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<DATE>2014-11-07</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<P>AN APPENDEX To the BOOK, Entituled, New England Judged: BEING Certain WRITINGS, (never yet Printed) of tho&s;e Per&s;ons which were there <HI>EXECUTED.</HI></P>
<P>Together with a SHORT RELATION, of the TRYAL, SENTENCE, and EXECUTION, OF VVILLIAM LEDDRA.</P>
<P>Written by Them in the time of their <HI>Impri&s;onment,</HI> in the <HI>Bloody Town</HI> of <HI>BOSTON.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">bert Wil&s;on,</HI> at the &s;ign of the <HI>Black-&s;pread-Eagle</HI> and <HI>Windmil,</HI> in <HI>Martins Le Grand,</HI> 1661.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="appendix">
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<PB N="177" REF="3" MS="y">
<HEAD>An Appendex To the BOOK, Entituled, New England Judged.</HEAD>
<P>This concerns all &s;uch Rulers, Prie&s;ts and People in <HI>New-England,</HI> who have joyned hand in hand to Per&s;ecute the Saints, but e&s;pecially the Rulers and Prie&s;ts of <HI>Ma&s;achu|&s;ets</HI> Bay in <HI>New-England;</HI> who are become more Bloody and Cruel, Bold and Impudent in their Wickedne&s;s, than the re&s;t of their Brethren, who have attempted to make a Bloody Law and Unrighteous Decree, to Bani&s;h the Children and People of God, upon Death, out of their Juri&s;diction; and by an unrighteous Decree, have made a Law to put the Servants of God to Death, if they re|turn again into their Patent: Therefore mark the Cruelty which is the fruits of <HI>New-England's</HI> Profe&s;&s;ors, all you that Read this Paper.</P>
<P>HEarken and give Ear thou Town of <HI>Bo&s;ton,</HI> lend an Ear O ye Rulers, chief Prie&s;ts, and Inhabitants thereof! Li&s;ten all you that dwell therein, Rich and Poor, Small and Great, High and Low, Bond and Free, of what &s;ort &s;o ever, Give Ear; be attentive to the Words of my mouth, which proceed from the Spirit of the Lord, and from the Power of the Almighty within me.</P>
<P>I have often con&s;idered your Conditions, and your Actings
<PB N="178" REF="4" MS="y">have often come into my remembrance, which hath cau&s;ed me often to Lament, becau&s;e of the hardne&s;s of your hearts, who do thus &s;light the Almighty, and requite the Mo&s;t High; Oh fooli&s;h and unwi&s;e, ye who do not regard the Lord that made you, who hath often &s;ent to you his Servants, to give you warn|ing of the mighty day of the Lord of Ho&s;ts, of the terrible day of the Lord God Almighty, which draweth near, it ha&s;tens apace; the Lord hath &s;aid it for His Elects &s;ake, and for His own Names &s;ake, will the Lord ari&s;e, and plead with all His Enemies, in this the day of His Eternal Power. Oh ye chil|dren of Men, who are the Workman&s;hip of His hands, will ye re&s;i&s;t the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, the Holy One of I&s;|rael, the Strong and Mighty God, who is ari&s;ing in his Saints, and coming forth in His Strength, to Scatter His Enemies, and to De&s;troy <HI>Pharaoh</HI> and all His Ho&s;ts and Chariots in the Red Sea, after the Seed is come out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> and to turn the pride and haughtine&s;s of men backwards, that ri&s;es to with&s;tand the Lord? Oh con&s;ider ye Pot&s;herds, who are as un&s;table as the Waves of the Sea, and are as the Wind in His hand; which he turneth and cau&s;eth to blow which way it plea&s;eth Him, who will confound and de&s;troy you in your Imaginations, that you have imagined again&s;t Him and His Saints. Oh man! What art thou that &s;tande&s;t to re&s;i&s;t the Lord, the mighty God of <HI>Jacob?