaching, to ftrive
2. and aiming to (hoot his Arrows, not over the
ferioufly
againtf inwatd Pride, and Vainglory. Heads, but into the Hearts of his Hearers. Yet
1
3. Before and after Preaching, to beg by fo Script
urally, and fo Powerfully did he preach,
Prayer the Lord's Bleifmg on his for the Word, his plain Sermons, that Mr: Hooker would fay,
Good of Souls, more carefully than in time My Brother Mather is a mighty Alan $ and in-
path 1 Cor. 3. 6. AUs id. 74. deed he faw a
great Succefs
of his Labours, in
both Englands, converting many Souls unto God.
II.
Touching the Family. His Voice was loud and big, and uttered with a
deliberate Vehemency, it procured unto his Mi-
L
1. To be more frequent in
Religious Dif- niftry an awful and very taking Majefty-, never-
courje and Talk, Dent. 6. 7. thelefs, thefubftantial and rational Matter de-
"
2. To
be more careful in Catechifing Chil- livered by him, caufed his Miniftry to take yet 1
and tears, and againft the inordinate Love of fies then managed, of hii own Opinion; j< by the
R 1 x faro*
128 The Hiftory of New- En gland. Book HI,
Tame Token, that when Dr. Parr, then Bifliop Letture once a Fortnight, befides many Occasio-
in the Ifle of Man, heard of Mr. Mather's being nal Sermons both in publick and private ; and
filenced, he lamented it, laying, If itfr.Mather many Cafes of Confidence, which were
brought,
be filenced, I am forry for it ; for he vqm a Solid unto him to be difcufled. Thus his
Miniftry j n
Man, and the Church of God hath a great Lofs of Dorchefler, befides innumerable other Tex
him And it was becaufe of his being efteemed Scripture, went over the Book .of Is. to
1
Co Judicious a Perfon, that among theMinifters Chap. 38. the Sixteenth PJ.aim-, the whole Book
of New-England, he was improved more than of the Prophet Zechanah Matthew's Gofpel to
-,
the moft, in explaining and maintaining the Chap. 15. the fifth Chapter in the Firft Epiftle
Points of Church-Government then debated. The to the TheJJalonians ; and the whole Second
Epi-
Pifcourfe abour the Church-Covenant, and the flle of Peter his Notes whereon he reviewed
-,
Anfwer to the Thirty two Quejiions, both writ- and renewed, and fitted for the Prefs before his
ten in the Year 1632, tho' they pafs under the Death.
Name of the Miniflers of New-England, Mr. He alfo publifhed a Treatife of
Juftification,
Mather was the fole Author of them. And whereof Mr. Cotton and Mr. Wiljon gave this
when the Platform of ChurchDifcipline was a Teftimony : Thou fhalt find this little Treatife to
be like Mary'-r Box of
greed by a Synod of thefe Churches, in the Year Spikenard, which wajhing
1 647. Mr. Mather's Model was that out of the Paths of Cbrift towards us, (a* that did his
which it was chiefly taken. Feet) will be fit to perfume not only the whole
And being thereto defired, he alfo prepared Houfe of God wfth the Odour, of his Grace, but al-
for the Prefs, a very elaborate Compofure, fo thy Soul with the OylcfGladnefs, above what
which he entituled, A Plea for the Churches of Creature Comforts can afford. The manner of
New- England. f
handling thou fhalt find to be olid, judicious, fuc-
Moreover, to defend the Congregational, in cinU, and pithy, fit (by the Blefjing of Chnfi) to
thole Idler Pu?itlilio's, wherein it feems to differ make wife unto Salvation. And befides thefe
from the Presbyterian Way of Church-Govern- things, he publifhed Catechifms, a leffer and a
ment he Printed one little Book in Anfwer to
-, larger, fo well formed, that a Luther himfelf
Mr. Her/, and another in Anfwer to Mr. Ruther- WQuld not have been alhamed of being a Learn-
ford: And yet was he fo little Broivnijiically cr from them.
affecled, that befides his Apprehenfion of fo vi- Ncverthelefs, after all thefe Works, he was as
cious and infamous a Man, as Brown's not being Nazianzen faith of Atbanafius,"r^>,@- w<V Spjwr,
likely to be the Difcoverer of any momentous ivjmiVQi Si 7vs wovhfjutm As k W If} hifi 3 I oughts,
Truth in Religion, he wrote a Treatife to prove, as he Was high in his II 'orks. He never became
That whatever Privi/edge and Liberty may be- twice a Child through Infirmity. but was al- ,
long to the Fraternity, the Rule of the Church voays one, as our Saviour hath commanded us,
belongs only to its Presbytery. Furthermore, in Humility.
when the Propositions of the Synod, in 1662. (j 15.
A
Jerom would weep at the Death of
were oppofed by Mr. Davenport, .Mr. 'Mather fuch a Man, as portending Evil to the Place of
was called upon to Anfwer him which he did, his former, ufeful, holy Life : But fuch an oc-
-,
and therein, as in his former Anfwers, he gave cafion of Tears, the Death of Mr. Mather mutt
fuch Initances of a clofe Regard unto the Truth, atlaft give to his bereaved People. SomsTears
and the Ctttfe, without the leaft Expreffion of before his Death, [having fent over unto his old
DiiiefpecT: unto the Perfons anfwered, That as Flock in Lancafhire, a like Teflimony of his
my Reverend Friend Mr. Higginfon hath faid Concernment
for them] he compofed and pub-
fometimes to me, He wo* a Patern for all An- lifhed, A
Earewel Exhortation to the Church and
ers to the end of the Wor/d. People of Dorchefler, conftffing of Seven Dire-
fwer
But. as -he judged that a Preacher of the Go- ctions, wherein his Flock might read the Defign
fpel fhouid be, he. was, a very hard Student : and Spirit of his whole Miniftry among them ;
Yea, fo intent was he upon his beloved Studies, on a certain Lord's Day, he did, by the Hands
that the Morning before he died, he importuned of his Deacons, put thefe little Books into the
the Friends that .watched with him, to help Hands of his Congregation, that fo whenever he
him into the: Room, where he thought his ufual fhould by Death take his Farewel of them, they
Works and .Books expected him to. fatisrie his might ftill remember how they had been exhort-
-,
Importunity, they begun to lead him thither ; ed. But Old Age came now upon him, wherein
but finding himfelf unable to get out of his tho' his Hearing was decay'd, and (as with
Lodging-Room, he 'faid, I fee 1 am not able, 1 Great Zanchy) the Sight of one of his Eyes :
have not been in my Study feveral Days ; and is Yet upon all other Accounts he enjoyed aft
it not- a lamentable thing, that I fhould lofe fo Health both of
Body and Spirit, which was very
much time ? He was truly abundant in his La- wonderful, and agreeable as well to his Hardy
bours : For tho' he; was very frequent in hearing Conflitution, as to the fuuple and whoUom Diet,
the Word'from others, riding to the Leflures in whereto he ftill accuflomed himfelf. He never
the Neighbouring Towns, till his Difeafe difa- made ufe of any Phyfician all his Days ; nor
bled him, and even to Old Age writing Notes was he ever lick of any Acute Difeafe, nor in
at thofe Lectures, as the Renowned Hilderfham Fifty Years together, by any Sicknefs detained
likewife did before him ; yet he preached for fo much as one- Lord's Day from his Publick
the rnoft part every Ldrd's Day twice ; and a Labours. Only the two laft Years of Ms Life,
he
Book ill. The Hi/lory of I\ ew- England 129
he felt which has been called PlageHum
that cernmg the Rifing Generation in this Country,
Studioforum, namely,
The Stone which proved that
they be brought under the Government of
the Tombftone, whereby all his Labours and Chrifl in his Church, when gt'dwh up,
Sorrows were, in fine, brought unto a Pe- and qualified, they ha, fm, for. their Chil-
riod. dren, i mufi confefs, 1 have been Drfcirive, ai
§ 16. A
Council of Neighbouring Churches to Practice -, yet I /.. ,/
mj>
at to
affembled Boffon, Apr. 13. 1669. Judgment, andmanifefied .
. :
being
advife about fome Differences arifen there, Mr. that which I think o.ighl la be alt-. .. :' the
.'I,-. her, tor hisAge, Grace and Wifdom, was DiJJenting of fome in cur Church, dij
chofen the Moderator of that Reverend Aflem- me. I have thought, that
Pe'rfbns might
hly. For divers Days, whilff he was attend- Right to Baptifm, and yet not to the Lord's
he wis taken very III with a Total Stoppage ter he had 'been about Seventy Three Years, a
of Urine, wherein according to Solomons Ex- Citizen of the World, and fifty 1 'cars a Mini-
tience, to all Spectators, for all Survivors. Time will I wait, till my Change come. And for
Though he lay in a Mortal Extremity of Pain, a Private Conference, he had prepared a Ser-
he never fhrieked, he rarely groaned, with it ;
mon on thofe Words, in 2 Cor. 5. i.'V for we
and when he was able, he took Delight in know, that if our Earthly Houfe of this Taber-
Reading Dr. Goodwin's Difcourfe, about Pa- nacle were Diffolved, we have a Building of God,
tience, in which Book he read until the very an Houfe not made with Hands, Eternal in the
Day of his Death. When they asked him, Heavens ; but by his Removal from this Houfe
how he did? His ufual Anfwer was, Par from to that, he was prevented in the Preaching of
well, yet far better than mine Iniquities deferve. the Sermon. How ready he was for the Laft
And when his Son faid unto him, Sir, God End of his Days thus expecled, is a little ex-
hath [hewed his great faithfulnejs unto you, ha- prelTed in certain PalTages of his Lafl Will ± the
ving upheld you now for the Space of more than whole, of which if I lhould here tranferibe it,
fifty Tears in his Service, and. employed you after the Example of Beza, wriring rhe Life of
therein without ceafing, which can be, faid of Calvin, and Bannofws writing the Life of Ra-
very few Men, on the Pace of the Earth he mus, and other fuch Examples, it would be
-,
Pfalms before him, until he died, keep up a fee a great deal of Vnprofitablencjs in my own
Spirit of Repentance, as long as he lived. In Life, and becaufe God hath alfo let me fee Cuch
deed this Excellent Man did not fpeak much Vanity and Emptineff even in the befi of thofe
in his Lift Sicknefs, to thofe that were about Comforts, which this Life can afford, that I
him, having fpoken fo much before. Only his think I may truly fay, That I have <een an end
Son perceiving the Symptoms of Death upon of all Perfection Therefore if it kcic the Witt :
him, faid, Sir, If there be any Jfecial thing, of God, I fhould be glad to be removed hence,
which you would recommend unto me to do, in where the Beft, that « to be had, doth yield fuch
cafe the Lord fhould fpare me on Earth, after little Satkfiition to my Soul, and to be brought
you are in Heaven, I would intreatyou to exprefs into his Prefence in Glory, That there 1 might
it
•,
at which, after a little Paufe, with lifted find, (for there I know it is to be had) that fa-
Eyes and Hands, he returned, A fpecul thing] tisfying and Allfufficient Contentment, in him,
which I zoould commend to you, is, Care concer- which under the Sun is not to be enjoyed; in the
R r r 2 mean
130 The Hiftory of New-England. Book III
mean time Lord's Leifare. he drew towards the End of his Days, he grew
J defire to flay the
fo remarkably Ripe for Heaven, in an Holy,
But thou, Lord, bow
long !
lary ; 1 'his was enjoyed by many of thofe good couragement unto me to look unto Chrifr,
Men, that planted our New Englifh Churches, that he would do that for me, which he has
but by none more comfortably, than by Mr. promifed to do for fome, nor dare I exclude
Mather. It is mentioned as the Felicity of the my felf but if the Lord will help me, I de-
-,
BlefTtd Vetterus a Bohemian Paffor in the for- fire to lie at his Feet, and
accept of Grace,
mer Century, that he gave the Church no lefs in his own way, and with his own Time^
than tour So/is, to be Worthy Minifters of the through his Power enabling of me. Though
I am Dead, without
Gofpel. Such was the Felicity of our Mather. Strength, Help or Hope
Many Years before he died, he had the Com- in my felf, yet the Lord requireth nothing at
fort of feeing four Sons that were Preachers of my Hands in my own Strength but that bv -,
no mean Confideration among the People of bis Power, I fhould look to him. To work all
God It was counted the Angular Happinefs of his Works in me and for me. When I find a
-,
the Greit Roman Metellus, that he expired in dead Heart, the Thoughts of this are exceed-
the Arms of his hour Sons, who were all of ing fweet and reviving, being full of Grace,
them Eminent Perfons; As happy was our and difcovering the very Heart and Love of
Mather ; and in a Christian Account, much Jejus.
hore happy. And fince his Death, our com-
mon Lord, ha* been ferved bv Mr. Samuel Ma- He Died July 24. 1669. Aged Years, about
ther Pa (to //"«, Mr. Natha- Thirty Two.
nacl Mat n of the fame
Church, f Barnfiable, and Sic Rofi,fic Violx, prima Moriunturin Herba,
then of hat of a Church Candida, nee Toto, Lilia, Me/ife nitent.
in Lo/k n ; M.. ^/c_ 'her, Paftor of a
Church Northampton ; and Mr. Increafc
at our § 20. The Dying Words of his father unto
Mather, Teacher of a Church in Boflon, and his Brother, about the Rifng Generation, cau-
Prcfident of Harvard Colledge. Now becaufe fed him, in the few Sabbaths now left, before
this Mighty Man, and the youngeft but one of his own Death, to preach feveral Sermons upon
thefe Arrows in hh Hand, were not only Love- the Methods that fhould be taken for the con-
ly and Uf'eful
in their Lives, but alfo, in their veying and fecuring of Religion, with the good
Deaths not divided (lor he died about Three Prefence of God unto that Generation, [on
Months it will be Pity to Di-
after his Father,) 1 Kings 8. 57.] The Notes which he left writ-
and Lively Proofs of a Renewed Heart, as well Profperity , A Spirit of Divifwn and Contention,
as a well inftrucled Head, recommended him- turning Religion it felf into faffion ; The Effica-
felf unto the Service of the Churches, cious and Victorious Operations of the
Holy
the Church of Northampton became the Spirit, withdrawn from O/dinances he added,
-,
happy Owner of his Talents. Here be la- the Death of fuch Men, as are chief means of
boured for Eleven Years in the Vineyard of our continuing the Prefence of God unto a People -,
Lord ; and then the Twelve, Hours of his he therein gave unto us too true an Interpreta-
Days Labour did expire, not without the deep- tion, of the fad Providence, which was juft
elf Lamentations of all the Churches, as well going by Death to remove him. from this Peo-
ziftk own then fitting along the River of Con-
-, ple unto a better World.
nrclicut. As he was a very zealous Preacher,
and accordingly faw many Seals of his Mini-
stry,' fo he was a very pious Walker and as -,
Epifaphinrri
Book III. Tfe jS//?^ o/" New-England. 131
In Phim, DoElnm, &
Pr£clartim,
Dorcejirenfem Matherum.
Sincerus Terr is, nofter ecce Matheras
jacet •,
CHAP. XXI.
The LIFE of Mr. Z ACHARI AH STMMES.
§ 1. "T^HE
Emperour Probus having an^ Ho- where Mr. Paw/on, an Ancient Godly Preacher?
JL nour for the Memory of his Friend was Minifter, who knew my Parents well and
Aradion, honouted him with a Tomb Two me too, at School ; he, after I had finifhed my.
Hundred Foot broad. But our Value for the Sermons, came and brought me this Book
Memory of the Divines that formerly ferved
:
for a Prefent, acquainting me with the above-
our Churches, mult not be meafured by the
•
cannot give much Breadth to the Room, which fore him, that fhall judge the Quick and the
:
was one worthy the Name of a Minifter-, for § 3. Deicended from fuch Anceftors, ourZ<?-
he knew his Bible well, and he was a Preacher chariah, was Bom April 5. 1 599. at Canterbury,
of what he knew, and a Sufferer for what he and the Savoury Exprefhons in the Letters yet
freac&d. extant, which he wrote while he was a Youth
^ 2. Reader, We
(hall not confound our in the Univerfity of Cambridge, intimate, that
felves with tables and Endlefs Genealogies, but he was New Born, while yet a Child.
we (hall truly edify our felves. if we enquire After his leaving the Univerfity, he was em-
fo far into the Genealogy of Mr. Zechariah ployed for a while in the Houles of feveral
Symmes, as to recite a Paffage written by
Mr. Perfons of Quality, as a Tutor to their Chil-
Willi am Symms, the Father of our Zechariah, dren, but not without Moleftation from the
in a Book which was made by a Godly Prea Prelates for his ConJ'cientious Non Conformity
cher, that was hid in the Houfeof Mr. William to certain Rites in the Worfhip of God, then
the
Symms, Father of William, from the Rage of impofed on the Confciences of the Faithful
as a fpecial When he had palled through thefe Changes,
'
the Motion Perlecution. I note it
'
Mercy of God, ( writes he, in aLeaf of that he was chofen in the Year 1621. to be a Lectu-
*
B ok) that both my Father and Mother were rer at Aiholines, in the City of London:^ And
*
Favourers of the Gofpel, and hated Idolatry, after many Troubles from the Bifhops Courts,
*
under Queen Mary's Ptrfecution. I erne to for his Dijfent from things, whereto his Con-
this Book by this means: Going to Sandwich Went had never been required by the Great
*
continuing'
132 The Hiftory of New-England. Book ill.
lived Forty nine Years and Seven Months with remiah Burroughs. For we have (fill to fhew
his Vertuous Confort , by whom he had Thir- the Letters, which that great Man lent unto our
teen Children, Five Sons,' and Eight Daughters, Symmcs, alter his coming to New-England ; Let-
and annexes this Diftich. ters wherein he compares the Love between
A Prophet lies under this Stone : as having been a fort of Sworn Brothers to each
[
His Words Jhall live, tho" he be gone. other, ever fince their living together at the 17-
mverfity.
CHAP. .XXII.
§ r. T-r T H Y is the dead Relation of Father might not fting them, when they Were to be-
VV Abraham called, Hk Dead, no lefs llow Aculeate Rebukes upon the Vices oi' other
than eight feveral rimes, in one fhort Chapter ? Men.
It feems, tho' Death has dillolved our old Rela This Obfervation, which is as ufefulz% anci-
tion to our dead Friends, yet it has not releafed ent, wis made by them that countered thofe
us from all our Duty to them ; they are ftill fo j
Words of the Prophet Mkab : I am full of
far ours, that we owefomething unto their Me I
(1.) Power, by the Spirit of the Lord. Aid of
mory. Reader, We
are enterraining our felves j (2.) Judgment. And of, (3.) Venue. With
with Our Dead ; but if we do nothing to keep. all of thele Excellencies, did the
Holy Spirit of
alive their Memory with us, we may blufh to God', in a gracious Meafure adorn our Aliin.
call them ours. But when the Evil Spirit raited a Storm of Per-
Among thefe, one is Mr. John Alii n. But it
fection upon the Puritans, in the Englijh Na-
there were fuch an Officer in ufe among us, as tion, thefe Excellencies could not (helter this
once was among the Greeks, to meafure rhe Mo- worthy Man, from the Injuries of it ; but ra-
numents of dead Perfons, according to their ther expole him thereunto.
Leaving of Eng-
Vertues, he would greatly complain of it, that land , whereof he might have taken that Fare-
I have been able to recover no more Memoirs ot wel j
a Perfon, whofe Vermes and Merits were far
from the fmalleft fize, among thofe who did Kon careo Patrid, me caret ilia magis.
worthily in Ifrael.
§ 2. He was
born in the Year 1596. He chofe an American Wildernefs, for his Coun-
Having palfed his Curfus, in the Tongues and
try
: And cheerfully conformed his Genteel Spi-
Arts, until he was, as Theodorit fays of Inno- rit, unto the Difficulties of fuch a Wildernefs :
£ avyifet Koaf/.i^avQ-, Ingenit iff p'U- Being only of Aujl/n sMivd, about the banifh'd
cent. 'Kyytvoia.
dentin ornamentis egrcgie Inflrutfus : He became Chriltians, Miferrimum effet, ft alicubi duel po*
a faithful Preacher of Chri/i, choofing rather to terant, ubi Deumfuum non invenijjent.
dig in that Rock of Zion, than in a Rock of §3. He was a J'ufficient Scholar, and (which
Diamonds. is the way to become
fo) a diligent Student h
It is an ancient Obfervation, that there were but yet his Experimental Acquaintance with
ihrecThings done by the Holy Spirit of God,
5
on Christianity, taught him to be ot the Mind,
and for the Prophets, which were employ d in which the Learned Suarez expreffed, when he
Publick Service for him One was to give them did ufe to fay, That he efteemed more that little.
:
Courage againft the Rage of Adverfaries. Ano- Pittance of Time, which he conftant/y Jet apart
ther was, to give them Wifdom, for to regulare every Day, for the private Examination of his
their Conduct A third was, to give them Fir- own Heart, than all the other part of the Day,
tue and Holinefs, that their own Confciences which he pent in Volmimm Controvcrftes. Fiisf
Accomr
'
of'Humility : Being a very patient Man, he Hi Motus Animorum, atque hxc certamir.d
leys
found that th Dew of
:
Heaven, which falls not tanta,
cloudy Night, was always falling
in a rtormy or Pulvens exigui Jact.i comprefa quiefcunn
on a Soul ever ierene, with the meekeft Pati-
ence. He was none of thofe low-built thatch'd § 5. When the holy Church of Dedham was
to catch Ere ; But like in the Year 1638, he became their Pa-
Cottages, that are apt gathered,
an high built Caftle, or Palace, free from the llor And in the Paftoral Care of that Church
:
Combuft ions of Palfion. He was indeed one of he continued, until Aug. 16. 1671 , when after
fo fweet a Temper, that his Friends Anagram. ten Days of eafie Sicknefs, he died, as
Myconi-
into this us well exprelTes it, Vitaliter mori
matifed, JOHN ALLIN, : in the Se- •,
CHAP. XXIII.
Undertaking and when the Oppreffton of Cu- Acquaintance with that Great Man Dr. Ufher
-,
fhanrifhathatm, caufed a Number of People to whom ail Men have confeffed Worthy of the'
feek out New Seats, there were many who un- Character, wherewith Vbetius mentions him
der the Conduft of Cadmus, tranfported them Vafi£ Leilionk &
Eruditions Theologies, in
q-
ielyes into Greece, where the Notions and Cu- Antiquitate Ecclefiaftica Verjatijpmus , he had'
stoms of an Ijraeluifh Original, were therefore hereby an Opportunity farther to
advantage
a long while preferved, until they were con himfelf with the Ancient Monuments in
King
founded with Pagan Degeneracies. There is James's Library.
Reafon to think, that a Colony of Hebrews § 3. By the Head of the Houfes he was chd-
them (elves did now /warm out into Pehponne fen Hebrew- Profefjor-, but the
ViceChancellour
fus, where the Book of Maccabees will help us Dr. Williams, preferring a Kinfman of his
own
to find Lacedemonians for Cadmonians, that is, to that Place, at the fame rime he
our put
the Followers of Cadmus, in their True Etymo- Mr. Chancey into the Place of Greek •
Profefjor
logy,) of the Stock of Moraham ;
and we know And as one well known to be an Accurate Gre*-
that Strabo That Cadmus had Arabians cian, 'twas he that afterwards was rhe C. C.
tells us,
(and the Ijraelites,were by fuch Heathen Wri the Vir DciliJJimus Piijjimus, whofe Uikunt&
ters accounted fo) in his Company. Accor- you have at the Beginning of Leigh's Crhica
dingly, when we read, that a College among Sacra upon the NetaTef] anient. He was indeed
the Old Grecians was called Acidemia, we may a Perfon incomparably well skill'd in all the
foon inform our felves, that it was at firft cal- Learned Languages efpecially in the Oriental; -,
fity.
And it was one thing which caufed him the Talents wherewith it would furnifh them
to have the more feeling Refentments of the to do fo many Services for the Church of God,
Famous Powder-Plot, the Report whereof will were fuch as to make them join with Luthery
make a Nqife as long as the Fifth of November in his Proteftation, That he would not part with
is in our Kalendar ; that at the time when that his Knowledge of the Hebrew^ for
many Tbcit-
Plot ffaould have taken its horrid Effecf, he fands of Pounds; or to approve the (ufual)
was at that School, which muft alfo have been modeft Words of Melantlhon. Scio me vix pri-
blown up, if the Parliament -Houfe had perill- mis Labris degufiaffe Hebraicus laterat ; fed
ed. The Univerfity of Cambridge, was that tamen, hoc Ipfum, quod didici quant uhtmcunq,
which afterward kiflrutted and Nourijhed this eft, propter Judicium de Religione, Omnibus
Mundi
Book Hi. ^be Hi/lory of New -England. 135
Mundi Regnis, omniumq-, opibus Longe Ante- againft his own
Right Hand, for f'ubferibing his
pono. Although he was not long with-
Recantation.
(j 4.
When he left the Univerfity, he became out the Faith of his having this his too fudden
a Diligent and Eminent Preacher of the Gofpel Compliance with the Demands of his Perfecu-
at Marfton ; but after fome time, he removed tors, Forgiven in Heaven, yet he never
forgave
himfelf to Ware, where the Hand of the Lord himfelf as long as he liv'd on Earth he would >,
was with him, and many believed, and turned on all Occafions exprefs himfelf extreamly dif-
unto the Lord. Here 'twas that the Succeffes fatisfied, as well at the /// Things then advan-
of his Faithful Miniftry, in the Inftruclion ol ced in the Church of England, as at himfelf
the Ignorant, and the Converfion of the Un- alfo for ever in the leaft, confenting to thofe
a Matter of much Obferva
godly, became things. Thofe Memorable Puritans which
tion. were driven into America, all of them had a
But when Satan wanted a Shibboleth for the Diflike of the Deformities, which they faw yet
Difcovering and Extinguifhing fuch an Holy cleaving to the Church of England; but I que-
Miniftry, throughout the Nation, the Mifera- ftion, whether any difliked rhem with fuch
ble Arch Bifhop Laud, ferved him with a Li- fervent ExprefTions of Indignation, as our Mr.
cence for Sports on the Lord's Day ; whereby Chancey, who thus took the Revenges of a
the People were after an horrid manner invited deep Repentance upon his own Conformity to
unto the Profanation of that Sacred Reft ; and them. And few luffered for Non-Conformity
indeed of every thing Sacred with it. Then more than he by Fines, by Gaols, by Neceffities
'twas that our Mr. Chancey hearing the Drums to abfeond, and at laft by an Exile from his
beat for Dances and Fr clicks on the Lord's Day, Native Country. Yea, though he had lived a
was, like other Good Men, afraid that God very exacf Life, when he came to die,
yet
would break the Reft of the Kingdom, and more than Forty Years after this, he left thefe
caufe Drums to be beaten up for Manhes and Words in his laft Will and
Tejiament. In re-
Battels on that very Day. But when he was gard of Corrupt Nature, I do acknowledge my
inhibited from attending of other Exercifes, on felf to be a Child of Wrath, andfold under Sin,
the Afternoons of the Lord's Day, he fet him- and one that hath been polluted with Innumera-
felf to Catechife as many as he could, both old ble Tranfgrefftons and Mighty Sins, which as
and young ; which, as the Bifhop in Sheeps Cha- far an I know and can call to Remembrance, I
rting faid, was As bad as Preaching. And by keep ftill frefh before me, and defire with Mour-
fuch Methods, he ftill continued ferving the ning , and felf abhorring ftill to do, as long as
Interefts of the Gofpel. Life fhall ; and efpecially my fo many finful-
laft
§ 5. But about this Time there arofe a Storm Compliances with and Conformity unto Vile Hu-
of mod Unreafonable, but Irrefiftible Perfec- man Inventions, and Will- Worfhip and Hell-bred
tion, upon thofe Miniffers, who were Well- Superftition, and Patcheries fticht into
the Ser-
wifhers to the Progrefs of the Proteftant Refer vice ofthe Lord, (which the Englifl) Mafs Book,
ruation in the and Mr. Chancey was J mean, the Book of Common Prayer, and the
Kingdom -,
one of thofe who In Mr. Rufh- Ordination of Priefts, £TV. are fully fraught
fuffered in
it.
'
ufmg fome ExprefTions in his Sermon, That the beft, Confcience were then ready to jly into
4
Idolatry wot admitted into the Church ; That the Wilder nefs for Religion : And it w.ts com-
1
the Preaching of the Gofpel would be fup plained in an Elegant Speech of Sir Benjamin
that there is much Aiheifm, Popery, Rudyard's, A great Multitude of the King's
'
prefjed -,
'
Armimanifm and Herejy , crept into the Subjeffs, ftriving to hold Communion with us,
Q)urch And this being look'd upon to raife but feeing how far we were gone, and fearing
:
'
. a Fear among the People, that fome Altera- how much further we would go, were forced to
4
tion of Religion would enfue ; he was que- fly the Land, very many into Salvage Wilder-
4
ftioned in the High CommiJJion ; and by Or- nejfes, becaufe the Land would not bear them :
4
der of that Court, the Caufe was referred to Do not they that caufe thefe things, caft a Re-
'
the Bifhop of London, being his Ordinary proach upon the Government.
•,
And in a Nota-
4
who ordered him to make a SubmiJJion in table Speech of Mr. Fiennes, certain Number A
4
Latin. of Ceremonies in the Jugment of fome Men,
Unlawful, and to be rejected of all Churches,
This Worthy Man, being by the Terrors and in the Judgment of all wfe/- Reformed Churches,
^
Cenfures of that Infamous Court, fuddenly fur- and in the Judgment of our own Church, but In-
prifed unto a fort of Subtniffion, which gave different, yet what Difference, yea what Diffra-
too good an Acknowledgment of the Conftitu- ction have thefe Indifferent Ceremonies raifed
tion, whereinto the Laudian Fattion was then among us? What hath deprived us of fo many
precipitating the Church of England, he no foo- Thoufands of Chriftians, which defired,
and in
ner got a little out of the Temptation, but he all other Refpefts deferved to hold Communion
fignalized his Repentance ofihatSubmijfion, with with us ; I Jay, what hath deprived us of them,
a Zeal not unlike that of the Bleffed Cranmer and fcattered them into I know not what Places
S f f and
i%6 1 be Hiflory of New-England. Book HI.
and Corners of the World, but thefe Indifferent his Inftalment, he concluded his Excellent Ora-
Ceremonies ? It wjs then that Mr. Pym, in the tion, made unto a Venerable Aifembly, then fill-
Name of the Houfe of Commons, Impeaching ing the Colledge-Hall with fuch a Paffigeas this
A. B. Laud, before the Houfe of Lords had unto the Students there, Doffiorem, certe Pra-
thefe Expreilions. Ton have the King's Loyal fidem, &
huic Oneri ac Stationi multis Modis
not an Eli Aptiorem, vobis facile licet Invenire fed Aman-
Subjefls bahijhed out of the Kingdom,
melech, tofeek for Bread in Foreign Count ries,by tiorem,
&
vefiri Boni Studiofwrem, non Inve-
reafon of the greatjcarcity which was in Ifrael:, but nietis. And certainly he was as good as his
travelling abroad for the Bread of Life, becaufe
Word. How
Learnedly he now conveyed all
the the Liberal Arts unto thofe that at at his Feet J
they could not have it at home, by Reafon of -,
Spiritual Famine of God's Word, caufed by this how Wittily he moderated their Difputations,
Man, and his Partakers : And by this means and other Exercifes; how
Conftantly he ex-
you have the Induftry of many Thoufands of
his pounded the Scriptures to therrfin the Colledge-
Majeftfs Subjetfs carried out of the Land. Hall; how Fluently he expreifed himielf unto
And at laft the whole Houfe of Commons put them, with Latin of a Terentian Phrafe, in all
this Article in the Remonflrance, which they his Difcourfes ; and how
Carefully he Infpecfed
then made unto the King. The Bijhops and Manners, and was above all things con-
their
their Courts did impoverifh many Thoufands cerned
for them, that they might anfwer a
andfo affliB and trouble others, that great Nttfn Note which he gave them \lVhen you are
your
bers, to avoid their Miferies, departed out of\felves Interefted in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and
the Kingdom, fame into New-England, and other his Righteoufnefs, you will be fit to be Teachers:
ft ians, I am no Maiden ; my Soul hath been de- and Preached, had a very particular Caufe to
filed with Falfe Worjhip ; How wondrous is the befo. And fo indeed they were-, by the fame
Free -Grace of the Lord Jefus Clirifl, that I Token, that when he had been above a Year or
jhould ft ill be employed among the Maidens of two in the Town, the Church kept a whole
Wifdom I
Day of THANKSGIVING to God, for the
crwards, upon an Invitation from hisOld Mercy, which they enjoy'd in his being there.
People at Ware, to return unto them, he pur- §8. He was a molt Indefatigable Student,
pofed a Removal with his Family back to Eng- which with the Bleffing of God, render'd him
land; but when he came to Boflon in order a moft Incomparable Scholar. He rofe very
thereunto, the Ovetfeers of Harvard-College at early, about Four a Clock, both Winter and
Cambridge, which now wanted a Prefident i by: Summer and he let the Scholars
-,
an Example
their \eh;ment Importunity, prevailed with of Diligence, hardly to be followed. But Be-
him to accept the Government of that Society^ ne Oraffe, eft Bene StuduiJJ'e : By interweaving
wherein worthily chufing their Way, and fitting of conftant Prayers into his Holy Studies, he
chief, and dwelling as a King in the midft of made them indeed Holy ; and my Reader fhall
his
Army, he continued unto the Day of his count, if he pleafes, how oft in a Day he ad-
Death. From this time I behold him as ano- drefled Heaven with Solemn Devotions, and
ther Elijah, ftiedding his Benign Influences on judge whether it might not be faid of our
the School of the Prophets ; and with Immenfe Ch./rlcs, as it was of Charles the Great, (which is
Labours Inftrufting, Directing, arid Feeding indeed the way to become Great) Carolus plus
the Hope of the Flock in the Wildernefs. At cum Deo^ quam cum Homimbus loquitur-,
when
1 have
Book Hi. The Hi/tory of New-England. 133
MunAi Regnis, omt opibus Longe Ante- againft his own
Right Hand, for fubferibing his
pono. Although he was not long with-
Recantation.
k; 4.
When he left the Univerfity, he became out the Faith of his having this his too fudden
a Diligent and Eminent Preacher of the Gofpel Compliance with the Demands of his Perfecu-
it Marfton ; but after fome time, he removed tors, Forgiven in Heaven, yet he never
forgave
jjimfelf to Ware, where the Hand of the Lord himfelf as long as he liv'd on Earth ; he would
was with him, and many believed, and turned on all Occafions exprefs himfelf extreamly dif-
unto the Lord. Here 'twas that the Succeffes latisfied, as well at the III
Things then advan-
of his Faithful Miniffry, in the InftruUion of ced in the Church of England, as at himfelf
the Ignorant, and the Converfion of the Un- alio for ever in the lea ft,
confenting to thofe
godly, became a Matter of much Oblerva- things. Thofe Memorable Puritans which
tion. were driven into America, all of them had a
But when Satan wanted a Shibboleth for the Diflike of the Deformities, which they faw
yet
Di {"covering and Extinguishing fuch an Holy cleaving to the Church of England; but I
que-
Miniftry, throughout the Nation, the Mifera- ftion, whether any difliked them with fuch
ble Arch-Bifhop Laud, ferved him with a Li- fervent Expreffions'of
Indignation, as our Mr.
cence for Sports on the Lord's Day ; whereby Chancey, who thus took the
Revenges of a
the People were after an horrid manner invited deep Repentance upon his own
Conformity to
unto the Profanation of that Sacred Reft ; and them. And few lufrered for Non-Conformity
indeed of every thing Sacred with it. Then more than he by Fines, by Gaols,
by Neceflitiis
'twas that our Mr. Chancey hearing the Drums to abfeond, and at laft by an Exile from his
beat for Dances and Frolic As on the Lord's Day, Native Country. Yea, though he had lived a
wis, like other Good Men, afraid that God very exacl: Life, when he came to die,
yet
would break the Reft of the Kingdom, and more than Forty Years after this, he left thefe
caule Drums to be beaten up for Marches and Words in his laft Will and In re-
Teftament.
Battels on that very Day. But when be was gard of Corrupt Nature, I do acknowledge my
inhibited from attending of other Exercifes, on felf to be a Child of Wrath, andfold under Sin,
the Afternoons of the Lord's Day, he fet him- and one that hath been polluted with Innumera-
felf to Catechife as many as he could, both old ble Tranfgrefftons and
Mighty Sins, which as
and young ; which, as the Biflwp in Sheeps Cloa- far an I know and can call to Remembrance, I
thing laid, was As bad at Preaching. And by keep ftill fre/h before me, and defire zvitb Mour-
i'uch Methods, he ftill continued ferving the ning, and
felf abhorring ftill to do; as long as
Intereffs of the Gofpel. Life fhall laji ; and efpeci ally my Jo many finful
§ 5. But about this Time there arofe a Storm Compliances with and Conformity unto Vile Hu-
of moft Unreafonable, but Irrefiff ible Perjecu- man Inventions, and Will Worfhip and Hell-bred
tion, upon thofe Minifters, who were Well- Superjiition, and Patcheries fticht into the Ser-
wiftiers to the Progrefs of the Proteftant Refor- vice of the Lord, (which the Englift? Mafs Book,
mation in the Kingdom ; and Mr. Chancey was I mean, the Book of Common Prayer, and the
one of thofe who iuftered in it. In Mr. Rufh- Ordination of Prieffs, &c. are
fully fraught
worth's, Colle&ions for the Year 1629. 1 find withal.
this PafTage. (j
6. There was once a Parliament in England,
Spiritual Famine of God's Word, caufed by this how Wittily he moderated their Difputations^
Man, and his Partakers : And by this means and other Exercifes^ how
Conftantly he ex-
you have the Induftry of many Thoufands of bfs pounded the Scriptures to them in the
Colledge-
Majefifs Subjects carried out of the Land. Hall; how Fluently he expreifed himfelf unto
And at laft the whole Houfe of Commons put them, with Latin of a Terentian Phrafe, in all
this Article in the Remonfirance, which they his Difcourfes ; and how Cat
efully he Infpefted
then made unto the King. The Bijhops and their Manners, and was above all
things con-
their Courts did impoverifh many Thoufands cerned for them, that they
-,
might anlwer a
andfo afflitt and trouble others; that great Num- Note which he gave them {fVhen you are your
bers, to avoid their Miferies, departed out of /elves Interefted in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and
the Kingdom, fome into New-England, and other his Righteoufnefs,
you will be fit to be Teachers
parts of America. of others: Ifaiah cries, Now fend me! When
But it is now time to tell my Reader, That his Sins were pardoned : But without this,
you
in the Tranfportations, thus Reafonably and are fit for nothing .•] will never be
forgotten
Parliamentariiy complained of, one of the moft by Many of our moft worthy Men, who were
Confiderable Perfons removing into America, made fuch Men, by their Education under him :
was Mr. Charles Qiancey ; who arrived at Fly For we (hall rind as many of his Difciples in
mouth in New England, a few Days before the our Catalogue of Graduates, as there were
Great Earthquake which happened Jan. 1.11538. in that Co/ledge of Believers, at
Jerufalem,
§ 17. After he had fpent fome time in the whereof we read in the firft Chapter, of the
:
Miniftry of the Gofpel, with Mr. Reyner of AQs of the Apoftles. But if there were any
Plymouth, he removed unto a Town a little Difadvantages of an Hafty Temper, fometimes
Northward of it, called Scituate, where he in his Conduft, they ftill were
prelently fo cor-
remained for Three and Three times Three rected with his Holy Temper, that this did but
Years, cultivating the Vineyard of the Lord invite Perfons to think the more of that Elias,
in that Place. Of this his Miniftry at Set- to whom we have compared him ; and there-
tuate, let me preferve at leaft, this one Re- fore, as they were forgotten by every one, in
membrance : Having his Ordination Renewed the very Day of them, they ?re, at this Day,
at his Entrance upon this N'ew Relation, he did much more to be fo Mr.' Urian Oakes that
:
at that Solemnity Preach upon thofe Words, preached his Funeral Sermon, well faid, The
in Prov. p. 3. Wifdom hath fent forth her Mai- mention thereof was to be
wrapped up in Elijahs
dens and in his Difcourfe, making a moft affe- Mantle. But if the whole Country were fen-
-,
ctionate Reflexion upon his former Compli- fible of the Bleffing which all New
England
ances with the Temptations of the High Com- enjoyed in our Chancey now at Cambridge the -,
miffion-Court, he faid with Tears, Alas, Chri- Church of Cambridge, to whom he now joined,
ft ians, I am no Maiden ; my Soul hath been de- and Preached, had a very particular Caufe to
filed with Falfe WorJInp j How wondrous is the be/0. And fo indeed they were; by the fame
Free-Grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift, that 1 Token, that when he had been above a Year or
fhould fill be employed among the Maidens of two in the Town, the Church
kept a whole
'Wifdom ! Day of THANKSGIVING to God, for the
Afterwards, upon an Invitation from his Old Mercy, which they enjoy 'd in his being there.
People at Ware, to return unto them, he pur- §8. He was a moft Indefatigable Student,
pofed a Removal with his Family back to Eng- which with the Bleffing of God, render'd him
land ; but when he came to Bofion in order a moft Incomparable Scholar. He rofe very
thereunto, the Overfeers of Harvard-College at early, about Four a Clock, both Winter and
Cambridge, which now wanted a Prefident, by Summer and he fet the Scholars an Example
-,
their vehement Importunity, prevailed with of Diligence, hardly to be followed. But Be-
him to accept the Government of that Society ; ne Oraffe, ell Bene Studuiffe: By interweaving
wherein worthily chufing their Way, and fitting of conftant Prayers .into his Holy Studies, he
chief, and dwelling as a King in the midjl of made them indeed Holy and my "Reader ftiall
•,
his
Army, he continued unto the Day of his count, if he pleafes, how oft in a Day he ad-
Death. From this time I behold him as ano- drefied Heaven with Solemn Devotions, and
ther Elijah, fhedding his Benign Influences on judge whether it might not be faid of our
the School of the Prophets and with Immenie Charles, as it was of Charles the Great, (which is
-,
Labours Inftrudting, Directing, and Feeding indeed the way to become Great) Carolus plus
the Hope of the Flock in the Wildernefs. At cum Deo, quam cum Hominibus loquitur ; when
I have
BooOlTT The Hiftory of New-England. 14,1
be lefs cumbred than others with the Affairs Viri Plane Integerrimi,
of this Life.
Concionatoris Eximii,
Pietate
All that we will add of this Good Old Man, Pariter ac Liberali Eruditions
CHAP. XXIV.
§ 1. A Mong
the moft Famous Preachers and of Grand-Parents, and Great Grand-
rents, yea,
Jf\- Writers of the Gofpel, with which Parents, Eminent for Zeal in the True Reli-
the Primitive Church was Blefled, there was gion. There were Six Brothers in the Infa-
Luke, the Beloved Phyfician ; of whom Jerom mous Reign of Queen Mary, whereof three
elegantly fays, Quomodo Apoftoli de P ifca tori bus were Papifts, and three were Proteftants, I
pifcium, Pifcatores Hominum faQi funt, ita de may fay, Puritans and of the Latter (where-
-,
medico Corporum in Medicum Verfis eft Anima- of none were owned by the Former) Two were
rum ; cujits Liber quotiefcunq-, legit ur in Eccle very forely perfecuted. For one of thefe Bre-
Jits, toties Medicina non cejfat : That Blefled thren, the Purfevant, having a Kindnefs, gave
Scholar and Collegue, of the Apoftle Paul, him a Private and Previous Notice of his com-
who (as Jerom alfo tells us J according to the ing with an Order to feize him ; whereupon
Opinion of fome, intends the Volume which the Good Man, firft called his Family to Pray,
had been Penned by this Luke, as often as he er, haftned away to hide himfelf in a Ditch,
ufes that Expreffion in his Epiftles, according to with his
Godly Wife, which had a Sucking
my Gofpel. Child at her Breaft. The Purfevant being near
And among the firft Preachers ar i Writers, at Hand, a Thorn in the Hedge gave fuch a
which rendered the Primitive limes of New- Mark to the Child's Face, as never went out ;
England happy, there was one who might like- whereat the Child beginning to Roar, the Mo-
wife be called, A
Beloved Phyfician ; one to ther prefently clapt it to the Breaft, whereby
whom there might alfo be given the Eulogy, it was quieted at once, and there was no Dis-
which the Ancients think was given to Luke, covery then, or after, made of thefe Confejfors,
A Brother whqfe Praife was in the Gofpel, Another of thefe Brethren, from whom our
throughout all Churches. Fisk was defended, was then ('to avoid Burn-
This was Mr. John Fisk. ing) hid many Months in a Wood-pile and af-
-,
Bleeding upon him, x.h'ixfliortned his Days, and lars (whereof the well known Sir George Down-
added unto the Cry of the Souls under the Al- ing was one) as he was afterwards unto his
tar. own Children, when the want of Grammar-
§ 3. Our John was the Eldeft of Ew Chil- Schools at Hand made it neceflary. From thence
to a Grammar School, Two Miles from the very mean Salary, and confirming his own fair
Place of their Abode, tvhither his Diligent Soul Eftate for the Welfare of the New-Planta-
was inftead of Wings, every Day to carry him. tion.
His Education at the School, having fitted him § 5. About the Year 16^6. he Removed, with
for the Univerfity, he went unto Cambridge, the major part of his Church, to another New
where he was admitted, into (as I think) bn- Town, called Chelmsford; and there he fpent
manuel-College, in which he refided, until he the Remainder of his Days. Of the Afftittions
became a Graduate. Some, time after this, be- which now Difciplin'd him, one of the faddeft
ing both by Art and by Heart, well prepared was the Lofs of his Concordance ; I mean, of
for it, he applied himfelf unto the Work to his Godly and Worthy Confort, who by her In-
which he had been devoted ; namely, the comparable Expertneis in the Scriptures, had
Preaching of the Gofpel : But the Silencers rendred any other Concordance of the Bible ufe-
grew fo hard upon him for his Non Conformity, lefs unto his Library. This Vertuous Woman
that upon the Advice of his Friends, he let loft her Sight for fome Years before fhe died ;
himfelf to ltudy Phyfick, and upon a thorough under which Difafter a moft Exemplary Pa-
Examination, he obtained a Licence for Publick tience was produced in her, by her View of, The
Practice. When he was about Eight and Twen- things which are not feen, and are Eternal :
ty Years of Age, he married a Vertuous Young And at length, after many Admonitions unto
Gentlewoman; feveral Hundreds of Pounds of her Friends to Improve their Sight well whilft
whole Patrimony were denied her upon the they had it, fhe had on Feb. 14. i6ji. her Eyes
Difpleafure of her Father, at her coming to opened, by their being clofed; and was by Death
New- England. carried from Faith unto Immediate and Ever-
But upon the Death of his Father, who had lafting Sight : After which he married again.
committed unto him the Care of his Mother
and his two Sifters, and his younger: Brother, §6. Twenty Years did hsfhitie in the Golden
he thought it his Duty to Remove into New- Candlefiick of Chelmsford a plain, but an Able,
,
England, where he faw an Opportunity of re- Painful, and Ufeful Preacher of the Gofpel ;
turning unto the Quiet Exercife of his Mini- rarely, if ever, by Sicknefs hindred from the
ftry. He, and that Excellent Man Mr. John Exercife of his Miniftry. As MarcUius Ficinus
Allin, came aboard in a Dilguife, to avoid the having written one Book, De Sanitate Tuenda,
Fury of their Perfecutors ; but after they were and another Book, De Valetudme Reftituenda,
pair the Lands-End, they entertained the Paf- concluded his Courfe with writing his Book,
fengers with Two Sermons every Day, befides De Vita Celitus Comparanda : Thus, our Mr.
other Agreeable Devotions, which filled the Fisk, now fuperfeded his Care and Skill of
Voyage with fo much of Religion, that one of difpenfing Medicines for the Body, by
doing it
the Paifengers being examined about his going for the Soul. But although he did in his Mi-
to divert himfelf with an Hook and Line, on niftry, go through an Expofition of almoft all
the Lord's Day, he protefted, That he did not the Scripture in both Teftaments, and unto his
know when the Lord's Day was ; he thought Lord's Day Sermons, added a Monthly Lcflure
every Day was a SabbathDay^ for, he faid, on the Week Day, befides his Difcourfes at the
they did nothing but pray and preach all the Private Meetings of the Faithful, and his exa£t
Week leng. and Faithful Cares to keep upCburcb-Difcipline,
§ 4. Mr. Fisk arrived at New-England in the yet none of his Labours were more Confiderable
Year 163-. having had nothing to render the than his Catechetical. It is by the Excellent
Voyage uncomfortable, but only that his Aged Owen excellently well obferved, That unlefs a
Mother died quickly after he came aboard, Man haf fome Good Satisfaction concerning the
and his only Infant quickly after he came a- Spiritual Condition of thofe that are committed
lhore. He came well ftock'd with Servants, unto his Charge, he can never approve himfelf
and all forts of Tools for Husbandry and Car- among them, a Workman that needeth not to be
pentry, and with Provi/ions to fupport his Fa- afhamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth :
mily in a Wilderneis for Three Years together-, And the Work of the Miniftry is not by any
out of which, he charitably lent a confiderable means more evacuated, and rendered
IneffeCiual,
Quantity to the Country, which he then found than when Men have not a certain Defign to
in the Diftreffes of a War with the Pequot-ln- deal with their Hearers
according to what they
dians. He now fojourned about Three Years are per/waded, that their Spiritual Eftate doth
at Salem, where he was both a Preacher to the Our Fisk therefore, did by moft la-
require.
Church, and a Tutor unto divers young Scho- borious Catcchiftng, endeavour to know the State
of
Book ill. The Hiftory of New- England. 141
' the Lord, ye foolifh People, and un- Conditum
requite
'
'
wife hie eft Corpus,
c
But then let Scholars mainly intend, la-
c
bour, and fludy
for this ; to be Prophets and Caroli Chaunc^Ij
'
Xaz'arites: And therefore let Speaking to
t and be aimed S. S, Theologiae Baccalaur.
Edification, Exhortation, Comfort
'
at in all your Studies: And behave your
manner E T
felves as being let apart in peculiar
'
'
for the Lord. To ufe the Veffels of the Tem-
Collegii Harvardini Nov-AngL
ple,
to quaff and caroufe in, was a Babylo-
You fhould have lefs to do Per XVII. Annorum Spacium,
nijh Practice.
with the World, and Worldly Delights, and Pratfidis Vigilantiflimi,
be lefs cumbred than others with the Affairs Viri Plane Integerrimi,
of this Life.
Concionatoris Eximii,
Pietate
All that we will add of this Good Old Man, Pariter ac Liberali Eruditione
CHAP. XXIV.
§ i. A Mongthe moft Famous Preachers and rents, yea, of Grand-Pdrents, and Great Grand-
il
Writers of the Gofpel, with which Parents, Eminent for Zeal in the True Reli-
the Primitive Church was Blefled, there was gion. There were Six Brothers in the Infa-
"Luke, the Beloved Phyfician ; of whom Jerom mous Reign of Queen Mary, whereof three
•elegantly fays, Qiwmodo Apoftoli de Pifcatoribus were Papifts, and three were Proteftants, 1
pifcium, Pifcat ores Hominum fatli funt, ita de may fay, Puritans and of the Latter (where-
-,
Medico Corporum in Medicum Verfis eft Anima of none were owned by the Former) Two were
rum ; cujus Liber quotiefcunq-, legitur in Eccle very forely perfecuted. For one of thefe Bre-
fiis, toties Medicina non ceffat : That Bleffed thren, the Purfeyanr, having a Kindnefs, gave
Scholar and Collegue, of the Apoftle Paul, him a Private and Previous Notice of his com-
who Jerom alfo tells usj according to the ing with an Order to feize him ; whereupon
(as
Opinion of fome, intends the Volume which the Good Man, firft called his Family to Pray,
had been Penned by this Luke, as often as he er, haftned away to hide himfelf in a Ditch,
ufes that Ex predion in his Epiftles, according to with his
Godly Wife, which had a Sucking
my Gofpel. Child at her Breaft. The Purfevant being near
And among the firft Preachers and Writers, at Hand, a Thorn in the Hedge
gave fuch a
which rendered the Primitive Times of New- Mark to the Child's Face, as never went out j
'England happy, there was one who mightlike- whereat the Child beginningto Roar, the Mo-
wife be called, A
Beloved Phyfician one to ther prefently clapt it to the Breaft, whereby
-,
whom there might alfo be given the Eulogy, it was quieted at once, and there was no Dis-
which the Undents think was given to Luke, covery then, or after, made of thefe Confejjbrs.
A Brother whofe Praife was in the Gofpel, Another of thefe Brethren, from whom our
throughout all Churches. Fisk was defcended, was then fto avoid Burn-
This was Mr. John Fisk. ing) hid many Months in a Wood-pile , and af-
terwards, for half a Year in a Cellar, where
§ 2. Mr. John Fisk was Born in the Parifh he diligently employ'd himfelf in prorkable
of for DiftincTaon, One of Manufactures,
St.^ James, (called by Candle Light, after fuch
the Nine
Parifhes) in the County of Suffolk, a manner as ro remain likewife undifcovered j
about the Year 1601. of Pious and
Worthy Pa but his many Hardships brought that Exceffive
Bleeding
i4'2
The Hijiory of New-England. Book III.
to a Grammar School, Two Miles from the very mean Salary, and confuming his own fair
Place of their Abode, whither his Diligent Soul Eftate for the Welfare of the New-Planta-
was inftead of Wing**, every Day to carry him. tion.
His Education at the School, having fitted him § 5. About the Year 1656. he Removed, with
for the Univerjity, he went unto Cambridge, the major part of his Church, to another New
where he was admitted, into (as I think) bn- Town, called Chelmsford; and there he fpent
man ucl College, in which he refided, until he the Remainder of his Days. Of the Afflitlions
became a Graduate. Some time after this, be- which now Difciplin'd him, one of the faddeft
Lofs of his Concordance ; I mean, of
ing both by Art and by Heart, well prepared was the
for it, he applied himfelf unto the Work to his Godly and Worthy Confort, who by her In-
which he had been devoted -, namely, the comparable Expertnefs in the Scriptures, had
preaching of the Gofpel : But the Silencers rendred any other Concordance of the Bible ufe-
grew fo hard upon him for his Non Conformity, lefs unto his Library. This Vertuous Woman
that upon the Advice of his Friends, he let loft her Sight for fome Years before fhe died
-,
himfelf to ftudy Phyfick, and upon a thorough under which Difafter a moft Exemplary Pa-
Examination, he obtained a Licence for Publick tience was produced in her, by her View of, The
Practice. When he was about Eight and Twen- things which are not feen, and are Eternal :
ty Years of Age, he married a Vertuous Young And at length, after many Admonitions unto
Gentlewoman; ieveral Hundreds of Pounds of her Friends to Improve their Sight well whilft
whole Patrimony were denied her upon the they had it, fhe had on Yeb. 14. 1671. her Eyes
their being clofed; and was by Death
Difpleafure of her Father, at her coming to opened, by
New England. carried from Yaith unto Immediate and Ever-
But upon the Death of his Father, who had lafting Sight : After which he married again.
committed unto him the Care of his Mother
and his two Sifters, and his youngeft Brother, § 6. Twenty Years did hcjhine in the Golden
he thought it his Duty to Remove into New- Candlejiick of Chelmsford-, a. plain, but an Able,
England, where he faw an Opportunity of re- Painful, and Ufeful Preach it of the Gofpel $
turning unto the Quiet Exercife of his Mini- rarely, if ever, by Sicknefs hundred from the
ftry. He, and that Excellent Man Mr. John Exercife of his Miniftry. As Marcilius Yicinus
Allin, came aboard in a Difguife, to avoid the having written one Book, De Sanitate Tuenda,
Fury of their Perfecutors ; but after they were and another Book, De Valetudine Refiituenda*
the Lands-End, they entertained the Paf- concluded his Courfe with writing his Book,
paft
befides De Vita Calitus Comparanda : Thus, our Mi.
fengers with Two Sermons every Day,
other Agreeable Devotions, which filled the Yisk, now fuperfeded his Care and Skill of
Voyage with fo much of Religion, that one of difpenfing Medicines for the Body, by doing it
the PafTengers being examined about his going for the Soul. But although he did in his Mi-
to divert himfelf with an Hook and Line, on niftry, go through an Expofuion of almoft all
the Lord's Day, he protefted, That he did not the Scripture in both Teftaments, and unto his
know when the Lord's Day was he thought Lord's Day Sermons, added a Monthly LeUure
-,
§ 7.
Towards the end of his Life, he began upon. Study to emulate one another ; but in the
to labour efpecially under two Maladies, either befi, in the beft. Provoke one another to hove.
of which were enough to try the molt confum- The God of your Forefathers b/efs you all. And
mate Patience of any Man living 5 thele were, added unto his younger Son , the prefent wor-
firlt the Stone, and then the Gout ; which at laft thy Pallor of Braintree,
concerning his Wife and
were followed with Convulfwns , that brought his two Children, then abfent, The God of Abra-
his laborious Life unto an end And gave him ham, IJaac, and Jacob, blejs you, and
your Pc
:
CHAP. XXV.
Scholapcus. The LIFE of Mr. THOAU5 PARKER,
§ r. TT may without anyungrateful Compan § 3. He had been admitted into Magdalen
_L fons be afferted, that one of the greatefl Colledge, in Oxford; but after the Exile of his
Scholars in the Englifl) Nation , was that Re- Father, he removed unto Dublin, in Ireland ;
nowned Robert Parker, who was driven out of where he found from Dr. VJher the fame fa-
the Nation for his A 'on Conformity to its unhap- vourable Afpeft, which that eminent Perfon
It was did ufe to cait upon young Students that were
py Ceremonies in the Worlhip of God.
the Honour of that Great Man, to be the father ingenious And from thence he went after his
:
of fuch Learned Books, as that of his De Politia Father into Holland, where Dr. Ames favoured
Ecelejiajiica, and that Of. the Crofs ; as well as him with his Encouragements and Affiftances,
Foftor Father to that of Sandford's De Difcenfu in the Profecution of his honeft Studies now at
Chrifli ad Inferos ; yea, to be in fome fort the Leyden.
father of all the NonConformifis in our Age, § 4. As his Diligence was indefatigable, fo
who yet would not call any Man their Father. his Proficiency was proportionable And he was :
But let it not be counted any Difhonour unto particularly confiderable there, for his Difpu-
him, that he was alto the Natural Fat her of our tations upon the Points then moft confiderably ,
§ 2. This Mr. Thomas Parker was the only two, that he drew up his moft Judicious and
Son of his Father, who being very delirous to Approved Tbefes, De Traducliene Peccatoris :
have him a Scholar, committed him unto pet- Which are bound up with Dr. Ames, his Opuf-
haps a godly, but a vety fevere Matter. Under cula, in fome Editions of his Anfwer to Grevm-
this hard Mafter, tho' he was well nigh difcou- chovius. Thole moft accurate Tbefes, being thus
raged by the Dulnefs, which he apprehended in publifhed, as the Compofure of another, our
his own Capacity, yet the Confideration of his humble Parker, tho' inltigated thereunto, did
Father's Defire, made him 3 with an Early Piety, yet refufe to do himfelf the Juflice, of publifh-
to join his Prayers unto his Pains, that he ing himfelf fome other way, to be the Author
might have his Education profpered and God of them. This neglect of his, he laid, was, to
•,
fo profpered him, that he arrived unto a delira- chaltize the Vanity oj bk ownysung Mind, which
ble Degree of both in the Tongues,
Knowledge, had been too much pleafed with the Accuracy of
and in the Arts. \his own early Performance in tbofe Thefes. But
T t t rife
*44 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
the Author of the Thefts afterwards came to be § 8. The Strains which hisimmoderateStudies
well known, by the Providence of God, when gave unto his Organs of
Sight, brought a mife-
whole Books came to be written by learned Men rableDefluxionof Rheum \x$or\ his
Eyes-, which
upon them 5
whereof one was entituled, Parke- proceeded fo far, that one of them fwe'lled un-
til it came out of his
rus 11hi ft rat us. Head, and the other grew
But before this Age of Twenty two, he pro altogether dim fome Years before his Death.
ceeded Mifnr. with the general Applaufe of Under this extreme Lofs he would, after a Chri-
Elreem of Maccovius, a ftian and pleafant manner,
all, an;! 'the fperial give himfelf that
man Renowned the Be/gick Univerfities. In
in Confolation :
Well, they'll be at
refiored/bortly
the Diploma then given him, they tettifie, Ilium the Refurrellion.
non fine magna Admiratione aud'.verimus, And
—
The Jews, upon the dim fight of
Eli, have
Se Art 1
FhH-'fcpl'ix
liber all urn
umque peritiffimum an Obfervation, That none are mentioned' in the
declaraverit. Scripture, as affli&ed with Failure of Sight, but
Maccovivs would hereupon have had Si- fuch as were affli&ed either in their
§ 5. Children, or
brandus Lubbertus, the Moderator of the Claffis in their Pupils. Our Parker had no Children
there, to have ordained our
Parker a Presbyter, to affli£t him, and his Pupils were fuch as to
as an Acknowledgment of his exceeding worth ; comfort him yet Failure of Sight was his Ca-
-,
fat ium invifens, poji An Iarum, cubiculorum (if Days afngle Alan, but
great part of his Days a
canaculorum magnifvccntiam etiam Latrina* non in
Apocalyptical Studies, he went unto
engaged
dedignetur tnfpicere,fed paucis,ob fttorcm. The the Apocalyptical Virgins, who follow the Lamb
learned Whitaker would fay of the Schoolmen, whitherfoe-oer he goes.
Plus habent Argutiarum quam Scientice plus Sci- He was a Perfon of a moft extenfive
Charity -,
entist quam Dottrina, plus Doitrinx quam ufus, which Grain of his Tamper,
might contribute
plus ufus quam adfalutem. Our Parker conver- unto that Largencfs in his about Principles,
fed indeed with the Schoolmen, until he almoft Church Government,
which expofed him unto
became one of them himfelf Bat not fuch an many Temptations, amongft his Neighbours,
:
one as Luther meant, when he laid, 4W Theo- who were not fo Principled. He would, in-
logian Scholafticum videt, videt Sept em peccata deed, exprefs himfelf diffatisfied ar the Edge,
mortalia For he grew fick of all the Learning which there was in the Writings of his Father,
.-
that he had got from the Schoolmen ; and againft the Bijhops and he did himfelf write a -,
would often fay, All the ufe I now make of all Preface unto a Book ; Mr. Charles whereupon
my School-Learning have fo much to Chancey beftow'd a fhort Anfwer, which
is this : I
begins
deny for the fake of my Lord Jefus Cbrijf. Nor with this Jhorter Cenfure.
was he infenfible of what Sir Walter Rawleigh
c
cbferved concerning the School-men, That they Let it not be an Offence to any
'
Chriftian,
taught their Followers rather to Jhift, than to that there hath been found one like to
Urijah
rcfolvc by their Diftintfions. 'the Prieft,'that would fet up the Altar of
'
§ 7. From thence removing with feveral de- Damafcus among us, to thruft out the Brazen
'
vout Chrilfians out of Wiltfhire into New-Eng- Altar of the Lord's Inftitution viz. Mr. Tho- -,
*
on his, and their Account, called Nervberry ing for Epifcopacy , wherein is found, ii<2a©-
•,,
where he lived many Years, by the Holinefs, ' Kaji^av, a Colt kicking againft his Dam.
the Humblenefs, the Charity of his Life, giving
his People a perpetual and moft lively Com- Such a Difference in Apprehenfion, and in Af-
mentary upon his Dodrine. fection too, did on that occafion difeover it felf,
be-
__ ———— — - ,, —_i- .
1
we had thus hniihed our Me- was in the Year 1634. In the fame Ship
WHEN moirs
Thoughts told
of Mr. Parker, our Second
us, that fome of Mr. Noyes mud
came Mr. Thomas Parker, Mr. James Noyes-,
and a Younger Brother of his, Mr, Nicolas
accompany them. Sending therefore to my Noyes, who then was a fingle Man Between:
Excellent Friend, Mr. Nicolas Noyes, the pre- which Three, was a more than ordinary En-
fent Minifter of Salem, for fome Account, con- dearment of Affecfion, which was never fha-
cerning a Perfon fo nearly related unto him,
he ken or broken, but by Death Mr. Parker and
favoured me with the following Relation. And Mr. James Noyes, and others that came over
tho' he were pleafed in his Letters to tell me, with them, Faffed and Prayed together many
'
That he had fent me only a Rude Immetho- times, before they undertook this Voyage ,;
c
dical Jumble of things, intending that I and on the Sea, Mr. Parker and Mr. Noyes
'
fhould ferve my Occafions out of them, for a preached or expounded, one in the Forenoon.,
*
Composition of my own. Yet I find, that I other in the Afternoon, every Day during the
fh ill not give my Readers a better Satisfaction, Voyage, unlefs fome extraordinary thing in-
any way, than by tranferibing the Words of tervened, and were abundant in Prayer.
my Friend. The Account in his own Words,
'
When they arrived, Mr. Parker was at
is too
Elegant, and Exprefhve, to need any firft to preach at Ipfwich, and Mr.
called
Alteration. Noyes at Mifiick, at which Places they con-
tinued nigh a Year. He had a Motion made
'
Mr. James Noyes was Born, 160%. zxChoul unto him to b"e Minifter at Watertown ; but
derton in Wiltfhire, of Godly and Worthy Mr. Parker and others of his Brethren and
Parents His Father was Minifter of the fame Acquaintance, fettling at Newberry, and ga-
Town, a veryLearned Man, the Shool Ma thering the Tenth of the Churches in the Co-
fter of Mr. Thomas Parker. His Mother was lony, and calling Mr. Noyes to be the Tea-
Sifter to the Lejrned Mr. Robert Parker, and cher of it, he preferred that place being-,
he had much of his Education and Tutorage lothe to be feparated from Mr. Parker, and
under Mr. Thomas Parker. He was called Brethren that had fo often Fafted and Prayed
by him, from Brazen Nofe College in Oxford, together, both in England and on the Atlan-
to help him in teaching the Free School at tic Sea. So he became the Teacher of that
Newberry-, where they taught School toge- Church, and continued painful and fuccefsful
ther, till the Time they came to New Eng in that Station fomething above Twenty
land. He was converted in his Youth,by the Yeats, without any confiderable Trouble in
Miniftry of Dr. Twifs, and Mr. Thomas Par rhe Church. Notwithstanding his Principles
ker, and was admired for his Piety and his as to DiJcipline, were, fomerhing differing
Vertue in his younger Years. The Reafon of from many of the Brethren, rhere Avas fuch
his coming to New England, was, becaufe he Condefcenfion on both Parts, that Peace and
could not comply with the Ceremonies of the **
Order was not Interrupted. He Was very
Church of England. He was married in Eng- much loved and Honoured in Neibberry his •
land to Mrs. Sarah Brown, the Eldeft Daugh- Memory is precious there to this Day, and
ter of Mr.
Jofeph Brown of Southampton, not and his Carechifm (which is a publ'ick and
long before he came to New England, which ftanding Teftitnony oi' his Underftanding and
T 1 1 2 Orthodoxy
146 The Hifiory of New-England. Book III.
Eftimation of him. Altlio' he was very Inllance of Divine Favour, in making the
averfe to the Ceremonies of the Church ol Families of his Servants in the
WiLL'rnefs
England, accounting them needlefs, many like a Flock. There was the greateit Amity,
Ways and hurtful at the belt, and
orfenfive Intimacy, Unanimity, yea, Unity imaginable
the Rigorous Impofition of them Abominable between Mr. Parker, and Mr. Koyes. So
and Intolerable, fo that he left England for unlhaken was their Friendfhip, nothing but
their fake; yet he was not equally averfe to Death was able to part them. They taught
in one School; came over in one
Epifcopacy, but was in Opinion for Epifcopus Ship were -,
Prxfes, tho' not for Epifcopus Princeps. His Paftor and Teacher of one Church; and Mr.
own Words teftify this, for fo he wrote It -,
Parker continuing always in Celibacy, they
feemcth he that wan culled, Antilles Prsepofi- lived in one Houfe, till Death iepara ted them
tus, the Bifhop, in a Presbytery, by Proccfs for a Time^ but they are'bqth now together
of Time wot only called Bilhop, tho' all El in one Heaven, as they that belt knew them
ders are alfo according to their Office Etfen- have all pdlable Reafon to le pcrfwaded.
t
tally Bifhops,
and differing only in Gradual Mr. Parker continued in his Houle, as long
Jurifdiclion. He no ways approved of a as he lived ; and as he received a great deal
Governing Vote, in the Fraternity, but took of Kindnefs and Refpecf there, lb he (how'd
their Confent in a Silential- way. He held a great deal of Kindnefs in the
Educating of
Ecclcfiaftical Councils fo far Authoritative and his Children, and was very Liberal to that
Binding, that no particular Elder, or So Family during his Life, and at his Death. He
ciety, might feein to have Independency and never forgot the Old Friendlhip, but (hewed
Sovcra'ignty,
or the Major Part of them have Kindnefs to the Dead, in (hewing Kindnefs
Liberty to fin with Impunity. He was equal to the Living.
'
ly afraid of Ceremonies and of Schifm\ and Mr. Parker and Mr. Koyes, were Excellent
when he from Ceremonies he was afraid
fied Singers, both of them and were extraor-
;
of being guilty of Schifm. For that Reafon dinary delighted in Singing of Pfilms. They
he was jealous (if not too jealous) of parti- fang Four times a Day in the Publick Wor-
cular Church-Covenants yet he accounted
-, (hip, and always juft after Evening-Prayer in
them Adjunffs of the Covenant of Grace. He the Family, where reading the Scripture, ex-
held Profeflion of Faith, and Repentance, and pounding, and Praying, were the other con-
SubjeUion to the Ordinances, to be the Rule itant Exercifes. Mr. Parker and Mr. Koyes,
of Admiifion into Church Fellowfhip ; and that were of the fame Opinion with Dr. Owen,
fuch as (how a Willingnefs to Repent, and be about the Sabbath ; yet in Prailice, were
Baptifed in the Name of the Lord Jefus, ftri£t Obfervers of the Evening after it. Mr.
without known Diffimulation, are to be ad- Parker, whofe Practice I my fclf remember,
mitted thereto and that it depended more on
-,
was the llricfeft Obferver of the Sabbath,
God's Providence, than his Ordinances, to that ever I knew. I once asked
him, feeing
render Church-Members found in the Faith -. his Opinion was otherwife, as to the Even-
and that God took into Covenant fome that ing belonging to the Sabbath, why-ius Pra-
dice
Book III. 7 be Hi/lory of New-England. 147
' 1
Sice differed from his Opinion He anfwered
!
fey in his Tongue, before he died. His Voice
' 6
me, Beciiufe he dare not depart j row the Foot- held extraordinarily, until very Old
Age and -,
' '
I think the
Jfeps of
the Flock, fir bis private Opinion.
'
more, becaule his Teeth held
Being got into fome Paflages of Mr. Par- found and good until then; his Cutlom Be-
4
c
4
ker'slAk before I am aware, I will infer: a '
ing to wafh his Mouth, and rub his Teeth
1
few mere: And you may make what life of '
every Morning. -Some tew Years before his
4
them you pleafe. He kept a School, as well '
Death, he began to complain ot the Tooth-ach^
«
as preached, at Newbury in New England and then he quickly began to lofe his Teeth-.,
'
«
He ordinarily had about Twelve or Fourteen and' now he laid, The Daughters
'
of his Mufick
*
Scholars. He rook no pay for his pains, unlefs began to fail hint. And about a Year and half be-
'
*
any prelent were freely lent him. He uied fore he Died, That which he had
long feared
'
4
to fay, He lived for the Churches fake, and befel him, viz. The
Palfy in bis Tongue ; and
'
1 no pains that were for its Bene- fo he became Speechlefs, and thus continued
begrutch'd '
4
fit; and by
his Good Will he was not free until Death; having this only help lefthim,that
'
4
to teach any hut fuch as wete defigned for he could pronounce Letters, but not Syllables
or Words. He iignified his Mind, by Jpclling his
'
4
the Minifhy by their Parents ; tor he would
fav, He could net beftow his Time Words, which was indeed a tedious way, but
4 and Pains '
c
it were for the Benefit of the Church. yet a Mercy fo far to him and others.
1
unlefs Du-
Tho' he were blind, yet fuch was his Me- which
'
'
ring that Time, was in our firft In-
dian War, when the Indians btoke in upon:
'
ing and Fighting, which were unpardonable one Night he fell into a dreadful Ten-
*
tives,
'
4
Crimes in our School. He promoted Learn- tation, left the Indians fhould break in upon
'
:
by Torture to Blafpheme Chrift, and that he
4
fuch as were not Immoralities,- and Sins fhould not have Grace to hold our againft
:
4
againft God, crols'd out ;
but he always the Tentation of Indian Torture ; and with
£
4
told them, they muft not think to efcape the very fear of this, he was for the moft part
4 t
unnunifhed for Sin againft God, by reafon of the Night in fuch Agonies of Soul, that
'
of them-, tho' for fome leffer Defects about
4
he was on the very Brink of Defparation ;
4 '
their LeiTons, they were accepted. I heard but at length, God helpt him, by bringing
4
him tell Mr. Miller the Minilter, that the
c
to his Mind, Two Places of Scripture That:
'
/, even I, am he that com-
4
great Changes of his Lite had been fignified in Ifa. 51. j 2, 13.
'
4
to him before-hand by Dreams. And I heard forts thee who art thou, that thou fhouldeft
;
'
Temptation of Satan betel him that ever he Morning he was wonderfully affefted with;
1
was
fenfible of, and that all the Paffages of and in the Morning early, he pronounced all
c
that Temptation anfwered the forementioned this to me Letter by Letter, and glorified
'
Repretentarion and that the Hazards of it,
-,
God. Once hearing fome of us laughing ve-
'
and his Supplies when almoft van-
ftefh ry freely, while, I fuppofe, he was better
4
quithed, and his Deliverance was fb remar- bufied in his Chamber above us, he came
'
kable, that every Day he had lived fince down, and gravely faid to us. Ccufins, I won-
1
that Time, he had given Thanks to God par- der you can be Jo merry, unlefs you are fur e
4
ticularly tor his Atfiftance of him in that of your Salvation ! He was a very Holy and
'
Temptation, and his Deliverance out of it :
Heavenly-minded Man, and as much morti-
World, as almoft any in it. He
1
4
Tho it were Twenty Years betore the time fied to the
*
of his now telling me concerning it. Mr Parker fcarce called any thing his own, but his Books
4
excelPd in Liberty ot Speech, in Praying, and his Cloaths. When he was urged, to
1
Preaching and Singing, having a molt delicate vindicate himfelf to be the Author of the
*
6
tweet Voice ; ye't he had all along an In/pulje Thejes de TraduUione Peccatoris ad Vitam, b?
upon his Spirit^ that he (hould have the Pal utterly refufed it 5 frying, being young at
tha
148 7 he Hifiory of New-Ingland. i 00k III^
the Time when he made them, he was afraid him fay, He felt the whole Frame of his Na-
he had not fo fully aimed ofat the Glory ture giving way, which threaded his Diflblu-
GoJ, as he ought to have done. But a while tion to be at hand But he thanked God he
:
'
He was alfo a Father to the Father- and tenacious and comprehenfive
Miniliry :
Memory, fixed
'
"
Rafbnefs ;
were to their Parents for their Generation. senile and mild in all !
xprelfions, without all
'
'
The Occafion of his Cxlibacy was this At Faffwh, of' provoking Language.
:
And a* be
'
the time that he meditated Marriage, he was was a notable Difpufant, jo, 're never would
1-
aiTaulted with violent Temptations to Infidel provoke his Adverfary , faving by the fbort
'
which made him regardlefs of every He
•
'
'
about the Truth of the Scriptures. This occa- humble Carriage, that I believe never
any were
1
'
acquainted with him, but did defire the Conti-
'
fion'd his falling into the Study of the Prophe- \
'
'
cies, which proved a means of Confirming
his 1
nuance of his Society and He
Acquaintance.
'
Faith ; but he fell fo in Love with that Study, was rcjolute for Truth, and in defence
thereof,
'that he never got out of it, until his Death : had no refpetf to any Perjons. He was a
moft
'
And the Church had doubtlefs had^ much Be- excellent Counfellor in Doubts, and could rike
ft
' t art Hairs-breadth, like the
nefit by his profound Studies in that kind, c
Benjamites, and
*
could the Bifhopshave been perfwaded to Li j
expedite the Entangled, out the""Briars.
of He
•
cenfe his Books ; which they refufed, becaufe was Courageous in Dangers, and jiill was
|'' apt
he found the Pope to be prophefied of, where beft, and made fair Weather in a
1
to believe the
|
'
1
CHAP. XXVI.
§ 1. A Thanafius writing the Life of his An- of One ; the rUtf /MwfoQvuitM, or Longani-
tude,
J\. tenuis, defcribes him as propounding mity of Another But, t*.v\uv op* tW Ik t yo-siv:
to his own Obfervation and Imitation, the vaii- ivaiCeteui ^ tLu Tp3;«M«\w a;«.W, the Piety of them
ous Excellencies of the Good Men whom he con All, toward the Lord Jefus Quiff, and the
verfed w ithal The to %t&.iv, or Good Carriage Charity of them All, towards One another.
:
of One ;
the 70 <*•£$'« toV ev%i( mvlovw, or Prayer-
fulnejs, of Another ;
the i$ «&p>»7oc, or Lenity. Such Excellencies of Good Men have been fet
of a Third ; the ™ yixtLvfyumv, or Humanity, of before my Reader, in the Lives that we have
a Fourth ; attending to one iv> dyowivv-n, or written of fevetal iuch Good Men, who were
keeping of his Watchfulnefs to another -m <pi>.a the Excellent on the Earth. But if my Reader
-,
\<yy£vn, or loving of Learning Remarking of would fee a many of thole Excellencies meeting
:
One, w
lnyj.fli(U, in his Patience ;
of Another, together in one Man, there are not many, in
-riv iv v»tr«a/f
^tuwAcLii , in his t'ajiings and Hard- whom I could more hopefully promife him luch
>y
jh/ps : Regarding the xW v&!oT>rm, or Manfue- a Sight, than in our Excellent Mr. TJjomat
Thai
^^Oli. The Hifiory of New* England,
Thacher : Who is now, therefore, to be con- Camb ridge or Oxford. But confideving the Im-
fidered. pofitions of Things, to him appearing unwar-
Mr. Thomas Tbacher was born May i.
(s 2. rantable, whereto he then muft have expofed
1620. the Son of Mr. Peter Tbacher, a Reve- himfelf, heConfcientioully declined his Father's
rend Minider at Salisbury, in England : One, Offer, and chofe rather co venture over the At-
whom, in a Letter of Dr. Tzv/fs to Mr. Mede, /</tf//VOcean,and content hfonfelf with theMean-
at the end of his Works, we rind joined
with neffes of America, than to wound his own Con-
famous Mr. White of Dorchester, in a Conver- fidence for the Academical ftfiviledges of Eng-
the Learned Exercifes of that land
sation, wherein
Great Man, made a grateful Entertainment. When his Parents difcerned his Inclination,
And becaufe it may be fome Satisfaction unto they permitted his Removal to New-England :
Good Men, to fee Inftances multiplied, lor the Intending themfclves, within a Year or two,
Confirmation of a Matter mentioned by Mr. with their Family, to have removed thither af-
Baxter, in his Proof of Infant Baptifm, where tet him Whi< h Intention was prevented by the
: .
he lays, As large Experience at I have had in Death of his Morher, betbie it could be ef-
she State of'Souls, and the Way fected.
my Alinijtry, of
of Converfion, 1 dare fay, I have met not zcith He arrived at Bcjlon, June 4. 1635. In
one of very many, that would fay, That they which Year he was wonderfully preferved from
knew the time when they were converted And : a Shipwreck, with his Uncle, wherein a wor-
of thoje that mould fay fo, by reafon that they thy Minifter, one Mr. Avery, loft his Life, as
then found fome more remarkable Change, yet \
elfewhere we have related. A Diy or two be-
'
all, that could conjecture at the Time of their but the Bifhop of every Church took the Care-
firft Converfion. It Ihall here be noted, That to educate and elevate fome
young Men, who
this was the Experience of our Thatcher. The might be prepared thereby to fucceed in their
Regenerating and Verticordious Grace of Hea-, place, when they fhould be dead and gone.
ven, took advantage from his Religious Educa- And in the early Days of New-England, they
tion, inlenfibly, as it were, to fteal into the were for a little while obliged unto fuch a Me-
Heart of thisyoung Difciple. thod of providing young Men for the Service of
He afterwards affirmed, That he was never the Churches. Thus outThacber, by the good
able to determine the Time, when the Spirit of Providence of God, was now calf into the Fa-
God firlt began to convince him , and renew mily, and under 'the Tuition of that Reverend
him ; only he could fay with the Reverend, Man, Mr. Charles Chancey who was afterwards ;
Blind Man, / was blind, but now I fee. When' the Prefident of Harvard Onkdgc, in our Cam-
Thacher was a Child, the Lord loved him, and; bridge. Under the Conduct' 'of that eminent
this Child alio loved the Lord He was an Abi-:
Scholar, he became fuch an one himfelf ', and
jab, that while he was a-Child, had many Good his indefatigable Studies were fo proipcred,that
Things in him towards the Lord God of his Fa- he- became Aliquis Omnibus, without the Ble- m
ther : He was a Timothy, that while he war a mifh ufually, but ibmetimes unjufily annexed
Child, knew the Holy Scriptures. He was a Sa- unto it, Nullus in Singulis. Fie was not un-
muel, that in his Childhood was vifited by the skill'd in the Tong ues, efpeeially in the Hebrew,
Holy Spirit : He was a Jofiah, that while ha Whereof he 'did compole a tlixicott but fo -,
was yet young, Jought after the Lord ; and fa Comprize it, that within One-Sheet of Paper, he
much remarked was his Early Piety, that while had every confiderable'Werd of the Language.
he was in his Earliejl Alinonty, they would fay And he was as well skiU'd in the Arts, efpeci-
1
of him, There goes a Puritan. It might indeed ally in Logic ^ whereof he gaveDemonfiration, in
be faid of him, as they report of Sr. Nicholas, his being a moft irrefragable Difputant, on fome
That he led a Life, Santlijfime ab ipfis Incuna great Occafions.
bulls Inchoatam. And it might be faid by him, Moreover, it was his Cuftom, once in three
as it was by the BlelTed Ancient Confelh- or four Years' time, at fubcejive Hours, to go
in his
ons, Dominc, puer caepi rogareAuxilium c?' over the Tongues, and .-Arts, at fuch a Rate,
te
Rejugium mount, &
rogavi parvus, non parvo that his good 'Skill in them eonrinued frefh unto
affetfu. the laft. And to all his other Accomplifhments,
§ 3. Having been well Educated at the Graml there was this added, that he was a moft in- '
mar School, he had the Offer of his Father to comparable Sdrtbe : He Wior only wrote all the L
perfect his Education at the Univerfity, either of forts of Hands in the beft Copy-Books then ex-
1
tant,
150 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
but his Fervent manner of
tant,with a lingular Exa&nefs and Acutenefs, performing that Sacred
there are yet extant Monuments ol Syriac, and Exercife.
other Oriental Characters of his Writing, which It was an Heaven
upon Earth, to be prdent
are hardly to be imitated. He had likewife a at the Notable
Salleys of a Railed Soul, a
certain Mechanic Genius, which difpofed him Livecy Faith, and a Tongue toucht with a Coal
in his Recreations unto a Thoufand Curiofities, from the Altar, with which, in his Prayers, he
and Affectionate Sermons, twice every Lord's Service of their Miniitry, I'll mention one
Day, and in a Lecture once a Fortnight ; but Paffage, that may a little defcribe how this
1
alio in Catechifwg the Lambs of his flock, for Worthy Man became fo ufeful : He would fay
which he likewife made a Catechifm. Thefe, to his Son; Son, I never preach a Sermon, till
alfo, he would at fit Seafons call to an Ac-
I cannot preach at all !
count, concerning their Proficiency under the § 8. As he was in his whole Behaviour a
means of Grace ; and fuch as he found Ripe Serious, Holy, and Ufeful Man, fo in his Go-
for an Admiffion unto the Higheji Myfteries, at vernment of his Family, he fo well RuPd his
the Table of the Lord, he would encourage to own Houfe, as to give particular Demonftra-
put themfelves upon the Publick and Ufual tions of his Abilities to Take Care of the. Church
Probation, in order theteunto, but fuch as he of God. His Domefticks both bv'd him, and
found fhort, he would fuitably, faithfully, and feard him and he was molt Confcientioufly
-,
were feen in the great Growth of the Church, the Scriptures, both Morning and Evening,
whereof he had the Overfight. But one Ex- and he would Raife Dollrincs Irom every Verfe
cellency that fhined above the other Glories of with Brief Confirmations, and clofe Applications
his Miniftry, was that Excellent Spirit of Pray- thereof as he went along. Yea, fometimes one
er, which continually breathed in him. It has might hear from him thus, in One Family Ex-
been ufed among the Arguments for Men to be pofition, as entertaining a Variety of Truth,
much in Prayer, That the Dignity ot the Per- notably and pungently expreffed, as in fever al
fon praying is thereby much augmented ; and publick Sermons : And he has told his Worthy
Chryfoftom, in his Book, De Deo Orando, fays, Son,
for his Encouragement unto fuch Exer-
The very Angels cannot but honour him, vohom cifes, that he had found as much Advantage
they fee familiarly^ and frequently to be admit- by them, as by moft of his other Studies of
ted unto the Audience, and as it were, dif- Divinity h adding that he looked upon it as
courfe with the Divine Majefty. Now, though the Lord's Gracious Accomplifhment of that
this Ho/lour have all the Saints, yet our Thacher Word, Shall I hide any thing from Abraham?
had more than ordinary fhare of this Honour ; 1 know Abraham, that he will Teach his
he was a Perfon much in Prayer, and as he was Houfe !
much in Prayer, fo he had an Eminency above § 9. He was one very Watchful over the Souls
moft Men living, for his Copious, his Fluent, of his People, and Careful to preferve them
from
Book III. I he Hiftory of
New-England. i5i
from Errors as well as Vices : But of all Errors, Quaker as the belt of them. In the Morning
he difcovered an Antipathy unto none more, he was carrying back his Bibles to the Book-
than that Sink of all£Ww\r, QUA KER ISM. fellers, as Books now become altogether
uje-
It was in his Time, namely, about the Year lej's ; and refblving to keep no Dead Letter
1652. that there appeared a Nepo Sell or' Peo any longer in his hands ^ but in the way, he
pie in the World, which from the odd Mo- was met by Mr. Thacher, who feeing the Man
tions of their Bodies, that attended efpe- look Wild and Strange, and of an Energume;-
cially their Firlf Pcrverfion, were called QUA- Countenance, over-perfwaded him togoafide
KERS 5 and it was not long after their firft Ap- with him, that he might
enquire a little further
pearance, that
New Englandbegan to be trou- to his Condition. He carried the poor Man
bled with them. Their Spirit of the Hat, and into a Neighbour's Houfe, and
privately there
their Fopperies of Thou and Thee, in their Lan- Talked with him, and prayed with
him, 2nd
guage to a Single Peifon, were the leaft of by the Wonderful Blelfing of Heaven, immedi-
thole things which gave our Thacher a Diffa- ately recovered him from the Error of his Way .
tisfacfion at them^ that which caufed him to The Man was never any more a Qitaker, but
employ a moll fervent Zeal againft thofe He- ever after this, wonderfully thankful unto God,
reticks, was the Horrible End of their Herefies. and unto this his Servant, for his Recovery
to lead Men into a Pit of Darknejs, under a kj
io. The lait that I fhall mention of the
Pretence of the Light, and Annihilate all the Excellencies that fignalized this Worthy Man
Senfible Objects of our Holy Religion, under a fhall be his Claim
to the Accompiifhments of
Pretence of advancing the Spiritual , fo that an Excellent Phyfician. He that for his Lively
we mult have no Bible, no jefus, no Baptifm, Miniftry was juftly reckoned among The Angels
no Eucharift, no Ordinances, but what fhall be of the Churches, might for his Medical Acquain-
Evaporated" into Difpenfations, Allegories, and tances, Experiences, and Performances, be truly-
meer Ahftical Notions : When he faw that quite called a Raphael. Ever fince the Days oi Luke
contrary to the Tendency and Character of eve- the Evangelift, Skill in Phyfick has been fre-
ry Truth, which is to Abuje the Creature, the quently profeffed and praftifed, by Perfons whofe
Main Defign of Quakerifm is to Exalt Man, more declaredBufinefswas the Study of Divinity.
and find that in Man himfelf, which may be To fay nothing of fuch Monks as /Egidius Athe-
inflead of Saviour, Scripture, Heaven, Righte- nienftsi or Conftantinus Afer, or Johannes Da-
oujncfs and all Inftitutions unto him, he could rn a/cen us, or Trufianus Flore nt in
us, and to fay
not but adore the Juftice and Vengeance of nothing of Henry Bochelt, a Bifhop, or of At-
God, in permitting fuch a Spiritual Plague to bicus, an Arch Bifhop, or of Ludovictts Patd-
be inflicFed on Places^ where the Go/pel had vinus, a Cardinal, or of John 22. a Pope , all 1
been more eminently finned againft ;' but he fet of whom were Notable Phyficians, our Englijh
himfelf with the more of a Paftoral Diligence Nation has commonly afforded Eminent
Phyfi-
to defend his own Flock from the Contagion cians, who were alio Minifters of the Gofpel.
:
And hence, when he heard of any Books left by But I fuppofe the Greatelf Frequency of the
the Quakers in any Houfcs of his Neighbour Angelical Conjunction, has been feen in thefe
hood, he would prefently repair to the Houfes, Pans of America, where they are moftly the
and obtain thofe Venomous Pamphlets from Poor to whom the Gofpel is preached, by Paftors
them For which, that the Wolves barked more whofe
:
Companion to them in their
Poverty^
at him than at many other Men, and would invites them to fupply the Want of Able Phy-
fometimes come with their Faces hideoufly ficians among them, and fuch an Univerfally
Blacked, and their Garments fearfully Torn, in- Serviceable Paftor was our Thacher. Thev
to his Congregation, whereby the Neighbours Were the Priefts of
Egypt, of Greece, and of
were frighted unto the Danger of their Lives, Rome, who referved in the Archives of their
is not at all to be wondred at. In this his Temples the Stories and Methods of the Cures,
Paftoral Care, he met with fome Experiments, wrought on the Recovered Perfons,who
brought
that were extraordinary ; whereof one fhall thither their Thankful Sacrifices ; and
by the
here be related. It has here fometimes been
Priefts were Directions hence communicated
Remarked, That a very fenfible PoffeJJion of unto fuch as wanted Cures for the like Di-
the Devil has attended the Firft Arreft of Qua- ftempers. As the Art of Healing was firft
kerifm, on the Minds of Men, and the Sedu- brought into fome Order by the Hands of Offi-
cers, have with a Real and Proper Witchcraft, cers that have been fet apart for the Care
of
by certain Ceremonies conveyed it unto them. Souls thus, that Art has been happily exer-
-,
Agreeably hereunto, an Inhabitant of Weymouih cifed by the Hands of Church Officers in all
having bought certain Bibles at Boflon, lod'g'd Ages, who have adminift red unto the Souls of
the Night following at a Tavern, where two People the more effectually, for
being Able to
Quakers lodged with him. The Quakers fell to Adminifter unto their Bodies. And a Singular
ditgracing and degrading the Bibles, wherewith Artift herein Was our Thacher ; who, knowing
he had furnifhed himfelf\ as a Dead Letter, and that every Rank of Generous Men had at fome
advifed him to hearken to the Light zvitbin,which time or other afforded Perfons Eminent for Skill
would lufficiently direcf him to Heaven and in Phyfick yes, that it had been ftudied by
-, -,
Natural and Spirit ual Health accompany each Hearing, fhe has utterly loft her Speech alfb.
other in thofe that were about him. and no doubt, all Remembrance of
every thing
§11. But, Contra Vim Mortis Nothing that refers to Language. Mr. Thacher made an
will exempt from the Arretl of Death. It hap- Elfay to teach her the life of Letters, but it
pened that this Excellent M n preached for my fucceeded not.- However, fhe has a molt
quick
Father, a Sermon on the I Per. 4. 18. The Righ- Apprehenfion of things, by her Eye, and fhe
teous Jcarcely faved ; the lalt Words of which dilcouries by Signs, whereat fome of her
Sermon were, When a Saint comes to die, then Friends are fo expert, as to maintain a Con-
often it vi the hour and Power of Darknefs vention with her upon any point whatever,
Vim then h the lad Opportunity that the as much Freedom and with
; Fulnefs, as if fhe
Devil hoi to vex thi People of Go.! ; and hencewanted neither Tongue, nor Ear, for Confe-
have the greatefi of their rence. Her Children do learn her Signs from
they then fomelmes
Diftrefjes.
Don't think him no Godly Man, rhe Breaft And fpeak fooner by her Eyes and
:
that then meets with Doubts and rears our Hands, than by their Lips.
-, From her Infancy,
Lord fejus Chrifi then cries out, My God, my fhe was very fober and model! ; but fhe had
God, why haft thou forfakeri me God help no Knowledge of a Deity, nor of any
>
thing
us, that cvs we live by Faith, fo we may Walk that concerns another Life, and World. Ne-
in it. And thefe proved the Laft Words that verthelefs, God of his Infinite Mercy has Re-
ever he uttered in any Sermon whatfoever. For vealed the Lord Jefus Chrifi, and the Great
vifiting a Sick Perfon, after his going
out of Myfteries of Salvation by him, unto
her, by
the Afiemhly, he got Come Harm, which turned a more Extraordinary and Immediate Operation
into a Fever, whereof he did, without any of his own Spirit upon her. An Account of
Hour and Power of Darknefs upon his own her Experiences was written from her, by her
Holy Mind, expire on Offober 15. 1578. He llusband j and the Elders of the Church em-
left behind him Two Worthy Sous, Mr. Peter ploying het Flusband, with two of her
Sillers,
Thacher, who is at this time the Pallor of the who are notably skilled in her Way of Commu-
Church at Milton, and one from whole pious nication, examined her flri&ly hereabout; and
Labours, not the EngliJJj only,, but even the and they iound that fhe underftood the Unity
Indians alio receive the Glad Tydings of Salva- of the Divine EfTence, the Trinity of Perfons
;
tion ; and Mr. Ralph Thacher, Mhiifter of the in the Godhead, the Perfonal Union in our
Word at Martha's Vineyard. And he likewife Lord, the Myftical Union between our Lord and
left one Printed
Offjprmg of his Mind for as his Church; and that fhe was acquainted with
•,
the Reverend Prcf'acer thereto obferves, When the ImpreiTions of Grace upon a Regenerate
the Lord knew that Bofton, yea that New-Eng- Soul. She was under great Exercife of Mind,
.land would have caufe for many Days of Humi- about her Internal and Eternal State fhe ex- -,
liation, he therefore fir red up the Heart of his preffed unto her Friends defire of Help; and
Servant aforehand to give InftruUions and Di- fhe made ufe of the Bible, and other Good
regions, concerning the Acceptable Performance Books, and with Tears, remark'd fuch Palfages
of fo great a Duty, he did in the Year^i<574. as w.ere fuitable to her own Condition. Yea,
preach on the Nature of a Sacred Fafl and fhe once, in her Exercife, wrote with a Pin up-
-,
fome of his Hearers, who wrote after him, on a Trencher, three times over, Ah, Poor Soul!
when he preached, afterwards publifhed it un- and therewith before divers Perfons, burfl into
der the Title of, A Faji of God's Chufing. Tears. At a Sermon fhe would enquire after
the Text, which being fhewn her, fhe would
§ 12. The Church of this Worthy Man at look and mufe upon it: And fhe ftrangely
Weymouth, has been entertained with one Cu- knows the Names of thofe with whom fhe is
ricjity,
which byway of Appendix to his Life, acquainted ; infomuch that if they be Names
is not unworthy to be related. found in the Scripture, fhe will turn and find,
One Matt beta Prat, whofe Religious Pa- and point them there. It feems that Written
rents had well inftru£ted him in his Minority, Words are a fort of
Hieroglyphicks unto her.
when he was Twelve Years of Age, became, to- She was admitted into the Church with the
tally LVrf/thro' Sicknefs, and fo hath ever fince General Approbation of the Faithful, nor
"continued. He was taught after this to Write, would the mofl Judicious Cafuifts in the
"as he had been before to Read; and both his World, a Luther, a Melanffbon, a Gerhard,
Reading and his Writing he retaineth perfeclly, an Mingy a Baldwin, have fcrupled her Ad-
.but he has almofl forgotten to fpeak ; fpeakingl million to the Sacred Myfteries : And her Car
'
riage
Book III. Ihe Hi/lory of New-England. i53
riage is that of a Grave, Gracious, Holy Wo-
man.
In obitum Viri vere Reverends
The wonderful Circumftances of this Couple,
may iuftly be added unto the Entertainments
for the Curious, which we have in the young
D* Thom£ Thachepj,
Man and Maid, mentioned by Camerarius, who
tho* Deaf and Dumb, could Read and Write, QUI AD
and Cypher, and know a Man's Meaning by
the Motion of his Lips. And the Perfon men- Dom.exhacVitamigravit, 18.8. 1678,
tioned by Platcrus, who tho' born Deaf as well
as Dumb, yet could exprefs his Thoughts in a
Illufirem, trifti 'me mo fare dolor e,
Table-Book, and comprehend what was written TEntabo
Quern LacrymU repetunt Temper a, noftra,
by others in it, and with Edification attend up- Virum.
on the Miniftry of Oecolampadius ; And both
Memnonajfc Mater, Mater ploravit Achillem,
Mr. Crifp of London, and Gennet Lowes of £,'-
Juftis cum Lacrymis, antique Dolor e gravi.
dinburgh, who tho' naturally Deaf, and by con- Mens
ftupet, era filent, jufium nunc palmo re-
fequence Dumb, could yet fee what People cufat
fpoke, by feeing them when they fpoke And:
QJJicium : Quid ? Opcm Trips Apollo ncgat ?
in a word, the exquifite Sence of the Mutes in
Aft Thachere Thus conabor dicere laudes,
the Ottoman Court, related by Rycaut, in his Hi- Laudes Virtutis, qux fuper Aftra volat.
Itory of that Empire. Confultis Rerum Dominis, Gentiqiae togat<e
Not a fuit virtus, ac tua SanUa Fides.
An Epitaph muft now 'be fought for this Vwispoji Funus 5 Ftlix
poft Fata ; Jaces Tu f
Worthy Man And becaufe the Nation and
:
Sed Stellas inter Gloria nempe Jaces.
Quality of the Author, will make the Compo- Mens Tua jam c&los repetit ; Vifforia part a eft i
fure to become a Curiofity, I will here, for an
Jam Tuus eft Chriftus, quod meruitque tuum.
Epitaph, infert an Elegy, which was compofed Hie finis Crucis , magnorum hxc met a malorum ,
upon this Occafion, by an Indian "Louth, who U/terius non quo progrediatur erit.
•
was then a Student of i/arawv/-Colledge. CHis Crux jam cajfa manes requiefount offa
Sepulchro ;
•,
So// tyn 11
Kofh, irm yw t ovo/a kttot' oXHTdU,
Kx&vbv iv H[UTi(yis k lomuiVoitn yj'wotf'
"truyn J*' Ik. ftftiav if\a.uJ:VK, fin vgttvov di-rdtP,
CHAP. XXVII.
The L I F E of Mr. P E TE R HO B A R T.
§ 1. TT was a Saying of Alphonfus (whom they among which one was Mr. Peter Hobart, whom
JL Sir-named,The Wife, King of Arragon) therefore a New Book fhali now prefent unto my
That among Jo many Things as are
by Men poj Readers.
feffed or purfued, in the Courje of their Lives, (j
2. Mr. Peter Hobart was born at, or near
Town, that minded ferious Religion, and thefe many Years. And his old People at Haverhil
were maligned by the Irreligious for
lufficientlv indeed, in fome time after, fent moft importu-
their Puritanifm. Thefe Parents of our Hobart, nate Letters unto him, to invite his
Return for
were fuch as nad obtained each other from the England : And he had certainly returned, ifths
God of Heaven, by Ifmc-Wke Prayers unto him, Letters had not fo mifcarried, that before-his
and fuch as afterwards befieged Heaven with a Advice to them, there fell out fome Remark*
continual Importunity for a BlefTmg upon their ble, and Invincible Hindrances of his Re*
Children ; whereof the Second was this our moval.
Peter. This their Son was like another Samuel, § 6. Not long after this, he had fa his own
from his Infancy dedicated by them unto the Expreffion for it was) his Hart rem out of his
Minitfry, and in order thereunto, fent betimes Breafl, by the Death of his Confort but his
-.
unto a Grammer School 3 whereto, fuch was his Chrilfian, Patient, and Submiffive Refignation
defire of Learning, that he went feveral Miles was rewarded by his Marriage to a
Second, that
on foot, every Morning, and by his early Ap- proved a rich Bleffing unto him. His Houfe
others. was alio edified and beautified with
pearance there, If ill (hamed the ^loth of many Chil-
He went afterwards unto the i'rce-School at Lyn, dren, On whom, when he look'd he would fay
from whence when he was by his Matter judged fometimes with much Thankfulnefs Behold
fit for it, he was admitted into a Colledge in the thus jhall the Man be
blefjed, that feareth the
Univerfity of Cambridge where he remained, Lord ! And for whom he employ 'd
-,
many Tears
ffudied, profited, until he proceeded Batchellor itt his Prayers to God, that they might be happy
of Arts. : Giving all along an Example of So- and' like another Job, offered up his daily Sup-
briety, Gravity, Averfation from all Vice, and plications.
Inclination to the Service of God. His Love to Learning, made him ftrive hard
^> 3. Retiring then from the Univerfity, he that his hopeful Sons might not go without a
taught a Grammar School ; but he lodg'd in 1 the Learned Education ; and accordingly we find
Houfe of a Confbrmift Miniffer, who tho he four or five of them wearing Laurels in the Ca.
were no Friend unto Puritans, yet he employed talogue of our Graduates and feveral of them •
this our young Hobart fometimes to preach for are, at this Day, worthy Preachers of the Go-
him, and when ask'd, What bis Opinion of this fpel in our Churches.
young Man was ? He faid, / do highly approve his § 7. He was moftly a Morning Student, not
Abilities ; he will make an able Preacher : But I meriting the Name of Homo Leclitfmits 'as he
fear he will be too precife. When the time for in the witty Epigrammatiff, from his long lying
it came, he returned unto the Univerfity, and a Bed and yet he would improve the Darknels
-,
here and there, as Godly People could obtain of Secular Diverfions and
Diitraaions, hisaftive
Permiffion from the Parfon of the Parifh, who Mind would be bufie at
providing Materials for
upon any little Difguft would recal that Per- the Compofure of them. He much valued that
miffion : And yet all this while, by the Bleffing Rule, Study Standing ; and until Old
Age, and
of God upon his own Diligence and Difcretion, Weaknefs compelled him, he rarely would Stu-
and the Frugality of his Vertuous Confort, he dy fitting : Which Praftice of his he would re-
lived comfortably. The lalt place of his Refi- commend unto other Students, as an excellent
dence in England, was the Town of Haverhil, Preventive of that Flagellum
Studiqforum, the
where he was a Lecturer, laborious and fuccefs- Stone. And when he had an
opportunity to'hear
ful in the Vineyard of our Lord. a Sermon from any other
Miniffer, he did it
^4. His Parents, his Brethren, his Sifters, with fuch a diligent and reverent Attention, as
had not without a great Affliction to him, em- made it manifeft that he worfhipped God in'do-
barked for New-England ^ but fome time after ing of it And he was very careful to be
•.
pre-
this, the Cloud of Prelatical Impofitions and fentftilhat the beginning of the Exercifes, count-
Perfections grew fo black upon him, that the ing it a Recreation, to fit and wait for the Wor-
Solicitations of his Friends, obtained from him (hipof God.
a Refolution for New-England alio, where he Moreover, his Heart was knit in a moft fincere
hoped for a more fettled Abode, which was and hearty Love towards pious Men, tho' they
moit agreeable to his Inclination. Accordingly were not in all things of his own Perfwafion.
in the Summer of the Year 1635, he took Ship, He would admire the Grace of God in Good
with his Wife and four Children, and after a Men, tho' they were of Sentiments
contrary un-
Voyage by conftant Sicknefs rendred very tedi- to his ; and he would fay, lean carry them in
ous to him, he arrived at Charles-Town, where my Bofome : Nor was he
by them otherwife re-
he found his defired Relations got fafe before fpefted.
him. Several Towns now addreffed him to be- §8. There was deeply rooted in him a ftrong
come their Miniffer j but he chofe with his Fa- Antiparhy to all Profanities, whereof he was a
ther's Family, and fome other Chriftians, to faithful
Reprover, "both in publick and in pri-
form a new Plantation, which they called Hing- vate , and when his Reproofs
prevailed not, he
ham and there gathering a Church, he conti- would weep in fecret Places.
-,
Controverfies, and furioufly fet upon having all ever preached after it, but only admimfrred the
things carried their Way, which they would call, Sacraments. In this time his Humility^ and con-
•
The Rule ; but at the fame time, were molt in fequently all the other Graces which God gives
lipid Creatures,
deffitute of the Life and Power unto the Humble, grow exceedingly, and obfer-
of Godlinefs, and perhaps humoral'in their Con- vahly and hence he took delight in hearing the
-,
3
ventions. To thefe he would apply a Saying Commendations of other Men, tho fometimes
of Mr. Cotton's, That fome Men are all Church, they were fo unwifely uttered, as to carry fome
and no Chrifi. Diminutions unto himfelf; and he fet himfelf
§ p. He was a Perfon that met with many particularly to put all Refpeftand Honour upon
Temptations and AfflMons, which are better the Miniftets that came in the time of his Weak-
forgotten than remembred -,
but he was inter- nefles to fupply his place. After and und?r his
and is now eternally a Gainer by them. Confinement, the fmging of Pfalms was an Exer-
nally,
It is remark'd of the Patriarch Jacob, that when cife wherein he took a particular delight , fay-
he was a vety Old Man, and much older than ing, That it was the
Work of Heaven, which he
the moft that lived after him, he complained, was willing to anticipate. But about Eight Weeks
few and evil have been the Days of the Tears of before his Expiration, he did with his Aged
my Life : In which Complaint, the few is ex- Hand Ordain a Succeffor which when he had
•,
plained by the evil; his Days weteWinter-days, performed with much Solemnity, he did after-
and fpent in the Darknefs of fore Calamity. wards with an AiTembly of Minilters, and other
Winter-days are Twenty four Hours long as well Chriftians, at his own Houfe, joyfully ling the
as other Days ; yea, longer, if the Equation of Song of Aged Simeon, Thy Servant now let left
Time Ihould be Mathematically confidered ; yet thou depart in Peace. He had now nothing to
we count them the fhorter Days. Thus altho' do, but to die ; and he fpent his Hours accord-
our Hobart lived untoO/<i Age, he might call his ingly, in affiduous Preparations ; not without
Days few, becaufe they had been Evil. But fome dark Intervals of Temptation ; but at laft
mark this perfect Man, and behold this upright with Light arifing in Darknefs unto him. While
one ; for the end of this Man was Peace. In the his Exteriour was decaying, his brteriour was
Spt ing of the Year 1 670, he was vifited with a renewing, every Day, until the Twentieth Day
Sicknefs that feemed the Meffenger of Death ; of 'January, 1(578. When he quietly and fi-
but it was his humble Defire, mat by having his lently refigned his holy Soul, unto its faithful
Life prolonged a little further, he might fee the Creator.
Education of his own younger Children perfect-
ed, and beftow more Labour alfo upon the Con-
verfion of the young People in his Congregation :
CHAP,
i5* The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III
CHAP. XXVIII.
(j
l.TTTHEN the miferable Saul applied then at the Univerfity of Cambridge. He had
VVhimfelf to the Witch of Endor, for for his Companion in his Education, his Cofen-
the Invoking of, and Confulting with, lbme German, the very Renowned Anthony Tuckney,
Spirit in the Invifible World, he chofe that the afterwards Doctor, and Mafter of St. John's
Spirit fhould rather appear in the Shape of the College They were <S<r/w/-Fellows at Bofton,
:
Venerable Samuel, than in any other. A Dif- and Chamber Mates, at Cambridge they both -,
pute is raifed among Learned Men, on the Oc- belonged unto Jw/;w;7/^7-Colledge, and they
cafion of the Spirit thus raifed Who it Jbould continued an Intimate Friendfhip, when they
•,
be ? For while fome think, that beyond the left the Seats of the Mujes , which indeed was
Expectation, and unto the Aftonifhment of the not quenched by the many Waters of the Atlan-
Witch, it was the True Samuel, which now ap- tick, when they were a Thoufand Leagues
peared; in as much as the Apparition is five afunder. It was while he was thus at the
times over called by the Name of Samuel, and Univerfity, that the good Spirit of God made
the Apocryphal Ecclefiafticus affirms of Samuel, early Impreflions of Grace upon his young Soul;
that after his Death he prophefied : And feveral and the Cares of his pious Tutor, (I think Mr.
of the Fathers and of the School-men, herein Yates) to inft ruft him in Matters of Religion,
followed by Mendoza, Delrio, Dr. More, Mr. as well as of Literature, were bleffed for the
Glanvil, and others, are of this Opinion They Imbuing of his Mind, with a Tincture of Early
:
imagine with Lyra, that God then fent in the Piety which was further advanced by the
-,
Real Samuel, unlootfd for, as he came upon Ba- Miniftry of fuch Preachers as Dr. Sibs and Dr.
: So that in his Age he would
laam, when employed about his Magical Impo Prefton give
ftures: There are more, who judge that
it was Thanks to God for the Divine Favours which
a Spirit of the fame kind with that, which is he thus received in his Youth, and when he
defcribed by Porphyrins mvl<t!*>o$tpov ts x) -toko was entring into his Reft, where he expected
,
1z?Trav changing themjclves into multifarious the moft Intimate Communion with our Glo-
harms, one while ailing the Parts of Demons, rious Immanucl, and with the Spirits of Jdft
another while of Angels, and another while the Men made perfeQ, he could with Joy reflect
Souls of the Deccafed : Of which Opinion was upon the Anticipations of it, which he enjoyed
'TertuUian, and the Author of the Quefi. cf in the Retired Walk of lmmanuel-Colkge,
Rcfp. afcribed unto Juftin Martyr, and
the § 3. Having proceeded Mafter of Arts, he
Generality of Proteftants : cannotWho
per- removed from Cambridge, and became a Chap-
fwade themfelves, that the Lord would have lain to Sir Nathanael Bacon, and Sir Roger
fo far countenanced Necromancy, or Pfycomancy, Townfend, where he did for "Three Tears toge-
as to have let the Real Samuel come, upon the ther, with Prayers, with Sermons, with Cate-
Sollicitations of an Enchantrefs and that the chifing, and with a Grave and Wife Deport-
-,
Real Samuel would not have difcourfed at the ment, lerve the Intereft of Religion, in a Fa-
Rate of the SpeUre now exhibited. mily, which had no lefsthan 'Two Knights and
Let the Difputants, upon this Queftion, Five Ladies in it. He next removed unto Lyn,
wrangle on; w,hile we by a very Lawful and in the County of Norfolk, and fpent another
Laudable Art, w\ll fetch another Samuel from the! Three Tears, as a Collegue in the Miniftry of
Dead: And by the Happy Magick of our Pen, the Gofpel, with a Reverend and Excellent
Reader, we will bring into the View of the Man, Mr. Price. But the Great Content which
World, a Venerable Old Man, a Samuel who he took in his prefent Sciruation, and Society,
fhall entertain us wich none but Comfortable and Service, was intetrupted at length by.C.orn-
and Profitable Tidings. plaints made unto
the Bifhop of Norwich, for
§ 2. Mr.
Samuel Whiting drew his fir ft Breath his Non
Conformity unto thofe Rices, which
at Baft on, in Lincolnflnre, Nov. 20 A.D. 1597. never were of any life in the Church of God,
His Father a Perfon of good Repute there, the but only to be Tools, by which the Worft of
Eldeft Son among many Brethren, an Alderman, Men might thruft out the Bell from ferving it,
andTometimesa Mayor of the Town, had three Being Cited unto the High Commiffwn Court, he
Sons ;
the Second of thefe was our Samuel, expected that he ftiould loie the moft of his
who had a Learned Education by his Father Eftate, for his being a Non Confermift; hut be-
bellowed upon him, firft at Bofton School, and fore the Time for his Appearance, according
to
Foukli). The Hi/lory of New-England 157
to the Citation, came, King James
died ;
and that he could be gone unto. The Ecclefiaffi-
he had Three Children, Two Sons, who died a Chrittian Diffenter : And it is a Commenda-
in England, and one Daughter afterwards ble Obftinacy ! The faithful in Tenullian's
matched with one Mx.Tbomai Weld, in ano Time, would undergo any thing rather than
ther Land ; he married the Daughter of Mr. ufe the Ce/anonies of Idolaters, though they
Oliver St. John, a Bedfordfhire Gentleman, of might have us'd them to another End, and with
an Honourable Family, nearly related unto the another Ahnd than they. The Firft Planters of
Lord St. John of bletfo. This Mr. St. John, New England knew, that the Ceremonies re-
was a Perfon of Incomparable Breeding, Vertue tained in the Church of England, had been
and Piety •, fuch, that Mr. Cotton, who was firft Invented and PraSis'd by Idolaters : And
well acquainted with him, fa id of him, tie ym knowing that all the Abominations of the Po~
one of the Ccmpleatefi Gentlemen, without Afje- pifh Alajs, originally fprang from an Impofed
Sation, thai ever
he knew. And this his Daugh- Liturgy, they thought it no Nicety to have de-
clined all Compliance with fuch a
ter was a Perfon of lingular Piety and Gravity-, thing,
one who by her Difcretion freed her
, Husband though they ftiould not have had as they had,
from all Secular Avocations , one who upheld numberlefs Objeilions againft it. The very
a daily and conftant Communion with God, Words ufed in the Rites then required, were
in the Devotions of her Clofet one, who not fear'd by thofe good Men, as Dangerous
•
af- -,
Wrote the Sermons that fhe heard on the ter they read thole Words of the Rhemtfts y
only
hordes Days with much Dexterity, but Liv'd While they fay, Minifters, let us fay, Priefts^
them, and Li-Jd on them all the Week.
The When they call itz A Communion Table, Let
ufual Phrafe for an Excellent Woman, among us call it, An Altar. Let us keep our Old
the Ancient Jews was, One who defervesto mar- Words, and we fball keep our Old Things, our
ry a Prieft
: Even fuch an Excellent Woman Religion. But much more did thefe good Men
was now married unto Mr. Whiting.; This Gen- fear the Rites of Things themfeives 5 efpecially
tlewoman having lfay'd with her worthy Cor- when they faw them to be not only Unfcrip-
fort Forty Seven Years, went in the Seventy turalasii VmnftituteP, but alfo of Pernicious
Third Year of his Age, unto him to whom her ConJequencc to the very Vitals of Religion. For
Soul had been feme Scores of Years efpoufed. Mr. this they had the Example of Peter Martyr,
Whiting had by her four Sons and two Daughters.
who wifhed,. that the Reformed Churches, keep-
Three of the Sons lived unto the Eftate and ing up thefe things would be fenfible, Evange-
Stature of Men -,
and had a Learned Educa- Hum us manentibus, non fatk e\fe firmum ;
tion. Samuel is at this Day a Reverend, Holy That the Gofpel can't be fecure, while the
and Faithful Minifter of the Gofpel, in the Ceremonies continue: They had the Example of
New-Englijh Town of billerica: John was in- Martin buccr^ who complained, That the Ce-
tended for a PhyJician, but became a Preacher, remonies and the Preaching of the Word, mu-
firft at butterwich, then at Leverton in Lincoln- tually expel one another. Where Knowledge
where he died a Godly Conformift Jo through
: the Preaching of the Gofpel prevails,
shire,
there the Love of thefe withers, and where the
feph is, at this Day, a Worthy and Painful Mi-
nifter of the Gofpel, at Southampton upon Long- Loveoi thefe prevails, there Knowledge decays :
IJland. They had the Example of the Divines of Ham-
§ 5. After he had abode feveral Years at burgh, who looked upon fuch Ceremonies to be
Skirbick, foon after Mr. Cotton's Removal, he- the Cum culi,
the Secret Alines by which the
fell into fuch Trouble, for his Nan Conformity Papifls would convey themfeives under our
to the Vanities, which Men
had received by Foundations, and overthrow our Churches. And
Tradition from their Popiftl lathers^ and this if they did then entertain Auftin\ Fear, In
through the Complaint of the fame unhappy Aluititiidinc Cercmoniarum peric/itat ur Fides ; I
Man, 'tis faid, who procured the Trouble of with the Event had lefs confirmed it. It is ve-
Mr. Cotton, that he found he muff be gone : ry certain, in the Englijh Nation, they ferv'd
But New-Englnni offered it felf as the moll <;nly as Gileadites, to keep the Parages of the
Hopeful and Quiet, and indeed the only Mace: Church, lo that no Minifter, how able or wor-
thy
158 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book II],
the Popifh manner, were to be commended for his two Angelick Men feem'd willing to give one
tho' it feemed fuch a little another as little Joftlc, as the Angels
Fidelity to Chritt, upon Ja-
matter, thefe good Men mult
not be reproached cob's Ladder did unto one another, while one
for this, that they would rathet be Exiled than was defcending, and another afcending there.
conform to thofe which were like the
things,
How little Stipends thefe
great greatServants of
Old the Church, were opprefled, but yet contented
in the
pretended Indifferent Things, impofed
German Instrument called the Interim, namely withal, may be gathered from this one Story.
Semina Corrupt elx, the Seeds of Romijb Corru- The ungrateful Inhabitants of Lyn, one Year
Tis time for me now, without any fur- pafs'd a Town Vote, That they could not allow
ption.
ther Obfervation, to 3dd concerning our Whiting. their Minifters above Thirty Pounds apiece, that
His Vertuous Confort was far from difcouraging Year, for their Salary And behold, the God :
But in a Sermon after his Arrival, he thus which he much ask'd of God, that tho' lmall
exprelfed his Appreheniions and Confolations
:
Stones, with great Pains, often proceeded from
'
We in this Country have left our near and him, and he fcarce enjoy'd one Day of perfect
our dear Friends But if we can get nearer to
'
:
Eafe, after this, until he died yet it is not re-
-,
* God
here, he will be inftead of all, and more membred, that he was ever hindred thereby one
'
than all unto us He hath all the Fulnefs of
:
Day from his Publick Services. And whereas
it was
1
all the fweeteft Relations bound up in him. expected, both by himfelf and others,
L
We may take out of God, which we forfook that as he grew in Years, the Torments of his
Father, Mother, Brother, Sifter, Friends Malady would grow upon him,
'
in proved much it
that hath been as near, and as dear as our own otherwife the Torments and
'
Complaints of his
-,
«
Soul. Diftemper abated, as his Age increafed. At
k)
6. When he came afhore, his Friends at the length a Senile Atrophy came
upon him, with a
NewEnglifhBojion, with many of whom he had wafting Diarrhoea, which brought Lyn into Dark-
been acquainted in Lincoln-fhire, let him know nefs, Decemb. 11. 1679. in the Eighty third
how glad they were to fee him and having
-,
Year of his Peregrination.
lodged about a Month with his Kinfman, Mr. § 7. For his Learning he was many ways well
Adderton Haugh, he removed unto Lyn, the accomplilhed Efpecially he was accurate in
:
Church there inviting him to be their Pallor Hebrew , in which Primitive and Expreflive
-,
and in the Paftoral Care of that Flock, he fpent Language, he took much delight And he was :
all the reft of his Days. The Year following elegant in Latin, whereof among other Demon-
Mr. Thomas Cobbet followed him And foon
: ftrations he gave one, in an Oration at one of
after his Arrival at New-England, became his our Commencements And much of his vacant
:
in the Service of the Church at Lyn. Hours he employ'd in Hiftory Hiftory, which
Collegue, :
Great was the Love that fweetned the Labours, made good unto him her ancient Character :
and whole Converfation and Vicinity of thefe Omnh nunc nofiro pendet Prudentia Senfu,
Yelhw Labourers the
•, Rays with which they il
Riteque nil, nofira, qui caret Arte, fapir.
He
Book III. The Hijlory of New-England. 159
Hiftory, whofe great Votary Polybivs, truly af- ous Dunce, and mfplent as, a Female
Tyrant '>
ferts, Nulla hominibus facilior ad Vit.e Ififtitutio- proud and haughty in their Deportment'\ peevifh-.
ncm via ejl, quam Rerum ante gcflarum Ggnitio. f
petulant, and elf-willed, impatient of Gantradv
And he was no lefs a Man or" Temper, than of ffion, implacable in their Anger, rude and
impe-
Learning The peculiar Sweetnefs and Good-
: rious in all thar
Converfation, and made up of
nefs of his Temper, mud be an effential Stroke nothing but Prick , Malice and Peevifbnefs-
,
In Profperity he was not much elated, in Ad Ama Scientiam Script ur arum if)'Vitia Garnk non
verfity he
was not much dejected under Pro- Amabii i Thus by reading daily fevcral Chapters
-,
vocations he would fcorn to be provoked. When in both Teftamenfs of the Scriptures, with feri-
the Lord would not exprefs himfelf unto Elijah ous .and gracious Reflections thereupon,' which
in the Wind, nor in the Eatrhquake, nor in the he Hill followed with fecret Prayers he grew
Fire, hut in the ltill Voice, I futpecl, left one more holy continually, until in a flourifhing Old
thing intended among others, might be an Ad- Age, he was found tit for Tranfplantation.
monition unto the Prophet himfelf, to beware His Worfliip in his Family, was that which
of the hoifterous, uneven, inflamed Efforts^ here- argued him a true Child of Abraham and his -,
to his Natural Conftitution might be ready to Counfel to his Children, was grave, watchful,
betray him ufeful, favoury, and very memorable. And if
This worthy Man, as taking that Admoniti- Meditation ( which was one of Luther's Great
on, was for doing every thing with a ftili Voice. Things to make a Divine) be a thing of no lit-
He knew himfelf to be born, as all Men are, tle confequence to make a Ghriflian ,this muft be
with at leaft a Dozen Paflions ; but being alfo numbred among the Exercifes whereby our Habi-
new bom, he did not allow himfelf to be Hag- ting became very much improved in Chnfiianity.
ridden with the Enchantments thereof. The Meditation (which is Menti-s-Ditatio) daily en-
Philofopher of old, C3lfd our Paflions, by the riched his Mind with the DifpMirions of Hea-
jult
Name of unnurtured Dogs but thefe Dogs ven , and having a Walk for that purpofe in his
<
do often worry the Children of God themfelves Orchard, fome of his Flock that fawhim con-
-,
even a Great Luther, who removed the fouleft ftantly taking his Turns in that Walk, with
Abominatioits out of the Houfe of God, could Hand, and Eye, and Soul, often directed Heaven-
not hinder thefe Dogs from infecting of his own ward, would fay, There does our dear Paflor
Heart However, this excellent (becaufe cool, walk with God every Day.
:
therefore excellent) Spirited Perfon, kept thefe In fine, As the Apoflle Peter fays, They that
Dogs with a llrong Chain upon them ; and fince I obey not the Word, yet with Fear behold the chaft
Man was created with a Dominion ovet the Gonverfation of them who do. And as Ignatius
]
Beafts of the Field, he would not let the Sm&x defcribes the Paftor of the Trallians, for one of
1
ms4<V8h hold him in any Slavery. He liv'd as \fuch a SanQity of Life that the greateft Atheifl ,
under the Eye and Awe of the Great God ; and would have been afraid to have looted upon him .
as Bafl noted, Poteji Miles corurn Rege fuo non Even fo the Natural Confidence in the worii of
irafci, oh folum Regit majeflatis Eminent iam : Men, paid an Homage of Reverence to this Holy
Thus the Fear of God ftill reftrained him from Man, where-ever he came.
thofe Ebullitions of Wrath which other Men are 8. Tho' he fpent his Time chiefly in his be-
(j
too fearlefs of. As virulent a Pen as ever blot- hoved Study, yet he would fometimes Vifit his
ted Paper in the Englijh Nation, pretends to Flock ; but in his Vifit, he made Confcience of
obferve, That fome Men will pray with the Ar- entertaining his Neighbours with no Difcourfe
dours of an Angel, love God with
Raptures of but what fhould be grave, and wife, and profi-
Joy and Delight, be tranfported with deep and table ; as knowing that, §>uoe funt inOrePopuli
pathetick Devotions, talk of nothing but the un- Nugie, funt in Ore Paftoris Blafphemix. And
jpeakable Pie a fares oj'Communion with the Lord fometimes an Occafional Word let fall by him,
Jefm, be ravifhW with devout and feraphick hath had a notable EffecF Once particularly, :
Meditations of'Heaven\and like the blejj'ed in a Journey being at an Inn upon the Road, he
Spirits
there, feem to relifh nothing but Spiritual De-' over-heard certain People in the next Room, fo
lights and Entertainments : Who when they re- merry, as to be too loud and rude in their Mirth 9
turn from their Transfiguration, to their ordina- wherefore, as he
paffed by the Door, he look'd
ry Gonvcrfc imh Men, are churli/h as a Gynick, in upon them, and with a fweet Majefiy, only
•
jjajfionate as an angry Wafp, envious as a (iudt- :dropt thofe Words Friends, If you are fare thar
•.
X x x yout
\6o The Hiflory of New-England. Book III.
'
It is a
good Saying of one, That the Reading
and ufeful Speaker he was, we may gather from of many diverfe Heads, without fome interlaced
'
what we find him, when a Writer. Meditation, is like eating of Marrow without
There are efpecially two Books, wherein we
'
Bread. But he that fhall take time to
' paufe
have him yet living among us. In the Fate and upon what he reads (where great Truths are
'
Fire of Sodom, there was a notable Type of the but in few Words hinted atj with intermixed
Conflagration,ihn will arreft this polluted World '
Meditations and Ejaculations, fuitable to the
'
at the Day oj Judgment : And the famous Prayer Matter in hand, will find fuch Truths con-
of Abraham, (who as R. Bechai imagines, had
'
ple, and the Confolations of alafting Sabba- Warn all that value Worth, and every one
tifm :
Things to be
accomplifhed at the Second Within their Eyes to bring an Helicon.
Coming of our Lord. to Now
prepare for that For in this Jingle P erfon we have loft
Bleffednefs, thofe very things be required which
More Riches, than an India has engroft.
our Lord Jefus Chrift afterwards mentioned, in
the Twenty Chapter of Matthew, as the
fifth
When Wilfon, that Plerophory of Love,
Qualifications of thofe whom he will admit in- Did from our Banks, up to hisCenter move,
to his bleffed Kingdom. There feems, at lealt, a Rare Whiting quotes Columbus on this Coaft,
little Reafon for it, that at the Second Coming Producing Gems, of which a King might boafi
of our Lord Jefus Chrift, one of the firft things More fplendid far than ever Aaron wore,
will be a glorious Tranflation,wherein the Mem- Within his Breaft, this Sacred Father bore.
bers of Chriftian Churches will be call'd before Sound Doctrine XJrim, in his Holy Cell,
him, and be Examined, in order to the Deter- And all Pefeftions Thummim there did dwell.
mination of their State under the New Jerufa- His Holy Vefiure was his Innocence,
lem, that is to follow Either to take their part
: His Speech, Embroideries of curious Sence.
in the Glories of that City, and Kingdom, for Such awful Gravity this Dottor us'd,
the Tkoufand Tears to come, and by confequence As if an Angel every Word infus'd.
what enlues thereupon or •,
to be exiled into the No Turgent Ctile, but Afiatic Store ;
Confufions of them that are to be without. Conduits were almoft full, feldom run o're
Now tho' 'tis poffible, that whole Difcourfe of The Banks of Time : Come Vifit when you will,
our Lord, nextly refer to no no more than
may The Streams ofNeffar were defcending frill :
this Tranfaction, yet inafmuch as the generality Much like Septemfluous Nilus, rifing fo,
of Interpreters have carried it unto the more ge- He watered Chriftians round, and made them
neral and ultimate Proceedings of the laft Judg- grow.
His
Book HI. The Hi/lory of New-togland.
His modeft Whifpers could the Confcience reach, Without thofe Wilder Eccentricities,
As well as Whirlwinds, which fome others Which fpot the faireft Fields of Men moft
Wife.
preach ;
No Boanerges, yet could touch the Heart, In pleafant Places fall that
Peoples Line,
And clench his Doctrine by the meekefi Art. Who have but Shadows of Men thus Divine.
His Learning and his Language, might become Much more their Prefencc, and Heaven puree-
A Province not inferiour to Rome. ing Prayers,
Glorious was Europe's Heaven, when fuch as Thus many Years, to mind our Soul- Affairs.
thefe A poor eft
Soil oft has the Richeji Mine •,
Stars of his Size, (hone in each Diocefs. This Weighty Oar, poor Lyn was lately thine.
Wondrous Mercy But this Glorious Light
!
Who writ'ft the Fathers Lives, either make Hath left thee in the Terrors of the Night.
Room, New-England, didlt thou know this Mighty
Or with his Name begin your Second Lome. One.
Deep and fuch His Weight and Worth, thou'dft think
Ag'd Polycarp, Origen, thy felf
Whofe Worth your Quills your Wits not them,
;
undine :
enrich ; One of thy Golden Chariots, which among
Latfantius, Cyprian. Bafil too the Great,
TheClergy, render'd thee a Thoufand lfrong :
Quaint Jerom, Auftin of the foremoft Seat, One, who for Learning, Wifdom, Grace, and
'
With Ambrofe, and more of the Higheft Clafs, Years,
In CHRIST'S great School, with Honour, I let Among the Levites hath not many Peers:
pafs; One, yet with God a Kind of Heavenly Band,
And humbly pay my Debt to Whiting's Ghoft, Who did whole Regiments of Woes withftand :
Of whom both Englands, may with Reafon One, that prevail'd with Heaven ;
One greatly
boaft. mift
Nations for Men of LelTer Worth have firove, On Earth ; be gain'd of Chrift whate'er he lift :
To have the Fame, and, in Tranfports of Love, One of a World $ who was both born and bred
Built Temples, or fix'd Statues of pure Gold, At Wifdom's Feet, hard by the Fountain's Head.
And their valt Worth to After- Ages told. The Lqfs of fuch an One, would fetch a Tear,
His Modefty forbad fo fair a Tomb, From Niobe her felf if fhe were here.
Who in Tea Thoufand Hearts obtain'd.a Room.
What qualifies our Grief centers in This,
What fweet Compofures inhis Angels Face ! Be our Lofs near fo Great, the Gain is bis.
What foft Affeftions , Melting Gleams of
Grace !
X x x CHAP,
l62 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book 111.
CHAP. XXIX.
I 'c
tuft as judicavit honcflum, ut Mortui Laudarentur. Thucid.
Great Athanafius, whom fome.val from the Colledgc, in a little time occafioti-
§ i.^TpHAT
JL of the Ancients juftly called, Propug-'eA alfo his Removal from the Kingdom for -,
naculum Veritatis, others Lumen Ecclefi£, others upon Mature Deliberation, after extraordinary
Orbis Oraculum, is in the Funeral Oration of AddrelTes to Heaven for Direction, he embark'd
j
Gregory Nazianzen, on him fo fet forth : To himfelr, with feveral Famous who Divines,
Commend Athanafius, is to prai/eVertue it /elf. came over in the Year 1634- hoping that by go-
My Pen isnow falling upon the Memory of a ing over the Water, they lhould in this be like
Perfon, whom, if I mould not commend unto Men going under the Earth, lodg'd where the
the Church of God, I fhould refufe to praife Wicked would cea/e jrom Troubling and the
Vcrtue it felf, with Learning, Wifdom, and all Weary be at Reft.
the Qualities that would render any Perfon § 4. So much was Religion theFirft /ought,
Amiable. 1 fhall proceed then with the Endea- of the Firft come, into this Country, that they
vour of my Pen, to Immortalize his Memory, folemnly offer'd up their Praifes unto him that
that the Signification of the Name Athanafius, Inhabits the Praifes
of 1/rael, before they had
may belong unto him, as much as the Grace provided habitations, wherein to offer thofe
lor' which that great Man was Exemplary. Praifes. Day of Thankfgiving was now kept A
by the Chriftians of a New hive, here called
§ 2. Mr. John Sherman was bom of Godly Water-Town, under a Tree; 9s which Thankf- ,
and Worthy Parents, Decemb. 26. 1613. in the giving, Mr. Sherman preached his Firft Sermon,
Town of Dedham, in the County of EjJ'ex. as an Afliftant unto Mr. Philips There being .-
While he was yet a Child, the Inftrucf ion of prefent many other Divines, who wondred ex-
his Parents, joined with the Miniftry of the ceedingly to hear a Subjecf fo accurately and
Famous Rogers, produced in him, that Early excellently handled by one that had never be-
Remembrance of his Creator, which more than fore performed any fuch publick Exercife.
a little encourag'd them to purfue and expeel § 5. He continued not many Weeks at Water-
the Good Effe£t s of the Dedication, which they town, before he removed, upon Mature Advice,
had made of him, unto the Service of the Lord unto New-haven where he preached occafio- -,
Jems Chrift, in the Work of the Gofpel. His nally in moft of the Towns then belonging to
Education at School was under a Learned Ma- that Colony But with fuch deferved Accep- :
his Turn came to be a Graduate, he ferioufly ferved the Publick, with an Exemplary Dif
confidered the Subfcription required of him cretion and Fidelity, until a frefh Opportunity
:
And upon Invincible Arguments, became fo for the Exercife of his Miniftry, within Two
dilfitisfied therewithal, that advifing with Mr. or Three Years, offered it felt ; and then all
Rjgers, Dr. Prcfton, and other eminent Perfons, the Importunity ufed by the Governour and
who commending his Confcientious Confidera- Affiftents, to fatten him among themfelves,
tion, counfelled his Remove, he went away could not prevail with him to Look back from
under the Perfccuted Character of a Colledge- that Plow.
Puritun. The fame that occafioned his Remo-
Oar
Book III. The Hiftory of New-England. i6j
Our Land has enjoyed the Influences of many becoming Ingenuity, given them to
understand.
accomplished Men, who from Candidates of That it was an Art, which it would hurt none
the Miniftry, have become our Magi ft-rates ; of them to learn, yet his Difcourfe h?d a rare
but this Excellent Man, is the only Example Conjunction of Profit and
Pleafure in it.
among us, who left a Bench of our Magi- He was Witty and yet Wife, and
Grave, car-
Urates, to become a painful Servant of the rying a Majefty in his Countenance and very ;
Lord Jefus Chrift in the Work of the Miniftry. much vifited for Council, in
weighty Cafes 5
Neverthelefs, he that beholds Jofeph of An- and when he delivered his
Judgment in any
mathm, a Counfellour of Stite, Ambrofe the Matter, there was little or nothing to be
Ipoken
Conful q{~ MilLiin, George the Prince of An- by others after him.
a Noble Antiochean, John a
halt, Cbryfojtom, § 8. It is a Remark, which Melchior Adam
Lajco, a Noble Polonian, all becoming the has in the Life of his Excellent
Pitifcus h Illud
plain Preachers of the Golpel, will not think mirandum, quod Homo Theologus, in Mathe-
that Mr. Sherman herein either fufrered a De- matum Jiudiis, nullo hift fe Magiflro, eo
ufq-,
gradation, or was without a Pattern. progreffus eft, ut Editis Scripts, Difciplinx
§ 6. Upon the Death of Mr. Philips at Wa- illius Gloriam, magnk Mathefeos Profefforibus
'
tertown, Mr. Sherman was addreffed by the prsrtpuent : And it might be well applied un-
Church there, to fucceed him ^ and he accepted to our Eminent Sherman, who
though he were
the Charge of that Church, although at the
iConfummate Divine, and a Continual Preacher^
fame time, one of the Churches at Bofton, ufed yet making the Matbemaiicks his
Dwerfwn, dia
their Endeavours to become the Owner of fo attain unto fuch an
Incomparable Skill therein,
well Talented a Perfon, and feveral Churches that he was one of the beft
undoubtedly Ala-
in London alfo, by Letters much urged him to thematicians that ever lived in this
Hemifpherc
Come over and help them. And now, being in of the World, and it is
great Pity tha<- the
the Neighbourhood oi Cambridge, he was iike- World fhould be deprived of the Agronomical
wife chofen a Fellow of Harvard College there ; Calculations, which he has left in
Manufcript
in which place he continued unto his Death, behind him. Itfeems, that Men of great Parts
doing many Good Offices for that Society. may, as it is obferved by that great Inftance
Nor was only as a Fellow of the College, that
it
thereof, Mr.
Boyle, fucceifwely apply themfelves
he was a Bleffing, but alfo as he was in fome to more than one Thus the
Study. Copernicus
fort a Preacher to it For his Leflures being
:
Aftronomer, eternized like the very Stars, by
held for the moft part once a Fortnight, in his New
Syftem of them, was a Church-man ^
the Vicinage, for more than Thirty Years to- and his Learned Champion
Lansbergius, was a
gether, many of the Scholars attending thereon, Minifter. Gaffendus was a Doctor of Divi-
did juftly acknowledge the Durable and Abun-
nity ; Clavius too was a Do£tor of Divinity h
dant Advantage which they had from thofe nor will the Names of thofe
Englifh Doaors,
Lectures. and Barrow, be forgotten fo
Wallis, Wilkins,
§ 7. His Intellectual Abilities, whether Na- long as that Learning which is to be called
tural or Acquired, were fuch as to render him Real, has any Friends in the Englifh Nation :
Thus our Sherman was more concerned for, and continued unto thee, by the Eternal God. Three Of
more employed in anAcquaintance with the hundred fixty five Days, allowed by the making
Heavenly Seats of the Bleiied, than with the up of this Year, which fball be thy la ft, thou know-
Motions of the Heavenly Bodies. He did not fo eft not ; but that any of them may be it, thou
much ufe a Jacob's Staff in Obfervations, as wghteji to know, andjo confider, that thou may-
he was in Supplications a true Jacob himielf. efi pafs the Time of thy Sojourning here with
He was a Perfon of a molt Heavenly Dijpofiiwn Fear.
and Converfation Heavenly in his Words, Hea- § 10. Behold him either in the Lord's Houfe,
in .his Defigns or in his own, of both which a Well Government
venly in his Thoughts, Heavenly
and Defires 5 few in the World had fomuch of is
joined in the Demands of the Apoftle, and
Heaven upon Earth. He was a moff Practical we may behold both of them after an exemplary
Commentary' upon thofe Words of thePiaimiff, manner ordered. In his Miniflry he was
Judi-
Mine Eyes are ever towards the Lord: And thofe cious, Induflrious, Faithful a moft curious Ex-
-,
of the Apoftle, Keep your J elves in the Love of positor of Scripture, and one that fed us with
God. the fattell Marrow of Divinity. And there was
As the Scriptures are the Firmament, which one thing in his Preaching, which procured it a
God hath expanded over the Spiritual World, fo lingular admiration 5 this was a natural, and
this good Man u (bally f'pent an Hour every not affected Loftinefs of Stile ; which with an
Morning, in entertaining hiimfdf wUkihtLights eafie Fluency befpangled his Difcourfes with
that are "mining there. Befides this, with Me fiich glittering Figures of Oratory, ascaufed his
dilations on GJ, Chnfi. and Heaven, he fell a- abieft Hearers, to call him a Second Ifaiah, the
lieep at Night ;'dnd
with the like Meditations Honey. dropping, and Golden mouthed Preacher.
he woke and role in the Mornings and Prayer But among the SuccefTes of his Conduct in his
was therefore the firft and laft of his Daily Miniftry, there was none more notable than the
Works. Yea, had any one caft a Look upon Peace, which by God's Blefling upon his Wif-
him, not only abroad in Company, but alfo in dom and Meeknefs, more than any other things
his clofeft Retirement, they would have feen was preferved in his populous Town, as long as
Icarce a Minute pafs him, without a Turn of he lived, notwithftanding many Temptations
his Eye towards Heaven, whereto his Heaven- unto Differences, among the good* People there.
touched Heart was carrying of him, with its From thence let us follow him to his Family,
continual Vergencies. And as the Stars, they and there we law him with much Discretion,
Wiy, may be feen from the bottom of a Well, maintaining both Fear and Love, in thofe that
when the Day light in higher places hinders the belong'd unto him, and a zealous Care to up-
this worthy Man, who faw hold Religion among them. The Duties of
fight thereof; fo
more not only of the Stars in Heaven, but alfo Reading, Praying, Singing, and Gncchifing, were
of the Heaven beyond the Stars, than molt o eonftantly obferved, and Sermons repeated. And
ther Men, was one, who, in his Humility, laid he was, above all; a great Lover, and ftricF
himielf low, even to a Fault and he had bu- Keeper of the Chnjlian Sabbath
•, -,
in the very
ried himfelf in the Obfcurity of his Receffes Evening of which
approaching, he would not
and Retirements, if others that knew his worth, allow any Worldly Matter to difturb, or divert
had not fometimes ietch'd him forth to more the Exercifes of Piety withm his Gates.
publick Action. §ij. He was twice married. By his Firji
The Name Defcentim, which I found worn Wife, rhe Vertuous Daughter of Parents therein
by an eminent Perfon, among the Primitive reiembled by her, he had Six Children. But his
Chriftians, I thought proper lor this eminent next Wife was a young Gentlewoman whom he
Perfon , when I have confidered the Conde- chofe from under the Guardianfljip, and with
fcenfion of his whole Deportment- And, me the Countenance of Edward Hopkins, Efq-, the
it was an Inftance of thisCondefcenfion, excellent Governour of Connecticut. She W3S a
thought
that this Great Man would fometimes give the Perfon of good Education, and Reputation, and
Country an Almanack , which yet he made an honourably defcended ; being the Daughter of
Opportunity to do good, by adding at the end a Puritan Gentleman, whofe Name was Launce,
of the Compoiures thofe Holy Refieffions,whkh and whofe Lands in Cornzval yielded him Four-
taught good Men how to recover that little, but teen hundred Pounds a Year. He was a Parlia-
that com ment-man, a Man learned and pious, and a no-
fpreading thing, the Almanack, from
mon Abufe, of being an Engine to convey only table Difputant ; but once difputing againft the
filly hnpertinencies,
or ImfaiSuperJtitions, into Englifh Epifcopacy (as not being ignorant of
almoft every Cottage of the Wildernefs. One what is affirmed by Contzcn the Jefuite, in his
of thofe Refledwns 1 will recite, becaufe it lively Politicks, That were all England brought once to
expreffed the holy Sence of Death, in which the approve tffBilhops, it were cafe to reduce it un-
to the Church of
Author daily lived :
Rome,) he was worfted by fuch
Let me intreat one thing of thee, and J will ad a way of maintaining the Argument, as was
thought
BookTTT The Hiftory of New~fcnglan&
thought agreeable
that is, by a Wound in the
-, § 12. He had the rare Felicity to grow like the
Side, from his iurious Antagonift of which •, Lilly,
as long as he lived ; and
enjoy a ffourilh-
Wound at laft he died. The Wife of that Gen- ing, and perhaps increafing Liveliness of his Fa-
tleman was Daughter to the Lord Darcy, who culties, until he died. Such Keennefs of Wit,
of Rivers a Perfon of a fuch Soundnefs of Judgment , fuch
was Earl -, Protefiant, Fulnefs of
and Punt.in Religion, tho' of a Popijh Family, Matter, and fuch Vigtur of Language, is rarely
and one that after the Murder of her former feen in Old Age, as was to be feen in
him, when
Husband, Mr. Launce, had for her Second Huf he was old.
band the famous Mr. Sympfon. But by the The Sermon which he ever preached, was
laft
Attestations of a Married Cou- found opportunity to return unto his own Houfe
brings undeniable
who in one Wedlock were Parents to Fifty at Water-Town. But his Fever then
ple, renewing
three Children, at Thirty five Births brought into upon him, it prevailed fo far, that he foofi ex-
the World: Somewhat fhort of that, but not pired his holy Soul ; which he did with Expref-
fhort of Wonder, is a late Inftance of one Mo- fions of abundant Faith, Joy, and Refignation,
that has forth no lefs than
brought on a S^Wflv-Evening, entring on his Eternal
Thirty
ther,
nine Children, the 'Thirty fifth of whom, was Sabbath, Augujl 8. 1685. Aged Seventy two.
Perfons of Honour and
lately difcourfed by
Credit, from whom I had it. Altho' New>
England has no Inftances of fuch a Polytokie, yet
it has had Inftances of what has been remarka-
Sons, and Five Daughters. Now into the Cata- And annex that of Altenburg upon Cefius.
the fides of the
logue of fuch fruitful Vines by
Mrs. Sherman, to
Houfe, is this Gentlewoman,
be enumerated. Behold, thus wot our Sherman, Qui curfum Aftrorum vivens Indagim
that Eminent Fearer of the Lord, Blejfed of multh
him. £H£fivit, coram nunc ea cermit ovane.
CHAP. XXX.
§ 1. TN the Old Church of Ifrael we find a pounders, as well as thePrefervers of the Scri-
JL confiderable Sort and Sett of Men, that pture. But one of the principle Scribes enjoy'd
were called, The Scribes of the People : Whofe by the People of New-England, was Mr. Tliotnai
Office it was, not only to Copy out the Bible,Cobbet, who wrote more Books than the moft of
for fuch as defired a with fuch the Divines , which did their parts to make a
Copy thereof,
Exa£tnefs, that the Myfteries occurring, even KirjathSepher of this Wildernefs-, in every one
in the leaft Vowels and Accents of it,
might of which he apprOv'd himfelf one of the Scribes
not be loft, but alfo to be the more Publick mention'd by ourSaviour,from his richTreafure
Preachers of the Law, and common and conftant bringing forth Inftruct ions, both out of the New
Pulpit-Men ; taking upon them to be the Ex- Teftament, and out of the Old,
§ 2. Our
166 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III
Newbury, long enough before our New England\ he did in a Large, Nervous, Golden Difcouric
had a Town of that Name, or indeed had any Of Prayer. But that the Second Command
fuch thing as a Town at all ; namely, in the ment, as well as the Firft might not be unler-
Year 1608. And altho his Parents, who after ved by him, there were divers Difapl'mary
wards came alfo to NewEngland, were fo de- Trails, which he publickly offered nnto the
ftitute of Worldly Grandure, that he might Church of God. He Printed upon the Duty of
the Civil Magiftrate, in the Point of Toleration
fay, as divers of
the Jewilh Rabin's tell us,
the Words a Point then much Debated, and not
of Gideon may be Read, Behold, my yet every
father it Poor, yet this their Son was Great nefs where Decided; whereto he annexed a Vindi-
to render one Family memorable. Rea- cation of the Government of New-England
enough
der, we are to defcribe, from the Afperfions of fome, who
thought
themfelves perfecuted under it.
Ingenua de plebe Virumy fed Vita Fidefq-, He was likewife a Learned and a Lively De-
Inculpata fuit. fender of Infant- Bapt ifm, and he gave the
World an Elaborate Compofure, on that Sub
And remember the Words of Seneca, ex cafa je£t, on the Occafion whereof Mr. Cotton, in
etiam Virum magnum prodire poffe. his Incomparable Preface to a Book of Mr.
the Name of Cobbet Venerable, "in tliefe Ame- bros quos potuit, ex Anabapti/larum penu, con-
rican Parts of the World, whether there were gcjfit j Rationum Momenta (^ualia iterant) in f
the Anions of any Anpdtors or no, to fignalize Lance Saniluarii trutinavit Teftimomorum •,
it. A Good Education having prepared him Plauflra, qux ab aliis congefla fucrant, fedulo
for he became an Oxford Scholar, and re
it, perquifivit (ff pro eo, quo floret, Difputandi
;
moving from Oxford in the Time of a Plague Acumine, Dijudicandi folertia, folida mult a,
other young Men,
r3ging there, he did, with paucis Complettendi Dexteritate atq-, Indefejfo
become a Pupil to Famous Dr. Twifs at New- Lahore, nihil pene Intent at um reliquit, quod vel
He was, after this, a Preacher at a ad Veritatem, in hac Caufa llluflrandam, vel ad
bury.
fmall Place in Lincoln/hire ; from whence, be- Errorum ]\iebulai Dijcutiendat,
atq-, Difpcllen-
ing driven by a Storm of Perfection upon the ias, conduceret.
Reforming and Puritan Part of the Nation, he Reader, To receive fo much Commemora-
came over unto New-England, in the fame tion from fo Reverend and Renowned a Pen, is
VeiTel with Mr. Davenport coming to New- to have One's Life, fuffkiently written If : is
England, his Old Friend Mr. Whiting of Lyn needlefs for me to proceed any further, in fer-
exprefled his Friendfhip, with Endeavours
to ying the Memory of Mr. Cobbet.
obtain and to enjoy his AfTtftance, as a Col
legue, in the Paltoral Charge
of the Church § 4. And yet there is one thing, which my
there ; where they continued Fratrum Dulce poor Pen may not leave unmentioned. Of all
Norton the Books written by Mr. Cobbet, none deferves
Par, until upon the Removal of Mr.
he was more to be Read by the World, or to Live till
toBofton, and of Mr. Rogers to Heaven,
Tranflated unto the Church of Ipfwich-, with the General Burning of the World, than that
which he continued in the Faithful Difcharge Of Prayer: And indeed Prayer, the Subject fo
of his Miniftry, until his Reception of the Experimentally, and therefore Judicwufly, there-
Crown of Life at his Death, about the Begin- fore Profitably, therein handled, was not the
he leaft of thofe things, for which Mr. Cobbet
ning of the Year i6%6. Then 'twas, that was
was (to fpeak Jewifhly) Treafur'dup. Remarkable. He was a very Praying Alan, and
his Prayers were not more obfervable through-
The Witty Epigrammatift hath out New-England for the Argumentative, the
told
§ 3.
I had almolt
Importunate, and
us. faid, Filially Fa-
miliar, Strains of them, than for the wonder-
Qui dignos Ipfi Vita fenpfere Libellos, ful Succefjes that attended them. It was a Good
lllorum Vitam fcribere non Opus eft. Saying of the Ancient, Homine probe Orantc ni-
hil pot entius ; and it was a Great Saying of the
And we might therefore make the Story of this Reformer, Eft qufdam Precitm Ommpotcnua.
