This is a true Copie of answers, given to the Court of the Massachusets to the four questions, which they required to be answered in writing upon life, and death, in case of Blasphemy, which we were charged with, and sentence so farre passed, as to take away our lives by the sword, in case of not disclayming of our Religion, or erroneous opinions, as they were pleased to call them; the answers are truly set down, verbatim.

TO O the first question we answere affirmatively (only assuming the liberty of our explanation) namely, The Fathers who dyed before Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary, in this answer were justified and saved, only by the blood which there is a word he shed, and the death which he suffered, ["] in

b Note, that

added to their

question, which was done of purpose (knowing how they looked) to regulate them, if it were possible, as it was declared unto them, in the first reading of the answer, how they fell short in it, which they yeelded unto; they say, the death which he suffered (after) his incarnation, the answer saith (In) and after his incarnation. For to speake of the sufferings of Christ, after his incarnation, without respect unto that which was before, we may as well speake of his sufferings before his incarnation, without respect to that which is after; for the Crosse of Christ is not, but with respect, both to humane nature and divine, and we cannot know the two natures in Christ, what they are distinctly in themselves, to give each its proper due, and what they are joyntly united in one, no otherwise, but as they are considered in the very act of Incarnation, in which appears the Sufferer, and that which is suffered, the Sufferer is the Son of God made man, the creator becoms a creature; the thing suffered, is to be made a curse, that is to be inade such a thing as is in it selfe, by nature accursed, and so Christ was made a curse; the sufferings of Christ then, and the shedding of his blood (as he is known after the spirit) are properly in that one act of his incarnation, which is the proper act of the humiliation of the Son of God, so that to speak of his sufferings after his incarnation, you may as well speake of his sufferings before his incarnation, for it is no suffering of Christ, but with respect, both to the one, and the other, and only in the act of incarnation they are made one; and to speake of the sufferings of Christ visibly, in his humane nature, in the dayes of Herod, to be the proper sufferings of the Son of God, any further, but as a true doctrine (as in all other holy Writ) to teach what that suffering is, in the act of his incarnation, you may as well speak of sufferings of Christ invisibly, before that act of his incarnation, for the Crosse of Christ is not, but with respect, both to divine and humane nature; nor can it be said to be in time, no more then it may be said to be before al time; for the humiliation of the Son of God, adnits not of any bounds or limits, for then were it not of infinit value; and if not of infinit value and vertue, then not the humiliation of the Son of God, nor could it be said to be the blood of God, as the Apostle cals it; so that as he himselfe is not, but as the first and the last become one, even so his sufferings are not, but in that one act, of the curse and blessing, being made one. This being premised which was signified unto them by word of mouth, the answer runs clear, to understand Christ

t

according

according to the spirit, otherwise a man may carnalize the answer unto him. selfe as he knows Christ after the flesh, as the world doth the whole word of God, so also the seed of Abraham, is to be understood as Abraham himselfe is; Abraham is the Father of Christ, as in the Genealogy it appears; so saith Darid in the person of Christ, our Fathers trusted in thee, meaning Abraham for one, and Christ also the Father of Abraham, therefore hee is called the everlasting father; and Christ himselfe saith, before Abraham was I am, such also is the seed of Abraham, it produceth and brings forth tho Son of God, and the Son of God produceth and brings forth it; so is it with the Virgin, she is the mother that gives form, and being to Jesus Christ, he also gives form and being unto her; therefore she cals him her Lord and Saviour; the woman brings forth the man, a Virgin conceives and bears a Son; the man brings forth the woman, made of a rib, out of his innocent side; so that the man is not without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord; these two being separated, the Contract is broken, the Devorce is made, and not being rightly united, the word is adulterated, we are in our sin. The mysterie of this answer then lies in this, (which Pharasies understand not) if Christ be the Virgin Maries Son, conceived in her womb, and born of her, how doth the Virgin Mary in spirit call him her Lord God, and Saviour?

and after his Incarnation (that is on this wise; that the guilt and stain of man is not, but with respect unto the holy word of God, the disobedience whereof, by eating the forbidden fruit, breeds an infinit distance, between God and his owne worke, without the least defect or blame to be found or imputed unto the Word of God, but the sole defect and blame is in the creature, even in man himselfe, yet could he in no case be so miserable, but with respect unto the holy Word; even so the justification and salvation of the Fathers, was by the holy word of God, not but with respect and relation unto the seed of Abraham, and the Son of David, (conceived and borne of the Virgin Mary) in uhom they were justified and saved, and yet no vertue nor power, arising out of any thing that is humane; man therefore is a sinner of infinit guilt, with respect unto that word, which was before all time, and no fault to be found in the Word at all; the word of God is a Saviour of infinit value, with respect unto the seed of the Virgin Mary, borne, suffering, dying, and rising againe in the fulnesse of time, and yet no vertue in that seed at all, unto whom all the Prophets bear witnesse, having an eye unto him in all their holy Writings, and the faith of the Fathers comprehending Christ, both in the one, and in the other respect, were justified and saved by him alone, his death being reall and actuall unto faith, God having the same coexistance with the creature in all ages, though the creature cannot have the same with him but in time.

To the second Question depending upon, or rather involved in the former we answer.

Mans

Mans rejection of the Word of God, being his sinne and separation from God, is the only forfeiture of himselfe, which could not be, but with respect unto the word of eternity; even so Gods Righteousnesse revealed by taking man into unitie with himselfe, is the only price of our Redemption, with respect unto the death of Christ upon the Crosse, with the rest of his sufferings, and obedience, from the time of his Incarnation, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, to his ascention into Heaven, without which there is no price of our Redemption.

