they are and wee know them to bee such as profess the day of the Lord an unhallowed thing Now if wee have our opponant to prefer his action against us and not only so but to bee our Counsell our Jurie and our Judg for so it must bee if you bee one with them as you affirm wee know before hand how our Cause will bee ended and see the scale of your equall Justice turned alreadie before wee have layd our Cause therein and cannot but admire to see you caried so contrarie to your owne received principles For you know not how to finde Christ as a Ruling and teaching Elder both in one person therfore he is not Complete amongst you by your owne law except in severall persons and you may thank tradition else you know no more how to finde both a king and a priest in him and yet in your way of making tender of your Justice unto us you know how to become one with our adversaries so as if wee deale with them wee deale with you and if wee have to doe with you wee have to doe with them also yea further wee know that the chiefe amongst you have professed wee are not worthy to live and that if some of us were amongst you wee should hardly see the place of our abode any more Now that they have brooded upon their law to take away life they must much more bring it up in taking away all means of life Witnes our prohibition that no powder should besould unto us for our money and that in a time when you could not thinke your selves safe in all your owne self provision and worldly furniture except you disarmed a company of poor Indians whom Aaron your Leviticall Sacrificer hath made Naked as hee doth all those which triumph in a Calf though the most costly and beautifull that the Jewells and eare-rings of Learning either in Language or art can possibly bring forth your owne amazements upon meer Rumors may testifie the truth hereof so then wee are Judged by your law before our Cause bee hard or our selves brought forth under the liberties of it which thing is well pleasing unto us to have our Condition conformed unto Moses the man of God who was dead in Pharaohs account before he was brought forth and so it was with Christ our lord in the dayes of Herod also who is our life at which you strike and makes all things yea Death it self lively and advantagious unto us Wee cannot but wonder that you should read the Scripture and not finde them fulfilled in and amongst your selves when as they appeare so apparantly that he that runs may read them what think you of Herod when the Lord had delivered Peter out of prison and released him of those bonds and brought him from that thraldom which he had so Cruelly imposed upon him to gaine the favour of the Jewes and that by a power supereminent transcending the bounds of his authoritie and by a wisdom surpassing the Depth of his Counsell and policie to fynd out together with his souldiers and Champions he presently goes downe to Cesâ—rea and Heroâ— iâ— angry with them of Tyrus Sidon thumomachon a heavie Friend or hath a secret grudg or perturbation of mind manifested in an outreaching and circumventing policie to subdue them unto himself that he might Rule over them Finding himself fall short of power and policie to subject the word of God in the messinger of it to satisfy his owne lusts in his lordship over it he pursues with all egarnesse to make himself a god by Raigning over the bodies and estates of men yea though they be but such as Tyruâ— and Sidon can afford unto him to make subjects of and when they come unto him with one accord to make offer of themselves in yeelding to his affectionate and politicall project he sitting uppon the Judgment seate in his Royall apparell making his oration of what power he hath to protect them what wisdom and Counsell to minister Justice and righteousuess unto them which office belongs only unto the Lord the people with a shout crying out the voice of god and not of man the truth and substance of which Cry is this is the ordinance of god and not of man immediately the angel of the Lord smites him and hee that ever acknowledged himself to bee a worme and no man upon the earth Consumes and eates up all his pomp and glory even as those whom you account the Shame and Contempt of the people shall thorow that angell of the Covenant waste and bring to nought all those Rhetoricall though earthly Orations that are made amongst you by your so Learned studious and experienced Clarkes take for illustration of your estate as above the speech of your alderman Oliver in case of committing Francis Hutchinson to prison one of your Church-members wondering that brother Winthrop would do it before the Church had dealt with him Brother faith hee why hee is thy god man Lend your eye yet farther to parallel your practise personated in Pylate and the people when Pylat offereth Jesus unto the people to be judged they profess they have such a law as puts no man to Death they are all for mercy and forgiveness when they are out of the Judgment hall but let Pylat enter in thither and then nothing but Crucifie him Crucifie him be their accusations and witnesses never so false even so in your dealings with men in way of your Jewish brother hood your law is all for mercie to Redress reform and for preservation both of soule and bodie Do but enter into the Common hall and then as Pylat asked am I a Jew so do you Doe I sit or speake here as a brother I tro not I am now in a higher sphere then that though they be acknowledged coheirs with Christ can ataine unto therfore if witness be brought in and Oath taken though never so untrue your consciences are purged by law and your power must have tribute payd unto it so far as mens Names to bee branded with infamie estates depryving women and children of things necessarie and precious lives of men can extend themselves to contribute any thing thereunto so that the professed mercie and Clemencie of your law to exercise censures only for amendment of life and recoverie comes unto this issue as much as in you lies to send both soule and body downe unto hell for ever without redresse and all hope of recovery But your houre and the power of Darknesse is known what it is either to have mens persons in admiration because of advantage or else to seek all occasions against them to brand them with all manner of reproch and ignominie but for the truth taught daily in the Temple you know not how to streatch out your hand or exercise your ministry againstil left it become leprous and you take it back again with losse when it appeares dried and withered And wherefore reason yee amongst your selves saying