Worthy Man's Life, to be but an Account of Our Cobbet might certainly make aconfidenble
the Immortal Books, wherein he lives after he Figure in the Catalogue of thofe Eminent Saints,
is Dead. What Mr. Cobbet was, the Reader whole Experiences having notably Exemplified,
may gather by Reading a very Savoury Trea- The Power of Prayer, unto the World. Thar
tife of his, upon the Fifth Commandment. But Golden Cham, one End whereof is tied unto the
that he might ferve both Tables of the Law, he 'Tongue of Alan, the other End unto the Ear ,.f
was willing to writs fomething upon the Firft God ('which is as Juji, as Qte, a KefemLiiiig
or'
Book III. The Hijloxy of New-England. \&1
of Prayer) our Cobbet was always pulling ar, Land, that the Enemies of New-England owed
and he often pull'd unto fuch Marvellous pur- the wondrous Dilaffers and Confulions that
with only noting thus much, That it was ge- Sequere, Si Pelicitatem Optes.
nerally fuppofed among the pious People in the
CHAP. XXXI.
fuch a one had not a Statue ereffed for him ? Than Enquiry go for part of one. And we will pay
to have it enquired, Why he had ? Mr. Natha- our Debt unto his Worthy Son.
§ 2. Mr. John Ward was Born, I think, at
nael Ward, born at Haverhil, in EJfex, about
1 570. was bred a
Scholar, and was firit Intended Haverhil, on Nov. 5. i6o<5. —
His Grand- —
and Employed for the Study of the Law. But father was that John Ward, the Worthy Mini-
afterwards travelling with certain Merchants fter of Haverhil, whom we find among The
into Pruffia and Denmark, and having Difcourfe Worthies of England , and his Father was the
with David Partus, at Heidelberg, from whom Celebrated Nathanael Ward, wbofe Wit made
he received much Direction ; at his return into him known to more Englands than one. Where
England, he became a Minilfer of the Gofpel, his Education was, I have not been informed ;
and had a Living at Stondon. In the Year 1 634. the firft Notice of him that occurs to me, being
he was driven out of England, for his Non- in the Year 1639. When he came over into
Conformity; and coming to New-England, he thefe Parts of America and fettled there in -,
continued ferving the Church of lpfwich, till the Year 11541. in a Town alfo called Haverhil.
the Year 1645. When returning back to Eng- But What it was, every Body that faw him,
land, he fettled at Sheffield, near Brentwood faw it in the Effefls of it, that it was Learned,
-,
and there he ended his Days, when he was Ingenuous, and Religious. He was a Perfon
about Eighty Three Years of Age. He was the of a Quick Apprehenfion, a clear Understand-
Author of many Compofures full of Wit, and ing, a (frong Memory, a facetious Conversation -,
Senfe-, among which, that Entituled, The Sim- he was an exact Grammarian, an expert Phy-
ple Cabler (which demonftrated him to be a \fician, and which was the Top of all, a tho-
Subtil State/man) was moft confidered. If it rough Divine: But, which rarely happens,
Y y y thefe
768 The Hi/lory of New- England. Book 111
fantly compare her to an Accujing Confidence, off, bringing up the Rear of ourFirft Genera-
yet (he ever plea/ed him wonderfully And fhe tion.
:
Jome'vfi them will be catf W'fb'e ..eisofthe Oxonienfi, Patre Infigni Theologo.
G"jpel 5 nevertheless, thro' his Humility and AGroMatre Pia Matrona, Oriundus :
Morum
book 111. The Hiftory of New-England. 169
Morum Elegant Li, 8c Lepore I/inocuo, I
Pari, fi non Aninn Prsfentii ;
8c Superiore,
Omnibus quibufcum converfatus eft, Gra Concionum, quas, ad Verbum, tot as Chartis
:
tijjlmm commifit,
Donorum pari, Gratiarumque Eminentia Ne verbum quidem vel carptim,8cftringente oculo
potilTimum in Pretio habitus, 8cLY//V/'*s,
lis Inter Prardicandum LeSitavit :
Quibus, fincera,Ctf>\e erat,C?n%;Religio Sed omnia, Suo primum Impreffa alrids Pe£tori,
:
Lite/is natus, Literis innutritus, To- Auditorum Animis, Cordtbufq^ potentius ingeffit :
tufque Dedans, Nee Orandi, minus, qu?.m Perorandi, Donis In-
Donee Animal a plane evafit Bibliotbeca : ftru&us ;
Authoribus C/j///Vat, qua G/\tcis,quz Latinis, Miniftri vere Evangilici Omnes complevit Nu-
Sub Edv. S;lveJiro t Schola: Private Oxonii Mo- meros :
Tarn in
Palsftrd, quam Pulpito, Domi
natus eft.
Yyy 'Qtrttt--
!7o The Hiflory of New-England. Book IJJ.
THE
7 RIVMT HS of the Reformed Religion wAmerica:
or, THE
LIFE of the Renowned John Eliot ;
NOT ONLY
As an Eminent Chriftian, and an Excellent Minifter among the Ettglijh ;
-> '
<'
F ffayd by C TT N MATHER.
'Ov yb wyiv
omov, X^y^-n^jTwrnDv tpyav j£ owwipo^aw SbyfActTtov
70 kM&, 7ntfj^&iv \Jsro ^ A«9n$
miXifjuivQv : i. e. Exiftimavi, haud fine fcelere fieri potuifle,
ut fa&orum fplendidifli-
h '-
morum, &
1
1
^—»^ '
tm*mmm
1 urn —
utilium Narrationum gloria, Oblivioni traderetur.
"
Theodorit.
— ,
—-
Blejfcd is that Servant,
whom his Lord, when he comcth, Jhall find fo doing.
May it pie
afe your Lord/hip,
'
be confidered that fome Evangelical and one fo excellent for Love to God, as
it
'
your Lord-
v^/foZ/td/Hiftoriesof theNewTeframent, fhip is known to be And one upon this Ac- :
were by the Direction of the Holy Spirit count only, an unmeet Subject for the Praifes of
IF himfelf, Dedicated unto a Perfon of Qua- the obfcure Pen which now writes, that §>uis
j
iity,
and that the Noble Perfon addreffed with Vituperat ? I do not, I dare not, fo' far intrude
Otic -^ch Dedication, entertained it with Re- upon your Honour, as to ask your
!
Patronage
merits that encouraged his dear huciliui to unto all the Aew Englijh Principles and Pra&i-
make a Second, the World will be fatisfy'd that ces, which are found in the Character of our
I do a thing but reafonable and agreeable, when Celebrated Eliot ; for as the diftance of a thou-
unto a Narrative of many Evangelical'and Apo fand Leagues, has made it impoffible for me to
(iolical Affairs, I prefume to prefix the Name of attend the (ufual) Orders and Manners of asking
firft
Book III. i be
Hiftory of New-Fngland. 175
your Allowance for
firft
whar I have openly en- the Succefs of the Go/pel among the Indians in
titledyou unto fo the Renowned,
•,
Eliot is gone New -England.
Occafions for the greatelt Humane
beyond any
patronage.
My Lord,
In one Eliot you fee what a
People 'tis,that you
But which has procured unto your Lord-
that have counted worthy of your Notice, and what a
the Trouble of this Dedication, is, my De- People 'tis, that with ardent Prayers befpeak the
fhip,
fire to give you the Picture of une Aged Saint, Mercies of Heaven foryourNoble Family. Indeed
lately gone
to that General Affembly, which the it is
impoflible that a Country fo full as New-
Eternal King of Heaven, by the Advances of England \s, of what is tru'y Primitive, fhould not
the way of Right eoufnefs, does
your own Age in
be expofed unto the bittereft Enmity and Ca-
quickly Summon your felf unto the profound lumny of thofe, that will ftrive to entangle the
our Eliot had for your Honour, Church in a Sardian Unreformednefs, until our
Refpeft which
will doubtlefs be anfwered and requited with Lord Jefus do fhortly make them know, that he
your own Value for the Memory of fuch a me- has loved, what they have hated, maligned,
morable Chripan, Minifter, and Evangelijl; in perfecuted. But if the God of New-England
afmuch as your Affe&ions, like his, take not have inclined any Great Perfonage, to intercede,
their Meafures from thefe or thofe Matters of or interpofe, for the prevention of the Ruines
No Man ever complained of it, that in the thing that calls for our moft feniible Acknow-
Works of Chryjofiom, we find feven Orations not ledgments.
far afunder, in Commendation of Paid : Nor
is it any Fault that I have now written One, in an odd Superjlition which the Indians of
It is
Commendation of a Man whom a Pauline Spi- this Country have among them, that they count
rit had made IUuftrious. In defcribing him, I it (on the Penalty of otherwile never profper-
have made but little Touches upon his Paren- ing more J neceffary for rhem ,
never to pafs
tage and Family, becaufe
as the truly Great by the Graves of certain famous Perfons a-
Bafil excufes his Omiflion of thofe Things, in mong them, without laying and leaving fome
his Oration upon Gordius the Martyr, Ecclefia Token of Regard thereupon. But we hope,
hac tanquam fupervacua dimittit. But I have that all true Proteftants, will count it no more
related thofe Things of him, which cannot but than what is equal and proper, that the Land
create a good Efteem of
for him, in the Breaft which has in it, the Grave of fuch a remark-
your Lordfhip, who and Ancient
are a faithful able Preacher to the Indians, as our EL 10 T,
Witnefs againft thofe Diftempers of the World, fhould be Treated with fuch a Love , as a
whereby (as the bleffed Salvian lamented it) Co-, Jerufalem ufes to find from them that are to
gimur ejfe Tiles, ut Mobiles habeamur : And raife profper.
the Sweetnefs of your Thoughts upon your Ap-
proaches ; which may our God
make both flow Uponthat Score then, let my Lord accept a
and lure, unto that State which cannot be Prefent, from, and for a remote Corner in the
moved. But if I may more ingenoufly cOnfefs New World, where God is praifed on your be-
the whole Ground and Caufe of this Dedication, half ; a fmall Prefent made by the Hand of a
I muft own, 'tis to pay a part of a Debt : A rude American, who has nothing to recommend
Debt under, which you have laid my Country, him unto your Lordfhip, except this, That he
. when you did with your own Honourable'Hand, is the Son of one whom you have admitted unto
prefent unto His Majefty, the fame Account, your Favours ; and that he is ambitious to wear
which I have here again publifhed, Concerning the Title of,
My LORD,
lour Lordfbifs mod Humble,
Cotton Mather-
*7 A. The Hi/lory of New- England. Book III.
THE
INTRODUCTION.
T Was a very furprifing as well as an un
among us, one appearing in the Spirit of a Mofes
j -,
doubted Accident which happened with and it is not the Grave, but the Life of fuch a
in the Memory of Millions yet alive, Mofes, that we value our Jelves upon being the
when (an the Learned Hormws has Owners of.
depths and Rocks whereof, rendred it almofl in- us, The Righteous lhall be had in everlafting
acceffible ; in which there icon a Cave of inex- Remembrance : / am
attempting to write the
prejjible Sweetnefs,
and in that Cave WiU a Se- Life of a Righteous Perfon,
concerning whom all
pulchre, that had very difficult OmraUers upon things, but the mcannefs of the Writer, invite
The Patriarchs of the Maronites thereabouts the Reader to
it. expett nothing fave what is truly
inhabiting, procured fome Learned Perfons
to
extraordinary. Tis the Life of One who bar
take Notice, and make Report of this Curiofity, better and greater Things to be affirmed of him,
who found the Infcription of the Graveftone to than could ever be reported concerning any of
be in the Hebrew Language and Letter ; Mofes, thqfe famous Men, which have been celebrated
the Servant of the Lord. by the Pens of a Plutarch, a Pliny, a Laerti-
us, an Eunapius, or in any Pagan Hijfcries.
The Jewsjhe Gxedk$,and the Roman Catholics 'T/> the Life of one whofe Character
might very
thereabouts, were all together by the Ears, for the agreeably be look'd for , among the Colle&ions
this Rarity, but the Turks as quickly of a Dorotheus, or the Orations of a Nazian-
Poffejfion of
laid Claim unto it, andfirongly guarded it Never* zen ; or is worthy at leapt of nothing lefs than
thelefs, the Jefuites found
a way by Tricks and the exquifite Stile of a Melchior to e-
Adam,
Bribes, to engage the Turkifh Guards into a Con- ternize it.
the tranfporting of the in-
spiracy with them, for
clofed and renowned Afhes into Europe ; but when If it be, as it is, a true AJfertion, That the
they opened
the Grave, there was no Body, nor lea ft Exercife of true
Faith, or Love, towards
fo much at a Relick there. While they were un God, in Chrift, is a more glorious thing than
der the Confufion of this Difappointment , a all the Triumphs of a Csfar, there mufl be
Turkifh General came upon them, and cut them fomething very confiderable, in the Life of one
all to pieces ; therewithal taking a Courfe never who /pent fever al Scores of Tears in fuch Exer-
to have that place vifited any more. But the cifes ; ana of one, in the mention of
whofe At~
Scholars of the Orient prefently made this a chievements, we may alfo recount, that he
fought
Theme which they talked and wrote much upon : the Devil in (once) his American Territories,
And whether this were the true Sepulchre of till he had recovered no fmall Party of his old
Mofes, was a Quejtion upon which many Books Subiefls and Vaffals out of his cruel hands it -,
P R E L I M I-
Book III. 7 be Hifiory of New-England. 175
PRELIMINARY L
The Birth,Age,WFamilyo/' Mr. ELIOT.
HE
T
i
Infpired Mofes, relating the Lives She was a Woman very eminent, both for Ho-
of thole Ami Diluvian Patriarchs, in linefs and Ufcfulnejs, and (he excelled mod of
whom the Church of God, and Line the Daughters that have done
vertuoufly. Her
of Chrift was continued, through the Name was Anne, and Gracious was her Nature.
firft Sixteen hundred Years of Time, recites little God made her a rich Blefling, not only to het
but their Birth, and their Age, and their Death, Family, but alfo to her Neighbourhood ; and when
and their So/is and Daughters. If thofe Arti- at laft (he died, I heard and faw her Aged
cles would fatisfie the Appetites and Enquiries Husband, who elfe very rarely wept, yet now
of fuch as come to read the Life of our Eliot, with Tears over the Coffin, before the Good
we fhall foon have difpatch'd the Work now People , a valt Confluence of which were
upon our Hands. come to her Funeral, lay, Here lies
my dear,
The Age, with the Death of this Worthy faithful, pious, prudent, prayerful Wife ;
I fhall
Man, has been already terminated, in the Nine- go to her, andfhe not return
to me. Reader My
tieth Year of the prefent Century, and the Eighty will of his own
accord excufe me, from be-
fixth Year of his own Pilgrimage. And for his ftowing any further Epitaphs upon that gracious
Birth, it was at a Town in England -,
the Name Woman.
whereof cannot ptefently recover ; nor is it
I By her did God give him fix worthy Children,
neceffary for me to look back fo far as the place Children of a Character which may forever flop
of his Nativity ; any more than 'tis for me to the Mouths of thofe Antichriftian Blafphcmers,
recite the Vertues of his Parentage, of which who have fet a falfe Brand of Difalterand In-
he faid, Vixea noftra voco : Tho* indeed the pi- famy, on the Off fpring of a Married Clergy.
ous Education which they gave him, caufed him His Firff born was a Daughter, born Sept. 17,
in his Age, to write thefe Words I do fee that
: A. C. 1633. This Gentlewoman is yet alive,
it was a great Favour of God unto me, tofeafon and one well approven for her Piety and Gravi-
my firft Times with the fear of God, the Word, ty. His next was a Son^ born Aug. 31. A. C.
and Prayer. 16315. He bore his Father's Name, and had his
The Atlantick Ocean, like a River of Lethe, Fathers Grace. He was a Perfon of notable
may eafily caufe us to forget many of the things AccomplifTiments, and a lively, zealous, acute,
that happened on the other fide. Indeed the Preacher, not only to the Englifh at New Gam-
Nativity of fuch a Man, were an Honour wor- bridge, but alfo to the Indians thereabout. He
thy the Contention of as many Places, as laid
;
Reputation of having enjoy'd the Jirft Breath of from none, but one upon the Borders and Con-
our Eliot, it is New-England that with molt fines of Erernal Glory. 'Tis pity that fo many
Right can call him Hers ; his beji Breath, and of them are forgotten but one of them, I think, -,
afterwards his Iaft Breath was here % and here we have caufe to remember Well, (faid he) my :
'twas, that God beffow'd upon him Sons and dear Friends ; There is a dark Day coming upon
Daughters. New-England ; and info dark a Day, I pray how
He came to New-England in the Month of will you provide for your own Security ! MyCoun-
November, A. D. 1631. among thofe blefled fel to you is, get an for ere/1 in the bleffed Lord
old Planters, which laid the Foundations of a Jefus and that will carry you to the
Chrift ;
remarkable Country, devoted unto the Exercife World's end. His Third was alfo a' Son, born
of the Proteltant Religion, in its pureft and Decemb. 20. A. C. t6$%. him he calPd fofeph
highelt Reformation. He left behind him in This Perfon hath been a Pallor to the Church at
England, a Vertuous young Gentlewoman, whom Guilford. His Fourth was a Samuel, born June
he had purfued and purpofed a Marriage unto ; 22. A. C. 1641. who dy'd a molt lovely young
and (he coming hither the Year following, that Man, eminent for Learning and Goodnefs, a
Marriage was confummated in the Month ol Fellow of the Colled ge, and a Candidate of the
Oifobcr, A.D. 1632. Miniftry. His Fifth was an Aaron, born Feb.
This Wife of his Youth lived with him until 19. A.C. 1643. who tho' he dy'd very young,
Hie became to him alfo the Staff of his Age ; and yet firlt manifested many good things towards the
Ihe left him not until about three or four Years Lord God of Ifrarl. His Laft was a Benjamin,
before his own Departure to thofe Heavenly born Jan. 29. A. 1646. Of all C thefe three, :
Regions, where they now together fee Light. it may be faid. as it was of Haran, They d/d
before
174 The Hiflory of New-England. Book 111.
but it may alfo be written thev fhould have ferved God on Earth but if
before their father ; -,
over their Graves, All thefe died in faith. By God will chufe to have them rather ferve him in
the pious Defign of their Father, they were all Heaven, I have nothing to cbjetf again/} it, but
Confecrated unto the Service of God, in the hisWill be done ! His Benjamin was made rhe
Son of his Right-Hand for the Invitation of
Miniftry of the Gofpel; but God
faw meet ra- -,
ther to fetch them away, by a Death, which the good People at Roxbury, placed him in the
(therefore) I dare not call Premature, to glo- fame Pulpit with his Father, where he was his
him in another and a better World. They AfTvftant for many Years; there they hid a Proof
rify
allgave fuch Demonltrations
of their Conver- of him, that as a Son with bis Father, he ferved
iion to God, that the good old Man would with him in the Gofpel. But his Fate was like
fometimes comfortably fay, I have hadfixChil that which the great Gregory Naziansen de-
dren, and I blefs God for
his Free Grace, they fcribes in his Difcourfe upon the Death of his
or in Chrift ; and my honourable Brother, his Aged Foither
are all either with Chrift, being now
Mind is now at red concerning them. And alive and prefent ; My Father having laid up in
when fome asked him, how he could bear a better World, a Rich Inheritance for his Chil-
the Death of fuch excellent Children, his hum- dren, fent a Son of his before, to take Poffeffion
ble Reply thereto was this, My Dejire was that of it.
Preliminary II,
Mr. Eliot' J
-
Sacred
Early Converfion, Employment, and fufl
Removal into America.
T have hitherto faid, is no more grace unto him, than it was unto the famous
all that I
BU than an entrance into the Hiftory of ou> Hieron, Whituker, Vines, and
others, that they
Eliot. Such an Enoch as he, muft have fomethine, //jNStf began to be ferviceable; fo it rather pre-
more than thefe things recorded of him ; his pared him, for the further Service, which his
Walk with God, muft be more largely laid be- Mind was now fet upon. He was of worthy
fore the World, as a thing that would befpeak Mr. Thomas Wilfon's Mind, that the
calling of
us all to be Followers no lefs than we lhall be a Mimjler was the only one wherein a Man
Admirers of it. might be more ferviceable to the Church of
He had not palled many Turns in the AVorld, God, than in that of a School- Majier : And
before he knew the meaning of a faving Turn with Melchior Adam, he reckoned, the
Calling
from the Vanities of an Unregenerate State, un- of a School- Mafter, Pulverulent am, ac Mole-
to God -in Chrift, by a true Repentance; he ftiffimam quidem, fed Deo longe gratijfimam Fun-
had the lingular Happinefs and Privilege of an ilionem. Wheretbre having dedicated himfelf
early Converfwn from the Ways,
which Origi unto God betimes, he could not reconcile him-
nal Sin difpofes all Men unto. One of the felf to any lelfer way of ferving his Creator
Inftruments which the God of Heaven and Redeemer, than the Sacred
principal Miniftry of rhe
ufed in tingeing, and filling the- Mind of this Gofpel^ but alas, where fhould he have Op-
chofen Veffel, with good Principles, was
that portunities for the
Exercifing of it ? The Lau-
Venerable Thomas Hooker, whole Name in the dian, Grotian, and Arminian Facfion in the
Churches of the Lord Jefus, is, As an Oint- Church of England, in the Profecution of their
ment poured forth ; even that Hooker, who ha- Grand Plot, for the reducing of England unto
ving Angled many Scores of Souls into the King- a moderate fort of Popery, had
pitched upon
dom of Heaven, at laft laid his Bones in our this as one of their Methods for it
; namely,
New England i it was an Acquaintance with to creeple as faft as they could, all the
Learned,
him, that contributed more than a little to the
Godly, Painful Minifters of the Nation; and
Accomplifhment of our Elifha, for that Work invent certain Shibboleths for the detecting and
unto which the mod High defigned him. His the deftroying of fuch Men as were cordial
liberal Education, having now the Addition of Friends to the Reformation. 'Twas now a
Religion to direft it, and improve it, it gave time when there were every day
multiplied
fuch a Biafs to his young Soul, as quickly dif and impofed thofe unwarrantable Ceremonies
covered it felf in very fignal Inftances. His firft in the Worfhip of God, by which the Con-
Appearance in the World after his Education fcience of our Confiderate Eliot counted
thefe-
in the Univerjity, was in the too difficult and cond Commandment notorioufly violated ; 'twas
unthankful but very neceffary Employment of a now alfo a time, when fome Hundreds of thofe
School- Majler, which Employment he difcharg- Good People which had the Nick name of Pu-
ed with a good Fidelity. And as this firft ritans put upon them, tranfported themfelves,
Effay of his Improvement was no more Dif with their whole Families and Interefts, into
the
Book 111. The Hifiory of New-Englafid. *75
the Defarts of America, that they might here 'twas Church work that was his Errand hither.
erect Congregational Churches, and Mr. Wilfon, the Pallor of that Church, was
peaceably
therein attend and maintain all the pure Infti gone back into England, that he might perfect
tutions of the Lord Jefus Chrift ; having the the Settlement of his Affairs ; and in his Ab-
Encouragement of Royal Charters, that they fence, young Mr. Eliot was he that fupplied
fhould never have any Interruption in the En- his place. Upon the Return of Mr. Wilfon,
of thofe precious and peafant things. that Church was intending have made Mr.
to
joyment
Here was a Profpect which quickly determined Eliot his Collegue, and their Teacher but it •
the devout Sod of our young Eliot, unto a Re- was diverted. Mr. Eliot had engaged unto a
move into New England, while it was yet a felect Number of his Pious and Chrittian Friends
Land not /own; he quickly lifted himfelf a in England, that if they fhould come into thefe
mong thofe valiant Souldiers of the Lord Jefus Parts before he fhould'be in the Pafforal Care
Chrift, who cheerfully encountred firlr the Pe- of any other People, he would give himfelf to
rils of the Atlantick Ocean, and then the Fa- Them, and be for Their Service. It happened,
of the New-Englifh Wildernefs, that they that thefe Friends tranfporred
themftives hi-
tigues
might have an undilturhed Communion
with ther, the Year after him ; arid chofe their Ha-
him in his Appointments here. And thus did bitation at the Town which they called Rox-
he betimes procure himfelf the Confolation of bury. A Church being now gathered at this.
joined
himfelf unto the Church at Bolion; and how he performed his Revolution.
PART I.
there was any remarkable Difficulty bstore him, ven on your family bejore we go. Lfpecially
he took this way to encounter and overcome it-, when he came into a Society of Minilfers, be-
being of Dr. Preflon'% Mind, That when we fore he had fat long with them, they would
woutd have any great things to be accomplifhed, look to hear him urging, Brethren, the Led
Zzz jeftti
176 Ibe Hiflory of New-England. Book I!
and he as nimbly added, And truly there are Thorns
Jefus takes much notice of ivbat is done
his when are together; and Briars in the way too ! Which Inffance I
/aid, among Minifers they
come, let us pray before we part! And hence
would not have fingled out from the manv
alio, his whole Brfaih feerned in a fort
made Thoufmds of his Occafwnal RrfleQions, but onlv
up of Elucidatory Prayers, many fcores of which thatmight fuggeft unto the good People of
1
winged Meffengers he difpatched away to Hea- Roxbury, fbmething for them to think upon
ve, 1, Errands every Day. By them
upon pious when they are going up to the Houfe
of the
he befpoke Bleilings upon almoft every Perfon Lord, It is
enough, that as the Friend of the
or Affair that he was concerned with; and he famous Urfin could profefs that he never went
carried every thing to God with fome pertinent unto him without coming away, aut dotlior aut
liofanna'Ss or Hallelujah's over it. He was a ?nelior, either the wifer or the better from him •
nnghty arid an happy Man, that had his Quiver fo, 'tis an acknowledgment which more than
full of thefe Heavenly Arrows' And when he one Friend of our Eliot's has made
concerning
was never fo ftraitly befieged by Humane Occur- him, / w<u never with him but 1 got, or might
rences, yet he faftned the Wifhes of his devout have got fome good from him.
Soul unto them, and very dexteroully fhot them And hearing/>w» r he great God, wasanEx-
up to Heaven over the head of all. ercifeoflike Satisfa&ion unto the Soul of this
As he took thus delight in fpeaking to the good Man, with fpeaking either to him, or of
Almighty God, no lefs did he in fpeaking of him. He was a mighty Student of the Sacred
him but in ferious and fivoury Difcourfes,
•, Bible; and it was unto him as his necepjary fiod.
he frill had his Tongue like the Fen of a ready He made the Bible his Companion, and his
Writer. The Jefuits once at Kola made a no Counfellor, and the Holy Lines of Scripture
lefs profane than fevere Order, That no Man more Enamoured him than the profane ones of
fbouldjpcak of God at all; but this Excellent L'ully,
ever did the famous Italian Cardinal.
Perfon almoit made it an Order wherever he He would not upon eafy Terms, have
gone one
came, to Jpeak of nothing but God. He was Day together, without ufing a Portion of the
indeed fufficiently pleafant and witty in Com- Bible as an Antidote againft the Infeclion
of Tern- \
pany, and he was affable and facetious rather ptation. And he would prefcribe it unto others,
than morofe in Converfation ; but he had a with h\s probatum eft upon it; as once
particu-
Remarkable Gravity mixed with it, and a lin- larly a pious Woman, vexed with a wicked Hus-
gular Skill of railing fome Holy Obfervation out band, complaining to him, That bad Company
of whatever matter of Difcourfe lay before was all the day frill infeft ing of her Houfe, and
him ; nor would he ordinarily difmifs any what fhould fhe do? He advifed her, Take the
Theme wirhout fome Gracious, Divine, pithy Holy Bible into your Hand, when the bad Com-
Sentence thereupon. Doubtlefs, he impofed it as pany comes, and you'll fcon drive them out
of
a Law upon himfelf, that he would leave fome- the Houfe the Woman made the Experiment,
-,
thing of God and Heaven, and Religion, with and thereby cleared her Houfe from the Haunts
all that fhould come a near him ; fo that in all that had molefted it. By the like way 'twas
places, his Company was attended with Ma- that he cleared his Heart of what he was loth
and Reverence and it was no fooner to have Netting there.
jefty ; Moreover, if ever any
proper for him to fpeak, but like Mary's open Man could, he might pretend unto that Evi-
ed Box of Ointment, he fill'd the whole Room dence of Uprightnefs, Lord, I have loved the
with the Perfumes of the Graces in his Lips, Habitation of thine Houfe for he not only gave
-,
and the ChriOian Hearers tailed a greater fweet- fomething more than his Prefence there twice
nefs wellfeafoned Speeches, than the II- on the Lord's Days, and once a Fortnight be-
in his
luftrious Homer
afcrib'd unto the Orations of fides on the Letlures, in his own
Congregation,
his Neftor, but he made his weekly Vilits unto the Le&ures
in the Neighbouring Towns; how often was
Whcfe Lip drop\l Language than fweet Honey, he feen at Boflon, Charlftown, Cambridge, Dor-
Jwecter abundance. chefter, waiting upon the Word of God, in
Recurring Opportunities, and counting a Day
His Conferences were like thofe which Ter- in the Courts of the Lord belter than a Thou-
tullian affirms to have been common among the fa/td? It is hardly conceivable, how in the
Saints in his Days, Ut qui fciret Dominum au- midlf of fo many Studies and Labours as he
dirc, as knowing that the Ear of God was open was at home engaged in, he could poffibly re-
to themall ; and he managed his Rudder foas pair to fo many Letlures abroad and herein -,
to manifelt rhat he was bound Heaven-ward, he aimed, not only at his own Edification, but
in his whole Communication. He had a parti- at the Countenancing and Encouraging of the
cular Art at Spiritualizing of Earthly Objecfs, Letlures which he went unto.
and railing of high Thoughts from very mean Thus he took heed, that he mightHear, and he
things. As, once going with fome Feeblenels took as much heed how he Heard he fet himfelf-,
and We uineis up the Hill on which his Meet- as in the Prefence of the Eternal God,as the great
ing-Hoi&fe now Hands, he faid unto the Perfon Conftantine ufed of old, in the AlTemblies where
thac led him, This is very like the voay to Hea he came, and faid, J will hear what God the
ven, 'tis up Hill ! The Lord by his Grace fetch Lord will peak s he exprefled a diligent Atten-
.
f
f& up ! And inftantly fpying a Bufh near him, tion, by a watchful and wakeful Polfure, and
. br
Book III. The Hiftory of New-England. 177
*> I.. ,
ARTICLE II.
not omit his exatt Remembrance of the Sabbath unto him an Anfwer lull of Refpect, fome part
to keep it holy. whereof 1 fhall here tranfcribe.
Day,
It has been truly and juftly obferved, That
'
our whole Religion- fares according to our Sab- As to what concerns the Natural Strength
baths, that poor Sabbaths make poor Chriflians, of Alan (faith hej Either I was under fome
and that a Strittnefs in our Sabbaths infpires a Mi [rake in my Exprcjfon, or you feem to be
Vigour into all our ether Duties. Our Eliot fo, in your Apprchenfion. I never
thought,
knew and moft Exemplary Zeal
it was a and I hope, I have not faid, for I cannot rind
this,
that he acknowledged the Sabbath of our Lord it, that the Continuance of the Sabbath is to
be commenlurate unto the Natural Strength
Jefus Chrift withal. Had he been asked, Scrvafli
Dominicum ? He could have made a right Chri- of Man, but only that it is an Allowable
ftian primitive Anfwer thereunro. The Sun did Mean of Mens Continuance in Sabbath Du-
not the Evening before the Sabbath, till he which I fuppofe you will not deny, left
ties-,
fet,
had begun his ;
and when the
Preparation for it you fhould caft the Confidences of ProtelTors
Lord's Day came, you might have feen John in into inextticable Difficulties.
the Spirit, every Week. Every Day was a fort
'
When rirft I engaged in that Wotk, I intend-
of Sabbath to him, but the Sabbath-day was a ed not to have fpoken one word about the
PraUical Obfrvation of the Day ; but only to
Kind, a Type, a Taft of Heaven with him.
He laboured, that he might on this High Day, have endeavoured the Revival of a Truth,
have no Words or Thoughts but fuch as were which at prelent is defpifed and contemned
agreeable thereunto ; he then allow'd in
him- among us, and ftrenuoufly oppofed by fundry
felf no Aftions, but thofe of a Raifed Soul. One Divines of the United Provinces, who call
(fiould hear nothing dropping from his Lips on the Doctrine of the Sabbath, \igmcntum An-
j
this Day, but the Milk and Honey of the' glicanum. Upon the Defite of lbme Learned
Counttey, in which there yet remains a Reft Men in thefe Parts, it was, that I undertook
c
the Vindication of it. Having nowdifcharged
for the People of God ; and if he beheld in any j
'
Perfon whatfoever, whether old or young, any |
the Debt, which in this matter I owed unto
the Truth and Church of God, tho' not as I
Profanation of this Day, he would be fure to
beftow lively Rebukes upon it. And hence al- ought, yet with fuch a Compofition as I hope,
'
fo unto the genetal Engagements of a Covenant thro' the Interposition of our Lord Jefus
1
with God, which 'twas his Defire to bting the Chrift might find Acceptance with God and
1
Indians into, he added a particular Article, his Saints. I
fuppofe I fhall not again engage
'
wherein they bind themfelves, mehquontamunat on that Subject.
c
long at we live. him than I have ; tho' hitherto God has been
6
The mention of this, gives me an Opportu- pleafed in fome meafure to fupport my fpirit
6
undet them. my felf
nity, not onlv to Recommend
out Depatted Eliot, I frill relieved by this,
'
but alfo to Vindicate another gteat Man, unto That poor Endeavours have found Accep-
my
'
the Churches of our Lord Jefus Chrift. The tance with the Churches of Chfift: Butmyho-
'
Reverend and Renowned Owen in his Elaborate ly, wife, and gracious Father, fees it needful
to try me in this matter alfo^ and what I have
'
Exetcitations on the Lord's Day, Bad let fall
'
fuch a Paffage as this : received from you (which it may be contains
'
not your fenfe alone) hath printed deeper, and
'
1 judge, That the Obfervation of the Lord's left a greater Imprefiion upon my Mind, than
'
is to be Commenfurate unto the uje of our all the vitulent Revilings, and falfe Accufati-
Day c
natural Strength, on any other Day ; from Mor- ons have met withal, from my ptofeffed Ad-
I
(
I do
ning to Night. The Lord's Day is to be Jet
'
verfaries. acknowledge unto you, that I
unto God, by have a dry and barren Spirit, and I do heartily
apart unto the ends of an holy Rep '
every one according as his natural Strength will beg your Prayers, that the Holy One would,
'
enable him employ himfelf in his lawful Occa-
to
'
notwithstanding all my finful Provocations,
water me from above , but that I fhould now
sions any other Day of the Week.
be apprehended to have given a Wound unto
This Paffage gave fome fcandal unto feverai Holmefs in the Churches, ''tis one ofthefaddcfl
very Learned and Pious Men ; among whom, frowns in the cloudy Brews ofDivine Providence.
'
The
Book III. The Hi/lory of M9
New-England.
' '
The Doctrine of the Sabbath, I have affet Difcouragements, and that there is a Call in
(
1
ed, tho' not as it
fhould be done;, yet .as well it, to furceafe from thefe kinds of Labours.
'
as I could the Obfcrvation of it in Holy Du- I have tranferibed the more of this
•,
Letter,
'
ties unto the utmoit of the ftrength for them, becaufe k not only difcovers the concern which
c
which God fhall be pleafed to give us, I have our Eliot had for the Sabbath of
God, but alfo
c
lor-, the necetlity alio of aferiousP;-*? it
may contribute unto the Worlds good Recep-
pleaded
1
it in fundry previous DutiesJ have
for tion and Perufal of a Golden Book on that Sub-
puaiion
'
declared. But now to meet with fevere Ex ject, written by one of the molt Eminent Pet*
' be 'tis the Will of God, that Ions which the Englifh Nation has been adorned
pre/Jwns~\t may
fhould hereby be given to my former with.
'
Vigour
ARTICLE M.
TH V
S did Eliot endeavour to live umo God; not upon his man Table, and when he found
how much at the -fame tune did he die them on other Mens, he rarely tailed of them.
but
unto all the World? One Difh, and a plain one, was his Dinner 5
Twere impoifihle to finifh the lively Picture and when invited unto a he aft, I have feen him
of this Pious and Holy Eliot, without lome fit Magnifying of God. for the Plenty which
Touches upon that Mortification, which accom- his People in this Wildernefs were within a-
panied him all his Days ;
for never did I fee a few Years arifen to but not more than a Bit
-,
3
Perfon more mortify 4 unto all the Pleafures of or two of all the Dainties taken into his own
this Life, or more unwilling to moult the Wings Mouth all the while. And for a Supper, he
of an Heaven-born Soul, in the dirty Puddles had learn'd of his loved and bleffed Patron, old
of carnal and fenfual Delights. We are all of Mr. Cotton, either wholly to omit it, or to
us compounded of thofe two things, the Man^ make a fmall fup or two the utmoft of it. The
and the Beaft ; but fo powerful was the Alan, Drink which he ftill ufed was very fmall he -,
in this Holy Perfon, that it kept the Beafi ever cared not for Wines or Drams, and I believe he
ty'd with a fhort Tedder, and fuppreffed the never once in all his Life, knew what it was to
irregular Calcitrations of it. He became fo feel fo much as a noxious Fume in his Head,
nailed unto the Crofs of the Lord Jefus Chriff, from any of them;, good, clear Water was
that the Grandeurs of this World were unto more precious, as well as more ufual with him,
him juft what they would be to a dying Man than any of thole Liquors with which Men do
;
and he maintained an almoft unparallel'd Indif fo frequently fpoil their own Healths, while
fcrency towards all the Pomps, which Man- perhaps they drink thofe of other Men. When
kind is too generally flattered and enchanted at a Strangers Houle in the Summer time, he
with. has been entertained with a Glafs, which
they
The Luji of the Flejh he could not reconcile told him was, Of Water and Wine, he has with
himfelf to the lealt pampering or indulging of: a complaifant Gravity reply'd unto this purpofe,
But he perfecuted it with a continual Antipathy, Wine, 'tis a noble generous Liquor, and zve fhould
being upon higher Principles than Tully was ac be humbly thankful for it but at I remember,
-,
quainted withal, of his Mind, Kon eft dignus Water io.t! made before it ! So abffemious Was
nomine hominis, qui unum diem totum vein ejjc he; and he found, that Carerefuavn'atibus iftis,
in ifto genere voluptatis. The Sleep that he al- his Abltinence had more Sweet nefs in it, than
low'd himfelf, cheated him not of his Morning any of the Sweets which he ablfained from \
Hours ; but he reckoned the Morning no leis a and lb willing he was to have others partake
Friend unto the Graces, than the Mufes. He with him in that Sweet nefs, that when he has
would call upon Students, I pray look to it that thought the Countenance of a Minilter has
you be Morning Birds ? And for many more look'd, as if he had made much of himfelf, he
than a fcore of Years before he died, he remo- has gone to him with that Speech,
Study Mor-
ved his Lodging into his Study, on purpofe tification Brother, Study Mortification! And he
that being there alone, he might enjoy his early made all his AddrelTes with a becoming
Majefty.
Mornings, without giving the Dilturbance of The Luft of the Eye, he was put out by him
the lealt noife to any of his Friends, ,whofe in fuch a manner, that it was in a manner all
Affect ions to him elfe might have been ready to one with him to be Rich or Poor. It could not
have called, Maflcr, fpare thy felf. The Meat be laid of him, That he Jought great things
for
upon which he lived was a Cibus Simplex, an himfelf ; but what F.ftate he became Owner of,
homely hut an wholefome Diet. Rich Varie- was from the Blefhng of* God upon the Hus-
ties, coftly Viands, and poinant Sauces, came bandry and Induftry of fome in Irs Family,
father'
i8o The Hiftory of New-Jb'n gland. Book 111.
before his Door, his Wife, to try him, asked liunnliamini, Juvenes, tiiemittamini, was his
him, Whqfe they were? And (he found that
he immediate Complement unto them. Had you
knew nothing of them. He could not endure feen him with his Leathern Girdle
{'for fuch
to plunge himfelf into fecular Defigns and Af an one he wore) about his Loins, you would
fairs, but accounted Sacerdos in foro as worthy aimoft have thought what Herod fear'd, T/W
of Giftigation as Mercatdr in Tempb ; he John Bap fill k,u come to Life again. In ffiort '
Ramift,
was the Ufage of moft Farifhes in the Country, but yet he profeffed himfelf a Lover of a Tri-
to have an annual Rate for the Maintenance ol chotomy. Doubtlcfs, it may be lawful for us
the Miniftry, adjufted commonly by the Seleft: to accommodate the length of our Hair unto
Men of the Towns* which tho' it raifed not the modeft Cujloms which vary in the Churches
any exuberant Salaries for the Ministers, who of God; and it may be lawful for them that
alio feldom received all that the People had have not enough of their own Hair for their
conm£ted for, nevefthelefs in many places it own Health,, to fupply themfelves according to
fore Temptations from befalling thofe the fober Modes of the Places But
prevented they live.
that were labouring in the Word and Doftrine ; the Apoftle tells us, Nature teaches
in, that if
who mil ft el Pe often have experienced the Truth a Man have long Hair, 'tis a Shame to him
of Luther s Obfervation, Duriter profello & where, by Nature can be meant, no other than
-,
give back my Salary to the Lord Jejus Chrift, and aware, difpleafing to the Holy Spirit of God.
novo, Brethren, you may fix that upon any Man The Hair of them that profelfed Religion, long
:
thatGod jliall make a Pajior for you^ But his before his Death, grew too long for him to
Church with an handfome Reply, allured him, fwallow and he would cxprels himfelf conti-
•,
That they would count his very Prefence nually with a boiling Zeal concerning it, until
Worth a Salary, when he fhould be fo fuper at laff he gave over, with fome Regret com-
annuated as to do no further Service for them. plaining, The Luff is become Infupcrable ! I
know not whether that horrible Dit tern per pre-
And as for the Pride of Life, the Life of it vailing in fome European Countries known by
was moft exemplarily extinguiftVd in him. The the Name of Plica Polonica, wherein the Hair
Humility of his Heart made him Higher by the of People matted into ugly and filthy Forms,
Head than the red of the People. His Habit and like Snakes upon their Heads, which whofoe-
Spirit were both fuch as declared him to be ver cut off, prefently fell blind or mad I
fay, 5
among the Lowly, whom God has moft Refpeil I know not whether this Difeafe was more
unto. His Apparel was without any Ornament, odious in it felf, than the fweeter, neater, but
except that of Humility, which the Apoftle Ele- prolix Locks of many People were to our Eliot,
gantly compares to a Knot of Comely Ribbons, He was indeed one prifcis moribm, as well as
in theText where he bids us to be cloathed with Antiquafide; and he might be allow'd fome-
it *any other flaming Ribbons on thofe that whateven of Severity in this matter, on thar
came in his way he would ingenioufly animad- account.
a ft f i ex E
Book III. I he
Hijtory of New- England. 181
ARTICLE IV
r
,
T jE that will write of Eliot, muff write of fore him, of fuch as his Charity had been libe
XX Charity, or fay nothing. His Charity waS ral unto.
a Star of the firft Magnitude in the bright Con- But befides thefe more Subftantial Exprejfions
ftellation of his Venues; and the Rays of it of his Charity^ he made the Odours of that
were wonderfully various and extenfive. Grace yet more fragrant unto all that were
about him, by that Pittifulnefs and that Peace-
His Liberality to pious Llfes whether publick ablenefs, which render'd him yet further Amia-
or private, went much beyond the Proportions ble. If any of his Neighbourhood were in di
of his little Eftate in the World. Many Hun- ftrefs, he was like a Brother born for their Ad-
dreds of Pounds did he freely beftow upon the verfity he would vifit them, and comfort them
Poor ; and he would, with a very forcible im- with a moft Fraternal Sympathy ; yea, 'tis not
portunity, prefs his Neighbours to join with eafy to recount how many whole Days of Pray-
him in fuch Beneficences. 'Twas a marvellous er and Fafiing he has got his Neighbours to
Alacrity with which he imbraced all Opportu keep with him, on the Behalf of thofe whofe
nities of relieving any that were miferable^ and Calamities he found himfelf touched withal.
rhe good People of Roxbury doubtlefs, cannot It was an extreme Satisfaction to him, that his
remember (but the Righteous God will!) how Wife had attained unto a confiderable Skill in
often, and with what Ardors, with what Argu- Phyfick and Chyrurgery, which enabled her to
ments, he became a Beggar to them for Collect. diipenfe many fife, good, and ufeful Medicines
i
ons in their Affemblies, to fupport fuch needy unto the Poor that had occafion for them ; and
Objects, as had fallen under his Obfervation.
fome Hundreds of Sick and Weak and Maimed
The poor counted him their Father, and repair- People owed Praifes to God, tor the Benefit,
ed (fill unto him, with a filial Confidence in which therein they freely received of her. The
their Neceffities; and they were more than/<?- good Gentleman her Husband, would ft ill be
vcn or eight, or indeed than fo'manyy2wi?.r, who cafting Oyl into the Flame of that Charity,
received their Portions of his Bounty. Like that wherein fhe was of her own accord abundantly
worthy and famous Englifl) General, he could forward thus to be doing of good unto all; ^nd
not perfwade himfelf, That he had any thing but he would urge her to be ferviceable unto the
what he gave azvay-, but he drove a mighty worft Enemies that he had in the World. Ne-
Trade at fuch Exercifes as he thought would ver had any Man fewer Enemies than he But f
furnifli him with Bills of Exchange, which he once having delivered fomething in his Mini-
hoped after many days to find the Comfort of ; ifry, which difpleafed one of his Hearers, the
and yet after all, he would fay like one of the Man did pailionately abufe him for it, and this
moft charitable Souls that ever .lived in the both with Speeches and with Writings, that revi-
World, That looking over his Accounts^ he could led him. Yet it happening not long after, that
no where find the God of Heaven charged a this Man gave himfelf a very dangerous Wound,
Debtor there. He did not put off his Charity, Mr. Eliot immediately fends his Wife to cure
to be put in his Lift Will, as many who therein him h who did accordingly. When the Man
fhew that their Charity is againfi their Willi was well he came to thank her ; but fhe took
but he was his own Adminiflrator ^ he made no, Rewards; and this; good Man made him ftay
his own Hands his Executors, and his own and eat with him, taking no notice of all the
Eyes
his Overfeers. It has been remarked, That li- Calumnies with which he had loaded him but -,
beral Men are often kmglivd Men;, lb do by this Carriage he mollified and conquered the
they
after many days find the Bread with which they Stomach of his Reviler.
have been willing to keep oLher Men alive.
The great Age of our Eliot was but agreeable Ele was alfo a great Enemy to all Contention,
to this Remark ; and when his h%; had unfitted and would ring aloud CourfcuBell, wherever
•him for aimoft all Employments, and bereaved he faw the Fires of Animofity. When he heard
him of thofe Gifts and Parts which once he had any Minifters complain, that fuch and'fuch in
been accomplifhed with, being asked, How he their Flocks were too difficult for them, the
did? He would fometimes aufwer, AIm, I have ftrain of his Anfwer
Itill was, Brother, Compafs
find that rather grows than fails ! And I make moft made him to facrifice Right ir felf. When
no queftion. Thai at his Death, his Soul there was laid before an Affembly of MiniHers
happy
wasreceived, and welcomed into the eve/laji a bundle of Papers, which contained certain
wg Habitations, by many fcores got thither be- Matters of Difference and Contention, between
fome
i8 The Hi/lory of New- En gland, Book III,
fome People which our Eliot thought fhould the Greek Word in Col. 3. 15. he propounded,
rather unite, with an Amnefty upon all their That Peace might brave it among m. In fhort'
former Quarrels, he f with fome Imitation of wherever he came, it was like another old
John
what Conftantirte did upon the like occation) with folemn and earned Perfwafives to love.
haffily threw the Papers
into the Fire before and when he could fay little el'fe, he would'
them all, and with a Zeal fcr Peace as hot as give that Charge, My Children, love one ano-
that Fire, faid immediately, Brethren, wonder ther !
not at what I have done , I did it on my knees
this Morning, before I came among yon. Such Finally, 'Twashis Charity which difpofed him
an Excefs (if it were one; flowed from his to continual Apprecations
for, and Beneditlions
Charitable Inclinations to be found among on thofe that he met withal ; he had an Heart
thofe Face makers, which by following the full of good Wifhes, and a Mouth full of kind
Example of that Man who is our Peace, come Bleffings for them. And he often made his Ex-
to be called, The Children of God. Very wor- prejfions very wittily agreeable to the Circum-
thily might he be called an Irenaus, as being ffances which he law the Perfons in.
Some-
all for. Peace-, and the Commendation which times when he came into a
Family, he would
unto the Ancient of that Name, call for all the Young People in
Epiphanii/s gives it, that fo he
did belong unto our E/'iot, he was a mofi Blrffed might very DifimWy lay his Holy Hands
upon
and a tnoji Holy Mm. He difliked all forts of every one of them, and befpeak the Mercies of
Bravery-, bur yet with an ingenious Note upon Heaven for them all.
AUTICLE V.
what was the Effect of this Exemplary Heavenly Father. Once being in a Boat at Sea,
BUT Piety and Charity in our Eliot f It will be a larger VeiTel unhappily overrun, and over-
no wonder to my Reader, if I tell him, That ret that little one which had no fmall Con-
this good Man walked in the Light of God's cerns, becaufe Eliot's in the Bottom of it he
Countenance all the day long. I believe he had immediately funk without
any Expectation of
a continual Aflarance of the Divine Love, mar ever going to Heaven
any other way ; and when
velloufly Sealing, Strengthening, and Refrefh he imagined that he had nut one Breath more
ing of him, for many Luftres of Years before ro draw' in the World, it was this, The Will of
he died and for this Caufe, the Fear of Death the Lord be done! But it was the Will
-,
of the
was extirpated out of his Heavenly Soul, more Lord, that he fhould furvive the
danger ; for he
than out of mofi Men alive. Had our BlelTed was refcued by the help that was then at
hand,
Jefm at any time fent his Waggons to fetch and he that had long been like Mofes in every
this old Jacob away, he would have gone with thing elf e, was now drawn out oj the Waters.
out the leaft Relucfancies. Labouring once Which gives me opportunity to mention one
under a Fever and Ague, a Vifitant asked him. Remarkable that had fome Relation hereunto.
How he did? And he reply 'd, Very well, but This Accident happened in the time of our In-
anon I expect a Paroxifm. Said the Vifitant, dian Wars, when fome furious
Englifh People
Sir, fear not but unto that he anfwered, Fear ! that clamoured for the
-,
Extirpation of the Pray-
No, no j / bee n't afraid, I thank God, I becn't ing Indians, which were in Subjection unto us,
aj raid to die ! Dying would not have been any as well as the Pagan Indians that were in Hoffi-
more to him, than Sleeping to a weary Man. liry againff us, vented a very wicked Rage at
And another Excellency, which accompained our Holy Eliot, becaufe of his Concernment for
this Courage, and Comfort in him was, A won- the Indians and one profane Monffer
,
hearing
derful Refignalion to the Will of God in all events. how narrowly Mr. Eliot efcap'd from Drown- y
There were fore Affl/ffions that fometimes befel ing, 'tis faid, he wifh'd this Man of God
hacH[
him-, efpecially when he follow'd fome of his then been Drowned. But withing a few Days,
hopeful and worthy Sons two or three defira that woful Man by a ffrange Difaffer, was
ble Preachers of the Gofpel, to their Graves. Drowned in that
very place where Mr. Eliot
But he ficririced them, like another Abraham-, had received his Deliverance.
with fuch as made all the
a facred Iudirferency, There was indeed a certain Health
of Soul
Spectators to fay, This could not be done without. which he arriv'd unto and he in a blef-
:,
kept
the Fear oj God. Yea, he bore all his Trials fed meafure clear of thofe Diftempers which
with an admirable Patience, and feemed loth to too often diforder the mod
of Men. But the
have any Will 6? his own, that fhould not be God of Heaven favoured him with
fomething
wholly rne|ted and moulded into the Will oih'is that was yet more Extraordinary ! By getting
2Bd
Book III. 'The Hi/lory of New- England. 183
and keeping near to God, and by dwelling un- tion, which in our Days the Soveiaiga God
der the Shadow of the Almighty, be contracted here and there favours a good Mm
withal;
a mo:Q exquifitefenfe of Mind,than what is ufual and they are very Heavenly Perfons, PerfonS
arnon^ other Proieffors of Chriftianity he fonae
-,
well purify'd from the Fsculenacs of Senfua-
times felt a lively touch of God upon his refined lity, and Perfons better purged \v-.\w the hea-
and exalteii Spirit, which were not in any paper ven of Envy and Malice, and intolerable Pride,
of ours lawful or eafy to be uttered ; and he than uiiially thofe vain Pretenders to Revela-
was admitted unto a lingular Familiarity with tions, the Quakers are, that are made Parta-
the Holy One of \frael. Hence 'twas, that as kers of theie Divine Dainties. Now fiickan
Bodies of a rare and fine Conttitution, will/or*?- one was our Eliot - and for this, worthy to be
bode the C hanges or the Weather, fo the fub had in Everlaftmg Remembrance.
limed Soul of our Eliot often had ffrange Fore- It would not be
improper, under this File to
that were to come. I have
boding* of things lodge the lingular and Surprizing Succefles of
been afroniflbgd at fome of his PreditTwas, that his
Prayers 1 For they were fuch, that in out
were both of a more Pojonal, and of a more Diirrefles we ifill repaifd unto him, under that
general Application,
and were followM with Encouragement, He is a Prophet, and he fiall
exact Accomplilhments. If he faid of any Af pray for thee, and thoufhah live. 1 fhall (in-
it was a worfe Omen to
fair, / cannot blefs it! gle out but one, from the many that might be
it, than -the
moll inaufpicious Prefages in the mentioned.
World ; but fometimes after he had been with There was a Godly Gentleman of Charlftown,
God in Prayer about a thing, he was able fuc- one Mr. Fofler, who with his Son, was taken
cefstully to foretel,
/ have Jet a mark upon it, Captive by Turkifh Enemies. Much Prayer
it will do well? I ihall never forget, That when was employed, both privately and publickly,
England and Holland were plunged into the un- by the good People here, for the Redemption
which the more feniible Proteftants of that Gentleman^ but we were at laft infor-
happy War,
where had but ibrrowful Apprehenfions med, that rhe Bloody Prince, in whole Domi-
every
our Eliot being in the height and heat of the nions he was now a Slave, was refolved that
of,
War, privately asked, What News we might in his Life time no Prifoner fhould be relafed ;
look for next ? Anfwered unto the Suprize of and lb the Dilfrefied Friends of this Prifoner
the Enquirer, Our next News will be, a Peace now concluded, Our Hope is loft I Well, upon
between the two Protefiant Actions ; God knoios, this, Mr. Eliot, in fome of his next Prayers,
I pray for it every Day ; and I am verily per- before a very folemn Congregation, very broad-
! And
/waded, we fhall hear of it fpeedily it ly beg'd,
Heavenly Father, work for the Redem-
came to pals accotdingly. ption of thy poor Servant Fofter ; and if the
It is to be confeffed, That the written Word Prince which detains him will not, as they
Jay,
of God, is to be regarded as the perfect and difmifs him as long himjelf lives, Lord, we pray
only Rule of our' Lives; that in all Articles of thee to kill that Cruel Prince ; kill him, and
Religion, if Men /peak not according to this glorify thy elf upon him.
f And-now behold the
Word, there k no light in them ; and that it is Anfwer: The poor Captiv'd Gentleman quickly
no warrantable or convenient thing for Chri returns to u$ that had been mourning for him
ftians ordinarily to look for fuch Infpirations as a loft Man, and brings us News, that the
as directed the Prophets that were the Pen-men Prince which had hitherto held him, W3S come
of the Scriptures. Neverthelefs, there are fome to an Untimely Death, by which means he was
uncommon Injlances of Communion and Frui- now fet at Liberty.
PART II.
ARTICLE I.
His
Miuijlerial Accomplifljments.
E Grace of God, which we have feen fo of the Go/pel. This was the Work to which
TH
i
him to the Employment wherein he fpent about \Ends in it, as ever any Man in our Days was
Six Decads of his Years which was, The Ser- acted with. He look'd upon the Conduct of a
•,
feed the Souls of fuch a People, and of the of them, for the ule of certain Indians, whole
Children and the Neighbours, which were to exafter Education he was defirous of But, a-
be brought into the fame Shcepfold with them:, bove all, he had a moit eminent Skill in Theo-
to bear their manners with all Patience, not be- logy-, and that which profane Scoffers reproach-
ing by any of their Infirmities dilcouraged
irom ed, as the Difgrace of the Bleffed Alt ing, all of
Teaching of them, and from Watching and Pray whofe Works always weigh down the pureft
over them to value them as the Gold, was the Honour of our Eliot,
ing -,
highly namely to
Flock which God has fur'ebafed with bis own be Script urarins Tbeologm, or One mighty in the
Blood, notwithltanding all their Mifcarriages 3
Word , which enabled him to convince Gain-
'
and in all to examine the Rule of Scripture for fayers, and on many occaiions to Ihow himfelf
the Warrant of whatever ./Zw// be done-, and to A Workman that needed not be afhamed.
remember the Day of Judgment, wherein an ac- In fhorr, He came in fbme Degree, like ano-
count mult be given of all that bos been done-, ther Bezaleel, or Aholiab, unto the Service of
having in the mean time no Expectation of the the Tabernacle. And from one Particularity'
Riches and Grandeurs which accompany a world- in that part of his Learning, which lay in the
Domination. It was herewithal his Opinion, Affairs of the Tabernacle, it was, that in a lit-
ly
That (as the great Owen exprefies it) notwith- tle Book of his we have thole Lines, which for
that Is given to any a certain Caule I now transcribe Oh that the
flanding all the countenance •,
Church by the publick Magiflracy, yet whilji we Lord would put it (fays he,) into the Heart of
are in this World, thoje who mill faithfully dif fome of his Religious and Learned Servants, to
take Jitch pains about the Hebrew Language, at
charge their Duty, a* Minifiers of the Go/pel,
fhall have need to be prepared for Sufferings ; to fit for univerfal Ufe\ Confidering, that
it
and it was in a fenfe of thefe things that he above Languages fpoken by the Lip of Man
all
tamen ilia Cognitio Rerum Theologicarum cjl univerfal Language, than that which it p leafed
c&i'ahoyx, cjuia fieri non pot eft
ut Cognitio verc our Lord Jefus to make ufe of, when he /pake
Theologica, habit et in Corde non Theologo : And from Heaven unto Paul!
however God may profper the Sermons of fuch
a Man for the Advantage of his Church : How- In fine, Tho' we have had Greater Scholars
ever the Building of the Ark may be help'd on than he, yet he hath often made me think of
by fuch Carpenters as perifti in the Flood ; and
Mr. Samuel Ward's Obfervation. In obferving
the Tyrians may do fome Work about the Tem- I have obferved and found, that divers Great
who arrive to no Worfhip in the Inner- Clerks have had but little Fruit of their Mini-
ple,
Courts thereof, and as Aujiin expreffed it, any truly zealous Man of God
a firy, but hardly
Stone-Cutter may convey Water into a Garden, of Leffer Gifts) but have had much Com-
(tho''
without having himfelf any advantage of it fort- of their Labours in their own, and border-
.
Neverthelefs, the Unfanttify'd Minilter, how ing Parifhes being in this likened by Gregory,
-,
ARTICLE
Book III. The Hifiory of New-England. 185
ARTICLE II.
His F amUy-Government,
Apoftle Paul, reciting and requiring a little Bethel, for the Woffhip of God conffanr-
THE Qualifications of a Go/pel Minider, gives ly and exactly maintained in it ; and unto the
Order, that he be The Husband of one Wife, and daily Prayers of the Family, his manner was to
one that rulcth well his own Houfe, having his prefix the Reading of the Scripture which be- -,
Children in fabjellion with all gravity. 1 1 feems, ing done, 'twas alfo his manner to make his
that a Man's Carriage in his own Houfe is a part, young People to chufe a certain
Paflage in the
or at leait zftgn, of his due Deportment in the Chapter, and give him fome Obfervation of their,
Houfe of God; and then, I am lure, our Eliot's own upon it. By this Method he did mightily
was very Exemplary. That one Wife which fharpen and improve, as well as try, their Under-
was given to him truly from the Lord, he loved, ifandings, and endeavour to make them wife
prized, cherifhed, with
a KindneJ's that notably unto Salvation. He was likewife very ftri£t in
reprefented the Compafiion which he (thereby) the Education of his Children, and more care-
taught his Church to expett from the Lord Je- ful to mend any error in their Hearts and
Lives,
fusChrift ; and after he had lived with her for than he could have been to cure a Blemijh in
more than half an Hundred Years, he followed their Bodies. No
Exorbitances or Extravagan-
her to the Grave with Lamentations beyond cies could find a Room under his Roof, nor was
thole, which the Jews from the figure of a Letter his Houfe any other than a School of Piety one t,
in the Text, affirm, that Abraham deplored his might have there feen a perpetual mixture of a
aged Sarah with ; her Departure made a deeper Spartan and a Chrijlian Difciple. Whatever
Impreffion upon him than what any
common Decay there might be upon Family-Religion a-
AlflicYion could. His whole Converfation with mong us, as for our Eliot, we knew
him, that
her, had that Sweetnefs, and that Gravity and he would command his Children, and his Hou-
Modefly beautifying of it, that every
one called /hold after him, that they fhould
keep the Way
them Zachary and Elizabeth. His Family was of the Lord.
ARTICLE III.
Hh Way of Preaching,
was he family! And in his God againft all Vice, with a molf penetrating
in his lejjer
SUch
greater Family, he manifeffed ftill more of Livelinefs, and make his Pulpit another Mount
his Regards to the Rule of a Gofpel-Minifry. Sinai, for the Flafhes of Lightning therein dif-
To his Congregation, he was a Preacher that play'd againft the Breaches of the Law given
made i: his Care, to give every one their Meat in upon that Burning Mountain. And I obferved,
due Scafv/t. It was Food and not Froth; which that there was ulually a fpecial Fervour in the
in his publick Sermons, he entertained the Souls Rebukes which he beftow'd upon Carnality, a
of his People with, he did not ftarve them carnal Frame and Life in Profeflors of Religion •,
with empty and windy Speculations, or with when he was to brand the Earthly-mindednefs
fuch things as Animum non dant, quia non ha- of Church-Members, and the Allowance and the
bent ; much Ids did he kill them with fuch Indulgence which they often gave unto them-
Poyfcn as is too commonly expofed by the
Ar- felves in fenfual Delights, here he was a right
minim and Socinian Doftors that have too often Boanerges he then fpoke, as 'twas faid one
-,
fat in iUyl'/s Chair. His way of Preaching of the Ancients did, ^jwt verba tot Fulmina, as
was very plain ; fo that the very Lambs might many Thunderbolts as Words.
It was another Property of his Preaching, that
wade, into his Dilcourfes on thofe Texts and
Themes, wherein Elephants might fvrim ; and there was evermore much of C H R I S T in it ;
herewithil, it was very powerful, his Delivery and with Paul, he could fay, I determined to
was always very graceful and grateful -,
but know nothing but Jefus
having that ChrijI ;
when he was to ufe reproofs and warnings againtt BlelTed Name with a Fre-
in his Difcourfes,
any Sin, his Voice would rife into a Warmthquency like that, with which Paul mentions it
which had in it very much of Energy as well in his Epijlles. As 'twas noted of Dr. Bodly%
as Decency he W'lild found the Trumpets of that whatever Subject he were upon, in the Ap-
-,
A a a a 2
plication
i u The Hiftory of New-England. Book ill,
plication (till Ufe of it would be, to drive ceive had required fome good Thinking and
his
Men unto the Lord Jefus Chrift s in like man Reading in the Author of it. 1 have been pre-
Chrift was the Loadltone fent, when he has unto a Preacher then iuft
ner, the Lord Jefus
which gave a touch to all the Sermons of our come home from the AfTembly with him, thus
Eliot ; a Glorious, Precious, Lovely Chrift
was expreffed himfelf, Brother, there weu Oyl re-
the Point of Heaven which they (till verged quired jor the Service of the SanQuary but it
•
unto. From this Inclination it was, rhataltho' mufl be beaten Oyl ; 1 praife God, that I faw
he Printed feveral Englifl) Books before he dy'd, your Oyl fo well beaten today-, the Lord help
yet his Heart
feemed not fo much in any of us always by good Study to beat our Oyl, that
them, as in that ferious and favoury Book of there may be no knots in oitr Sermens left ien-
his, Entituled,
The Harmony of the Go/pels, in diffolved, and that there may a clear h°ht be
the Holy Hifiory of Jefus Cjrift. From hence thereby give n in the Hotife rj God ! And yet he
alfo 'twas, that he would give that Advice to likewile louk'd lor iomethwag in a Sermon be-
let there be much of fide and beyond rhe mter Study of Alan • he
young Preachers, Pray •
in your Mini ft ry and when he h3d was for having the Spirit of God, breathing in
Chrift
heard a Sermon, which had any fpecial Relifh. it and with it ; and he wjs lor fpeaking thofe
of a Bleffed Jefus in it, he would fay thereupon, things, from thofe Impreflions and with thofe
bleffed be God,
that we have Chrift fo much Affections, which might compel the Hearer to
ARTICLE IV.
T he remembred, that he had Lambs in of Antiquity affirm Infant Baptifm to have been
BU his Tlock, and like another David hQ could an Ufage in all the Primitive Churches ; That
not endure to fee the Lion feize upon any of even before the early Days oiKazianzen, Chry-
them. He always had a mighty concern upon foftem, Bafdy Athanafius, Epiphanius, in the
his Mind for little Children ; 'twas an Affe&io- Greek, and Ambrofe, Jerom, Auftin, intheLa-
nate Stroke in of the little Papers which he tin Church, all ofw'hich give Glorious Telti-
;
publifhed for them, Sure Chrift is not willing monies for Infant Baptifm, even Cyprian, before
j
to lofe his Lambs; and I have caufe to remem thefe allures us, that in his Days there was no
ber with what an hearty, fervent, zealous Ap- doubt of it j and Origen before him could fay,
plication, he addrefs'd himfelf, when in the 'Twos from the Apvftles that the Church took up
Name, of. the Neighbour Pattors and Churches the Baptifm oj Infants ; and Clemens Romanus-
he gave me, The Right Hand of their Fellow/hip^ before him could fay, That Children J7:ould be
at my, Ordination, and faid, Brother^ Art tJwu: Recipients of the Dijcifline of Chrift befides
•,
a Lover of the Lord Jefus Chrift ? Then, Ipray what plain Evidence we have in Irenxus and-
Feed his Lambs. Juft in Alartyr h and that the very Arguments
with which tome of the Ancients did fuperlri-
One thing whereof he was very defirous for tioufly advife the Delay of Baptifm, do at the
poor CJjilcli'cn, was the Covenanting ,-of them tame time confefs the Divine Right of Infants
-,
he was very follicitous that the Lambs might in it. Our Eliot could by no means look upon
pafs under the Lord's, Tything Rod, and be the Infants of Godly Men,' as Unholy, and Un-
brought under the Ben4 of the Covenant. He believers, arid unfit Subjects to have upon them
very openly and earneftly maintained the caufe a Mark of Dedication to the Lotd.
of Infant -Baptifm, againft a fon of Perfons Wherefore, when there was brought among
rifen fince the Reformation, famong which in> us a Book of Pious Mr. Norm's, whereby fome
deed there are many godly Men, that were became dilpofed to, or confirmed in, a Preju-
dear to che Soul of our Eliot) who target that dice againft Pudo Baptifm, it was not long be-
in the Goipel Church-ltate as well as in the fore Mr. Elut puhlifhedj a little Anfwer there-
fewijh, .The Promife U fo Believer*,' and their untoi the firlt Lines whereof prefently difcover
:
Children : And are unwilling to reckon Children what a Temper he writ it with; fays he, The
among the Difciples of Jefus Chriit Or to Book fpeaks with the Voice of a Lamb, ariV I
:
grant, That of fuch ii the Kingdom of Heaven : tbjnk the Author ps a Godly, though Erring Brri-
Or tq'Hnow, That the moft undoubted Records tber; but he jffs the Caufe of a Rearing Lion,
]
i
book Hi. The Hifioty of JStew-England.
all c fifty mays, j'eeketb to devour the of adding to their Number,.
cobo by by compofing of
Lambs of the flock of Chrift. And io he fome further Catechi/ms, which were more
poor par-
goes on plead the Cauie of them that cannot
to plea ticularly defigned as an Antidote for his own
/peak for tbem/elyes.
No Man could entertain People, againft the Contagion of fuch Errors
iPerfon of a different Perfwaffon from himfelf, as might threaten
any peculiar Danger to them.
with more Sweetnefs and Kindnefs. than he, And the Effett and Succe/s of this
Catechifing^
when he law, Aliquii CbriJJi, or the Fear of bore Proportion to the
indefatigable Induftry
God in them ; he could uphold a with which he profecuted it ; it is a well
prevailing prin-
moil intimate Correfpondence with fuch a Man, cipled People that he has left behind him. A$
as Mr. Jefjcy, as long as he lived and yet he when certain Je/uits were fent
t,
among the Wat-.
knew how to be an Hammer upon their unhappy den/es to corrupt their Children, they returned
Errors. with much Difappointment and
Confufion, be-
caufe the Children of feven Years old were well-
But having once Baptized the Children of principled enough to encounter the moft Lear-
his Neighbours, he did not as too many Mini- ned of them all ; fo, if any Seducers were let
iters do, think, that he had now done with loofe to wolve it among the good
People of
them. No, another thing wherein he was ve- Roxbury, I am confident, they would find as
lor poor Children was, the Gate- little Prey in that well inftru&ed
ry laborious Place, as in
lie kept U P tne g reat ^ rdi
(hijiig pf them* any part of all the Country ; no Civil Penal-
nance of Catecbi/mg, both publickly and pri- ties would fignify fo much to fave any People
it a World of time. About from the Snares of bufy Hereticks, as the un-
vately, and fpent in
the end of the Second Century, before there had wearied Catechifing of one Eliot has done to
in the leaft begun to Itart up New
Officers in preferve his People from the Gangren of ill Opi-
the Chutch of: God, we find there were Perfons nions.
called unto the Office of Publick leaching, who
were not Paftors, not Rulers, not called unto There is a Third Inftance of his Regards to
the Adminiltration of other Ordinances ; tho/e the Welfare of the poor Children under his
in the Church of Alexandria, were of a fpecial Charge \ and that is, his perpetual Refolution
Remark and Renown for their Abilities this and Activity to
fupporr a good School- in the
way and their Employment was
•,
to Explain Town that belong'd unto him. A Grammar-
and Defend the Principles of the Chriftian Re Schoo/hs would always have, upon the Place,
all with whom they could be con- whatever- it coll him ; and he importun'd all
ligion, unto
cerned.. Here was the Catechtfi, with reference other Places to have the like. I can't
forget
unto whom the Apoftle fays, Let the Catechifed the Ardour, with which I once heard him pray,
communicate unto him in all good things, Now in a Synod of thefe Churches, which met at Bo-
tho' fome think, a Teacher purely as fiich, hath flon to. confider, How the Mi/carriages which
no Right unto further Church Adminiftrations, were among us might be prevented ; I with
fay,
any more than the Rabbi's or Doffors among the what Fervour he
uttered an Exprelfion to this
Jews, had to Offer Sacrifices in the Temple; purpofc, Lord, for Schools every where among
yet he who is called to be a Teacher, may at us! That our Schools may flourijh I That
every
the fame time alfo be called to be an Elder, and. Member of this Affemb/y
may go home and pro-
being now a Teaching Elder, he becomes inte- cure a good School to be encouraged in the Toion.
refted in the whole Government of the Church, where he lives ! That before we die, we may be
he has the Power of all Sacred Adminiftrations. /o happy an
to /ee a good School encouraged in
'Tis the latter and more compleat and perfecf evcty Plantation of the Country. God fo blefled
Character, which the Churches of New-England his Endeavours, that Roxbury could not live
have ftill acknowledged in their Teachers; and quietly without a free School in the Town j
fuch a Teaching Elder, did our Eliot remember and the Iffue of it has been one thing, which
himfelf to be. He thought himfelf under a has made me almoft put the Title of Scbola
particular Obligation to be that Officer, which Ulufiris upon that little Nurfery; that is, that
the Apoftle calls in i Cor. 4. 15 An Inftrutfor Roxbury has afforded more Scholars, firlt for
of the Toung; nor was he afhamed, any more the College, and then for the Publick, than any
than fome of the Worthieft Men among the Town of its Bignefs, or .if I miftake not, of
Ancients were, to be called, A
Catecbijl. He twice its Bignefs in all New'England. From
would obferve upon Joh. 21. 15. That the care the Spring of the School at Roxbury, there
of the Lambs, is one third part of the charge have run a large Number of the Streams, which
over the Church of God. It would be incredible have made glad this whole
City of God. I per-
if I fhould relate what pains he took to keep fwade my ielf, that the
good People of Rox-
up the BleiTed Echols of Truth, between him- bury, will for ever fcorn to begrutch the Cofl,
felf and the young People of his Congregation; or to
permit the Death of a School which God
and what Prudence he ufed, in fuiting of his has made fuch an Honour to them ; and this
Catechi/ms to the Age and Strength of his little the rather, becaufe their Deceafed Eliot has
Catechumens. But one thing 1 mult obferve, left them a fair part of his own Flfate, for the
which is, That altho' there may be fas one has maintaining of the School in Roxbury and I -,
computed^ no lefs than five Hundred Catechi/ms hope, or at leaff, I wifh, that the Minifters of
extant, yet Mr. Eliot gave himfelf the Travail New England may be as ungainfayably impor-
tunate
i88 The Hijlory of New-England. Book HI.
tunate with their People, as Mr. Eliot was tion. A Want of Education for them, is the
with his, for Schools which may feafonably blackeft and faddeft of all the bad Omens that
tinge the Young Souls
of the Rijing Genera- are upon us.
ARTICLE V.
His Cburcb-Difcipline.
yet more endears unto us the Memory of make any mention of any other Organical, Vifible,
ITour Eliot, that he was not only an Evangeli- Profejftng Church, but that onely which is Con-
cal Minifter, but alio a true New-Englijh one gregational.
•,
He look'd upon the Congregational
he was a Proteftant, and a Puritan, and one ve- way as a Largefs of Divine Bounty befrow'd by
ry full of that Spirit which a&ed the firft Plan- the Lord Jefus Chrilt on his People, that fol-
ters of this Country, in their peaceable Sue celfion lowed him into this Wildernefs, with a
pecu-
from the unwarrantable things elfewhere im- liar Zeal for Communion with him, in his pure
pos'd upon their Confciences. The Judgment Worfhip here. He perceived in it, a fweet
and Praffice of one that readily underwent all fort of Temperament, between Rigid
Presbyte-
the Mifery attending the Infancy of this Plan- rianifm, and Levelling Brownifm fo that on
-,
tation, for the fake of a true Church Order, is the one fide, the Liberties of the People are
a thing which we young People fhould count not opprefled and overlaid 5 on the other fide,
worthy to be enquired after ; and fincewefaw the Authority of the Elders is not rendred in-
him fo well behaving himfclf in the Houfe of fignificant, but a due Ballance is herein kept
God, it cannot but be worth while to know upon them both; and hence he clofed with our
what he thought about the Frame and Form, Platform of Church-Difcip/ine, as being the
and Conffitution of that Bleffed Houfe. neareft of what he had
yet feen, to the Dire-
He was a modeft, humble, but very reafona- ctions of Heaven.
ble Nonconformift unto the Ceremonies, which He could not comprehend, that this Church-
have been fuch unhappy Apples of Strife in the ftate can arife from any other Formal Caufe,
Church oi[England; otherwife thedifmal Thic- but the Confent, Concurrence, Confederation
kets of America, had never feen fuch a Perfon of thofe concerned in it; he looked upon a Re-
in them. lation unto a Church, as not a
Natural, or a
It afflicted him to fee thefe, and more fuch Violent, but a Voluntary thing, and fo that it is
us hear what it was. It was his as well as his a Man belongs, his
Baptifm would not become
Matter, the great Ramus's Principle, that in the a Nullity : Nor that meer Profejfon would ren-
Reformation of Churches, to be nrw endeavoured, der Men Members of this or that Church, for
to be reduced unto the Order where- then it would be
things ought impoffible to cut off a corrupt
in we find them at their Primitive, Original, Member from that Body Politic Nor that
:
this Principle, efpoufed that way of for then the vileft Infidels would be
hejuftly actually
Church-Government, which we call the Congre- incorporated with us. And a Covenant, was
gational'-,
he was fully perfwaded, that the all that he now faw remaining in the Inven
Church fate which our Lord Chrift hath infti- tory.
tuted in the New-Teftament, is, In a Congrega- But for the Subjetls to be admitted by Chur-
ches unto all the Privileges of this
tion or Society of Profejfed Believers, Agreeing
Fellowfhip
and AQ'embling together among them/elves, with with them he thought, they ought to be fuch
Officers, of Divine Appointment, for the Celebra- as a trying Charity, or a charitable Tryal fhould %
tion of Evangelical Ordinances, and their own pronounce Regenerate. He found the firft Chur-
mutual Edification-, for he faw it muff be a cm ches of the Gofpei mentioned in the Scripture,
cl Hardf.'ip ufed upon the Scriptures, to make to be Churches of Saints; and that the
Apoflles
them fo much as lifp the leaft Intimatiort of writing to them, lfill acknowledge them to be
any other Church Hate prefcribed unto us ; and Holy Brethren, and fuch as were made meet for
he coui J afl'ert, That no Approved Writers, for to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints
the Space of two Hundred Tears after Chrift, in Light; and that a main end of Church fel-
lowfhip,
Book 111. The Hiftory of New-Etigland 185?
to reprefent unto the World, the
is
There were efpecially two things, which he
biojhip,
of thofe that (hall Afccnd into was loth to fee, and yet fear'd he faw, falling
Qualifications
his Holy Place in the Churches of New England. One was, A
the Hill of the Lord, and Jl and in
for ever. He would therefore have Bona Mens, thorough Eftablifhment of Ruli-g Elders in
and Purum pekus, and Vita Innocens, required, our Churches; which he thought fufficiently
us Ldlantius tells us, they were in his Days, warranted by the Apoftles mention of, Eldcn
of all Communicants at the Table of the Lord
: that rule well, who yet labour not m
Word and
And with Holy O?ryfofiom. he would fooner Dotfrinc. He was very defirous to have prudent
ofiWw England (till retain a Cuilom which Members, and the InjpeBicn of the Converfation
the Great fuftin Martyr, in the Second Cen- led by the Communicant, and the Inf ruffian of
us to have been in the Primitive their feveral Families, and the Vijimionof the
tury, allures
Churches of his Time-, namely, To Examine Affli&ed in their Flock, over which they fhoulj
not only about their Perfwa- prefide. Such Helps in Governments had he him
thofe they Receive,
whether they have attained
unto a felf been blefled withal:, the laft of which was
fion, but alfo
'Work Grace their Souls. In the Pro- the well- deferring Elder Bowles; and of him,
of upon
fecution hereof, befides the Enquiries of the £7- did thiKgood Man, in a Speech to a Synod of 'all
dcrs into the Knowledge, and Belief, and Con~ the Churches in this Colony, take occafion to
verfation of
them that offer themfelves unto lay, There is my Brother Bowles, the godly Elder
Church-fellowihip, it is expected, tho'
I hope
oj our Church at Roxbury, God helps him to do
not with Severity of Impofition, that
any
in great things among ml Had all our Paftors been
the Addrefles which they make to the Churches, lb well accommodated, it is pollible there would
they give Written, if not Oral Account,
of what be more Encouragement given to fuch an Office
Impreflions the Regenerating Word of God has as that of Ruling Elders.
had upon their Souls. This was a Cuftom which But the mention of a Synod brings to mind a-
this Holy Man had a marvellous Efteem and nother thing, which he was concerned, that we
Value for ; and I have taken from his Mouth might never want; and that is, a frequent Re-
ofA eedful Synods in our Churches. For
T
4
munion there. They open the Works ofChnfl tend, and in what they enjoy, fo compacted into
'
and is an one
in rheir Hearts, the Relation thereof Body Myfiical, as that all the feveral par-
'
eminent of our Lord ; experienced ticular Churches every where fhould aff with
Confeffion
'
Saints can gather more than a little from it. a regard unto the good of the whole, and
It is indeed an Ordinance of wonderful Bene- unto the common Advice and Council of the
1
} on of Chrift, is methinks, a fort of Jubilee which may have occafion to enquire into the
-,
'
and every good Man among us, is ar leaft once Circumlfances of it; he faw the main IntereJI
'
in his Life call'd unto it. It is a thing that and Buftnefs of Churches might
quickly come to
'
gives great Glory to the Lord Jefus Chrift; be utterly loft, if Synods were not often called
c
and. younger Converts are thereby exceedingly for the Repairing of Inconveniences, and he
edify'd; and the Souls of Devout Chrijiians was much in conrriving for the regular and re-
'
'
are hereby very much ingratiated one unto peated meeting of fuch AfTemblies.
c
another. The Devil knows what he does, He wifh'd for Councils to fupprefs all dam-
'
when he thruff lb hard to get this Cuilom nable Herefies, or pernicious Opinions, that
4
out of our Churches. For my parr, I would might ever arife among us ; for Councils to
fay in this Cafe, Get thee behind me Satan ; extinguish all dangerous Divifions, and fcanda-
'
'
thou givefl an horrible Offence unto the Lord lous Contentions which might ever begin to
<
m
Jef Chrifi, Let us keep up this Ordinance flame in our Borders ; for Councils to recFif y all
c
with all Gentlencfs and where we fee the Male-Adminiftrations in the midft of us, or to
-,
'
leaft fpark of Grace held forth, let us prize Recover any particular Churches out of any
'
it more than all the Wit in the World. Diforders which they may be plung'd into :
For
i?o The Hiftory of New-England. Book II
For Councils to enquire into the Love, the de VUnite de VEglife, That
the Apoflolicah
the Holinefs maintained by the feveral Churches- lived not in any Confederation
Peace, for mu-
Churches ; in line, for Councils to fend forth fir tual Dependence. The grand Equipage
of Me-
Labourers into thofe Parts of our Lord's Har- tropolitans, of Primates, of Exarchs, of Patri-
veft, which are without the Gofpel
of God. archs^ wilt yet unknown ; nor does it any more
He beheld an Apoftolical Precept and Pattern appear to us, that the Churches then had their
for fuch Councils; and when fuch Councils con- and Oecumenical
Provincial, National, Synods
vened in the Name of the Lord Jefus Chrift, by every Church wat its own Miftrefs, and inde-
the confent of feveral Churches concerned in pendent on any other. But on the other fide
mutual Communion, have Declared, Explained, our Eliot, who was no Presbyterian, conceived'
Recommended the Mind of God from his word Synods to be the Inftitutions of our Lord Jefus
unto us, he reckoned a Truth fo delivered, Chrift, the Apoftolical Churches themfelves ac-
challenged an Obfervation from the particular knowledging a Stamp
of Divine Right
upon
Churches, with a very great Authority.
them.
Such as thefe were the Sentiments of our
He therefore Printed a little Book wearing Eliot ; and his deferved Reputation in the
this Title, The Divine Management of Gofpel- Churches of New-England, is that which has
Churches by the Ordinance of Councils, confitu- caufed me to forefee fome Advantage and Be-
ted in order according to the Scriptures, -which nefit arifing unto the Concerns of the Gofpel
may be a means of uniting thofe two holy and by fo large a Recitation as I have now made'
eminent Parties, the Presbyterians and the Con- thereof.
gregational. It is a Remarkable Conceifion
made by the Incomparable Jurieu who is not
The Reader has now feen, An Able Mini-
reckoned a Congregational Man, in his Traite nifier of the NewTcJiament.
PART III.
his Expreilions were, 'There is a Redundancy, and wretched heathen ever fince their firft herd-
c
where you put the Title of Evangelifi upon ing here and tho' we know not When or How
-,
'
me I befeech you to fupprefs all fuch things ;
-,
thofe Indians firft became Inhabitants of this
mighty Continent, yet we may guefs that pro-
'
let us do and fpeak and carry all things with
Humility ; it is the Lord who hath done what bably the Devil decoy'd thofe miferable Salva-
-
c
is done;, and it is moft becoming the Spirit ges hither, in hopes that the Gofpel of the
c
of -Jefus Chrift to lift up him, and lay our Lord Jefus Chrift would never come here to
felves low^ I wifh that Word could be obli or difturb his Abfolutc
'
deftroy Empire over
•
terated. My Reader fees what a Caurion them. But our Eliot W3S in fuch ill Terms with
Mr. Eliot long fince entred againft our giving the Devil, as to alarm him with founding the
him the Title of an Evangeliji; but his Death Silver Trumpets of Heaven in his Territories,
has now made it fafe, and his Life had long and make fome Noble and Zealous Attempts
made it juft, for us to acknowledge him with towards outing him of his Ancient PoiTeffiou.s
fuch a Title. I know not whether that of an here. There were, I think, Twenty feveral
Ecangelift, or one feparated for the Employ- Nations (if I may call them foj of Indians
ment of Preaching the Gofpel in fuch Places upon that fpot of Ground, which fell under the
whereunto Churches have hitherto been gather Influence of our Three United Colonies; and
ed, be not zn Office that fhould be continued in out Eliot was willing to refcueas many of them
our Days but this I know, that our Eliot very as he could, from that old
•, ufuiping Landlord
norably did the Service and Bufncfs of fuch an of America, who is by the Wrath of God, the
Officer. Prince of this World.
Cambden could not reach the Height h of his I cannot find that any befides the
Holy Spirit
Conceit, who bore in his Shield a Salvage of of God. firft moved him to the bleiTed Work
of
Book * be Hijcory
III. of New-Fngland. i$i
of Evangelizing thefe perifhing
Indians
;
'twas we dwelt among. Lalvly, when he had well
which laid belore his Mind begun this Evangelical Bujinefs, the good God,
that Holy Spirit
the Seal of the in an Anfwer to his
the Idea of that which was on Prayers, ftirred
mercifully
Maffachufet Colony j A poor
Indian having a up a liberal Contribution among the Godly
Label going from his Mouth, with
COME
k People in England for the promoting of it by -,
of the lame Opinion with one of the Ancients, fon in this important Affair, will nor be fe :'n in
Some have endeavoured to prove Pla- its due Luftres, unlefs we make
who Laid, I
conjeientioufly
live up to the Rules of it : But upon the Face of the Earth. No fuch Ehiates
our Eliot was no Mahometan. He could molt are to be expefted among them, as have been
to that Paffage in the Arti the Baits which the pretended Converters in o-
heartily fubferibe '
cles of the Church of England. They are to ther Countries have fnapped at. One might
'
be held accurfed, who prefume to,fay that fee among them, what an hard Mafter the De-
be faved by the Law or Seel: vil is, to tiiefnoft devoted of his Vaffdlsl Thefe
every Man fhall
*
*
which he profeffeth, fo that he be diligent to abject: Creatures, live in a Country full of Mines ;
*
frame his Life according to that Law, and we have already made entrance upon our Iron ;
for Holy Scripture doth fet and in the very Surface of the Ground among
Light of Nature
'
-,
*
out unto us, only the Name of Jefus Chrilt, us, 'tis thought there lies Copper enough to
*
whereby Men muft be faved. And it afto- fupply all this World; befides other Mines
nifhed him to fee many diffembling Subfcribers hereafter to be expofed; but our fhittleis Indi-
of thofe Articles, while they have grown up to ans were never Owners of fo much as a Kmfc,
fuch a Phrenfy, as to deny peremptorily all till we come among them ; their Name for an
Church fate, and all Salvation to all that are EngltfJy-man was a Knife man ; Stone was in-
not under Diocefan Bilhops, yet at the fame ftead of Metal for their Tools and for their
-,
time to grant that the Heathen might be faved Coins, they have only little Beads with Holes
without the Knowledge of the Lord Jefus in them to firing them upon a Bracelet, whereof
Chrilt. fome are white-, and of thefe there go fix for a
Penny fome are black or blew and of thefe,
-, -,
But when this Charitable Pitty had. once go three for a Penny ; this Wampam, as they
Concurrence of call it, is made of the Shellfifh, whichliesupon
begun to flame, there was a
to caft into it. All the good the Sea Coaft continually.
many things Oyl
Men in theCountry were glad of his Engage- The live in a Country, where we now have
ment fuch an Undertaking; the Minifterstf- all the Conveniences ofhuman Life
in But as for :
encouraged him, and thofe in the Neigh- them, their houjing is nothing but a few Mats ty'd
pecially
bourhood kindly fupply'd his place, and per- about Poles fattened in the Earth, where a good
formed his Work in part, for him at Roxbury, Eire is their Bed Clothes in the coldeft Sealons ;
while he was Abroad labouring among them their Clothing is but a Skin of a Bealt, covering
that were without. Hereunto, he was further their Hind-parts, their Pore-parts having but a
.
awakened by thofe Expreffions in the Royal little Apron, where Nature calls for Secrecy ;
Charter, in the Aflurance and Protection where their Diet has not a greater Dainty than their
of this Wildernefs was firft Peopled ; namely, Nokehick, that is a fpoonful of their parctid meal,
To win and Natives of that Country with a fpoonful of Water, which will (trengthen
incite the
to the Knowledge and Obedience of the only true them to travel a Day together except we -,
God and Saviour of Mankind, and the Chriftian fhould mention the Flefh of Deers, Bears, Mofe,
Faith, in our Royal Intention, and the adven- Rackoons, and the like, which they have
when
turers free ProjeJJion is the principal end of they can catch them ; as alfb a little Fijb, which
the Plantation. And the Remarkable Zeal of if they would preferve, 'twas by drying, not by
the Romilh Milfionaries compaffing Sea and falling , for they had not a grain of Salt in the
Land, that they might make Profelytes, made World, I think, till we beltow'd it on them.
his Devout Soul think of it with a further Their Phyfick is, excepting a few odd Specificks,
Difdain, that we fhould come any whit behind which lome of them Encounter certain Cafes
in our Care to Evangelize the Indians, whom with, nothing hardly, but an Hot-Houfe, or a
B bb b Powaw -,
I?2 The Hiftory of New-England. Book HI
Powaw\ their Hot-Houfe is a little Cave about own the feveral Nations of the World ef -,
eight foot over, where alter they have terribly which a certain Great God in the South- Welt
heated it, a Crew of them go lit and fweat and Regions of Heaven bears the greatell Figure.
fmoke for an Hour together, and then imme- They believe, that every remarkable Creature
diately run into fome very cold adjacent Brook, has a peculiar God within it, or about it : There
without the lealt Mifchief to them > 'tis this is with them, a Sun God, a Moon God, and the
way they recover themlelves from fome Dif- like; and they cannot conceive but that the
eafes, particularly from the French but in -,
Fire mull be a kind of a God, inafmuch as a
mod of their dangerous Dillempers, 'tis a Spark of it will foon produce
very lira nge ef-
Powaio that mult be lent for -,
that is, a Pneft, fects. They believe that when any Good or 111
who has more Familiarity with Satan than his happens to them, there is the Favour or the
Neighbours ; this Conjurer comes and Roars, Anger of a God exprelfed in u-, and hence as
and Howls, and ufes Magical Ceremonies over in a Time of Calamity, they keep a Dance, or
the Sick Man, and will be well paid for it,
a Day of extravagant ridiculous Devotions to
when he has done -,
if this don't effect the
Cure, God, fo in a Time of Profperity they like-
their
the Man's Time is come; and there's an end. wife have a Feaft, wherein they alfo make
They live in a Country full of the beft Ship- Prefents one unto another. Finally, they be- .
Timber under Heaven: But never faw a Ship, lieve, that their chief God Kautantowit, made
till fome came from Europe hither; and then a Man and Woman of a Stone-,
which, upon
they were fcar'd out of their Wits, to fee the Diflike, he broke to pieces, and made another
Monfier come failing in, and fpitting Fire with Man and Woman of a Tree, which were the
a mighty noife, out of her floating fide j they Fountains of all Mankind ; and that we all
crofs the Water in Canoe's, made ibmetimes of have in us Immortal Souls, which if we were
Trees, which they burn and hew, till they have godly, fhall go to a fplendid Entertainment
hollow'd them- and fometimes of Barks, which with Kautantowit, but otherwife mull wander
they ftitch into a light fort of a Veffel, to be about in a refllefs Horror for ever. But if you
ea lily carried over Land if they over-fet, it fay to them any thing of a Refurretlwn,
-,
they
is but a little paddling like a
Dog, and they will reply upon you, 1fhall never believe it 1
are foon where they were. And when they have any weighty Undertaking
Their way of living, is infinitely Barbarous before them, 'tis an ufual thing for them to
:
The Men are moft abominably flothful making have their Affemblies, wherein after the ufage
-,
their poor Squaws, or Wives, to plant and drefs, of fome Diabolical Rites, a Devil appears unto
and barn, and beat their Corn, and build their thero, to inform them and advife "them about
Wigwams for them which perhaps may be the their Circumftances and fometimes there are
-, -,
ieafon of their extraordinary Eafe in Child- odd Events of their making thefe Applications
birth. In the mean time, their chief Employ- to the Devil. For inilance, 'tis particularly
ment, when they'll condefcend unto any, is that affirmed, That the Indians in their Wars with
of Hunting wherein they'll go out fome fcores, us, finding a fore Inconvenience by ouj Dogs,
-,
if not Hundreds of them in a Company, dri- which would make a fad yelling if in the
ving all before them. Night they fcented the Approaches of them,
They continue in a Place, till they have burnt they facrificed z Dog to the Devil; after which
up all the Wood thereabouts, and then they no Englijh Dog would bark at an Indian for di-
pluck up Stakes ; to follow the Wood, which they vers Months enfuing. This was the miferable
cannot letch home unto themfelves 5 hence when People, which our Eliot propounded unto him-
they enquire about the Englijh, Why come they felf, to teach and fave And he had a double !
hither ! They have themfelves very Learnedly Work incumbent on him; he was to make Men
determined the Cafe, 'Twos becaufe we wanted of them, e'er he could hope to fee them Saints-,
firing. No Arts are underffood among them, they mud be civilized e'er
they could be Chri-
unlefs juflfo far as to maintain their Brutifh Jiianised he could not, as Gregory once of ouf4''
-,
Converfation, which is little more than is to be Nation, fee any thing Angelical to befpeak his
found among the very Bevers upon our Streams. Labours for their Eternal Welfare, all among
Their Divifion of Time is by Sleeps, and them was Diabolical. To think on railing a Num-
Moons, and Winters ; and by lodging abroad, ber of thefe hideous Creatures, unto the Eleva-
they havefomewhat obferved the Motions of the tionsof our Holy Religion,mull argue more than
Stars-, among which it has been furprifing unto common or little Sentiments in the Undertaker -,
me to find, that they have always call'd Charles's but the Faith of an Eliot could encounter it!
Wain by the Name of Paukunnawaw, or that was one, I cannot call it fo
The I confefs,
little, if any Traditions among them worthy our Indians are the Pofierity of the difperfed and
of our Notice and Reading and Writing is al-
; rejeSedlix^QYitts, concerning whom our God has
together unknown to them, tho' there is a Rock promifed that they (hall yet be faved, by the Deli-
or two in the Country that has unaccountable verer coming to turn away Ungodlinej's from them.
Characters Engrav'd upon it. All the Religion He faw the Indians ufing many Parables in their
they have amounts unto thus much ; they be- Difcourfes; much given to anointing of their
lieve, that there are many Gods, who made and Heads ; much delighted in Dancing, efpecially
after
Book III. The Htftory of New- England. in
after Vi&ories , computing their Times by fed of it are long enough to tire rhe Patience
Dowries for Wires, of any Scholar in the World
Nights and Months-, giving 3 they are Sefqui-
and cauling their Women to dwell by them/elves, pedaha Verba, of which their
Linguo is com-
at certain Seafons, for fecret Caufes ; and ac p fed ; one would think, they had been
grow-
and in ever fince Babel, unto the Dimenfions to
cuftoming themfel ves to grievous Mournings
the Dead which were ufual w, ch they are now extended. For inftance,
all
Tellings ibr >,
things among the Israelites. They have too a if iy Reader will count how many Letters
unkindnefs for our Swine 5 but I fuppofe theie are in this one Word, Nummat'ehekodtdn-
great
that is becaufe our Hogs devour the Clams which tamooonganunnonafh, when he has done, for his
are a Dainty with them. He alfo faw fome Reward I'll tell him, it fignifies no more in
the loft l/raelites a- Englifh, than our
learned Men, looking for
Lujis , and iff were to tran-
mong the Indians in America, and counting flate, our Loves it muff be
-,
nothing fhorter
that they had thorow good Reafons for doing fo. than Noowomantammoojnkanunonnafh. Or, to
And a few fmall Argument s3 or indeed but Con- give my Reader a longer Word than either of
with a favourable Difpofition thefe, Kummogkodonattoottummoociiteao'ngannun-
jetfures, meeting
in the Heater, will carry fome Conviction with nonafl?, is in Englifh, OurQueftion; But I pray,
them ; efpecially, if a Report of a Menaffeh ben Sir, counr the Letters Nor do we find in all !
to back them. He faw likewife the this Language the leali Affinity to, or Deriva-
I/rael be
threatned unto the I/raclites of old, tion from any European Speech that we are ac-
Judgments
our Indians; particularly quainted with. 1 know not what
ftrangely fulfilled upon Thoughts ir
xhxtTe fhall eat theflefhofyourfons,vih\ch is done will produce in my Reader, when I inform
with exquite Cruelties upon the Prifoners that him, that once finding that the Demons in a
another in their Battels. polTeffed young Woman, underftood the La-
they take from one
'tis a Prophefy in Deut. 28. d8. The tin and Greek and Hebrew Cu-
Moreover, Languages, my
Lord /hall bring thee into Egypt again zoith Ships, riofiry led me to make Trial of this Indian
unto thee, Thou Jhalt
by the way whereof fpake
\ Language, and the Demons did feem as if they
it no more again ; and there fljall ye be fold did not underftand it. This tedious Language
fee
unto your Enemies, and no Man fhall buy you. our Eliot (the Anagram of whofe Name was
This did our Eliot imagine accomplifhed, when TOILE) quickly became a Milter of j he em-
the Captives taken by us in our late Wars upon ploy'd a pregnant and witty Indian, who alfo
them, were fent to be fold, in theCoaffs lying fpoke Englifh well, for his Afliftance in it and -,
not very remote from Egypt on the Mediterra- compiling fome Difcourfes by his Help, he
nean Sea, and fcarce any Chapmen would offer would fingle out a Word, a Noun, a Verb, and
to take them off. Being upon fuch as thefe purfue it
through all its Variations: Having fi-
fave that the Indians to the Northward, who I fhall prefume to make fome Annotations for
have a peculiar Dialetf, pronounce an R where the Illuflration of fundry memorable things
an N is
pronounced by our Indians ; but if their therein Pointed at.
Alphabat be/Zwv, I am fure the Words compo-
B b b b 2 A LET-
194-
The Hiftory of New-England. Book 111.
Tranflated out of
Latin into Englifk.
UR
Letters were very Grateful to me, in/lead of him, that Church ha* an Indian-
YO (a) by which
1 undcrfland that you and Preacher.
others in your Famous Univerfity of There are befides that, five Affemblies of
Utrecht defire tp be informed concerning the con- Indians profeffing the Name ofChrifl, not far
vened Indians in America Take therefore a dijlant from Mafhippaug, which have Indian
:
true Account of them in a few Words. Preachers : ( g ) John Cotton, Pajlor of the
It is above Forty.
Church at Plymouth (Son of my Venerable Fa-
Tears fince that truly Godly
Man, Mr-.John Eliot, Pa (lor of the Church at
ther-in-Law John Cotton, Jormerly the Famous
(about a Mile from Bolton in Teacher of the Church at BoftonJ both made ve-
Rocksborough,
New-EnglandJ being warmed with a Holy Zeal ry great Progrefs in Learning the Indian Tongue,
of Converting the Americans, fct bimfelf to and is very skilful in it ; he Preaches in their
learn the Indian Tongue, that he might more ea- own Language to the lajl five mentioned Congre-
fily
and fucccfsfully (b) open to them the My- tions every Week. Moreover of the Inhabitants
Jl 'erics of the G ofpel} upon account of which he ^fSaconet in Plymouth Colony, there is a great
bits been (and not undejerved/y) called, TheA- Congregation of thofe who for DiftinUion fake
poftle of the American Indians. Tim Reverend are called Praying Indians, becauje they fray to
Perjfbn,
not without very great Labour, Tran- God in Chrijl.
flated the whole Bible into the Indian Tongue-, Not far from a Promontory called Cape Cod,
tie Tran fluted alfo feveral Englifh Treat ifes there are fix Ajfemblies of Heathens who are to
(cj
of Prattical Divinity and Catechifms into their be reckoned at Catechumens, amongfl whom
Language. Above 2.6 Tears ago he. gathered a there are fix Indian Preachers : Samuel Treat,
Church of Converted Indians in a Town called Pajlor of aChurch at Eaftham, Prcacheth to thofe
(d) Natick; thefe Indians confeffed their Sins Congregations in their own Language. There
with Tears, and prof(fed their Faith in Chrijl, are likewife amongfl the IJlanders oj Nantacket
and afterwards they and their Children were Bap a Church, with a Pajlor who was lately a Hea-
tized, and they were folemnly pined together in then, and feveral Meetings of Catechumens,
a Church-Covenant the Jaid Mr. Eliot was the who are injiruffed by the Converted Indians.
-,
firfl that Ad-mi m'ft red the Lord's Supper to them. There is alfo, another Ifland about /even Leagues
The Pajlor of 'that Church nozv is an Indian, long (called Martha'*- Vineyard) where are two
his Name is Daniel. Befidcs this Church at Na- American Churches planted, which are more Fa-
tick, among our Inhabitants in the Maflachufets mous than the reft, over one of which there pre-
Colony there are Four Indian Affemblies, ( e ) an ancient Indian as Pajlor, called Hia-
fides-
where the Name of the true God and Jefus cooms John Hiacooms, Son of the Indian Pa-
:
Chrijl is
folemnly called
upon ; thefe Affemblies Preacheth the Go/pel to his Country-
jlor, alfo
have fame American Preachers, Mr. Eliot for- men. In another Church in that Place, John
merly 11 fed to Preach to them once every Fort- Tockinofh, a Converted Indian, teaches. In
night, but now he is wcakned with Labours and thefe Churches Ruling Elders of the Indians are
Old- Age, being in the Eighty Fourth Tear of his joined to the Pajlor s : The Pajlors zeere chojen
Age, and Prcacheth not to the Indians oftner by the People, and when they had Jojled and
rhkn once in two Monihs. prayed, Air. Eliot and Air. Cotton laid their
There is another Church, confiding only of Hands on them, fo that they were folemnly or-
Converted Indians, about fifty Miles from hence dained. Ail the Congregations ( h ) of the Con-
M
m Indian Town called Mafhippaug The firfl verted Indians (both the Catechumens and thofe
:
Pa for of that Church was an Englifh Man, in Church Order) every Lord's Day meet toge-
the American Language, ther tic Paftjr. or Preacher
being skilful in -,
always begins with
Preached the Gqfpel to them in their own Prayer, and without a Form, becaufe from the
Tongue* (f ) This Englifh Pajlor is Dead, and Hearr ; when the Ruler of the Affembly hat ended
Prayer^
Book ill. The Hiftory of New-England. 195
'
whole Congragation of Indians praife the Indians there are four an,!
Prayer, the Of
ofChrifl :
God with finging ; fome cj them arc excellent Twenty who are Preachers of the Word ofG.J.
Singers: After the Pfahn,
he that preaches read* and befides thefe there are four
'-
c
Englifh Mim-
a Place (one or more Verfcs as he fters, who preach the Go/pel in the Indian
of Scripture
Tongue. ( ) I am now my felf
'
weary with
it them by Scriptures and Rcalons, and writing, and I fear left if I fhould add more. I
proves
them after the manner of the (hould alfo be tedious to you ;
infers Ufes from yet one thing I
Englifh, of whom they have been tatght , then muff add (which I had
almofl forgot) that there
another Prayer to God in the NameofChri/i con are many of the Indians Children, who have lear-
eludes the whole Service. Thus do they meet ned by Heart the Catechifm, either
of that Fa-
together twice every Lord's Day. They obferve mous Divine William Perkins, or that put forth
no Holy-days but the Lord's Day, except upon by the Affembly of Divines at Weftminfter, and
and then they fo- in their own Mother
fome extraordinary Occafwn ; Tongue can anfwer to all
whole Days, either in giving the Qiieftions in it.
lemnly Jet apart
Thanks or Fafting and fraying with great Fer- But I
muft end, Ifalute the Famous P'rofeffors
vour of Mind. in your Unroerfity, to whom
Idefire you to com.
Before the Englifh
came into thefe Coaffs thefe mumcate this Letter, as written to them
alfo.
Barbarous Rations were altogether ignorant of
the true God ; hence it is that in their Prayers Farewel, Worthy Lord preferve your Sir -,
the
and Sermons they life Englifh Words and Terms ; Health for the Benefit of your Country, his
he that calls upon the mofi Holy Name of God, Church, and of Learning.
or God, or Lord, and alfo they
fays, Jehovah,
have learned and borrowed many other Theolo- Bofton in
New-England, Yours ever,
from us.
gical Phrafes
'
July 12. 1687.
There are fix Churches of Bapti-
Infhort,
'
zed Indians itr New England, and Eighteen Increase Mather,
"jlffemblies 0/ Catechumens, profejfing
the Name
the Writing of this Letter, there came utterly ignorant of their Language, yet there
AFter to my Hands from the Famous Dr. are School- Mafters who teach them, The Lord's
one
Leufden, together with a New and Fair Edi- Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments, a
dition of his Hebrew Pfalter, Dedicated unto Morning Prayer, an Evening Prayer, a Blefjing
the Name of my Abfent Parent. He therein before Meat, and another after ; and the Mi-
informs me, That our Example had awakened nifter in his Vifits
being aiTured by the Matter,
the Dutch to make fome Noble Attempts for who
of them has learned all of xhtm feven
the Furtherance of the Gofpel in the Eaftln things, he thereupon counts they have fuch a
dies , befides what memorable things were done perfetl Number of Attainments that he prefently
W uir.
i<}6 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book HI.
V
(b) Mr. Eliot Way of Opening
the Myfleries of the
Gofpef, to our Indians.
Eyes of feveral
T Was
company
Year i6$6, that Mr. Eliot, ac-
in the
'd by three more, gave a Vifit
( c ) His Tranflating the Bible, and other Books of Piety, into the Indian
Tongue.
into the
Scriptures might not in an unknown Tongue be
locked or hidden from them ;
hellifh did the
very hateful and
quickly procured Policy of Popery appear to him
the benefit of Schools for them wherein rhey on this Account
; Our Eliot was very unlike to
.
:
profited fo much, that not only very many of that Francifcan, who writing into Europe, glo-
rhem quickly came to Read and Write but alfo iried much how many Thoufands of Indians he
|
-,
feveral arrived unto a Liberal Education in our had converted ; but added, That he defired his
I
Colledge.and one or two of them took their De- Friends wouldfend him the Book called the Bible j
gree with the reft of our Graduates. And tor for he had heard of there being fuch a Book in
Books, 'twas his chief Defire that the Sacred Europe, which might be offome ufe to him. No,
our
Book Hi. 7h Hi/lory of New-fcngland. t5>7
our Eliot found he could not live without a Bi- upon that Pen, with which Holland writ his
ble himfelf '-, hewould have parted with all his Tranflation of Plutarch. The Bible being juftly
Eftate, fooner
than have loft a Leaf of It ^ and made the Leader of all the reft, a little Indian
he knew it would be of more than /owe ufe unto Library quickly followed
For befides Primers^ :
guage. Behold, ye Americans, the greateft Ho the Indian Tongue, and the Reverend Richard
nour that ever you were Partakers of This Baxter's Call to the Unconverted.
!
He alfo tran-
Bible was Printed here at our Cambridge ;
and slated fome of Mr. Shepherd's Ccmpofures and •,
'
E Indians that had felt the Impreffions of us to be thy People, and let us take thee to be
TH Name his Ministry, were quickly distinguished
of Praying Indians ; and thefe
c
our God.
by the
Indians as quickly were for a more De- Such an Opinion about the Perfection of the
Praying
cent and Englijh-zvay of Living, and they defired Scripture had he, that he thus expreffed himfelf
a more fixed Cohabitation. At feveral Places upon this occafion, God will bring Nations into
did they now combine and fettle but the Place Diftrefs and Perplexity, that fo they may be for-
•,
of greatest Name among their Towns, is that of ced unto the Scriptures ; all Governments will be
Natick. fhaken, that Men may be forced at length to
Here 'twas, that thofe
in the
165-1. Year
that pitch upon that firm Foundation, The Word of
had heretofore lived like the wild Beafls in the God.
Wildernefs, now compared themfelves into a The little Towns of thefe Indians being pitch-
Town ;
and they firft apply'd themfelves to the ed upon this Foundation, they utterly abandon'd
forming of their Civil Government. Our Gene- that Poligamy which had heretofore been com-
ral Court, notwithstanding their exa£l Study to mon among them j they made fevere Laws a-
keep thefe Indians very fenfible of their being gainft Drunkennefs , and Sabbath-
Fornication ,
prepojfeffed
with any Formr of Government, he fore they thought fitMen
Subjects to be en-
would in/lrufl them into fuch a form, as we had trufted with the Rights of the Kingdom of Hea-
written in the Word of God,
thatfo they might be ven. But they feem'd rather to augment than
a People in all things ruled by the Lord.
Ac- abate their ufual Strifinefs, when the Examina-
cordingly he Expounded unto them the Eigh- tion of the Indians was to be performed. A Day-
teenth Chapter of Exodt/s and then they chofe
•,
was therefore fet apart, which they called, Na-
Ruler; of Hundreds, of Fifties, of Tens ; and tootomnhteackefuk, or a Day of Asking §>iieflions,
therewithal entred into this Covenant. when the Minifters of the adjacent Churches,
affifted with all the beft Interpreters that could
4
We are the Sons of Adam ; We and our be had, publickly examined a good Number of
'
Forefathers have a long time been loft in our thefe Indians, about their Attainments both in
Sins ; but now the Mercy of the Lord begin- Knowledge and in Vertae.
'
And notwithstand-
'
neth to find us out again therefore the Grace ing the great Satisfaction then received, our
-,
'
of Chrift helping us, we do give our felves, Churches being willing to proceed furely, and
1
and our Children unto God, to be his People. therefore Slowly, in raifing them up to a Church-
'
He In.? 11 Rule us in all our Affairs ; the Lord State, which might be comprehended in ourGw?-
'
is our
Judge, the Lord is our Law giver, the fociations, the Indians were afterwards called in
'
Lord is our King he will fave us ; and the considerable ASfemblies convened for that pur-
;
'
Wifdom which God has taught us in his Book pofe, to make open Confejfwns of their Faith
c
fhall guide us. Oh Jehovvh, teach us Wif- in God and Chrift, and of the Efficacy which
1
dom , fend thy Spirit into our Hearts ; take his Wordkai upon them for their Converfion to
him $
I5>8 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
him which Confeffions being taken in writing
-,
c
we faw and heard them perform the Duties
'
from their Mouths by able Interpreters, were mentioned with fuch grave and fober Counte-
'
fcanned by the People of God, and found much nances, with fuch comely Reverence in their
4
Acceptance with them. Gefture, and their whole Carriage, and with
'
fuch plenty of tears trickling down the Cheeks
'
I need pafs no further Cenfure upon them, of fome of them, as did argue to us that
' they
than what- is given by my Grand-father, the fpake with the Holy Fear of God, and it
'
well-known Richard Mather, in an Epiftle of his much affe&ed our Hearts.
'
Publifhed on this occafion ; fays he, There is
fo much of God's Work among them, as that I At length was a Cburch-ftate fettled
'
among
'
cannot but count it a great Evil, yea a great them :
They entred, as our Churches do, into
'
Injury to God
and his Goodnefs, for any to an holy Covenant, wherein they gave themfelves
'
make light of it. To fee and hear Indians o- firft unto the Lord, and then unto one another
pening their Mouths,and lifting up their hands to attend the Rules, and Helps, and expeft the'
'
'
and eyes, in Prayer to the Living God, calling Bleffing of the Everlafting Gofpel; and Mr.
'
on him by his Name Jehovah, in the Mediation Eliot, having a Mifhon from the Church of Rox-
of Jefus Chrift, and this for a good while to- bury, unto the Work of the Lord Chrift
'
' among
gether ; to fee and hear them Exhorting one the Indians, conceived himfelf fufficiently Au-
c
another from the Word of God ; to fee and thorized unto the performing of all Church-
and hear them conferring the Name of Chrift work about them ; grounding it on Aff. 13. i 2
'
'
Jefus, and their own finfulnefs ; fure this is 3, 4. and he accordingly Adminiftred, firft the
'
more than ufual And tho' they fpoke in a Baptifm, and then the Supper of the Lord unto
!
c
Language, of which many of us underftood them.
'
but little, yet we that were prefent that Day,
( e ) The Hindrances and Obftrn&ions that the Devil gave unto him.
WE ans
AiTemblies of Fraying Indi- now fufpefted that Religion would
find four
befidesthat of Natick, in our Bridle upon fuch Ufurparions, and
Neighbourhood. But why no more? Truly, to a more Equal and Humane Way of Govern-
put a
oblige them
not becaufe our Eliot was wanting in his Offers ment they therefore fome of them, had the
-,
and Labvurs for their good j but becaufe many Impudence to Addrefs the Englifh , that
of the obdurate Infidels would not receive the no Motions about the Chriftian Religion might
Gofpel of Salvation. In one of his Letters, I ever be made unto them and Mr. Eliot fome-
•,
find him giving this /'// Report, with fuch a times in the Wildrenefs, without the Com-
good Reafon for it Lyn-Indians are all naught, pany or Affiftance of any other Englifh-man, has
•,
fave one, who fometimes comes to hear the Word; been treated in a very Threatening and Bar-
and the Reafon why they are bad, is principally barous manner by fome of thefe Tyrants but -,
Lifting Salvation
to that King ; but the Monfter a fhape that had fome Refemblance of Mr. Eliot
Blafpemous Leviathan 5 and the Renowned Sa- Chnft, which was the ma in fubjecf of Mr. Eliot's
muel Lee hath fince been a Paftor to an Engitfh Miniftry. The Sachim received fuch an Impref-
Congregation, founding
and mowing the Prai- fion from the Apparition, that he dealt
jufily
fes ol Heaven, upon that very ipot of Ground, with all Men, except in the Bloody Tragedies
where Philip and his Indians were lately wor- and Cruelties he afterwards committed on the
fhipping of the Devil. Englifh in our Wars he kept the Sabbat h-Djj
-,
Gofpel among the Indians made way for Mr. than undergo fuch a piece of Self denial ; that
Eliot's Miniftry. As. I remember, he relates Liquor has meerJy Enchanted them. At laft, and
that an AfTociation of profane Indians near our not long iince this Damon appear'd again unto
fwept them away, and thereby engaged the reft carefully prevented it , however at length he
unto himfelf. I need only to add, That one found a fair Opportunity, for this foul Bufinefs,
Attempt made by the Devil, to prejudice the and hanged himfelf ; you may be fure, without
;
E fame
Spirit which a£t ed Mr. Eliot, Prefence and Confent, they became a Church,and
TH quickly infpited others elfewhere to pro- chofe Mr. Bourn to be their Paftor ; who was
fecute the Work of refcuing the poor Indians then by Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton ordain'd unto
ov. of their worfe than Egypt i an -Darkmis, in that Office over them. From hence Mr. Eliot and
which Evil Angels had been fo long preying Mr. Cotton went over to an Ifland called Marthas
upon them. One of thefe was the Godly and Vineyard, where God had fo fucceeded the honeft
Gracious Richard Bourn, who foon faw a great Labours of fome, and particularly of the Ma-
effect of his lu'v Labours. In the Year 1666. yheio's as that a Church was gathered.
Mr. Eliot accomi- y'd by the Honourable Go- This Church, after Fafiing and Prayer, chofe
vernour, and feverai ? ^agiftrates and Minifters one Hiacoomes to be their Paftor, John TocJanofi),
of Plynuutb Colony, pro^.-ed a vaft AfTembly an able and a difcreet Chriftian to be their
at Mupippaug and there a good Number of
-, Teacher; Jojhua Mummeecbeegs and John AY
Indians, made Confeflions touching the Know^ nafo to be Ruling Elders and thefe wete then
•,
ledge and Belief and Regeneration of their Souls, ordained by Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton thereunto.
with fuch Llnderftanding and Afte&ion as was Diftance of Habitation, caufed this one Church
extreamly grateful to the Pious Auditory. Yet by mutual Agreement afterwards to become
fuch was the Stricf nefs of the good People in two , the Paftor and one Ruling Elder taking one
this Affair, that before they would counte- part, and the Teacher and one
Ruling Elder,
nance the Advancement of thefe Indians unto another ; and at I\antucket another adjacent
I
QntrchPellovofinp^ they ordered their Confefli- Ifland, was another Church of Indians quickly
!
ons to be written and fent unto all the Chur- gathered, who chofe an Indian, John Gibs, to
dies in the Colony, for their Approbation ; but be their Minifter.
|
Thefe Churches are fo exacl
fo approved
they were, that afterwards the: in their AdmilTion, and fo folemn in their Dif-
Meltengers of all the Churches giving their cipline, and ib ierious in their Communion,
Cccc that
200 The Hijlory of New-England, Book II
'
that fome of the Christian Englifh in the Neigh- ireceive Wrong with the one, the other laid the
on God.
bourhood, which would have been loth to have greater hold
mixed with them in civil Relation, yet
a have Moreover, the Powawts did ufe to heclor and
abufe the Praying Indians at fuch a rate, -ds
gladly done it in a Sacred one.
'Tis needlefs for me to repeat what my Fa- rerrify'd others from joining with them 'but -,
ther has written about the other Indian Con- once when thofe Witches were bragging, that
gregations-, only there having been
made men- they could kill all the Praying Indians, if thev
tion of one Hiacooms, I am willing to annex a would ; Hiacoomes reply'd, Let all the Powawes
in the Ifland come together , I'll venture
Paffage or two concerning that memorable In- my (elf
dian. That Indian was a very great Inftrument in the midft of them ; let them ufe all their
of bringing his Pagan and wretched Neighbours, Witchrafts ; with the help of God, VII tread up-
to a laving Acquaintance with our Lord Jefus on them all. By this Courage, he filenced the
Chrilt ; and God gave him the Honour, not only Powawes : But at the fame time alfo he heart-
of fo doing much for ibme, but alfo of Suffering ned the People at fuch a rate as was truly won-
much from others, of thole unhappy Salvages. derful ; nor could any of them ever harm this
Once particularly, this Hiacoomes received a Eminent Confefibr afterward nor indeed
-,
any
cruel blow from an Indian Prince, which if Profelyte which had been by his means
brought
fome Englifh had not been might have home to God ; yea, 'twas obferved after this
there,
killed him, for his Fraying unto God. And af- that they rather kilPd than curd all fuch of the
terwards he gave this account of "his Trial in Heathen, as would yet make ufe of their En-
it fa id he, I have two Hands I bad one Hand chantments for help againft their
-, -,
Sicknejjes.
for Injuries, and the other for God ;
while I did
little was the Soul of our Eliot infected Treat laying out himfelf to fave this Generati-
SO with any Envy, as that he long'd for nothing on ;
and there is one Mr. Tapper, who ufes
more than Fellow-Labourers, that might move his laudable Endeavours for the Inftruction of
and fhine in the fame Orb with himfelf ; he them.
made his Cries both to God and Man, for more 'Tis my Relation to him, that caufes me to
Labourers to be thruft forth into the Indian defer unto the laft place, the mention of Mr.
Harveff $ and indeed it was an Harvefl of fo John Cotton, who hath addreffed the Indians
few lecular Advantages and Encouragements, in their own Language with fome Dexterity.
that it muff be nothing lefs than a Divine He hired an Indian, after the rate of Twelve-
Thruft, which could make any to Labour in it. pence per Day for Fifty Days, to teach him the
He law the Anfwer of his Prayers, in the Ge- Indian Tongue but his Knavifh Tutor having
-,
nerous and Vigorous Attempts made by feveral received his whole Pay too foon, ran away
other moft worthy Preachers of the Gofpel, to before Twenty Days were our ; however, in this
Gqfpclize our psrifhing
Indians. At the Wri- time he had profited fo far, that he could
ting of my Father's Letter there were Four , quickly Preach unto the Natives.
but the Number of them increafes apace among
us. At Marthas Vineyard, the old Mr. May- Having told my Reader, that the Second Edi-
hew, and feveral of his Sons, or Grandfons tion of the Indian Bible was wholly of his Cor-
have done very worthily for the Souls of the rection and Amendment ; becaufe it is not pro-
Indians -,
there were fifteen Years ago, by Com- per for me to fay much of him, I fhall only
putation, about fifteen Hundred Seals of their add this Remarkable Story. An Englifh Mini-
Miniftry upon that one Ifland. In ConneUicut, fter accompany'd by the Governour and Major-
the holy and acute Mr. Fitch, has made noble General, and fundry Perfons of Quality, be-
EfTays towards the Converfion
of the Indians longing to Plymouth, made a Journey to a Na-
,
but, I think, the Prince he has to deal withal, tion of Indians in the Neighbourhood, with a
being an obftinate Infidel, gives unhappy Re- free Offer of the Words whereby they might be
mora's to the Succeffes of his Miniftry. And faved. The Prince took time to coniider of it,
godly Mr. Pier/on, has in that Colony deferved and according to the true EngliJJ} of Taking
well, if I miftake not, upon the fame account. Time in fuch cafes, at length he told them, He
In Maffachujets we fee at this Day, the Pious did not accept the Tender which they made him.
.Mr. Daniel Gookin, the Gracious Mr. Peter They then took their Leaves of him, not with-
Thatcher, the well accomplished and induftri- out firft giving him this plain and fhort Admo-
ous Mr. Grindal Raw/on, all of them hard at nition, If God have any Mercy for your mife-
Work, to turn thefe Poor Creatures//w/? Park- rabie People, He will quickly find a way to take
nefs unto Light, and from Satan unto God. In you out of the way. 'Twas prefently after this,
Plymouth we have the moft ^ftive Mr. Samuel that this Prince going forth to a Battel againft
another
Book 111. ^be Hijiory of New- England. 201
another Nation ot" Indians, was killed in the Hot left engag'd in the Indian-Work, when he
and the young Prince being in his Mi- departed from Employ?nent unto his Recom-
his
Fight ;
f 7,i v. the Government fell into the Hands of pence. And thefe Gentlemen are fo indefatiga-
Vrotettors,
which favoured thelnteieft of the ble in their Labours among the Indians, as that
Gofpel.
The Englijh being ad'.ifed of it, fpee* the molt equal Judges mutt acknowledge them
dilv and profperoully
renewed the Tidings of worthy of much greater Salaries than they arc.
an Eternal Savioui to the Salvages, who have generoufly contented with. But one may fee
ever fince attended upon the Gofpel: And the then, who infpired that clamorous (tho' con-
after he came to Age, expreffed temptible) Periecutor of this Country, who
young Sachim,
hrs approbation of
the Chriftian Religion ; ef very zealouily addrefled the A. B. o^ Canter-
when a while fince, he lay a Dying bury, that thefe Minifters might be deprived of
pccially
of a tedious Diitemper, and would keep Read- their little Stipends, and that the faid Stipends
Mr. Baxter's Call to the Unconverted, might go to maintain that Worfhip among us,
ing of
with Floods of Tears in his Eyes, while he had which the Plantation was Erected on purpofe
to do it. for the peaceable Avoiding of.
any Strength
Such as thefe are the Perfons, whom our E-
Father's Account of the Exercifes per- has abufed that Phrafe and Thing withal, Gre-
MY
tell us
formed
what
in the Indian Congregations, will
a Bleffed Fruit our Eliot
gory Nazianzen in his Days, counted it the Ho-
faw of nour of his Fathers publick Prayers, That he
his Labours, before he went unto thofe Rewards had them from, and tnade them by the Holy Spi-
which God had referv'd in the Heavens for him. rit. Our
Indians accordingly find, that if they
Some Indians quickly built for them-
of the itudy the Words of God, and their own Sins
felves good and large Meeting Houfes after the and Wants, they fhall foon come to that At-
Englijh Mode, in which alfo after the Englijh tainment, Behold they pray ! They can pray
Mode, they attended the Things of the King- with much Pertinence and Enlargement ; and
dom of Heaven. And fome of the Englijh were would much wonder at it, if they fhould hear
helpful to them upon this account ^ among of an Englijh Clergy, that fhould Read their
whom I ought particularly to mention that Prayers out of a Book, when they fhould pour
Learned, Pious and Charitable Gentleman, the out their Souls before the God of Heaven.
Worfhipful Samuel Sewal, Efq^ who at his Their Preaching has much of Eliot, and there-
own Charge built a Meeting Hcufe for one of fore you may be fure much of Scripture, but
the Indian Congregations, and gave thofe perhaps more of the Chrijiian than of the Scho-
Indi-
ans caufe to pray for him under that Character, lar init. I know not how to defcribe it better
He loveth our Nation, for he hath built us a than by reciting the Heads of a Sermon, uttered
Synagogue. by an Indian on a Day of Humiliation kept by
It only remains that I give a touch or two up- them, at a time when great Rains had given
on the Worfhip which is attended in the Syna- much Damage to their Fruits and Fields ; 'twas
gogues of the Indians. And firff, the very Name on this wife.
of Praying Indians will allure us that Prayer is
one ot their Devotions , be fure, they could not A little I fhall fay, according to that little 1
be our Eliot's Difciples if it were not fo. But know.
how do they P?ay ? We are told, it is Without
a Form, becaufe from the Heart; which is as 1 Gen. 8. 20, 21.
remember, Tcrtullian's Expreflion concerning
the Prayers in the Affembiies of the Primitive And Noah built an Altar unto Jehovah ;
and
Chriftians ;
mmdy,Jine monitorequiade peffore. he took of every clean Beafl, and of every clean
It is evident, thatthe Primitive Chriftians had Fowl, and offered Burnt-Offerings on the Altar.
no itated Liturgies among them-, that no Forms And the Lord fuelled afweet favour, and the
of Prayers were in their time impofed upon the Lord faid in his Heart, I will not again Curfe
Minilters of the Gofpel, that even about the the Ground.
Platform of Prayer given us by our Lord, it
'
was the Opinion of Auflin himfelf, notwith- In that Noah facrifked, he ihow'd himfelf
itandingthe Advances made in his Age towards Thankful; in that Noah worfhipped, he (hew-
what we count Superfiitious, that our Lord ed himfelf Godly. In that he offered Clean
therein Taught not what Words we Jhould ufe in Beafls, he fhow'd
that God is an Holy God.
Prayer, but what things we Jhould pray for. And all that come to God, muff be pure and
And whatever Scoffs the Profanity of our Days, clean. Know, that we muft by Repentance,
C c c c 7
'
purge
202 The Hiflory of New-England. Book III.
purge our felves -,
which is the Work we are As for Holydaysy you may take it for granted
to do this Day. our Eliot would not perfwade his Indians to
any
'
Noah and fo worfhipped. This
faerificed Stated ones. Even the Chriftian-Feftwal it
was the manner of old time. But what Sa (elf, he knew to be a Stranger unto the
Apo^
entices have we now to offer? I (hall anfwer (tolical Times;
that the exquifite Vojjws him-
Lord. Thefe are the true Spiritual Sacrifices Truth in the Words of the Great Chemnitius
which God requirerh at our hands, the Sacri- Anniverfavium Diem Nat alii Chriffj, celebratuin
fices of Right eoufnefs-,
that is, we mutt look fuiffe, a pud vetuftijfimos nunquam legit ur. He
to our Hearts and Ways that they be Righte knew that if the Day of our Lord's
Nativity
ous and then we (hall be acceptable to God were to be obferved, it fhould not be in De-
-,
when we Worfhip him. But it" we be un- cember: That many Churches for divers Ages
righteous, unholy, ungodly, we
(hall not be kept it not in December, but in
January that -,
fuch an one muft we offer. Only, God re- their Debauched Saturnalia; and that a Tertul
quires not us to Sacrifice our Sons, but
our lian would not ftick to fay, Shall we
Chriflians
Sins, our deareft Sins. God calls us this who have nothing to do with the Feftivals of the
Day Jews, which were once of Divine Inftitution, em-
to part with all our Sins, tho' never fo
beloved and we muft not withold any of brace the Saturnalia, of the Heathen? How do
,
them from him. If we will not part with the Gentiles fhame its, who are ynore true to their
all, the Sacrifice is not right.
Let us part Religion, than we are to ours ? None of them will
with fuch Sins as we love befi, and it will be objerve the
Lords-day, for fear left they fhould be
a good Sacrifice ! Chriftians; and fhall not we then by obferving
their Feftivals,fear left we be made Ethnicks ? In
'
Godfmelt a fiaeet favour in Noah\r Sacrifice-, fine, it was his Opinion, That for us to have
and fo will God receive our Sacrifices, when (fated Holy Days which are not appointed by
we worihip him aright. But how did God the Lord Jefus Chrift, is a deep ReHecf ion
manifeft his Acceptance of Noah's Offering upon the Wifdom of that glorious Lord ; and
:
'twas by promifing to Drown the World no he brought up his Indians in the Principles
more, but give us Fruitful Seafons. God has which the old V/aldenfes had about fuch unwar-
chaftifed us of late, as if he would utterly rantable Holy Days.
Drown us ; and he has Drowned and Spoiled Neverthelefs, he taught them to fet apart
and Ruin'd a great deal of our Hay, and their Days for both Faffing and Prayer, and for
threatens to kill our Cattel. 'Tis for this that Feaffing and Prayer, when there'(hould be Ex-
we Faji and Pray this Day. Let us then offer traordinary Occafions for them ; and they perform
a clean and pure Sacrifice, as Noah did; fo the Duties of thefe Days with a
very laborious
God will fmell a favour of Reft, and he will Piety. One Party of the Indians long fince of
withold the Rain, and blefs us with fuch their own accord, kept a Day of Supplication
Fruitful Seafons as we are defiling of him. together, wherein one of them difcourfed upon
Pfal. 66. 7. He rules by his Power
for ever,
Thus preached an Indian called Nijhokon, a- his Eyes behold the Nations, let not the Rebel-
bove Thirty Years ago ; and fince that I fuppofe, them/elves.lious exalt And when one asked
rhey have grown a little further into the New- them afterwards, what was the Reafon of their
Englijh way of Preaching You may have in keeping of fuch a Day, they reply'd, It zcat to
:
'
Wen fo that they might not be drawn back fible, to be the molt fienfible and dangerous
'
from' God. Fourthly, That they might be Wound of the Reformation. Wherefore as no
•
Obedient unto the Councils and Commands lefs a Man
than Dr. Henry Moor fays about our
c
of their Rulers. Fifthly, That they might Compliances with the Papijis, which are a fort
'
have their Sins done away by the Redemption of Pagans, 'Their Converfiwn and Salvation being
of JefusGhrift: And hilly, That they might not to be
c
compajficd by needlefs Symbolizing with
'
walk in the good Ways of the Lord. I mult them in any thing, I conceive our beft
Policy is
here embrace my Opportunity to tell the World, ftudioufily to mutate them in nothing ; but for
that our Cautious Eliot was far from the Opi- all indifferent things, to think rather the
worfe
nion of thole who have thought it not only of them for their ufiing of them. As no Perfion
warrantable, but alfo
commendable to Adopt of Honour would willingly go in the known Garb
fome Heatheniftl Ufajges into the Worfhip of of infamous Perfons. Whatfoever we court them
God, for the more eafy and ipeedy gaining of in, they do but turn it to our Scorn and Con*
the Heathen to that Worfhip. The Policy of tempt, and are the more hardened in their own
Treating the Pagan Rites as the Jems were to Wickednejs. To a£t upon rhis Principle, is the
do before they married them, to (have Defign and Glory of New England ! And our
Captives,
their Hair, and pare their Nails, our Eliot Eliot was of this Perfwafion, when he brought
counted as ridiculous as pernicious. He knew his Indians to a pure, plain Scripture Worjbip. .
that the Idolatries and Abominations of Popery, He would not gratify them with a Samaritan
were founded in this way of Projecting the fort of blended, mixed Worfhip and he ima- •,
barbarous Nations, which made their Defcent gined, as well he might, that the Hpoftle Paul's
and he lookd upon firft Epiftle to the Corinthians had enough in it
upon the Roman Empire ;
the like Methods which the Protejlants have for ever to deter us all from fuch Unchrifiian
Jefuite, whom the French employed as a Mijfi- Q. But how their Fruits ?
c
onary among the Weftern Indians ; in which A. In this one Quality they exceed ours ;
Papers there are, both a Catechifm, containing that ihey Tire never wafed you have no foo-
-,
'
net
204 7 be Hi/lory of Nevv-EnglancL Book III
ner pluckt one, but you fee another prefently have Baptifcd many Troops of Indians, if we
hanging in its Room. And after this rate goes would have ufed no other meafures with them.
on the Catechifm concerning Heaver?. Con- than the .Raman Catholicks did upon theirs at
cerning He//, it thus difcourfes. Maryland, where they Baptifed a great Crew
'
Q. Whit fort of a Soy I is that of Hell? of Indians, in fome New Skirts, betfow'd
upon
c
A. A very wretched Soyl , 'tis a Fiery Pit, them to encourage them thereunto; but the In-
dians in a Week or two, not
in the Center of the Earth. knowing how to
'
Q. Have they any Light in He I! ? wafh their Shirts when they were grown
foul,
'
A. No.
'Tis always dark; there's always came and made a Motion, that the Roman Ca-
Smoke there; their Eyes are always in Pain tholicks would give more Shirts to
them, or
with it ; they can fee nothing but the De- elfe they would renounce their
Baft ifm. No,
vils. 'tis a Thoroughpaced without
Chriflianity,
'
Q. What fJmfd things are the Devils? which we have not imagined our Indians Chri-
'
A. Very ill (hap'd things ; they go about ftianized.
with Vizards on, and they terrify Men. Nor have we been a£ted with a Roman
c
Q. What do they Eat in Hell ? Catholick Avarice, and Falfity, and
Cruelty in
'
A. They are always Hungry, but the Dam- profecuting of our Converfions; 'tis the Spirit
ned feed on hot Afhes and Serpents there. of an ELIOT, that has all
'
along directed us.
Q. What Water have they to drink ? 'Tis a Specimen of the Popifh Avarice that their
c
A. Horrid Water, nothing but melted Lead. Miffionaries are very rarely employ'd but where
'
Q. Don't they die in Hell ? Bever and Silver and vaft Riches are to be
e
A. No Yet they eat one another, every
:
thereby gained; their Minifhy is but a fort of
Day ; but anon, God reffores and renews the Engine, to enrich Europeans with the Treafures
Man that was eaten, as a cropt Plant in a lit- of the Indies-, thus one efcaped from
Captivity
tle time.repullulates. among the Spaniards told me, that the Spanijh
Friars had carried their
Gofpel into the fpa-
It feems, they have not thought this Divi- cious Country of California, but
finding the
nity too Grofs for the Barbarians. But I fhall Indians there to be extremely poor,
they quickly
make no Reflections on it; only add one or gave over the Work, becaufe forlboth fuch a
two Cafes of Confidence, from their Directory. poor Nation was not worth Converting. Where-
'
one of their weighty Cafes, Whether as the New-Englanders could expe£f
'Tis
nothing
'
'
a Chriflian be bound to pay his Whore her from their Indians. are to Feed them and We
Hire or no ? To this Father Brutus anfwers, Cloath them, rather than receive
any thing
Tho' he be bound in Jujiice to do it, yet inafmuch from them, when we bring them home to God.
as the Barbarians [and you muff fuppofe their Again, the Popifh Falfity difpofes them to fo
Whores to be fuch] Ufe to keep no Faith in fitch much Legerdemain in their Applications, as is
matters, the Chri/tians may chufe whether they very difagreeable to the Spirit and Progrefs
will keep any too. But Father Pierron, with a of the Gofpel. Worthy Friend, Mynheer My
moft profound Learning anfwers, He is not Dellim, who has been fedulous and fuccefsful
bound unto it a/I; inafmuch as no Man thinks in his Miniftry among the
Maquas, affuresme,
himfclf bound to pay a Witch, that has Enchanted thatz French Predicator, having been attempt-
him ; and this bufinefs is pretty much a kin to ing to bring over thofe Indians unto the Iute-
that. Another of their difficult Cafes is, ' Whe- relt f not of our Saviour fo much as) of Cana-
'
ther an Indian ffealing an Hatchet from a da, at laff, for a Cure of their
'
Infidelity, told
Dutch-man, be bound to make Reltitution ? them, he would give them a fign of God's Dif-
'
And it is very confcieiitioufly determined, pleafure at them for it; The Sun fhould
fuch a
That if the Dutchman be one that has ufed Day be put out. This terrify'd them at a fad
c
any Trade with other Indians, the Thief is rate, and with great Admiration and Expecta-
c
not bound unto any Reffitution ; for 'tis cer- tion they told the Dutch of what was to come
tain, he gains more by fuch a Trade than the to pafs ; the Dutch reply'd, Tim was no more
'•
:
Value of many Hatchets in a Year. than every Child among them could
foretel; they
all knew there would then be an
Eclipfe of the
I'll Reader with no more of this
tire my Sun ; but (faid they) fpeak to Monfieur, that
wretched But let him underffand that
fluff. he would get the Sun cxtinguijh'd a
day before,
the profeiyted Indians of New. England have or a day after what he
fpoke of, and if he can
been inftrucfed at a more Noble Rate; we have do that, believe him. When the Indians thus
helped them to the fine ere Milk of the Word; underflood what a Trick the Frenchman would
we have given them the whole Bible in their own have put upon them, they became irreconcile-
Language; we have laid before them fuch a ably prejudiced againll all his Offers ; nor have
Creed as the Primitive Believers had, with fuch the French been fince able to gain much
upon
Explications as we embark our own Souls upon that confidence People. The New-Englanders
the Affurance of. And God has blelfed our Edu- have ufed no fuch Stratagems and Knaveries
;
cation of thefe poor Creatures in fuch a mea 'tis the pure Light of Truth, which is all that
fure, that they can Pray and Preach to better has been ufed for the affefting of the rude Peo-
Edification ( give me leave to fay it ) than ple, whom 'twas eafy to have cheated into our
Multitudes of the Romijh Clergymen. We could Profeffion. Much le'fs have we ufed that Po-
pifh
Book HI. ^ be Hijiory of New- England. 205
which the Natives of America^ ready brought up their Claims unto our Lands.
pi(h Cruelty,
have tomeInother People been treated with. We likewife had our Laws, That if any of our
Even iBifhop of their own, hath publifhed very Cattle did any damage to their Corn, we fhould
of the Spanifh Cruelties upon make them ample Sat ufatfwn and that toe fhould
Tragical Hiftbries ;
±c Indians of this Weltern World. Such were give them all manner of Ajfihwce, in fencing
thofe Cruelties, that the Indians at length de- of their Fields. And becaule the Indians are
to Hell with their exceffively given unto the Vice of
clared, They hud rather go Drunkennefs^
Ancejhrs, than to the fame Heaven which the which was a Vice unknown to them, until the
Spaniards pretended, unto;
'tis indeed impoflible Englijh brought Strong-drink in their way, we
to reckon up the various and exquifite Barba- have had a fevere Law ag,\inff all felling or. gi-
rities, with
which thefe execrable Spaniards ving any Intoxicating Liquors to them, ft
murdered in lefs than fifty Years no leis than were we'll, if this Law were more feverely Exe-
; it feems
Millions of the Indians this was cured.
fifty
their way of bringing them into the Sbeepfojd By time I hope, 1 hive ftop'd the Calum-
this
Paganifm fo forfeited ail Right unto any of with Pity over you, when we have feen how
their Pojjejfions, that the firft pretended Cbrifti- horribly the Devil opprefs'd you in this, and
a/is that" could, might Violently and yet Honeftty defiroy'd you in another World. It is much that
has been done for you^ we have put you in-
fcize upon them. Inlfead of this, the People
of New-England, knowing that ibme of the to a way to be happy both on Earth while you
Englifc were fufficiently covetous and en- live, and in Heaven when you die. What can
than they were of themfelves, made a Law, ever with him. Neverthelefs, I am to tell
That they fhould never be bought out of their you, that if you don't become Real, and
hands. I 'fuppofe after this it would fuprize Thorough, and Holy Chriflians, you (hall ne-
Mankind, if they fhould hear fuch wonderful ver have a comfortable Sight of him any
Creatures as our late Secretary Randolph affirm- more. You know how he has Fed you, and
ing, Thi-s Barbarous People ivere never civilly Cloatly'd you, as well as Taught you ; you
treated by Government, who made it
the la.'e know how his Bowels yerned over youi even
their Bujincfs to encroach upon their Lands, and as tho' had you had been his Children, when
:
Encouragement of the hopeful Work among gainft you, and when the Lord Jefus pafles
•
•
' L
them, for the Civilizing and Christianizing of that Sentence on you, Depart ye Curfitd into
Evcrlafting Fire with the Devil and hk An'
'
them,, any Indian that fhould be brought unto
•
gels, even your own Eliot will then fay Amen,
'
rable in your Eftates, as many of your En- learn to Drink, of other profane, debauch'd
glifb Neighbours : Whereas, you are now Engiijh Neighbours. Poor Creatures, 'tis bv
mean, ftarved, contemptible this Iniquity that Satan ftiii
poor, ragged, keeps Poffeiiio'n
and miferable ; and inflead of being able, as of many Souls among you, as much as if
you
your Englifl) Neighbour? do, to fupport the were /till in all your ivoful Heatbembn and.
j
Ordinances of God, you are beholden to them, how often have you been told, Drunkards
not only for maintaining of thofe Blelfed Or- Jhall not inherit the Kingdom cf God ? I be-
dinances among you. but for many other feech you to be fenfible of the^ Mifchiefs to
Kindndfcs. And have you indeed forgot the which this thing expofes. you, and never
Commandment of God, ivhich has been fo often dream of efcaping the Vengeance of Eternal
hid before you, Six Days floalt thou labour ! Eire, if you indulge your lelves in this Ac-
For fhame, apply your lelves to fuch Labour curfed thing.
as may bring you into more Handfome Cir-
*
cumffances. But the other of thefe Vices, is I have done, when I have
wifh'd, That the
that of Drunkennefs. There are godly En Go/pel of the Lord Jefus may always Run and
glifh Neighbours, of whom you fhould learn be Glorify d among you !
to Pray ; but there are fome of you that
this time, I have doubtlefs made my them, a Perfon young in Years, but old in Dif
BY Readers loth to have me tell what now cretion,
whom
Gravity, and Experience and one
-,
vine, and fcented more of the Spicy Country After this, he for a Year or two before his
at which he was ready to put alhore. As Tranflation, could fcarce be perfwaded unto
the Hiftorian obferves of Tiberius, That when any Publick Service, but humbly pleaded, what
his Life and Strength were going from him, none but he would ever have laid, It would be
his Vice yet remained with him ; on the con- a Wrong to the Souls of the People, for him to
trary, the Grace of this Excellent Man rather do any thing among them, when they were fup-
increafed than abated, when every thing elfe pl/dfo much to their Advantage otherwifc. If
was dying with him. 'Tis too ufual with Old I millake not, the laft that ever he Preached
Men, that when they are part Work, they are was on a Publick Fafi , when he fed his Peo-
of their Inabilities and lncapacf"
lealt fenfible ple with a very diftinft and ufeful Expofition
ties,and can fcarce endure to fee another fuc- upon the Eighty Third Pfalm ; and he conlud-
ceeding them in any part of their Office. But ed with an Apology, begging his Hearers to
our Eliot was of a Temper quite contrary pardon the Foornefs, and Meannefs, and Bro-
thereunto ; for rinding many Months before his kennefs, (as he called it) of his Meditations ;
Expiration, That he had not Strength enough but added he, My dear brother here, will bfnd
to Edify his Congregation with Publick Pray- by mend all.
ers, and Sermons, he importun'd his People But altho' he thus difmifled himfelf as one fo
with fome Impatience to call another Minifter ; near to the Age of Ninety, might well have
profefling himfelf unable to die with Comfort, done, from his Publick Labours; yet he would
until he could fee a good Succeflbr ordained, not give over his Endeavours, in a more
pri-
fettled, fixed among them. For this Caufe, he vate Sphere, to Do good unto all. He had al-
alloc/d mightily unto the Lotd Jefus Chri ft ways been an Enemy to Jdlenefs any one that -,
our Afcenied Lord, that he would give fuch a fhould look into the little Diary that he kept
Gift mito Roxbuty, and he fometimes call'd his in his Almanacks, would fee that there was
whole Town together to join with him in a with him, No Day without a Line-, and he was
Fajl for fuch a Bleffing. As the Return of their ttoubled particularly, when he faw how much
Supplications, our Lord quickly beftow'd upon Time was devoured by that Slavery to Tobacco,
which
-
Book III. 1
:
lye
Htjtory of New-England. 207
which too many debafe themfelves unto
and •,
While he was thus making his Retreat out
now he 'grew old, he was defirous that his of this evil World, his Diicourfes from time
with the to time ran upon, The'
Works fhould hold pace his Life ; Coming of the Lord Je-
lefs Time he law left, the lei's was
he willing fus Chrift , it was the Theme which he fiill
to have .Jeff. He imagined that he could now had Recourfe unto, and We were fure to have
do nothing to any purpole in any Service lor fomething of this, whatever other Subject he
God and fometimes he would with an" Air
fay
were upon. On this he talk'd, of this he
5 pray'd,
to himfelf, 1 wonder for what the Lord for this he long'd, and
efpecially when any
.
peculiar
bad News arrived, his ufual Reflexion there-
Jejus Cbrift lets me live he knows that now I
-,
canto nothing for him ! And yet- he could not upon would, be. Behold, fome of the Chads,
forbear Effaying to Do fomething for his Lord ; in which we muft look for the
Coming of the
he conceived, that tho' the Enghfh could not Son of Man. At laft, his Lord, for whom he
be benefited by any Gifts which he now fancied had been long wifhing, Lord, come I J have been
himielf to have only the Ruines of, yet who a great while ready for thy Coming I At la ft;, I
can tell but the Negro's might He had long fay, his Lord came and fetched him
!
away into
lamented it with a Bleeding and a Burning the Joy of his Lord.
Paflion, that the Englifh ufed their Negro's but
as their Horfes or their Oxen, and that fo little He fell into fome Languifhments attended
Care was taken about their immortal Souls ; with a Fever, which in a few days brought
he look'd it as a Prodigy, that any wear- him into the Pangs (may I fay ? or Joys) of
upon
fhould fo much Death ; and while he lay in thefe, Mr. Wal-
ing the Name of Chrift ians,
have the Heart of Devils in them, as to pre- ter coming to him, he faid unto him, Brother,
vent and hinder the Inirrucfion of the poor Thou art welcome to my very Soul.
_ Pray retire
their mi- to thy Study for me, and give me leave^ to be
Blackambres\ and confine the Souls of
ferable Slaves to a Deftroying Ignorance, meetly gone meaning that he ihould not, by Peti-
-,
.
for fear of thereby lofing the Benefit of their tions to Heaven for his Life, detain him here.
but now he made a Motion to the It was in thefe Languifhments, that ipeaking
Vaffalage;
ol him, that about the Work of the Gofpel among the In-
Engltfb within two or three Miles
at fuch a time and Place they would fend their dians, he did after this Heavenly manner ex-
he would prefs himfelf, There is a Cloud ( faid he ) a
Negro's once a Week unto him For :
then Catcchije them, and Enlighten them, to dark Cloud upon the Work of the Gofpel among
the utmoft of his Power in the Things of their the poor Indians. The Lord revive and profper
he did not live that Work, dnd grant it may live when I am
Everlafting Peace ; however,
make much Dead. It is a Work, which I have been doing
to Progrefs in this Undertaking.
much and long about. But what was the Word
At length, when he was able to do Little I /poke lafi ? I recal that Word, My Doings !
without Doors, he try'd then to do fomething Ahu, they have been poor and Jmall, and lean
within ; and one thing was this. A young Boy Doings, and Til be the Man that /ball throw the
in the Neighbourhood, had Infancy fal- firft Stone at them all.
in his
len into a Fire, fo as to burn himfelf into a per- It has been obferved, That they who have
fect Blindnefs ; but this Boy being now grown fpoke many confiderable things in their Lives,
to fome Bignefs, the good old Man took him ufually fpeak few at their Deaths. But it was
home to his Houfe, with fome Intentions to otherwife with our Eliot, who after much
make a Scholar of him. He firft informed him of Speech of and for God in his Life-tune, uttered
and from the Scripture, in which the Boy fo fome things little fhort of Oracles on his Death-
profited, that in a little time
he could even Bed, which, 'tis a thoufand Pities, they were
Repeat many whole Chapters Verbatim, and if not more exactly regarded and recorded,
any other in Reading miffed a Word, he would Thofe Authors that have taken the pains to
mind them of it yea, and an ordinary piece
•, Collect, Apophthegmata Morientum, have, not
of Latin was become eafy to the Lad ; but ha- therein been unferviceable to the Living-, but
ving his own Eyes clofed by Death, he could the Apophthegms of a Dying Eliot n 1
ce
no longer help the poor Child againft the want had in them a Grace and a Strain truly jr-.
