Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

they are as well to wait for the promise of the Spirit, as for the presence of Christ.

In the Third, That every believer ought to improve his talent both in and out of the Congregation.

In the Fourth, That no servant of Jesus hath any authority from him to force upon others either the faith or order of the Gospel of Christ. Wherin are produced 8 arguments against persecution for case of Conscience.

27

A Faithfull and True Relation of the Prosecution of Obediah Holmes, John Crandall, and John Clarke, meerly for Conscience towards God, by the Principall Members of the Church, or Common-wealth of the Mathatusets in NewEngland, which rules over that part of the World; whereby is shewn their discourteous Entertainment of Strangers, and how that Spirit by which they are led, would order the whole World, if either brought under them, or should come in unto them: Drawn forth by the aforesaid John Clarke, not so much to answer the Importunity of Friends, as to stop the mouthes, and slanderous reports of such as are Enemies to the Cross of Christ. Let him that readeth it consider, which Church is most like the Church of Christ (that Prince of Peace, that meek and gentle Lamb, that came into this World to save Mens lives, not to destroy them,) the Persecuted, or Persecuting.

[ocr errors]

T came to pass that we three, by the good hand of our God, came into the Mathatusets Bay upon the 16 day of the 5th Moneth, 51; and upon the 19th of the same, upon occasion of businesse, we came unto a Town in the same Bay called Lin, where we lodged at a Blind-mans house neer two miles out of the Town, by name William Witter, who being baptized into Christ waits, as we also doe, for the Kingdom of God, and the full consolation of the Israel of God: Vpon the 20th day, being the first day of the week, not having freedom in our Spirits for want of a clear Call from God to goe unto the Publike Assemblie to declare there what was the mind, and counsell of God concerning them, I judged it was a thing suitable to consider what the counsell of God was concerning ourselves; and finding by sad experience, that the hour of temptation spoken of was coming upon all the World (in a more eminent way) to try them that are upon the Earth, I fell upon the consideration of that Word of Promise, made to those that keep the Word of his Patience, which present thoughts, while in Conscience towards God, and good will unto his Saints, I was impart

ing to my Companions in the house where I lodged, and to 4, or 5 Strangers, that came in unexpected after I had begun, opening, and proving what is meant by the hour of Temptation, what by the Word of his patience, and their keeping it, and how he that hath the Key of David (being the Promiser) will keep those that keep the word of his Patience from the hour of Temptation; while I say I was yet speaking, there comes into the house where we were, two 'Constables, who with their clamorous tongues made an interruption in my Discourse, and more uncivilly disturbed us, than the Pursivants of the old English Bishops were wont to doe; telling us, that they were come with Authority from the Magistrate to apprehend us; I then desired to see the Authority by which they thus proceeded, whereupon they pluckt forth their Warrant, and one of them with a trembling hand (as conscious he might have been better imployed) read it to us; The substance whereof was as followeth.

By virtue hereof, you are required to go to the house of William Witter, and so to search from house to house, for certain erronious persons, being Strangers, and them to apprehend, and in safe custody to keep, and to morrow morning by eight of the Clock to bring before me, Robert Bridges.

When he had read the Warrant, I told them, Friends, there shall not be (I trust) the least appearance of a resisting of that Authority by which you come unto us; yet I tell you, that by virtue hereof you are not so strictly tyed, but if you please, you may suffer us to make an end of what we have begun, so may you be Witnesses either to, or against the Faith, and Order which we hold; to which they answered they could not; then said we, notwithstanding the Warrant, or any thing therein contained, you may; neverthelesse, if you are streightened in respect of your understandings and consciences in point of hearing, doe but withdraw your selves before the door, the time will not be long; which when they refused, we told them, then here we are, let our Lord doe with us what he please: So (although there were that profered to be bound body and goods for our appearance before Mr. Bridges the

next morning, according to the Warrant) they apprehended us, and carried us away to the Ale-house or Ordinary; where after Dinner one of them said unto us, Gentlemen, if you be free I will carry you to the Meeting; to whom was replyed, Friend, had we been free thereunto we had prevented all this; Neverthelesse, we are in thy hand, and if thou wilt carry us to the Meeting, thither will we goe; to which he answered, then will I carry you to the Meeting. To this we replyed, because we perceive thou hast not long been imployed in thine Office, and that may follow hereupon which thou expectest not, we will inform thee, That if thou forcest us unto your Assembly, then shall we be constrained to declare our selves, that we cannot hold Communion with them; the Constable answered, that is nothing to me, I have not power to command you to speak, when you come there, or to be silent; to this I again replyed, (Friend) know a little further; Since we have heard the word of Salvation by Iesus Christ, we have been taught as those that first trusted in Christ, to be obedient unto him both by word and deed; wherefore if we be forc'd to your Meeting, we shal declare our dissent from you both by word and gesture; after all this, when he had consulted with the man of the house, he told us he would carry us to the Meeting, so to their Meeting were we brought, while they were at their prayers and uncovered; and at my first stepping over the threshold I unveiled my self, civilly saluted them, turned into the Seat I was appointed to, put on my hat again, and so sat down, opened my Book, and fell to reading: hereupon Mr. Bridges being troubled, commanded the Constable to pluck off our hats, which he did, and where he laid mine, there I let it lye, untill their Prayer, Singing, and Preaching was over; After this I stood up, and uttered myself in these words following; I desire as a Stranger, if I may, to propose a few things to this Congregation, hoping in the proposall thereof I shall commend myself to your Consciences to be guided by that wisdom that is from above, which being pure, is also peaceable, gentle, and easie to be intreated, and therewith I made a stop, expecting, if the Prince of Peace had been among them, I should have had a suitable answer of

Peace from them; but no other voice I heard, but of their Pastor, as he is call'd, and their Magistrate; Their Pastor answered by way of Quaery, Whether I was a Member of a Church? &c. Before I could give an answer Mr. Bridges spake, saying, if the Congregation please to give you leave, well, if not, I shall require you silence, for, said he, we will have no Objections made against what is delivered, &c. To which I answered, I am not about for present to make Objections against what is delivered, but as by my gesture at my coming into your Assembly I declared my dissent from you, so lest that should prove offensive unto some whom I would not offend, I would now by word of mouth declare the grounds, which are these; First, from the consideration we are Strangers each to other, and so Strangers to each others inward standing with respect to God, and so cannot conjoyn and act in Faith, and what is not of Faith, is Sin: And in the second place, I could not judge that you are gathered together, and walk according to the visible order of our Lord; which when I had declared, Mr. Bridges told me I done and spoke that for which I must answer, and so commanded me silence: when their meeting was done, the Officers carryed us again to the Ordinary, where being watched over that night, as Theeves and Robbers, we were the next morning carried before Mr. Bridges, who made our Mittimus, and sent us to the Prison at Boston; The words of the Mittimus are these.

To the Keeper of the Prison at Boston.

By virtue hereof you are required to take into your custody from the Constable of Lin, or his Deputy, the bodies of Iohn Clark, Obediah Holmes, and Iohn Crandall, and them to keep, untill the next County Court to be held at Boston, that they may then and there answer to such complaints as may be alleged against them, for being taken by the Constable at a Private Meeting at Lin upon the Lords day, exercising among themselves, to whom divers of the Town repaired, and joyned with them, and that in the time of Publick exercise of the Worship of God; as also for offensively disturbing the peace of the Congregation at their coming into the Publique Meeting

« AnteriorContinuar »