</HI> Did ever any of your Fathers, the <HI>Per&s;ecutors</HI> of old pro&s;|per? Did not the Lord con&s;ume them with the breath of His no&s;trils, and with the Word of His mouth? Who will tear you to pieces, that ri&s;e up in Rebellion again&s;t Him. Con&s;ider, was it in vain that one &s;aid in a certain place, That <HI>Rebellion is as the &s;in of Witchcraft?</HI> Con&s;ider O ye that inhabit the Earth, who&s;e dwelling-place is beneath; Doth not the Lord behold all your Actions, and all your unrighteous Doings? Oh ye Rulers and chief Prie&s;ts, are ye combining together? are ye joyned together? are you in league together, as the Rulers and chief Prie&s;ts were in former ages? Con&s;ider their Ends, and con&s;i|der what you are doing? Are you &s;o blind that you cannot &s;ee you are <HI>Per&s;ecuting</HI> the Saints of the mo&s;t High? You who are &s;eeking the Life of the Righteous, and that nothing but Blood will &s;atisfie; <HI>The Lord will give you blood to drink,</HI> you that thir&s;t for it, you &s;hall have enough of it; you who &s;pill and
<PB N="179" REF="4" MS="y">drink the <HI>Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Je&s;us;</HI> Are not your Brethren gone before you, in who&s;e &s;teps ye are treading? and the fruits of the Devil you are bringing forth, <HI>Ye uncir|cumci&s;ed in hearts and ears,</HI> who do thus <HI>re&s;i&s;t the Lord of Life:</HI> As your Fathers did, &s;o do ye re&s;i&s;t the holy Gho&s;t and the Spi|rit of Truth, which is now appeared in the Saints of the mo&s;t High; who are &s;ent into your borders in love to your Souls, and in tender mercy and compa&s;&s;ion to the Captive that is within your gates, and to the Pri&s;oner. Oh why will you &s;trive any longer with the Lord that made you? <HI>Who is coming</HI> in <HI>ten thou&s;and of his Saints to render vengeance in flames of fire, upon all the ungodly:</HI> Who hath &s;aid, <HI>Vengeance is mine, I will re|pay it, &s;aith the Lord God of ho&s;ts:</HI> Who will recompence into your bo&s;oms, the Reward of your doings. Oh People and In|habitants hereof, <HI>Why will ye die in your &s;ins?</HI> And <HI>whither Chri&s;t goes, thither you cannot come:</HI> Oh! <HI>Why will ye put the day of the Lord afar off you?</HI> who hath <HI>waited long to be gracious,</HI> and hath <HI>born with you, as a man doth with his onely Son that &s;erveth him;</HI> So hath the Lord <HI>&s;pared you:</HI> And do you thus <HI>requite the Lord</HI> for his <HI>loving-kindne&s;s,</HI> to <HI>whip,</HI> to <HI>impri&s;on,</HI> and <HI>cut off</HI> the <HI>Ears</HI> of his Servants, that are &s;ent unto you? Is this your Preach|ing forth of Chri&s;t? Are the&s;e your good Examples to others? Come, let us rea&s;on together; Have you not lo&s;t natural af|fection? have you not lo&s;t tenderne&s;s and compa&s;&s;ion? <HI>Woe</HI> is me, for thee, Oh thou <HI>New-England,</HI> who ha&s;t made &s;uch a noi&s;e among the Nations: Is thy Religion come to no more than <HI>whipping, impri&s;oning, burning in the hand,</HI> and <HI>cutting off Ears,</HI> and <HI>bani&s;hing upon death?</HI> What will be the next Law that thou wilt make, Oh <HI>New-England,</HI> again&s;t tho&s;e that thou &s;cornfully calle&s;t <HI>Quakers?</HI> terming them the <HI>Cur&s;ed Sect of the Quakers.</HI> If they were a <HI>Cur&s;ed Sect,</HI> as thou ha&s;t termed them, it &s;eems they &s;hould be &s;o for thee, and &s;o die for thee; For thou ha&s;t made a Law, to put them to Death, if they come the &s;econd time within thy borders: But I &s;ay, the Lord hath ble&s;&s;ed the People called in &s;corn <HI>Quakers,</HI> and they are ble&s;|&s;ed, and &s;hall be ble&s;&s;ed for evermore. Oh ye Rulers and chief Prie&s;ts, will you proceed no further, than putting to Death the Innocent? Is thy Praying, thy Preaching, thy ma|ny Sacrifices, and vain Oblations, come to this? and will not