Chrift
and he has been fuch a good Mafier to
-,
Breath fmelt ftrong of Heaven, and wa:. Arti-
me all this while, that I will not now forfake cled into none but very gracious Notes ; one
him. Such a Polycarp was our Eliot ; he had of the laft whereof, was, Welcome Joy ! and at
been fo many Years engaged in the fweet Ser- laft it went away calling upon the ftandersbya
vice of the Lord Jefus Chrift, that he could to Pray, pray, pray ! Which was the thing in
not now give it over 'Twas his Ambition, and which fo vaft a Portion of it, had been before
:
(
had once, I think, a pleafant Fear, that the the Churches were (till kept as big as
' they
Old Saints of his Acquaintance, efpecially thofe were, by the Daily Additions of thofe that
'
two deareft Neighbours of his, Cotton ofBofton, fhall be faved. But the going of fuch as he
and Mather of Dorchefter, which were got fafe from us, will apace diminifh the Occafions of
to Heaven before him, would fufpeft him to fuch happy Tidings.
be gone the wrong way, becaufe he ftaid fo long What fhall we now fay ? Our Eliot himfelf
behind them. But they are now together with u fed molt affectionately to bewail the Death
a Bleffed Jefus, beholding of hk Glory, and ce- of Ufeful Men yet if one brought him the
all -,
Prailes of him that has calPd notice of fuch a thing, with any
lebrating the High Defpondencies,
them into his marvellous Light. Whether Hea- or faid, Sir, fuch an one is Dead, what fhall
ven was more Heaven to him, becaufe of
any we do? He would anfwer, Well, but God lives ,
his finding there, fo many Saints, with whom Chrijl lives, the Old Saviour of New-England
he once had his Defireable Intimacies, yea, and yet lives, and he will Reign till all his Enemies
fo many Saints which had been the Seals of are made his Footftool. This, and only this,
:
his own Miniftry in this lower World, I can- Confideration have we to relieve us ; and let it
not fay ; but it would be Heaven enough unto be accompanied with our Addreffes to the God
him, to unto that Jefus, whom he had lov'd, of the Spirits of all Flejh, that there
go be may
in whom he had been Timothies raifed up in the room of our
preach'd, ferv'd, and Depar-
long allured, there does All Fullnefs dwell. In ted Pauls and that when our Mofes's are
-,
that fleaven I now leave him Not without gone, the Spirit which was in thofe Brave
:
Grynxuss Pathetical Exclamations [0 beatum Men, may be put upon the furviving Elders of
tllum diem
'
Bleffed will be the Day,
]>.
O
our Ifrael.
'
Bleffed the Day of our Arrival to the Glorious The laft Thing that ever our Eliot put off,
s
Affembly of Spirits, which this great Saint is was, The Care of all the Churches, which with
'
now with ! a molt Apoltolical and Evangelical Temper he
rejoicing
was continually follicitous about. When the
Bereaved New-England, where are thy Tears, Churches of New-England were under a very
at this III boding Funeral ? We had a Tradi- uncomfortable Profpeft, by the advantage which
tion among us,
'
That the Country could never Men that fought the Ruine of thofe Golden and
c
perifh, as long as Eliot was alive. But into Holy and Reformed Societies, had obtained a-
whofe Hands muft this Hippo fall, now the gainft them. God put it into the Heart of one
Auftin of it is taken away
? Our Eiijha is well known in thefe Churches, to take a Voyage
gone, and now who muft next Tear invade the into England, that he might by his Mediations
hand ? The Jews have a Saying, Quando Lu at Whitehall, divert the Storms that were im-
minaria patiuntur Eclipfin, malum Jignum eft pending over us. 'Tis not eafy to exprefs
mundo ; But I am fure, 'tis a difmal Eclipfe what Affection our Aged Eliot profecuted this
that has now befallen our New-Engli/b World. Undertaking with ; and what Thankfgiving he
I confefs, many of the Ancients fell into the rendred unto God for any hopeful Succeffes of
Vanity of efteeming the Reliques of the Dead it. But becaufe one of the laft Times, and for
Saints, to be the Towers and Ramparts of the ought I know, the laft of his ever fetting Pen
Places that enjoy'd them j
and the Dead Bodies to Paper in the World, was upon this occafion 5
of two A pottles in the City, made the Poet I fhall tranferibe a fhort Letter, which was writ-
cry out, ten by the fhaking hand, that had heretofore by
Writing deferved fo well from the Church of
A Facie Hojlili duo propugnacula prafunt. God, but was now taking its leave of Writing
for ever. It was written to the Perfon that
If the Duft of dead Saints cculd give us any was Engaging for us, and thus it ran.
Protection, we are not without it ; here is a
Spot of American Soyl that will afford a rich
Crop of it, at the Rejurrcttion of the Juji. Poor Reverend and Beloved Mr. Increafe Mather,
New England has been as Glajienbury of Old
was called, A Buryingplace of Saints. But we Cannot write. Read Neh. 2. 10. When
cannot fee a more terrible Prognoftick, than I 4
Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the
Tombs filling apace with fuch Bones^ as thofe Servant, the Ammonite, heard of it ; it grie-
of the Renowned Eliot's ; the whole Building ved them exceedingly, that there was come
of this Country trembles at the Fall of fuch a a Man to feek the Welfare of the Children
Pillar. of Ifrael.
*
For many Months before he dy'd, he would Let thy bleffed Soul, feed full and fat upon
'
often chearfully tell us, That he was fhortly this and other Scriptures. All other things I
1
going to Heaven, and that he would carry a leave to other Men-, and reft,
c
deal of good News thither with him ; he
c
faid, he would carry Tidings to the Old Tour Loving Brother,
'
Founders of New-England, which were now
*
*
in Glory, that Church-Work was yet carried JOHN ELIOT.
on among us: That the Number ofourChur-
Thefe
Be ok ill. '({"be
Hijiory of JNevv-r ngland. 20^
Thcfe Two or Three Lines manifelt th.eC//-f cute, firft the Civilizing, and then the Chrifti-
cf the Churches which breath'd in this greai anizing of the Barbarians, in their Neighbour-
Old Man, as long as he had a Breath to draw hood ; and may the NewEnglandcrs be fo far
in the World. And fince he has lett few like Politick as well as Religious, as particularly to
him lor a Comprehenfive and Univerfal Regard make a MiJJion of the Gofpel unto the Mighty
unto the Prolperity of all the Flocks in this Nations of the Weftern Indians, whom^the
Wildernefs, we have little now to comfort
us French have been of late fo
ftudiou%, but lb
in the Lois of one lb like a Patriarch among unfuccefsfully Tampering with ;
left thofe hor
That our Churches, it rid Pagans, who
us, but only this, poor lately (as 'tis
credibly affirm
have ftill tome Intereft in the ed) had fuch a Meafure of
may be hop'd, Devilifm and Info-
Cares of our Lord Jefus Chrift, Who walks in lence in them, as to fhoot a Volley of great and
Lord fmall Shot againlt the Heavens, in
the of the Golden CandlejYicks.
!
miclji Revenge
make our Churches and keep them, yet Golden upon The Man in the Heavens, as they called
Candlejlicks!
Amen. our Lord, whom they counted the Author b?
the Heavy Calamities which neHy have di
(treiTed them ; be found fpared
by our Long-
T I have not obtained the End of this fuffering Lord, [who then indeed prefently tore
BU Hiftory, nor
may I let come the Ground afunder, with immediate and hor-
this Hiftory
to an End, until I do with lbme Importunity rible Thunders from Heaven round about them,
of good Men every but kill'd them not f] for a Scourge to us, that
befpeak the Endeavours
to labour in that Harveft which the have not ufed our Advantages to make a ver-
where,
BlelTed Eliot juftly counted worthy of his ut- tuorn People of them. If a King of the Weft
moft Pains and Cares. It was the ConfefTion Saxonslong fince afcribed all the Diafaiters on
of Themifiocles, that the ViQory of Miltiades any of their Affairs, to Negligencies in this
would not let him fleep in Quietnefs may Point, methinks
•,
the New-Englanders may not
thole of our Eliot raife Emulation in count it unreafonable in this way to feek their
a like
thofe that have now feen the Life of this Evan own Profperity. Shall we do what we can
gelicalHero ! One Robert Baily (a true Son of that our Lord Jefus Chrift may beftow upon
Epiphantus) many
Years ago publifhed a Book, America, (which may more juftly be calfd Co-
wherein feveral Grofs Lies, by which the Name lumba) that Salutation, my Dove .'
dred the Converfwn of the poor Pagans : Of all may the Maflers of whom God will one Day
that ever crofted the American Seas, they are require the Souls of the Slaves committed unto
noted of moji ncgletlful of the Work of Conver- them, fee to it, that like Abraham, they hive
sion. We have now feen thofe Afperfions and Cat echifed Servants ; and not imagine that the
Calumnies abundantly wip'd away. But let Almighty God made fo many Thoulands of
that which has been the Vindication of New- Reafonable Creatures for nothing, but only to
of the World ferve the Lufts of Epicures, or the Gains of
England, be alfo the Emulation
:
Let not poor little New-England, be the only Mammonifls ; left the God of Heaven out of
Proteftant Country that (hall do any Notable meer Pity, if not Jujiice, unto thofe unhappy
the Faith, unto thofe Blacks, be provoked unto a Vengeance which
thing for the Propagation of
Dark Corners of the Earth wivii) are full of may not without Horrour, be thought upon.
cruel Habitations. But the Addrejfes of lb mean Lord, when jball we fee Ethiopians read thy Scri-
a Perfon as my felf, are like to prevail but lit- ptures with Vnderftanding !
tle abroad with Men of Learning and Figure in
the World. However, I (hall prefume to utter May the Englifh Nation do what may be
my Wijhes in the light of my Readers and it
-, done, that the Welch may not be deftrofd jo>
is poflible that the Great God who defpifes the lack of Knowledge,
left our Indifpofition to
not the Prayer of the poor, may by the Influ- do for their Souls,bring upon us all thole
ences of his Holy Spirit, upon the Hearts of Judgments of Heaven, which Gildan their
fome whofe Eyes are upon thefe Lines, give a Country-man, once told them, that they fuffer-
BlelTed Anfwer thereunto. ed for their Difregards unto ours and may the
-,
his Grandfather Abraham was, That they al- times what we do upon faviag the Immortal
ways owe unto God certain Proportions of their Souls of Men.
Po/fejfons, by the honeftPayments of which lit-
tle ^jut-Rents, they would
certainly Jccure Laftly, May many Worthy Men, who find
and enlarge their Enjoyment of the Principal; their Circumitances will allow of
ic, get the
but that they are under a very particular Obli- Language of fome Nations that are not yet
gation to communicate of our Spirit ualThings. btought home to God and wait upon the
-,
unto thofe Heathens, by whofe Carnal Things Divine Providence, for God's
leading them to
they are Enriched And may they therefore and owning them in their Apoftolical Underta-
:
make it their Study, to employ fome able and kings. When they remember what Ruffinus
pious Miniffers, lor the InftrucVion of thofe In relates concerning the Converfion of the Ibe-
fidels with whom they have to deal, and ho- rians, and what Socrates, with other Authors
nourably fupport fuch M in liters in that Em- relates concerning the Converfion
wrought by
ployment. occafion of Prumentius and
JEdefim, in the
Inner India, all as it were
by Accident, furely
May the Poor Greeks, Armenians, Mufco- 'twill make them try, what may be done by
vites, and others, in the Eaftern Countries, Defign for fuch things now in our Day
Thus, !
wearing the Name ofChriJlians, that have lit- let them fee, whether while we at home in
tle Preaching and no Printing, and few Bibles the rnidft of wearifome ate
Temptations, Ang-
or good Books, now at lad be fumifhed with ling with Rods, which now and then catch one
Bibles, Orthodox Catechifms, and Practical Soul for our Lord, they fhall not be
Fifhing
Treadles by the Charity of England; and may with Nets, which will bring in
many Thou-
our Preffes provide good ftore of good Books fands of thofe, concerning whom with
unfpeak-
for them, in their own Tongues, to be fcatter- able Joy in the Day of the Lord,
they may fay,
ed among them. Who knows what Convul- Behold, I and the Children which God bat given
fions might be haffened upon the whole Maho- me I Let them fee,
whether, fuppofing they
metan World by fuch an extenfive Charity / fhould profper no farther than to Preach the
Go/pel of the Kingdom in all the World for a
May fufficient Numbers of great, wife, rich, Witnefs unto all Nations, yet the End which is
learned, and godly Men in the Three King then to come, will not bring to t!,em the more
doms, procure wellcompofed Societies, by happy Lot, wherein they (hall ftand, that are
whofe united Counfels, the Noble Defign of found fo doing.
Evangelizing the World, may be more effe
ftually carried on ; and if fome generous Per- Let no Man be difcouraged
by the Difficulties,
fons will of their own Accord combine for fuch whi h the Devil will be ready to
clog fuch
Confutations, who can tell, but like fome o A .tempts againft his Kingdom with 5 foi I will
ther Celebrated Societies heretofore formed from nke leave fo to Tranflate the Words of the
fuch fmall Beginnings, they may foon have thai Wile M
in, in Prov. 27. 4. What is able
toftand
Countenance of Authority, which may produce before Zeal ? I am well fatisfy'd, that if Men
very Glorious Effe£ts, and give Opportunity had the Wifdom, To difcern the Signs of the
to gather vaft Contributions from all well dif Times, they would be all Hands at
Work,
pofed People, to Affift and Advance this Pro- to lpread the Name of our Jefus into all the
grefs of Chriftianity. God forbid, that Popery Corners of the Earth. Grant it,
my God;
fhould expend upon cheating, more than ten and Lord Jefus, Ceme quickly.
Dear Brother,
I plead
k>~ — I III — —
Book 111. Ibe Hijhry of 211
New-England.
I
plead for.
I am now Dying, I hope, as '
I loved your Father,
upon the Letters I re
he did. It plea led me to Read from him, ceived from him. I better for
\o\cyou your
my Cafe, Underftanding failetb, my Me-
[My Learning, Labours, and peaceable Modera-
mory fai/ethi my Tongue jaileth, ( and my tion. I love
your Son better than either of
Hand and Pen tail J but my Chanty fuleth you, for the Excellent
Temper that appear-
not. ] That Word much comforted me. I ed in his Writings. O
that Godlinels and
am Zealous a Lover of the New-England
as Wifdom thus Xncreafe in all Families !
Churches, as any Man, according to Mr. He hath Honoured himfelf as much as Half
Noyesy Mr. Norton?, Mr. Mitcbe/s, and the Mr. Eliot .- I fay, but Half a* much h for
Synods Model, Deeds excel Words. God preferve you and
New-England! Pray for,
Auguft 3.
Tour Fainting,
1691.
Ltmgnijhing Friend,
R 1. Baxter,
1 1—
REMAINS
212 The Hi/lory of New- England. Book III.
REMAINS O R,
dmtc&eg of fitwtnulmn.
Gathered by Cotton Mather.
XDe jfOttttl) Part-
INTRODUCTION,
READER,
I pray, and ponder Words of Thou art prepared then
thefe to proceed, in what
PErufe,
the Incomparable Turretine. Remains of our Hiftory.
Singularem Dei Gratiam, non poflumus, quin
JEternis Laudibus, Celebremus, quod Noviffi- Reader, Thou knoweft the way for a Man to
mis hifce faxulis, reftituta Evangelii Luce, tot become Wife, wat thus declared by an Oracle, fi
tantolq; Vitos,
Doclrina & Infigni Pietate Pra- concolor fieret Mortuis.
ditos, ad Opus Reformations Inchoandum 8C
And thou wilt net forget that Lejfon fometimes
Promovendum Vocaverit •, qui uberrima Rerum given ;
Sacrarum Scientid imbuti, 8c Heroico Spiritu
'
donati, tanquam [ nam WJX ] Viri Prodigis, Since we have lived here, andfmce we are
1
Tuba: Evangelical Sonitu, 8c Veritatis Divinse to die, and
'
yet live after Death, and others
will fucceed us when we are
Fulgore, Tenebras Erroris Crafliffimas fadicitli-
c
Dead, We are
me fugarunt, Antichrifti Regnum Concufierunt, greatly concerned, to fend before us a very
'
8c Ecclefiam a Multis faxulis mifere Captivam, Good Treafure, to carry with us a veiy Good
6
8c Tyrannidis Jugo plufquam ferreo tantum non Confcience, and to have behind us a very
'
CHAP. I,
furviving Friends of the Reft, men-,' his Life at the City of Brijiol, where one of
THE tioned in the Firft Catalogue of ConfeQ'ors, the laft Things he did, was to defend in Print
by whom the Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift,
the Caufe of Infant Baptifm.
was brought into thisWildernefs.having fupplied
me with fo few and fmall Informations con- Mr. EATON. He was the SonSAMUEL
e- of Mr. Richard Eaton, the Vicar of Great Burd-
cerning them, that I am of the Opinion, Pr f
nulla auam Pauca dicere. Let all th^ir worth in Chefhire, and the Brother of Mr. Theo-
fiat
Vertues then be Galaxied into this one Indiftin£f philus Eaton, the Renowned Governour of New-
Luftre, they were Faithful Servants of Chrift, Haven. His Education was at the Univerfity
and Sufferers for their being fo. of Oxford And becaufe it will doubtlefs re- •
Nor is it unlikely that there might be fome commend him to find fuch a Pen, as that which
among thofe good Men, who yet might be, in wrote the Athena Oxonienfes thus CharaSeri-
be the fing of him, Reader, thou (halt have the very
fo little Extraordinary, that there might
fame Account given of them, that there was Words of that Writer, concerning him : After
of a certain Bifhop of Rome, in the Second he had left the Univerfity, he entred into the
Century, Nihil prxclari de Gubernatione fa- & Sacred EunUion, took Orders according to the
flit ejus commemorari pot eft ; and although
we Church of England, and was Beneficed in his
New-Englanders do dwell in fo Cold, and fo Country : But having been puritanically Edu-
Clear an Air, that more of the /mailer Stars cated, he did dijfent in fome Particulars thereof
may be feen by our Confiderers than in many Whereupon finding his Place too warm for him,
other Places, yea, and not only the Nebuloja of he Revolted, and went into New-England, and
Cancer it felf, but even the Lcffer Stars which Preached among the Brethren there. But let us
compofe that Cloud, are Conftdered among us •,
have no more of this Wood ! Mr. Eaton was a
-neverthelefs, for us to attempt the Writing of very Holy Man, and a Perfon of great Learn-
their Lives, would carry too much Fondnejs ing and Judgment, and a moft Incomparable
in it : Nor do we forget, that Suum eft But upon his DhTent from Mr. Da-
cuiq-, Preacher.
ordi vulgus. venport, about the Narrow Terms, and Forms
-Moreover, there were divers of thefe Wor- of Civil Government, by Mr. Davenport, then
thy Men, who by removing back to England forced upon that Infant-Colony, his Brother
upon the Turn of the Times, have almolt re- advifed him to a Removal And calling at Bo- :
leafed us from fuch a Large Account of them, fton by the way, when be was on his Removal,
as otherwife might have been expected from the Church there were fo highly affected with
us : And yet fome Good Account of not a few his Labours, thus occafionally enjoyed among
among them, is to be reported. I remember, them, that they would fain have engaged him
Dr. Patin in his Travels, tells us, That in a unto a Settlement in that Place. But the Lord
certain Mufeum at Vienna, he faw a Cherry- Jefus Chrift had more Service for him in Old-
came, did fet himfelf to Do Good, concluded Head of Chrift, againft the Socinian Blafphe-
mies :
214 Tk Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
mies: And his Help was joined unto^ Mr. Ti- for about Seven Years, in the
Charge of the
Church at Salem,, the Reader
mothy Tailors, in writing fome
Treatifes enti- may find at the
Conclufion of his Advice to his
tled, The Congregational Way Juftified. By Daughter, pub-
thele he Outlives his Death, which fell out lifhed under the Title of, A Dying father's lajl
at Denton, in the Parifh of MariebeRer in Lan- Legacy to. an only Child : And indeed, I hearti-
caflvre (where fays our Friend Rab/hakeh Wood, ly Recommend unto his Reading. The Nar-
it
he had jhehcred himfelf among the Brethren af- rative of his Death has alfo been
long fince pub-
ter fits Eje&ion) on the Ninth Day of January, lifhed unto the World And it reports thofe
:
Mr. WILLIAM HOOK. This learned, Ho long looked for, and Ifl)all be with him in Glory I
Ordination, whereto he humbly chofe for his returned into England. A Worthy Man, 'and
Text thofe Words in Jttdg. 7. 10. Go thou,with a Writer of certain Pieces, which will, I fU p.
Pbarah thy Servant ; and as humbly rais'd his pofe, preferve his Memory among thofe that
Doctrine, That in Great Services a little Help are Strangers, as I am thereunto.
is better than none -,
which he gave, as the Rea-
fon of his own being joined with fo confidera- Mr. SAXTON. He was a Torkfbire
ble a Gideon as Mr. Davenport. After this Man -,
and a Learned Perfon, a
a Studious
great
returning into England, he was for fome while, Hebrician. The unfettled Condition of the
Minifter at Axmouth in Devon/hire, and then Colony, and fome unhappy Contention in the
Mafter of the Savoy on the Strand, near Lon- Plantation, where he Lived, put him upon re-
don, and fo Chaplain to the Greateft Man, moving from Scituate, firft unto Bqfton, and fo
then in the Nation. He was the Author of di- unto England, in his Reduced Age. I find in
vers Compofures that faw the Light 5 whereof honeft Mr. Ryther's Devout Book,
Entituled,
perhaps one of the moft memorable is that
A Plat for Mariners, this PafTage related con-
'
about, The Privileges of the Saints on Earth cerning him. An Old Puritan Minifter, [Mr.
'
above thofe in Heaven. But there was one of Saxton of Leeds, in Tbrk/hire,'] in a Storm
'
his Compofures, which did more nearly con- coming from New-England, when they were
'
cern himfelf, than perhaps his Perfecutors did allexpecting the Veffel to fink, he faid, Oh
'
who is novo for Heaven, iobo is bound for Hea-
imagine ; and that was about, The Slaughter
of the Witneffes: For he bore a part in that
Slaughter, when his Teftimony to the Kingly
Office of the Lord Jefus Chrift, in his Church,
I
fay nothing, becaufe I know nothing of Mr.
procured him the Condition of a filenced Non- Brecy but this, he alfo returned into England.
-,
Conform from
[ft, May 24. 1662. to March 21. But the lefs of him, the more might be writ-
1677. when he died in, or near London, and ten of Mr. GILES FIRMIN, who vifited New-
went from the Priviledges of Labours among England in his younger Years, but afterwards
the Saints on Earth, to thofe of Rewards among became, England, an Eminent Preacher of
in
the Year 1638. where the Good People of Demonftrations, he hath ftill given of his Af-
our Hingham did Rejoice in the Light for a Sea- fections to New-England, on all occafions, that
fon. But within Two or Three Years, the In- he might have juftly refented it, as an Injury,
vitation of his Friends at Hingham in England, if he had been wholly omitted in the Catalogue
of them that have deferved well of that Coun-
perfwaded him to a Return unto them ; where,
a Great Perfon for Stature, yet a try.
being though
Greater for Spirit, he was greatly ferviceable
for the Good of the Church. Befides thefe Perfons, there are fome others,
of whom a larger Account might be endea-
Mr. HUGH PETERS. A Brief Narrative voured.
of his Life, both before and after his Abode, 77; w fhall be All that we will offer.
CHAP-
Book III. The Hi/lory of New-England. 2i5
CHAP. II.
and our Land had Jeen Reft forty Years, that tent in his Clofet,
thegreateft part of Seven
of Minifters which had then come from Eng- Years , as Joafh fometimes was
kept fecret
land unto us, chiefly in the Ten Firft Tears, in a Chamber of the
Temple, before he
there were Ninety Four t Of which Number, was brought to publick View , by the
Thirty One were then
Alive Thirty Six had -,
Means of Jehojadab, that good Old High
retired unto Heaven-, Twenty Seven had re- Prieft And it had {fill been fupprejfed had
:
turned back to Europe. not the Author been preffed, and charged
with hiding of a Talent in a Napkin, by
Ofthofe Firft Comers, who again left the fuch another as Jehojadah was [Mr. John
Country, foon after rheir Firft Coming, one was Cotton] whole Soul is now amonglt the Saints
that Worthy Man Mr. Thomas Allen, who af- in Heaven, refting from its manifold Labours,
ter he had lor fome time approved himfelf a and whofe Name both isjand ever will be pre-
Pious and Painful Minifter of the Gofpel, in cious in all the Gates of the
Daughters ofSion^
our Char-left'own, law Caufe to return back into through all Ages. VHhtnMoJes, Daniel, mi
England; where he lived unto good
a Old Age, 1
Ee e e CHAP
2l£ The Biftory of New-England. Book Hi.
CHAP III.
CHAP IV.
Elifias Bones.
The LIFE of Mr. HENRY WHITFIELD.
has been a Trite Proverb, which I Inns of Court. But the Gracious and early Ope-
THere
wifh indeed were fo Thread-bare as to be rations of the Holy Spirit, on his Heart, in-
never uled more ; clined him rather to be Preacher of the Go-
fpelt and in his Inclinations he was encouraged
Angelicas Juvenis, fenibus Satanizat in Annis. by fuch Eminent Minifters, as Dr. Stanton, Mr.
Byfield, and others.
which, though 'twere pity it fhould ever fpeak He was very pious in his Childhood, andbe-
Englifh, has been Engllfbed, AYoung Saint, an caufe pious, therefore Prayerful; yea, fo ad-
Old Devil. I remember Erafmus believes, the dicted unro Prayer, that in the very School it
Devil himfelf was the Author of that Proverb. felf, he would be fometimes Praying, when
This lam fure, the Proverb was none of Solo- the Scholars about him imagined by his Po-
mon's, who fays, Train up a Child in the way ftures, that he had only been intent upon his
that he fhould go, and when he is old, he will not Book.
leave it. Indeed a Young Sinner may make an As he grew up, he grew exceedingly in his
Old Devil ; a Young Hypocrite, a Young Dif Acquaintance with God, with Chrift, and with
fembler, pretending to Saintflnp, may do fo ; j the'exceeding Riches of Grace difplay'd in th
but a Young Saint will certainly make an 0/i'New Covenant. And he fuch a ground
gained
Angel. ed Affurance of his own faving Intereft, in
And fo did our BlelTed Whitfield. He was that Covenant, that he had not for Forty Years
a Gentleman of Good Extraction by his Birth
together, fallen into any Mifcarriage, which
-,
of his own,
Magnitude, befides a fair Eftate ly to Vifit the particular Families of his Flock
he procured and maintained another Godly with Profitable Difcourfes on the Great Con-
Miniiter at Okely ; and by means thereof, he cerns of their Interiour State, it is not eaiy
had the Liberty to preach in many Places, to deicribe the Reverence with which thev
which were deffitute of Minifters, where his entertained him.
Labours were fuccefsful in the Converfion of
many Souls unto God. He
fojourned Eleven Years at Guilford, liv-
ing with hislarge Family of Ten Children
He was one who abounded in Liberality and moltly on his own Eftare, which was thereby
Hofpitality ;
Houfe was
and his always much exceedingly exhaufted. But the lnconveniencies
Reforted unto. He was for Twenty Years, a of New-England, and Invitations to Old, at
Conformift but yet a pious Non-Conformift length overcame him, to return into his 'Na-
-,
was all this while very dear unto him And tive Country And at the Time of parting, the
: :
fuch perfecuted Servants of Chrift, as Mr. whole Town accompanied him unto the Wa-
Cotton, Mr. Hooker, Mr. Goodwin, and Mr. ter-fide, with a Spring Tide of Tears, becaufe
Rye, then molefted for their
Non Conformity, they fbould fee Ins Face no more.
were fheltered under his Roof. At lalt, being This was in the Year 1650.
prefent at the Conference between Mr. Cotton,
and fome other Famous Divines, upon the Con- How highly his Ancient Friends then wel-
troverfies of ChurchDifcipline, there appeared comed him how highly the greateft Perfons
-,
lb much of Scripture and Rea/on on that fide, in the Nation then refpe&ed him ; how faith-
that Mr. Whitfield alfo became a Non Confor- fully he then difcharged his Miniftry in the
mift.
But now, finding it impoflible for him, City of Winchejler-, how many Services he oc-
to proceed in the Publick Exercife of his Mi- cafionally did for New-England; and how
niftry, he obtained
a Godly Succeffor, he em- Triumphantly at laft he flew away to Hea-
braced a Modeft SeceJJion, and he Refigned his ven mull be no part of this Hiftory.
-,
own Exemplary Contentment, with low and Mente Pia Studui, Dogma Sonando Tuum.
mean Things, after he had once lived in a
more fplendid manner, than moft other Mi
Tu mihi Dalitix, — Tu Divitixa-, fuijii ;
CHAP.
Book III. The Hiftory of JNew-Englii 2ij
CHAP. V.
our Second Catalogue are now Fallen rifh his Father was Minifter^ and a Minifler fo
OF afleep, ARNOLD, the Author of a Sa- Able and Faithful, as to obtain an high Efteem
voury Difcourfe, published under the Title of among thofe that at all knew the Invaluable
David Jerving his Generation) BISHOP, Worth of Fuch a Minifter. His Mother was
BULK.LT, carter, dean, hantord Daughter to Mr. Robert Parker, and a Daugh-
[of which Worthy Man, let
the Reader, here ter who did Fo Virtuoujly, that her own Per-
in a Crotchet, as we go along, refrefh him- fonal Character would have made her highly
Felf with one Crotchet ly Paffage : He was near cfteemed, if a Relation to fuch a father had
Forty Years a Faithful, Painful, and Pious not farther added unto the Luftte of her Cha-
Minifter at Norwalk, even from the firft Set- racter,
tlement of that Plantation : But though he
had the Comfort of feeing a Good and Great Our JOHN was, by his Worthy Parents,
Succefs to his Miniftry there, yet there were trained up in the Way that he Jhould go, and fent
Times wherein the Tire of Contention annoy'd unto Oxford, when his Education and Profi-
the Affairs of that Church exceedingly : And ciency at School had ripened him for the Um-
in this Tire, happened fuch a Smoke, verfity ; and kept at Oxford, until the Oath
there once
that the People made this one of their Arti- of Conformity came to be required of him ,
cles to the Council againft him, that in a which neither his father, nor his Corifcience
certain Paper of his, he had opprobrioufly approving, he removed from thence_ unto a
called them Indian Devils : The Council there- Courfe of more Private Studies. The Rigo-
upon with Wonder, calling for the Paper, rous Enforcing of the Unhappy Ceremonies,
wherein the Reproachful Terms was to belook'd then caufing many that underftood, and re-
for, found his Expreihon to hare been only garded the Second Commandment in the Laws
thus, Every Individual anfohg them : Which oF Heaven, to Feek a peaceable ReceFs for the
occafioned a very Joco-ferious Reflection upon pure Worfhip of the Lord JeFus Chrift in an
the Ridiculous Errors and Follies that attend American DeFart ; our young Woodbridge t with
a QuarrelFome DiFpofition :] HOUGH, NEW- the ConFent oF his Parents, undertook a Voy-
TON. And into this Catalogue I am content age to New-England about the Year 1634,
that there Ihould be received (For the Saints of and the Company and Afliftance of his Worthy
this Catalogue already departed have received Uncle Mr. Thoma* Parker, was not the leaft
him J Honelt Mr. Nicholas Baker of Scituate ; Encouragement of his Voyage.
5
cian, th.it he could offer up to God a Reaso- cordingly took up Lands, and fo feated him-
nable Service, Fo Good an Arithmetician, that felf, that he Comfortably and Indultrioufly
he could wiFely Number his Days ; and Fo jiudied on, until the Advice of his Father's
Good an Orator, that he perfzvaded him/elf to Death obliged him to Return into England-,
be a Good Chriftian and being alFo one of where, having fertled his Affairs, he Returned
-,
good Natural Parts, especially oF a ftrong Me- again unto New-England, bringing with him his
mory, was choFen Paiior oF the Church there ; Two Brothers^ whereof one died by the way
and in the Paftoral Charge of that Church, he He had married the Daughter of rhe Honou-
continued about EighteenYears,until that Horror rable Thomas Dudely, Eiq-, and the Town of
of Mankind, and Reproach of Medicine, the Andover then firft peeping into the World, he
STONE (under which he preached Patience, was by the Hands of Mr. Wilfon and Mr. Wor-
by a very memorable Example of it ; never let- cefter, Sept. 1 6. 1 644. ordained the Teacher
ting fall any Word worFe than this, which of the Congregation there.
was an uFual Word with him, A Mercy of
God it is no worfe !) put an end unto his Here he continued with Good Reputation,
Days. difcharging the Duties of his Miniftry, until
But he that brings up the Rear, is Mr. upon the Invitation of his Friends, he went
JOHN WOODBRIDGE, of whom we are once more to England, in the Year 1 647. where
able to Fpeak a little more particularly. he foon found Employment (befides his being
a Chaplain to the Commiflioners treating with
He was Bojn at Stanton, near Highworth, in the King firft at the Con-
at the lile of Wight)
Wi/tfbire, about the Year 1613. of which Pa- siderable Town of Andover, and afterwards at
Burford
220 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
milyj to come once more unto New-England. when Word was brought him, that a fore Dif-
Here itwas not long before the Church of after had befallen many of his
Cattel, the
Newberry folicited him, to become an Afliftant MefTenger was exceedingly furprized, on his
unto his Aged Uncle Mr. Parker ; and in an- beholding the only Refentments of this Good
fwer to their Solicitations, he beftowed his Man thereupon to be in thefe Humble Ex- .
Conftant, Learned and Holy Labours upon preflions, which were the firft he uttefd, What
a Mercy it is, that this is the
them. firft Time that
ever 1 met with fuch a Difafter !
Largcnefs and their Straitnefs, might perhaps Only he was obfervably overwhelmed by the
better have met in a Temper^ and thefe Diffe- Death of his moft Religious, Prudent and
rences ended not, without his putting an end Faithful Confort, when the was July 1. 1691.
unto his own Miniftry among them:, after Fifty Years after
his firft Marriage unto
her,
which, the Remarkable Blefling of God upon torn away from
the Defire of his
Eyes. His
his own private Eftate, abundantly made up to Value for the whole World, was, after a man-
him the Publick Stipend which he had "parted ner, extinguifhed in this Lofs, of what was to
withal. The Country hereupon in Token of him the beft. part of it , and he fometimes de-
their Value for him, chofe him a Magiftrate clared himfelf defirous to be gone, whenever
of the Colony, that fo he might in yet a more the Lord of Heaven fhould pleafe to call him
extenfive Capacity, be A
Minifter of God unto thither.
them for Good ; and upon the Alteration of the
Government, he was made a Juftice of Peace, At laft, about the Beginning of March, 169$.
in which Office he continued unto the laft. the Strangury arrefted him ; and he, who had
been a Great Render, a Great Scholar, a Great
He had Iflue Twelve Children, whereof Ele- Chrifiian, and a Pattern of Goodnejs in all the
ven lived unto the Age of Men and Women SuccefTive Stations, wherein the Lord of Hojts
:
And he had the Confolation of feeing Three had placed him, on March 17. the Day of the
Sons, with Two Sonsin-Law, Improved in the Qmftian Sabbath, after much Pain, went unto
Miniftry of the Gofpel, and Four Grandfons his Everlafting^ Reft having a few Minutes •,
happily advancing thereunto. A Perfon he before it, refuied a Glafs of offered Wine, fay-
was, truly of an Excellent Spirit , a Pious ing, I am going where Ifhall have better I
Difpofition accompanied him from his Early His Age was about Eighty Two.
Childhood, and as he grew in Tears, he grew
in the Proofs and Fruits of his having been
fan&ified from his Infancy. He fpent much of
his Time Holy Meditations, by which the
in
Foretafls of Heaven, were continually Feeding Let him now report the reft himfelf, in a
of his Devout Soul and he abounded in all
Epitaph, like that on the Tomb of Chriftianus
,•
He was by Nature wonderfully Compofed, Qjiam Vivens Potui tantum fperare, Quiete
Patient, and Pleafant ; and he was, by Grace, Mortuus in Solida nunc Statione fruor.
CHAP.
Book 111. 1 he Hijtory of New-fcngland. 221
C H A P. VI.
in our Third Catalogue, have upon The Year following, he became a Publick
SEveral, Revolutions, returned back to Eu-
the late Preacher of the Golpel ; and after this,
taking
rope, and
feveral are yet living in Service and fucceilively Two Voyages to Barmudaz, he at
Efteem among our felves. length returned into England, and in the Year
1644. became a Paftor to a Church in Beverly,
Article ( I. ) But of thofe that are gone un- I find him after this, a Fellow of Eaton College :
to the better World, we have caufe particular- But the General Shipwrack that befel the
in
ly to remember
Mr. THOMAS GILBERT, Non-Conformifts, A. C. 1662. I find him/w;>;/-
whole Hifiory is, it may be,, fufficienrly related ming away to Surrinam, in America. From
in his Epitaph, which is at this Day to be read thence he came to Barbados, in the Year 1667,
on his Tomb in Charleftown. and to New England in the Year 1 669. where
he fucceeded Mr. Davenport, and continued
until his laft Remove, which was to the City
Here is Interred the Body of that Revere nd, of God.
Sincere, Zealous, Devout and Faithful
Minift er of Jefus Chriji, Mr. THO- The Abilities and Inclinations of this Wor-
MA'S GILBERT,
fometime Paftor thy Man, are difcovered in feveral of his pub-
at Chedle in lifhed In England he publifhed
of the Church of Chr'ift, Compoiures.
Chefhire Alfo, fometime Paftor of
the feveral Difcourfes on, The
:
Duty of Watchjul-
Church of Chr'ift at Eling, in Old Eng- nej's. He alfo publifhed, A
Proportion of pro-
land Who war the ProtoMartyr, the
:
pagating the Go/pel by Chriftian Colonies, in the
Jirjiof the Minifters that fujfered De- Continent of"Guianai being fome Gleanings of a
privation,
in the Caufe of Non-Confor- That larger Difcourfe is yet
larger Difcourfe.
mity in England : And after, betaking But upon Perufal of the M. SS. I
fleeping :
Sicce detur nobis Vivere, ficq; Mori. and his Pen alfo fometimes tranferibed his
Heart. Once thus particularly.
Lo here of Gilbert, but a Shadow flight ;
He was ,a Star of more Illuftrious Light. '
Certain late Experiments of the Grace of
Such Gilbert was in Life x fuch in his Death ; God in Chrift, to J. 0. a poor Worm, who
God grant zee may fo live, fo yield our Breath. defires to Record them, to the Praife of his
Grace.
'
Nov.
19. 1666. was a Dark Day ; my Bo-
Article( II.) On
Dec. 28. 1674. Died Mr. dily Spirits being very low ( tho' without
John Oxenbridge, a Succeffor to tour Famous Pain^) and my Heart fhut up, that I could
JOHNS, in the Paftoral Charge, of the Firft not look up to God. This made me to ap-
Church in Bofton. He was Born
in Daventry, prehend the fad Condition of a Soul deferred
Northampton/hire, Jan. 30. 1608. Both Cam- of God in a Time of Affliction but the •,
bridge and Oxford contributed unto his Liberal Lord fuftered not this Dark Maze to continue.
Education and in one of thofe Univerfities he
-,
For that Night he thawed my Heart, and
proceeded Mafter of Arts, in the Year 163 1.
opened it with fome Freedom to himfelf.
But
222 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
'
But what fhall I fay for the ftrange and
This Man of a Thoufand, was a well accom-
plifhed Scholar; but his Accomplifhments ef-
'
ftrong Confolations ; with which he
filled
November? pecially lay in that which the Great Gregory
1
my Soul, on the 20 and the 21 of
'
No Words can exprefs what I have felt in aliens to be, Ars Artium, Cf Scientia Scientia-
E
my Heart. I was wholly taken up with the rum, namely, Animar um Regimen.,
Thoughts of the Kindnefs of God. I faid,
'
'
What Love is like this Love ? And who is a He was a Chriftian in whom the Graces of
'
God like unto thee ? and what remains for me, Chrift very richly adorned , but
mofi of all
'
but to love and to p/aife thee for ever ? Now that which has molt of in
Chrijlianity it, HU-
*
Death was no Dark Thing to me, neither MILITY;
the Happy Vertue which we
may
*
was any Concern of this Life confiderahle. addrefs, with the Acknowledgment once made
"
And now I have faid, Who
can lay any thing unto Ldix, By thee we enjoy great Quiet nefs -.
1
And I do the more admire and adore the
'
Great God, condefcending fo much to
in his He was a Preacher, who made CHRIST
that hath been fo full of the main Subject of his Preaching
1
fo vile a Worm, and who -,
'
Fears and Doubts, and hath fo much dif- had fuch a Regard for Souls, that he thought
pleafed my Lord Jefus and his Holy Spirit. much of nothing, by which he might recom-
*
c
That which grieved me molt, of late Months, mend a CHRIST
unto the Souls even of
c
is,
the Unfixednefs of my Thoughts on God the meaneft, as well
: as of the greateft : Being
'
And Oh, that the Lord may, by his Eftablijh- difpofed, like that Great King of Prance, who
4
ing Spirit, confirm thefe Comforts on me, fo being
found inftru&ing his Kitchin-Boy in the
'
that I may enjoy them in Death, and improve Matters of Religion, and being as'd with Won-
'
them for the good of others in Life. I know der the Reafon of it, anfwered, The meaneft
'
Satan is a Wrangler ; but my Advocate is has/ a Soul a* precious as my own, and bought
'
able to filence him !
by the Blood of Chrift as well as mine /It may
be I cannot give a Truer Defcription of this
When the Lord of this Faithful Servant came our WA
LLET, than in the Words of him
to call for him, he was found in his Matter's that writes the Life of the Famous Belgic
'
Work. Towards the Clofe of a Sermon, which WALLJEUS; He was diligent in Vifit-
he was preaching at Zfo/rW -Lecture, he was ing his Parifhioners, whereby he Reformed
taken with a Degree of an Apoplexy (as John many which were given to Vicioufnefs. He
Cyril, the Worthy Bohemian Paftor was Doubting Confciences, and extri-
in the fatisfied
Beginning of the former Century, Apoplexia cated them out of the Snares of Satan. He
in media ad populum condone correptus) which comforted thole that were caft down, with
in two or three Days, ended his Pilgrimage. the Apprehenfion of God's Wrath for their
Thus he had the Wi(h of fome great Men, Sins. He miniftred Relief to Widows, Or-
Oportet Concionatorem, aut Precantem aut Pre- phans, and fuch as were deftitute of Hu-
dicantem, Msri. mane Help. His Company was never Grie-
vous.
'
For, as one writes, Tho' the Church of Eng- dine
perftritlus, paradoxo Snccubuu.
'
land ,was never fo Reformed, as Geneva,
1
France, Holland, and other Reformed Chur- Another is this: Oh a Great
' Occafion, cm
ches yet there is between Walley declared himfelf in thefe
as vaft a difference
j
Words It
the Old Church of England and the New one, would not conftfl with our
'
Neighbours, was honoured with a Garland. Balm in Gilead to heal Sion'j Wounds :
The Honour of a Garland, was on that fcore, a Sermon Being'
preached before the General Court
highly due to our Walley. of the Colony of
New-Plymouth, Jun. r.
—
i66p. the Day of Election there: In
The Church of Barnftab/e had been mifera- Let it be which,
remembred, he exprefly foretels, That
bly broken with Divifions, until this Prudent, New-England, would e'er
long, lofe her Holi-
Patient, and Holy WA LLET
appeared a- nefs, her Righteoufnefs, her Peace, and her LI
mong them And, :
berty.
One this
isIn my :
Father's Preface to his
I4an^ will render it inexcufable to fay Nothing
Difcourfes on the New &
Jerufalem, I meet with at all.
this PaiTage, Tho' it hath been generally
thought, that the Firft RefLirre&ionj^'.'av? cf in All that I fhall
the Apocalypfe, k fay is, That if Learning
to be
underftood only in a ever merited a Statue, this Great
Myflical Senfe ; yet fome of the Firft, and Emi- Rich an otf? due to
Man, has as
him, as. can be erefted -
nent Teachers in thefe
Churches, 'believed the for it muft be granted, That ever a
FirftRefurreQion to be Cc.poral. So did Mr. more hardly
Umverfally Learned Perfon trod the Ame-
Davenport, Mr. Hook, and of later Tears, that rican Strand.
Man of an Excellent Spirit, Mr. Thomas Wal-
ley, Paftor of the Church in Barnftable. Thus Rare L E E, Live, if not in our
Live,
did our Pious
Chiliaft, Walley, it feems, come Works, yet in Ten or Twelve of
to his thy oivn 5,
Thoughts, as Jofcph Mede before him which, that have feen the Light, will Immor-
did, and as in the Times of more Illumination talize thee. But above all, thy Book De Ex-
Learned Men muft and will
Polfquam alia om- cideo Antichrifli. fhall furvive and aflift the
:
F fff Funeral
224 7 he Hi/lory of New-England. Book 111.
funeral of the Moxfter? whofe Nativity is In his Return for England, the French took
therein, with l'uch Exquifite Study calculated ;
him a Frifoner, and
uncivilly detaining him,
and thy Book, Entituled, Orbis Miraculum; or he died in France where he found the Grave
-,
The Temple of Solomon, (hall proclaim thee of an Heretick, and was therein fome
(after
to be a Miracle for thy vaft Knowledge, and a fort, like WickliffzrA Bucer) made a Martyr
Pillar in the Temple of thy God ! alter his Death.
CHAP vir.
READER,
WE
(hall, at
are not fo Wife, as the Miferable Pa-
his
!
pifts Among them,
Death, be
a F
Celebrated and
on
erf of Merit
Canonized
If ever I deferved well of my Country, it has
been
ries
when 1 have given to the World the
and Characters of Eminent
Hijio-
Ferfons, which
by all Men agreeing in it,
as in their Common have adorned it. Malice will callfome of thofe
Intereft,for to applaud his Life. Among us, things Romances
but that Malice it;
felf may
let there be Dues paid unto the Memory of the never hifs with the leaf Colour of
Reafon any
moft Meritorious Ferfon after his Deceafe ma- more, I do here declare, Let any Man living
-,
ny of the Survivers are offended^ I had abnoft evince any one Material Miftake in
any one of
[aid enraged at it : They feem to take it as a thofe Compofures, it jhall have the moft Fublick
Reproach unto themfelves (and it maybe,fo it is !) Recantation that can be defired. In the mean
That fo much Good jlmild be told of any Man, time, while fome Impotent Cavils, nibbling at
and that all the little Frailties and Errors of that the Statues which we have eretted for our Wor-
Man, (and whereof no meer Man mas ever free '.) thies, take pains to prove themfelves, The Ene-
be not alfo told with all the Vnjujl Aggravations mies of New-England, and of Religion, the
that Envy might put upon them. This Folly is Statues will out-live all their Idle Nibbles ; The
as Inexprclfiblc an Injury to us all as it cannot Righteous will be had in Everlafting Remem-
-,
but be an Advantage unto Mankind in General, brance, when the Wicked who fee it and are
to be Rewarded with a grieved, Jhall gnafh with their Teeth and melt
for Interred Vertue
Statue. away.
Bring you this Day a Text of Sacred Scrip- of Men unto God, at length grew very Frefa-
I ture, which a Faithful Servant of the Lord gious that his Labours in the Evangelical Mini-
Jeius Chrift, lately gone unto hkjj, did before ftry, drew near unto an End. While he was
his going, order for you as his Legacy. Give yet in Health, and r.ot got beyond the Fifty
your Attention. Fourth Year of his Age, he did, with fuch a
Frefagc upon his Mind f having firft written on
'Tis That in XXXI. this wife in his
Diary, Oh ! that Chriffs Death
Pftl. 5.
Into Thine Hand I Commit might fit trie for my own !) begin to ftudy a Ser-
my Spirit.
mon on this very Text, Into thine Hand I com-
Holy and Worthy Minifter of the mit my Spirit. But his Great Mailer, who fa-
THAT Gofpel, whofe Funeral is this Day to be voured him with fuch a Frefage, never gave
attended, having laboured for the Converfion him an Opportunity to finifh and utter, what
he
Book Hi. '1 he Hijlory of
New-tngland. 225
he had began to itudy. His Life had all this Chrift of God, who is the Power of God, and
his the Wifdom of God, he is the Hand of God
while, been a Praff/cal Commentary upon ;
DoSrine; yea, 'twas an Endeavour to imitate By Him 'tis, that the God of Heaven doth,
our Bleffed Lord Jefus Chrilt, who js faid what he doth in the World And he is, for :
hrfl: to Do, and then to Teach : that Caufe alfo ityled, The Arm
[Act.
1. i-]
of the Lord. It
And now, Behold His Death mult Expound is therefore to the Power and Wifdom and Good-
!
and Apply the DoSrine which he would have nefs of God, in Chrift, that our Expiring Spi-
preached
unto us. He mull Ihow us, how to rits are to be committed.
do that Important Work of Committing a De-
parting Spirit into the
Hands of God, no other- There was indeed a wonderful Time, when
wife than by the Actual doing of that Work our Lord Jefus Chrilt himfelf made a wonder-
himfelf. While therefore he lay a Dying, he ful Ufe of this very Text. We read in Luke
ask'd one of his deareft Relations, Dofl thou 23. 46. When Jefus had Cried with a loud ,
know what lam doing ! She faid, No ; He then he faid, Lather, into thy Hands 1 commen I ay Spi-
added, lam Rendring, lam Rendring ! Mean- rit; and having faid thus, hi gav, 7. '.
Ghojf.
in, I fuppofe, his own Spirit unto the Lord. Sirs, God uttered hisVoice, at this rue, and
But while he was doing of that Work, and Earth trembled at it! And will might, for
it
with Humble Relignation Commuting his own never did there fuch an amazing thing occur
the Hands of God, he defired of me, upon the Earth before. Now, our Lord having
Spirit into
that I would preach upon the Text, about faid, Into thy Hands I
commend my Spirit, (lop'd
which he had been under fuch Intentions. at thofe Words ; for
he was himlelf the Re-
Wherefore [IfatleaftI maybe thought wor- deemer, the Lord God of Truth. But as fur us,
thy of fuch a Character !] You are now to con-
we are to confider God, as in our Lord Jefus
fider me, ihall I lay, as Executing the Will of Chriji, when we Commit our Spirits into his
the Dead? Or, as Reprefenting a Alan of God, Hands. As Luther could fay, Nolo Deum Ab-
whom God hath taken. The Truths which we folutum, I tremble to have to do, with an Ah-
fhall now Inculcate, will be fuch, as you are flute God; [hat is to fay, a God without' a
all along to think, Thefe are the things which Chriji .-
So, we may all tremble to think of
a Saint now in Glory would have to be Inculcated.
Committing our Spirits into the Hands of God,
And when we have briefly fet thofe Truths be any otherwile than as he is, in Chrift Reconci-
fore you, we will defcribe a little that Excel-ling the World unto himfelf. are truly told We
lent Saint, as from whom you have them Re- in Heb. 1 o. 3 1. It is a fearful thing to
fall into
commended: We
will defcribe him chiefly, the Hands of tie Living God. Our Spirits are
with Strokes fetch'd from his own Diaries, out by Sin become obnoxious to the Fearful Wrath
of which, in the little Time I have had fince of God ; and wo to us, if our Spirits fall into
his Death, I have collected a few Remarkables. his Hands, not
having his Wrath appeafed !
David upon a View of the Mejjiah, faid, This And now there is a weighty CASE, that lies
is the
Man, who is the Lord God. Wherefore. before us^
In Commuting our Spirits unto God, our Lord
Chrift is to be diltinctly confidered ; and he After what manner Jhould ice commit our Spirits
was^jie- doubt, by David confidered. The unto our Lord JeJ'us Chrift, that fo the Eter-
Power of God is called his Hand; The Wifdom nal Safety and Welfare of our Spirits,
may be
of God is called his Hand: But above all, the
effeSually provided for ?
Ffff 2 If
226 The Hi/lory of New-Fngland. Book III
If our Faithful BA1LT were now Alive, I in him, which is of a very different Nature
do not know any one CASE, that he would from his Body ? Truly, his very Thinking is e-
more Livelily have difcourfed among you But nough to confute his monflrous XJnreafqpable-
:
I know, that he would have Difcourfed on nefs : Meer fiody cannot Think; and I
pray,
this, with a Soul full of Inexprefiible Agonies. of uh.u Figure is!-a Rational Atom ? The Ora-
He was a Man, who had from a Child, been cles of God have therefore affured us, That
full of iollicitous Cares about his own Soul 5 the Fathers of our Bodies, are nor the Fathers
and from hence in part it was, that when he of Spirits No, thefe have, another Father !
-,
became a Preacher of the Gofpel, he preach'd And, That the Spirits of Men may go from
nothing fo much, as the Cares that all Men their Bodies ; and be caught up to the Third
fhould have, about the Converfion of their Heaven too Well ; But when our Bodies crum- !
Souls unto God, and the Sincerity of their ble and tumble before the Strokes of
Death,
Souls before him. There were many Great are not our Spirits overwhelmed in the Ruines
Points of our Chrifi tan Faith, which he ffill of our Bodies, like Samp/on, when the Pbili-
treated with fhorter Touches, becaufe his fiean Temple fell upon him *No; they are ?.
Thoughts were continually fwallowed up with Sparks of Immortality, that fhall never be Ex-
the Vail Concern of not being deceived, about tinguifhed 5 they muff live, and move, and
the Marks of a Regenerate and a Sanctified Soul, think.until the very Heavens be no more.
Among
and Hopes of being fomdin Chrifi at a Dying other Evidences, That our Spirits ore Immortal,
Hour. He was none of thofe Preachers, !%ui there is no contemptible one, in the Pre/ages]
luiunt in Cathedra, &
///gent in Gehenna. Thofe which the Spirits of fuch good Men, as" he
two Words, A Soul and Eternity, were Great which is anon to be interr'd, have had of their
Words unto him ; and his very Soul was great- fpeedy Pafiage in a World of Spirits. Our Lord
ly, and always under
the Awe of them. Hence jefus Chrift, who gave his own Blood for the
the very Spirit of his Preaching lay in the Points Purchace of our Souls, and can tell, fure! what
of turning from Sin to God in Chriff, and the it is that he has purchafed he has expreily •
fpoken, upon thefe Points, in Relation to the he fhould be difiolved, he fhould be with Chrifi
Cafe that is now to be confidered. immediately. Do, try thou Fool-hardy Crea-
ture, to perfwade thy felf, That thou baft not
I. Let every mortal Man be very fenfible, an Immortal Soul : Thou canft not, for thy Soul,
that he hath an Immortal Spirit in him, and render thy felf altogether, and evermore per-
prize that Spirit exceedingly. How fhall we fwaded of it : With very dreadful Sufpicions,
Commit a Spirit into the Hands of the Lord Je- of its Immortality, will thy own Confcience, a
fus Chriff, if this thing be not Realized unto certain Faculty of thy Soul when terrify thee,
us, That we have a Spirit, which will be horri- God awakens
have known a frurJy Dii-
ir. I
With a very zealous Vivacity, I know this Voice But if a Man have an Immortal Soul within
would be uttered, Man, Thou baft a Soul, a him, what will be the Natural Conlequence
Soul within thee ; a Soul that is to exift through- of it? The Confequence is plainly this; That
out Eternal Ages; Oh Prize that Soul of thine
.' fince the Soul is
Immortal, it fhould be
very
at the great eft rate imaginable. I
fay then; we precious. It was infinitely Reafonable for the
mult be That we have Spirits which Soul to be called, as it was in Pfal. 22. 20.
fenfible,
are Diflinft from our Bodies, and which will My Soul, my Darling Oh There fhould be ! !
out-live them: Spirits which are Incorporeal nothing fo dear to a Man as that Soul of his, that
Subjlances, endued with Rational Faculties ; and fhall endure when all other things are changed :
thd inclined unto our Humane Bodies, yet fur- For, my Soul, of thy Tears there fhall be no
viving after them. An Infidel Pope of Rome, end. The Intereifs of our Spirits are to be
once lying on his Death-Bed, had fuch a Speech much greater things unto us, than the Interefls
as this ; I pl.rnll now quickly be certified and fa- of our Bodies. What will become of our
tisfied. whether I have an Immortal Soul or no ! Souls ? That, that is a thing that fhould lie
Wotul Man. if he were not until then certified much nearer to our Hearts, than what will be-
and fatisried! God forbid, that there fhould come of our .Lives, our Names, our Effatcs.
be fo much as one Epicurean Swine among us, We fhould let an high Value on our Spirits,
dreaming. That Man is nothing but a meer and often medirate on the Text, which was
Tump oj Matter put inly Met ion. Shall a Man once given to a Great rVlan, for his daily Me-
dare to think, that he lias rot a Rational Sen ft,
dilation in Matt. \6. 26 Whet is a Man pro-
file!.
Boqfc ill. The Hifiory of New-England. 227
he gain the whole World, and lofe lm fweet Garden of Heaven now,
fie& if ; fay Man,
with all pofiible Ardour of
nam Soul.
Soul, Ob! may my
Soul be one of
ofithem !
accordingly ;
there are aftonifhing Dangers, the uttermoft, that we are to Commit our Spirits
whereto our Souls are expofed by our Sins. into the Hands of our Lord Jefus Chrift Now :
Our Spirits ate in Danger of being for ever ba- the Acts of thisFaitb are admirably expreffed in
nifhed from the Communion of the Lord Jefus 2 Tim. 1. 1 2. 1 know whom I have believed, and
Chrift, into a State of Fafelefs and Endlefs I am perfwaded, That be ts able to keep that
Horror; our Spirits are in Danger to be plung'd which I have committed unto him. would We
into doleful Torments, among the Devils that have our Spirits preferved from the Direful An :
have been our Tempters Our Spirits are in ger of God, which threatens to fwallow them
:
Danger to be feiz'd by the Juflice of that God up: Say now, Lord Jefus, I am perfwaded,
againft whom
we have finn'd, and laid undef Thou art able to preferve me. We would have
Everlafting Impreflions of his Indignation. our Spirits enriched with the Knowledge and
There are Spirits in ; there is Danger
Pr'ifon Image, and Favour of God, in his Kingdom :
left the Vengeance of God
chain up our Spirits Say now, Lord Jefus, I am perfwaded, Thou
in that fiery Prifon. fit was but a little before art able to enrich me. We
are therefore to
he went unto Heaven, that our Baily in Twen- place our Faith on the Sacrifice which our Lord
ty Six Difcourfes on Rev.
6. 8. opened the Jefus Chrift hath offered unto God, on the be-
Treafures of that Wrath among u?.) And we half of his People. We read in Job 33. 22.
fhould now be fo thoughtful of nothing upon When a Soul draws near unto the Grave, If
Earth, as how to get our Spirits delivered from there be a Aleffenger with him, an Interpreter,
this Formidable Hell. The fitteft Language for then he fays, Deliver him from going down to
us, would be like that in Pfal. 116. 3,4. The the Pit, I have found a Ranfome. Some of the
pains of Hell are getting hold on
me > Lord, I Ancients take that, Angelus Interpres, to be
befecc ) thee to deliver
my Soul. But then there Chrift the Alediator. Sirs, when yours Souls
is a Great Salvation, which our Lord Jefus are drawing near unto the Grave, 'tis high time
Chrift has wrought for us-, and that Salvation to believe on that Ranfome, which One among
is, The Salvation of the Soul. Our Spirits may a Tboufand has paid unto God for us. We
be releafed from the Bonds, which the Sentence muft believe, That the Sacrifice of the Soul of
of Death, by the Law of God palled upon them, the MeJJiah, when He was cut off, but not for
has laid them under. Our Lord Jefus Chrift, himfelf, is a valuable Sacrifice, a fufficient Sa-
fatisfying of the Law, by his Death in and a Sacrifice which the wondrous
our crifice,
Grace of God invites us to depend upon; and
ftead, hath procured this Releafe for the Spitits
of his chofen. with a firm Dependance on that Sacrifice, we
Thete are rhe Spirits of Juft
Men made perfell ; and there is perfect Light, muft plead, let my Soul be delivered from go-
and perfect Love, and perfect Joy, among thofe ing down to the Pit, fince God baa found fuch
glorified Spirits. Our Spirits may be advanced
a Ranfome for me ! But while we rely on our
into the Society of Angels-, and be with our Lord Jefus Chrift, as he has been facrificed for
Lord Jefus Chrift in Heaven, the Spectators us here below, we muft alfo reply upon him,
and Partakers of his Heavenly Glory. Now, as he is now above, in the Holy of Holies, in-
we fhould be more thoughtful to make fure of terceeding for us. And that our Faith in com-
fuch a Heaven for our Spirits, than to enfure mitting our Spirits unto our Lord Jefus Chrift,
any thing on Earth. We
fhould wifh for no- may be a truly Chriftian Faith. muft be- We
thing fo much as that in 1 Sam. 25. 29. Soul A lieve him to be no lefs than The Lord God of
bound up in the Bundle of Life. There are Truth ; to be God as well as Man to be God
-,
Souls which our Lord Jefus Chrift has bundled and Man in one Perfon. That Man is a very
like fo many Slips, to be tranfplanted into the Foolilh Man, who will truft his own Soul
with
228 The Hi/lory of New-England. Book III.
with any one lefs than the God who made our Soul for ever. The Lord Jefus Chrift puts this
Soul, and who alone can lave
it. Our Belief Queftion unto us, Poor Sinner what /ball I do
mult pronounce our Lord Jefus Chrift, the fame for thy Spirit ? No Man can aright commit a
that his Bible has pronounced him ; The True Spirit into the Hand of the Lord Jefus
Chrift,
one until he have
God, the Great God, and God over all; ferioufly pondered on that Que-
who is every where, and who knows every ftion. Ponder it Sirs, in the Fear of God But
!
This Article of our Faith, which the then let our Anfwer to it, be
thing. according to that
modern Jews deny, is, indeed fo incontestable, in 2 Thef. 1. 11. That be would
fulfil all the
that I could prefently overwhelm them with an good fie afure of his Gocdnefs in you, and the
Work of Faith with Power. In
Army of Tefti monies, from the Rabbies among committing your
the Ancient Jews, conferring, Thar the Mejfiah Spirits into the Hand of the Lord Jefus Chrift,
muft be very Jehovah himfelf. I befeech you, Oh! Let your Hearts, bring made willing in the
let no Man dare to die in any Doubt, whether Day oj his Power, declare themfelves willing to
the Lord Jefus Chrift, unto whom he commits have him do for you, all that he is willing to do.
his own Soul, be not more than a meer Man. Tis the Propofal of the Lord Jefus Chrift, Shall
that my Obedience to my Father fur nijh thee with that
Believing him to be God, let us believe,
his Blood is Price enough to obtain for us the Attonement, and that Right eoufnefs
whereby thy
Everlafting Happinefs of our Spirits-,
what can Spirit fhall ftand without Fault before the
our Spirits want that the Blood of God can't Throne oj God ? Reply, Lord, I commit
my Spi-
obtain ? Let us believe, that his Holy Spirit can rit into thy Hand, for thee to juftify it. The
fit our
Spirits for, and fill our Spirits
with Eter- Propofal of the Lord Jefus Chrift unto us is
nal Glories; the of Chrift is the Spirit All the Maladies oj thy
Sprrit fhall I heal them
Spirit,
of God : What cant
he do for us ? Let us be all ? Reply, Lord, I commit my Spirit into
thy
lieve, that he has Legions and Myriads, and Hand, as into the Hand of the Lord my Healer-
let that
Millions of Blefled Spirits to be our Convoy, handoj thine open this Blind Mind, and
and Safeguard from thofe Evil Spirits, which Iub due this bafe Will, and retlifie all thefe depra-
are waiting to arreft our Spirits at our DifTo- ved Affeflions ; and on all Accounts renew a
lution : He is God among the Thoufands of right Spirit within me. Man, commit thy Spi-
his Angels, in his Holy Place : They'll fly like rit into the Hand of the Lord Jefus
Chrift, with
fwift Flafhes of Lightning to fuccour us, when fuch a Difpofition and then reft
•,
afTured^ That
ever he fhall command them fo to do. What Spirit fhall never be loft.
fhall we fay ? When Jacob fell afleep with his
Head lying upon a Stone, he had a Virion of V. If you would
fuccefsfully commit your
Angels concerned for him. Truly, our Lord Spirits into the Hand of the Lord Jefus Chrift,
Jefus Chrift is, The Stone of IJrael. If you when you die, you are to do it for your Spirits
don't fall afleep, till you have laid your Heads before you die. Indeed, what fhould all our
and Hopes on that Stone, you fhall then fee Life be, but a Preparation for Death ? And all
Armies of Angels about you, to fecure you. of our Life truly is little
enough. So thought
our Devout Baily. It was the Counfel which
IV. When we commit our Spirits into the he often gave to his Friends, Let not one
Day
Hand of our Lord Jefus Chrift, we muft fubmit pafs you, without an earneft Prayer, that you
unto all his Gracious Operations upon our Spi may have a Chrift for to ftand by you in a Dying
rits. We commit our Spirits into the Hand of Hour. And his own Practice was according to
our Lord Jefus Chrift, we fay: Well, he then that Counfel, as is well known to them that
demands of us, as in Mark 10. 51. What wilt lived with him in his Family. Sirs, you are
thou, that I jhould do unto thee ? And, I pray, not fure, that when the Decretory Hour of
mark it; If there beany Article of Grace al Death overtakes you, you fhall have one Mi-
ways wrought by the Lord Jefus Chrift, for nute of an Hour allow'd you, to commit your
the Spirits of his Elect, which you do not Con- Spirits into the Hand of the Lord Jefus Chrift.
fent unto, he will not receive your Spirits ; no, Is not a Sudden Death a Frequent Sight ? There
he willdeftroy them dreadfully. Some commit are very many fo fuddently fnatched away by
their Spirits into the Hand of the Lord Jefus the Whirlwind of the Vengeance of the Al-
Chrift, they fay ; but they are not willing that mighty, that they have not opportunity fo
the Hand of the Lord Jefus Chrift fhould ever much as to fay, Lord have Mercy upon me !
do for them, all that muft done, in all that And let me tell you, That a Sudden Death is
are brought Home unto God. Perhaps they moft likely to be the Portion of thofe who moft
would have their Spirit refcued from the Hands prefumptuoufly put off to a Deathbed, the
of the Devils hereafter but they
-,
don't heartily Work of committing their Spirits inro the
commit their Spirits into the Hands of the Lord Hand, that can alone befriend them. I have
Jefus Chrift, for to have all the Lutf s that make Read, That of old, according to the Laws of
their Spirits like Devils, here embittered, and Perfia, a Malefactor had Liberty, for an Hour
Eradicated. They would have eafy Spirits, it before his Execution, to ask what lie would,
may be, but Oh they are loth to have Holy and what he ask'd was granted him. One that
!
Spirits. This Halving of it, thou Hypocrite. was under Sentence of Death, being admitted
this Halving of a Chrift, will hang the Mil unto theufe of this Liberty, defired neitber one
ftones of Damnation about the Neck of thy thing nor another, but only, That he might fee
I
the
Book ill. The Hiftory of New-England. 229
the Kings Face ; which being allow'd him, he God of Heaven will Thunder (trike thy At-
fo plied the King in that Hour, that he obtain- tempts to commit thy Spirit into his Hand.
ed his Pardon Whereupon the Perjians altered That is That Spirit of thine, is it
this
thy own
:
:
to
iheir Cuftom, and covered the Face of the Ma,- difpofe of? Haft thou not already otherwise
lefa&or, that he might never fee the King any difpojed of it ? It is a Rule in Law, Nerte
poteft
more. I will not now Enquire, how far this legare, quod fuum ;am non eft. No Man can
illuftrate the Story of Human ; by Will, Demife, Deviie, Difpofe of
Paffage, will that, of
but I will obferve, That the Face of God is the which he had made Sale before. It is laid of
Name of the Meffiah 5 and in this Obfervation, a very Ungodly Man, in 1 King. 21.25. He
I have given you a Golden Key to come at fold himfelf to work Wickednefs, in the
fight of
New Treafures in fcores of Scriptures. And the Lord. Ungodly Sinner, the Devil has of-
I will apply it with faying, you have it may ten bargain'd with thee, about thy Soul he
5
be an Hour and no more allow'd you to addreis hath faid, By deliberate finning againft Heaven
the Face of God in the Lord Jefus Chrift. In do thou make over thy Soul to
me, and thou
this Hour you may obtain his Favour and Mer- fhalt have thefhort Tleafures of Sin for it. God
cy,
and Pardon. Don't flip this Hour, left it knows how often thou haft thus bargain'd away
be too late. Or, peradventure (and alas, 'tis thy Soul to the Devil ; and fince thou haft not
but a peradventure!) you fhould upon a Death- in all thy Life revok'd that Bargain, then
bed have fpace enough to commit your Spirits though thou do at thy Death cry unto him,
into the Hands of the Lord, are you fure that Lord, Receive this poor Soul of mine ! How
you (hall then have the Grace to do it juftlyrmy he fay, No, not 11 'Thou haft fold
? It is a
folemn Caution that is given us, in Phil. 2. 1 2, that Soul to another and let him keep it for
-,
that Claufe in his Laft Will, I bequeath my ly may he fay, Slave, Thou art not able to do
Soul unto God that gave it. But in the Name for thy wretched Soul, what thou doft now pre-
of God, art thou certain that he will accept tend unto. The Lord Jefus Chrift will not caft
of it ? The Law fays, Legato renunciari pot eft, off thy Soul with fuch Objections, if thou Seek
and Legation ace 1 per e nemo nolens cogitur one the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him
-,
may refufe a Legacy, there's no compelling one while he is near. I earneftly teftify unto you
to accept it. It is true, our Companionate The Vileft and the Oldeft Sinner
among you
Lord will ever accept a poor Soul, whenever all, may Come and be Welcome unto the Lord
'tis with a true Faith brought unto him. Jefus Chrift, if you will come now, while it is
Yea, but it may be, he will not accept of thy the Acceptable Time, now while it is the Day of
Soul, inafmuch as thou haft no true Faith to Salvation. Though thou art never fo bad, yet
bring it withal ; Faith, which is not of our come and heartily complain to him of all thy
felves, 'tis the Gift of God !
Wherefore, O Badnefs, and he will do good unto thy Soul !
filthy Spirit,
a Spirit full of Sin and Hell, as commit a Spirit into the Hand of the Lord Je-
ever it can hold, and a Spirit horribly under the fus Chrift, wh.it is it for > It is that he
may
Curfe of God. put an upper Garment of Glory upon that Spirit.
But he will demand, Where is the under Garment
Sirs, Ifyou anfwer any otherwife than fo, of Grace upon it ? If thou art without that
the Redeemer of Spirits will not receive your Garment, he will doom thy Spirit unto Outer
Spirits. But when we commit our Spirits into Darknefs, that is to fay (for Outer Darknefs
the Hand of our Lord Jefus Chrift, in the laft was the Name of the Prifon among the
Jews)
A&ions of our Life, it is to be fuppofed, That he will make a perpetual
Imprifonment, the
we only repeat what we have done before, and Portion of thy Soul. Wherefore, let us en-
that our Lord Jefus Chrift has already received quire diligently into the Signs of a Newborn
our Spirits on our doing of it. Oh Tis a ! Soul upon us before we come to die. Wo to
dreadful thing for a Dying Man to think, The us, if we are not Born Twice before we Die
Lord never yet received this poor Soul of mine ; Once'. Why fhould we incur this Defolation
it unto the Lord! upon our Souls, That when at laft we go to
for I never till now committed
When fuch Perfons commit their Spirits into commit them into the Hand of the Lord, he
the Hand of the Lord Jefus Chrift, under the (hall reject them and fay, No, I /;now them
not;
Dimnefs of the Anguifh of Death, as one they are none of mine j
'tis
they are the Workers of
unto an Honou Iniquity
fays, As if one fhould bequeath
!
at the Lord, I commit a poor finful Spi- Heaven, when thou doft at laft commit it un-
fay laft,
rit now into thy Hand ; but it is a Spirit upon to him. As Jotham faid, in Judg. 9. 7. Hear-
which thy Blood has been fprinkled, and it is a ken to me, that God may hearken to you : Even
taken do I now
Spirit which thy Spirit
haw long fince Pof this fay to you ; and I carry it on to
feffton of. Now to render this unqueftionable, this Iffue Do you hearken to the Lord Jefus
:
we are to examine our feives, Whether our Spi- Chrift, when he bids you to receive him, and
rits have been renewed by the Holy Spirit of when you pray him to receive you. He will
God?. And. be Reftlefs in our own Spirits, till then hearken to you.
we are fure of fuch a Renovation. The Apo-
ftle once concluded, Th3 1 when our Spirits de- The Lord Jefus Chrift is often knocking at
from hence, the Lord Jefus Chrift will the Door of thy Soul : There would he enter,
part
receive them into an Houfe not made with Hands, with all his Gracious Influences Open to the :
Eternal in the Heavens: And upon what was Lord, by refigning up thy Soul to the fweet
? He
it, that he raifed this Conclufion fays, in Influences of his Grace Reply, come in, thou :
2 Cor. 5. 5. For he that wrought us, for this Blefjed of the Lord, why flandcfl thou without ?
felffame Thing is God. The Greek Word ufed So when my laft Sands are running, thou
there, is the fame that the LXX ufe for the mayft joyfully think, My Lord Jefus Chriji
Curious Works about the Tabernacle. will now receive me, more heartily than ever I
received him : If 1 have had an Heart, alas a
When Bezaleel had neatly wrought a Board, vile Heart for him. I am fure he has an !
Tabernacle, he would not throw it away among Hand, a Spirit into which thou haft been re-
the Rubbifti. Man If thou haft a well wrought
! ceived, when thy wondrous Grace demanded it
Soul within thee, God will receive it, and ad- for an Habitation : And thou wilt now receive
vance and improve it, in his Houfe for ever. this unworthy Spirit of min e into a better Ha-
bitation.
Book III. The Hijlory of 231
New-England.
bitation. Think thus, and Rejoice with Joy un- for the Spirit of a Man to be torn from him,
andfull of Glory ! and be pull'd away with
fpeakable roaring Reluctances,
with Horrid Convulfions. Where would be
VII. When we come
to commit our Spirits the fenfe of it, if a
dying Man fhould fay,
into Hand
the of our Lord Jel'us Chrift, at Lord, Into thy Hand I commit my Spirit; but if
and for our laft Refignation, let us do it very [could have my choice, my Spirit Jho'uld never
Humbly, hut very Willingly, but very Chear- come there l When we perceive that Call from
our Lord Jefus Chrift, Go
fully. up and die ! Let us
freely furrender our Spirits unto our Great
How humbly ought we to commit our Spi- Lord, and Go up and die : He is the Lord of
rits into the Hand of the Lord Jefus Chrift our Lives. Freely, did I fay ? Yea, and gladly
!
With how much Loathing and Judging of our too. When we have aright committed our Spi-
felves, and with what fhameful Reflections
on rits into the Hand of the Lord, then take
up
all our paft Behaviours. Wc
are bitterly ro that Conclufion in Pfal.
$p. 15. God will re-
the Diforders and Corruptions of ceive Soul. And -
it be in Terms like thofe in Ezra 9. 6. my EffeSs of Sin, and all the Annoyances of 111 Spi
God, I am aflmmcd, and blujh to lift up my face rits for ever. 1fhall
quickly amongbe lodged the
to thee, my God ! ft.nd therefore, whatever pure Spirits that fee God, andfervc him Day
for our Souls, let us with and Night in }m
Bleilings we expetf. Temple, and God fhall wipe
all pofhble Self- Abhorrence found our Expe£ta- away all Tears from my Eyes. Tea, I (hall quick-
tions on the pure Mercy of God, in our Lord ly be with my Lord Jefus Chriji, which is by far
Tefus Chrift. Moll fweetly did our Dying the beft ofall. Oh Rejoice in the Hope of this
!
Hooker exprefs the frame of Spirit, wherewith Glory of God! And let not your Joy be interrup-
a Spirit is to be committed into the Hand of ted by any Fear of what may become of
your
the Lord When one that flood weeping by his
: Friends, when you fhall dead and gone.
be
Bed-fide faid unto him, Sir, Ton arc going to The Lord that calls you to commit your Spirits
receive the Reward of all your Labours, he re- Hand, calls you at the fame time, to
into his
plied, Brother,
I am going to receive Mercy I commit your Widows, your Orphans, and all
What fhall I fay ? The Frame of Spirit necefla- your Friends, into that Omnipotent Hand He :
ry in this
Glorious TranfacFion, I cannot better fays, Leave them all with me, and Vll take the
paint out unto you, than by reciting the Words, Care of them all!
which I remember I once had, from an Eminent
old Servant of the Lord Jefus Chrift, at my ta- It was noted of the Englifl)
'
Martyrs, which
king Leave of him Said he, :
Sir, I am every dy'd at the §take in the Bloody Marian Perfe-
1
Day expecting my Death ;
but I defire to ction-, That none of them went more joyfully
' to the Stake, than thofe that had the
die like the Thief, crying to the Crucified largeft and
* I am nothing, I have no- the dear eft Families then to commit unto the
Jefus for Mercy.
4
thing, I can do nothing, except what is un- Lord : And afterwards thofe large Families,
'
worthy. My
Eye, and Hope, and Faith, is were wondroufly provided for. The Eyxeilent
4
to Chrift on his Crofs. I
bring an llnwor- Mr. Heron, a Miniffer, that had a Family of
1
thinefs, like that of the poor Dying Thief many fmall Children in it, when he lay a dying,
'
unto him, and have no more to plead than his poor Wife laid with Tears, Alu, what will
c
he. ,
Like the poor Thief Crucified with him, become of all thefc Children ? He prefently and
*
I am waiting to be received, by the Infinite pleafantly replied, Never fear, he that feeds
Lord, into his Kingdom. And the young Ravens, won't ftarve the young Herons!
'
Grace of my
'
pray tell me, did not aged
Paul mean fome- And it came to pals accordingly.
thing of this, when faid, I am Crucified
*
he
Sirs, Thus you are to commit your Spirits
1
with Chrift?
into the Hand of the Lord Jefus Chrift.
commit our Spirits into his Hand, as only ing like him j yea, not from him only, but
drag'd. and
fore'dunto it by unavoidable Death. from the Lord Jefus Chrift, the God, whofe he
Our dying Lord faid, Father, Into thy Hands wan, and whom he ferved. If you would more
I commend my Spirit. When God calls for our particularly be told after what manner he did
Spirit, we are to think, 'T/i my father that calls commit his own Spirit into the Hands of the
for me-, andjhal! not I go to my Father ? Lord, I can faithfully recite you his own Ac-
count of the TnnfacFion. He gives it thus,
It was a good Speech even of an Heathen,
*
Bene Mori eft Libentcr Mori, one thing in well I
fpent half the Day alone in fceking of
c
dying, is to die willingly. Tis a difmal thing God :,
defiring to give up my felf unto God in
'
Gg g g Chrift
232 Tbe~Hi/tory of New-England. Book III.
'
Chrift wholly, and to be his in Soul and Bo- had pray'd with his Family, it fmote the Sou!
*
The Particulars I omit. I hope, God in of him with a great Conviction, and prov'd
dy.
Chrift, will accept of me, 3nd enable me by
' the Beginning of his Converfion unto God.
c
his Spirit to keep touch with him For I God
: left not off Working on his
He^rt, until
'
owned my felf wholly unworthy to enter in- he proved one of the moft Eminent Chriftians"
'
to Covenant, and alio unable to keen it ; in all that Neighbourhood. So he lived fo -,
'
but Jefus Chrift is both worthy and able. he died a Man of more than ordinary
;
Piety.
And it was his manner fometimes-to retire untc
'Tis from one who thus did it, that you are thofe very Places of his former LewdnefTes,
now cill'd upon to do likewife. where having this his little Son in his Compa-
ny, he would pour out Floods of Tears in re-
When you fee the Coffin of this Man of God, penting Prayers before the Lord.
anon carried along the Streets, imagine it a
mournful Pulpit, from whence, 'Being Dead he This Hopeful Youth having been educated
thus unto you ; Whatever yon do, com- in Grammar-Learning under a worthy School-
yetfpeaks
mit your perijhing Souls into the Hands of the matter, one Mr. Soger, and in further
Learning,
Lord Jefus Chrift, cu you have been advifed. under the Famous Dr. Uarrifm, at
length, a-
bout the Age of Twenty Two, he entred on
That thefe Admonitions may have the more the Puhlick Employment of Preaching the Go
of Emphafis, a fhort Account of this worthy lpjl. In lb doing, he was not one of thofe,
Man mult now be given you. of whom even tlie great Pa pi It Bellarminec
plains, §>uinon valde folliciti ejfe folent; an ea
He was Born on Febr. 24. 1643. near Black- qua par eft preparation accedant, cum Finis ea-
bourn in Ldncajhire \ of a very Pious Mother,- rum magis fit cibz/s Corporis, quam Anima. fie
who even before he was Born, often as Hannah began at Chcfter ; but afterwards went over to
her Samuel, Dedicated him unto the Service of Ireland, where his Labours were fo
frequent,
the Lord. and fervent, that they gave thofe Wounds unto
his Health, which could never be recovered.
Of this his Birthday, in the Return of every About Fourteen Years of his Time, in Ireland,
Year, he flill took much Notice in his Diaries : he fpentat Limrick, and faw fo many Seals of
And made his humble and ufeful Reflexions his Miniftry, in that Country, that he feem'd
thereupon. rather to fifh with a Net, than with an
Hook,
for the Kingdom of God.
Once particularly, I find him thus entertain-
'
happy A£t of Parliament.
I
may fay with a great Sigh, This was my
Birth day ! O how little Good have I done all
'
And yet for the Admonition of our Inexcu-
this while! O what Reafon have I to ftand fable Young Men, The Sin of which
'
'
Young Men
amazed at the Riches of God's Forbearance is very great before the Lord above that of
! \
6
Much may happen this Year Lord, Carry thofe, who have been brought up, as many
!
'
me through it !
very Godly Chriftians have in thofe ways of
the Church of England, for a Seceffion 'from
From a Child he did know the Holy Scriptures, which, this Country was firft planted Young :
j
yea, From a Child he was wife unto Salvation. Men, who notwithstanding their Defcent from
In his very Childhood he difcovered the Fear of Fathers and Grandfathers, that were
great
God, upon his young Heart; and Prayer to Sufferers for their Non-Conformitv to an Un-
God was one of his Early Exercifes. inftituted Worfhip of Chrift, aud notvvith-
ftanding their Education in the Knowledge of
There was one very Remarkable EfFecF of it. what is Required, and what is Forbidden in
His Father was a Man of a very Licentious the Second Commandment, and notwithftand-
Converiation; a Gamelter, a Dancer, a very ing their being urged by no Temptation of
Lewd Company-keeper. The Mother of thjs Perfecution, or being tempted by any thing,
ElecF VeiTel, one Day took him, while he was but the Vanity of their own
Minds, dp vet fo
yet a Child, and calling the Family together, Rebel againft: the Light, as to + turn Apoftates
made him to pray with them. His Father co- from rhe Firft Principles of jK ew ^g'land', it
ming to underftacid, at what a rate, the Child may be feafonable to repeat fo much bf the
Hiftory
Book ll\7 The Hi/lory of New-England. 233
as a little further ved them all. But this, in a little while gave
Hiftory of this Worthy Man,
to illuftrate this Article. fuch Offence, that a Violent Obfifuftion was
given thereunto ; and though his Flock, parti-
fooner began to preach the Gofpel of
He no cularly his Dear Young Men (as he calfd them)
the Lord Jefus Chriit, but his Fidelity to that did pray without ccafing, and not without
falling, for his Releafe and humble Applica-
Gofpel, was tried by an hard Impriionment, -,
God fo difabled him with Diifempers after this, Death, which for a while parted them, has now
that he was very feldom, if ever able to preach again brought them together. This Mr. Tho-
at all. mat Baily, died January 2r. 1689. as this his
Brother and Colleague nores in his Diary ; lie
in the Exercife of his Mi-
Mr. Baily went on died well, which is a great Word ; fo fweet ly at
I never Jaw the like
niffry, not purfuing any Factious Defigns,
but before ! But as for this El-
the Converlion of Men to Chrilf, and der Brother, he was a Man of Great Holinefs,
meerly
Faith, and Holinefs, which the Devil counts and of fo tender a Confclence, that if he had
the worii of all Defigns. And now, although been at any time innocently chearful, in the
he were fo harmlefs and blameleis in his whole Company of his Friends, it coft him afterwards
Converfation, that he was always much belo- abundance of fad Reflection, through Fear, left
ved wherever he came, yet another long Impri e'er he had been aware, he might have grieved
fonment was infii&ed on him, while the Papilis the Holy Spirit of Chrift- A Savoury Book of
.
in the Neighbourhood, had all manner of Li- his about The Chief End of Alan, published a-
berty and Countenance. When he was before mongus, has fully defcribed unto us, that Sa-
the Judges, he told them, If I had been drink- vour of Spirit, which was in his daily Walk
ing and gaining and caroufing at a Tavern with maintained.
my Company, my Lords; I prefume that would
not have procured my being thus treated at an
Offender. Muff praying to God, and preaching Sic Oculcs, Sic Hie manus, Sic craferebat.
of Chrift, with a Company of Chrijiians, that are
at Peaceable and Inoffenfwe, and Serviceable to The Dcfire of this Holy Man, was
(as him-
unto Three
Majeliy and the Government
his as any of his felf expreifed itj to get
up things :
While he was impriibned, his Church being And his Defire at another Time, he thus ex-
divided into Seven Parts, vifited him one part/ prefled. Oh! that 1 weight not be of the Num-
a Da", fo that
preaching to them, and praying/ her of them, that live without Love, ffeak with
with them every Day, he once in a Week fer-{ out Reeling, and att without Life Oh ! that
'.
Geg g 2 God
234 The Hiflory of New-Fngland. Book HI.
God would make inc hk Humble and Upright and Hence, when he parted with the greateft En-
faithful Servant !
joyment he had in this World, he thus wrote
upon it, in his Diary -,
fay
Reward* < From this Holinefs proceeded that Watch-
fulnefs, which difcovered a lingular Fear of
We will more particularly note a few No- God, in his whole Converfation. I find him en-
table, wherein the Holinefs which
irradiated tring in his Diary fuch PalTages as thefe
him, will be defcribed unto us.
We
might begin with obferving, That the At one Time.
Holy Word of God was very dear to him, as *
indeed it is to every Holy Man. Hence, I find I did not watch
my Tongue foasl ought,
'
Jan. u.
'
this Pallage in his
Diary, Ifinijhed which me much Trouble afterwards, and
coft
'
'
the Reading of the Bible\ in my Family (as
\
made me walk heavily. It's a mad thing to
'
formerly J Oh it's a Dear Book it's always
€
!
•,
Sin !
'-
4
fhut it
up to fay, I have feen an end of all there was no great harm in them, I was
yet
c
"Lerfettion,
but thy Law is exceeding Broad. rebuked by my Confcierics for them. Let
'
Oh! how terrible are the Threatning-, how the Lord forgive them 5 and for the future,
•
(
the Service of the Lord. Thus in his Diary, ing, I
might adminifter Grace to the Hearer !
there frequently occur fuch Strains as thefe.
c
Oh that Honey and Milk were under my
!
'
'
Oh! that I may glorifie God with all I am, Tongue continually.
*
or have ;
even with all the Faculties of my
Soul, all the Members of my Body, and in At another Time.
;
c
all the Places and Relations that I ftand in,
' '
as Man, Matter,
Minifter, Husband, Kinfman, I was too of God, and exceeding
forgetful
and Neighbour. Oh I ftand in need both
c c
! in Tobacco. The Lord pardonthat, and all
4 '
of a Justifying Chriit, and a Sanctifying other Sins, and heal this Nature, and hum-
:
Chrift. Whenthai! 1 fenfibly find a Chrifl
'
ble this Heart.
,;
iwaying my
his Scepter in Soul Thus what- !
'
God to thee, and thy feed after thee. No marvel whence we may gather how full his Heart was
''
Abraham icll on his Face ut the hearing of it! of Bleffings tor his Neighbous.
Once
The
BookJiJ. Hiftoty ~of New-England. 235
Da :
Meditation and
>' Th£ n ^ter a little
-
;
Breathing, I went to Prive*
[which was a great Favour !J only defired my
c
him, and keep him from all Evil, that it may humbled to the Duft. After a little more
not grieve him.
Meditation, 1 went to Prayer in
' way of Pe-
tmon, and that at large." Oh! Lord, hfeai
Moreover, It was not only among the great '
me, and give me the Wildom that I want, i
Signs, but alfo among the great Mean., pf.his hope God will hear, pity, pardon, and
',
me help
Holinefs, that he was very ibllicitous-, ^s well After a little more Meditation, •
I fell to brail
in his Preparation for the Table of the Lord, '
and blefs God for my Mercies, bv Sea and
as 111 his Obfervation of what Communion he [
Land ; but was fomewhat ftlort in this
with the Lord Jeius ' part
enjoyed Chrilt, at his for which Lam At kit I concluded
forry.
Table. '
all, in praying for the Church of God in cr C .
•
for London,
neral, Lancajhin\ and Lirnrick
His Diary abounds with c
Paflages of this Im- and for New-England alfo. Here I
brought
portance j theExpreflions of a Careful Soul. all my Relations to the Lord.
I Oh, Lord,
accept of me, and my poor Services in Chrilt'
Thelaft time of his being at the Lord's Ta- ^
c
Oh that I; may watch
!
a'long 5
2%6 i
my
Sin, himfelf.
my Succefs and Acceptance in my Work ; for
my dear Wife, that 1 had her fo long and •,
At another Time
that my Brother and my dear Wife died both
'
of them glorifying of God They are in Hea- If God fhould yet fave
:
my Soul, and his
ven, and I am out of Hell that I have hither- ! Work in my Hand, it would be amazing.
to been kept from Diltraftion and Defpair, There is a May bt\ If thefe inward Troubles
and kept to my Work: That I have any hold, I fhall be forced to lay down my
Friends (in this ftrange Land) and any in my Work. Lord, ftep in for my Relief! O
Family to mind me and tend me: That I have the Worth of the Senfe of God's Love in
Work here, and Opportunities of Service For : Chrift !
Glory of it. Thus did he walk with God. that the Iffue may yet be Peace, and that I
1
thereunto, proclaimed it. But that he might Oh
That Jefus Chtift would undertake
!
not be Lifted up, it feemed meet unto the Wif- for me! If God marvelloufly prevent not, I
dom of Heaven, to humble him with fore and fhall lay down my Work. O Lord, appear.
long Temptations, often Recurring to Buffet Oh for one faving
!
Sight of the Love, and
him. In his Days, he faw many Difconfolate Lovelinefs of Jefus Chrift. I wifh I could
Hours he was fill'd with Defponding Jealou-
-, fay, as my dear Tutor Dr. Harrifon faid,
fies, left after he had preached unto others, he
That he could not live a Day, without a
frefh
fhould be himfelf a Cajt-away : And he often in- Manifejiation of God unto his Soul\
treated thofe, who faw the Diftreffes of his
Mind, That they wouldby no means take up any At another Time.
Prejudice again/} the fweet and good Ways of
'
Religion, from what they faw of his Difconfolate
The Eclipfe of the Moon laft Night, made
Uneafmcffes. one think, Oh that 1 could mourn !
bitterly,
who have finned my felf into Darknefs. How
interpoh'ng"! Lord, Remove it. Let
be profitable unto fome
be, 'twill is the Earth
It may
Difcouraged Minds, to underltand how he ex- the Son of Rightcoufnefs in his
Glory and
prelfes himfelf on fuch Occalions. In Sermons
:
At one Time.
•
was almoft in
I Suburbs of Hell all
the
'
me, and hid Jefus Chrift from me ; which I
:
Recovered.
'
above all things, and feek the Glory of God,
'
and live contentedly on him alone! Oh! that At another Time.
'
I could fee the Blood of Chrift on my Soul,
'
and at the Bottom of my Profeffion. Oh I was now
c
!
fupported by the Thoughts of a
' '
for a Sight of the Myftery and Maiefty of Precious JESUS. I fhould for ever fink, but
'
'
the Grace and Love of Jefus Chrift fo that -,
for him When I look backward or forward,
!
'
'
all Excellencies might fall down before it !
upward or downward, I die, I fink ; but
'
when I look at the fweet I live. I JESUS,
'
At another Time. may refolve with Dr. Prefton ; (O that I
'
could !) faying, / have often
'
trfd God, and
'
I am in a woful Frame ; far from faying, now Pll truft him. It's a good Refoluticn ;
'
1
with Dr. Avery, Here I lie, not knowing Lord, help me to it !
{
what God will do with me, but tho' I thus
At
Book Hi. 7 he Hi/lory of New-England. 237
Jefus! When his Afreclionate Friends were
At another Time. weeping about him, he beftow'd this Rebuke
upon them, Away vsith your Idols! Aihay tehb
I would gladly think, That God is my fa- your Idols ! It was nor very
'-
;
is that Grace, and how will it fhine thr< o{ Coventry, who died in the Pulpit. Lord.
'
'
all Erernity If ever I lee my lcll fafe at
! Lei not only, but in dying Jbri
-
'
la It, I mult for ever cry out, 1 am wonder- Glory to thee. And now it (hall be To! Al
\ fully faved .
lalt, juit as he was going to expire, he feem'd
as if he had fome
extraordinary Apprehenfions
In fine, One thing that much relieved him of the Glory, in which our Lord Jefus Chrift
in his internal Troubles, was what he had oc- is above enthroned He {trove to (peak unto
:
cafion (thus) to write in his Diary, a little be- his Vertuous Contort and anon ipoks thus
tore his End. much, Ob! What ih.:/l I
fay? He fe altogether
lovely? His Worthy Sitter-in-Law, then com-
I do more fee into the great Myltery of our ing to him, he haid, Oh ! All our Praifes of
1
*
Jultification by Faith, meetly
of Grace. There him here, are poor and low things! And then
1
is no refpecF in it, unto this or that 5
but added, life Glorious Angels are come for v;e \
*
Chrift having wrought out a Redemp- Upon the faying whereof he clofed his own
Jefus
'
tion for us, and by his Active and Pa (five Eyes, about the time when he (till opened his
1
Obedience procured a fufficienr Righteouihefs, Bible for his Publick Labours On the Lord's :
*
and making a Tender of it in the Gofpel, it
Day, about three in the Afternoon ; and he
1
becomes mine, by my accepting of it,
and never opened them any more.
1
relying on it alone for Salvation. And (hall
4
I not accent of it ? God forbid ! This was he whom you ate now going to
Bury; but I pray you, Bury not with him alL
the Holy Counfels and Warnings, that we have
faith he j there are two things,
c
I fee ('
bing to the Grace of God, the Freenefs and ceived and heard.
'
'
cribingto theRighteoufnefsof Chrift in Man's He was one, who took much Notice of what
'
Jultification. was from the Oracles of God, fpoken to him,
At length, difmal Pains of the Gout, with a in the Sermons of other Men. He has much
Complication of other Maladies, confined him repleniftied his Diaries, mtfi Remarks of this
for a Quarter of a Year together. Under the Importance ; I have heard a good Word to day !
Pains of his Confinement, he took an extraor- And he would often decline going to Featts,
dinary Contentment in the Fifty Third Chapter whereto his friends invited him, that he might
of Ifaiah, which represents the Sorrows of our go to Private Meetings in fome other Parrs of
Lord Jefus Chrift, whereby all our Sorrows are rhe Town, where he might at the fame time
fan£tified: And he would often roll over thofe t'eajl on the Word of God. Thus, more par-
Words of our Saviour, elfewhere occurring, ticularly.
They pierced my Hands and my Feet. When the At one Time.
Remainders of his Flock, which waited on him
'
to New-England, vifited him, his ufual and I heard a very good Word. Are ye not
Carnal? Ah, Lord, I am Carnal. The Lord
c
folemn Charge to them was, I charge you, That
J find you all fafc at laft ! My Brethren, God give me his Spirit to make me Spiritual!
'
I
make the Charge of your dead Paftor abide c was in many things juttly reproved Let me :
upon you. Forfometime in his laft Sicknels, his rake it, and be wrought into the Likenefs of
'
'
Heavenly Soul was harraiTed with terrible Dif this good Word.
and that he was going into Eternal Peace. Yea, c Chrift fe all. Oh that I might never forget !
at the worft, he would fay, That his bear wcu it! Oh! that it
c
might be written upon the
not fo much about the End of all as about Table of my Heart Let my Soul feed upon !
oar South-Church, upon thofe Words, Who is that there vvas writing it; yer it hear-
'littie
this that comes up from the Wilderncjs, lean- tily warmed me. needed a Chrift; Oh!
I
ing on her Beloved? And he now ipoke of that I could get him, and keep him for ever!
it, Condition
as expreffing Thushis own -,
I would make him my All, and count him
am I gang (laid he ) out of the Wilder nefs my All. Ineed a who's Chrift : Oh that I
!
of all my Temptations, leaning on my Blefjed mav prize a whole Chrift, and improve a whole
Chrift
238 The Hiftory of New-England. Book I
'
Chrift.
have of late thought, that this may Riches had been heaped in upon him. And.
I
be one Evidence of my Right unto Glory, yet he would add [fuch Paflages ( fometfr
' -
.
|
c
that Chrift is more precious to me than ever, rind.]
'
'
You can all teftify, that he W2s none of thofe Flejhfhall glory !
enim tepide, adeo remiffe, verba Dei annunciant, Dead, he will himfelf be, which he often told
ut ExtinUa in Labiis Eorum penitus videantur ; you, he fear'd he mould be in the Day of God,
unde Sicut ipfi Frigidi funt, &
Extintfi, fie a Witncjs againft many of you.
Frigidos &
Extinilos relinquunt, iff utinam non
facerent Auditores.
That we may then meet him with Joy, Let
m
remember them, who have fpoken to us the
For his Preaching, he particularly prefcribed Word of God, andjollotv their Faith, conjidcring
unto himfelf, according to a Memorandum, the End of their Converfation.
which I found thus entred in his Diary.
But be thou fenlible, O all my Country of
c
Old Mr. Thomas Shepheard, when on his New-England, how much thou art weakened,
Deathbed, faid unto the young Minifters by the Departure of fuch Blefllngsto the World
about him, That their Work war great, and of the Blefled.
called for great Serioufnefs. For his own part,
he told them three things. Firft, That the Thy Baily could fometimes write fuch PalTa-
ftudying of every Sermon coft him Tears ;
he ges as this, (I find) in his Referved Papers.
wept in the ftudying of every Sermon. Se-
'
condly, Before he preach'd any Sermon, he There was a Day of Prayer. God was with
'
got Good by it himfelf Thirdly, He always me in Prayer, helping me to plead with him
'
went up into the Pulpit, as if he were to an Hour and half, for this poor Land, and. in
give up his Accounts unto his Mafter.
Oh ' fome meafure to Believe for it. I hope, God
!
'
that my Soul /adds our Baily) 7tiay remember will hear and help.
and praUife accordingly \
CONTAINING
An ACCOUNT of the
NT T V
IN 1 V E Oil
QIT Th T?
Jlv
From whence the Churches of NEW-ENGLAND, ( and many other
Churches) have been Illuminated.
growing
in that NURSERY.
Offered unto the Publick
By COTTON MATHER.
Here, as in Furnaces of Boiling Gold
Stars Dipt, Come back, full as theirOrbs can hold
Of Glitt'ring Light !
LONDON,
Printed for Tht>.
Parkbnrji. 170:2.
Book IV. 125
O F
Y
lwfca?tj=Coiletjge
INTRODUCTION.
T there have been Univerfities m the World, wbich a Be7.a would call Flabella Satanx, and a Luther
would callCathedras Peftilentix, &; Ancichrifti Luminaria, and a Third ventures to flyle, Syna-
gogas Perditionis c< Puteos Abyfli ; the Excellent Arrowfmkh bus truly obferved, That it is no
more to be inferred from hence that all are fo, than that all Books are to be burnt., becaufe the Chrifti-
ans did burn the Magical Ones at Ephefus. The New-Englanders have not been Weigelians or the :
Difciples of the
Furious Fanatick, who held forth f_ Reader, Let it never be tranflated into Englifh ] !
Nullam efTe in Univerfo Terrarum Orbe Academiam, in qua Chriftus inveniatur ; In Academijs
fie tantillam quidem Chrifti Cognitionem reperiri
pofle NoluifTe Chriftum Evangeliurn prasdicari
:
per Diabolos ; ergo non per Academicos. Left all the Hellebore of New-England ( a Countrey
abounding with Hellebore ) fhould not fuff.ee to re/lore fuch Dreamers unto their Wits, it hath produ-
ced an Univerfity alfo, for their better Information, their utter Confutation. Behold, an American
Univerfity, prefenting her felf, with her Sons, before her European Mothers for their Bkffmg. An Uni-
verfity, which hath
bien to thefe as Livy faith of Greece, for the good Literature there
Plantations,
cultivated, <3>itf (SStttttUltl '>
An Univerfity, which may make her bo aft unto the Circumjacent Regi-
ons, like that of the Orator on the behalf of the
Englifh Cambridge, Fecimus (abfit Verbo Invidia, cui
abeffc Falfitas) ne in Demagorijs Lapis federet ne deefTenx in Templis Theologi,
fuper Lapidem,
in Foris Jurifperiti, in Oppidis Medici ; Rempublicam, Ecclefiam, Sedatum, Exeicitum, Viris
Doftis replevimus, ebq; melius bono publico infervii e comparatis, quo magis eruditi fuerint :
FinaHy, An Univerfity which has been what Stangius made his Abbey, when he turnd it into a Froteflant
Colledge ; Tk* ®ioyva<Aa.< x*ihvri?w x) VvyZv Si&tv^cv Ao;,w... And a River, without the Streams
whereof, thefe Regions would have been meer, Unwatered Places, for the Devil !
PART I.
from the very Foundation of it, pretend unto fee How much True Religion was a Friend unto
the Name of an (UtlitlCrfttP. The Primitive good Literature. The Reader knows that in eve-
Chriflians were not more prudently careful, to ry Town among the Jews, there was a School,
fettle Schools for the Education of Perfons, to whereat Children were taught the
Reading of
fucceed the more immediately Infpired Miniftry the Law, and, if there were any Town defti-
of the Apoftles, and fuch as had been Ordained tute of a School, the Men of the Place did ftand
by the Apoftles ; (and the Apoftate y«/»'<w, truly excommunicate, until One were erected Befides :
the World, would never have fent us over &$cn a Day of Small Things ) namely, Four Hundred
enough to have anfwered our Necflkies ; but Pounds, by way of Iffay towards the Building
without a Nurfeiy for fuch fflftl among of fomething to begin a Colledge ; and New-Town
our felves Parknefs muft have foon covered the being the Kiriath Sepher appointed for the Seat of
Land, and Orofs Darknefs the People. For fbme it, the Name of the Town was for the fake of
little while, indeed, there very Hopeful ErFe&s fomewhat now founding here, which might here-
of the Pains taken by certain particular Men after grow into an Univerfity, changed into
of Great Worth 3nd Skill, to bring up fome in Cambridge. 'Tis true, the Univerfity of
Vpfal
their own Private Families, for Publick Services ; in Sueden, hath ordinarily
about feven or eight
but much of 'uncertainty and of Inconveniency in Hundred Students belonging to it, which do
this Way, was in that little while difcovered ; none of them live Collegiately, but board all of
and when Wife Men conildered the Queftion them here and there at Private Houfes ; never-
handled by Quintilian, "Julius ne
fit Domi, atq; thelefs the Government of New-England, was
intra privatos Parietes Jludentem continere, an fre- for having their Students brought up in a more
though this Country did chiefly confift of fuch the Expectations of Good Men concerning him ;
as by the Difficulties of Subduing a Wretched for he was One fitter to be Mafter of a Bridewel
Wildernefs, were brought into fuch a Condition than a Colledge : And though his Avarice was
of Poverty, that they might have gone by the notorious, enough to get the Name of a Pbilar-
Title, by which the modeftly-clad Noblemen and gyrius fixed upon him, yet his Cruelty was more
Gentlemen, that firft petitioned againft the Inqui- fcandalous than his Avarice. He was a Rari
fttion in the Low-Countries, were diftinguifhed, Scholar himfelf, and he made many more fuch ;
namely, A
Troop of Beggars, yet thefe Gueux but their Education truly was In the School of
were willing to let the Richer Colonies, which Tyrannus. Among many other Inftances of his
Cruelty
Im , „ , ,, ,
- - 1
— I
.--..-
Book IV. The Hiftory of New-England /
Cruelty, he gave
One in earning tAO to Men MoV LSO A a S A LT NS 7 A L\
place a ,
bridge,
he did himfelf Excommunicate all our thereunto, among whom Sir Kenelm Digby, Sir
Churches, going frit into Virginia, then into To/™ Maynard,
Mr. Richard Baxter and Mr. ^o-
where lie lived privately until the Re- fipb Hill, ought always to be remembred. But
England,
figuration of King Charles II. Then Conform-
the moft Conliderable Accefiion to this
Library
of the Church of England}, was, when the Reverend Mr. Theophilus Gale,
|
of the Chrifrians, that kept faithful to the Way New-Englifh Treafury of Learning ; whereof I
j
§. 3. On
Augufl 27. 1640. The Magiflrates, quofq; Novanglorum Mofes, Dominum Galielmurri
with the Minifiers, of the Colony, chofe Mr. Hen- Stoughtonum volo, procuravit, eoq; fe prvnarium
ry Dunflar, to be the Prelident of their New Hitjits Acadcmtcc Curatorem pr^buit, atq; Harvar-
And in time. convenient, the dinos omnes ftbi in perpetuum Devintlos habet.
Harvard-Colledge.
General Court endued the Colledge with a Char- indeed this Library is at this Day, far from a Va-
ter, which made
it a
Corporation, contifting of a tican, or a Bodleian Dimenlion, and fufficiently
two and a Treafurer to all pro- (hort of that, made by
Preftdent, Fellows, Ito'omy ac Alexandria,
in which Fame hath
per Lntents and Purpofes: Only with Powers re- placed Seven Hundred
ferved unto xhzGovemour ,Deputy-Governour , and Thoufand Volumns, and of that made by Theo-
all the
Magiflrates of the Colony, and the Miniflers dofuis at Conftantinop'.e, in which a more cer-
of the fix next Towns for the Time being, to tain Fame hath told us of Ten Myriads Never- .-
ledge, and Piety was maintained with fo Lauda- Regions-, and when I have the Honour to walk
ble a Difiipline, that many Eminent Perfons went in it, 1 cannot but think on the
Satifaftion,
forth from hence, adorned with Accomplifhments, which Heinfim reports himfelf to be fill'd with-
that rendred them formidable to other Parts of al, when Ibut up in the Library at Leyden; Ple-
the World, as well as to this Country, and Per- rumq; in ci fimulac pedem pofui, foribus
Pefj'idum
fons of good Quality fent their Sons, from other obdo, et in ipfo zAEternitatis Gremio, inter tot lilt*-
Parts of the World, for fuch an Education, fires Animas Jedem mihi Sumo cum ingenti qui-
:
as this Country could give unto them. The dem Animo, i.t
jubinde Magnatum me tnifcreat,
Number of Benefactors to the Co'dedge, did here- 1 </'"' Fceltcuatem banc ignorant.
withal increafe to fuch a Degree of Benefits, that
although the Praslldent were fupported ftill by §. 4. When Scholars had fo far profited at
a Salary, from the Treafury of the
Colony, yet
the Grammar Schools, that they could Read any
the Treafury of the Colledge it felf was able to into Englifh, and readily
Clajfcal Author
make,
pay many of its Expences efpccially after the
•
and fpeak true Latin, and Write it in
Verfe as
Incomes of Charlstotvn Ferry, were by an Aft of well as Profe; and perfeftly Decline the Para-
the General Court fettled
thereupon. To Enu- digms of Nouns and Verbs in the Greek Tongue,
merate thefe Benefactors would be a piece of they were judged capable of Admiffion in Har-
Jufltce to their Memory, and the Catalogue of vard-Colledge ; and upon the Examination, were
their Names, and Works
preferved in the Col- accordingly Admitted by the Prefident and Fel-
ledge % has done them that Juflice But as I find lows^ who, in Teftimony thereof, ligned a Copy
.
Teftamcnt
_ ;
^
Morning, and out ot Englijh a little higher Elevation:, Thefe now, with a like
in the
!
into Greek, from the New Teftament in the Formality, received their Second Degree^ proceed-
caufe to ing Mafrers of At. -
Evening; befides what Sermons he faw Quis enim Lollrinam
Preach in publick AUemblies on the Lord's- amphtlitur
ipfim, prxmii f: toUis ? The Words
StudeDts have a ufed by the Prxlidenr, in this Aclion, were
Dayax. Cambridge, where the
particular Gallery allotted unto them ; the Fel-
lows Refident on the Place, became Tutors to the For the Patchclours.
feveral Claffcs, and after they h3d Inftructed
them in the Hebrew Language led them through
,
Admitto Te ad Primum Gradum in Artibus
Four Years
all the Liberal Arts, e're their firft fiilicet, ad Rcfpondendum ()u.tftior.i, pro nun
them, §. 5.
called, fitting of Solfticcs When the Commence-
: fident of Harvard Colledge, until his unhappy
ment arrived, which was formerly the Second Entanglement in the Snaies of Anahaptifip tui'd
•
held their AQ publickly in Cambridge ; whither Which Unealinefs was at length fo fignified un-
the Magiftrates and Minifttrs, and other Gentle- to him, that on Oiiobcr 24. 1654. He pre-
men then came, to put Refpeft upon their Exer- faced unto the Overfeers, an Inftrument under
cifes : And thefe Exercifes were belides an Ora- his Hands ; wherein he Refigned his pTefident-
tion ufually made by the Frefidrnt, Orations both fhip, and they accepted his Resignation. That
Salutatory and Faledittory, made by
fome or other brave Old Man Johannes A,,m NIL'S, COMML
of the Commencers, wherein all Perfons and Or- the Fame of whofe Worth hath been Trumpitttd
ders of any fafhion thenprefent, were AddreiTed as far as more than Three Languages ( whereof
with proper Complements, and Reflections were every one is Endebted unto his Janua ) could
made on the moft Remarkable Occurrents of the carry it was indeed agreed withal!, by our Mr.
proceeding Year and thefe Orations were made Winthrop in his Travels through the Low Coun-
•,
not only in Latin, but fometimes in Greek and in tries, to come over into New-England, and Illu-
Hebrew alfo and fome of them were in Ferfe, minate this Colledge and Country, in the Quality
•
and even in Greek Verfe, as well as others in of a Pre/idcnt But the Solicitations of the Sipo
;
Profe. But the main Exercifes were Deputations di/h Ambaifador, diverting him another way,
upon Queftions, wherein the Refpondents firft that Incomparable Moravian became not an
made their Thefes : For according to Voffms, the American. On November 2, 1654. Mr. Richard
in Mather and Mr. Norton, were
very EfTence of the Baccalaureat feems to lye employed by the
the Thing 153000111111: CUSS being but a Name Overfeers, to tender unto Mr. Charles Chamcy the
:
Corrupted of Batnalius, which Batuahus ( as well Place of Frefident, which was now become Va-
as the French Bataile) comes d Batuendo, a Bufi- cant ; who on the Twenty Seventh Day of that
1
nefs that carries Beating in it So that, Batualii Month, had a Solemn Inauguration thereunto.
:
fuer unt vocati, quia jam quafi, Batuiffent cum Ad- A Perfon he was, of whom 'tis not cade to fay
Manns hoc eft, PUBLI- too much but let it here be enough, to Recite the
•
verfario, ac conferuijfent ;
CE D1SPUT ASSENT, atqne ita Peritia fn<e Spe- Words of Mr. Increafe Mather ( who now flic-
cimen dedijfetit. In the Clofe of the Day, the ceeds him ) in one of his Orations.
Prasfident, with the Formality of Delivering a CI. Jlie Chancauis. quern magnum, CAROLUM
.gooHnto their Hands, gave them their Firft De- jure Optimo nominare poffumus : Fttit ille Senex (Tne-
gree ; But fuch of them as had Studied
Three randus, Linguarum &
Artium prxfidiis Jnftrulli/fi'
Tears after their Firft Degree, to Anfwer the mus, Gymnafiarcha praclarc Daft us
•
qni in filiis
Horation Character of an Artift, Prophetarum Erudiendis fidelem navavit operant
omnemque diligentiam adhibuit. Abitus & Obitits
Studiis Annos Septem dedit infenuitque Libris tanti Viri, Collegium quafi truncatum, ac tantimi
Qui
et Curis. . non enecatumreliqiierunt. Atterthe Death of Mr.
Chancey, which was at the latter End of the
And befides their Exhibiting Synopfes of the Year 1701. The Alma Mater Academia, muft
Liberal Arts, by themfelves compofed, now again look among her own So^j, to find a Prefiaent for
publickly diiputed on fome Queftions, of perhaps the reft of her Children ;
and accordingly the
Fe"cnv?
Book IV. The Hijlory of New-England. I2 9
Fellows of the Colledge with the Approbation or prohllis, five Divina Vltione, feu Fato fuo, jaftait,
the Overfeers, July 13. 1672. elected Mr. Leo- mortem obicrunt Memorabili.
Exemplo All that
nard Hoar, unto that Office whereto, on the
I fhall farther add concerning our
•, Dodtor, is.
Tenth of September following he was Inaugu- that in his Time, there being Occalion for the
rated. Colledge to be recruited with New-Edifices, there
Har- was a Contribution made for it
This Gentleman, after his Education in
through the Co-
vwd- Colledge, over into England ;
travelled lony, which, in the whole, amounted unto One
where he was not only a Preacher of the Gofpel Thoufand, Eight Hundred, Ninety Five Pounds,
in divers Places, but alfo received from the Uni-
Two Shillings and Nine Pence and df this, there •
away, that
here, his Invitation to Prtcfide over the Colledge Jam Seges efi ubi
Troja frit.
at Cambridge, fuperfeded thofe from the Church After the Death of Dr. Hoar, the Place of
Were he confidered either as a Prxfident pro Tempore, was put
in Boflon. upon Mr. Vri>-
an Oakes, the Excellent Paftor of the Church at
Scholar, or as a Chri/lian, he was truly a Worthy
Man; and he was generally reputed fuch, unti' Cambridge ; who did fo, and would no othcrwifc
happening, I can fcarce tell W,"to fall under the I
accept of the Place ; though the Offer of a Full
Settlement in the Place, was afterwards
Difpleafure of fome that made a Figure
in the | imponu
the Young Men in the Colledge, nately made unto him. He
did the Services ot*
Neighbourhood,
took Advantage therefrom, to ruine his Repu- a Prxfident, even, as he did all other
Services,
tation, as far as they were able. He then found Faithfully, Learnedly,
lndefatigably and by a •,
Winter following, in Boflon ; and he lies called f)-A>M which was the Name of
,
Noah, fo
now interr'd at Braintree : Where he might pro- ftyled from the Qggyan (fubcincritiis
paribus) 'Sa-
perly enough have this Line inferibed over him crifices, which he did ufe to offer, in this Re-
for his nowned Grove: And it was from this
Example
EPITAPH, that the Ancients, and
particularly that the
Druids of the Nations, cbofe Oaken Retirements
Malus ecleri fancirts Africa. Reader, Let us now upon a-
for their Studies.
nother Account, behold the Students of Har-
The Fate of this Ingenious Man, was not al- vard-CoBedge, as a Rendezvous of Happy Druids,
together without a Parallel, in what long fince under the Influences of fo Rare a Prstident But :
befel Dr. Mctcalf, the Matter of St. Jthn's Col- alas! our Joy muft be fhort lived ; for, on July
Temper, that the Title of Delicia bumani Gene- Julij 2°. A. D M. DC. LXXX. IV.
rismight have on that Score been given him \ lAitatis [uae, LIV.
and his Real Piety fet off with the Accomplifh-
ments of a Gentleman, as a Gem fet in Geld. Qj&a ejl pars repam nobis, auando cadaver. &
In his Praefidentlhip, out one thing
there fell
Fire had proceeded fo far, that if the Devotions often at Cambridge, he made his Vifits yet more
had held three Minutes longer, the Colledge had unto them.
profitable
been irrecoverably laid in Afh.es, which now was Reader, the Intereft and Figure which the
happily prefer ved. But him alfo a Praemature World knowsmy hath had,
this PARENT
Death, on July 2. 1684. the Day after the Com-
the Ecclefiaftical Concerns of this Country,
in
mencement, fnatcht away, from a Society, that ever fince his firft Return from England in the
hoped for a much longer Enjoyment of him, Twenty Second, until his next Return from
and counted themfelves under as Black an Eclipfe England in the Fifty Third Year of his Age ;
as the Sun did happen to be, at the Hour of makes it a Difficult thing for me to Write thi
his Expiration. Church-Hiftory of the Country. Should I Infert
But that the Character of this Gentleman may every where, the Relation which he hath bad
be more perfe&ly exhibited, we will here take unto the Publick Matters, it will be thought by
the Leave to tranferibe the Epitaph engraved on the Envious, that 1 had undertaken this Work,
his Tomb, in God's- Acre, at Cambridge. It is with an Eye to fuch a Motto as the Son of the
the Defire of Immortality in wrought into the Memorable Prince of Orange took his Device,
very Nature of Man, that produced the Inven- P E
ATRIiAiQV Should PATRIOVE :
tion of Epitaphs, and while fome will afcribe I on the other lide bury in utter iilence, all the
the Invention unto the Scholars of Linus, who fo Effects of that Care and Zeal wherewith he hath
fignified their Affection
to their flain Mailer, o- Employed in his peculiar Opportunities, with
thers will that it may be afcend as high as the which the Free Grace of Heaven hath Ta-
Great Stone of Abel, mentioned in the firlt Book lented him to do Good unto the Publick ; I
of Samuel, which they'll tell us, was Erected as mud cut off fome Ejfentials of my Story I will
a Memorial to Abel, by his Father Adam, with however Bowie nearer to The latter Mark than
that Infcription upon it, Here was (bed the Blood the former ; and if no Body blame Sir Henry
of the Righteous Abel. Wot ton for ft 11 mentioning his Father with fo
i
Now to Immortalize this their Mailer, one of much Veneration, as that beft of Men my Fa- •
the Scholars in Harvard-Colledge, gave to the ther, I hope I fhall not be blamed for faying thus
Great Stone of ROG E RS, the enfuing Lines much, my Father bath been defirous to do fome
to be now read there for his Memorial which Good. Wherefore I will not only add in this
•
for the fame Caufe, we make a part of our Place, that when the Honourable Jofeph Dudley
Hiftory. Efq-, was by the King's Commiffion
made Prtft-
:
dent of the Territory ol Neve- England; thisGen i
A 1 and.it ur huic Terra &
Tumulo, tleman, among other Expreffions of his hearty
Humanitatis <sAlrarium, Defire to fecure the Profperity of his Mother,
Thcologix Horreum, whofe Breafts himfelf had fucked ; continued the
(jplima> um
-
Liter arum Bibiotheca* Government of the Colledge in the Hands of
Rei Medicinalvs Syftcma, Mr. Mather, and altered his Title into that of a
Jni egritati f JMriicilium, RECTOR.
But, when Wife Perfoas appre-
hend
Book lv. The Hijiory of New-England. 3
l
repair
favoured by Three Crowned Heads, ia Succcfiive ruditum nuper edidit : Atq; alterum de Jure Eri*
and Perfonal Applications unto them, on the Acidemias,
gendi 5
publici Juris fecit.
behalf of his diltrelfed Countrey, and having ob- Mitto Kotmarum, 4m Collegia Corj Ecclefi- 1
tained feveral Kind nefles for the C ge in par- ajlica efle vult ac igitur pro Academiis non ha-
ticular, he returned into New-En ;-:d,
in the bendas, quas Privilegii- Pontificiorum non funn
Beginning of the Year, 1692. with a Donate, jus Conftituendi Academias, omnibus
Charter, full of moll: ample Priviledges. By that & fobs, qui 1$ K etov habent in Republica tribui-
,:
the Province being particularly en ibled here- velim, noftram Academiam Regis Automate jam
by to incorporate tf;e Colledge ( which was the firmatam & munitam efle. Notius eft quam ut
Reafon, that he did not ftay to follicitea parti- mea Narratione egear, quod non folum Sum-
cular Charter for it) immediately upon his Ar- ma; Pcteltates, fed alii, eerum Nomine, hos Ho-
nores difpertiant,
rival, the General Ajfembly gratified
his Dcfiie,
quod, Exempli gratia, in Im-
in Granting a Charter to this Vniverfity. Mr. perio Romano Germanico, Archidnces Auftrice,
Mather now reafluming the Quality of Prefident etiam et Comites Palatini; quodq- in Feeder ato Eel-
1
over the Colledge which in his Abfence had flou- gio, lingnii Grdines, id unaquaq- Provincia, hanc
tilhed for divers Years, under the Prudent Go- Poteftatem habeant &" exerceant. Imo, et REX
vernment of Two Tutors, Mr. John Leveret, ipfe Magnus Guitelmas, magna: Britaniae Impe-
and Mr. William Brattle, he does to this Day rator, mini c'icere Dignatus eft, fe fat fcire, quod
continue his Endeavours to keep alive that Ri- apud Novanglia fubditos tjfet Academia:
fttos in
ver, the Streams whereof have made glad this Qitce Academia ( aiebat, Leliciam HUmani Gene-
City of Cod. Unto this brief Recitation of Oc- ris,Rex nofter Potentiffinius) mihi erit in Gratia.
currences relating to the Colledge, I fhall only Quid Verbis Regiis Gratiofius efle poterit ? De-
annex a few Paftages, ufed by Mr. Mather, when inde veto Summa Provincia Majfachufettenfls
he gave the Degrees, at the firft Commencement, Curia, Gubernator, Senatus, Populusq^ Nov. An-
after his Arrival .becaufe they are Expreflive cf glic anas^Collegium
; Harvardinum,Academiam, cum
Things purely Academical. Autoritate Conferendi Gradns pro more Acade-
raiarum Anglia. nominarunt &
inftituerunt. Ad-
. Gradus Academicus eft Honor ob Virtutem funt deniqi Illulrres Duumviri. D. Gulielmus
potiflimum Intelledtualem, merentibus, collatus: PHIPSrJS,Uv]\^ Territorii Gubernator Am-
Eftq; Baccalanreatas, Magiflerium3 ac Doiioratas. pliflimus. Regis Mandato delegatus •,
nee non.
Dotloratns in Noftro Athenxo pla,ne ignotus •
D.Gulieimits STOVG HTONVS, Pro-Guber-
Et quod fttpra nos, nihil ad rws. De vera Nomi- nator, Macenas nofter teternum Honorandus;
Notatione, inter Pe-rtftiiiimos am- quos equidem tanquam CdnceUariuni
nis Baccalanrei Pice-Caa- &
bigitur. Nonnulli Verbum a Baccate, derivari tcellarium, hujus Academia: veneror, Animo, Men-
volunt- unde Scholaltici hanc Baccalanrai De-
teq^ fnfpicio. Kxc cum ifta fe habeant, ad Cra-
fcriptio/iem formarunt, B ace al aureus cjl Perfo- a \
dasAcademics line mora, ac folito more, cur
habens Dignitatem Bajulandi ; Baculwn^ pranovi- j non procederemus, nullus video.
bilis in Magifiram. Ridiculum Animal Bacca- j
defumi verilimilius eft Caveant artem Bacca- Sheet of Thefes, \ r o virili Defend'endf, upon all
•,
laurei, ne Laweolos, in Muftaceo quasrunt, Ad or moft of the Liberal Arts ; among which they
Magjflerii Gradum quod attinet, eo decorari i'o- do, with a particular Character, diftingrJifl) thefe
lent, qui abfoluco Liberalium Artium ftudio ifta that are to be the Subjects of the Publick Dif-
Laurea, fe dignos prcebent. Magifier Artium;\p.tations then before them ; and thofe Tbtfei
in quibusdam Academiis
Pbilofpbia Doclor audit;:., they dedicate as handFcnnely as they can, to the
Sic apud Bclgat, et fie etiam, ni Perfons of. Quality, but efpecially the $Ql3£l'=
fallor, apud
Nonnullos Genr.anos ; quam vis Angl'vs, Gallvs, ttOUC of -the' Province, whofe
IpdttOTiBQB the
Hifpanvs, Jtalis, Polon'vs, ifte Titulus fi: Ignotis. Colledge would be recommended unto. The
De Antiquitate et Utilbate Gradnum . cademi- Mafias <U), in an half fiieet, without any Dedi-
corum, Multi multa fcripferunt, piee -cxteris A.- cation, pijbiifli only the 'Quaftiones pro Modulo
tingitts et Cun-ingius. Honos alit Artes. Ea qui- difcutiendtf, which they urpoie either Affirma-
j
B b b b Ra-
J
32 J be Hiftory of New- England. Book
Ramaart Difcipline be in this Coll edge prefer- et in eo Peccantis Humani Generis,
Naufragium
l'ed unco the Ariflotelaan, yet they not lb con- mortales prout Res lint, nee
-
fentiuDt, nee judi-
fine themfelves unto That neither as to cant.
, deprive Toti, toti, quanti quantiq- font, a Bono
themfelves or' that Libera Pbilofopbia, which the & Vero averfi, converfi ad Malum Erro- &
Good Spirits of the Age have embraced, ever fince rem. Pelagianifmus itaq^Homini in Statu lapfo
the Great Lord Bacon fhow'd 'em the way to
Naturalise!!, nee unquam ficavelli poteft, qubd
The Advancement of Learning ; but they feem to non iterum tanquanT infelix Lolium, in Fundo
be rather of the Secl y begun by Potamon, called Nature corrupts exoriatur. Videmus Papiftas
ixAixtaa/, who
adhering to no former Self, chofe Socinianiftas, nee non Armimi Sequaces, Pelagil
out of them all, what they lik'd belt in any of
de Liberi Arbitrii
Viribus, virus Abforbentes ac
them: At lead, I am fore, they do. not (how Devorantes tametfi eorum Error, non tantum •,
Authoris Paganifmum redolent : Mundum facit of Rome in the Sacred Oracles ) that fhall fay of
Increatum : Mortuorum Refurre&ionem poflibi- fuch an Univerfity, Raje it ! Rafe it !
lemnegat; Animam mortalem. Nonnulli Pyrr-
Pater Scepticorum i Alii Zenonem,
fuit §. 8. But our Account of Harvard-Colledge, will
bonem, qui
cocnpleat, if we do here tran-
fuit Pater Stoicornm Multi Platoncm, qui fu- be rendred more
qui •,
unicum Arijlotelis DiQum vere Aureum, memo- Statut3, Leges, & Privilegia, a Frefid%£ So-
ria teneatis, Amicus Plato, Amicus Socrates (ad- ciis, CoUegij HARVARDINI, apud
do ego Amicus Ariftoteles ) fed magis Arnica Cantabrigienfes in Nova Anglia, approbata
Veritas. & fancita quibus Scholares five Studentes,
•,
let their Prefent Prefident be Accountable, whofe poteft exp:<ftare Ojiicunque vero deftitutus fuerit
:
Orations at the End of their Exercifes, have ut- hac Peritia, Admifiionem fibi Neutiquam ven-
tered fuch Paflages as thefe unto them.'" dicet.
Gravis i!la luit Profundi DoBoris Querela, to- 2. Collegium admittuntur, iidem
Qiiicunq-, in
Mundum etiam Contubernio excipiendi font et Unus-
turn pene poft Pdagium in Errorem abi- •,
re. Ciufa in eft nam propter Ada, quifq:, S;riolariam Oeconomo tres Libras cum
promptu ; I
Hofpitio
Book IV. The Hiflory of New-England. i
33
Eidem ad finem omni Lufi'is Gemre, in quo de pecunia concer-
Hofpicio accipitui, numerabit ^
pia a Prxlide, vel a Tutoribus illi non facia, prudentia, pxnx, fi plusquam femd, in Hebdo-
nullo Privilegio Academico patietur. raade peccaverit, erit obnoxius.
des aut Ordinis fueric, Tabernas aut Diverforia, gium, ad primum, in Artibus Gradum adtnit-
ad ComefTandum, aut Bibendum, accedat, nifi ad tetur.
18. Qpicunq-, Scholatis Locum habuit Com-
Parentes,Curatores, Nutricios, aut hujusmodi,ac-
cerfitus fuerit. munem, fcriptamq; Synopfin, vel Compendium
7. Nullus Scholaris, nullo Parentum, Curato- Logics, Naturalis &
Moralis Philofophix, Arith-
rum,aut Tutorum approbante, quicquam emito, meticx, aut Gsometrix, aut Aftronomix, exhi-
vendito, aut commutato qui autem feeds fecerit, a bueric, fueritq^ ad Thefes fuas defendenclas pa-
Prxfide ant Tutore, pro Delicti Ratione Mul- ratus ; nee non Originalium, ut fupra di&um,
ftabicur. Linguarum, peritus ^ quern ctiamnum Morum
8. Omnes Scholares aVeflibus, qux Incegricas ac Studiorum Diligentia cohoneftave-
Faft.im
aut Luxum prx fe ferunc,
abftineant ; nee Ulli rint, publicis quibusvis Comitiis probatione fada t
Studeiiti extra Li mites Academix, fine Toga, fecundi Gradus, Magiftcrii nimirum , capax
Tunica, vel Penula, exire liceat. erir.
Juniorem, ad Itincrandum, aut ad aliud quodvis ne quis ante quinquennium completum a fufcepto
faciendum, Minis, Verberibus, vel aliis Verbis M3giftrali Gradu, Conctoncm hujusmodi habere
impellere licebit Et fiquis non Graduatus, in permittetur.
hanc Legem peccaverit, Cafligatione Corporali, 20. Statutum efr, Quod qui cupit in Ordinem
Expulfione, vel aliter, prout Prxfidi cum Sociis, Dociorum Theologix cooptari, per Integrum
vifum fuerit ponietur. Quinquennium, poft fufceptum Baccalaurei gra-
T3. Scholares, cujuscunq:, Conditionis, a Lufu dum, Leclionibus & Studiis Theologicis dabit
Alearum vel Chartarum pi&arum, nee non ab Operam, et antequam Incipiendum, in eadero
B bb b z fa-
i ——
'
. . I.I .... .. . .,, „
? The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV.
Facilitate admutatur, ia Qiiajftionibus Theolo-
gicis bis Opponet, fcra.el Refpondebit, idq^ Do- Quum Gradus Academic as, tarn in
Tbcologij,
dtori, fi commode
poterit ; Latine femel,
fieri
quam pro more Academiai urn
in rbilofopbia,
Anglici femel, coacionabitur ia Templo, vel ia ia Anglia, Conferendi Poteftas,
abAmplif-
Aula Academic ; folenaiter fexies Legat, et Ex- fimo Gubernatore, et a Summa Mailachu-
plicit aliquara Scripture partem, et poll foleaaem fetteafis Curia, fecuadiim Sere*
Provincial
Iaceptionem, femel infra Aaaum
ipfe fibi <9uefti- nils. Regis ac Reginaj Gnlidmi Maria:^ &
oaem proponere, teaebitur ia Aula Academic, iilis Conccfium Diploma, ft ad nobis Cora-
cujus Ambigua & Dubitatioaes, ia utramq; par- miffi : et quoniaai Vir Clarifllmus, D.
tem, .enuc'eabit, defiaiet &
determiaabit. CRESC ENTVS M A T II E RV S 7
ii. Statutum elHj quod prater cetera Exer- Nova Angti.i Prsefes
Collegii Harvardini in
pro Gradihas Theologicis preftanda, uaus-
ciua,' Rever.endus, Librosquam plmimostam An-
quifq^tam pro Theologian Baccalaureatu, quaai glne quam Latine edidit, Oma/geaa Lite-
pro Dodloratu Caadidatus, Traftatum queadam ratura Refertos, multisq-, prasteiea, n odis,
contra Hsrefia vel Errorera alliquem Grafl'aatem, non folum in Linguis et ia Artibus Libe-
aut ia aliud utile quoddam Argumeatum ( diri- ralibus peritiiTtmum, vcrum ethm in S. S.
gentibus id Praeiide &
Collegii Sociis ) pro Com- Scripturis 8c ia Theolgia fe ofteadit vcrfa-
muni Ecclefiarum commodo, ia Lucear eaiittere, tifljmum Atq:, per Stadia
•,
Merita vere &
tenebitur. extraordinaria, non tanttim apud America-
i
22. Gradus Academici, qui a Prxfide & Cu- vas, fed et EuropcC.rn.15 Ecdeiias commen-
ratoribus antehac Collati datiffimum fe reddidit
Collegii Harvardioi, propterca dictum
CRESCENTTV M MATHERVM,
;
admittatur. Teftimonicm,
Academis Sigillum Hifce Literis aflixinius;
§. 9. Among the Laws of Harvard-Colledge Nos, quorum hie funt fubferipta Nomina,
thus recited, the Reader will find the Degrees Datum Cantabrigian Nov- Am.', lor urn Die
of a Baccalaureate and a Doiiorate, ia Divinity, Novembris Septimo, Anno Domini Millell-
provided for thofe, that by comiagup to Terms, mo, Sexcentellmo, Nocagelimoq- Secur.do.
beyond thofe required, in aay
oae European Uai-
verfity, fnal! merit them. tho' there are Now Neverthelefs, whatever Life he may hereafter,fee
Divines in the Couatry, whofe Abilities would Caufe to make of this Inftrument, he hath hitherto
fully aafwer the Terais thus propofed ; yet part- been willing to wear ao other Title, thaa what:
ly from the Novelty of the Matter it felf, which formerly he h3d v ia the Catalogue of our Gradu-
uader the former Charter was aever pretended ates, which is the Next Thing, that my Reader
uato, and partly from the Modejly of the Per- is to be entertained withal.
1135. Lotbarius the Emperor, having found in demy of Tubinga, which yielded more thaa Four
Italy, a Copy of the Roman Civil Law, which he Thoufand Mailers, Inter quos erant magna No-
was greatly takea withal, he ordaiaed, that it mina & Lamina ; nor fuch Numbers, as Howel
ftiould be Publickly expounded in the Schools ; aad reports of Paris, where there have been known,
that he might give Eacouragemeat uato this Em- One Time, Twenty
Thoufand, yea, Thirty Thou-
at
took place, 'firfc ia Bcnonia, Paris aad Oxford. deed it had been, if the Cultivations of fuch a
But I fee not, why fuch Marks of Honour may Coliedge had not been beftowed upon it. In the
not be properly given by aa American Univerlity, perufal of this Catalogue, it will be found, that,
as well as aa European to them, who by fuch Capa- belides a Supply of $l3in!i?£Ty for our Churches
th!": Thirty Years, but what had their £duca- fwered, no for up >n a DifatisfacUon,
;
about an
tiou ia this NuiTery. It will be alfo found that which thought them-
Haiddnp the/ put upon
/ i:>-o;-c as svell as Awrica, has from this Learned felvqs, in making them lofe a good part of a
enriched with fjme Worthy. Tear of the Time, whereupon they Claimed their
Simiaary, been
Men among ;
whom will rather choofe to o-
I
Degree (about the Year 1055) there was a Consi-
mit the mention of Sir George Downing, who derable Number, even Seventeen of the Scholars,
occurs in the firft Clafs of our Graduates, than which went away from the Colledge wirhout any
reckon him with a Company fo difagreeable to Degree at all. Neverthelefs, this Difafter hin-
as the Reft, that were many of them af- drcd nor their future ferviceablenefs in the Chur-
him,
terwards Famous Miniftcr, of the Gofpel in Eng- ches of the Faithful, and fqine of them indeed
land and Ireland. Nun bene convenumt,, nee in una proved extraordinary ferviceablc Among whom :
kde morar.ti.r. It will be likewlfe found, that it would be Criminal for me to forgot Mr, Willi-
not a few of thefe Harvardians, have by their am Primfmead, Pallor at this Day to the Church
Publifkd Writings
been ufetul unto the World. of Malborougb 5 and Mr. Samuel Torrey, of Weg-
That Excellent Man, who is the Leader of this mouth, (of whofe there are published Three Ser-
whole Company, and who was a Star of the firjt mn»j,which at fo many feveral times were Preach-
in his Couftellation, to wit, Mr. Ben- ed, at the Amuverfaiy Elections of Magiftraies.)
'Magnitude,
an Eminent Herald of Hear And unto thefe 1 may add- Mr. Samuel Wakernan,
\anun Wcgdbridge;
veil at Salisbury, and afterwards at Newbury in the Pallor to the Church of I'airfield., of whom
and ( after the Ail of Uniformity and we have Three or Four feveral Sermons pub
England,
the Perfcuiion following hereupon cieepled him) lifhed.
in feveral otljer Places, as he had Opportunity Whit now Remains, is to look over our Cata-
:
He wrote feveral Confiderable Treatifes about logue and then tingle out fome Subjects for a
-.
as alfo, Agamfi the Unwarrantable moie particular Biography. Only, while I car-
'Tufification ;
Frailice of Private Chriflians, in V
fur ping the Of- ry in my Readu to fpeak with them, the Write f
and as the Scoffing Wood himfelf, ( folicitous, that the Name which Phi!
ficeof Publick Preaching ;
acknowledges, He was accounted among
the Bre. Judc£us puts Colledge ; Namely, a/JV^;-
upon a
thrcn a Learned and a Mighty Man. After Him hZot MKTwjf *?**?$, or, A School of all Virtue, may
we have bad, befides thofe, whofeL/wj are7 anon ever and juftly be the Name of Harvard Colledge}
to be Written, many ethers that by W w/ff£ will take the Leave to Addrefs their Succcjfors,
have made themfelves to Live; and not only with certain Admonitions, tranflated from no lefs
have we had a Danforth, a Nathanael Mather, than a National Synod of the Prcteflant Churches
an Hoar, a Rowlandfon, a Novel, a Whiting, an in France. The laft National Synod, that fat be-
Hooker 1 a Moodey, an Eleaz.ar Mather, a Richard- fore the Diflipation of thofe Renowned Churches,
fon, a Thacber,
an Adams, a Saltonjlal, a Walter, after the Other, and many, Cares, which the for-
the Authors of LefTer Compofures, out of .their mer mofl Venerable Affmihlies took of their Vnir
modeft Studies, even as with a Cafarean Seclion, verfities, by their Decree, earnellly exhorted the
forced into but alfo we have had an Hub-
Light-, Governors of the Vni-vcrpties, to exert all their
a Stoddard,
hard, an Chanccy, a IVillard,
Ifaac Power, For the Supprejfon of Abnfis crept in among
the Authors of larger Compofures. Yea, the them, redounding to the Dijgrace of Religion, and
of the has the Deluge of
Prefent Prefident Colledge obliged opining the Flood-gates to Profane-
the Publick with more than Thirty feveral Trea- to break in upon the Santluary and under
nefs, ;
tifesof Diverfe Matters, and Figures, and in Seven: Penalties enjoined the Scholars, but moft
Diverfe Languages. 'Tis true, there is One more efpeciarjy the Students in Divinity, To keep them-
among the Sons of this Colledge, that might
al-
felves at the great eft Diflance from ftub Things, as
ready bring in a Catalogue of more than Three- are contrary to Chriftian Modefly and Sanflity, and
fang; "needs tell you, you cannot bring with you, too
Oho nil Vtilius dedit Velufias, much FJumility, nor too much Self-Ahafement,
Libras Scribcre qua deces pretnendo. nor too much Self-Annihilation, nor too much
"
Simplicity
3 6 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV.
" " will
and when you come into
Sincerity, Refltcl Beams of Honour again upon you.
" Simplicity
a
"
whofe are Confider. Sirs, what is Becoming you, and God
His Prefence, Eyes as Flaming
" and " will communicate
fire, and who fearcbctb your Hearts tritib what is needful for you, to
" be "
Reins and offer your felves to Enroll'd ev'ry one of you. Let His Name and
" your ;
" God ? And are you then Qualified and Fitted " Credit and it will
\ Reputation attract upon.
«•
for Prayer, a moft Holy Duty, when as your "you the Eeft Bleffings of Heaven
•
it will ren-
" and " der and
Spirit is fluffed up, occupied diffracted, your Studies, Employments profperous,
" " faccefsful and
with your Youthful Lufls, and replenifhed with edifying; the Churches will be
" " the Better for
the Provoking Obje&s of your Vanity ? Or, you, and the
Kingdom of our
" Lord
lt
C3n you bring unto this Sacred Ordinance, Jefus Chiift will be by you Promoted
" unto this moft Religious Exercife, that Atten- " and Advanced.
" and which is need- To thefe Admonitions of Monfieur Cuitton, I
tiors, Affiduity Perfeverance,
"ful to the Getting of Gracious Anfwers, and will only for a Farewel, unto every Scholar now
" Returns from Heaven, wherjas the Better and addrefVd, fubjoin That wherewith Mr. Carter
*'
far Greater Part of your Time, is confumed in took his Leave of a Scholar, Fuge Fajlxm, Igna-
'*
Worldly Companies and Converfations ? Cer- viam AnticbriQum. &
"
tainly, Sirs, You wi/i find it exceeding Diffi-
Our CATALOGUE is
now, without any
" cult to difentangle your felves from thofe Im- further Ceremony to be produced A
; Catalogue
"preflions you havefirjl received, and to empty
of Cbrifiian Students, inftructed in thofe, which
*'
your felves of the Vanities you have imbibed, the other Day were Pagan Regions; Catalogue, A
" that
you may be at Liberty to Reflect and Me- whereof 1 may therefore fay as the Hiftorian does
**
ditate upon God's Holy Word. of the Temples built by Conjlantine, x
It is Tr mnt
<l
My Dear Brethren, Honour and Adorn that tmrnioe't £ otM.uww 5'iufta-,
To all Good Men^ a
" whereto you are Devoted, and it I
dtfire able Speftacle>
Profcjjion,
Eorum
CATALOGUS,
COLLEGIO HARVARD1NO, eft CANTA-
qui in quod
BRIGI/E, Nov-Axglorum, ab Anno 1642. ad A>uuwi i6^S. alicujus
donati lunr.
gradus Laurea
*
1642. io'44. Johannes Baiden.
* Abrahamus Waiver.
1645,
lEnjamin Woodbridge. * *
Johannes Oliverus. Georgius Haddenrjs Mr.
*
B' * Georgius Downing.
Bulklxus Mr.
*
Jeremias Hollandus.
* Gulielmus
Mi Id may Mr.
Johannes * Gulielmus Ameiius. 1 5 4 8.
Gulielmns Hubbard Mr. *
Samuel Bellingham Mr. M D. Johannes RufTellus. Mt 16*49.
Samuel Stow, Mr. *
Johannes Rogerfius. Mr. Prafes
Ludg. *
J
670.1
G^ ^ Prxfigttur^rivis cejferunt.
"
CANTABKIGI N O V A N G L OR U
-
M Sexto Qjiintilis.
M DC XC VIII.
We will conclude our Catalogue of the Gr tdu.ita in this fcolledge, with the Elegy, which the
Venerable Mt^JO HN
IVILS.O A^-iuade upon its Founder. ,
ulla,
Vos fimul inficiens, Vos,
Dominiq* gregem ;
Hxc mihi Patrono quam funt contraria veftro !
( )
Gaudia Ccelorum vix me fatiare
valereat,'
Si tanta Orbatus, Speq,
En, mihi fert Animus, Patroni Nomine Veftri Fideq; forem.
'
IlleDeus Vobis, Veftrisq-, Laboribus,
( Si non ( ah ) fitrd* fpernitur Ante ) loqui. almarn,
Sic Et dedit, et porrb fuppeditabit
ait. opem.
MeDeus, immenfo per Chr ilium Motus Ejus in Obfequio, fie, O fie, pergite cunctf,
!
amore,.
Ut flu'at lunc major Gloria
Ad Ccelos fervum juflit abire fuum. Lausq- Deo.
At (i quis reclo male fit de Tramite greflns
Pareham monituq-, Dei prxeunte parabam
•,
C cc THE
.. II *
THE
HISTORY O F
8fattoata=Colletige.
a-
PART II.
Difcant ergo rabidi adverfus Chriftum canes, difcant eorum Seffotores, qui putant Eccleliam
nullos Philofophos et Eloquentes, nullos habuiffe Dolores, quanti et quales Viri earn extruxe-
rint et ornaverint, et definant Fidem noftram Ruftkae tantum Simplicitatis arguere, fuamque
Hieron. Praf. ad Catul. de Scrip. EccleJ.
potius Imperitiam agnofcaat.
T HE A
t. Great mentions a Cer- his Leave, a more Beautiful Creature
Faftl
5- is,
tain Art, of Drawing many Doves, Man garnished with Vertue. Reader, I will now
by anointing the Wings of a Few fhow thee Ten Men garniflied with Both.
with a Fragrant Ointment, and
fo fending them abroad that by the Fragrancy §. 2. The Death of thofe Brave Men that
of the Ointment they may allure others unto the firft
planted New-England, would have rendred
are themfelves the Dome- a Emblem for the Countrey. A
Houfe, whereof they
fit
Beech-Tree
fticks. I know not how far it may have any with its Top lapt off, and the Motto, Rnina
Tendency to draw others unto the Religion hi- Reltnquor ; ( which Tree withers when its Top
therto profeffed and maintained in Harvard- is
lopt off ! ) if Harvard-CoUedge had not pre-
here fent forth fome of vented it. But now, upon the
CoUedge : But I have Lops of Mortality
the Doves belonging to that Houfe, with the Vno avulfo non deficit Alter. have We Opportunity
Ointment of a Good Name upon them. And yet to Write the Lives of another Set, who indeed
I fhould not have beftow'd the Ointment of their had their Whole Growth in the
Soyl of New-
Embalmed Name, as I have done, if the God England ; Perfons, whom I may call Cedars
of Heaven by firft bellowing the Ointment of His and Fir-Trees, as Jerom did Cyprian and
Hilary,
and other Holy Men in his Comment on that
Heavenly Grate upon them, had not given them
todeferveit. Socrates being asked, which was the Paffage, Jfa. 60. 13. The Glory of Lebanon /hall
molt Beautiful Creature in the World, anfwer- come unto thee, the Fir-Tree, 'and the Pine-Tree, to
ed, A Man garmfhed with Learning. But, with beantifie the Place of my Santtuary.
CHAP.
Book IV. ^ H//fory 0/ New-England. 141
CHAP. I.
FIDES IN VITA:
OR, THE
LIFE O F
§• 1.
!
Ccc c 2 Pub-
142 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV
were alfo very fedulous and afli- do this or that individual for him how-
Pstblick labours, Thing ;
lefs an Endowment of Every Prayer. There is Tay fick, fo near dead, that they judg'd it really
no Real Cbriflian, but what Prays in Faith; his, dead. Mr. Brock perceiving fome Life in it,
Faith in the Power, and! goes to Prayer and in his Prayer ufcd thisEx-
Prayer hath a General '
;
and Goodnefs of God, and the Mediation preflion, Lord, wilt thou not grant fome Sign, lei
Wifdom,
of Chrift. But there is many a Real Chriftian, fore we leave Prayer, that thou wilt fp are and heal
who is a Stranger to the Meaning of this Thing ; this Child ? We cannot leave thee till we have it !
A particular
Faith for fuch Mercies, without which The Child fneez'd immediately, Mr. Brock then
a Man may get fife to Heaven at the laft. It is gives Thanks, and breaks off] The very next
here and there a Chriftian, whom the Sovereign Day, the Child vifited Him, and carried him a
Grace of Heaven, dots Favour, with the Confo- Prefent.
lations of a Particular Faith : Nor if a Chriftian When Mr. Brock lived in the Ifle of Sholet,
tafte of thefe Joys, may |he expeft more than a he brought the People into an Agreement, that,
of them are Dainties that are not befides the Lord's-Days, they would fpend one
Taftt ; they
every Day to be Feafted on 'Tis not in every Day every Month together in the Worfhip of
:
Prayer, that the of Heaven will admit eve- our Lord Jefus Chrift.
King On a certain Day, whid>
their Agreement belong'd unto the Exercifes
ry one to fo much of Intimacy with himfelf. In- by
fuch a Particular is not fo much the of Religion, being arrited, the Fifhermen came
deed, Faith,
to Mr. Brock, and ask'd him, that they might
Duty of a Chriftian as his Comfort, his Honour, his
,
There is a Praying in Faith, incum- Put by their Meeting, and go a Fifhing, becaufe
Priviledpe.
bent on every Chriftian in every Prayer ; but this they had loft many Days by the Foulnefs of th«
Particular Faith for the beftowal of fuch and fuch Weather. He feeing, that without and againft
defired Mercies, is not incumbent on a Chriftian hisiConfent, they refolved upon doing what they
•,
'tis not required of him. 'Tis a vaft Priviledge, had asked of him, replied, If you will go away, I
for a Chriftian to be Affured, that the Lord will fay unto you, catch Fi(h, if you can ! But as for
you,
Book IV. The Hiftory of New-England. 45
that will tarry, the Lord Jefus
and worfhip undefignedly caft upon it, having ftrangely brought
you,
Qmft this Day, unto
1 will
fray Him for yon, that it
up, from the Unknown Bottom, where it had
you may take Fifh till
you are weary. Thirty Men been funk.
'
went away from the Meeting, and Five tarried. When K. Charles II. fentOne of his Infamous
The which went from the Meeting, Creatures, whofe Name was
Thirty away Cranfield, for to be
with all their Skill could catch but Four Fifties ; Governor of HampfhWe, a Northern Province of
the Five which tarried, went forth afterwards, New-England, one of the Illegal Outrages com-
and they took Five Hundred. The Fifhermen af- mitted by that Cranfield was, the Imprifoning of
ter this readily attended, whatever Meetings Mr. Moodey, the Minifter of Port/mouth- One,
Mr. Brock appointed them. who then lived with Mr. Brock, feeing him one
A Fifher-man, who had with his Boat, been Morning very forrowful, ask'd him the Reafoa
very Helpful, to carry a People over
a River, of his
prefent Sorrow. Said he, 1 am very much
for the Worfhip or God, on the Lords-Days, troubled for my Dear Brother Moodey, who is im-
in the JJle of Sholes, loft his Boat in a Storm. prifoned by Cranfield but I will this :
day feek
The poor Man laments his Lofs to Mr. Brock ;
to ithe Lord on his behalf, and 1 believe my
who tells him, Go home, Honeft Man, PI men- God will hear me ! And on that very Day was
tion the Matter to the Lord, you'l have your Boat Mr. Moodey ( forty Miles off ) by a marvellous
again to Morrow. Mr. Brock now considering, Difpofal of Providence, delivered out of his Im-
of what a Confequence this Matter, that feem'd prifonment.
fofmall other wife, might be among the untracea- Multitudes of fuch Paftages, whereof thefe are
ble Fifhermen, made the Boat an Article of his but fome few Gleanings, caufed our Mr. "John Allin
Prayers ; and behold, on the Morrow, the poor of Dedham,to fay concerning Mr. Brock ; I fcarce
Man comes rejoycing to him, That his Boat was ever knew any Man fo Familiar with the Great God,
found, the Anchor of another VefTel, that was as His Dear Servant Brock !
CHAR II.
FRVCTVOSVS;
OR, THE
L I
O F
F E
Mr. Samuel Mather,
H«c cafli maneant In Religione
Nepotes
Et Nati Natorum, et qui najcentur ab illis^
§. i .
TT
among
is
truly, and juftly thought of thofe is now going to be fet before my Red-
a Thing
Churches
the of God, Fcelix der; and one, who, whether we confider his
I
ilia Anima, ante Aliis eft Forma Sanili-
Early Sanclity, or his Fervent Miniftry, will ap-
tatis : Thrice and Four Times Happy pear fo much of a John
Baptift unto us, that I
that Man, from whofe Example, other Men choofe the Confeffion of, Jofepbus the Jewifh Hi-
may learn to be Holy and Happy. Now, for this ftorian ( who, if he were admitted into the
Happinefs, not only were many among the firft Difcipline of Banus, a Difctple of John, as, he
Fathers of New-England, with the Hiftory of fays, he was, he
might well make fuch a Con-
whofe Exemplary Lives, the Faithful have been feflion ) concerning that John, to exprefs the
entertained, confiderable ; but fome among the Character of this Worthy Man He was an Ex- ;
Sons of thofe Fathers alfo, have bin fo exemplary cellent Man, and One that ftirred
up the People to
for their Holsnefs, that their Lives alfo deferve to Piety and Virtue, Holinefs and Purity. This was
fill the Pages of an Ecslefiaftical Hiftory. One Mr. Samuel Mather.
