(f) Num. 7. 8, 9. (g) Arnalds the Indians a some advan seat, (f) and not elsewhere to be heard; we speak not but what we know, these things are not of its Jurisdiction; therefore dumm in telling Justice; neither speaks it any of that righteousnesse and glory comprised in another circuit then you were yet made lords of: Therefore long may you boast of your Jurisdiction before you attain to Juris prudentia in these things, in that you tell us we offer wrong by a pretended purchase, you are as much mistaken in the purchase as in the wrong; for it is right that we are about to do, neither is our purchase a pretence, but presidentiall, not only in this civill respect, but may also admonish all men to take heed how they depend upon false and self-seeking interpreters, when both themselves, and they that have the vision are ignorant of the contract and covenant of God son Benedick (5): Thence it is that you teach, that the Spouse being interpre- of Christ, upon contract with her Lord, may conter between ceive the seed of immortality and bring forth fruit bout us, & the unto the Lord, when as yet the day of marriage, that Massachusets, great festivity and solemnization of the consolations seeking to get of God, is not yet come; witnesse your prorogation Lage against thereof, if not to the descention of Christ from heaven us by the Into the earth, to raign certain years, yet to the calling dians to blind of the Jews, (whom ye your selves are, according the Country, as though they to the flesh) and to the destruction of that man of sin, whom you so stoutly maintain: What is this but to proclame to all the world that audacious spirit of whoredome (h) professing conception, and falsity thereof, bringing forth before the Nuptiall day, in that you conclude your clients right to arise out of four spiritual course years possession, we have no such order, if you they walk in. mean the right of conquest only held in that tenure, the true owners were never yet subdued; for that is the right they expect to injoy by you. For some of them committed part of their supposed right unto us, professing it was that they might have help to injoy the rest (1): But when (k) The In. they saw we would not be abettors unto them dians denying without, much lesse contrary unto covenant, then perfect & full they fly unto you for help, (*) their possession purchase of being a meer intrusion, as all the Natives know, that place and ever exclaimed against them for the same; and where these so may our Countrymen also, whose eyes are not their subjects had built houses, called Pautuxet. had a just quarrel, we seeing and knowing the do apply the thing to their (h) Hosea. 4. 12. & 5. 4. at that time a dazled Proverbswhose practise is such as there is a to 23. dazled with envy, and ears open unto lyes, as we know yours are, else you had heard both sides speak before you had judged; but we professe right held in no such interest, but according to the ground of covenant, only known in its nature in the parties twixt whom it is plight, in the possessor and the possessed, with the nature of all fruit arising from their accord and concurrency, together with their distinct, harmonicall, reciprocall, and joynt properties and operations of them both; such is the tenure that we hold, and maintain it before men and angels, and oppose it against men and devils; not in taking up unto our selves certain offices and officers, which we can teach children to be and to performe, and from thence presently to conclude (1) Alluding to the possession of the Kingdomie, crying out our the harlot spopeace-offerings are upon us, this day we have payd ken of in the our vows: (') But that dark cloud that descended on the Tabernacle (m) becomes the light and glory in spiritual of all Israel, there being nothing acknowledged things, as wel amongst them, but what ariseth out thence; then, literal sence and then only, are the orders; as also the men of of it. Israel derived from their true fountain, (") which Prov. 7. 13. no tongue can confesse but is salvation (°), and (m) Exod. 33. then not else is the heritage our Lord in possession 9, 10. Nehem. (P) yea even the way lesse wildernesse knows how 9. 12. to afford them an habitation, which had its being) Rom. 10.10 before the hills and mountains were borne [9] which (p) Ps. 47. 4. men begin to fly unto for refuge to hide themselves [9] Psa. 90. 1.2. from the presence of the Lamb []: This is a pos- For there was [r] Rev. 6. 16. session which no man can intrude himselfe into, it nothing done is onely covenanted with him through an inlightned to these men that seemed to eye and boared ear (5) which man performeth not, shelter themneither can it be received from him [t]: for we know selves under that cloud of thick darknesse, that hides and covers the Massachu the whole frame and fabrick of the work of God ["] sets, but only opening the to be the clearing and evidencing of every point and Word of God particular thereof, yea to us it is even that cloud of amongst them, witnesse [] which testifies to us the like work to appear, when ever the world hath occasion to make the face or use of us: Never doth it shine but in the night, presence of the never is it dark to Israel but in the day [x] but in the one, and the other, the only glory and (s) Pro. 20. 12. safety of all the tribes; but how, you know not, [t] Psa. 40. 6. neither can you, with all your libraries, give the Gal. 1. 11, 12. [u] Alluding to the Tabernacle which it covered, and so applyed spiritually in the way of Christ. [w] Heb. 12, 1. (x) Ps. 78. 14. Psa. 68. 26. which is the revelation of Lamb of God Jesus Christ. interpretation (y) Rom. 7. 6. (z) Zeph. 1. 14, 15. (a) Meaning Christ, & not our selves, to set up flesh. Luk. 21. 28. 8. this life, Isaiah 41. 2. interpretation thereof, but have lost it in the wildernesse, and accordingly have made the whole way and will of our Lord, the oldnesse of the letter () both to your selves and all that have an ear to listen unto you; thence it is, that the day of the Lord is a day of darknesse and gloominesse unto you [2] but of joy and gladnesse unto us; yea it lifts up our head only, [a] and then is our salvation near, for we know the Worthies of David doubled about the bed of Solomon, which expell all fear in the night [b] handling the sword with successe, making (b) Cant. 3. 