<PB N="180" REF="5" MS="y">thy Sacrifices, and Prayers, and &s;olemn Meetings, become A|bomination? is it not the greate&s;t Abomination that thou com|mitte&s;t? Do&s;t thou think that this will pacifie the wrath of the Almighty God? who is coming forth again&s;t thee, and will <HI>o|vertake</HI> thee, and <HI>&s;trip</HI> thee <HI>naked,</HI> and <HI>uncover</HI> thee in that day, and <HI>take</HI> all thy <HI>Ornaments</HI> from thee. Oh con&s;ider! Ha&s;t thou forgot? although thou woulde&s;t <HI>cover</HI> the <HI>Altar</HI> with <HI>tears,</HI> and <HI>come before Him with ten thou&s;and of Rams, and with a thou|&s;and Rivers of Oyl, and offer the Fruit of thy Body, for the &s;in of thy Soul; Would it be accepted,</HI> being offered in that nature wherein thou live&s;t? Much more when thou art become &s;o <HI>Bloody,</HI> and &s;o <HI>hard-hearted,</HI> that in &s;tead of <HI>cover|ing</HI> the <HI>Altar</HI> with <HI>tears,</HI> do&s;t thou intend to <HI>cover it</HI> with <HI>blood</HI> if thou can&s;t? <HI>Blu&s;h and be a&s;hamed, hide thy &s;elf in the du&s;t for ever, becau&s;e of the pre&s;ence of the Almighty, who is now appeared and is coming to &s;et thy &s;ins in order before thee; who will not blot out thy &s;ins, nor cover thy Iniquities which are many, unle&s;s thou &s;peedily repent, and for&s;ake thy unrighteou&s;ne&s;s; for thy De&s;truction ha&s;tens apace, thou art running headlong to De&s;truction; as the hor&s;e ru&s;heth into the Battel, &s;o do&s;t thou into <HI>Blood.</HI></HI> How do&s;t thou think to expect any thing from the Lord, but a <HI>Sore De&s;tructi|on,</HI> a <HI>Famine,</HI> and a <HI>Plague,</HI> which is ha&s;tening upon thee, if thou continue &s;till in Rebellion, in <HI>Per&s;ecuting</HI> his Servants. This hath the Lord &s;aid, and this will the Almighty perform upon thee in the day of his righteous Judgements, which will overtake all <HI>bloody-minded</HI> men, and blind <HI>Per&s;ecutors.</HI></P>
<P>Oh I am full of the Spirit of the Lord, and of the Power of him that made me, who hath &s;aid unto me, <HI>Fear not man who&s;e breath is in his No&s;trils, nor the Son of man that mu&s;t die;</HI> For the Lord hath &s;aid unto me, <HI>For this end have I called thee, and for this cau&s;e I have ordained thee, Fear them not, neither be di&s;mayed at their looks, nor be afraid of their threatning words; I the Lord that created, thee am with thee; Therefore fear not what man &s;hall do unto thee, for I have made thee as a Wall of Bra&s;s, whereat the bloody-minded men &s;hall &s;hoot their Arrows, but &s;hall not touch thee as to offend thee;</HI> Therefore the Lord hath &s;aid un|to me, <HI>Let not thy heart faint becau&s;e of what I &s;hall &s;uffer them to do unto thee; but let thy hands be &s;trong in the Lord thy Redeemer, the Holy One of I&s;rael; for thy adver&s;aries &s;hall be confounded,
<PB N="181" REF="5" MS="y">and the Enemies of the Lord &s;hall be de&s;troyed in that day.</HI></P>
<P>Oh ye Hypocrits! how can you &s;ing and keep &s;uch a noi&s;e concerning Religion, when <HI>your hands are full of blood</HI> and your <HI>hearts full of Iniquity? Wa&s;h you, make you clean, put away the Evil of your doings, cea&s;e to do Evil, learn to do good, clean&s;e your hands you &s;inners, and your hearts you Hypocrites,</HI> for <HI>your Prayers are abomination to me, &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts; your &s;inging is as the howling of a Dog in the Streets, &s;uch are the Songs you &s;ing in your Temple unto me &s;aith the Lord; my Spirit is weary with bearing, and my Soul is vexed day after day with your