A Lover of peace, and one of eminent respect, viewing this Treatise at the Presse, kindly added this verse prefixed, which hath both sodainly, and unexpectedly drawn from my thoughts as here followeth, as a testimony of my kind respects unto the parly, though but a stranger unto him; it may also serve as an intelligencer, what was the only ground of controversie, in acting according unto, and publishing of, this Treatise.
He serpent with a voyce so slie and fine. Hence doth
Consults with nature, as though he arise the way
Whil'st she doth seek for glory, wealth,
in the way of
of Solomons harlot, set out
this woman, Gen. 3. Prov.7 who may not Church, but speake in the
usurpeth.
In things that are below, and not in that above;
Lending an
* ear to listen unto him,
The fruit looks fair, the tree seems nothing grim:
And thence doth he, at first begin t' arise
Through earthly projects, for to make man wise:
Whereas the light of heaven, GOD himself ordain'd
To be that thing, whereby man is maintain'd
In wisdom, honor, happiness, and peace,
That doth from serpent (sin, death, hell) release; The Serpents
And not conjectural, doubtful, subtil notion
Set forth, by art, with sign of great devotion.
voyce trans-
mists into new
England, spea-
king there in
Come from the Prelates*, your persecuting foes; way of MiniOur Church (as Primitive) Christ Jesus doth dis-stry, as at the
Where you may worship, voyd of care or fear,
Our Land is large; Our Magistracy good;
Come o're to save that innocent-like blood
From such as are to cruelty so bent,
Our Ways are meek and humble, to give all content;
Thus he appears, apparrelled in white
To snare in that, wherein he takes delight.
An earthly Kingdom, he would fain erect
Then spiritual honor, he must needs reject.
That when that, woman, appeareth in her glory man is set out With him in womb, of whom intreats all story. King Lemuels Then's he a dragon red, for to devour
nother, that That child, to whom is given, all the power teacheth pro- In heaven, and in earth, to rule as King and Lord. phesie, Rev. 12 Prov. 31. who None to the serpent, no, heaven cannot afford may pray and A place of residence, he must thence depart prophecy in Down to the earth, full sore against his heart, without usur- That he a place cannot devise to frame
pation. 1 Cor.11 Which from the heavens may seeem to take its fame. Cruel, Raging, Carnal, now he cometh forth
For the one betakes it self
to heaven, the other to the wilderness.
His slie, and subtil wisdom, now proves nothing worth.
This woman, now in travel, finds not time
To listen unto him, nought but the child is mine:
Which child in her, can nothing else confesse,
But Throne of glory*, and bare Wilderness: :
Which twain together, give all praise to one;
Then fury's in the Serpent, smooth policy is gone:
No middle place for Sathan now is found,
Not one with th' manchild; down he goes to ground:
His cunning cannot now intice so far,
He ever puts But Michael, and his Angels wil make War off the day of With Dragon, and with all his Angels great, Yea overcome him, never sound retreat.
the Lord as
not yet time
to build the Temple, but would live in
his own seiled (or artificial)
house of his own framing and device.
Most of his skil he useth*, he knows how
To talk of benefits to receive, although not now,
And so from place, and person still delights to wend,
Where's outward peace, there's Christ, doth he
pretend ;
Himself he saves, the serpent is so wise:
No tye, to fold, nor flock, he then wil know;
Christ in an earthly peace, he'l have, where e're he go.
with Jesus, yet
desired to be
Whereas our Lord, his voyce doth sometimes teach ** Though he
Go to ** Decapolis, and there thou shalt me preach
Untoten Cities, great the number bee;
My Word shal reach them, and I am with thee.
For I am truth, and truth thou goest to show
Which makes thee free, my presence thou dost know
No place can, scant thee off, then walke at large,
Doubt not, I'm with thee, doe but keepe my Charge,
The nations shall come forth at once, yea at one
& birth;
Truth in the change of one, reneweth all the earth;
Else, were not perfect good, in every one erect,
Nor sinne were full, through th'fall that great defect,
If change of one were not a world renew'd,
What Nation then, not brought in, and subdu'd,
When truth is publisht, though but unto one
Imbrac't, receiv'd? oh happy State of man,
All Gentile Jewels, brought in, who can want
The world's in darkenesse, else could ne're be scant.
