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england_n	brethren_n	lord_n	zion_n	14	3	8.4642	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85452	America painted to the life. A true history of the originall undertakings of the advancement of plantations into those parts, with a perfect relation of our English discoveries ... 1628. to 1658. declaring the forms of their government, policies, religions, manners, customes, military disciplines, warres with the Indians, the commodities of their countries, a description of their townes, and havens, the increase of their trading with the names of their governours and magistrates. More especially an absolute narrative of the north parts of America, and of the discoveries and plantations of our English in New-England. Written by Sir Ferdinando Gorges .... Publisht ... by his grand-child Ferdinando Gorges Esquire, who hath much enlarged it and added severall accurate descriptions of his owne.	Gorges, Ferdinando, Sir, 1556?-1647.; Gorges, Ferdinando, 1629-1718.	1658 (1658)	Wing G1300; Thomason E969_3	181,058	245

appointed to leave their posterity an able Minister as also to stir them up to prepare for the great work of the Lord Jesus in the overthrow of Antichrist and calling of the Jews which in all likelyhood is very suddainly to be performed as also in stirring up all the young ones that remain to consider for what ●nd the Lord hath spared their lives when he cut off others by death namely to prosecute the work that he hath given them to do in the power of his might with the greater zeal and courage THis year the honored and much desired servant of Christ John Endicut Esquire was chosen to be Governour of the English inhabiting the Colony of the Mattachusets and the antient honored and long continued Champion for the truth as it is in Jesus Tho. Dudly Esquire was chosen Deputy Governour by the major Vote of these wandering Jacobites with heart and good will the honored Major-General Edward Gibbous continued in place this year the Government shewed their desire to be assisting to the State of England in making orders for establishing their Edict for these Western parts of the world among out N. E. people the Lord in his infinite wisdom saw meet to continue his correcting hand among his N. E. Churches somewhat more then ordinary in a sore disease of which many in comparison of what used to do and yet not so many as ordinarily use to do in other plantations of this Western world and whereas the former year young children died most this year those of grown years died also and although so small a sickness might not be taken notice of in other places yet the rareness of it in so healthy a country as is this cannot but speak loud in the ears of Gods people who desire to hear the rod and who hath appointed it and perceive plainly many of them that the Lord will have us to know that if his own people tread in the same steps of riot and excess in the plenty he hath given them with the men of this world he will lay the same sicknesses and diseases upon them and further they perceive according to the ordinary dispensation of his providences toward them he hath some further great work to do with his N. E. people that he is beginning again to a waken rouze up and quicken them with the rod of his power For thus they begin to reason with themselves when the Lord was pleased to expose them their wifes and little ones to the troubles of a tempestuous Sea in so long a voyage and the wants of a barren Wilderness in great penury of food he brought forth by his mighty power and stretched-our arm the glorious fabrick of his New-E Churches and therefore now again they look for some further extraordinary great work of his if he shall once again be pleased to refine them in this furnace of his and would the Lord Christ would confirm our brethren in England in like faith by our example yea and far beyond many degrees as the Wonder-working providence of Sions Saviour toward them hath more abundantly exceeded and that as this in three seven years is comprised though very weakly in this little book there 's in one seven year would require volumes and as this is wonderful there is almost miraculous and wonderful to the whole world as if the Lord Christ did intend to make his power known more abundantly then ever the sons of men saw Kings and Kingdoms strengthened with affinity and consanguinity the valiant of the world men skil'd in feats of war as Goliah from a child fierce and pampered horses whose necks are covered with strong neighing and cunning Engeniers men skilful to destroy with all the terrible engins of war together with swarms of souldiers flocking together to swallow up the poor remnant of Gods people all these hath the Lord caused to fall before your eyes and our ears have heard the noyse of this great fall and beloved countrymen and our dear brethren in Christ step into the closet of your own hearts with us and see if there