abominations. <HI>Wo, wo</HI></HI> to thee <HI>thou Bloody Town of Bo&s;ton,</HI> and the <HI>Re&s;t</HI> that are <HI>Confederate</HI> with <HI>Thee,</HI> and it thou can&s;t not e&s;cape; Thou who ha&s;t <HI>&s;hed</HI> the <HI>blood</HI> of the Innocent Peo|ple called <HI>Quakers,</HI> and <HI>Impri&s;oned</HI> and <HI>Fined</HI> them, and <HI>taken away</HI> their <HI>Goods,</HI> and they have become a <HI>Prey</HI> unto thee, for thee to exerci&s;e thy <HI>Cruelty</HI> upon them, and thou boa&s;ts in thy wickedne&s;s, and <HI>thinks thou do&s;t God good Service to hang and put to Death</HI> the People called <HI>Quakers;</HI> Verily this is the Thoughts and Intents of the hearts of many of you in this <HI>New England;</HI> but e&s;pecially within thee, and within thy Juri&s;diction that belongs unto thee, Oh thou Town of <HI>Bo&s;ton:</HI> for the&s;e words following did one &s;ay (in the Governours Hou&s;e) who&s;e name is <HI>Edward Raw&s;on,</HI> called Secretary, who did Threaten me with the&s;e words following (on the 18th of the 4. Month 1659) That <HI>if I came again after I was &s;ent away,</HI> or <HI>bani&s;hed,</HI> he &s;aid, he <HI>would write a Warrant with his own hand to &s;end me to the Gallowes to be hanged.</HI> Are the&s;e your Fruits, your corrupt &s;peeches, to Threaten the Innocent with your <HI>Gallowes,</HI> to <HI>hang them</HI> thereon? Oh that ever &s;uch words &s;hould proceed out of a mans mouth! to &s;ay that he would <HI>write a Warrnat with his own hand, to &s;end an Innocent Per&s;on to the Gallowes to be hanged.</HI> Well, all this we can bear, the Lord hath brought forth his <HI>Suffering Seed,</HI> and through <HI>Suffering</HI> mu&s;t the <HI>Lamb</HI> and his <HI>Saints <HI>overcome</HI></HI> and get the <HI>Victory,</HI> and <HI>the wicked mu&s;t be de&s;troyed,</HI> and &s;uch who have <HI>been guilty of <HI>Blood.</HI></HI> Was ever the like heard before, That men Profe&s;|&s;ing to have &s;o much of the Knowledge of God, and Profe&s;&s;ing to Fear God, that <HI>&s;uch</HI> &s;hould become &s;o <HI>Bloody!</HI> and become &s;o great <HI>Per&s;ecutors</HI> of a People who are de&s;pi&s;ed of the World,
<PB N="182" REF="6" MS="y">but loved of God; and the Pre&s;ence of the Lord is with them, whom you <HI>Per&s;ecute,</HI> and you mu&s;t fall before them, for the Lord God is with them and among them that are the Sufferers under you. The Lord God of Heaven and Earth is now a|mong &s;uch, which cau&s;eth <HI>the Heathen to Rage, and the People of the Earth to Imagine a Vain Thing:</HI> For the Lord's Pre|&s;ence and Power, in &s;ome mea&s;ure, was ever among &s;uch as Suffered and were <HI>Per&s;ecuted for Con&s;cience</HI> &s;ake, and Suffered with them, and in them by the <HI>Per&s;ecutors</HI> of <HI>Old,</HI> in former Ages and Generations, as he doth at this day in his Saints and Children, for the overthrow of the Powers of Darkne&s;&s;e, and Kingdom of the Devil; who hath had his Seat in the &s;ons of men for the&s;e many Ages and Generations; Wherein, and whereby the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> hath made <HI>War</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Lamb</HI> and His <HI>Saints,</HI> for many Generations. But the day doth draw near and ha&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ens apace, that the <HI>Lamb</HI> and the <HI>Saints</HI> mu&s;t <HI>get</HI> the <HI>Victory:</HI> And the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> and <HI>his Followers,</HI> at that day, mu&s;t be <HI>Con&s;umed,</HI> and <HI>De&s;troyed,</HI> becau&s;e of the Pre&s;ence of the Lord God in his <HI>Saints.</HI></P>