you but Mr. Dudley disdainefully asking is this one joyned to Gorton and Mr. Winthrop unjustly upon the same speech refused the oath of the witnesse calling him knight of the post are these the wayes and persons you trade by towards us are these the people you honour your selves withall the Lord shall lay such honour in the dust and bow downe your backes with shame and sorrow to the grave and declare such to bee Apostatisers from the truth and falsifiers of the word of God onely to please men and serve their owne lusts that can give thankes in their publique Congregations for their unity with such grosse abominations as these Wee must needes aske you another question from a Sermon now preached amongst you namely how that bloud relisheth you have sucked formerly from us by casting us upon straights above our strength that have not beene exercised in such kinde of labours no more then the best of you in former times in removing us from our former conveniences to the taking away of the lives of some of us when you are about your disâ—ed up dainties having turned the juice of a poore silly Grape that perisheth in the use of it into the bloud of our Lord Jesus by the cunning skill of your Magicians which doth make mad and drunke so many in the world and yet a little sleepe makes them their owne men againe so can it heale and pacifie the consciences at present but the least hand of God returnes the feares and terrour againe let our bloud wee say present it selfe together herewith you hypocrites when will you answer such cases as these and wee doe hereby promise unto you that wee will never looke man in the face if you have not a fairer hearing then ever wee had amongst you or can ever expect And bee it knowne to you all that wee are your owne Country-men whatever you report of us though the Lord hath taught us a language you never spoake neither can you heare it and that is the cause of your alienation from us for as you have mouthes and speake not so have you eares heare not so we leave you to the judgement and arraignment of God Almighty The joynt act not of the Court Generall but of the peculiar fellowship now abiding upon Mshawomet Randall Holden This they owned in Court though onely Holdens hand were to it Postscriptum VVEE need not put a seale unto this our warrant no more then you did to yours The Lord hath added one to our hands in the very conclusion of it in that effusion of bloud and horrible Massacre now made at the Dutch plantation of our loving Country-men women and children which is nothing else but the compleate figure in a short epitomie of what wee have writ summed up in one entire act and lest you should make it part of your justification as you do all such like acts provided they bee not upon your owne backes concluding them to be greater sinners then your selves wee tell you nay but except you repent you shall likewise perish For wee aske you who was the cause of Mistresse Hutchinson her departure from amongst you was it voluntarie No shee changed her phrases according to the dictates of your tutors and confessed her mistakes that so shee might give you content to abide amongst you yet did you expell her and cast her away no lesse are you the originall of her removall from Aquethneck for when shee saw her children could not come downe amongst you no not to conferre with you in your own way of brotherhood but be clapt up and detained by so long imprisonment rumors also being noised that the Island should bee brought under your Government which if it should shee was fearefull of their lives or else to act against the plaine verdict of their owne conscience having had so great and apparant proofe of your dealings before as also the Island being at such divisions within it selfe some earnestly deâ—iring it should bee delivered into your hands professing their unity with you others denyed it professing their dissent and division from you though for what themselves know not but onely their abominable pride to exercise the like tyranny From these and such like workings having their originall in you shee gathered unto her selfe and tooke up this fiction with the rest of her friends that the Dutch plantation was the Citie of refuge as shee had gathered like things from your doctrines before when she seemed to hold out some certaine glimpses or glances of light more then appeared elsewhere whilst there was such to approve it in whom there might bee some hope to exalt the instruments thereof higher then could bee expected from others but you know very well you could never rest nor bee at quiet till you had put it under a Bushell idest bounded and measured the infinite and immense word of God according to your owne shallow humane and carnall capacities which howsoever may get the highest seates in your Synagogues Synods and Jewish Synedrions yet shall it never enter into the kingdome of God to be a doore-keeper there Do not therefore beguile your selves in crying out against the errours of those so