To the third Question, who we thinke that God is, that men serve, that are not of the faith above-said: we answer that all mens hearts are awed (by the true God) to bow in worship: therefore when the Apostle looking upon the inscription upon the Altar at Athens, it is said, he beheld their devotion (or as the word is) the God which they worshipped, though ignorantly, yet it was he only that he declared unto them: So the Apostle lames, thou beleevest, that there is one God, thou doest well, the Devils also beleeve and tremble.

The fourth Question therefore is the explanation of the third, namely what we mean by Molech, and the Star of that God Remphan: to which we answer, that the Scripture alluded unto, * makes difference between those Gain-sayers Act. 7. 43. of the Fathers which fell in the Wildernesse, and those of the true seed, that gave faithfull Testimony unto the Oracle of God; the Rebels of the sons of Levy, would not take up, nor beare the Arke of God, as their duty was, nor give the light and lustre of a Star in the Tabernacle, when it was pitched (for the seven Stars are the seven Angels :) But as they had the power of a worldly Ruler, or Governour to defend them in their worke, and to subdue all that were not of their mind under them: therefore they tooke up the Tabernacle of Molech, or bore the Booth of the King, and gave the light of Remphan (alluding unto Rapha, who in Davids dayes had four sonnes, were mighty Gyants, warring only by the strength of the Arme of flesh) so that they would not give Testimony unto the holy way of God; but as they had a King set over them, besides Moses, to defend them, when as a greater then Moses was there: And in this they turned backe in their hearts, unto Egypt, looking unto the way of Pharaoh, that would subdue all that were not of his own way, and be a defence unto his wise men in what ever they wrought; but the faithfull seed of Abraham, had the Tabernacle of witnesse, or witnessed unto the Tabernacle, even in the Wildernesse, where there was no

worldly

worldly Governour to defend them, but all came out against them, Ammon and Amaleck, Balack, Ogg, and Sihon, and the rest; in the which condition Stephen perceived himselfe, when he witnessed unto the word of truth, in alleadging that place of the Prophet *. Samuel Gorton.

Amos. 5. 26.

Upon the finishing of these answers on the Munday morning, the Court sent for S. Gorton to come before them; and when he was come, the Governor asked him, whether he had brought in his ansvver to the questions propounded unto him (at their last sitting) in writing, he answered he had brought them; then the Governor asked him, whether he had put his hand unto them, he answered he had not, not thinking it would be required, else he had done it; the Governour called for pen and inke, and caused him to put his hand unto them, and then demanded them of him, Gorton desired he might have liberty to read them first in the Court, that he might pronounce the Phrases and words according to the true meaning, and intent, having had experience of wrong done, in reading (in way pronunciation of things not plainly) before, to the giving of true intelligence to the hearers, when the answers were read in the audience of the Court, the Court paused, and no man said any thing unto them, only bade Gorton with-draw, which being done, they hade some consultation among themselvs, and shortly after called for Gorton to be brought in again: Master Saltingstone found fault, that it was written in the answer, what is the Star of (that) God Remphan, whereas it was in the writing (your, God Remphan) Gorton answered, the Phrase was only changed for modesty; for indeed (saith he) it is the phrase of the Apostle, your God Remphan, and so it rested to clear that scruple. The Governour told Gorton, that they were one with him, in those answers; for they held as he did; Gorton answered he was very glad of it, for he loved not differences and divisions amongst men: the Governour then asked him whether he would retract the writing that was formerly written unto them; Gorton answered, that nothing was written before, but would suit and agree, with these answers; so that if there was cause to retract one, there was cause to retract all; the Governour said, no, these answers they could agree with him in; but not in the former writing; whereupon Master Dudley stood up, seeming to be much moved, and said he would never consent to it whilst he lived, that they were one with him in those answers; the Governour then asked Gorton what

what Faith was; to which he answered, that was nothing that concerned what they had formerly written, and that he and the rest had only undertaken to answer to any thing that was in their writing the Governour told him, he was bound, and ought to be ready to give an answer to any that should aske him a question of the hope that is in him; Gorton made answer, that the difinition which the Apostle gives of faith, was sufficient, as he thought to give any man satisfaction; he asked him what that was, he told him it was this; that faith is the hypostasis or substance of things that are hoped for, and the evidence (or argument demonstrative) of things that are not seen, nor demonstrated at all; the Governour told him that was true, but he could say more of faith then so; Gorton told him, it gave him satisfaction, and being an other point then they had to deale about, since their comming amongst them, and being no question produced from former writings, desired to be spared from any further answer then the plain words of the Apostle; whereupon Master Broadstreet made answer, that be thought it was not fit to put him upon any new questions, unlesse he were free to speake unto them, and so they dismissed him from the Court to the Prison againe.

Shortly after this, there was a day appointed, wherein wee were to receive our sentence from the Court, which was to be given in the afternoon, and in the forenoon Master Cotton preached, having gathered up the minds of the people, in what they had observed, and perceiving the people took notice, that in what we dissented from them, was out of tendernesse of conscience, and were ready to render a reason and ground for what we held and practised, & divers such like things; to which he answered, that if we had done it out of ignorance, then there had been hopes of regaining us; but if out of tendernesse of conscience, and able to render reason for what wee did (and other things of like nature) then were we ripened for death, urging them to agree together, and consent in one thing, that so it might be, else would not the Angels carry their soules to heaven; for he was then speaking of the office of the Angels in that point; and when by all their examinations in Court, Inturgatories put upon us in Prison, and publicke preaching, they could find nothing against us, for the transgressing of any of their Lawes, they then proceeded to cast a lot for our lives, putting it to the major vote of the Court, whether we should live or die, which was so ordered by the providence of God, that the number of two votes carried it on our side; and whereas

both