§. 2. Mr-
1
44 the- Hifiory of New-England. Book IV.
was not fent into the World for Spcrt. Such great
§. 2. Samuel Mather, was Born May
Mr. Thoughts infpired our Samuel Mather, while he
13. A. D. 1626. at Much-Wootton in Lancaflnre.
was yet a Child To Demonftrate and llluftrate
!
But was the Queftion of Saul concerning David, this Part of his Character, I fhall only recite an
Wbofe Son is this Tenth ? About the Meaning Extract of a Letter,; which he wrote from his
of which Queftion, there may be fame Wonder, Lodging in Cambridge, to his Father in Dor-
becaufe David had already been ferviceable, at cbefier, when he was no more than Twelve
the Court of Sa:d, fome while, before: And Years of Age.
c '
therefore fome take the Meaning of the Que-- Though (faith he) I am thus well in
ftion to be. What Manner of Man's Son is this f my Body, yet I queftion whether my Soul doth
It was Obferved, that fome of the Notableft profper as my Body doth ; for I perceive, yet to
Men in the Land, were of this Family, and, this very Day little Growth in Grace
; and this
among the rtft, joab was of it, Joab, who tor makes me quell ion, whether Grace be in my
his Valour .was made General of the Field, Joab, Heart or no. I feel alfo daily Great VnwiUing-
:
who never once in his Life mifs'd of the Vi- nefs to good Duties, and the Great Ruling hi
ctory He
;
was the Son of J#'s Daughter. Now Sin in my Heart and that God is angry with
,•
Said was inquifitive, What manner of Man this me, and gives me no Anferers to my Prayers,
Children prov'd fo Eminent. but many times, He even throws them down
Jejfe was, that all his
If my Reader, thereto excited by the Figure, as Dufl in my Face ; and He does not Grant
which as well this Perfon, as divers of his Bro- my Continual Requefts for the Spiritual Blef-
thers have made in the Church of God, fhall fing of the Softning of my Hard Heart. And
Son was this Toitth ? It in all this I could yet take fome Comfort, but
accordingly enquire Wbofe
mutt be anfwered, that his Father was the Famous that it makes me to Wonder, What God's
Mr. Richard Mather, whofe Life has been already Secret Decree concerning me may be for I doubt
;
a Confiderable Part not only in our own Church- whether ever God is wont to deny Grace and
Hifiory, but alfo in the haft
Volume of Mr. Clark's Mercy to His Chofai (though Uncalled) when
Collections. and brought over by they feek unto Him, by Prayer, for it and
Brought up, ;
this his Father, out Samuel came to New-England, therefore, feeing he doth thus deny it to me,
in the Year 1635. delivered with the reft of bis 1
think, that the Reafon of it is moft like to be,
becaufe I belong not unto the Eleilion o/Graa,
Family, from as Eminent Danger of Death,
as
ever was efcaped by Mortal Men, in a Fierce I defire that you would lee me have your Pray-
and Sore Hurricane on the New-Englifh Coaft. ers, as I doubt not but I have them ; and reft
many times, manifefted himfelf to be a Chrijlian, Ufe to be threatned with Cicero's, Non potejl in
under the Regenerating Impreflions of that Spi- eo ftccus effe dint urn us, quod nimis cehtiter matu-
rit, into whofe
Name and Faith, he had been ritatcm eft affecutus : And with Quintihanh, Ingc-
baptised. The Holy Spirit of God made niornm precox Genius, non temere unqusm perve-
Early
Vifits unto our Samuel, who from nit ad Irugem-, and with
his Child- Curtius\, Nulhs efl
hood was devoted unto the Tabernacle. He was et Diutumus &
Precox FruClus ; which our Pro-
in his Early Childhood, an Extraordinary Inftance verb has Engliftied, Si on Ripe, foon Rotten ; there
of Difcretion, Gravity, Serioufnefs, Prayerful- was no fuch Obfervation to be made of our Sa-
nefs, and Watchfulnefs, which accompanied with muel,
who ftill continually grew in his Accom-
a certain Generofity of Temper, and an ufual Pro- plifhments, and inftead of loling them, like the
grefs in Learning, wherein Hermogenes mentioned by C. Rodiginus, he kept
.
Rerum Prudentia Felox, advancing in all Wifdom and Goodnefs, 'till he
Ante Pilos venit • was found Ripe for Eternal Glory.
render'd him the Delight of all that part of Man-
kind) that know him ; and as the Name of §. 4. In the Catalogue of the Graduates pro-
ricufaeioyitot, was of Old given to Macarius, thus ceeding from Harvard-Colledge, our Samuel Ma- .
this Bleffed Young Man was commonly called, therf was the Firft, who appears as a Fellow of
The Young Old Man, by thofe that mentioned that Happy Society wherein his careful Jnjlru-
•,
him. R. Eliez.tr, the Son of R. Asariah, when clhn, and exaft Government of the Scholars un-
made Prefident of the Jewijh Sanhedrin, at fix- der his Tuition, c3ofed as many of them as were
teen Years of Age, was not one of a more com- fo, to mention him afterwards with Honour, as
pofed Behaviour. A certain Arabian Commen- long as they lived ; and fuch was the Love of
tary upon the Alchoran reports, That when John
all the Scholars to him, that, not only when he
Baptijl was a Child, other Boys asked, him to readthis Lafl Philofopby-Leclwe, in the Colledge-
Man ; ( of whofe Life, he afterwards publifhed Words as thefe f_ Reader, they are of his Inn
certain Memoirs unto the World ) Of which Words, in a Sermon about Hatdnefs of Heart ] .-
one Great Reafon, why there came fo many was covered; and us, when the Cloath
amongft
Excellent Preachers out of Cambridge, in England, is
pulled over the Face, at an Executiou, the
more than out of Oxford, in fome former Days, J Wretch is prefently to be turn'd off.
' Thus,
was the Miniftry of Mr. Perkins, in that Univer- when the Eyes of the Soul are
covered, and
being not only by Notable
Our Mather the God of this World blinds
fity. ' them, and they are
Tarts, both Natural and Acquired, and by an Given over to believe a Lye, this is the
' Begin-
Eminently Gracious Difpofition of Soul, but alfo ning of their utter Hardnefs, and Eternal Per-
by a certain Florid and Sparkling Livelinefs of dition. There are now many Principles of
c
from fo young a Man as this, is a Matter of much Nor could he with eafier Terms, at any time,
more an One from One of us fpeak of the Licentious Difpofition, engendred by
Satisfaction, than fuch
Elder Men; Man is, S>p£|5 <$5tC- the Antinomianifm broached and Rampant, at
for this young
glS. And with this People he continued the that time, among many ProfefTors of Chriflia-
Winter following; among whom, he was long nity.
after fucceeded, by One of his Worthy Bre-
thren. §. 6. But he that Holds the Stars in his
Right
Hand, intending that a Star of this Magnitude,
§. Having in him, the true Spirit of a
5. fhould move in an Orb, where his Influences
Witnefs for our Lord Jefus Chrift, he did, even might be more Extended than they could have
while he was a Young Man, in this Country fet been by any Opportunities, to be enjoyed and
himfelf, with a prudent, but yet fervent Zeal; up- improved in an American Wildernefs, He in-
on all Occafions to bear a juft
Witnefs, againft fpired our Mather with a ftrong Defife to paft
every thing which he judged contrary unto the over into England, and by the Wifdom °f H e**
Interefts of Holimfs. But there was hardly any ven, there fell out feveral Temptationt in this
Wider*
146 The Hijlory of New-England. BookTT
IVTldlfpefi, which occafioned him to be yet more When Mr. Mather came to Dublin^ was made
de.fjrpu.s. of fuch a Removal. To England then a Senior Fellow of
frim'ty-Coliedge ; and from that
he wefit, in the Year 1650. Where the Right Univerfity he had .the Offer of a Bx£caiai:rcaUn
Honorable Thomas, Andrews, Efq-, then Lord in
Tbeohgu, but he modeftly declined it and
Mayor of the City of London, quickly took fuch feemed inclinable to the
Jcmfh Rule, about the
Notice'of his' Abilities, as to make Choice of Rabbinate,. Love the Work, but Hate the RjbbL
him, for his Chflphnn; and by the Advantage //»/> yet he that had already proceeded
-,
Mafler of
of' the Poft, where he was now placed in that Arts, in fo many Universities, did here
again
Cbaplainfhip, .he came into an Acquaintance, proceed Ad Eundem. .
Of any further Degrees
with xhe mo ft 'Eminent Minifteis in the King- our Mather was ready to
fay with the Great
dom f who much Honoured and Valued him, Melanilhon, who would not accept an Higher
a'nd, though of different Perflations, Loved, Title than, that of M
after ; Fides me urn E*em-
Cfmfium babitantcm in Matbero, Here his Incli- plum ; Nemo me perpellere potuit, id ilium quam-
nation. To do Good, produced. Good and Great Ubet
Honorificum Titulum Doftoris mihi decern
Effe£s but yec One that had like to have pro-
•
finer em. Nee ego Gr adits illos parvifacio, fed
ideb,
ved fatal unto bimfelf : For being a Man of fuch quia judico et
effe magna Onera, neceffaria j?«-
Excellent Accompliibments, he was Courted fo publica, vereemdt et
petendos effe, confer endos fntio.
often to preach in the Biggeft AfTemblies, that But now in preaching to that Renowned Cityj
by Overdoing' therein, he had like to have undone and in the Pafloral Charge of the Church
there,
his Friends, and loft bis
Life. The Famous
:
he was joined as a
Colleague with Dr. Winter
.Mr. Sydracb obferving this InconvenL- and here preached every Lord's Day
S^p/e»,' Morning
'^nqe!,^did with a Brotherly, yea, with a Fatherly at St Nichol's Church •
befides his Turn which
Cgr'e,. obtain, of him a Promife, that he would
he took' oncein fix Weeks, to
preach before
"ilot'jP^f/; abroad at all, except
when He fhould the Lord Deputy and Council. A Preacher he
giy^b.i Confent a,nd accordingly
s
any pub- when now was' of Extroardinary Efleem and
;
;,
Suuefs j
lic^ ^ermons. were asked of him, he would re- and whole Kingdom took Notice of him'
as the
F/ign4's Health,
would give his Confent, but The more fpecial Excellencies for which his Mi-
when it fhould be convenient. niltry was here obferved, were, Etrft, A moft
Evangelical Endeavour to make the Lord Jtftts
§,7. Mr. Mather, was after this, invited un- Chrift the Scope and Sum of all that he faid. Se-
to a Settlement, in fevcral Places ; and in An- condly, A moft Angelical Ma)efly, wherewith
fwer to thofc Invitations, he did preach for a his Meffages were (till uttered, as coming from
while,. at Graves-End, and after' that, attheCj-
the Throne of God
;
And Thirdly, Such a Clear-
tbedral, in the City' of Exeter. But having from nefs of Keqfon and Method, that it was commonly
ins Childhood, a Natural and Vehement Affedi- remark'd, Mr. ChamocW Invention, Dr. Hani-
on to a ColUdgc-Lije, he retired unto Oxford, fon\ Expieffion, and Mr. Mather % Logick, meet-
where he became a Chaplain in Magdalen-Colledge ; ing together, would have made the Perfettefl
and he had therewithal an Opportunity, fome- Preacher in the World. And if the Sloathful
times at St. Maries^ to preach the Gofpel of the Man in Frov. 19. 24. who Will not fo much as bring
Lord Jefu,s Chrift, which for the Sake of the his Hand unto his Month, were by the Ancients
Lord Redeemci;,whom he loved always to preach, underftood concerning the Vnholy MWiftcr, who
be gladly took. And having before this, pro- will not bring Focifua Fttam fuam, our Mr. Ma-
ceeded Mafler of Arts in the only Protectant ther was no Sloathful Preacher ; for befides his be-
Colledge of America, he
was now admitted, Ad ing a Preacher, who, as Melcbior Adam defcribes •
Enrtdem, not only in the Renowned Univerfity of Jacobus slndretf, Si quando opus erat, mera fonabat
Oxford, but in that of Cambridge alfo. But Tonitrua, he was alfo a Preacher very Eminent
been fome time refident in Oxford, the for Holinefs, and he Taigbt the People at other
having
Englifh ConmiJJioners, then going into Scotland, Times, befides when he Opened bis Mouth.
were willing to carry with them fome Enghfh
Miniflers, whofe Eminent Learning, Wifdom, §. 9- A certain Writer, who does continu-
Goodnefs and Reputation, might be ferviceable ally ferve the Romanizing Faction in the Church of
unto the Interefts of Truth and Peace in that Na- England, with all manner of Malice and Slander
tion. Accordingly Mr. Mather was one of the againft the belt Men in the World, that were
Perfons chofen for that Service and there he in any meafure free from the Spirit of that Faction^
•
continued at Leigh, preaching the Gofpel of God yet mentioning our Samuel Mather inhis^rte«? ,
'
our Saviour, for Two Years together. Oxonienfes, gives this Account of him ; Tho*
1
he was a Congregational Man, and in his Prin-
'
§. 8. In the Year 1655. he returned into ciples an High Non-Conformift, yet he was ob-
1
: And
Lord Henry Cromxvel, then
the ferved by fome to be Civil to thofe of the
England '
going over Lord- Deputy for Ireland, there were Epifcopal Perfwafion,when it was in his Power
1
feveral Minifters of great Note pitched upon to to do them a Difpleafure. And when the Lord-
*
go oyer with him, for the Service of the Chri- Deputy gave a Commiffion to him, and others,
in Order unto the Difplacing of Epifcopal Mi-
4
llian Religion there, whereof was Dr. Harrifon,
'
Dr.. Winter', Mr. Cbarnock and our Mr. Mather. nifters, in the Province of Munfler i he decli-
4
ned
Book IV. T'be tii/tory of New-England M7
*
ned ic ; as he did afterwards to do the like Others anfwered ) We blefs' Cod, we have never
Matter in Dublin; alledging, that he was called kept, to His Praifc we [peak it, and we hope through
4
*
into that Country, To Preach the Gofpcl, and His Grace, we never fh.ill It was
thought necel-
.-
*
not to hinder others from doing it. He was a Re- fary on this Occalion, that a Publ ick .Teflimony
he profeft, [ This Au- fhould be born againft the Revival of thofe Dead
ligious Man in the Way
4
thor confeffes ] and was valued by fome, who Siiptrjlitiovs. Accordingly Mr. Mather, being the
4
'
differ'd from him as to Opinion in Leffer, fkteft Perfon on many Accounts to be
put up-
and Circumftantial Points of Religion. Thus on that Service, He did in the Capitol City of the
4
One of themfelves, even a Bigot of their own, has Kingdom, in a Great Auditory, preach Two
•
reported,
and his Report is true For which Caufe Sermons upoh.K. Htz-ckiaffs breaking i.i pieces
!
when the Storm of Ptrftcution, fell upon the Non- the Brazen Serpent, and calling "it Nebi<jl.:ri, and
his Ad- thence advance this
Conformifls in Ireland, Mr. Mather, in AfTertion, That it is a Thing
drefs to the Lord-Chancellor for his Liberty, very pleafmg in the Sight of God, when the' Sin of
ufed thefe, among many other PafTages / can Idolatry, and all the Monuments, all the Remem-
•,
truly fay,
I defire no more, not fo much favour for brances and Remainders of it, are quite
destroyed and
now, as I have /hewed unto others formerly, rooted out from among His People : Wherein his
my felf
when they fl od in need of it. But I wili not fiy, Note upon the Text, was indeed but the
very-
how much caufe I have to refmt it, and to .take tt fame with ,what his Adverfaries, who are ufually
a little unkindly , that I have met with fo much of Great Admirers of every thing faid by Grotius,
Molefiation from thofe ofth«t Judgment,
.whom I might have read in the Commentary of that ad-
have not provoked unto it, by my Example, but ra- mirably Learned ( though frequently Sociniani-
ther have obliged by fparing their Cwfciences, to ano- iing, and at J a ft Romanizing ) Interpreter, upon
ther manner of Deportment. For indeed, I have the very fame Text ; Egregimn Documentum Re-
that it is an Irkfome Woik, to pu- gibus, Htquamv'vsber''. /nflituia, fednon Neceffuria,
always thought,
nifh or trouble any Man, foit is anM\\\
and Sinful ubi tai 1* w.At), rnale ufurpantur, b
Confpetlu t'ollant^
any Good Man with Temporal In the Profecution
to trouble n'e
Work, ponant OffendicHUm Ccecis.
Coercions, for fuch Errors in Religion, as are con- of this AlTenidn, he offered many
Arguments^
jiflent with the Foundation of Faith
and Holinefs. It why the Ceremonies of the Church of England^
is no Good Spirit in any Form, to fight with Car- which were but the Old Leaven of Humane In-
j
nal Weapons; / mean, by External Violence, to ventionsand Popifh Corruptions remaining in the
Intpofe and Propagate it felf,
andfeek by fuch means, Worfhip of a Church, whofe Dotlrine he yet ap-
the fupprefftng of Contrary Ways, which by Argu- prov'd, as generally owned by Good Men, fhould
ment it it not able to fubdue: But let the Merits not be reaffumed, and by the Old Cruel Methods
of Mr. Mather have bin what they will, he could of Pocnal Laws, reinforced. Againft the Ceremo-
not avoid the Hardfhips, which the Hiftorian nies in
General, he argued, That the Preface to'
*
proceeds to relate in thefe Terms After his the Common-Prayer- Book, exprefly declared theni
*
Majefty's Reftauration, he was fufpended from to be Myflical and
Significant, and fo they differed
*
Preaching, 'till his Majefty's Pleafure fhould be nothing from Sacraments, but that they wanted
*
known for Two Sermons, which were judged a Divine fnfliiution ; and, faid he, The Promoters
4
Seditious. Thus writes the verieft Zofimus, that of them do pretend only the Authority of the Church •
ever fet Pen to Paper even that Zofimus the but if the Second Commandment was
•,
given to the
Younger, who cannot mention any Well-wifhef Church, Thou (halt not make any Graven Image,
to the Reformation of the Church of England, or Form of Worfhip to thy felf ;
They are a ma-
without giving One Occalion to think on Dr. How- nifefl Breach
of that Commandment. He added
el's Obfervatibns upon the Old Zofimus; We That, were the Monuments of the Old
as they
know it to be the Pr alike, in all Reformations, of Papal and Pagan Idolatry, and Men did therein,
tbofe who are addicted unto the Old Way, to render but Symbolize with Idolaters, thus,
by the Gre ater
Infamous fuch, as have bin Infttumcnit in the Itera- .
Weight almoft perpetually laid upon them, thari
tion ; and by a againft the Perfans mo'fl upon Greater Things, they were ftill made fur-
Prijudice
ridkuloufly to infmuate an ill Opinion of the Thing, ther Idols. Particularly, he argued againft the
or Caufe it
felf. Surplice, That
it was a Continuation of the Su-
perflit hus
Garments, wherein the FalfeWorfhippers
S, io. One Principal Character upon the Spirit did ufe to officiate ; That the Aaronical Garments
of Mr. Mather, and One Remarkable in the Stu« being Typical of the Graces attending the Lord
dies and Sufferings of his Life, will be given to Jefus Chrift, they are by His Coming antiquated';
my Reader, in an Account of the Two Sermons, Tloat the Scriptures give not the leaft Intimation.
which were the pretended Occcafions of his of any Garments, whereby Aliniflers are to be
being filenced. Know then, that the Epifcopel diftinguifhed. He added, That among the Firft
Party in Ireland, immediately upon the King's Reformers, the moft Eminent were in their Un-
Rtftauration, haftning to reftore their Spiritual diftreffed Judgments, againft the Feflment
; and
Courts, and fummon the Minifters of the Gofpel that when the Canons of 1571. forbad the
Gray
to appear before them, and fubmit unto thofe Amice, or Any other Garment difilcd with the like
Unfcriptural lmpofitions, which many Years had Superftition, the Equity of that Canon would ex-
bin laid afide Ratione Belli ( as they exprefled it ) clude This alfo. He argued againft the Sign of the
Rabieq; Hareticorum &
Schifmaticorum, and an- Crofs in Baptifm, That whatever was to be faid
fwer for the Brsach of Canons, which ( as the againft Oyl, Cream, Salt, Spittle, therein, ii to be
Dddd faid
14S The Hiftory of'Kevj- England. Book
faid againft the Crbfs, which indeed never had the Apoitle l'peaks of fuch a Name to be ac-
bin ufed, in the Worfhip of God, as Oyl had bin knowledged wit;i#oim£,asvvasgi\en t<~,cur Lord
of Old. That there is as much Caufe to wor- after His Rrfwndion, and as the
Fffm and Xel
fhip the Spear that pierced onr Lord,
as the ward of hh Humiliation^ which the Name
JESUS
which or that it were as Rea- was net it is the Name cf
•
would be Greater and Better, than the Lord's for they obferved Pafche and Yoole, that is Eafter
if it were an
Supper it felf, and fanftifie it ; That and Chriftmas ; and ( faid the King ) What War-
Altar, yet it fbould not be faften'd unto the rant have they for that f Againft Holinefs of Places,
.
Wall, Dreffer-Fafhion; but fo ftand, as that it he argued, That they were the Handing Symbols
might be Compared about ; That the placing of of God's Prefence, which made ftated Holy Pla-
i: at the Eafl-End of the Church, with Steps go- ces under the Law, and thofe Places were Holy
ing up to it, and efpecially the Setting of Images, becaufe of their Typical Relation to the Lord Je-
or other Majfwg Appurtenances over it, fmells fus Chrift, and there was a further Inflitution of
rank of Paganifm : And, Tbat y whereas in the God, which did make them to be Parts of Mis
•very Beginning of the Reformation, this Abufe, Worfhip, and Ways and Means of Men's Com-
Was One of the Firft Things put down, it were munion with Himfelf, and to Sandifie the Perfons
a moft Romifh Vergency, Now to Conjure it up and AQions approaching to them ; which cannot
ag3in. He argued againft Bowing at the Name of be faid of any Places under the New-Teftament ;
Jefus, Tliat the Phrafe of Bowing j„ •)£ J^^,, That under the New-Tcjlament, God has decla-
in the Text, wrefted unto this purpofe, is but red Himfelf to be, both no Rcfpeiler of Perfons,
very untowardly tranflated, ATthe^
Name of and no Refpeder of Places and our Meeting-Pla-
Jefus, inftead of I N
the Name ; and it were as ces are no more facred, than the Ancient Syna-
proper to fpeak of, Baptizing AT the Name of gogues : That fome Excellent Men of the
Epif-
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and of Believing copul Way it felf, have been above the Conceit
AT God the Father, and AT
Jefus Chrijl his of any Difference in Places ; Dr. Vfher more par-
Son our Lord, and AT
the Holy Ghofl. That by the ticularly, who fays, In Tunes cf Perfection, the
Name of J ESVS, is not meant the Sound of Godly did often meet
in Barns, and fuch
Obfcure
the Syllables in the Word J E S U
S, but the Power, Places, which indeed were public, becaufe of the Church
Majefty, Dominion and Authority of the Perfon of
God there ; the Heufe or Place availing nothing to
of the Lord Jefus ; and it is a Piece of Cabaliftical make it Public or
Private; even, as where fcever the
to make an Incurvation at the Sound of Prince is, there is the Court, although it were in a
Magic,
this Name, without paying the like Refpeft un- poor Cottage. He added, That yet the Churches
to other Names of the Bleffed God, or particular- ( as they were Metonymically, and almoft Cate-
ly the Name Chrift, which is
more diftinguifh- chreftically called ) in the Englifh Nation, were
ing for our Lord, than that of JESVS ; or, not for the fake of Old Abufes to be demolifhed,
why not at the Sight as well as the Sound ? That as were the Temples of the Canaanites, inafmuch
as
Book IV The Hiftory of New-England. 49
as they were builc for the Worfhip of Gid; and fpake in his Exhortation, 1 (hall only tranferibe thefe
thofe Places are no longer polluted, when they Words,
'
When you have ftopt our Mouths
Preaching, yec we fhall Pray ; and not
are no longer fo Abu fed. He argued againft from
That there was a only We, but all the Souls that have bin Con-
Organs and Cathedral Muftc,
Warrant of Heaven for Infrumental Muftc in the verted, or Comforted and Edified by our Mini-
Service of God underthe L^ro, when alfo this was ftry, They will all cry to the Lord againft you
not a Part of their Synagogue-Worfhip, which was for Want of Bread, becaufe you deprive them
Moral, but of their Ceremonial Temple-Worfhip, of thofe that fhould Break the Bread of Life unto
whereas there is no fuch Warrant under the Gofpel: them. Now I had rather be environed with
That the Inftrumental Muftc under the Law, was Armies of Armed Men, and compaffed round
intended for a Shadow of good Things to come,viWich about with Drawn Swords, and Inftruments
That even of Death, than that the leaft Praying Saint fhould
being now come, ic was abolifhed ;
as late as four Hundred Years bend the Edge of his Prayers againft me, for
Aquinas himfelf,
this Muftc, as there is no ftanding before the Prayers
ago, pleaded againft Inftrumental of the
being ufed among the Jews, Quia Populus erat Saints. Yea, I teftifie unto you, that as the
magis Durus &
Carnalts ; the Church of Rome it Saints will
Pray, fo the Lord Himfelf will Fight
felt,
it feems, had not then generally introduced againft you, and will take you into His own
it as he fays, N*
videatur jttdaititre. Finally, a- Revenging Hand : I
fpeak it
Conditionally, in
ga'inll
the Common- Prayer, he argued,
Book of Cafe you Perfecnte, and I wifh all the
Bifhops in
That it is a Setting of Mens Pofts by Cod's,
to Ireland heard me ! For in the Name, and in the
introduce into the Public Worfhip of God, as a Love of Chrift, I fpeak it to you, and I befeech
and impofe by Force, ano- you fo to take it. 1 fay, if once you fall to the
/landing Part thereof,
ther Book bsfides the Books of God nor is there Old Trade of Ptrfecution, the Lord Jefus will
•
of others, is as bad as carry ing the Ark Blood, and Revenge upon your Heads, if
it all
fcriptions
upon a Cart, which was to have bin carried upon you juftifie former Perfecutors, by
the Ways of
the Shoulders of the Lcvites ; and it is a Sin againft Walking in the fame Steps of Blood and Plo-
the Spirit of Prayer, tor Minifters in thefe Days lence.
to be diverted from the Primitive Way oi Pray- Mr. Mather having thus faithfully born his
ing, which was according to Tertullians Account, Tejlimony, his Perfecutors yet let him live qui-
Sine Momt'.re, quia de Peclorc, in Oppofition to etly for more than Five Months after it
•
but Then
the Pagans. they thought it their Time to call thefe Two Ser-
thePtsefctipt Forms of Prayer amongft
He alfo touched upon the Corruptions in the very mons ( though there were not one Word there-
Matter of the Common-Prayer the grievous Pre- in, directly, or indireftly againft the King, or
;
ference therein given unto the Apocryphal above His Government ) Seditious Preaching; and there-
the Canonical Writings ;
the Complementing of upon they though with fo much.
filenced him,
the Almighty To give us thofe things, which for our Noife, that both Englifh and French Gaz.ets took
Vuwcrtbtnefs wc dare not prefume to ask ; the
Non- Notice of it: But all the Notice, which he took
'
of calling the Leffbns out of the Prophets, of that Charge himfelf, was to fay, If it bcSedi-
fence
and m3ny more fuch Paffages, which he
'
tion to diflurb the Devil's Kingdom, who rules
Epjiles ;
'
but briefly touched, though, he laid, It would fill by his Antichriftian Ceremonies, in the Kingdom
a Volume to reckon them- He concluded thefe Dif- 1
of Darhnefs, as the Lord Jefus Chrift doth by
4
courfes with an Admonition to the B'fhops and His own Ordinances, in HisChnrch, which is
'
Epifcopal Party, that they
would not now Revive, the Kingdom of Heaven, I may fay, I did it be-
1
or, at leair, not Impofe,
the Superftttions of the fore the Lord, who bath cbofen me to be a
'
former Time?: But among Alany things which he Minifter, and if this be to be File, J mil yet b;
D d d d 2 *
more
r
1
have thought it next to an /mpoffibility ;. Mt With
tas 6" Conjlantia 5
nm Mmas,non Exilia,non ullam. God all Things are poffible.
ulliits Houams pteniiam ant vim pertirnejecbat § 2> Although Mr. Mather was thus full of
.-
pene :
,
dixeram, foiem facilius de Curfit dimoveri pot#iJfi:,i Zia \ againft Corruptions in the
Wor/bip of God, and
r
auam Matherum, d l eritaw Profejfione^ n t h a r Jujl Zeal^z alfo wrote a Treatife contain-
I
j
§. ii, Mr. Mather being fo filenced by thofe ing Reafions ag&inil Stinted Liturgies, and the Eng
Dwellers on the E,arth, who had bin thus tormented by lift] One in particular, and Anfwersto the Lamen-
'
him, he did with the Content of his Church, in table Conceffions, which a Reverend Perfon ( whole
the Latter End of the Year 1660. go over to Eng- Name, for Honours fake he yet fpared ) had
land where he continued a Publick Preacher in made, in his Difjutations, for them ; neverthelefs,
;
mew-Day, which had been in another Kingdom jit with all poflible Refpedt unto Godly, and Wor-
Ninety Years before ;
after which, the Deputies thy Men of that Way, which he fo much dilliked 7 -
of the Reformed Religion, treated with the Freneh the Epifcopal However, while they excluded the .-
afe that Argument with him, for his Return, The with them, is to labour to red nee them from the Error
Men are dead that fought thy Life. Accordingly, of their Way. Neverthelefi, Mr. Mather behold-
he fpent all the Relt of his Days with his Church ing, that they who appeared ftudious of Reforma-
in Dublin ; but he preached only in his Own Hind tion in the Nations, were unhappily fubdivided
was into Three Eorms, or Parties, commonly known
Houfie, which being a very large One,
well fittedjfor that purpofe. And there was This\ by the Name of Presbyterians, Independents, and
Remarkable concerning it; That although nolAntipado-BaptiJls, he fet himfelf to endeavour an
Man living ufed a more Open and Generous Free- Union among all the Good Men, of thefe three
dom, in Declaring againft the Corruptions ofiWor-i perflations. To this purpofe, he did Compofe
reintroduced into the Nation, yet fuch was a moft Judicious Irenkum ( afterwards Printed (
jfhip,
his Learning, his Wifidom i his known Piety, and; wherein he Hated the Agreement of thefe Parties :
the true Loyalty of his whole Carriage towards He found, That they were agreed in all theFun-
. the Government, that he lived without much fur- damental Points of the Chriflian Faith, and Rules
ther Molettation ; yea, the God of Heaven re- of a Chriflian Life ; That they were agreed in the
compeuced i\k Integrity of this his Faithful Servant, Main Alls of Natural Worlhip, namely Prayer,
wherein he expo fed himfelf above moft other Men and Preaching, and Hearing of the Word ; and in
for the Truth by granting him a Protection above the Special Time for Publick Worfhip, namely,
moft other Men, from the Adverfaries of it. For The Lord's Days : That as to Matters of Inflitu-
which Caufe he did in the Year 166S. thus write tion, they
were agreed in Declaring for the
'
Scrip-
unto his Aged father in New-England. 1 have as the Direction of all ; they were
1
tures, agreed,
enjoy'd a VVondei ful Protecting Providence in the that the Lord hath appointed a Miniflry in the
Work pray Remember me Church, who are bound by Office to publifh the
'
of
my Miniflry. I
Difference,
which were bitwixc tliem ; and lie hood, the fame fort of Impulfe told him f_ / have
found thole Articles to be inoltly fo meerly Cir- given thee the Gift of Curing the Ague l~\ After
cuffijlaritiai,
that if the feveral Sides would but pa- which, when he laid his Hand, on People in their
tiently underltand owt another, or Aflt accord- Fits, the Ague would leave them. About half a
ing to the Conceljions and Confc/fons which are Year after this, the Impulfe became yet more Ge-
ifiade in their molt Allowed Writings, they Ihight neral, and Paid V_ I have given thee the Gift of
ealily lV.dk together,wherein they were of One Healings'} and then our Stroker attempted the Re-
Mind, and wherein they werewof fo, they might lief of all DiFeaPes indifferently: But frequently
willingly bear with One another, Vritil Godrcveal with Puch violent Rubbing, as from any One,
into them. Only Fnch'as Unchurch all others be- would have had a Tendency to difpetfe Ftw&jJm-
sides the nfeives, he found by the Severity of their Ping from Flatulencies. All this while, he doubt-
own Difumv.ng 'Principle, rendered uhcapable of ed, whether there were any thing more in the
Coming into this C moh': But unto all the Socie- Caufe of the Cure, that followed this Fritlion, than
ties of thefe Chi ifc'i ins, iV.at made Z'nionani Com- the ftrong Fancy of the feeble People that addreP-
munion witn the Lord jefus Chrifr, the Founda- Ped him \ Wherefore to convince his Incredulity,
tion of Church-CoDiin.'nion, he did, with a moft as he lay in his Bed, he had one Hand (truck Dead,
fhould and the uFual Impulfe then bid him,to make a Trial
Evangelical Spirit, offer, ."frj ft, That they
mutually give the Right Hand of Fcjionfhip, unto of his Virtue upon himfelf} which he did with his
each other, as true Churches of the Lord Jefus other Hand, and immediately it returned unto its
Chrift.
Secondly,
That they fhould kindly Ad- former Livetinefs : This happened for two or
infe and Ajjif each other in their Affairs, as there' three Mornings together. But after this, there
fhould be Occalion for it :
Thirdly, That they were Thoufands of Perfons, who tiockt from all
fhould admit the Members of each other's Congre- Parts of Ireland, unto this Gentleman, for the
at the Table Cure of their various Maladies, among whom
gations, unto Occjfionjl Communion,
of the Lord. In this "Uniting Scheme of his, as there were fome Noble, Pome Learned, and Pome
there was a due Tendemefs towards Paripus Ap- very Pious PerFons, and even Alinijlcrs of theGoP-
prchenftous, without Sccpticifm
in Religion, fb pel and although it was obPerved, That a'.Cure
•
there was a Bleiled FJfay to remove the Great- feldorn Pucceeded without Reiterating Touches ; That
eft Stumbling- Blocks of Chriftianity. Indeed fuch the Patients often rclapfed; That Fometimes he ut-
a Generous Largenefs of Soul there was in our terly fai^ti of doing any thing at all, especially,
Mather, that he could with the Excellent-fpirited, when there was a Decay Of Nature ; and that
Mr. Burroughs., have written it as the Motto, there were many Diftempers, that were not at all
upon his Study-Door, Opinionum Varictas,et Opi- Obedient unto the Hand of this Famous Pratlit i*
riantium Vnita's, non funi *A<rts*1*! oner : NeverthelePs his Touches had ThouPands of
Wonderful Effefts. There were Pome Philofophi-
§. 13. While Mr. Mather was fulfilling his ,cal Heads, who refer'd all this Virtue in the Hand
Miniftrry in Dublin, as One, who might juffly of our New Port of Chyrurgion, unto a particular
have claimed the Name of the Spanijh Bilhop, Complexion in him, or a Port of Sanative or BalPa-
Fruiluofus, there were many SalUys to the Doing mic ferment, which was in the Spirits of the Man ;
of Good, which he added unto the Weekly and and who conceived the Impulfe upon him to be,
Coultant Services of his Miniitry whereof One but a Refult of his Temper, and like Dreams, that
•,
was this. A certain Roman Catholiek having pub- are ufually according to our Conftitution ; or per-
lifhed a Pnort, but fubtil Difcourfe, Entitled, haps, there might be fomeching of a Genius they
Of 0'ie, Only,C.iibolick and Roman Fa-tb, w here- thought, alPo in the Cafe. Buc Mr. Mather ap-
the
by the Faith of fame ZJncatecbized Frotejlants was prehended the Hand of Joab in all this ; and a Plot
|
not a little endangered. Mr. Mather was defifed of Satan, that Mvei^-yj (!>:<, Generis Humam Hoflis r
'
by Perfons of Quality, to give the World an An- lying at the Bottom of all. Mr. Greatrtats had
swer to this Difcourfe. And in AnfWer to their confeffed unto him,that before thePe things,he had
Deiire, lie
Cdmpofed and Emitted, a moft Ela- bin a Student in Cornelius Agrippa, and had efPay'd
borate, Pertinent, Judicious, though Brief Trea- the Cure of Diftempers, by his Abra hat Abra:
tiFe, Entitled, A
Defence of the Protejlant, Chrifli- And Mr. Mather now feared, that the Devil,
an Religion againfl Popery, wherein the manifold Apo- with whom he had bin fo far familiar, did not on-
ftafies, Herefics, and Schifms of the Church of Rome, ly now Impofc upon theMan himfelf, butalFoDf-
aialfothe Weaknefs of their Pretenfions from the Scrip- fign upon multitudes of other People. Wherefore'
tures and the Fathers are briefly laid open. But to reevtifie the Thoughts of People, about the
there was another Thing, which give the Studies Danger of Vnaccountable Impidfes, which had pre-
of this Learned and Holy Man, a Confiderable cipitated Greatreats into his prefent Way of Cures *
ExerciPe. There was one Mr. Valentine GreatreatSj. and about the Nature and Intent of Real Miracles^
who felt a vehement 'mprcjfwn, or Siigge/ticn up- whereof 'twas evident there were none in the
on his Mind, of this Import ; f_ / have given thee Cures by Greatreats pretended unto^ and more-
the of Curing the Evil! '} In Compliance
Gift over, to prevent the Superflitious Negleft of GW,
with which Impulfe, he ftroked a Neighbour gric- and of Means, which People were apt, on this
voufly afHiftSd with the Kings-Evil, and a Cure! Occalion, Profanely, to run into ; and Finally, to
fticceeded. For about a Twelve-month he pre- \
prevent the Hazards, which might ariPe unto our
tended unto the Cure of no other Diftemper •,
Sacred Religion by our Popular Apotheifing of a
but, then, tHe Ague being rife in the Neighbour- Blade, who made Sceptifm in Religion, one part of
l his
152 The Hiftory of New- England. Book
his Character Mr. Mather drew up a Difcourfe
-,
Effeils of what they formerly did, on Earth are there
relating thereunto. This Difcourfe, being Ihown increaftng; his Action herein, was
yet more Wor-
to fome of the King's Privy-Council in Ireland, thy, the Relation of a Brother. But Mr. Mather
was approved and applauded, as moft worthy to did not fo converfe with one more
Obfcure Part
be printed but the Primate's Chaplain, at lafb, of the Sacred Scripture, as to leave Another Un-
',
bbftru&ed it, becaufe forfooth the Geneva Notes, cultivated with his
-, Induftrious, and Inquifitivc
and Dr. Ames, were quoted in it, and it was not Studies thereupon : The Difficulties in the Pro-
Part of the
convenient, that there fhould be any Book print- phetical New-Teftament, as well as in
fuch the Figurative Part of the
ed, wherein any Quotations were made from Old, were happily af-
Dangerous Fanaticks. However, God blefled this by his Learned Contemplations. When he
fail'd
had made a confiderable
Manufcript, for the fetling of many Vnjlable Progrefs herein, he
wrote unto his Youngeft
Minds, and the flopping of Mifehiefs that were Brother, who was then
a Minifter in
threatned. New-England, and fince Preftdent
of the Colledge there ; I musl needs tell how you,
§. 14. It is reported, in the Life of Mr. Roth- much I do rejoyce, that it hath pleafed God to slir
wel, that being advifed by a Clergy-man more up your Spirit, to fearcb into the Prophetical Parts
Great than Wife, to forbear medling with the of the Scripture of which I have often thought and
•,
That
Types, as Themes not convenient for him to great pity, they are fo little minded
it is
ftudy Jlill do,
an and
upon, he made that very Prohibition^ but as feen into, by many, both Minislers and others,
who do deprive themfelves
Invitation, to expect fomething of an extraordi- of much Satisfa(7ion,wbicb
nary Concernment in them ; and accordingly they might receive thereby. It is not good, to defpife
falling upon the Study of the Types, he found
no any part oftheMindandCounfelofGod, rtvealedin
his Word ; there are Vnknown
part of his Miniftry moreadvantagiouQy employ- Treafures and Plea-
ed for himfelf or others. Our Mr. Mather on the fures there flored up, more precious than Gold and Sil-
other Hand, was earneftly defired by the Non~ ver ; and /hall we not, in the Strength of His Spirit
Conformijl Ministers, in the City of Dublin,
to fearch for them ? And as the Brother to whom
in he thus wrote, gave in fundry Treatifes, and in
preach upon the Types of Evangelical Mifteries,
the Difpenfations of theOldTeJiament', in Com- diverfe Languages, unto the Church of God, fe-
with he had not veral Happy Fruits of his Enquiries into the In-
pliance which, proceeded very
far, before he faw Caufe to Write unto One of fpired Prophesies, which Bleffed are they that read
his Brothers, Tlx Types and Shadows of the Old Te-
and hear ; fo our Mr. Mather himfelf arrived un-
but a little underflood, how full are they to fuch Attainments herein, that he had no Caufe
Jlament, if
di- to make the Confeffion ( tho' fuch was his Mode-
of G ofpel- Light and Glory! Having gone through
that he was ready enough to do it
verfe of them, I muft acknowledge, with Thankful- fty, ) of fome
in a Cottrfe of Sermons, from March 1 666. to Feb. Obferve, or Watch, or Mind; for l^ny, is ufed
1668. on firft the Perfonal Types, and then the by the Greeks, as a Term of Art, expreffing the
Real Ones, whether firft, the more Occaftonal Aftronomical Obfervation of Eclipfs, Planetary
ble for his Dead Brother C<gpio, turned not un- cloth, any longer. Then therefore expires the 1260
to fo much Account, as the Care ufed by Mr. Na- Tears, and ftnee that fuch a Kingdom well may be
called The Lord's, then will the feventh Trumpet
thnatl Mather, thus to bring into the iLight the
Meditations of his Excellent Brother Samuel -,upon begin to found. Which, that it is Near, even, at ,
a Subjeft wherein but few had ever waded before the Door, I may fay, through Grace I doubt not.
'
woman, the Sifter of Sir John Stevens, by whom what we Tranilate, Th.it thy Days may be long, i»
he had Four or Five Children, whereof there li- to be Read, That they my
froldng \b) LKiys than $
ved but One, which was a Daughter. But in the is, Thy
Father and thy Afothcr, They jhaji prvlor.g
Year 1668. this Gentlewoman fell into a Sicknefs, thy Days, by Bleffing of thee, in the Name or
that lafted Five or Six Weeks; all which Time God, if thou carry it well unto them. But when
(he continued full of Divine Peace and Joy, and the Sovereign Providence of Heaven makes Ex-
uttered many extraordinary Expreffions of Grace, ceptions unto this General /c«/c, we may believe,
wherewith her pious Friends were extreamly ft- that what is not fulfilled in the Letter, is fulfilled
tisficd. When fhe drew near her End, her Hus- in the Better; and fome, that Live long in a little
band, feeing her in much Pain, faid, Tou are going time, alio have their Days prolonged in the En-
whtre there will be no more Pain, Sighing or Sorrow joyment of Life with the Lord Jefus Chrift, our
.•
Whereto fheanfwered, Ay, my Dear, and where Life, throughout Eternal Ages. Thus our Mr. Ma-
there will be no more Sin! And her Sifter faying to ther had bin as Dutiful a "jofepb, as perhaps ever
her, Tou are going to Heaven, fhe anfwered, / am any Parents had ; and by his Yearly and Coftly
there already ! So fhe went away, having thofe Prefents to his Aged Father, after he came to be
for her laft Words, Come, Lord, Come, Lord a Mafter of Poffeffions in Ireland, he continued the
Jefus ! Not very long after this did Mr. Mather Expreffions of his Dutifulnefs unto the laft ; ne-
fall III himfelf, of an lmpoftume in his Liver I verthelefs he now dyed, Ottob. 29. 1671. When
But as in the Time of his Health and Strength, he wanted about fix Months of being Six and
he had maintained an Even Walk with God, with- Forty Tears Old: And yet as they, who have gone
out fuch Rapture* of Soul, as many Chriftians to prove Adam,z longer-lived Perfon than Metbu-
have bin carried forth unto, fo now in the Time felab, ufe to urge, that Adam, was to be fuppofed
of his JUnefs, he enjoyed a certain Tranquility of Fifty or Sixty Years old, being in the Perfetl Sta-
Soul, without any Approaches toward Rapturous ture of Man, at his Firft Creation, fo, if it be
Extafie. He never was a Alan of Words, but of a confider'd how much of a Man, our Mather was,
Silent, and a Thinking Temper, a little tinged with while he was yet a Child, and if it he further con-
Melancholy ; and now he lay fick, he did not fidered how much Work he did for the Lord JefuS
[peak much to thofe that were about him yet, Chrift, after he came to the Perfetl Stature of Man,
•,
what he did fpeak, was full of Weight and Worth, he muft be reckoned, An Old Man full of Grace,
nor will his Friends ever forget, with what So- though not full of Days ; and that Epitaph, which
lemnity, he then-told them ; Tliat he had preached was once the Great JEWEL'S, may be Written
vnto them the Truths of the Great God, and that be on his Grave, in the Church of St.
Nicholas, in
now charged them to adhere unto thofe Truths, in the the City of Dublin, where his Afhes lye covered
firm and full Faith whereof, he was now entring into
Glory : And that he did particularly exhort them to Dili vixit, licet non diu fuit.
wafh every Day, in the precious Blood of the Lord Je-
fns Cbrijl, and by Faith apply H'vs perfetl and fpotlefs But now,
Righteoufnefs unto their own Souls. It has indeed
bin that Children, Who Gone where the Wicked ceafe from
commonly obferved, ho-
CHAP. III.
LIFE THE
O F
I
154 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV.
adorn the Palaces of Princes. Rea- terior
gave great Proof of his Proficiency
Mafler, as fit to State,
der I am going to draw the PUiure of another in Godiinefs, under the Various Ordinances and
who was a Nonconform^ unto Emen- Providences of the Lord Jcfus Chrift ; the Watch-
Mlnifter,
dables, in the Church of England 4 wherein tho' fulnefs, Tendernefs and Confcicntioufnefs of
1 am not I will be Impartial, and Aged Chriflianity accompanied him, while he was
Ingenious, yet
therefore inftead of the Dirt and Soot, which the yet but Young in Years. His Manner was to
would Rife before theS«w, for the Exercifes which
Perfecting Bigots for a few Ceremonies, Ifaac
of fuch Men, 1 will attended in the Evening ; and in the
employ upon the Memory Evening like-
with an Honeft and Mod eft Report of his Cha- wife he withdrew, not only from theConverfa-
racter caufe him to be remembred next unto tion then ufually maintained, which he thought
the Firji Fellow of that Colledge, whereof He hurtful to his Mind by its Infeilious Levity, but
was the Next. from Sapper it felt alfo, for the like Exercifes of
Devotion. Although he was preferved free from
2. This was Mr. Samuel Danfortb, Son to every Thing Scandalous, or Immoral, yet he feem'd
§.
Mr. N. Danfortb ; a Gentleman of fuch Eftate as Tertullian fpcaks, Nulli Rei natus ntfi Paniten-
and Repute in the World, that it coft him a Con- tia ; and the Sin of Vnfruitfulnefs gave as much
liderable Sum to efcape the Knighthood, which Perplexity to him, as more Scandalous and Im-
K. Charles I. impofed on all of fo much Per An- moral Practices do to other Men ; for which
num ; and of fuch Figure and Eiteem in the Comprebenftye Sin, keeping a Secret Faft, once be-
.
that Famous Le&ure fore the Lord, the Holy Spirit of the Lord fe-
Church, that he procured
at Framlingbam in Suffolk, where he had a fine fus Chrift fo powerfully and rapruroufly com-
Mannour ; which Lecture was kept by Mr. Bur- forted him, with thofe Words, He that abideth
other Noted Miniiters in their in me, and I in him, the fame bringcth forth much
roughs, and many
Turns ; to whom, and efpecially to Mr. Shepard, Fruit ; without me ye can do nothing That the Re- :
he prov'd a Gains, and then efpecially when the membrance theteof, was all his Days, afterwards
Laudian Fury fcorched them. This Perfon had Comfortable unto him.
Three Sons, whereof the Second was our Samuel,
born in September in the Year 1616. and by the §.^4. Mr. Welds returning for England, the
Defire of his Mother, who died Three Years af- Church at Roxbury invited Mr. Danfortb, to be-
ter his Birth, earneftly Dedicated unto the Schools come a Colleague to Mr. Eliot, whofe Evange-
of the Prophets.
His Father brought him to New- lical Employments abroad among the Indians,
and at his Death, a- made a Collegue at Home to be necefTary for
England in the Year 1634.
bout four Years after his Arrival here, he com- him. The Paftoral Charge of that Church he
mitted this Hopeful Son of many Cares and undertook in the Year 165*. and no Tempta-
unto the Paternal Overfight of Mr. She- tions arifing, either from the Incompetency of the
Prayers,
who a kind Patron unto him. His Salary, allow'd him to fupport an Hofpitable
pard, proved
the pious Education be- Family, or from the Provocation, which unworthy
Early Piety, anfwered
llowed upon him and there was One Inftance Men in the Neighbourhood fometimes tried him
•,
of it fomewhat Angularly circumftanced : When withal, could perfwade him to accept of Moti-
he was reciting to his Tutor, out of the Heathen ons, which were made unto him, to remove un-
he ftill made fome Ingenious Addition to more Comfortable Settlements ; but keeping
Poets,
thofe which af- his Eye upon the Great Man's Motto,
and Correftion, upon Parages, Prudens^
cribed thofe Things unto the Falfe Gods of the qui patier.s, he continued in his Roxbury Station,
Gentiles, that could not without Blafphemy be af- for Three Tears more than Thrice feven together.
cribed unto any, but the Holy One of Jfrael ; His All this time, as he ftudied Vfe, by Endeavours
Tutor gave him a (harp Reprehenfion tor this, to Do good, not only in that particular Town,
as for a meer Impertimncy ; but this Confcienti- but with Influences more General and Extenfive,
ous Child reply'd, Sir, leant in Confaence recite fo he did endeavour to fignalize himfelf, by ftu-
the Blafpbemies of thefe Wretches, without Wafhing dying of Peace, with a Moderating and Interpo-
my Mouth upon it Neverthelefs,
.' a fiefh Occa- fing Sort of Temper, in riling Differences be- •,
fion occuring, his Tutor gave him another fharp ing of the Opinion, That ufually they have little
once again as he who do not make much Confci*
Peace of Conference,
Reprehenfion, for his doing
had formerly done but the Tutor to the Amaze-
•,
exce of Peace. And when
he then came to Dye,
ment of them all, was terribly and fuddenly fpending one whole Sleepiefs Night, in a Survey
fazed with a Violent Convulfion-Fit ; out of which of his paft Life, he faid, He could find no Re-
when he at laft recovered, he acknowledge it markable Mifcarriage ( through the Grace of Chrift )
as an Hand of God upon him, for his Harfhnefs time, to charge himfelf withal, but that
in all this
vvhofe Confcientwufnefs he now ap- with Hezekiah, he had ferved the Lord with a per*
to his Pupil,
fttf
Heart all his Days.
plauded.
though he were a very Judicious Preacher, yet Gentlewoman, in the Year 1651. Of Twelve
he
was therewithal fo that he rarely,Children by her, there are Four now 3t this Day,
if
Affectionate,
ever ended a Sermon Without Weeding. On thefurviving ; whereof Two are now Worthy Mi-
Lord's Days in the Forenoons, he expounded the nisters of the GoFpel. When his Wife was un-
der Difcour3gements at any time,
Rooks of the Old-Tefiament ; in the Afternoons, through Do-
he difcourfed on the Body of Divinity, and many meftick Straits, he would reply, Bent you dif-
Occafional Subjects, and fome Chapters in the couraged ; if you undergo more Difficulties than other
Epiftle to the Romans, until
the Year \66\ ; and Gentlewomen, flill we have the Lord's part, and at
then he began to handle the Harmony of the Four lafl you /hall have an Ample Recompence, a Prophet's
Evangelifls, proceeding
therein to thofe Words Recompeme ! As his End approached he had
of our Lord Jefus Chrifr, in Luke 14. 14. Thou ftrong Apprehenfions of its Approach ; and the
/halt be recommenced at the Rcfurrectlon of
the Ju/l : very Night before he fell lick, he told his Wife,
On his Lafi Sermon, He had been much concerned, how /he with her Chil-
which, having preached
dren would fubfift, if he fhould be removed
it proved indeed his Lafl ; and from thence he ;
but
had no more to do, but now Waits all the Days now he had got over it, and firmly believed in the
Covenant of God fur them, that they /tould be, by
of his appointed time, until his Change come, at that
the Divine Providence, as well
Refurreclion, when our Lord jefus Chrift mail Call, provided for, as
and he mall Aifxer that Call, and the Lord lhall they could be, if he were alive : Which has been
lince accomplifhed unto Admiration ! Immedi-
have a Defire to the Work of His Hands. Healfo
after this, he fell fick of a putred Fever,
preach'd a Monthly Lecture, and on many
Private ately
occafioned by a Damp, Cold, Nocturnal Air, on
Occafions, at Meetings of Chriftians, in the Fa-
But inftead of ever ven- a Journey and in the Space of fix Days, palled
milies of the Faithful. ;
'
nacious, and never known to fail him, though to her ; and this alfo hath not been without its
he allow'd it no Afliftances. And unto all the Obfervable Accomplifhment But if we now !
other Commendable Things obferved in the Dif- Enquire after an Epitaph, to be lncribed on the
charge of his Miniftry ; he added that of a mofl Tomb,
where his A.fhes now lye, with thofe of
Paftoral Watchfulmfs over his Flock. Hence he our Governour Dudley, for whofe Honourable
not only vilited the Sick, as a Mcffenger from Family he always had a Great Friendfnip, I know
Heaven to them, One among a Thoufand, but not, whether One might not betaken out of the
when he met Perfons recovered from Words of his Venerable Old Collegue Mr. Eliot,
Sidmfs,
he would, at this Rate accofl them, Well, you who would fay, My Brothtr Danforth made the
have been in Cod's School, but what have you learnt ? mofl Glorious End, that ever I faw ! Or, from
What Good have you got ? And notable were a Poem of Mr. Weld's upon him, which had a
the EfFe&s of thefe his Applications. Hence Claufe to this purpofe.
alfo he took much Care, that none Ihould keep
an Houfe of Publick Entertainment in his Town, Mighty in Scripture, fearching out the Senfe,
but fuch as would keep Good Orders and Man- All the Hard Things of it,
unfolding thence :
ners in their Houfe ; and the Tavern being in He Liv'd Each Truth His Faith, Love, Tender nefs
;
View of his own Study-Window, when he faw None can to th' Life, as did his Life exprefs :
Our Minds with Gofpel, his Rhh Lectures fed;
any Town-Dwellers tipling there, he would go
over and chide them away. Hence likewife he Luke, and his Life, at once are fimfhed :
would animadvert upon Mifcarriages that came Our New Built Church now fuffers too by this,
j
in his Way, with all Watchful and Zealous Faith- Larger its Windows, but its Lights are left.
fulnefs, and One Inftance of his Doing foj had
fomething peculiar in it. A
Day of Humiliation §• 7. The leaft Pupils in Astronomy, cannot
was to be attended, and a Man of another Town, now without fome Diverfion, reflect upon the
by unfeafonable Driving a Cart through the Street, Aflronomy of the Ancients, when we read them
caufed this good Man to come out and reprove declaiming againft the Spharical Figure of the
him, for the Affront he thereby put upon the Heavens The many PafTages to this purpofe in
:
Devotions of the People in the Neighbourhood Jufltn Martyr, and Ambrofe, and Thtodoret, and
:
The Man made him an Obftinate and Malapert Theophylait, and the Great Aufiin himfelf, I will
Anfwer, but when he came home, he found One not recite, leaft, Reader, we fhould, before we
of his Children fuddenly Dead ; upon this he are aware, play too much with the Beards of
could have no Reft in his Mind, until he came the Fathers Nor would we lay afide our Value
:
to this Reprover in the Gate, with Humble and for Good Old Chryfo/lom's Theology, becaufewe
many Tokens of Repentance. we find him in a Confident and a Triumphing
Manner upbraiding the World with fuch an Opi-
§. 6. After his Contraction, according to the nion as, n? 'iiTit oj <Jta.iFj c.iJ~ Z&iriv ii<al ii^zcf.iviui^oi j
|
Old Vfage of New-England, unto the Virtuous Where are thefe Men that imagine, that the Heavens
,
j
Ee ee bavt
1
56 W* tiiftory of NewT England. Book IV.
have a Since the Scripture faith, The Cry of Sedom, enquired into,
Form ?
Sph-arieal or, a Teftimo-
God ftrctcbed forth the Heavens as a Curtain, and ny againft the Sins of Vncleanefs, which with
as a Tent to Dwell in, which are not much Wonder and
fee
fpread them Sorrow, he law too many
Spkaricall.
We
will not call them Fools for thefe of the Rifing Generation, in the
'Country car-
Harangues ; but leave it unto One of themfelves, ried away withal. Another is, Recognition of A
even Jtrt.m, to pafs his Cenfure upon them, Eft New-England's Errand into the WHdernefs, or a
in Lc(U;i't Jluhiloquium, fi quis Caelum putet form-
Sermon preached unto the General
Aflemby of
c'ts modo cirvaium, Efata, quern non inteliigit, Ser- the Colony, at their Anniverfary Eleilion h the
J
mone deceit us, Tis Fovlifb Speaking in the Church, Defign of which was to remind them, of what
ax
if any ih,u!:;'h Mifipprehenfions of the Words of If ah,
he fummarily thus
exprefles, You. have folemnly
jail ,/,'/,)•;?;, That the Heavens are not round. The rxpreffed before God, Angels and Men, that the'
Divines of the Latter Ages, are (though to our Caufe of your leaving your Country, Kindred and
Surprize, the Voluminous Toflatus was not )
! Father s Houfes, and
transporting your felves, with
bejBter Aflromnnrs, than thofe of the former ; yur Wives, little Ones, and Subflance over the
a ,d among the Divines that have been Aflrono- Vafl Ocean, mto this
Wafle and Howling Wtlder-
mm, our Mr. Samuel Danforth, comes in with a was your
nefs, Liberty to walk in the Faith of the
Claim of fome Confideration. Several of his Gofpel with aU good Confcience, according to the Or-
der of the
ropomical Compofures have feea the Light Gofpel, and your Enjoyment of the pure
of the Sun ; but one efpecially on tins Occafion. Worfbip of God, according to his Jnflitution, with'
out Humane Mixtures and
'
Impofitions.
Hiitories whereof have p r e'";, vjed in theRecords of
Learned Men, a fpecial Notice was taken of that, EP1TAPHIU M.
which JlarumW the Whole World in the Year
1664. Now although our Davforth had" not the Non dubium eft, quin t" iverit, quo Stella; eunt,
Advantages of Hevelius, to difcover how many DANFORTHUS, qui StcWis femper fe affociavit.
Odd Clots, compact and lucid, there were in
the Head of that Blazing-Star, with One thicker lnT>ccember 1659. the ( until then unknown )
than the reft, until it v^as grown to Twenty Malady of Bladders in the Windpipe, invaded and
four Minutes Diameter, nor to determine that it removed many Children ; by Opening of one of
was, at leaft, fix Times as big as' the Earth, and them the Malady and Remedy (too late for very
that its Parallax rendred it at length, as Remote many were difcovered.
) Among thofe many
from the Earth, as Mars himfelf •, nevertheless, that thereby expired, were the Three Children
he diligently obferved the Motions of it, from its of the Reverend Mr. S. D. the Eldeft of whom
firft Appearance in Corvus, whence it rrjade a Def- (being upward of five Years and half ; fo Gra-
cent, eroding the Tropick of Capricorn, till it ar- cious and Intelligent were her
Expreffions and
rived unto the Main Top-fail of the Ship, and Behaviour both living and dying, and fo Evi-
then returned through Canis Major, and again
it dent her Faith in Chrift ) was a Luculent Com-
crofted the Tropkk of Capricorn, parting through mentary on that Marvellous Prophecy, that the
Eridanus and the Equinoilial, and entred Child fhould dye an Hundred Years old. How
Lcpus, -,
into the Mouth of the Whale, and fo into Aries ; the Sorrowful Father entertained this Solemn
where it retired not leaving any Philoibpher Providence may be partly gathered from what
able to fulfil the Famous Prophecy of Seneca, in he exprefTed unto fuch as came to attend his
by the Things that I fuffer. The Holy Fire is Wife have been beftow'd upon me, and are
not to be fetcht for you, out of fuch a Flint, as ftill continued tho' my Children are removed .
I am, without fmiting. Not long before thefe And above all, although I cannot deny, but than
Stroaks light upon us, it pleafed God marvelloufly it
pierceth my very Heart to call to Remem-
to quicken our Hearts ( both Mine and my brance the Voice of my Dear Children, calling
Wife's ) and to ftir up in us molt Earneft De- Father, Father .' a Voice, now not heard : Yet
fires after Himfelf: And now he hath taken our I blefs God, it doth far more abundantly refrefk
Children, will he accept us unto freer and fuller and rejoyce me, to hear the Lord continually
Communion with Himfelf, Bleffed be his Holy calling unto me, My Son, my Sen ! My Son,
Name. I truft the Lord huh done, what he hath defpife not the Chaftening of the Lord, nor faint
done in Wifdom, and Faithfulnefs, and Dear thou when thou art corrected of Him. And blef-
Love, and that in taking thefe pleafant Things fed be God, that doth not defpife the Affliction
from me, Fie exercifeth and expreffeth as Ten- of the Affli&ed, nor hides his Face from Him.
der Affection unto me, as I now exprefs towards 'Twas the Confideration that God had fan&ify'd
them in Mourning for the Lofs of them. I de- and glorify'd Himfelf, by ftriking an Holy Awe
of his
fire with Fpbraim, to bemoan my [elf, &c. Jer. and Dread of hisMajefty into the Hearts
31. 18, 19. O that I
might hear the Lord an- People, that made Aaron hold his Peace: And if
fwering me, as he did Ver. 20. It is meet to be the Lord will glorifie himfelf by my Family,
faid to God, We have born Chaftifement, me will by thefe Awful Stroaks upon me, quickning Pa-
not offend ; What we fee not, teach thou us ; and if rents unto their Duty, and awakening their
we have done Iniquity, we will do fo no more, We Children to feek after the Lord, I fhall defire
know, and God much more knows enough in to be content, tho' my Name be cut off: And I
us, and by us to Juftifie his repeated Stroaks, befeech you be earneft with the Lord for us, that
tho' we cannot tax our felves with any known he would keep us from finning againft him ; and
Way of Difobedience. My Defire is, that none that he would teach us to fanftifie his Name,
may be overmuch difmayed at what hath befallen and tho' our Dear Branches have forlaken us,
us^ and let no Man by any means be offended. yet that He that hath promifed to
be with his
Who may fay to the Lord, What doft Thou ? I Children in fix Troubles and infeven, would nop
can fay from my Heart, tho' what is come upon forfake us. My Heart truly would be confum'd.
us is very dreadful and amazing, yet I. content and would even dye within me, but that the
unto the Will of God that it is good. Doth Good Will of Him that dwelt in the Burning
not the Goldfmith caft His Metal into the Fur- Bnfh, and His good Word of Prornife art my
nace ? And you Husbandmen, do you not caufe Truft and Stay.
the Flail to pafs over your Grain, not that you
E e e e 2 CHAf,
x
5
8 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV.
CHAP. IV.
ECCLESIASTES.
The LIFE of the Reverend and Excellent
Jonathan
a the Church, and a Glory
Mitchel; Paftor of of the
Colledge., m Cambridge, New-England.
Written £; COTTON MATHER.
. Simul et Jucunda et idoned
r
dicere l tt<c,
Leftortm Dekftando Simul at\tte monendo.
'
from whence it was in a Way of Judgment re-
in Cambridge has been. Hooker, Shepard, Mit-
'
moved, and the Glory of the Lord, when after
cbely Oakes ( all of them yours ) were Great its Gradual
Removes, was at laft quite gone
Lights. You know that if Light has been brought
F from the Firfi Temple, was not reftored in the
'
into a Room, when it is removed, the Place be- Second, till Chrift s Firfl Coming, nor will it be
c
comes Darker, than if never any fuch Light had in this their Rejeftion, till His Second. Merc^
been there. A Learned Pen in forbid that fuch Things as thefe fhould be veri-
Dr. Tuckney's an
Epifile Dedicatory to the Inha-
fied in
New-England, or in Cambridge ! That
Epiftle prefixed
to Mr. Cotton
bitants of Boflon in Lincoln/hire, this may not be your Cafe, it concerns you not
on Ecchfiajies. puts them in Mind what an Hap- wantonly to Play or Fight by the Light yet re-
py People they once were, while maining, but to make the beft Improvement of
under the Teaching of Mr. Cotton, who was from your prefent Advantages, giving all due Encou-
them removed to plantGhurches for Chrift, in ragement to that Worthy Perfon, who is now
this American Defirt : And prays them to con- over you in the Lord.
'
fider, That as Empires and Kingdoms, fo par- Concerning your Famous Paftor, $0ittl)tl, I
'
ticular Churches have had their Periods. Be- confefs, I had the Happinefs of afpecial Intima-
* tbcl has
prov'd a Beth-haven : In after times cy wich him, in his Life time, nor do I know
*
we find young profane Mockers in Bethel, and any one Death ( thai of Natural Relations ex-
'
fcornful Neuters in Fennel. Go to Shiloh cepted ) that ever has been fo Grievous and Af-
•
'
think of the fometimes Glorious Churches in flictive to my Spirit, as was his. By reafon of
1
Afta, fays he. And he adds, That he had on his Eminent Parts and Piety, he had an happy
*
purpofe vifited fome Places, where God had Influence on all thefe Churches. Many of them
c
before planted his Church, and a Faithful Mi- fare the better at this Day, becaufe the Preach-
4
niftry, to fee, if He could difcern any Foot- ers
whom they are now inftructed by, whilft
' at the Colledge, lived under his Mini-
ftepsand Remembrances of fuch a Mercy, and
Students
1
Lo, they were were all overgrown with Thorns, ftry. The Colledge, Cambridge, New-England
1
and Nettles had over-covered the Face thereof, may Glory, that ever fu:h an One had his Edu-
1
and the Stone-wall thereof is broken down. And ducation there! As for the Defcription of his
*
as he further well obfevves, when the Lord has Life, by my SON
Emitted herewith, I have no-
thing
Book IV^ The Hiftory of New-England. J
5C7
thing to fay concerning the Writer, or this En- ther Extream of Laxnefs in Admillion unto the
deavour of his, becaufe of my Relation to him ; Lord's Holy Table. You know that your t tor
it is what he could
Only, that Colled, whether 99ttCfjCl had a Latitude in his Judgment as to
by Informations from thofe that knew that Ex- the Subject of Baptifm ( as alfo Dr. Ames, Mr. Cot-
cellent Man, or from his private Manufcripts, ton, and others of the Congregational Perjwafion
which he had the Perufal of. It is not without had ) but as to Admiffions to the Sacrament of
the Providence of Chrift, that it fhould be com- the Lord's -Supper. I know no Man, that was
mitted to the ^cf0, at fucb a Tine, when there more Confcientiou fly careful to keep unqualified
are Agitations about forae Disciplinary Ouejiions Perfons from partaking therein than wasfcr, As
amongft your felves. What
the Judgment!)! that for this or that Mode in Examining of
Perfons,
Man of God was,
you have in the fubfequent that offer themfelves to be Communicants in our
Relation of his Life prefented to your View. Churches, whether it (hall be by a more conti-
The Original Manufcript written by Mr. $0it- nued Relation of the Work of Grace, in their
Cljd's own Hand, I have by me. Whether he Hearts, or by Qhieflions and Anfwers ( as was pra-
committed his Thoughts to Writings with any ctifed in the Church at Hartford in Mr. Hooker's
Dellgn of Publication, or for the Satisfaction ofTim?, and which may poffibly be as Edifying a
fome Perfons in a more private Way, I know Way, as the former ) or whether the Perfons
not but it is now Evident, that when his Spi- deligni.-jg to partake in the Lord's- Supper, fhall
•,
rit was inclined thereunto, Heaven defigned his Declare their Experiences Orally, or in Wri-
Meditations fhould be brought into Publick rtew. ting, are Prudentials, which our Lord has left
Whilfh he was Living, you that were of his unto Churches to Determine as they Jhail find
Flock, had ( and conlidering his Great Worth, moft Expedient for their own Edification. Ne-
and Wifdom, it would have been a Reproach to! i
verthe'efs the Subftame of the Thing
:
( \']z.£ ther a
you, if you had not had ) an High Efteem of Relation, m'tis
called, of an Eqjiivak I ~) ougnt
his judgment. Being Dead be yet fpeaketh to you, to be inliltep on. Churches are bouro in Duty
out of his Grave. Thofe of you that retain a to Enquire, not only into the
Knou'^gc and
Living Remembrance of him, in your Hearts, Orthodoxy, but into the Spiritual Efiate of thofe
will eafily difcern fomething of Mr.
^itCf)Ct's
whom they receive into full Commun. all
an Error in fome Churches, who have made this 'them that would Eat the Paffoever, that, There
or that Mode to be a Divine Invitation, which is One Law to him that ts
Home-born, and to the
Chrift has not made to be fo And that there Stranger. Exod, 12. 49. Numb. 9. 14 Where-
has been an unjuftifiable Severity, in Impofing fore in the Platform of Difcipline it
Circumftantials not instituted, whereby fome tru- is faid, The like Trial is to be Required Capt. 12.
ly Gracious Souls have been difcouraged from of fuch Members op the Church as were §• 7«
Offering themfelves to joyn in Fellowihip with born in the fairte, or Received their Alem-
fuch Churches. Thus it has been, when an Oral berfhip, and were baptised in their Infancy, or Mino-
Declaration of Faith and Repentance has been en- rity, by virtue of the Covenant of their Parents, when
joyned on all Communicants, and that before the being grown up to years of Difcretion, they fiiall de-
whole Congregation ; when as many an Humble fire to be made Partakers of the Lord's Table, unto
Pious Soul has not been Gifted with fuch Confi- which, becaufe Holy Tilings are not to be given to
dence. So likevvife has it been, when the Exaft the Vnxcorthy, therefore it is requifite, that thofe as
Account of the Time and Manner of Converfion weli as others fhould come to their Trial and Exami-
has been required Whenas there have been nation, and manifefi their Faith and Repentance by an
-.
multitudes of true Believers ( fuch efpecially as open Profejfwn thereof, before they are received to the
have been advantaged with a Religious Education ; Lords Supper, and otherwife not to be admitted there-
j
that the Seed of Grace has fprnng Thefe are the Words,in the Platform of Dif-
unto;
nf»V/
r
U P '" l ^ cipline, agresd unto by the Elders and MefTengers
r ^ ou ^ s » t]° ey know not how
Minifiers of Great Fame ; and it was defired, Opinion of Men, but the Scripture which muft
that every one fhould give an Account of the decide the Conti overfie. Neverthelefs, the Judg-
Time and Manner of his Converfion, and there ment of thofe Eminunt Divines who had deeply
was but One of them all, that could do it. And fearched into thefe Matters, is not to be flighted.
j
( fays he ) 1 averr from my Heart, that I neither Nor is the Private Sentiment of this or that Per-
j
Fellowfhip, is
Vnfcriptural and Vnrcafonablc. Ne- tended to be of a Contrary Opinion. Nor is
verthelefs, it concerns them to Beware of the o- there Weight in that Allegation, that when a
'
I
Man
i6o The Hiftory o/ New-England. iook iV.
Man declares his own Experiences, he Teftifies
the Satisfa&ion of Churches. But Renowned
and
concerning himfelf, therefore his Teftimony Mr. Hooker in a Manufcript, which I have feen
isof no Validity. By the fame reafon it may anfwering the Obje&ions of fome who diiliked
be faid, Churches are not to Examine thofe, the Practice of thefe Churches, in
Examining and
that effay to joyn themfelves to them, about the Inquiring into the Spiritual Eftate of their Com -
foundnefs of their Faith. For they may ( as municants ( efpecially their requiring an Account
Arius did ) profefs, that they Believe Articles from the Children of the Church ) argues Judici-
of Faith, which God knows, they do not oufly that if Chriftians are bound to give an Ac-
Believe, nor is there any thing but their count of the Grounds of their Hope to Perfecu-
own Teftimony to prove that they do believe as tors, much more to Churches that fhall defire it.
they profefs. But above all, their Notion is to So Mr. Shepard, the Faithful and Famous Pallor
be rejefted, as a Church-corrupting Principle, who of the Church in Cambridge, in bis Anfwer to
aflert that the Sacrament is a Converting Ordinance. Mr. Ball. And to the fame purpofe, in the Plat-
Tapifts, Erajlians, and fome others, whom I for- form of Difcipline it is inferred, that Men muft
bear to mention have fo taught ; but their Hete- declare and fhew their Repentance, and
Faith,
rodoxy has been abundantly Refuted, not only and Effe&ual Calling, becaufe thefe are the Rea-
by Congregational Writers, fiich as Mr. John fon of a Well-grounded Hope. Now for any
Beverly againft Timpfon, but by Worthy Authors Man to charge thefe Worthies of the Lord, and
of the Presbyterian Perfwafion, particularly by the Platform of Difcipline, with abufing
Scripture
Mr Gelapfy in his Aarons Rod, Dr. Drake in his when they made fuch an Inference, is a very un-?
Anf wer to Mr. Humphrys, and Mr. Fines, in his becoming Prefumption. It was formerly thought,
Treatife of the Lordts-Supper. If the Sacrament that Scripture Examples are not wanting, to
were appointed to be a Converting-Ordinance, Warrant the Pra&ice of our Churches in this
then the moft Scandalous Perfons in the World, Matter, fince John required thofe whom he ad-
yea, Heathen People ought to have it Adminftred mitted to his Baptifm, to make a Confeffion of
unto them, for we may not with-hold from them their Sins. And the Apoftles expected a De-
the Means appointed for their Converfion. The claration of their Repentance from fuch as they
Scripture fays, Let a Man examine himfelf, and fo admitted into the Primitive Church. Alls 2.
let him eat
of that Bread, i Cor. n. 28. which 38. And Philip examined the Eunuch
concerning
clearly intimates, that if upon Examination, he the Sincerity of his Faith. Alls 8 37.
finds himfelf in a State of Sin and Vnregcneracy, 2. That Principle which tends to
Perfons not bring
he ought not to Eat of that Bread. '
duly qualified, to partake in Holy Things muft needs
BlefTed Mr. Q^itCfjCl would frequently afTert, be
dtfpleafmg to the Holy Lord Jefus Chrift. He
That if it mould pals for Current Do&rine in would have his Servants to
Diftinguifh betwixt
New- England, That all Perfons Orthodox in
Judg- the Precious and the File. Jer. 15. 19. And to
ment, as to Matters of Faith, and not Scandalous in Turn away from fuch as have only the and
Form,
Life, ought to be admitted to partake of the Power ofGodlinefs in them, 2 Tim. 3.
not the
5 they .
Lard's- Supper, without any Examination, concern- that have only a Doilrinal
Knowledge, and. an Exier-
ing the Work of Saving Grace in their Hearts, it nalConverfton free trom Scandal, without Regene-
would be a Real Apoftacy from former Principles, ration, have no more than a Form ofGodlinefs. If
and a Degeneracy from the Reformation, which we Chriftians fhould not make fuch Perfons their Fa-
had attained unto. 1 am willing upon this Occa- miliars, certainly they ought not admit them to
fion, to bear my Teftimony to the prefent Truth, their Sacred Communion. It is a
very folemn
and to leave it upon Record unto Pofterity ; not Word, which the Lord has fpoken, faying, Ton
knowing how foon the Lord Jefus may by one have brought into my Santluary Vncircumcifed in
Providence or other ( of which I have had feveral Heart, to be in my Sanftuary to pollute it ; even in my
Warnings ) remove me from my prefent Station Houfe, whenyoit Offer the Bread and the Blood. No
among thefe Churches. The Arguments which Stranger uncircumcifed in Heart, fhaU enter into my
have induced me to believe and teftifie, as now I Santluary. Ezek. 44. 7, 9. That Man does but
do, are fuch as thefe. defile the San&uary of the Lord, that has not the
1. Time was when Churches in New-England, Water of Separation ( the Blood of Chrift through
believed there was Clear Scripture Proof for the Faith) Sprinkled upon him. Numb. 19. 20. But
Practice we plead for. Particularly that Scrip- this Principle or Pofition, That Perfons are to be
ture, Pfal. 4, 10. / have not hidden thy Righteouf- admitted to the Table of the Lord, without En-
nefs from the great Congregation. And
that, Pfal. quiring into their KepiteratiOn, tends to bring
66. 6. Come and Hear all ye that fear God, and the Vncircumcifed in Heart, into the
1
Santluary. If
I will declare what he has done for my Soul, And Churches fhould neglect all Examinations con-
that Scripture, 1 Pet. 3.
15. Be ready always to cerning the Orthodoxy of thofe they receive into
give an A'ifwcr to every Man, that asks you a Rea- their Communion ^
would not that have a Natu-
son of the Hope that is in you, dees by juft Confe- ral Tendency to bring Heterodox, and it may be
quence intimate as much as what
we aflert. Some Heretical Perfons into their Communion ?
By a
have been bold to fay, that fince the Apoftle in Parity of Reafon, the Omitting all Enquiries, as
the Place alledged, fpeaks of Believers Apologi- to the Spiritual Experience of them that come to
it is an the Table of the Lord, has a Tendency to fill
sing for their Hope before Perfecutors,
Abufe of Scripture from thence to infer, tiiat any the Santtuary with thofe, who never had any
be done for Experimental Knowledge of the Things of God.
thing of that Nature onght to
3. Tbs
Book IV. The Hijtory of New-rEngland. 161
ing others give ah Account of their Converiion ?
3. The Church ought to know, as far as Men can How many have been Comforted, and how
many
judge.,
that the Pcrfons whom they admit to the Lords which proveth, that this Pra-
Edified thereby /
in them, before they are laid there ; of which the feek to pull down with our Hand, That Houfe
Prepared Materials in Solomonh Temple were a ( or any Pillar- Principle, whereon it is founded )
Type, 1 Kings 5, 7. They ought to be Saints and which our Wife Fathers have built The Deba-
Faithful in Chrifi Jefus.
Eph. 1 1 . . How fhall the fing the Matter of Particular Churches muft needs
Churches know, that the Perfons who offer them- Corrupt them. A Learned and Renowned Au-
felves to their Communion are fuch, unlefs they thor has Evinced, That the Letting
Jer their TriaL Rev. 2. 2. If a Man claim
-
ent Reafon, he ought to be debarred until he can rate Perfons, brought in the Great
fome way 01 other prove his Claim. It is true, The Way to
Apoflacy of the Chrijlian Church.
the Judgment of Churches is fallible : Grace being prevent the like Apofiacy in thefe
Churches, is
a Secret Thing, hid in the Heart ; only Chrifi feeth to Require an Account of thofe, that offer them-
it : Churches cannot always difeern the Tares felves to Communion therein, concerning the
from the Wheat. Neverchelefs, they may not Work of God on their Souls, as well as concerning
willingly receive
in Hypocrites. Bellarmine hirn- their Knowledge and Belief. If once this Practice
jfelf is fain to
Confefs, as much as that comes to. and Principle of Truth be deferted, A World of
When fuch were found in Churches in the Apo- unqualified Perfons will foon fill, and peiter and
ftolical Times, it is faid, that they Crept in pri- corrupt the Houfc of God, and canfe Him to
vily and unawares. Gal. 2.4. Jude v. 4. Which Go far off from His SancJuary. We may then
intimates unto us, that they did not willingly ad- juftly fear, that thefe Golden Candlcflicks, will be
mit fuch into their Fellowfhip. When the Ene- no longer fo, but become Drofs and 77k, and
my fowed Tares the Field, the Lord has refilled them.
in a Culpable Sleep- Reprobate Silver, until
mould have been more Watch- Let us Dread to have an Hand, in cauling it
ing in thofe, that
ful was the Caufe of it. Math. 13. i%. They to be fo It is a folemn Paffage which Mr. Cot-
!
who object, that we are bound in Charity to ton ( whom Dr. Goodwin calls the Apoflle of this
believe, that the Perfons, who offer themfelves Age ) has in his Judicious Treatife of the Holi-
10 our Communion, are Regenerate, without nefis of Church Members, p. 6©. Methinks ( fays
ever making any Enquiry into their Spiritual he ) the Servants of God (hould TrembleJo Erect
Eftate, may with as good Reafon affirm, that fuch a State of the vifible Church, in Hypccrifte and
we are bound in Charity to believe, that fhty Formal Frofejfon, as whofe very Foundation threat-
are found in the Faith, without Examining them neih certain Diffolution and Defo'.ation. True it
about that Matter. A
Rational Charity, grounded is, That we may not Do Evil, that Good may
upon Evidence, and not a Blind Charity is the Rule come of it. We
may not Ufe any unlawful
according to which Churches are to proceed. PraCtice to prevent Impurity, as to the Mattei
of our Churches. But no Man can fay, Thau
4. That Pratliee, which Chrifi has 'owned with the Praftice we plead for is Sinful. If then the
Hvs fpecial Bleffmg and Prefence, ought not to be life of it may ( by the Bleffing of Chrift ) be a
decryed as an Humane Invention, but rather owned Means to keep our Churches and Communion
as a Divine Injlitution. Was not the Lord's Blef-
pure, why mould it be laid afide ? Mr. $&itti)£l
ling Aaron's Rod an Effectual Demonfbration, in a Manufcript of his, which I have feen, has
'
that his Miniftry had a Divine Approbation ? thefe weighty Words, The Over-enlarging
'
Is not Paul\ calling to the
Miniftry, and Pe- of full Communion or Admiffion of Perfons
1
ters alfo, proved from this Argument, that God thereunto, upon flight Qualification?, without
owned and Blcffed them both ? 1 Cor. 9. 1,2. ' infifting upon the Practical and Spiritual Pare
Gal. 2. 7, 8, 9. That Chrift has owned His ' of Religion, will not only lofe the Power of
1
Churches, in their Enquiries into the Spiritual Godlinefs, but in a little time, bring in Pro-
fanenefs, and Ruine the Churches thefe two
'
Ettate of fuch as they admit into their Commu-
nion with His fpecial Gracious Prefence, is inoft ' Ways. 1. Election of Minifters will foon be
Part wanting Zeal againft Sin, will folter Li- pentance of their Communicants,
P '
44>
c
'
centioufnefs. It is not fetiing down good left haply it mould be only Su-
Rules and Directions, that will falve it For perficiary and Fallacious, There was an Examen
:
p
1
the Specification of Government is from Men, Cenfcienttarium ufed amongft them. It muft be
1
not horn Laws. Let never fo good a Form acknowledged, that in the Proteftant
*
Reformation
of Government be agreed upon, it will foon there has been a great NegleB and
DefeB as'
'
or Men ) that to what concerns the
degenerate, if the Inftroments ( Difcipline and Govern-
manage it, be not Good ment of Chrifl: in His Church. As the
*
BlefTed iTQttCfjel !
Apo-
Thefe are thy Words This was thy Spirit !
flarywas gradual, fo has the
•,
Reformation been
And there was ( as Dr. Owen
In the and Pureft Times of the
Primitive well obferves ) a Wife Provi- Dr Owen, -
6. of the ~
was great StriBnefs nfed in Exami- dence in ordering it to be fo. ^f 'i °i aC °fptl
u
Church, there
ning fuel) as were admitted
to Sacraments, concern-
'
'
For had the Firft Reformers P p> l *
T*
fet themfelves to remove out of the
ing the Sincerity of their Repentance towards God, 1 Church all
and their Faith in the Lo'd Jefus Chrift. There fuch as were unmeet for its
Communion, and
are who pretend, That this is a New PraBice,
* to
have reduced Things to their Primitive In-
begun by a few Separates in Amfterdam, not ftitution., by Reafon of the Paucity of theNum-
an Hundred Years fince. But fuch Perfons dis- ber of fuch Church
J Members, the Endeavour
cover their Ignorance, and that they are unac- for a General
Reformation of Dodtrine and
'
quainted and unftudied in Ecclefiaftical Story. 4 Worfhip would have been obftruded. Hence
Juftin Martyr ( who lived 1 50 Years after Chrift ) 1
it comes to
pafs, That the Reformation of the
in his Second Apology for the Chriftians, wri- Church, as unto the M.nter of it, was not
'
teth, That they did Examine fnch as were ad- attempted, until Calvin fet np his Difcipliae
mitted to their Communion, whether they were able in Geneva, which has filled the World with
'
to conform themfelves in all things to ihe Word and Clamours againft him to this
' Day. In molt
Will of God. If we would know what Things other
Places the Matter or Members of
'
were pracrifed by the Churches in the Primitive Churches were, as to their Lives and Conver-
4
fation as bad as the
Times, the Writings of Tertullian and Cyprian, Papifts. Neverthelefs,
( as Learned Vfher has truly obferved ) give
Eminent Divines of the in this and
Reformation,
us the cleareft Difcovery thereof. It is evident the la ft
Century, have approved of that which
from them, that in thofe Days, there was rather we are pleading for. Bez.a la-
ments the Remifsncfs of
too much Rigidity, than too much Laxnefsfm their Ben Ep'fl-H-
Proteftant
Ad million to Sacraments. They would keep Churches in not taking more Care
Men, who were Catechumens and Competentes a about the Qualifications of their Members con- •
long time, before they did receive them into cluding, that there will never be fuch a Refor-
full Communion Church. They required
in the mation as ought to be endeavoured
after, nifi a
not only a Profeflion of Faith, and a Confeffion Converftone Cordium Initium lnft anr ationis fuma-
of Sins, but a SubmiiTion to a Severe Scrutiny tur, except Men with Converted
Hearts, be laid
in the
concerning their Sincerity therein. Foundation. Bitcer finds fault with the
Akuinus. Fiant Scrutinia, ut fepins explorentur, Englifb Churches for Admitting Chil-
an
poft Renunciationem Satan<e facra
dren had been baptized, unto Bmr ScriP u
who
the Ar,
verba data Fidei radicitus Corde defixerint. They Lord's Supper, upon too low ^Cap-,
p '^ 2 '^'
were to be Examined again and again, to find Terms. He fays, there fhould be
out, whether the Words of the Faith they pro- manifejl Signs of Regeneration in them firft That .-
fefled, were indeed fixed in their Hearts. Cyprian they fhould appear to be fuch as had upon their
in his third Epiftle fays, Aiihi labor eft perfua- Hearts a Scnfc of the Word
of God, and that they
dere fratribus ut recipiendis Confentiant, fix Plebi did life Secret
Prayer, &c. But how mould fuch
perfuadeo, ut tales patiantur admitti, quia nrc cum Things be known concerning them without
vera pcenitentia vencrant. That he could not eafily Enquiry into their Spiritual Statt ! Coamier com-
perfwade the Brethren in Churches, toconfentto mends the Stridnefs ufed in the
the Admiffion of fuch Perfons to their Commu- Primitive Times, in eiam r de
Examining thofe
nion, of whofe Sincere Repentance, there was any that defired to joyn to the
'/
m - L 5 "
Church, faf"{
doubt. (Jrigen declares,
as much as that amounts ne quantum fieri poterit lateant Simo-
to. When in after Ages, Churches degenera- nes, that fo Simon Magus may not creep into the
ted, Chryfoflom complains, that by Admitting Church, if it were poffibie to prevent it. Lu-
ungodly Men into the Church, they had filled
ther did at laft bewail That he
forrowfully it,
theTemple with Beafls, and he profefied, that began his Reformation
with fuch I'romifcuous Jd-
he would fooner choofe to have his Right mijfwns to the Table of the Lord, heartily wifh-
Hand cut off, than Adminifter the Sacrament ing, that he had taught and pradifed fuch a
to a Known wicked Man. It is well
known, that Church
Difcipline, as that which was profefied by
the Waldenfts, amonglb whom Religion was pre- the Bohemian Brethren. Chemnitius wifheth, that
ferved, during the Reign of Popery, were ftrid the StriBnefs ufed the Ancients in the
among
in this matter. And ib were the Bohemian Bre- Probation of Communicants were reftored, and
1 revir
Book IV. 25fe ii//% <jf New-England .163
revived in the Churches of the Reformation. His their Obedience to the Call of Chrift, who
nifefting
Defire and that in Time it will be their Confejfien
Godly Hope being further known to each other by
fo, is approved
of by Gerhard in his Common of Faith wrought in them by the Power of
Place, de Sacr.i Cctna. God, declared by themfives, or otherwife mamfefted,
Some of thofe that are called Presbyterians confent to walk together according to the appointment
as to the Subftance of what of I have known many in England of that
fully concur with us, Chrift.
we plead for. When Mr. Norton in his-Anfwer way ; but never any that did not concern the Bre-
unto Apo'.lmus, does afTert, That four Things thren as well as themfelves, to be udges of the fit-
are to be required of thofe, that defire Admi- nefs of thofe who have delired to be received into
ffion into Church Fellowfhip. 1. A Confeffion their Communion. It is evident, that the Church,
of Faith. 2. A
Declaration of their Experience ( and not the Officers only ) have Power given
concerning
a Work of Faith. 3. A Blamelefs Con- them
by Chrift, to Judge who are meet to be
verfation. 4. ProfcfTed SubjetJion to the Gofpel, put out of their Communion. Mat. 18. 17.
1 Cor.
and the Order of ir. That Learned and Wor- 5 12. Then they muft needs have the like Power
of as to thofe that are to be taken into their Com-
thy Profeffor of Divinity, in the Univerlity
Leyden, Dr. Hcmbeck declares his munion. Ejusdcm eft poteftatis conftituere
ct defti-
Hombick e- Concurrence with hitn and Axiom. If the whole
therein, tuere, is a known received
tn3C in thefe Particulars, thofe of Church has power to Judge of the Repentance
rlumtS'g.
the Congregational Way, agree with of one that is to be Re-admitted, then of the Re-
fome other Reformed Churches. To my certain pentance of one that is to have his firft Admif-
Knowledge, Eminent Minifters of the Presbyte- jion. But the Apoftle fpeaks to the Church, and
rian Perfwalion, in London, Fxamine their Com- not to the to reftore the penitent
Officers only
municants ( before they admit them to partake Corinthian to their Communion. 2 Co ;. 2. 8. A-
with them, at the Lord's Table ) concerning gain, If the whole multitude of Difciples have tower
their Faith and Repentance. And fo ( notwith- to Judge, whether Perfons are qualified with
ftanding what is
pleaded for by the Godly Learned. that Wifdom and Grace, as to be meet for Of-
Mr. Rutherford ) fome do in Szotland, as divers fice-Relation in the Church, then they have Power
Wot thy Minifters of that Nation, have allured me. to Judge concerning the Knowledge and Grace
The Difference as to this Matter, between a of Communicants. The A.gument i? a majori ad
Tresbyterian and a Congregational Man, ( who are minus. They that are tneet Judge! in a greater
neverchelefs Vnncd brethren ) is this. There Matter, much more in that which is lifs. But
is no § •; tlponal Man but he reports to the the former is clear from the Scripture. Ails
Cl thing of what the Perfon 'defiring 6. 2, 3, 4. For further Satisfaction in this point,
Communion with them, has related to him ; Mr. Norton, and Mr. Sbipard may be confulted,
which the Presbyterian does not, only Declares with that Man of vaft Reading and Learning,
his own Satisfaction, and giveth the Brethren a Mr. Robert Parker.
Liberty to object againft the Converfation of the Thefe Things I have fuppofed to be proper
Admittendi. I know Presbyterians, who are ftrifler for me to Write to you the Church of Chrift
in their Examinations and Adudffions, than fome •in
Cambridge ; not as doubting of your Stedfaft-
Congregational Men. It appears therefore, that nefs in the Truth to this day profeffed and pra-
'
fuch Enquiries into the Spiritual Eft ate of them, ftifed by yon, but as defiring that thofe who
who are to be admitted unto full Communion:, fhall fucceed you, may continue to walk 'there-
in all the Ordinances of the Gofpel, is no Singular in ; and that fo I might teflifie, the peculiar Re-
or Novel Practice :
Nothing but what is con- fped, that I do (and ought to ) bear unto you,
firmed by Reverend Antiquity, and Ins been ingc- on the Account of the Undeferved Love, which
nuoully afferted by the Great Reformers, both all of yon have manifefted towards me. Five
of the former, and this prefent Age. Whether Years are not expired, fince you were pica fed
the brethren, as well as the Elders' fbould not be unanimoufly to Invite me to Accep: of the Pa-
concerned as Judges, concerning the Qualificati- ftoral over you. But the UnwiUing'nefs of
Off.ce
ons of thofe whom they Receive into their Com- the Dear People, among whom 1 have been La-
munion, is another Queftion, which I fhall not bouring in the Gofpel for the Space of Thirty
here enlarge upon. It is certain, that in the fix Years, that I fhould leave them, in Confide-
Primitive Ages of the Church, they had that Li- ration with fome other Obftaclcs, kept me from
berty •,
otherwife Cyprian would never have faid, complying with that your Loving Motion. Ne-
Vix Plcbi perfuadeo ut Tales patiantur admilti, £:c. verthelefs, \ cannot but whilft I Live, have a
And elfewhere confefled his Obligations, and Dear Affe&ion for you, and know not how to
Rcfolutions, Nihil fine confenfu plebis, privata fen. exprefs it more, than by Endeavouring what in.
tentia ga:ere. rrie lies, that you and your Children after you,
Matter, Difcharge my Duty, according to his Effectual to Converfwn than Fublick Sermons. Some
Expectation, to whom I muft be accountable con- very worthy Perfons who were ome his Scholars,
cerning the Improvement of whatever Talents or have a Living Remembrance of his Words, to this
Opportunities to Serve His Interefts, He has or Day. Others of them are now with him in Glo-
fhall Truft me with, whilff. am in
IWorld. ry, blefilng God to Eternity, whofe Providence
this
A few Words let me further
fpeak to you, difpofed them under fnch a Tutor. Famous
who belong to that Nurfery, for Religion and Dr. Prejlon chofe rather to Live in Cambridge,
Learning, which has for a long time been the than in any Place of England, becaufe by Reafoa
Glory, not of Cambridge only, but of Ncw-Eng- of the Vniverfity there, he had an Opportunity,
land. Sixteen Years will this Summer be lapfed, Non modo dolare Lapidcs fed ArticbiteHos, to
pre-
face God, by his Providence, devolved the Pra- pare Builders for tbe'Houfe of God. The
1
Angels
fidentfhip of that Society into my Hands,
to ma- in Heaven would not think it beneath
them, to
nage it (Co (av as my Jnfnfficiencies
for fuch a be employed in fo Great a Work and Service for
Service will permit ) for the Ends, which He the Churches of Chrift, as that which Infinite
( and our Fathers, as his Inflruments ) did at firft Grace has call'd^a« unto. If you follow thofe, that
Ereft a Colledge in New- England upon ; which was 1
have gone before you ( 99itCf)Cl in particular
)
chiefly, that fo Scholars might there be Educated as they have followed
Chrift, your Names will be
for the Service of Chrifb and His Churches, in Precious and Honourable like theirs, and you fhall
the Work of the Afinijlry, and that they might be Live after you are Dead, as they now do.
feafonefi in their Tender Years with fuch Princi- As for you that are the Students in the Colledge ;
ples brought their BlefTed Progenitors into I have often ( as you know ) in my Difcourfes
as
this Wildemefs. What my Solicitudes for among you, Exhorted you above all Things to
this have been in both Englands^ is known to Study Chrift, and to be mindful of, The one
Thing
to Him, who laid to the Churches, / know Gifts without Grace will be of no
Neceffary.
your Works. There is no One Thing of Greater Avail unto you at Iaft. You may excel in Know-
Concernment to thefe Churches, in prefent and ledge, and yet be of all in the Worldd the moft
after- times, than the Profperity of that Society. Mferable, and moft like to the Devils, as a Con-
They cannot fubfiffc without a Colledge. There verted Indian once fa id concerning fome Scholars.
are are at this day not above Two or Thiee of You know, thai many Fhilofophers who were
our Churches but what are fupplyed from thence. Heathen excelled in that which is called, Humane
Nor are the Churches like to continue pure Gol- Learning. And fo have fome Popi(h Authors
den Candle-flicks, if the Colledge, which fhould ( Jefuitcs efpecially ) done, whofe Books have
fupply them, prove Apoflate. If the Fountain been very Edifying to others. I muft
confefs,
be corrupted, How fhould the Streams be pnre, that as to that fmall meafure of Knowledge which
which fhould make Glad the City of God ? How I have attained unto, I have, ( for fome part of
fhould Plants of Renown fpring up from thence, it ) been beholden to the Divine Providence for
if the Colledge it felf become a Degenerate Plant ? the Works of Ricciolus,
Galtruchius, and others
You that are Tutors there, have a Great Advan- of that Fraternity, who were very Learned Men,
tage put into your Hands ( and I pray God give tho' Enemies of the True Proteflant Religion.
you VVifdom to know it!) to prevent it. The Knowledge then without Chrifl and Holinefs, will
Lord hath made you Fathers to many Pupils. never bring you to Heaven. One has written
You will not deny, but that He has made me a a Book, De Salute Ariflolis And another, Dc •
The Hi (lory
;
fome of you mould live to fee that Scripture!' other. And for my part I fully believe, that the
'
verified, where the Lord fays, The Levites that ongrcgational Way far exceeds both, and is the
t
\
1"
are gone far from me, wlien lfrael went aflray, they'. Highefl Step that has been taken towards Refor-
l
Jhall not come near unto me, to do the Office of mation, and for the Subftance of it, it is the
\
a Prieft unto me, but the Sons of Zadok that kept] ' very fame way, that was eftablifhed and pra-
*U„ r\.*„~„ -r
fie f n »L— /7._n ...i...
. -• » ' t\\C„A :„ »1 n..:... *:_.-
ftifed in the Primitive
rtrv i:_ _ -J ^i_.
Charge of my Saniluary, they /hall enter into my Times, according to the
Saniluary, and they /hall come near to my Table to Inftitution of Jefus Chrift. I muft needs {iy,
Mtnifler unto me I
Ezek.4+. 10, 15. Let me Re- that I mould look upon it, as a fad Degene-
commend unto you the weighty Words of my racy, if we mouldGood Old Way,
leave the
molt Dear and Worthy Friend and PredecefTor, and Synods into Clan*
fo far as to turn Councils
'
Mr. Oakcs, once your Learned Pnftdent, which fes and Provincial Ajfemblies, and there mould
*
he delivered ( and afterwards Printed ) on a be fucb a Laxnefs in Admijjion of Members f»
1
very folemn Occafion. He fpeaketh to you thus, Communion, as is pleaded for^ and pr.itlifed by
'
Conllder (faith he ) what will be many Presbyterians, and Elders ftould manage all
'
In his Electi- the End or Receding or making a themfelves in an Autscratorical Way, to the Sub-
on Sermon on c
Deut. 32. Defeclion from the Way of Church verfionof the Liberty and Priviledge of theZ?rf-
29.
Government eftablilhed amongft us. \ thren. Thus Mr. Oakes. As for that Excel-
p. 44.
look upon the Difco
I pi'ofefs,
I lently Learned and Holy Man Mr. Charles
Chauncey, who for many Years Prefided over Har-
'
very and Settlement of the Congre-
gational Way, as the Boon, the Gratuity, the vard-CoUedge, none of you, who now belong to
Largefs of Divine Bounty, which the Lord that Society, c3n remember him. But you have
gracioufly bellowed on His People, that fol- heard what his Dying Charge to his Sons ( who
lowed Him into this Wildernefs ; and a great through Grace tread in their Father's Steps )
part of the Biejjing on the Head oi'Jofeph, and
was in his Lafl Will and Teflament, which you
of them who were Separate from their Brethren. may fee Publifhed with his Life in due Time.
Thefe Good People that came over, fhewed He that is now your Prefident —A longe fequi-
more Love, Zeal, and AffecYionate Defire of tur vefligia femper adorans yet is willing not to
Communion with God in pure Worfhip and Or- Evert or Undermine the Foundation, which his
dinances, and did more in Order to it than o- BlefTed Predeceffbrs, have laid, but to Build
thcrs, and the Lord did more for them than thereon. I remember Buchanan ( who was Tu-
for any People in the World, in (hewing them tor to K. James I. ) in the Preface to his Bap-
the Pattern oi His Houfe, and the true Scriptu- tises, which he Dedicates to that K. fays, That
'
ral-way of Church Government and Admini- the Reafon why he did fo, was, That in caft
ftrations. God was certainly in a more than '
He fhould through the Influence of Evil Coun-
*
ordinary Way of Favour prefent with his Ser- or from any other Caufe, be Guilty of
fellors,
1
vants in laying of our Foundations, and in Male-Adminiftration in His Government, af-
'
feeling the Way of Church Order according to Ages fhonid know, that the Blame ought
ter
c
tne Will and Appointment of Chrift. Confi- to be imputed not to His Tutor, but to Him-
1
der, what will be the fad Jjfue of Revolting felf. So let me fay, If you the Students in
from the Way fixed upon, to one Extream or Harvard-Coll edge, or any of you, (hall deviate
to another, whether it be to Presbyterianifm and degenerate from the Holy Principles and
or Browmfm ; as for the Presbyterians , it muftPractices of your Fathers, the World {hall know,
be acknowleged, that there are among them as and Pofterity (hall know, That the Reafop, of
Pious, Learned, Sober, Orthodox Men, as the it is not for want of being otherwife inftrudted
World affords and that there is as much of the by your Prefent, as well as by Former Prefi-
•
Ffff 2 ECC-LE-
i66 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV,
ECCLESIASTES.
THE
LIFE
OR,
O F
onathan Mitchel
Sanfforum Vitas Legere & non Vivere, frujlra eft 5
SanBcrum Vitas Degite, non Legite.
§. 1.
Reported concerning the Ancient while the Father of his Flefo was endeavouring to
''T is
Phrygians, that when a Prieft expired make him Learned by proper Education, the Fa-
a
I among them, they Honoured him with ther of Spirits ufed the Methods of Grace to make
a Pillar Ten Fathom high, whereon him Serious ; efpecially by a fore Feavour, which
they placed his Dead Body, as if he were to con- had like to have made the Tenth Year of his Life
tinue after his Death, from thence Inftructing the Lafl, but then fettled in his Arm with fuch
of the People. Nor can a Mmifter of the Gof- Troublefome Effecls, that his Arm grew, and
pel have any more Honourable Funeral, than kept a little bent, and he could never ftretch it
That, by which his Inftru&on of the People,
out Right until his Dying Day. And upon this
may be molt continued unto the People, after Accident he afterwards wrote this Reflexion •
as high a Pillar, as the bell Hiftory, that I can give is to relate, that his Parents were fome
of thofe
of his Exemplary Life, can eredt, for that Wor- Exemplary Cbriftians, which by the Vnconjcionable
thy Man for whom Statues of Corinthian Brafs, Impofitions' and Persecutions of the Englifh Hie-
;
were but Inadequate Acknowledgments. rarchy upon the Confciences of People, as Remar-
kable for True Christianity as any in the Realm,
2.If it were counted an Honour to the were driven out of it in the Year 163$. the Ship,
§.
Town of Halifax in Torkfiire, that the Famous which brought over Mr. Richard Mather,and ma-
fobn de Sacro Bofco, Author of the well-known ny more of thofe Puritans, which had found the
Treatife De Sphara, was born there ; this Town Church of England, then governed by fuch an Af-
was no leis Honoured by its being the Place of fembly of Treacherous Men, ( a Faction to whom
Birth to our no lefs worthily Famous Joitatljatt that Name, The Church o/England never truly be-
95itCljCi, the Author
of a better Treatife Of longed ) that they were put upon wifhing with
who being defcended ( as a Printed Ac- the perfecuted Prophet, Ob! that I bad in the Wil-
Heaven,
count long fince has told us ) of Pious and Weal- dernefs a Lodging-place of Way-faring Men\ was
thy Parents, here
drew his fiiTt Breath, in the further enriched by having on Board our 3!0lt3-
Year 1624. The precife Day of his Birth is loft, tfjatt, than a Child of about Eleven Years of Age ;
nor is it worth while for us to enquire by an whofe Parents with much Difficulty and Refolu-
Aflrologic'al Calculation,
what Afpeft the Stars had tion carried him unto Bristol to take Shipping
he was not yet recovered of his Iilnefs.
upon' his Birth, lince the Event has proved, therc,while
That God the Father was in the OntheCoaft of New-England, they were delive-
Horofcope, Cbrifl
in the Mid- Heaven, the Spirit
in the Sixth Houfe, red from a raoft Eminent and Amazing Hazard
Repentance, Faith and Love, in the Eighth : And of perifhing, in a moft Horrible Tempest ; upon,
other Lofles befel him in the Latter End of that and the Eighteenth year of his
Age, upon the
Winter. The next Summer he removed unto Earncft Advice of fome that had Obferved his
Say-brook, and the next Spring unto Weathers- great Capacity, and efpecially of Mr. Mather.
field upon Comietficut River, by which he loft yet with whom he came into
New-England, he Re-
more of his PorTefllons, and plunged himfelf into fumed his Defigns for Study and where-
Learning :
Pequots, and Three Men in the Veflel flain, in tb.rs of the Country, with himfelf, treating this
all of whom he was nearly concerned So that perfon, as not Coming behind the very Chiefeft
:
of
indeed the Pequot Scourge fell more on this Fa- them all, and Tailing his
Communications,nct as
mily, than on any other in the Land. After- Vnr'qe Grapes, or Winejufi out ofthc Prcfs.
ward there arofe unhappy Differences in the place § 5. But before we can fairly Arrive to that
where he lived, wherein' he was an Antagonist part of our Story , in will be as profitable,^
neceffary
againft fome of the Principal Perfons in the place, for ustoObferve the Steps whereby God made;
and hereby be that had hitherto Lived in precious him (jDl'CtJt- The Faculties of Mind, with which,
Esteem with Good Aicn, wherever he came ( as a the God that Forms the
Spirit of man, enriched
Record 1 have feen, teflifies concerning him ) him, were very Notable. He had a Clear Head,
now fuffered much in his Esteem among many a Copious Fancy, a Solid Judgment, a Tenacious
fuch Men, as 'tis ufual in fuch
Contentions, and Memory, and a certain Difcretion, without an$
he met with many other Injuries For which Childifh Lafchete, or Levity in his
Behaviour,
Caufes, he transferred himfelf, with hislnterefts, which commanded Refpecl from all that viewed
unto Stamford in the Colony of Nero Haven. Here him So that it might be faid of him, as it once
:
his Houfe Barn and Goods were again confumed was of a Great Perfon in the
Englifh Nation,
by Fire ; and much Internal Diftrefs of Mind ac- They that knew him from a Child, m-ver h:cw him
companied thefe Humbling Difpenfations. At any other than a Man. Under thefe Advantages,
that Moft Horrible of Difeafis, the
laft, Stone, he was an Hard Student, and he fo Profpered in
arrefted him, and he underwent unfpeakable Do- his
Indefatigable Studies, that he became a Scho-
lours from it, until the Year 1645. when he went lar of
Illuminations, not far from the Firft Magni-
unto his P.elt about the Fifty Fifth Year of his tude : Recommended by which Qualifications^
Age. was not long before he was Chofen a Fellow of
the Colledge. But the main Strokes of his Colledge-
§. 4. Although the Good Spirit of God, gave Lifc, that I fhall fingle out for my Readers Ob-
Difpo- fervation, are of yet an higher Character. Know
our Jonathan to improve much in his Holy
litions while he was yet a Youth, by the Cala- then, that as it was his own Counfel to his Bro-
mities, which thus befel his Father and particu- ther, The Writing offometimes your former and pre-
•
larly upon Occafion of a fad thing befalling a fent Life, would be a Thing of Endlefs Vfe, thus it
Servant of his Father's, who inftead of
going to was his manner, whilft in the Colledge, to keep a
the Le&ure at Hartford,^ he had been allowed and brief
Diary, written in the Laiine Tongue, which
Advifed, would needs go fell a Tree for himfelf,
he wrote indeed fluently and handfomely and -,
but a broken Bough of theTree ffruck him dead,fo from a part of this Diary, by himEntituled, Kn^
that he never fpokeorftirred more ^our
Jonathan, Hypomncmata, happily fallen into my Hands, I
who was then about Fifteen Years old, in one fhall note fome few Pvemarkablcs.
He
i68 The Hiftory of New-hnglanci. Book IV.
He before God ; and upon the
kept a drift Eye upon his Interior State, Difpoiit ons or his
;
Heart, as well in Sacred as in Civil Entertainments: but with an Extreme Severity of Refitilion
upon himfelf, when perhaps, at the fame time the Severe/l Spectator upon Earth befides would
have judged every thing in him worthy to have been Admired, rather than Cenfufed. He would
Record fuch Things as thefe.
One Time,
Inter precandum, Pens ab ac Defolato In my Prayer, God was juftly withdrawn from
Infipido
Corde jufte abfuit,
ut me ( quo nihil magis ncceffa- my Unfavoury and Defolace Heart, that fo He
rium ) humiliaret ; Nam aliter ( ft paulo melius might Humble me ; than which there is nothing
aliatiando fe babe at Cor ) efi
in me, quod propbana more needful for me. For otherwife(if my Heart
Spirituals Superbia tttillatur. Eram tamen inde be at any time in a little better frame) there is
nonnibil ad Deum Excitatior. that in me, which is tickled with
Spiritual Pride.
Neverthelefs I was from hence more Excited
At another Time, God-ward.
Jejunio prlvato interfui, ubl
Stupore, I was
multo &
prefent at a private Faft:, where I was fill-
tnulta vanitatc Oppletus fum ; aliaua tamen vigue- ed with much Sottifhnefs and Vanity : Yet I had
rant Sufpiria &
Dens non vlfus ejl me omnino fome Lively Sighs ; and God Teemed not wholly to
abdlcare, fed paiAo meliorem fecit ; tttinam tenuijfem caft me off, but made me a little Better than I was
& fovlffem Defideria, qua tunc accer.dlt. before. 1 wifh 1 had Retained and Cheriflied the
Defires, which He then Enkindled.'
nunquam non omnia mea venenantur ) me coram had laid me low in the Dull before God , befides
Deo profiraviffct, prater alia mea peccata, qua my other Sins, which lay me lower than the very
me infra vermes pcnunt, Neque fane unquam all- Worms of the Duft. But indeed, 1 never Do or
quid aut facio ai;t dico, itnde plus pudoris quam Say any thing, from whence there arifes not more
Honoris, mihl non nafcttur, ft omnia mecum per- of Shame than of Honour to me, if I Confiderall
pendo ; &
Lens Jolet femper aliquid relinquere, things and God ufes in all ever to leave fome- •,
At another Time,
Colloquiis Hllaribus, cum Sociis quibufdam nlmls
I
gave too much Liberty unto Merry Talk,
Indulfi. with fome of my Friends.
At I went unto
another Time, fioflon, and there took a Civil Li-
Adibam Boftonium, & ibi Libertatem Civilem berty But from fuch Entertainments my Heart
:
acccpl, fed
ex Ublefi amcnt'vs Leve & Inftpidum Cor, grew light and unfavoury.
At another, difcourfed fome things with more Freedom
I
Liberius quam quadam locutus fum, than Wifdom-, for which, I was afhamed of
prudentius my
unde mihl pudor. felf.
Again He laid up the more efpecial Admonitions which touched him, in the Sermons that he
•,
heard Preached, ot in other more private and ufeful Conferences, and the Refoltttions, which he
thereupon asked the Help of Heaven to follow. Fie would Record fuch Things as thefe,
One Time,
Vix aliquid apud Deum fapui, fed excitavit
me I had little Savour on
my Spirit before God :
Concio Magiftri Slicpardi, Tremenda plan: et pra- but a terrible and Excellent Sermon of
Ur.Sbepards
Rantijfima. Docuit Aliquos effe qui vldentur in- awakened me. He taught, that there are fome
venlrl & Servarl a Chrtfto & tamen pojlea pere- who feem to be found and Sav'd by Chrift, and
unt. Hac me tcrrebant ( & ttttnam infixa ba- yet afterwards they periih. Thefe things terrifi-
rer e nt '
) ne tan turn vlderer effe Chrijli,
&
ne ed me, ( and I wifh, they had ftuck faft in me ) !
cundo, Precandum conflanter, fine Languore, out God, that he would Effect them in me. Firft j
Inter mifiione, mane I muft not remain
noiieque Deum, That
quietly in this my con-
huploranduin
intimis & Dens dition; but that it is Intolerable for me to pro-
ineffubi'.ibus fufpiriis. Tertio, ft
non aufcultaverit, &
qua opus funt praflarit, ceed as I am. Secondly ; That I muft pray con-
in Amore f.o m.mifejlando, [.litem Lugeant ftantly, without fainting, or any Intermiffion: &
Lacbymern, pergam in &
Amantadine Animas ; Day and Night I muft cry unto the Lord, with
ft
1
'
betmote, He Acquitted himfelf, as One concerned for the Sonh of his Pupils, when he
car to have fiich under his Charge; and was very defirous to fee their Hearts renewed by
1
ce, the ( Beginning or ) Head of Knowledge, as well as their Heads fnrnifhed with other
Knowledge. He would Record fuch Things as thefe.
At One Time,
Alioqiiebar M. de Salmis W. Negotio. Multis I fpoke unto M. W. about the matters of Eter-
ilium bo v tabar month am,
t
& dirigebam^ ad illud nal Salvation, I largely exhorted him, advifed him,
curandum, ne fuffocarct Convicliones^ & inconftan- direfted him to be careful of This, that he did not
tia Deum Indent., fed prccibus riPOSKAPTEPHSH. StifflehisConviftions, and mock God by Incon-
Vtinart ipfe prajlarcm, qua dixi Deus t ferva ftancy, but be inftant in Prayen I wifh I could
.'
ilium Juvenem !
my felf Do, what I fpoke Lord, Save that !
Yea, How Watchful he was, on all Occafions, to Obferve what Occafions he might have
to Do Good among all the Scholars. I fhall no more than Tranfcribe the following Pafflge,
to intimate
Nocle, inter Scholares, n-.u\ta ftria dixi de At Night, among the Scholars, I uttered many
Cognofcendis Rtbus Pads Noftra, in Die noftro. Serious
Things, about Knowing the Things of
our
Vtiaam tpfe mihrnut Aujcultarem ! Die fe- Peace in our Day. Oh that could my felf here-
! I
fienti plura ego coliocuttis fum cum Contubcrvalibus, in but hearken to my felf The Day following, I
!
Occ.ifioncs C.ipto Realitaiem, TSIN eEoT incul- Eftablifh me Fundamental Truths, and
in thefe
candi, &
illuflrandi
:
quod non prorfus mane vi- give me a Clear Vilion of them From hence 1 !
deo. Vtinam m/jori Cordis fenfu, ego poffem fometimes do Snatch at Occafions, to inculcate
Deum Scd quid mirum me and illuftratethe Reality of the
pnedicare. oppleri Things of God :
Tenebris, qui Opplettisfum Cnpiditatibus
! which I fee, is not altogether in vain I
wifli, I
could Preach God, with greater fenfe
upon my
Heart. But what wonder is it, if I that am full of
Lujls, be alfo full of Darknefs!
bifignis Animorum trattandorum Artifex, Reader, thought fo meanly, that in a Meeting the Day
here warn young man, who effectually proved following, they Concluded to give him an Invi-
himfelf, An Artijl, at handling the Cafes of a Soul ! tation to Settle among them That if he:
Adding,
1 Bemeniber, that Alexander Afore judges Three faw it his belt way to continue a year longer at*
certain Epflas, to b~ the moftConfummate Pieces, the Collcdge, they would however immediately
that ever the World law Namely, That of Cal-
•, upon his
Acceptance of their Invitation advance
vin before: his Inftttutions; That of Thitanus, be- a confiderable Sum of Money, to aiTift him in
fore his Hifl'P-y ; aadTbat olCafaufcm, before his furnifhing himfelf with 3. Library (not unlike
.
Polybius: Now though this Epiftle of our young what the Vratiflavian Senate once did for the
i^ttCljEl. come not into that Clafs, for the Em- Hopeful young Lucas Pollio, when they faw him,
be. hlhments of Literature, yet It has been Re.k- Juvenem Dctibus Ornaium a Deo, non vulgaribus :')
o.ied one of the molt Confummate Pieces, in the which they faid, was, No new thing unto them, ha-
Methods of Addreifing a Troubled Mind. lving had Air. Hooker's InftruQion for Doing fo.
But
Book IV\ %e Hiftory of New-England. n
But he durit not then Accept of their kind Pro- That when I was attempting the Pure and Sacred
pofals : For
before his Journey to Hartford, the Work of the Minifry, 1/lould be furprizjed with that
Renowned Mr. Sbepard, with the Principal Per- Horrible Difeafe! Do J
begin to be fame Body in the
fons in Cambridge , had importunately pray'd him, world ? God void make me rile in the
Eyes of the whole
that he would come down from Hartford, as free God will Humble me
•
Country before the Sun,and in
as he went up, infomuch as he did upon divers the
Sight of all Ifrael./ft will have me begin my Ait-
Accounts molt belong to Cambridge, and. Cambridge niftry witb this Difeafe : He knows, that J have need
did hope, that he would yet more belong unto of a Great Deal of Purifying, before I come to th.it.
them. When Mr. Sbepard firft mentioned this A'loathfame Sinner fhall have a loathfame Sichncfs !
thingunto him, he did with his conftant Humility And the Grace of Heaven that made this Fit of
record it in his Diary, with this Reflection, Ego Sichicfs, to be Confidered thus as an Humiliation
mirabar bine rem : Quid in me videt Populuf Dei- by tins Eminent young man, then Entring upon
Totum Negotium Reliqui Deo agendum. Iwondred at Miniftry, did by continually Infufing other
his
this matter ! What is it that the People of God fees Thoughts full of Humiliation into him, lay the
in me ? 1 left the whole Bitfinefs to the Divine Ma- Foundation of ftately Superfir uCtitres. As our Lord
nagement ! And now Returning to Cambridge,
he Jefus Chriffc, entring upon His Miniftry, endured
no fooner came into the Pulpit ( Aug. 1 2. 1649. ) the foreft Conflict of Temptation, that He had ever
but Mr. Sbepard, muff, go out of it /
. Mr. met withal, fo did this Excellent Embaffador of
J
Sbepard in the Evening told him, This was the Place that Lord He had his Mind forely Buffeted with
•,
where befhould, by right, be all the refl of bis Daycs A Amazing and Confounding Apprehenfibns. Per-
and enquiring of fome good People, How Mr. haps it will be many ways profitable unto feme.
S)9iCf)Crs firft
Sermon was approved among them -J Candidates of the Minifry, as well as others to fee
they told him, Very well. Then faid he, My thefe Papers Recite fome of the fad Pdjfages, that
Work is done ! And behold, within a few Dayes rolled over the Soul of a moft Lovely Preacher,
j
more, that Great Man was by Death taken off, when he was Beginning to Preach the Gofjcl of
i
to Comply with their Defire. But as the Jews ufed ,/ormcdeJl Sinner in the World. At one time
'
to fay about the Birth of R. Jchuda, on the very I have Lived in this World altnoft
I
Twenty
fame Day that another famous Rabbi dyed, Eo'f five years, and unto this Day have known lit:—
die occidit L ix Ifraelis, et iterum Orta cf ;
So I may tie of God in Chrift, made little Provificn for
now fay, Thejame Day was the Light of New-Eng- Eternity, got little Acquaintance with the fa-
land, Extinguifycd and Revived vour and love of God. How I have Improved
this Time,Wo to me, I may be afhamed to
fpeak,
§. 7. Occubuit Sol ; NoxnuUaSecuiacfl. Up- amazed to think! At another t'vr.e. 'Lord, I
on the fetting of Sbepard there arofe Q^ltCSjCl, know not whether ever fuch a Sinner as I, came
1
in whofe Light not only the Church of Cambridge,] to Thee for Mercy ; whether ever fuch a work
'
but the Colledge, and the whole Country, were was done to any poor Wretch, as the favingof
now fo Rejoycefor a Scafon. The Eyes of all New my Soul muft be. At another time.
'
I have
England were upon him with Great Expc&ations ; j' run through all the means of Knowledge, and
and he did more than anfwer their Expectations c yet fee no Truth Really, and in the Glory of
;
for he was indeed an Extraordinary Perfon. But it All Afflicf ions,and yet am not Humbled nor
•
fcarce a Paragraph of his Life can be written to Serious-, All Mercies, and yet am not Thank-
the L*/e,without fome Reflection upon that Humi- full All Means of Good, and yet amEvil,only
•
lity,
with which the Spirit of the Lord Jefus Chrift Evil, Tranfcendently Evil, in the higheft De-
hath prepared"him for, and adorned him in all of gree to this Day. At another time. ' If God
that Figure, whereto he Arrived in the Service do me any Good, or do any Good by me, it
of the Churches. Juft upon the Time of his Be- muft be a Creating work. Lord, I am fit for
ginning his Miniftry at Cambridge, he was taken nothing 5 (Good for nothing at all) neither to
dangeroufly Sick of the Small Pox, but though he Live, nor Dye ; neither to Teach, nor Learn ;
were Sick nigh unto Death, God had Mtrcyonhim, neither to Think, nor Spea'k ; neither to Do,
1
and not on him only, but on all the Churches thro" this nor fuffer neither to Communicate Good,
•
Wilder?:cfs in him No fooner was he Recovered nor receive any ; Go through alt that 1 am,
of that Sicknefs, but this Humble Soul wrote, either within, or without, what ami but Vile-
Oftob 4. 049. in his Diary, (which after this time nefs, and Abomination ? At another time. 'The
<
mands me ? Luke <;. He will have it fo, and him to. Lament exceedingly the Lofs of fo Rich
why fhould my felf, or Sin, or Satan, fay, a
BleiTing, and begin his own Publick Miniftry,
•
What doff. Thou ? Cbjeci. But it may be God at Cambridge with Sermons full of thofe Lamen-
:
mil take no pie. j fur e in me ? Anfw. I deferve tations. Indeed when he h3d Occafion to men-
He fhould not, but yet He deferves to be Ho- tion his .own Living Four Tears under Mr. She-
•
noured and Served ; and let it be my Hap- pard's Miniftry, he added, Vnlefs it had ken four
1
piaefs and Joy to do that, whatever becomes years living in Heaven, 1 know not how J could have
;
of me at laft. At another time. ' My Cafe more caufe to llefs God with Wanda, than for
is now fuch ( fo Dreadful, Defperate and For- Under an Affliction, which he
L
thofe Four Tearu
lorn) as think, there never was the like up- fo much refented, the Comfort which he fo fought
1
1
•
on Earth, lince Adam was formed, unto this for himfelf, he thus exprefTed What a :
bleffed
'
Day: There is rnly this place of Hope, That Thing is it to have this Mediator, the Man Chrifi
'
there is a Degree of Mercy in God, beyond Jefus to go unto, when I have no Friend that I can
1
what any ever yet made ufe of for no Man fully fpeak to, and open all my Complaints and
!
'
ever came to che End of Infinite Mercy Lord, Ails into his Bofom ? I think, were Mr. Shepard
:
'
Honour Thy felf by me, fome way or other, now alive, I wo.ild go and intreat his Counfel and
'
whatever become of mc. At another time. Help, and Prayer. Why, now I may go freely in-
Lord, It is the Hour and Power of Darknefs to the Bofom of the Man Chrifi Jefus, who is able,
'
'
with me I feel the Dreadful Rage of
•
Satan, faithful, tender-hearted above the beft of meer Men.
4
and my vile Heart, now againft me, toover- And I may go, and tell him not only my Sorrows
4
turn me, and to cut off thy Name, which C and yet that is no fmall matter ) but alfo my
4
Thou calleft me to bear in this place. I kaow Sins, all my Sins ; though not without
fhame, yet
1
not what willnor what to without fearful Defpair. I may complain to Him
become of me,
*•
fay to Thee but I leave my Woful Soul, and of a Jirong Luft, and of an bard Heart. And He
-,
felf to thy Difpoling, Lord, lam in Hell, wilt 'does not only Pity me ( and that'^He does more
4
4
thou let me lye there ? At another time.
4
God than any Man could do ) but is alfo fully able to
4
hath put this Fear into my Heart, left this be Help me againft Sorrow, yea, and againft Stn too.
the Fruit and Recompence of my Sin, that I And in him, I may fee, and take hold of the Pity,
4
(hall never know God for mine in Truth, but and Love, and Grace of God the Father, who
'-
through
4
Live and Dye, in an unfound and felf Deceiv- Him, is well-pleafed. But that he might figna-
4
ing way that I fhould have many Fears and lize his Affection to the Predeceflbr, he
•,
fpeedily
4
Prayers, and good Affections, and Duties, and took the Pains to perufe and publifh the Sermons
4
Hopes, and Ordinances, and Seemings, but of that Worthy Man, upon the Parable of the
4
never an Heart foundly Humbled , and Ten Virgins, which make a Volumn in Folio ;
4
foundly Comforted unto my Dying Day, but with a moft Excellent, and Judicious Preface of
4
be a Son of Perdition to the laft, and never his thereunto. Which afterwards, was not with-
4
have God's fpecial Love Revealed and Aflu- out its Recompence in the Providence of God.
me Lord, keep this Fear alive in my when after his own Death, his own Sermonf
4
to !
4
Heart Such Pafljges as thefe, abundant^ upon The Glory to which God hath called Believers
!
dilcover the Contritions, that laid him exceeding by Jefus Chrifi ( carefully Tranfcribed, and fo
Low, in his own A.pprehenfion of himfelf, at Tranfmitted by Captain Laurence Hammond of
the Time when God was railing him to High Charlftown, to whofe Cares about it, the Church
Improvements among His People ; and it was is now beholden for this Tresfure ) were by
by thefe Abafements, that Heaven prepared him fome furviving Friends, printed at London. And
for thole improvements. But being, after fuch he whom I have once already compared unto
Pollio.
Book VJ. The tiijiory of New-England. 73
Pollio,
who dyed, when between Forty and Fifty by Sin, and Salvation by Chriit, and entred oa
Years old, was in this alfo, like that German Di- the Doclrine of Obedience due and
thereupon •,
of that Hopeful Young Gentlewoman Mrs. Sarah the Colledge, did eflay to Imitate him. It has
Cotton preventing, fo delirable a Match, made been obferved by others, as well as
jerom, that
way for his purfuing and obtaining this other Quce firmiter conapimus, bene loauimnr, fiquidem
Settlement. Being fo fettled ; he wholly gave Talia in Anhncs Subjlantiam quaff Concoqucndo funt
himfelf up to the Services of his Miniftry, with Converfa And our 35tttf)Ci, having according-
fuch a Difpofition, as he exprelfed in his Part' ly well Concocled what he was to deliver, with
ing Advice to another, who Travelling from clear and ftrong Thoughts upon it, exprelfed it
hence to England, had thefe Words from him with a Natural Eloquence, which, ( as Tully fays
at his Farewel; My fcrious Advice to yon is, That of all True Eloquence caft the Hearers into
)
you keep out of Company, as far as Cbriflianity and Wonderment.. Profound Meditation having firft,
Civility will give yon leave ; Take it from me ; in his Heart got ready a well compofed Meat-
The Time fpent in your Study yon will generally Offering for the Houfe of God, his Tongue was
find fpent the mofl Profitably, Comfortably and Ac- as the Pen cf a Ready Writer to bring it forth :
Knowledge of the Myfiery of Chrift. He made a juftly called, as Melan&bon was by Keckerman, flir 1
moft Entertaining Expofttion on the Book of Ge- ut fie dicam, Perfpicuitatts Genius ; but fo pun-
ne/is, and part of
Exodus ; f_ an Evangelical Tar- gently improved, tfi3t what he fpoke, was felt
gum of Jonathan ] he made many Incomparable by his Hearers, as Quick and Powerful. One,
Difcourfes on the four firft Chapters of John Cc- that hath add relied the World with a'Treatile of
:
cafional Subjcils he alio Handled many with Ecclcfiaftical Rhetortck, faith, Credat rrahi Afmifterii
much Variety He likevvife kept a Monthly Le- Candidates; Triafunt, qua v'aide commend'ant Con-,
:
dure, where be largely Handled Man's Mifcry cionatorem; .Vocis Amabilitas, Fpithekrutn Empha-
Gggg 2 /is,
174 The Hijiory of New-England. Book IV.
fis, & Connexions Concinnitas : Now all of thele Holy, and like an Angel of a Church, Not Bear*
Three Commendations did belong to the Preaching ing with thofe that are Evil. When a public!;
of our Mitcbel. And, as it was the Remark Admonition was to bedifpenfed unto any One than
of that then Preacher Bucholt- had offended fcandaloufly,one could have heard no-
Matchlefs
z.er, to whom I have often in my Thoughts thing more Pathetical^ or more
Powerful, than his
matched our Mitehel, That a Preacher was knoan Difcourfes, on thofe unwelcome Occaiions : the
by his Peroration, fo 'twas
remarkt of our Mitchel, Hearers would be all drowned in Tears, as If the
that tho' he were all along in his Preaching, as Admonition had been, as indeed he would with
a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleafant Voice, much Artifice make ic be dire&ed unto them all-
as he drew near to the Clofe of his Exerci- but fuch would be the Companion, and
yet the
es, his Comely fervency would rife to
a marvel- Gravity, the
?et Majefty, the Scriptural and Awful
lous Meafure of Energy ; He would fpeak with Pungency ofthefe his Difpenfations, that the CW-
fuch a Tranfcendent Majefly and Livelinefs, that fcience of the Offender himfelf, could make no
the People ( more Thunderflruck than they that Refinance thereunto. But when the Lord
Jefus
heard Cicero's Oration for Ligarim ) would often Chrift intends to make any Steward in His
Houfe,
Shake under his Difpenfations, as if they had eminently Prudent and Faithful, He
commonly
Heard the Sound of the Trumpets from the Burn- Tries that Perfon, by Ordering fome very Diffi-
ing Mountain, and yet they
would Mourn to think, cult Church Cafes to arife,
quickly after his firft
that they were going prefently to be difmiffed Entrance upon the Some fuch Stewardship.
from fuch an Heaven upon Earth. He had in- Thorny Church-Cafes did foon Exercife the
deed an Uncommon Meafure of that Priviledge, Thoughts of this truly Aged young Man ; in all
that is Pveported of Bucholtz.er, Vt, licet nonmft of which he confcientioufly confidered the
Rights
finita
Hora Altera ptroraret, nullum tamen Audi- of the Fraternity to judge in their own Church-
endi e media euiquam plebe,
vel Cafes, as that Renowned Minifter, and Martyr,
Tadium, Obrep-
he preached Long Sermons, the the Bleffed
ftrit Though
:
Cyprian did, when he could fay in one
People were never weary of Hearing them. of his Epiftles unto his
Flock, From the very Be-
Vaft was the Happinefs of the Scholars at the ginning of my Miniflry, J determined to do nothing
Colledge, and ( in them ) of all the Churches in without the Confent And again, All
•
i
of my People
the Country, while Cambridge was illuminated j
Church Affairs, as mutual
RefpecJ requireth [_ in
with fuch a Miniftry It was a Reflection up- commune tra&abimus
! we will manage them in
~\
on this Matter long firice Printed unto the common and again, He would Reftore and Ad-
•
World Reafon and Prudence requireth, that the mit none, but thofe who fhould plead their caufe
-,
\
thodoxy, Ability, Excellent Gifts in Preaching, that Matters, but [ prasfentibus et Judicantibus ver-
fo the Scholars, which are Devoted to be Preachers bis, ] with their Prefence and "Judgment.- And if
of the Gofpel, might be feafoned with the Spirit of Mr. Q9ttCf)eI had heard any reckon the
Liberty
fuch an Elijah in which
:
Regards this Holy Man of the Brethren thns confeffed in the
Days of
of God was eminently furnijhed ; and his Labours Cyprian, to be an Apoftafy from what was in the
were abundantly bleffed : For, very many of the Scho- Beginning, he would have ask'd them, whether
lars bred up in his time ( as is obferved ) do fa- they reckon'd the Lofs of this Liberty afterwards
vour of his Sprit for Grace, and a moft attraQive in the Rife ofj
Popery, to be any or
Beginning,
manner of Preaching. Truly, as it was no rare Tendency towards Church-Reformation, and Re-
thing for a German Divine to give folemn Thanks covery ? Now tho' this Liberty of the Brethren,
unto God, For being born in the Days of Me- which our ^ttCfjel according to the Primitive
lanfthon ;
is
many a New-Engli/h Divine, Congregational Church-Difcipline allow'd, be that
fo there
who Thanks to God, For their being wherein for the moft part the
has given
Re'pofe of the
at the Colledge in the Days of ®$ittt)Cl- But it Pafiors has been by the Cornpaffionate Wifdom
rnuft here be added, That altho' the chief La- of our Lord Jefus Chrift
provided for, yet fome
bours of this Exemplary Paflor were in the Study, Trouble fometimes has arifen to the
Pafiors from
and the Pulpit, yet he did not think himfelf there- the Brethrens abufe of their Liberty, which has
1
by excufed from thofe Paftoral Vifits which his call'd for much Patience and Prudence in thofe
Flock expe&ed from him. Herein he vifited at fit that have the Rule over them. And fo there did
Hours, which he fet apart for it, the feveral Fami- unto our ^SfttCfjel, who on this Occafion, as on
lies of his Flock ; not upon Trivial Defigns, but all others, was readier ftill to condemn
himfelf,
with ferious and folemn Addreffes to their Souls than any others ; and once
particularly record-
upon Matter of their Everlafting Peace ; and ed this Paffage in his Diary. / was Troubled,
the Gildas Salvianus of Mr. Baxter was herein f_ at fome improper Cavils from the Brethren
]
our QS)itCl)£l himfelf, as well as much Read and and I fear fpake not fo Lovingly and
Prudently as
Priz'd by this Faithful Paftor, who WatcWd for I fhould have dene. I feel my Spirit to ready rife,
Souls, as one that
was to give an Account.
and forget my Principles of
Lying low in the Duft,
and bearing with others Infirmities, and
becoming
§. 10. What he was in his Ministry, the aU Things to all Men, for their Edification. Oh !
fame he was in his DifcipliHe, when Offences arofe, Lord Humble me, and Teach me how to it .'
carry
that called for his Consideration, in the Church Thus did this Excellent Perfon write, when he
whereto he was related ; Faithful, Prudent, Zealous, was Enumerating his Humbling Circumftances,'
in
Book IV the ttifiory of New-England. J
75
in a Sttret Fafi before the Lord. But there was I ftudied
it, the more Clear and Rational Ligh t
an Harder Cafe than any of thefe to Exeicife I faw for Psdo-baptifin. But now thefe Suggefti-
him. Our upon his be or.s hurry ed me into But they made mc
9gJtf£fjcJ, prefeutly Scruples.
coming the Paftor
of Cambridge, met whh a move cry out to God for His Help ;
and He did afterward
than ordinary Trial, in that the Good Man, who Calm and clear up my Spirit.
I thought the End of
was then the Praftdcnt of the Coltedge,and a Mem- them was,
Firft, To (hew me
the Corruption of my
ber of the Church there, was unaccountably Mind ; How apt that was to take in Error, even as
fallen into the Bridrs'of Antipadobafttfm \ and be- my Heart is to take in L«ft. Secondly, To make
ing briar d in the Scruples ot that Perfwalion,
he me walk in Fear, and take hold en Jefus Chrift to
not only forbore to prefent an Infant of his own keep me in the Truth ; and it was a Check to my for-
unto the Baptifm of our Lord, but alfo thought mer Self-Confidence, and it made me fearful to
himfelf under fome Obligation to bear hisTefti- go needlefty to Air. D. for methought 1 found a Ve-
mony in fome Sermons againft the Adminiftra- nom and Poifon in his Infinuations and Difcourfes
tion of Baptifm to any Infant whatfoever. The igainft Psedobaptifm. Thirdly, That I might be
Brethren of the Church were fomewhat vehement mindful of the Aptnefs in others to be foon jhaken
and violent in their fignifyingof their Diffatis- in Mind, and that I might warn others thereof, and
tadtion at the Obftruifion, which the Renit en- might know how to fpeak to them from Experience.
cits of that Gentleman threatned unto the Peace- And indeed my former Experience of Irreligious
able Practice of Infant -Baptifm, wherein they had Injection was fome Help to mc to difcover the Na-
hitherto walked and judged it neceflary for the ture of Thefe. I Refolved alfo on Mr. Hooker'*
•,
.Vindication of the Churches Name abroad in the Principle, That I would have an Argument able
Country, and for the Safety of the Congregation to remove a Mountain, before I would recede
at home, to delire of him, that he would ceafe from, or appear againft a Truth or Pradfice, re-
Preaching as formerly, until he had better
fatis- ceived among the Faithful. After the Sabbath was
fied himfelf in the Point now doubted by him. over, and I had time upon the Thoughts of
to refleci
At thefe things extream was the Uneafinefs of thofe things, thofe Thoughts of Doubt departed, and
tt'jr 03ittl)Z\, who told the Brethren, That more
I returned unto
my former Frame. The Troubles
J.igk'and Ufs that would do better : but yet faw thus impending over the Church of Cambridge,
ihe Zeal of fome againft this Good Man's Error, didMr. ^itcjjCl happily wade through ; partly,
to pnfh this Matter on fo far, that being but by much Prayer with Fafting, in fecret, before
a
Young Man, he was likely now to be Emba- God, for the good Iffue of thefe things ; partly,
ralled in a Controverfie with fo Confiderable a by getting as miach Help as he could from the
Perfon, and with one who had been bis Tutor, Neighbouring Minifters, to be interpofed in thefe
and a Worthy 3nd a Godly Man. He could give Difficulties ; and partly, by ufing
much Meeknejt
this Account of it, Through the Churches bang apt ofWifdom towards the Erroneous Gentleman \
to
Harry on too ffft, and too impatiently, 1 found for whom our Mr. continued fuch an
^ItCljCl
my fit much oppreffed ; efpecially Confidering my Efteem, that although his Removal from the
own ti'crj.ncfs to grapple with thefe Difficulties; This Government of the Colledge, and from his Dwel-
.Bufmejs did lye down, and rife up, fleep and wake ling Place in Cambridge, had been procured by
with me : It was a difmal Thing to me, that I thefe Differences, yetwhen he dyed, He Honou-
fhi.itld live to fee Truth or Peace dying or decaying red him with an Elegy, from which I will tran-
in poor
Cambridge. But while he was with a fcribe one Stanza or two, becaufe it very truly
Prudence incomparably beyond what might have points out that Generous, Gracious, Catholick
been expe&ed from a Toung Man managing this Spirit, which adorned that Perfon, who wrote
Thorny Bufinefs, he faw Caufe to Record a Paf- it.
figc, which perhaps will be judged worthy of
fome Remembrance. That Day (writes he, De- Where Faith in ] E S U S is Sincere,
cerns. 24.
1653. ) after I came from him, J had a That Soul, He Saving, pardoneth;
Jlrange Experience : 1 found Hurrying and Pi effing] What Wants, or Errors elfe be there,
Siiggejiiws againft ?xdoba\)tito,andin)e8ed Scruples That may and do Confift therewith
and Thoughts whether the other way might not be right,
.and Infant-Baptifhl an Invention of Men; and whe- And though we be Imperfedt here,
ther I might with good Confcience baptife Children^ And in One Mind can't often meet,
and the like, And thefe Thoughts were darted in with Who Know in part, in part may Err,
feme I-mprejfion, and left a ftrange Confufton and Sick- Though Faith be One, All do not fee't :
Sermon. It was not now a time to Study that There One Truth, all both Love and See,
Matter ; but when in the former part of the Week, And thence are PerfecJ made in One.
I had givci my felf to that the more
Study,
There
176 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV.
State of the Children born in the
Church Declared
Then Luther both and Zuinglitis, and Aiferted, in the
Platform of Church Dtfcipline,
Ridley and Hooper, there agree
•
among the Firjl Principles of New-England, ne-
There all the truly Righteous, verthdefs many Worthy Men were flow to
Sans Fetid live to Eternity. make any Sywdkal Decifion of thofe
Principles,
until there fhould arife more Occafion for the
But there was a facial Dcfign of Heaven in Pratliccs, that were to be deduced from them.
This Occafion did in
Ordering thefe Trials to befal our <ptCl)Ci, Twenty or Thirty Years
thus in the Beginning of his Miniftry. He was time come on with fome Importunity and Impe-
hereby put upon Studying and Maintaining the tuofity, when the Country began to be filled with
DocVme of Infant- Baptifm ; and of Defending [the Adult Poflertty of the Firjl Planters among •
the Fifible of the Children of the Faithful' which there were Multitudes of
Intercfl who Perfons,
in the Covenant of Grace, under the New Admi-|by the good Effecls of a pious Education under
niftration of it, as well as under the Old, where- the Means of Grace obfervable upon them in
j
in we all know the Infants of Believers enjoyed. their Profeflion of the Faith, not contradicted
the Seal of being made Rightcons by Faith. In the by any thing fcandalous in their
,
Life, deferved
Defence of this Comfortable Truth, he not only another Conlideration in the Churches, 'than what
|
Preached more than half a fcore ungainfayable, was allowed unto Pagans ; and yet were not fo
Sermons, while his own Church was in fome 'far improved in all the Points of Experimental
Danger by the Hydrophobic of Anabaptifm, which Godliaefs, that they could boldly Demand an Ad-
was come upon the Mind of an Eminent Perfon miffion unto the Myfleries at the Table of the
in it ; but alfo when afterwards the Reft of the Lord ; the Conditions whereof confined it unto
Churches were Troubled by a ftrong Attempt Perfons that were fenfibly Crown in Grace, and
upon them from the Spirit of Anabaptifm ; there in the Knowledge of the Lord Jefus Chrifl. 'The
was a Publick Difputation appointed at Pojlon moft of the Miniilers then, and before then, in
two Days together, for the clearing of the the Land, were deiirous to have the thus Qua-
Faith in this Article, this Worthy Man was he, lified Pojlcrity of the Faithful,
acknowledged in
who did moft Service, in this Difputation ; where- the Churches, as the Nurftry, from whence a fuc-
of the Effect was, that although the Erring Bre- cefluve Supply of Communicants was to be ex-
is ufual in fuch Cafes, made this their petted ; and it was their Defire that this Nur-
thren, as
Lad Anfwer to the Arguments, which had caft fery might be Watered with Baptifm, and Pruned
them into much Confufion, Say what youwiU, We with Dtfcipline, as well as otherwife Dreffed by
veill Hold our Mind .' the Miniflry of the Word. Yea, they thought, that
befides the Internal Benefits of the New Covenant
Concurrat veterum Te unto the Eleil of God, the
f,
licet in ttirba, potes Tu, Sealing of that Cove-
Hac omnes una vincere voce, Nego nant unto them, that were
:
] viizbly the Right Sub'
of would be an Affurance from
it,
jetts God,
Yet others were happily eftablifhed in the that when thefe Perfons grew
up to years of
Right Ways of the Lord. Nor was this all the Difcretion, He would infallibly make them the
Good and Great Work, for which this rare Offer of His Covenant, and fo continue the Gofpel
Perfon was marvelloufly prepared, by thefe Temp- of it among them Whereas if They and Theirs
:
tations : There is a further Stroke of our Church- were no other accounted of than
Heathens, there
Hifiory, to be here briefly Touched, though elfe- would not pafs many Generations, before the Sa-
where more.fully to be given. cred Religion of Chrijl, would,
through the juft
Wrath of Heaven be
among them in utter loft
§. Befo-'Cnglnntl was a Wildemefs Heathenifm. However, all Men did not thence
n.
Planted by a People, generally fo Remarkable in all things'. When the Church of Roxbury parti-
their Holy Zeal for the Ordinances belonging cularly in the Year 1653. was put upon
Doing
totheHoufeof God, that for the fake of Enjoy- wh3t was their Duty in this refpeft, our StfJttfJEjel
ing the Adminftrations of thofe Ordinances with was yet ( he faid ) in the dark about it ; he wilh-
Scriptural Purity, they had undergone the fevere ed and wrote, That it might not yet be preffed;
Persecutions which at laft Exiled them into that and added, The Lord teach me Humility, Modefiy,
American Wildernefs And hence there were and Wifdom in thefe things ! Many a day did this
:
few People of any Significancy in the Tranf- Excellent Man fpend now in Praying with Fafling
plantation, but what at their firft Coming over, before God ; and when he was thus engaged in
joyned themfelves unto the full Communion of the Exercifes of a Sacred and Secret Faft, I find
the Churches in all fpecial Ordinances, though him, inferting this, as not the leaft caufe of his
many of them had ( fay not, juftifiably ) made being fo engaged
1 The Cafe of the Children of :
the Terms of their Communion fo ftridt, that it the Church in Regard of the Dollrine and Praclice
might juftLy have been reckoned a difficult thing about it. Oh ! that God would fhew me His Mind
for fome Sincere Chrtflians of fmaller Attainments and Way clearly in thofe things : Enable me t» Teach
in Chrijlianity to For this them convincingly, and fet upon the Praclice thereof:
come up unto them.
caufe, although feveral of our Seers did fo far and that the whole Country might be
guided aright
See the 5tate, which our Matters would e'r« long therein ; That Abraham'* Commanding Power might
devolve into, that they Laboured much to have have its due Exercife as to the Children of our Churches.
the Principles of Truth concerning The Chureh] And that all the remaining Knots and Difficulties a-
bout
Book IV. The 0/ New-England
Hijiory 11
'
in all the
bout Church-Difcipline, and the
Management of any Dcfign or Defirc I have in it
ac-
'
but that the W'U God might
Chrift's vifjble Kingdom might once It refolved 1
World, only of
to the Word. Lord, Humble me, and prof- be done among us, His Kingdom be advanced,
cording '
know and do on and fiou-
Studies, and Teach me to
mypoor
thek Churches fettled Right Bafes,
fer
of Truth, Purity and Peace,
'
ever had, of Explaining and Maintaining the And now 'tis more than time for us to difmifs
Truths, relating to the Church-State of the Pofte- this part of our Mitchellian Pourtraiture, from any
rity in our Churches, and of the Church Care, farther Elaborations.
which our Churches owe unto their Pojlerity And .-
I have laid before the Reader one of the molt §. 12. Mr. ^itCljCFs Defire had been, To
Extenfive and Expenfive Labours, that exhaufted be kept from Extreams ; and indeed there was no-
bis Life, when I have mentioned The Propofitions thing more Obfervable in his Temper, than fuch a
of the Synod about the SubjecJ of Baptifm. All that Study of a Temper in all Difficult Matters, as ren-
remains neceffary to Illuftrate this Paragraph of ders a Perfon aimable, wherever 'tis Obfervable.
our Riftory, is toDefcribe in a Line or two, the I remember, I have met with a Note of a very
midffc of many
Difpofttion which our !tJ9lt£!jCl did profecute this famous Preacher, who, in the
Grand Concern withal ;
and I will therefore only Temptations on both Hands, relieved himfclfby In-
Tranfcribe a little from a judicious Letter of his, terpreting from the Context that Paffage in Ecclef,
to Mr. Increafe Mather upon that Subject, winch 7. 18. He that fear eth Cod (hall come forth from them
that Reverend Perfon afterwards Printed unto. all, to be meant of a Deliverance out of all Ex*
the World ; with an Unanfwerable Vindication treams. The Fear of God in our ^tttfjCl had this
of thefe Firft Principles of New-England, both from Effect, 3nd Reward And his wife coming forth :
the Imputations of
Apoftacy, by fome igtiorantly from
all
Extreams, was no where more Confpi-
cafe upon them, and from whatever other Obje- cuous, than in thofe points of Church- Difcipline y
'
if ions
might be advanced againft them. As for for the clearing of which he had been, ( I may
*
the Subjlance of the Caufe wherein we have
1
Enga- fay Extreamly) exercifed. Hadthefwcct, Cha-
ged ( faith he ) lam daily more and more con- ritable, Amicable Spirit, that fignalized this Good
*
firmed, that it is the Caufe of Truth, and of Man, been exprefl'ed by all good Men, as much
c
Chrift, and that wherein, not a little of the as it was by him, a great part of the Ecclefiafti-
'
Intereft of Chrift's Kingdom, and of the Souls of cal Differences in the World had been evaporated,
c
*
Men, is laid up. We have been reflected up- and it had not been fo long before the Names of
on by fome, as feeking our /elves, and Driving Presbyterian and Congregational, had been melted
*
on, I know not what Defign; though I can- down into that One of G!mt£B %t$ti)tttt. It
*
not readily Imagine, what felf-Intcrcst or felf- was the Wifh of our Q3itCi)Cl, to have thofe
*
End, here fhould be led by in this matter ; Two Things in the State of the Church, livelily
we
1
Sure I
am, that for my own part, I prejudice my rcprefented unto the Senfe of the World Firit, ;
4
Eafe, for the Grace, and then at the fame time, the Holi-
felf much, as to Name, Interest, and
*
1
my appearing in this Caufe : Neither was I fo nefs, of the Lord Jefus Chrift, tfie King of the
unfenfible, as not to feel it from the Firft. I Church ^ and for the Obtaining of fuch a Repre-
1
know my felf to be a poor, vile, finful Crea- fentation, he thought nothing more effectual,
'
ture, and I can with fome feeling fay, Chief than the Middle Way ; For the Children of the
1
of Sinners, and Leaft of Saints ; but in this par- Faithful to be taken wkhin the Verge of the Church,
ticular matter, I have often faid, / wifJj
my under the Wings of the Lord Jefus Chrift in hjs
Brethren could fee
through me ; for I know not Ordinances, and under Church Care, Difcipline,
and
/
8 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV.
and Government, and to be in a State of Initia- Either fhe muft giveonly to vifibly Worthy Re-
it
Lord's Supper, within the Compafs of thofe that have Gofpel, and Converfion of Heart, by Repentance
(unto Charity) fomewhat of the Power of God- towards God, and Faith towards our Lord
Jefus
linefs ( or, Grace in Exercife ) we (hall be near Chrifl. 1
Self-Examination implies both, that
.
about the Right Middle-way of Church-Reforma- there is the Grace of Faith and
Repentance (or
tion. And hence, when he had pleaded with as of Vocation ) the Matter to be Examined And :
mis had, when Writing of the Lord's Supper, he and, by the Scope of this Ordinance, which is
hid thefe Words ; Nee ad earn admittendi Jknt to Seal not only Vnion, but ABual Communion
eos and Cor. 10. 16.