miserably falne for they are no other things which they held but branches of the same root your selves so stoutly stand upon but know this that now the axe is laid to the root of the tree whereof you are a part and every tree that brings not forth fruit according to the law of that good things which the father knowes how to give to those that aske it shall bee cut downe and cast it into the fire Neither doe you fill up your speeches or tales wee meane your Sermons but that wee affect not the Idolizing of words no more then of persons or places For your selves know the word is no more but a bruit or talke as you know also your great and terrible word Magistrate is no more in its originall then Masterly or Masterlesse which hath no great lustre in our ordinary acceptation Therefore wee looke to finde and injoy the substance and let the ceremony of these things like vapours vanish away though they gather themselves into clouds without any water at all in them the Lord is in the mean time a dew unto Israel and makes him to grow like a lillie casting out his roots and branches as Lebanon We say fill not up your talk as your manner is crying that shee went out without ordinances for God can raise up out of that stone which you have already rejected as children so also ministers and ordinances unto Abraham You may remember also that every people and poore plantation formerly fleeced by you cannot reach unto the hire of one of your Levites nor fetch in one such Dove as you send abroad into our native Country to carry and bring you news Nor can you charge them in that point for it was for protection or government shee went And however hire in other respects yet
men these wee say are the two witnesses if you can receive it and what a dishonour is it to trade so much by meanes of witnesses and yet not know what a true witnesse is which if you did you durst not attempt the things you doe whereby you cast reproach upon all the world in that you professe your selves a choice people pickt out of it and yet goe on in such practices as you doe maintaining them as your onely glory Our Lord gives you in charge not to sweare at all but it is your dignity to bring men to your seates of Justice with nothing but oathes in their mouthes why doe you not ballance the scriptures in this point viz. It hath beene said of old Thou shalt not committ adultery but I say unto you hee that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart already so also it hath beene sayd of old Thou shalt not forsweare thy self but I say unto you sweare not at all so that if it be adulterie to looke to lust it is also forswearing a mans self to sweare at all if the one be adultery the other is perjury if one be admitted in some cases the other also so that in preaching the toleration nay the duty of an oath you preach the toleration yea the duty of adulterie it self So that our Lord plainly evinceth unto all mens consciences not onely the guilt but the folly and madnesse of the oath of man shewing how farre it is either from investing into place or demonstrating Causes so that hee that concludeth upon honour and power received from the oath of man or upon knowledge and bouldness to judge in a cause from that testimony without the which he could not have it is as vaine in his thoughts as if hee should herupon conclude I have now altered the frame of heaven which is no less stable then the throne of the great God or demolished the earth which is as firme as his foot-stoole for ever or made a fraction in the orders of Ierusalem that choice and peculiar City of the great King whose institutions no mortall breath can intrench upon or to professe his authority and skill to be such whereby he can make a haire of his head blacke or white cause his age to wax old as doth a garment or renew it with the Eagle at his pleasure hereby doth man in this point of swearing professe his folly to bee such that hee is become not onely-vaine in his imaginations but unto that pride and usurpation therein as to intrude himselfe into the prerogative royall of his Maker So that however you boast of the Ordinances of God yet he tels you there is no more then yea yea and nay nay in them for what is once nay is ever nay in the Ordination of Christ and what is once yea is ever yea with him and according to his account however man reckoneth whose account shall be called over againe what is once curse is ever the curse and what is once the principality and power of Christ is ever the principality and power of Christ as that which is once the principality and power of Darkenesse is ever the same what hands soever it cometh into for manifestation measure your kingdome whether it bee eternall and your Jurisdiction whether it bee illimited for he hath given him the heathen for his inheritance the utmost parts of the earth for his possession and a kingdome of lesse extent hee professeth not nor can hee approve or acknowledge any that doe no more then light can approve of darkenesse or the Lord Iehovah of the Lord Baâ—l Bee wise therefore and bethinke your selves while it is called to day harden not your hearts as though you would make your selves Meriba nothing but strife and contention against the Lord rather kisse the sonne if it bee possible lest his wrath bee kindled and you perish from the way for ever O blessed onely they that hope in him So that hee which professeth on this wife it is yea I am a pastour but it was nay at such a time I was none hee renounceth that spirit of the true pastour yet onely feeder of Israel professing onely that spirit that pusheth the weake with the horne and pudleth with his feet the waters where the flocke of God should drinke Hee with whom it is yea I am a Ruler but it was nay when I was none at all renounceth that spirit