Jesus under-
standing his
desire to be
but nature
(that is) to in-
joy him, ac-
flesh, denies
cording to the
him that, that
so he might be
with him ac-
cording to the
spirit. Mat.
28.20. • For so the word Decapolis signifies ten Cities. g See Isa. 60. 21. 22. and 66.
See Isa. 61. 6. and 60. 11.
But Hypocrites cannot this thing digest,
In places, times, and persons, they seek wealth and rest,
And see not how the mighty Lord above
Hath cast his skirt o're Ruth, yea fild her lap in love,
Of whom comes Christ, that world of Gods good will,
What can she want, that heaven or earth doth fill?
All keepe their stations, attend as they have done,
Neglect no homage, or service to the Son,
All bring their vertues, treasures, and their glory
Centring them all in him, a world of Princely Dowry,
Then walke through Sea, or Land, by friends or foes
Let prisons fast, hard irons thee inclose,
All take thy part, yea plead thy cause for thee
The world vents its malice, in Christs love thou art free.
The Spirit of this world by these things comes to light Its pomp, and glory, which earst did shine so bright
Appears grosse darknesse, unto Christian eyes
Down comes its Kingdome, up goes its plaints and
Books so in- Helpe Sword and Gun, else doth our Kingdome fall Court, fire, Gangrena, we tast worm-wood and gall,
tures to cure the Church.
tales, & conjec- No marvell, for, Christ in his native kind Set forth, declar'd unto a carnall mind, Appears as odious unto such a wight
* A meer hun
ting of men
worry your
As sinne to him, in whom is found the light:
What sentence shall be given then by sons of men,
When truth appears, if power were found in them?
No power but that of darknesse then, let us to
them ascribe
What's in the Church's our Lords, all unto them
deny'd;
Take heed yee Judg of Blasphemies aright,
For Light discerns, the darknesse hath no sight.
If Light, and Candlesticke, you know not how, t
to Suspend your judgement, all your skill is
And let the Judge of all, his Circuit passe apace,
Who comes not to destroy, such is his grace,
And let that man his own destruction be,
own kind; (or
rather that hind of the
morning, see Psa. 22. in the title) thirsting after the pre
cious life.
Compare Gen. 10. 8, 9. with
Jer. 16. 16.
Who breaks that faith with God, cannot be peec'd
by thee:
Cease then your prosecutions, seek yee to doe good :
Save life in any, in Church wayes spill not blood:
In Christ, if you consider, the Covenant of God,
Youle find that all compulsion, is nought but that
*Nim-rod.
Innocencies Defence, against
He moderation of New-Englands Justice, desired
to be known to all men*, and what is
the principall things pretended in the As you may
Execution thereof; namely, To sup- lowing Trea-
see in the fol-
presse Hereticks, and to confirm that tise.
to be the truth which the Unity of the most Colo-
nies hold; plainly declaring and setting forth to the view of all,
What is the proper bent and drift of that spirit that diggs so
deep to hide its sin in secret, which so affecteth to assume titles
unto it self, & also to give at their pleasure unto others; to
make themselves appear, in the eyes of men, more holy and
honourable in the things of God, then others of their Brethren;
commonly crying out, against that power exercised amongst
others, for no other end but to assume it unto themselves, to
cloth the dictates of that spirit therewith, whereby themselves
are led, and so to exercise it with all zeal and wrath in the life,
spirit, and substance of it, only with another face or counte-
nance set upon it to deceive and beguile the simple; Not being
able to indure the aire, where Cap, Tippit, or upper Shirt ap-
peareth but can bath themselves in blood and feed themselves
fat, by devouring the good name, estates, and lives of their bre-
thren, who neither do, nor think harme unto them, nor reside
within the compasse of any of their Jurisdictions, evidently
proved by a late assault given (by the men of the Massachu-
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