Wrath and Blood-shed Therefore let not our Streets the Temples of Peace and Tabernacles of Love and Innocence be encumbred with such mischievous Tools let not our pure Air be disturbed with their ungrateful Noises Clashings Ratlings and Bouncings nor poluted with the Sulpherous Steams they send forth as if so many Devils had marcht through the Skey and left the stench of the Infernal Regions behind them Wherefore should we give wild Indians that do not know the use of these Messengers of Death such a bad and fatal Example as to shew a new Method how to kill one another which no doubt in process of time they will improve so far as to make War upon us and kill us with our own Weapons witness the Evils that by this very means have attended our Neighbours and the like we or our Posterity may justly expect Besides tell me I pray what Affinity there is or can be imagined between a Christian and Guns Swords Powder Shot Drums and the frightful noise of Armed Troops marching on to Man-slaughter Desolation and Spoil does such Imployment of Wrath and Blood look any thing like the pure peaceable meek innocent Christian-Life which teaches to do unto all as we would be done unto and to love not only our Friends and our Neighbours but also our Enemies which assures us that those that use the Sword shall perish by the Sword that commands us if we are smote on the Left Cheek to turn the Right c. Can any thing be more Opposite to all this than swaggering in Buff and Armour and boasting how many Men we have kill'd in a day And though many of you do not use nor perhaps intend these Martial Instruments for Man-slaughter but only to kill and destroy other inferiour Creatures and Inhabitants of the Elements yet I pray consider why will you arm your selves provide thus to kill those innocent Creatures Does not bounteous Mother Earth furnish us with all sorts of Food necessary for Life Wherefore then will you trouble your selves to kill those Creatures who have a have a Title by Nature's Charter to their Lives as well as you Shall not the groaning of those Creatures call for Vengeance And must not there be a Retaliation Can you think the Noble Race of Man was made to be a Tyrant over and a Scourge unto the inferior Inhabitants of the World No sure he was to treat and govern them in Love and Friendliness But instead thereof he is now become their deadly Enemy Therefore though you will not sight with and kill those of your own Species yet I must be bold to tell you That these lesser Violences as you may call them do proceed from the same Root of Wrath and Bitterness as the greater do there being but one grand Fountain from whence all kinds of Evil Violence Oppression and Cruelty do proceed whether it be towards our Brother Man or any other of our Fellow-Creatures And though Custom hath made the killing and oppressing of Beasts Birds c. to be familiar and consequently easie and done without any Remorse or Bowels of Pity yet it is still from the dark Root 'T is true we read in Scripture frequently of the Killing both Men and Beasts and 't is true the Lord did give the Nations liberty to kill and eat the Flesh of Inferior Creatures But note That this was not done until Mankind had departed out of his holy Law and goverment of his divine Principle into his fierce Wrath out of which wrathful Principle he permitted the killing and eating of Flesh so the Scripture saith The Wickedness of Man had corrupted the Earth and then the Lord said My Spirit shall no longer strive with Man Threescore and ten years shall be the term of his Life c. That is Man would not submit unto and be governed by his holy friendly Principle of Love and Light therefore the Lord in his fierce Wrath which man had rather chosen to precipitate himself into shortned mans Life and gave him Flesh to eat which sort of Food had the nearest Affinity to that Wrathful Spirit that had then gotten the Government in Man But in Paradise that is whilst man continued under the sweet Conduct of the divine Principle his Bill of Fare allowed by his Creator in love was only Every Herb bearing Seed and every Tree in which is the Fruit of a Tree yielding Seed to you it shall be for Meat Gen. 1.29 Thus far the Children of Israel in the Wilderness as long as they were Obedient God provided and fed them with Angels Food pure and delicious Manna but when they grew Disobedient and Murmured and nothing would serve them but Flesh God gave them Flesh in his Wrath and Quails in his Displeasure which fitted them for Destruction Furthermore though you will not kill those of your own kind yet your Children seeing and learning these Preparations of Oppression and Violence they may come to be of different Opinions and by degrees kill one another with their Fathers Guns and Swords for we know not what sort of People will come after us nor what Spirit they may be of Therefore it will be highly convenient for us to prevent the Growth of all Fierceness Wrath and Violence even in the bud by our Laws and wholsome Customs for there is no way or means that can or will so powerfully disarm the