will not be some things in this following verse that may suit your condition as well as ours that having sown in tears we may reap with joy the glorious harvest of our Lord Christ which is hard at hand for assuredly the Lord is tyed neither to us nor you but may if it please him cast off both and raise up new instruments for his following work but if he be pleased to give us melting hearts for our former miscarriages and renew us with a more zealous courage and earnest contending for the faith it is very like he hath more glorious works by far for us yet to do CHAP. IX Of the wonder-working providences of Christ wrought for his people among our English Nation both in our Native country and also in N. E. which should stir us up to mourn for all our miscarriages much the more FRom silent night true Register of moans From saddest soul consum'd in deepest sin From heart quite rent with sighs and heavy groans My wailing muse her woful work begins And to the world brings tunes of sad lament Sounding nought els but sorrows sad relent Sorry to see my sorrows cause augmented And yet less sorrowful were my sorrows more Grief that with grief is nor with grief prevented Yet grief it is must ease my grieved sore So grief and sorrow care but how to grieve For grief and sorrow must my cares relieve The wound fresh bleeding must be stauch'd with tears Tears cannot come unless some grief proceed Grief comes but slack which doth increase my fears Fear left for want of help I still shall bleed Do what I can to lengthen my lifes breath If Christ be wanting I shall bleed to death Thou deepest searcher of each secret thought Infuse in me thy all-affecting grace So shall my work to good effect be brought While I peruse my ugly sins a space Whose staining filth so spotted hath my soul That nought can wash but tears of inward dole How soon my soul hast thou the Lord forgot Who thee and thine through troublous Seas hath lead On earth thy parts should praise him suddain rot Why dost neglect his glorious Kingdom spread Thy eyes have seen the Mountains mov'd with 's hand And sunk in Seas to make his Sion stand No wonder then thy works with Eastern wind On Seas are broke and thy best Seamen slain Sith thou thy gain and not Christs work dost mind Lord stay thy hand I see my works are vain Our ships they shall thy Gospel forth convey And not bring home strange errors here to stay Instead of home-oppression they shall now Thy Saints abroad relieve by Sea them send No riot shall our Merchantmen allow Time in exchange walks not in Taverns spend Godly grief and good purpose comes from thee Lord Christ command and then to work go we Oh thou my soul how weak's thy faith

Men but see here the Wonder-working Providence of Sions Saviour appears much in gathering together stones to build up the walls of Jerusalem that his Sion may be surrounded with Bulworkes and Towres with a whispering word in the eares of his servants he crosses the Angles of England from Cornewall to Kent from Dover to Barwick not leaving out Scotland and Wales Wise men are perswaded to the worke without arguing like Elisba when Elias cast his mantle on him so these men make no stop but say suffer me onely to sell my inheritance and I will away for New England And now I could wish our Brethren in England would not be angry with us for making such hast Brethren you know how the case stood with our Ministers as it was with Gideon who could thresh out no Corne but hee must doe it secretly to hide it from the Midianites who spread the Land like Grashoppers no more could they thresh and cleane up any Wheate for the Lords Garner but the Prelates would presently be upon their backs and plow long furrowes there and you may believe it if you will for it is certaine many had not this little number gone forth to blow their Trumpets and breake their Pitchers making the brightnesse of their Lamps appeare surely the host of the Midianites had never been put to flight and if still any of our Brethren shall contend with us wee answer with Gideon the Lord hath delivered into your hands the chiefe Princes of Midian and what were we able to do in comparison of you yet shall we not cease to follow on the worke of Reformation although weake and faint till the Lord be pleased to free his Israel from all their enemies and verily England hath not wanted the Prayers of the poore people of Christ here And also some of our chiefe helpes both for Church-worke Military and common-wealth-worke yet through the Lords mercy we still retaine among our Democracy the godly Captaine William Hathorn whom the Lord hath indued with a quick apprehension strong memory and rhetorick volubillity of speech which hath caused the people to make use of him often in publick service especially when they have had to do with any forrein Government Mr. Nathaniel Duncan learned in the Latine and French tongue a very good accountant Wherefore he is called to the place of Auditor Generall