<P>Oh what cruelty is acted now in the&s;e dayes! That men who Profe&s;&s;e God, and make &s;uch a noi&s;e concerning Religion, that &s;uch &s;hould become &s;o <HI>hard-hearted,</HI> to Impri&s;on a Child of <HI>Eleven</HI> or <HI>Twelve Years</HI> of Age! Was ever the like done among the greate&s;t <HI>Tyrants,</HI> or <HI>Bloody-minded-men,</HI> that are mentioned in the Scriptures! Did they ever Impri&s;on a Child that was &s;ent unto them, to Warn them of their unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e! Oh what will become of you! Do you think, Oh you Heads and Rulers of this Town of <HI>Bo&s;ton,</HI> who are become &s;o Bruti&s;h, and &s;o Dark in your Under&s;tandings, and &s;o unlike Men in your Actions: You that ca&s;t the Innocent into your Dens, Holes, Pri&s;ons, and will not &s;uffer their Friends and Acquaintance to come to vi&s;it them, not to mini&s;ter unto them. Surely <HI>bitter</HI> will your <HI>Cup</HI> be, and your <HI>Portion</HI> will be <HI>&s;ad:</HI> Surely the &s;o|ber and tender-hearted cannot but <HI>grieve</HI> and <HI>lament,</HI> to hear of the <HI>Cruelty</HI> that is acted by you. Oh ye Rulers and chief Prie&s;ts, who are the <HI>Beginners</HI> of <HI>Mi&s;chief,</HI> and the <HI>Leaders</HI> of them who are the <HI>chief Actors</HI> of all this <HI>Cruelty!</HI> For well was it &s;poken by the Prophet, <HI>The Leaders of this People, cau&s;e them to Erre; and they that are led by them, are de&s;troyed for lack
<PB N="183" REF="6" MS="y">of true knowledge.</HI> Well, a little further you &s;hall proceed, to fill up the mea&s;ure of your Iniquities; and then &s;hall you have your Reward with the re&s;t of the Uncircumci&s;ed: For, I know it is <HI>Blood</HI> you thir&s;t after, O ye Rulers and chief Prie&s;ts, is it not our Lives ye thir&s;t for, come, tell us plainly? Or, have you made this Law of yours, only to &s;ee if you can make the People, called <HI>Quakers,</HI> afraid of you? Well, however, being I am allowed of God, I &s;hall tell you plainly, that the Lord God of Heaven and Earth is now drawing near and coming upon you &s;peedily to try you, whether you will exer|ci&s;e your <HI>inhumane Law</HI> upon us, who are now &s;ent among <HI>you</HI> from the Lord for this very end and purpo&s;e; I &s;ay, will <HI>you</HI> put us to death for only coming into your Juri&s;diction, or Pa|tent (as you call it) after we have been once &s;ent away, or commanded by you to go out of it? Now, we &s;ay, being the Lord God hath commanded us to the contrary, Is it meet and ju&s;t to obey God, or man, judge ye? to obey your bloody Law, or to obey God's Righteous Law, which He hath writ in our hearts, and placed within us, which judges and condemns your unrighteous Law, that you have made to bani&s;h the <HI>Righ|teous?</HI> Well, you that call your &s;elves <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> if you do this <HI>bloody Act,</HI> to &s;hew your &s;elves &s;o unlike men, I mu&s;t tell you plainly, for con&s;trained by the Lord God I am to tell you, O ye bloody-minded men, <HI>That if you do put us to death, this Action of yours will proceed from the Devil, who was a Murderer from the beginning,</HI> who &s;eeks to de&s;troy mens lives, as you do at this day; For as it was then, &s;o it is now, <HI>he that is born after the fle&s;h, per&s;ecuteth him that is born after the Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>Now you that &s;ay you are Chri&s;tians, Come, let us rea&s;on together concerning this inhumane Law that you have made, to put the People, called <HI>Quakers,</HI> to death: Did ever any true Chri&s;tians make &s;uch Laws, as you have made again&s;t a People, whom you in &s;corn and deri&s;ion call <HI>Quakers,</HI> &s;ince they came among you? Are you not a&s;hamed that the Nations about you &s;hould hear of your Actions? to hear of the cruel Laws that you have made again&s;t an innocent and harmle&s;s People; What, was not the Law that you made at fir&s;t &s;trong enough, but you mu&s;t di&s;anul it, and proceed to a more bloo|dier? Come, tell us plainly (if you be not a&s;hamed to &s;peak)