Rage of Men and other Creaturs as Clemency and Well-doing Has not the Lord by his divine Hand of Providence brought us into a pleasant and fruitful Country that flows as one may say with Milk and Honey that is all things necessary for sustaining Life and rendering it delightful as far as Nature desires or Innocency will admit why then should we by our Intemperance make it flow with Blood Oppression and Violence Will not a little Labour cause the Earth to bring forth a great number of brave fragrant Herbs Fruits and Grains which will readily supply us with both dry and moist Nourishment and preserve our Health and Strength without the use of Guns Swords Powder Shot or the like Engines and Utensils of War which have their Original from the fierce Wrath of God in Nature and let men pretend what they will of Necessity cannot be used but only by the same Spirit Wherefore should we Christians whose Laws and the Doctrines of our Saviour engage us to live in love unity that we may be rendred capable to understand and enjoy that glorious Liberty of the Sons of God which the whole Creation groans to be deliver'd into why I say should we with wrathful Weapons and breathing Death and Destruction terrifie amaze and alarm not only one another but also all the Inhabitants of the four Elements meerly to gratifie our extravagant Desires and wanton Appetites or furious Passions and all the while to suffer the friendly Law and good Principle of Gods eternal Love to languish sigh and groan under the burthens of those intollerable Evils in which
The Planter's SPEECH TO HIS Neighbours Country-Men OF Pennsylvania East West-Iersey And to all such as have Transported themselves into New-Colonies for the sake of a quiet retired Life To which is added The Complaints of our Supra-Inferior-Inhabitants LONDON Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle in Shoreditch 1684. THE Planters Speech To his Neighbours Country-men in Pennsylvania East and West-Iersey c. And to all such as have Transported themselves into New-Colonies for the sake of a quiet Life My dear Friends Country-men THough it may seem very Impertinent and Unnecessary to go about to repeat to you the Occasions and Motives that inclined you to abandon the Land of your Nativity and those comfortable outward Imployments and Accommodations which most of you had there and to adventure your selves to the Hazards of a long Voyage at Sea to come to this Remote part of the World yet lest you should forget those Inducements as often it happens that men by a slothful Negligence or Ignorance after some Tract of Time fall from their first Love and blindly hurrey themselves into the very same Mischiefs which they intended to avoid and build up again what they justly endeavoured to destroy not foreseeing the future ill Conveniences of their present supposed Innocent Actings I shall take leave briefly to mention some few of those weighty Causes which I am confident originally sway'd your Spirits to this Transplantation and those good Ends for the obtaining of which you chiefly removed hither The Motives of our Retreating to these New Habitations I apprehend measuring your Sentiments by my own to have been 1 st The desires of a Peaceable Life where we might Worship God and Obey his Law with freedom according to the Dictates of the divine Principle unincumbred with the Mouldy Errors and Fierce Invasions of Tradition Politick Craft Covetous or Ambitious Cruelty c. 2 dly That we might here as on a Virgin Elysian Shore commence or improve such an Innocent course of Life as might unload us of those other outward Cares Vexations and Turmoils which before we were always subject unto from the hands of Self-designing and Unreasonable Men. 3 dly That as Lot by flying to little Zoar from the Ungodly Company of a more Populous Magnificent Dwelling we might avoid both being grieved with the sight and Infections as well as odious Examples of Horrid Swearings Cursings Drunkenness Gluttony Vncleanness and all kinds of Debauchery continually committed with greediness and also escape the Iudgments threatned to every Land polluted with such Abominations 4 thly That as Trees are transplanted from one Soyl to another to render them more Thriving and better Bearers so we here in Peace and secure Retirement under the bountiful Protection of God and in the Lap of the least adulterated Nature might every one the better improve his Talent and bring forth more plentious Fruits to the Glory of God and publick Wellfare of the whole Creation 5 thly And Lastly That in order hereunto by our Holy Doctrine and the Practical Teachings of our Exemplary Abstemious Lives transacted in all Humility Sobriety Plainness Self-denial Virtue and Honesty we might gain upon those Thousands of poor dark Souls scattered round about us and commonly in way of Contempt and Reproach call'd Heathens and bring them not only to a state of Civility but real Piety which effected would turn to a more satisfying Account than if with the proud Spaniards we had gain'd the Mines of Potosi and might make the Ambitious Hero's