dering and laying to heart the wayes of their Church and the carriage of his brethren consulting with the Minister, the two yong men could not have rest in their spirits till they went down to advise or debate the matter with the Church, though they were come out from them and lived on Road Island in the Nanhyganset Bay, and when they came to Boston, and the Brethren were gathered together either to give or receive satisfaction, when they saw the arguments produced by the Minister and his brother to weigh somewhat heavy, then the strongest of their Church members of Boston (namely the Governor and Assistants) cast them in prison to regulate their opinion that differed from them, and there kept them in durance for many Moneths; but at the last, setting them at liberty, yet giving out some threatning words afterwards, as though they would fetch them again; the yong men could have no rest in their spirits day nor night, till they were gone out further from the Massachusets then that Island was, yea under some forreign government where the Massachusets could not pretend to have any thing to do; for they had heard that the Massachusets intended to take in all the Nanhyganset Bay under their Government and Jurisdiction: Whereupon Master Collins came where the aforesaid Gorton and his Family were, namely at Providence; and seriously advised him to go along to the Dutch Plantation or else to the Sweads: for, upon his knowledge, the Massachusets intended, in short time, to take away his life, if he aboad in any of the English Plantations; for he had received certain information thereof, whil'st he was amongst them, shewing great affection to move him thereunto: Gorton thanked him kindly for his love, being but a stranger to him, but told him he could not go under a forreign Prince for protection, till he saw further then yet he did; knowing he had neither been false to his King nor Countrey, nor to his conscience, in point of Religion, so far as God had informed him. But Master Collins and his Brother, together with their Mother and whole Family, for fear, removed to the Dutch Plantation, with divers other friends and families; who were miserably massacred by those barbarous Indians (both men, women and children) being then at war with the Dutch, who took some of the English children (out of families of good note) as Captives, and keep and train them up amongst themselves unto this day, having most barbarously and cruelly slain their Parents, who had been not a little carefull to train them up in their life time, both in faith and manners. But we removing

our

our selves, as abovesaid, into another part of the Nanhyganset Bay, further from the Massachusets, and where none of the English, nor other Nations had any thing to do, but only Indians, the true natives, of whom we bought a parcel of land called Shaw-omet (as is abovesaid) not only of Myantonomy, chiefe Sachim, or prince of those parts of the Country; but also with the free consent of the Inhabitants of the place.

Now we plainly perceiving that the drift of the Massachu sets, and those joyned with them, was not only to take the whole Country of the English Plantations into their Jurisdictions; but also to establish what way of Religion themselves thought fit, to the taking away (not only of goods) but lives also of such as were otherwise minded: We made answer unto the Writing, they had sent unto us, on this wise; which Answer was made upon our removall from Mooshawset (otherwise called PROVIDENCE) to Shawomet.

A true Copy of our Answer to the Warrant or Writing which the men of the Massachusets sent unto us, as is above noted; wherein we only take up their own expressions, to shew unto them the spirit and power of their Religion, which they go about by these means to preserve, inlarge, and shew the glory of it to the world: The Answer is verbatim examined by the originall Copy; only marginall Notes added to help the Reader to understand our true meaning.

Mooshawset, November the 20. 1642. To our Neighbours of the MASSACHUSETS.

a Irregular because it went beyond their bounds and jurisdictions limited unto them.

WE Hereas we lately received an irregular note a professing its forme from the Massachusets, with four mens Names subscribed thereunto (as principall authors of it) of the chiefe amongst you, we could not easily give credit unto the truth thereof; Not only because the conveyers of it unto us are known to be men whose constant and professed acts are worse then the counterfeitings of mens hands; but also, because we thought that men of your parts and profession would never have prostrated their wisdome to such an act: But considering that causlesse emnity you have against us, the proof whereof every occasion brings forth, we cannot but conclude, That no act so ill, which that ancient

Mother

flesh conver

found so exer

then indeed it

woman, where

Mother will not bring forth her seed unto; (b) For (b) That is the we know very well that it is the name of Christ Wisdom of the called upon us (e) which you strive against, whence sant about the it is that you stand on tiptoe to stretch your selves things of God beyond your bounds, to seek occasion against us brings forth unto cruelty (so) as you might hide your sin with Adam (a) all them in bearing the world in hand it is not your desire to whom it is contend with us, but some civil breach in our cised. course which you seeke to redresse; whereas (c) Jer. 14. 9. neither you nor any in way of truth can find where- (d) By dissemwith to bring us under the censure of a disorderly bling the cause of their procourse of walking amongst them. And as for the ceeding away of that ancient spirit of accusation of the bre- gainst us to be thren () we weigh it not, knowing him to be a another thing lyar (or in the abstract a lye) from the beginning was, even as (f), yea and the father of it also; which thing you Adam laid the cannot know though it were told unto you: whereas fault upon the you say Robert Cole, William Arnald, with others, as indeed she have put themselves under the government and came out of his own side & protection of your Jurisdiction, which is the occawas confessed sion you have now got to contend; we wish your to be flesh of words were verified, that they were not elsewhere his flesh and to be found (F), being nothing but the shame of bone of his Religion, disquiet and disturbance of the places (e) Rev. 12. 10. where they are; for we know neither the one nor the (f) Joh. 8. 44. other, with all their associates and confederates, have (g) But only among thempower to inlarge the bounds, by King CHARLES, selves, within limited unto you. Behold therefore, in this your the bounds of act, a Map of your spiritual estate (to use your own risdictions, as phrase); for we know that the spirituality of you they affirme Churches, is the civility of your Commonwealth, and them to be the civility of your Cōmonwealth is the spirituality of though withyour Churches; the wisdom of man being the whole or rule of true out any ground accomplesense of them both, of which tree you de- government. light dayly to eat (") finding it fair and beautifull, to (h) The tree of gain conformity with your maker; in these your dis- the knowledg sembling subjects grossly profane amongst us, but full paralell'd with of the spirit of your purity: (i) when they are with the wisdom of you, you may remember the brand your selves have man exercising it selfe in the set on some of them, the cause whereof was never yet things of God. removed, (*) though it abide not upon their backs (i) That is, the (1), nor yet the cause of your commitment of them spirit of pain. ted hypocrisie. (k) The sin being stil continued in. (1) That is, the mark which was worn to proclaime it to all.