of him that rules in righteousnesse professing the spirit of him that rules according to the god of this world that Prince of the power of the Aire who is now working so effectually in the children of disobedience So also hee with whom it is yea I am a Captaine or chiefe slaughter-man but it was nay time was I was none at all renounceth that victorie and slaughter made by the Captaine and High-priest of our profession who as hee is a Lambe slaine from the beginning his victory and slaughter must bee of the same antiquity professing himselfe to bee a chiefe slaughter-man or superâ—â—uous Giant made in that hoast of the Philistims standing in readinesse to come out to defie the hoast of the living God yea it is evident that whatsoever is more then yea yea and nay nay not settlingeach upon its Base whereon it standeth for ever without controule but can remove create or make void offices and officers at their pleasure is of that evill or not of Jesus the salvation of his people but of Shedim that waster and destroyer of mankinde for ever know therefore that it is the oath of God which confirmes and makes good his Covenant and promise unto a thousand generations and it is the oath of man which is the bond and obligation of that league and agreement made with death and hell for ever bee yee assured it is not the tabernacle of witnes which you have amongst you brought in by Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles but it is Siccuth your King or the tabernacle of Molâ—ck the starre of your God Remphan figures which you have made unto your selves which you have taken up and are bearing so stoutly upon your shoulders Now to tell you what an oath according to God is that the scriptures are delivered upon no other ground or termes of certainty where ever they are divolged is a thing out of your jurisdiction you cannot discerne or judge of it therefore according to our word above wee leave it as a parable unto you as all the holy word of our God is as your conversation in all points as in this daily declareth In a word when wee have to doe in your jurisdiction we know what it is to submit to the wise dispensations of our God when you have to doe amongst us in the liberties hee hath given unto us wee doubt not but you shall finde him judge amongst us beyond and above any cause or thing you can propose unto us And let that suffice you and
undoubtedly either God hath blinded your eyes that you see not our answer formerly given in that point or else you are most audacious to urge it upon us againe also you may take notice that wee take it in more disdaine then you could doe in case we should importune you yea the chiefe amongst you to come up to us and bee employed according to our pleasure in such workes as wee thought good to set you about and for your grant of freedome unto us to come downe to you and returne in safety wee cannot sufficiently vilife this your verball and perfunctory offer knowing very well according to the verdict of your owne conscience that what wrongs soever are passed amongst us since our comming into this Country you have beene the violent agents and we the patients To feare therefore to come amongst you as such as have done wrong the cause vanisheth in us so must the effect also And to feare to come unto you as tyrants which your grant must necessarily implies wee cannot knowing that hee which is with us is stronger then hee which is with you Also the earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof and when and where hee shall call wee will goe but not at the will and lust of sorry men to play their parts with us at their pleasure as formerly they have done and as it is apparant you desire to doe for if your lusts prevailed not over you in that kinde you might wall thinke that wee have better employments then to trot to the Massachusets upon the report of a lying Indian or English either as your factors and ordinary hackniâ—s doe But know this Oyee that so long as wee behave our selves as men walking in the name of our God where ever wee have occasion to come if any mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils dares to call us into question wee dare to give an answer to him or them nor shall wee faile through God to give testimony even in his conscience of the hope that is in us whether his question may concerne the rice or succession either of Priest or Peere In the meanetime we sit in safety under the cloudy pillar while the Nations roare and make a noise about us and though you may looke upon us with the unopened eye of Eâ—iahs servant thinking us as nothing to those that are against us yet wherever the cloud rests wee know the Lords returne to the many thousands of Israel In that you say our freedome granted to come to you takes away all excuse from us wee freely retort it upon your selves to â— make excuses whose Lawes and proceedings with the soules and bodies of men is nothing else but a continued art like the horse in the mill of accusing and excusing which you doe by circumstances and conjectures as all the fathers have done before you the Diviners and Necromancers of the world who are gone to their owne place and have their reward But for the true nature rise and distribution of things as they are indeed and shall remaine and abide as a law firme and stable forever wee say and can make it good you know nothing at all therefore such as can delight themselves in preaching professing and executing of such things as must end as the brute beasts doe nay take them away for present and they have lost their honour religion as also their God let such wee say know themselves to bee that beast and false prophet no man of God at all In the meane time wee looke not on the things that are seene but on the things that are not seene