whom the World admires blush for their petty and shameful Victories which only tend to make their Fellow-Creatures Slaves to those that are already the Devil's Vassals Whereas hereby we might release Millions from the Chains of Satan and not only teach them their Rights as Men and their Happiness when Christians but bring them from the Power of Darkness into the Marvellous Light and the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of the most High These Thoughts these Designs My Friends were those that brought you hither and so far only as you pursue and accomplish them you obtain the end of your Journey If these be neglected tho' your Ports and Rivers were full of Trading Ships your Land never so Populous and loaden with the most vendable Commodities yet I would be bold to say That your Plantation were in a most unthriving Condition that like men in a Feaver tumbling from one side of the Bed to the other you have shifted your Dwelling but not recovered your Health nor are one Inch the nearer your proposed Happiness in America than in Europe and have travelled some Thousands of Miles to as little purpose as the Iesuites into Iapan and China or foolish Pilgrims in their tedious vain Journeys to Compostella Loretto or Ierusalem Our business therefore here in this New Land is not so much to build Houses and establish Factories and promote Trades and Manufactories that may enrich our selves though all these things in their due place are not to be neglected as to erect Temples of Holiness and Righteousness which God may delight in to lay such lasting Frames and Foundations of Temperance and Virtue as may support the Superstructures of our future Happiness both in this and the other World In order to these Great and Glorious Ends it will well become nay is the Indispensible Duty of all that are Superiours amongst us to make Laws and imitate Customs that may tend to Innocency and an Harmless Life so as to avoid and prevent all Oppression and Violence either to Men or Beasts by which we shall strengthen the Principle of Well-doing and qualifie the Fierce Bitter Envious Wrathful Spirit which as 't is said of Fire and Water in their Extreams is a good Servant but a bad Master Be pleased therefore to give me leave or whether you are pleased and will give leave or no I must because 't is my Duty take it to nominate some Particulars which in my Opinion will be convenient for us to observe and may be as so many Pillars to sustain our New-Building and prevent those Deluges of Evil that otherwise will in time unavoidably break in upon us I. Since Temperance is the sirmest Establishment of a People and most fits them for all the Duties of a Civil and Religious Life since Strong and Heady Drinks are no way necessary to Humane Life but rather their at first perhaps innocent and moderate use is most apt to degenerate into Excess and the Example of those that use them most sparingly tends to encourage others to partake therein who have not so much discretion as to use them properly which indeed should be only in certain cases as Physick as is apparent in our Neighbouring Indians whose Wellfare we ought in Christian Charity to tender as much as our own and not lay Stumbling-blocks before them whereby both our Holy Religion becomes scandaliz'd as well as our future Temporal Safety endangered I would humbly and I hope may justly piously and
prudentially Advise That we should either wholly prohibit or lay very large Impositions on all sorts of Brandy Rum distill'd Spirits and Wine so as to render the common use of them impracticable For much better it is that the Merchants that deal only therein and the Distillers should lose their Trade and the Vines for that use be neglected than that We and our Posterity and Neighbours should by such a Temptation perish and commit all kind of Outrages and Uncleanness in the use of them For what if all such amongst us either Young or Old Rich or Poor that are found to drink of them unless in case of Sickness and prescribed as Physick were punished with Servitude for a certain time and the Offence not to be bought off with Money What would the Publick or any sober Person be the worse for this Hath not woful Experience taught us the evil Consequences of drinking such Liquors in our own Native Country Are not such Practises the Leading Cards to all Vitiousness They precipitate Young Men into all kinds of Fury Madness and Folly and besides weakening the already exhausted Natural Heat of the more Ancient they render Gray Hairs which ought to be the Ensigns of Gravity and Wisdom ridiculous and contemptible In Women they destroy and corrupt the very Radix of Nature and intail a great Number of incurable Diseases on Posterity add to this that they not only Spend and impaire the outward Substance most unnecessarily but at the same time drown the Mind and debilitate all the Intellectual Faculties and by extravagant Expences render us uncapable to perform those Offices of Charity and Beneficience which we might otherwise and ought render to our poor Neighbours and the publick benefit