Fruition. 1
By the Jtlive
ulli, riifi prius Pajloribus Ecclefia exploratum fit,
veram Fidei Dotlrinam reile Unere et
profiteri,
ac Vfe of all the Outward Senfis, in Receiving
in facra ccena agatur, quove fine, et the Sacrament, implying that there muft be
intclligere quid
feipfos probare pojfent,
an fint in Fide. —
Quocirca an A<ftnal, and Active Ufe of Exercifed Senfes,
ettam Catcchumcni aut lmperiti, vulgo, tamdtu e in Reference to the Inward Part of it.
'
differendi
donee de Fide, et vita eorum Pajloribus .
IF. None can appear unto Rational Charity
to have the Qualifications aforefaid, without
probe conflet. Now, becaufe it may be a lingular
Service unto the Churches, to lay before them Fielding forth the fame in fome way or other.
the judgment of fo Eminent a Perfon, upon a Man can judge of Internal Qualifications no
Concern of fome Curious and Critical Contefta- way but by External Signs. Invi/ible Grace is
tion in them, I (hall reckon it no DigrefTion from made vifible to us by fome Outward Tokens
the Story of his Life, to recite the Refult of thofe and Manifeftations. Here, Effe, et Apparere,
Meditations, in the Digefting
of which no little Non Effe, et Non Apparere, are all One.
4
of his Life did roll away. He thus wrote V.
Befides a Dotfrtnal Knowledge of the Prin-
part
for his own Satisfaction, on January. 1654. And ciples are Two Things re-
of Religion, there
I fhall be glad, if it may now be for my Rea-
'
quired to the Holding forth of Grace in Exercife
der's. ( or of an Experimental Savoury Acquaintance
P ROP OSITIO NS. '
4
isneceflary ; Hold
viz.. To
forth in one way
6 t 7> 9, t o. Let thofe Words be
paraphrafed
or other, Experience of a Work of Grace, or
4
according to their obvious Senfe, they will
4
a Pratlkal Acquaintance with the Effentials of make up a full Relation. And ix Paul knew, or
4
Effetlual Calling. TheReafonis, Becaufe with- gathered the Grace that was in the
Tbrjfalo-
4
out This they cannot fhew themfelves able to nians from fuch Things as thofe, does it not
4
Examine themfelves, and Difcem the Lord's fhow, that fuch things are a proper and ratio-
* nal Ground for us to gather Grace from? If
Body, which is effentially Neceffary to Worthy
* the Appearance of it Ne-
Receiving, and hence they bzfainouj/y known otherwife ( as they were
4
ceffary in a Subject, of orderly Admiffion to in that cafe to Paul
)
it
fufficetb, as was above-
4
the Lord's Table. A Man muff make a Rela- faid; but otherways how fhould they be known,
4
tion to himfelf ; by Reviewing of his Faith
viz.. but from the Party's own Mouth ? So Col. r.
4
and Repentance, or at leaft an Equivalent pre- 4,
—
8. Is there not a kind of
Relation, of the
4
fent Renewing thereof in Preparation for the Work, and Manner of the Converfion of thofe
4
Lord's Table ;
i. e. To give himfelf a Comfor- 3000 in Acts 2. fet down in that Chapter ?
'
table Regular Admiffion thereunto. And fhould And confequently, the Subilance 01 fuch a Rela-
4
he not Declare and Manifefl fuch a Thing to tion or Work was then dc faclo obvious to
4
the Church or Officers thereof, to give them a the Apoflles. And fo, of the Convetfionof
4
Comfortable Ground to Admit him ? Paul Chap. 9. and of Cornelius, Chap. 10.
Yea,
4
Objett, But why may it not fufBce, for a Man ifwe look into moft of the Examples in the
Hhhh A£ts
lbo The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV.
'
Atls. Confider, if they be not more immedi- them, and had not need to be flight therein.
4
ately reducible to Q A
mamfeftation of a Work
4
3. The Power ofGodlinefs will foon be loft,
*
of Grace 3 than to that of Knowledge, and a if only Dotirinal Knowledge, and Outward Blame-
'
Blamelefs Life ? Paul had little to fay for a lefsnefs be accounted fufficient for all Church-
4
foregoing Blamelefs Life to the Difciples of Triviledges, and Pra&ical Confcjfion?, ( or, Exa-
4
Damafcus ;
but a Woi k of Converfion he could minations of Mens Spiritual Eftate ) be laid
1
hold forth to them, and a Profeflion d<? pra- afide. For that which People fee to be
pub-
1
ftnti thereupon.
So ACts q. 26, 27. lickly required, and held in Reputation, that
'2. Minifters in giving the Lord's Supper to will they look after, and ufually no
more, but
4
Perfons, do give a Great and Solemn Teftimo- content themfelves with That. Confider ; if this
'
ny them, C Take, Eat, This is CbrifTs Body,
to hath not been a P».eafon of the and
Formality
4
that was broken for you ; ] therefore furely they Deadnefs, that hath overgrown
4
many Churches.
may take, and require a Solemn Teftimony/row January 4. 166^.
Thus did a Manufcript of this Worthy Man's, now in my Hands, Harmonise with a Notable
Paffage about the Bohemian Churches.
Becaufe it was
objected, That the Brethren
Ecclefiam aptrtam cum plena Sanclorum Commie have not an Open Church with the full Com-
mone, fed Adminiflrare Sacramcnta Quibusdam tan- munion of Saints, but adminifter the Sacra-
tum ftbi additlis : Refponfum fuit, Sanfla dare non ments only to fome of their own
party , it was
Sanclis, prohibitive Cvrtflum ; Coriftianifmumque a anfwered , Th.it Chrift h3th forbid our
Giving
aufpkandmv, non a Sacramentis • neque of Holy Things unto Vnholy Perfons and thac
pccnite/itia, ;
Secundum Jnftituta Chrijli Abfolutionem
vuncian- ChifHanity is to be begun with Repentance^
4am nifi Refipifcentibits
et Credentibus, quod utrmn- and not with the Sacraments ; and that accord-
que (P
ccnitentiam & Fidem) ne Superficiariuwfit etfal- ing to the Initiations of our Lord, Absolution
iax,Exploratione indigere ; Exploration t vtro Tempore is not to be pronounced
upon any but thofe thac
Juflo : et quia Nud'vs Sacramentis Salutis
Vim adferi- Repent and Believe ; both of which ( Repentance
ex Opcre Opcrato, Error urn in Papatu Bafts eft, and Faith ) that it may not be
bere, Superficiary and
Errorem banc corrigi non poffe aliter, quam ut certa Fallacious, it muft have fome Exploration and
nee ilia Subitanea, Cardium Arcana this Exploration muft have a
probatione, Sufficient Time for
Revclentur, Novitiiqite diu & caute tnm Injormen- it. And becaufe to afcrjjbe a Saving Venue unto
tur, turn
.
the bare Sacraments Fx Opcre
Explorentur Operato, is the bot-
Ratio Difcipl. Fatr. Bohem. p. 4, 5. tom of the Errors of Popery, this Error cannot
otherwife be Corrected, than by this means
That by a certain, and no fudden Trial, the Se-
crets of Mens Hearts may be laid open and
Novices may be, with a long
Caution, both in-
ftructed and examined.
out oiTruth in Contro- 13. I have faid, that the Life of our
Reader, If the Beating §.
verts, that have rifen among us relating to S^ttCfjel was in a fpecial manner EngrofTcd by
our Church Difcipline, had not been the fpecial Ser- the Services of Explaining, Maintaining and Per-
vice, wherein all our
Churches beheld the Lord fecting thofe Principles, whereby the Chriltian
Jefus Chrift making ufe of this our Learned, Religion muft be preferved, with a True and
than Con- Pure Church fate among us, and
Able, Holy, and no lefs Confederate, conveyed and fe-
siderable 05itCljd, 1 had not given thee fo long tured unto Pofterity ; and this leads me to that
an Entertainment as that of thefe Proportions ; part of his Character, which diftinguilbed him,
Tropcfttions,
which if they fhould in the Opinion as much as any One whatfoever Namely, •,
A
of any, fall fhort of Demonflrations, and contribute Care of all the Churches. Our Lord Jefus Chrift
the various Appre- complains, That the Onldren of this World are
nothing to Unite and Settle ( for
heniions of feme very Worthy Men among us fo I read it) wifer for their own Generation, than
about an Important Point in our Church Govern- the Children of Light. But our 90ttC!)Cl was Wife
of all ferve to for his Generation, and Exercifed his Wit with much
ment, yet they will in the Opinion
the Mind, which the rare Contrivance, and much
exprefs Difpofitions of Diligence, that his Gene-
Author of them did both Live and Dye ration, even the Faithful People of God in the
Spirited
withal : They fhow how much he was againfl World might be accommodated in all their In-
that Rigid, Unfcriptural, Uninftituted, and
Un- terefts. He was endued
with a certain foaring and
warrantable Iniifting upon Modes, wherein fome ferious Greatnefs ofwhich rendred Fly-
Soul,
of our Churches had finned fometimes againft catching too low a Bufinefs for him ; though he
the Grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift and yet were One of a very Lowly Spirit in his
•,
Difpofi-
much he was all Scriptural and Rational tion to be always condemning of
how for himfelf, yet he
Methods to preferve the Churches from finning nourifhed in himfelf a Generous Difdain of Low
y
the Holinefs, which does become thofe Houfes Little, Trifling Matters, and was of a
againft Leading
of God for ever. Spirit where hard Service was call'd for, and of a
I Pub-
Book IV. 1 be tiiitory of New-England. 181
Tublick Spirit, for Doing of Service to as many as Quorum, if three Minifters were among them,)
he could': His Thoughts moved in a large Sphere who fhould lingle out Scholars eminently preg-
of Vfefulnefs, and he was continually projecting nant and pious, and out of this Bounty fupport
how to Do good in the molt Extenlive Manner
',
them in fuch Studies, as they fhould by thefe
unto more than an whole Country. The Bucholt- Truflees be directed unto, until they had either
Expreffion of the Apoftolieal nANTAXOr-
z.eria>i performed fuch profitable Services, as were Impo-
2IA might be transferred into our Account or fed on them in the Colledge it felf, or prepared
Mr. ^ItCljCl He was a Circle, whereof the Center
: themfelves for other Services abroad in the
was at Cambridge, and the Circumference took in World. He was mightily affected v\ith a Paffage
more than all New- England. Hence, when he of Luther's, If ever there be any Confiderable Blovr>
fet apart his Days for Secret Prayer with Faffing given to the Devil's Kingdom, it mufl be by Toutb
before God, he would recapitulate in his pri- excellently educated. And therefore, Res feria eft,
vate Papers the Humbling Occafions for Sup- Ingens eft, It is a Serious Thing, a Weighty Thing,
plication,
which he faw not only in Afflictive and a Thing that hath much of the Intertji of Chnfl,
Things on his own particular Flock, but alfo in and of
Chriflianity
m it, that Touth be well trained
up,
all the fad Sights, which in Difaftcrs either upon and want no tlelps for that end ; that
Schools, and
the Civil or Sacred Concerns throughout all our School- Maflers, and poor Scholars be maintained. It
Three Colonies, and all Gradual Decays of our is
Flourtjhing of a
the Common-Wealth, to be well fur -
Glory, occur'd
unto him yea, and he would then
•, nifhed with Learned, Worthy and Able Men for all
Travel fo far, as to Obferve the Condition of Purpofes. will nut give us fuch Men
And God by
the Church throughout Great Britain, and the Miracle, feeing bath He
vomhfafed us other way; ,
Nations of the European World ; and all thefe and means to obtain them. Learning is an Vnwel-
Occafions of Diflrefs and Requefl, he would enu- come Cueft to the Devil, and therefore hi would fain
merate before -he ^ord, with the Matters of his flarvc it out. But we fhall never long retain the Gof-
own Everlafling Welfare.
From the fame Heroick pil without the Help of Learning. Jind, if ire
Vertue ( as fmay properly call it) in him it was, fhould have no Regard unto Religion, even the Out-
that in the Weekly Meetings of the Neighbouring ward Profperity of a People in this World would ni-
in the Towns cefjarily require Schools and Learned Men.
Pallors, after the Weekly Leilures Ala'.,
which he could vifit and at all other fuch Meet- that none are carried with Alacrity and
•, Serinufieft
ings, he would with a moft becoming Difcretion to take Care for the Education of Touth, and to help
and Mtdefly, be ftill putting forward fomething the World with Eminent and Able Men. 'Twas
or other, that might be for General Advantage .- from Confiderations, like thefe of Luther's, that
And when the Minifters met at any time fo much he did with an Accurate and Judicious
Pen^
without Advantageous Fffells of their Difcourfes, fhape thefe Propofals. But if New- England then,
that it could befaid, The T«me had been fmoaked had not many Perfons in it, of the fame Incli-
be Troubled at nation with Pope Paul 2. who pronounced them,
away to no purpofe, he would
it It caufed him once to write this Lamenta-
: Ij)CtCtiCfe0, that fhould mention the Name of an
tion ; Little done ! J have begun to feel the fadnefs 3Ca3CttlP, and exhorted People, that they would
and the Lord's withdrawing from not put their Children to Learning, inafmuch, as
of the prefent time,
us and our Chariot wheels taken off : I find that in it was
enough if they could but Read and Write .-
withal ! In this Lamentation, the Reader finds when their Difficult Church-Cafes called for the
the Colledge mentioned, and indeed the Colledge Help of Councils, to make their Applications un-
was nearer unto his Heart, than it was to his to Cambridge, for Mr. £Tjt)ltCi}Ci to come and help
Houfe, though next adjoyning to it. He was them in their Difficulties. And in thefe Councils,
himfelf an Accomplifhed Scholar, and he loved a as well as when Weighty Cafes have been laid
Scholar dearly ;
but his Heart was fervently fet before the Elders of the Churches, by the Gene-
upon having the Land all over illuminated with ral Courts,though ufually molt of the Minifters
the Fruits of a Learned Education. To this End, prefent were Elder than he, yet the Senfe and
he became a Father to the Colledge, which had been Hand of no Man, was relied more upon than
his Mother, and fought the Prosperity of that His, for the Exacl Rcfult of all. With fo much
Society, with a very Angular
Sollicitude ; but a- humble Wifdom and Caution, did he Temper
mong other Contrivances which he had tor the the Significant Forwardnefs at Well-doing which he
nifters of the/ix next Towns, for the time being, remember is this, Omnes neceffitatem habent Col-
with feven other Gentlemen by them chofen ouc loquii ejuseven fuch a necellary Tree of Life, was
;
of the faid Towns, of which any Seven to be a 99itCljel accounted, in the Garden of New-Eng-
H hhh 2 land-
482 The Hiftory of New- England. Book IV.
land, However, he encountred with fuch Tempta- Death, publifhed unto the World under the
twns mult buffet all that have in them any
as Title of Nebemiab upon the Wall. In that Sermon
thing of Significancy for which caufe, once •
Reader, Take notice of the Difcovery which he
particularly^ when he had been admirably ac- gave of his own Catbolick Charity, when he fays,
quitting lumfelf in an Undertaking of Great
'
Do not wrong and marr an Excellent Work'
Confequence to the Churches, he came home, and Profelfion, by Mixing and Weaving in
Spu-
and wrote thefe Words. My Spirit was carried rious
Principles, or Practices ; as thofeof <§>cpa*
out in tcomiicb fonvardnefs : I fee caufe to be deeply rtltlOtt, Anabapifm, MoreUian ( Anarchical )
abafed and loath my felf, and bang down my Head Confulion. If any would fecretly 'twift
in,
before God and Men. How do 1 marr God's Work, and efpoufe fuch things as thofe, and ni3ke them
and marr be gives me therein,
ub.it by my own part of our mtereft, we mull needs renounce
! ! Scmitiir.es 1 am ready to rcfolve to put forth it as none of our
Caufe, no part of the End
Tolly
my felf no more in PuUick Work, but keep myfelffilent, and Defign of the Lord's faithful
Servants]
and unwgaged* as J fee others do. But then J per- when they followed him into this Land, that
that tafttth of Frowardnefs and
Pride. was not Jown. Separation and
ceive, this
Anabaptifm, are
Lord, Give me mdre Wifdom to manage and de- wonted Intruders, and feeming Friends, but fe-
mean my ft If ! But if thy Service and Honour may cret fatal Enemies, to Reformation. Do not
b promoted by my Weaknefs and Folly, Let me be on pretence cf avoiding Corruption, run Into fin-
'
tb God may be exalted. 2 Sam. fid Separation from any True Churches of God
willing to be Vile,
it
4
6.2i, 22. Upon the whole, he was unwilling and what is Good therein ; and yet it is our
'
to affect fuch anZ'nJerviceable Privacy, that they Errand into the
Wildernefs to fludy and pra&ife
1
who pafled by his Houfe, might fay, Hie fitus true Scripture-Reformation, and it will be our
'
Crown in the Sight of God and
eft $&ittl)2\li\$- '
Man, if we find
§. 14. I know not how far that Learned
it, without Adulterating Deviations.it and hold
e cbr.an, Thus, though he were a Reformer, yethz had no-
who Writes, The Conformity of the Con-
the Anci- thing in him of a
; tfalional Church-Government unto that of Donatifi For which caufe .-
ent Primitive Chrifiians, hath feen verified his Ob- Mr. Baxter hearing of him, faid, Jf an Oecume-
fervation, All Diftnterefted Perfons may cafily
be nical Council could be obtained, Mr. Mitchel were
ftaaded that the Congregational Communion retains
'-.-
.
"Vis very rarely few (faith he) that any Men, that were in many things not of his own
Charity. |
i)ne of the Congregational Way dots not hue all perfwaiion : Such Llohncfs, and Patience, and
j
'that they do net ffeak of them, as of the True Churches withal, that Good Men, who
ties accompanied
even the moft Sober and Ho- otherwife differed from him would ftill fpeak of
of Jeffs Chrifi : Whereas
the Epifcopal Men,
and fame of the him with Reverence. To give one particular
neft Party of
are fo ftrongly poffejfed with Prejudices Inftance : 'Tis well known that the Reverend
Tresbytenans,
that they are in thtir Charles Cbancey, Prefident of the
'egainfi thofe of Congregations, Colledge, and a
and Neighbour in the Town and Church with our
Recount, no better than Hypocrites, Schifmatichs,
Men Enthifufms. If any of the Congre- much younger ^tttiJCi, at the Time of the
of ftrange Sy-
gational Way
do not anfwer this Chara&er, Let nod, zealoufly and publickly, by Ten as well as
thefe Words condemn them ; as I know thofe by Speech oppofed the Synodalian Principles
of the Presbyterian Way in this Country have by whereof Mr. ^ttCljCf was no fjnall Defender :
their Charitable that part But fo far was the Diffent between them, in
Temper much confuted
of the Difcourfe, by which they are here Cha- the very Heat and Heightb of all the Controver-
racterized. But the Obfervation I am fure, was fie, from caufing the "Reverend Old Man to
verified in our 2©itc!)CU who was one
handle his Antagonift, in any meafure as the
fully fa-
tisfied and eftablilhed in Way Angry Diofcorus did the Diffenting Flavian, in
the Congregational
of Church Government, and yet had a Spirit of the Council of Ephefus, that he would common-
Communion for all Godly Men in other Forms, and ly fay of him, 1 know no Man in this World, that
unto his own. I could envy fo much, as
was far from Confining oiGodlinefs Worthy Mr. Mitchel,
was a with him, The of for the Great Holinejs,
Learning, Wifdom and Meek-
It frequent Speech Spirit
thrift, is a Spirit of Communion ! And I can tell, nefs, and other Qualities
of an Excellent Spirit, with
what he would have faid, if he had lived to fee which the Lord Jefus Chrifi hath adorned him.
the Books of fo Ridiculous a Schifmatick, as he that
has to prove,
made himfelf infamous by attempting §.15. And {hall we a little more particularly
That no
where there
Epifcopal Ordination,
is there is Defcribe that Holinefs of this Excellent
Man,
no True Church, Minifter, Sacrament, or Salvation. which we have fo often mentioned ? It is an
His Great Worth caufed him to be called forth fe- Aphorifm of a Macbiavel, f_ and, was Reader,
veral times with an Early and Special Refpedt it not worthy of a Macbiavel j That he who !
from the General Court of the Colony, to preach writes an Hiftory, muft be a Man of no Religion.
on the Greatefl Solemnity that the Colony afford- By that profane Rule, the firft and the bell Hi-
ed •
The Anniverfary Eleclion ofGovernour florian in the World, the moft
Namely, Religious MOSES,
and Magif rates : And one of the Sermons which was ill accomplilhed for a Writer of Hiftory. But
he pveadied on thofe Occafions, was after his the Hiftory, which we are now writing, does pro-
feffedly
Book IV. lije.Hifioryo/New-Enghnd. «8 3
fefledly intend nothing fo much as the Service of himfelf to an affiduous Meditation upon ; and by
Religion,
even of that Religion whereof onr Meditating- on thefe it was, that he became very
90ttCi}£l made an Exemplary Profeffion. Where- Holy. Moreover, he was as Holy Men ufe to be,
fore we go on, to fay ; Know, Rea<kr, That he very folicitous to make a due Improvement of
was a Great Example of a Walk with God ; and all Ajfitclions, th3tthe Providence of Heaven dif-
of Religion he was much in Prayer, much in penfed unto him. He would fay, When God perfo-
his VertumvsWife, there- nally afflitls a Man, it is as if He called unto the
.F<i/2*'ȣ,fometimes taking
in to make a Confort with him and/fometimes Man by Name, and jogged him, and faid, Oh !
•,
continually making on himfelf, he judged that fore He now takes itfrom me. But the Affi'.clion
his Mind had not been always full of Heaven, whieh moft of all Exercifed him, 9. ems to have
and his Heart had been, what he called, hard been in the fucceffive Death of many and Lovc'y
and flight, that he had been Formal' in his De- Children, though all of them, in their Infancy.
votions, that he had not- profited abundantly by 'Tis an Obfervation made by fome, upon feveral
the Sermons of other Men, that he had not made Paflages in the Scripture concerning that Gene-
Confcience of Doing all the Good he could, when rous and Gracious Man, David, that he was Li-
he had been in any Company ; he would put berorum Amantijfimus, full of AfFsctions to his
Stings iato his Reflections, and rebuke and re- Children; and that was to be obferved in our
proach himfelf with an Holy Indignation. Se- Mr. Jonathan Mitchel ; for which canfe, when
vere might feem the Rule of R. Hanina. If two his Children were Bowels felt
Sick, his Paternal
fit together and there b; no Difcourfe of the Law, 'tis more than ordinary Wounds ;
and when they
the Seat of the Sarnful : Severe might feem the were Dead, his Humiliations thereupon were ex-
Rule of R. Simeon, Jf Three do Eat at one Table, traordinary. He wrote whole Pages of Lamen-
and fay nothing about the Law, they are as if they
tations on thefe Occalions and one of his Infants
•,
Eat the Sacrifices of the Dead -. And fevere might it could be broughn
particularly expiring before
be the Rule of R. Hananiah, He that wakes in the forth to an orderly
I cannot but recite
Paptifm,
or walks the and let's his Heart a little of the Meditations then written by him :
Night by way, lie
idle^ fins againfl his own Soul : But our ^ItCfjCl It was a further fad Hand of the Lord ( fays he )
reckoned it no Severity unto himfelf, to impofe that it fhould dye unbaptifed. Though I do not think
upon himfelf fuch Rules as thefe for his Conver- they are Orthodox, that hang Salvation upon Baptifm,
fation. I have
read, That Five Devout Perfons and not rather upon the Covenant, yet as it is ap-
being together, there was this Qjieftion ftarted pointed to be a Confirming Sign, and as it is an Or-
among them, How, in what ways, by what means, dinance of Grace, fo to be Deprived of it is a great
they flrengthtned themfelves in obtaining from Sin Frown, and a fad Intimation of the Lord's Anger :
againfi the God of Heaven ? The Firft anfwered, And though it may be well with the Child notwith-
/ frequently, meditate on the Certainty of flanding ( that it becomes me to leave unto the Lord ! )
Death,
and the "Uncertainty of the Tunc fir it is to us a Token And what
my Death, yet of Difpleafure.
and this makes me live in the Fear of Sin ConflruBion or Thoughts tending to the lord's Difhc-
every
Day as my lafi. The Second anfwered, I fre- nour it may cccafion, I know not : That after my
quently meditate on the fir iff Account of Sin that 1 Labours m
Publick about Infant-Baptifm, the Lord
am to
give at the Day of Judgment, and the Ever- fhould take away my Child without and before BaD-
lasling Torments in Hell, to he infiiclcd on them that tilm ! Hereby the Lord dots and
again again make
can give no Good Account. The Third anfwered, me an Example of His Difpleafure before all Men,
J frequently meditate an the vilenefs, and as if He did
filthinefs, fay openly, that He hath a fpecial Con-
and loathfomenefs of Sin, and the Excellency of Grace, troverfie with me Thus remarkably taking away C ne
;
which is contrary unto fo vile a
Thing. The Fourth after another. The Lord me and makesbrings forth',
anfwered, / frequently meditate on the Eternal Re- me go up and down, as one Jmitten of God : The
wards and Ileafur es refcrved in Heaven them Lord fpits in my Face by this thing. See 2 Sam.
for
that avoid the 12 12. Numb. 12. 12. Lent. l8. 45, 46, 58, 59.
Pleafures of Sin, which are but for a
moment. The Fifth anfwered, /
frequently medi- Such, and many more were the Workings of his
tate on the Lord JESVS CHRIST, and his won- Tender Soul under his repeated AffUffiovs. And
drous Love to miferable Sinners, in
dying a curfed fuch were the Vnf arch able Dealings of God, that
and a Death for our Sin; and this helps me to
bitter befides the Children which he fent unto Heaven
abftatn Sin, more than any other conjider ation
from before him, when he went unto Heaven himfelf,
whatfoever ; And the Anfwer of this laft was in- he left behind Three Sons, and Two Daughters, all
deed the greateft of all. Now all thefe were of which lived unto fomewhat of Tov.th, yet they
the Subjeds, which our Holy have all of them fince dyed in their Youth ex-
$)0i;tCf)?i> obliged :
cept
'I he Hiftory of New-England. Book
marri- them that vifitcd him, he
cept only a Vertuous Young Gentlewoman, faid, If the Lord JefHs
ed unco Captain Stephen Sewal of Salem; unto whom Chrift have any Service forme, to do for
Him, and
H'vs Dear am
( wiih her Off-fpring, the only Pofterity
of this People, I witiing to do it; buttfmv
Great Man ) may the Lord multiply all the Blef- Work be done, His Will be done ! But
the Diftem-
fings of that Covenant,
for which their Progeni- per fuddenly aflaulting him with a Mortal Ma-
tor proved fo ferviceable a Pleader in his Gene- lignity, and fummoning him to the Houfe
appointed
ration for all the Living, he fell to
.'
admiring the mani-
The laft Thing that ever he wrote in hisRe- fold Grace of God unto him, and broke forth in-
ferved Papers, after he had bitterly reproached to thefe Words, Lord, Thou calleft me
Thee ; I know not
away to
The Deadnefs, Straitnefs, Enmity, and Vnfa-
Sinful why, if I look to my felf; but at
his own I come ! which were fome of the
vguriiefs ( as he called it) upon Heart, up- thy Bidding laft
on which he added this Pathetical Expreflion, J Words, which he fpoke in the World For his :
feel J /hall fdl, and tumble down into the Pit of Hell, Friends, who had not for many Hours, enter-
left unto 'my It Was Jaw 7. 1668. To tained the Expectation of any fuch difmal
if p. If; quic- Event
ken Cares
his of Daily Meditation.
were compelled in Floods of
Tears, to fee him
than 1, fomeof them now dye on July 9. 1668. in the Forty Third Year
1
Firft, Far younger
1
got to Heaven, have done much this way. Nulla ot his Age When ( as one exprelTes that Mat-
:
'
Dies fine Linea. ter ) he left his Body to be
dipped in the River
of Jordan, that afterwards in it's
Secondly*, Meditation, yea, Daily Meditation,
?
Refurre&ion
'
in general, is an indifpentible Duty. Pfal. 1.2. palling into Canaan, it may, beyond the
Story
'
and Pfal. 119. 97 And becaufe it is fo, there of Achilles, become impenetrable and invulne-
1
may be fcmething of Meditation in Prayer, in rable. Wonderful were the which
Lamentations,
c
Reading the Word; Jofti. 1. 8. with Dtut. 17.
this Deplorable Death fill'dthe Churches of
'
1 9. a;;d in Gtcaftonal Tranfient Thoughts ; yet New-England withal ; for as the
Jewilh Rabbits
'
fuiely fome/rft Meditation daily belides thefe,
lamented the Death of R. Jofe, with
faying
is at leaft to >vc a Duty, who am fet apart, for That after his Death> Cejfarunt Bom i. e. Viri
'
'
be and Unthankful Wildernefs. Yea, they
(bail I
Thinking on, Talking with, Cbrift, Speak of this
to all Eternity, and not Difcomfe with Him, Great Man in their Lamentations to ih'vs Day • and
'
1
O; e quarter of an Hour in a Day now
? what they fpeak is briefly the fame, that One of
'
Icu-tbly, Tie Great Enemies of all Good, our nioft Eminent Perlbns has Writ in thofe
'
F!;(]j,
Satan and World, do of all other things, Terms, 311 New-England fljcrjfc, U)f)eit that
1
molt opyateMtditation, which (bows that there iSMat fell to tlje ^ouno,
Flefh, by Awknefs, Giddi-
'
is much Good in it.
'
ring up both.
Awake
Lord, Awaken me, and keep me
!
EPITAPH.
D
now, Reader, Let us go to the beft of
Holy
§. 1
Walk?
But what and when, was the End of this
6.
The Incongruities and Inconfiften-
cies of Hiftorians, are not more notorious in any
AN Poets in the
Englifh Natioi for thofe Lines,
which may, without the leaft Wrong to Truth be
one Article, than in that of the Deaths of the applied as an EPITAPH to this beft of
Preachers in our little The
Heroes, whofe Lives thty have Eternized. With New-Englifh Nation.
what Varieties aie the Deaths of Cyrus, of Antio- Incomparable Dr. Blackmore\ Orator Tylon, (hall
Greatnefs
reign'd Triumphant, in his Godlike Mind.
and Modefty their Wars compofe,
}
from an ill Habit of Body. Of extream Lean, he Between them here a perfect Friendflnp grows.
ibon grew extream Fat ; and at laft, in an extream His Wit, His Judgment, Learning, equal rife ;
hot Seafon, a Fever arretted him, juft after he Divinely Humble, yet Divinely Wife :
had been Preaching on thofe Words, / know that He feem'd Exprefs, on Heavns High Errand fent,
thou wilt bring me to Death, and unto the Houfe ap- As Mofes Meek, as Aaron Eloquent.
for all the Living.
[oihted
The Fever did not feem Netlar divine flows from his Heav'nly Tongue,
to threaten his Death however in his lllnefs, to And on his Lips, charming Perfwafwn hung.
;
When
Book IV. The Hiftory of. New- England «5
Wheu he the Sacred Oracies roveal'd, Stars falling lpeaK a Mi><-mwhen Samuel dies,
;
Our Ravifh'd Souls in bleft Enchantments held, Saulmay expect Philiftia's Cruelties,
Seem'd loft in Tranfports of Immortal Elifs ; So when Jehovah'* Brighter Glory fled
The Temple, Ifrael foon was Captive led.
No Simple Man could ever fpeak like This !j
Arm'd with Cseleftial Fire, his Sacred Darts :
- Geneva's Triple Light made one Divine :
Glide thro' our Breafls, hmdt oaryielding Hearts. But here .that y ail Triumvirate combine
By a bleft
So Southern Breeze?, and the Springs mild Ray, Metempfycbofis to take
Unbind the Glebe, and thaw the Frozen Clay. One Perfon for their larger Zodiack.
'He Triumph'd o'er our Souls, and at his Will, In Sacred Cenfures, Farels dreadful Scrol
Bid this Touch'd Pajfion rife, and that be ftill. Of Words, broke from tho- Pulpit to the Soul.
Lord of our Paffiitts, he, with wondrous Art, In Balmy
Comforts, f/m&feenius came
Could fhike the Secret Movements of our Heart; From xh'lVrinkled Alps, to vvooe the Weftern Dame ,
Keleafe our Souls, and make them foar above, And Courting Cambridge, quickly took from thence
with Divine Defires, and Flames of Her Laft Degrees of Rhetomk and Svnfe.
Wing'd
Calvin's Laconicks thro' his Doctrine
Heavenly Love. Spred,
And Childre-is Children with their MannaitA.
But what need for an His Expofition Gene/is begun,
I travel, as far as Europe
this Worthy Man ? Let it be known, And fatal Exodus eclips'd his Sun.
Elegy upon
that America can Embalm Great Perfons, as well Some fay, th^t Souls oft fad Prefages give :
as Produce them, and New-England can bellow Death-lreathing Sermons taught us laft to Liv?*
an Elegy, as well as an Education upon its Heroes. His Syjlem of Religion, half unheard,
When our Mttchel was dying, he let fall fuch a Full double, in his Preaching Life appear'd.
He's gone, to whom
Speech as this unto a young Gentleman, that bhCourtry owes a Love f
lodg'd in his Houfe, and now Hood by his Bed, Worthy the Prudent Serpent, and the Dove.
My Friend, As a Dying Man
not charge you , Religion's Panoply, the Sinner's Terrour,
1 <
that yon don't meet me Day oj Death fummon'd hence ; fure by a Writ of Error !
out of Chrijl in the
CHAP.
1 86 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV,
CHAR V.
DRVSWS NOV-ANGLICANVS.
THE
LIFE O F
§. i. Remember, the Report given by blefled with feveral Worthy Sons, the Effe&s of
'tis
"fl"
Sylvius concerning Rhodes, That it is whofe Liberal Education in our Colledge have
I bleffed
with a perpetual Shine of the Sun ; rendred the Family not the Leaji in our little
imagine, that there pafTes not a Day Jfrael. While he was yet a Child, he was de-
in the Year, wherein the Sun fhines not upon it. livered from anExtream Hazard of Drowning by
And methinks our Cambridge, had not been much a Mir able, I had almoft faid, a Miracle of Divine
otherwife privileged for more than Forty Providence ; God referving him to be a Mofes a-
Years together • being fhined upon by a fuccef- mong his People. And the fweet Nature, which
five Triumvirate of fuch Eminent and Heavenly accompanied him all his Days, did now fo remar-
§. 2. 'Tis Remarkable, That in the Sacred of young Ambrofe, To what wiH this Child grow ?
Story at leaft Forty Dukes of Edom have their were improved in our Colledge ; where he took
whole Story crouded into one fhort piece of a his two Degrees. Being here yet a Lad of Fmall,
Chapter ; Three or Four of them are joftled in- as he never was of great Stature, he publifned a
to a Line, Seven or Eight of them into Two ; little parcel of Agronomical Calculations with this
all but their meer Name is buried in a Dark Vault appofite Verfe in the Title Page,
ters are employ'd, in defcribing the Vertues, and Parvum parva decent, fed inejl fua Gratia parv'vs.
relating the Aftions of
one Younger Son of Jf-
rael, the Son of a Plain Man who dwelt
in Tents. But here, being furnifhed with the /rmow, and
If the Greateft Perfonsof£dow [ that is to fay, the Treafure of the Schools, he went from hence
of Rome 3 have their Hiftory loft, the Church of unto the Work of Building the Temple of God j
God would have no great Lofs in it ; A Son of preaching his firft Sermon at Roxbury.
Jfrael may more worthily, and more ufefully
have
his Memory preferved in Church- Hiftory with the §. 4. Returning back to England, he there
molt Extended Paragraphs Yea, the Son of a Grew in Favour with God and Man. After he had
:
Plain Man, who dsvclt in Tents, may deferve an been a while Chaplain to One of the moft Noted
Everlajling Remembrance among them,
who moft Perfons then in the Nation, Titchfield was the
confider what they have moft Reafon to remem- place, where this Bright Star became fixed ; there
ber. Make Room then, for Vrian Oakes, Ye 'twas that he fettled in the Charge of Souls, which
Records of New-England. He was born in he difcharged in fuch Lively Preaching and fuch
and now in his Childhood brought over Holy Living, as became a Aiinifler of the New-
England,
to New-England, by his pious Parents, who were Tejiatnat ; there 'twas that like a Silkworm, he
fpent
Book IV. The Hiftory 0/ New-England 187
fpent his own Bowels or procure the thing in Chrift ; were very agreeable to a Man,
Spirits, to
Garments of Righteoufiefs for his Hearers ; there whom Chrijt had made fomething among the People.
'twas, that he might challenge the Device and But the Colledge in Cambridge languifhing under
Motto of the Famous Dr. Sibs, a wafting Lamp fomewhat worfe than an Ague, by the Want of
with this Inscription, Pralucendo pcreo, or, a Przfident, this Accomplifhed Man was invited
My
Light is
my Death. unto that Place : For divers Years, he would ad-
mit no other Title to this Place, but that of Pro
§. 5. But the Expenfive Labours of his Mi- Tempore, which indeed feems to have been a little
niftry did not fo haften a Natural Death upon Proleptical and Prophetical From this Time, and .
him, as to anticipate a Civil Death by the Perft- But for a Time, he was the Jerotn of our Bethk-
cution, that lilenced the Non-conformift Minifters hem !
throughout the Nation. A
Civil Death, I fay ;
becaufe although the Authors of that Aft, XIV §. 8. Soon afcer he had accepted his Preftdent-
Car. 2. would not be reckoned among The Slayers fliip, he was arretted with a Malignant Fever,
of our Lord's Witneffes, yet it may furprize the which prefently put an End unto his Days in
moft attentive Conlideration, to read how much this World. The Prayer of fome Great Saints
oftner than Twice or Thrice in that Aft, the fi- has been contrary to that in the Litany for a Sud-
lenced Minifters are pronounced a& Dead, and, den Death and fuch was the Death of this deil-
•
as if naturally Dead ! This Aft flew the Miniltry rable Perfon, if any Death may be accounted
of this Faithful Witnefs to the Truths of the Gof- futtden to him, that was always prepared for it.
pel, whereof he was a Minifter ; but that Wor- When he had lain fick about a Day or Two, and
thy andWell-known Collonel Norton, proved the not fo long as to give the People of God Oppor-
Obadiah, who then gave this Good Man a Resi- tunity to pray for his Recovery, his Chuch com-
dence in his Houfe where his Prefcnce and ing together with Expectation to have the Lord's-
•,
Prayers produced a Blejfwg, like that on the Supper en the Lord's Day adminiftfed unto them,
Houfe of Obed-Edom. Nevertheless, when the to their Horror, found the Pangs of Death feizing
Heac of the Perfecution was a little abated, he their Paftor, that fhould have broken to them
returned unto the Exercife of his Miniihy, in a the Bread of Life. And, indeed, I have oiten
Congregation, where Mr. Symmons was his Col- Teen the Lord of Heaven, taking off His Mini-
league. fters, perhaps to Heaven, at that Seafori, when
Eucharifi the
fhould have been celebrated!
§. 6. Our Cambridge deprived of their Incom- which is a thing that might admit of fome Ufe-
parable Mitchely and lamenting, that, Of all her ful Refieftions.
Sons, there vrere fo few to take her by the Hand ; af-
ter folemn Addrefl'es unto the Great Shepherd of the §. 9. He was upon all Accounts truly, an
Sheep for His Direction, fent over their Agents Admirable Perfon. Confieter'd as a Chrijtian, he
into England^ with an Invitation to Mr. Oakes, was Full of all Goodnefs, and like a. full Ear of
to Come over and Help them. A
Council, upon Corn, he floop'd with a molt profound Humility
f
that Occafion, called approving of the Invita- adorning all his other Graces ; but though he
tion, the Good Stork flew over the Atlantick were Low in own Opinion or nimfeif, yet he
his
Ocean to feed his Dam. Whereupon One wrote, was High in Attainments
his High in his Prin- •,
Ihow this Orient Jewel for divers Years, before now have feen Paul in the Pulpit indeed, he was, .
the Almighty would have it made up Among his asone fiid, An Uncomfortable Preacher ;
Why?
Jewels ; though the Troubles and Sorrows of a He drove us to Defpair, namely, Of Jeeing fuch
Quartan Ague, often diverted him from his Pub- another. Finally, I cannot fpeak more Compre-
lick Services. And here he had the Opportu- henlively of him, than Mr. Increafa Mather does
nity, for which Dr. Prefton chofe rather to preach in his Preface to a Difcourfe of this Renowned
at Cambridge, than any other place, Dolare non Man's, publilhed juft after his Deceafe.
tantum Lapides fed Artifices. Of the Divine Fa- There have been feveral of the fame Name,
'
vour to them, in their Enjoyment of fuch a P'aft or, heretofore Renowned for their Rare Accom-
the Church was now fo fenlible, that they kept a 1
pliihments in fome particular Faculty, where-
Day of Publick Thankfgiving for it. At this in they have excelled. Jcfephus Oucrcetamts was
Thanlfgiving a Sermon being expefted from him- a Learned and Famous Ihyfuian. Johannes
'
felf, he took for his Text thofe Words in 2 Cor. 1 2.
Dri'fius ( the Greek Word for Oakcs ) was a
11. I be nothing. And the Holy Endeavours that '
Great Divine, and Eminent for his Critical
But an Age doth feldom produce One
'
he ufed in the Sermon, to take off the Thoughts Genius.
of the Faithful from any thing in Man, to every '
fo many W ays
r
excelling as this Author was.
•
1 i i i If
c
thing of what he was, in a Sermon, called The of Man, but modell'd by the great Law Giver
,
pline,
without which we may not fay, that we Tbeologi, merito fuo, eeliberrime,
have written his Life, we will from that Ser- Concionatoris Vere Aiellifiui,
iEtatis fox L.
4
Thofe Good People that came over hither fhew-
ed more Love and Zeal, and AfjFedtionate De-
* Plurima quid Rcferam, jatis eft (i dixeris
Z'num,
4
fire of Communion with God in pure Worfhip
Hoc Di(in fatis eft, Hie jacit O A E SI U S. K
4
and Ordinances, and did more in Order to it
4
than and the Lord did more for them,
ethers,
i
than for any People in the Woild, in fliewing CHAP.
Book IV. The Hifiory of New-England. 180
CHAP. VI.
LIFE THE
O F
the Reafon of this different Expreflion hath been it now his Duty to Fifit One of his Flock, who
a Matter of fome Enquiry. It feems, that of lying fick of this Diftemper, defired a Vifit from
Rah ah, Babylon, Philiftia, Tyre and Ethiopia, it him. He went with Hit Life in his Hand, and
was Behold
faid, as being almoft a Wonder! ) which he couragioufly, and undauntedly expect-
(
that This tingle Man of Eminen-
Man, fome one ed, the Contagious Diftemper arrefting of him,
Avis Terris, was born there. But of did put an End unto his Life, and therein, fine-
cy a Kara in
be «*»1 &** ] Man and ly, after feme fort entitle him unto the Crown
Zion, it might faid, £
Man, This and That Man, that is to fay, Very of Martyrdom. Thus, as an Elegy upon his
Death exprefled
many Eminent Men, Mulu pietatc, Dotlrina In- it.
Ground, where God planted His Church, afford- Running on Death, fooner than Duly fiy.
ed more Excellent Men for Holinefs and other
Noble Accomplifhments, in proportion, than all Behold, a Shepherd, who was ( as> the Emperor
the World beiides. I will now make no Odious Probus had it faid cf him ) Vvt fui Komixis !
Comparifons between Harvard-Colledge
and other
Univerfities, for the proportion of Worthy Men §. 3. And now, that the Ponrtraiture of this
therein educated But New-England, compared Perfon, who was, as Great a Bleffwg and Glory
:
with other Parts of America, may certainly as ever Charlftown had, may be dtawn to the
boafl of having brought forth Very many Emi- Life, it is fit, that other Pencils, than fuch poor
n.nt Men, in proportion, more than any of them; ones as mine, fhould be tmploy'd ; for indeed it
and of Harvard- CoHedge ( herein truly a Sion- was very truly confeffed in an Elegy, made upon
Colled^e ) it may be (aid, Thisand That Man him,
mas bred tbtre ;
of Whom, not the leaft was
Mr. Thomas Here's Worth enough' to overmatch the Skill ,
Shepard.
Of the tr.oft Stately Poet Laureats Qhi.I.
§, 2. Reader, Efteem it not prapojlcous, if I
begin the Life of this Worthy Man, with Rela-
We
will therefore employ Three other Tefii-
ting that his Death fell out, on Deeemb. tl. A. D. monies and Defcriptions to give Pofrerity the
1577. When the Peftilence raged fo much in Knowledge of him whereof the Firft (hall be the
•,
Alexandra of Old, thnTbere was not an Hofe, Epitaph engraved on his Tomb-Jlone, in fuch Terms
wherein there were not many Dead, it was the Ob as thefe,
fervation of Mankind, that while the Pagans ait D. O. M. S.
off all Humanity and inhumanely forfook their Repofita fant
hie Reliquia Thomx Shepard;,
Dearefh Friends, in the Diftreffes of their Sichiefs, Vtri Sunclijfimi,
the Cbriftians without any regard unto their own Eruditione.Virtute, Omnigena, Moribuso^ fiavijfimis
Life, boldly ventured into the Sick- Chambers, Ornattjfimi ;
Harvard'* Great Son, and Father too befide, Filium tantum &
& Alumnumchariffimum.fedCura-
Charlftown's7«/* Glory New-England's Pride torem etiam vigilantiffimum
The Church's Jewel, Colledge's Overfcer, Municipium Scho- •,
The wandring wildred SouPs Conductor Wife : Ornatiffimus Shepardus, Vir dignus, fi
The Widow's Solace, and the Orphan's Father, quis alius,
qui nunquam asgrotaret, nunquam moriretur.
The Sick Man's Vtfitant, or Cordial rather : Dabicis Veniam, Auditores, ut mcelli nos Har-
The General Benefactor, and ytt Rare
vardinates, etiam in iplTs Feriis Academkis, pien-
Engroffer of all Good ; rkMan of Prayer: tiffimi Thoma
Shepardi Manibus, alieno quidem,
The Conflant Friend, and the mofl Chetrful Giver, uti videri poteft
Tempore, et Exequialia jufta,
Mojl Orthodox Divine and Pious Liver :
Friendfhip, that Vnanimated our Oa\es and our & qualem Virum Theologum profecto non
!
bis? Quam nihil non confideratum exibat ex Ore ? dixeram, elatam efTe Rempublicam. Lugete,
Quam nihil in Geftu affeftatum, aut indecorum ? Reverendiffimi Presbyteri, amifium chariffimum
Fuic quidem h ^t^ <!.,>, Animo fedatiffimo, candi- Fratrem, et Symmiftam Ordinis vefiri Decus &
dillimo Pe&ore, feliciffimo lngenio, acerrimo Ju- Lumen fingulare. Lugete, Carolinenfes, fubla-
fuaviffimis deniq^ temperatillimisq^ Mori- tum, ex Oculis veftris, eximium Epifcopum ve-
dicio,
bus ornatiffimus. Sic autem univerfam yitam ftrum, Delicias olim Amores veftros. Lr- &
traduxit, ut aliis illuftre quoddam
verx Pietatis gete, Academici amifium Curatorerri vigilai.-
ac Virtutis Exemplar, ad imuandum propolicum^ tiffimum, cujus interritu, Collegii Dignitatem,
in eoqj quafi immane quantum diminutam, faiutem ipfamperi-
Exempli caufa, antiqni Officii vefti-
gia remanebant. Non ilk inanem occupatus eft efTe, qnis non inteliigit? Lugete, quot-
clitatam
Rumorem, neq^ ullus umbra falfe Gloria con- quot adeftis, Auditores, amiflum ilium Virum,
fectatus eft, aut infolentius extulit fe ; fed a Su-
confummatifIimum,Currum& Equites [fra.elis,dig«!.
omni abfuic. In niffimum profeftb, qd Nov-AngIi» Lachrymis
per cilio, Faftuqi longe longeq^
fummis ejus Dotibus, propter quas, Honoribus ufq^ & ufq- defleatur. Quod fi nimius in hoc
Automate, Gvatia floruit, fumma Animi Demiffio Argumento, et longius, quam pir eft proveclus
& Modeftia lingularis emicuerunt ; Et rara qui- elfe videor, qusefo, obteftorq; ut veniam aliquam
dem ( ut did iblet ) Virtus eft
Humtlitas Hono- Dolori meo, et Mcerori Animi. tribueudam pu-
rata. Vetus eft Verbum "Ett 'A^i? Vw* 'A*«?, tetis. Videtis me, in amplifiimas Charifiimi
in Oceanum defcendilie,
Vnus, Fir, Nullus Fir. Ego verb non minus vere Shepardi Laudes, tanqnam
pofTum dicere *£/« e,«o» imwv- Vnm mihi fuit in- et difficile
quidem elTe, crjni Laudandi, turn
Prorfus aflcntior Naz.ianz.mo Finem
fiar decent Millium. '
Lugendi reperire.
dicentl QiKirrvtlv ix. iiual 'Avla.MO.yu* lair ov]av \4\y,
Amicitiam unlearneffe
vita condimentum. Mife- This was one Paragraph in a Commencement-
rum me Quam trifte nobis fui Defiderium re- Oration pronounced by the La[i:mtius of New-
! i
liquit Qui mihi ita Charus, ita luenndus fuit, England. And that Stroke, which this very
.'
ut ejus Afpe&u Dolor omnis fuerit abfterfus, et Perfon had ia an Elegy, by him compofed on
omnis, me angebat, cura plane confederit. the Death of his Deareft Sbepard.
quse
Probe memini, quam me olim frons ejus tran-
quilla, vultusq; (ut
Ovidius loquitur ) Plows Gra- Tbey that can Shep^rd'* Goodnefs well d'fplay y
vitate ferena, inter dicendum animadvertit. Ille be as Good as He : but who are They ?
Muft
horum Comitiorum ( ut mea tulit Opinio ) Pars
adeo magna quemadmodum ( Autore He did himfelf make a near Ejfay towards the
fuit,
ut
of it, and in my Thought, he was accord-
Cicerone ) Antomacbus Clarius Poeta, cum convo- doing
catis Auditoiibus redtaret ingens Volnmen, ing to his own Rule, well qualified for the do-
iis
of it.
quod conferipferat, euoiq-, legentem, omnes prae- ing
ter Platonem reliquident. Lcgam, inquit, Nibilo-
tninus ; Plato cnim mihi twits, inftar eft Omnium §. 5. But if the Reader muft have One ia
:
Ita profeftb, alter Plato ( abfit verbo lnvidi3 ) all Things, As Good as He, to Dijplay bis Good-
fuit mihi Sbepardus et inftar omnium. Did non nefs, behold then He fhall effectually, and not
improperly, do it Himfelf. Let the Reader pe-
poteft, quam me perorantem, con-
in Comitiis,
lpectus ejus, multo Jucundiffimus recreant re- &
rnfe his Elaborate Sermon, preached at the An-
feceiit. At non comparet hodie Sbepardus in niverfary EleCiion of the Governour and Magi-
his Comitiis Oculos hue illuc torqueo ; quo- strates id F oft on. May 5. 1672. arid afterwards
:
C H A P.
i9 2 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV.
CHAP. VII.
By COTTON MATHER.
C&e ©ccont! cm'ttem.
READER,
JELL me not, that the People's being Author as Old, and as great as Aufi'w, the Won-
taken with Funeral Oration derful Effedfs which the pretended Reliques of
Publicola's
in Praife of the Dead Brutus, or the the Martyr Stephen had upon thofe who repaired
Decree of the Roman Senate, That it thereunto for the Cure of Maladies. Howbeir,
fhould be Lawful to make a Funeral Oration on When I find that Great Man in his Epiflle to
fuch as deferved well of the Common-wealth, the Clergy of Hippo, denying that any Miracles
made Poly dor e Virgil fay, Hinc mortuos Laud Midi were then done in Africa ( which he alfo again
moi f.uxit, quern nos hodie Servamus. The Book faid, in his Book, De VtiliLitc Credendi ) and in
of Lamentations, on the Death of Jofiab, is of an his Bock of True Religion, affirming th3t God
Elder Date ; the Roll of Lamentations on the permitted not Miracles to continue until then
Death of Jonathan, is of yet an Elder and cer- left the Minds of Men fhould be too much taken
•
of any Fumral Sermons : That in fome Reformed Hand The beft fort of Reliques after all are thofe
.
have been Decrees of Councils againft them. I promoted by repairing unto them. And, I do not
readily grant, That the Cuftom of Fraifmg the more qneftion the Opinion of a very Learned Man
Dead, has been fcandaloufly abufed ; but I can- concerning the Angels, whom we find mention'd
not grant, That the Abufe is beft corrected, by in the Scriptures as doing very Humane Aclions,
taking away all Pullick Meditations on the Fune- Feros Homines fuiffe, qui a Spiritu Mc/Jia et a
rals of thofe, in whofe Deaths God from Heaven Spiritibus Angelicis ageb.wtur
•
ct movehantur ad ea
Ince the Oracles of Heaven, have (with a had in the Name of Stephen, which fignifies, A
molt Significant Admonition! ) allow'd a Crown, a Notable Specification of the Event and
well ferved Church, to call its Pajlor by Reward, which will attend all our Sufferings for
the Name of its Angel, we may now fay, the Lord.
The Angel of the Church of Portfmouth has newly It was then an Age of mnny Miracles wrought
taken Wing ! Yea, not the leaft of the Angelical by the Spirit of our Lord Jefus Chriil ; and fjch
Chariots and Horfemen of New-England, have de- a meafure of that Spirit pofieffed this Excellent:
of that Spirit, He could
parted from us, in the Withdrawing of One, after Man, that by the Impulfe
whom that bereaved Church is crying, My Fa- with all Aflu ranee perceive, when the Spirit was
ther, My Father ! going co work Miracles, and apply himfelf to ac-
To preferve the Idea and Memory of his Face, company the Miracles of the Spirit, by fome won-
as far as the Infirmities of this Mortal State per- derful Aclions of his own. This illuftrious Worker
mitted any Approaches to the Angelical Character of Miracles was accufed before the Council at Je-
in it, is that whereto not only Nature does in- rufalem, for faying, That it was the Delign of
vite us 'Twill be but a Compliance with that Jefus to deftroy the Temple and the City, and alter
:
Edict of Heaven, Remember them who have fpoken the Rites, which Mofes had from God co manded v
toyou Word of God; whofe Faith follow, corf- unto Jfrael. When he appear'd before the Coun-
the
the End of their Converfation. cil to anfwer this Accufation, 'tis here faid,
dering They
'Tis well known, That among the Chief Works faw his Face, as it had been the Face of an Angel.
of the Molt High, Created by the Son of God, Concerning the Face of an Angel, we have a
at the Firffc Beginning of Time, there were His Remarkable Acconnt, in what we read about one
Good ANGELS: Angels, which are Spiritual and of the Angels, \a Alat. 28.3. His Countenance was
Rational Subftances, Created by the Lord, for like Lightning. And we read concerning a Greac
His own Immediate Service and Honour. None Man, who had got the Face of an Aigcl, by be-
Be-
deny, none difpute, the Exiftence of thofe Good ing much with the Angels, in Exod. 34.10.
Angels, but Men that arc under a more than or- hold, the Skin of his Face fhone If we C3rry the
dinary PofTeffion of Evil Ones. PafTage now before us unto the Higheft Senfe,
Our Lord Jefus Chriil has given it, as a De- which it would lay Claim unto, we ai-e to fup-
of that Future State, wherein He will make
fcription
That fuch a Splendor was difcernible upon
pofe,
us for ever, Mat. 22. 30. They are as the
Happy Face of Stephen : And furely, if they who
the
Angels of Gcd in Heaven And if we hope to difcerned ir, had not the Heart of. a Devil in them,
be Happy in that Future State, we muff, endea- they durft not have gone on, to abufe a Man,
vour to anticipate it, by being very Holy in our that appeared before them with the Face of an
Prefent State. But the way for us, to be very Angel. A hs, the more of an Angel there is in any
of\Man, the more Stones will the
is to refemble, and imitate, the Angels Devil procure to
Holy,
God in Heaven while we are on Earth, as far
,
thrown at fuch a Man ! But behold the Agree-
[be
is we are able. Every Holy Man does ablenefs of the Matter ; Stephen was perfecuted
a little of I
This •
and how rr.uch of
it, was done by that for vilifying of Mofes; and behold, at this very
i
Holy Man, who is now gone to live and praife,Time, he is vindicated with a Sk/we upon his Face,
and fee CHRIST among the Angels for ever, may ike that once upon the Face of Mofes. The Things
be propofed with fom: Advantage unto the Ex- here fpoken by Stephen, were thofe very Things,
to preach which the Angel Gabriel, had formerly
hortation, wherein I have a few Things fpoken
unto the People. unto the Prophet Daniel ; and behold, the Af-
But my Exhortation muff, be introduced with peft of an Angel adorns him in his Difcourfe.
a Report of that Glory, which the Martyr Ste- We
may from hence take Leave to Obferve,
phen, while he was yet on Earth, attain'd unto. That a Saint" on Earth, may arrive to thofe
There being occaiion to choofe Deacons in the Attainments, that (ball make him look like
an
Primitive Church, that fo they who were to give Angel of Heaven.
themCeives continually unto the Miniflry of the There are Angelical Excellencies, a Degree
Word, might be releafed by the faithful Cares of whereof, poor Man, forry
Man linful .Man, t
thofe Deacons, from Secular Encumbrances-, One even while fuch, may very much attain unto.
of them was the Bleffed Stephen ; who being the But now, this CASE calls for our Attention •,
Firft that arriv'd unto the Crown of Martyrdom What are thofe Excellencies that would tna'ie a Saint,
for our Lord jefus Chrift in the New-Teftament, Look like an ANGEL?
Aad
194 The Hiflory of New-England. Book IV.
And the General Anf.ver hereunto is, The to be like unto them in their Holiwfs. Hence
Excellencies of Holinefs. For, when tbePfalmift of old faw the Angels
praifing
Firfl, The Angels of God have many Excellen- of God, he cryed out, my Soul, do Thou fo too!
cies, the Imitation whereof cannot by
Men in Yea, fome Interpreters judge, That when the
this Life, be reafonably propofed. The Angeli- Face of Stephen look'd like an Angel, it was no
cal Majejiy, as a Mortal Eye would not be*able more than what you and I may thro" Chrifi who
q. d. The Cunfolations
us reach unto.
fteadily to Behold it, much lefs, in this Mortal flrengthens
State may we affett it. A Man may not wifh to of the Holy Spirit of God fo filled him, that he
jfhine like Stephen in this World,
and have a Face difcovered not the leaft Conflemations in his Face .-
that may dazzle the Spectators. Or, what would His Face was as Joyful •and Serene, as if he had
it avail, if a Man could make a Glue on his Face, ftood free from all the Sorrows of this World a-
it with fome of the Nocliluca's in- mong the Angels of God.
by fmearing
vented by the Modern Cbymijlry ? A Devil has I remember the
Apoftle enjoins the Woman in
before now, pretended unto fuch a Face. 'Tis the Church to have a covering on her Head in
not the Face, but the Grace of an Angel, which is Token of Subjedion to her Husband ; Becaufe of
here to be afpired after. It were a Foolifh, and the Angels [_2 Cor. 11. 10. ~\ Why, if you turn
a Faulty Thing, for any Man to be ambitious to the Beginning of the fixth
Chapter of Ifaiah,
of wearing in this World fuch a Figure as that you'll find the Angels before their Superiour, the
in Dan. 10.6, His Body like the Beryl, and his Lord Jefus Chrift in the Temple affuming a Cove-
face as the Appearance of Lightning, and his Fyes ring, out of the Reverence which they pay unto
as Lamps of tire, Immortality it felt is one of
Him. Hence then, fays the Apoftle, it becomes
the Angelical Excellencies. But, while we are/ Women to take Example by the Angels ; let them
amopg Mortals here, we muft fubmit unto the confider, how the ngels behave themfelves in the
Laws ot Mortality and be willing to dye, When Prefence of the Son of God, who is the Grand
and How, the Sovereign God fhall order it. Reprefentative of the Image and Glory of God •
There are alfo thofe Flights of Wifdom, and and let them in their Habit mow fome
Analogy
thofe Heights of 1'ower the Angelical Ex- to the Habit of the Angels,
among betokening their Sub-
celltncies ,wherein, not fc"
'tisus, to Dream of jection to the Man, who is under the Lord Je-
being like them, until we are become, The Chil- fus Chrift, the Image and Glory of God, while They
dren bf the Refurrecjjon. It was the, Ruine of our r,he Women, are fo of the Alan. But only touch
I
the Kingdom that cannot be will be as much Diftance between the Bleffed Spi-
they that fhall Receive
rits and Vs, as between Giants and
moved. Children, as be-
But, Secondly, The Excellencies of Holinefs f_ For,
tween Stars and Gloworms, as between the Cedars
the Saints are the Excellent !
] Thefe are They, of Lebanon and the Hyfop that grows out of the
wherein the Imitation of the Angels by Men, may WaU ; Thus it will be, until we come at lergth
be very far proceeded in. The Angels of God, to dwell [And, Oh! Why do we no more long for
are ftyledin^Wrf*. 25. 31. The Holy Angels; and it /] with the Innumerable Company of Angels, in
in Dan. 4. 1 7. The Holy Ones. 'Tis not as they another World.
are Mighty Angels, but as they are Holy Angels,
that we muft propound our Coming to look like However, to Attempt the Imitation, is the rea-
unto them. Thefe Holy
Angels never did, and dy way to be Excellent. Particularly in the Enfu-
againft their God ; but
never will fin are continu- inglnftances.
Him If a Man could have his Eye
ally ferving ot him They ferve
•, Day and /.
upon the Face of
in hisTemple ! And it may be, the Bright God continually, would not that procure the Face
Night
Garments, wherein thefe Angels of Light have ap- of an Angel for him ? It would make a Man look
an Emblem of their Holinefs and like an Angel, if he were looking unto God, in
peared, may be
their Purity. Now it hath been the Will ofGodin the Lord Jefus Chrift continually. Of the Angels
our Lord Jefus Cbrijl concerning us, that there there is that Account given, in Mat. 18. 10. In
fhould be fet before us the Greateft Examples of the Heavens, they do always behold the Face of my
Holinefs for our Imitation.
And hence, as we Father which is in the Heavens. The Angels do
have the Greater Example of our Lord JESUS converfe with continually. GOD
And, why
CHRIST Himfelf given unto us, to Direft and may not we prefs after a Converfe with GOD, a
Excite and Promote our Holinefs, with a Charge, little Emulating the Angelical ? To be Heavenly-
To be Holy, as He that hath called us is Holy ; So, minded, by having the God of Heaven almoft al-
we have alfo the Example of the Holy Angels given ways in our Minds, and by being in the Fear of
unto us, That we may ftrive as far as may be, God all the Day long ; This were to be as the An-
gels
Book IV. The tiijlory of New-England. x
95
gels
are ! Oh .' That we were thus Filled with the have fomething of GOD
in them. It was requi-
red in Pfal. 37.4.
Fulnefs of God. Ddigbt thy fclfinthe Lord. Yea,
Ftrfi, We may have a continual Apprehenfion of And what if we Ihould have no Delight, but the
GOD in our Minds. In every 1'lace,
we may Lord ? Let us ponder with our felves, over our
Apprehend GOD. Wherever we are, we may Enjoyments ; In thefe Enjoyments I fee God, and by
mbfcribe to that Article of the Ancient Faith, in tbefe Enjoyments I ferve God! And now, let all our
apprehend GOD in
every Thing. need not We it, embrace it, and rejoyce in it ; O Tape, and
ftay at any Second Caufes ; but we may with
a
Spi-
Feed upon God in all ; and ask for nothing, no, not
ritualised Soul, foar up to fome Notice of God in for Life it
felt, any further than as it may help us,
all. Upon all the Works of Creation we may fay, in our
Seeing and our Serving of our GOD.
And.
The Finger of Cod is here And we may make the
.'
then, whatever AJjliclions do lay Fetters upon us,
Portions of the Pauline Philofophy, in A<fts 17. let us not only remember, that we are concerned
24, 28. God made the World, and alllhings therein ; with GOD
therein, but let our Concernment
In Him ire live and move and have our Being. Up- with GOD
procure a very profound Submiffioa
on all the Works of Providence, we may fay, This in our Souls. Be able to fay with him, in I'fal.
comes from tba^fiod vchofe Kingdom rulctb over all. 39. 9. I opened not my mouth, becaufe, thou didfi it.
An(j we may make the Concluiions once taught In all our AjfiiQions, let us remark the Jujltce of
by our Lord, no doubt alluding to the Two Birds, that GOD, before whom, 'Why fhould a Living
whereof one was to be killed, the other to be Let Man complain for the Punishment of bis Sin ? The
loofe into the Open Field,
at the cleanling of the Wijdom of th3t GOD, rvbofe judgments are right;
the Goodnefs of that GOD, who Puiriflies us
Leper in Mat. 10. 29. Two Sparrows, one of them
(liall
not fall to the Ground without our Father. To Itfs than our Iniquities do deferve. Let us behave
be led into fome Notice of GOD
continually, our felves, as having to Do with none but GOD,
This, O This, it is Angelical. our Afflitlions And let cur Afficlions make us
'Tis Godlinefs. in :
Wlm is
Holinefs, but Godlinefs
> This were a more conformable unto ;
which Conformi- GOD
little of the Angelical Holinefs. ty being effected, Let us then fay, Tis Good for
Secondly, Our continual Apprehenfion of GOD,
me that I have been affiiled. Sh.s, what were this,
may bring \ continual Dedication to
GOD, upon but a pitch of Holmefs, almoft Angelical ! Oh !
all that we PJavc, and all that we Do. If we Glance Mount up as with thcHings of Eagles, of Angels;
at Infcrtour Ends, yet we may not Stop there: All be not a lorry, puny, mechanick Sort oiChriflians
our End', are to be fwallowed up in GOD. We
any longer^ but reach forth unto thefe things, that
Ihould not, with any patience confent unto it, that are thus before you ! -, .
any but GOD, fhould have our Strength, our But, in fine, 'Tis our Lord JESUS CHRIST,
Time, our All. Whatever P&ffejfions are beftow'd who is The Face of God. That is His Name, fre-
upon us, we may put them under that Confidera- quently in the Old Teffament ; and in this Hint,
tion, which the Houfe of David had, in Pfal. 30. I have given you a Golden Key to come at the fenfe
Tit. Dedicated Things. All our PojfeJJions, all the: of many Paff3ges in the Sacred P^ges, about The
Powers of our Spirits, all the Members of our Bo- Face, of God, and The Light of that Face : Twas
dies, our Ejlates,
our Credit, our Defirable the Mejfxah. 'Tis then our Lord JESUS CHRIST,
Friends-,
we may contrive with our felves, What Acknow- who is to be the more Immediate Objecl of our Ap-
ledgments may GOD have out ofthefe Things And prehcnfions, when we would become Angelical ; tis
.'
improve them no farther, than as Inflmmcnts, God in our Lord JESUS CHRIST: Whenever
whereby GOD
may be acknowledged. Yea, and we entertain any Thing of in our Minds, GOD
our daily Atlions ; may we not be driving a Trade it fhould be with a CHRlST.and thro' a CHRIST.
for GOD in all? As 'tis faid in 1 Cor. 10. 31. Thole who do all they can, to forge a CHRISTI-
Whatever ye do, do all to the Glory of God So, ANITY without a CHRIST, are fo far from be-
.<
our Eating, our Drinking, our Sleeping, what is it ing like Angels of the Lord, that they are Traitors
for? We may diftin&ly fay, I do This, that J may to the King of Heaven .'
Servants of our Lord JESUS CHRIST. By con- tyr Bradford, that Man had the Face of an Angel,
Grace in the Ntw Co- concerning whom it was noted, Fie was
fenting to the Methods of always,
venant, let us yield our felves unto our Lord either with Purfe, or Tongue, or Pen, doing of Good.
JESUS CHRIST, as unto our LORD and fay Whatever Company we fall into, 'tis ealie for us
;
with him in Pfal. I 19. 38. Lord, 1 am thy Servant, ordinarily to think, Wh.it Good may I do in this
devoted unto thy Fear. Let us reckon it the Fligh- Company before I leave it ? That Man fpeaks with
tft Pleafure
unto our felves, to be always Pleajhg
the
Tongue of Angels, who will never difmifs his
of our Lord Jefus Chrift Let us efleem it the Company, without fome Confcientious Eflay, to
:
III. To be very Serviceable is to be Angelical : more notably thus, when Men do often fet apart
about the Good, as they are like the Lord Great Things did the Angi\s
do for Mofes, great
for doing of
So they are like the Things for Elias, who often fpent whole Days a-
Jefus "Chrift, I Ails
10. 38. 3
that wait upon our Lord Jefus Chrift ione with the Lord and what faid an Angel un-
Angels •,
The Angels are always employ'd in tome Service to Daniel, when he had been fpending whole Days
a Man of Deftres, and an
for our Lord Jefus Chrift, and for thofe that be- at fuch a rate, Thou art
Heb. Are thinks not much to down from Fleaven unto
long unto Him. 'Tis
faid in 1. 14. Angel fly
with thoje Talents, wherewith my Lord Jefus Chrift gel thereupon. A nd therefore,the JLQt02> )DfiJ'£ '1
has bett-lifted me ? How many Goood Offices^ dees Let us keep them with a peculiar Sollicitude, a lin-
the Bible report, as done by the AvgtU of God gular Elevation of S anility. It was the Priviledge
for the People of God ? And how many fuch Good Of -John in Rev. 1. 10. To be in the. Spirit on the
are ftill done for the People of God, by he . Lord's Day. Sirs, If we are fo, we fhall be with
Offices
which Ercamp as.an H>ft a&ut the Angels on the Lord.; F)ay, and if with them,
Angels of God,
thea
Book IV. The Hiftory of New -England. 91
then like them. To be wholly under the Confine- firit Suffering and then Entring into His Glory.
ment f_I miltook the Word,l fhould fay Liberty .'3 And let our Acclamations be like thofe of the
of Religious applications, throughout our whole Angels, upon thofe marvellous Difpenfations of
Oiriftian Sabbath,
let us not count it as a Ceremo- the Grace of God When the Angels do look on
!
an whole Day together. Angels have llrangely vifi- and cry out, O Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of H»fts, all
ted and comforted fome on the Rack ; but never Hiaven is full of thy Glory] And fhall not we fo
fuch as comphin'd, that a ftridt Lord's Day put look on that our Lord of Glory ? When the Angels
'em on a Rack. During the whole Day, let our do fpeak of our Lord Jefus Chrift, they make a
Thoughts be full of God,
and Chrift, and Heaven ; moft Reverent Mention of His Holy and Reve-
during the whole Day, let our Words be few, rend Name, and fay, Oh there is none among the
!
on the Lord's Day, there fometimes does recur of our Souls be the Fruit growing on this Tree
a moll fpeci.il and lignal Opportunity to Draw of Life ; and let the Drink of our Souls be, the
mar unto God , namely, "Cije lOHD'-j Clipper ; Honey of this Rock: This is the daily Repaffc of
an Ordinance of the Neareft Fellowfhip with Hea- Angels; this Nourifhment will Angelifie us in a
ven ;
an Ordinance wherein a CHRIST fuffering little while. What fhall I fay ? The Myftery of
for us, is by the Symbols of Bread 3nd Wine fo CHRIST \% the moft grateful Contemplation of
tendred unto the Faithful, that in their Obeying the Angels : Thofe Cherubims about the Ark of
His Appointment thereof, they do with ineffable God, we are told in 1 Pet. 1. 12. They defire to
Advantage partake of Him. Well then, let our look into theft- Things. 1 fay then, Go and do like-'
Preparations for this Great Ordinance be with wife.
as much of Solemnity, as if we were to dye our VI. If we would always behave our felves as be-
felves at the Time, when we do annunciate here fore the Face of Angels, we fhould at length ob-
the Death of our Lord. Let us examine our felves tain the Face of an Angel by the Exaftnefs, the
and fttpplicate our God, before we come to the Circumfpedtion, the Accuracy of our Behaviour,
Table of the Lord, as if we were to dye when we It was a Good Memento written upon a Study-
come. And at this Holy Table, where Man eats Wall, Angeli adft ant j or, The Angels of God ft and
Angels Food, let us fix our Meditations on our by
! Did Men remember the Eye of the Invifible
Lord JESUS CHRIST, with all pofiible Attention, Angels upon
them in all their Ways, how grave,
with all fuitable Affctlion. Thus, Beholding, as in how cautious, how pious would they be ? and ac
a Gl.ifs, the Glory of the Lord, wc fhall be changed in- laft, how like unto thofe Angels If a Man were!
to the fame Image, from Glory to Glory, as by the as bad as Balaam himfelf, yet the bare Sufpicion
of having the Eye of fome Angel upon him, would
Sprit of the Lord. Now, 'tis that Glory that makes
an Angel ! be enough to llop him from ruining on to Sin.
V. An Heart much affe&ed with the Lord Why fhouldeft thou fin, fays the Wife Man, in Eccl.
JESUS CHRIST will procure the Face of an An- 5.6. before the Angel ? If we were wife, we fhould
often think, / am now before Come Angel ! and that
gel, unto the Man who hath an Heart fo affe&ed.
Unto the Angels there ft nothing fo precious, and Thought would make us wife. The Aged Apoftle
nothing foglorious as the Lord JESUS CHRIST-, faid unto
a younger Minilter, I charge thee before
yea, 'tis our CHRIST that makes the beft part of Eletl From whence 'tis infallibly fure,
the Angels .-
their Heaven for them. Our Lord JESUS That the Eletl Angels take notice, how we ac-
CHRIST is, as the Apoftle enumerates it among quit our felves, each one in his Charge. Said the
the Mifteries and Evidences of our Faith., in i Tim. Ffalmift, in Pfal. 238. t. Before the Gods 1 will fwg
3. 16. Seen of Angels. But how feen ? Truly, feen praife unto thee: The LXX. tranQate it, lwillfmg
with Wonders, and ften with Raptures, and fecn praife unto thee, before the Angels. Chriftians, The
with Endlefs Hallelujahs. Would we be like the Angels take notice of us in all our Employments,
Angels ? Then let our Lord Jefus Chrift be feen by ye3, in our clofeft Retirements. We
give no
us, as the Befl Thing in Heaven and Earth, and as Pratjcs to God, we perform no Duties, we en-
infinitely Better than the very Angels themfelves. dure no Troubles, we refill no Temptations, but the
At the Incarnation of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, Angels of God are the Witneffes of what we do ;
what were the Songs of Angels? in Luke 2, 14. we are a Speilaclc to Angels in all of our Encoun-
There was a multitude of the Heavenly Hoft, prai- ters. Well, Now let our Deportment be mightily
ftng of God, and faying, Glory to God in the Higheft ! under the Influence of this Consideration The -,
Would we be like the Angels ? Let us then join Angels take notice ; what Report will the Angels of
in a Confort with thofe Morning Stars, and Sons God give of my Behaviour It has been propound-
!
ef God. It was with Joy unfpeakable and full of ed as a Rule @f Prudence, for a Man wherever he
Glory, that the Angels attended upon our Lord comes, to imagine, that there h prefent fome
Jefus Chrift, firft throughout His Humiliation, and Eminent, Wife, and Good Man, to fee and hear
is an
then unto His Exaltation. Let the whole of That, all that
paffes. Man, There Angtl to fee and
be the moft Ravifhing Subject of our Contempla- hear all that paffes, wherever thou Cornell ; this is
tion
j Let us love to fee our Lord Jefus Chrift, no meet Imagination. Could we, like theS:rv2i;c of
Kkkk 2 the
.8 Ibe Hiftory of New- England. Book IV.
the Prophet in the Mount, fee the unfeen Regi- Spirit, a Lying Spirit, a Proud Spirit, a Spirit full
ment of the World by the fubordinate Govern- of Envy. Oh Take heed left you be of fuch a
!
ment of Angels, what an Awe would it ftrike us Spirit, and fo, left
you perifh with the Devil and
with The Angels of the Lord fee how Men are
!
his
Angels throughout Eternal Ages.
for the Service of their Thus, the Rules of becoming Angelical have
difpofed and employed
'
Lord, and gladly contribute their unknown Af- been fet before us.
which inclines them on many Accounts, to with- All the Churches of NEW- ENGLAND con-
draw from the Offenders, until they have wafhed Perfon, whom an Eminency both
fidered him, as a
in Senfe and in
themfelves over again, In the Fountain fet open for Grace, had made confiderable. All
Sin and for Vncleannefs. Now, let this Confide - the Churches of BOSTON enjoy'd and admired
ration accompany us in all our Walk-, and let the his
Accomplifhments for the Evangelical Miniftry
Eye of an Angel be more
to us, than the Eye of many years together. The Church of Portfmouth
a Cato, could be to any Roman. The Face of (a part of the Country that very much ow'd its
be gain'd by
fuch a Confidera- Life unto him ) crys out, of a Deadly Wound in
Angels will at lair,
!
becaufeofits being fo contrary and provoking to he added more than Ordinary Cares to do it by
their moft Holy Lord. Sirs, Mark it ; if any of Fifits : No Man perhaps being a kinder Vifitant.
and willingly fin againft God, you
He was not only ready to Do good, but alfo to
you wittingly
and as the Devils would have for doing it ; and as he was
do as the Devils do, Suffer Exemplarily
and as our Lord Chrift fpeaks, zealous for a Scriptural Purity in the
you to do, Jefus Worfhip of
in John 8. 44. Te are ofjour Father the Devil, and
our Lord Jefus Chrift, fo he cheerfully fubmitted
the Lufts of your Father ye will do. Dreadful words
unto an Imprifonment, for that Caufe of
!
God, and of
There is the Image of the Devil, and there is the this Country ; wherein, like Stephen, he had the Ho-
Praiiice of the Devil in every SIN. To commit nour to be the Firft, that fuffered in that way for
SIN is Humane ; to indulge it will be Diabolical. that Caufe in thefe parts of the World. Briefly,
But efpecially, there is much of the Devil in Apo- For Piety, for Charity, and for Faithfuhefs to the
from good Beginnings. Of the Devils, we main Interefts of our Churches; all that knew him,
fiacy
find in Jude 6. They kept not their firfl Eft ate : They and know the Worth of thefe Things, wifh that
once joined, it feems, in praifing of God with among the Survivors he may have many Fol-
the Angels of the Bleffed Regions ; but they left lowers.
it all. You that have left the Societies, and the He was of a very Robuft and Hardy Conftitu-
Exercifcs of Chriftianity,
wherein you were at tion, and a notable Exception to the General Re-
When the Laft Summons of Death came to be of a fad Fate unto a Land, when the Angels Ao fay,
ferved upon him, he had neither Time not Strength Migremus hinc; Let us be gone How far he had!
to fpeak very much; and they that have fpoken the Face of an Angel while he fojourned here, no
much while they live, fometimes mult not fpeak doubt Envy may cavil ; and I have fometimes with
Death. His Difcouifes were wonder the poor Energumens among
very much at their feen it, in
of Self-condemnation ; and indeed, us, that when the Minifter, who might be the moft
generally full
that Man knows not how to dye, who thinks to likely to do them good,came unto them, the Fiends
exceed- that polTefled them,would make the Minifter's Face
dye other wife, than Condemning of himfelf
The molt of what he faid was, 1 fuppofe, look fo dirty and fwarthy, that they muft by no
ingly.
cnto a Minilter who vifited him the Day before means acknowledge him. This I may venture to
his Expiration. Unto that Minifter he lignified, fay without Flattery It is long ago, that in ano-
:
That he was Rejoycing in the Hope of the Glory of ther fenfe than Aquinas, we call'd him An Ange-
God ; That he was Longing to go to the Precious lical DoBor ; and he has now attained the Face of
Chriji, whom he had cbofe andferv'd;
That the Spi- an Angel, without the lealt Wrinkle in it. He is,
rit of Cbrijl bad comfrt ably taken away from him with Stephen, and the Angels of God, gone to be-
the Fear of DEATH. When that Minifter urged hold the Glory of the Lord JESUS CHRIST,
him, to leave with him any fpecul Delire, that and bear a part with the Many Angels round about
he mould judge proper to be mentioned, he faid, the Throne, faying,Worthy is the Lamb that wasflain !
The Life of the Churches ! The Life of the Churches .' I cannot but recommend him to you, as one that
and the Dying Tower ofGodlinefs in them ; J hefeech was, A Candidate of the Angelical Life and follicit
-,
LIFE O F THE
COLLIN S's
§. 1 .
W
XX T ^^ ^
fevera l Sons of Diagorar, There was a good Old Man, called COLLINS,
had fo acquitted themfelves, as the Deacon of the Church at Cambridge, who is
to merit and obtain Applaufe now gone to Heaven ; but before he went thi-
in their publick Anions, he, ther had the Satisfaction to fee feveral moft Wor-
that brought the Old Man the Report of it, gave thy Sons become very Famous Perfons in their
him that Salutation, Dye quickly, or, I am going Generation: Sons, that having worthily ferved
to tell
you th.iy which will keep you out of Heaven ! their Generation, are now gone thither as well
as
2GO the. tiijiory of New-England. Book IV.
as he Two of them are found among the Gradu- thor, but N. N. on that Cafe, How the
','
Religious
ates oi HarvardColledge. of a Nation are the Strength of it ? the Au- Now
thor of that Sermon was this Mr.
John Collins
§. i. Mr. JOHN COLLINS in Youth who tho' he thus reckoned himfelf a No
his
Body, yet
received a Wound by a Fall, which had like to was by Others efteemed fo Confiderable a
part
have coft him but whilft he lay gafping, of the Strength of the Nation, that at the
his Life ; Affecti-
the Renowned Mr. Thomas Shepard came to him onate Prayer of the Reverend Mr. Mead, poured
/ have now hem wreft- out before God for his
with this Confolation juft •,
Recovery when he lay lick •
with the Lord for thy Life, an d God b.ith granted 1 have been told, there was
ling hardly one dry Eye
me my Dcfire; Toung Man, thou /hah not dye but to be feen in the Great Congregation of the
live but remember, that now the Lord fays, Surely, Ledture at Pinners-Hall, where he alfo had been
thou wilt now fear Him, and receive Inftruclion. The a Lefturer. Let the Reader but make the
Ap-
Life, then continued unto that Young Man, after- plication of that Sermon to the Author of it •
wards proved fo very Confiderable among the and read this as the Running
Title, The Englifh
Divines of Great Britain, and efpe- Nation weakned by the Death
of Mr. JOHN
Congregational
cially in the Great City of London; where he COLLINS Thus a Funeral Sermon upon him will
:
snoftly fpent his Days of publick Service, that it not be wanting .'
wanted Elquen:e, went aw3y whole Colony of ConneLlicut in our New-Eno] and
prove, That Cicero
Unmoved or Vnplcafcd from them. Neverthe- than the Body of Cafar did
receeive, when tie fell
under Difadvantages to come at the wounded in the
lefs, being Senate-Houfe. Reader, I would
more perfeft Scory of his Life, my Reader fhall have made an Effay to have lamented the Fate of
r
have only the Contrallid Report, which his Epi- this our Collins in l erfe, were it not for Two Dis-
taph has thus given
of it. Reader, The Stones couragements Not becaufe Annatus the Jefuite :
will fpeak, if his Friends do not Celebrate him rcckon'd it a Thing worthy of a Scoff in our
!
Reverend and Excellent Man, Dr. Annefley ; there habet multos Sparta fimiles : Even fuch was the Con-
is a Sermon wearing the Name of no other Au folation of Convenient, by the
Special Favour of
/ Hea-
Book IV. The Hiftory of New-England. 2o 1
teas not the only Excellent Man they had among ford, Woodbridge oi Wether sfleld, Wakeman of Fair-
In the Acknowledgments of Worth, there field will never be
them. forgotten, till Connecticut Co-
may come in for a great Share with him, feveral lony, do forget it felf, and all Religion.
» 1 1 . -
. ...
CHAP. IX.
. . •
THE
L O
F
F
r. Thomas Shepard
Cur pramaturvm, Mortemque queramar Acerbam ?
Mors Mat ura lrenit, cum Bona Fit a fuit.
S.I. F were accounted a Great Honour Son was the Brightnefs of the Father 1 Such a Lu-
it
the Family of the Curii in Rome, ftre did Father, and Son, and Grandfon, mutually
to
that there arofe from that Stock Three reflect upon One another, in this Happy Family.
Excellent Orators, One fucceeding ano r It might be laid of them as Naz.ianzen, remem- 1.
ther ; we may account it a greater Honour fignali- ber, fpeaks about the Family of a Bafil; The Pa-
ziiig the Family of
the Shepards of New-England, rents were fuch, that, if they had irot fuch blef-
that no lefs than Three Excellent Minifters have fedGjildren, they had been of themf:lvesP.enown-
fucceffively illued from it. The Eldefl Son of ed ; and the Children were fuch, that if the Pa-
Mr. Tboma* Shepard, the Ever Memorable Paftor rents had not been fo of theinfejves,."'.yet for the
to the Church of Cambridge, was Mr. Tbomtit fake of Thefe they had been Famous in the Church
Shepard, the Paftor to the Church of Charlflovon; of God. Of, they may make us think of the
and the Only Son of Mr.Thomas Shepard that Paftor Glory, with which the moil llluftrious Family in the
oi laft Mr. Thomas Shepard, Oracles of God, is ufually fee off when
was our
Charlflovon, Abraham,
Tatemx Virtutis ex affe Hares, his Grandfather's and Jfaac, and Jacob, are fo often together intro-
and his Father's Genuine Off-fpring. The Lives duced, where the Root gives a Verdure to the
of thofe his PredecefTors make a Figure in our Branches, and the Flourifhing BrhtcbtitS
dgaitt
CIjUCClj-^iffCiL'P, and though this
our Third commend the Root.
Mr. Thomas Shepard muft have it laid of him,
That he did Days of the Tears of
not attain to the §. 2. When Mr. "Thomas Shepard the' Second
the Life of his Fathers in the
Days of their Pilgri- oi New-England, and the Firft of Charljiown, died,
mage ; neverthelefs his Life had that in it, which he left behind him fuch a Picture, as that which
may juftly render it Obfervable and Exemplary, Tally mentions of Sextus Sulpicius ; N/iUimi-tinqnam
Yea, fuch a Similitude of Spirit, there was def- Monumentum clarius. S. Svtbpk'ms rclir/qu&e pbtuit,
cending from the Father to the Son, and from the !
and the laft not fo much as Thirty Years in the make an Efjay at the Drawing of his Figure after
yet there might a fort of Jointed Lovgdi another maimer ; even by;fuch' a Narrative Of his
'
World,
vity be afcribed unto the Generation ; for when Life, as may be indeed tas-ititfurt to the Life :
the Father went away, Nontotus receffit, we had In the Doing whereof, perlaps the Children of
him ftill furviving to the Life in the Pofterity. Godly and Worthy Anceftors, may find the En-
:
As the .Name o\ Abntr may be taken both ways, couragement of a Confirmation to th3t Obferva-
either Pater Luccma, ox Lucerna Eatris ; either tion, That, as the Snow-BdU, the further it rolls,
the Father was the Brightmfs of the Son, or the the greater it
grows, thus the further' that the
1
Grace
202 The Hiftory of New-England. Book
'
Grace of God is continued, and received, and va- judice againft Religionwas prevented. Now~as
lued in any Family, the Greater Effecls of that God blefled the Religious Cares of his Father to
Grace will be ftill appearing. For there were tinge him with fuch a Savour of Religion in his
fome lingular Circumftances of Early Bleffednefs, Childhood ; and he would not
only on the Lord's
attending this our youngeft and lateft Shepard, Days, while he was yet a Boy, fo notably repeat
wherein it might be faid of him, as it was of the by heart in his Father's Family, all the Heads of
Well-known Grand/on, of whom this was indeed the Longeft Sermons preached in the
Publick, that
a True Son, His Bleffwgs exceeded the Blejjlngs of bis it might have ferved for a fufficient
Repethion,ia-
Progenitors. And we may the rather take Notice ftead of ufing the Notes
ufually on fuch
produced
of this Matter, becaufe there was hardly One Con- Occafions, but alfo his Virtuous Carriage on the
federation, which oftner pofTefTed the Mind of this Week Days, he fhow'd, that the Sermons had in-
our Shepard, or more powerfully operated upon deed their Impreflions on his Heart : So his Child-
him to make him Eminent, than The Obligations laid hood was remarkable for the Diligence of
it, and
upon him from his Anceflors to do worthily. As the his Love of his Book. And fuch was the Effect
Famous Boleflaus always carried about with him, of this Diligence, that he had not though in his
the Picture of his Fathtr in his Bofom, upon which Attainments the Precocity of'Jacobus
Martini, the
often looking, he would fay, Let me never do any Venetian Boy, who not many
years agoe ) when
thing unworthy
the Son of fitch a Father : This was he was hwx. feven years
old, publickly difputed
the very Spirit of our Shepard, who always bore at Rome, on Thefes, which he
publifhed of Theolo-
about with him the Image of his Father, and as gy, Law, Phyfick, and the other Difciplines, unto
often as perhaps almoft any one Thing, thought the Aftonifhment of all the Orders
there, yet he
on this, Hotq he might approve himfelf the Son of did attain unto fuch Learning, as
gave 'him an
J'ucb a Fatlnr, Early Admiffm into the CoHedge, and rais'd great
Hopes in good Men concerning him-
§. Defcended from fuch Anceftors, our
3.
Thomas Shepard was born at Charljlown in A7fir-
§. 4. Being admitted into the Colledge, ne-
England on July <;. 1658. How he was in his ver was Father more Careful of his
Earlieft Years difpofed, I choofe to relate by re- Afcamus,
than the Father of this our was of this
Shepard
citing fome of the Word?, afterwars ufed by him- his
Only Son. And the Care of his Father for his
felf, when
he addrefTed the Church of Charljlown
' Welfare, caufed him then, in imitation of what
for Admiflion to their Sacred Communion. As the
1 Grandfather had once done for him,, to give .
(
he proceeded) had rather fee you buried in
I
' '
is by Exerciftng Faith, to convert again unto your Grave, than grow light, loofe, wanton
* 4
God. And putting my Soul in the way of the or profane : God's Secrets in the Floly Scrip-
' '
Breathings or God's Spirit, and then ebferving tures are never made known to common and
* 4
the Aftings thereof, 1 have by the Help of the profane Spirits and ( added he ) therefore be
•,
* '
fame Spirit, found fomething of Relief under fure you begin and end every Day, wherein
1
thofe Doubts. On my Childhood and Toutb, I
•
you ftudy with earneft Prayer to God-, read-
* 1
have too much caufe to fay ( as Solomon of the ing fome part of the Scripture daily, andfet-
*
things jof this World)
Vanity of Vanities , all is f
ting apart fome time ev'ry Day ( though but one
1
Vanity'. Yet by the Blefling of God on the
1
Quarter °f a11 Hour ) for Meditation of the
* '
faithful Endeavours^ and fervent Prayers of my Things of God.
4 '
Religious Parents ^ efpecially of my Honoured, IF. To remember, that tbefe are Times of much
4
BlelTed, and moft Exemplary Father, who of
4
Knowledge, and therefore One bad almofl as good
1 '
all, as
the moft Able to further, fo was moft be no Scholar, as not to Excel in Knowledge ;
4 4
SolikitoHS, Studious, and tenderly Careful, al- Wherefore {faid be ) abhor one Hour of ldle-
4 4
ways about the Everlafting Well-being of a nefs, as you would be afhamed of one Hour
'
! Son, from the very Beginning of my Days, to of Drunkennefs. Though ( as he alfo [aid ) I
* 4
the End of bis, I do think, I was by Precept and would not have you neglect Seafons for Re-
1 1
Holy Example, imbued with a Natural Love creation a little before and after Meals, and
*
and Liking to the Word and Ways of God ;
•
your
Book IV. The HiftoryofNew-Enghnd. 102
of Idlenefs is nonrifh- fecret Diftafte of Holinefs, and the Power of
your Soul, while the Sin
Godlinefs, and the ProfefTors of it. Both of
ed, which hath fpoiled fo many hopeful Youths,
in their firft Bloflbming in the Colledge. Hence thefe Sins {faid he ) you will quickly fall in-
Jlill
how to reduce all unto his own more peculiar My
Son, if thine Heart be wife, my Heart (hall
Service in his Exercifes or otherwife. Seventh- rejoyce even mine.
ly, By taking pains in preparing for
his Reci- And I may now abridge the whole Academical
tations, Declamations, Difputations, and not upon Life of our youngSbipard, even until he proceeded
Mafler of Arts, into this brief Account of him,
any pretence whatever hurry them ojf indigeftedly.
( Said be ) Reading without Meditation will be That he did make the Heart of his Worthy Fa-
ufelefs Meditation without Reading will be ther to rejoice by his Confcientious and
-, Exemplary
barren. But here I would not have you forget Attendance unto thefe Infractions. Yea, when
a Speech of your Blefled Grandfather to a Scho- he had Occafion to mention them, it was in thefe
lar, that complained to him of a bad Memory, Terms, My, next-to Chrijl, moil Beloved Father's
which difcouraged him from Reading, Lege, Advice : Nor was there any one part of his Cha-
Lege, aliqutd harebit. That Sentence [_ he racter more confpicuous than this, Reverence A
added ~\ in Frov. 14. 23. deferves to be writ- for the Perfon and Advice of bis Father.
ten in Letters of Gold on your Study-Table,
In all Labour, there is Profit. But, Laftly, By §. 5. But before he could proceed Mifttr of
praying much not -.only for Heavenly, but alfo Arts, a Terrible Hand of God upon ( more
Humane Learning For ( faid he ) Remember than ) Cbarlflown, put an End unto the Days of
•
mighty
Experiments of his Abilities his Father's Flock
•, .'Draught of Souls, which this young Difciple found
wet eat no Reft, until they had obtained his Efta- m his Gofpel- Net, was indeed fo far from
Lifting
bliQiment with Ordination, to be their Feeder; of him up, that he fenfibly
grew in his Humility
which was confummated on May 5. 1680, And and m ins low and vile
Thoughts of his own At-
the laft Words ufed in the Sermon by a Reve- tainments.
rend PeiTon, who then preached on that PaiTage-
in Ezek, 33.7. Son of Man, J have fet thee a Watch- §. 6. Although he were a Young Man yet
man, will by being here tranfet ib'd, help to finifh might be applied unto him, a Stroke in the 'Epi-
the Piclure, which we have undertaken. taph on one of Mr. Henries Children, Praterquam
4
1 ! much in Prayerjor your Watchmen, and atatem, mi Puerile fitit ; And he made the molt
particularly for him, whois this Day to be efta- Judicious of his People pais this
Judgment on
biifhed in the Work of the Lord Jefus Chrift him, that he was no Novice : And fuch an Exam-
among you You have honoured Tour felves in ple wa$ he In Word, in Conveyfat ion, in
•,
Civility
exprefling the Love and Honour which
in Spirit, in
thus Faith, in Purity, that he did Let no Man
you had for his Excellent Father ; and as it was Such indeed was his whole Con-
difpife his Toutb.
faid in Ruth 2. 20. Bkffed be he of the Lord, duct of him, that he made one think of
thofe
who hath not left off his Kindnefs to the Living, Words of Origen, Sen am
e(i prophet
are; etiamfi vi-
and to the Dead ; fo I will fay to you, Bleffed de as aliqando Juvenem
prophet ant em, nen dubites di-
cer e de eo, quia
be this Cbitri b of the Lord, that you flow Kind- fecundnm interior cm howinem fenuit
nefs unto your Dead Paflor, and
to his Living Son. proptere* Prophet a eft. By the Gravity by his De-
As for him, that is now to become your Watch portment he kept up his Authority among
all
man y he ce:ds your Prayers ; I may fay of him forts,of Perfons, and by the
0.„rtffic of it he won
as David of Solomon, My Son is young and tender, their Affeiiion. He fet himfclfto Do good unto
and the Houfe is magnificent ! I know not whe- all among his People, and the
Charity of his lurfe,
ther any fo young as he, was ever left alone as well as of his
Tongue and Heart, was felt on al)
with fuch a Charge. Now tho' the Work be great, juft OccaOons. But there were none dearer to
yet the Lord Jefus Chrift is able to carry him him than the Good Old People; thofe Holy Devout
well through it all ; but it muft be through the Aged Souls, who had grown well towards Ripe for
Help of your Prayers^ that he comes to have Heaven under his Bklted Father's He
Minifrry :
fuch a Supply of the Spirit, pray for him in par- was much in their Company, and he valued their
ticular, and that ev'ry Day ! Who
knows Prayers for him, and their Serious and Savoury and
what God may do for you, in him, and by Heavenly Communications at no ordinary Rate.
him, as in and by his Father before him ? Let Nor (hall I ever forget the Confolatkm, which he-
it be your Prayer, that He would take of the told me, he had received from the
Words, which
was in his Father and his Grand- one of thofe plain, old Saints ufed unto
Spirit, that him, when
father ; who were both of them Great Men in he was under difcouraging Fears, how he fhould
their Generation, and beftow thereof a Double go through his Work: Sir ( faid he) ]J you'll
Portion upon him. And let that Word encou- give up your felf to do the Work of the Lord Jefus
My -which is upon thee, and my Word Chrift, never fear but He will help you to do
rage you, Spirit yours.
which I have put in thy Mouth, (hall not depart When he came to have a Family of his own, it was
out of thy Mouth, nor out of the Mouth of thy a Well-Ordered One He Morning and Evening
:
Day
Book IV. The Hiftory of New-England 2 O '
on all the Weighty Concerns, which he had in his whole Duty of a Tafor; and as he walked hum-
1
Hands •,
and a Thing it was, without which bly under the Awe of that Word in Heb. 13.17.
j
he thought, he could never provce either a They watch for your Souls, as thofe that muft give
VVatchful Cbrijlian, or a very Vfeful Mtmfter an Account; fo methinks, 1 hear him give up this
•
This was that he fcarce permitted one Month to Account unto the Judge of aB,
'
pafs him, without fpending at leaft One Day in the Gracious Lord ;I watclSJjhzz might fee what I
'
Exercifes of zSecrtt-Fasl before the Lord. It is re- fpecial Truths from time to time,
were rnoftpro-
markable, that ev'ry Que of thofe Three, who are
'
per to be inculcated on my Flock, and I
throughly
'
famous in the Book of God for Mi'acubus Fatting, preached thofe Truths. 7 w.itcb'J, that might I
of Cone upifence : It modifies Rage, it appeafts Anger, But if we confider him yet more particularly, as
tt calms the Tcmpefts of Nature, it excites Reafjn, it si
Preacher, he did thus acquit tiimfelf. In the
clears the Mind, it disbu- thens the Fitfh, it chafes away writing of his Difcourfes for the Pulpit, he did,
it Head-ach. By F.ifting,
frees from as they fay, Ariftotlsdid, when he wrote one of
Night-Foliations,
a Man gets compofed Behaviour, Free Viterance of his his Famous Books, Dip h'vs Pen into his very Soul I
Tongue, Right Apprehenfions of his Aimd. Where- When he was going to compofe a Sermon, he be-
fore he ftill would fet apart a Day every Month, gan with Prayer ; ihinkirig, Bene orajfe eft bent ftU-
wherein he would firictly examine the Error of his duijfe. He then read over his Tex: in the Ori-
Heart and Life, and confefs and bewail thofe Er- ginal, and weighed the Language of the Holy Ghoft.
rors, and obtain the Sealed Pardon thereof, by a If any Difficulty occur'd in the" Interpretation, he
Renewed Faith in the Obedience of the Lord Jefus |
was wary, how he ran againff the Stre.un of the
Chrift ; and then wreffle with Heaven for New |
moft folid Interpreters, whom he frill confulted.
Supplies of Grace, to carry him well thro' the He was then detirous to draw forth his Dotlrtncs,
whole Service iucumbent on him ; and there- and perhaps other Heads of his Difcom fe in the
withal implore the Smiles of Heaven on all the Beginning of the Week, that fo his Occaftonal Thoughts,
Souls that were under his Charge, and on the Land might be ufeful thereunto. And he would ordi-
and World. And this his Piety was accompanied narily improve his own .Meditations to fhape his
with proportionable Induftry, wherein he devoured Difcourfe, before he would confult any. other Au-
Books even to a Degree of Learned Gluttony ; in- thorswho treated on the Subjects, that fo their
fomuch, that if he might have changed his Name, Notions might ferve only to Adorn or Correll his
it mutt have been into Bibliandcr.
Whence, tho' own.
Laftly, Having finifiied his Compofure,
he
he had a fine, and large, and a continually grow- concluded with a Thank/giving to the Lord, bis
ing Library, yet, that he might avoid the Difgrace Helper. And then for the' "Utterance of the Ser-
of that Salutation, Salvcte Libri fine DoBore, he mons thus prepared, though his pronunciation were
took a very particular courfe, to make himfelfMa- not fet off with all the Advantages, that Itching
Iter of the
Learning, which was lodg'd in fo Rich Ears would have asked for, yet
he had the Divine
a Treafiuy For fo little did he defer veto be num- Rhetorick, recommended by Dr. Stougbton in that
:
bred among the Chaplains of K. Lewis the XL Speech of his, This 1 know and dare avouch, that
L 1 1 1 1 the
.
§. 8. A while before his Death, he preached as /or yon, Sir, I Leg the Lord jefus to be with you
Thirteen Sermons on that Paffage Ecclef 12.5. Man unto the End of the World! After this, he fpoke
goeth to bis Long Home. And he had a flrange and little to his Attendants ; but was often over-heard
ltrong Prafage on his own Mind, that he was pouring out Prayers, efpecially for the Widow-
himfelf to be not long from that Home. Church ; ( as he often expreffed it
) which he wad
1 find the Patriarch I/aac, in Gen. if. 2. fill'd to leave behind him. And in the
Night follow-
with many Thoughts about the Day of bis Death ing, to the extream Surprize of his Friends on
at hand, and enquiring after fome fpecial Reafon Earth, he went away to thofe in Heaven If his i
for it, I find that I/aac was now come to that Age, Age be now enquired after, it is
remarked, that
at which his Brother Ifhmatl died fourteen Years altho" the Scripture doth mention the particular
before. This probably now, above any other time, Age of many Heroes eternized in it's Oracles, ycc
awakened him to think of his own Death as near after the Lord Jefus Chrift
came, and continued
in this lower
unto him. It may be, the Fr a/age of our Sbepard, World, no longer than Thirty tw«
that hefhould not outlive the Age of Twenty (even, Tears and an half, the Scripture does not mention
might be fomewhat excited, by his calling to Mind, thereof any one Perfon whatfoever, as if the
the Age at which his Uncle expired. time of any one's Continuance in this World
Our Firft Shepard of Cambridge had Three Sons, more or lefs, were not worth minding, fince the
the
if Eldeft, pamely, Thomas (the Fa- Son of the Moft High Tabernacled Co little a while
whereof,
ther of our Thomas of Charl/lown ) were one fin among us. However, we will here mention the
in his Endowments and Improve- Age ot our Shepard ; it was a Month fhort of
gularly Enlarged Twenty
ments ; I am fure, the Second was one, whofe feven. But,
Heart was a Tent in which the Lord remarkably
chofe to Dwell : It was Mr. Samuel Shepard, of An thiftrum dices, citd \uH Terrena reliquit !
whofe Holy Life and Death I may here interweave Fceliccm cert? y quod meliora tenet.
a diftinft Account, by but reciting the Words
which I find written in a private Manufcript of §. Wifdom, Gravity, Prudence, Temperance
9.
our Excellent Mr. Mitchel concerning him. His ( as One
fpeaks ) are not always confined unto tbcm,
Words are thefe, that have wrinkled Faces, furrowed
Brows, dim
On Aoril 7. 1668. dyed Mr. Samuel Shepard, Lyes, and palfey Hands, leaning on a Staff ; nor is
Paftorof the Church of Rouly ( juft two Months a Toung Man uncapable of being a Divine. Al-
'
'
after his Wife) a Medi- though our Shepard had not outlived the Tears of
very Precious, Holy,
*
and Choice Man Lite when he went from hence, yet he had
tating, Able Young ; of Touth,
* the Airs of it and among all the Ver-
the Firft Three. His Attainments in Communion o-utgrown •,
with God, and in daily Meditation and Clofe mes of an Old Man which adorn'd him, not the
*
minons Harangues upon Moral Virtue, are very our Churches. But He that Holds the Stars in
careful to avoid the leift Infinuation, that a Ins
Right Hand, can, if we addrefs him for it, up-
Man cannot be truly Virtuous, until the Spirit
ot on the Setting of Jome, caufe others to rife ; yea,
God by a Supernatural Operatiou, infufing a
New it is pojfrble, and it is indeed propofed, that by wri-
into him hath regenerated him, and that ting the Lines of jome fuch, others may be exci-
Principle
a Man can do nothing truly Vntuous without the ted and afTifted, in frining like unto them.
Supernatural Aids of that Spirit.
He look'd upon This was the Short Life of my Dear Shepard. I
lace Books written to undermine the Ortho- confefs my AfFedion unto him to have been fuch,
many
dox Articles of the Church of England, in thefe that if I might ufe the Poet's Expreffiou of his
Matters, by Perfons, who perhaps had got into Friend,
Anima dimidium mete, I muft fay, / am
Preferments by fufcribing thofe very Articles, as half buried fmce he vs dead, or. He is hut half
Books that indeed betrayed the Chrifiian Religion, dead fmce I am ij//Ve.Neverthe]eI's, this Affetiion
under the Pretence of "Upholding it. And the hath not bribed my Veracity in any part of the
Mercy of God having preferved the Mind of this Character which 1 have given of him \ for as on
our Young Student from the wrong Schemes, the one fide, I count it bafe to throw Dirt on the
which might have afterwards entailed fuch an Face, which Dnfl hath been caff upon ; fb, on the
Eternal Vnfucccfsfulnefs upon his Minifh y, as ufes other fide, I think, that Painting becomes Dead
to attend the Mini ft ry, wherein the Grace of the People worfe than Living.
.
Gofpcl is not acknowledged, he
chofe to read thofe A Line or Two of Emanuel Tbefwxs, upon
Firft and Young Shepherd ABEL, we may
Authors, Which have the Truer Spirit of the Gufpel that
in them. find
1 therefore under his own Hand, now leave upon him for his
a Lift of fuch Arthurs as thefe, to be confidered
by him, as indeed worthy to be perufed and EPITAPH.
confidered Mr. Perkins, Dv.Prefon, Dr. Vflier,
•,
Dr. Manton, Mr. Jeans, Mr. Strong, Mr. Caryl t Conditur fab hoc Ccfpite, Virgineus PASTOR,
Mr. Svinnock, Dr. Jacomb, Dr. On>e», Mr. Polhill. Qui mortem, omnibus, vitam ncminiflendam traefegit.
And however he f.iw a Sherlock, after a very Vn-
evangelical Manner, abufiug the Writings of his Or This,
Grandfather Shepard, his Value for thofe Wri- Great Minds muft like New Stars, but look about,
tings, 2vA the Writings of fuch Men as Mr. Hooker Be wondred at a little, and go out.
or Dr. Goodwm, was thereby not abated ; but his
Deteftation of the Nerv-Divmry, wherein he law Or, This.
the Myfteries of Vnwn with Chrifl confounded, Dear Shepard, fure we dare not call thee Dead ;
Acquaintance with Ckrifi reproached, and Living Tho'^ow, thou'rt but unto thy Kindred fled.
CHAP.
' '
...
10 The Hiflory of New-England. Book IV.
CHAP. X.
EARLT PIETY,
Exemplified in the Life and Death
of Mr. Nathanael Mather Who having become at the •
To the READER.
F Reading, Hiftory hath in it a mofl of which Covenant you have in this enfuing Narra-
all
taking Delight,
and no Hiflory more de- tive ftgned with his own Ha
id, according to that
than the Lives ofgood Men, it Word of the Ifa. One fh all
lightful Prophet, ( 44 5. ) far,
king not only pleafant bat profitable ; I am
the Lord's, and another (hall himfelf by
call
and fo while
other Plea/tires become a Bait to tlce, the Name of Jacob, and another (hall fubferibe
this becomes a Motive to Virtue. It way be [aid with his Hand to the Lord. And with what Care
Excellent .M-. Herbert /Iw/ and Confcience he
of fuch Lives, as that performed this Covenant in Fafling
in Prayer, in
of Ferfes, Watcbings, in Self- Examination, in
Meditation, in Thanksgiving, in Walking with God
A Life may find him who a Sermon flics,
in all, is what follows, "which (l)ews
fully witnejjed in
And turn Delight into a Sacrifice. that he was a true Nathanael, an Ifvaelite indeed in
whom was no Guile. Not like thofe Ifraclites which
Thou haft here a
rare Hiflory of a Touth, that may the Prophet reproveth,for that God
they flattered with
be of great
and advantage both to Old
Vfe and their Mouth, lied to him with their
Tongues,
Tonng : That the Aged feting themfelvcs out-done their Hearts not being right with him, norfted-
by Green rears, may
Gird up their Loins, and faft in his Covenant. For
having once given up
mend thtir Pace for Heaven ; and that Tonng Ones himfelf to God, He kept the Ways of the Lord,
may be fo wrought into the Love of Religion, as it and did not wickedly depart from his God.
is Exemplified in this Holy Perfon, as to endea- When his Worthy Father ( my Dear Friend ) was
vour with all Diligence to write after his Excellent plea fed to fend this Narrative to me, 1 confefs 1 could
not read it without great Rcflc&ion and Shame :
Copy.
it is a great Work to dye, and to dye well is a Thought f, God will not gather bis Fruit
till it is
greater ;
and no Work calls for greater Diligence than ripe, and therefore 1 live fo long 9 nor will he let it
-
Scnfe and Serioufnefs ; The Matter and Form to the Living, in giving us a Narration of his laje,
great
without,
Book IV. The Hiftory of New-England 20 9
with Jiit an Oration in his Praife ; which indeed was pily fall, to joyn eamejt Prayer and diligent Endea-
it was fo
fairly written by vour together
n when in
altogether c'tiefs, following this grert Example, other-
his own Works him in the Gates. wife he that gave it, and he that writiS
hitnfelf, for praife it, will both
And he hath ujed great Modefly, in fpeak'mg for rife up in Judgment againjl an untcachable Genera-
the moft fart out of the Journal of the Deceafed, fo tion.
that it is the Dead who freaks wb\'e the Living writes. 1
To the READER.
me much of the Pcrfon nhois the cter which they gave of him,
is not for to fay is
very Extraor-
am dinary. Thus that Letter.
IT Subjccl of
the Enfuing Hiftory, for that I
his younger Brother. 1 have read a Letter ( da-
ted October 2$. 1688.) written to his and my J have likewife heard my Father Jay, that he was
Ever Honoured Father, wherein are thefe Expreffions. more grieved for the Lojs which the Church of God
has fuftained in the Death of that
my Brother, than
Never could Parent have caufe of more Com- for his own Lofs thereby.
fort in a Child, than you
have in that Son of When
J parted from hitn not a Tear
a?o, I hoped
I have feen his private Papers, and would not have been my llltimum Vale ; but J
in that
yours.
them fuch an Inftance of a Walk with God, as now lament
my Vnhappmcfs, in that I g.iin'd no
few Ancient Minifters perhaps have Experience more by him And yet mu.fl acknowledge, that the
.-
for the three laft years of his Life, little Vnderflanding which God has given me in the
of, efpecially
a Courfe of wonder- Hebrew or Greek
I find that he maintained Tongues, was by that my Bro-
ful Devotion, Supplication
and Meditation eve- ther as the Inftrument : So that I have caufe irhilji
that foleinn Humiliations and Thankf- I fhall live, to honour his Memory. His Death
ry Day ;
givings in fecret,
were no Strangers to his Pra- makes me remember the Poet's Words.
ctice,that he would be often thinking with him-
felf, What fhall
1 do for God 1 And in a Word, 'Of fJ>H &>0f &cff|MtfXH »4t>f.
The INTRODUCTION.
"Y Reader will quickly difcern what it Our Lord will have as mean a Thing as one Aft
is that I attempt the doing of-, and I of Devotion and Charity, in a poor Woman, to
fuppofe he will then fee no Occafion be mentioned wherever his Gofpel comes. That
of enquiring Why. The Apology's wherewith I write the Life of a Brother, will not be recko-
Writers ufually fill the Prefaces of their Books, ned abfurd by them who underftand what Pat'
Do come of Evil ; either the Vanity of the Com- terns I have, both Ancient and Modern, for mv
4
pofrs is difcovered,
or the Candor of the Perufers doing fo. James Janeway among the reft has had
queftioned in them. That 1 write the Life of a our Thanks for what an Account he has given of
Conftian, cannot bz faulted by any one who con- his Brother John. Indeed, if 1 (hould not thus
iiders, Thai ...e Livts of Pious Men have raife up for my Departed Brother a Name in If*
been juftly efteemed among the molt ufeful Hi- raely 1 were not worthy to wear a Shoo, or to
'Veti.~ It were lawful for me to defire and ftudy tend tlvs my Wifh with a moft
Affectionate Ap-
fuch a Thing on the behalf of my Brother, whofe plication to the young
Gentlemen, who belorU
Early titty is at once my own Shame and Joy. to the Colledge which he was a Member of. As
But I puri'ue an higher End than this, deiigning you have had in his Father a
Reclor, whofe Gene-
"rather to procure Followers, than to befpeak Ad- rous aad Expenfive Cares have not been for
your
mirers of this good Example : That this is my Difad vantage •
fo you have in his
Diligence and
Main Scope, in what 1 am now doing of, I de- his Devotion^ a Copy which is not altogether un-
clare lincerely and very folemnly. And hence worthy of your Imitation I am :
|
fetting before
ITiave riot here made an Oration in his Praife, you the Exercifes and Accomplifhments of a Scho-
but given barely a Narrative of his Life, and this lar, whofe Chief Study it was, to be
wife unto Sal-
mofrly by tranferibing of his own Memorials, in vation ; a Scholar, which laboured while he was
all affecTing the plain Style of a juft Hiflorian. I
learning all other Things, not to be ignorant of
do therefore addrefs this Exemplary Life unto Him, Whom to know was Life Eternal. I am not
the yonng People of New-England, and efpecially without Hope, that fome of you will now re-
unto thofe of North- Boflon, who are the Lambs folve as Jerom did when he had read the Life of
that I have received a peculiar Charge from the Hilarion, fhutting up the Book and
faying, Well
Lord jefus about the Feeding of. To you do I here (hall be the Champion whom I will follow Twheri
prefent this Mirroar,
wherein you may fee the you come to d'ye, you will
certainly commend
Exercifes of a Firtuous Tonth, not only prefcribed, luch a Life as his God grant that none of
-,
you
but alfo pra&ifcd before your Eyes: You fhall may then have caufeto figh Qualis Artifex pereo!
fee, as what//jo«W be done, fo what may be done Or to complain, Siirgmt Indotli rapikvt Gxlum &
a in order to Everlafting Feli- Nos cum noflris Dotlrwis
by Toang Perfon, mergimur in Infernum.
-
city ; fee him and hear
him as One come from the That Great Man Hugo Grotius near his End
pro-
Dead, faying, Do as 1 have done. The
Father of felfed, That he would
gladly give all his Learn-
him whom I defcribe has laboured exceedingly ing and Honour for the Integrity of a Man poor
for the Converfion of the Fifing Generation New- w in his Neighbourhood, that Eight Hours
fpent
England ; and his CALL
to them has been printed of his Time in Prayer,
Eight in Labour, and Eight
and reprinted here among us. Tho' the News of in Sleep and other Neceffaries and unto fome
; that
a Sons Death muft needs be airli&ive to him, when applauded his marvellous Jnduflry\ he faid, Ah,
he (ball have the Report of it arriving to him in Vitam perdidi operofe nihil
Agendo ! But unto
the other England, yet 1 make no doubt, but his fome that asked, the belt Counfel which a Man
will be not a little mitigated, of his Attainment could
- Parental Griefs
give, he faid, Be ferious.
when he fhall behold that Son thus renewing his 'Tis with this Counfel that offer
I
humbly you the
CALL by fpeakwg after he is dead. This young Enfuing Hiftory.
THE
LIFE and DEATH
O F
New- Fathers, the Famous Firtite, that he was tbe Son cilnereafe Mather, the
Two of England's
well-
Book IV. The Hiftory of New-England. 2 1 I
well known Teacher of a Church in Bofton, and ture; and after my many toilfom Studies in thofe
Rector of Flarvard-Colledge in Nw- England. What Hours, when the General Silence or every Houfe
Gregory Naz.ianz.en judged
not improper to be in Town, proclaimed it high time for me to
faid about his yet furviving Father, in his Fune- put a lfop unto my working Mind, and urged
ral Oration upon his Deceafed Brother, I may me to afford fome Reft unto my Eyes, which have
without any culpable Adulation on this Occafion, been almoft put by my Intenfenefs on my Stu-
dies after thefe, I fay, and when I am ready
fay of him, He is another Aaron
or Mofes in the •,
he was fourteen Years old, with fuch an humble While he thus devoured B'.oks, it came to pafs
Reflection thereupon, Hoxo little have I
improved that Books devoured him. His weak Body would
this time to the Honour of God as 1 fhould have done ! not bear the Toils and Hours, which he ufed him-
He wanced not the Cares of his Father to beftow felfunto; and his Neglect of Moderate Exercife,
a good Education on him, which God bleffed for joyned with his Excefs of Immoderate Lucubration,
the Rejlraining him from the lewd and wild Courfes foon deftroyed the Digeflicn which his Blood fhoulci
by which too miny Children are betimes refigned have had in the Iaft Elaboration of if, by thattim^
j
up to the polfeffian of the Devil, and for the Fur- lixteen Winters had fnow'd upon him, he began to
\
tinual Prayers and Pains of fome that lo)ked af- very afflictive Touches of Melancholy, too, as made
ter him, he became an Inftance of unufual hdujlry, him fometimes to write hirafelf Deodatus Melan-
and no Common fo that when he dyed, cholicus.
Piety
•
This was his Way of Living, fhall I fay,
which was Ottob. i^. 1688. he was become in or of Dying ? And the Succefs of this Diligence
lefs than twenty Years, An Old Man without gray was according to the Temper of it, Great. When
Hairs upon him. he was but twelve Years old he wa; admitted in-
To thofe Two Heads, with a forrowful Addition to the CoUedge, by ftricr Examiners: And many
(~of a Third,
I fhall confine of this Months after this pafl'ed not, before he had accu-
my Account
Young Man ; in which the ficJiire to be now rately gone over jU the Old Teflament in Hebrew,
drawn, has nothing but the Truth, and at leaft as well as the New in Greek, befides his going
fo much of Life in it, as to look upon every Rea- through all the Liberal Sciences, before many other
der, yea, fpeak unto every young Reader, faying, Defigners for Philofophy do fo much as begin to
Go and Do likewife. look into them. He commenced Batchelour of Arts
at the Age of fixteen, and in the Aft entertained
I. His INDUSTRY. the Auditory with an Hebrew Oration, which
gave
a good Account of the Academical Affairs
among
He was an hard Student, and quickly became a the ancient Jews. Indeed the Hebrew Language was
good Scholar. From his very Childhood, his Book become fo Familiar with him, as if ( to ufe the
was perhaps as dear to him as his Play, and hence Exprelllon which one had in an Ingenious Elegy up-
he grew particularly acqrainted with Church-Hi- on his Death) he had apprehended, k mould quick-
ftory, at a rate not ufual in thofe that were above ly become the only Language, which he fhould have
thrice as Old as He. But when he came to fome- Occafion for. His Secord Degree, after feven
what more of Youth, his Tutor (who now writes) Years being in the Colledge, he took jufl before
was forced often to chide him to his Recreations, Death gave W\maTbird, which Iaft was a promo-
but never that I remember for them. To be Book tion infinitely beyond etcher of the former. He
if}] was natural unto him,
and to be plodding eafie then maintained for his Polition, Datur vacuum -
and pleafant rather than the contrary. Indeed he and by his Difcourfes upon it ( as well as by other
afforded not fo much a Pattern as a Caution to Memorials and Experiments left behind him in
yotr.g Students ; for it may be truly written on Manufcripts ) he gave a Specimen of his Intimate
his Grave, Study kili'dbim. When One
told the Acquaintance with the Corpufcularian ( and only
Exc.ilent Mr. Chamock, he Studied fo much right) Philofophy. By this time he had informed
that if
was of this Diipofition. The Marks and Works f ed Mau. The Difficulties of the Mathematkks he
a Studious Mind were to be difcerned in
him, had particularly overcome, and the abft-rufe parts
even as he walked in the Streets ; and his Candle both of Arithmetick and Afironemy, were grafped
would burn after Midnight, until, as his own in his Knowledge.
Phrafe for it was, He thought his Bones would all His Early Almanacks and Calculations do fome-
fall afundcr. This was among the Paffages once thing, but the MSS /dverf.ina, lefc behind him
noted in his Diary. in his Clofet, much more, fpeak fuch Attainments
10 M. 16 D. three quarters of an Hour after in him. His Chronology W3S exact unto a Wonder,
12 at Night. and the State of Learning with the Names and
'
After the many wearifom Hours, Days, Months, Works of Learned Men, in the World, this Ame-
1
nay, Years, that I have fpent in humane Litera- rican Wilderircfs hath few that underftand as well
Mm ra m a-
2*2 [be Hiftory of New-England. Book IV.
as he. Belides all this, for the vaft Field of Tbeo- And yet again there were thefe Considerations
-boih Didatlkk and Polemic'*, it is hardly in his Mind.
logy,
credible how little of it his Travel had left un- Had I not better feek the Lord Chrift, whil
known. RMinick Learning he had likewife no
fmall meafine of and the Queftions referring
•,
cry
him. Indeed he was a Perfon of but few Words and not be heard ? when he ftretcheth forth his
ana WinWords with L Looks, made the Trpafyre
1 Hand and fays, Believe on me and thou Jhalt be
'
in him wholly unfufpefted by Strangers to him faved and now to Day he offers himfelf, (hall
;
'
him, cm atteft unto the Veracity of him that ly. And thefe pathetical Groans then likewife
givethtliis Leflription ^
and thete are no mean got a Room in his Papers.
Performs wh« will pi ofd", with Admiration, That
'
O that I fad a chnfi Q that I had Him who !
'
nbxb be was not very notably acquainted with. fhould be perteftiy and wai.t no Food
QOurfe, 1
Bleiled,
But thc.Bark is now fplit in which all thefe that would make me lb!
Riches were flowed. A Spawfo Wrack hath not This is a Copy, oi the Callages then recorded in
more Silver than the Grave of fuch Young Man
a this Young Believers Diary.
hath Learning buried in it. Indeed thefe things, Thus did he now labour to affeift his own Soul
Mart's Brim ; perhaps they dyed with, him But with his own State, and leave
things no more ac
:
there is a more Immortal Thing to be obferved in peradventures between God and him. He read
him ; and that is, many iavoury Books about Faith, and Repentance
and Converfion, and he tranferdxd
many Notes
II. His PIETY. therefrom, not refting fatisfied within himfelf,
until he had fome
Experience of a true Regenera-
Tho' a fine Carriage was the leaft thing that tion. Among other Workings of his Hoartat this
ever he affeftc d, yet a Gpo4 Nature made him dear Age, his Papers have fuch things as thefe.
to thoie that were familiar with him. He was al- ;' Reafhns for my fpeedy. with clofing Jefus
c
to d?, than o:n- -.a could be to ask a good r,urn at I Firfi, It's the Command of Jefus Chrift, thaC
his Hands : But he was above all happy, by being \ I fhould come unto him.
1
were feen even in his Childhood ; and fecrct Prayer tionsto turn unto him, in that he hath recovered
'
'
4
Without a Chrift I am undone, undone, undone anfwers, Lord, at thy Command 1 n ill come. I
day my Brother gave me Schindlers Lexicon, a Book niftry, were enough to eng3ge me unto this]
'
not only longed much, but alfo prayed but alfo the Chrijlian Religion which I proiefs,
for which I had '
unto God : be the Lord's Name for it. The and my B.:ptifm in which I took the Lord to be
Blejjed '
Thoughts of Death alfo now found a Lodging in my God, and promifed to renounce the World,
4
'his Heart, and he rebuked himfelf becaufe he had the Fle/b, and the Devil, and to dedicate my felf
'
been fo much without them. Tho' at this Age unto the Service, F^ork and FT";//ofGod,dobind
'
for the mo ft
part,Perfons think oiany thing, every
me hereunto ;
In that God is fuchrt GWasde-
4
more than of their dying Day. And his Wri- ferves this, yea, infinitely more than this, at my
thing '
him to be peculiarly affected with hands; my Creator, the Fountain of my Being;
tings difcovered 4
that Ancient Hiflory ( or Apologue ) of him who my my Benefactor, my Lord, my So-
Preferver,
'
after a diffolute and ungodly Tenth, going to re-
'
my Judge He in whofe Hands my Life,
veraign, •,
himfelf.
'
Peace and Joy, that is my Friend, my God In
Diaries, he does thus exprefs 4
;
good God
4
4
my many Sins againft fuch a as And whereas the Mercies which the Lord hath
4 4
the Lord is. been pleafed gracioully to beftow upon me, are
Mercies I had received, for which many, that even bare Morality, doth fhew
' 4
111. \N\\3.t fo
1. He hath
4
'
I defireto blefs the Lord's Name. me that lean never enough requite one that
'
'
given me to be born of Godly Parents. 2. 1 hath done fo much for me, except by Giving up
1 4
have always had the Means of Grace lengthened my felf wholly to him.
4
3. The Lord Lord
out unto me. hath graci-
Whereas God hath given rnc a Godly Father
c 4
oufly pleafed to give me fome Anfwers of Prayer
to the lengthningoutofmy Health, a- As
As and Mother.
'
1.
c
to the lncreafe of my Litrary, What (ball I ren- [1674 3
'
'
der to the Lord for all his Loving Kindnefs to- In that when I was like to dye, being twice
fiek of a Feaver, God was pleafed to blefs mean;
* 4
wards me? Irefolved to Dedicate my felf wholly
4
4
to God and his Service. for my Recovery, and lengthen out the Thread
4
And
he did accordingly. of my Life.
This Year did not roll about, before he had in t '675 3
4
a manner very folemn entred into Covenant with Whereas, when
I by an Accident fell down,
'
God. This weighty and awful thing was not and had like to have been deprived of the ufe of
my Tongue, God was in his good Providence
4
rafhly done by him, or in a fudden Flajh and Pang
of Devotion He Thought, he Read, he Wrote,
:
4
gracioully pleafed
to give me the ufe of it.
bin,
Means which to all kno'xn Sins he now kept:
but confcientioufly to ufe all as 1 find
faying,
i know thou haft prefcribtd, for the utter De- once in Short-hand writren by him.
ftruft'on of all my Corruptions. And where- To my Lufls.
as have inordinately let out my Affections upon I have bad Communion with
1
you all this while
the World, I here refign- my Heart unto thee but I dare not have fo
any longer : [Therefore J re-
thatmadeit humbly protelting before thy Glo- nounce ail Communion with you any more ; J will
•,
fiotis Ma]'efty,'that it is the firm Refvlution of ftiy oie'dve to the God that made me. But a Year or
Heart (and that I do unfeignedly delire Grace two after this, it was with him, as I luve ob-
from thee, that when thou fnalt call me there- ferved it is too commonly with fuch as are
in Pr alike my Refolution )' Converted betimes unto God. And unhappy gra-
unto, I may put
tfirough thine Affiftaftce, to forfark-e all that -is: dual Apojtacycankd him afide from thofe De-
d, unto me in the World, rather than to :um 'grees of Serioufnefs and Intenfenefs in Divine
i
fiom thee to the Ways of Sm and that I wiii Things, which he hid been ufed unco 'Tis pof-
•
watch againft ail its Temptations^ whether of fible an Entanglement in a FainilLiity with fome
left they fhould with that were no better than
Prof^nty or Aiveifiiy, they ihould be, did
draw my Heart from ihee, befeeching thee to mute ot the good Savour which had been upon
help me. him, and decoy him by infehftble Steps to foms
1 renounce all my own Righteaufmfs, and ac-
1
Vanities (tho' not to ai>y icandalous Immorali-
knowledge that of my felt I am helplefs and ties ) that were difudvantageous to him. For
divers .Months he feemed
undone, and without Righteoufnefs. fofliewha^ yec not to-
whereas, of thy bottomlefs Mercy, thou tally, much lefs faal!y>, forfjken of that VFifdom
1
And
haft offer'd to accept of me, and to be reconci- and Vertite which he had before been an Example
led to me, and to be my God through Chrtji, if of ; but the _.ood Spirit of God will not let go :
tbee ib
!
e the Lord my God. I do here take the faving Hold. This Young Man foon entertained
Loid jihovah, Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, juft Refentments of his own Declenfions, and ic
for ir.y Portion and Chief Good, and do give was impofiible for the moft Badgtr.tcotb'd Malice
up my felt Body and Soul for thy Servant, pro- in the World to aggravate any Of his Errors half
to ferve thee in Right eouf- fo much as he-did himfelf in his own Repentance
mising to endeavour
do here alfo o.: the bended for them. In the Year 10S5. God vilited him
nefs and Holinefs.
I
Knees of my Soul, accept of the Lord Jefus with fore Terrors and Horrors in his wounded
Chrift as the only and living Way, by which Soul,theangui(h whereof he thought intolerable
-
Sinners may have accefs to thee, and do here yet he made not his Condition known to any Body
a
joyn my felf in Marriage-Covenant
with him. all the while. He could lay, My Complaint is not
O Loid Jefus, I come to thee, hungry, poor, to Mm, but he made it unto the Lord 7 his poor •,
\ do fubferibe to all thy Laws as as adive a Servant of Corifi, as I was of Satan here-
thy T^e ; Holy,
and Good ; and do promife to, take them [tofore to? more than the three laft years of his '
Jitf!
j 5 rj : Rule of my Thoughts, Words and Jttions Life, he lived at a ftrange'rate for Holinefs and
•,
but becaufe i am fubje'ft to many Failings through Gravity, arid retired Devotions. He read Mr.
I do here protcft, here before thee, Scudder's Chriftians daily -Walk, and Dr. Owen
Frailty. •,
that unallowed Mifcarriages, contrary to the of Spritual Mindednefs, a-nd had a reftlefs raging
conftant bent of my Heart, fhall not difanull Agony in his Mind until the Methods of Reli-
this Lvedafting C '.ovenant. gion advifed by thofe Worthy Men, were Ex-
emplified in hi? own Behaviour. 'Tis a Note id
Nathanael Mather. one of his Diaries.
O my
great Vnprofitabknefs under the means
'
taken for granted,- that fuch a| ht< Grace I have caufe to blefs God for ever
It may be juftly '
!
Work as this, 'would have an Influence into his I ler the Writings of that never enough to be ad-
c
mired
Book IV. The Hi'ftory of New-England. 2 15
'
mired and loved by me, Dr. Reynolds, and tor For my Delight, Pfal 1.2. Pfal. 37. 5. fot
the Light I have received thereby, concerning ^ Joy, Phil 4.4. Pfal. 43.4. Dtfire, I fa. My
the Sinfulnefs of Sin; as alfo that Excellent 25. 8, 9. Ez.ek. 7. \6.
Love, Mat. 22. 37. My
Book of him whom I mail always honour, Dr. Pfal. 119 y7 .
My Hatred, Pfal. 97. 10. Mv
Owen of SpiritaaUMttdeinefs, and Mr. Scudder''s Fear, Luke 1 2. 4j 5. My Hope, Pfal. 30. 7. My
Chriftians daily PTalk, by which three Books Trujt, Pfal. 61. 8. Jfa.zo.a..
I have profited more than by any other ( 5. For regulating
3. my Speech, Eph.4. 29. Col.
Script?iris excepts ) in the World. 4.5. Deut.6.6,7. Pfal. 119. 46. Pfal 7;j; 8,
He was at firlt furprized at the meafure of Spi- 24. Prov. 31. 25.
' r
rit nal-mindednefs, without which that Great Saint 4. For regulating my Vl or\, Tit, 3. 8. zTini.
'
Dr. Owen, apprehends the Life and Peace of Souls 2. 12. 1 Tim. 5. 10, Thus 2. 14. Mat. 5. 47
'
to labour under Prejudices j
and he thought a 1 Tim. 6. 8. Rev. 3. 2. Rom. 13,. 12. Mis 26'
Mind fvV3!!owed up in fuch Heavenly Frames 2nd 20.
Works as were needful thereunto, almoft wholly Another of them was form'd into an Hymn,
to be defpair'dof-, until (as himfelf a few Hours the linging of which
might produce frelher and
before he dyed Did unto me ) he deem'd he faw ftronger Efforts of Soul towards the Thing that ic
an Infhnce of fuch a Walk with Cod, not very sood.
tar from the Place of his Abode To which pur-:
pofe his referv'd Papers have a large Difcourfe, It fhall be here inferted.
of which this is in the Conclullon There might :
c
be a greater Progrefs in Religion , than is commonly II. Lord, wh3t (hall I return unto
'
thought for. Wbai hai<e 1 Examples for, but to imi- Him from whom all Mercies flow }
tate them f Abraham isfam\lfor believing fo fir ong-
'
ly,
when he bad no Example before htm Let me try :
(I.) To me to live, it
Gmfl fhall be
4
and fee, whether I having fuch Opportunities may not For all I do I'll do for Thee.
arrive to a<s high a pitch in Chrijlianity, at any that
1 have known. He then in the Strength and tfiro' '
My Queftion fhall be oft befide,
(II.)
the Love of Gcd let himfelf into a way of ftricf, '
How thou may'ft mojl be Glorify'd $
fecret, laborious Devotion whereby tho' none
•,
1
but God and He fill'd thzTbeatre, which he acted (III.) Iwili not any Creature love,
'
upon, he would be in the Fear of the Lord all the But in the Love of Thee above.
Day lo*g. He withdrew from
the Delights of
this World, and gave himfelf up to an affUuous
'
(IV.) Thv mil I will embrace for mine,
'
Contemplation of God and Chriit, and a fedulous And every Management of thine
'
Endeavour after utmoft Conformity unto him: Shall pleafe me. (V.) A Conformity
Thus he kept abounding in the Work of the Lord, '
To thee fliall be my \Atm and Eye.
until three Years of wonderful Holinefs had ripen-
'
ed him for eternal Flapptnefs. (VI.) Ejaculations fhall afcend
'
My Account of him will bcanVnfinifhed Piece, '
Not feldom from me. (VII.) I'll attend
unlefs all the Enfuing Strokes go to make it up. Occafional Reficclions,and
'
Thefe Things he was Exemplary for. Turn all to Gold that comes to har.d.
Firft, He was one that walked by RVL.E. He
'
was very Studious to learn ihzP'^ay ofConvcr- (VIII And
particular among
)
in
'
fing with God in every Duty, and there was. a My Cares, try to make my Tongue
I'll
in all which The will of God was the bright Pole- Befides thefe Rules which concerned his whole-
Star by which he fteet'd his Courfe. Walk, he treafur'd up. many more, that refer r'd
The Reader fnall enjoy ( and O that he would to this and that Step in it ; and it was the re- 1
follow') two of this Young Man's Directories, One dominant Care and Watch of his Heart, net to
of them was this. tread awry f Thus one
might fee a Skilful Ckrifiian
!. O that 1
'
might lead a Spiritual Life Where- in him. And as he was defirous to live by Pre-
.'
*
fore let me regulate my Life by the Word of cept, fo he was to live by Fromife too.
'
God, and by fuch Scriptures as thefe. He fell into a particular Coniideratlon, how to
'
1. For regulating my Thoughts, Jer. 4. 14. improve the Pru-.nifes of God in all the
'
Occafiws
Ifa. 5 5. 7. Mai. 3 17. Pfal. 104 34. Phil. 4. 8. of Life ; which is indeed one of the molt J'tnQi*
1
Prov. 23. 16. Dent, r 5. 9. Ecclef. 10. 20. Prov. fying Exerafes in the World.
'
24.9. 'Mat. 9. 4. Zee. 8 17. It was a Propeial wliku || find he made unto
4
2. For regulating my Jjfetfiens } Col. 3. 2, 5. himfelf.
4 '
Gal. 5. 24. Let me ialute thefe Prosifies once a Day.
I *. For
i6 1'he Hijtory of New-England. Book IV.
'
i. For fupplying the IVants of the Day, Phil •
not altogether Tho' he were a
Extraordinary.
Bottle that feemed of
4- 19- incapable holding it, yet
'
For Growth in Grace, Hof. 14. 5. this Wine agreed with him As Young
2. very well.
as he
was, he knew theMyflery cf a Soul fatting
*
3. For fubduing my Sins, Mic. 7.19.
4> For Sticccfs in my Undertakings, Pfal. 1.3. by fafling, and thriving by bungritig and
tbirfing
4
5-
For turning all the Events of the Day for afterRight eonfiefs. He was very inquifitive after
Rom. the right way to
good, 8. 28. manage a Day of Fafling and
'
6. For Audience of my Prayers, Joh. 14. 1 ji Prayer, and he would fometimes keep fuch a Day.
14.
On fuch a Day it was his Cuftom to make a vet y
t
7. For Strength to manage all the Work
of particular and penitent
ConfeJJion
of all the Sins
4 that he could perceive himfelf
the Day, Zecb. 10. 11. guilty of ; and re-
1
8. For Direction in Diffculty, Pfal. 32. 8. new his Covenant with the Holy One of
Jfrael ;
4 to this End, he had by him in
9. For Life Eternal, Luke 12. 31. Joh. 3. 16. writing a large
Belides thefe. two, Mat. 11.28. and 1/a. 44.. 3. Catalogue of Things forbidden and requhed in
the Commandments oi God, which was the
Certainly that Man muff quickly grow another Glafs
who does thus Walk God. in which he then viewed his
Enoch, with Ways ; and having
found what Achans might procure Trouble to
Secondly, He was one that lived in PRATER. him,
He was oft and long in the Mount with Gcd : It he then fell to ftoning of them. One may fhape
was his Cuftom every Day to Enter into his Clofet, fome Conjecture at his Humiliations, by the In-
and fhut his Door, and pray to his Father in fecret. dignation with which he fpoke, and wrote of the
And I guefs from fome of his Writings, that he Canities which his Childhood had. ' I came into
'
did thus no lefs than thrice a Day, when he met the World ( faith he in one of the
Papers
with no Obffrucrion in it Nor did he (lubber
: penn'd by him on a Day of fecret Fafling and Prayer,
th
over his Prayers with hafty Amputations, but Oilober the 17 1585. ) without the Image of.
'
wreftle in them for a good part of an Hour to- the Holy God on my Soul
1
; my Underltand-
gether. 4
ing, my Will, my Affections, and my whole
It was a mod refrefhing Communion with God, Soul were altogether
depraved, and wounded.
1
which his Devotions brought him fometimes un- When very Young I went affray from God,
1
to. Thus in one of his Diaxks. and my mind was altogether taken with Canities
and Follies ; fuch as the remembrance of them
'
heraemher. Chrift might be my Compltal 1 ing fecn, I did it behind the door. A great
Redeemer. There was immedi- Reproach of God A Specimen of that Atbeifm !
4
ately Something that did as it were perfwade me that brought into the World with me
I !
it
jhould be fo.
This was more than the more meagre and feeble
fort of Chriftians,
though much older than he,
are us'd to do. But paulo major a ! There was a
Again, Jug. 19.
Sublimer Way of Drawing near to God, which he
4
My "thoughts were fome little while bufied a- was not willing to leave unattempted. He un-
bout the Condefcenfion ofChriJl in taking of humane derftood that fecret Days ofYhankfgiving had not
Nature on him ; but for the moll: part in Ejacu- been unpractifed by fome whom he deligned to
of Faith on a Crucified ( ah imitate ; and therefore he would make fome Ef-
lations, and Acts
!
fweet Word ) Jefus. I faw 1 gained not much fays for fuch an Intimate Fruition of God, and
Devotion to him, as would fill fuch Days
bythofe: Wherefore I addrefTed my felfto/o- generous
lemn Prayer, and had fome Affiance in it. as thefe.
Hence this I find among the Records of his
Once more, Au?. 20. Soul .-
'
Refolved, To
fet apart every two Months, a
1
to humble my felf ; and every two Months to
(1 hope) many Acts of Faith, and Love, and
4
'
*
Delight in God. I feveral times was breaking keep a Day of Private Thank/giving.
as it were conflraind on But though his Prayers were chiefly in, yet they
off, but I was
1 to go in
4
the Duty with much Enlargement. Lord, An- were not confined fo his Clofet. There were di-
'
me for the fake of Chrifl. vers private Praying Meetings of younger People
fwer
Thus under the Fig-tree did our Lord in North-Boflon, which he vilked as often as he
Jefus of-
ten behold this unto Prayer he could ; and one of thefe might peculiarly be cal-
Natbanael; yea,
became fo habituated, that while others canfleep led His. Yea, it was his Defire, though with as
in Prayer, hz fometimes would pray in Sleep. He little Aim to be fecn of Men as could be, to fup-
records it among his Experiences, that upon Af- port all fuch Opportunities of Good among them,
iaults of Imagined Temptations, when he has been that were of the fame Age with him.
been at and fo cau- Wherefore I find this among the Notes in his
afleep, he has quickly Prayer ;
to leave annoying of him. Diary :
fed the Pbantafms
What (];a U God
Pxtraordinary Prayer was alfo with him Qucfr. ?
And
Jnfp.
Book IV. The Hiflory of New-England. 2 I
<
was luggelted to me, to get fome
A'fto. It my Body tor a few Days or Years ( a few J
fay,
of my Acquaintance to fpend fome while every for they cannot be many
) to be wholly at the
4
there. He had an unpaciiiable Dilf.it Ufa ft ion at to be the Orc.erer of this; and ir will be a grie-
were lodg'd in him,
himfelf until good Thoughts vous and fhameful Reflexion thereupon, for me
and vain ones were forced to gnafli their Teeth, to fay, It will be better
for me to live, than to
and melt away : Nothing would content him, but dye, at fnch a time when i am called thereunto.
4
the bringing of his Thoughts into a Subjetfion to the With my Body rrtuft cxpe-1 to lofe all the
I
Lord Jefus Chr'tfi. Wherefore he chew'd much pleafant Enjoyments of this World, Liberty,
on the Excellent Sermon of Mr. Charnock about Library, Study and Relations But ytr. neither
Thou^As ; which he wrote out not only with his fhall 1 lofe thofe. As for my Liberty, by True
Hand, but in his Heart, and made it the very Religion, and by Dying for too, it when Need
Mo:dd of his Gracious Mind. There are none, requires, I fhall gain the only Liberty, even
but very Renew'd Souls, that are at great Pains from the Body of Sin.
4
in a Gourfe of Meditation on the Things of God. As for my Library, if I dye for Chrift, or/«
Yet this Young-man, like another Ifaac, was the Lord, I fhall have no need of it. lla- My
grown very expert at it, and frequent in it. It derlranding fhall be enough enlarged, and I fli '1
went over more than a little Divinity in this tranf- there fhould be any of them not pious, the lon-
cendent Exercife. Sometimes, when thus hefepa- ger I fhould ftay with them here (if they con-
rated himfelf to intermeddle with all Wifdom, 1 find tinue impenipent) it wruld butimkemy Grief
him committing his Thoughts, or fome few/are of more intolerable, to think when I leave them,
them, unto the durable Guftody of his Papers ; that I fliall have no hr^es
to fee them for again
from which Memoirs 1 will produce but an In- ever.
'
ftance or two of many. But this is not all neither.
'
Juguft
1 6. 1
68$. and here all that Strength and Eafc which 1 have,
muft be ufed for the Soul And rruly there is :
My Refolutions be.
tual Garments which the Lord
Jefus Chrift has
'
That t will not expect, by devoting my felf provided for them. An Evil to be by me a-
unto the Fear of God, to gain any thing as to vosded.
'
my
'
That through the Grace of Chrift, I will ufe Again, another time.
'
the Strength, Eafe, and Health of my Body, yea,
' 1
my nbole Body in fubordination to my Soul, in the Upon Water taken from
the Fire, I faw a Lithe
'
Service of the Lord Jefus. warmnefs quickly feize ; like the Frame of Spirit
which many Pretenders to
Religion have after
With'fuch Meditations as thefe, he kept mel- a glorious and affectionate
of it.Profe/fton Of
lowing of his
own Soul, and preparing it for the > this fortwere fome among the Laodice'ans of
ftate wherein Faith is ruined into Sight. old which is exceedingly
;
difpleafing to the
But there was yet a more delightful and furpri- Lord Jefus Chtilf Whence it is that he faith
•
pf Tbimi/ig, after wiiich he did afpire. 1 will fpew thee out Let me endea-
•/.ing way of my Month.
He confidered, that the whole Creation was full of vour to beware of this hatc'ul and odious
frame
God and that there was not a Leaf of Grafs in of Spirit- ?nd let the contrary thereto be
; my
the Field, which might not make an Obferver to Delire, my Endeavour.
be fenfible of the Lord. He apprehended that
the idle Mr.iitUi of our Lives were many more Once more.
than a fhoit Liver fhould allow That the very :
'
Filings of Gold, and of Time, were exceeding pre- Among fome Gentlemen that were fitting in
cious ; and, that there were little Fragments of ;
a Room illuminated with a
Candle, one begin-
Hours intervening between our more dated Bu'.i- ning to read unto us, there was another Candle
neffes, wherein Thoughts pf God might be no lefs brought unto him, for his afQftancein ic. Which
plea fact than frequent with
us. afforded me fuch a Meditation as this :
The Elegant and Excellent Meditations of That thofe who are to be Teachers of
1 others,
Sir William WaV.tr had particularly affected him have need of as much
'
Light again as ordinary
unto a commendable Emulation of them ; and Chriftians have. They, if any, need a double
hence he did attempt to make even tic more com- Portion of the
Gifts that are in other Men and
^
1 •,
mon and more trivial Occur rents of humane Life, the Helps of
Knowledge that other Perfons
4
the Occalions of Great Thoughts within him. He have, they much more fhould be furnilh'd
*
would with the Chymifry of Occafional Reflections, withal.
4
from Earthly Bodies and from It was not becaufe
diftill fublime Spirits ;
4
they had better Eyes than
the view of mean things, nobly employed his him whofe Office it was to
fill
'
read, that they
Mind wi f h Leffons and Prayers, which only the needed but One Candle, when he had Two
4 pro-
Father of Spirits wa? a Witnefs to. vided for him ;but the Work incumbent on
4 him,
Some of thefe«his Occafional Rtfi^ttionsl find in and expected from him was the Occafion of it.
his private Papers ; a::d of one or two for a Tafc, But I defign little more than a
Confirmation with
I will befpeak the Reader's Acceptance. an llluftration of my Hijlory, for which a touch or
two upon every Article will ferve. I am now
Jan, 8.,, A. M. to add, That this Young Man had a
principal Re-
gard unto the Scriptures for the Subjects of his Me-
4
Being about to rife, I felt the Cold in a manner ditations,^ he was very expenfive of his Thoughts
4
extraordinary \
which inclin'd me to feek more on the Book of God. He was daily
digging in the
1
Warmth'xxx my Bed before I rofe-, butfoextream facred Mines, and with delight he fetched thence
'
was the Cold, that this was not feafible : Where- Riches better than thofe of both the India's and -,
4
fore I refolved to drefs my fclf without any mote he could fay, Ohoxv 1 love
thy Law! it is Me-
'
my
ado and fo going to the Fire in my Cloaths, 1 diation every Bay '.
;
'
foon became warm enough. Even in the time of his Mortal
Sicknefs, he
'
Turn this, O my Soul, into an ufeful Medita- was very angry at himfelf, if he had not heard a
'
tion. There is a neceflity of my fifing ouc of my Portion of the Bible read unto him from Day to
'
Bed, the Bed of Security which lam under the Day.
'
Power of, and to live unto Chrift, and to walk Once when he was near his End, a good
part
4
in the Light. of a Day having pafs'd before he had
enjoyed his
on my poor Meal of Scripture ; he faid unto his Sifter with
'
In order hereunto, muft put I
Soul the Garments which are to he had from the fome impatience, Alas ! what an ungodly Life do I
i
'
Lord jefus. To awaken me out of my Sleep, lead ! pray come and read my Bible to me ; and read
4
and my Security, I am to fet before me the Sun, me the forty ninth Pfalm. Indeed he read the
4
the Gofpel of the Sun of Rigbteoufnefs doth en- Scripture not curforily, but very deliberately and
'
lighten my Mind,
and tell me, that I was before conliderately
doing fo, and as an Effect of his
•,
c
muffled up in Darbiefs ; and that if I continued he could give fuch an Account of the
Difficulties
'
therein, I fhould ftarve and perifh. Iamalfo in it, as the moft not only of Chriflians, but of
'
taught, That
when Men are convinced of their Divines too, would judge an Attainment extraor-
rather endeavour dinary. Not long before he dyed, he had read over
4 will
miserable Condition, they
'
to Eafb, and comfort and cheriih themfelves by all the large and great Annotations on the Bible,
fomerhi'ng in themfelves, than put on the Spiri- lately publifhed by Mr. Pool, and fome other
!
Book IV. The Hiftory of New- England. 219
Non-conformift Minifters ;
but having difpatchcd did he contrive and conflict much in his Oppofttiom
•
thofe two Noble Folio's, he faid unto one that was to, and gave not over till he had a certain Prof-
Thus have I read the Bible, but
intimate with him, pedt of a Vitlory.
1 have now learnt a better way ! And that way
was Of all the things which ever troubled him, I
this. He would oblige himfelf in reading to fetch know not whether any were more grievous than
in all the the Blafpbemous ln\etlions which like fiery venemous
a Note and a Prayer out of every Verfe
Verfe until it had af- Darts inflam'd fometimes his very Soul within
Bible ; to dwell upon every
forded atleaft one Obfavation, and one Ejaculation him.j
to him. It may be fome Teftimony of Sincerity, when
He imagined that an incredible deal both of Perfons are not a little afiiicled for, as well as af-
Truth and Grace, would in this way make its im- faulted with, Blafpbemous Imaginations about God ,
his Mind ( befides what Exercife which rife within us in contradiction to all that
prefiion upon
of Wit it mull have call'd for ) and fo moft cer- Reverence of him, which we know not how to lay
it would have done-, but
before he had afide.
tainly
made much Progrefe in it, the Chariots of God This Perfon on
his Death-bed complained to me,
fetcht him away to that place, in which a Jefus is
Horrenda de Deo, Horrible Conceptions of
that
a Bible to the there perfeil Spirits of the Righte- God, buzzing absut his Mind, had been one of
ous. the bittereft of all his Trials and 1 find his private •,
Such 3 thinking Perfon was he and yet after fo Papers making fad Lamentations over the Mife-
•,
'
•
bur this was a way to keep a Soul awake. Vilenefsand Wretchednefs.
fltep
'
1
begin to fufpedt that my Reader's patience
is 1. Fraying earneftly for the removal of the
Fourthly, He was one that mortified and did his other Corruptions cfcape the Offenftve t
con
querd the SlNS which were a Vexation co him. as well as the Defenfive Weapons of his Soul.