knowing the one are temporary the other eternall Nor doe wee thinke the better of any man for being invested into places or things that will in time waxe old as doth a garment neither judge we the worse of any man for the want of them for if we should we must condemne the Lord Christ as so many doe at this day Wee demand when wee may expect some of you to come to us to answer and give satisfaction for some of these foule and inhumane wrongs you have done not to the Indians but to us your country men not to bring in a Catalogue as we might take this one particular abuse you are now acting in that you abet and backe these base Indians to abusesus Indeed Pumham is an aspiring person as becomes a Prince of his profession for having crept into one of our neighbours houses in the absence of the people and fell oniously rifled the same hee was taken comming out againe at the Chimney-top Soccononoco also hath entred in like manner into one of our houses â—ith divers of his companions and breaking open a chest did steale out divers parcels of goods some part whereof as some of his companions have affirmed are in his custody at this time Yet we stand still to see to what good issue you will bring your proceedings with these persons by whom you are so honorably attended in the Court generall as you call it and would honour us also to come three or fourescore miles to stand by you and them wee could tell you also that it is nothing with these fellowes to send our cattle out of the woods with arrowes in their sides as at this present it appeares in one even now so come home and it is well they come home at all for sometimes their wigwams can receive them and wee have nothing of them at all yea they can domineere over our wives and children in our houses when wee are abroad about our necessary occasions sometimes throwing stones to the endangering of their lives and sometimes violently taking our goods making us to runne for it if wee will have it and if wee speake to them to amend their manners they can presently vaunt it out that the Massachusets is all one with them let the Villanie they doe bee what it will they thinke themselves secure for they looke to bee upheld by you in whatever they doe if you bee stronger then them which they have to deale withall and they looke with the same eye your selves doe thinking the multitude will beare downe all and perswade themselves as well as they may that you tolerate and maintaine them in other of their daily practices as lying Sabbath-breaking taking of many wives grosse whoredomes and fornications so you will doe also in their stealing abusing of our Children and the like for you have your diligent ledgers amongst them that inculcate daily upon this how hatefull wee are unto you calling us by other names of their owne devising bearing them in hand wee are not English men and therefore the object of envy of all that are about us and that if wee have any thing to doe with you the very naming our persons shall cast our case bee it what it will as it is too evident by the case depending betweene Williâ—m Arnauld and Iohn Warner that no sooner was the name of Mr. Gorton mentioned amongst
the price of a wife and safetie of his owne life adjoyned carryed a Minister along with them of the same rise and breeding together with your owne to adde unto the blood so savagely and causelesly spilt with a company of such as you take pleasure to protect for they are all of one spirit if they have not hands in the same act we say their death is causelesse for wee have heard them affirm that shee would never heave up a hand no nor move a tongue against any that persecuted or troubled them but onely indeavour to save themselves by flight not perceiving the nature and end of persecution neither of that antichristian opposition and tyrannie the issue whereof declares it self in this soâ— and lamentable Note good Reader that I had order to publish these two Letters of his as well literatim as verbatim but because their Orthography was so bad as it would scarce have been understood I left it to bee corrected by the Printer but no word to be changed And the reason of the word here left out is because it was worne out and so soyled in the originall as wee could not read it and thought good rather to leave it a blanck then to put in a word of our own that was not theirs In the next place I present thee here with certaine Observations collected out of both their Letters by a godly and reverend Divine whereby the Reader may the better understand them and indeed try the spirits of these men whether they be of God or no. Now these his Observations are ranked into three Heads Viz. First their reproachfull and reviling speeches of the Government and Magistrates of the Massachusets which in Gortons Booke hee pretends so much to honour because their Government is derived from the State of England and therefore I desire thee to take the better notice of it The second Head of his Observations directs thee to their reviling language not onely against that particular Government and the Magistrates of it but against Magistracy it selfe and all Civill power And in his third Head thou art directed to take notice of their blasphemous speeches against the holy things of God All which because they are of great concernment I beseech the Reader to take a little paines to compare them with Mr. Gortons and his Companies Letters Certaine Observations collected out of both their LETTERS I. Their reproachfull and reviling Speeches of the Government and Magistrates of the Massachusets 1. THey say our Magistrates did lay their Wisdome prostrate in sending Letters to them which they scornfully call an irregular Note 2. That they bare them causlesse enmity the proofe whereof every occasion brings forth 