for the County Mr. John Glovar a man strong for the truth a plaine sincere godly man and of good abilities Captaine Daniel Gogkin who was drawen hither from Virginia by having his affection strongly set on the truths of Christ and his pure Ordinances being indued by the Lord with good understanding Captaine William Tinge sometime Treasurour for the County but being absent for some space of time in England Mr. Richard Russell was chosen in his roome Mr. Edward Rawson a young man yet imployed in Common-wealth affaires a long time being well beloved of the inhabitants of Newbery having had a large hand in her Foundation but of late he being of a ripe capacity a good yeoman and eloquent inditer hath beene chosen Secretary for the Country Mr. William Hubbard of Iphshwich a learned man being well read in state matters of a very affable and humble behaviour who hath expended much of his Estate to helpe on this worke although he be slow of speech yet is hee down right for the businesse Captaine Vmphry Atherton one of a cheerfull spirit and intire for the County Mr. Edward Jackson one who cannot indure to s●e the truths of Christ trampled under foot by the erronious party Eleazar Lusher one of the right stamp and pure mettle a gratious humble and heavenly minded man Mr. Joseph Hill a man active for to bring the Lawes of the County in order Mr. Whipple one whose godly sincerity is much approved Mr. Francis Norton one of a cheerfull spirit and full of love to the truth Mr. Robert Paine a right godly man and one whose estate hath holpe on well with the worke of this little Common-wealth Mr. William Torry a good penman and skild in the Latine tongue usually Clarke of the Deputies the Survayor Generall of the Armies of the Country John Johnson of an undanted spirit Mr. William Parker a man of a pregnant understanding and very usefull in his place Many more would be named but for tediousnesse neither will it please the men more to be named then not for all are very willing to acknowledge their inability for the worke and the best are not without many imperfections The Authors end in naming some few is for none other end but to make good the title of this Book to incourage all the servants of Christ for time to come wholely to rely upon him when they go about any difficult work which may tend to the glory of his Name Who could have told these men being scattered abroad throughout the Island of Great Brittaine they should meete on a Wildernesse nine hundered Leagues remote and there keep Court together to study the preservation of Christs poore scattered flockes nay brethren when you first tooke book in hand to learne your Letters you would have been very dull pates but for this worke assuredly how you came by large inheritances some of you and estates of hundreds and thousands your selves best know but believe it the Lord intended it for this very work The Earth is the Lords and the fulnesse of it then let none of the people of Christ mourn that they have spent their wealth in this Wildernesse if it have holpe on the worke rather rejoyce that Christ hath betrusted thee to be Steward for the King of Kings that in so noble an achievement the worthiest worke that the memory of our selves and our fore-fathers can reach unto And brethren as for the good parts and gifts the Author hath commended you for but for the edifying of the body of Christ and assisting his people in this work you had been empty of all good And now seeing it is the opinion of many in these dayes of Reformation that all sorts of Sectaries that acknowledge a Christ should be tolerated by civill Government except Papist and this Government hath hitherto and is for future time resolved to practice otherwise the Lord assisting having met already with more blasphemous Sectaries then are Papists wherefore it will not be amisse if our Countrymen be acquainted with the one and twenty yeares experience of this Wildernesse worke in point of Government First it is their judgment and that from Scripture taught them that those who are chose to place of government must be men truly fearing God wise and learned in the truths of Christ if so as hitherto it hath been New Englands practice then surely such will be utterly unfit to tolerate all sorts of Sectaries as because they have taken up Joshuas resolution to serve the Lord a man cannot serve two Masters much lesse many Masters Then surely such as would have all sorts of sinfull