There were fome Sins which gave to this young Under the moft furious of their AfTaults, 1 find
Man a more violent and outragious difturbance this to be one of his Honourable Retreats.
than he could w ithout much bear Thefe '
For the Relief of my Soul under the Power
paifion :
Nnn n 'of
220 The Hifiory of New-England. Book IV.
me by S°° it «
4
Faith apply thefe Scrip-
4
of Corruption
tuns.
'
;
let
\
Fifthly,
y okinMeditation
rZuta)\Solemn *is
; and
in Jefrs
;and
4
4
Firft, Rom, 6, 14. Sixthly, Much ; and
Reading
4 4
Secondly, Ezek. 36. 26. Seventhly, Living upon the Truths which I
4
Thirdly, Mic.q. 19. know and Tbankfulnefs for the
*
Knowledge
Fourthly, Zee. 13. 1. which I have already.
*
Befides Zee. 9. 12. ^/<*f. 16. 18. John 12.
•
31. and Rom. 16. 20. and thefe Confiderations : And at another time there was this written
4
Firfl,
Chrift is a Compleat Redeemer, Heb. 7. in his
Diary.
i Dfafcj i- 7- Heb. 9. 14.
'25. 4
engaged on This Morning
*
Secondly, God's Power
/»/z»tf<?
is I meditated
about a part of
1 4
in Covenant with him.
-
my behalf, if 1 be 4
Self-denial Namely, the denial of Bodilv
will perfect Holinefs where he Health, and of Eafe from Torment.
4
Thirdly, God
4
'
hath begun it. My Refolution was, that it was better to part
In fuch Engagements as thefe againft his lnvift- herewithal, than to fin. I
hope there is a tho-
ble Jdverfaries he continued, until he is now a rough purpofe in my Heart to perform according-
Conqueror, and more than
a Conqueror. ly, when I fhall be call'd thereunto.
4
He was one I do feel the
Fifthly,
that wifely prepared for Stirrings of Self in felf this my
the CHANGES
that were before
4
him. It is a day : It would fain be in the Throne of God
Remark in one of his Papers: 1 think it conve- within me ; but I am refolved be mvJ
4 Chrift fhall
4
nienX for me to obferve the Temptations,
1 am, or King.
4
mto, and get fititable Remedies
(hall be obnoxious
And as he thus put on the whole Armour God
of
1
them. that he might be able to ftand when he
againji fhould be'
He feem'd indeed to have a ftrange Prefage of tryed, fo he found the Benefit of it, when he
what he was to meet withal, and O
how he laid came into the Field. Few in the World ever
in that he might not be unprovided for it ! A
Pru- bore fuch Dolours with fuch a filent and a
quiet
dence rarely feen among the Children of Men, and compofed Temper as he. Some that were in-
whofe Mifery is great upon them becaufe they timate with him, would fay, He was one of an Iron
know not their Time. Patience, and they had rarely if ever feen fuch a Pati-
There were efpecially two Calamities which ent Patient. But his Death he feem'd all alon<*
he had a fore-boding of, Difmal Pain and Early molt careful to be ready for.
Death, As for his Pain, he was it feems to un-
dergo exquifite Anguifhes, for many Months be- /« his
Papers.
fore his Diffolution ; but before ever it came up-
on him, how ftrangely did he fortifie himfclfa- Meditations on the four laft
things, was 3 Title
gunft it He faid in his Diary fome Years before mentioning aSiibjett of his molt felicitous Con-
!
he left the World, templations. Above three Tears before his Tran-
flation, his Diary hath fuch a Note as this.
4
Sept. 2. Speaking to Day fomcthing con-
4 n the Mar'
cerning my Commencement, I was ?
4
4
I had not in the Morning time enough for/o- ftrangely furprized, and had many gjJgjTO
4
kmn Meditation: Great Deadnefs and Dulnefs Thoughts, yea, Perfwafions, That
4
was in my Heart, as to Spiritual Thoughts after- 1 fhould not live till then.
1
I had now Apprehenfions that I muff under-
•
bent on me without further
delay, to ma'e my Call-
'
and great and Elettion fare.
go fore Tryals and Conflifts, Afflift i- ing
ons. He hath alfo left behind him, Some Meditations,
it highly become me
4
Wherefore to get as tending to the Exercife of Repentance, and Faith, and
great a meafure of Grace, as the Opportunities Preparation for Death, as he hath himfclf intitled
which I enjoy may afford, and therefore I pur- them ; but the Reader by this time will eafily
ferious in my Meditations, not
pofe to be more pardon my forbearing the Communication of them.
omitting other Duties therewithal. Indeed, Preparation for Death, in one word, con-
4
Refolutions, rnuft every Day be re- tains the Subftance of what he had been
1 fee my doing di-
newed, as to great diligence in my fervingGod. vers years before the King of Terrors took his
Clay
4
And fince I muft expeft great Jfflitlions, 1 Houfe away.
muft make it my daily Work by folemn Medi- And as he was defirous to prepare for what
tation togo over the whole Body of Chriflianity, Pajfive Obedience he might be put upon, fo he was-
and particularly to have daily Thoughts on the loath to have his Heart not well ordered or fur-
Condefcention ofjefus Chrift : I muft alfo endea- nilhed, when Attive Obedience might be called for
vour to get a large meafure of fundifie d Know- at his Hands. Tho' he never liv'd to preach any
wherefore, other than fome private Sermons, yet lie was not
ledge ;
and unthoughtfulof the Time when publick Ones might
4
Firfl, There is need of Earneft Prayer ;
8
Whether
Book IV. The Hijlory 0/ New- England. 221
c
want of Invention." To which I anfwer'd, with ticular Generation of 111 Humours, where the Qs
4 Ileon and Os Sacrum
minding that Promife in Exod. 3. 12. Certainly joyn; from whence it tell in-
4
/ will be with thee. And the beginning of ver. to his Thigh, until there was a very large collefti-
4
18. They [hull hearten
to thy voice. And where on of it there.
*
God finds Work, there he Thete was an hcifio:i 3 with mature Advice
will give Strength.
I
'
likewife confidered 1 and
Chron. 28. Mat.
1 made
o, 20. into the Tumour, about a Month before his
and Expiration, which gave good hopes of his Reco-
4 6.
28.(9,20. undjofh.i. 9. Judg. 12,14.
4
And then 1 thought with my felt, That as for very into a capacity of ferving theChurch of God ,
*
living in
a remote part of the Country, 1 (hould be but the Circulation, which was now given unto
*
if fo I might do Service for the putrid Juices which his
willing thereunto, Blood, through his con-
4
God, and bring Glory to his Name. And tinual and fedentary Studies, had been annoyed
1
whilft I was muling on thefe Things, I was melt- withal, foon enkindled a Fever, which burnt afun-
1
'
ed into a Frame, that I thought heretofore I. der the thread of this pious Life.
'
fhould nevet be in, namely, Humble Submi/Jicn One might luppofe, that fuch a Walk with God
4 as the Reader has
to the Good Pleafure of God, however he (hould dif- newly had pourtrayed before
1
me. 1 knew, that though 1 were reproached him, fhould end in Raptures and
pofe of Extafies of
4
forwhat Meanncfs 1 fhould this w;y be expofed Ajfurance ; but I am to tell him, That this
is an Anfwer in Rom. 1. 16. and in
*
unto, there Young Perfon had them not. And there
4
Mark 8. 38. and in Pfal. 31. 19. and in Prov. wanted not Reafon for it. For his Natural
4
16. 7. in Pfal. 37. 5, 6. So were the Apo-
and Dijlemper difpofed him to what is contrary to Joy •
4
files, Cor.
1
4. 3, 9. If
1
ferve Chrift, God will but his deep Humility had a
greater fhare in the
Jealoufies and Sufpicions whkh he would ftili cherifh
4
honour me, John 1 2. 26.
Every one muft own, that however fuch things of himfelf. He was indeed fo afraid of beinp an
Man, m3y be below our Admira-
as thefe, in an old Hypocrite, and he
would fcarce allow himfelf to be
tion ; yet in a young Man, that out-lived not the and he did not care fo much as
called aCbripijn,
Years which the Nodes of the Moon take tod if to tell any of his own Experiences, no, nor his In-
patch a Revolution, they defervea Memory among clinations, unlefs to one or two Divines, who
them that may be edified by fuch Exemplary Pra- kindly refrefhed him with their daily Vifits \ and
(iices. Indeed, he was himfelf extreamly unfenfi- with them too he would uphold his Difcourfc only
bk of the leaft Worth or Shine aborning of him ; in Lati» if any one elfe were by.t 1
and in his whole Deportment he difcovered a mo- Never did 1 fee more Caution againft Hypocrifie,
deft, an humble, and a refcrved Mein ; which than what was in him ; and a certain Self- abhorrence
might be reck'ned -to bear little proportion with his accompanying of it, caufed to proceed from him
other Accomplilhments, were it not that the more no Expreffions, butthofeofan Abafcd Soul. When
gracious Men are, the more humble they always having recited the Terms of the Gof-
his Brother
are; and they are the Fullefl and Ficheft Ears of pel to him, with a defign to obtain from him a
Corn, which molt hang down towards the Ground. Renewal of his Explicit Conjent
thereunto, asked
But while he in a fort wronged himfelf, to efcape him, Whether he did not judge himfelffwcere in that
the Bane and Blame of Pride ; it is a piece of pure Confent ? He only replied, ifhould think fo, if it were
Juftice in the Survivers, to Embalm the Name of a
not for the Seventeenth
of Jeremiah, and the Ninth.
Perfon thus delirable, lince he is gone thither He was Dejecled, yet not Defpatring ; and he dif-
where he has no Chaff'to take fire at the Sparks of covered a wonderfully Gracious, when he bad not
our Praifes. a Joyful Frame. He was all made up of Longings
and Breathings after all the Fulnefs of God, when
Sic oados, fie i'Je manus, fie ora ferebat ? he could not or would not pretend unto
any Con-
fidence of his Acceptance with the Lord.
Such young Man as this it is, that the Church
a. In the time of his Health, he had not been with-
of God is now deprived of.' What a Blejfmg might out the comfortable Perfwafions for which he
fol-
his Living have proved unto the World But as low A hard after God. In one place, 1 find him
!
the Long-liv'd Patriarchs, before the Flood, have faying ( on fuch a day ) / had Fears left 1 fhould not
ftill th3t Claufe introduced of them, And he
dyed ; love the Bleffed God; but yet I was fare J defiredto
which Claufe awakened and converted a Perfon keep his Commandments. Another time fo Ft* •,
of Quality, who came in occafionally while the Mi- three Quarters of an Hour, I pleaded
earnefly fo!
nifter was reading the Fifth Chapter of Gencfts to ajfurance of the Love
of God unto me, and J faia,
the Congregation ; fo muft I now fay of the Short' As many as received Chrift Jefus, to them he
gave
livd Perfon, whom we have been paying our laft Power to become the Sons of God ; And 1 did re-
Refpeift unto, he lived thus long in a little time, ceive Jefus Chrifl, as the the Free Gift of God , and
And he died. received him to fave me on his oirn Terms : I
chefc
Before 1 break off, I muft relate, him to be my Priefl, and Prophet, and King. Now /
beggd
222 The Hiftory of New-England. Book IV;
bcggd of him that he would manifeft bis Acceptance
of me, and give me the Spirit of Adoption : J bad One that had an Acquaintance with hira, did him
then, J hope, fome Affurance. But when Siclnefs the Juftice of weeping over his Grave fuch an
came, he was loth to own a clear Title to the Epitaph as this.
Reft of God : Yet before he died, he Coffered
fome fober Intimations of his Hopes to fall from in this Sable Chefr,
him. There was a good Man in this Land, whofe The Hofi once of an
INclofed Heavenly Guefi
laft Words yet were, It had been good for me that Here lies Upright Nathanael,
:
1 had never been born. The Words of this hum- True Offspring of God's Ifrael.
ble Self-loathing Young-Man were of another Him Dead, how term we, from his Birth.
ftrain. In the laft Night, that we had him with Wholiv'd in Heaven whilfl on Earth ?
us, he would have his Watcher to read, The Song His Head had Learning's
Magazine,
of Simeon, unto him, Now lettefl thou thy Servant His Heart the Altar, whence Divine
7
depart in Peace : And in the Morning after,
he Whole Hecatombs, which Love had J
fir
fa id, / have now been with Jefus Chrifi ! which, Of'yigb Praife, and warm Pray'r ajpir'd .-
from fuch a little Speaker as he, we could not His Life, the Decalogue unfolded;
have his Explication of. ^Meat-Off'ring, his Speech weti-mmUed-,
In one of his laft Minutes, a faithful Minifter His rare Devotion, fuch now feen,
faid unto him, Find you not Comfort in the Lord Je- A Sign of Ninety at Nineteen.
fus Chrifi
>
To which he made only this difcreet Years but in bloom, Grace at full growth
and humble Anfwer, 1 endeavour to do thofe things Angels, you Know and Think his Worth.
which will iJJ'uc in Comfort
•
and then he quickly Thus Time, Youth's Glafs, turnd eYe 'twas ran,
furrendred up his Redeemed and Renewed Soul And Ages too, before begun.
unto him who had loved him, and wafhed away his
Sins in bis own Blood. Reft, Glorious Dofl, and let thy perfum'd Name
Thus he went away to the Heavenly Society, Sound in the Trumpets of Immortal Fame.
where he is beholding the Face of God in Righteouf- For tbo Times Teeth Maufolazan Monuments deface,
himfelf in the Company not on- They'll never gnaw thy Name which with the Stars has
nefs and folacing
ly of his blefl'ed Grandfathers
and Uncles, and all the place.
Spirits of
the Jufl ; but of the amiable Jefus himfelf, Tofnit, R. H.
which is by far the befi of
all. His Tear* are all
A8s
Ads and ^Monuments.
The Fifth
O F
BOOK
T H E
[ In Four PARTS.]
CONTAINING
The FAITH and the ORDER
IN THE
C|mtrt)e0 of $eto=€nglatitj :
Agreed by the
Elders and Meflengers of the Churches
Aflembled inSYNODS.
WITH
HISTORICAL
UPON
REMARKS
All thofe VENERABLE ASSEMBLIES.
And a great Variety of other Church-Cases,
Occurring and Refolved in thefe American
CHURCHES.
Aurea prfetua femper digniflima vita.
LONDON,
Printed for Ibomat Parkbtirft, at the Bible and Three
Crowns in Cbeafpde. 1702.
•
.
-: .
•
The Fifth BOOK.
STNODICON AMER1C ANU M.
The Firft PART.
THE
CJutcijes of j&eto=€nglatiih
Vericulofam nobis ac miferabik e(i, tot Fides exiflere vo-
quot
luntates, & tot nobis Doffirinas effe, quot mores. Hilar.
- - - ^——°
§ i.
If T was once an unrighteous and Injurious felves But as a further Demonftration hereof,
:
r New-England, That the World knew Sept. 30. 11548. even that Synod which framed,
not their Principles : Whereas they agreed and publifhed, The Platform of Church
took all the Occafions imaginable to make all Di/cipline, there was a moft unanimous Vote
the World know, That in the Dotfrinal Part of paifed in thefe Words ; This Synod having per-
Religion, they have agreed entirely with the Re- ufed and confidered (with much gladnefs of Heart
formed Churches of Europe And that they de- and Thankfulnefs to God) the Confeilion of
:
fired mod
particularly to maintain the Faith pro- Faith, publifljcd by the late Reverend AJJ'emb/y in
felTed by the Churches of Old England, the England, do
judge it to be very Holy, Orthodox
Country whereto was owing their Original. Few and Judicious, in all Matters of Fait)\ and do
Pajiors of Mankind ever took fuch pains at Ca- therefore freely and fully confent thereunto for
techiftng, as have been taken by our New Englijh the Subfiance thereof Only in thofe Things which
Divines :Now let any Man living read the moft have refpetl to Church-Government and Difci-
;udiciousand elaborate Catechifms publifhed, a pline, we refer our felves to the Platform of
etfer and a larger by Mr. Norton, a leffer and a
Church-Difcipline , agreed upon by this Prefent
arger by Mr. Mather, feveral by Mr. Cotton, one Ajjembly And we do therefore think it ?neet, that
:
>y Mr. Davenport, one by Mr. Stone, one by this Confefjion of Faith, jhould be commended to
Mr. Norris, one by Mr. Noyes, one by Mr. fisk, the Churches of Chriji among us, and to the Ho-
ieveral by Mr. Eliot, one by Mr. Sea-born
Cotton, noured Court, as worthy of their due Confidera-
a large one by Mr. Fitch -,
and fay, whether true tion and Acceptance. This Vote was palled by the
Divinity were ever better handled or, whether Minifters and McfTengers of the Churches, in
•,
they were not the trueft Sons of the Church of that Venerable AfTembly, when the Government
England, who thus maintained its Fundamental recommended unto their Confederation, A Con-
Articles, which are fo many of them firft fub- fcjfion of Faith, as one Thing, which the Tranf-
fcribed, and then denyed and confuted by fome marine Churches expecfed from them. And they
that would
monopolize that Name unto them- hoped, that this Proof of them being Fellow Heirs
5 A 2 of
4 The Hijlory of New-England. Book V.
of the fame Common Salvation, with the Churches of our Churches, but what have, at their
bers
beyond Sea, would not only free them from the AdmiJJions, entertained them with notable Con-
Sufpicion of Herefie,
but clear them from the fejfions of their own compofing ;
infomuch,that
Character of Schijm alfo j in as much as their if the Froteftants have been by the Papifts call'd
DiiTent from thole Churches, was now evidently Confeffionifis, the Proteftants of New-England
but in fome leffer Matters of Ecclefiaftical Polity-, have, of all, given the moft laudable occafion
And a Diifent not managed either with fuch Ar- to be called fo. Neverthelefs , all this
Variety
as are the Eifential has been the exacfeft Unity ; all thofe
rogancy or Cenj'orioufnefs,' Confejfions
Properties of Schifmaticks.
have been but fo many Derivations from, and
kj
2. As to make a Confejjion of Faith, is a Duty Explications and Confirmations oi\ that Confejjion
wherein all Chriftians are to be made Confejfors • which the Synods had voted for them all -,
for'
and Multitudes of 'em have been made Martyrs -,
Ut plures Rivuli, ab uno Fonte, ltd plures Fidei
thus to write a Confejjion of Faith, is a Work Confcffiones ab una eademq-, Fidei Veritate, manare
which the Faithful in all Ages have approved poffunt. Now that Good Confejjion remains to be
and pracf ifed, as moft lingularly profitable. The exhibited.
Confejfions thus emitted by
fuch Worthies as Ire- Reader, 'Tis a memorable Paffage, that is re-
nxus and Athanafius formerly, and Beza, as well lated by Ruffinus in his Ecclefiaftical Hijlory, that
as others more lately, have been of fignal Ad- a Pagan Philofopher, in a publick
Difputation,
vantage to the Church of God But when many evaded and rejected the moft powerful Argu-
:
Churches do join together in fuch Confejfions, the ments for Cbrijlianityi, brought by the moft
Testimony born to the Troth of God, is yet more Learned Chriftians in the Affembly Until an :
glorious and
effectual. How remarkably the honeft Elder of one of the Churches, but of A-
Confejfions of the four General Councils, were bilities which were fo much inferior to the reft,
owned for the Suppreflion of the Herejies then that the reft were afraid and forry to fee his Un-
fpawned, is well known
to all that have fet foot dertaking, did undertake 'to filence him. This
but as far as the Threfhold of Church-Hijlory honeft Man, after this manner addreffed the Ad-
-,
'
cannot be fuppofed more delicious than that Har- I
require you to hear the Truth : There is but
c
mony, which is to be feen in the Confefftons off he ' one God, who made the Heavens and the Earth,
Reformed Churches, that have therefore been to- and hath formed Man of the Duft thereof,with
gether publifhed. Wherefore,
befides the Vote an Immortal Soul infpired into him: He, by
•
'
of the New-England Churches, for a Concur- his Word and Power brought forth this whole
'
rence with the Confejjion of Faith made by the Creation, and fanftifies us by his Holy Spirit ;
'
Affembly at Wejlminfler, a Synod affembled at And He, who is the Word, whom we own to
c
'
what was further to be done for fuch a Confef of a Virgin, and by fuffering, even to death,
c
fwn. Accordingly, the Confeffwnof Faith confen for us, he hath delivered us from Eternal
'
ted by the Congregational Churches of England
'
Death, and by his Refurrecf ion he hath made
in a Synod met at the Savoy ; which, excepting fure of Life Eternal for us. Him we look for
'
a few Variations, was the fame with what was again to be the Judge of the World Believeft
:
and afterwards by the General Affembly of Scot- himfelf Thunder-ftruck, into a more than or-
land; was twice publickly read, examined and dinary Confternation at this Difcourfe, and cry'd
approved and fome fmall Variations made out, I believe it, I confefs it ! Whereupon the
•,
from that of the Savoy in compliance with that holy Man faid, Then follow me, and be baptifed.
at Wejlminfler and fb, after fuch Collations, but He did fo, and unto his Party then prefent he
-,
no Contentions, voted and printed, as the Faith faid, While I had to do with the Words oj Men,
of New-England. But they chofe to exprefs I could oppofe Words unto them ; but when I felt
themfelves in the Words of thofe AiTemblies a Power from God, I could not refji it.
-,
I find
That fo (as they fpeak in their Preface) we ?night that Man cannot oppofe him/elf to God.
xot only with one Heart, but tvitb one Mouth, Our Ecclefiaflical Hijlory fhall now give a
glorifie
'
God and our Lord Jefus Chrifl. plain and a pure Confejjion of
our Faith. May the
^ 3. It is true,
that particular Churches in the Reader now find an irrefiftible Power oi God,and
of Grace irradiating his Mind, with all Satif-
:
Confeffion of Faith 5
CHAP. I.
A Lthough the Light of Nature, and third Epijiles of John, The Epifile of Jude, Tlie
1
Therefore it pleafed the Lord, at fundry times, no Authority in the Church of God, nor to be
and in divers manners to reveal himfclf, and to any otherwife approved or made ufe of than
declare that his Will unto his Church ; and af- other Humane Writings.
IV. The for
terwards for the better Preferving and Propaga- Authority of the Holy Scripture,
ting of the Truth, and for the more fure Efta- which it
ought to be believed and obeyed, de-
blilhment and Comfort of the Church againft pendeth not upon the Teftimony of any Man
the Corruption of the Flefh, and the Malice of or Church, but wholly upon God (who is Truth
Satan, and of the World, to commit the fame it felf ) the Author thereof and therefore, it is -,
wholly to Writing Which maketh the Holy to be received becaufe it is the Word of God.
:
fies of the Church is finally to appeal pture delivered by the Spirit ; into which Scri-
Religion
unto them. But becaufe theie Original Tongues pture fo delivered our Faith is finally refolved.
CHAP. II.
I.'T'Here is but one only Living and True God ; Things and hath moft Sovereign Dominion
-,
of any Creatures, which he hath made, nor de- begotten of the Father The Holy Ghoft eter-
-,
riving any Glory from them, but only mani- nally proceeding from the Father and the Son.
fefting his own Glory in, by, unto, and upon Which Doftrine of the Trinity is the Foundation
them. He is the alone Fountain of ail Beings -,
of all our Communion with God and comforta-
of whom, through whom, and to whom are all able Dependence upon him.
CHAP. III.
G
I-/^"*»OD from
freely,
all Eternity did by the moft the Will of the Creatures, nor is the
Wife and Holy Counfel of his own Will, or Contingency of fecond Caufes taken
and unchangeably ordain, whatfoever but rather eftablifhed.
Liberty
away,
changeably defigned, and their Number is i« according to the unfearchable Counfel of his
certain and definite, that it cannot be either in- own Will, whereby he extendeth or withholdeth
creafed or diminifhed. Mercy, as he pleafeth, for the Glory of his So-
V. Thofe of Mankind that are predeftinated vereign Power over his Creatures, to pafs by,
unto Life. God before the Foundation of the and to ordain them to Diflionour and Wrath,
World was laid, according to his eternal and for their Sin, to the Praife of his Glorious Ju-
immutable Purpofe, and the fecret Counfel, and ftice.
good Pleafure of his Will, hath chofen in VIII. The Doctrine of this high Myftery of
Chrift unto everlafting Glory, out of his meer Predeftination, is to be handled with fpecial
Free-Grace and Love, without any forefight of Prudence and Care, that Men attending the Will
Faith or good Works, or Perfeverance in either of God revealed in his Word, and yielding Obe-
of them, or any other thing in the Creature, dience thereunto, may from the certainty of
as Conditions or Caules moving him thereunto, their effectual Vocation be allured of their eter-
and all to the Praife of his Glorious Grace. nal Eleftion.
VI. As God hath appointed the Ele£t unto So fhall this Doctrine afford Matter of Praife,
Glory, fo hath he by the eternal and molt free Reverence and Admiration of God, and of Hu-
Purpofe of his Will, fore-ordained all the means mility, Diligence and abundant Confolation to
thereunto : Wherefore they who are elected be- all that fincerely obey the GoipeL
CHAP. IV.
Of Creation.
I TT pleafed God the Father, Son and Holy his ownjmage, having the Law of God written
•
JL Gholf , for the manifeftation of the Glory in theii Heart, and Power to fulfil it and yet
•,
of his eternal Power,Witdom and Goodnefs in under a poffibility of tranfgrefling, being left to
the Beginning, to create or make of Nothing the the Liberty of their own Will, which was fub-
World and whether vifible or je& to change. Befides this Law written in
all things therein,
invifible, in the Days, and all very their Hearts, they received a Command not to
fpace of fix
he created Man Male and Female, with reafona»; in their Communion with God, and had Domi-
ble and immortal Souls, endued with Know- nion over the Creatures.
ledge, Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs, aftet ,
»
CHAP. V.
Of Providence.
Caufes, either neceiTarily, freely, or contin- God, who being moft Holy and Righteous, nei-
gently. ther is,nor can be the Author or Approver of Sin,
V, The
8 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
V. The moftwife, righteous and gracious not only with-holdeth his Grace, whereby they
God doth oftentimes leave for a Seafon his own might have been enlightned in their Underftan-
Children to manifold Temptations, and the Cor- dings, and wrought upon in their Hearts ; but
ruption of their own Hearts, to chaftife them fometimes alfo withdraweth the Gifts which
lor their former Sins, or to difcover unto them they had, and expofeth them to fuch Objects,
the hidden Strength of Corruption, and Deceit- as their Corruption makes Occafions of Sin j
fulnefs of their Hearts, that they may be hum- and withul gives them over to their own Lulls,
bled, and to raife them to a more dole and the Temptations of the World, and the Power
conftant Dependance for their Support upon of Satan, whereby it comes to pafs that they
himfelf, and to make them more watchful a- harden themfelves, even under thofe Means,
gainft all future Occaiionsof Sin, and for fundry which God ufethfor the foftning of others.
other juft and holy Ends. VII. As the Providence of God doth in Ge-
VI. As for thofe wicked and ungodly Men, neral reach to all Creatures, fo after a moltfpe-
whom God, as a righteous Judge, for former cial manner, it taketh Care of his Church, and
Sins, doth blind and harden, from them, he difpofeth all Things for the Good thereof.
-
CHAP. VI.
I./"iOD having made a Covenant of Works IV. From this Original Corruption, whereby
VJ and Life thereupon, with our Firft Pa- we are utterly indifpofed, difabled and made
rents, and all their Pollerity in them, they be- oppofite to all Good, and wholly inclined to all
ing leduced by the Subtilty and Temptation of Evil, do proceed all aftual Tranfgrefiions.
Satan, did wilfully tranfgrefs the Law of their V. This Corruption of Nature, during this
Creation, and break the Covenant, in eating the Life doth remain in thofe that are regenerated j
forbidden Fruit. and altho' it be, through Chrift, pardoned and
II. By this Sin, they and we in them, fell mortified, yet both it JelF and all the Motions
From Original Righteoufnefs and Communion thereof are truly and properly Sin.
with God,and fo became dead in Sin, and wholly VI. Every Sin both Original and AQual being
defiled in all the Faculties and Parts of Soul and a Tranfgreffion of the righteous Law of God,
Mankind, the Guilt of this Sin was imputed, 'and of the Law, and fo made fubjeft to Death,
corrupted Nature convey'd to all thir* Pollerity with all Miferies Spiritual, Temporal and Eter-
defending from them by ordinary Genera- nal.
tion.
,
—
C H A P VII.
I.TpHE Difta nee between God and the Creature they may be faved, and promifing to give unto
X is fo great, that altho' reafonable Crea- all thofe that are ordained unto Life, his Holy
tures do owe Obedience to him as their Creator, Spirit to make them willing and* able
to be-
uncapable of Life by that Covenant , the Lord Flefh yet for the Subftance and Efficacy of it,
-
?
was pleaied to make a Second, commonly calfd to all and laving Ends, it is one and
its fpiritual
the Covenant of Grace ; wherein he freely the lame ; upon the Account of which various
oftereth unto Sinners Life and Salvation by Jefus Difpenfations it is called the Old andNaoTefta-
Chrift, requiring of them Faith in him, that merit.
CHAP.
Book V. The Hiftory of New-England.
CHAP. VIII.
Natures, the Godhead and the Manhood were communicated unto the Elect in all Ages fuccef-
Infeparably joined together in one Perfon without fively from the beginning of the World, in and
Converfion, Competition or Confufion ; which by thofe Promifes, Types and Sacrifices, wherein
Perfon is very God and very Man.yet one Chrift, he was revealed and fignified to be the Seed of
the only Mediator between God and Man. the Woman, which Ihould bruife the Serpent's
III. The Lord Jefus in his humane Nature, Head, and the Lamb flain from the beginning of
thus united to the Divine, in the Perfon of the the World, being yefterday and to day the fame,
Son, was fanftified and anointed with the Holy and for ever.
Spirit above Meafure, having in him all the VII. Chrift in the Work of Mediation aft eth
Treafures of Wifdomand Knowledge, in whom according to both Natures, by each Nature do-
it pleafed the Father that all fulnefs fhould
ing that which is proper to it felf ; yet by reafou
dwell, to the end that being holy, harmlels, tiff- of the Unity of the Perfon, that which is pro-
defiled and full of Grace and Truth, he might
per to one Nature is fometimes in Scripture,
at-
be throughly furnifhed to execute the Office of tributed unto the Perfon denominated by the
a Mediator and Surety, which Office he took other Nature.
not unto himfelf ; but was thereunto called by VIII. To all thofe for whom Chrift, has pur-
his Father, who alfo put all Power and Judg- chafed
Redemption, he doth certainly and ef-
ment into his Hand , and gave him Command- fectually apply and communicate the fame, ma-
ment to execute the fame. king Interceffion for them, and revealing unto
IV. This Office the Lord Jefus Chrift did moft them in and
by the Word, the Myfteries of Sal-
willingly undertake which that he might dif vation, effectually perfwading them by his Spirit
-,
charge, he was made under the Law, and did to believe and obey, and governing their'Heart,
perfectly fulfil it, and underwent the Punifh by his Word and Spirit, overcoming all their
ment due to us, which we fhould have born and Enemies, by his Almighty Power and Wifdom,
fuffered, being made fin and a curie for us, endu- infuch Manner and Ways, as are molt confonant
ring moft grievous Torments immediately from to his wonderful and unfearchable Difpenfation.
n\
CHAP. IX.
Of Free-Will. •
CHAP. X.
Of Efie5lual Calling.
I.
\thofe whom God hath praedeftinated and to embrace the Grace offered and
LL convey-
XJl
unto Life, and thofe only, he is pleafed ed in it.
appointed and accepted Time effectually
III. ElecT: Infants
in his dying in Infancy, are Regene-
to call by his Word aud Spirit, out of that rated and Saved by Chrilf, who worketh
when,
State of Sin and Death, in which they are by and where, and how he
pleafeth : So alfo are
Nature, to Grace and Salvation by Jefus Chrift, all other Ele£t
Perfons, who are uncapable of
inligh ruing their Minds Spiritually and Saving- being outwardly called by the Miniftry of the
ly to underftahd the Things of God,taking away Word.
t(ieir Heart of Stone, and giving unto them an IV. Others not elected, altho'
they may be
Heart of Flelh, renewing their Wills, and by called by the Miniftry or the Word, and
may
his Almighty Power determining them to that have fome common Operations of the Spirit,
which is Good, and effectually drawing them to yet not being effectually drawn by the Father ;
Jefus Chrilf Yet fo, as they come moft Freely,
:
they neither do nor can come unto Chrift, and
being made willing by his Grace. therefore cannot be laved ; much left can
Men$
not profeffing the Chriftian Religion, be laved in
This effeaual Call is of God's Free and
II. any other way whatfoever, be they never Co di-
Special Grace alone, not from any thing at all ligent to frame their Lives according to the
forefeen in Man, who is altogether Paffive there- Light of Nature, and the Law of that Religi-
in, until being quickned and renewed by the Ho- on they do profefs : And to aflert and maintain
ly Spirit,he is thereby enabled to anfwer this Call that they may,is very pernicious and to be derefted.
CHAP. XI.
Of Juftification.
i. whom God effectually calleth, he their Behalf : Yet inafmuch, as he was given
THole
alio freely Juftifieth, not by infufing by the Father for them, and his Obedience and
Righteoufnels into them, but by pardoning their Satisfaction accepted in their ftead, and both
Sins,and by accounting and accepting theirPerfons, freely ,not for anything in them,their Juftification
as Righteous, not tor any thing wrought in is only of free Grace, that both the exa£t Juftice
them, or done by them, but for Chrift's fake and rich Grace of God might be glorified in the
alone ; nor by imputing Faith its felf, the aft Juftification of Sinners.
of Believing, or any other Evangelical Obedi- IV. God did from all Eternity decree to jufti-
ence to them, as their Righteoufnels, but by im fie all the Ele£f, and Chrift did in the fulnefs of
Chrift's ^cYive -Obedience unto the whole time dye for their Sins, and rile again, for their
Euting
aw, and Paflive Obedience in his Sufferings and Juftification Nevertheleis they are not juftified
:
Death, for their whole and fole Righteoufnefs, perfbnally, until the Holy Spirit doth in due
they receiving and refting on him and his Righte- time actually apply Chrift unto them.
oufnels by Faith, which Faith they have not of V. God doth continue to forgive the Sins of
fhemfelves, it is the Gift of God. thole that are juftified, and altho' they .can ne-
Faith thus receiving and refting on Chrift,
II. ver fall from the State of Juftification, yet they
and his Righteoufnefs is the alone Inftrument of may by their Sins fall under God's Fatherly Dif-
Juftification ; yet it is not alone in the Perfon pleafure : And, in that Condition, they have
juftified, but is ever accompanied with all other not ufiially the Light of his Countenance reftor-
faving Graces, and is no dead Faith, but work- ed unto them, until they humble themfelves,
eth by Love. confefs their Sins, beg Pardon, and renew their
Chrift by his 'Obedience and Death did
III. Faith and Repentance.
fully diicharge the Debt of all thofe that are VI. The Juftification of Believers under the
juftified, and did, by the Sacrifice of himfelf in OldTeftatnent was in all thefe Refpe&s, one and
the Blood of his Crofs, undergoing in their the fame with the Juftification of Believers un-
ftead the Penalty due unto them,make a proper, der the New Teftament (
real, and full Satjsfaftion to God's Jultice in
CH A P.
.
Book V. The Hiflory of New-England. if
CHAP. XII.
Of Adoption.
I. \ LLthofe that are juftifled, God vouchfaf- of Grace with Boldnefs, are enabled to cry Ab-
J\. eth in and for his only Son Jefus Chrift ba Father, are pitied, protected, provided for,
to make Partakers of the Grace of Adoption, by and chaftned by him, as by a Father yet never
which they are taken into the number and enjoy calf off, but fealed to the Day of Redemption,
the Liberties and Priviledges of the Children of and inherit the Promifes, as Heirs of Everlafting
God, have his Name put upon them, receive Salvation.
the Spirit of Adoption, have Accels to the Throne
CHAP. XIII.
Of Santiifcation.
that are effectually called and regene- II. This Sanaification is throughout in the
I.'TpHey there
Jl rated being united to Chrift, having a new whole Man, yet imperfect in this Life
•
eve-
Heart, and a new Spirit created in them, thro' abide ftill fome Remnants of Corruption
in
the Virtue of Chrift's Death and Refurreft ion, ry part, whence arifeth a continual and irrecon-
are alio further Sancf ified really and perfonally, cileable War, the Flefh luffing againft the Spi-
through the fame Virtue, by his Word and Spi- rit, and the Spirit againft the Flefh.
rit dwelling in them, the Dominion of the III. In which War, altho' the remaining Cor-
whole Body of Sin is deltroy'd, and the feveral ruption, for a time, may much prevail, yet thro'
Lulls thereof are more and more weakned and the continual fupply of Strength from the
mortified, and they more and more quickned and fanftifyng Spirit of Chrift, the Regenerate part
ftrengthened in all laving Graces, to the pract- doth overcome, and fo the Saints grow in Grace,
j
ice of all true Holineis, without which no Man perfecting Holineis in the fear of God.
I
CHAP. XIV.
Of Saving Faith.
Grace of Faith, whereby the Ele£l are But the principal A£ls of favirig Faith are ac*
I.'TpHE
A enabled to believe to the laving of their cepting, receiving, and refting upon Chrift alone
is the Work of the
Souls, Spirit of Chiift in for Jutfification, Sancf ihcation and eternal Life,
their Hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the by Virtue of the Covenant of Grace.
Minift ry of the Word ; by which alio, and by This Faith altho' it be different in De-
III.
the Adminiftration of the Seals, Prayer and o- and may be weak or ftrong, yet it is in the
grees,
ther Means, it is increafed and leaft Degree of it, different in the Kind or Na-
ftrengthened.
II. By this
Faith, a Chriftian believeth to be ture of it (as is all other faving Grace) from
true, whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the Faith and common Grace of
-,
temporary Be-
the Authority of God himfelf
fpeaketh therein, lievers ; and, therefore, tho' it may be many
and afteth differently upon that which each times alfailcd and weakned,
yet it gets the Vi-
particular PalTage thereof containeth, yielding ctory, growing up in many to the attainment of
Obedience to the Commands, trembling at the a full Affiirancethrough Chrift, who is both
Threatnings, and embracing the Promiies of the Author and Finifher of our Faith.
God for this Life, and that which is to come.
C H A P. XV.
them Repentance unto Life. Grace mercifully provided that Believers fo fin-
II. Whereas there is none that
doth Good ning and falling be renewed, through Repentance
and fmneth not , and the beft of Men
may unto Sal vari>;:i.
5 B III. This
12 The Hiflory of New-England. Book V.
III. This faving Repentance is an Evangelical of the Body of Death and the Motions thereof?
Grace, whereby a Perfon being by the Holy fo 'tis every Man's Duty to repent of his par-
Ghoft made fenfible of the manifold Evils of ticular known Sins particularly.
his Sin, doth by Faith in Chrift humble him- V. Such is the Provifion which God hath
felf for it with godly lbrrow, deteftation of it, made, through Chrift, in the Covenant of
Grace,
and felf-abhorrency , praying for Pardon and for the prefervation of Believers unto
Salvation^
ftrength of Grace, with a purpofe and endea- that altho' there is no fin fo imall, but it de-
vour by fupplies of the Spirit, to walk before lerves Damnation ; yet there is no fin fo
great,
God unto all well-pleafing in all things. that it (hall bring Damnation on
them, who
IV. As Repentance is to be continued through truly repent ; which makes the conftant
preach-
the whole Courfe of our Lives, upon the account ing of Repentance neceflary.
CHAP. XVI.
Of Good Works.
I /^i Ood Works are only fuch as God hath don of Sin, or eternal Life at the Hand of
God,
V_I commanded in his holy Word, and not by reafon of the great difproportion that is be-
fuch as, without the warrant thereof, ate devi- tween them and the Glory to come, and the
fed by Men out of blind Zeal, or upon any pre infinite diftance that is between us and God,
tence of good Intentions. whom by them we can neither profit, nor fatisfie
II. Thefe good Works done in Obedieace to for the Debt of our former Sins ; but when
God's Commandments, are the Fruits and Evi- we have done all we can, we have done but our
dences of a true and lively Faith; and by them Duty, and are unprofitable Servants: And be-
Believers manireft their Thankfulnefs, ftrengthen caule, as they are good they proceed from his
their Aflurance, edirie their Brethren, adorn the Spirit, and as they are wrought by us,
they are
Profeflion of the Gofpel, flop the Mouths of defiled and mixed with fo much Weaknefs and
the Adverfiries, and gloririe God, whofe Work- Imperfection, that they cannot endure the Se-
rranfhip they are created in Chrift Jefus there- verity of God's Judgment.
unto, rhat having their Fruit unto Holinefs,they VI. Yet notwithstanding, the Perfons of Be-
may have the End, eternal Life. lievers being accepted through Chrift, their good
III. Their Ability to do good Works, is not Works- alfo are accepted in him, not as tho'
at all of themfelves, but wholly from the Spirit they were in this Life wholly unblameable and
of Chrift. And that they may be enabled there- unreprovable in God's fight, but that he looking
unto, befides the Graces they have already recei- upon them in his Son is pleafed to accept and
ved, there is required an actual Influence of the reward that which is fincere, although accom-
fame Holy Spirit, to work in them to will and panied with many Weakneiles and Imper-
to do of his good Pleafure •, yet are they not fections.
hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not VII. Works done by unregenerate Men, al-
bound to perform any Duty, unlefs upon a fpe- though, for the Matter of them, they may be
cial Motion of the Spirit, but the;/ ought to be things, which God commands, and
ofgoodufe
diligent in ftirring up the Grace of God that is both to themfelves and to others Yet becaufe
:
CHAP. XVII.
I.T^Hey whom God hath accepted in his Be upon the Efficacy of the Merit and Interceflion
1 loved, eftecfually called and fiincfified by of Jefus Chrift, and Union with him, the Oath
his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall of God, the abiding of his Spirit, and the Seed
away from the ftate of Grace, but fhall certain of God within them, and the Nature of the
ly perfevere therein to the End, and be eternally Covenant of Grace ; from all which arifeth alfo
faved. the certainty and Infallibility thereof.
II. This Perfeverance of the Saints depends III. And although they may, through the
not upon their own free will, but upon the im- temptation of Satan, and of the World, the
mutability of the Decree of Election, from the prevalency of Corruption remaining in them,
free and unchangeable Love of God the Father and the neglect of the means of their Prefer-
vation
Book V. The Hiftory of New-England. *3
vationfall into grievous Sins, and for a time con- ded, hurt and fcandalize others, and bring tem-
tinue therein, whereby they incur God's Difplea- poral Judgments upon themfelves ; yet they are
fure, and grieve his Holy Spirit, come to have and fhall be kept by the Power of God
through
theirGraces and Comforts impaired, have their Faith unto Salvation.
Hearts hardened, and their Confciences woun-
CHAP. XVIII.
L A Lthough Temporary Believers and other Things which are freely given him of God, he
x\ unregenerate Men may vainly deceive may without extraordinary Revelation, in the
themfelves with falfe Hopes, and carnal Prefump- right ufe of ordinary Means attain thereunto :
tionsof being in the Favour of God, and State And therefore it is the Duty of every one to
of Salvation, which hope of theirs fhall perifb, give all diligence to make his Calling andEle£lion
yet fuch as truly believe in the Lord Jefus and lure, that thereby his Heart may be enlarged in
love him in Sincerity, endeavouring to walk in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoff, in Love and
good Confcience before him, may, in this Life, Thankfulnefs to God , and in Strength and
be certainly alfured , that they are in the State Cheerfulnefs in the Duties of Obedience, the
of Grace, and may rejoyce in the Hope of the proper Fruits of this Alfurance; fo far is it from
Glory of God, which Hope fhall never make inclining Men to Loofenefs.
rhem afhamed. IV. True Believers may have the AlTurance of
II. This Certainty is not a bare
conjectural their Salvation diverfe ways fhaken, diminifh'd,
and probable Perfwafion, grounded upon a falli- and intermitted, as by Negligence in preferving
ble Hope, but an infallible affurance of Faith, of it, by falling into fome fpecial Sin, which
founded on the Blood and Righteoufnefs of woundeth the Confcience and grieveth the Spi-
Chrift, revealed in the Gofpel } and alfo upon rit, by fome fudden or vehement Temptation,
the inward Evidence of thofe Graces, unto by God's withdrawing the Light of his Counte-
which Promifes are made, and on the immedi- nance, fuftering even fuch as fear him to walk
ate Witnels of the Spirit, teftifying our Adop- in Darknefs, and to have no Light, yet are they
tion, and as a Fruit thereof, leaving the Heart neither utterly deftitute of that Seed of God,
more Humble and Holy. and Life of Faith, that Love of Chrift and the
III. This infallible Affurance doth not Brethren, that Sincerity of Heart, and Confci-
to belong to the ElTence of Faith , but that ence of Duty, out of which by the Operation
a true Believer may wait long, and conflict of the Spirit, this AlTurance may, in due time,
with many Difficulties before he be Partaker of be revived, and by the which, in the mean time,
it 5 yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the
they are fupported from utter Defpair.
CHAP. XIX.
l
G ODgave to Adam a Law of tlniverfal
Obedience written in his Heart, and a
particular Precept of not eating the Fruit of the
Sufferings and Benefits, arid partly holding forth
divers Inft ructions of Moral Duties All which
Ceremonial Laws being appointed only to the
:
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, as a Co- time of Reformation, are by Jefus Chrift the
venant of Works, by which he bound him, and true Mcjfuh y and only Law-giver, who was
all his Pofterity to perfbnal, entire, exact and furnifhed with Power from the Father for that
perpetual Obedience, promifed Life upon the end, abrogated and taken away.
fulfilling and threatned Death upon the Breach IV. To them alfo he gave fundry Judicial Laws,
of it, and endued him with Power and Ability which expired together with the State of that
to keep it.
People, not obliging any now by Virtue of that
This Law, fo written in the Heart, conti-
II. Inftitution ,
their general Equity only being
nued to be a perfect Rule of Righteoufnefs af- ftill of Moral uie.
ter the Fall of Man, and was delivered by God V. The Moral Law doth for ever bind all, as
on Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments, and well juffified Per fens, as others, to the Obedience
written in two Tables ; the four firlt Command- th'ereof^and that not only in regard of the Matter
ments containing our Duty towards God, and the contained in it, but alfo in refpect of the Au-
other fix our Duty to Man. thority of God the Creator, who gave it nei- •,
CHAP. XX.
I.'T'HE Covenant of Works, being broken by the Nations and Perfons to whom it is granted^
X Sin, and made unprofitable unto Life, is meerly of the Sovereign Will and Good Plea-
God was pleafed to give unto the Ele£t the Pro- fure of God, not being annexed by Virtue of
mife of Chrift the Seed of the Woman, as the any Promife to the due improvement of Mens
msans of calling them and begetting in them Natural Abilities , by Vertue of Common
,
Faith and Repentance In this Promife, the Gof Light received without it, which none ever did
:
him, is revealed only in and by the Word of Council of the Will of God.
God neither do the Works of Creation or Pro-
•,
IV. Altho' the Gofpel be the only outward
vidence, with the Light of Nature, make difco- Means of revealing Chrift and faving Grace, and
very of Chrift, or of Grace by him, fo much is, as fuch, abundantly fufficient thereunto yet
-
as in a general or obfcure way \ much lefs, that that Men, who are dead in Trefpaffes, may be
Men deftitute of the Revelation of him by the born again, quickned or regenerated, there is,
Promife or Gofpel, fhould be enabled thereby to moreover neceffary an effectual, irrefiftible work
of die
attain faving Faith or Repentance. Holy Gholt upon the whole Soul for the
III. The Revelation of the Gofpel unto Sin- producing in them a Spiritual Life , without
ners, made in diverfe Times, and by fundry which no other Means are fufficient for their
Parts, with the Addition of Promifes and Pre- Converfion unto God.
for the Obedience required therein, as to
cepts,
CHAP. XXI.
and as alfo in hath left it free from the Doctrines and Com-
Grave, everlafting Damnation,
their free Accefs toGod, and their yielding Obe- mandments of Men, which are, in any thing
dience unto him not out of flavifh Fear, but a contrary unto his Word $ or not contained in it ;
Child-like Love, and willing Mind All which
: fo that to believe fuch Doctrines, or ro obey
were common alfo to Believers under the Law, fuch Commands, out of Confcience, is to betray
for the Subftance of them, but under the New true Liberry of Confcience, and the requiring of
Teflame nt the Liberty of Chriftians is further an implicit Faith-,and an abfolute blind Obedience,
enlarged in their Freedom from the Yoke of is to deftroy Liberty of Confcience andReafon alfo.
III. They
Book V. The Hiftory of New-England. 15
They who upon pretence of Chriftian Li- ftian Liberty, which is, that being delivered out
III.
CHAP. XXII.
prefcribed in the Holy Scripture. lected, or forfaken, when God by his Word or
II. Religious Worfhip is to be given to God Providence calleth thereunto.
the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, and to him VII. As it is of the Law of Nature, that in
alone, not to Angels, Saints or any other Crea- general a Proportion of time by God's Appoint-
tures, and fince the Fall not
without a Mediator, ment be fet apart for the Worfhip of God ^ fo
nor in rhe Mediation of any ocher but of Chrilt by his Word in a pofitive, moral, and perpetual
alone. Commandment, binding all Men in all Ages, he
III. Prayer with Thankfgiving being one fpe- hath particularly appointed one Day in feven
cial part of Natural Worfhip, is by God requir'd for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him, which
ef all Men but that it may be accepted,' it is
•,
from the beginning of the World to the Refur-
to be made in the name of the Son, by the help reftion of Chrilt, was the laft Day of the
of his Spirit, according to his Will, with Week, and from the Refurre&ion of Chrift was
Understanding, Reverence, Humility, Fervency, changed into the firft Day of the Week, which
Faith, Love and Perfeverance and when with in Scripture is called the Lord's Day, and is to
:
live hereafter, but not for the dead, nor for VIII. This Sabbath is then kept Holy unto
thofe, of whom, it may be known, that they the Lord, when Men after a due preparing of
have finned the Sin unto Death. their Hearts, and ordering their common Affairs
V. The reading of the Scriptures,preaching andbefore-hand, do not only obferve an holy Reft
hearing of the Word of God, finging of Pfalms, all the day from their own Works, Words, and
as alfo the Adminiftration of Baptifm, and the Thoughts about their worldly Employments and
Lord's Supper, are all parts of Religious Wor- Recreations, but alfo are taken up the whole
fhip of God, to be performed in Obedience unto time, in the publick and private Exercifes of his
God with Understanding, Faith, Reverence and Worfhip, and in the Duties of Neceflity and
Godly Fear. Solemn Humiliations, with Fall- Mercy.
CHAP. XXIII.
I. A Lawful Oath, is a part of Religious fore to fwear vainly or rafhly by that Glorious
jlVWorfhip, wherein the Perfon fwearing and Dreadful Name, or to fwear at ali, by any-
in Truth, Righteoufnefs and Judgment, folemn- other thing, is finful and to be abhorred. Yer,
ly calleth God to witnefs what he aflerteth, or as in matters of Weight and Moment an Oath is
promifeth, and to judge him according to the warranted by the Word of God under the •,
Truth or Falfhood of what he fweareth. New Teftament, as well as under the Old ; fo
II. The name of God only is that
by which a Lawful Oath being impofed by Lawful Au-
Men ought to fwear, and therein it is to be thority in fuch Matters ought to be taken.
ufed with all Holy Fear and Reverence : There- III. Whofc-
16 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
III. Whofoever uketh an Oath warranted by it binds to performance, although to a Man's
the Word of God, ought duly to confider the own hurt nor is ; it to be violated,
although
weightineis of fo folemn an Aft, and therein to made to Hereticks or Infidels.
avouch nothing, but what he is fully perfuaded V. A Vow,which is not to be made to any
is the Truth ; neither may any Man bind him Creature, but God alone, is of the like nature
felf by Oath to any thing, but what is good with a Promiflbry Oath, and ought to be made
and juft, and what he believeth fb to be, and with the like Religious Care, and to be per-
what he is able and refolved to perform. Yet formed with the like Faithfulnefs.
it is a fin to refufe an Oath touching
any thing VI. Popifh Monaftical Vows of perpetual fin-
that is
good and juft, being lawfully impofed gle Life, profefled Poverty, and regular Obedi-
by Authority. ence, are fo far from being Degrees of higher
IV. An Oath
is to be taken in the
plain and Perfection, that they are fuperftitious and finful
common Senfe of the Words, without Equivo- Snares, in which no Chriftian may intangle
cation, or mental Refervation : It cannot obl'ge himielf.
to fin ^ but in any thing, not finful, being taken,
CHAP. XXIV.
Of the Civil Magiftrate.
hf^GD the Supreme Lord and King of all Order which Chrift hath eftablifhed in the
VJI
the World, hath ordained Civil Magi- Church, they may lawfully be called to Account
ftrates to be under him, over the People for his and proceeded againft by the Cenfures of the
own Glory and the publick Good And to this Church, and by the Power of the Civil Magi-
:
End has armed them with the Power of the ftrate , yet in fuch Differences about the Do-
Sword for the Defence and Encouragement of ctrines of the Gofpel, or Ways of the Worfhip
them that do good, and for the Punifhment of of Gcd, as may befal Men, exercifing a good
evil Doers. Confcience, manifeff ing it in their Converfation,
II. It is lawful for Chriftians to accept, and and holding the foundation, and duly obferving
execute the Office of a Magiftrate, when cal- the Rules of Peace and Order, there is no War-
led thereunto In the management whereof, as rant for the Magiftrate to abridge them of their
: i
wage War upon juft and necelTary Occafion. Commands, and to be fubjecf to their Authority
III. They who upon pretence of Chriftian Li- for Confcience fake. Infidelity or Difference in
berty (hall oppofe any lawful Power, or the Religion doth not make void the Magiftrates juft
lawful Exercices of it, refill the Ordinance of and legal Authority, nor free the People from
God ; and for their publiming of fuch Opinions, their due Obedience to him From which Ec- :
or maintaining of fuch Practices, as are contra clefiaftical Perfons are not exempted, much lels
ry to the Light of Nature, or to the known
has the Pope any Power or Jurifdiftion over
Principles of Chriftianity, whether concerning them in their Dominions, or over any of their
Faith, Worfhip ,
or Converiation ,
or to the People, and lealt of all to deprive them of their
Power of Godlinefs, or fuch erronious Opinions Dominions or Lives, if he fhall judge them to
or Practices, as either in their own nature, or be Hetcticks, or upon any other Pretence what-
in the manner of publifhing or maintaining foever.
CHAP. XXV.
Of Marriage.
l.XJf Arriage between one Man
is to be and to marry in the Lord ; and, therefore, fuch as
_^one Woman Neither is it lawful for
:
any profeis the true Reformed Religion ftiould not
Man to have more than one Wife, nor for any marry with Infidels, Papifts, or other Idolaters:
Woman to have more than one Husband at Neither fhould fuch as
the are godly be unequally.
fame time. yoaked, by marrying fuch as are wicked in their
II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual Life, or maintain damnable Herefie.
and the of IV. Marriage ought not to be within the De-
help of Husband Wife, for increafe
Mankind with a legitimate IlTue, and of the grees of Confanguinity or Affinity forbidden in
Church with an holy Seed, and for preventing the Word-, nor can fuch inceftuous Marriages
of Uncleannefs. ever be made lawful by any Law of Man or
III. It is lawful for all forts of People to Confent of Parties, fo, as thofe Peifons may
marry, who are able with Judgment to give live together, as Man and Wife.
their Confent. Yet it is the Duty of Chriftians
GHAP
Book~V. Tbe Hiflory of New-England. 17
CHAP. XXVI.
Of the Church.
World, profefling the Faith of the Gofpel, and Chrift, and all that is called God, whom the
Obedience unto God by Chrift, according unto Lord (hall deftroy with the Brightaefs of his
them and be called the Vifible Catho vidence exerciied it with gteat variety in all
are may
lick Church of Chrift, although, as fuch, it Ages, for the good of them that
love him and
is not intrufted with any Officers, to rule or his own Glory So, according to his Promife,
:
CHAP. XXVII.
ferings, Death, Refurreftion and Glory: And according to their feveral Abilities and Necef-
united to one another in Love, they have fities ; which Communion, though especially
being
Communion in each others Gifts and Graces, to be exercifed by rhem in the Relations, where-
and are obliged to the performance of fuch Du- in they ftand, whether in Families or Churches,
ties, publick and private, as do conduce
to their yet as God offereth Opportunity, is to be ex-
mutual good both in the inward and outward tended unto all thofe, who, in every Place, call
Man. upon the Name of the Lord Jefus.
II. All Saints are bound to mention an Holy
CHAP. XXVIII.
Of the Sacraments.
are Holy Signs and Seals of the Sacrament depend upon the Piety or Intention
I.Q Acraments
a
«3 Covenant of Grace, immediately inftituted of him that doth adminifter it, but upon the
by Chrift, to reprelent him and his Benefits, and Work of the Spirit and the Word of Inftitution,
to confirm our Intereft in him, and folemnly to which contains, together wirh a Precept autho-
engage us to the Service of God in Chrift, ac- rizing the Uie thereof, a Promife of Benefit to
cording to his Word. worthy Receivers.
II. There is in every Sacrament a
Spiritual IV. There be only two Sacraments ordained
Relation, or Sacramental Union between the by Chrift our Lord in the Gofpel that is to fay
-,
Of Baptifm.
CHAP. XXX.
I. /"\U R Lord Jefus in the Night when he was them about for Adoration, and the relerving them
\J betray'd, inftituted the Sacrament of his for any pretended Religious Ufe, aie all contrary
Body and Blood , call'd the Lord's Supper, to unto the Nature of this Sacrament and to the
be obferved in -his Churches to the end of the of Chrift.
Inftitution
World, for the perpetual Remembrance and V. The outward Elements in this Sacrament
fhewing forth of the Sacrifice of himlelf in his duly fet apart to the Ufes ordained
by Chrift,
Death, the fealing of all Benefits thereof unto have fuch Relation to him crucified, as that truly
true Believers, their Spiritual Nourifhment, and yet Sacramentally only,they are lometimes call'd
Growth in him, their further Engagement in and by the Name of the things they repreient, to wit,
to all Duties,which they owe unto him,and to be The Body and Blood of Chrift ; albeit in Sub-
a Bond and Pledge of their Communion with ftance and Nature they ftill remain truly and
him, 3nd with each other. ,
only Bread and Wine, as they were before.
II. In this Sacrament Chrift is not offered up VI. The DoQtine which maintains a Change
to his Father, nor any real Sacrifice made at all of the Subftance of Bread and Wine into the
for Remilhon of Sin of the Quick or Dead, but Subftance of Chrift's Body and Blood (common-
only a Memorial of that one offering up of him- ly called Tranfubftanriation) by Confecration of
lelf upon the Crofs, once for all, and a Spiritual a Prieft, or by any other way, is repugnant not
Oblation of all potlible Praife unto God for the to the Scripture alone,but even to common Senie
fame fo that the Popifti Sacrifice of the Mafs and Reafon, overthroweth the Nature of a Sa-
-,
(as they call it) is moft abominably injurious to crament, and hath been, and is the Caufe of ma-
Chrift's own only Sacrifice, the alone Propitiation nifold Superftitions, yea, of grofs Idolatries.
for all the Sins of the ElecL VII. Worthy Receivers outwardly partaking of
III. The Lord Jefus hath in this Ordinance the vifibte Elements in this Sacramenr, do, then,
appointed his Minifters to declare his Word of alfo, inwardly by Faith, really and indeed, yet
Inftitution to the People, to pray and blefs the not carnally and corporally , but fpiritually re-
Elements of Bread and Wine, and thereby to fet ceive and feed upon Chrift crucified, and all
them apart from a Common,to an Holy Ufe, and Benefits of his Death , the Body and Blood of
to take and break the Bread, to take the Cup Chrift being then not corporally or carnally in,
and they communicating alio themfelves ) to
( with, or under the Bread and Wine,yet asreally,
give both to the Communicants, but to none,who but fpiritually prefent to the Faith of Believers
are not then prefent in rhe Congregation. in that Ordinance, as the Elements themfelves are
IV. Private MalTes, or receiving the Sacrament to their outward Senies.
by a Prieft, or any other alone, as likewife the VIII. AH ignorant and ungodly Perfons, as
denyal of the Cup to the People, worfhipping they are unfit to enjoy Communion with Chrift,
the Elements, the lifting them up, or carrying fo are they unworthy of the Lord's Table, and
cannot
Book V. Tbe Hijlory of New-England. 19
cannot without gteat Sin againft him, wliilft ever (hall receive unworthily, are guilty of the
they remain iuch, partake of thefe Holy My- Body and Blood of the Lord^ eating and drinking
fteries, or be admitted thereunto ; yea, whom- Judgment
unto themfelves.
CHAP. XXXI.
Of the State of Man after Death, and of the Refurrettion of the Dead.
E Bodies of Men, after death, return to thefe two Places of Souls feperated from theii
I.»TpH
X Duft, and fee Corruption, but their Souls Bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.
(which neither dye nor fleep) having an Immor-
II. At the laft
Day, fuch as are found alive
tal Subfiltence, immediately return to God, who fliall not
dye but be changed ; and all the dead
-
the wicked are caft into Hell, where they re- Bodies of the Juft by his Spirit unto Honour,
main in Torment and utter Darknefs, relerved and be made conformable unto his own glorious
to the Judgment of the Great Day Beiides Body.
:
CHAP. XXXIL
I hath appointed a Day wherein he will laftingReward in the Prefence of the Lord • but
GOD judge the World in Righteoufnefs by the wicked, who know not God, and
obey not
Jelus Chrift, to whom all Power and Judgment the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift, fliall be caft into
is given of the Father in which Day, not only
-, Torments, and be puniflied with ever-
eternal
the Apoftate Angels fliall be judged, but like- lafting Deftru&ion from the Prefence of the
wife all Perfons that have lived upon Earth, Lord, and from the Glory of his Power.
fliall appear before the Tribunal of* Chrift to III. As Chrift would have us to be
certainly
give an Account of their Thoughts, Words and perfwaded, that there fliall be a Judgment,
Deeds, and to receive according to what they both to deter all Men from Sin,and for the greater
have done in the Body, whether Good or Evil. Confolation of the godly in their Adverfity lb -,
II. The end of God's will he have that Day unknown to Men, that
appointing this Day, is
for the manifeftation of the Glory of his Mercy they may (hake off all carnal Security, and be
in the Eternal Salvation of the Ele£t, and of always watchful, becaufe
they know not at
his Juffice in the Damnation of the Reprobate, what hour the Lord will come, and
may be
who are wicked and difobedient For, then fliall ever prepared to fay, Come herd Jefus, come
:
5 C i The
20 Book V,
The Second
,
PART.
THE
Cjjurc|je0 of j&eto=€n0lami.
—
Nihil fine, nihil contra, nihil prater, nihil ultra, divinam
Scrip-
taram, Admittendum. P. Martyr.
§ i
^^jS""*^,
H E Churches of New-England wen and Children from enjoying any Part of
enjoying ib much Reft an&G?-oivtb this Power, he finds only Elders and Brethren to
as they had now ieen, for fome be the Conflituent Members, who may act in
Sevens of Yeais, it was, upon fuch a Sacred Corporation ; the Elders, he finds
many Accounts, neceflary for them tomakefuch the Jirft Subjetl enttuRcd with Government, the
a DecMfafion of the Church-Order, wherein the Brethren endowed with Privilcdgc, infomuch
gocd hand of God'had moulded*evaji.% might con- that tho' the Elders only are to rule the Church,
vey and fecure the like Order unto the following and without them, there can be no Elettions,
Generations. Next unto the Bible, which was Admijjions, or Excommunications, and they have
the profeflfed , perpetual and only Diretlory of a Negative upon the Acfs of the
Fraternity, as
thefe Churches, they had no Platform of their well as 'ris they only that have the Power of
Church-Government, more exa£t, than their fa- Authoritative Preaching and Adminiftring the
mous John Cotton's well-known Book of, The Sacraments yet the Brethren have fuch a Liber-
-,
Keys which
,
Book endeavours to lay out the ty, that without their Confent nothing of com-
jult Lines and Bounds of all Church Power, and mon Concernment may be impofed upon them.
Jo defines the Matter That as in the State there
•,
Neverthelefs becaufe particular Churches of
is a Difperfion of Powers into feveral Hands, Elders and Brethren abufe their Power
may
which are to concur in all A£ls of Common with manifold Mifcarriages, he Aflerts the ne-
Concernment from whence ariieth the healthy
-,
ceffary Communion of Churches in Synods, who
Conftitution of a Common-wealth have Authoiity to determine, declare and injoin,
In like fort, he
:
affjgns the Powers in the Church unto feveral fuch Things as may reftifie the Male-Admini-
Subjects, wherein the united Light of ftrations, or any Diforders, Diflentiohs and
Scripture
and of Nature have placed them, with a very Confufions of the Congregations, which fall
Satisfactory Dilfribution. He afferts, That a under their Cognizance But ftill fo, as to
:
PresbyteratedSocicty of the Faithful, hath withinleave unto the Particular Churches themielves
its felf a compleat Power of Self Reformation, the formal Alls, which are to be done purfuant
or, if you will, of Self-Prejervation, and may unto the Advice of the Council; upon thefcan-
within its felf manage its own Choices of'Officers, dalous and obftinate Refufal whereof, rhe
and Conjures of Delinquents. Now a lpecial Council may determine, to withdraw Commu-
Statute-Law of our Lord, having excepted Wo- nion from them, as from thofe who will not be
coun-
Book V. The Hiftory of New-England. 2r
counfelled againft a notorious M'tfmdnagentent of by their Conventicle at Trent, was in truth
the Juriidiftion which the Lord Jelus Chrift has not much lels than that between Angels and
given them. This was the Dejign of that judici- Is.
greateit Scholars,
Divines and Writers in this our Lord Jelus Chrift in his bleffed Word, might
Age, then under the prejudices of Converfation, moft advantagioufly be compofed and publifhed.
fet himielf to write a Confutation of this ve The Magiftrates in the general Court, palled
ry Treatile, Of the Keys but having made a the Bill, but the Deputies had their little Scru-
-,
confiderable Progrefs in his Undertaking, luch ples, how far the Civil Authority might inter-
was the Strength of this unanfwerablc Book, pofe in matters of fuch Religious and Ecclefiafti-
that inftead of his confuting it; it conquered Cognizance ; and whether Scaffolds might
cal
him 5 and the Book of, The Keys was happily now be railed, by the means whereof the
not
fo bit-fled of God ior the conveyance of Congre-
Civil Authority fhould pretend hereafter to im-
gational Principles into the now opened Mind pofe an Uniformity, in fuch Inftances which had
of this learned Man, that he not only wrote in better be left at Liberty and Variety. It was
Defence of Mr. Cotton againft Mr. Gawdry, but reply'd, that it belonged unto Magiftrates, by
alio expos'd himfelf to more than a little all rational ways to encourage Truth and Peace
Sorrow and Labour, all his Days, for the among their People and that the Council now
•,
maintaining of thofe Principles. Upon which called by the Magiftrates was to proceed but by
occafion, the words of the Doctor [ way of Council, with the belt Light which
l
in his Review of the true Nature of could be fetched from the Word of God , but
Sehifm]
are -,
ibis of impartial examining all Things
toay
the Court would be after all free, as they faw
by the Word, and Lying afide all prejttdicate caufe to approve or to rejeft what fhould be
Refpetis -unto Perfons or prefent Traditions, is offered.
a Ccurje that I vaculd admomfh all to beware After
all, tho' the Objections of the Depu-
of,
•mho would avoia rbe Danger of being made (what were thus anfwered, yet in Compliance
ties
they call) InDtpcntieritjS. Having laid thus with fuch as were not yet fatisfied, the Order
much of that Book, all that I fhall add con- for the calling of the intended
Affembly was di-
it is, That the famous Mr. form of
cerning Rutherford rected only in the a Motion, and not
himfelf, in his Treatife intituled, A Survey of of a Command, unto the Churches. But cer-
the Spiritual Antichrift, has thefe Words ; Mr. tain Perfons come lately from England, fo in-
COTTON in his Treatife of the Keys
of flamed the Zeal for Liberty of Confcience among
the Kingdom of Heaven, is well found in our the People, that all this
Compliance of the Au-
way, if he had given fome more power to Affem- thority could not remove the Fear of fome
bites and in fome leffer points. But it was con- Churches, left fome Invafion of that Liberty
venient, the Churches of 'New-England fhould were threatned, by a Clauie in the order of the
have a Syftem of their Difciplinc, extracted Court which intimated That what fhould be
-,
from the Word of God, and exhibited unto prefented by the Synod, the Court would give
them, with a more effectual, acknowledged fuch allowance, as would be meet, unto it. The
and eftablifhed Recommendation And nothing famous and leading Church of Bofion particu-
:
than that fham Council of Trent, whereof one conld not come unto an immediate Refolution
that was prefent, wrote this Account unto the of fending any Delegates unto the
Synod; but
Emperor Maximilian II. We daily aw hungry Mr. Norton, then of Ipfwich, at Bofton Lefture
f
and needy Bifhops come to Trent Youths, for the Thurfdqy following, preached an elaborate
.
the moft part, given to Luxury and Riot, hired Sermon unto a vaft
Auditory, on Mofes and
only to give their Voice, as the
People pleafed. Aaron kiffing each other in the Mount of God:
They were both unlearn d and funpic, yet fit for And in that
Sermc^, he io reprefented the Na-
the purpfe, in regard of their Bold- ture and Power of
impudent 'Synods,and theRefpecf. owing
nefs. When thefe were added unto the Pope's from Churches to Rulers calling for Synods,\hzt on
cldilatterers, Iniquity triumph'd ; it was impoffi- the msaLord \r Day.thc Church voted the fending
ble to determine
any thing, but as they f leafed. of three Meffengers, with their Elders unto this
The Council feemecl not to confift of Bifhops, but Affembly. Indeed the happy Experience of
°f difguifed Mafjuers not oj Men, but of Im
-,
New-England has taken away from its Chur-
ages,fuch as Dardalus made, moved by Nerves ches, all occafion for any Complaint, like that
none of their own. They were hireling of Luther's Mibi ccnciliorum nomen, pene tarn
Bifhops ;
which as Country
Bag-pipes, could notjfeak., but fufpellum & invifum, qudm nomen Libert Ar-
as Breath was
put into them. The Difference be- bitrii.
tween the Bifhops now to aflemble at Cambridge, § 3. It being fo near Winter before the Sy-
and the Biftwps which then made fuch a noife nod could convene, that few of the Minifte'rs
invited
22 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
invited from the other Colonies could be pre- to employ the Civil Sword againft the Gnoftick
ient at it, they now fat but fourteen Days ; and Prifallianifts, had been alive, even be would
then adjourned unto the eighth of June, in the not have altogether difallowed the Defires of
Year enfuirig. Neverthelefs at their firft Seffi- thefe good Men, to fee the Civil Magiftrate
on, there was an occafion which they took to employing his Power to difcountenance Pro-
confider and examine an important Cafe ; and fane and Wicked Herefies.
it came to this Refult. But the Platform of Church-Difcipline to be
commended unto the Churches, was the main
Chance which the Affembly was to mind in or-
-,
A
Book V. 23
PLATFORM O F
Church - Difcipline :
CHAP. I.
* or iy " "
it, and the Adminiffrations, that
all !
and the fame unto the Appearing of
therein are to be performed. our Lord Jefus Chrift, as a Kingdom Deu.1a.3s
]
2. Church-Government is confidered j
that cannot be fhaken, until he fhall Ezek.43.8.
in a double * Kin
refpeft, either in regard of deliver it up unto God, even to the
the Parts of Government
themfelves, Father. So that it is not left in the 3I ' 32 ' 53,
. or neceflary Circumftances thereof. I
Power of Men, Officers, Churches, or
Heb.?.5,6. The Parts of
Government are prefcrib- any State in the World to add, or di-
Exo.i jr.40. ed the
in Word, becaufe the Lord Je- minifh or alter any thing in the leaft
zTim.j.r* fus
Chrift3 th£ King and Lawgiver in meafure therein.
his Church, is no lefs faithful in the
4. The neceflary Circumftances, as
Houfe of God, than was Mofes, who Time and Place, &c. belonging unto
from the Lord delivered a Form a ad Order and Decency, are notfo left un- * Kin. til
Pattern of Government to the Child- to Men, as that under pretence of them, Exo.20.1y.
*8 ***
ren of Ifrae/'m the Old
Teftament ; and they may thruft their own Inventions
££j '
the Holy Scriptures are now alfo fo upon the Churches, being circumfcrib- ZJ _
perfeft, as they are able to make the ed in the Word with many general Li- A<fts i?.*8.
Man of God Perfccf, and throughly mitations, where they are determined '
Mat. 1
i Cor. 11.
furnifhed unto every good Work ; and with refpeQ: of the Matter to be nei-
therefore doubtlefs to the' well-order- ther worfhip it felf, nor Circumftan-
ing of the Houfe of God. ces feperable from worfhip. In ref-
fpe&
24 The Hifiory of New-England. Book V
pe£t of their End, they muft be done that they be done in fuch a manner as, i Cor. i 4,
unto Edification-, in refpecf of the all circumstances confidered, is moft
^ &I +4o
161-
'*'
Manner, decently and in order, ac- expedient for Edification: So, as
if&j
cording to the Nature of the Things there be no Error of Man concerning Aat/j.'^
themfelves, and Civil 'and Church their Determination, the determining
Cuftom. Doth not even Nature its of them is to be accounted, as if k
1 elf teach you ? Yea, they are in fome were Divine.
ibrt determined particularly, namely,
CHAP. II.
them,who are glorified in HeavenMi- :the Militant vifible Church, walking Gen.18.19;
number of are con- in order, was either before the Law, Exod.19.6.
litant,the them,who
flicting with their Enemies upon Earth. Oeconomial,
that is, in Families \ or
2Tim.i.i9 3. This Militant Church is to be under the Law, National ; or fince the
Rev. 2. i/. In- coming of Chrift, only Congregational.
confider'd as invifible and vifible.
i Cor.6.17.
vifible in refpe£t of their Relation, (The Term Independent, we approve
Eph.3. 17.
Rom. wherein they ftand to Quilt, as a notj therefore neither National, Pro-
1. 8.
iThef.
Body unto the Head, being united un- vincial, nor Claffical.
1.8.
6. A Congregational-Church is by
Ifa. 2. 2.
to him by the Spirit of God, and
iTim.6.12
Faith in their Hearts. Vifible, in ref- the Inftitution of Chrift a part of the 1 Cor. 14:
Gofpel.
CHAP. III.
1 Cor. 1.2. Matter of the vifible Church for receiving and fuffering fuch Perfons H
Enh. i.npHE 2_
Heb.
r.
6.
1.
1,
A are Saints by calling. to continue in Fellowfhip among them, H ,
i Cor. 1. j.
2. By Saints, we underftand, i.Such as have been offenfive and fcandalous; 1 Cor. n,
Ro. 15. 14. as have not only attained the Know- the name of God alfo, by this means, *J? 2 ?-
7
Pfalm and the Holy Things
16, 17.
Jo.
ledge of the Principles of Religion,
and are free from grofs and open Scan-
is blafphemed,
Eph. r. 1.
cretion they may be accounted Saints others, a little Leaven leaveneth the
1 Cor. s. by calling, (tho', perhaps, fome or whole Lump. 2. The Children of
2., 13. more of them be unfound and Hypo- fuch who are alfo Holy.
Rev. 2. 14,
3. The Members of Churches,
crites inwardly) becaufe the Members tho' Jer.
2. 21.
15, 20. *Coi.j.x*.
of fuch particular Churches, are com- orderly conltituted may in time dege-
Ezek. 44.
7, 9- 8c 23. monly by the Holy Ghoft called Saints
and faithful Brethren in Chrift, and
nerate and
lous,
grow corrupt, and fcanda-
which tho' they ought not to be
^
a Cor. i».
*"
4
4 '
and ufually calleth them by tion being as much as any ordinary El-
frequently
iCor.16.1, the name
of [Churches] in the plural ders can attend, therefore there is no
Number, as the Churches of Afia, Ga- greater Cnurch than a Congregation,
Gal. 1. 2.
latia, Macedonia,
and the like: Which which may ordinarily meet in one
2 Cor. 8. 1.
Thef.2.14.
is further confirmed by what is writ- place.
CHAP. IV.
Rev. 2.
now makes the ieveral Societies of Gen-
pa^ed, and united : So Saints or Be-
lievers in Judgment of Charity , are tile Believers to be Churches in thefe
not a Church , unlefs orderly knit to- Days.
gether. 4. This voluntary Agreement, Con-
2. Particular Churches cannot be Covenant (for all thele are here
fent or
5
diftinguifhed one from another, but by taken for the fame) altho the more
their Forms. Ephefus is not Smyrna, exprefs and plain it is, the more fully
nor Pergamus Thyatira , but each one it puts us in mind of our mutual
Duty ;
a diftintt Society of it felf, having Of- and ftirreth us up to it, and leaveth
ficers of their own, which had not the lefs room for the queifioning of the
Truth of the Church-Eftate of a Com-
*
2^c.n. I4 r}ie
observing of the Ordinances of inone Congregation, for the Publick
8c9.1L Chrift together in the fame Society, Worfhip of God, and their mutual
5 D Edifica-
26 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
Which real Agreement
Edification : 6. All Believers ought, as God Afts 2. 47 .
gi-
and Content they do exprefs by their veth them Opportunity thereunto, to?^- 26 -
at 3
conftant Practice in coming together endeavour to join themfelves unto a
I4 | <'&'
for the publick Worfhip of God, and particular Church, and that in refpeft 28.' 19, i0 .
Exod.i;M.by their religious fubieftion unto the of the Honour of Jefus Chrift, in hisPia. 133.2,
&20. 8.& Ordinances of God there The &87, 7>
rather, Example and Inftitution, by the pro- *;
:
Tohi '24?
x<i we ^° con fi^ er now Scripture Cove- felTed acknowledgment of, and fub- SJ"*°
18, to 24. nants have been entred into, not only jett ion unto the Order and Ordinances
Pfa. 50. %. expreily by of the Gofpel As alfo in refpeft of
word of Mouth, but by Sa- :
5. This Form being by mutual Co- have Fellowship with him, and in him,
venant, it followeth, it is not Faith in one with another : Alfo in the keep-
the Heart, nor the Profeffion of that ing of them in the way of God's Com-
Faith, nor Cohabitation, nor Baptilm. mandments, and recovering of them
1. Not Faith ih the Hearty becaufe that in cafe of wandering, ( which all
3.. Not a bare Profcjfitm,
is invifible. Chriffs Sheep are fubjecf to in this
becaufe that declareth them no more Life) being unable to return of them- Pfa. 119.
to be Members of one Church than felves^ together with the Benefit of 176.
P 1 s
their mutual Edification, and of their
another. 3. NotG?/;^/V<z/Kw,Atheifts
not be cut
^ ^'* '\ 6
or Infidels may dwell together with Potterity, that they may j^, z
Believers. 4. Not Baptifm, becauleirom the Privilege of the Covenant. 24, 1%.
off
it prefuppofeth a Church-Eltate , as Other wife, if a Believer offends, he
1
Mat. 18.
X tf
Circumcihon in the Old Tejlament, remains deftitute of the Remedy pro- /M *$s
which gave no Being to the Church, vided in that behalf. And fhould all
the Church being before it, and in the Believers neglecf this Duty of joining
Wildernefs without it. Seals prefup- to particular Congregations , it
all
pofe a Covenant already in being. One might follow thereupon, that Chrift
Perfon is a compleat Subjett of Bap- fhould have no Vifible , Political
tifm, but one Perfon is uncapable of Churches upon Earth.
being a Church.
CHAP. V.
firfi belong.
Rom. 12.
Matth.
i.-pHe firft Subjea of Church-Power of Privilege, fuch as belongs to the
18. 18. 1 is either Supreme, or Subordi Brotherhood. The latter is in the 4, 8.
Rev. 3. 7. nate and Minifterial. The Supreme Bretheren formally and immediately & J?!" **
Ifa. 9. 6.
( by way
of gift from the Father ) is from Chrift, that is, fo as it may be & I4 \ s \ .
z ?>
1 Cor. 14. is either extraordinary, as the Apo- themfelves: The former is not in them 3°-
CHAP. VI.
and teachers.
Of the Officers of the Church, and efpeciaUy ofPa/lors
Aft.14^
1. \ Church being a Company of Apoftles Ordained Elders in every
XJL People combined together by Church.
Covenant for the Worfhip of God, it 2. Neverthelefs, tho' Officers be not
to the fimple Be- Rom.
appeareth thereby, that there may be abfolutely necelTary
the Eflence and Being of a Church ingof Churches, when they be called;
10. 17.
c V°
without any Officers, feeing there is yet ordinarily to their Calling they ^- J
r
both the Form and Matter ofa Churchy are , and to their well-being And \ t> 2 j :
#
which is implied when it faid, Theatherefore the Lord Jefus Chrift, out of
his
Book V. The Hijlory of New-England. 27
Compafiion, hath appointed attend efpecially unto Rule, who are, 1 Tim.
Eph.4.11. his tender
*• l t-.
pfa.68.18. and ordained Officers, which he would therefore, called Ruling-Elders.
Eph. not have done, if they had not been 5. The Office of Paltor and Teacher,
4.
u.
8,
ufeful and needful for the Church ; appears to be diftincL The Pallor's Eph. 4- u
R Qm- **•
yea, being afcended up to Heaven,
he fpecial Work is, to attend to Exborta-
received Gifts lor Men, and gave Gifts tion,and therein to Adminifter a Word
i'coi.u.8.
to Men whereof Officers for the
•,
of Wifdom : The Teacher is to attend
Church are juftly accounted no fmall to DoUrine, and therein to Adminifter
Eph. 4.
to the a Word of Knowledge : And either oft Tim. 4.
n, 13. Parts, they being to continue
end of the World, and for the perfect- them to Adminifter, the Seals of that £**•
' "
9'
ing of all the Saints. Covenant,unto the Difpenfation where-
Extra- of they are alike called as alfo to
3. Thefe Officets were either •,
11. 28.
dinary, as Elders and Deacons.
The preaching of which, together with the
Eph-4.11-
Ads 8. Apoftles, Prophets, and Evangelifts,
as Application thereof, they are alike
6, 16, 19. they were called extraordinarily by charged withall.
&u. 28.
Chrift, fo their Office ended with
6. Foralmuch as both Paftors and
Rom. n. Whence that Paul di- Teachers are given by Chrift, for the Eph.
themfelves: it is 4:
6hurch-Adminiftration, giveth no
rection about the Choice or Courfe of Chrift is his Church And therefore :
1 4. Of Elders ( who are alfo in Scri- as may afterwards be called forth un-
Tim.2.3
Phil. 1. 1. pture calledBiflops) fome attend to Office of Paftor or Teacher in the
Ads 20.
chiefly to the Miniftry of the Word, Church.
»7, 18. as the Paftors and Teachers i others
CHAP. VII.
Rom. 12.
THE ftina from the Office of Paftor vate, that in publick they may be car-
'*"
and Teacher the Ruling Elders are ried an end with lefs trouble, and more
7, 8, ?. -,
Hdf'f
*
3 '
1 Tim. not fo called to exclude the Paftors ipeedy difpatch. 4. To moderate the 7) i 7
5- 17. and Teachers from Ruling, becaufe Ru carriage of all Matters in the Church z'Thefl". 2.
1 Cr>r.
12. 28. ling and Governing is common to theie aflembled, as to propound Matters to
I0 > 11 > »•
with the other whereas attending to the Church. To order the feafon of
Heb.13.17. -,
1 Tim. teach and preach the Word is peculiar Speech and Silence, and to pronounce
5. 17. unto the former. Sentence according to the Mind of
2. The Ruling Elder's Work is to Chrift,with the Confent of the Church.
1 Tim.
5- 17. join with the Paftor and Teacher in 5. To be Guides and Leaders to the
i Chron. thofe A£ts of Spiritual Rule, which Church in all Matters whatfoever
par-
»3- I?- are diftincf from the Miniftry of the taining to Church - Adminiftrations
Rev.n.i2,
1 Tim.
Word and Sacraments committed to and Aftions. 6. To fee that none in „
s **'
4. 14.
them Of which
: fort Church live inordinately ^ out of 2g
thefe be as fol- the
Matth. loweth. 1. To open and ftiut the Rank and Place without a Calling, or 1 Thefl".
18. 17. Doors of God's Houfe, by the admif idlely in their Calling. 7. To prevent %• "•
2 Cor.
the and heal fuch Offences in Life or in J am 5, H
2.
lion of Members
approved by \
'
Phil.
tuted in the Church hy the Lord Je- Contributions of the Saints.
I. i.
I Tim. 3. 8
fus Sometimes they are tailed Helps.
: 6. The inftituting of all there Offi-
1 Cor. or "' '
12. 28. The Scripture telleth us how they cers in the Church, is the Work of ^ g ^
1 Tim. 3. fhould be qualified. Grave, not dou- God himfelf, of the Lord Jefus Chrift, Eph. 4.
8, l9 .
ble-tongued, not given to much Wine, of the Holy
Ghoft And therefore fuch 8, n. :
Atts 4 -3S
not given to filthy Lucre. They muft Officers, as he hath not appointed, are A -t 10 28 - - -
8c 6.1,3.
Rom. 12.8 firft be proved, and then ufe the Office altogether unlawful either to be placed
keep the Treafury of the Church, and bonour of Chrift Jefus, the Lord of his,
therewith to ferve the Tables, which rhe King of his Church,whether Popes,
the Church to provide for ; as the Cardinals , Patriarchs, Arch-Bifhops,
is
CHAP. VIII.
Man may take the Honour of exercifed it in the Prefence of the Apo-
Heb.5-4-
NO a Church-Officer unto himfelf,
but he that was called of God, as was
ftles.
Gal. 1. 1. ^a ?• l 3'
Ad. mediate, by Chrift himfelf, fuch was chufe any to be over them in the Lord, {-
eb,I
14.13 3- I 7*
&c 6. 3 . the Call of the Apoftles and Prophets , then do they become fubje£f, and moft
this manner of Calling ended with willingly fubmit to their Miniftry in
them, as hath been faid, or mediate, by the Lord, whom they have fo chofen.
the Church. 7. And if the Church have Power
It is meet, that before any be or to chufe their Officers and Minifters, R g
3.
1 Tim. 5- dained, or chofen Officers, they fhould
then in cafe of manifeft Unwotthinefs I7 .
22.
firft be tried and proved, becaufe. Handsand Delinquency they have Power alfo
&7. 10.
to depofe them For to open and fhut,
Ads. 16.1
are not fuddenly to be laid upon any, :
& and both Elders and Deacons muft be to chufe and refufe, to conftitute in
6.3.
of both honeft and good Report. Office, and to remove from Office, are
4. The things
in refpecf of which A£ts belonging to the fame Power.
8. We
they are to be tried, are thofe Gifts judge it much conducing to Cant 8.
and Vertues, which the Scripture re- the well-being, and Communion of the 8,9.
quireth, in Men that are to be elecfed Churches, that where it may conve-
unto fuch Places, viz. That Elders niently be done, neighbour Churches
muft be blamelefs,Jober, apt to teach, be advifed withal, and their Help be
and endued with fuch other Qualifi made ufe of in trial of Church-Of-
cations as are laid down, 1 Tim. 3. 2. ficers, in order to their choice.
Tit. 1. 6. to 9. Deacons to be fitted, 9. The choice of fuch Church-Of-
as is directed, Atts 6.3. 1 Tim. 3. 8, ficersbelongeth not to the civil Magi-
to 11. Diocefan Bifhops, or
ftrate as fuch, or
5.
be called by fuch
Officers are to Patrons : For of thefe, or any fuch
Aft. 14.23 '
& i.itf. Churches, whereunto they are to mi- like, the Scripture is wholly filent, as
nifter. Of fuch moment the prefer-
is having any Power therein.
vation of this Power,that the Churches
CHAP.
Vook V. Tbe Hiftory of New-England. it 9
CHAP. IX.
to go before, but to follow Election. at Antioch laid Hands upon Paul and
A£ts6.i,6
& 14. 23,.
The Eflence and Subftance of the out- Barnabas.
ward calling of an ordinary Officer in 6. Church-Officers are Officers to
the Church, does not confift in his Or- one Church, even that Particular over
dination, but in his voluntary and free which the Holy Ghoft hath made
Election by the Church, and his ac- them Overfeets. Infomuch as Elders are
cepting of that Eleftion Whereupon : commanded to teed not all flocks,
is founded that Relation, between Pa- bu, the Flock, whicn is committed to
ftor and Flock, between fuch a Mini- their Faich and Tiuit, and dependeth
fter and fuch a People. Ordination upon them. Nor can conftant refi-
does not conftitute an Officer , nor. 'dence at one Congiegation be neceflary
give him the Eflentials of his Office. for a Minilter, no nor yet lawful, if
The Apoftles were Elders, without he be not a Minifter to one Congre-
impofition of Hands by Men. Paul gation only, but to the Church univer-
: -
x Pet# %
and Barnabas were Officers before that tal ; becaufe he may not attend one Aft. 10.2L
Impofition of Hands, Atts 13. 3. The part only of the Church, to which he
Pofterity of Levi were Prielts and Le- is a Minifter, but he is called to attend
vites, before Hands were laid on them unto all the Flock.
by the Children of Ijrael. 7. He that is clearly releaiedfrom
1 Tim. 4. 3. In fuch Churches where there his Office relation unto that Church,
10.
are Elders, Impofition of Hands in Or- whereof he was a Minifter, cannot be
Ads 13. 3 '
1 Tim. dination, is to be performed by thofe looked at, as an Officer, nor perform
j.
li. Elders. any aft of Office in any other Church,
Numb. 3. 4. In fuch Churches where there unlefs he be again orderly called unto
10. are no Elders, Impofition of Hands Office Which, when it ftiall be, we:
Bretheren orderly choien by the Church tion of Hands alfo in his Ordination Aft. zo.zf?,
thereunto. For, if the People may ought to be ufed towards him again :
ele£f. Officers, which is the greater, For fo Paul the Apoftle received Im-
and wherein the Subftance of the Of- pofition of Hands twice at leaft from
fice doth confift, they may much more Ananias, Ails 9. 17. & 13. 3.
CHAP. X.
Shoulders, and hath all Power given Nature and Eflence of a Church it -,
to him both in Heaven and Earth. being natural unto all Bodies, and fo
2. A
Company of profeiTed Belie- unto a Church-Body, to be f urnifhed
vers, Ecclefiaftically confederate, as with fufficient Power for its own Pre-
they are a Church before they have Of- fervation and Subfiftence.
ficers, and without them ; fo even in
3. This
3° The Hifiory of New-Englaod. Book V
Rev. 3. 7. 5-
1C0M.12,
iTim.f.27
Oal. I
Book V. The Hiftory of New-England. 3*
From Church
11. the namely, followeth, ThatinanOrganick
Promifes,
that the ordinary Power of Govern- and Right Adminiftration, all Church -
ment belonging only to the Elders, A£ls proceed after the manner of a mixt
Power of Pjiviledge remaining with Adminiftration, fo as no Church-Aft
the Brotherhood (as the Power of Judg- can be confummated,or perfected with-
ment in Matters of Cenfure,and Power, out the confent of both.
of Liberty in Matters of Liberty) it
CHAP. XL
Of the Maintenance of Church-Officers,
'HE Apoftle concludes, that ne- ing that he which is taught communi-
and fufficient Mainte
ceflary cate to him that teacheth in all good
due unto the Minifters of the
nance is Things, doth not leave it Arbitrary, tCot.i6.il
Word from the Law of Nature and what or how much a Man (hall give,
Nations, from the Law of Mofes, the or in what proportion, but even the
Equity thereof,as alfo the Rule of com- latter, aswell as the former is pref-
mon Reafon. Moreover the Scripture cribed and appointed by the Lord.
doth not only call Elders Labourers 4. Not only Membets of Curches
Gal 6. 6. and Workmen, but alfo fpeaking of but all that are taught in the Word, are
them doth fay that the Labourer is to contribute unto him that teacheth in
1 Cor. ?.
worthy of bis hire : And requires that all good Things. In cafe that Con- A" s *-M*
gregations are defective in their Con-
9 ^J^i•
communicate to him in all good Things, tributions, the Deacons are to call up-
and mention it, as an Ordinance of the on them to do their Duty : If their
Lord, that they which preach the Gof- Call, fufficeth not, the Church by her
pel, fhould live of the Gofpel, and Power is to require it of their Mem-
5
forbiddeth the muzling of the Mouth and where Church Power thro
bers ;
of the Ox, that treadeth out the Corn. the Corruption of Men doth not, or
2. The Scriptures alledged, requir- cannot attain the End, the Magiftrate
Maintenance as a bounden Du-
ing this isto fee that the Miniftry be duly pro-
ty, and due Debt, and not as a matter vided for, as appears from the com-
of Alms and free Gift, therefore Peo- mended Example of Nehemiah. TheNeh.1j.1r.
#• 44. *j.
ple are not at Liberty, to do or not to Magiftrates Nurfing-Fathers and
are
* c°r - *•
do, what and when they pleafe in this Nurfing-Mothers, and ftand charged h I4 '
Matter, no more than in any other with the Cuftody of both Tables ;
commanded Duty, and Ordinance of becaufe it is better to prevent a Scan-
Rom.1y.17 the Lord but ought of Duty to Mi-
-, dal, that it
may not come,and eafier al-
iCor.9.n.nifter of their Carnal Things, to them fo,than to remove it, when it is given.
that labour among them in Word and It's moil fuitable to rule, that by the
Doclrine, as well as they ought to pay Churche's Care each Man mould know
j
any other Workmen their Wages, and his Proportion according to rule, what
J
CHAP. XII.
E Doors of the Churches of Chrift with all his Heart. The Angel
i.'TpH
a Chr. 29.
X Chrift upon Earth, do not by of the Church at Ephefus, is com-
God's Appointment ftand fo wide open, mended for
trying fuch as faid they
^ 1 "
i
*'
and which then they ma ft pfofeis and pentance, as it muft be made by fuch
hold forth in fuch fort, as may fatisfie at their Admiffion, that were never in
Rational Charity that the Things are Church Society before ; fo nothing
Mat. 3. 6. indeed. John Baptifi admitted Men hindereth but the fame way alfo be
Adsi^.is.to Baptifm conferring and bewailing performed by fuch as have formerly
their Sins: And of others it is ftid, been Members of fome other Church, Matj. ?,*.
that they came and confejjed, and JIkvo- and the Church to which they now ^:
G 2 4- -
lTun -* ,l 4
. .
cd their Deeds. join themfelves as Members, may law-
3. The weakeft
meafureof Faith is fully require the fame. Thoft. three
to be accepted in thofe that defire ro thoufand, Affs 2. which made their
Rom.14. 1. be admitted into the Church, if Sin- ConfefTion were Members of the Church
that Faith, of the Jews before fo were thofe that
cere, have the Subftance.of -,
hive moft need of the Ordinances for fons regularly admitted, may fall in-
their Confirmation and Growth in to Offence. Otherwiie, if Churches
Grace. The Lord Jefus would not might obtrude their Members, or if
Mat.iz.io.
quench the fmoaking Flax, nor break Church Members might obtrude them-
Ifa. 4 °- 11.
tne bruifed Reed, but gather the ten- felves upon other Churches without
der Lambs in his Arms and carry them due trial, the matter fo requiring, both
in his Bofom. the Liberty of Churches would there-
gently
Such Charity and Tendernefs is to by be infringed in that they might not
be ufed, as the weakeft Chriftian, if examine thofe, concerning whofe fit-
for Communion they were unfa-
Sincere, may not be excluded nor dif- nefs
couraged. Severity of Examination is tisfied
: And befides the infringing of
to be avoided. their Liberty the Churches themfelves
publick before the Church, they tefti 7. The like Trial is to be required
This be from fuch Members of the Church as
tying their Affents thereunto
:
ing the way that tendeth molt to Edifi- were born in rhe fame, or received
cation. But whereas Perfons are of their Memberfhip, or were baptized
greater Abilities,
there it is moft expe- in theirInfancy, or Minority by Vir-
dient, that make their Relations tue of the Covenant of their Parents,
they
and Confeffions perfonally with their when being grown up into Years of
Pfal. 66. 6. '
CHAP. XIII.
\^j or depart from the Church,and fome Unkindnefs, or fome Evil on-
fo one from another as they pleafe,nor ly conceived or indeed in the Church,
without juft and weighty caufe, but which might and fhould be tolerated
Heb.io.i f. .ought to live and dwell together, for- and healed with a Spirit of Meeknefs,
afmuch as they are commanded not and of which Evil the Church is not
to forfake the aifembling of themfelves yet convinced (tho' perhaps himfelf be)
together. Such Departure tends to nor admonifhed For thefe or the like :
1 Tim. 5.
(hemic! partake with him in his fin. If whereunto he defireth to be joined,
Aft. z 1. the Cafe be doubtful and the Perfon left the Church fhould be deluded
14. -,
x
for greater Enlargements, with
juft to theRmansfor fundry other Churches. ?^; f
Grief to the Church , or out of And the Apoftle tells us that fome Per- Cor.3.5.
Schifm, or want of Love, and out of fons, not fufficiently known otherwifej
5 E have
34 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
have fpecial need of fuch Letters, tho' receiving among the Saints, in the
he, for his part, had no need thereof. place whereto he goeth, and the due
The life of them is to be a Benefit and Satisfa&ion of them in their receiving
Help to the Party for whom they are of him.
written, and for the furthering of his
CHAP. XIV.
i.'T^HE Cenfures Church are and criminal Nature, to wit, fuch as 1 Cor: '{•
of the
iTim.f.io X are condemned by the Light of Nature 4, 8, «•
appointed by Chrift.for the Pre- •,
Jude 19. venting, Removing and Healing of Of- then the Church without fuch gradual
Kom.i.24. ing and Gaining of offending Brethren, der from their Holy Communion, for
Rev. 2. 14, for the deterring others from the like the further mortifying of his Sin, and
20.
Offences, for purging out the Leaven, the healing of his Soul in the Day of
1
j, 16,
may juftly fall upon the Church, if herein ought to be with a Spirit of
they fhould fuffer his Covenant, and Meeknefs, confidering our felves, left 6 '' '
the Seals thereof to be profaned by we alfo be tempted, and that the beft
notorious and obff inate Offenders. of us have need of much Forgivenefs Matth. it.
Matth. y. 2. If an Offence be private (one from the Lord. Yet the winning and 34, 31-
a* Ezek I5> *
*3>. Brother offending another) the Offen- healing of the Offender's Soul being
Luke 17.
^ er j s tQ g Q an(j ack now i e dge his Re- the end of thefe Endeavours ; we rrruft
pentance for it unto his offended Bro- not daub with untempered Morter,
ther, who is then to forgive him ; but flor heal the Wounds of our Bretheren
14 °
fo from all familiar Communion wirh
1
won his Brother h but if the Offender
hear not his Brother, the Brother of him in civil Things, farther than the
Verfe \6. fended is to take with him one or two neceflity of Natural or Domeftical or
more, that Mouth of two or
in the Civil Relations do require ; and are
three Witneffes every Word may be therefore to forbear to eat and drink
eftablifhed, (whether the Word of with him, that he may be afhamed.
Admonition, if the Offender receive 6. Excommunication being a Spiri-
it z,
or the Word of Complaint if he tual Punifhment, it doth not prejudice
Verfe 17. refufe it) for if he refufe it, the of- the Excommunicate in, or deprive him
fended Brother is by the Mouth of the of his Civil Rights,and therefore touch-
Elders to tell the Church, and if he eth not Princes or Magiftrates in refpecl:
hear the Church, and declare the fame of their Civil Dignity or Authority -, l cor< I4;
by penitent ConfefTion, he is recovered and the Excommunicate being but as a 24, ij.
and gained And if the Church dif-
: Publican, and a Heathen, Heathens 2 Thef. 3.
cern him to be willing to hear, yet being lawfully permitted to hear the 14-
3. But if the
Offence be more pub- with humble ConfefTion of his Sin, and
lick at firft, and of a more hainous judging of himfelf, giving Glory unto
God,
Book V. The Hifiorj of New-England. 35
zCor.z.7,8God, the Church is then to forgive ftain from communicating with fuch zChr.30.18
and the Prophets and other godly Men in becaufe others are fuffered to come that
^id 13W ft>Uy partake of the ought not efpecially confidering that
tf&A.v theirs, •,
Aft. j.'x." Lord's commanded Ordinances in the himfelf doth neither confent to their
Jewifh Church, and neither taught nor fin, nor to their approaching to the
pracf ifed feparation from the fame,tho'
Ordinance in their fin, nor to the neg-
ones were therein lect of others, who fhould put them
unworthy permitted :
and inafmuch as the Faithful in the away, and do not, but, on the contrary,
Church of Corinth, wherein were many doth heartily mourn for thefe things,
E *' 4
unworthy Perfons and Pra&ices , are modeftly and feafonably ftir up others
"
i Cor. 6.
8c 15. iz. do
never commanded
to abfent themfelves to their Duty. If the Church
from the Sacraments, becaufe of the cannot be reformed , they may ufe
fame therefore the Godly , in like
-,
their Liberty, as is fpecified,
Chap. 13.
Cafes, are not to feparate. Se8.$. But this all the Godly are bound
9. As feparation from fuch a Church unto, even every one to his endeavour,
wherein profane and fcandalous Per- according to his Power and Place, that
fons are tollerated, is not prefently He- the Unworthy may be duly proceeded
ceffary;
fo for the Members thereof, againit by the Church, to whom this
otherwife unworthy, hereupon to ab- Matter doth pertain.
CHAP. XV.
Ltho' Churches be diifin£t, and And having found out the way of Truth
therefore may not be confounded and Peace to commend the fame by
Rev. 1. 4. one w ith
another,and equal, and there- their Letters and Meffengers to the
"
ore ^ ave noX-dominion one over another: Churches, whom the fame may concern.
1
^
in 6 16
i°Cor. 16. Yet all the Churches ought to preferve But if a Church be rent with Divifions
13. Church-Communion one with another, among themfelves ; or lye under any
A&i*. 25. becaufe they are all united unto Chrift, open Scandal, and yet refufe to confult
Kev. z. 1.
nQt on jy as a Myftical,but as a Political with other Churches, for healing or re-
Head Whence is derived a Commu- moving of the fame, it is matter of juft
:
Apoftles and Elders of the Church at monition to wit, in cafe any publick
-,
5 E 2 poftle
^ The Hifioty of Nevv-Fngland. Book V.
had over another, yet as one our own Church, but alfo of all the
poftle
Churches of the Saints
Apoifle might admonifh another, In which re-
fo :
may one Church admonifh another, and gard we refufe not to Baptize their
In which Children prefented to us, if either their
yet without Ufurpation.
Matth s.
call*, if the Church, that lieth under own Minifter be abfent, or fuch a fruit
if, 16,17 Offence, do not hearken to the Church of holy Fellowfhip be defired with us.
by propor- that doth admonith her, the Church is In like cafes fuch Churches as are fur-
tion.
to acquaint other neighbour Churches, nifhed with more Minifters than one,
with that Offence, which the offending do willingly afford one of their own
Church (till lieth under, together with Miniffers to fupply theabfence or place
the negleft of their Brotherly Admo- of a lick Minifter of another Church
i/nion given unto them 5. A fifth way
:
Whereupon for a needful feafon.
thofe other Churches are to join in fe- of Church Communion is by Recommen- Rora.itf.i;
conding the Admonition formerly gi- dation,when the Member of one Church
ven 5 and if (till the offending Church hath occafion to refide in another
continue in Obftinacy and Impenitency, Church, if but for a feafon, we com-
they forbear Communion with
may mend him to their watchful Fellow-
jufrly
withdraw themfelves from par- 3. When a Company of Believers
ticipation with
them at the Lord's-Ta- purpofe to gather into Church-Fellow-
ble, and from fuch other Acf s of Holy fhip, it is
requifite for their fafer
Communion, as the Communion of proceeding and the mentioning of the
Churches doth otherwife allow and Communion of Churches, that they fig-
if any Members nifie their fntent unto the
require. Neverthelefs, Neighbour-
of fuch a Church, as live under pub- Churches, walking according to the
lick Offence do not confent to the Of- Order of the Goipel, and defire their
aI 2,I >**
fence of thcChurch, but do in due fort Prefence, and Help, and right-hand of
-
^9 '
bear Witnefsagainft it, they are ftill to Fellowlhip 5 which they ought
readily yy p r ^ or.
Gen.18.2?.
be received to wonted Communion, for to give unto them, when there is no Hon.
it is not equal that the Innocent fhould juft
caufe to except againlt their Pro-
fuffer with the Offenfive. Yea, fur- ceedings.
thermore, if fuch innocent Members, 4. Befides thefe feveral ways of
after due waiting in the ufe of all due Communion, there is alfo a
way of
means for the healing of the Offence Propagation of Churches : When a
of their own Church, fhall at laft (with Church fhall grow too Numerous, it is
the Allowance of the Counfei of Neigh- a way, and fit feafon to propagate one
bour Churches ) withdraw from the Church out of another , by fending
Fellowfhip of their own Church, and forth fuch of their Members, as are
offer themfelves to the Fellowfhip of willing to remove, and to procure fome .
another, we judge it lawful for the o- Officers to them, as may enter with
q^s 1°'
ther Church to receive them ( being them into Church-Eftate among them-
otherwife fit) as if they had been or- felves.
derly difmifled tothem from their own As Bees, when the Hive is too full,
Church. 4. A fourth way of Commu- out by Swarms, and are gathered
iffue
nion with Churches is by way of parti- into other Hives, fo the Churches of
cipation ; the Members of one Church Chrift may do the fame upon the lifre
occafionally coming to another, we Neceflity; and therein hold forth to
willingly admit them to partake with them the Right-hand of Fellowfhip,
them at the Lord's-Table, it being the both in their Gathering into a Church
5 Cor. ii. Seal of our Communion not only with and in the Ordination of their Of-
**•
Chrift, nor only with the Members of ficers.
CHAP.
jfook V. The Hiftorj of New-England. 37
CHAP. XVI.
Of Synods.
or Manners, in
orderly aiTembled, and right- any particular
ctrine
A<3s if. 2, and to give Directions for
SYnods to Church
ly proceeding according
;
to If. thePat-g
Affs 1 we acknowledge as the? 1
the Reformation thereof Not to ex-
:
tern, 5.
Ordinance of Chrift And tho' not,
: ercife Church-Cenfures in way of Dif-
A£l: of Church-
abiblutely necelTary to the Being, yet cipline, nor any other
Authority or Jutifdiction, which
that
many times, thro' the Iniquity of Men,
and Perverfnefs of Times, necelTary to Prefidential Synod did forbear.
up
AiTemblies, are therefore made only for their Agreement therewith
( which is the principal ground there-
of Spiritual andEcclefiaftical Caufes.
^ ,
The next efficient cauie of them under of, and without which they bind not
of Churches at all) but alfo fecondarily, for the
Chrift, is the Power the
fending forth their Elders and other Power, whereby they are made, as be-
Afts if. MeiTengers, who being met together ing an Ordinance of God appointed
in the Name of Chrift, are the Matter thereunto in his Word.
of a Synod ; and they in arguing and 6. Becaufe it is difficult, if not im-
Verfe 6.
debating and determining Matters of poffible for many Churches to come
Religion, according to the
Word and together in one Place,in their Members
Ver. 7, to
Publifhing the fame to the Churches univerfally ; therefore they may af-
it concerneth, do put forth the pro- lemble by their Delegates or MeiTen-
Verfe 3 1. per
and formal A£ls of a Synod, to gers, as the Church at Antioch went
the Conviction and Errors, and Here- not all to Jerujalem, but fome lelecf a&s if. ;
3. Magiftrates
have Power to call vile of ways for rhe Good thereof,
a Synod, by calling to the Churches than Elders Therefore it is fit, that
:
to fend forth their Elders and other in the choice of the MeiTengers for
2 Chron.
MeiTengers to counfel and affift them fuch AiTemblies, they have fpecial re-
to II.
in Matters of Religion , but yet the Ipecf unto fuch Yet, inafmuch, as not
:
conftituting of a Synod is a Church- only Paul and Barnabas, but certain A<5b if. j
Acf, and may be tranfacfed by the others alfo , were fent to Jerujalem 22, 2j.
Ads if. Churches, even when civil Magiftrates from Antioch, Atts 15. and when they
may be Enemies to Churches and to were come to Jerujalem, not only the
Church-AiTemblies. Apoftles and Elders, but other Bre-
4. It belongeth unto Synods and theren , alfo do alienable and meet
Councils to debate and determine Con- about the Matter: Therefore Synods
Ads if.
are ro confift both of Elders and other
troverfies of Faith, and Cafes of Con-
*, *> 6, 7.
1 Chron. fcience : to clear from the Word ho- Church-Members, endued with Gifts,
if. ij. ly Directions, for the holy Worfbip of and fent by the Churches, not exclu-
2 Chron. God and good Government of the ding the Prefence of any Bretheren in
z<>- 6, 7.
Church To bear Witnefs againft Mal-
: the Churches.
Ads if.
Adminiftration and Corruption in Do-
24,18,2?.
CHAP. XVII.
the Apoftles and Chriftians in their trencheth upon the Authority of Civil
time , did frequently thus practife, Magiftrates in their Jurifdictions > nor
any
38 The Hijlory of New-England. Book V.
any whit weakneth their Hands in go- of the Subject: Matters of Righte-
in
verning, but rather ftrengtheneth them, oufnefs and Honefty, but alfo in Mat- 1 Tim. z.
and furthereth the People in yielding ters ofGodlinefs, yea, ofallGodlinefs. x> z -
lKl J
more hearty and confcionable Obedi- Mofes, Jojhua, David, Solomon, A/a £f-
* ;
'
ence to them , whatfoever fome ill- Hezekiab
affected Perfons to the ways of Chrift
Jebojhaphat, Jofiah\ are
much commended by the Holy Ghoft,' zKin. it.^
^
have fuggefted, to alienate the Aftefti- for the putting forth their & h- 4-
Authority &
ons of "Kings and Princes from the Or- in Matters of Religion: On the con- I5 if' '
dinances of Chrift-, as if the Kingdom trary, fuch Kings as have been failing
of Chriit in his Church, could not this way, are frequently taxed and re- 1 Ki n «
rii^ c:nd ftand, without the
falling and proved by the Lord. And not only 20. J?.
weakening of their Government, which the Kings of Juda, but alfo Job, Ne- J ob *?-2f."
Ha. 49. 23. is alio of Chrift
trary
Whereas the con- bemidh, the King of Nineveh, Darius,
is moft true, that they
:
trary, it is
part of that Honour due are a£ted by the outward Man Nei- :
Churches may then proceed in their as are but meer Inventions and De- r K
20 i8 '4 *°
^
way, with much more Encouragement vices of Men, but about fuch a&s as
*
not to thruft them into the Church, open contempt of the Word preached,
Zechfi^fi
nor to hold them therein. prophanation of the Lord's-Day, di-Neh.i3.j1:
5. As it is unlawful for Church- Ifurbing the peaceable Adminiftration
Matth.
25, z6. Officcis to meddle with the Sword of and Exercife of the Worfhip and Holy x Tim.2.2.
the Magiftrate , fo it is unlawful for Things of God, and the like, are to be Rom I J-4-
-
the Magiftrate to meddle with the reftrained and punifhed by Civil Au-
Work proper to Church-Officers. The thority.
Acts of Mofcs and David, who were 9. If any Church, one or more, fhall
not only Princes but Prophets, were grow Schifmatical,rending it felf, from
extraordinary, therefore not imitable. the Communion of other Churches, or
2 Chrcn. Againft fuch Ufurpation the Lord wit- fhall walk incorrigibly and obftinately
by fmiting Uzziah with Lepro- in any corrupt way of their own, con-
16. 16, 17 nefled
fie, for prefuming to offer Incenfe. trary to the Rule of the Word ; in
6. It is the Duty of the Magiftrate fuchthe Magiftrate , is to put
cafe Jofli.
22.
to take care of Matters of Religion, forth his coercive Power, as the Mat-
and to improve his civil Authority for ter fhall require. The Tribes on this
the obferving of the Duties command- fide Jordan intended to make War a-
ed in the firft, as well as for obferving gainft the other Tribes, for building
of the Duties commanded in the fe- the Altar of Witnefs, whom they
cond Table. They are called Gods. fufpe£ted to have turned away therein,
PfM.88. S.
The End of the Magi ftrates offi ce is from following of the Lord.
not only the quiet and peaceable Life
FINIS.
Book V. 39
Hiftorical Remarks
UPON THE
Cfmtcl)e0 of j£eto=€nslattuu
c
dry Paflages and Paragraphs of this Platform. tcd by many judicious Minifters of the preient
The Secretary did, by Order, lay thefe written Generation who upon long Enquiry and Expe-
:
before the Chief and moft of the rience think that in thole Points the Platform
Objections,
Minifters in the CO LONT, who appointed indeed is not Subjiantial. Reader, We will for
Mr, Richard Mather to draw up an Anfwer to a while entertain our felves with the Particulars.
them : The Anfwer by him compofedj and by § y. It is very true, that the Platform denies
Negative not one appearing. The Vote was pafled to have hitherto encouraged (that I can learn)
in thefe Words. any one Paftor in the Country to adminifter the
1
A Synod of the Churches in the Colony of Supper (tho' fome do the Baptifm) of our Lord,
the Mafjachufets being called by the honour'd in any other Affembly but his own , only Mr.
c
s
General Court, to convene at Bofion, the 10th Philips the Paftor of Watertown , did, as I have
I
of September, 1679. having read and confider- been inform'd, adminifter that, as well as the
*
ed the Platform of Church-Difcipline, agreed other Sacrament unto the Church of Bo/ion,
1
upon by the Synod aflembled at Cambridge, when Mr. Wiljon, the Paftor of that Church
'
Anno 1648. do unanimouily approve of the was gone for England. However, as 'tis well
faid Platform, for the Subfiance of it ; defiring known that in the primitive times of the New-
c
*
that the Churches may continue fteadfaft, in Teft anient, the Power of a ? aft or to difpence
the
4° The Hiftory of New-England, Book V.
the Seals of the New-Covenant, as well as to Wherefore, for the fuller Explanation of the
preach and blcfs Authoritatively, in other Churches, Platform, in this Article, there was this Vote
befides his own, calling for it, was notqueftioh'd ; patted, in a Meeting of the Neighbouring Mi-
when fome Difference in Opinion happened be- niiters at Cambridge.
tween Anicetus, the Paftor of the Church at 5T Inafmuch as the Paftors of any Evangelical
Rome, and Polycarpus, the Paftor of the Church Churches, are, tho' not having a Paftoral Charge
ztSmyrna, the latter took a long Journey, even of more than One, to be acknowledged in All
from Symrna unto Rome, to vifit the former, for of them, as Ordained Mimfters of our Lord Je-
the better comprehending and compofing of the fus Chrift, and are a£lually acknowledged, as
Difference : Anicetus there, to Re-
teftifie Preaching in that Capacity, when they are oc-
his 1
fpeft unto Tolycarpus, requefted him to admini- casionally put upon preaching of the Gpipel
fter the
Eucharift unto that pure and great abroad.
drrarcji, with which he was now but fojourning Inafmuch alfo as the Communion of Churches,
|
as a Vifitant, and the Thing was done by this which makes the Members of any capable of ad-
!
excellent Man, of whom Irenms teftifies, That miffion to the Special Ordinances of the Lord
\
Je-
he always taught the Churches to obfervc thofe fus Chrift in All of them, doth likewife render
things which he had learned of the Apojlles and it reafonable, for the Paftors of any to be ca-
-,
of whom other Interpreters judge, that, as he pable of adminiftring thofe Ordinances in All.
was the Scholar of John, lb he was the un- It is therefore our Judgment, That the
Paftor
blameable Angel, addreffed by the Second of of a Neighbouring Church, may, upon the Rq-
the Seven Epiltles in Johns Revelation. Thus, queft of a deftitute Church,
occafionally admi-
in the primitive Times of our New-England, nifter the Sacraments unto them.
the molt Eminent of our Divines, acknowledged And it is our further Judgment, That the Se-
this Power, defended it, and maintained it. cond Article in the Fifteenth
Chapter of our
There is now publiiffd, A Letter of Mr. Richard Platform of Church-Difciplme, is to be under-
Mather unto Mr. Thomas Hooker, which de- flood as approving of it.
monftrates, that it is altogether as lawful for an Nor is it unknown, That Eminent Congrega-
Officer of a Church to adminifter the Sacra- tional Churches, have, by their Praclice, mani-
ments to another Congregation, at their entrea- fefted themfelves to have been of this Judgment
ty, as it would be to accept a Member of ano- before us.
ther Congregation, unto an occafional Commu- And itfeems in the pureft andearlieft of the
nion in the Sacraments with his own ; and that Primitive Times to have been allowed.
the Prefence of his own Church is not at all Neverthelefs, we think it convenient, that as
more neceffary unto fuch an Adminiftration, than the deftitute Churches do, by their Vote, call the
the Prefence of the other Congregation would Neighbouring Paftors to that Occafional Service,
be to the Tranlient Communion of that parti- before they attend it, fo that the Confent of the
cular Member. Mr. Norton, in his Anfwer to Churches, whereto thofe Paftors belong, be not
Apollonius, affirms, A
Paftor may charitably per- left unconfidered in it.
form the Minijierial Alls of his Office in another We do moreover think, That nothing fhould
Church. Mr. Shepard, in the Defence of the be done in this Matter, that may, in any wife,
Nine Pojitwns, affirms, (tho' Mr. Davenport, in obftrucf the Welfare of any bereaved Churches,
the Pofitions themfelves, does deny itj That a in their
fpeedy feeking of a fettled Supply, for
all Ordinances among them ; or otherwife inter-
Minifter, occafiondly called thereto, by the defuc
of the Church, may lawfully adminifter the Seals rupt and incommode Common Edification.
to another Congregation. And I fuppofe there
are now few Miniiters in the Country, bur 4. Another Point in the Platform, not urriver-
what Confent unto the Words of Dr. Owen. fally received, is,
The diftintt Office of Ruling
Altho' we have no Concernment in the figment oj Elders, to join with the Paftors, in thofe AQs
an indelible Character, accompanying Sacred Or- of Church-Rule, which are dftintl from the Mi-
the Word and Sacraments, or to watch
ders, yet we do not think the Paftor
al Office is ni
ftry of
fuch a thing, as a Man muft leave behind him over the Converfation of the Church-Members
time he goes from Home. For my own part, with Authority. There are fome who cannot
every
fee any fuch Officer as what we call a Ruling
if I did not think my felj bound to preach as a
Miniltci authorized in all Places, and on ail Elder, directed and appointed in the Word of
Occafwns, when I am called thereunto, I think God; and the Inconveniencies, whereuntomany
I fhould never preach more in this World. Churches have been plunged by Elders, not ox
Nor are there many that would withold their fuch a Number, or not of fuch a Wifdom, as
Confent from the Thoughts of Dr. Goodwin : were have much increafed a Prejudice
defirable,
An Elder, one Jet apart for that Office in any againft the Office it felf , be fure, partly through
Church, is truly a Minifter, occafwnally to exer- a Prejudice againft the Office, and partly, indeed
Inftrument that may apply any Minijierial Aff, generally deftitute of fuch Helps in Government:
out of his own Church in any other Church, if he On the other fide ; there are others, who, if
in the
be called thereunto. they asked, What Order for Lay-Elders
Word
Book V. The Hift ory of New-England. 4*
Word of God? Anfwer, That properly, the the Counlel of fuch Bretheren. In fhort,
i
only to the Senie of the Faithful in all Ages, they fhould be Biennial or Triennial only ;
'
but alfo to the Law of the Scriptures, where tho' I know, very famous Churches
through-
'
there can be nothing plainer, than, Elders, who out Europe have them fo Yea, and what, if
!
'
Rule well, and are war thy of Double Honour, they fhould by folemn lifting and Prayer, be
'
'
commended unto the Benediction of God, in
whereas, if there were any Teaching Elders, what fervice they have to do ? What Obje8:i-
'
who do not Labour in Word and Doilrine, they on can be made againft the Lawfulnejs ? I
'
would be fo fir from loorthy oj Double Ho- think none can be made againlt the Ufefulnefs
'
of fuch a thing. Truly, for my part, if the Fifth
nour, that they would not be Worthy of any Ho- '
nour at all. Towards the adjuliing of the Dif-
'
Chapter of the Firff F.piQlo to Timothy, would
ference, which has thus been in the Judgments not bear me out when Confcience both of my
'
of Judicious Men, fome Effays have been made ; Duty and my weahnefs made me defire fuch
'
and one particularly in iuch Terms as thefe ; AJjiftance, I would
whether the Firft Chap-
fee
' '
Let it be hrit Recognized, That all the other ter of Deuteronomy would not. Such things
'
Church-Officers are the Ajjiftants of the Paftor ;
as thefe have been offered unto the Conlidera-
'
who was himfelf (as you find, even about tion of the Diverjly-Perjwaded , and accordingly
'
what the Deacon has now to do, ) entruffed in a Meeting of Minilters, that had been Di-
'
with the Whole care of all, until the further verJly-Perjvoaded in this Matter, at Cambridge,
'
Pity and Kindnefs of our Lord Jefus Chrift,
an Unanimous Vote was palled for thefe Con-
'
joined other Officers unto him, for his AiTilf- cluiions.
'
ance in ir. I
iuppofe, none will be 16 abfurd
'
as to Deny This at leaft ; That all the Church-
'
'
Officers ate to take the Advice of the Paftor
with them. Upon which I fubjoin, that a
Pro POSITIONS
'
Man may be a Diftintt Officer from his Paftor, Concerning the Office of Ruling-Elders.
'
and yet not have a from hirn
DiftinQ. Office
.
'
the Paftor may be the Ruling Elder, and yet I.the Paftcrs of Churches are 0-
' TpHough
he may have Elders to aliilt him in Ruling, riginally Entruffed with the whole Care
j_
1
and in the ailual Dij charge of fome Things, of what is to be done, in the Feeding and Ruling
'
which They are able and proper to be fervice- of the Societies, whereof rhe Holy Spirit hath
c
'
able to him in. This Conlideration being laid, maae them Overfeers, yet the ifdom and Good- W
I will perfwade my felf Every
Paftor among nefs of our Lord Jefus Chrift, has made Provifion
*
us will allow me, That there is much Work for their
AJjiftance in the Management of thole
'
to be done for God, in preparing of what be- Church-Affairs, which would otherwile too much
'
longs to the Admijjicn and Exclufwn of Church- Incumber them, in Devoting themielves unto the
'
Members in carefully Infpe£t ing the way and Word and Prayer.
-,
'
'
walk of them all, and the firft Appearance of II. Ruling-Elders are
appointed for the Af
Evil with them^ in preventing the very be- fifhmce of their Paftors in the Government of
'
ginnings of III Blood among them, and inlfrucf- their Churches, and the Inffetlion of the Flocks.
'
ing of all from Houfe to Houfe more privately, And although thefe Officers may not be furnifh-
'
and warning of all Perfons unto the Things ed with all trWe Attainments which are ne-
'
more peculiarly incumbent on them ; in Vifit- ceflary to a Paftor, yet if they are fo accom-
4
ing all the Afflicted, and Informing of and Con- pli hed, as that they may be Helps to rheir
I
c
jutting with, the Minitlers, tor the welfare of Paftor in the Management of their Church Rule,
*
the whole flock. And they muft allow me, rhey may be Chofen thereunto with much Bene-
'
That this Wok is too heavy for any one Alan fit and
Advantage to the People of God.
-,
'and that more than one Alan, yea, all our III. Whereas 'tis the Bulinefs of a Ruling-
'
Churches, do fufFei beyond mcalure, becaufeno Elder to A (fill his Paftor, in Vijiting of the
'
more of this Work is thoroughly performed. Diffrefled, htftruiling of the Ignorant, Reducing
'
Moreover, They will Acknowledge to me, that of the Erroneous, Comforting of the Afflifcted,
'
'
it is an uiual
Thing, with a Prudent and Faith Advifing of rhe Defective, Rebuking of rhe Un-
ful Paftor, himfelf to fingle out fome of the
ruly, Difcovenng the State of the whole Flock,
'
more Grave, Solid, Aged Brethren in his Con- Exercifing the Dijapline of the Gofpel upon Or-
'
gregation, to AJJift him in manv parts of this tendeis, and Promoting the defirahle Growth of
'
'
Work, on many occafionsin a Year; nor will the Church 5 'tis necefiary that he be a Perion of a
fuch a Paftor ordinarily do any Important Wifdom,
'
Courage, Leifure, and Exemplary Holi-
thing in his Government, without having riiff nefs and Gravity, agreeable to fuch Employments.
5 F § 5. Oiie
42 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
in the Platform, which
§ 5. One more PaiTage Paftors, by any Ordinary Paftors at all.
hath been but rarely praftifed, and as little ap- the Examples, there,
concerning this matter
That in Churches where there are no either the Perfons
proved, is, by whom, or the Perfons on
Elders, Impofition of
Hands for the Ordination of whom, Hands were impofed, were Extraordi-
Elders may be performed by fame of the Brethren, nary-Officers and thus the Objeftors will find
.-
fraternity alfo perform the leffer thing ; the fecration they were to be owned, as admitted
thing which, indeed, is but the Accomplifhment into the Order of Paftors, through the whole
of what they have already begun, even to pub- Church of God ; but they could not allow the
liln, proclaim and pray
over that Vocation? Rites of this Order to be
Regularly and Con-
To countenance this Liberty of the Fraternity, veniently performed by any but fuch as were
they brought the Example of what was done in themfelves of the fame Order ; which Perfwa-
the Church of Ifrael, when certain Principal
,
iion has been fo general, that
fetting afide a few
Members of the Congregation, which were cer- plebeian Ordinations, in the beginning of the
tainly no Eccleftaftical Officers, did in the Name World here among us, there have been
rarely,
of the reft, impofe Hands upon the Levitcs , any Ordinations managed in our Churches but
and afterwards, when all the Congregation, in by the Hands of Presbyters : yea, any Ordina-
the like manner, anointed 'Zadok, to be the tions, but fuch, would be but matters of Dif-
things whereof Men are riofity, the whole Church always expected the
'
to be examined at their
admiffion into the Church, and which, then, Liberty of being thus particularly acquainted
c
' 1
with the Religious Tufpofiridns, of thole with
they mult profefs and hold forth in fuch fort
as may facisfie Rational Charity that the whom they were aftcrwaids to fit at the Table
c
1
things are there indeed. The weakeft meafure of the Lord and that Church which began this
•,
'
of Faith is to be accepted in thofe that defire way was quickly imitated by moft of the reft,
1
'
to be admitted into the Church Such Chari- who, when all come to, have little elle to plead
:
'
ty and Tendernefs is to be ufed, as the weakeft for it,
but that the good Men .find themielves
c
Chriftian, if
fincere, may not be excluded or exceedingly edified, when they hear other good
c
difcouraged. Severity of Examination is to Men defer ibing the Means ixibich the Lord has
4
be avoided; in cafe any thro' exceffive Fear, devifed, for the bringing back of their banifhe'd
'
or other Infirmity be unable to make their per- Souls.
'
fonal Relation of their Spiritual Ettate in pub- On the other fide, It has been argued by-o-
'
lick, it is fufficient, thers, That nothing lefs than a probable and a
that the Elders having re-
'
ceived private fatisfaction, make Relation f
credible profeffion of a living faith muji be made
thereof in publick before the Church, they by a Man, bejore the Supper of the ford may be
'
teftifying their AlTents thereunto: This being admimftred
unto him. The Churches to whom
'
the way that tends moft to Edification. But the Apoftles directed their Epiftles, were ftill vi-
'
where Perfons are of greater Abilities, there it libly Saints, and fuch as were made meet to be
'
is moft
expedient that they make their Rela- fartakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in
Confeffions, perfonally with their Light : How many fcores ofTallages to this pur-
'
tions and
c
own Mouth, as David profeffeLh of himlelf. pole have we concerning thofe Churches, about
c
A perfonal and publick Confefiion, and decla- the underftanding whereof we may ule the
'
ring of God's manner of working upon the words of Calvin, §>uod exponunt qui Jam de fold
'
Soul, is both lawful, expedient and ufcful. profeffiom mihi frigidum videtur, ab ufu Scri- &
And the flatjorm in Chap. 12, § 5. gives the ptur.e eji alienum ? It is on all hands agreed,
Grounds of this Direction. Tne Jews tell us rhat the LordVSupper is an Ordinance commu-
of N'^D or a Scare-Crow upon the top of the nicable unto none but Penitents Now the Pri- :
Temple, which kept off" the Fowls from defiling mitive Churches , if Dionyjius of Alexandria
of it ; and it has been the Opinion of many may be credited, would not accept a Penitent,
that this Cujlom of Relations, to be made by until having examined him, they difcermd his
Candidates for Admiffion to the Church, of what Converfwn and Repentance to be fuch as would
Operations of the Regenerating Spirit have been be' accepted by Gcd. And the Council of Nice
their as a ScareCrow to this a general Rule, That the inward
1
the Defile is of the Temple would be kept out by gued, If they that are impenitent for this or that
fuch a Scare Crow. particular Sin, may not come to the Table of
On the one fide, The Churches demanding an the Lord, furely, they that may be thought im-
Account of Experiences, from thofe which they penitent for an whole courfe of Sin, are alfo to
fellpwjhip, has been by be kept out of doors ; which is to be efteemed
recei"e to ftated Church-
fome '- .yed as an humane Invention: And they the Cafe of all them, whom we may not reafo-
tell us, that, indeed,
according to the Report nably as well as charitably, judge renewed by
oiCdfar-.us, there have been fopifh Monafteries the Holy Ghoji. Accordingly Origen Writes ,
which have demanded fuch an Account from ' That the Chrillians of the firft Churches did
5 F moft
44 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
moft exquifitely fearch the Souls of them that make a Judgment of them, that lay claim to
1
asked a full Communion with them ; and Privileges with us, 'tis but reafon that our Cha-
*
fays, When Men have made fuch a profici- rity fhould require a more pofitive Evidence of
*
ency, that they appear fan£tified by the Di- the Qualification, on which the claim is made.
c
vine Word, then we call them up to our My- In the Primitive Times they made fuch a Pro-
c
fteries. Tertullian, others, doth advife feflion, at their being added unto the Church
among -,
us of the ufed in his Days, upon and the Profeflion had this
ftric"t
Scrutiny juftifying Circum-
the Hearts of the Catechumens ; Whether they ftance in it, that they made it, when they en-
did, indeed, renounce all their former Vani- dangered their very Lives to make it. I make
ties. no doubt, but time of Perfecution, the
in fuch a
It was the Order, Yiant fcrutinia, an verba like Profeflionought to be efteemed fufficient.
Videiradicttus Corde defxerint. Cyprian reports, But in Places where the true Religion is in re-
Vix plebi perfuadeo ; He could not eafily per- pute and fafhion, then to look for fome other
fuade the Fraternity of his Flock to confent unto juftifying Circumftance of a Profeflion, is but
the receiving of fuch in whom Sincerity was a reafonable Conformity to the cuftom and
queflionable. Aujlin affirms, That according to manner of the Apoftles. Now, Reafon cannot
the ancient Cuftom, grounded on the mofl evident readily dictate an eafier, a fairer, a fitter Method
Truth, none were admitted into the Church on for this, than that a Man of a blameleis and
Earth, who were vifibly fuch as the Scripture ex fruitful Converjation, fhould either by Tongue
eludes from the Kingdom of God in Heaven. or Pen exprefs, what Imprejfons the Word
of
And the Agreement of the Paftors in the Days God has made upon him. The favour of fuch a
of Conftance, about the difcerning of the fin- Relation, will ufually very much Bianifeift the
cere, is very memorable. If the Queftion be Spirit of him that makes it 5 and
befides, no-
put, What it is, that we may fafely judge, a thing is more for the Honour of God, or for
probable and a credible Profeflion of a faving the Comfort of his People, than to hear good
Faith ? It has been anfwered, That Scripture Chriftians , thus making that Invitation, Come
rauft be followed and applied by Reafon in this and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare
matter If the Scripture affert fuch and fuch
: what he hath done for my Soul. It is true, that
Marks to be in the Experiences we cannot be infallibly fure, that we
of all the Rege- after all,
nerate, then Reafon is in this Cafe to make an do not admit an Hypocrite in Heart, into our
Humane Enquiry, Whether our Neighbours have Communion , nor indeed after the diftintteft
thofe Marks in their Experiences ? 'Tis not e- Profeflion of a Dogmatical and Hifiorical Faith,
nough to reftore a Man under Church-Cenfure, can we be fure that the Perfbn, whom we ad-
for the Man
barely to fay I repent ; no, but for is not an Heretick in Heart.
mit, Neverthelefs,
no Man fcarce ever doubted, that Communicants
us to proceed rationally in obferving, whether
the likely Symptoms of Repenting do appear muft be examined about their Orthodoxy. But
upon him, is to proceed Scripturally : Even we fhould go, as far as we realbnably can to
fo, 'tis not enough to qualifie a Man under prevent the pollution of Holy Things by the Un-
Church-Trial, for the Man to fay J believe ; regenerate.
while there may be difcovered in him fuch an Well, the of thefe various Apprehen-
refult
ignorant or infipid ft ate of Soul, as may render fions That fome unfcriptural Se-
has been this :
it juftly fufpicious, that he is yet a ftranger to verities urged in this matter by feveral of our
the New Birth. Briefly the thing has been thus Churches, in the beginning of the Plantation,
difcourfed. are now generally laid afide ; but ftill, for the
We muft beware of unfcriptural Impofitwns moft part, there is expected from thofe that
in this Affair ; we mulf not impofe any Modes would join unto 'em, a brief Addrejs, in the*
of Profeffion, which we have no Warrant for. Language of an experimental Chriftian, intima-
'Tis a Tyranny to enjoin upon every Man, A ting fomething of what the eternal Spirit of
relation about the precife time and way of their God has done to conform their Hearts and Lives
Converfion unto God. Few that have been re- unto thole Principles of Chriftianity, whereof
ftrained by a religious Education, can give fuch they then make a Profeflion. 'Tis true,in fome
an one. Nor is it any other than a Cruelty, to Churches, if the Elders declare their fatisfatti-
enjoy n upon every Man, an Oral and a publick on about the Qualifications of thofe that offer
relation of their Experiences. Every good Man themfelves, the People are, without any further
has not iuch a Courage and Pretence of Mind, Inquiry, fatisfied: But in moft Churches, the
as can fpeak pertinently before a Congregation People do defire the Elders to entertain them
of many hundreds. But ftill, as the Probatio- with a more particular Account of fuch things,
ners for our Communion are to make a Profef- as the Perfons have to prelent for their own
& ,. of their Faith in the Lord Jefus Chrift, as more thorough Recommendation unto the good
that Redeemer in whom allfulnejs dwels, and on Affection of thofe, with whom they are to eat
whom they rely for Communications from that Bread in the Kingdom of God. Neverthelefs,
fulnefs to their own Souls Thus we muft look
: there feems to have been thought needful on
for fome juftifying Circumftance of that Pro both fides a Conceflion to what has been fbme-
feffion. Charity towards all Men, of whom
Our times propounded in fuch Terms as theie.
'
we know nothing amifs, is to hope all things, Our Churches do ordinarily expect
from
and believe the belt : But when we come to
'
thofe, whom they admit unto conftant and
compkat
Book V. Xbe Hiftory of New-England. 45
compleut Communion with them, lome tew
favoury Expreflions \_vsfittea, if not oral ] of
what Regenerating Influence s the Ordinances or
% PROPOSIT IONS
the Providences of God, have had upon their
Souls. There arc fome who demand this, as [
Concerning the Tower of Synods, with refpefl
the Word of God, when unto particular Churches.
a thing required by
a Conjejjjon with the Mouth, and a Profejjion
the fame Ori-
of Repentance as well as Faith, and a giving a
I.
~Y) Articular Churches, having
Reajun of the Hope that is in us is required : JL ginal Ends and Interetts, and being mu-
tually concerned in the Good and
And they look upon this as a juftifying Circum- Evil of each
which a reafonable Charity is to feek, other, there is the Light of Nature as well as of
fiance, I
lay 1 claim to Privileges. Others can't fee of common Concernment unto them.
thro this ; they rather decry it, as an humane II.
Synods, duly compofed
of Meflengers cho-
Invention , yet, rather than CnurchWork fen by them whom they are to reprelent, and
fhould be at any flay, both fides may grant, proceeding with a due regard unto the Will of
that a piece of reafonable Civility, God in his Word, are to be reverenced, as de-
it is but
as Members of terminingxhe Mind of the Holy Spirit concerning
would be accepted !
any Society whatfoever, to addrefs that Socie- things neceflary to be received and prailifed, in
ty for their acceptance and that whoever order to the Edification of the Churches therein
-,
with fuch Language and Matter, as may be to be well-advifed, and regard a multitude ofCoun-
like that of one returning unto God. If there fellors, do particularly oblige us with Reverence
be any further Conteft whether the Brethren, to entertain the Advice of Synods aflembling in
of right, are to have an Acquaintance with, or the Name and Fear of the Lord Jefus Chrift,
Intereft in, the management of this Matter, I for an enquiry after his Directions. And if one
am confident, that as the Paftors, who are the Church be to be heard, much more are many
Porters to the Houfe of God, will generally Churches to be fo, in things that properly fall
examine what Experiences their Communi- under the Cognifance thereof.
cants have attained unto ; fo,the Paftors will
IV. Synods being of Apojlolical example, re-
as generally grant, that it is not unlawful for commended as a neceflary Ordinance, it is but
them to communicate unto the Brethren of reafonable, that their Judgment be acknow-
the Church, the tajie which they have had of ledged as decifwe, in the Affairs for which they
the Graces, in fuch as now they un- are ordained ^ and to deny them the Power
propound
to them, to be received as Brethren-, yea, that of fuch a Judgment, is to render a neceflary Or-
it is
many ways comfortable and profitable, if dinance of none effect.
not altogether ncceffary. Behold then a Tem- V. The Power of Synods, is not to abate, much
to mej that being my felf now fatisfied con- we fully confent and fubferibe unto.
cerning them, might, if I pleafed, otter that
I
contefted
'
PalTages of our Platform ; neverthe- A only to the Elders of the Church.
lefs, The Names of the Elders, in the Scriptures
to give a further Elucidation of fome
other Paflages in that Platform, I will fubjoin are but infignificant, and unintelligible Meta-
the Determination given by a late Aflembly phors, if the Rule of the Church be not only
of our Minifters at Cambridge, upon thefe two in the Hands of its Elders.
Points The Power of Synods, and the Power
•,
The Word of God hath ordered the People to
of Elders. obey the Elders of the Church, as having the
rule over them, and a watch over their Souls.
An
4^ Tbe Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
An Ability to Rule well
a Qualification par-
is § 8. Becaufe there are feveral Church-Cafes
ticularly required in the Elders
of the Church, of a very general Importance, which out Flat-
that they may be able to take a due Care form has not refolved fo particularly, as hath
of it. been defired by them, that have been more im-
Governments are enumerated among thofe mediately concerned in thofe Cafes, an AfTembly
which all are not, but of Minifters, meeting at Cambridge hath taken
things in the Church,
which are compatible to fome only : Now, who Cognizance of them from whofe Regijiers I
-,
but the Elders ? have taken leave to tranferibe the following Me-
Were the Government of the Church, as much morials. Reader, allow the general Title of
in the Brethren as in the Elders ,
then the them to be PILLULM SINE gUIBUS.
whole Body were Eye all -,
which it is not.
There are yet certain Cafes, wherein the
II.
Hence, all Antiquity affures us, that fuch Mat- Pafioral Charge, and endeavour the fulfilling of
ters were in the Primitive Church, done ltill their Miniftry, not only by fining the Necefli-
ties of their Sick, with their
Confentiente pie be. Prayers, but alio
And the Brethren of the Church might by leaving them unacquainted with none of
otherwife be obliged unto the doing of things, thole Counfels, which may prepare them for
wherein they cannot all in Faith, or be confeien- their End.
that fuch things are to be II. Neverthelefs, in times of
tioufly fatisjied epidemical Con-
done. tagion, the Minifters of the Gofpel may, by va-
III. of a
Neverthelefs, the PaftorChurch may rious Methods, attend what is neceffary thus to
from the be attended, without the ordinary Vifitations of
by himfelf Authoritatively fufpend
Lord's Table, a Brother accufed or fufpe&ed of the infefted Chambers.
Matter and fhould be III. A Minifter follicitous about his
a Scandal, till the may, Duty in
regularly examined. vifiting the Sick of his Flock, when Peftilential
Our Lord forbids the coming of fuch an Of- Contagions are prevailing, may receive much
fender to his Altar, if even one of lefs, of no Direction from the Courage wherewith he may
Authority in the Church, do fignifie a reafonable find the God of Heaven fortifying his Heart un-
diiTatisfaftion. .
to fuch an Undertaking.
, The Paftors of the Church are the Porters of IV. The bare defires of the Sick, to be vifited
the Temple, empowered fufficiently to detain by a Minijler, have often fo much of evident
fuch, as they fee with moral uncleannefs upon unfeafonablenefs , unreafonablenefs, and perhaps
them. of worfe Caufes in them, that it is no ways
fhould be facrificed meerly there-
And belonging unto the Porters of the fitting a Life
its
foever, and it is to turn the whole Regimen of are dedicated ; whether they are willing;, that
the Church into a pure Democracy. he fhould lacrifice his Life unto the private Ser-.
And, if the Pofitivc of the Brethren can fuper- vice of the Sick. And the Opinion of
a Peo-
fede a Negative of the Elders, either the Elders ple thus asked, will afford much fatisfacfion
may be driven to do things quite contrary unto unto a Minifter, as to what may be, in this cafe
the Li^ht of their Confcience, or elfe the Bre- incumbent upon him.
thren may prefume to do things which belong VII. In times extraordinarily Peftilential, if
not unto them. the neighbouring Minifters, do by a Lott fo-
lemnly
Book V. Tbe Hiftorj of New-England. 47
lemnly fingle out
One of their Number, to de- by fleeing from one City to another a .
I. A Paftor fettled in the Service of a People, upon the removal of a Paftor from his People,
J\. is to be fo fenfible of his Defignation by That fhould weigh down many Circumftances,
the Spirit and the Providence of the Lord Jefus that would rather invite fuch a removal.
Chrift, for that Service, and
of the Account that
he mult give unto God about his Behaviour in
it, that
his removal mult not be rafhly attempted,
but with much Confideration , Confultation,
QiUESTION,
to follow the Whether it be lawful for a Man to Marry
Supplication and fincere Defire
Condu£t of Heaven in it. The frowns of God, £« Wife's Sifter?
life to follow Removes, that have not fo been
regulated.
I. A Marriage between a Man and his Wife's
II. That the Will of our Lord, about the re- XJL own Sifter , is pofitively prohibited in
moval of any Paftor from his People may be that Law of God, Lev. 18. 16. That a Man may
underftood, it is requifite, that the Minifter do not marry his Brother's Wife. By the plaineft
not entirely qjfume to himfelf the Judgment of Confequence, a Woman may not marry her Si-
his own Call to remove, but a great Regard fters Husband. The Degree prohibited, is ex-
muft be had unto the Direction of the Churches actly the fame.
of. our Lord in the Neighbourhood. II. The haw that has prohibited the Marri-
III. They unto whom the Judgment of a Pa- age of a Man to his Wife's own Sifter has an
ftor's removal from his People is to be referred, Authority and an Obligation reaching even to
fhould exa&ly weigh both the prefent and fu- the Gentiles, upon whom the Ends of the World
ture Circumstances of both ; and endeavour a are come. 'Tis evident, that the Violation -of
that neither rhe this Law, is declared one of thofe
Provifion, Party may fuffer in Abominations,
removal'of a Minifter from his Flock. tor which the ancient Canaanites were fpued'out
IV. In cafe there be arifen thofe incurable Pre- of their Land. And we find the New Tefla-
judices, Diflentions, Animofities, and implacable
me nt in divers places, infifting upon thofe Pro-
Offences between a Paftor and his People, that hibitions, among which this Law, is one. The
all Reverence for, and Benefit by, his Miniltry good Order which God has by this Law eftablifh-
is utterly to be defpaired, he may be removed. ed in humane Society, is that which the Light
The want of fuccefs, otherwife, is not a fuffici- of Nature, in Mankind, as now increafed, does
ent Caule of removal, but it is to be endured, abundantly teftifie unto. The Difpenfation which
with all humble Patience by the Minifter, as a the Sovereign Lawgiver once gave, in one In-
great Affliclion and, yet with this Encourage- ftance, hereunto, was extraordinary.
-,
The Ex-
ment, that God will reward him, Secundum la- ample of Jacob, in this Matter, is to be difap-
berem, non Jecundum prove ntum. proved by all that would be efteemed his Chil-
V. A Paftor may be removed from his People, dren, as well as that of his Polygamy.
in cafe his Tranflation be found neceflary for III. Tis the Law of our God, in Lev. 18. <5.
the Common-Good. The welfare of the Catholick None ofyou fhall approach (in a Marriage) unto
Church in the general Edification of a Commu- any that is near of kin to him. Now the Kin-
nity, fhould be of fuch weight, as to make any dred betwixt a Man and his Wife's own Sifter,
particular Churches, give way thereunto. But, is of the neareftfort : For, Inter Virum iff Mu-
yet, becomes
it not any Minifter, to fee k hi* lierem non comrahitur affinitas, fed ipfifunt affi-
own Tranflation^ by flrft offering himfelf un- nitatis caufa : So then this Affinity is not lefs
to ir. than in Primo Gcnere, and therefore unlawful.
VI. There are fome things, which diffolve the It is likewife the concurrent Senfe of the greateft
Vinculum Paftorale between a Pajior and his Divines ( particularly afferted in the Afiemblies
People ; and in cafe thofe Difafters happen, he Confeffion of Faith, ) that of what degree any
may be removed. Thus if a Minifter have a one is of Confanguinity to his Wife, in the fame
Subfftence, wherewith he may, after a degree of Affinity is that Perfon to the Husband.
tolerable
Chriftian manner provide for his own, deny'd And that an Hmbandxs forbidden to marry with
him or, if a Minifter have no way to avoid the Confanguines of his Wife, by the fame Rule
•,
a Storm of Perfecution, purely Perfonal, but that Confanguines are forbidden to marry among
themfelves.
48 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
themielves. And this Aflertion may be demon-
lirated from the Rules given, in the 18th Chap-
ter of Leviticus. Wherefore as a Man may U E S T I O N.
rot marry his own Sifter, fo
not the Sifter of his
In what Cafes a Divorce of the Married
Wife, which is one with him. is
i'lejh
jujlly
to be
purfued, and obtained ?
IV. The Marriage in the Queftion, has been
fo fcandalous among whole People of God, I.'TPO judge, determine and
the
accomplifh a Di-
that whofoever is guilty of it, is therein wor- A
vorce, of any married Perfons, the Civil
thy to he cut off from the Communion of the Magiftrate is to be addreffed or concerned.
Catholick Church ; yea, it hath been one of the II. In cafe
any married Perfons be found un-
Imperial Laws, Duabus Sororibus Conjungendi, der natural Incapacities, and Infufficiencies,
peniius Licentiam fubmovemus. Much lefs may which utterly difappoint the confefTed Ends of
fuch an Iniquity be countenanced among the Marriage, the Marriage is to be declared a
People of our Prtrfejfion. Nullity.
In cafe any married Perfon , be found al-
III.
ready bound
in a Marriage to another
yet li-
a Divorce is to be granted unto the
QjU E S IT N. O ving,
grieved Party.
ag-
III. In cafe
any married Perfon be convicted
Whether, and how far, the Difcipline of our of fuch Criminal
Uncleanneftes, as render them
Lord in our Churches , is to be extended to one Flejh, with another Object than that unto
the Children therein Baptized ? which their Marriage has united them, the in-
And the Pr-alike of the pureft Churches has been made One with a Perfon, related unto the Per-
agreeable to this Principle, as well the Primi- fon with whom they are now married, within
tive before, as the Bohemian and others lince the Degrees made Inceftuous by the Law of God,
the Reformation: Reafon alfo fays, that where it is a julf Plea for a Divorce.
a Erivi ledge is expected, a Difcipline is to be ac- VII. In cafe of a malicious Defertion by a
yet particular Churches, as well as the Paftors fuch Cafes, by the Marriage unto One, which
of thofe Churches, owe a Duty to the Catholic/: has thus wilfully violated the Covenant , and
Church, part of which Duty is the Application tho' our Saviour forbids a Man's putting away his
of Difcipline, unto vhofe Baptifed Peribns,whom Wife, except it be for Fornication, yet he forbids
the Providence of God ihall calf under their not Rulers to refcue an innocent Perfon from
Inlpection. the enthralling Difadvantages of another, that
(hall finfully go away.
III. The Difcipline, which we count owing VIII. As for married Perfons long abfent from
unto thefe Perions, is, an InftruClwn in the Laws each other, and not heard of, by each other, the
of our Lord Jefus Chrift, an Admonition upon Government may ftate what length of time in
a fcandalous violation of thofe LawSj and upon this cafe, may give fuch a prefumption of Death
lncorrigiblenefs in Evil, an open rejeltion from in the Perfon abroad, as may reckon a Second
all Ecclejiaftical Privileges : And although Per- Marriage free from fcandal.
fons are moft clearly liable to this Procefs, when IX. A
Divorce being legally purfued , and
they have actually renewed their BaptifmalCo- obtained, theinnocent Petfon that is releajed
venant, and recognized tneir fubje&ion to the may proceed unto a Second 'Marriage in the
Government of our Lord, in his Church, and Lord: Otherwife the ftate of Believers under
the Children of the Church are to be accordingly the New Teftament, would in fome of thefe
laboured withal, that they may be brought Cafes, be worle than what the God of Heaven
hereunto, yet we do not think, that any of the directed for his People under the Old.
faid ?<zvibns,rejufing, or neglelling thus to do.are
thereby exempted from fuch a Care of the
Church, to bring them unto Repentance.
