none to that holy spirit of promise, who being also the spirit of truth, shall guide the souls of the Saints to worship the father, as in spirit, so likewise in truth; and therefore that spirit that speaks of himself, and is so far from taking of Christs to exalt, and gloryfie him according as he hath foretold and his father intended, that he takes from Christ, laies him low, and diminisheth his glory, that spirit cannot be the spirit of Christ, or that holy spirit of promise; and forasmuch as the spirit speaketh expressly that in these later daies there shall be seducing spirits that shall deceive if it were possible the very elect of God, whose incounter will not be so much with flesh and blood, but with wicked spirits in high places, let me therefore exhort thee in the words of that beloved disciple of Christ; beleive not every spirit, but try the spirits; and that by this rule, whether they be of God or no, bring them to the wholsome words of the holy Apostles, Prophets, and son of God; ye erre (saith Christ) not knowing the scriptures, and the power of God; let it be thy care (Christian) therefore to search the Scriptures, and therein to wait for the power and glory of the spirit of God. And look to thy spirit for as immediately before Christs appearing in flesh, Satan in a large measure possessed the bodies of men, that by his casting them out, his power in flesh might appear; So before his coming again in glory I have grounds to expect that the minds and spirits of men shall be strongly possessed; and that as this fundamentall conclusion, Thou art Jesus the son of the living God, shall be improved to the utmost by the holy Spirit of Christ in the hearts and lives of the sons and daughters of God, so shall the same conclusion be improved to the utmost by way of a bewitching deception in the hearts and lives of the sons of men by the spirit of Antichrist, which mystery being brought to the height, then shall Christ Jesus consume him with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming. Therefore (Christian) stand thou upon thy watch, and know, that if Christ be formed in thee, thou canst not but be transformed by him, and the best form that thou canst be found in when thy Lord shall appear, will be in that form, and so doing, as he hath appointed, walking wisely and in peace toward all men. Consider what hath been spoken to thee, and the God of truth and peace give thee to understand and do his will; which is the constant and earnest supplication and prayer of thine in Christ Jesus A brief discourse touching New England, as to the matter in hand, and to that part of it, sci. Rode Iland, where my residence is, together with the occasion of my going out with others from the Mathatusets Bay, and the many providentiall occurrences that directed us thereto, and pitched us thereon. N As also the Contents of the whole Treatise. Ew England is a name (as is generally known) that was, and still is, call'd upon that place in reference to Old; yet not so much because it is peopled, and planted from thence, for so are many other Plantations of the English in those Western parts; but because it resembles the same, as the daughter the mother. It resembles it in the climate, in the times and seasons of the year, in the fruits which the land naturally produceth, in the fouls, and the fish that are there in abundance. It resembles it in their politicall affairs; for their governments, laws, Courts, Officers, are in a great measure the same, and so are the names of their towns, and Counties; and in point of good husbandry, that wh is raised and produced in New England, more substantiall, and whether it be for food or raiment it is the same with that which is here produced in Old. It is a place (in the largest acceptation) that contains in it all the Plantations of the English upon that coast of America that lie between the Dutch Plantation on the West, and the French on the East; and extends it self upon the Sea coast above one hundred leagues. In it is contained the four Colonies, which call themselves the united Colonies. The Colony called by the name of the Province of Providence Plantations, lying on the South and South-East thereof, and two or three more lying on the East or North-East, in Agamenticus, Saco, Casco-Bay, and Pemaquid, where is that treasure of Masts for Ships. The names of the united Colonies are these, in point of precedency first Mathatusets, &c. but in point of antiquity first Plymouth, then the Mathatusets, then Conectecot, and last Quinipiuck. The chief Towns of these Colonies, and seats of their Government are these, Boston of the Mathatusets, Plymouth of Plymouth, Hereford of Conectecot, and of Quinipiuck New-Haven. Now as the name New England in the largest and truest acceptation extends to all the Plantations of the English between the French and the Dutch, so in a scanty and improper acceptance of the word (especially when it makes for advantage) it is taken for these four united Colonies, by reason of the precedency they have of others, and for the same cause, and upon the point as well, it may be taken for the Mathatusets and the Town of Boston therein. When I speak of New England, understand it of that part which hath got the precedency (by reason of shipping) and start of the rest, sci. the Mathatusets, as both in my Epistle and Narrative is plain to be seen, which I have here