To the Keeper or his Deputy.

By virtue hereof you are to take into your custody, and safe keeping, the body of Iohn Spur for a hainous offence by him committed, hereof not to fail. Dated the 5th. of the 7th. Month 1651. Take also into your safe keeping Iohn By the Court,

Hazell.

INCREASE NOWEL.

Iohn Spur profest to me, and before many Witnesses, that his heart was so taken with what he saw and heard, that he could not but go to him, take him by the hand, and blesse the Lord who had been so present with him, but to save me a labor his own words here followeth.

Mr. Cotton (saith he) in his Sermon immediately before the Court gave their Sentence against M. Clark, Obediah Holmes, and Iohn Crandall, affirmed, that denying Infants Baptism would overthrow all; and this was a capitall offence; and therefore they were foul-murtherers; when therefore the Governor M. Iohn Indicot came into the Court to pass Sentence against them, he said thus, you deserve to dy, but this we agreed upon, that Mr. Clarke shall pay 20 li. Fine, and Obediah Holmes 30 li. Fine, and Jo. Crandall 5 li. Fine, and to remain in prison untill their Fines be either payed or security given for them, or else they are all of them to be well whipped; When Obediah Holmes was brought forth to receive his Sentence, he desired of the Magistrates, that he might hold forth the ground of his practice; but they refused to let him speak, and commanded the whipper to do his Office; then the whipper began to pull off his Cloathes, upon which Obediah Holmes said, Lord lay not this sin unto their charge; and so the whipper began to lay on with his whip; upon which Obediah Holmes said, O Lord I beseech thee to manifest thy power in the weaknesse of thy Creature; he neither moving nor stirring at all for the strokes, brake out into these expressions, Blessed and praised be the Lord, and thus he carryed it to the end, and went away rejoycingly; I Iohn Spur being present, it did take such an impression in my Spirit to trust in God, and to walk according to the light that God had communicated to me, and not to fear what man could do unto me; that I went

to the man (being inwardly affected with what I saw and heard) and with a joyfull countenance took him by the hand when he was from the Post, and said, praised be the Lord; and so I went along with him to the prison; and presently that day there was information given to the Court what I had said and done; and also a warrant was presently granted out that day to arest both myself and John Hazel, which was executed on the morrow morning upon us, and so we were brought to the Court and examined; the Governour asked me concerning Obediah Holmes, according as he was informed by old Mr. Cole and、 Thomas Buttolph, of my taking of him by the hand, and smiling, and I did then freely declare what I did, and what I said, which was this; Obediah Holmes, said I, I do look upon as a Godly man; and do affirm that he carryed himself as did become a Christian, under so sad an affliction; and his affliction did so affect my Soul, that I went to him being from the Post, and said, blessed be the Lord, but said the Governour what do you apprehend concerning the cause for which he suffered? my Answer was, that I am not able to judge of it, then said the Governour, we will deal with you as we have dealt with him, I said unto him again, I am in the hands of God, then Mr. Simons a Magistrate said, you shall know you are in the hands of Men; the Governour then said, keeper take him, and so I was presently carried away to prison.

The next day about one of the Clock I was sent for again into the Court; the Governour (being then about to go out of the Court, when I came in) delivered this speech to me; said he, you must pay 40 shillings or be whipped; I said then to those of the Court that remained, that if any man suffer as a Christian let him glorifie God in this behalf, then I desired to know what Law I had broken, and what evill I had done, but they produced no Law, only they produced what the two witnesses had sworn against me; my speech thereto was this, my practice and cariage is alowed by the word of God, for it is written in Rom. 12. Be like affectioned one towards another, rejoyce with them that rejoyce; and it is contrary to my ludgment and Conscience to pay a peny; then said Mr. Bendall, I will pay it for him, and there presented himself;

I answered then and said, I thanked him for his love, but did believe it was no acceptable service, for any man to pay a peny for me in this case; yet notwithstanding the Court accepted of his profer, and bid me be gone, then came Iohn Hazell to be examined.

Iohn Spur.

Here followeth the testimony of those that came in against me.

I Cole being in the Market place, when Obediah Holmes came from the Whipping Post, Iohn Spur came and met him presently, laughing in his face, saying, Blessed be God for thee Brother, and so did go with him, laughing upon him up towards the prison, which was very grievous to me to see him harden the man in his sin, and shewing much contempt of Authority by that cariage, as if he had been unjustly punished, and had suffered as a righteous man, under a tyranicall Government. posed before the Court the 5th. of the 7th. M. 1651. Increase Nowell.