to cast downe many a strong fort erected by the Sectaries but the Lord Christ would not suffer this blow to be given intending all people by way of restitution for their slanderous reports cast upon his New England Churches as being the inlet to Errours shall honour them with this victorious co●quest given them by Christ herein yet willing they would their brethren in England might win the prize by out-stripping them more abundantly in length bredth and height which the same God is able to performe that hath been thus abundantly good to us About this time the Churches of Christ began to be diligent in their duty and the civil government in looking after such as were like to disturb the peace of this new erected government some persons being so hot headed for maintaining of these sinfull opinions that they feared breach of peace even among the Members of the superiour Court but the Lord blessing them with agreement to prevent the wofull effects of civill broyles those in place of government caused certain persons to be disarmed in the severall Townes as in the Towne of Boston to the number of 58. in the Towne of Salem 6. in the Towne of Newbery 3. in the Towne of Roxbury 5. in the Towne of Ipswitch 2. and Charles Towne 2. others there were that through the help of the faithfull servants of Christ came to see how they had beene m●sled and by the power of Christ in his Word returned againe with an acknowledgement of their sinne but others there were who remained obstinate to the disturbing of the civill power and were banished of whom you shall heare farther hereafter Some of the Churches of Christ being more indulgent waited long ere they fell upon the work and here you must tak notice that the Synod Civil Government and the Churches of Christ kept their proper place each moving in their own sphear and acting by their own light or rather by the revelation of Jesus Christ witnessed by his Word and Spirit yet not refusing the help of eacg other as some would willingly have it some of the Churches prosecuting the Rule of Christ against their hereticall Members were forced to proceed to excommunication of them who when they saw whereto it would come they would have prevented it with lying but the Lord discovered it and so they were justly separated from the Churches of Christ for lying which being done they fell to their old trade againe CHAP. VIII Of the planting the fourth Colonie of New Englands godly Government called New-Haven THe Lord Christ having now in his great mercy taken out of the way these mountains that seemed in the eye of Man to block up his Churches further proceedings they had now leisure to welcome the living stones that the Lord was pleased to adde unto this building and with thankfull acknowledgment to give him of his owne for his mercyes multitude whose was the work in planting not onely more Churches but another Colony also for the honoured Mr Eaton being accompanied with many worthy persons of note whom the Lord had furnished with store of substance for this wildernesse-work although they would willingly have made their abode under the government of the Mattachusets yet could they finde no place upon the Sea-coasts for their settling the Lord intending to enlarge his peoples border caused them after much search to take up a place somewhat more southwardly neare the shalles of Cape-cod where they had very flatt water yet being entred in they found commodious harbour for shipping and a fit place to erect a Towne which they built in very little time with very faire houses and compleat streets but in a little time they overstockt it with Chattell although many of them did follow merchandizing and Maritime affairs but their remotenesse from the Mattachusets Bay where the chiefe traffique lay hindred them much Here did these godly and sincere servants of Christ according to the rule of the Word gather into Church Estate and called to the office of a Pastor the reverend judicious and godly Mr John Davenport of whom the Author is bold to say as followeth WHen Men and Devils 'gainst Christs flock conspire For them prepar'd a deadly trapping net Then Christ to make all men his work admire Davenport he doth thee from thy Country fet To sit in Synod and his folk assist The filthy vomit of Hels Dragon deepe In earths womb drawn blest they this poyson mist And blest the meanes doth us from error keep Thy grave advice and arguments of strength Did much prevaile the Erronist confound Well hast thou warr'd Christ drawes thy dayes in length That thou in learn'd experience maist abound What though thou leave a city stor'd with pleasure Spend thy prime dayes in heathen desart land Thy joy 's in Christ and not in earthly treasure Davenport rejoice Christs Kngdome is at hand Didst ever deem to see such glorious dayes Though thou decrease with age and earths content Thou live'st in Christ needs then must thy joy raise His Kingdome 's thine and that can ne'r be spent This Church and Town soon procur'd some Sisters to take part with her and among them they erected a godly and peaceable Government and called their frontier towne New haven of which the Government is denominated being inhabited by many men eminent in gifts for the populating thereof and managing of affaires both by Sea and Land they have had some shipping built there but by the sad losse of Mr. Lambertons ship and goods also they were much disheartned but the much honoured Mr. Eaton remaines with