3. They flily call them the seed of the ancient mother i. of the enmity of the Devill 4. That they know it is the name of Christ call'd upon them against which our Magistrates doe strive 5 That they goe about to hide their sin as Adam bearing the world in hand that they desire not to contend but to redresse something in point of Civill peace 6 That they stand on tip-toe to stretch themselves beyond their bounds to seek occasion against them 7 That those who accuse them are accusers of the Brethren Satan being a lyer and the father of it which thing our Magistrates cannot know though they be told of it 8 That this act of theirs to treat about their land is a mappe of their spirituall estate 9 That they delight daily to eate of the forbidden fruit which they call mans wisdome out of which our Churches and Common-wealth is formed to gaine conformity with their maker 10 They scorn at their purity and godlinesse telling them that Cole and Arnold their dissembling subjects are full of the spirit of their purity 11 They doe not say plainly that our Magistrates are dogs but compare them to dogs in resuming their vomit into its former concoction by receiving Cole and Arnold under our jurisdiction 12 That the whole structure and edifice among us i. the Churches and Common-wealth is raised up in the spirit of an hireling and that by submission to the Word of God in fasting feast-sting retirednesse for study contributing treasuring i. for Church uses in severall Churches they doe nothing else but bring forth fruit unto death 13 That farther then the Lord Jesus agrees with riches honour and ease our Magistrates minde him not nay renounce and reject him 14 That they plainely crucifie Christ and put him to an open shame which the Apostle Hebr. 6. applies to the worst of men who commit the unpardonable sin and for whom men are not to pray 15 That our Magistrates are as farre from yeelding subjection to Christ as Cole and Arnold from being honourable and loyall-subjects whom they call the shame of Religion the disturbance and disquiet of the place dissembling subjects Pag. 10. as also deboist rude inhumane Nabals il-bred apostatised persons and fellonious Page 23. with many such like speeches 16 That the things of Gods kingdome are infinitely beyond the reach of their spirit nor can they heare the lively Oracle and therefore are dumb in telling Justice 17 That the Magistrates are Jewes according to the flesh and stout maintainers of the man of Sin 18 That they know our Magistrates eyes are dazled with envy and their ears open to lyes 19 That they judge them before their cause be heard 20 That in inviting them to their Courts for their equal-ballanced Justice as they scornfully call it they thereby strike at Christ their life 21 That our Magistrates are like Herod whom God smote with wormes for seeking by an out-reaching and circumventing policy to subdue Tyrus and Sidon and like Pontius Pilate and the people who out of the Judgement hall are all for mercy but in it nothing but crucifie him bee their accusations and witnesses never so false so say they in your dealings with men in way of the Jewish brotherhood your law is all for mercy to redresse reforme for preservation of soule and body doe but enter into the Common-hall then if witnesses bee but brought in and oath taken though never so untrue your Consciences are purged by law and your power must have tribute paid it so far as to brand mens names with infamy and deprive women and children of things necessary 22 That the professed clemency and mercy of their law is as much as in them lyes to send both soule and body downe to Sheol i. the grave and hell for ever without redresse and all hope of recovery 23 That their houre and power of darknesse is knowne what it is either to have mens persons in admiration because of advantage or else to seek all occasions against them with all manner of reproach and ignominie 24 That their wayes are wicked and to bee abhorred because in their professed course the two witnesses are slaine by them and put to death and that all their glory is to keep
make answer but said expresly she should not appeare and that if they had any thing against her they should proceed with him And though hee was lovingly disswaded by some of the Bench not to engage himselfe but let his maid appeare yet hee refused but when hee could not bee prevailed with the action was called and witnesses produced sworne and examined which being done hee moved for another witnesse to bee called which hee perswaded himselfe and the Bench was an honest woman and would speake the truth Now shee being sworne said Mr. Gorton I can speake nothing will helpe your maid And indeed her whole testimony was against her and for the old womans cause whereupon hee openly said Take heed thou wicked woman the earth doth not open and swallow thee up And then hee demanded of the Court if hee should have equity and justice in his cause or no To which was answered if he had either plea or evidence to produce in his maids cause it should be heard Then hee nominated one Weekes who could say something to it Weekes was called and required to take his oath before hee spake at which Gorton and Weekes both of them jeered and laughed and told the Court they were skilled in Idols and that was one and stood stoutly a long time to makeit good Hereupon some of the Court put him in mind how they had forewarned him of such carriages fearing he would fall into some extreames At length the Governour gathering up the summe of what was witnessed commends it to the Jewry At which time Gorton said the Court had perverted Justice and wrested the witnesses with very many high and reproachfull termes and in the midst of his violence throwing his hands about hee touched the Deputy Goveâ—nour