<PB N="184" REF="7" MS="y">of whom did you ask Coun&s;el? or, to whom did you &s;eek for In&s;truction? I am &s;ure the Lord (in who&s;e hand your breath is) did never give you Coun&s;el to make the&s;e <HI>bloody Laws,</HI> that you have made again&s;t the People who are &s;cornfully called <HI>Quakers.</HI> Come let us further rea&s;on together, that you may appear unto all, that have any Moderation in them left, as men; that &s;urely you are not the true Chri&s;tians nor Di&s;ci|ples of Chri&s;t, for they u&s;ed no &s;uch weapons to War withall as you do: So that a great deal of difference there is betwixt your Practi&s;es and theirs, your Weapons and theirs; For their Weapons were and are Spiritual, and yours are Carnal. The difference is great every way, as great as there is betwixt Light and Darkne&s;&s;e. Again, that you may &s;ee that in every thing you are altogether unlike them; their War was again&s;t <HI>Spiri|tual wickedne&s;s in high places.</HI> The Apo&s;tles <HI>wre&s;tled not with fle&s;h and blood;</HI> mark, not with the <HI>Creatures,</HI> not to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> mens Lives, but made War in Righteou&s;ne&s;s, with the &s;piritu|al <HI>Weapons, having on for an helmet, the bre&s;t-plate of Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, whereby they &s;ubdued the Powers of darkne&s;s, and &s;piritual wickedne&s;s that ruled in high places.</HI> Now you that call your &s;elves Chri&s;tians, you <HI>war again&s;t fle&s;h and blood,</HI> your <HI>war is a|gain&s;t</HI> the Creatures, and not again&s;t <HI>&s;piritual wickedne&s;s;</HI> you &s;eek to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> that which Chri&s;t came to <HI>&s;ave,</HI> and &s;eek not to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> that which Chri&s;t came to <HI>de&s;troy:</HI> He <HI>was made manife&s;t to de&s;troy the works of the Devil,</HI> but you make your &s;elves mani|fe&s;t (you intend) to <HI>de&s;troy the work of God.</HI> Mark and take notice, you <HI>unbelievers;</HI> The <HI>Creature</HI> is the <HI>workman&s;hip of God;</HI> the <HI>&s;piritual wickedne&s;s</HI> is the <HI>fruit</HI> and <HI>work</HI> of the <HI>Devil,</HI> which Chri&s;t <HI>came to de&s;troy,</HI> and was <HI>made manife&s;t</HI> for that <HI>end,</HI> to <HI>de|&s;troy</HI> the <HI>&s;in</HI> which is the <HI>fruit</HI> of the <HI>Devil.</HI> Take notice, ye, <HI>unlike Chri&s;tians,</HI> the <HI>fruits,</HI> and <HI>works</HI> of the <HI>Devil, live</HI> and <HI>remain</HI> &s;till among you <HI>unde&s;troyed;</HI> who &s;eek to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> the <HI>workman&s;hip</HI> of God, when Chri&s;t came <HI>to &s;ave mens lives, and not to de&s;troy them,</HI> but to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> the <HI>works of the Devil;</HI> but you &s;eek to <HI>de&s;troy,</HI> that which Chri&s;t came to <HI>&s;ave,</HI> and to <HI>&s;ave alive</HI> that which Chri&s;t came to <HI>de&s;troy.</HI> So &s;ee if it doth not appear plainly by your Actions, and by your corrupt fruits, that you are making war again&s;t Chri&s;t, and his Saints, whom you &s;eek to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> from off the face of the Earth; As let your actions