them to this very day THou noble thus Theophilus before great Kings to stand More noble far for Christ his war thou leav'st thy native land With thy rich store thou cam'st on shore Christs Churches to assist What if it wast thou purchast hast that Pearl that most have mist Nay rather he hath purchast thee and whatsoever thou hast With graces store to govern o're his people he thee plac't Our State affaires thy will repaires assistant thou hast bin Firm league to make for Gospels sake four Colonyes within With Sweads French Dutch and Indians much Gods peoples peace this bred Then Eaton aye remember may the Child that 's yet unfed This government of New-haven although the younger Sister of the foure yet was she as beautifull as any of this broode of travellers most minding the end of her coming hither to keep close to the rule of Christ both in Doctrine and Discipline and it were to be wished her elder Sister would follow her example to nurture up all her children accordingly here is not to be forgotten the honoured Mr Hopkins who came over about this time a man of zeale and courage for the truths of Christ assisting this blessed work both in person and estate for the which the Author cannot forget him being oft in commission for the good of all the united Colonyes HOpkins thou must although weak dust for this great work

out and for the Lords assisting them against their witchery yet have they as is supposed bewitched not a few persons among whom two of the reverend Elders children These people inhabiting this Town having gathered into a Church-body called to the office of a Pastor the reverend M. Moxon who remaineth with them at this very day of whom as followeth AS thou with strong and able parts art made Thy person stout with toyl and labour shall With help of Christ through difficulties wade Then spend for him spare not thy self at all When errors crowd close to thy self and friends Take up truths sword trifle not time for why Christ call'd his people hither for these ends To tell the world that Babels fall is nigh And that his Churches through the world shall spread Maugre the might of wicked men and devils Then Moxon thou need'st not at all to dread But be aveng'd on Satan for his evils Thy Lord Christ will under thy feet him tread This year the great troubles in our native country encreaseing and that hearing prophane Esau had mustered up all the Bands he could make to come against his brother Iacob these wandering race of Jacobites deemed it now high time to implore the Lord for his especial aid in this time of their deepest distress and the rather being incouraged hereunto from former deliverances and wonderful mercies received the which they now presented before the Lord with the several branches and inlarged bounties thereof to refresh their frozen affections and move a melting heart in their barren brests that began to dry up with a lazy lethargy and therefore thrusting themselves on to the work by the loving invitation of that godly Government the Lord in his mercy had peaceably placed among them each Church in their own proper place meeting together in daies of solemn seeking of the Lords pleasing countenance in Christ the Lord in his mercy helping them after a serious acknowledgment of their own unworthiness by reason of their sinful provocations of the Lord to anger against them aggravated in that they were committed immediately upon the receipt of a multitude of marvellous mercies they acknowledg unto the Lord in the audience of the great Congregation the manner of his wonderful providence extended toward them that as Iacob professes I came over this Jordan with my staff and now have I gotten two Bands so they came over this boysterous billow-boyling Ocean a few poor scattered stones newly raked out of the heaps of rubbish and thou Lord Christ hast now so far exalted them as to lay them sure in thy Sion a building to be the wonder of the world orderly are they placed in five and forty several Churches and that in a Wilderness where civility scarce ever took place much less any Religion and now to the Lord earnestly they cry to be delivered from the cruel hands of those that would destroy both young and old the bird and her young together and as Iacobs fear was the seed of Christs Church in the posterity of Israel should be cut off and therefore pleaded the promise of the Lord in the multiplying of his seed so these people at this very time pleaded not only the Lords promise to Israel but to his only Son Christ Jesus Lord hast thou not said Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost ends of the earth for thy possession and now Lord are not these the Churches of Christ which thou hast planced for his possession and that as Rachel and Leah built the house of Israel so now shall these and the like Sister-churches spread the whole earth the Lord Christ raigning as King and Lord for ever over them Then why do the Heathen rage and the people