bone.

their own Ju

of good & evil

unto

lowship again, wherein they

stil walked.

(n) Rom. 7. 5.

(0) Joh.10.12, 13.

(p) That is,

contribution or

unto Sathan (according to your Law) for if that were removed you should do them wrong in not (m) That is, in resuming your vomit into its former concoction them into the again: (m) Nor are we ignorant of those disgraceoperations of ful termes they use and give out against you behind that boyling your backs; Their submission therefore cannot be Church-fel- to any other end, but to satisfie their own lusts, not only conceived, but in violent motion against their Neighbours, who never offered the least wrong unto them; only the proposition of amity, is object sufficient for these mens emnity. Even so the passions of sin, which are by the law, having force in your members, (n) you going about with great labour and industry to satisfie them by your submission unto the Word of God, in your fasting, and feasting, in contributing, and treasuring, in retirednesse for study, and bowing of the backs of the poor, going carefully labor forth in labour to maintain it, and in the spirit of to pay wages to the Minis- that hireling (°) raising up your whole structure and ter for that end edifice; in all which you bring forth nothing but fruit either in way of unto death: Some laboring for a price to give for the keeping of their souls in peace, and safe estate and condition: (P) some to have your bodies furn(p) That is the ished with riches honor and ease (9); and further Ministers and then the Lord Jesus agrees with these, you mind Magistrates study, teach, him not; nay you renounce and reject him, and and execute to with these (according to your acceptation and practice) he holds no correspondency at all; being the consultation and operation of that his only adver(r) This is the sary ("); Man being that which you depend upon, wisdom of the and not the Lord, crying out in the way of elevaflesh exercised tion, and lauding his Ministers, when in the mean in the things of time you know not what, nor who, they are; professing them under a mediate call of Christ, though formerly they have been called immediately by him. Hereby shewing your selves to be those which destroy the sacred ordinance of God; for if you make Christ to be that to day, in stating of his Ministers, which he was not (5) yes8 Heb. 13. 8. terday, and that in the time of the Gospel also (to speak according to your law) to be found in them both; you therein affirme, he hath been that to his Ministers, which now he is not; and to make the son of God to have been that which now he is not, is to make a nullity of him; Not to be at all:

else.

attain such ends.

God.

For

t Malach 3. 6.

For he is the Lord that changeth not (') no not a shadow thereof is found in him: So that you plainly James 1. 17. crucifie to yourselves the Lord of glory, and put

him to an open shame (") so that as you know not u Heb. 6. 6. how Christ conversing with his Father in heaven is

found on the earth amongst the true worshippers, no more do you know how in his conversing with Nicodemus on the earth he concludes himselfe to be in heaven (w) with his Father; on this foundation hangeth the whole Joh. 3. 13. building of your doctrine, concerning the sufferings

of Christ, you annihilate the Crosse, then the which

w Joh. 4. 23.

the Saints have no other consolation (*) and pre- x Gal. 6. 14. pare no better a place then purgatory for the honourable Fathers of our Lord (); for ye con- y Psa. 22. 4. clude that Christ dyed in the decree and purpose

of God in the time of the law, but actually only when he hanged on the Cross in the dayes of Herod and Pontius Pilate, that he was crucified in the types and shadows of the law: But in the truth and substance when he appeared born of the Virgine Mary; so must ye also conclude that the fathers under the law were only saved in purpose, and decreep in types and shadows, but actually and substantially only at the comming of Christ in the flesh: Therefore deal plainly with those that depend upon you for instruction, as your ancestors in the Papacy have done, and proclame a place of purgatory provided for them in the mean; without which your doctrine hath no foundation: for if you raise up a shadow without a substance, and the substance

of him that dwelleth in light (2) without a shadow, z 1 Tim.6.16. you play the part of wizards, or Necromancers, not

the part.of true naturalists in the things of thea That is their Kingdome of God: So that as far as your men subjects so far are () from being honourable and loyall subjects, fetcht who liso far are you from being voluntaries, in the day of ved among us. Gods power (b) and from yeelding subjection to (b) Psa. 10. 3. the beauties of holiness; such also is your prefer

ment rule and government in the things that concern the Kingdome of our God, they are infinitely beyond and out of the reach of that spirit that is gone out amongst you, the capacity whereof can no wayes comprehend the bredth of land of Emanuel (c) nor entreth it within the vaile: () (c) Isai. 8. 8. Therefore it cannot know those Cherubins of glory (d) 2 Cor. 3. (c), neither can it hear the voice of that lively 15. oracle, speaking only from off the covering mercy (e) Heb. 9. 5.

seat,