with his handkerchiefe buttons about his eares who it seemes sate at a Table with his backe towards him whereupon the Deputy said what will you fall about my eares To which Gorton answered I know not whether you have any eares or no and if you have I know not where they stand but I will not touch them with a paire of Tongues The Governour often calling upon the Jewry to attend the Cause was as often interrupted by him Where upon many of their Freemen being present desired the Court they would not suffer such insolencies professing they were troubled the Court had borne with them so long For which in briefe hee was committed but when the Governour bade the Marshall take him away hee bade take away Coddington which was their Governours name a thing I thought meet to explaine lest thou shouldst not understand it by the Heads of the Presentment here following abusing all and every particular of the Magistrates with opprobrious terms But note when hee was committed upon his mutinous and seditious speeches Weekes Holden c. his abettors stopped the way with such insolency as the Governour was forced to rise from the Bench to helpe forward the Command with his person in clearing the way put Weekes in the stocks and was forced to command a guard of armed men to preserve themselves and the peace of the place And this they did because of some fore-going jealousies and now taking occasion to search the houses of that party that adhered to him they found many of their peeces laden with bullet and by meanes hereof they were forced to continue their guard whilst upon their banishment they were forced from the Island And however it were enough for a Book alone to relate all the particulars of his insolent carriage yet take notice onely of two or three particulars â— When hee was censured to bee whipt and banished he appealed to England they asked to whom Hee said with a loud voice To King Charles They told him hee should first have his punishment and then afterwards hee might complain To which hee replyed take notice I appeale to King Charles Câ—â—lv or Selah the party who was present told mee hee could not tell which but that word was spoken with an extraordinary high and loud voice A second thing to be observed was that after hee had been so deservedly whipt some of his faction said Now Christ Jesus had suffered And thirdly although the weather was very cold the Governour going away after execution of Justice upon him yet he ran a â—â—od way after the Governour drawing a chaine after one of his â—gs the upper part of his body being still naked and told him He had but lent him this and hee should surely have it again All this I had from a man of very good repute who then lived with them and was an eye and eaâ—e witnesse to all these proceedings In the next place take notice good Reader that when hee went from hence well whipt as before and entred upon his banishment the place hee went to in a sharpe season was a Town called Providence where Mr. Roger Williams divers others lived who in regard of the season entertained them with much humane curtesie but the Gortonians answered all like AEsops snake as thou maist read by the severall Letters of the chief Inhabitants of that place by a notorious faction there also by them raised to the great distraction and amazement of the Inhabitants as appeareth by their dolefull complaints in their own Letters a true Copy whereof I present unto thee The sum of the Presentment of Samuel Gorton at Portsmouth in Roade-Island by the Grand Iury. FIrst that Samuel Gorton certaine dayes before his appearance at this Court said the Government was such as was not to bee subjected unto forasmch as it had not a true derivation because it was altered from what it first was 2 That Samuel Gorton contumeliously reproached the Magistrates calling them Just Asses 3 That the said Gorton reproachfully called the Judges or some of the Justices on the Bench corrupt Judges in open Court 4 That the said Gorton questioned the Court for making him to waite on them two dayes formerly and that now hee would know whether hee should bee tryed in an hostile way or by Law or in sobriety 5 The said Gorton alledged in open Court that hee looked at the Magistrates as Lawyers and called Mr. Easton Lawyer Easton 6 The said Gorton charged the Deputy Governour to bee an Abeeter of a Riot Assault or Battery and professed that he would not touch him no not with a paire of tongues Moreover he said I know not whether thou hast any eares or no as also I think thou knowest not where thy ears stand and charged him to be a man unfit to make a Warrant 7 The said Gorton charged the Bench for wresting witnesse in this expression I professe you wrest witnesse 8 The said Gorton called a Freeman in open Couâ—t saucy Boy and Jack-an-Apes and said the woman that was upon her oath would not speake against her mother although she were damned where she stood 9 The said Gorton affirmed that Mr. Easton behaved himselfe not like a Judge and that himself