imagin a vain thing seeing the rime of the Lords arising to have mercy upon Sion is come ●ea his appointed time is at hand and he who walks in the midst of his golden Candlesticks whose eys are as a flaming fire will not suffer his Churches to be trodden under feet of that Antichristian Lordly prelacy any longer nor yet defiled with any transformed Saint-seeming Angels of light with their painted doctrines Thus did this poor people plead with the Lord not only for themselves but for their dearly beloved brethren in England I and all that are Christs chosen people the world throughout and although they were not unmindful from day to day of them yet this year 1645. the Lord was pleased to stir up their affections in more then an ordinary manner what success their prayers have had let all that love and long to behold the beauty of Christ shining on and in his beloved Bride declare the loving kindness of the Lord toward his Churches and let all the Churches of Christ though never so ●● more the one from the other yet joyned together in one ●hith and one Christ be frequent in prayer one for another ●ongregate together at the Throne of the Lord be present in ●pirit though absent in body these Mew-England Churches ●●● neer one hundred miles distant one from another and yet communicate counsel care love joy grieve with and for ●ne another dismiss some and commend others as occasi●n serves to the Christian care and watchfulness from one Church to another and why may not this be practised the world throughout even from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum CHAP. III. Of the opposition the Government of the Mattachusets Colony met withal by certain persons under the name of Petitioners IN place of Governor was chosen for this year Iohn Winthrop Esquire and for Deputy Governor Thomas Dudly Esquire the number of freemen were about 72. At the Court of Election there was a Petition drawn and presented to the Court by a Doctor of Physick with seven hands to it the persons were of a Linfiwolsie disposition some for Prefacy some for Presbytery and some for Pl●bsbytery but all joyned together in the thing they would which was to stir up the people to dislike of the present Government one while envving against the constitution of the Government as not popular enough another while against the Laws or orders of this little Common-wealth as two strict and then to provoke at least the p●●●●●ous they tell them of great expence of the publike Treasury and intolerable taxations the matter they petitioned for was a bottom to build their quarrel upon under the name of a Presbyterian Government and this they supposed would suit well with their Bill of complaint which they intended for England not that they cared for a Presbyterian Church for had they so done they might have found out one in the country before they petitioned but because they supposed that the Parliament in England would establish that way only and therefore bore themselves bold upon it that although their seditious and scandalous words and practises should incur a penalty as none could deem any other unless it be such as are all for

all the thundering Bulls excomunicating Lordly censures and shamefull penalties of all the Lording Churches in the World and such shall be and is the efficacy of this intire love one to another that the withdrawing of any one Church of Christ according to the Rule of the word from those that walke inordinatly will be more terrible to the Church or Churches so forsaken then an Army with Banners yea and it may be added because civill Government is like to turne nurse in more places then one this royall Law of love shall become the Law of Nations and none will suffer their subjects to rebell against it but to our beloved brethren in England on the other hand the Reverend Mr. Burroughs Mr. Goodwin c. This seemeth you have apprehended our Churches and civill Government to be too strict in dealing with persons for their sinfull opinions I wish the offenders be none of your intelligencers who to be sure will make the worst of things I know you are in charity with us And therefore a few words will satisfie which I hope you want not from your good friends our Reverend Elders who could wish you as much happinesse as our selves to expell error before it grew to that height to cry downe the sound and wholesome truths casting durt on our Orthodox and godly Ministery I wish you open your mouths wide enough to be filled with this blessing the Lord hath done great and unexpected things for you and why not this one and twenty yeares experience hath taught us that Errors and Heresies are not broached and held out here by tender consciences such as are weak in the Faith but by such as think them Scholers of the upper forme such as would teach the most ablest Christian among us another Gospell and further we finde our Erronist wanting a common enemy to contend withall as you have fallen foule of our