7, the adversaries nothing but meat to feed upon [*], (c) That is, all so that the time of your fear is the time of our kind of incom. courage and conquest; for when ye fear Error, brances they Schism, Rents, and Confusions in Church and meet with in State, then do we know the messenger of the Covenant, the Lord whom we seek, is speeding his passage into his holy Temple; [d] For who (under the terrors of your spirit) may abide his coming, he being like a refiners fire and fullers sope? In that you invite us unto your Courts, to fetch your equall ballanced Justice, upon this ground, that you are become one with our adversaries, and that both in what they have and what they are, and we know them to be such as pro(e) Heb. 10.29. fesse the day of the Lord an unhallowed thing (). Now if we have our Opponent to prefer his action against us, and not so only, but to be our Counsell, our Jury, and our Judge; for so it must be, if you are one with them, as you affirme, we know beforehand how our cause will be ended, and see the scale of your equall Justice turned already, before we have laid our cause therein; and cannot but admire to see you carryed so contrary to your own received principles; for ye know not how to find Christ as a ruling and teaching Elder both in one person, therefore he is not compleat among you (by (d) Malachi 3.1, 2. your own law) except in several persons; and you may thank tradition, else you know no more how to find 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 we deal with them, we deal with you; and if we have to do with you, we have to do with them also: yea further we know that the chief amongst you have professed we are not worthy to live; and if some of us were amongst you we should hardly see the place of our aboad any more. Now they that have brooded upon their law to take away the works of wayes. life, they must much more bring it forth in taking away all means of life, witnesse your prohibition that no powder should be sold unto us for our money, and that in a time when you could not think your selves safe in all your own selfe-provision and worldly furniture, except you disarmed a company of poor Indians, whom Aaron your Leviticall Sacrificer hath made naked () as he doth all those (f) By alluding to that which triumph in a Calfe, though the most costly bodily nakedand beautifull that the Jewels and Earrings of ness of the Inlearning (either in language or art) can possibly dians, whom they disarmed, bring forth (8); your own amazements upon meer shewing that rumours may testifie the truth thereof; so then we spiritual naare judged by your law before our cause be heard kedness which or our selves brought forth under the liberties of it, the law or lewhich thing is well pleasing to us to have our con- vitical Priestdition conformed to Moses the man of God, who hood brings was dead in Pharaos account before he was brought who ever they men under, forth (); and so it was with Christ our Lord (in be that are exthe dayes of Herod also) who is our life (i) at ercised in such which you strike and makes all things, yea death it (g) Exod. 32. selfe lively, and advantageous unto us [*]: we can- (h) For in Phanot but wonder that you should read the Scrip- roahs edict and tures and not find them fulfilled in and amongst they were yourselves, when as they appear so apparently, slain before that he that runs may read them; what think you they were of Herod, when the Lord had delivered Peter out on (i) Collos. 3. 4. of prison, and released him of those bonds, and Phil. 1.20,21 brought him from that thraldome which he had so Rom. 8. 28. cruelly imposed upon him (to gain the favor of the (1) That is, the Jews) and that by a power supereminent transcend- that wicked ing the bounds of his authority ['] and by a wis- Herod. dome surpassing the depth of his counsell and Act.12.Chap. throughout. policy to find out, together with the souldiers and champions, he presently goes down to Casarea, and Herod is angry with them of Tyrus and Sydon (Thumomathon] A heavy friend, or hath a secret grudge or perturbation of mind manifested in an out-reaching and circumventing policy to subdue them unto himselfe that he might rule over them, finding himselfe fall short of power and policy to subject the Word of God in the messenger of it, to satisfie his own lust in his lordship over it, he pursues with all eagernesse to make himself a God by raigning over the bodies and estates of men, yea though they be but such as Tyrus and Sydon can afford unto him to Herods also born. make m Psa. 22. 6, 7. make subjects of, and when they come to him with one accord to make offer of themselves in yeelding to his affectionate and politicall project, he sitting on the Judgement seat in his royall apparel, making his Oration of what power he hath to protect them, what wisdome and counsell to minister justice and righteousnesse 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 he that ever acknowledged himself to be a worm, and no man upon the earth m consumes and eats up all his pomp and glory even as those whom you account the shame and contempt of the people shal through that Angel of the covenant. waste, and bring to naught all those Rhetoricall (though earthly) Orations that are made amongst you by your so learned, studious, and experienced Clerks; Take for illustration of your estate (as above) the speech of your Alderman, Oliver, in case of committing Francis Huchinson to prison, one of your Church members wondring that Brother Winthrop would do it, before the Church had dealt with him (Brother saith he] why, he is thy God, man. Lend your eye yet further to paralell your practice personated in Pilate ["] and the people, n Ioh. 18. 28. when Pilate offers Jesus to the people to be judged, they professe they have such a law that puts no man to death, they are all for mercy and forgivenesse when they are out of the Judgement hall; but let Pilate enter in thither, then nothing but crucifie him, crucifie him, be their accusation and witnesses never so false; even so in your dealings with men, in way of your Jewish brotherhood, your law is all for mercy, to redresse, to reforme, and for the preservation both of soul and body; do but enter into the common hal, then as Pilate asked, am I a Jew? so do yee: do I sit or speak here as a brother? I trow not; I am now in a higher sphere then that [though they be acknowledged Coheirs with Christ] can attain unto; therefore if witnesse be brought in and oath taken, though never so untrue, your consciences are purged by law, and your power must have tribute paid unto it; so far, as mens names to be branded with infamy (estates) depriving women and children of things necessary, and the precious lives of men can extend themselves to contribute any thing thereunto, so that they professed mercy and clemency of your law to exercise censures only for amendment of life, and recovery comes unto this issue to 40. to |