De

I Thomas Buttolph did see John Spur come to Obediah Holmes, so soon as he came from the Whipping Post, laughing in his face, and going along with him towards the Prison to my great grief to see him harden him in his sin, and to shew such a contempt of Authority. Deposed the 5th. of the 7th. Month 1651. Before the Court. Increase Nowell.

As for Iohn Hazell, to my knowledge, although he had some occasion of business in these parts, yet the main business that drew him hither, was to visit the prisoner, whom he at this time took by the hand, who was indeed his neer Neighbour, lived in the same Town together, walked together in the same fellowship, and faith of the Gospell, and had their hearts knit together in a more than ordinary neer bond of love, and as a manifestation thereof, he undertoke so great a journey (it being between fourty and fifty miles) to visit him, he being indisposed by reason of his age for such an undertaking (being between three and fourscore years old) and when he was there understanding it would not be long before he should suffer, out

of the same tender love, could not leave him before it was over; who also accompanied him from the Prison to the Post, and so back again; now for him, only for taking his friend by the hand, when he had suffered his punishment, and was loosed from the Post, to be thus handled, shall not the Nations that know not civility, that neither fear God nor reverence man, be astonished at this? if this be to do to others as we would that others should do to us, which is the Law and the Prophets, the command of Christ and his Apostles, let all true Christians judge; the Man being old did professe, as I was informed, That if they should have laid the strokes upon him, they would certainly have killed him, which I know ceized not a little upon him, and how far what was done had influence into his death, the Lord onely knowes; for as is before said, the same day he went forth, he fell sick, and within ten dayes he died; The Lord grant that no part of his death may be laid to their charge, and that they may see the exceeding greatnesse of the evill of thirsting after the blood of the Innocent, before the Lord come forth to avenge it, and as to that story I shall say no more, but leave the Reader to his own relation, which partly in Prison, and partly upon his death Bed, as may be perceived, he wrote and left behind him, with an intent it should be published. The relation followeth, writ and subscribed with his own hand.

A Relation of my being brought before the Magistrates the 6th of the 7th Moneth, 1651.

I Going from place to place, to buy and take up commodities for my use, was attached or arrested by the Marshall, by virtue of a Warrant from the Court, to appear in the Court, and there to answer for a high misdemeanor committed by me, and coming into the Court (which was then privately kept in the Chamber) they asked me divers questions, amongst which this was one; Whether I did think that Obediah Holmes did well or not, in comming among them to baptize, and administer the Sacrament, laying this to my charge, that I was one with him, and of the same judgement, and whether I did think he did well, or no, in his so carrying himself; to which I an

swered, I had here nothing to doe with that which another Man did, but I was here to answer for what I myself had committed against their Law; then said they, you have offended our Law, and have contemned Authority, for you took him by the hand, and did countenance him in his sin, so soon as he was gone from the Post, to which I said, If I have broken any Law of the place, by what I then did, I am willing to submit unto punishment; yea said the Governour, you took him by the hand, did you not? and spake to him, what said you? did you not say so and so? Blessed be God, &c. To which I said, I shall refer myself unto the testimonies that may or can be brought against me; well, said the Governour, wee shall find Testimony enough against you; take him to you Keeper, and we will call you forth in publick for that we doe with you we will proceed in publick with you, and so I went to Prison. This was the sum and substance of the first time I was called before them; the next day being the last day of the week, and the last day of their Court, I was in expectation all the forenoon to be called forth, but was not, so after dinner, when (as it appeareth) the Court was risen, and some of the Magistrates departed, I was sent for again into the Chamber, where was the Governor with three others, scil. Mr. Bellingham, Mr. Hibbins, and Mr. Encrease Nowell, as soon as I was come into the room, the Governour read my Sentence, which was, that I must pay 40 sh. or be well whipt, and so immediately he departed, and when he was gone (for I could not have time before) I answered, that I desired the privilege of an English Subject, which was to be tryed by the Country, to wit, a Jury, and to be made to appear (if they can) to be a Transgressor by a Law: To which they said, I had contemned Authority, and they had a Law to punish such, and said they, you did shew your contempt of Authority, in that you did take such a person by the hand, as soon as he was from the Post. To which I answered, I could not doe that which I did in contempt to Authority, seeing he had satisfied the Law to the full, and was departed from the place of suffering; and in the next place what I did, I did unto him as my Friend; And further I said, if I had taken him by the hand so soon as he