godly Magistrates and Ministers and will not suffer us quietly to injoy the Ordinance of Christ for which wee hither cam● buzzing our people in the eare with a thing they call liberty which when any have tasted a smack of they can no more indure to hear of a Synod or gathering together of able and Orthodox Christians nor yet of communion of Churches but would be independant to purpose and as for civill Government they deem Religion to be a thing beyond their Sphere CHAP. XLV Of the civill Government in N. England and their nurture of the people upon their tender knees THe vernall of the yeare 1637. being now in his prime and as the season of the yeare grew hotter so the minds of many were hot in the eager pursuite of their selfe conceited opinions and verily had not authority stept in it was much to be doubted they would have proceeded from words to blowes great hold and keepe there was about choice of Magistrates this yeare the choyce being retarded by a paper call'd a Petition but indeed a meere device to hinder the election till the erronious party were strengthened their number increasing daily but the Lord Christ gratiously providing for the peace of his people toward the end of the day the honoured John Winthrope Esquire was chosen Governour and Thomas Dudly Esq Deputy Governor the number of free-men added this year was about 1 25. Here according to promise the Reader shall have an accoumpt of the civill Government of this little Common-wealth as their whole aime in their removall from their Native Country was to injoy the liberties of the Gospell of Christ so in serving up civill Government they daily direct their choice to make use of such men as mostly indeavour to keepe the truths of Christ pure and unpsotted and assuredly they can digest any wrongs or injuries done them in their estates or trade better then the wresting of their right in the freedome of the Gospell out of their hands and this the Erronist knowing right well to save their heads whole perswade men it is not for civill Government to meddle with matters of Religion and also to helpe out with their damnable Doctrines they report it in all places where they be come that New England Government doth persecute the people and Churches of Christ which to speake truth they have hitherto beene so far from that they have indeavoured to expell all such beasts of prey who will not be reclaimed that here might be none left to hurt or destroy in all Gods holy Mountaine and therefore are ready to put the Churches of Christ in minde of their duty herein yea and sometimes going before them in their civill censures that they may not onely professe the truth but also hate every false way not that they would compell men to believe by the power of the Sword but to indeavour all may answer their profession whether in Courch Covenant or otherwise by knowing they beare not the Sword in vaine Neither doe they exercise civill power to bring all under their obedience to a uniformity in every poyne of Religion but to keepe them in the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace nor yet have they ever mixed their civill powers with the authority peculiarly given by Christ to his Churches and Officers of them but from time to time have laboured to uphold their priviledges and only communion one with another The chiefe Court or supreame power of this little Common-wealth consists of a mixt company part Aristocracy and part Democracy of Magistrates that are yearly chosen by the major Vote of the whole body of the Free-men throughout the Country and Deputies chosen by the severall Townes they have hitherto had about 12. or 13. Magistrates in the Colony of the Mattacusets the other Colonies have not above five or six they have hitherto beene Volunteers governing without pay from the people onely the Governor of the Mattacusets hath some yeares 100 l. allowed him and some years lesse many of the Magistrates are already remembred yet with some of the first came hither Mr. Simon Brodestreet in this short Meeter is he remembred NOw Simon yong step in among these worthies take thy place All day to toile in vinyard while Christ thee upholds with grace Thee wisdom grave betime he gave and tongue to utter it That thou mightst be a blessing free and for this calling fit Thy counsell well advis'd dost tell with words ordered compleat Thy memory doth amplifie meeting with matters great Broad liberty do thou deny Brodstreet Christ would thee have For 's truth contend strong reason spend it from aspersion save He furnish't thee with these gifts free to last he must them make Still adding more to thy old store till he thee to him take The Lord was pleased to furnish these his people with some able instruments in most of their Townes that were skill'd in Common-wealth work out of which they chose their Deputies whose number was ordinarily between 30. and 40. some of them there will be occasion to speake of among their Military