Pro-
BookV. The Hijiory of New-England. 4-9
treated with ir : The Lord has continued this
Rite in the Ordaining of Church-Officers, with
f Propositions. fome to fuch Intents and Purpofes.
X. Molt unexceptionable is the hnpofition of
Concerning Ordination. Hands, by a Presbytery but more exceptiona-
-,
lefs than the whole Miniftry, under that Ordi- ons in thofe Churches, and particularly that of
Plough, at his own Pleafure look back. Church-Member, is that wherein the Name of
the Lord Jefus Chrift is concerned, and for the
For one in the Sacred Miniftry to leave it, for
the fake of Riches or Honours, more vindication of that worthy Name, an
likely to
Enquiry
be acquired in another way of living, or for the being made into it, there may appear fuch pow-
erful Prefumptions, while there are not
lake of difcoiiragements, ar>ifing from Unfuccefs- yet fuf-
ficient Conviclions of Guilt in the concern-
fulnefs, or Perfection, or other Difficulties, is
Party
no ways allowable. ed, that the Perfon fhall be bound ( except in a
A
Perfon difabled by the Infirmities of old Capital Cafe ) either to give a pofitive Denial,
or to make a penitent Confeffion, of the Matter
Age Labour of the Miniftry, ftill retain-
for the
notwithftanding.
A Cenjure, though an unjuft one of a Civil <kUESTION.
Magiftrare, filencing a particular Minifter, may How far the Confeflions of a guilty and a trott'
in fome Cafes be a fufficient Reafon for his
bled Confcience, are to be
kgpt fecret by
forbearing to do his Work, fox fome time, or in
the Minifter or Chriftian, to whom the
this place, though it releafe him not from the
of his Holy Calling. Confeflions have been made f
Obligation
The Difafters, which have been obferved, as
I. that ordinarily the Con-
frequently following thofe, who have deferted '"TpIS very certain,
ther Spiritual Warfare, without the leave of the
A feffions of a guilty and a troubled Con-
are to be kept fecret by thofe, to whom
Lord, are juft Admonitions unto all Minifters of fcience,
our Lord, againft any undue De/ertion of the they are made. The Ends for which the Lord
Jefus Chrift has directed unto fuch Confeflions,
Service wherein they have been lifted.
would be all ffuftrated, if they fhould not be
moft religioufly concealed ; and they are made3
QjJ ESTION. at unto the Lord.
II. Neverthelefs, when evident Mifchief will
Whether the Paftor of a Church, upon a com- arife, general or perfonal, either in point of
mon Fame of a Scandal, committed by any Safety or of Jujlice, by the concealment of a
in his Church, be not hound in Duty to fecret Confeffion, it is no longer to be kept fecret.
into that Scandal, although there In fuch Cafes the confeffing Perfon hfnfelf can
enquire
have no eafe in his own Confcience ( which is
Jbould not be brought any formal Complaint
the Defign of Confeffion ) without publifhing
unto him of it *
his own Crime; and therefore there can be no
I. A Ccording to the Apoftolical Direction, an Obligation upon any other to affift him in coj
the Perfons concerned 5 which if he fail to do, and inftrucf, and convince and admonifh him -,
Then is the Time for the firft Hearer of the and upon Contumacious O'oftinacy, the Church
is to deal with him, as one unruly, and
Confrffon to do his Duty. walking
IV. In the Great Capitals, if there be no other difbrderly.
larly from the Communion of the Church at the Teftament alfo, John Baptiji, in Luke 13. 3. for-
Lord's Table, does carry an hard and high Im- bad not unto the Publicans, that Ujury which
putation upon the Church it felf, which adds their Condition of Life led them unto.
more of a Fault unto fo finful a Schijm. III. There is
every fort of Law, except the
IV. If the Perfon that hath been offended, Popifh, to juftifie a Regulated Ujury. Tis
hath done his Duty, and eithet the Paftor do re- juftified by the Law of Neceffity and Utility -,
fufe to lay the Matter before the Church, for Humane Society, as now circumftanced, would
the Infignificancy of it, or the Church upon the fink, if all Ujury were impracticable. Tis jufti-
Hearing of it, do pronounce it finished , the fied by the Law of Equity it is very
equal that
-,
Perfon is" obliged ftill to continue his Communion a Man fhould partake in the Benefits which his
with the Church, untill a Council of Churches Eftate procures for another Man. Yea, it may
declare the contrary. be the Duty of another Man to give meaUfury^
5 G 2
namely
52 the Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
namely when he gains by my poffeffions it II. Very fenfible is the
-,
Difference, between
would be Iniquity in him to do otherwile and taking a Time to do a Sacred Work, and Doing
:
Reaibn, why the Ufury of Money, fhould be of God, that feparates one time from the reft,
more faulty, than that of any other things for the conftant Performance of Religious Work
forMoney is as really Improveable a thing, as upon it.
any other Commodity vvhatfoever nor can a : III. To efteem any Good Work the
Better,
Contract in this Cafe, be more blameable, than for it's
being done on fuch or fuch a Return of
in any other. Nor contrary to the Law of
is it Time, which God
hath not, in his Word, fet a-
Charity, that a Man
fhould expecf fomething, part forit, the Time it felf a
is to make
part of
for the fupport and Comfort of his own Family, the Worfhip ; and it is an unwarrantable
Impo-
for the profitable ufe, which other Men make of fing upon Heaven with our own Inventions.
thofe things whereof he is himfelf the Pro- IV. Solemn Humiliations and
Thankfgivings,
prietor.
are Moral Duties to be obfcrved
pro Caufis &
IV. Neverthelefs the Law of Chanty, is to Temporibus. And the Direcf ion of Divine Pro-
Regulate our Ufury, that it may not become un- vidence in laying before us frefh Occafwns of
lawful, by the Biting Extremity, into which them, is to be Regarded which cannot be done,
•
for their mereneceffary Suftenance and Subfift- Tis not a Work, but a Word, that muft
VI.
ence, is a Sin. 'Tis a Sin likewife, to Refufe SanUifie a Day ; and if an Extraordinary Work
becaufe we would Keep all of God, were enough to prefer one
helping the Poor Day before
that we have to ferve the Defigns of Ufury. another for the Devotions of
Chriftianity, the
Nor can it be any other than a Sin to require Proteftant Kalender muft foon be as full as the
as much for Ufury, as for Hire, which are Care- Popijh.
fully to be DifUnguilhed.
And an Idle Ufury, VII. When the Apoftle blamed the Galatians,
which is, when Men fo confine themfclves to for obferving theDays, which God himfelf had
the way of Living upon Ufury, as to render Inftituted, much more
does he blame us, if we
themfelves otherwife Unufeful unto the Publick. Celebrate fuch Days, as only Men have devifed.
This is become a thing of an Evil Cha-
juftly
And when the Apoftle forbad the Coloffians to
racter. But yet in all thefe things, the Appli- let any Man judge them in refpetl of an Holy
cation of the Rules of Charity, is to be left unto Day, he fuffers not us to Sacrifice our Chriftian
a Man's own Confcience, which is to be Advifed Liberty, unto Humane Impofitions of Jiated Holy
from the FfWof God, with the Belt Helps of Days upon us, nor a private Perfon to Impofe
Underftanding that Word. it
upon himfelf.
All thefe things being thus Confidered, the
fevere Declamations of the Ancient s^xmii Ufury,
muft be of no further Account with us, than QjJ E ST I O N.
their Difcourfes againft Limning, or Swearing,
or Fighting, or Sitting and Acfing, in a Court Whether it be Lawful to Eat Blood, and
of Civil Judicature. Things Strangled?
any Days of PuWick Worfhip ? unto thofe Words of our Lord Jefus, in Math.
15. 11. Not that which goeth into the mouth, de-
I. VTO Time is to be made Holy to the Lord, fileth the Man.
l\| but what is made Holy by the Lord II. The
Scriptures of the New Teftament
-,
and if there be no Inffitution of God, the Great give an Allowance for Eating all forts of Meat,
Lord of Time, for zftatcd time to be made Holy wherein Blood is included. The Apoftle fpeaks
to himfelf, 'tis a Superftition in any Man to of him as an Orthodox Man, in Rom. 14. 2.
make it fo. who
Book V. Tbe Hiftory of New-England. 53
who beheveih he may" eat all things-, intimating Great God hath commanded us to giorijic him :
that it was from weaknefs in Faith, and Igno- Even, with our Spirits, and with our Bodies,
rance in the L}o£trine of the Goipel, to doubt which are his.
about it. The Scripture condemns the Super- are Natural Ceremonies, with
II. There
of thole, in i Tim. 4. 3, 4. Who abfiain which the Light of Nature does direO: Men to
ftition
the worfhip of God And thefe are to be ufed in
from Meats, zvhicb God bad created to be received
:
What/over is fold in the Shambles, that Eat, III. Some Ceremonies of Refpeft among Men,
asking no ghicfiicnfor Confcu'nee fake. Now it are ufed in Exercifes of Religion, but as Ex-
was ufual to fell Blood in the Shambles. preffions of Civility to the People of God,
with
III. The ufe in Medicine, is not whom we
of Blood, AfTemble, for the Worfhip of God-,
The
Spirit and the 'Powder of Blood, and thefe are to be diftinguifhed from thofe
queftioned:
is, by the Warrant
of the Sixth Commandment, Aclions, which we apply to the Lord himfelf
freely ufed, for our Health Why then fhould immediately.
:
the ufe of Blood in Diet, be any Queftion > IV. There are Ceremonies appointed, for lbme
r
IV. If a thing ft angled may be eaten, then fignification of Inward Graces and Moral Duties,
Blood be fo too. Chriftians do not ordina- in the Worfhip of God ; which, without that
may
Appointment, would not fignifie what they
do :
rily fcruple to Eat a thing lirangled; and the
And the Prerogative of God alone, to or-
Eating of a thing which Dies of it felf (which
it is
is the lame cafe) was never unlawful for the dain all fuch Rights as thefe.
Gentiles. V. For Men to take upon them, to Declare,
V. The Reafon of the Precept forbidding what Ceremonies of Worfhip, the God of Hea-
Blood, unto the Jews was metely Ceremonial : ven ffiall Accept, and Reward, and Blefs, other-
Namely, becaufe Blood was Typical of that wife than he hath himfelf, in his Holy Laws
Great Blood, which makes Attonement for our declared, a very Criminal Prefumption
is And :
Sins, and becaufe, being the Organ of Life, it of Man has generally been Chaftized,
this Pride
muft be facred unto God the Author of Life. with a manifold Curfe of God.
Now fince the Blood of our Lord Jefus Chrift VI. The Second Commandment, forbids not all
has been filed ; every Precept, which is only Images (or fignificant Ceremonies) in the Wor-
Ceremonial, is
Abrogated. fhip of God, bur, Thy making them for thy
VI. The
forbidding of Blood unto Noah, in felf.
Gen. p. 4 feems to have been living Blood, and VII. The Authority of our Lord Jefus Chrift,
for the prevention of that Bloody, Ferocious, as the glorious King and Prophet, of his Church,
Inhumane Dilpofition, which was then prevail- is profanely invaded, when the Worfhip of
ing in the World. And all the Commandments God, with the Significant Ceremonies of it, is
given to Noah, were not Moral. taught by the Inventions of Men.
VII. The forbidding of Blood unto the Pri- VIII. The Sacred Scriptures pronounce it, an
mitive Churches, in Ails 15. 20. was a Tem- Argument fufficient, for the Rejetlmg and Con-
porary Advice, for the avoiding of Scandal. It demning of any thing, in the Worfhip
of God, if
would not only have prejudiced the Jevos againft God himfelf hath not prefcribed it. Thus, Jer. 7.
all Chriltianity,but alfo it would have confirm- 3 1. They did that which I commanded them not,
ed the Pagans, in their Idolatry ; For the Prin- neither came it into my tic art. Thus, Heb. 7. 14.
cipal Entanglements of their Idolatry, lay in Of that Mofesfpake nothing. Thus, Lev. 10. 1.
thefe four things, of Idolathytes, Icrnication, They offered firange Fire, before the Lord, which
Blood and Strangulates, which are elfewhere he commanded them not.
'
fummed up in two, 'The eating of things Sacra- IX. 'Tis very certain, That under the Old
ficed unto Idols, and, committing Fornication. Tefiament, there was not any one fignificant
To forbear thele Things, was to teftifie a Re- Ceremony allow'd, in the Worfhip of God,
nunciation of heaihemfm. To ufe any of thele but what God himfelf had inftituted. If the
things among the heathens, was to jullifie their Churches of the New Tefiament will proceed
Devil-Worflnp. Now the World is in other in this matter, without a Divine Infiitution, let
Circumffances, and, Cefjatio Caufe efficit, ut them then produce their Charter.
ceffaret Obfcrvatio. Fornication yet remains up X. The Apoftolical Writings to the Galatians
on other, and
farther, and moral, and more and the Coloffians, forbid to pra&ife any
us
general Accounts, a Sin. fignificant Ceremony in the Worfhip of God which
God himfelf had once Appointed, but now Abol-
ifhed. Much lefs may we now pra&ife any
Question. which God never appointed at all.
L T"" 1
HE Sign of Internal, are Parts of Ex-
Jl ternal Worfhip in both whereof, the Quest-
5+ The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
I. There is now no Place which renders
the
Worfhip of God, more acceptable for its being
QjU E S T I O N. there performed
Times of the Gofpel,
: It's foretold
concerning the
Zeph. 2. u. Menjball in
Whether the Games of Cards or Dice, he
worfirip him, every one from Ins place. Tis fore-
Lawful to be ufed, among the Frofejfors of told in Mai. 1. n. In every place incenfie fhall
the Gbriftian Religion ? be offered to my Name, and a pure
offering.
Tis foretold in John 4. 24. That the
Spiri.
I.
'"p'Here is,
at the Ieaft, a great fufpidon
tual Worfhip of God, fhall now be accepted
Jl brought on the Lawfulnefs of thefe with him, in other Places as well as in
Jeru-
Games, by the Lottery, which they turn upon. Jalem.
Lot s being mentioned in the facred Oracles of We are commanded, in 1 Tim. 2. 8. That Men
the Scripture, as ufed only in weighty Cajes,and as pray in everyplace.
an Acknowledgment of God'fitting in Judgment, There is a Truth, in the famous Dr. Ufijer's
'
with a defireol his Power and Providence to be Obfervation In Times of :
Pcrfecution, the
'
manifefted, and not without an Invocation of Godly did often meet in Bains, and iuch ob-
s
God, for the end of Strife, therein implied fcure Places ; which were indeed
:
publick be-
They cannot be made the Tools and Parts of our \
caufe of the Church of God there as where- -,
'
common Sports, without, at leaft, fuch an ap- ever the Prince is, there is the
Court, tho' it
e
pearance of Evi/, as is forbidden in the word of were in a poor Cottage.
God. There were Parts of Worfhip in the
Mofaick
II. The General Rules, which in all Recrea- Pedagogy, which could not be
performed any
tions are to be obferved, are fo generally tranf- where but at the Holy Places,
appointed. There
grefled in thefe Games, that ordinarily it can be
are no Parts of the
Worfhip confined unto any
no other than a Sin to ufe them. Pi ^s under the New Tefiament. .
Thefe Diverfions Yafcinatc the Minds of thofe They who expecl: the Divine
regard for what
that pracfife them, at fuch a rate, that if ever they do in the Worfhip of God, becaufe 'tis done
thofe Perfons come to be converted unto God, in this or that Place, do not pray
looking to-
they bitterly lament the lofs of time in which wards the Temple ; our Lord Jefus Chrift, the
that practice hath involved them. And the true Temple ofGod, is therein overlooked.'
other PaJJions and Follies almolt infepa- II. To prepare and
many repair Places for the Pub-
rable from thefe Diverfions,render the Diverfions lick Worfhip of God, and keep thofe Places in
themfelves to be, Sins againlt the Commandments, fuch a Condition, that they be not unfit for the
which prohibit the Evils thereby occafioned. folemn Exercifes of Religion This is but an :
III. The Scandal of thefe Games, declares itof Obedience to him, who, when he
a A£t,
requires
Scandalous thing for Cbrifiians to meddle with Worfhip from us, doth alfo fuppofe that there
them. muff be Places for it. But the of thefe fetting
The Charatter given to thefe ufages, not Places off, with a Theatrical
fit Gaudinefs, does
only by Cbrifiians of all forts and ranks, and not favour of the Spirit of a true Chriftian So-
in all Ages, whofe, juft invcllives againft them ciety.
would fill Volumes, but by the Sober and Moral III. While the Duties of Divine
Worfnip, are
Pagans alio, has brought them among the performing in any Places, an agreeable Reve-
things of Evil Report, which by Cbrifiians are rence is to be maintained in thofe Places not •,
QjUESTI ON,
Worfhip
of God, may lawfully be put unto
any civil Ser-
vice, for which they may be accommodated, at
What Refpefl is duePlaces of Vublick.
to the Times when the Sacred
Worfhip is not there
Worjbip ? to be attended fo far as
•,
Contempt of God and
his Ordinances doth not
naturally and necelfari-
Places were appointed under the Law ly follow thereupon even as Courts were kept
•,
HOly
of old, by the great Lawgiver of Ifrael, in the Synagogues among the Jews.
the People, but
partly to prevent Idolatry among
I
And that the drinking of an Health is thus de the Voice of Inftruments is not.
ligned, and ib becomes no other than a prophane II. Tho' Inflrumental Mufick were admitted
Sacrament, was the Judgment of Ambrofe, when and appointed in the Worfhip of God under the
he wrote thofe words, §>uid memo* em Sacra- Old Teftament, yet we do not find it pra£Hfed
menta I Bibamus pro falute Imperatorum. To in the Synagogue of the Jews, but
only in the
drink an Health implies an Application to fome Te?nple. It thence appears to have been a
part
Objecf for that Health: This way of it is un- of rhe Ceremonial Pedagogy, which is now abo-
warrantable. lifhed nor can any fay it was a part of Moral
-
?
IV. To begin or follow Healths, which bind'
Worfhip. And, whereas the common Ufage
Perfbns to drink off their Cups, is a manifold now hath confined Inflrumental Mufick to Ca-
Offence againlt Charity Juftice and Reafon. Such thedrals, it ieems therein too much to Judaize ;
Healths being as the ancients truly called which to do is a part of the Anti-Chriftian Apo-
them,
The Devils Shooing-Horns to draw on Drunken- fhiey, as well as to Paganize.
nefs, are Scandals wherein much brutifh Folly III. In our
afferting, a Matter oftheOldTefta-
is committed, and more occafioned. The Pri- ment, to have been Typical, 'tis not needful,
juftlv refufed them, that we be always able to particularize any
mitive Chriftians therefore
and condemned them. Great Emperors have future
Myftcries of the New Teftament therein
made Edifts againft them. Pagan Writers have referred unto Truths which were then of a -,
latyrically lafhed them. And even Popiih Wri- prcfent Confideration, were fometimes repre-
iented
s* The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
fented in the Types then ufed among the People
of God, which helps to underltand the Cafe of
Inftrumental Mufick.
f Propositions.
IV. Inftrumental Mufick in the Worfhip of
the
God, is but a very late Invention and Corruption Concerning Marriage of Coufin-Germans.
in the Church of the New Teftament. The
Writings that go under the name oijuftm
Mar- I. nT H
O' in thefirft Propagation of Mankind
meanly of it. Even Aquinas himfelf, about folved and required, it was nectflary for Bro-
determines as to Marry their Sifters, yet that fo the
400 Years ago, againft it, Jewifh thers,
and Carnal. Bellarmine himfelf confeiTcs, that Bonds of Amity in Humane Society might be the
it was but late received in the Church. better increaied, the Lord afterwards prohibit-
V. If we admit in the ed feveral Marriages, under the Title of Inceft-
Inftrumental Mufick,
Worfhip of God, how can we refill the Impofi- and fome were now too near akin to be united :
tion of all the Inftruments ufed among the an- there were degrees of Confanguimty, and ib of
cient Jews ? Yea, Dancing as well as Playing, Affinity, wherein Marriages might not be con-
and feveral other Judaic Atlions ? Or, how
•
tracted.
can we decline a whole Rabble of Church-Of- II. Albeit the Light of Nature teaches Men
to be introduced for Inftrumental to preferve a Diftance, and Honour, for fome
ficers, neceffary
that are very nearly related, and Natural Con-
Mufick, whereof our Lord Jefus Chrift hath left
us, no manner of Direction ? fcience relucls with Horror at fome Conjunctions -,
Lord Jefus
or PermifTion
Chrift, for any
Degrees,
Unlawful and Inceftuous.
to be the Adminiftrators of Baptifm, except thofe III. In the Eighteenth Chapter of
Leviticus^
whole Work it is by his Commiffion top-each the there is a Law of Heaven, declaring the De-
but an Officer to apply the Seal, in the Name Jews, (which the Conclufion of it, abundantly
of the Great King of Heaven, is a prefumptuous intimates :) But what falls not within the reach
of that Law, is no Sin : and the Canon-Law,
Arrogance.
which for fome Covetous and Enflaving ends,
Baptifm is one of the Evangelical Myfteries,
and none but Stewards in the Houfe of our Lord hath made vaft additions to this Law of God,
Jefus Chrift, pretend unto the DifpeniatioH
may
is to be
rejected, as full of Superftitious Im-
ot thofe Myfteries. politions.
TheApoitolical Writings intimate,
that fome IV. If we
exaftly confider the Line in the
are fent to Baptife.
Hence none are to Baptije, Eighteenth Chapter of Leviticus, we fhall find,
but thofe that aiefent. that the mod remote Relations forbidden to
II. As both the Primitive and Prctejiant Many, (which are, the Brother, and the Bro-
thers Daughter) ftand one Degree nearer to the
Churches, have fignifitd their dlflike of Baptifm
adminiftred by common Hands: Thus the Dif- root, than Coufin Germans do. An Uncle or an
order, and Contuiion, and the Contempt of the Aunt therefore being the furtheft,
-,
with whom
Inftitutions of the Lord Jefus Chrilt, which a Marriage is interdicted, it ieems plain, that
weald be thereby introduced, is u fufticient pre- the Marriage of Coujtn-Germans is not Inceftu-
it. QUS.
judice againft
[II The Original of the Allowance and V. Altho' Coufin-Germans, that are Married
renance, given
. fome Churches, unto
in unto each other, now may and Ihould, with all
undue Adminiftrators of Baptifm has been from Peace of Mind, live together in the fear ot God,
>Js Errors in the Minds of Men, about the and not give way to diftrefling temples ; or
g
3
.cefhty and Operation of that Sacrament, queftion the Lawfulnefs of their Marriage any
whereof, non Prwatio fed Contcmptus dam- more than the Famous Holoman would have
nat. done, who has written to prove it, pium &
Chriftianum ejje. Neverthelefs, there is much
to be laid for the difTuading of Coufin-Germans^
from coming together in Marriage. Inexpedi-
ence
Book V. Tbe Hijlory of New-England. 57
ence we know fometimes does produce unlaw- that help, to come at the knowledge of the
This Marriage may be very Inexpedient, Truth.
fulnefs.
IX. When a SefTion of a Court is
itborders as near, as is poflible, to what is un- very near,
There is no need of coming lo near, a Church may prudently fbtbear for a little
lawful.
while we have fuch a wide.. World before us. while, a Procefs, which the necclTuy of a Soul
of Marriage, namely to promote, and fallen into Sin, and the Vindication of the Name
One end
extend alliances, is damnified herein. Some
of the Lord, makes not proper to be forborn tor
a greater while.
Wife and Good Men have been fo troubled in
their Minds, concerning thefe that
Marriages,
X. When things are not very Apparent,
or,
it is an eafier thing to abftain here from, than very Important, it is prudently done of a Church,
to extirpate fuch a trouble from the Minds of to defer the early decilion of a Matter, vhich
it, and the Court, a Con-
will produce between
the Faithful.
Some of the moil confiderable among of the
dangerous Confequence. troverfie
XI. As 'tis the Duty of a Church to fee that
Ancients, elpecially Ambroje, and Auftm,
be-
the WitnelTes of a Crime, to be
fides Five feveral Councils, have feverly cenfured judged by it, be
them* and the Churches of the Augufian On obliged to fpeak, as in the fpecial prefence of
fejjion,
do to this Day prohibit them. So that the Great God, fo if it be feared that the Wit-
upon the whole, the advice of the renowned nelTes will not be Faithful, unlefs they be upon
Ames may feem noj amiis, Tut'ws rji abfii- Oath, it is Prudence to defer 'till the Civil Ala-
nere. giftrate have examined them.
XII. Or, if Witnejjes refufe to come at all
unto the Church, which the Civil Magiftrate
QjJ E ST I O N. m ay and will compel to give in their Tettimo-
nies, a Church can in Prudence do no other than
Whether, or how far the DifcipHne of our defer, 'till thol'e WitnelTes can be brought to
Churches upon offences in them, is to de- teltirie what is expected from them.
fend upon tbe LonviBion of thrfe Offences
in the courts of Civil Judicature ?
The Judgment of the Mini/Jers, met 4*Boffon,
May, ii. j6vS>. upon a Caje Addreffed
I.
*-pO bring the DifcipHne of tbe Church, in- unto them, concerning Lotteries.
1 to a dependance on the Direction of the
Civil Magi ft raie, is to put it under undue, and
unlafe diiadvantages. The mutual dependance I. y^iReat is the Difference,
between, a Lot-
of thole, on each other, as 'tis not founded in Vj tery fet up, by Perlons a£fing in a pri-
the Oracles of our Lord Jefus Chrift, fo it has vate Capacity ; and a Lottery fet up, bv the Go-
been the occafion of no little Confufion in the vernment , who have Power to lay a Tax upon
World. the People, but choofe to leave auto the more
Some things may be cenfured in the Court,
II. eafie Determination of a Lotteiy, the Perfons
for Tianigrefrions of the Laws, which may who fh.ill pay the Summ which the Neceflkies •
t church may lee caufe, and do well, to ac- Publick, all that is thus railed by the Lottery.
c ..it them. Whereas a more private Lottery, is managed,
V. Pe> Pons may be acquired in the Court oi by thole that have no Antecedent claim unto
Crimes lard to .their Charge, for want of Gw- any thing of their Neighbours, and it is defign-
vittion, and yet the Evidence may be 16 Con-
ed merely for private advantage.
vicTive, that a Church may Condemn item II. It is a Principle embraced among all well-
and then Cbrifiian Prudence would make ufe of the Bodies, the Riches, the Defence, or the
5 H regular
58 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
of Humane Society, have by and the Time of the General Court for
regular Velights, EleQions
this Lottery, no addition made unto them. of Magtftrates in the Colonies. Thefe
Meet-
III. Not only the Undertakers of a Lottery, ings have not all obliged themfelves to one
have a certain gain unto themielves, from Hu- Method of Proceeding, in
purfuing of mutual
mane Society ; but fo likewiie have they, who Edification -,
feme do ftill Faft and
Pray toge-
in the Lottery, draw the Tickets of Benefit : gether, and fpeak in theit rurn to a
propojej
and every one that Ventures, doth it with a de- SubjeB, much atrer the manner of the Great
fire to fall upon thofe Tickets in the Drawing. GrmdaPs Le&uies : Others do only after the
Tis very that for this Benefit, none of publick Le&ures, then, held in the
certain, •'
'ongrega-
thofe, can pretend, that they do any one thing tion of that Paftor, 10 whole Houfe chev Ad-
Beneficial to Humane Society. They only Hire journ, Confer a wuile together upou meters of
the Undertakers, to ttansfer the Eftates of others Concernment : but one of thele
Meetings ts regu-
unto them, without any fervice done by them, lated by the following Orders.
to the Interefts of any others under Heaven.
But we do not judge this pleafing unto God,
that Mens Rights be ordinarily transferred from It is agreed by us whofe Names are under-
one to another, merely in a way of Reference
written, that rve do ^floridfe our foes
to Divuie Providence, without confidering any ft
fervice therein intended unto the Community, for the promoting of the GofpA, and our
or any help to Mankind in its true Interelts.
mutual afjijtance and Hitherance tn that
Nor is ventring in a Lottery on Shore, of the great Woik.:
fame Nature with venturing in a Merchandife
at Sea. In order thereunto,
IV. In a Lottery fo contrived, that when all
the frizes be drawn, they do not make up, 1. we meet at the
conftantly,
and letch out, near the whole Summ that was
'
THAT
College
'
in Cambridge, on a
Monday
depofued by the Adventurers, there is a plain at Nine or Ten of the Clock in the Morn-
Cheat upon the People. The Undertakers in '
ing, once in fix Weeks, or oltner, if need
fuch Lottery, only refolve to Pillage the
a 'be.
People of fuch a Confidetable Summ ; and in
vite.a number to a flirt them in their A£tion, '
That in fuch Meetings, one (hall be
II.
with hopes of going fhares with them in the '
chofen Moderator pro Tempore, for the better
Advantage ; and luch is the Corruption of Man- 'Order and Decency of our Proceedings, which
kind, thar the mere hopes of getting the Riches
'
Moderator is to be chofen, at the end of
c
every
of other Men, without the doing of any fer- Meeting.
vice to them for it, will engage Men to run the
'
hazzard of being Lofers. III. That the Moderator's Work be,
Upon the whole; we cannot approve it,
that any particular Perlbns do either under- 1.
'
To End the Meeting, wherein he is
'
take, or countenance any fuch Lotteries, as Chofen, and to begin the next with
'
have been fometimes praftifed in other places, Prayer.
and the Danger which there is, left the Lufts
'
of Men, once engaged in thefe Lotteries, pro- 2. To propofe Matters to be Debated,
'
ceed unto a multitude of other Diforders, to and Receive the Suffrages of the
*
the ruine of their Employments and their Fa- Bretheren.
milies, does further move us, to withold our
'
approuation from them. 3. To Receive with the Confent of the
'
Bretheren, the Subfcriptions of iuch
*
$> Having fo often produced the Propofiti-
9. as fhall join with us ; and
keep all
'
ons voted by an AlTembly of Minifters at Cam- Papers belonging to the Affociation. ,
'
Collationes. We can truly fay, as our Bre-
theren do in their Preface, That it is far from
' '
firft, The Presbyterian Minifters of this fwallowed up in that BlelTed one of United
Country do find it no Difficulty to Prallife Bretheren. And now partly becaule one of
the fubllance of it, in and with their feveral New-England, namely Mr. Increafe Mather,
Congregations ; and when it comes to the then Refident at London, was very Angularly
practice they
do not find fo much of Difficulty, Inftrumental in Effecting of that Union but -,
as, at firft, appear'd in the Notion. more becaufe that'Union, hath been for many
Secondly, The Reverend Perfons of the Pref- Luftres, yea, many Decads of Years Exemplified
byterian way, who wrote the Jus Divinum in the Churches of New-England, fo far, that
Mimfterii Evangelici, as long fince as the Year I believe, 'tis not ponTole for me to give a truer
1654. declared, Defcription of our Ecclefiaftical Conftitution,
'
As we agree wholly in the fame Confeffion than by Tranfcribing thereof The Articles of
'
of iaith, fo we agree in many things or great- that Union fhall here be Repeated.
Heads of Agreement
AfTented to by the
vv have One Catholick nion with one Author in all the Ordinances of
Chrift to
Church , or Kingdom , com- Chrift, are particular Churches, and are to be
prehending all that are united owned by each other, as inftituted Churches of
to him, whether in Heaven or Earth. And do Chrift, though differing in Apprchenjions and
conceive the whole Multitude of Vifible Believers, PraUice in fome lefler Things.
and rheir Infant-Seed (commonly calfd the Ca- 3. That none (hall be admitted as Members,
tholick Vifible Church) to belong to Chrift's Spi- in order to Communion in all the fpecial Ordi-
ritual Kingdom in this World. But for the nances of the Gofpel, but fuch Perfons as are
Notion of a Catholick Vifible Church here, as knowing, and found in the Fundamental Doll-
it fignifies it's
having been colle&ed into any rines of the Chriftian Religion, without lcandal
formed Society, under a vifible Humane Head in their Lives ; and to a Judgment regulated by
on Earth, whether One Pcrfon fingly, or Many the Word of God, are Perfons of vifible Holi-
Colleftively, we, with the reft of Proteftants, nefs and Honefty ; credibly profeffing Cordial
unanimoufly difclaim it
Subjection to Jefus Chrift. 5 H 2 4. A
6o Ibe Hiflory of New-England. Book V.
4. A
competent number of fuch vifible Saints, of that particular Church over which he is to
j
recommending
coveniently may be) to live near one another. him and his Labours to the Grace and of
Bleffing
6. That each particular Church hath right to I God; no different Sentiments or Practice
herein,
ale their own Officers; and being furnifhed fhall be any occafion of Contention or Breach
of
with fuch as are duly qualified and ordained'ac- 'union among us.
cording to the Gofpel Rule, hath Authority from 7. It is expedient, that they who enter on the
Chrift for exercifing Government, and of enjoy- work ofpreaching the Gofpelj)e not only qualified
ing all ^Ordinances of Worfbip within it felf. for Communion of Saints ; but alfo, that ex-
7. In the Adminiftration oi Church Power, it cept in Cafes extraordinary, they give proof of
belongs to the Pajiors and other Elders of every their Gifts and iitnefs for the fiid
Work, unto
particular Church, if fuch there be
to rule and the Pajiors of Churches, of known Abilities to
govern, and to the Brotherhood to confent ac- difcern and judge of their Salifications •, that
cording to the Rule of the Go/pel. they may be fent forth with fulemn Approbation
8. That all Prolefiors as before defcribed, are and Prayer -,
which we judge needful, that no
bound in Duty, they have opportunity to Doubt may remain concerning their being called
as
join themfelves as fixed Members of ibme parti- unto the Work ; and tor preventing (as much as
cular Church , their thus joining being part of in us lyeth) ignorant and rath Intruders.
their profelTed Subjection to the Go/pel of Chrift,
and an inftituted Means of their Eftablifhment III. Of Cenfures.
and Edification; whereby they are under the
P j floral Cwr,andin cafe oifcandalous or offenfive 1. \
S it cannot be avoided, but that in the
Walking, may be Authoritatively admonifhed l\. pureft Churches on Earth, there will
or cenfured for their Recovery, and for Vindi- fometimes Offences and Scandals arife by reafon of
>n of the Tr, the CWcfrprofeffingit. Hypocrifie and prevailing Corruption ; 16 Chrift
•
V V inftituted by Jefus "Chrift for the either of the Admonitions take place for the
gathering, guiding, edifying and governing of his recovery ofthe fallen Perfon^W further Proceed-
Church ; and to continue to the end of the World. ings in a way of Cenfure are thereon to ceafe,
2. They who are called to this Office ought to and fa tisfaftton to be declared accordingly.
be endued with competent Learning and minifte- 3.
When all due Means are ufed, according
rial Gifts, as alfo with the Grace of God, found to the Order of the Gofpel for the reftoring an
in Judgment,not Novices in the Faith and Know- offending and fcandalous Brother, and he, not
ledge of the Gofpel ; without fcandal, of Holy withftanding remains impenitent, the Cenfure of
Conversion, and fuch as devote themfelves to Excommunication is to be proceeded unto; where-
the Work, and Service thereof in the
Paftor and other Elders (if there be fuch)
3. That ordinarily none
fhall be ordained to are to lead and go before the Church ; and the
the Work of this Miniftry, but fuch as are called Brotherhood to give their Confent in a way of
and chefen thereunto by a particular Church. Obedience unto Chrift, and to the Elders, as
4. That in fo great and weighty
a Matter as over them in the Lord.
the calling and chufing a Paftor, we judge it or- 4. It may fometimes come
to pals, that a
dinarily requifite, that every fuch Church con- Church-Member, not otherwife fcandalous may
fult and advife with the P afters of neighbour- fitfully withdraw,
and divide himfelf from the
ing Congregations.
Communion ofthe Church to which he belongeth :
5. Thac after fuch
Advice the Perfon con- In which cafe, when all due Means for the re-
futed about, being chofen by the Brotherhood ducing him, prove ineffectual, he having there-
by
Book V. Tbe Hijlory of New-England. 61
that Churches and mind of Chrifh
.by cut himfelf offfrom
needful according to the
on-, the Church may jultly efteemaai declare it that the Minifters of feveral Churches be con-
felf difcharged of any further Inflection over him. fultul and advifed with about fuch Matters.
2. That fuch
Meetings may confift of fmaller
IV. Of Communion of Churches. or greater Numbers, as the Matter (hall
require.
That particular Churches, their refpecfive
3.
a § ree that particular Churches ought Elders and
Members,ought to have a reverential
i,
\A7^
V V n ot to walk io diltinct and feparate from
Regard to their Judgment, fo given, and not dif
each other, as not to have Care and Tendernefs fent there from without apparent Grounds from
towards one another. But their Pallors ought the Word of God.
to have frequent Meetings together,that by mutu-
al Advice, Support,Encouragement,and Brotherly Vll. Of our Demeanour towards tbe Civil
Intercourfe, they may ftrengthen the Hearts and Magiftrate.
Hands of each other in the Ways of the Lord.
2. That none of our particular Churches fliall I-Y/17E do reckon our felves obliged continual-
* *
be fubordinate to one another, each being endu- ly to pray for God's Protection, Gui-
ed with equality of Power from Jefus Chriit. dance and Bleffing. upon the Rulers fet over us.
And that* none of the faid particular Churches, 2. That we
ought to yield unto them not only
their Officer or Officers, (hall exercife any Pow- Subjection in the Lord, but Support,
according
er, or have any Superiority, over any other to our Station and Abilities.
Church or their Officers. 3. That if at any time, it fhall be their Plea-
think otherwife ; we agree that this Difference bling them with Difputes about leifer Matters.
make no Breach among us. As we alTent to the fore-mentioned Heads
of Agreement, 16 we unanimonfly relolve
VI. as the Lord fhall enable us to Praliife
Of occafional Meeting of Minifiers, &c.
according to them.
i."\K7E agree that in order to Concord, and in
^ V other
weighty and difficult Cafes, it is
The
62 Book V.
Concerning the
'
S the Englijh Nation has been ho- 1
on the rude Waves of the vaft Ocean into a
'
noured above molt of the Proteft- remote, defolate and howling Wildernefs, and
'
ant and Reformed World, with there encountring by Faith and Patience, with
'
clearer Difcoveries of feveral molt a World of Temptations and Streights and
'
confiderable Points in our Chriltian Religion ; preflingWants and Difficulties, and this upon
'
4
and a Glory,as long as the Earth (hall have any ly the Officers of inftituted Churches humbly,
'
Remembrance of an Englilh Nation. After- prayerfully and carefully engaged in Studies for
them great and their Service, would lye under as dire£t an In-
'
Ages will honour for that
of tranfporting fluence of his Holy Spirit, as any Inquirers
'
high Adventure Theirs, in
1
themfelves, their Wives and little Ones, up whatfoever. But there is one very important
Article
^
Book
peculiar
V.
Exercile
2. When our
and
'I be
Concernment
Hijtorj of
Article io£ Ecclefiajlical Difciphne whereabout^ ters,
the Churches of Neva-England have had a moftj
that
between
of
—— —
.
this
—
Connelticut
Occafion,
;
—
New-fcogknd.
came to feme Figure hrii, in tl e Crild'riV
where thepbus
is! ferving the be^un Dangers of
procured a
P<iroxy//h>.
might affecF the State as well as the
Diaught of
<
"c'\
riheUfglta-
M
&
*3
and Years pf Age, a numerous ted £>ucflions, and fent them to the Magiitiau;;
thirty
'twenty
was advanced fo far into the World,: of the MajfavheJeFs Colony, with a Ren
Toflerity
that the lirft-Planters began apace in-their fe- that feveral of tneablett
Mi filters, in bo'h Co-
veral Families, to be diflinguilhed by the might upon mature Deliberation, give in
name lonies
of Grand-pathers But among .the immediate their Anfwers thereunto. Accordingly, the Let-
:
Parents of the Grand-Children, there were mul- ters of the Government, procured an Alferribly
titudes of welldifpofed Perfons, who partly of our principal Minifters at Bofton oh June 4.
and Fears, and part- 1657. who by the ipth of that Month prepared
through their own Doubts
had not acFu-. and prefented an elaborate /nlwer to twent y one
ly thro' other culpable Negle&s,
Srate of Com- '?jtrft/cns which was afterwards printed in
ally come up to
the covenanting •,
municants at the Table of the Lord. The good London, under the Title of, A Difputation con-
old Generation could not without many uncom- cerning Church-Members and their Children. Be-
fortable Apprehenfions, behold their Cafes referring to the Church State of
Offfpring fides,other
excluded irom the of Chriitianity,
Baftifm and Children born in the Boiom of the Church, it
from the Ecclefiaftical InfpecYion which is to ac is in this Difputation aliened and maintained,
prudent Men, who mighr be caU'd our Seers, by the Church. And in cafe they underltand
'
that the Children of the Faithful maybe kept the Grounds of Religion, and are not Scanda-
loas, and folemnly own the Covenant in their
'
as far as may Church-watch, in ex -
be, under a
'
pe£fation that they might be in the fairer way own Perfons, wherein they give up both them-
'
to receive the Grace of God thus they were
: felves and their Children unto the Lord,
and defire Baptifm for them, we fee not fuf-
'
looking diligently, that the proiperous and pre-
'
in our ciufe to unto
vailing Condition of Religion Churches, c
ficient deny Baptifm their
quickly abandon the biggelf pjrt of our Coun- fmall Confequence to the Inrerelfs of Chrifiia-
try unto Heathenilm. Ai;d on the other fide, it nity in the Country. As the Divines of New-
was feared, that if all fuch, as had not yet ex England were Sollicitous that the Propagation of
poled themfelves by cenfuiable Scandals found our Churches might hold pace with that of our
upon them, lhould be admitted unto all the Pri Ofr-fpring, ib they were indulfrious for the
viledges in our Churches, a wordly part of Combination of our Churches into fuch a Bun-
Mankind might, before we are aware, carry all dle of Arrowes, as might not eafily be broken.
Thirds into luch a courlc of Proceeding, as However, they had by their Adverlaries been
would be very diiagreeable unco the Kingdom termed Independents, neverthelcls they folemn-
of Heaven. ly, on this Occafion, repeated and iublcribed,
§ 3. The guejlions railed about thefe Mat- that Profeifion of their famous Brethererun rlie
Lngiifh
$4 The Hiftory of New-Fngland Book V.
' '
ANSWER
Elders and other Messengers of the Churches,
O
THE
F T H E
<5
Church Members who were admitted in
c
are regularly fit tor the lame. -
his Laws and Government; v. 20. Which Sub- altho it is the Invifible Church, unto the Spiri-
jects (or
Members of that Kingdom, i. e. of the tual and Eternal Good whereof,thisand all other
vifible Church) are termed Difciples, v. 19. Alfo Ordinances lalfly, have refpecl, and which
in the Ails of the Apoftles, (the Story of their the place mentioned in Eph. 5. may in a fpecial
Accomplifhment of that Commiflion) Difciples manner look unto, yet it is the Vifible Church
are ufually put for Members of the Vifible that is the next and immediate Subjecl of the
Church, Alls 1. 15. In the midft of the Difciples, Adminilfration thereof. For the Subject of vi-
who, with others added to them, are called the fible external Ordinances to be adminiftred by
Church, Ah. 2. 47. The Members whereof are Men, muft needs be vifible. And fo the Apoftle
A£ts 6. 1, 2. A£ts 9. 1. baptized fundry Perfons, who were of the vifi-
again called Difciples ,
Againft the Difciples of the Lord; i. e. againft ble, but not of the invifible Church, as Simon
the Church of God, 1 Cor. 15. p. Galat. 1. 13. Magus, Ananias and Saphira, and others. And
A&s 9. 26. He aflayed to
join himfclf
there are vifibly purchafed and faniiijied by the
to the Di-
: So Alls 18. 23. with Chap. 15. 41. & Jevoifb Church, or for the Members of the Vifible
Gefarea
Gal. 1. 2. Atls 18. 27. &
Chap. 20. 1. From Church under the Old Teftament. Thofe within
all which it appeareth, that Difciples in Matth. are exprefled by [the circumcifed'] and thofe
28. 19. and Members of the Vifible Church, are without by [theVncircumcifetf] Rom. 15. S. and
Terms equivalent-, and Difciples being, there, by 3. 30. Eph. 2. n. fudges 14. 3. and 15. 18.
Chrift himfelf made the Subjects of Baptifm, it 1 Sam. 14. 6. and 17. 26, 36. Jer. 9. 25, 26.
followeth that the Members of the Vifible Hence by proportion Baptifm (which is our Gof-
Church are the Subjecls of Baptifm. pel Circumcifion, Col. 2. 11. 12.) belongs to the
2. Baptifm is the Seal of the firft Entrance or whole Vifible Church under thsNew Teftament.
AdmiJJion into the Vifible Church as appeareth Acf ual and perfonal Circumcifion, was indeed
-,
from thofe Texts, 1 Cor. 12. 13. Bapttfed into proper to the Males of old, Females being but
one Body, i. e. our Entrance into the Body or inclufively and virtually circumcifed and fo
Church of Chrift, is fealed by Baptifm And counted of the Circumcifion
: But the Lord :
Rom. 6. 3, 5. Gal. 3. 27. where 'tis fhewed that has taken away that Difference now, and ap-
Baptifm is the Sacrament of Union, or of in- pointed Baptifm to be perfonally applied to both
into Chrift the Head, and confequently Sexes. Alls 8. 12. and 16. 15. Gal. 3. 28. So
grafting
into the Church his Body, and from the Apoftle's that every particular Member of the Vifible
conftant practice of baptifing Perfons upon their Church is now a Subject of Baptifm. con- We
firft coming in, or firft giving up themfelves to clude, therefore, that Baptifm pertains to the
the Lord and them. Ms 8. 1 2. and 1
6, 1
5. 3 3. whole Vifible Church, and to all and every one
and 18. 8. and Alls 2. 41. 42. they were bap- therein, and to no other,
tifed at their firft Adding to the Church, or Ad-
5 I Pro-
66 Ihe Hiftorj of New-England. Book V.
Eunuch. But that
in ordinary
Difpenfation the
Proposition II. Members of
the Vifible Church,
according to
the Scripture, are, fuch as are Members of
fome
Ihe Members of theVifibleCharch according particular Church, appears,. 1. Becaufe the
to Scripture) are confederate Vifible Be- Vifible Believer that
profeffedly Covenants with
God doth therein give up himlelf to wait on
lievers, in particular Churches, and their
Children in Minority,
i. e.
God in all his
Ordinances, Deut. 26. 17, 18.
Infant-feed, Matt. 28. 19, 20. But all the Ordinances of
whofe next Parents, one or both are in God are to be enjoyed only in a particular Church.
Covenant. For how often do we find in the
Scripture that
came
together into one place, (or met as a
they
Sundry Particulars are comprifed in this Propofi-
Congregational particular Church) for the Ob-
tion,which we may confider and confirm diftin£Uy .
fervation and
Enjoyment of the Ordinances,
Partic. i. ADult Perfons, who are Members of Alls 2. 1, 44, 46. and 4. 31. and 11. 26. and
JLjL the Vifible Church, are by Rule 20. 7. 1 Cor. 5^4. and n. 18. and 20. 33. and
-2. The
confederate Vifible Believers, Alls 5. 14. Belie- 14. 23. Apoftle in his Epiftles writing
vers were added to the Lord. The Believing to Saints or Believerewrites to them as in
parti-
Corinthians were Members of the Church there, cular Churches^i Cor. 1, 2. 1. 1. Phil. 1. 1.
Eph.
Ails 18. 8. with 1 Cor. 1. 2. and 12. 27. The Col. 1. 2. And when the Storyof the Atfs fpeaks
Infcription of the Epiftles written to Churches, of Difciples, other places lnew that thofe are
and calling the Members thereof Saints and underftood to be Members ofparticular Churches^
Faithful, (hew the fame thing, Eph. 1. 1. Phil. Airs 18. 23. with Gal. 1. 2. Afls 21. id. with
1. 1. Col. 1. 2. And that confideration, i.e. Co- 18. 22. and 11. 26. and
14. 22, 23, 27, 28.
venanting explicite or implicite (the latter pre- All which mews that the Scripture
acknowledg-
ierveth the Eflence of Confederation, the former ed no fettled orderly Eftate of Vifible Belie-
is Duty and moft defirable) is neceffary to make vers in Covenant, with
God, but only in parti-
one a Member of the Vifible Church, appears, cular Churches. 3. The Members of the Vifi-
I. Becaufe the Church is conftituted by Cove- ble Church are Dilciples, as was above
cleared,
venant^ for there is between Chrilt and the now Difciples are under Difcipline, and liable
Church, the mutual Engagement and Relation to Church Cenfures For they are ftated Sub-
:
of King and Subjecls, Husband and Spoufe jects of Chrift's Laws and Government, Matt.
-,
this cannot be, but by Covenant (internal if 28. 19, 20. but Church-Government and Cen-
you fpeak of the Invifible Church, external of fures are extant now in ordinary Difpenfation
the Vifible) a Church is a Company that can only in a particular Church, Matt. 18. 17.
lay, God is our God and we are his People, 1 Cor. 5. 4.
this is from the Covenant between God and Partic. 3. The Infant-feed of
confederate Vifible
them. Deut. 29. 12, 13. Ezek. 16. 8. 2. The Believers are alfo Members of the Vifible Church.
Church of the Old Teftamcnt was the Church The truth of this is evident Irom the Scriptures
of God by Covenant, Gen. 17. Deut. 29- and and Reafons following.
was reformed Hill by the renewing of the Co- Argum. 1. The Covenant of Abraham, as to
venant, 2 Chron. 15. i<5. and 23. 12. and 34. 3 1. the Subftance thereof, viz. That whereby God de-
32. ]S> eh. 9. 38. Now the Churches or the clares him/elf to be the God of the Faithful and
Gentiles under the New Teflament Hand upon their Seed, Gen. 17. 7. continues under the
Gof-
the fame Bafis or Root, with the Church of the pel, as appears. 1. Becaufe the
Believing in-
Old Teflament, and therefore are conflituted by churched Gentiles under the New Teflament, do
Covenant, as that was, Rom. 11. 17, 18. Eph. 2. (land upon the fame Root of covenanting Abra-
II, 12, ip. and 3. 6. Heb. 8. 10. 3. Baptifm ham ^ which the Jews were broken off from.
enters us into the Church Sacramentally, ;. e. Rom. 11. i<5, 17, 18. 2. Becaufe Abraham in re-
by fealing the Covenant. The Covenant, there gard of that Covenant was made a Father of
fore, is that which conftitutes the Church, many Nations, Gen. 17. 4, f. even of Gentiles
and infers Memberfhip, and is the Vow in Bap- as well as Jews, under New Teflament as well
tifm commonly fpoken of as Old. Rom. 4. 16, 17. Gal. 3. 29. i. e. in
Partic. 2. The Members of the Vifible Church Abraham as a Pattern and Root, God not
only
arefuch as are confederate in particular Churches. fbeweth how he juftifies the Believer,Gd/. 3. 6. 9.
It may be minded that we are here fpeaking of Rom. 4. but alfo conveyed that Covenant to the
Members,fo ftated in the Vifible Church, as that Faith, and their Seed in all Nations, Luke 19.
they are Subjects, to whom Church Ordinances 9. If a Son of Abraham, then Salvation, i. e.
may regularly be adminiftred,and that according the Covenant-Difpenfation of Salvation is come
to ordinary Difpenfation. For were it granted, to his houfe. 3. As that Covenant was com-
that the Apoflles and Evangelifls did ibmetimes municated to proielyte Gentiles under the New
baptife fuch, as were not Members of any par- Teftament, lb its Communication to the inchur-
ticular Church, yet theit extraordinary Office ched Gentiles under the New Teflament is clearly
large Power and Commiflion renders them not held forth in diverfe Places, Gal. 3. 14. The
imitable therein by ordinary Officers. For then Bleffing of Abraham comprifeth both the inter-
they might baptife in private, without the Pre- nal Benefits of Juftification by Faith, 0V. which
sence of a Chriftian afferribly, as Philip did the the Apoftle is there treating of ; and the exter-
nal
Book V. 'Ibe
Hijlory of New-England. 6l
nal Dilpenfation of Grace in the vifible Church Gal. 28. Col. 3. n. Heb. 8. 10. The Houfe of
3.
to the Faithful and their Seed, Gen. 28. 4. but Ifrael, e. the
i. Church of God both among
the whole Bleifing of Abraham ( and fo the Jews and Gentiles under the Nevo-Tcfiament
whole Covenant) is come upon the Gentiles thro' have that Covenant made with them, theSumm
2. 1 9. They had been whereof is, I will be their God, and ihcyfJjall
Jef.s Chrijk Eph. 12,
now were no more
Strangers from be my People, which is a
Sti..; >:.jrs, but renewing of that Co-
the Covenants of Promife, i. e. from the Cove- venant of Abraham in Gen. 17. (as the fame is
nant of Grace, which had often been renewed,ef very often over in thofe Terms renewed in Scrip-
Serially with Abraham,an&
the Houfe of fftdel] ture,, and isdiftinguifhed from the Law, Gal. 3.
and had been in the External Difpenlkion of it, i(5, 17. Heb. 8. 9.) wherein is implied God's be-
then peculiar Portion, fo that the Ephefuns, ing a God to the Seed, as well as Parents, and
who were afar off, being now called and made taking both to be his People, tho' it be not ex-
nigh, vl 13, 17- they have the Promife or the preiTed even as it is often plainly implied in that
:
Covenant of Promife to them and to their Chil- Expreflion of the Covenant in other places of
the Covenant in other
dren, according
to Affs 2. 39. and fo are Par- places of Scripture, Deut.
takers of that Covenant of Abraham, that we 29. 13- Jer. 31. 1. and 32. 38, 39. and 30. 22.,
are f peaking of, Eph. 3.6. The Inchurched Gen- 20. Ezek. 37. 27, 25. Alfo the writing
of the
tiles are put into the lame Inheritance for Sub- Law in the Heart in Heb. 8. 10. is that Heart
fiance (both as to invifible and vifible Benefits, Circumcifion, which Deut. 30. 6. extends both
according to their refpe&ive Conditions) are of to Parents and Seed. And the term Houfe of
the fame Body, and Partakers of the fame Pro- Ifraeldoih according to Scripture life fitly ex-
mife with the Jews, the Children of Abraham-, prefs and take in (efpecially as to the eternal
of old. The fame may be gathered from Gen. Adminiftration of the Covenant) both Patents
21. 43. and Children Among both which are found
9. 27. Mat. S. 11. 8t 4. Sundry Scrip :
tures which extend to Golpel-times do confirm that ElecF and faved Number ; that make up
the fame Inter eitxo the Seed of the Faithful the invifible Ifrael, compare Jer.
13. 11. and 9.
which is held forth in the Covenant of Abraham, 26. Ifaiah 5. 7. Hof. 1. 6. Ezek. 39. 25. Nei-
and confequently do confirm the Continuance of ther may we exclude the leaf in Age from the
that Covenanr, as Exod. 20. 6. there in the Good of that Promife, Heb. 8. 1 r. (they being
Sanation of a Moral and Perpetual Command- lbmetimes pointed to by that Phrafe, from the
to the great
ment, and that refpe&ing Ordinances, the Por- leaft eft, Jer. 4$. 12. with v. 7.) no
tion of the Church, God declareth himfelf to more than the leaft in other Refpe£ts, compare
be a God of Mercy to them that love him, and Ifaiah 54. 13. In Ms 2. 39. At the paffing of
to their Seed after them in their Generations,con- thofe Jews into New-Teftament Church-State,
fonantto Gen. 17. 7. compare herewith, Pfalm the Lord is fo far from repealing the Covenant
305.8,51. and Deut. 7.9. Deut. 30. 6. The Interejl, that was granted unto Children in the
Grace tignified by Circumcifwn is there promifed
former Teftamenr, or from making the Children
to Parents and Children, importing the Covenant there lofers by their Parents
Faith, that he
to both, which Circumcifion lealed, Gen. 17. doth exprefly renew the old Grant, and tells
and that is a Gofpel Promife, as the Apoffles them, that the Promife or Covenant (for the
citMg part of that Context, as the Voice of the Promife and the Covenant are Terms that
Gofpel {hews Rom. 10.6,8. with Deut.20. 11,14. do mutually infer each ether, compare AUs
and it reacheth to the Jews in the latter Days, 3. 25. Gal. 3. 16, 17,18, 29. Rom. 4. 16.
v. 1, 5 lf'i-6-). 23.
In the moft glorious Go- Heb. 6. 17.) is to them and their
Children^
fpel State ot the Church, v. 17, 19. TheBlef the fame is alTerted to be the appointed Portion
fang of the Lord is the promifed Portion
of the of the jar off Gentiles, when they fhould be
Ofi spring or Children
as well as of the Faith- called. By all which it appears that the Cove-
ful Parents, fo Jfa. 44. 3, 4- I/a. 59. 20, 21. nant of Abraham, Gen. 17. 7. whereby God is
Ezck. 37. 25, 26. at the future calling of the the God of
the Faithful and their Seed, conti-
Jews, which thofe Texts have Reference to nues under the Gofpel.
(Rom.ix. 26. Ezek. 37.19,22,23,24.) their Chil-
dren fhill be under the Promileor Covenant of Now
if the Seed of the Faithful be ftill in
to them in the Or the Covenant of Abraham, then
fpecial Grace to be conveyed they are Mem-
dinances, If a. 59. 21. and be Subjects of David, bers of the Vifible Church. 1. Becaufe that
i. e. Chrilf their King, Ezek. 37. 25. and have a Covenant of Abraham, Gen. 17. 7. was proper-'
Portion in his SanQuary, v. 26. and this accor Church Covenant, or the Covenant which God
ly
ding to the Tenor of the Ancient Covenant of makes with his Vifible Church, i. e. The Cove-
Abraham, whereby God will be their God (viz. nant of Grace confidered in the external Dif-
both of Parents and Children) and they fliall be penfation of it, and in the Promifes and Privi-
his People, v. 16, 27. Now altho' more abun- ledges that belong to that Difpenfation. For
dant Fruits of the Covenant may befeen in thofe many were taken into that Covenant, that were
times, and the Jews then may have more abun never ot the Invifible Church, and by that
dant Grace given to the Body of them to con- Covenant the Family of Abraham, as alio by
tinue in the Covenanr, yet the Tenor and Frame the renewing thereof the Houfe of Ifrael after-
of the Covenant it lelfis one and the fame both wards were eftablifhed the Vifible Church of
to Jews and Gentiles under the NewTeftament, God, Gen. 17. and Deut. 29.12, 13. and from
5 I 2 that
68 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
that Covenant Men might be broken off, Gen. of the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 9.
;
14. I n
17. l^.Rom. 11.17, p. and
1 to thatCovenanr, the difcipling of all Nations intended in Matth.
Circumci/ion, the Badg of Church-Memberfhip, j 28. 15?. the Kingdom of God, which had been
was annexed. Theretore the Covenantees there- the Portion of the Jews, was communicated to
j
Terms defcribing or inferring Church-Member- Intereft or Potx\or\,Mark 10. 14. 2. The Apoftles
fhip, as well as their Parents : For they have accomplifhing rhat Commifiion,yWa///;. 28. 19.
in
God for their God and are his People as well as didDifciplefomi Children, viz. the Children of
the Parents, Gen. 17. 7, 8. with Deut. 29. 11, difcipled Parents, Ails 2. 39. and 15. 10.. They
13. They have the Covenant made with them,
are there called and accounted Difciples, whom
Deut. 29. 14, 15. and the Covenant is faid to the falfe Teachers would have brought under
be between God and them, (between me and thee ,
the Yoke of Circumcifion after the manner of
and between thy Seed after thee : So the Hebrew Mofes, v. 1.5. But many of thofe were Child-
1
runs) Gen. 17.7. They are alfo in that Cove- ren ; Exod. 12.48. Atls 21. 21. Lydia and her
nant appointed to be the Subjects of the Initia- Houftiold, the Jaylor and all his were difcipled
tory Seal of the Covenant, the Seal of Mem-
and baptifed, Afls 16. 1 5, 3 1, 33. Paul at Co-
rinth took in the Children into the
berfhip, Gen. 17, 9, 10, 11. Thefbre the Seed Holy School
are according to that Covenant, Members of of Chrift, 1 Cor. 7. 14. 3. Such Children be-
the Vifible Church as well as their Parents. long unto Chrift ; for he calls them unto him, as
Argum. 2. Such Seed or Children are fede- his, to receive his Bleffing, Mark 10.
13, 16.
1 Cor. 7. 14. the Word They are to be received in his Name, Mark 9.
rally Holy, [Holy] as
applied to any fort of Peribns, is never in Scrip- 37. Luke 9.
48. They have a part in the Lord,
ture ufed in a lower Senfe, than for federal or Jofl).22. 24, 25. therefore
they are his Difci-
Covenant Holinejs (the Covenant Holinefs of pies : For to belong to Chrift, is to be a Dif-
the Vifible Church) but very often in that Senfe, cipleof Chrift, Mark 9. 41. with Matth. 10.
Ezr. 9. 2. Deut. 7. 6. arid 14. 2, 21. and 26. 19. 42. Now if they be
Difciples, then they are
and 28. 9. Exod. 19. 6. Dan. 8.24. and 12. 7. Members of the Vifible Church, as from the
Rom. 11. 16. So that to fay, they are Holy in equivalency of thofe Terms was before fhewed.
this Senfe, viz. by Covenant Relation and Sepe- Argum. 5. The whole Current and Harmony
ration to God in his Church, is as much as to of Scripture fhews, that ever jince there was a
fay, They are in the Covenant of the Vifible Church on Earth, the Children thereof
Vifible
Church, or Members of it. have by the Lord's Appointment been a part
of
Argum. 3. YxoxnMark 10. 14, 15, 16. Matt. it. So it was in the Old,and it is and (hall be fo
in the New
19. 14. Children's Memberfhip in rhe Vifible Left am em. Eve, the Mother of all
Church, is either the next and immediate Senle Living hath a Promife made, Gen. 3. 15. not
of thofe Words of Chriff, Of Juch is the King- only of Chrift the Head-Seed, but thro' him al-
dom of Heaven-, and fb the Kingdom of Heaven, fo of a Church-Seed, to proceed from her in a
or of God, is, not rarely, ufed in other Scrip- continued lineal Succeffion, which fhould conti-
tures to exprefs the Vifible Church, or Church nually be at vifible Enmity with, and ftand at a
Eftate, Matth. 25.1. and 21. 43. and 8. 11, 12. diftance,
or be fepa rated from the Seed of the
or it evidently follows from any other Senfe, Serpent. Under that Promife made to Eve and
that can rationally be given of the Words. For her Seed the Children of Adam are born, and
thofe may not be denied a place or portion in are a part of the Church in Adam's Family :
the Vifible Church, whom Chrift affirms to have Even Cain was fo, Gen. 4. 1, 3. till cafi out
a Portion in the Kingdom either of Invifible of the Prefence of God therein, v. 14. being
Grace or of eternal Glory Nor do any in ordi- now manifeitly one of the Seed of the Serpent,
:
hereafter, but thro the Kingdom of Grace in wicked unchurched Race. But, then God ap-
the Vifible Church here. And alfo, that Chrift, pointed unto Eve, another, viz. Seth, in whom
there, gracioufly invites and calls little Children
to continue the Line of her Church-Seed, Gen.
to him, is greatly difpleafed with thofe that 4. 25. How it did continue in his Seed in their
would hinder them, afferts them, notwithftand- Generations, Gen. 5. fheweth. Hence the Child-
to be exemplary in their re- ren of the Church are called Sons
ing their Infancy, of God,
ceiving the Kingdom of God, embraoeth them (which is as much as Members of the Vifible
in his Arms and blefleth them All which fhews Church) in contradiltinclion to the Daughters
:
Chrift's dear Affe&ion to,and owning of the Chil- of Men, Gen. 6. 2. If righteous Noah be taken
dren of the Church, as a part of his Kingdom ; into the Ark (then the only preferving place of
whom we, therefore, may not difbwn, lelt we the Church) his Children are taken in with him,
5
incur his Difpleafure, as the Difciples did. Gen. 7. 1. tho one of them, viz. Ham, after
Argum. 4. Such Seed or Children are Difci- proved degenerate and wicked but till he fo
-,
ples, according to Matth. 28. 19. as appears. appears, he is continued in the Church with his
1. Becaufe SubjeSs of Chrift's Kingdom are Brethereo So Gen. 9. 25, 26, 27. as the Race
:
equivalenr with Difciples there, as the frame of Hamot his Son Canaan (Parents and Children)
of rhat Text fhews, v. 18. 19, 20. but fuch are curfed ; fo Shem (Parent and Children) is
Children are Subjects of Chrift's Kingdom, or blelTed, and continued in the place of Bleffing, the
Church
Book V. Tbe Hiftory of New-England. 69
as Japhct alfo, or Japhefs Poiferity Adult Children fhould without regard to their
Church,
Parent and Children) fhall in time be own perfonal A£t, be taken in with their Parents
(ffill
Then God called Abraham out or' his Country, Partic. 5. It mi requifite unto the
Memberfhip
and from his Kindred, and ejlablijhed his Cove- of Children, that the next Parents, one or both,
nant with him, which ftill took in Parents and be in Covenant. For altho' After-Generations
Children, Gen k it did after in the
17. 7, 9- fo
have no fmall Benefit by their Pious Anceftors,
Houfe of Ifrael,
who derive federal Holinefs to their fucceeding
Deut. 19. 11, 12, 13. and
when any Eminent Reftoration or Eftablifhment, Generations in cafe they keep their
ftanding in
is promiied to the Church, the Children thereof the Covenant, and be not Apoftates from it j
are ftill taken in as fharers in the fame, Pfal. yet the Piety of Anceftors fufficeth not, unlets
io2. 16, 28. and 69. 35, 3d. Jer. 32. 38, 39. the next Par«nt continue in Covenant, Rom. 1 1.
1/a. 65. 18, 19, 23. Now when Chrift comes 22.
to fet up the Gofpel Adminiftration of his 1. Becaufe if the next Parent be cut or broken
Church in the New Teftament, under the term off, the following Seed are broken off alfo,
of the King of Heaven, Mat. 3.2. and 11. n. Exod. 20. 5. Rom. 1 1. 17, 19, 20. as the Gen-
He is fo far from taking away Children's Por- tile believing Parents and Children were taken
tion and Memberfhip therein, that himfelf af- in ; fo the Jews, Parents and Children, were
ferts ir, Mat. 19. 14. The Children of the then broken off.
but now Believing Corinthians, are Holy, 2. One of the Parents muft be a
Gentile, Believer, or
1 Cor. 7. 14. The Apoftle writing to the elje the Children are unclean, 1 Cor. 7. 14.
Church of Ephefus and Coloffe, fpeaks to 3. If Children may be accounted Members
Member/hip in the Vifible Church, from the Be- dren on Earth fhould have right to Memberfhip
ginning to the End of the World. and Baptifm.
Partic. 4. The Seed or Children, who become
Members together with their Parents (i. e. by HI. Proposition.
means of their Parents Covenanting) are Chil-
dren in Minority. This appears, 1. Becaufe the
Infant-Seed of Confederate vifible Belie-
fuch Children are Holy by their Parents Cove-
vers, are Members of tbe fame Church
nanting, who would elfe be unclean, 1 Cor. 7. with their Parents, and when grown
14; but they would not elfe necelfatily be un up
are perfonally under the Watch,
clean, if they were Adult ; for then they might Difcipline,
Acf for themfelves, and fo be Holy by their and Government of that Church.
perfonal Covenanting ; neither,on the other Hand
would they neceffarily be Holy, if Adulr, (as he
Afferts the Children there to be, for they might T HAT
they are Members of the fame
Church with their Parents, appears ,
continue Pagans. Therefore the Apoft le intends r. Becaufe, fo were Ifaac and Iflvmel of Abra-
only Infants, or Children in Minority. 2. It is ham's Family-Church, and the Children of Jezvs,
a Principle, that carries Evidence of Light and and Profclyics of IJiaePs National-Church and :
Reafon with it, as to all Tranfattions Civil and there is the fame Reafon, for Children now to
Man be of Age, hejhould
Ecclefiaft ical, that if a be of the fame CongrcgationaLChurch with their
anfwer for himfelf, Joh. 9. 21. They that are Parents , Chriff s Care for Children and the
come to Years of Dilcretion, fo as to have Know- fcope of the Covenant, as to Obligation unto
ledge and Undcrftanding fit to a£t in a matter of Order and Government is as great now, as
that nature, are to Covenant by their own Per- then. 2. Members of the fame
Either they are
fonal Aft. Neh. 10. 28, 29. Ifa. 44. 5. 3. They Church with their or of fome other
Parents,
that are regularly taken in with their Parents, Church, or Non Members But neither of the
:
Church --with their Parents, then of® other. of alibis Commandments, Mat. 28. ip, 20. and
For if there be not Reafon fufficient to ftate therefore in a ftate of
fubjecVion unto Difcipline,
them Members of that Church, where their 7. hlders are charged to take heed
unto, and to
Parents. have covenanted for them, ^and where feed, (chat is, both to Teach and Rule, com- •
ordinal rk- they are Baptifed and do Inhabit, pare Ezek. 34. 3, 4.) all the flock, or Church
then much lels is there Reafon to make them over which the
Holy Ghoft hath made them Over-
Members of any- other and ib they will be
-.
feers, Alls 20. 28. That Children are a part
Members of no particular Church at all, and it of the Flock, was before proved and fo Paul :
was before fhewed that there is no Ordinary, accounts them, writing to the fame Flock
or
and Orderly ftandvngeftateof Church Members, Church of Ephejm, Eph. 6. 1. 8. otherwile
but in fome particular Church. 5 zltbe- ftmii
Irreligion and Apoftacy would Inevitably break
Covenant- Ail is account sd the Att of Parent andinto Churches and no Church way left
by Chrift
Child':- but the Parents covenanting rendered to prevent or heal the fame which would alfo
:
'himfelf "a Member of this particular Church \ bring many Church Members under that dread- -
therefore fo it renders the Child-- alfo. How ful Judgment of being let alone in their wicked-
can Children come in, with and by their Parents, nefs, Hoz. 4. 16. 17.
and yet come into a Church wherein and whereof
their Parents are not, fo that as they f hould be
their Parents of another.
Proposition IV.
of dire Church, and
4. Children are
in an orderly and regular ftate •-
and regular, that every Chriif ian be a Member 1. 'ROM 1 Cor. 11. 28, 29. where it is
in fome particular Church, (and in that par- J/required that fuch as come to the Lord's
ticular Church) where his regular Habitation is, Supper, be able to examine thetnfelves, and to
which to Children rtfually is, where their Pa- difcern the Lord's Body ; elfe rhey will Eat and
rents are. If the Rule call them to remove, Drink unworthily, and Eat and Drink Damna-
then their Memberfhip ought orderly to be tion, or Judgment, to them/elves, when
they
tranflated to the Church, whither they remove. partake of this Ordinance, but mere Member-
that the Child, and the fhip is feparable from fuch Ability to examine
Again, Order requires,
Government ever the Child, (hould go One's felf; and difcern the Lord's
power of Body as in :
It would bring Jhame and Confufion, the Children of the Covenant that
together. grow up to
for the Child to be from under Government, Years is too often feen. 2. In the Old
Tefta-
Prov. 29. 15. and Parental and Ecclefiaftical ment, though Men did continue Members of
Government concurring do mutually help and the Church,yet for Ceremonial Uncleannefs
they
Hence the Parent and were to be kept from full Communion in the
itrengthen each other.
the Child muff be Members ot the fame Church, Holy Things, Levit. 7. 20, 21. Numb. 9. 6, 7.
unlefs the Child be by fome fpecial Providence and 1 p. 13, 20. yea and the Priefts and Porters
in the Old Teftament, had
fo removed, as that fome other Perfon hath the fpecial charge com-
power over him.
mitted to them, that Men /hould
not partake in
2. That when thefe Children are grown up,
all the unlefs
Holy things, duly qualified for
the fame, notwithftanding their
they are per/on ally under
the Watch, Difcipline
Memberfhip,
and Government of that Church, is manifelt ; 2 Chr. 23. 19. Ezek, 22. 26. and
44.7, 8,p, 23!
Children were under Patriarchal and and therefore much more in thefe
for 1. times, where
Difcipline of old, Gen. 18. 19. and Moral fitnefs and fpiritual Qualifications are
Mojaical
21. 9, 10, 12. Gal. 5. 3. and, therefore, under wanting, Memberfhip alone, is not fufficient for
now. 2. They are full Communion. More was required to Adult
Congregational Difcipline
within the Church, or Members thereof; (as Perfons Eating the Paffover, than mere Member-
hath been, and after will be further proved) fhip, thefore fo there is now to the Lord's
and therefore fubjeft to Church Judicature, Supper.
12. are Difciples, and, For they were to Eat to the Lord, Ex. 12.
1 Cor. 5. 3. They 14.
in Chrift's School, which is expounded in 2 Chro, 30. where
therefore, under Difcipline keep'-
Mat. 28. 19, 20. 4. They are in Church-Cove ing the Paffover to the Lord, Ver. 5.
imports,
to Church Power, and requires exercifing Repentance, ver. 6, 7 .
nam, and, therefore, fubjecf
with 18. 19. 5. They are their actual gieing up themfelves to the Lord,
Gen. 17. 7- Chap.
ver. 8. Heart preparation for
jubjecls of
the Kingdom of U7-//?,_and therefore it, ver. 19. and
under the Laws and Government of his Kingdom, Holy rejoycing before the Lord, ver. 21,25.
Esefa 37- 25, 26. 6. Baptijm leaves the Bap- See the like in Ezra 6. 21, 22. 3. Tho' all
tiled (of which number thefe Children are) in Members of the Church are liibjecfs of Baptifm,
a ftate of fuhjeftion to the Authoritative leach they
and their Children, yet all Members
may
and to the ohfervauon not partake of the Lord's Supper, as is further
tng of ChriiYs Mioiiters,
manifeft
Book V. The Wjiory of New-England. 7i
manifeft from the different Nature of Baptifm The promife is to you, a/id to your Children,
and the Lord's Supper. Baptifm fairly and pro Atts 2. 3 9. If the Parent ffands in the Church,
as Circumcifion fo doth the Child among the Gentiles now, as
perly leals Covenant-Holinefs -,
Gen. Rom, 8. well as among the Jews of old, Rom. it. 16,
did, 17. CburcbMembcrfJnp, 15.
into Rom. 6. and fo Members, 20, 21, 22. It is unheard of in Scripture that
Wanting Cbrift,
are the of Baptifm, Mat. 28. the Progiefs of the Covenant flops at the In-
asfucb, fubje&s
19. But the Lord's Supper is the Sacrament of fant-Child. But the Parents in queftion are in
growth in Cbrift, and of j'feci al Communion with Covenant as appears. 1. Becaufe they were
him, 1 Cor. io. 16. which fuppofeth a fpecial once in Covenant, and never fince Difcovenanted.
Renewing and Exercife of Faith and Repentance, If they had not once been in Covenant, they
in thofe that partake of that Ordinance. Now had not warrantably been Baptifed and they -,
if Perfons even when Adult may be and; continue are lb ffill, except in fome way of God they
Members, and yet be debarred from the Lord's have been Difcovenanted, caft out, or cut off
Supper, untilmeet Qualifications for the fame from their Covenant Relation, which thefe have
do appear inthem then may they alfo (until
•,
not been neither are Perfons once in Covenant,
:
like Qualifications) be debarred from that Power broken off from ir, according to Scripture, fave
of Voting in the Church, which pertains to for notorious Sin and Incorrigiblenefs therein,
Males in full Communion. It feems not Ra- Rom. 1 1. 20. which is not the cafe of thefe Pa-
2. Becaufe the Tenor of the Covenant
tional, that thofe, who are not themfelves fit rents.
for all Ordinances, fhould have fuch an Influ- is to the Faithful, and their Seed after them, in
ence referring to all Ordinances, as Voting in their Generations, Gen. 17. 7. even to a Tbou-
Election of Officers, Admiflion and Cenfures of fand Generations, i. e. conditionally, provided
Members doth import. For how can they, that that the Parents fucceffively do continue to be
are not able to Examine and Judge themfelves, keepers of the Covenant, Exod. 20. 6. Deut. 7/
be thought able and fit to Difcern and Judge 9, 1 1. Pjal, 105. 8. which the Parents in quefti-
in the weighty Affairs of the Houfe of God, on are, becaufe they are not (in Scripture Ac-
1 Cor. 11.
28, 31. with 1 Cor. 5. 12. count in this Cafe) f brfakers or rejecters of the
God and Covenant of their Fathers: See Deut.
Proposition V. 20. 25, 26. 2 Kings 17. 15, 20. 2 Chro, 7. 22.
Deut. 7. 10.
Church- Members who were admitted in Mi- 2. That thefe Parents, in queftion, do not
put
Bar to hinder their Children from Baptifm,
nority, underftanding the Do5lrine of Faith, any
is
plain from the Words of the Propofition,
and publicity profeffing their -Affent thereto 5
wherein they are defcribed to be fuch as under-
not Jcandalous in Life, and folemnly owning
Jland the Dollrine of Paitb, and publickly pro-
the Covenant before the Church, wherein
fefs their Affent thereto : Therefore, they put
they give up themfelves and Children to not fn any Bar of grofs Ignorance, Atheifrri
the Lord, and fubjeSl themfelves to the Herefie or Infidelity Alfo they are not fcanda-
:
Government Chrifl in the Church, their lous in Life, but folemnly own the Covenant,
of
Children are to be before the Church,
therefore they put not in any
Baptifed.
Bar of Prophanefs, or Wickednefs, or Apoftacy
This is Evident from the Arguments following. from the Covenant, whereinto they entred in
Minority: That the Infant Children, in quefti-
Arg. 1.
*-T*Hefe Children are partakers of that on do themfelves put any Bar, none will
jL which is the main ground of Bap- imagine.
tifing any Children wbatfoever , and neither the Arg. 2, The Children of the Parents in
Parents nor the Children do put in any Bar to queftion, are either Children of the Covenant,
binder it. or Strangers from the Covenant, Eph. 2. 12. ei-
1. That they of which is the ther Holy or Unclean, 1 Cor. 7, 14. either within
partake that,
main ground of Baptifing any, is clear ; Becaufe the Church or without, 1 Cor. 5. 12. either fuch
Interefl in the Covenant is the main ground of as have God for their God, or without God in
Title to Baptifm, and this thefe Children have. the World, Eph. 2. 12. But he that confiders
i. in the Covenant is the main ground the Propofition, will not affirm the latter con-
Interefl
of Title to Baptifm -,
for fo in the Old Teftament, cerning thefe Children and the former :
being
thiswas the ground of Title to Circumcifion, granted, infers their Right to Baptifm.
Gen. 17. 7, 9, 10, 11. to which Baptifm. now Arg. 3. To
deny the Propofition would be,
1. Toftraiten the Grace of Chrift in
anfwers, Col. 2. 11, 12. and Ails 2, 38, 3P. I
theGofpei-
they are on this ground exhorted to be Baptifed, !
Gen. 17. p, 10, 14. difavow ir, cuts off the Pofterity of Zion, and
Confedetate vifible Believers.tho' but in hinders it from being (as in the moft
Arg. 4. glorious
the loweft degree fuch, are to have their Chil- Times it lhall be) an eternal Excellency and the
dren baptized ; witnefs the Practice of John Bap- Joy of many Generations, This Progrefs of the
tijt
and the Apoftles, who baptized Perfons upon Covenant etfablifheth the Church, Deut.29.
13.
the firft beginning of their Chriftianity. But Jer. 30. 20. The contrary therefore doth dif-
the Parents in Queftion are confederate vifible eftablifh if. This obligeth and advantageth to
Believers, at leaft in lome degree. For, 1. Cha- the Conveyance of Religion down to after Ge-
obfetve in them fundry pofitive Argu- nerations the care whereof is ftri£tly com-
rity may ;
ments for it ; witnefs the Terms of the Propo- manded, and highly approved by the Loid,Pfalm
evident againft it. 2. Chil- 78.4, 5, 6,7. Gen. 18. 19. This continues a
rtion, and- fnothing
dren of the- but as the Perions in Nurlery ftill in Chrift's Orchard or Vineyard, Ifa.
godly qualified
thePropofition, are laid
to be faithful, Tit. 1. 6. 5. 1,7. the contrary neglefts Thar, and fo'lets
Children of the Covenant (as the Parents in the whole run fo ruine. Surely God was an
3.
queftion are) have frequently
the beginning of Holy God, and loved the Purity and Glory of
Grace in them in younger years, as the Church in rheOld Teltament but when he
wrought -,
Scripture-Accounr,
A Company of Saints, 1 Cor. therein defigned, promifed and intended,
lfa. 60.
nitely given
xoilvtm in the Promile, andfealed Arg. 6. The Parents, in Queflion, areperfonal,
up in Baptifm, Dent. 30.
which continues
6. immediate, and yet continuing Members of the
for them while Church.
valid, and fo a valid Teitimony
1. That they are
they do not rejea
it. Yet it does not necef- perfonal Members, or Mem-
that thefe Perfons are immediately bers in their own Perfons, appears, 1, Becaufe
larily follow,
fit for the Lord's Supper, becaufe,
rho' they are they are perfonally Holy, 1 Cor. 7. 14. not Pa-
Latitude ro be accounted \ i- rents only,but [your Children] are Holy. 2.
in a of Exprcffion, They
or in Numero Eidchum, as even are perfonally baptized, or have had
fible Belivers, Baptifm,
Infants inCovenant are, yet they may want that the Seal of Memberfhip applied to their own
to examine themfelves, and that fpecial Perfons ; which being regularly done, is a
Ability
Exercife of Faith, which is requifite to that Divine Teftimony, that they are in their own
Ordinance as was laid upon Propo/it. 4. Perfons Members of the Church. 3. They are
•,
Arg. 5.
denial of Baptifm to the Children
The perfonally under Difcipline,and liable toChurch-
in Qu'cflwn, hath a dangerous Tendency to Irre- Cenfures in their own Perfons ; vide
Propof. 3.
and Apoftacy
;
becaufe it denies them, and They are perfonally (by means of the Cove-
4.
ligion
fo the Children of the Church fuccefiively, venant) in a vifible State of Salvation.
to To fay
have any part in the Lord which is the way
•,
to they are not Members in their own Perfons, but
make them ceafe from fearing
the Lord, Jof. 22. in their own Parents, would be as if one Ihould
For if they have a Pert in the Lord, fay, They are laved in their Parents, and not in
24, 25, 27.
i. e. a 'Portion in 1/rael, and fo in the Lord the their Perfons. 5. When they commit Iniquity,
God of Ifrael, then they are in the Church, or they perfonally break the Covenant,therefore
Members of it,and fo to bebaptized,according to are perfonally in ir, Jerem. ir. 2, 10. Ezek. 16.
1. The owning of the Children of thofe By the like Reafons, it appears, that Chil-
2.
Propof.
that iucceffively continue in Covenant to be a part dren are immediate Members, as to the Effence
is fo far from being deftruftive to of Memberfhip e. tbar they themlelves in
ofthe Church, (j.
the purity 8c profperity of the Church 8c of Reli- their own Perfons, are the immediate Subjects
fbme conceive) that this Imputa- of this adjuncf of Church-Memberlhip) though
gion therein (as
tion belongs to the contrary Tenet.
To leek to be they come to by Means of their Parents cove-
it
more than the Rule, will ever end in Impuri- nanting. For as touching that Diftin£tion of
pure
ty in thelffue.
God hathfo framed his Covenant, Mediate and Immediate, as applied to Member-
and confequently the Conltitution of his fome urge) we are to diftinguifh-
Church fhip (which
as to defign a Continuation and Propa- r. Between the Efficient and Eflence of Member,
thereby,
gation of his Kingdom therein, from one Gene- flip. 2. Between the Inltrumental Efficient, or
Means
Book V. T/;* Hijlory of New-England. 73
ferent manner and means of
Means thereof, whichis the Barents Profejfion
conveying the Co-
and Covenanting ; and the Principal Efficient, venant to us, or of making us Members, doth
not make a different fort ot the
which is Divine Inltitution. They may be faid Memberfhip,
to be mediate (or rather mediately) Members, We now are as truly perfonally and immediate
as they become Members by means of their Pa- Members of the Body of fallen Mankind, and,
rents Covenanting, as an Inlhumental caufe by Nature Heirs of the Condemnation pertain-
thereof: but rhat doth nothing vary or diminifh ing thereto as Adam was, though he cam;; to be
fo by his own
the Effence of their Memberfhip. For Divine perfonal Ail, and we by the Ail of
Inltitution giveth or granteth a real and perfonal our publick Perfon. If a Prince give fuch Lands
to a Man and his Heirs
Memberfhip unto them, as well as unto their tiicceffively, while they
continue Loyal ; the following Heir is a true
Parents, and maketh the Parent
a publick Per-
and fo his Aft theirs to that end. and immediate Owner of that Land, and may
fon,
Hence the ElTence of Memberfhip, that is, be perfonally difinherited if Difloyal, as well
Covenant -lnt ereft, or a place and portion within as his Father before him. A Member is one,
that is according to Rule, (or
ibe V"ifible Church is really, properly, perfonally according to Di-
and immediately the Portion of the Child, by vine Inltitution) within the Vifible Church.
Divine Gift and Grant, Jof. 2 2» 25, 27. their Thug the Child is properly and perfonally, or
Children have a part in the Lord as well as them- immediately. Paul calls all Men into two forts,
ielves. Apart in the Lord, there, and Cburch-
thofe within, and thofe without, i. e. Members
and Non-Members, feems he
Memberjhip (or Memberflnp in IJrael) are terms Cor. 5. 12. It
1
Now the Children there, and a part knew of no fuch diftin&ion of mediate and im-
equivalent.
in the Lord, are Jubjeli and adjunil, which no- mediate as purs a medium between thefe two.
formalis Ratio of Memberfhip ? No, they are alfo it follows, that one fpecial end of Member-
Is it Divine Grant and
in Covenant. Infiitution, fhip received in Infancy, is to leave Perfons un-
which is the Principal Efficient ? No, he hath der Engagement, to Service and Subjection ro
clearly declared himfelf, that he grants unto Chrift in his Church, when grown up, when
the Children of his People a portion in his they are fitteft for it, and have molt need of
Church, and appoints them to be Members it. 4. There is no ordinary way of CeiTation
thereof. Is it an Ail of Covenanting, which is of Memberfhip, but by Death, Difmiifion, Ex-
the Injirumental means ? No, they have this communication, or Diflolution of the Society :
alfo reputatively by Divine Appointment, making None of which is the Cafe of the Perfons in
the Parent a publick Perfon, and accounting queftion. 5. Either they are, when Adulr,
them to Covenant in his Covenanting. A dif 1 Members or Non- Members: if Non-Members,
5 K then
74 Tbe Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
then a Perfon admitted a Member, and fealed
by Baptifm, not caff out, nor deferving
fo to be, Proposition VII.
may (the Church whereof he was (till remain-
O
occafionally coming from
look, them, Jo qualified, fuch, one Church to another, their Children are to be
bad they been called thereunto would have Baptifed in the Church whither they come, by vir-
tue of Communion of Churches.
fo a&edy their Children are to be Bap-
1. Becaufe he that is
regularly a Member of
tifed.
a true particular Church, is a
fubje£t of Baptifm
This manifeft. according to Propof. firff and fecond. But the
Children of the Parents here defcribed are fuch,
t. T>EcauIe the main Foundation of the right according to Propof. fifth and fixth Therefore -,
JO of the Child to privilege remains, viz. they are meet and Lawful Subjects of Baptifm,
God's Inltitution, and the Force of his Covenant or have right to he Baptifed. And Communion
carrying it to the Generations of fuch as con- of Churches, infers fuch A£ts as this is, vie. To
tinue keepers of the Covenant, i. e. not vifibly Baptize a fit Subjecl of Baptifm, tho' a Member
breakers of it. By virtue of which Inftitution of another Church, when the fame is orderly
and Covenant the Children in queftion, are defired. (fee Platform of Difcipline, Chap. 1 5.
Members, and their Memberfhip being diftincf Secf. 4.) For look as every Church, hath a
from the Patents Memberfhip, ceafeth not, but double Confideration, viz. 1. Of it's own Con-
rtion, isthrough want of opportunity ; which (1.) To Adminiffer to this Church conftantly •,
the Temple, 1 King. 8. 18. 15?. In Abraham to 2. To refufe Communion with a true Church
Sacrifice his Son, Heb. n. 17. according to that in Lawful and Pious Affions, is unlawful, and
in 2 Cor. 8. 12. Where there is a willing mind, juftly accounted Schifmatical. For, if the
it isaccepted according to what a Man
hath, and Church be true Chrift holdeth fome Com-
not according to what he hath not which is true munion with it; and therefore fo muff we:
:
of this Church-Duty, of that of Alms. but if we will not have Communion with it in
as well as
It is a ufual Phrafe with the Ancients to ftile thofe Atts that are Good and Pious, then in
fuch and fuch Martyrs in Voto, and Baptifed none at all. Totalfeparation from a true Church
in Voto, becaufe there was no want of defire is unlawful But to deny a Communion in good :
that way, though their defire was not actually Aft ions is to make a Total feparation. Now
accomplifhed. 4. The terms of the Proposition to Baptize a fit fubjeft, as is the Child in quefti-
import that in Charity, that is here done inter- 011, is a Lawful and a Pious Adion, and there-
peratively, which is mentioned to be done in fore by
virtue of Communion of Churches, in the
the Fifth Propofition exprefly. Cafe mentioned to be attended.
And if Baptifm Lawfully Adminiftred, may
and ought to be received by us, for our Chil-
dren, in another true Church, where Providence
fo
Book V. The Hiftorj of New-England. 7S
fo cafls us, as that we it in our
cannot have 1.
Every Church or particular Congregation of
it may and to he) vifible Saints in
own, (as doubtleis ought Gojpcl-Ordcr, I >ng furnifhed
we and in like cafe to dii 1 with a Presbytery, at leaf} vditb a
then'alfo may ought Teaching
penfe Baptifm,
when defired to a meet and Elder, and walking together in Truth, and Peace,
hath received from the Lord
Lawful SubjeQ, being a Member of another Jefus full Power
and
Church. To deny or refufe either of thefe, Authority Ecclefiaftical within it
elf, regu- f
would be an unjuftifiable refufing of Com- larly to
Adminifter all the Ordinances
of Chrift^
and is not under any other
munion of Churches, and tending to finful Ecclefiaftical Jurif-
ddtwn whatfoever. For to fuch a Church Chrift
Reparation.
or- hath given the Keys of the
2. Such as remove- their Habitation, ought Kingdom of Heaven^
Covenant
to and fubjcll themf elves to the that what they bind or locfe on Earth, fhall be
derly
Government of Chrifl in the Church, where they bound or loofed in heaven, Mat. 16. 19. and 18.
and fo their Children to be 17, 18. Elders are ordained in every Churchy
fettle their Abode,
Alts 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. and are therein Autho-
i. Becaufe the Regularly Baptifed
Baptifed.
and under the and Go- rifed Officially to Adminifler in the
are Difciples, Difcipline Word, Prayer,
vernment of Chrift but they that are abfo- Sacraments and Cenfures, Mat. 28. 19, 20. Att's.
:
lutely removed
from the Church, whereof they 6. 4. 1 Cor. 4. 1. and 5. 4, 12. Ails 20. 28.
of being under Dif 1 Tim. 5. 17. and 3. 5. The reproving of the
were, ft> as to be uncapable
fhall be under it,, no where, if Church of Corinth, and of the Afian Churches
cipline there,
not in the Church where they inhabit. They feverally, imports they had Power each of
them within themfelves to Reform the Abufes
that would have Churchprivileges ought to be
under that were amongft them, 1 Cor.
under Church-power: but thefe will be 5. Rev. 2. 14,
no Church-power, but as Lambs in a large place,
20. Hence it
follows, that Confociation of
if not under it where their fettled abode Churches is not to hinder the Exercife of this
there,
to Covenant for Power , but by Counfel from the Word of
is. 2.Every Chriftian ought
and for his or profeffedly to
God to direcf, and ftrengthen the fame
himfelf Children, upon all
and his to the and that juft occafions.
give up himfelf, Lord,
2. The Churches
in the way of his Ordinances, Deut. 26. 17 and of Chrift doftandin a Sifterly
12. 5. and Explicits Covenanting is a Duty,
Relation each to other, Cant. 8. 8.
being united
where we are called to it, and have in the fame faith and Order, Eph. 4. 5. Col. 2. 5.
efpecially
for it nor can they well be faid To walk by the fame Rule, Phil. 3. 16. In the
:
opportunity
to Covenant Implicitly, that do Explicitly refufe Exercife of the fame Ordinances for the fame
a profelTed Covenanting, when called thereunto. end, Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13. 1 Cor id. 1. under
one and the fame political
And efpecially
this Covenanting is a Duty, Head, the Lord Jefus
when we would partake of fuch Church-privi- Chrift, Eph.
I.
22, 23. and 4. 5. Rev. 2. i,
for our Children is. But the which Union infers a Communion fuitable there-
ledge, as Baptifm
Parents, in queflion, will now be profeffed Co-
unto.
'
venanters no where, if not in the Church, where 3. Communion of Churches is the. Faithful
c
their fixed Habitation is. Therefore they ought Improvement of the Gifts of Chrift beftowed
'
walking disorderly, and would too much favour 4. Afts of Communion of Churches are
'
of Profanefs and Separation ; and hence to Ad- fuch as thefe.
'
things be done decently and in order. 22, 29. 2 Cor. 8. 1,4, 14.
c
3. To maintain Unity and
Peace, by
'
QjJ E S T I O N IL '
'
publick A&ions, when it is orderly
defired, Ails it. 2, 3, 4- 18. Jcfh. 22.
'
Whether according to the Word of God there 13, 21, 30. 1 Cor. 10. 32. and to
'
ftrengthen one another in their Regu-
ought to be a Confociation of Churches, *
lar Adminiftrations ; as in
and what Jhould be the manner of it ? c
fpecial by
a Concurrent Teftimony againft Per-
'
fons juftly Cenfured, Alls 5. 41. and
Answer. c
16. 4, 5. 2 B». 4. 15.
zThef.-},.
whereby the Peace of any Church having fb good opportunity fc r it, it is meet
c
L
is difturbed, Alls 15. 2. to be commended to them, as their Duty thus
'
2.
'
of more than ordinary
In matters to Confociate. For 1. Communion of Churches
6. and 15. being commanded, and Confociation
'Importance, [Prcv. 24. being but
'
22.] as Ordination, Translation and an Agreement to practile it, this muft needs be
'
Depofition of Elders and fuch like, a Duty alio, Pjal. up. 106. Neb. 28. 29.
4
1 Tim. 5. 22. 2. Paul an Apoltle fought with much Labour
'
3.
In Doubtful and Difficult Queftions the Conference, Concurrence, and Right Hand
'
and Controverfies , Doctrinal or of Fellowfhip of other Apoftles and Ordinary :
'Practical that may arife, Alls 15. Elders and Churches have not lefs need each of
<
2, 6. other, to prevent their Running in Vain, Gal. 2.
'
'
fo neglect their own Good and Duty, way charged, but unjuftly, ifthispartof
is
'
as not to feek it, Exod. 23. 4, 5. Prov. the Doctrine thereof were duly practiled.
' '
24. 11, 12. 7. The manner of the Church's Agreement
' '
6. To Admonifh one another, when there herein, or entring into this Confociation, may
1 '
is need and caufe for it,
due
and after be by each Church's open confenting unto
1 '
means with Patience ufed,to withdraw the Things, here, declared in Anfwer to the
'
'
from a Church, or peccant party therein, fecoud Queltion, as alfo to what is faid there-
' '
obltinately perfifting in Error or Scan- about, in Chap. 1 5. and 1 6. of the Platform
4 '
dal as in the Platform of Difcipline
-,
of Difcipline, with reference to other Churches
' '
(Cap. 15. Self. 2. Partic. 3. J is more in this Colony and Countrey, as in Propof. 5.
'
'at large declared, Gal. 2. 11, 14. is before expreffed.
' '
2Tbef. 3. 6. Rom. \6. 17. 8. The manner of Exercifing and Practifing
'
RE-
Book V. The Hijtory of New-Engknd. 77
Synodical Propofitions.
H E Proportions thus voted by On the one fide, thus reafoned the learned
the Major Part, more than Seven Apologift.
to One, in the Synod, were clog'd
I. The Synod did acknowledge,
by the DifTent of feveral Reve- that there
rend and Judicious Perfons, in that Venerable ought to be true faving Faith in the Parent, ac-
Aflembly who were jealous left the Sacred Or- cording to the Judgment of rational Charity, or
-,
dinance of Baptifm, Ihould come to be applied elfe the Child ought not to be baptized. en- We
unto iuch unmeet Subjects, as would in a while treated and urged again and again, that this,
put an End unto New England's Primitive and which they themfelves acknowledged was a
1
Peculiar Glory of undcfiled Admimftrations. Tho Principle of Truth, might be fet down for a
we cannot fay, that in this our Synod, the Ob Conclufwn, and then we fhould all agree. But
iervation ot Thuanus was verified, Colloquia, qua thofe reverend Perfons would not content to
ut Theologicis controverfiis Finis imponatur, this.
infii-
tuuntur, majorurn excitandarum f#pe initium exi-
ftunt yet the Reciprocations of Argument,
•,
On the other fide, thus replied the Excellent
which eniued on this Difference, quickly became Anfwerer.
fenfible to Mankind, as by fome other Common
Effects of Controverjie, by the We are to diftinguifh betweeen Faith in the
lb efpecially
Dilquifitions which were, on this Occafion, pub- hopeful beginning of it, the charitable Judgment
lished unto the World. Here, not concerning whereof runs upon a great Latitude ; and Faith
our felves with the Antifynodalia Americana, in the fpecial exercife of it, unto the vifible
compoled by Mr. Char les Cbauncey, the Prefident Difcovery whereof, more experienced Operati-
of the College, and anfwered by Mr. John Allen, ons are to be enquired after. The Words of
Paftor of Dedham, we fhall only take Notice Dr. Ames are, Children are not to be admitted
of the two Twin-Difcourfes, which made moft to partake of all Church Priviledges, till firft
Figure in the Management of This Difputation. increafe of Faith do appear ; but from thofe which
Firft, Mr. John Davenport in Oppofition to the belong to the beginning of Faith, and entrance
Synod, emitted a Treatile, under the Title of, into the Church, they are not to be excluded.
Another Effay for Inveftigation of the Truth The Apoftles conltantly baptifed Perfons upon
:
whereto there was by another Hand prefixed, /£<# the firft beginning of their Chriftianity, but the
which the Eldets of the Synod judged the di- Lord's Supper followed after, as annexed unto
ftincteft and exact eft Thing, that has been writ- fome Progrefs in Chriftianity. The fame ftrict-
ten on that fide, under the Title of, An Apolo- neis as to outward Signs, is not neceflary unto
getical Preface for the Defence of the Synod. a charitable Judgment of that Initial Faith,
Mr. Rich. Mather, being thereunto appointed, which entitles unto Baptifm, as there is unto
wrote a full Anfwer to the Effay ; and Mr. Jo- the like Judgment of that exercifed Faith,
nathan Mitchel wrote a fuller Anfwer to the which is requifite unto the Supper of the Lord.
"Preface 5 both of which quickly faw the We all own, that only Vifible Believers, are to
Light. have their Children baptized; and it is expref-
fed ib in the Synod's Refult but the Queftion
-,
Pofitions and Arguments, on the other. And I and unto a Power of voting in the Churches,
\
am the more willing to give it, becaufe the Ec- This we fay. 1 will prove a Church-corrupting
clefiaftical Affairs of this
Country have fomuch Principle, I
II. We have no warrant in all the Scripture Supper. Yea, fo far is Baptifm from being in-
to apply the Seal of Baptifm unto thofe ChiU feparable from immediate Admiflion to the
are in a ftate of Unfitnels Lord's Supper, that we read of no
dren, whole Parents one, (no
for the Lord's Supper. Thofe 2.Ms
41. who not of the Adult) in all the Neva
Tefiament,
were baptized, continued breaking Bread alio, that was admitted to the Lord's Supper, imme-
unlets the Father were in a ftate of fitnefs for diately upon his Baptifm.
the Paffover, his Child might not be circumci- The only place that founds, as if it were
fed. Neither do we read that in the primitive quickly after, viz. Alls 2. 41, 42. is alledged by
as our Brethren. But it is here faid, they (after
Times, Baptifm was of a greater Latitude,
to the Subject thereof, than the Lord's Supper. their being added and baptized) continued in (or
Catechumeni ad Baptifierium nunquam admitten- gavefedulous attendance to) the Apoftles Doct-
In the Dawnings rine [Firft] and then breaking of Bread. There
difunt. Concil Am, Chap. 19.
ol Reformation in England, our fuel could was a time of gaining further acquaintance with
That Baptifm was as Chrift, and with his Ways and
plead againft Harding, Ordinances, by
much to be reverenced, as the Body and Blood oj the ^pottle's InftrucYion, between their
baptizing
and their Participation of the Lord's
Chrift. Nay, a grievous Error has therefore, Supper.
been committed in former Ages, and other And the Churches of Chrift in all, efpecially
in the beft
Churches, to adminifier the Lord's Supper unto Ages, and the choiceft Lights therein,
both Antient and Modern, have concurred in this
Infants.
Principle, That Baptifm is of larger Extent, than
ANS W E R. the Lord's
Supper, and that many that are within
a ftate of muft be meant either, the Vifible Church, may have Baptifm for them-
By Unfitnefs,
Non -Memberfhip But the Parents, in the felves, at leaji for their Children, who yet at pre-
:
Queftion, are Members of the Church and io Jent want aitual fitnefs for the Lord's Supper.
-,
to them do belong all Church Priviledges, ac- The Authors, that write of Confirmation do abun-
cording as they fhall be capable thereof,
and ap- dantly prove this AfTertion. Here is not room
pear duly qualified for the fame They have a to infert the Evidences, that in the firft Ages of
;
Jus ad rem, tho' not Jus in re-, as a Child has the Church, there were many within the Church,
a right unto his Fathers Eftate, however he have who were debarred from the Lord's Supper, and
not the actual Fruition of it, until he be quali- yet
had their Children Baptized. And iince the
fiedwith fuch and luch Abilities. Or elfe is Reformation, the reforming Divines have in
their Doftrine
meant, a want of aitual gratifications fitting, unanimoufly taught, and in
whereby a Perlbn is either in himfelf fhort of their Practice many of them endeavoured, a
aftual Fitnels for the Lord's Table, or wanteth Selection of thofe that fhould be admitted
ftri£t
fold ceremonial LlncleannefTes, and yet that er, and from Hilderfham, to this purpofe.
hindered not the Circumcifion of the Child. He
muft be judged clean by the Prieftof the Church APOLOGY.
whereof he was a Member, and fo, free to par- III. The Parents of the Children in
Queftion,
take of the Holy Things. Thus the Parents in are not Members of any inftituted ac- Church,
the Queftion muft have their Fitnefs f©r the cording to Gofpel-Rules ; becaufethey were never
Lord's Table judged by thofe, to whom the under any explicit andperfonal Covenant. If this
Judgment belongs. But what Fitnefs for the
fecond Generation do retain their
Memberfhip by
Lord's Supper, had thofe that were baptized by Virtue of
Covenant, made for their Parents
upon their firft entrance into Memberfhip but Rules, tho' they have not performed the A£t of
•,
Cove-
Book V. The Hiftory of New-tngJand. 19
Covenanting in their own Perfons-, yea, under Member, yea, a Perfonal Member, in our Bre-
the Explicit Covenant alfo, if the Parent's Co- thren's Account, and yet is not in Full-Com-
venanting was Explicit. Though we take it for munion It is clear then that
-,
Membership and
a Principle granted by Congregational Men, Hill
Communion, are feparable things.
Befides,
with one Confent, That an Implicit dc jure, and not only
Covenant, 'tis a Memberfhip defallo,
the Being of a true Church, and fo of whereof we lpeak, when we fpeak of mere
preferves
true Church-Memberfhip. We alfo fay, The Memberfhip. Now fuch a Memberfhip implies
fecond Generation, continuing in a vifible Pro- a Qualification, that a Perfon being a Church
feffion of the Covenant, Faith and Religion of Member, is not under fuch Grofs and Incorrigible
their Fathers, are a true Church of Chrift, Ignorance, Herefie, Scandal or Apoftacy, as
though they have not yet made any Explicit renders him an immediate fubjecl of Excommu-
perfonal Expreffion of their Engagement, as their nication. Hence mere Memberfhip is not fo to
Fathers did. Even, as the Ifraelites, that were be oppofed unto qualified Memberfhip, as if it
|
Numbred in the Plains of Moab, were a true were deftitute ot all Qualifications. Underftand
Church, and under the Covenant of God, made mere Member/hip, tor [merely this, that a Man
with them in Horeb, though their Parents, with is
regularly a
Member, or, that the Church ailing
whom it was firft made, in Hereby were all regularly, may own him as accepted by Rule inta
Dead and that before the folemn Renewal of
-, Covenant^ and then the Aflertion, That it is not
the Covenant with them in the Plains of Moab. give a Perfon a Right unto Baptifm^
fufficient to
Our denial of Liberty unto thefe to Vote in that he be regularly a Member of the Vifible
Church-Affairs, till they be Qualified for, and Church, but he mufi have fome further ^ualifwa-
Admitted to the Lord's Supper, is no prejudice tion than/0, or elfe he hath not a Right there-
to our Grant of their being a true Church. For unto : This is indeed an Antifynodalian
Affertion,
the cafe of a true Church may be fuch, as that and we doubt not to affirm, that it is Anti-
they may be, at prefent, unfit to Exercile a fcriptural.
Power of Church-Affairs, which yet
afiting in The Synod builds upon Covenant-Interefi, or
may be Radically in them even, till, by the Federal-HolineJs, or Vifible ChurchMemberflvp,
-,
ufe of needful means, They, or a feledt Number as that which gives Right unto Baptifm: and
among them, be brought up unto a better Ca- accordingly in their fifty Propofition, they have
pacity for it. We
might alfo ask whether it comprifed, both the Right to Baptifm, and the
would prove Women to be no Members of an manner of Adminiftration-, which manner is not
Inlfituted Church, becaufe if all the Men were therefore to be neglefted, becaufe
Membership
Dead, they could not then be a Church ? We alone gives Right for God hath made it One -,
may add if Difcipline, and other Ordinances Commandment of 'Four, to provide for the man-
-,
be kept up, we may hope God will fo blefs his ner of his Worfbip, that it be attended in a
Ordinances, that a confiderable number fhall, Solemn, Humble, Reverent and Profitable man-
from time to time, have luch Grace given them, ner. Hence all Reformed Churches do in their
as to be fit for full Communion, and carry on Direffories
require Prefcjjions and Promifes, from
the things of his Houfe with competent Strength, thofewho prefent the Child unto Baptifm-, tho 5
Beauty and Edification. they unanimoufly grant the Child's Right unto
Baptifm,by i ts being Born within the viJiblcCharch.
A P L GX Befides, what have Infants more than mere Mem-
IV. It not mere Memberfhip, but qualified
is
berfhip, to give them Right unto Baptifm ?
Memberfhip that gives Right unto Baptifm. We know no ftronger Argument for Infant
Bap-
John's Baptifm, which was Chriffian, might not tifm, than this, that Church- Members, or Fcede-
be applied to fome, who were Members of rati arc to be Baptifcd. At the Tranfition from
the Vifible Church, becaufe New Teflament Church Memberfhip,
they were not Old to
qualified with Repentance, Luke^.%. and 7.30. fomething more might well be required, than a
This feems to cut the Sinews of the ftrongeft mere
Memberflrip in the JewifJ) Church, which
Argument brought by the Synod, for the Enlarge- was then alfo under an extream Degeneracy :
ment of Baptifm ; which is the Memberfhip of It was necefiary that the Reformed
Adminiftra-
the Children in Controverfie. tion fhould penitently be embraced. And much
of what was required by John, may be referred
ANSWER. unto the manner of Adminiftration, which the
Some Privileges in the Church belong to general Scandals then fallen into called for.
Perfons, merely becaufe they are Members of Nor will he that Reads the Scriptures, think
it: fo doth Baptifm and Church-watch. But that the Perfons Baptifcd by John, did excel
other Privileges belong to them as cloathed with thofe, who are deicribed in the
Synods Propo-
fuch and fuch Qualifications thus the Lord's fitions.
: While the Parent that was Born in the
Supper now, as the Paflbver of Old. If Chil- Church, regularly continues in it without Scandal,
dren in their Minority are Members, as our he is
Ecclcfiaftically accounted to have the Being
Bretheren acknowledge them to be, then there of Repentance-, and fo to have the thing rhat
are Members that are not yet fit for Full-Com- John But if any ftand Guilty of open
required.
munion. And for the Adult, when a Man is by Scandals, we know not why they fhould not
Admonition debarred from the Lord's Table, make a particular ConjeJJion of their Sin
and yet nor. Excommunicated he continues a therein.
-,
i
AP-
8o The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
fliould take the Blood or
Body of Chrift and
A P L G r.
proftitute it unto Dogs. We
marvel that any
V. That which will not make a Man capable fhould think, that the Blood of
Chrift, is not as
of receiving Baptifm himfelf, in cafe he were much profaned and vilified by undue' Admini-
Unbapfifed, doth not make him capable
of ftration of Baptifm, as
by undue Adminillration
Tranfmitting Right of Baptifm unto his Child. of the Lordis Supper. Yea, that
faying of
But a Man maybe an Unbeliever, and yet come Auftin's is folemn and ferious ; Qui
Indigne at-
up to all that the Synod hath faid in their fifth cipit Baptifma, Judicium accipit, non falutem h
Propofition. Bucer is accounted by Parker, and the fame Auftin in his
Book, De Fide
to mention. That none ought to be con- Openbus, pleads for ftri£tnefs in the
&
juftly Adminillra-
firmed Members of the Church, befides thofe who tion of Baptifm, and fo did Tertullian before
do hold forth not only Verbal Profejfion of Faith, him.
but apparent figns of Regeneration.
ANSWER.
AN S W E R. We
readily grant, that Baptifm is not to be
Tis which doth not put a Man in- applied to any but Vifible Believers. We mar-
true, that
to a State of Right of Baptifm for himfelf, (that vel, that any fhould fpeak, as if any of us did
is, into a State
of Church Member/hip) will not think that the Blood of Chrift, is not
profaned
enable him to give Baptifm Right unto his by the undue Adminiftration of Baptifm, as well
Child. Bat it is pofiible for an Adult Perfon as by undue Obfervation of the Lord's
Supper :
in fuch a State ncverthelefs to have fomething though we fuppole the Degree of finful Pro-
fall in, which may hinder the A£tual Applica- fanation of the Lord's Name in
any Ordinance
tion of Baptifm to hiinielf, or his Aftual Fitnefs will be intended by the Degree of
fpecial Com-
for Baptifm, in cafe he were Unbaptifed. And munion that we have with the Lord in that Or-
hinder a Perfon al- dinance j and by the
yet the fame thing may not Danger that fuch Profana-
a Covenant tion infers unto the whole
ready Baptifed, and ftanding in Church, and unto
State, from Conveying Bjptifm right
unto his the particular partaker. But where is there
any
Child. Befides, the Synods Propofition fpeaks thing to fhew that the Adminiftration of
Bap-
of Church Members. Yea, and he will have an tifm extended by the Synod, is undue? The
hard task of it, who fhall undertake to prove, Rule concerning the two Sacraments, appoints
That Adult Perfons, underftanding, believing Baptifm to all Dilciples ; but the Lord's Supper
and projejfing publickly, the Dollrine of Faith, only for felf examining Dilciples: hence the
not fcandalous in Life, and now folemnly entring one may be extended further than the other •
into that Covenant, voherein they give up them- without undue Adminiftration. Neither did
jelves and theirs, to the Lord in his Church, and Calvin conceive it a Profanation to extend Bap-
to the Government of the Lord tifm further than the Lord's
fubjecf the mfelves Supper. Nor did
therein, may be denied Baptifm upon their defire ever Auftin or Tertullian plead for greater
thereof. Tis not eafie to Believe, that Multi- ftri&nefs in Baptifm than the Synod; except
tudes Baptifed, in the Scriptures had more to where Tertullian Erroneoufly plead for the
render them Vifible Believers, than the Perfons delay of Baptifm whereas Auftin requires not
:
defcribed by the Synod. It is argued, a Man more of Adult Converts from Heathenifm,
[may bi\ an Unbeliever,
and yet come up to all than is in the Parents, who are defcribed by
this Simon Magus and Ananias and Sapphira, the Synod.
?
fail of the Condition, which is effectual and un- by the Intereft of the Power of Godlinefs, will
mils of Salvation, not- foon be prejudiced, and Elections,
feigned Faith, they Admifiions,
withltanding their Baptifm ? The outward Pri- Cenfures, 16 carried, as will be hazardous there-
his Fear. But the awful Obligations of Cove- but the remarkable Event and EffecT: of this Dii-
to All that are within the Covenant, or have but Defendi poterant, etiam hdc dcfenfafuife.•nt
a firft entrance thereinto. And is there no dan-
the SubjcEl of finding that Scripture, and Reafon
ger of Corruption by overtraining lay moft on
it is a Corruption to take the other fide, not
Baptifm? Certainly, only furrendred himfelf a
from the Rule, as well as add to it. Mofes glad Captive thereunto, but alfo obliged the
found danger in not applying the initiating Seal, Church of God, by publifhing unto the World
to fuch for whom it was appointed. Is there a couple of moft nervous
Treatifes, in defence
no Danger of putting thefe out of the Vifible of the Synodical Proportions. The former of
Church, whom our Lord would have kept in ? thefe Treatifes, was entituled. The firft Princi-
Our Lord's own Difciples may be in Danger of ples of New-England concerning the Subjeil of
his Difpleafure by keeping poor little Ones away Baptifm, and Communion of Churches : Wherein,
from him. To pluck up all the Tares, was a becaufe the Antifynodifls commonly reproached'
zealous Motion 5 but there was Danger in ir. the Doctrine of the Synod, as being no Ieis
Betides if the enlargment be beyond the Bounds new, than the Practice of it, he anfwers this
of the Rule, it will bring in Corruption ; elfe popular Imputation of Innovation and Apoilacy,
not. Our Work is therefore to keep clofe unto by demonftrating from the unqueftionable Wri-
the Rule, as the only true way unto the Chur- tings of the chief and firft Fathers in our Chur-
ches Purity and Glory. The way of the Ana- ches, that the DoQrine of the Synod was then
baptifts to admit none unto Memberfhip and generally believed by them; albeit the Practice
Baptifm, but adult ProfeiTors, is the ftraiteft thereof had been buried in the Circumftances of
way one would think it fhould be a way of the New-Plantation. Together with this EiTay,
-,
great Purity but Experience hath fhew'd, that he (hews his inexprefiible Value, for his excel-
-,
it has been an inlet unto great Corruption, and lent Opponent and
Conqueror, not only by pro-
a troublefome, dangerous underminer of Refor- feffing a deep refpe£t for that bleffed Man, and
mation. If we do not keep in the way of a uling about him the Words of Beza about Cal-
converting, Grace-giving Covenant, and keep vin, Now he is dead, Life is Icjs Jweet, and
Perfons under thofe Church-Dilpenfations,where- Death will be lefts bitter to me but alfo by in-
-,
in Grace is given, the Church will die of" a Ling- ferring an elaborate Letter, which that
worthy
ring, though not violent, Death. The Loid Man had written to him, wherein among other
hath not fet up Churches only, that a few old Paffages there are thefe Words Pleafe to conji-
•,
Chriftians, may keep one another warm while der, which of thefe three Vropqfit ions you would
they live, and then carry away the Church into deny. 1. 'Ike whole Vifible Church under the
the cold Grave with them,when they die ; r.o,but New Teftament is to be baptized. 2. If a Man
that they might with all care, and with all the be once in the Church, nothing lefts than cenfu-
Obligations and Advantages to that Care, that rable Evil can put him out. 3. Jj the P.; rent
may be, nurfe up ftill
fucceffively another Gene be in the Vifible Church, his Infant Child isfo too.
ration of Subjects to our Lord, that may ftand And he adds, Whether they fhould be baptized,
up in his Kingdom, when they are gone. as in a Catholic k, or in a particular Church, is
In Church Refo?~mation, an obfe'rvable Truth, another Queftion, and I confefs my J elf not alto-
'tis
(faith Partus) that thofe that are for too much gether fo peremptory ^in this latter, as I am in
f
ftriclnefts, do more hurt than profit the Church. the thing its elf, that they ought to be baptized.
finally, there is apparently a greater Danger of Jet ft ill I
think, that when all Stones are turned,
Corruption to the Churches, by enlarging the it will come to this that all the baptized are,
5 L and
82 The Hiflory of New-England. Book V.
and ought to be under Difcipline in particular Years, he hath not altered nor 'unproved his Con-
Churches. ceptions of fame Things, of no greater Impor-
The other of thefe Treadles was intituled, tance than that mentioned, fhall not have me
for
A Difcourfe concerning the Subjell of Baptijm ; his Rival.
wherein having elaboratly proved, That the
Qualifications exfrejfed in the fifth Proposition of § 4 Very gradual was the Procedure of the
the Synod give right to Baptifm ; and that Per- Churches to exercife that Church-Care of their
fons, thus qualified are Church-Members, and Children, which the Syncdical Propofitions had
Vifible Believers, and of old had a right unto recommended For, though the Pallors were :
Circumcilion, and have Church-Difcipline be- generally principled for it, yet in very many of
longing to them ; and that the Apoltles did bap- the Churches, a number of Bretheren were fo
tize Perl'ons, who were no further qualified: fliffly and fiercely fet the other way, that the
He then diltinguifhes between a particular Church, Paltors did forbear to extend their Practice, un-
1
as it is more fitrictiy taken for a particular Compa- to the length of their Judgment, thro the fear
ny of Covenanting Believers entrufted by our of uncomfortable Schifms, which might there-
Lord with the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, upon enfue. And thete fell out one lingular
and as it is mere largely taken tor that Jpecial'part Temptation which had a great Influence
upon
of our Lord's Vifible Church, which doth fubfiji this Matter ! that famous and faithful
Society
in this or that particular Place : And he fhews of Chriltians, the firlt Church in Boflon,
had,
that a Memberlhip of the Catholick Church, after much agitation, fo far
begun to attend the'
difcovered by a relation to a particular Church, Difcipline directed in the Doctrine of the Synod,
not in the former but in the latter Senfe, is the that they proceeded
ecclefiaftically to Cenfure
formal Reafon of Baptifm Concluding with
: the adult Children of feveral Communicants
a full Anlwer to all Objections. Indeed the for Scandals, whereinto they had fallen. But
learned Author of the Book, was not the lealt that Church, for a Supply of their
Vacancy
Argument in the Book. This alone might have upon the Death of their former" more Synodali-
palfed as no inconiiderable Argument, for the al Minillers, applying themfelves unto Mr. John
Sy nodical Propofitions, that befides diverfe Davenport, the greateft of the Amtifynodifls, all
others who did the like, fo confederate a Perfon the Interefts of the Synod came to be laid
afide,
as the Apologift after he had fo openly and fo therein, on that Occafion. Hereupon, thirty
folidly appeared againft them, fhould at lalf as Bretheren of that eminent Church, offered fe-
publickly declare ir, That Study and Prayer veral Reafons of their Dillent, from their call
and mud) Aflillion had brought him to be of of that worthy Perfon ; whereof one was in
another Belief. It was a notable obfervation of thefe Terms,
'
We fhould walk contrary to
'
Mr. Cotton, once in his Letter to Mr. Williams, Rev. 3. 3. not holding faft what we have recei-
'
That one might fufpeff the way of the liligtD &l- ved; nor fhould we, as we have received Chrifi
'
natation to be not of God, becaufe thofe, -who in J ejus the Lcrd,fo walk in him. [The Doctiine
'
'
minc in his Recognitions come to be accounted of thole that hindred Progrels therein ^ which
6
their Blemifhes ;
or until Bucer's, yea, and Lu- with great Bleffing and Succefs has been, and
•
ther's, change of their Opinions about Confub- is practifed in Neighbour Churches. But
tfantiation, and the recovery of TLinglius from the Difference produced 16 much Divifion, rhat
Inclinations to Antipxdobaptijm, fhall be efteem- the Major part of the Church, by tar, proceed-
ed the Diigrace of thofe renowned Men ; or,un- ing to their Election of that great Man, this
lil Mr. Robinfon fhall be blamed for compofing Lelfer part nevertheless carefully and
exactiy
his weighty Arguments, againlt the Rigid Se- following the Advice of Councils, fetched from
which once he had zealoully defended, other Churches in the Neighbourhood, ibt up
fhall to this Occafion, but apply the Words of another Church in the Town of Boflon, which
Faration
Dr. Owen unto Mr. Cawdry, to take oft the hath fince been one of the moft coniiderable in
charge of Inconltancy laid upon him, for his ap- the Country. Very uncomfortable were the Pa-
on behalf of the Congregational Church- roxims, which were the Confequents of this
Saring
ilcipline, lie that can glory that in fourteen Ferment ^
• >
Long a
Book V. The Hijlory of Nevv-Fngknd. 85
lecfed, came to their Duty and they did ic with
:
Ambages —— — —
Long.i eft Injuria,
• > as diverfe great Oppofers of the
Principles,
Synod, profi-
led themfelves, at laft, able to
comply withal.
and the whole People of God throughout the Now becauie the particular Hiflory of the Pro-
Colony, were too
much diftinguilhed into fuch ceedings ufed, when things had run on thus far
as favoured the Old Church, and iuch as fa- into an inveterate negletl, may be very fubfervi-
voured the New Church ; whereof, the former,
ent unto one main Defign of our
Church-Hifio/y,
were againft the Synod, and the latter were for which is to give an experimental Direclion, for
tho' the more arduous CbupchCafes, I lhall, here
it. Indeed, for a confiderable while, o[ Vi:
'*
unto
good Men on both my Reader.
lides it
really Loved, Refpecfed
and Honoured one another, yet thro' ibme un- Know then, that
the Paftor of the Church
mifunderftandings in certain particular after folemn Supplications for the Direction of
happy
Perlons, the Communicants of thefe
two par- Heaven about it, having previoufly/>ra?cro-a'and
ticular Churches in Bofton, like the two dittin- print cd,the State of the Truth, which he was now
3
guifh'd Rivers,
not mixing, tho running be- reducing into practice, and having privately with
tween the lame Bank?, held not Communion perfonal Conferences, endeavoured the fatisf action
with one another at the Table of the Lord ofi'uch Dijfenterfis he counted more
:
fignificant,he
but in two fevens of Years, that Breach was then, avoiding all publick Meetings or Debates
healed, and unto the general Joy
of the Chrifti- drew up the following Inflrument, which
by
ans in the Neighbourhood, both the Churches the Hands of two or three chofen Perfons, hg
kept a folemn together, wherein, Lament-
Day fent about unto the Bretheren.
the Infirmities that had attended their for-
ing
mer Contentions, they gave Thanks to the
Great Peace-Maker for this Joyful
effecting Yerfwafwns and Vropofals, laid
Reconciliation.
lived, as that which
The Schifm was
happened
not
at
fb long
Antioch, before the Cburcb, in
- —
about the Ordination of a Minifter ^ whereof,
Theodora fays, nitfs iyJiiiKovra. Jlfo&u. sb,
it, it I.TT is my Perfuafion, that our Lord
Jefus
endured Fourlcore and live Years. However, X
Chrilt hath in the World,a Catholic-Church
the two Churches continued Itill their various which is his Myrtical Body, and hath all his
Difpofitions to the Propolitions
of the Synod Elect-called People belonging thereunto.
•
many that were fo before. ple of God, which otherwife they might lay
Under the Influence of thefe Perfwajionsjhete claim unto.
are now thefe Propojals y which I would I, therefore, propound, that the Church may
make unto that particular Church of God, feafonably look after a full fupply of Of
whereof I am an unworthy Overfeer in the fi:ers, whereby this work may be fully
Lord. profecuted. In the mean time, I am wil-
I. It is my P7'<T/wp/,that if any Perfoninftrucf- ling to attend as much of this Work, as
ed and Orthodox in our Chriitian Religion, do God fhall enable me
unto: Asking of
you,
bring Teftimonials of a fober and blamelefs Con- That none of you would objecl: about
my
verlation, and publickly fubmit themfelves unto giving of Meat indue Seafon, to any part
the Bonds of fuch a Sacred Covenant, as now of my Bleffed Matter's Family, which he
followeth : hath made me a Steward of; but that all
'
You now from your Heart profeffing a feri- of you would help me with your daily
ous Belief of the Chrifiian Religion, as it Prayers, and whatever other Afliftances
has been generally declared and embraced by may be ufeful unto,
the Faithful in this Place, do here give up Tour felicitous Pajior and Servant.
^
your felf to God in Chrift ; promiling with his
Help to endeavour a Walk, according to the This Inftrument was within a few Days
Rules of that Holy Religion, all your Days ; brought back unto the Paftor, with fuch a Re-
Choofing of God as your beft Good, and your turn at the Clofe of ir.
'
laftEnd, and Chrift as the Prophet, and Prieft, We, the Brethren of the Church in
and King of your Soul for ever. You do there- confidering how fully thofe Reverend
fore fubmit unto the Laws of his Kingdom, Perfons that have the Rule over us, and watch
as they are adminiftred in this Church of his ; for our Souls, have declared what
they judge
and you will alfo carefully and fincerely labour to be the Mind of God, about the
Subjecf of
after thofe more pofitive and increafed Evi- Baptifm, and apprehending, that we may have
dences of Regeneration, which may further lain too long, in an Omiflion of Duty there-
abouts ; do now fignifie, that we are not un-
encourage you to feek an Admitlion unto the
Table of the Lord. willing to have ths Perfwafions and Propofals,
I fay, I propound, That I may without Of- which our Paftor hath here laid before us, care-
fence baptize this Perfon and his Houfe, and that fully put into Practice ; and that we would
iuch Perfons may be watched over, if not as have no Obftrudion given to any Holy Endea-
'
Brethren, yet as Difciples, in the Porch of the vours, which may be ufed this Way, to ad-
'
Lord's Temple ,
of whom we have Caufe to vance the Intereft of Religion in the midft of
hope, that they will fhortly exprefs their De- .' us.
fires after the Lord's Supper, with fuch Tokens Hereunto the Generality of the Brethren, per-
of Growth in Grace upon them, as that we may !
come to be adult, the Elders of the Church may, But thus much concerning the Proceedings in
to confirm them in their Church -irate, put them a Synod of New-England Churches, for the
upon the open Renewal of their Baptifmal Co- Church-Care of their Poflerity. We'll conclude
venant, with a Subjection of themfelves, unto all, with an agreeable Speech of the Great
the Watch of the Church ; and if any of them Ramus (in Comment, dc Relig. /. 4. c.6.) Liberi
do upon Examination appear to have more fen- Yidclium. Baptizantui\ ut participes fint, Ha- &
fible and plenary Symptoms of Converfion unto redes Divinorum Benefiaorutn Ecclefit Promif-
God, they may be exhorted immediately to make forum, uta-, atate prsveffi parentum Religionem
regular Approaches unto the Table of the Lord-, ifpietatem, profiteantur.
and that if any of them contumacioull/ defpife
The
Book V. 85
NEW-ENGLAND;
WITH
Subfequent ESSAYS of Reformation in the
CHURCHES.
vera pcenitentia, quid de te Novi refer am I Omnia ligata tu
folvu, omnia claufa
tw refer as, omnia adverfa tu, mitigas,
omnia contrita tw fanas, omnia confwfa tw Iwcidas, omnia
defperata twanimas. Cyprian.
§ 1.
P"g ""*! HE fettlement of the jVevo-EngliJh few Years have paffed, wherein either Worms
or Droughts, or fome confuming Difafters have
Churches, with a \ox\gferies ot
preferving and profperous Smiles not befallen the Labour oj the Husbandman. By
from Heaven upon them ,
is Sea, wewere vifited with multiplied Shipivrec/cs,
doubtlefs to be reckoned amongft the more won- Enemies prey'd on our Veffels and our Sailors,
derful Works of God, in this Age ; the true Glo- and the Affairs of the Merchant were clogged
ries of the young Plantation had not upon the with LoJJes abroad ; or Fires, breaking forth in
Face of God's Earth a Parallel, our Adverfaries the chief Seats of Trade at home, wafted their
themfehcs being fudges. But when People be- Subftance with yet more coftly Defolations.
gan more notorioufly to forget the Errand into Nor did the Land and the Sea, more proclaim
the Wi/dc'rncj}.flnd. when the Enchantments of this the Controverfie of our God againfl: us, than that
World caufed the riling Generation more fenfibly other Element of the Air, by the contagious
to negleft the Primitive Defigns and Interefts Vapours whereof leveral Peftilential Sickn^lTes
of Religion propounded by their Fathers ; a did fometimes become epidemical among us.
change in the Tenour of the Divine Diipenfati- Yea, the Judgments of God having done rirft
ons towards this Country, was quickly the mat- the part of the Moth upon us, proceeded then to
ter of every Body's Obfervation. By Land,fome do the part of a Lion , in lamentable Wars,
of the principal Grains, elpecially our Wheat wherein the barbarous Indians cruelly butchered,
and our Peafc,k\\ under an unaccountable Bhfi, many hundreds of our Inhabitants, and Mat-
from which we are not, even unto this Day de- tered whole Towns with miferable Ruins.
livered i and befides that conftant Frown of Hea- When difmal Calamities befel the Primitive
ven upon our Husbandly, recurring every Year, Chrifiians, as acknowledged by the gteat Cy-
prian,
86 The Hiftorj of New-England. Book V.
prlan,That the caufe thereof was, becaufe they § 3. After Peace was rcftored unto the Coun-
were Patrimonii) &
Lucro ftudentes, too much try, the evil Spirit of Apoffacy from the Power
minding target Eftates and- Riches ; Superbiam of Godlinefs, and the various Difcoveries and
SeBantes, too Proud ; aijttdationi &
dijjentioni Confluences" of fuch an Apoffafte, became ftill
vacant es, given to Contention ; funplkitatis Fi- more ienfible to them, that feared God. Where-
del negligcntes, negligent of the plain Faith of fore, that there might be made a more exact
the Gofpel S&culo verbis foils,
•,
&
nonfallis, fcrutiny into the Caufes of the Divine Difplea-
yenunciantes, worldly-, unuj'quifque fibi placentes fure againft the Land, and into the Methods
of
& omnibus di/plicentes, pleafing themfelves and removing and preventing the Matter of Lamen-
vexing others. Thefe were the Sins, which, he tation, and that the Effays of
Reformation,m\ght
them into Sufferings for thefe, be as well more extenfwe as more
faid, brought -,
effectual, than
he laid, Vapulamus itaque ut merentur. Truly, they had been hitherto, the General Court of the
if New-England had not abounded with the like MaJJachuJel Colony were prevailed withal, to call
Offences, it "may be fuppofed,
fuch Calamities upon the Churches, that they would fend their
had not befallen it. It intimated a mOre than Elders and other
Meffngers, to meet in a Sy-
ordinary Difpleafure of God for fome Offences, nod, for the folemn Difcuffion of thofe two
when he proceeded fo far, as to put over his Queftions, What are the provoking Evils
ofNew-
poor People into the Hands of tawny and bloo- England ? and, What is to be done,
thatfo thofe
dy Salvages : And the whole Army had caule to
Evils may be reformed ? It is very
certain, That
enquire into their own Rebellions,
when they the Controverfie which the God of Heaven had
faw the Lord of Hofts, with a dreadful Decolla- (and ftill hath I ) with New-England, was a
tion, taking oft' fo many
of our Brethren by the Matter, about which, many did not
enquire wife-
worft of Executioners. The Cry of thelaft of ly. As of of our Ancients complain-
old^leveral
the Britijb Kings, then was the Cry of the New- ed, That the Pagans looked upon the
Chriftians
Englifh Chriftians, V<e nobis peccatonbus ob im- (in their way of Worfhip) as the Caufes of all
mania feelera nojira ! the Plagues on the Roman
Empire : Whatever
Mifchiefcame, forthwith, Chriftianos ad Leones .-
ftians,who were hereby brought unto an exatter AfTembly of Lutherans coming together to en-
Walk with God, particular Churches exerted their quire after the caufe of the Judgments, which
Power of Self-reformat'wn, efpecially in the time God had brought upon their Churches, moft
of the Indian War ; wherein with much folemn unhappily determined , That their not paying
Faffing and Prayer, they
renewed their Cove- Refpell enough unto Images in their
Churches, wax
nants with God and one another. Moreover, one Caufe of the Lord's Controverfie with them.
the General Courts enacted what Laws were Unhappy Enquirers Inftead of their
!
Dream,'
for theextinction of thofc pro- that had not finned enough againft the
they
judged proper
voking Evils, which might expofe the Land un- Second Commandment, they fhould have
though r,
to the Anger of Heaven : and the Minifters in whether they had not iinned too much
againft
their feveral Congregations, by their Miniftry, the Fourth. But we hear not a word of their
fet themfelves to teftifie againft thole Evils. Nov bewailing their univerfal Prophanations of" the
is it unworthy of a great Remark, That
a thing Lord's-Day to this Day. Our New-Engliff Af-
great Succeffes againft
the Enemy accompanied fembly did enquire to better purpofe. The
lome notable TranfacYions both in Church and Churches, having firft kept a general Faff, that
in Court, for the Reformation of our provoking the gracious Preience and
Spirit of God might
Evils. Indeed, the People of God in this Land be obtained, for the Direction of the
approach-
were not gone fo far in Degeneracy, but that ing Synod, the Synod convened at Bojion, Sept.
there were further degrees of Diforder and Cor- 10. chufing Mr. John Shermon , and
16-9.
ruption to be found, I muft freely fpeak it, in Mr. Urian Oakes, for Joint Moderators,
during
othet, yea, in all other Places, where the Pro-
the biggeft part of the Seifion. There was at
iefiant 'Religion
is profeffed And the mod im- firft, fome Agitation in this Reverend AfTembly,
:
ing on his Blows, with an Inltrument, every But if this, after all other
at our Beginnings.
"
ftrcke whereof, gave three Laflies to the Delin- Means in and by which the Lord hath been
"
j
THE
88 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V-
THE
Neceffity of Reformation,
WITH
The Expedients fubfervient thereunto, afferted, in
Anfwer to Two Queftions.
himfelf,thit our Prayer fhould not pafs thorough,
QjJ E S T I ON I.
And although 'tis poffible that the Lord
may
contend with us partly on the Account of lecret
What are the Evils that have provoked the unobferved Sins, Jojh. 7. u, 12. 2 Kings 17.
Lord to bring his Judgments on New-Eng- 9. Pfa/m 90. 8. In which
deep and
refpeft, a
land ? mod ferious enquiry into the Caufes of his Con-
troverfie ought to be attended Nevertheleis it :
A N SWER. is
fadly evident, that there are vifible, rnanifeft
Evils, which without doubt the Lord is provok-
fometimes God hath had ; and ed by. For,
pleaded a Controverfie with I. There is a
his
great and vifible decay of the
is clear from the Scripture, Power of Godlinefs
THat People, amongft many ProfefforS
Hof. 4. 1. 8t 12, 2. Mich. 6. 1, 2. in thefe Churches. It may be feared that there
Where God doth plainly, aod fully propofe, is in too many Spiritual, and Heart Apoftacy
ftate and plead his Controverfie in all the Parts from God, whence Communion with him in the
and Caufes of it, wherein he doth juftifie him- ways of his Worfhip, efpecially in lecret is
felf by the Declaration of his own infinite Mer- much neglected, and whereby Men ceafe to
Truth know and fear, and love, and truft in him but
cy,Grace, Goodnels, Juftice, Righteoufnefs, ;
and Faithfulnefs in all his Proceedings with them ; take up their Contentment and Satisfaction
and judge his People, charging them with all in fomething elfe This was the ground and
:
thofe provoking Evils, which had been the bottom of the Lord's Controverfie with his Peo-
Caufes of that Controverfie, and that with the pleof Old, Pfa/m 78. 8. 37. & 81.1 1. Jer.i. 5,
moil high and heavy Aggravation of their Sins, 11, 13. and with his People under the New-
and exaggeration of the Guilt and Punifhment, Tcfiiimcnt alfo, Rev. 2. 4, 5.
whence he fhould have been molt juft, in plead- II. The Pride that doth abound in
NewEng-
ing out his Controverfie with them unto the ut- land teftifies againft us, Hoj. 5. 5. Ezek.
7. 10.
moft Extremity of Juftice and Judgment. both fpiritual Pride, Zepb. 3. 11. Whence two
That God hath a Controverfie with his New- great Evils and Provocations have proceeded,and
Lord having prevailed among us.
England People is undeniable, the
written his Difpleafure in dilmal
Characters 1 A refufing to be fubjecT: to Order, according
.
on and Mifery, wherein the Lord calls upon V. There is much Sabbath breaking -,
fince
Men to put off their Ornaments, ExoJ. 33. 5. do profanely abfent
there are Multitudes that
Jer. 4. 30. A Sin which brings Wrath upon themfelves or theirs from the publick Worfhip
the greateft that fhall be found guilty of it, of God, on his Holy Diy, efpecially in the
the moft populous Places of the Land ; and
'Zepb. 1.8. with Jer. 52. jj. Particularly many
Lord hath threatned to vifit with Sword and under pretence of differing Apprehenfions about
Sicknefs, and with loathfome Dileafes for this the beginning of the Sabbath, do not keep a fe-
very Sin, Ifa. 3. id. venth part of time holy unto the Lord, as the
III. Inalmuch as it was in a more peculiar fourth Commandment
requireth,walking abroad,
manner with refpecL to the fecond Command- and travelling (not meerly on the Account of
ment, that our Fathers did follow the Lord into worfhipping God in the folemn AfTemblies of his
this Wildcrnefs, whilft it was a Land not .fown, People, or to attend Works of Neceffiry or Mer-
we may fear that the Breaches of that Com- cy) being a common pra&ice on the Sabbath Day,
mandment are fome part of the Lord's Conrro- which is contrary unto that Reft enjoyned by
verfie with New-E/iglapd. Church-Fellowfhip the Commandment. Yea, fome that attend their
and orher Divine Inftitutions are greatly neg- particular fervile Callings and Employments af-
lected. Many of the riling Generation are not ter the Sabbath is begun, or before it is ended.
mindful of that, which their Baptifm doth en- Wordly, unfuitable Difcourfes are very common
gage them unto, viz. to ufe ufmoft Endeavours upon rhe Lord's Day, contrary to the Scripture,
that they may be fit for, and fo partake in all which requireth that Men fhould not on
holy
the Holy Ordinances of the Lord Jefus, Mattb. Times find their own Pleaiure, nor ipeak their
28.20. There are too many that with profane own Wotdsjfa. 58. 13. Many that do not take
Efau flight Ipiritual Priviledges. Nor is there care fo to dilpatch rhcir wordly Bufineffes, that
fo much of Difcipline exrended towards the they may be free and fit for the Duties of the Sab-
Childien of the Covenant, as we are generally bath, and that do (if not wholly neglect) after a
agreed ought to be done. On the other hand carelefs, heartlefs manner, perform the Duties
humane Inventions, and will-worfhip have been that concern the Sanclification of the Sabbath.
let up even in Jerufalem. Men have let up This brings Wrath, Fires and other Judgments
their Threfholds by God's Threfbold, and their upon a profelfing People, Neb. 3. 17, iS.
Jer.
Polls by his Poll. Quakers are falfe Worfhip 17.27.
pers and fuch Anabapujls as have rifen up
-,
VI. As to what concerns Families and Govern-
among us, in oppofition to the Churches of the ment thereof, there is much amifs. There are
Lord Jefus, receiving into their Society thofe, many Families that do not pray to God conftant-
that have been for Scandal delivered unto Satan ; ly Morning and Evening, and many more, where-
yea, and improving thole as Adminillrators of in the not daily read, that fo the
Scriptures are
Holy Things, who have been (as dorh appear) Word of Chrift might dwell richly with them.
juffly, under Church-Cenlures, do no better than Some,and too many Houfes, that are full of Ig-
fet up an Altar againft the Lord's Altar. Where- norance and Profanenefs, and thefe not duly in-
fore mult needs be provoking to God if thefe ipecled, for which caufe Wrath may come upon
it
Things be not duly and fully telfified againft, by others round about them, as well as upon them-
every one in their leveralCapacities relpe£tively, felves, Jof. 22. 20. Jer em. 5. 7. & 10. 25. And
Jof. 22.1 9.2X1.2 $.\^. Eze.43.%.Pf.9p.%.hof.ii.6. many Houfholders who profefs Religion, do
IV. The holy and glorious name of God harh nor caufe all that are within their Gates to be-
been polluted and profaned amongft us, more come Subjects unto good Order as ought to
be,
efpecially. Exod. 20. 10. Nay, Children and Servants, that
1.
By Oaths and Imprecations in ordinary are not kept in due Subjection, their Mailers
Difcourfe yea, and it is too common a thing and Parents efpecially being finfuliy
-,
indulgent
for Men in a more folemn way to fwear unne- towards them. This is a Sin which brings great
ceffary Oaths when as it is a Breach of the Judgmenrs, as we fee in Effs, and David's Fa-
-,
thirdCommandment, lo to ufe the blelTed Name mily. In this refpeft Chriftians in this Land,
of God. And many (if not the mod) of thofe have become too like unto the Indians, and then
that fwear, confider not the Rule of an Oath, we need not wonder, if the Lord hath afflicted
Jer. 4. 2. So that we may jullly fear that be us by them. Sometimes a Sin is dilcerned by
caufe of f wearing the Land mourns, Jer. 23. 10. rhe Inftrument that Providence doth punifh with.
2. There is great Prophanenefs in refpeft of Moft of the Evils that abound amongft us, pro-
,
gravated in
-
that the rirlt Planters of this Colo- of New-England feemeth to be
changed. We
ny did (as is in the Patent exjweSed) come into differ from other out-goings of out Nation, in
this Laud with Dciign to convert the Heathen that it was not any Worldiy Conliderations that
.1
unto ( In'riV,but d inftead of that they be taught brought our Fathers into this Wildernefs, but
Wickedneis, which before they were never guil- Religion, even that lb they might build a
us by them. Sancf uary unto the Lord's Name ; whereas now
ty of, the Lord may well punifh
Moteover the Sword, Sicknels, Poverty, and Religion is made fubfervient unto Worldly In-
almolt all th* Judgments which have been upon tereits. Such Iniquity cauieth War to be in the
New-England are mentioned in the Scripture, as Gates, and Cities to be burnt up, Judg. 8. 5.
the woiul r mil of that Sin, Jer. 5. 11, 12. & 28. Mat. 22. 5, 7. Wherefore, we cannot but
1, 2. 8t 56. 9,
12. Prov. 23. 21, 2£, 30, S£ 21. lolemnly bear witnefs againft that Practice of
17. H'j. 7. 5. & 28, 9. There are more Temp- lettling Plantations without any Miniftry a-
tations and Occaiions unto thai Sin, publickly monglt rhem, which is to prefer the World be-
allowed of, than any Neceflity doth require ; fore the Golpel When hot did forfake the Land
:
the proper end of Taverns, i5c being tor the of Canaan, and the Church, which wds in Abra-
Entertainment of Strangers, which it they were ham's Family, that fo he might have better
improved to that end only, a tar lets nombei Worldly Accommodations in Sodom, God fired
would iuifice : But it is a common practice for him out of all, and he was constrained to leave
Town-Dwellers, yea, and Chuich Members to his goodly Paftures, which his Heart (though
frequent publick Houfes,
and there" to mifpend otherwife a good Man) was too much fet upon.
Time, unto the dishonour of the Gof Moreover rhat many are under the
precious prevailing
pel, and the fcandalizing
of others, who are Power of the Sin of Worldlinefs is evident.
fin againft God. 1. Ftom that oppreffion which the Land
by fuch Examples induced to
In which reipect tor Church-Members to be un- groaneth under. There are ibme Traders, who
neceflarily in fuch Houfes, is finful, fcandalous fell their Goods at exceflive Rates,
Day-La-
and provoking to God, 1 Cor. 8. 9, 10. Rom. 14. bourers and Mechanicks are unreasonable in
21. Mattb. 17. 27. &
18. 7. their Demands yea, there have been thofe that
-,
And there are other hainous Breaches of the have dealt Deceitfully and oppreflively towards
feventh Commandment. Temptations thereun- the Heathen, among whom we live, whereby
to are become too common, viz. fuch as immo- they have been fcandalized and prejudiced againft
delt Apparel, Prov. 7. 10. laying out of Hair, [he Name of Chrift. The Scripture doth fre-
naked Necks, and Arms, or which is quently threaten Judgments for the Sin of
Borders, Op-
more abominable naked Breafts, and mixed preflion, and in ipecial the Oppreffing Sword
Dancings, light Behaviour,
and Expreifions, finful cometh as a punifhment of that Evil, Ezek. 7.
Company-keeping with light and vain Pertbns, 11. and 22. 15. Prov. 28.8. If. 5. 7.
unlawful Gaming, an abundance of Idlenefs,
2. It
Book V. The Hifiory of New-Fng]and. 9*
2. It is alfo evident, that Men are under the 3. 17, 18. Rev. 2. 21, 22. There is great Un-
Power of a Worldly Spirit, by their truitiulnefs under the means of Grace, and that
prevailing
Strait-handednefs, as to Publick Concernments. brings the moft defolating Judgments, l/ac. 5. 4,
God by a continued Series of Providence, for 5. Mat. 3- 10. and 21. 43.
the Lord hath been provoked to deltroy the 1. In that ("though not as to all) as to moft
Fruits of the Earth, either by noxious Creatures, of them, they are Sins which many are guilty
or by his own immediate Hand in Blaftings, or of.
2. Sins which have been
Droughts, or Exceflive Rains (all which Judg- acknowledged before
ments we have Experience of) it hath been the Lord on Days of Humiliation appointed by
moftly for this Sin of Strait-handednefs with Authority, and yet not reformed.
Reference unto publick and Pious Concerns,ii^. 3. Many of them not punifhed (and fome of
1. 9. Mai. 3. 8, 9, 1 1. As when Peoples Hearts them not punifhable) by Men, therefore the
and Hands are enlarged upon thefe Accounts, Lord himielf doth punifh for them.
God hath promifed (and is wont in his Faithful
Providence to do accordinply) to Blefs with out-
ward Plenty and Profperity, Prov. 3. p, 10.
QjJ E S T I O N IL
Mai. 3. 10. 1 Cor. 9. d, 8, 10. zCbron. 31. 10.
fo on the other Hand, when Men withold more What is to be done> that fo thefe Evils may
than is meet, the Lord fends impoverifhing ; be reformed ?
Judgments upon them, Prov. 1 1. 24.
XI. There hath been oppofition to the work
of Reformation. Although the Lord hath been
not
Answer.
calling upon us, only by the Voice of his
Servants, but by awful Judgments, that we I. TT
would tend much to promote the In*
fhould return unto him, who hath been imiting X
tereft of Reformation, if all that are, in
of us, and notwithlfanding all the good Laws, place, above others, do as to themfelves and
that are eftablifhed for the fupprcflion of grow- Families, become every way Exemplary.
Mofes
ing Evils, yet Men will not return every one being to Reform others, began with what con-
from his Evil way. There hath been great In- cerned himfelf and his. People are apt to fol-
corrigiblenefs under lelTer Judgments; Sin and low the Example of thofe, that are above them,
Sinners have many Advocates. They that have 2 Cbron. 12. 1. Gal. 2. 14. If then, there be a
been Zealous in bearing witnefs againft the Sins div ided Heart, or any other of the Sins of the
of the Times, have been reproached, and othei Ti mes, found in any Degree among thofe (or
ways Difcouraged ; which argueth an Heart un any of them) that are Leaders, either as to
willing to Reform. Hence the Lord's Contro- Civil or Ecclefiafficai Order, Reformation there
verfie is not yet done, but his Hand is ftretched would have a great and happy Influence
upon
out {fill, Lev. 26. 23, 24. Ifa, 12. 13. many.
XII. A publick Spirit is greatly wanting in II. In as much as the prefent
Handing Gene-
the moft of Men. Few that are of Nehemiab's ration (both as to Leaders and People) is for
Spirit, Keh. 515. all feek their own, nor the the greater part another Generation, than what
things that are Jefus Chrift's ^ ferving themielves was in New-England Forty Years ago, for us to
upon Chrift and his Holy Ordinances. Matters declare our adherence to the Faith and Order of
appertaining tc the Kingdom of God, are either the Gofpel, according to what is in the Scripture
not at all regarded, or not in the firft place. exprefled in the Platform of Difcipline, may be
Hence Schools of Learning and other publick likewife a good means both to recover thofe
concerns are in a languifhing ftate. Hence alfo that have erred from the Truth, and to prevent
are unreafonable Complaints and Mufmurings
Apoftacy for the future.
becaufe of publick Charges, which is a great III. It is
requifite that Perfons be not admit-
Sin 5 and a private felf feeking Spirit, is one of ted unto Communion in the Lord's
Supper with-
thofe Evils that renders the laft times perilous, out making a petfonal and publick Profeflion
2 Tim. 3. r. of their Faith and Repentance, either Orally,
XIII. There are Sins againft the Gofpel, or in fome other way, fo as fhall be to the juft
whereby the Lord has been provoked. Chrift fatisfa&ion of the Church and that theretore •,
is not prifed and embraced in all his Offices and both Elders and Churches be
duly watchful and
Ordinances as ought to be. Manna hath been circumfpe£t in this matter, 1 Cor. n. 28, 29.
loathed, the plealant Land defpifed, Pfal. 106. Alls 2. 41, 42. Ezek. 44. 7, 8, 9.
24. Though the Gofpel and Covenant of Grace IV. In order to Reformation, it is neceflary
call upon Men to
Repent, yet there are Multi- that the Difcipline of Chrift in the Power of it
tudes that refufe to Repent, when the Lord fhould be upheld in the Churches. It is evident
doth vouchfafe them time and means. No Sins from Chritt's Epiftles to the Churches in the
provoke the Lord more than Impenitency and lefler AJia, that the Evils and Degeneracies then
Unbelief, Jer. 8. 6. Zecb. 7. 11, 12, 13. ticb. prevailing among Chriftians, proceeded chiefly
5 M2 from
The Hiftory of New-England Book V.