of our Country In a word these Superfluities and needless things cannot be procured and used without hazard to our Health and Lives and oppression to the whole Creation for all such things are dear and hard to come by and when they are procured the use of them proves of more dangerous Consequence than the charge and trouble of getting them so that when all is done they only serve to Tickle and please the sensual and depraved Appetite of vain Men and to force Nature out of her innocent way The use of such Superfluities is attended with many other evil Circumstances as first it occasions men to let their Farms or Plantations dear or makes them labour very hard or put their poor Servants upon Excessive Toil and put their own both Body and Mind as it were on the Rack to procure such things as are necessary and then not content therewith they must exchange them away for that which stands them in no stead viz. To sell their most pleasant and fragrant Fruits Grains and Seeds at a low and poor Rate that with the procede thereof they may buy Brandy Rum Wine and the like at dear Rates As to give a Bushel of brave Wheat for half a Gallon of Brandy or a Gallon of Rumbullion What comparison is there to be made between a Twelve Penny Wheat Loaf and a Pint of Brandy Rum or Wine The first is the real Preserver of Nature a durable sustantial Food most grateful to Nature The last serves only for a moments time to please the sensual Appetite but its evil Operations and Effects stay behind heats the Blood makes the Veins glow with an unnatural Heat destroys the edge of the Appetite renders the whole Body uneasie and fills the Mind with an innumerable Troop of wanton and vain Imaginations which seldom are raised but as 't is said of evil Spirits in Magick they do some Signal Mischief both to the Body and Mind Or to take notice by the way of other the like Superfluities which is most useful and beneficial to humane Nature one Ounce of Nutmegs Cloves Mace and the like or 20 or 30 brave New-laid Eggs which of all sorts of Food are the compleatest and being well ordered afford the best of Nourishment Or which is indeed most serviceable a Pound of good Butter or Cheese or on the other side a Pound of Sugar Currants Raisins and the like Indeed these last are excellent Fruits but they will not grow in our Country nor under our Elevation therefore not so proper for our Bodies every Soil naturally bringing forth by the merciful Wisdom and Providence of God such Vegetations as are most agreeable to the Constitutions of the People of that place Besides all forreign Fruits and Commodities are dear and for the most part serve only to squander away Estates advance Gluttony and procure Diseases and the frequent use of them does sow seeds of Oppression causing mankind to labour for that which in truth he had much better have been without Has not this particular evil Inclination unto hankering after strong Liquors and other the like Superfluities destroy'd the Healths and Estates of many Thousands in these Western Indies as â—hey are called of our Country-men viz. in Iamaica Barbadoes and the Leward Islands where they have and do make it a common practice to sell their excellent Butter Eggs Fruits and fragrant Herbs their Hens Turkies Ducks c. to purchase Rum Brandy Wine and putrified stinking salt Flesh and Fish which have destroy'd their Healths emptied their Purses and rendered them in every respect Unhappy Moreover the Disorders hence arising have put out the Eye of their Understanding and debauch'd the Natural Faculty of distinguishing between Good and Evil Wholesom and Harmful Pleasant and Nauseous and made them Bruitish Sottish and Ignorant even like Swine to take pleasure in that Mire wherein by Custom they have long wallowed themselves In particular there is a pernicious sort of Drink in great Reputation and Use amongst them call'd PVNCH which with your leave I shall give you some Account of as to both its Nature and Operation to the end we may expell and prevent even in the bud the growth of such evil Customs and Habits amongst us This sort of beloved Liquor is made of Brandy or Run Sugar Water Lime-Iuice and sometimes Ginger or Nutmegs Now here are four or five Ingredients all of as different Natures as Light is from Darkness and all great Extreams in their kind except only the Water 1 st Rum and Brandy are terrible hot fierce sulpherous Spirits void of all the good friendly Balsamick Vertues and middle Quality which is the Moderator and Qualifier in each Body whilst it remains unviolated or entire but whensoever it shall happen that this benigne Property is wounded or destroyed either by undue Preparations or other Accidents then that thing becomes either of a fierce raging domineering wrathful Operation or else of a stinking rank Nature according to the Nature Original in each thing as is plain in all Balsamick Liquors As Canary for Example when once this aimable Quality is destroy'd by the common way of Distillation then it becomes fierce raging and unnatural and when the same is perisht in Flesh Herbs or Fruits