<PB N="185" REF="7" MS="y">that you have acted already again&s;t God and his Servants, bear witne&s;&s;e again&s;t you, that you are become more <HI>Bloody,</HI> and more <HI>hard-hearted</HI> than <HI>Pharaoh</HI> of old. See, and &s;earch the Scriptures of Truth, and con&s;ider who&s;e children you are, and who&s;e works you are a doing, and whom it is you are &s;erving: For, <HI>his &s;ervants you are to whom ye obey.</HI> Did ever God &s;end any of his Servants into a Country or Nation, to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> his workman&s;hip, the Creature? Is this your <HI>gaining</HI> many Peo|ple into your Church? Is this your <HI>Converting</HI> of others? Is this your way of adding many to your Church? What, by <HI>compelling</HI> of people to come to your Meetings? What, By <HI>Fining</HI> People, and <HI>taking away</HI> their <HI>Goods?</HI> What, by <HI>Impri|&s;oning, Whipping,</HI> and <HI>Stocking</HI> and <HI>burning in the hand,</HI> and <HI>cutting off</HI> the <HI>Ears</HI> of tho&s;e that come to bear witne&s;s again&s;t your <HI>Cruelty</HI> and <HI>Idolatry?</HI> Is this your way of <HI>convincing gain-&s;ayers?</HI> What, by making of a Law to <HI>banni&s;h &s;uch upon pain of Death?</HI> have you no other weapons to fight withall a|gain&s;t the Truth? Have you no other means nor way, ye <HI>Idol|&s;hepherds,</HI> to &s;top the mouthes of them ye call <HI>gain&s;ayers,</HI> than <HI>Impri&s;oning, Whipping, Burning in the Hand, Fining</HI> and <HI>taking away</HI> their <HI>Goods,</HI> and <HI>Bani&s;hment upon pain of Death?</HI> Have you no other way, nor word to convince tho&s;e you call <HI>Hereticks,</HI> and <HI>Deceivers,</HI> but to <HI>take away their lives?</HI> Surely this was not the way, nor means, nor power, which the Apo&s;tles u&s;ed to convince the <HI>Gentiles</HI> and <HI>Jews,</HI> unto whom they were &s;ent. This power which you make u&s;e of, is not the power, neither doth it proceed from the power which ruled in the Saints, Pro|phets, Apo&s;tles, and People of God, whereby their Souls were <HI>converted</HI> to God, which <HI>turned them from Darkne&s;s to Light;</HI> But the power that rules you, and that you act by, is of another nature, than the power the Apo&s;tles were in; for their power was, and is given to <HI>&s;ave,</HI> but yours is to <HI>de&s;troy mens lives,</HI> which the power of God was given for to <HI>&s;ave;</HI> which mu&s;t be &s;et a top of all unrighteous Powers, from whom all <HI>bloody</HI> and <HI>unrighteous Laws</HI> do proceed. So, behold what power it is that leads you, and what power ye are under, ye <HI>mercile&s;s</HI> men; that many of you are become pa&s;t feeling, who&s;e <HI>Con&s;ciences are &s;eared as with a hot Iron;</HI> who have given your &s;elves over to <HI>work wickedne&s;s,</HI> and are become as great
<PB N="186" REF="8" MS="y"><HI>Per&s;ecutors,</HI> as any that <HI>wor&s;hip the Bea&s;t, who have given their power unto the Dragon, who thir&s;ts after the blood of the Innocent, as the Lion doth after his prey;</HI> &s;o <HI>greedy,</HI> and <HI>ha&s;ty are you to &s;pil the blood</HI> of the <HI>Saints,</HI> and to <HI>take away</HI> the <HI>Life of the Upright from the face of the Earth.</HI> Well, ye Rulers and Magi&s;trates (&s;o called) take heed, and take warning, I lay it upon you, while you have time, and a day given unto you to con&s;ider the&s;e things; So before the thing come to pa&s;&s;e, and before you do it, weigh the matter. Come, let us farther rea&s;on to|gether; Can you convince us of the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of any Law of God? and if you cannot, (which we know you cannot) nor have the lea&s;t tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of the Righteous Law of God to lay to our charge, who are now coming among you in