loving kindnesse if you should have occasion to command us or any of us in any lawfull designe And if it shall please you to send us any speedy answer we shall take it very kindly and bee ready and willing to satisfie the Messengers and ever remaine Your loving Neighbours and respective Friends Ioshuah Winsor Benedict Arnold William Mean William Hawkings Robert West William Field William Harris William Wickenden William Reinolds Thomas Harris Tho. Hopkins mark Hugh Bennit William Carpenter Providence the 25. of the 3. month 1641. To the rest of the five Men appointed to manage the affaires of our Towne aforesaid These are further to give you to understand Viz. That I Doe not onely approve of what my neighbours before me have written and directed their Reasonsâ— to a serious consideration with us concerning Samuel Gorton and his Company but this much I say also that it is evident and may easily bee proved that the said Samuel Gorton nor his Company are not fit persons to bee received in and made members of such a body in so weake a state as our Town is in at present My Reasons are Viz. First Samuel Gorton having shewed himselfe a railing and turbulent person not onely in and against those states of Government from whence hee came as is to bee proved but also here in this Towne since hee have sojourned here Witnesse his proud challenge and his upbraiding accusations in his vilifying and opprobrious terms of and against one of our Combination most wrathfully and shamelesly reviling him and disturbing of him and medling with him who was imployed and busied in other private occasions having no just cause so to revile and abuse him saying also to him and that of another state in a base manner they were like swine that held out their Nose to suck his blood and that now hee and the rest of his Company would goe and wallow in it also which are indeed words unsufferable and also despitefully calling him Boy as though hee would have challenged the field of him in such an inhumane behaviour as becomes not a man that should bee thought to be fit by any reasonable men to be received into such a poor weak state as we are in at present Secondly another of his Company one who is much in esteem with him who openly in a scornfull and deriding manner seeing one of the five men that was chosen by the Towne and betrusted in the Towne affaires comming towards him in the street hee asked of one that stood by him who that was the other answered him it was one of the five men appointed for managing of our Towne affaires or the like Yea said hee Hee lookes like one of the five which words import not onely a scorning and deriding of his person of whom then hee spake but also a despising and scorning of our Civill State as it were trampling it under foot as they had done by other States before they came hither who were of greater strength then wee are for which cause I cannot see such persons to bee fit to bee received into such a State as our Towne is Thirdly I cannot finde these men to bee reasonable men in their suite unto the Towne to be received in as Townsmen seeing they have already had a plaine denyall of their request and that by the consent of the major part of the Towne or very neare c. and are yet unanswerable and also that they seeing that their comming to our Towne hath brought the Towne into a hurry almost the one halfe against the other in which estate no Towne or City can well stand or subsist which declareth plainly unto us that their intent is not good but that their abode so long here amongst us is in hope to get the victory over one part of the Town but specially of those that laid the first foundation of the place and bought it even almost with the losse of their lives and their whole estates and afterwards to trample them under their feet as some of their words hold forth or else to drive them out into the same condition to seek out a new Providence and to buy it with the like hardnesse as they first bought this place these and many other like reasons that may be shewed declare that they are not fit persons to be received into our meane and weake State Fourthly and seeing hee who is so well knowne to bee the ring leader unto the breach of peace that have been so notoriously evill to bee a trouble of Civill States where hee hath lived that are of farre greater force then wee are of specially that State who have their Commission and Authority from the Higher Powers what may wee then expect if he could get himself in with and amongst so many as wee see are daily ready to tread us under their feet and his whom he cals friends c. Surely first a breach of our civill peace and next a ruine of all such as are not of his side as their daily practise doth declare Ergo they are not fit persons to be received into our Towne c. Object If it bee objected as some have blasphemously said that wee are perâ—ecutors and doe persecute the Saints in not receiving of them into our Towne-fellowship c. Answ. To this I answer there cannot bee proved the least shew of any persecution of those persons either by us or by any other amongst us to our knowledge For 1 they have quiet abode amongst us none molesting or troubling of them nor any thing they have 2 It cannot bee proved but by their owne relation the which hath been disproved that they were sent out from those places from whence they came for Religion neither are they medled with here for any such matter but rather that they themselves in their bravery are more ready to meddle with others 3 They themselves and others of their followers have rather been troublers and persecutors of the Saints of God that lived here before they came and doe but waite their opportunity to make themselves manifest in that they intend Ergo it cannot bee truly said of any that any persecution is offered by us unto them if it could possibly be said of them that they are Saints Obj. But if it be further objected that we doe not give them the liberty of men neither doe wee afford them the bowells of mercy to give them the meanes of livelihood amongst us as some have said Answ. To this I say 1 there is no State but in the first place will seeke to preserve its owne safety and peace 2 Wee cannot give land to any person by vertue of our combination except wee first receive them into our state of combination the which wee cannot doe with them for our owne and others peace-sake c. 3 Whereas their necessity have been so much pleaded it is not knowne that ever they sought to finde out a place where they might accommodate themselves and live by