also inserted for fear of mistake. In the Colony of Providence Plantations in point of antiquity the Town of Providence is chief, but in point of precedency Rode-Пland excels. This Iland lieth in the Narraganset Bay, being 14 or 15 miles long, and in breadth between 4 and 5 miles at the broadest; It began to be planted by the English in the beginning of the year 39. [36] and by this hand of providence. In the year 37 I left my native land, and in the ninth moneth of the same, I (through mercy) arived at Boston, I was no sooner on shore, but there appeared to me differences among them touching the Covenants, and in point of evidencing a mans good estate, some prest hard for the Covenant of works, and for sanctification to be the first and chief evidence, others prest as hard for the Covenant of grace that was established upon better promises, and for the evidence of the Spirit, as that which is a more certain, constant, and satisfactory witness. I thought it not strange to see men differ about matters of Heaven, for I expect no less upon Earth: But to see that they were not able so to bear each with other in their different understandings and con sciences, as in those utmost parts of the World to live peaceably together, whereupon I moved the latter, for as much as the land was before us and wide enough, with the profer of Abraham to Lot, and for peace sake, to turn aside to the right hand, or to the left: The motion was readily accepted, and I was requested wth some others to seek out a place, which accordingly I was ready to do; and thereupon by reason of the suffocating heat of the Summer before, I went to the North to be somewhat cooler, but the Winter following proved so cold, that we were forced in the Spring to make towards the South; so having sought the Lord for direction, we all agreed that while our vessel was passing about a large and dangerous Cape, we would cross over by land, having Long Iland and Delaware-Bay in our eie for the place of our residence; so to a town called Providence we came, which was begun by one M. Roger Williams (who for matter of conscience had not long before been exiled from the former jurisdiction) by whom we were courteously and lovingly received, and with whom we advised about our design; he readily presented two places before us in the same Naragansets Bay, the one upon the main called Sowwames, the other called then Acquedneck, now Rode-Iland; we enquired whether they would fall in any other Patent, for our resolution was to go out of them all; he told us (to be brief) that the way to know that, was to have recourse unto Plymouth; so our Vessell as yet not being come about, and we thus blockt up, the company determined to send to Plymouth, and pitcht upon two others together with myself, requesting also M. Williams to go to Plymouth to know how the case stood; so we did; and the Magistrates thereof very lovingly gave us a meeting; I then informed them of the cause of our coming unto them, and desired them in a word of truth and faithfulness to inform us whether Sow-wames were within their Patent, for we were now on the wing, and were resolved through the help of Christ, to get cleer of all, and be of ourselves, and provided our way were cleer before us, it were all one for us to go further off, as to remain neer at hand; their answer was, that Sow-wames was the garden of their Patent, and the flour in the garden; then I told them we could not desire it; but requested further in the like word of truth and faithfulness to be informed, whether they laid claim to the Ilands in the Naraganset Bay, and that in particular called Acquedneck? they all with a cheerfull countenance made us this answer, it was in their thoughts to have advised us thereto, and if the provident hand of God should pitch us thereon they should look upon as free, and as loving neighbours and friends should be assistant unto us upon the main, &c. So we humbly thanked them, and returned with that answer: So it pleased the Lord, by moving the hearts of the natives, even the chiefest thereof, to pitch us thereon, and by other occurrences of providence, which are too large here to relate: So that having bought them off to their full satisfaction, we have possessed the place ever since; and notwithstanding the different understandings and consciences amongst us, without interruption we agree to maintain civil Justice and judgement, neither are there such outrages committed mongst us as in other parts of the Country are frequently seen. The Narrative declares 1. How those three strangers were apprehended, imprisoned, sentenced, and for what. 2. How the motion was made for a publique dispute, often repeated and promised, and yet disapointed. 3. How two escaped, and the third was cruelly handled. 4. How two, for taking him but by the hand after his punishment, were apprehended, imprisoned, and sentenced to pay forty shillings or be whipped. In their Testimony laid down in four conclusions, is opened and proved In the first, 1. That Jesus is the Christ, [i. e.] the Anointed Priest, Prophet, and King of Saints. 2. That Christ is also the Lord of his Church in point of ruling and ordering them with respect to the worship of God. In the Second, 1. That Baptism is one of the commandments of Christ, and to continue till he come. 2. That visible Believers are the proper subjects thereof. 3. That 4TH S. VOL. II. 4 |