92.
from the neglect of Difcipline. It is a known taught in the Word are bound to Communicate
and true Obfefvation, that Remlflhefs in the to him that Teacheth in all
good :,'/ 1
,
oi Difcipline according to the Scripture, was Tables, which as a Magiftrate he cannot he, if
the fpecial Deiign of our Fathers in coming in he do not promote the Intereft or
Religion/ by
to this Wildernels. The Degeneracy of the all thole
means, which are of the Lord's' ap-
Riling Generation ( lb
much complained of) pointment. And we find in
Scripture,
is in a great meafure to be attributed unto neg- when the Lord's Minifters have been forced to
lects of this nature. If all Church Difcipline, neglect the Houle ot God, and go every one in-
refpe&s, were Faithfully and Dili
to the field
in thefe (as too much ot that harh been
gently attended, not only towards Parents, but amongft us) becaufe the People did not allow
alio towards the Children of the Church, ac- them that maintenance, which was
neceflary,
cording to the Rules oi Chrift, we may hope the Magiftrate did look
upon himfeif as con-
that the funk and dying Intereft of Religion will cerned to effect a Reformation, Neb.
13. 10.
be revived, and a world of Sin prevented for VII. Due Care and Faithfulnefs with reipecl
the future-, and that Difputes reflecting the unto the Eftabliftiment and Execution of
would be comfortably wholfomeLaws, would very much promote the
Subjects of Baptifm,
ilfued. of Reformation. If there be no Laws
Intereft
V. It is that utmoft endeavours eftablifhed in the Common-
requifite wealth, but what
fhould be uied, in order unto a full fupply of there is
Scripture warrant for, and thole Laws
Officers in the Churches, according to Chrift's fo worded, as that they may not become a Snare
Inltitution. The detect, of thefe Churches, on unto any mat are bound to animadvert the upon
this account, very lamentable, there being in
is violateis of them, and rhat then they be impar-
molt of the Churches only one teaching Officer, tially executed; Profaneis, Herefie. Schifm, Dif-
for the Burden ot the whole Congregation to orders in Families, Towns, Churches would be
lye upon. The Lord Chrift would nor have in happily prevented and reformed. In ipecial it
ftituted Paftors, Teachers, Ruling-Elders (nor is
neceflary rhac tboie Laws for Reformation of
the Apoftles have ordained Elders in provoking Evils enacted and emitted by the ge-
Church, Ath 14. 23. Titus 1. 5.) if he had neral Co; :rt, in the
Day of our Calamity (houid
not feen thete was need of them for the good be dulv r
they can do well enough without them, is both and thereby Sin and Wrath be
augmented upon
to break the fecond Commandment, and to re us: 1 particular thofe Laws, which reipect the
1
fleet upon the Wifdom of Chrift, as if he did Regulation of Houfes for p.iblick Entertainment,
Officers in his Church. Ex- that the number of fuch Houfes do not exceed
ceffary
perience hath evinced, that perfonal IrrftruSlion what is neceflary, nor any fo entrufted but Per-
and Difcipline, hath been an happy means to fons of known approved Piety and Fidelity,
reform degenerated Congregations j yea, and and that Inhabitants be prohibited Drinking in
owned by the Lord for the Converfion of many fuch Houfes, and thofe that ih ill without Li-
Souls :but where there are great Congregations, cenfe from Authority fell any fort of Strong
it is impoffible for one Man, befides his Labours Drink, beexemplarilypunifhed. And if withal
in publick fully to attend thefe other things of Inferior Officers, Conftables and Tithing Men,
to be done in fen conltantly of the Ablelt and moft
great Importance, and necellary
order to an effectual Reformation of Families Prudent in the place, Authorized and Sworn ro
and Congregations. lithful Diicharge of their
Refpective Trufts,
VI. It is incumbent on the Magiftrate to take and duly ei ;ed in their juft Inforlnations
care that thefe Officers have due encouragen igainft any, that thill Tranfgrefs the Laws fo
and maintenance afforded to them. It is high eftablifhed, we may hope that much of rfaat
Injufticeand Oppreflion, yea a Sin, that cries in Profanenefs which doth threaten me Ruine of
the Lord's Ears for Judgment, when Wages are rhe uprifing Generation will be prevented.
witheld from Faithful and Diligent Labours, VIII. Solemn and explicit Renewal of Cove-
the Lord, there is an Implicit Renewal of Cove come more eminently Bleflings unto the Societies,
dictates of Natural Con- and places, whereto they do belong.
n yet the very 6. This
i
r retore did thofe Reformers put them upon in Covenanting to pr »mote the Intereft of Ho-
renewing their Covenant, and folemnly to pro- linei's, and lole walking with God. 1
mile God that they would endeavour not to XL As an Expedient tor Reformation, it is
offend by thofe Evils, as formerly, Ezr. 10. 3. good, that effe&ual care ihould be taken, re-
J\ch. 5. t2, 13. and 10. per tot um, and 13. 15. ichools ot Learning. The Intereft of
4. The things which ate mentioned in the Scrip Religion and good Literature have been wont to
ture, as grounds of renewing Covenant, are Rile and Fall t alter. We read in Scripture .
plicable unto us, e.g. The averting of Divine of Matters and Scholars, and of Schools and
Wrath is exprelTed, as a furlicient Reaion for Colleges, 1 Cbron.25. 8. Mai. 2. 12. AQs 1^.9.
attendance unto this Duty, iCbron. 29. 10. and 22. 3. And the moft Eminent Rerormers
10. 14. Again being circumftanced with amongft the Lord's People of old, thought it
Difficulties and DilfrelTes is mentioned as the their concern to elect and uph Id them. Was
Ground of Explicit Renovation of Covenant, not Samuel (that great Reformer) Prefident of
9. 38.
. Hence the Lord's Servants, when the College, at l\iayoth, 1 Saw. 19. 18, 19. and
lo circumftancea have been wont to make folemn is thought to be one or the Firlt founders of
Vows (and that is an exprefs Covenanting) Colleges. Did not Elijah and Eli/ha, reiiore
Gen. 28. 20, 21. Judg. n. 30- Kumb. 21, 1, 2. the Schools Erected in the Land of Ifrael? And
Now that Clouds ot Wrath are hanging over Jofiab (another great Reformer) lfcewed reipeel
thele Churches every one fseth^ and that we to the College at
Jerufalem, 2 Kings 22. 14.
axe circumstanced with fome difttefiing difficul- Ecclefiaftictl Story informs that great care was
ties is fufficiently known. This conlideration taken by the Apoltles, and their immediate S\,c-
alone might be enough to put us upon more ceffbrs, for the fettling of Schools in all places,
folemn Engagements unto the Lord our God. where the Golpel had been preached, that fo the
5. Men are hereby brought under a ftronger Ob- Inteiett ot Religion might be preferved, and the
Trtuh
5>4-
The Hiftory of New-Fngland. Book V,
Truth propagated to fucceeding Generations. able than at our Beginnings, that and
Sociery,
It is mentioned as one of the greateft Mercies, other Inferior Schools are in fuch a Low and
that ever God beftowed upon his People Ifrae /, Languishing ftate. Wherefore, as we defire
that he raifed up their Sons for Prophets, Amos that Reformation and Religion mould
flourim,
$. i r. which hath refpe£t to their Education in it concerns us to endeavour that both the
Col-
Schools of Learning. And we have all caufe to lege, and all other Senools ot Learning in
every
Blefs God, that put it into the Hearts of our place, be duly infpefted and encouraged.
Fathers to take care concerning this matter. XII. In as much as a thorough and
hearty
For thefe Churches had been in a ftate moft de- Reformation is neceflary, in order to obtaining
plorable, if the Lord had
not blelTed the College, Peace with God, Je>. 3. 10. and outward
^11
fo as from thence to fupply moft of the Churches, means will be ineffectual unto that end, except
as at this Day. When New-England was poor, the Lord pour down his Spirit from on High -,
and we were but few in Number Comparatively, it doth, therefore, concern us to cry mightily
there was a Spirit to encourage Learning, and unto God, both in ordinary and extraordinary
the College was full of Students, whom God manner, that he would be pleaied to Rain
hath made Bleflings, not only in this, but in down Righteoufnels upon us, Ifa. 32. 15. tio/l
other Lands ^ but it is deeply to be lamented ro. 12. Esek. 3$. 29. Luke 11. 13. Amen!
that now when we are become many, and more
RE-
Book V. The Hiftoij of New-Fngland. ?5
Reforming Synod.
"*** Hat a Reforming Synod could not Refolution, they publickly devoted another Day
co Falling and Prayer, whereat a vatt Conflu-
accomplish an Univerfal ItUtci-
mattCHl of Provoking Evils in tlic ence ot other Neighbours were
ulually prefent ;
Country, has been acknowledged and on this Day the Minilter of the Place ha-
as a Matter of molt ienlible Obfervation ; and ving in the Forenoon pruy'd andpreach'diiritably
the increafed Frowns of Heaven upon the Coun to the Occafion, he proceeded then to read the
try, fince that Synod, have been but agreeable Covenant ; whereunto the AfLntot theChurches
toiuch an increale of Provocation. Alas! how was then exprefled, by the Brethren
lifting up
many Inftances have we leen, upon which- our their Hands, and by the Women only Handing
God might fay unto us, When Iwouldhave heal- up$ and tho' in fome Churches none but the
ed New-England, then it's Iniquities were but Communicants , yet in others thofe alfo, which
the more difcovered ! Neverthelefs, it mult be we call the Children oj the Church, were
actively
mentioned unto the Glory of God, that the Ad- concerned in thele TranfaStions. But
ordinarily
monitions of the Synod, were not without very in the Afternoon, ibme other Minilter prayed
defirable upon many of his People.
Eftefts, and preached and inculcated the Covenant Obli-
Faithful Minilters were thereby Strengthened in gations : And many thoufandsof Spectators will
Lilting up their Voices like Trumpers to (hew us teltifie, that they never faw the fpectal Prefence
our Tranjgrcjfions and our Sins, and private ot the Great God our Saviour, more di-
notably
Christians were awakned unto an exacler Walk fcoveied, than in the Solemnities of thefe
Op-
with God. But of all the Efte&s that followed portunities.
upon the Synod, there was nbne more compre-
hensive and fignincant than the Renewal of Cove- § 2. The Forms ufed by
the feveral Churches
riant, which was attended by many of our in Renewal of Covenant, were not in all
the
Churches, in purfuance ot the largelt Article of Points the fame, nor did our Churches at all rind
the Reforming Expedients, which had been re- chat this Variformity was an Inconvenience but -,
commended. In this Renewal of Covenant, there that it-gave them a Liberty&nd Advantage to con-
were ibme Churches, who, from I know not fuk their own Edification, by adapting their
what Objections, of there being no exprefs war- Forms unto their own fpecial Ch cumftances.
rant for it in the New- ['((lament, and, their do- However the form which, with little
Variation,
ing it, implicitly in every act of Divine Wor- was molt uled Hull be new recited.
'
Jhip, andj the imaginary danger of Innovations, We, who thro' the
exceeding Riches of the
'
would not comply with the Advice of the Synod : Grace and Patience of Gcd, do continue to be a
'
But all the Virgins were not fo and very
fleepy,
Church of Chrift, being now affembled in the
' holy
remarkable was the Bleiting of God upon the Prefence of God, in the Name of the Lord Jejus
'
Churches, which did not lo flcep, not only by a Chrift, after humble Confejjion of our
manifold
'
great Advancement of Holinefs in the People,who Breaches oj the Covenant, before the Lord our
'
irt their lefler Societies tor the Exerciies of
'
God, and earneji Supplication of Pardoning
1
expectations of God concerning them, they were jenfible, that it is a dreadful Thing for finful
'
culiarly accommodated unto their prefent Cir us, for our/elves, and jointly as a Church of the
'
cumftances. When their preparatory Church- living God, and one with another, in manner
c
'
over our Souls, and only Mediator of the Co- Fear of the Lord; and endeavour to fet an
venant of Grace, promifing (by the help of Holy Example before them, and be much in
'
his Spirit and Grace) to cleave unto God, as Prayer for their Converfion and Salvarion.
'
4
not refting meafures attained, but preffmg they who dwelt in thefe uttermojl parts were
in
4
after all. And whereas the Meffengcrs of thefe fraid. The Rulers, both in Church and State,
Churches, who have met together in the Name had their ierious Deliberations with one another,
4
4
of Chrift, to enquire into the Reafon of God's and they together enquired of the Lord, at the
4
Controverfie with his People, have taken notice Oracle of his Written Word, what might be the
4
of many -provoking Evils, as the procuring grounds of the Divine Controverfie. The Mini-
4
Caufes of the Judgments of God upon New- fters drew up the Refults of their Deliberations,
England; fo far as we or any of us have been which the Magijirates recommended unto the
4
Guilty of Provoking God by any Sin therein dif Confideration of the Inhabitants in the feveral
'
4
covered to us, We
defire from our Hearts to be Jurifdi&ions The Paftors of the dutches,
'
wail it before the Lord, and humbly to entreat hence took occafion, in their lively Sermons, to
4
. for pardoning Mercy, for the lake of the Blood profeciite the ends of thefe Admonitions and -,
Glory amonglt us, We do freely Engage and fit Queltions, thofe things which were needful
4
4
Promife, as in the Prefence of God; to be known, and to be done, relating to the Re-
Firft, That we will (Chrift helping) endea- formation of the Land.
'
Thus particulary, did
4
vour every one of us to Reform our Heart and that moll worthy Man, Mr. James Pitch, at
Life, by feeking to mortifie all our Sins, and Norwich ; who has obliged more than his wnole
4
4
labouring to walk moreclofely with God, than Colony, by fuffering to be publifhed (as well as
ever yet we have done; and will continue to another Elaborate Catechifm, containing, a Body
4
4
worfhip God in Publick,Private,Secret and this of Divinity) in form of a. Catechifm, an Expla-
-,
'without Fotmality or Hypocrifie: and more nation of the folemn Advice, recommended by the
4
fully and faithfully than heretofore, to dif- Council of the Colony to the Inhabitants, reJpeQ-
4
charge all Covenant Duties, one to another in ing the Reformation of thofe Evils, which have
4
Church Communion. been the procuring caufe of the late Judgments
4
Secondly, To walk before God in our Houfes, upon New-England.
4
with a perfell Heart, and that we will uphold
the Worfhip of God therein continually, ac-
4
§ 4. Our manifold Indifpofitions to recover
cording as he in his Word doth require
4
boch the dying Power of Godlinefs, were punifhed
-,
4
in refpeft of Prayer and Reading the Scriptures, with fucceflive Calamities ; under all of which
that fo the Word of God may dwell richly in our Apojiacies from that Godlinefs have rather
'
4
us And we will do what in us lies, to bring proceeded than abated. Although there hath
:
been
Book V. T-be Hiftory of
New-Fngland. 97
been a Glorious profeffkn of Religion made by without which we have little Reafon to hope
j
the Body of this People unto this Day ; yea, for any Good fuccefs in our Affairs.
j
Old Spirit of \&ess-England hath been ienfibly roufly put in Execution ; particularly the HatfljS
j
the Spirit of the World with a lamentable neg nefs, Drunkennefs, Unclcannefs, and all the
left of ft/id Piety, has crept in upon the rifing Enticements and Nuiferies of fuch Impieties:
Generation. At hft, the Country by fome Together with all other the wholfome Laws
and Orders agreeable to the prefent Circumftances
Changes palling over it, was thrown into a Con-
in which not only the Paflors, without of the Country by the Execution whereof we
dition, -,
whom no Reformation is to be hoped, were mi- may approve our felves, a peculiar People, zea-
ferably cripled as to the doing
of any notable lous ofgood Works.
thing in Reforming, but alfo the Churches were And as all Perfons are hereby warned to avoid
many ways uncapable of doing any general thing thole Vices, which thefe Laws are defigned tor
to retrieve our growing Dcfeilwns. However, the Prevention and Chaftifement of, (the Lovers
when the companion of God by ftrange Provi- of and Pleaders for fuch Iniquities, being among
dences, fetched the Country out of that
Condi- the Principal Troublers of their Country :) fo all
the General Court, returning to the Exer- Inferiour Officers are enjoined to perform their
tion,
cife of their former Authority, were willing to Duty in hnding and bringing out Offenders a-
fhew their Senfe of the prelent Circumftances, gainft the afbrefaid Laws, and withal to give
notice to fuch Offenders, that they muft
by publifhing the following Inltrument. expect
the Juftice of an Exemplary Punifhment.
And that no attempt towards Reformation
By the Governour and General Court of
the
may want that AtTiftance which all good Men
Colony of the Maflachufetts-Bay in New- will be willing to give thereunto, 'tis
hoped
England. that the Minifters of God will, to the
publick
Reading of this Proclamation, adjoin their own
having been a thing too fenfible and ob- fervent Labours, not only for the
rebuking and
IT vious, to eicape the obfervation
of all, who fupprefiing of thofe provoking Evils, which are
are not wholly fttangers in our Jfrael ; that this marked for Common hatred: but alio to Witneis
poor Land hath lahoured under a long Series of more Spiritual Sins, which fall not fo
againft
Afflictions, and Calamities, whereby we have
much under the Cognizance of Humane Laws,
futfered fucceflively in all our precious and plea namely, fuch as Unbelief, Worldlinefs, Herefie,
the Anger of the
fant things, and have feen Pride, Wrath, Strife, Envy, and neglect of
Righteous God againft us, expreffed in Cha- Communion with God in both Natural and In-
racters, which ought to be as terrible, as they itituted Worfhip, and the
Contempt of the Ever-
muft needs be vifible unto us ; it having alfo lafting Gofpcl, with a fhametul want of due
both by the Tc ft monies of thofe that after the i'amilylnftruflion, which are the Roots of Bit ter-
moft humble and exaft enquiries into the Mind nefs in the midft of us.
of God, have dilcovered the fame unto us, and Moreover, after the Example of Pious Rulers
by their own general and repeated Confeffions, commended in facrtd Wrir, the Churches are
become undeniable ;
that a Corruption of Man- every where hereby adviled to give utmoft En-
ners, attended with inexcufable Degeneracies couragement unto the Faithful, and Watchful
and Apofiacies, found in too many of this People. Paftors of their Souls ;
to feek (where they
is thecaule of that Controverfie, which the God lack) a iettlement and enjoyment of fuch
tull
of our Fatheis has, tor many Years been main Officers, as the Lord JetusChriit hath appointed
taining with us: It being likewife at this Day. tot their edification -,
to reflect ferioully and fre-
fuch a Probation-time with all A em-England as quently on their Covenants to iharpen their
-,
this Country has never before feen from thefirlt Difcipline againft thofe that walk Disorderly ;
foundation of it, and the Judgments of that and immediately to compote their Differences
Holy God, who hath beheld, how Incorrigible and Contentions (if fuch there be) whereby any
we have hitherto been, under all his Difpenla- of them may be diltempered and enfeebled, that
tions, now arriving to luch an Extremity, that fo they may become Terrible as an
Army with
the Ax is laid to the Root of the Trees, and we . tanners.
are in eminent Danger of perilhing, if a fpeedy furthermore, it is
expe&ed that the feveral
Kxfojraation of our Provoking Evils prevent it Towns within this Jurifdiction, do fpeedily
not: 1 his Cottrt have therefore thought it need Hirnilh themfelves with the means for the good
ful to Pretace their other Endeavours for the tducation of Louth, and take ipecial care to
publick welfare, with a very iolemn Admonition avoid Eatlions and Quarrels in their other Town-
unto this whole People, that they every where affairs and all Plantations are ftri&ly forbidden
-,
or without a fincere and a£Kve to ob- ments of Heaven upon our diftrelTed Land,
Induftry, !
tain the Prefence of the Lord Jefus Chrift in all 'loudly call upon us, no longer to
'
delay the
his BleiTed Ordinances. taking of fome hitherto-untaken fteps towards
'
And Finally, this whole People are hereby ' the Reformation of our provoking Evils, and
the Recovery of Practical Religion in our
advertifed, that if thefe Effays for an Univerfal ' Hearts,
fhall be obftructed (as thofe in the and Lives
Reformation 1
-,
Days of the Reforming Jofiab were) by Mens ' Among other Expedients in order hereunto,
being fettled on their Lees, and bating
to be We cannot but recommend it, as very advile-
'
reformed , they can reafonably look for no other able, that the icveral Churches, having in an
'
IiTue than this, That the Jealous God will pump) ' lnftrument proper for that purpofe, made a
them yet feven times more for their Iniquities
:
Catalogue of fuch things, as can Indifputably
'
But if the God of Heaven fhall unto them be found amifs among them, do with all feri-
grant c
the Grace to Remember whence they arc fallen, oufnefs and fblemnity pafs their Votes, that
'
and Repent, and do the firf Works, it will give they count fuch things to be very Offenfive
'
a greater Profpecl of Pr'ofperity, than can arife Evils, and that renouncing all dependance up-
c
from the beft Connfels and biggeft Armies. on their own ftrength, to avoid fuch Evils,
they
'
The Work of Reformation, thus endeavoured, humbly ask the help of the Divine Grace to
'
is now recommended unto the Bleifwg of the them, in watching againft the faid Evils
aifift
'
Almighty, with whom alone it is to recover a both in themfelves, and in one another. And
'
that the Communicants do often reflet ijpon
-backfliding People ; perfuading our felves,
that
'
the event thereof would be Salvation nigh unto thofe their Acknowledgments and Protections,
'
in our Lord. as perpetual Monitors unto them, to prevent
us, and Glory dwelling '
the Mifcarriages, wherewith too many Pro-
'
March 13. felTors, are fo eafily overtaken.
Ifaac Addington, Seer.
\6%t a .
Copies of this Vote; were communicated unto
many parts of the Country ; in purfuance where-
§ 5. The lamentable Difafters, wherewith of, there were feveral Churches which did in
our God prefently after punifhed us for our not the Year 1692, fblemnly make the recommend-
being Reformed by all thefe things, rendred this ed Recognitions of Duty Hoping, that God
:
Inltrument worthy to be called a Prophcfie, ra- would accept fuch Acknowledgments of Duty,
ther than a Proclamation. A War made againft their Declarations for him, whereupon he would
the Country by both Pagan and Popifh Adver- alfo declare for them ; and thinking that fuch
saries in the Eaji and an almoft univerfal Mif-
-,
humble Acknowledgments were the New-Cove-
cariage of our Affairs both by Sea and Land, nant-way for the obtaining of help from Heaven,
and efpecially of the moft important Expedition for the doing of Duty. Particulary, to avoid
ever made by this People, even that againlt the length of tedious varieties ; There was one
Canada; together with Epidemical Difeafcs which Church, amongft the reft, that voted, That they
fwept away near a Thoufand Perfons within a did accept of the following Inflrument, as con-
few Months, in one Town thefe Teftimonies
-, taining the ferious Acknowledgments and Prote-
from Heaven againlt the Land, kept alive the stations of their Souls ; whereupon they would
follicitous enquities of good Men, how all that often Reflefr, for the difcovering of what may
was amifs might be amended? Many things be amifs in their Hearts and Lives as alio, for -,
this way were propounded and attended by good the directing of the Prayers, and ftrengthening
Men in all Orders ; but among other things, of the Cares, which they would ufe in their
there was efpecially one voted by an Aflembly more watchful walk with God. And a Printed
of Miniflers7 met at Cambi uige, in fuch Terms Copy thereof, was accordingly put into the
as thefe. Hands of the Communicants.
Acknow-
Book V. The Hiftory 0/ New-fcngland. 99
invefled with the BlcJJings, of that well-ordered Difcipline, we fhould vent our own PaJJions, and
Covenant; and have, therefore, according to his ierveour own Humoursjuftead. of a£ting entirely
Will, incorporated our felves into that Evange- for the Lord.
IV. It would be a great Evil in us, If we
lical
Chufchjlate, wherein our Defires after the
fare Mercies of that Covenant, are to be expref- fhould abufe the good Creatures of God by Sen-
fed, maintained and anfwered Being herewith-
: fualities Drinking and Recreation
in Eating, -,
the moft heavy Judgments of Heaven, under and alfo on all that are under our Influence, to
which the Country hath been weltring and wa- relfrain them from the violations of that Sacred
fting for many later Years, to fufpecf , left in the Reft.
Hearts, and Lives of Wis in particular, there VI. It would be a great Evil in us, If we
may be found fome of thole acewfed Things, fhould not make it our careful ftudy to have
which have brought upon the Land, fuch a long our Families well inftrucled, and well governed,
Variety of fore Calamity. and in fuch a Condition as is agreeable to the
Do therefore acknowledge, That we are under Fear of God.
peculiar Bonds to walk circumfpetlly, not only VII. It would be a great Evil in us, If
by the
by avoiding the grojjer Mi/carriages of Llngod- prevalency of a private Spirit, we fhould be
linefs, but alio by guarding againft, whatever backward unto any pubiick Service, wherein God
Corruptions do fomerimes more eafily obtain (hall call us, with our Perfons or EJiates to
among the profelfing People of God ; behaving jcrve our Generation-, or, if we fhould with
our felves, not ax Fools but as Wife, and redeem-unj Lift Krglell and Cenfure, iil requite fuch as
ing the time, becnufe the days are evil. have been ferviceable ; more efpecially fuch as
And in fpecial manner, to revive the Senfe of in Government are the Minijiers of God unto us
the Tyes, which are laid upon us by the Cove- for our Good.
nant of God, that has not only been accepted, but VIII. It would be a great Evil in us, If we
alfo renewed amongrt us. fhould put off a Patient, Peaceable, Forgiving-
I. We
acknowledge, It would be a great Evil Temper towards our Neighbours ; or, not with
in us, if our Love to the World fhould make us Meeknejs of Wifdom decline and fmother all
omit our Communion with God, and abate of that Caufes of Contention.
Zeal and Watch, which we fhould always keep IX. It would be a great Evil in us, If we fhould
alive in our Souls or hinder us from the molt fpend our Days in Idlencfs, and not be Diligent
•,
affectionate reading of his Word, and feeking of in fuch Employments, as may adorn the Dotlrine
his Face, every Day in our Houfes, or from the of God, by rendering us ufeful unto thofe that
daily ufe of Meditation and Supplication in our are round about us.
Clofets. X. It would be a great Evil in us,Ifwe fhould
II. It would be a
great Evil in us, If, while in any of our Carriage, or fb much as in our
on the one hand we proteji againft any thing in Difcourfe, admit any thing that may favour of
Divine Worfhip, for which we have not a Divine a Lafcivious of a Licentious Difpofition in our
Warrant, and againft the Ufage of all Papal and Souls.
Pagan Superjiitions : On the other fide, we XI. It would be a great Evil in us,If we fhould
fhould not, according to the beft of our Capa- ufe any Difhonefly in our Dealings, and either
by
100 The Hiftory of New-England. Book V.
by Fraud or force, exaft: unreafonably upon thofe fhould thus be brought into the way of Refor-
with whom we are concerned. mation. It hath been
by an happy Experience
XII. It would be a great Evil in us, malici found, that God has given a lingular Succefs unto
the Admonitions of our
oufly to make, or injurioufly xofpreaJ any falfc Churches, applied unto
Ullepo^ttf, or too eafily
to receive Slanders a fuch as have by their Mifcarriages thereto ex-
gainft the Innocent, or to Countenance the pofed themfelves-, many have been thereby fa-
Broachers or" them. vingly brought home to God.
XIII. It would be a great Evil in us, If we II. The
Expedients for the Reformation of our
fhould not confcicntiouily oblerve and fulfil Land, offered by the Synod in the Year i6yp,
what Promifes we have lawfully given one unto ought not to be forgotten ± but the Remem-
another. brance and Confederation thereof fhould be re-
XIV. It would be a great Evil in us. To be vived.
difcontented either at the Profpenty which God III. The Concurrence of fuch as do fuftain
would have others enjoy , or at the Advcrfuy Place the Civil Government, is of
in
great im-
wherein the Providence of God has at any time portance in the Profecution of our defired Re-
confined our felves. formation : And rhat we may enjoy this, it mull:
XV. It would be a great Evil in us, If we be endeavoured, that there fhould be no mif-
fhould not be ready Charitably and Liberally to underftanding between any in the Government
relieve the Neceflities of the Poor that call for and the Miniftry. This being obferved, a gene-
our Bounties. ral Confutation the Methods of
upon Reforma-
XVI. It would be a great Evil in us, If we tion is to be asked for.
fhould not with a molt Brotherly AfFe£tion ei IV. For the Paflors of our Churches in vifi-
ttizx give or take Reproofs, when there is a caule ting of their Flocks, to inform themfelves, about
for them ; or, if we fhould with-hold any due the Morals of their
People in every
Quarter,
Teftimony againft whatever may fall out among and thereupon both publickly and privately, let
God.
us, difpleafing unto themfelves to Cure what fhall be found
amife,
Wherefore by a folemn <Kote, we Declare would fignifie very much in a Glorious
Refor-
againff all thefe Evils, as abominable Things-, mation.
and, utterly defpairing of any ftrength in our V. Particular Churches have a Power of Self-
felves to keep clear thereof, we do moft hum- Reformation; and they would contribute more
bly ask the All-fufflcient Grace of God in Chrift, than a little to an umverfal one, if they would
that neither thefe, nor any fuch Iniquities may be Exemplary unto one another in Deliberations
have Dominion over us but that we watch againft
-, upon own Circumftances, and in renewing,
their
them all, both in our felves, and in one ano- explaining and enforcing of their Covenants.
ther. It would be well, if the
VI.
Minifters in this
(as well as any other) Affocizition, would
fingle
§ 6. Many and various are the Deliberations out the more obfervable Iniquities in the Coun-
continued by good Men, unto this Day, con- try, and fucceiTively at fie Seafons publifh brie£
cerning the Methods of preventing our Apofta- but full, Teftimonies againft thofe; Iniquities. A
fies. But I fhall fuperfede the mention of them manifold Advantage might accrue to the At-
all, with a
Copyof certain Expedient s,zn& Pro- tempts of Reformation by thofe Teftimonies.
pofals about Reformation lately agreed by
an Af VII. Solemn Days of Prayer with Fafting ce-
fembly of Minifters at Cambridge. lebrated in our Churches, to implore the Grace
I. There is a large number of People in this of God for the riling Generation, would proba-
Country, which not lying within the reach of bly be of bleffed Conlequence, for the turning
our Ecclefiaftical Difcipline, do from thence en- of our young People unto the God of our Fa-
courage themfelves in the Liberty, which they thers. The more there is this way afcribed unto
take to do the things, for which the Wrath of Grace, the more is the Grace of God like to be
God comes upon the Land. It would very much communicated ; and there is in this way a natu-
promote the Defign of Reformation among us, ral and plentiful Tendency to awaken our uncon-
if all due means were ufed, tor the bringing of verted Youth unto a Senfe of their everlafting
more than there are, and as many as may be, to Interefts. Which, were it generally accomplifh-
fubmit unto the Church-watch; 'twere highly ed, a marvellous Reformation were therein ef-
defirable that the Body of this profefling People feaed.
FINIS.
THAUMATURGUS:
V E L
1
"'•X ?? "^P. i. e. Liber Memorabtlium.
Discoveries and ,
Demonstrations
O f t H e
Divine PROVIDENCE
I N
Remarkable
MERCIES and JUDGMENTS
O N
O F
NEW-ENGLAND
ARE
OBSERV'D, COLLECTED and RELATED:
By COTTON MATHER.
PSAL. 107. 4;.
Wlwjo is
wife— will obferVe tbe/e Tilings
EMARKABLES OF THE
Divine Providence
Among the
People of NEW-ENGLAND,
O Regard the illuftrious Difplays Men out oftheir Stupidity So the Paflors in the
.-
of that PROVIDENCE, where- Churches of New- England have moftly been too
with our Lord CHRIST go- much under thePower of a like Indifpofition, to
verns the World, is a Work, Regard the Works of the Lord, and the Operation of
than which there is none more Needful, or Ufe- his Hands.That this Indifpofition might,if it were
ful, for
a Chrifiian To Record them is a Work,
:
poffible,be fhaken off,there were Propofals again
than which, none more proper for a Minifter : made and fent thro' the Country Whereof I will
:
And perhaps the Great Governour of the here annex the Copy ; and yet I muft complain
World ordinarily do the moft Notable
will of it, that unto this Hour there have not half7<?»
Things who are moft ready to take a
for thofe Confiderable Hifiories been tranfmitted unto us
wife Notice of what He does. Unaccountable in anfwer unto thefe Propofals.
therefore and inexculable, is the Sleepinefs, even
upon the moft or Good Men throughout the
World, which indifpoles them to obferve, and
much more to prejerve the Remarkable
Vifpenfa- Certain tPropojah made by the Prefident
lions ot Divine Providence,towards themielves
or others. Neverthelefs there have been raifed and Fellows of Harvard College,
to
up now and then thole Perfors who have ren- the Reverend Minifters of the
Gofpel
dred themielves worthy of Everlafiing Remem-
brance, by their Wahful Zeal to have the Memo-
in the
federal Churches of New-Eng-
rable Providence' of God remembred through all land.
Generations. Among thole Worthy Men, a I.
out England and Ireland, lor the faithful Regi- 'too general Negleci of it in the Churches ot
Itring of Remarkable Providences. But alas, it ' God, is as juftly to be lamented.
came to nothing that was Remarkable- The
like Holy Vefign was, by the Reverend IN- II.
CREASE MATHER, propofed among the Di- 'For theRedrefs of thas Negleci, although all
vines of New-England, in the Year 1681, at a '
Chrifiians have a Duty incumbent on them, yet
General Meeting of them > who thereupon de- 1
it is in a
peculiar manner to be recommended
'
fired him to begin, and publilhan Eflay i which unto the Mmifters of the
Gofpel, to improve the
'
he did in a little while > but therewithal decla- Ipecial Advantages which are in their Hands,
'
red, That be did only as a Specimen of
it a larger to Obtain and Preferve the Knowledge of fuch
Volume, in hopes that this Work being fo jet
'
on foot, notable Occurrents, as are fought out by all
'
Poferity would on with it.
go that have Pleafure in the Great Works of the
'
Lord.
#.2. But National Synods in France could
as the
1
in the Scriptures of Truthi°; with Appari- to entertain the World with a Coile&ion of Re-
nin^s,
'
ttons, lnchantments, and all Extra-
,
markable Providences that have occurr'd among
Poffefjions
'
wherein the Exiliertce and A- the Inhabitants of New- England. Befides a con-
ordinary Things
1
the morefenfibly de- liderable Number of Memorables, which lie fcat-
gency of
is
Invifible Uorld,
ter'd here and there in every
part of our Church'
'
monftrated.
IV. Htfiory, there is a Number of them enough to
*
therefore propofed, That the Minifiers
It if make an intire Book by themfelves; whereof
4
throughout this L.:nd would manifeft their Pi having received furficient Attentions, I (hall now
'
ous Regards unto the Works of the Lor J, and the invite the Reader to confider them.
'
Operation of
his Hands, by reviving their Cares A certain Critick fo admired thofe Verfes of
'
to take Written Accounts of fuch Remarkahles ; the Poet Claudian,
*
but Hill well attefted with Credible and Sum
'
cient Witnejles. S£pe mihi dubiam traxit fententia Mentem,
V. Curarent Juperi terras, an ullus inejjet
c
It Accounts thus taken of
isdefired, that the Reiior, an wcerto fitter ent mortalia curfu,
'
thefe Remarkahles, may be lent in, unto the
PRESIDENT, or the FELLOWS of the Col- that he (aid, whoever would be a Poet, muft per-
lege i by whom they
'
(hall be carefully referved fe&ly fettle them in his Memory. This Critick
for fuch an Ufe to be made of them, as may by might perhaps be lbmething of a Dei/?.
'
But,
*
feme fit AlTembly of Mimfiers, be judged moll Reader, if any Doubts like thefe of Claudian 's,
conducing to the Glory of GOD, and the Ser about the Exigence and Providence of God begin
'
to poifon
thy Soul, there are fix or feven Chap-
'
vice of his People.
Htfiory now
VI. ters of before thee, that may be thy
c
Tho' we doubt not, that, Love to the Name of Antidote.
*
GOD, will be motive enough unto all Good Itisobferv'd that the Name rojp, (or Fortune)
'
Men, to contribute what Affiftance they can, is not once ufed in all the Works of Homer. We
'
unto this Undertaking ; yet for further Encou- will now write a Book of rare Occurrences, where-
(hall not be once acknowledg-
ragement, fome Singular Marks ofRejpeB, (hall in a blind Fortune
'
be ftudied for fuch Good Men as will actually ed. Aufiin'm his Retraclations complains of him-
'
Samuel Willard
Cambridge Cotton Mather ,r"FellowS.
mrch
l6
5>
John Leverett j
CHAP.
Book VI. The Hiftory of New-England
CHAP. I.
Vela damus,
vafiumque cava trabe currimus £qucr. Veffel, with which they
loft all Hope of being
In this deplorable Condition they con-
(aved.
that go down to the Sea in Ships,
thefe
tinued a Fortnight: And thus for fix Weeks to-
do fee the Works of the Lord, and his Won- gether, Mr. Howe, tho' labouring under much In-
THey ders m the
Deep. And what if our firmity, was hardly ever dry Nor had they in :
Collection of Remarkable Vrcvidenccs do begin all this while the Benefit of warm Food, more
with a Relation of the Wonderful Works which than thrice, or thereabouts. When the feventh
have been done for them that go down to the Sea Week dawned upon them, the Veffel was driven
in
Ships, by
that Great Lord whofe is the Sea, for on the Tailings of a Ledge of Recks where the ,
he made it? I will carry my Reader abroad up- Sea broke with no little Violence s and looking
on the huge Atlantic, and without fo much as out, they fpied a difmal doleful Rocky ifland unto
the Danger of being made Sea-fick, he (hall fee the Lee ward ; upon which, if the Providenceot
Wonders in the Veep. •
lived an bifulary Anchorite upon a defolate Ifland the Waves were ft ill. Being under the Aftonifh-
many Months together i 1 have a Story that ments of theCircumftances now uponthcm.they
(hall in moft things Equal jr, and in fome Ex- took little out of the Veffel; but when they
ceed it. came a (hoar, they found themfelves on a defo-
On Aug. 25. 1675. Mr. Ephraim How with late Ifland (near Cape Sables') which had not
his two Sons, did (et Sail from New-Haven for either Man or Beaft upon it i and a ProfpecT- of
Bo/lon, in a fmall Ketch of about feventeen Tun » being therefore itarved quickly to death, now
and returning from Bofion for New Haven, Sept. ftared upon them. While they were under this
10. contrary Winds detain'd him for ibme time, deadly Profpe<$, a Storm arofe that (laved their
and then llnefs and Sicknefs till a Month expi- Veflel to pieces, from whence a Cask of Powder
red. He
then renewed his Voyage as far as Cape- was brought a (hoar, a Ban el of Wine, and half
Cod > but fiiddenly the Weather became fo tem- a Barrel of MoHoJJa's, together with (everaJ orher
peftuous, that it forced them off to Sea, where Things which affifted them in making a fort of
the outragious Winds and Seas did ofcen almoft a Tent, for thtirPrefervation from the terrible
overwhelm them; and here in about eleven Cold. However, new and fore DiftrefTes now
Days his Elder Son died, and in a few Days attended them for tho' they had Powder, with
:
more his Younger. It is noted in 1 Chron.-j.22. other Neceffaries for Fowling, there were (eidom
that when the Sons of Ephraim viere dead, E- any Fowls to be feen upon this forlorn Ifland, ex-
phraim their Father mourned many days, and his cept a few Gulls, Crows and Ravens ; and these
Brethren came to comfort him. This our mourning were iokw, that there could be rarely more than
Ephraim could not have any Comfort from his One (hot at a time. Oftentimes half a one of
Friends on (hoar, when his Two Sons were thus thefe Fowls, with the Liquor, made a Meal for
dead but they died after fo Holy and Hopeful
; Three: Once they lived five Days without any
a manner, that their Father was not without his Sudenance at all ; during all which Space, they
Conizations. However, their Straits and Fears did not feel themfelves pinch'd with Hunger as
were now increafed, as their Hands were dimi- at other times, which they elleemed a ipedal Fa-
nifhed and another of the Company foon after
; vour of Heaven unto them. When they had been
died like the former. Half the Company was twelve Weeks in this ionelbme Condition, Mr.
now gone and Mr. How, tho' in a very weak
; Howe's dear Friend Mr. Augur, died i and the
State of Health, now (lands at the Helm twenty Lad alio died in the April following So that his
:
four Hours, and thirty fix Hours at a time, with Lonefomenefs was now become as much as any
the Rude Waves flying over the Veffel at luch a Hermit could.have wifhed for.For a long and a fad
rate, that if he had not been lafh'd faff, he muff Quarter of a Year together now, he faw Fiihing
have been wafh'd overboard. In this Extremi- VeiTels ever now and then (ailing by; but tho'
ty he was at a lofs whether he (hould perfift in heiiled all poffible Means to acquaint them with
driving for the New England Shore, or bear a- hisDiff reifes,either they faw him noc,or they fea-
accordingly he let a- part a Day tor folemn gain feizes their Spirits : For another Morfel they
for come to a fecond Lot, which fell upon another
Thanksgiving unto God his gracious Preferver,
the Divine Favouts which had been intermixed Perfon; but ftilhhey cannot find an Executio-
with all his Ti oubles. IMMEDIATELY after ner They once again fall to their importunate
:
ibis, a VelTel belonging to Salem, did pafs by that Prayers and behold, a fecond Anlwer from a-
;
Jfland and feeing this poor Servant of God bove A great Bird lights and fixes it lelf upon
;
!
there, they took him in. So he arriv'd at Salem the Malt Oneof the Men Ipies it ; and there it
:
Julyi%. \6--j. and returned unto his Family at ftands until he took it by the Wing with his Hand.
Newbaven. This was a fecond Life from the Dead. This Fowl
with the Omen of a further Deliverance in it,
II A Man (Irangcly yreferv'd on the Keel of a
.
was a fweet Feaft unto them. Still their Difap-
Boat at Sea. pointments follow them j they can lee no Land,
they know not where they are Irrefiftible Hun- :
A Ship's Long-boat having Five Men in her, ger once more pinchss^hen? they have no Hope i
was by a violent Guff of Wind over-fer. The> to be faved, but by a Third Miracle they return :
Men all got upon the Keel, upon which being dri - to another Lot ; but before they go to the Heart-
ven toSea, they were four Bays floating there. breaking Task of flaying the Perfon under De-
In this time three of them drop'd off, and pei idl- fignat ion, they repeat their Addreftes unto the God
ed in the Deep On the Fifth Day the Fourth Man of Heaven, their former Frnnd m Adverfity.
:
being fore'.y pain'd with Hunger, and fadly brui- And now they look,
and look again, but there is
led with the boifterous and furious Waves, wil- nothing ; Their Devotions are concluded, and
fully fell off into the Sea, and wasdrown'd after nothing appears Yet they hoped, yet they flay-
:
the reft of his Companions. Quickly after this ed, yet they lingred. At laft oneof 'em lpies a
the Wind coming up at South Ea(t, carried the Ship.which putanewHope and Life into 'em all.
Boat with the Fifth Man into Leng-Ifland, where They bear up with their Ship , they Man their
being fear ce able to creep a (hoar, the Indians Long-Boat, they beg to board the Veffel, andare
found him, cherifh'd him, and preferv'd him. admitted. It proves a French Pirate. Major
With Fa/ling, and Watching and Cold, he muft, Gibbons petitions for a little Bread, and offers all
for it ; but the Commander was one who had for-
according to Realon in this time have periflied i
but he conftantly affirmed, That he [aw certain merly receiv'd confiderable Kindnefles of Major
Perfons come and put Meat into hi Mouth when he
< Gibbons at Bofton, and now replied chearfully , Ma-
tvas ready to perijh for want of Sujienanct. jor Gibbon?, Not an Hair if Tou or your Company
jJ>aH perifh, if it lies in my Power
to preferve you.
III. The Wonderful Story of Major Gibbons. Accordingly he fupplied their Neceflities, and
! they made a comfortable End of their Voy-
Among Remarkable Sea-Deliverances, nolefs iage.
than three feveral Writers have publhh'd that,
wherein Major Edward Gibbons of Bofron'm New- IV. Twelve Men living Five Weeks for Five
England, wasconcern'd. A Vefiel bound from hundred Leagues in a little Boat.
nothing here below could afford them any Re- Eighteen Perlons were in the Veffel, whereof
lief, they look'd upwards unto Heaven in humble Twelve got into the Long-Boat, into which they
and fervent Supplica:ions. The Winds continu- threw fome little matter of Provifion; but of that
ing ftill as they were, one of the Company made neceftary thing Fire, they
were wholly unprovi-
a (orrowful Motion, that they fhculd by a Lot ded. Thefe twelve Men went five hundred
fingle out One to die t and by Death to fatisfie the Leagues in this poor Long- Boat, and were therein
Ravenous Hunger of the reft. After many a miraculoufly preferved five Weeks together; foe
doleful and fearful Debate upon this Motion,they the God of Heaven fent them a ftrange Relief,
come to a Rcfult, thu it muft be done ! The Lot is by caufing fome flying Fifh to fly and fall among
caft; one of the Company is taken ; but where them, which being eaten raw, were a pleafant
is the F.xecutioner that (hail do the terrible Office Food unto them and once, when they muft o- •.
a
upon a poor Innocent ? It is a Death now to therwife have perifrrd for Thiift, they caught
think who fhallad this bloody Part in the Tra Shark, whofe Blood being fuck'd by them, wasas
But before they fall upon this involuntary Cool Waters to their thirfty Souls > but that which
gedy :
and. unnatural Execution, they once more went was more fo, was their fafe Arrival then at the
1
videnee, the Veflel fuddenly ftruck upon a Rock, fervable, that they could never catch any, but in
in a dark, rainy, ftormy Night ; and the Force anextream rsecefiity ; nor any more than would
of the Wind and the Sea broke the Veflel imme- ferve their prefent
Neajfity. But their Mifery,
diately to Pieces. Six of the Ten Men, whereof thro' the Want or Water, was very fore upon
the^Company did confift, were drown'd but ;
them :For tho'they tried much to take the Rain
the Mafter and the Mate were left upon the Water, when any tell, the Winds were ulually fo
Rock, where the Sea came up unto their Wafte, furious, that they could fa ve little, if any of it.
and there they embrac'deach other, looking for However, when they came near the Latitude of
Death every Moment which, if the Sea had
; Rermudaz, they did, unto their great Joy, lave
rifen higher,mull have been unavoidable. By two Barrels of Ram Water but then, the Rats
\
the Rock was one of the Seamen grievoully unexpe&edly eating Holes in the Barrels, all that
wounded, and groaning But in the Morning
: Water was loft again. Once when a Shower of
they law an Ifland about half a mile from them. Rain fell, they fav'd a Pint ; which, tho' i: were
The Rocks were fo cragged, that thele Perfons, made very hitter by the Tar, yet ic was a fweet
who were bare-footed, were not able to tread Water unto their
Thirjiy Souls ;
and they divided it
thereupon; but they found a Piece of Tarpoling among feven, drinking a Thimble-fall at a time^
which they wrapp'd and faftned about their which went five times about. On
Jan. 27. a
Feet with Rope-Tarns ; and fo getting each of good Shower of Ra:n fell > and that they might
them a Stick, they fometimes walk'd, and lbmc preferve they laid their Linnens open to the
it,
times they crept, until at laft they came unco the Rain ; and wringing them dry, they obtain'd fe-
Ifland, where they found another of their Crew, ven Gallons of Warer.which being Bottl'd
up,was
carried a more by a piece of the Veflel. Eight a great and a long Refrefhmentunto them. New
Days they continu'd on the Ifland, and Four of Straits then came
upon them. They catch'd,
them without any Fire. Salt-Fifh wastheirFood, with much ado, three or four of the Rats, that
and Rain- Water found in the Holes of the Rocks had cheated them of theirDrink,and made of 'em
their Drink. They then found a piece of aMeat, which to their famifiVd Souls did leem ve-
Touchwood which had been in the Mate's ry delicate. But the Torment of their Drought
Cheft ; and a Flint, with a Knife, being in like grew infupportable ; for fometimes they had
manner brought 'em, they ftruck Fire ; and a not a Drop of any frefh Water for a whole Week
Barrel of their Flower being alfo caft alhore, together. When
a Dolphin, they they killed
they made Cakes thereof. But there muft be no would fuck his Blood
Relief of their for the
long Scay made upon this defolate Ifland. Thirfl, yea, their Thtrji caufed them to drink
Wherefore finding a piece of the Mam-Sail, and large Quantities of Salt Water, which
yet they
fome Hoops of a Cask, and a Fragment of a found allay'd it not.
They would go over board
Board, with fome Nails, and a Box wherein was with a Rope faftned about them, that by drench-
a Bolt rope Needle and aTarr- Barrel, with which
ing ihemfelves a while in the Sea, they might
they Tarr'd their Canvas. Out of thele wretch- eale the internal Heat which parched them ;
ed Materials they patch'd up a pitiful, unlikely, and when flood of them to fteer the
they any
dangerous Tool, which they calfd a Boat and Veifel, they would have their Feet in a Pail of
;
meeting with Ibme thin Boards which came Sea Water to refrigerate em. In this Calamity
out of the Cabin, of thefe they made their fome of the Seamen
penitently confefled, howjufi
Paddles. In this odd Vehicle they made a Voy- it ii'iis with God thus to
punijh them, who had intern'
age of ten Leagues, even until they came to An perately abufed ihemfelves with Drink, Jo often in
guilia, where the People entertain'd them with their former Converfation. But at length on Febr.
Courtefie and Wtmderment. 7. they met with a Guinea Man, who fupplicd
'em with Neceifaries, and io they got fafe in
VI. Sore Calamities at Sea furvived. unto Barbados, from whence they afterwards
made their Voyage to New- England.
A fmall Veflel fet from Bnfiol to New
fail
England, Sept. 2i. 16B i. wich the Mafier, whole VII. Seafonable Succours,
Name was William Dutttn ; there were feven
Men a board, having Provifions for three Months-, A Ship of Dublin, whereof Andrew Bennet was
but by contrary Winds, they were twenty Weeks Mafter,
being bound from thence unto Virginia,
before they could make any Land; and by o and
got as far as the Latirude of ly, about an
ther Dilalters and Diftrcffes, it wasrendred
very hundred and fifty Leagues from Cape Cud in New-
unlikely that ever they ftiould make any Land England {on April 18. 1681 .) in a very ftormy
at all. The fierce Winds upon the Coafts of time, fuddenly there
fprang a Plank in the fore-
New-England, made them conclr.de on Dec. 12. part of the Ship. Whereupon the bea broke in
that they would bear
away for Barbadoes ; but io faft, that they could not by all their Endea-
before this they loft One Barrel of their Beer,
by vours keep the Ship from finking above half an
the Head being broken out j and
having but ie- Hour. Wherefore, when the Ship wae \vfojmk-
ing
The kiiftory of New- England. Book VI.
ing, lbme of the Company relblved that they Storm ;
and by this means they met with a Boat
would launch out the Boat, which was a very full of their dilfrefs'd Brethren.
Captain Scar-
iinall one > and in this A&ion the Mafter} the was then deftitute of Provificns only
let's Veffel ;
Mate, the Boatfwam, the Cook, two Fore mafl Men they had Water enough, and to fpare For .-
and a Boy, kept fuch hold of it, when a Caft of which caufe the Mariners delir'd him that he
the Sea luddenly help'd them off with it, that would notgo to take the Men in, left they fhould
they got into it- The Heaving of the Sea now all die by Famine. But the Captain was a Man
fuddenly thruft them from the Ship, in which of too generous a Charity to follow the Selffl
there were lefc Nineteen Perfons, namely, Sixteen Propofals, thus made unto him. Hereply'd, It
Men and Three Women, who all perilh'd in the may he, thefe diflrefs'd Creatures are our own Coun-
Deep, while they were trying to make Rafters, trey men : Or, however, (hey are diftrefs'd Creatures.
by cutting down the Malts for the Prefervation 1 am refolved I will take thtm in ; and I'll truft in
of their Lives as long as they could. The Seven God, -who U able to delivtr us all. Nor was he a
in the Boat apprehended themlelves to be in a Loler by this Charitable Relolution i for
Cap-
Condition little better than that of them in the tain Scarlet had the Water which Laiton wanted,
Ship ;
for they had neither Sails, noi Oan, nor and Mr. Laitcn had the Bread and Fifli that Scar-
Bread, nor Water, nor any fort of Inftrument, let wanted : So they reirefh'd one another, and
except a Knife and a Piece of a Deal- Board, with in a few Days arriv'd lafe to Niw- England. But
which they madi Sticks, and fet them up in the it was remark'd, That the chief of the Mariners
Sides of the Boat, covering them with ibme of who urg'd Captain Scarlet againlt his
taking in
their own Garments to keep off the
Spray of the thefe diftrefs'd People, did afterwards in his Di-
Sea. In this Condition they drove with an hard flrels at Sea, perilh without any to take him in.
Wind and an high Sea all this Dav, with the In another Voyage he periuVd at Sea, and was
Night following: but the next Morning their never heard of.
dilmal Diltrefs met with an happy Relief; when
they faw a Ketch (whereof Edmund Henfield of IX. Wonderful DiftreffcS, and more
wonderful
Salem \nNew England, was Mafter) under Sail ;
Deliverances.
which Ketch coming right with them, took 'em
up, and brought 'em fafeto New-England. Now A Number of Mariners, in a fmall Pink, be-
none of the leaft remarkable Circumftances in longing to Boftcn (czU'dThe BleJJtng) were taken
this matter, was, that when the
Ship foundered, by an Half-Galley of Cruel Spaniards, on April
the Ketch was many Leagues to the Me(lv>ard of i. i<58;,who put them all
immediately into their
her; but a contrary Wind caufed her to ftand Hold, except the Mafter and Mate, the latter of
back again unto the Eaftward, where thefe poor which they tormented by twifting a Piece of
Men were met and laved. Sea- Net about his Head, until his
Eyes were rea-
dy to ftart out And then hanging him up by the
:
with their Feet, that at laft the Man got hold of the Example of the Mate, and his Two, in mi
•
it with his Hand* and herewith by degrees they king a Raf: for a Voyage to Sea: But as chey
loos'd the Knot that was upon the Bowing oi were going to put off, they eipy'd a couple of
their Arms ; and (hitting it into their Fingers, Sails; upon which they betook themfelves unto
did by little and little get io far in looting it, that the Water, that they might get unto thefe Vef-
they quite undid it, fetting themfelves at liberty. fels, which at length took them up. Thefe two
Now returning their Thanks to the God of Hea- Veffels were a couple of Canoos, having three
ven for helping them thus far, they haffned unto Men apiece, who kept em thirty two D.iys, and
the Help of their dsipairing Friends. But their then carry 'd 'em into Havana ; where the Go-
next Care was how to keep themfelves out of vernour, noewkhftanding they fairly related un-
the Sight of thole barbarous Wretches, from him their Circumftances, kept 'em in Prifon
whom they had received this Ufage: Yet they Eighteen Days, without allowing 'em any food.
had not gone above a Mile, before they fpy'd So that if they had not receiv'dfome Suften.ance
lbme of 'em got upon an high Tree to difeover from a few poor Engh[h Prifoners who had been
Ships that pals'd that way. Upon this they were there before 'em, they had been perfectly ftarv-
Jo affrighed, that they ran among the Thickets ed. At laft they underftood that their Ship was
and loft one another, and met not again till the in that Harbour, and the Perfbns who took her :
they were imploy'd, an^/^forfuddeniy got the had no Spanif.j Goods aboard. Their Petition
Arm of the Mafter into his Mouth ; but he with was granted ; and their Ship (tho' empty'd of
the reft, crying out, the Alligator let go his Hold, every thing but her Ballaftj was reftor'd unto
therewithal tearing away a great piece of the 'em Nor could they by a new Petition obtain
:
Flefli. After this, they got upon an High Tree, any thing but her Sails, and fome finall part of
and fate there till it was Day ; but within a Day her Lading that had not been difpos'd of.
or two they kill'd a wild Coney, which they On June 10. the Hunters having taken up Ro-
flay 'd with the Flelpofa (harp Stone; and ap- bert Pierce and Peter Clement, and brought 'em in-
plying the Inlide of it unto the Mafter s Arm, to Havana, the Governour examin'd 'em what
they eat the Flefh raw with no little Satisfaction. was become of their Mates > and they told him,
The Night following they got upon an High That they were five Days at Sea upon the Raft ,
Rock, thinking there to be fecure from the Alliga- and had only two Crabs all this while to fubfift
tors ; yet even there, one of thofe terrible Crea- upon > and then by the Wind they were driven
tures came upon 'em, and hall'd one of the Men upon the fame Ifland which they had left, where
off the Rock s at which they all crying out, they wander'd up and down for a Month toge-
the Monfler let go his Hold, and the Alan was ther ; and in their Travels loft their Mate, who
recover'd. However, this made 'em retire into was, thro' Weaknefi unable to travel. Hereup-
the Trees for Safety. Their Drink all this while on the Governour fent 'em aboard alio; and
was the Rain Water, found in Holes among the the Night before they fail'd, the Hunters infor-
Rocks. At length alfo they rais'd a little Wall med the Governour, That they had likewife ta-
Two Yards high, to keep off the numerous Alli- ken up the Mate alive. But the Governour hur-
gators : And Whilks and Crabs were their beft ry' d '"em away in fuch hafte, that they could
Food, whilft they had much ado to preferve not know the Certainty thereof; and fo they
themfelves from being Food to thofe Devourers. profecuted their Voyage for Boften, whither they
But anon they found a Well with a Barrel in it, came, well nigh ftarv'd with Cold, not having
where they reiolv'd they would wait for Help or any more Clothes than a Canvas Frock for each
Death. On Apr. 1 5. the Mate (namely Charles Man, which the Turtlers had beftow'd upon
Cretchet) with two more (namely Robert Fierce them.
and Peter Clement) of thefe diftrefs'd People,
made a Raft with liich Wood as they found on X. A Notable Story of one fav'd from the
the Ifland, and put to Sea. The Mafter (whofe Hands of the Turks.
Name was David Ea(l) with two more (whole
Names were John Bath and Peter Rowla nd) being A Becad of Remarkable Sea Deliverances may
left behind, were extreamly hungry and feeble, befufficient for theprefcnt Entertainment.
and had not the leaft Garment to cover them One of my honeft Neighbours, whofe Name
from the Sun, while they were at the fame time is Chrifiopher Monk, brought me this Account of
io grievoufly infefted with Mojcheto's, that they what had befallen himfelf.
could not go to the Rocks for Whilks, but mult
*
content themfelves with gnawing fuch dry Bones In a Ship of Bermudas, call'd The Johns Ad-
'
of Turtles as had been half a Year lying there. vent ure, whereof I was Mafter, July 2tt. 168 j.
'
In this Extremity Heaven fent them fome Sup- we departed from Torbay in the Weft o\ Eng-
ply ; for they found a dead Eel, which they fup- cland. Eight Days after this we faw a Ship a-
pos'd had been dropt by an Hern : This they boit8\ A.M. that gave us Chafe And tho'
:
Bbbbbb the
The Hiftory of New-England. Book yi;
' '
the Half Moon oi Algitr^ho fent tbeirLanch on ot the
Enghfh aboard , how eafily we might
' '
'
board of us, and carry'd us all on board the
'
conquer our Adversaries, and mafter the Ship.
Turks Ship, except One, whom they left, to help Some conlented, and prefcrib'd a Way but ;
* 1
'em in failing of ours. The Captain having one more fearful than the reif, bid me have a
' '
examin'd us of divers things, and robb'd us of care what 1 faid for fbme among us, he affir-
;
'
what Silver or Gold we had about us, lent us
'
med, would willingly betray our Defign, unco
'
'
forward among theocher Chnfiians, that were the lofs of our own Lives. Hereupon I fpoke
'
'
there before us, who entertain'd us with fonow- no more of it, but went down between Decks
'
'ful Lamentations, to advife with my Bible i and this was the Scri-
'
pture which then occurr'd unto me
8
1 have fince reflec"ted on it, that tho' formerly Ccafefrom :
'
'
Morning and Evening Prayers with my
I us'd Singer, and ft ake Wrath ; fret not thy felf in
' c
'However now, being in Turkifl) and cruel vice of the Pfalm, I alio apply'd unto my felf
'
Hands, I thought it fit to pray with rhein that 'that Scriptuie in Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a
'
'
weie formerly of my Family, that is to {ay, my Man jliould both hope and quietly wait for the Sal-
'
'Bible, which the Turks reckon'dof little value, peard at length Two
'
given to me. This was my fweeteft Compa- the Top of another Hill coming towards us, ac
' '
nion and my greateft Conlblation in my Dif- the Cry of the Tcung Ones, to releafe 'em: That
I alio met with Two other Books, one
' '
for fear, left the Old
trcfs. Eagles nvght kill us, I
' '
entitul'd The Godly Man's Ark the other The ,
with leveral others, were put into the little
c '
Hiftory of the Sufferings of Jeliis Chriif ; which Houfe to lecure us And, that hereupon the :
'
were very beneficial to me. From the Suffer-
1
things ; knowing that Jefus Chrift had fuffer'd Lord ; and I will fet him at liberty from him that
' *
more than I was able
to undergo, and
had fuff'eth at him. 1 thought alio that I heard
all to thofe who are His. iomebody cry ouc, A Sail, a Sail And I thought
' '
fweeten'd was
1 .'
' '
likewife made willing to undergo Slavery from my felf upon the Upper Deck : imagining
' '
thole Confiderationsin Lam. 3.22,39. It u of the that there Ifaw a Ship or Two. With this, I
' '
Lord's Mercies that we are not confum'd Wherefore awoke, and went upon the Deck
: hue feeing. ;
*
would be the more comfortable > but that, if I c fer'd me any Abule, tho' chcy did beat other
'
met with a Bad Mafter, the Time which I had Chrifiians very much.
'
On that Day, about 8
'
hereto live, was but fhort, compar'd with £• '
in the Morning, a Chriftian at the Fore top-
1
unto my prefent Condition efpecially many 'elpy'd us, and made Sail towards us. and lodid
>
'
Paflages in the 37th Pfalm very much afFeded the James-Galley.
'
We lay ftillumil 1 few their
'me. Oncecoming upon the Dec kin the Mor- 'Sails above the Water, like my two White
'
< '
er of a fharp Knife, i could have cut the Throats 'em ; yet at Night the James Galley came up
'
'of a great many, without making any Node, with us whereupon I, wich the reft of the ;
*
and withal, communicated the Notion to (on;e Chriltians, was chain'd down in the Hold.
«
Alter
Book VI. 7 be Hijiory of New- England.
After a little Difcourfe, they fired on our Turks 17 long Weeks had they now fpent, fince they
a Volley of Small Shot, and a Broad-fide. The came from their Port, which was Fajal. By io
Sea Face feeing that, boarded us :but in lefs unufually tedious a Paffage a Terrible Famine
than an Hours time (he loft her Fore-maft, and unavoidably came upon them ; and for the five
Boltfprit, and Head,
and about fiveand twenty laft Weeks of their Voyage they were fo defti-
5
Men, and fell a-ftern. Yet the other, which tute of all Food, that thro Faintnefs they would
was lefs than (he, (hot all her Maft away by 2 have chofen Death rather than Life. But they
in the Morning > and when it was Day, the were a praying and a pious Company : And
lurks yielded their Ship. Then they that were when theft po,r Men crfd unto the Lord, be heard
leading us Captive, were them ielves carry'd and fav'd them. God fent His Dolphins to
into Captivity, Sept. 10. 16*61. attend 'em ; and of thefe they caught ftill One
every Day, which was enough to ferve 'em :
Monk. only on Saturdays they ftill catch'd a Couple ;
Cbrijlopher
and on the Lord's Days ihey could catch none at
all. With all pofltble Skill and Care they could
not fupply themfolves with the Fi(h in any other
Numbe: or Older ; And indeed with an Holy
MJN71SSJ. Blufh at laft theyleit off oying 10 do any thing"
on the Lord's Days, when they were fo well
Over and above the of Sea Deliver- fuppiy'd on the Saturdays.
Number Thus the Lord kept
ances intended for this Chapter,we will add feeding a Company that put their Truft in Him,
One more, which is a late and a frefla asHc did His IJrael with hisManna ;And this they
Inftance, and auefted beyond all Con- continu'd until the Dolphins came to that Change
tradiction. ot Water, where they us'd to leave the Veflels.
Then they fo ftrangely furrendred themielves,
On the i<5th of Q&ober, in this prefent Year that the Company took Twenty feven of 'em ;
i6y~. there arriv'd at blew- Haven a Sloop of which not only fuffie'd them until they came
about 50 Tuns, whereof Mr. William Trowbridge aftiore, but alfo fome of 'em were brought aftiore
was Mafter : The Veffel belong'd unto New- dry'd , as a Monument of the Divine
Haven, the Perfons on board were Seven ; and Benignity.
others be the
Relating Remarkable Salvations experienced by fides Seafaring.
Pars mihi femper erit, fervari Tjellefalutis
Maxima
Good People of New-England may tune when others have been horribly wafted.
THE their Praifes to a Confort, with thofe of Moreover,when any Neighbours have labour'd
the good Pfalmift, He that is our God, ts the God under defperate Maladies i or been tempted, or
of Salvation, and unto God the Lord belong the IJfues diftra<5red, or poflefs'd, it hath been a common
from Death. How many Extraordinary Salvati- thing for a Knot of Godly People to meet, and
ons, have been granted unto particular Perfons, faft, and pray, and fee the JffliEled glorioufly
among that good People, a fmall Volume could deliver'd. Furthermore, when any Droughts, or
not enumerate. Floods have threatned the Ruins of our Harvefts,
Remarkable Anfwersof Prayer have been re- thefe and thofe Congregations moftly concern'd ,
ceiv'd by the moft of thofe who have experi- have pray-'d with Fafting on thofe Occafions ;
mentally known the Meaning of Wreftlings in and God hath wondroufly deliver'd them, with
Prayer among us. How many Thoufands have a Diftindion from others that have not fo call'd
upon very notable Experiments been able to fay, upon him. The very Pagans in this Wildernefs
This Poor Man cried, and the Lord heard and favd have beenfometimes amazed at what they have
htm; One very furprizinglnftancehath been feen feen of this nature among us, and cried our,
leveral times in this Land, when infinite Swarms That the Englifhman's God was a Great and aGeod
'
of Caterpillars have devoured our Fields, and car- God! It may be added, Some of our Churches
ry'd whole Fields before them : Some very pious have once in a confiderable while kept a Day of
and praying Husbandmen in the extream Exi- Prayer for the Succefs of the Word of CHRiST,
gency, when the Devourers have juft been upon the Souls of their Children in rifing Gene-
entring on their Fields, have poured out their ration among them : And the Succefs hath been
fervent Prayers unto the God of Heaven for their fochjthat all the Churches in the Land have took
Deliverance ; immediately hereupon Flocjis of notice of it.
Birds have arriv'd that have devoured the De-
vourers, and preierv'd thofe particular Fields. Bbbbbb 2 Again,
IO The Eiflory of New-England. Book VI,
Again, Remarkable Relcues horn Death have to thsfe things, a Narrative of a Woman cele-
been receiv'd by ib many Thoufands among us, brating the wonderful Difpenfations of Heaven.
that there hath been fcarce one Devout Family
which hath not been able to bring in fomething
unto the Heap of thele Experiences. Fallen
A TSLA%%AT1VE of Hannah
Terfcns that have had Carts and Ploughs juft run- Swarton, containing Wonderful Paf-
ning over them, the Beafts which drew them to her
have fuddenly ftop'd, unto the Surprize of the fages, relating Captivity and
her Deliverance.
Spectators. Perfons on the very Point of mortal
Brui/ing or Drowning, have been fnatch'd out of
T Was taken by the Indians when Cafco Fort
the Jaws of Defirudion in Ways that arC not ac- i was taken ( May 1690.) My Husband being
countable: Even Ejaculate-? Prayers have had (lain, and four Children taken with me. The
Aftonifhing Anfwers. Forinftance, Eldeft of my Sons they kill'd, about two
An honeft Carpenter being at work upon an Months after I was taken, and the reft fcatter'd
Houle, when Eight Children were fitting in a from me. I was now lefc a Widow, and as be-
Ring at fome childifli Play on the Floor below j reav'd of my Children though, I had them a-
;
he let fall accidentally from an upper Story, a live, yet it was very (eldom that 1 could fee 'em,
bulky Piece of Timber juft over thele little and I had not Liberty to dilcourfe with 'em
Children. The Good Man, with inexpreffible without danger either of my own Life, or theirs;
Agony, cry'd out, Lord Jtree! it, and the Lord for our condoling each others Condition, and
did (o direct it, that it fell on End in the Midft of mewing Natural Affe&ion, was ibdiipleafingto
the licrle Children, and then canted along on the our Indian Rulers, unto whole (hare we fell, that
Floor between two of the Children, without they would threaten to kill us, if we cry'd
ever touching one of them all. But the Inftan- each to other, or difcourfed much together. So
ces of fiich Things would be numberlefi. And that my Condition was like what the Lord
if I mould with a molt Religious
Veracity, relate threatned the Jews in Ez,ek. 24. 12, 2;. We
wha: Wounds many Peribns have furviv'd, I durft not Mourn or Weep in the Sight of our Ene-
fiiould puzzle Vhilofofhy and make her have fome mies, left we loft our own Lives. For the firft
Recourfe unto Divinity. times, while the Enemy feafted on our Engli(h
One Abigail Eliot had an Iron ftruck into her Provifions, I might have had fome with them •,
Head, which drew out part of her Brains with but then I was fb fill'd with Sorrow and Tears,
it : A Silver Plate (he afterwardswore on her that I had little Stomach to eat ; and when
my
Skull where the Orifice remain'd as big as an Stomach was come a our Englifh Food was (pent,
Half Crown. The Brains left in the Child's Head the Indians wanted themielves, and we more lb :
would fwell and (wage, according to the Tides that then I waspin'd with Want. We had no
;
Her Intellectuals were not hurt, by this Difafier Corn or Bread but fometimes Groundnuts, A-
,
,
and (he liv'd to be a Mother of feveral Children. corns, Vurflain, Hogweed, Weeds, Roots, and fome-
One John Symonds about the Age of Ten Years, times Dogs Flejh, but not fufficient to fatisfie Hun-
had fome affrighted Oxen with a Plough, running ger with thefev having but little at a time. We
over him ; the Share took hold of his Ribs a little had no Succefs at hunting fave that one Bear ;
below the left Pap, and rent an Hole in his was killed, which I had part of and a very ;
Breaft, fo large, that a Man might have put in fmall part of a Turtle I had another time, and
his four Fingers His very Heart became vifible once an Indian gave me piece of a Moofe's Liver,
:
;
his Lungs would fly out fundry Inches, as often as which was a fweetMorlel to me ; and Fiji) if we
the Place was dreft. In feven or eight Weekshe could catch it. Thus I continued with them,
recover'd and became an healthy Man. But hurry'd up and down the Wildernefs, from May
an Hi/lory of Rare Cures in this Countrey 20. till the middle of February carrying conti- ;
would fill more Pages than may here be allow'd. nually a great Burden in our Travels and I ;
Yet let me take the Leave to enquire what mail mult go their Pace, orelfe be killed prefently 5
up in fucceffive Potions of them. When (he was pricked with (harp Stones and prickly Bufhes
open'd, there were no Bowels to be found inher, ibmetimes and other times pinch'd with Snow,
,
except her Heart, which was exceeding fmall, Cold, and Ice, that I travell'd upon, ready to be
and as it were perboil'd and her Mill, or
; Spleen, frozen,
and faint for want of Food fb tha: ;
one End whereof ftuck to her Back, and the o many times I thought I could go no further, but
ther to her Ribs as alfo a fmall part of her Li
; muft lie down, and if they would kill me, let
ver or Lungs, corrupted fo much,' that they knew em kill me. Yet then the Lord did fo renew my
not which of the Two it was, and this no bigger Strength, that I went on (fill further as my Ma-
than the Palm of ones Hand. Other Bowels, fter would have me, and held out with rhem.
none could be found Yet in this Condition (he Though many Englifh were taken, and I was
:
liv'd a
long while, and retain'd her Senies to the brought to fome of 'em at times, while ws were
laft. about Cafco Bay and Kennsbeck Rivtr, yet at
But we will content our felves with annexing Nor-
Book VI. The Hifiory of New-England. 11
Wants, they killed him, and threatned me with Counfellour in thefe Diftreffes : But I
my may
the like. time my Indian Miitrefs and I. lay, Ihe Words of God, which I had formerly
One
were left alone, while the reft went to look for heard or read, many of them came oft into my
Eels > and they left us no Food from Sabbath- Mind, and kept me from fencing in my Afflicti-
Jay Morning
till the next
Saturday, fave that
we ons. As when they threatned to kill me many
had a Bladder (of Mcofe think)
I which was well times, I often thought of the Words of our Sa-
fiU'd with Maggots, and we boild it, and drank viour to Pilate, job. 19. 1 1. Thou
couldeft have no
the Broth; but the Bladder was io tough we Power at all
again/} me, except it were given thee
we could not eat it. On the Saturday 1 was from above. I knew they had no Tower to kill
fent by my Miftrefs to that part or the Ifland me but what the Lord gave them and I had ;
moil likely to ice ibme Canoo, and there to make many times Hope, that the Lord would not
Fire and Smoke, to invite Ibme Indians if I could fuffer them to flay me, but deliver me out of their
fpie any, to coine to relieve us; and I eipy'd a Hands and in bis time I hoped, return me to
j
Canoo, and by Signs invited 'em to come to fhore. my Countrey again. When they told me that
It prov'd to be lome Squaws ; who underftand- my Elded Son was kill'd by the Indians, I thought
ing our Wants, one ot 'em gave me a roafted
of that in Jer. 53.8. IwiU clcanfe them from all
Eel> which I eat, and it leem'd unto me the their Iniquities whereby they have finned
againft me,
moil iavory Food I ever tafted before. Some- and I will pardon all their Iniquities. I hoped, thos
times we liv'd on Worth berries, fometimes on a the Enemy had barbaroufly killed his Body, yet
kind of Wild Cherry, which grew on Bufhes, that the Lord had pardoned his Sins, and that his
which I was fent to gather once in io bitter a Soul wasfafe. When I thought upon my many
cold Sealbn, that I was not able to bring my Troubles, 1 thought of Job's Complaint, Chap.
Fingers together to hold them faft Yet under Thou numbreji my Steps , and
•'
infimbt her in theirs, flie might hmve been of cur How long fliall I take Counfel in my Soul, having
our Religion : and fhe would fay , That God de~ Sorrow in my Heart I How long (hall my Enemy
livcred us into their Hands to punifh us for our Sins be exalted over me?
-,
I fometimes bemoaned my
And this 1 knew was true as to my
felf. And felf, as Job, Chap. 19. 9, 10. He hath ftripped
as I defired to coniider of all my Sins, for which me of my Glory, and taken my Crown from
my Htad\
the Lord did punifh me, fo this lay very heavy be hath deftroyed mc on every fide, and I am gone, and
upon my Spirit many a time, that I had left the my hope hath he removed like a Tree. Yet fome-
Pubiick Worfhip and Ordinances of God, where times encourag'd from Job 22.z-j.Thou jhalt make
I formerly lived (viz,, at Beverley) to remove to thy Prayer to him, and he flia/l hear thee, and thcu
the North Part ot Cafco Bay, where there was no pay thy Vows.
fljalt
I made my Vows to the Lord
Church or Minifter of the Goipel ; and this we that I would give up felf to him, if he would
my
did for large Accommodations in the World, accept me in Jefus Chrift, and pardon my Sins ;
thereby expofing our Children, to be bred Igno- and I defired and endeavour'd to pay my Vows
rantly like Indians, and ourielves to forget what unto the Lord. I pray'd to him, Remember not
we had been formerly inftru&ed in i and fo we againft me the Sins of my Youth ; and I befbught
turned our Backs upon God's Ordinances to get him, Judge me, O God, and plead my caufe againjt an
this World's Goods. But now, God hath ftript Ungodly Nation deliver me from the deceitful and
'>
me of thefe things alfo ; fo that 1 muft juftihe unjuft Man. Why go I mourning becaufe of the Op-
the Lord in all that has befallen me, and acknow- preffion of the Enemy i And by many other Scrip-
ledged that he hath punifh'd me lefs than my tures that were brought to my Remembrance,
Iniquities deferved. I was now bereav'd of Huf wasl infrruftedjdirededand comforted-
band, Children, Friends, Neighbours, Houfe, E I travell'd over fteep and h dcous Mountains
;
the middle of February 1690. and travelling over my Inward Man. For the Lady my
Miftrefs,the
the River, my Ma^er pirch'd his Wigwam in Nuns, the Priefts, the Friers, and the reft,
fight of lome French Ffmfes Weftwaid of us,
onme with all the Strength of Argumentfet'up-
they
and then lent me to thole Houfes to beg Victuals could from Scripture, as they interpreted it, to
for them which I did, and found the French perl wade me to turn Papift ; which they prefs'd
:
Months before io that now I found a great Threatnings, and fometimes hard Ulages, becaufe
\
fignified as well isl could, to make the me, as he did Paul, and as he did the Three
Indians, I liver
Frtnch Woman underftand, that I defir'd to ftay Children out of the Fiery Furnace And I be- ;
Thanks for herKindnefsjand while I waited,came mutt come to God only by Chrift, Job. 6. 37,44.
in twoMen,and one of 'em fpake to me in For Purgatory, they brought Mat. I told
Englijl) 5. 15.
I Woman This
\ was ex- them, to agree with God while here on
amgladtojeeyou,Countrey Earth,
to Agree with ot'-r our
ceedingly reviving to heartheVoice otanEnglifl) was, Adverfary in the way ;
found he was taken and if we did not , we (hould be call into Helf]
w><?»,and upon Inquiry I at
t he North- i and the other was a French
and mould not come out until we
Weft Paffage paid the utmofi
Ordinary Keeper. After lome Difcourle, he ask'd Farthing, which could never be paid. But it's
me to go with him to Quebeck, which he told me, bootlels for me a poor Woman, to acquaint the
was about four Miles oft": Lanfwer'd, my Indian World, with what Arguments 1 uled, if I could
Mafter might kill me for it, when I went back. now remember them > and many of them are
Then, after lome Difcourfe in French with his flipt out of my Memory.
Fellow-Traveller, he laid, This French Man en I mail proceed to relate what Trials I met with
return'din-a*doors, perfwaded me to go with'em turn to another, which I believ'd was not right.
to Quebeck which i did, and wasconvey'd unto And I was kept from turning, by that Scripture,
;
the Houfe of the Lord-Intendant, Monfieur le To Mat. 10. ;i, 33. Whofoever (hall confefs me before
nant, who was Chief Judge, and the Second to Men, him will I confefs before my Father which a
the Governour ; and I was kindly entertain'd by in Heaven 5 and whofoever denies me before Men,
the Lady i and had French Cloathsgiven me,with him alfo will I deny before my Father which is in
good Diet and Lodging, and was carry'd thence Heaven. I thought, that if I mould deny the
unto the Hofpital, where I was Phylick'd and. Truth, and own their Religion, I mould deny
Blooded, and very courteoufly provided for.' Chrift. Yet, upon their Perfwafions, I went to
And lome time after my Indian Mafter and Mif fee and be prefent at their Worftrip fometimes ;
trefs coming for me, the Lady Intendant paid a
but never to receive their Sacrament. And once
Ranlbm for me, and I became her Servant. And when I was at their Worfhip, that Sc ifture
I mult fpeak ic to the Honour of the French, 1 Cor. 6. 14. to the End, came into my Mind:
they were exceeding* kind to meat firft; even as What Communion hath Light with Darknefa I what
kind as I could expect to find the Englijh fo that Concord hath Chrili with Belial 1 what part hath he
:
"Daughters, J
ait h the Lord Almighty. This Scrip- the Lord, [fake one to another of it, as we had Op-
ture was ib ltrong upon my Spiric, that I thought portunity. And Col. Tyng and Mr. ^We»,asthey
I was out of my way to be prefent at the Idola- were permitted, did ipeak to us to confirm and
trous Wotfhip,and I refolv'd never to come unto rtrengthen us in the ways of the Lord. At
it again. Buc when the time drew nigh, that 1 length the French debarr'd our coming together
was to go again, i was ib reltleis that Night, for Religious Conference, or other Duties : And
that 1 could not deep; thinking what I fhould Word was fent us by Mr. Alden, That this was
lay to 'em when they urg'd me to go again, of Perfection that we muft fuffcr for Chrift.
and one kind
what I fhould do. And lo it was in the Morn- Thefe are fome of the Scriptures which have
ing, that a French
Woman
of my Acquaintance, been my Support and Comfort in the Affli&ion
told me, if I would not be of their Religion, I cf my Captivity among the Papifts. .That
did but mock at it, to go to their Worihip, and in Ezek. id. 6,-8. Iapply'd unto my felf,
bid me.that if I would not be of their Religion,! and I defir'd to Enter into Covenant with Go</,and
ftiould go no more. 1 anfwer'd her, That I would o be His and I prayed to the Lord, and hoped
f
;
7tot be of their Religion, and I would go no more to the Lord would return me to my Countrey a-
their Worflnp And accordingly I never went gain,' That I might Enter into Covenant with
:
more, and they did not force me to it. Hrm, among his People, and enjoy Communion
1 have hid many Conflicts in my own Spirit, with Him in his Churches and publick Ordi-
fearing that I was not
truly converted unto God nances. Which Prayers the Lord hath now
in Chrift, and that I had no laving Interelt in Heard, and gracioufly anfver'cl j praifed be his
Chrift. 1 could not be of a Falie Religion, to Name The Lord enable me to live fuitably to
!
pleale Men ; for it was againft my Conscience his Mercy, and to thofe
publick and precious
And was not fit to
1 ftiffer for the True Religion, Privileges which I now enjoy. So, that in Ezek.
and for Chrift For I then fear'd I had no ln-
: 11. 16,17. was a great Comfort unto me in my
tereft in him. I was neither fit to live, nor fit to Captivity •,
Although J. have cafi them far off a-
die; and brought once to the very Pit of Def- mong the Hea hen, yet will 1 be a little SanUuary to
good Books by t:ie help of my Fellow Captives. was a Little Sanduary to me there, and hoped,
1 looked over the Scripture, and fetled on the that the Lord would bring me untothe
Countrey
Prayer of 'Jonah, and thofe Words, I faid I am from whence I had been icattered. And the
ca(i out of thy fight, yet
will Hook
again towards thy
Lord hath heard the Prayer of the Deftitute,
Holy Temple. 1 refolv'd 1 would do as Jonah and not defpis'd my Prayer, but granted me the
did : And in the Meditation upon thisScripture Defire of my Soul, in bringing me to his Houfe,
the Lord was pleaied by his Spirit to come into and my Relations again. I often thought on
the Hiftory of the Man born blind; of whom
my Soul, and ib fill me- with raviihing Comfort,
that 1 cannot expreis it. Then came to mind Chrift, when his Difciples asked, Whether this
the Hiftory of the Transfiguring of Chrift, and Man had finned, or his Parents ? anfwercd, Nei-
Peter's Saying, Mattb. 17. 4. Lord, it is
good for ther this Man nor his Parents > but this was, that the
us to be here! 1 it was good for me to
Works of God might be made manifeji in hint. So,
thought 3
be here i and 1 was of Comfort and Joy, tho 1 had delerved all this, yet I knew not but
lo full
I even wifiVd I <£ould be lb
always, and never one Reafon of God's banging all thefe Affticfti-
fleep ; or elle die in that Rapture of Joy, and onsandMiferies upon me, and then enablingme
never live to fin any more againft the Lord. Now co bear them, was,Tbat the Works of God might be
I thought God was my God, and my Sins were made manifefl. And in my great Diftrefe I was
pardoned in (thrift and now I could fuffer for revived by that in Pfal. 18. 17,
;
18. / pall not 1
Chrift, yea, die for Chrift, or do any thing for die but live, and declare
Works of the Lord: The
the
him. My Sins had been a Burden to me: 1 de Lord hath cbapexed me fare, but he hath not given
fired to fee all my Sins, and to repent of them all me over to Death. I had very often a fecret Per-
with al! my Heart, and of that Sin which had fwafion, That I fhould Live to declare the Works
been efpecially a Burden to me, namely, That I of the Lord. And 2 Chron. 6. ;6, ;-, 38, ;<?.
Left the Publick Worjhtp and Ordinances of was a precious Scripture to me in the Day of
to
God, go tp live in a remote Place, without the Pub- Evil. We have read over, and prayed over this
\
lick Miniftry ; depriving our [elves and our Chi 1-j Scripture together, and talk'd together of this
dren offo great a Benefit for our Souls ; and all this Scripture, Margaret and I how the Lord had ;
and pray to the Lord infeciet; and the Confe-! Hearts And, as they were to fray towards the
.
The means of my Deliverance, were by rea- whom I never faw fince we parted, the next
fon of Letters that had paffed between the Go. Morning after we were taken. I earneftly re-
vernments of New- England and of Canada. Mr. queft the Prayers of my Chriftian Friends that
the Lord will deliver them.
Cory was lent with
a Veffel, to fetch Captives
from §>uebeck ; and when he came, I among o- What fliall I render to the Lord
for all his Benefits ?
C H A P. III. Ceraunius.
ployed. And indeed, tho' the Natural Caufes JBricks vitrify 'd, and Ships mortify 'd, would be
of the THUNDER are known unto us i yet to fill a Volume.
there are thofe Notable Voices of the Almighty Several Perfons have been kill'd by the Thun-
God, often fenfible in the directing thereof, ders ; the.. Lightnings
have ftrangely lick'd up
which it becomes Good Men to oblerve with their Animal Spirits, and left them dead upon
devout Refentments. the fpoa- The Punilhment of Burning ufed
'Tis very likely, that the Evil Angels may have lbmetimes among the Jews of old, fome think
a particular Energy 3nd Employment, often- was inflided By pouring Hot Lead into the
times in theMifchiefs done by thsThunder. When Mouths of the Criminals. This Punilhment
we read concerning the Fire of God falling on was call'd Ccmhtfiio Animx, and ufed in imitati-
fome of Job's Poffeffions, our Caryl fays upon it, on of God's deftroying Men with Leghtning,
The Fire 01 God here is conceived to have been fome whereby the Inward Parts are Burnt while the ,
terrible Fiafli of Lightning; and it is the more fro' Outward are not hurt. A Combuflio Anime by
bable, becaufe it is faid, To fall from Heaven the
Lightning hath .killed many
;
of our People.
that is, out oi the Air. There Satan can do migh Some of thefe have had the jult Reputation of
ty things, command much of the Magazine of Hea Godly Perfom, who yet have died the fame Way
ven, where that dreadful Artillery, which makes chat the Learned
Zuinger YUppoles the Sodomites,
Men tremble, thofe Fiery Meteors, Thunder and and Corah's Confpirators to have perifh'd, as well
are fiord and lodged. Satan, let as Nadab and Abihu, and thsStmictnturions that
Lightnings
loofeby God, can do wonders in the Air : He affronted the Prophet Elm.
can raije Storms, he can difcharge he Great In Confutation of an Opinion mentioned by
Ordnance of Heaven, Thunder and Lightning ; Plutarc y&,That Men
afleepare never ftrickenwith
and by his Art can make them more Terrible Lightning fome among us havfc been killed by
;
and Dreadful than they are in their own na- the Thunder when faft afleep, arid had that Epi-
ture. 'Tis no Herefieor Blafphemy to think taph,
that the Prince of the Power of the Air hath as
Skill in as goes to the making of Trifie jaces luces
good Chymifiry Evitandumq'i Bidtintal.
Aurum Fulminans. But this Conceflion does the
more powerfully befpeak our Acknowledgment All that I (hall add, is this ;
It hath been feen
of the GreatGOD, the High THUNDERER, That Thunders oftner fall upon Houfes of God, than
who limits thoie Deftroyers from all
Mil-appli- upon any other Houles i New England can fay lb.
cations of his Thunderbolts, and who hath Oar Meeting Houfes, and our MinUhrs Houles
Good Angels as well as Evil ones to be the Exe have had a lingular fhare in the Strokes of Thun-
cutionersoi his Judgments in his Thunders, and ders.
who will have none but his own Defigns accom Now becaufe there was in it fomewhatRemar-
pliflied by thcThunders, wherein the Clouds do kableand Entertaining, I fhall fuperfede all fur-
proclaim his Immortal Strength. ther Accounts of our Thunders, by V nnex n g '
New- England hath been a Countrey fignaliz'd fome Notes of a Sermon preached by orae among
asper- us, at the very Inftant when the ^Thunders
with Mifchiefs done by Thunders, as much
haps moft in theWorld. If Things that arefmitten were falling upon his own Houfe, with fome An-
by Lightning were to be efteemed Sacred, this gular Circumftances.
were a Sacred Countrey. Rarely a Summer partes
without ibme Strokes from the Thunders, on the
Perfons, or Houfes, or Cattel of our People. Brm-
Book VI. I be Hiftory of New-England. s
5
fBrontohgia Sacra: The Voice of the Glorious God in the Thunder, Ex-
plained
and Applied, in a Sermon, uttered by a Minifter of the
Gofpel,
in a Lecture unto an AfTembly of Chriftians at the fame time
abroad, very
when the Thunder was, by the Permiffion and Providence of God, falling
upon his own Houfe. A
Difcourfe ufeful for all Men at all times ; buc
especially
intended for an Entertainment in the Hours of Thunder.
Lucret. 1.
$.
Advertifement.
rather, becaufe the Text which we have, now them that hear him.
read,-leemsto befetch'd from t'noie very Words 'Twill be but a piece of Minifterial
Watchful-
nefs, for me to bring you certain Words of God
of Elihu.
We have befo-e us a Pfalm compofed by a this Afternoon, unto which the Terrible Thunder
Great Servant and Singer of the Lord, probably now happening maybe fubfervient with a more
at a time tempefiuous by Thunders, and compo- than ordinary
Penetrancy.
sed that it might beimployed among the People Sirs, Be not now Deaf to Thunder, but with me
of God atluch a time. You fee how conveni- make this Obiervation.
ently it may at this time give a Text un-
to us. In the THUNDER there is the Voice of the Git-
1 call to mind, that when the Prieft went into rious GOD.
the Sanctuary, his Habit was
among other Cir-
cumftance-, to be attended with (Exod. ^8. 34.) There
{The Author being arrived herea-
is,'
Golden Bells and Pomegranates; and bouts in his
Jofepbus thinks a Meffenger interrupted him,
Difcourfe,
the Clatter of Thunder and Colour of with Tidings that a Thunder-Clap had
Lightning jufi now
was designed therein to be repreiented. It feeros
fallen upon hts ownHoufe i and that tho' no Per/on had
Tbnndir znd Lightning is a thing, whereof God been hurt,
yet the Houfe had been much torn, and filed
would have Notice to be taken in the Sanctuary. with the Lightnings. But, -without breaking eff, as
In the Oracles of the Sanctuary, He doth Him- had been
defired, he thus proceeded.^
ielr take notice of it.
The Sons of fuch Eminent Patriarchs as Abra- Brethren, I am juft now informed, That the
ham, and Jfaac, and Jacob, are here calPd upon to of the
Glorious God in the Thunder has been
Voice
give Glory unto the God of Heaven > and this immediately directed unto my felf by a
very
both for his Works of Nature in the World, and Fall of Thunder-bohs upon my own Houfe, at that
tor his Works of Grace in the Church > And a- very Intrant, as far as I can judge, that I felt the
mong his works of Nature, fome done in the powerful Impreffions of Heaven upon my own
Lower Heaven, namely the Thunders, are fingled Soul ; inclining and engaging of me to frame a
out as the fpecial Occafions for our praifing Him. peculiar Meditation upon the Voice of the
gleriom
But If Angels may be meant by the Sons of the God in the Thunder, among J'OU.
Mighty, thus addrefted, their own frequent Con- The Pfalmift here mentioning the Great Ef-
cernment and Improvement in the producing of fects of the Thunder, adds, In his Temple doth every
Thunders, gives yet a further Emphafis unto this one fpeak of his Glory. As I remember, there is
in Aben Ezra thisobiervable
Invitation. Pafiage of ft. Mofeh,
About the Thunder, we have two Remarks in quoted for a Glofs upon if, The Levites there praije
the Words now read unto us. God for keeping them from Hurt by the Thunder.
WhatanOccafion have I to do 16 this Day ? In-
Fir/}, We have the Place of it. It is
among ftead of being hereby diverted from the Work
the Waters : that is, in the Rainy Clouds. The which I have now undertaken, I would practi-
Aqueous Particles, daily fetch'd up from the cally teach you, That with a Mind unconcer'd about
Earth and the Sea, into the Regions of the Air, the things of thi; Lfc, wefliould never be unfurniflid
are a Vaft Advantage to our Quarters of the Cre- with devout and en the Mind of God
proper Thoughts
ation. The Emptying, the Refrefhing, the Pro- in all our Trials and I would hope that this un-
;
portioning of many Parts in the Creation, by happy Accidenc will be made happy, at leaftby
their perpetual Diftillation, is juftly to be reckon- procuring more of Edge to that Attention which
ed among Infallible Demonftrations, to prove as the Voice of God is to have with you : To day if ye
well the Providence as the Exiftence of the Great will he or his Voice.
God, who formed all things. For this Caufe, this There is in this an Enquiry which I did but
thing is well worthy of the Figure which it now delign to make, and which I am now con-
makes in the Hiftory of the Creation ; tho'ithad cerned more than I was before to make, on this
not been there iimoduced, as probably it is, as Occafion.
Figurative of that Age wherein God feparated
from the reft of the World, a Number of People What is the Voice of the Glorious God in the
in the Patriarchal Families, whom he called up Thunder ?
and breaking one againft another, from whence Way of going up that ever was gone. I lay
arifes a mighty Sound, which grows yet mor^ then, Be not afraid: Ejus eft timere qui ncltt ad
mighty by its Refonancies. The Subtil and
Sul- Chrtfium ire.
thefe Clouds take Fire Mr. Ambrofe in his Tseatife of Angels, as I re-
phurous Vapours among
in this Combuftion, and Lightnings are thence member, does relate this Paifage;
darted forth > which, when they are fbmewhat
'
A p ofane Perlecutor dilcovered much Af-
c
groifer, are fulminated with an irrefiftible Vio- fiightment at the Thunder which hapned while
l
lence upon our Territories. he was on a Journey, hij pious and holy Wife
-
'
This is the Carte/Ian Account i tho that which then wiih him, ?sked him the Reafon of his be-
'
I rather choofeis, that with the Vegetable Matter ing fo affrighted Why, faid he, are not you a-
;
led alfo by the Force of the Sun, in the Vapour the Voice
of my Heavenly Father ; and fhall a(
c
of a kind Father's Voice I The Man hi
that makes out Shower a Mineral Matter of Ni- be afraid
'
ter and Sulphur, does alfo afcend into the Atme- by lurpriz'O, made this Conclufion, Sure 'e
r^^ ,
'
and there it
goes off with fierce Explofi- Puritans have a Divine Principle inthem, which
fpbere, '
cording whereunto things are thus moved into are fill' d with dijmal Horrors! Hereupon he went
'
Thunder ? yea, who is the Firjt Mover of them ? to Mr. Bolton, bewailing the Oppofition which
'
of the Thunder in the firlt Creation of the You know what uie to make of the Story, and
World > but ftill the Thunder it lelf, and the To- fo I may proceed.
mtruous Dilpofition and Generation with which
the Air is impregnated, was a part of that Cre- Secondly, it is now to be more diftin&ly aflert-
ation. Well; and whole Workmanmip is it all? ed, That Thunder is the Voice of the Glorious
Ah Lord, thou hafi created all thefe things > andfor God. There is a Voice of his in this Work of
!
thy Pleajure they are and were created. It is alio his. If the Thunder were ?«"'» <^©-, The Voice of
true, that Angels may be reckoned among the Jupiter, in the Account of the poor Pagans, I am
Gaufes of Thunders ; and for this Caule, in the fure it Ihould be accounted The Voice of Jerjovah
Sentence of the Pfalms, where they called Flames by us Chriftians. One of the Ways wherebpRd
of Fire, one would have been at a Lofs whether revealed himfelf to his ancient People, was a. Beth
Angels or Lightnings were intended, if the Apo- Kol, as they called it, there was a Voice of Thun-
ftolical Accommodation had not cleared it. But der in it. Sirs, we have what is equivalent unto a
what tho' Angels may have their peculiar Influ- Beth Ko/this Afternoon, in the Significancy which
ence upon Thunders I It is but the Influence of an we (hall now hear the Scripture give unto the
Inftrument ; they are but Inftruments dire&ed, Thunder.
ordered, limited by him, who is the God of Thun-
ders and the Lord of Angels J] Hence the Thunder I. One Voice of the Glorious God in the T£#
is afcribed unto our God all the Bible over ; in der, is, that he u a Glorious God, who makes the
the Scripture of Truth, 'tis called the Thunder of Thunder. There is the Marvellous Glory of God
God, oftenerthan I canprefently quote unto you. leen in it, when he Thunders MarveUoujly. Thus
And hence we find the Thunder ever now and do thele Inferiour and Meteorous Heavens declare
then executing the Purpofe of God ; whole can the Glory of God.
it be but the Thunder of God, when the Pleafure The Power of God is the Glory of God :
of God has been continually thereby accom- Now his Thunder does proclaim his Power. It
is laid, The Thunder
cf his Power who can
liflied ? under'
But I pray, why then Ihould we be favifhly a- ftand? that is, his Powerful Thunder; iheThun-
fraid
of the Thunder ? We are in Covenant with der gives us to underftand, that our God is a moft
that God who makes the Thunder, and it is a Powerful One- There is nothing able to ftand
Covenant of Grace, wherein he is Our God. Well, before thole Lightnings, which are liiled, The Ar- V
and fhall we not now make that Joyful Concluii- rows of God: Carries tall, Metals melt; all flies,
on,He is our own God, and he will blefs us Whence when Hot Thunder- bolf s zis iczttered upon them.
!
then our amazing Terrors, when we hear him The vei y Mountains are torn to pieces, when
him Thundering terribly in the Heavens over us !
As long as the Almighty Thundtrer is our own 'Feriunt fmr.mcs
God, we need not fear that he will do us any Fulmina tnontet.>
Hurt by any of his Works : No, He will make
All things work together for our Good. A Saint Yea, to fpeak in the Language of the Prophets,
may lay, My God wiU never hurt me ! Suppole we fulfilled in the Thunder ftorm that routed theAf-
Ihould be flainby Thunder, we mail but in that fyrian Armies, The Mountains quake, the Hills
Thunder of Heaven, have a great Voice from Hea- melt, the Earth is burnt ; who can ftand before his
ven faying to us, Come up hither ! and letting a- Indignation r and who can abide in the Fitrcenefs of
Cccccc 2 &»
i8 The Hiftory of New- England, Book V I";
his
Anger ? His Fury is poured out like Fire, and\ Forbidden, and whether we had riot committed
the Rocks are thrown down by him. Suetonius, I it ? And what Provocation we have given unto
think 'tis, who tells us, That the haughty and the God of Glory, tofpeak unto usin his Wrath
and vex us in his Difpleafure. Dleffed the Thun-
profane Emperour Caligula would yet flirink,
and (hake, and cover his Head at the haft Thun- der, that fliall Thunder ftrike us into the Ac-
der, and run to hide himfelf under a Bed. This knowledgments of a Convinced and a
Repenting
is the Voice of the Thunder Let the proud- Soul
: .'
truly
eft Sinners
tremble to rebel any more againft a God,
who can thus difcemfit them with (Ijoeting cut his III. A Third Voice of the Glorious God in
If Nothing be too hard for the Thundtr, we will come in the thick Clouds of the Skies :
may think lurely Nothing is too hard for the at the Brightnefs that fliall be before him thick
Lord The Arm that can wield Thunder bolts, is Clouds will pals, Hail- Stones and Coals ofFiiei
!
a very mighty Arm. the Lord alio will thunder in the Heavens.
From hence pafs on, and admire the other I fay then, does it thunder ? Let us now realize
Glorious Attributes of God which he doth in his unto our felves that Great and Notable Day of
Thunder difplay moft Glorioufly When itThun-
: the Loid, which will be indeed a Great and
ders, let us adore the Wifdom of that God, who and Thundering Bay But how far fhould wel
.
thereby many Ways does coniiilt the Welfare of now realize it Realize it fb, as to be ready for
r"
theXJniverie : Let us adore the Juftice of that it. Oh, count your felves not fafe till you get
Gfl| who thereby many times has cut off his into fuch a Condition of Soul, that your Hearts
Adverfaries ; and let us adore the Goodnefs of would even Leap and Spring within you, were
that God who therein preferves us from immi. you fure that in the very next Thunders our pre-
nent and impending Deiblations, and is not (b cious Lord would make his Defcent unto us.
ievere as he would be. What if the Hour were now turned, wherein
the Judge of the whole World were going to
Si quoties peccant homines fua fulmina mittat. break in upon us with fierce Thunders, and
make the Mountains ro'fmoak by his coming
(
^II. A fecond Voice of the Glorious God in down upon them, and Reign before his ancient
ihtThunder, is, Remember the Law of the Glorious People Glorioufly.'* Could you gladly fay, Lo
God that was given in Thunder. The People of this ts the God of my Salvation, and I have waited
God were once gathered about a Moun- for him'. Hay, let the Thunders drive you on to
tain, on which, From his Right Hand iffued this Attainment.
a Fiery Law for them » or a Law given with
Lightning. At the Promulgation of the Ten IV. A Fourth Voice of the Glorious GoJ in
Commandments, we are told in Ex. 20, 18. All the Thunder, is, Make your Teace with' God im-
People faw the Thunderings, and the Lightnings, mediately, left by the Stroke of his Thunder he take
and the Mountain fmoakwg. Yea, they were you away in bis Wrath. Why is it that Perfons
fuch, that the Apoftle tells us, tho' Mofes himfelf are ulually in fuch a Confternaticn at the Thun-
fays nothing of it, they made Mofes himfelf Ex- der r Indeed there is a Oompled:ion2l and Con-
4 ceedingly to fear and quake. Well, when it Thun- stitutional Weaknefs in many this way,; they
'
ders, let us call to mind the Commandments, have fuch a Diiidvantantage in a Frightful Tem-
which were once thus Thundered unto the per, that no ConilderatiOns can wholly over-
World i and bear in mind, that with a Voice of come it. But moft ulually the Frights of Peo-
Thunder, the Lord ftill fays unto us. Thou (halt pleat the Thunder, arile from tbeTcrms where-
love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and all in they may iufpeft their own Souls to itand be-
Their Confc ences tell 'em
:
thy Soul, and all thy Strength and thouftialt love thy fore an angry God.
;
Neighbour as thy felf. But when the Thunder that their Sins are yet unpardoned, that their
caules us to reflect upon the Commandments of Hearts are yet unrenewed, that their Title to
our God, let there be a Self-Examination in that Bleifednefs is yet itnlctled, and thru if the next
Reflection. Thunder-Clap fhould ftrike them dead, it had been
Let us now examine our felves, what is requir'd good for them that they had never been born.
and whether we have not omitted it ? what is
Hi
l^Dok VL The Hijlory of New-England. 29
Hi funt qui trepidant, ejr ad omnia Fulgura pal-
bominations. As now, now buried,
the Cities
lent ; (tho'they fay of late
by the linking of the Wa-
Cum tcnat, Exar.imes prima quoque murmurs ter growing vifible again) in the Lake of Sodom.
Cceli. Tacitus the Roman Hiftoi ian, truly tells us,
they
Here then is the Voice of God in the Thunder :
perifiVd Fulminum jaclu, by Thunder-bolts; God
Art thou ready ? Soul, art thou ready ? make ready tent an extraordinary 1 bunder -ftorm upon them
left I for thee before thou art aware.
call for the Lufts of Uncleannefs, wherein they bur-
prefently,
There is Thunder a vehement Call unto that
in ned.
Regeneration, unto that Repenting of Sin, that What fays the Poet ?
was thereby turned clear about unto the South* Souls, left I jet you on fire, by my dn adful Thunders .'
and foit will veer and Hand ever fince umo this tgain, there was Nadaband Abihu, who offered
}
Day, tho the thing happened above thirteen tfrange Fire to Gcd, and God punifhed them
Years ago. wifh a killing Fire from Heaven, in a hideous
1 would to God that the next Thunder-ftirm fb then, when it Thunders, the
Thunder-Claps \
would give as effectual a Turn unto all the Un- Voice of God in it is, Look, well to all your Sacri-
converted Souls among us May the 7/6«WtT a- .'
fices, left my Fire make you a Sacrifice : See that you
wakenyouto turn from every Vanity to God in duly attend my PForflup i left my Thunder fall p.ponyou!
Chi ill without any Delay, left by the Thunder it Once more, there was Uzzah, who fell into an
{elf it come quickly to be too late. It is a vulgar Error in his Management about the Arkof God ;
Error, that the Thunder never kills any who arc and itfeems as if a Thunder-Storm fuddenly com-
afleep : Man, what if the Thunder (hould kill thee ing up, kill'd him for it : Hence then, when it
in the dead Sleep of
thy Unregeneracy ? Thunders,ths Voice of God in it is, Look to/:, that
my Ark^ and my Word find no contempt with you,
5. Afifth Voice of the Glorious God in the left my Thunder chaftife you for your Contempt. What
Thunder, is, Let this Thunder convicl you of what you fluil I fay more \ Corah was deftroyed by Thun-
may juftly reckon your own Iniquity. Every Man der for his Rebellion againft God and Mofies ;
has his own peculiar Sin, a Sin whereby the Soul Wherefore the Voice of the Thunder is, Take heed
of the Man is more expos'd and endanger'd than of all Kebellhn againft God and Jefus. The
Egyp-
by any other Sin > his Darling-fin, his Matter fin, tians, the Vhiliftmes, the Affyrians, were confoun-
or that which bids faireft 10 to be. David being ded with Defblating Thunders, becaufe they in-
deliver'd from Damage by the Thunder, afcribes vaded and injured the People of God. It is then
it unto the Favour of God,
(2 Sam.n. 24.) Re- the Voice of the Thunder, See that you do no
warding him for keeping himjelf from his own Ini- wrong unto an holy People, that have this Artillery
quity. This I lay, the Thunder may do us the fa- of Heaven to defend them. They that are fuch
vour of informing us, what is our own Iniqui- WitnefTes for God and Reformation as Elijah
ty, and that would be a Favour indeed! There was, have, as he had, tha Fires of Lightnings to
are iome fort of Writings, which you can't read devour thole that hurt them.
until you hold them againft the Fire Would :
you read the worft Guiltinefs and Wickednefsof VII. Afeventh Voice of the Glorious God in
your own Hearts ? Then fay I, Hold them up a~ Hear the Voice of my Word, left
the Thunder, is,
gamfl the Lightning. My meaning is this when I make you fear the
: Voice of my Thunder. When
it Thunders, do you obferve about what Mifcari- the Inhabitants of Egypt perliiTed in their Difo-
age your Hearts do firft and moft of all then mif- bedience to the Word of God, it came to that at
give you ; obferve which of all your Faults then laft, in Ex. 9. 23. The Lord ftut Thunder, and the
does firft of all, and moft of all (tare you in the Fire ran along upon the Ground. Thus the Eternal
face with formidable Criminations. You may God commands Men to let go their Sins, and go
now take it for granted, this is Your own Iniquity. themfelves to ferve him ;
if they aredifobedi-
And the Voice of the Thunder is, Do you keep a ent, they lay themfelves open to fiery Thunders.
is the Voice of God in
fpecial Watch againft that Iniquity, and againfl all This, you miy be fure,
the
Beginnings, all the Occajions, all the Incentives of the Thunder, Hear my ft ill Voite in my Ordinances,
that Iniquity. left you put me upon fpeah.ng to
you with more angry
Thunder-bolts- I have known it fometimes re-
6. A Voice of the Glorious God in the marks, that very Notorious and Refolved Sleep
fixth
Thunder, is, Take heed now, take heed ever, of tboje ers at Sermons, often have ibme remarkable Sud-
groffer Sins which have fometimes been revenged by dennels in the Circufnftances
of their Death.
Thunder. There have been the Ireful and the Truly, if you are fcandaloufly given to flecp un-
Direful Thunders of God, fometimes uled for the der the Word of God, and .much more, if to fin
Executions of his Vengeance upon fuch and fuch under it ; and moft 01 all, if to feoff under it, ic
Enormities. The perpetual Admonitions of the may be, your Deaths will be rendred fudden by
Thunders are, take heed of fuch Thunder--(truck A- the other Thunders of Heaven lighting on you,
When
ao The Hiftory of New-England. Book VI.
When ic Thunders, God faith to all the Hearers rits, plainly dilcovering their Concurrence in
Subfiance of the Church, that Myftical fitsen his Father than he has recei'vd from him ?
THEBody of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, was This hath been fometimes bravely determined it|
from all Eternity under the Eye of God, as pro- the Affirmative among us, when Fathers have by
pofed in the Decree of Elettion. The Members the Means of their own Children, been born a-
of that Body were from all Eternity written in gain.
the Book of Life And, in pursuance of the
:
Divine Decide concerning it, the Holy Spirit in One of my Neighbours had a Son which di
the Continuance of Time, thro' feveral Gene- when he was about five or fix Years old.
ed
rations,doesfafhion it into theShape defigned for The Man's Religion extended no further, than
it. Buthow? We are told in f /»4|f?9.i4. 'Tu to Prayer with his Family on the Lord's
fearfully and wondroujly made mmjKllous are the Days.
; All the reft of the Week his Worldly-
Works of God about it. The Marvellous Works Heart was by the Cares of this World indifpofed
of God in converting and uniting of Eledt Sin- for Devotions. The Mother of the Child
ners unto the Lord JESUS CHRIST, will make therefore pray'd with her Children every Day ,
an Hiftory for Heaven. But fomething of that and (he law the good Effects of it upon them,
Hiftory has thoufinds of times been given to This Child lay fick for divers Weeks » in which
particular Flocks of the Faithful throughout time he often called on his Mother to pray for
New-England, in the Relations which Devout him, never on his Father. And when the Lords-
People have made unto them, at their firft Ad- Day arrived,theChild would with obfervablejoy,
million into theirCommunion. utter that Expreflion, This is the Day on -which my
Theie marvellous Works of God were very Father ufes to go to prayer. TheWords of the Dying
proper Materials for a Churcb-Hiftorj But Ours Son fo ftuck in the Mind of his Father, that with
:
has not a Room for them Nor will I recite in many Tears he not only bewailed and reformed
;
this Place more than Two or Three Remark- this his NeglecT: of his Family-Prayer » but alfo
ables. became, as far as could be judged, a fincerely God-
in the Fear of God.
ly Man, dying afterwards
I. It was a Problem the ancient Philo-
among
fophers, ll'hether a Child not confer more Bene- II. Soins
may
Book VI. J be Hiftvny ofJtfzw- England
-:
marvelloufly filled with the Spirit of Chrift ;i whole Walk for half an hundred Years i ac
and fome of thefe Examples have been afterwards
I
which Age he left the World ; and had faie jun-
World. Moreover, That the der, and finn'd againft the Means of Grace all this
publifh'd unto the
Grace of God, may be difplay'd, as truly Spve- while.
us that have liv'd unto Old But yet, Reader, prepare thy Admirations
reign , fome among
\
ced the Reality of his Turn at fuch a rate, that former Faults, and his mournful Complaints
in the Chriftian Af- reached unto the Plague of his Heart, as the Root
they fang Hymns about it
i
femblies i and it was much proclaim'd, Vicrori-j ol all. He reformed what was amifs in him,and
us is become a Chriftian'. Viftorius ii become a applied himfelf with an exceeding Vigour unto
! the Lord JESUS CHRIST our only Saviour, for
Chriftian
Among other Inftances of fuch a matter, in his Great Salvation. While the Lord was thus
the Churches of New England, One was a Man beginning heavenly Imprellions upon him, he
his
of Lascafier, who anived in .Age to fo many fell mortally fick ; and it was not long before he
Years above an hundred,that he had lived in Wed palled out of this World with a wonderful AfTu-
Jock with his Wife Sixty three Years , and yet ranee of his Intereft in a Better
flie wasTbirtyfive Years younger than himfelf; It were endlefs to reckon up the Extraordinary
and he was able to follow his Toils at Husbandry, apes which occurred in the Sick and Laft
very about a Month before hisDeath.This Weeks of his Life but fome of them were fuch
livelily
Man had been all his Days a poor, ignorant, un- as thefe :
the Terms
'
would fb fink the.Heart of him, that he could
of their
Communion, yet received
never bear it ; but the Lord will (hew Mercy
'
him into their Communion fome Years before
'
he died j wherein he continu'd under a good to my diitrelTed Soul.
greater
than can be forgiven, it was by Auiim well bove. Sometimes he would give a Start is he lay;
replied, Cain, thou lyefl ! A
Malefactor once and being asked the Reafcn of i:, h- laid, Qb
j
going to his Execution, in a Tranfporting Senle / have a gnat Work to do, and but a little lime to
of Great Mercy to a. Great Sinner, kept crying out, do it.
rude Courles of Notorious Ungodlinsfs. Tho' how he did, he replied, 'Oh! 1 have had as
doleful a Night as ever Man had.
'
he had enjoy'd the Benefits of a Pious Education, I have had
'
yet he fhook off all the Yokes which that Educa- Three great Enemies this Night encountering
tion had laid upon him. He became a foul- c
with me;theFA/7;,the^rW and iheDevil. i have
been this Night btxh in Hell and in Hewn ;
j
I
'and
Tbe Hiflory of New-England. Book \'I.
'and can truly fjy with David, All this Night Calling and Election fure. And he would of-
I
*
long have Watered my Couch -with my Tears. ten lay, l Oil
i lam an Old Sinner, and but a !
*
But, as the Day broke, my Saviour came and YoungConvert! lam fifty Years old, and have
1
' '
vanquifiiec! the Devil, and told h\m,That he bad lived butfeven Weeks all this while.
'
no R ight in me for he had redeemed me "with his
;
To his Brethren he faid, ' You are careful a*
c '
own Blood. bout a Garment for me, under my Weaknels
'
this Winter But, Brothers, I have a better
:
Unto his Aged Father he faid, ' Sir, I have 'Garment than you can provide for me; the
* '
felt a greatWo: k on my dilf refs'd Soul -.This your long white Robe of the Righteoufnels of Je-
'
Son wa< loft, and is found was dead, and is alive. c fus Chrift, will cover me all over.
;
1
Doleful Nights have I feen: The Thoughts of He kept praying, and praifing, and finging of
'
my Sins did foi
ely opprefs me. When I would Pfalms till his End came and then being taken ;
'
be crying to my dear Saviour for hisMercy, he Speechlefs and Senfelefs, his Friends apprehend-
'
would leem not to pity me, but fay, Thou haft ed him juft come in a manner to his laft Gafp.
*
been a Servant if tbe Devil, and of thy Luft, and Thus he lay for divers Hours drawing on i but
1
dofi tbcu
vow come to me 1 I have been calling to at length he ftrangely revived lb far, that he
'
thee, and thou haft been hardening thy Heart at my fprang up in his Bed, fpreading his Arms abroad,
Calls^ and deft thou expect Mercy after all ? And as tho' going to leap into theArms ofaRedeemer,
'
'
then the Devil would put in, faying, Thou and fliouting,
'
my Friends, Heaven rings all
'
O
haft bun my VaJJal fo long, thy Cries for Mtrcy are over at this a Great and an Old Sinner;
coming
'
'
now all too late. I have alfb feen the Face of an to Heaven Behold in my Father's Houle !
' c
Angry G:d, and that is the Terribleft Thing are many Manfions If it had not been fo,
*
my :
'
that was ever feen. I then found no Stay for Saviour would not have faid it. But he is gone
'
my diff relfed Soul v but Free Mercy ! Free Mercy 'to prepare a place for me. O, the Riches of
!
'
'
The Lord now put under me his Everlafting ' Grace O
glorifie Free-Grace for evermore
I
Arms, and gave me an Heart itill to pray, and And lb he lay down, he expired, he went away,
'
lay, Lord Mercy for thy Names fake. to the Reft of God.
Jefus,
*
Mercy thy Namesfake.' My Redeemer
for
'
would fay, Thou art a Great Sinner and an Old IV. Reader, pafs thy Judgment on a thing that
*
Sinner The Anfwer of ray Soul was, Truth, has newly hapned.
! The Story is publifhed a-
1
Lord; but even fucb Sinners have already found mong us, and no body doth, or can doubt the
'
1
Mercy At thy Hands. I come to Thee ; for with Truth of it.
Thee the Fatherless find Mercy. In Barzvick of our 'NetV'F.ngland there dwelt
He would fpeak forth into very high Expref- one Ephraim Joy, as infamous a Drunkard as per-
fions. His great Comfort he fetched from Mat. haps any in the World. By his Drunkennefs ha
11.28. Come to me, and I will give you Reft. He not only wafted his Eftate, but ruined his Body
would now cry out,
'
O
the Riches of Free- too. At laft, being both poor and fick, and
'Grace! There are thouiands of thoufands, and therewithal hurried by fore Temptations, a Gen-
'
ten thouland times ten thoufand in the Third tleman of Tortfmcutb, out of pure Charity and
'Heaven rejoicing over a Great and an Old Sin- CompafGon took him into his Houfe. While he
*
ner coming to Glory O
glorifie FREE- lay ill there, the approaches of Death and Hell,
.'
«
GRACE for ever ! under his Conviclions of his debauch'd Life ex-
O
He would fay, * bleffed Sicknefs, bleffed ceedingly terrified him. Amidft there Terrours,
'
Sicknefs What a Friend haft thou been to me
! he dreamt that he made his appearance before
!
'
and now welcome Death, or Welcome Life the Tribunal of the Lord Jefus Chrift,the Judge of
;
*
what my Redeemer pleafe. O, that I could the World, by whom he was condemned where- ;
'
declare unto my Relations and Neighbours ; upon he had a Sight of the Horrors in the State
yea, that I could declare unto Kingsand Worlds of Damnation, which was now arreflingofhim.
'
f
What the Lord hath done for my Sou! He cried with an Anguifh of Importunity unto
.'
He w6iild reflecT on the Humiliation of the the Judge for a Pardon i but his Eternal Judge
Lord Jefus Chrift, with an amazed and a tranf anfwered him, that lie would not yet give him
ported Soul : He would break forth into a great an Abfolute Pardon, but allow him 14 Days to re-
Adoration of it, and lay,
'
Oh this wonderful pent i in which time, if he did repent, he mould
!
Mercy to undone Sinners.' He' would alfo make have a Pardon. He dreamt that accordingly he
1
that one of his Admirations, O, the glorious repented and wasp irdon'd, and at the 14 Days
'
Work of Faith, which rolls it felf on Chrift a- End received into Heaven. The pcor Man de-
'
lone ! clared his Dream to the People of the Houfe, and
He talked in Strains that were furprifingly lent for the Help of Minifters and other Chri-
Prophetical,concerning the Changes which quick- ftians and exprefted the Humiliations of a very
;
ly after came on our Government; and of the deep Repentance. As he drew near his End, he
Succefs which God would give unto the (then) grew daily more lively in the Excrcifes of his
Prince of Orange, in the Delcent which we then Faith on the Lord Jefus Chrift, relying on him
had newly heard, that he was intending upon for Salvation ; until he confidently laid, that hi«=
England. Peace was made with God. But behold at the
His Counfel toevery one was, To make their Expiration of the 14 Days precifcly and exactlv
ac-
Book VI. The Htftory of New-England. u
according to his Dream, he died. Yea, and he
died full of that great Joy which gave no little, Nunquam efl fa a Converfio : Latro de cruet tran.'
to the Spectators. fit
ad Paradifum. llier.
Jerribilia DE I.
By COTTON MATHER
Raro antecedentem Sceleftum deferuit pede patna Claudo. Horat.
Supplicia Imprudent
turn prudentibus conferunt Sanitatem. Cypr. de Zelo.
the Lord, it muft be with Fear ; If we would tages ; but, faith he, Lord, I fie tbee tread-
keep the Commandments of God, our FearUngcf them duivn\ Ungodly Men had cleaved
it is
of Him that will be Cujios utriufque TabuU. unto the People of God, as if they had been of
!
In the Sacred Oracle now before us, behold one Metal with them, and their Fate and Lo:
,
fuch a Fear exemplified Solomon the W%<e once had been one i but, lakh he, Lord. I fee thee pit.
!
I
fold i,fe whiduhe Pfalmift m<ikesof thefe Ob- His Titles we muft mention with Honour His >
truft him, to feek him, and to draw near unto We muft no more Humour the Flefh, no more
him. In this Fear of God there is prefuppofed a Follow the World, no more Gratine the D^ri!.
Senfe of God. We muft be none of thofe Fools, And we muftnow ib devote our felves unto the
who fay, There is no God. Our Fear of God muft Service of God, thatwe may be able to fey, Lord
not be as of an Imaginary Being, or of the fright- lam thy Servant, Devoted unto thy Fear] He is to
ful Non- Entities which the feeble
Spirits of Chil- be our Matter, and we fhould leave no room for
dren are feared with all. We are to be well fatif- that Expoftulation, Where is my Fear ? And, in
fied, and we have all poffible Demonftra:ions,to the Fear of God, we muft addrefshim with our
latisfie us, That there is a God, whofe Kingdom
Worfhip. rul- The Profely tes which came in to em-
etb over all. brace the true Worfhip of God, have this Dif-
But then, tindion in Pfal. 1 1 f 1 1 Ye that fear the Lord. . .
Refpeft and Regard, unto all that has the Name and the Inftituted Worfhip of Gcd, is to be con-
of God upon it. We muft have fuch a Fear of tinually
performed withus; We ought to be, as he
God in us, that our God may fpeak of us, in that once was, Devout Perfons, who fear God, and
Stile in Mai. 4. 2. You fear my Name. We pray always unto him.
fliould have none but Fir, that is to fay, Holy and
Humble Relentments of all thofe Things where- All
Book VI. The Hiftory of New-England. 25
All this iscomprifed in the Fear of God. And Providence the firft Place which the Reader
of it, if a CHRIST lit upon, was Deut.zS. ;6.] That it may be
yet you have no right Notion
be left out of the Notion, There is a Faith im- laid unto us, Thy Heart -was tender, and thou
didji
plied in this Fear. The Fear of God, is, after all, Humble thy f< If before God, -when thou didft Hear
to be thus defcrib'd, and never fully, till thusde hn Words. We fhould be apprehenfive of the
fcribed, unto us: 'Tis even /kc& a Dread of the Almighty God, fpeaking in every Line of this
Divine Difpleafure at Sin, as drives us to our Book j and then be afraid, left all the Plagues
Lord Jefus Chrift for Salvation from Sin, end from written in this Book, overtake us if we fin againft
the Difpleafure of God again/} us for it. There n^v- (uch a God. It was the Chara&er of our Lord
er was any true Fear of God in the Days of the JdusChrift in Ifa. 66. 2. He that is of apoorand
Old Tefiament, but liich as thought of and ran to a Contrite Spirit, and who trembleth at my Word.
a Meffiab, as the Deliverer from the Wrath of When we lee what Judgments the Word of God
God, and all the Fearof God in the Days of the 'us threatned againft the Children of Difobedi-
New Tefiament acknowledges our Bleffed Jefus as vnce, we fhould even fall a trembling at them.
that Meffiah. This is that Fear of God which i< And elpecially they that areconfeiousto a courfe
the Beginning of Wifdem : This that Fear of Goi of Difobedience againft God, fhould be afraid of
wherein all Menfhould be all the Day long. This hele Judgments. When Beljhaz&ar fa w upon
is that Fear of God, wherein we fhould continue he Wall an Hand-writing, which he could not
all the Days that we live upon the Earth. If thou read (becauie perhaps the Letters were <b infol-
doft not walk in this Fear of God, O
Man, let thv ded one among another, that except a Man had
Flefh tremble for Fear, and be afraid of the the Key of the Cypher, the Sentence was not
Judgments whereto thou doft make thy felf ob- e^fie to be Uncypheredjhe was wonderfully terri-
noxious. But this leads us to a further Confide- fied at what he f iw. Unbelievers may read that
ration. Hand-writing in this Book, If any Man believe not
the Son, the Wrath of God abidcth on him : and will
II. Unto the Fear of God, we are by the Con vou not be afraid of that Wrath ? Impenitents
^deration of his
Judgments awakened ; to be may read that Hand-writing in this Book. The
and we fhould thereto' e be ftruck with a very Lord will wound fuch an one as goeth on fiill in his
trembling Fear of thoie Judgments. Now the TrefpaJJes
: and will
you not be afraid of that
judgments of God are capable of a Diftribution, Wound ? The
Prayerlefs may in this Book read
into Judicia Judicantia, and Judicta Judicata ;
.hat Hand-writing, The Wicked (liallbe turned into
Judgments Denounced, and Judgments Infitcled : Hell, and all they that forget God; and will they
Judgments in the Commination, and Judgments not be afraid of that Hell, or fear him, who is
in the Accomplifhment . the Declaration of Di able to cafi Body and Soul into Hell f I fay unto ycu,
vine Judgments, and the Execution of Divine Fear him ; and Oh, be afraid of thele Judg-
Judgments. With an Eye to this Diftribution, ments.
there are thefe Counfels, which from the Great
God of Judgment are to be given you. The Second Counfel-
(hould fear, left we fallfhortof them. Are there choofe to render it.] Now, let us fear the Judg-
any Threatnings in this Book ? fhould fear, We ments, which on this Terrible Day of Judgment
left they take hold of us. Before every thing in our Lord Jefus Chrift will difpenle unto the
the Book of God, we fhould have the fame Dif World. Of thefe Judgments it is, that a Great
pofition that Jofiah had when the Book of Deu- Minifter of our Lord could fay, in 2 Cor. 5. n.
we perfwade Aden,
teronomy was read unto him ; [The Jews have a Knowing the Terror of the Lord,
Tradition, that by thefpecialDifpolal of Divine There is a Terror in thofe Judgments; Oh!
Dddddd 2 Let
q6 The Hiftory of
New- England. Book VI.
Let this Terror perfwade us to purfue after much more for us to indulge cur own Paffion
now
an Intereft in himis to be our Judge
that and in making of Gloifes upon the Judgments
of God'
:
Rain'd from Heaven upon this World The Earth the Congregation of Ifrael to have perfecuted
:
will Jhake and tremble, the Foundations of the Hills their Worthy and Aged Father, with any Cen-
alfo will move and be (haken, when our Lord (hail forious Imputation'. The Judgments of God are
Bow the Heavens and come down, with a Devour- like to aneft none fooner than the Rafh Expofi-
ing Fire about htm. So then, Let us now Shake tors of his Judgments on other M*n. The jea-
and Tremble at the Contemplation thereof. Bel lous God will fbon draw near in Judgment unto
afraid, left we be found among the Ungodly, thofe who Perfecute them whom he hath fmitten,
that [hall not (land in the
Judgment. Be afraid, and who talk to the Grief of thofe whom he hath
left our Judgment then be, that of the Devil and wounded. Our Lord has given us a molt whol-
his Angeis. 'Tisa thing which I have given me fome Admonition, to be generally made ufe of
in Charge, Some Save with Fear,
pulling ihem out
when fore Difafters happen unto any of our
of the Fire. Wherefore I fay unto you, Souls, Neighbours, in Luk, 1 3. 4, 5. Think ye that thefe
Be Afraid, Left we be adjudged unto the Ven- were Sinners above all others ? I tell you Nay. But
geance of Eternal Fire, even to the Fire of the what fhall we then do to determine a Judgment
Vengeance of God throughout Eternal Ages. of God upon
a Sinner tor his doingfo? I anfvver,
The Third Counfel. of the Sinner muft be evident from
Firft, the Sin
There are aftonilhing Judgments, difpenfed the Scripture of God, before we may dare to ap-
3
by the Hand of God, upon others in this World ; ply a Judgment of God, unto him. Tis very
and with a very Trembling Fear, we fnould be prepofterous for us, firft.-ftf all to take it for gran-
afraid of thofe Judgments. The Difpenfations ted, This or that GflSmity is a Judgment
of God unto a finful World, are fuch as give us of God forfome Iniquity ; and then upon this
that Invitation in Pfal. 66. 5. Come and fee Preemption to fearch out that Iniquity. And,
the Works of Godt for he is Terrible in his a Judgment of God for Sin, muft be
"Doing to- Secondly,
wards the Children of Men. 'Tis our Duty now, cloathed with fbrne convincing Ci re tin ilia nee
to be Afraid of thofe Judgments, under which and Character upon ic fair", reaionabiy to (peak
we fee the Children of Men (uffering, by the its being fo, before we may venture tocjsll it fb.
Terrible Difpenfations of God. I do not meanj There muft be fomeching in the Time of ir.or in
that we (hould live in a Slavifh Fear, of all Fear- the Place of it, or in its Refemblance to the Fault
ful Accidents, but that we (hould be awakened for which it comes, orin the Confefiion of the
unto the Fear of God, by what we fee. Our Du- Perfbn chaff iled, that (hall make the Confci-
ty it defcribed unto us, in Ifa. 26. 9. When thy encetofay, There are che plain Signatures of 3
Judgments are in the "Earth, the Inhabitants of ths Judgment for fome Sin in the Stroke now given
World will learn Righteoufnefs. And now, let us by God Having firfllaid in this Antidote 3gainft
!
proceed by thefe Rules, in this our Duty. Rafh Judgments of our own, about the Great
The Fir(l Rule. Judgments of God, we may fafely go on, to
There is one thing in the Judgments of God, fay »
And we (hould be very cautious, left we drown of God upon the Murmurous I/racl/les 'c;s laid ;
our felves in fuch a Deep, when we go to Fathom in I Cor. 10. 1 1. All thefe things b.ippexccl unto
it. The Judgments of God are thofe things, them for Examples, and they a>e written tor our
whereof 'tis faid,
Whofo u wife will obferve thofe Admonition; Behold thofe Judgfl*ew» the^u
i but then we muft be careful to and be
things proceed Afraid of all Murmuring, r,e Afraid of
J
wifely in our obferving of them. Tis a dange- ail Impatience, be Afraid of all Difccnuct u^f
rous thing for us to indulge our own
Fancy, and
Book VI. J be Riftory of New- England 27
derthe Difficulties of a Wildernefs, left we Country toojhall be Afraid, left I bring the like upon
be deftrofd of the Deftroyer. There came the Judg- them.
merits of God upon the debauch'd Sodomites;
'Tis faid in 2 Vet. 2. 6. God made them an "Exam- The Fourth Rule.
ple unto thofe
that after jlwild live Ungodly. Behold
thole Judgments then, and be Afraid of all De- The Judgments of God feizing upon a few Per-
bauchery ,Be Afraid Uncleannefs, be Afraid
c/all
fons only, before our
Eyes, they mould make us
of allIntemperance, left God condemn
us with a Afraid, left we be the next, that thofe Judg-
Fiery and an Early Overthrow. Sirs, the Hi- ments do feize upon. When one Malefaftor di-
of it was faid, Ail the
ftory which the Bible hath given us the Judg ed, People fhallihear and fear.
ments which hive come from God upon them Thus, if the Judgments of God fingle out one Ma-
that finned againft him, 'tis not only a Chronicle lefactor, to punifh him, his Voice is,Let all bsA-
of what is part, but alfb a Calendar of what is to fraidl It is noted of a miferable Minifter, who
come. We have the Hiftory: there we may falling into a Scandal,wasprefently overwhelm'd
confider the Days of Old, the Tears of Ancient by the Judgment of Gad, in Acts 5. f. Great Fear
times. But when we do fb, Let us be Afraid, came upon all them that heard thife things. When
left by repeating of Old Stns, we bring a Repe- the Judgments of God had fignalized themfelves
tition of Old Tlagues upon our felves. When upon any fcandalous Wretches, we fiiould all be
Thunder and Lightning from Heaven fuddenly ftruck with a great Fear, left our €fns expofe us
calcin'd a poor Woman into a Lump of Salt alfo to the fignal Rebukes of Heaven. As, if
for her Covetoufnefs near three thoufand and one Drunkard in a Town be drowned, it is a
eight hundred Years ago, that Salt was to feafon Loud Sermon to all the Bruits about the Town,
us with a Fear, left near the Time of the End, to be Afraid, of being fo cut off in their Bruitifh
we perifh like her, by fetting our Hearts upon Follies. Thus in all the Special Judgments of
the World. Our Lord therefore faid^ on that God upon any Offenders whatibever, there is
Occafion,in Luk. 17. ;2. Remember Lot's Wife. that Voice from Heaven to all fuch Offenders.
Thus I may fay, Remember Judas, and be A- Tremble and Repent, left all
of you likewife perijli :
fraid, left we perifh as he did in betraying the Yea, the Judgments of God upon a few, often
the Interefts of the Lord Jefus Chrift, for fome mould beferioufly pondered by the whole Body
Worldly Benefit. Remember Herod, and be of the People, whom they belong unto, as a De-
Afraid, left we perifh as he did, in proud Af- cimation made by that God, who gives none Ac-
fectations of what belongs not unto us. Remem- count of his Matters. God hath a Controverfie
ber all the reft. with the whole Body of the People-, he might
have pitch'd upon me or thee, to have been the
The Third Rule. Subjects on which he does manage this Contro-
The Judgments of God on other Places, they verfie, as well as any other of our Neighbours.
mould make us Afraid, left we fall within the Oh what caufe have we now to be afraid, of
!
Circuit of thofe Judgments. When the Judg- what we alfo have to meet withal When the
!
ments of God have begun their Walk, we have Judgments of God followed one Man aboard the
Caufe to be Afraid, left we fall into their Walk ; Veffel, bound for Tarteffus, 'tis faid in Jon. 1. 16.
becaule with us, even -with its alfo, there are Sins All the other Men feared the Lord exceedingly,
againft theLord our God. It was prophefied in Truly, if any one Man aboard the Veffel of
Jer. 35. 52. Thus faith the Lord of Hofls, Behold, the Publick, be followed with a Storm of
Judg-
Evil fhaU go forth from Nation to Nation. Do we ments from God, it becomes us all to Fear exceed-
behold other Nations, grievoufly fharing in ingly.
Diftrefsof Nations, and great Perplexity, we
mould be Afraid, left we alfb have our fhare in The Fifth Rule.
the Diftreffing Judgments of God. Have the
1 ..
Judgments of God, fent War, and Poverty, and When things that
look like Judgments of God
Scarcity, upon other Nations? We have Caufe befal the dear People of God, it highly conce: ns
to be Afraid left the Evil of thofe Judgments other People to be afraid of the greater Judg-
reach unto our felves i and left we drink of that ments which they may reafonably look for. Tis
Cup of Trembling, which God feems to be putting an Inference whereto we are diredeJ in 1 Pe,t. 4.
into the Hands of all the Nations. A
Fire on one Judgment mtijl begin at the Houfe of GOP,
?7-
—
Houfe alarms all the Town. The Judgments of And if the Righteous Jcarcely befavd, where (lull
God havefet all Europe on Fire ; yea, the Sparks tbeUngodly and the Sinner appear i Which is but
are flown over into America Lamentable Def-
;
the Tranflation of what we have in Prov. 11. 51,
lations have been made both Northward and Behold the Righteous fltall be recompenced in the
Southward of us :Be Afraid, then, O
poor people Earth, much more the Wicked and the Sinner.Some-
of God, left thou alfo become Defolate. When times the moft eminent ChriitiansinaLand,yea,
the Judgments of God were in their courfe, He and whole Churches of fuch Chriftians,. meet
faid unto hispeople inZeph. 3. 6, 7. 1 have cut with troublefome Difficulties in their way to Sal-
Towers are defolate, their Cities vation ; yea, they meet with Troubles upon
off the Nations, their
aredeftroyed. I faid, Surely, thou wilt fear me. Earth, that feem to be Recompences from Hea-
Thus, do we fee Deftru&ions come upon other ven upon them for their Miicarri.iges. Come,
J
Countries. Our God fays thereupon, Surely this let all Ungodly Sinners now be Afraid;. I, that
I
never
a8 The Hiftory of New-England. Book VI
never was leconciled unto God by the Blood ot a Righteous and a Terrible God, has never
been
the Lord Jefus Chrift » what, what will become (b much difcovered in all our Loffes
by Sea and
of me throughout the Days of Eternity Our
.'
Land, and in all the
bloody Depredations of our
S.iviour has taught us to argue thus upon the Af- Adverlaries as in this One
Thing ; that ever now
flictions of good Men > If theje things be done to and then iome one or other, that has been much
the green Tree, what fliall be done to the Dry ? Thofe noted for Zeal'mthe Ways of God. has been
Men that bring forth much of that Fruit, where- found in fome damnable Ail of'Wickedness..There
by God is glorified, are caft into a Fire of many is the
very Venom and Spirit of Hell, in thefe
Afflictions. Yea, but you then that bring forth Judgments of God upon a Land > God would ne-
No Fruit, or HI Fruit, and never were united un- ver have permittee, thefe
Judgments,if there were
to the Lord Jefus Chrift, what a Formidable, In- not a Generation of his Wrath, to be precipitated!
tolerable, Interminable Fire, is referved for you
! down into the fiery bottom of Hell by hitWratb,
That Pro- fo
Oh, be Afraidof that Fire ! blefled Darkning of the Land. Infinitely better had it
phet of God, even Ezekiel, muft have the beft been for thofe Wcful Men, to have dy'd with
Thing in his Family Ihatch'd out of it, by the Milftones ahout their Necks, many Years ago,
Stroke of Death :
Behold, I take away from thee than thus to have offended and poifon'd the Souls
of Multitudes ; And, Oh Wo, Wo, unto Multi-
the Dejtre
of thine Eyes with a Stroke J yet J]ball not !
thy Tears run down, faith the Lord. And what tudes ot Souls, that have hence taken an incura-
?
was this a Judgment on the Prophet? It feem'd ble and an Everl/ifiing Offence againft the blefled
ioi but it was indeed a Warning to the People; Ways of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Sirs, When a
of whom the Lord then laid in Ez.ck. 24.14. provok'd God, fliall permit the Dragon to /weep
Ezekiel if a Sign unto you : According to all that he Stars down from Heaven with his Tail, and permit
hath dene, (haUye do. the Devil to enter, and poflefs,and befool, and be-
Sirs, Thole things that appear like Judgments fot, and confound fuch as have made a Shew of
and Graceiefs Creatures: If I do thefe things to 11. 20. Thou ftandefi by Faith: Be not high-
thoje, whom yet I pity as a Father does his Children minded, but fear ? Oh \ Be Afraid, Be Afraid,
that ferve him, what (hall I do unto left by fome Secret Sin, we
you that are my grieve the Holy Spi-
Enemies, and that ferve none but my greateft Ene- rit of God. If He withdraw, Ah, Lord ! who
my flullftand?
? What jhalll do unto
you i Wretches, what (I) all
I do unto you! If God has fuch Rods for his Duti-
ful Children, what Scourges, what Scorpions hath The Seventh Rule.
he for his Adverfaries ?
There
is a
peculiar Concernment lying upon
The Sixth Rule. the young People among us to be Afraid of thofe
Among thejudgments of God,I know none
all Judgments, in which they fee the great God con-
more Tremendous, than His leaving here and fuming of our young People, with hisfiery Indig-
there fome Famous Profeflbrs and Pretenders of It may be laid about the
nation. young Men of
Religion, to fome Horribly Irreligious Adions. N. England, as it was of old faid about the young
When we fee thofe Judgments,Then,then, above Men of Ifrael in Pfal. 78.6;. The Fire confumed
all,fhould ouiFlefh tremble for fear ofGod,and we their young Men. And as when the Earth fwallow-
mould be afraid of his Judgments. 'TisaThing, ed up Ibme young People in the Wilderneis of
that fometimes does happen among us. Perfbns old, it is faid, The refi fled at the cry of them, faying.
chat have been exemplary for Piety and Charity Left the Earth fwallow us up alfo. Behold, Oour
all their Days, yet have at laft
grown melancho- young Folks, the Earth, and the Sea, and the Pic,
ly, and God hath foleft them to the pofleflionof
have been terribly fwallowing up your Brethren.
fome Devil, that they have laid violent Hands Fly then, with affrighted Souls, Fly to the Lord
upon themfelves ; they have ftarv'd themfelves, Jefus Chrift, and lay, Lord, I am afraid, left thy
hang'd themiclves,drown'd themfelves i yea,and Judgments do fwallow me up alfo. Young People,
had a preternatural Affiftance in their doing of it. O that you would fuitably lay to heart the dread-
Who can behold thefe unaccountable Tragedies ful Judgments of God, which are confirming of
without that Outcry, Lord, I am afraid of thy your Generation among us. Behold, Vain
Judgments What uie can we make of thefe Tra-
!
Youths, Behold, how the wafting Judgments of
gical Things, but that in 1 Pet. 1. 17. To pafs the God have been upon you, till we cry out, The
Time ofcurfojourning here in Fear? What, but that Curfe has devour''d our Land, and few young Men
in Phil. 2. 12. To work out our own Salvation with are left.
Fear and Trembling ? And, alas, what mail we fay, Know you not, that when our young Men
of thofe prodigious Falls intoSin,which the Lives have been prefs'd into the Wars, they have been
of fome that were counted Firft-rate Chriftians, but Numbered for the Slaughter, and brought forth
have been reproach'd withal ? What (hall we for the Murderer? Know you not thatour young
fay !
O, our God, what fhall we fay of the mon- Men hoping to mend their Condition at Sea,
ftrous Crimes which we have feen fome that have have but fail'd the fboner to their long Home,in
leem'd Pillars of Chriftianity among us, to fall running abroad ? Know you not, that the Angels
into? This I will that the
fay, Wrath of of Death have ftruck our
burning Folks with the
young
Ar-
Book VI. The
Hiftory of New-England. 29
Arrows of Death in Epidemical Sicknefjes Know for your Sins. Be Afraid of continuing
? effraeg'd
you not, that one ft
range Cafualty after ano- from the Wings of your Lord Red.-smer,
flielrring
left you lie open to the Storms of the Judgments
ther, brings many of our molt Hopeful young Folk
to an untimely End ? And Oh! how doleful, dole- of God. Be Afraid of neglecting the Great Sal-
ful Things have our young People feen,
when vation, which the Lord Jeius Chrifr hath (b often
they have been Captives in the Hands of barba- orfer'd you, left the Judgments of God bring a
jous Infidels ? The Cannibals of the Eaft have hi- great Deftru&ion upon you. Be Afraid of all
Filthinefs and all Prophanenefs, and all Difbbe-
deoufly tormented them ; and as far off as
the
Scorching Tents of Africa, they have been dience,and all bad Company, and all the Cour-
iainting under the bitter Servitude of Maho-
ts of Di(honefty,leftby the Judgments of God,
metans. you die before your time, for ycur being wicked
Come then, Be Afraid, O
our young People ;
over-much. Oh! Fear and Flee Youthful Lufis ;
Job could (ay, Dijhuclicti from God -was a Terror And now Remember your Creator in the Days
to mt\ *Be Terrified, young People, with a Fear, o your Youth, left the Judgrnentsof God'bring
left a Deftrutlion from God come upon you, in and Evil Days upon you.
rx
eco leraion.
I intend Difcourfe, as only Pfal. 64. 9. All Men flail fear, and they fliall declare
all this
an Introduction unto a more Entertain- the Work, of God, for they fljall wifely ccnfider of his
BUT
ments,
ing Recapitulation
which we have feen
01 the Divine Judg- Doing.
executed upon leve- as a
Lecrned Men have complained of it,
Defect in the Hiftorical Part of Learning,
ral Sorts of Sinners, among our (elves. It can- that there is not extant an impartial and a well
not but be much for the Glory of our Lord attefted Hiflona Nemefcos, or, Account of Remar-
JESUS CHRIST, who from his Glorious High kablejudgment* on fcandalousand notorious Of-
Throne difpenfed thefe Judgments It cannot but fenders.
: Yea the God of Heaven himfelf com-
it, when Men do
be a Satisfaction unto the Good Angels of the plains of not regard his Works
who are oftentimes the Executioners of even the of his Hands.
Lord, Operation
thele Judgments: It is an Holy Undertaking, I will now therefore, with all Faithfulnefs, lay
and it cannot but ferve the Interefts of Holinels, before you (bme of thole Remaks which I have
tomakeour modeft Oblervations upon the Judg made upon the Judgments c/~GW which have been
merits of God, which have been executed among Executed in this Land. Sirs, the Lord has been
us. As far as it may be convenient in this known by his executing of thefe Judgments'.
pifeeurfe, I will now addrefs my felf unto thisUn- Accompany
them with your Meditations You !
tice of thole Judgments. We have ieen the Offer of this Gofpel moft un-
I do molt readily grant, that Lubricus hie locus gratefully refus'd: But of this Refufal what Eytent
ac difficilis, 'tis no eafie matter to obferve the have we leen ? Truly, a veiy terrible Event. 1
Judgments of God : We (hall eafily fall into the remember a Paflage of Scripture, which uns thus 1
Extreams of being either too Cenforious and Fanci in our Tranllitionj Ifa. 2.22. Ceafe ye from Man,
ul, or elle too Negligent in our Oblervaticn of whole Breath is in Lis Noltnls; for wherein
L
be is.
But yet the judgments of God, fometimes are ceafe from Offending and Provoking of Him/'
ib circumftanced, that he who runs may tead who is now very angry [which the H.bnws exprcis
them i and our thereupon is defcribed, in by Breathe in the Noftiils/1 For none is able to
"Duty
de-
3° The Hijlory of New-England. Book VI.
declare high an Account 15 to be made of
how
Him. Sirs, We
have ieen the God of Hcavtn For a Third Inflame.
For a Firft Inflame. and beheld the Works of the Lord, the
Deflations
he has made m thofe Parts of the Earth ! Twice
The Nation of the Narraganfetts, was one of has that have Countrey been occupied with
the mo ft populous and powerful among all the hopeful Settlements. Hopeful ! No, no ; call them
Indians, that once filled this mighty Wildernefs. not Hopeful, inasmuch as the Ordinances of the Go-
Unto Lord fpel of our Lon: J- las Chrift, were not fettled a-
that woful Nation, the Gofpel of our
Jefus Chrift,
was freely tendered ;
but they with mong them. Hence, Twice has that Countrey
much Affront and Contempt, re jeded it. An now been made an Aceldama; and the Settle-
Holy Man, then Famous throughout our Chur- ments have all been broken up for many fcore
ches, hereupon utter 'da Speech to this purpofe: Miles together. The Jealoulie of the negleft-
the Spirit of God, if this ed Lord Jdus Chrift, has broke forth like an Un-
I
/peak altogether -without
Ration be net quickly and ftrangely deftrojed. It was quenchable Fire againft thofe Plantations \ the
not long betoie this Nation, much againft the Fiery Wrath of Heaven has brought a Swift De-
Advice of the more aged Men among them (Iruclhn upon them. A barbarous Enemy has
engaged in Acfrs of Hoftility againft our people. once and again broke in upon thofe Towns, like
Whereupon, ours, with a Force much inferiour an irreliftible Torrent, carrying all before it, un-
unto theirs, hut with a marvellous Valour and til
they come to thofe Towns, where the Ordi-
Succefs, in the depth of Winter, made a Defcent nances of the Gofpel are more upheld and be- ;
upon 'em. The Glorious Lord Jefus Chrift.whom hold, there they find a Barrizre, which they can-
they had flighted, was with our Army, and the not yet get over ; There the Spirit of the Lord lifts
Day was wonderfully carried againft the tawny up a Standard againft them. In one of thofe
Infidels. Their City was laid in Afhes. Above Plantations there had newly been very prodigi-
Twenty of their chief Captains were killed a ous Difcoveries of Enmity againft the Gofpel of
.-
proportionable Defolation cut off the Inferiour the Lord Jefus Chrift, which had been fometimes
Salvages Mortal Sicknefs, and Horrid Famine among them And a bloody Adverfary foonfur-
: :
purfu'd the Remainders of 'em So that we can prifed them, and captiv'd, and flaughter'd moil
,
tell where any of 'em are left alive upon of them, and laid their Habitations in Aflies, and
hardly
the Face of the Earth. Such was thy fpeedy horribly roafted alive fome of the Inhabitants.
Vengeance, O
Blejfed JESUS,
on the Hea- Tremble, ye People of the South, when ye are told
then that would not know thee, nor call upon of this !
thy Name.
For a Fourth Injiance.
For a Second Inftance.
And there is another Contempt of the Gofpel,
That Renowned Evangelift of our Indians, the which we have often feen another way chaftiied
Reverend ELIOT, preached the Gofpel of our among us. Our Lord Jefus Chrift hath laid con-
Lord Jefus Chrift, unto I'htltp, the Prince of the cerning the Faithful Mintflers of his Gofpel, in
Wompanoags; but that Monfter pulling offa But- Luk. 10. 16. He that Defpijeth you, defpifetb me.
ton on the good Man's Coat, faid, He did not va- When the Mimfters of the Gofpel, areFloly,Pray-
lue what he preached, any more than that and he :
erful, Painful, Watchful, and Fruitful Servants of
hindered his abjecf Subje&s from embracing the the Lord Jefus Chrift, and Men filled and adted
Chriftian Religion, that they might not become with his Holy Spirit : We
have feen the Judg-
the Subjects of our Lord Jefus Chrift. But what ments of God many a time, anefting thole that
is become of 'em all t They rafhly precipitated have abufed thefe Ambajjadors from the King ef
themfelves into a rebellious War againft the Eng- Heaven. Thus there have been angry Men a-
lijh ;
and at laft Philip fell into all the Diftrefles mong us, who have fat over their Cups, railing
that could be imagined. One of his own Vaffals at fuch or fucha Minifter of God, and hoping e're
then ran away from him, and informed the Eng- long, to fee the Death of him. In a little while
lifh where he was. They came upon him in his they themfelves have died miferably, and on
Thicket juft as he was telling his Counfellors their Death-Beds they have cried out for that ve-
his Dream, that he was fallen into our Hands. ry Minifter to help them in their
AnguiflT^
While he endeavoured an Efcape, an Indian fhot Yea, you may fometimes mark
our Chur- it in
him thro' the Heart, whereof he died immedi- ches : A
Church has long enjoy'd an excellent
ately
:Nor is any Number of his People now Minifter; but they grow at length full of unac-
left in the World. So do the Rejecters of thy countable Prejudices againft him: Ths Son of
Grace, perifh, O Lord !
•
God feeing this their Forward Folly, lends for
that Minifter away to Heaven prefently and ;
Hundreds among us know to be true. Snare cf his Soul! There was once a very Godly
Man, of whom 'tis reported in Pfal. 106. 32.
Godly MtniJIer of certain Town in
The a Con It went ill with
him, becaufe they provoked his Spi-
tiefttcut, when he hai occafion to be ablent on a rit, Jo that he /poke unadvifedly with his Lips. I'll
Lord's Day from his Flock, employ'd an honeft tell you what I have met withal. I have heard