obedience to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, for this very end, to try you, O ye children of men: And if you put us to Death, be|cau&s;e we cannot obey your Commandment, but choo&s;e rather to obey the Commandment of the Lord; and for &s;o doing will you put us to Death? Well, this know, and be it known unto the Sons of Men, and Inhabitants within this Town of <HI>Bo&s;ton,</HI> and el&s;ewhere within your Juri&s;diction; That the Command|ments of the mo&s;t High mu&s;t we obey, and your Command|ment we mu&s;t di&s;obey, and di&s;anul it, and make it of no effect, becau&s;e it is again&s;t, and contrary to that of God in all mens Con&s;ciences; which is of the nature, and according to the Righteous and Royal Law of God; therfore we mu&s;t obey the Command of the Lord, becau&s;e it is according to the Righte|ous and Royal Law of God, which is according to that of God in every man's Con&s;cience; which &s;aith, <HI>It is more ju&s;t and meet, to obey God than man.</HI> So being that your Law that you have made, is unequal, and contrary to the Law of God, which he hath writ in our hearts, which is equal, ju&s;t and righteous; for your Law, that you have made, again&s;t the Innocent Peo|ple called <HI>Quakers,</HI> is unju&s;t, and unrighteous, and contrary to that of God in all mens Con&s;ciences,and contrary to the righ|teous and Royal Law of God: Therefore we &s;ay, we cannot obey &s;uch a Law, that doth not agree with the Royal Law of God; but herein &s;hall we obey the Lord, choo&s;ing rather to &s;uffer, what you &s;hall be &s;uffered to do unto us, than to fulfil the Commandme<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and unrighteous Law of unrighteous men,
<PB N="187" REF="8" MS="y">in flying at your Command, when the Lord hath Commanded us to &s;tay; Whereby that he may &s;hew his Power in us, that his Command, and his Righteous &amp; Royal Law is of more pow|er, virtue and force in us, and with us, than your unrighteous Laws and Commands can be again&s;t us. So this know, if you put us to death, when we return, that you will bring innocent blood upon you, by &s;o doing, which &s;hall not depart from your hou&s;es, nor from that &s;eed that is guilty thereof. So the&s;e things we &s;peak, that you may no more be guilty of Innocent blood, for a&s;&s;uredly know, that nothing &s;hall fail of what the Lord hath &s;poken by us, and through us concerning you, if you go on &s;till in Rebellion and &s;tiff-neckedne&s;s, and refu&s;e to hearken to the Voice and Coun&s;el of the Lord God: And this know, that you have been warned from the Lord of the&s;e things before they came to pa&s;&s;e; For this we know, if we di&s;obey the Command of the Lord, to fly from you, becau&s;e you have made a Law to put us to Death, if we di&s;obey the Lord in this thing, he can cut us off, and take our Lives from us in his an|ger and fury; Therefore be it known unto you, that the Lord hath made us willing to lay down our Lives among you, if you be &s;uffered to take them from us; and in this thing we know we &s;hall have <HI>peace,</HI> when you &s;hall have <HI>&s;orrow</HI> and <HI>torment</HI> night and day: And this &s;hall you certainly know one day, that the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, whom we &s;erve, &s;ent us among you, if you &s;ee our faces again, after we have been <HI>Bani&s;hed</HI> from you; and that which we have &s;poken, you &s;hall know to be truth, whether you will <HI>hear</HI> or <HI>forbear.</HI> Well, if you &s;ay, we are tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors of a Law, in not obeying your unrigh|teous Law: It is your own, and not God's Law; For his Law is <HI>holy, ju&s;t, and good;</HI> but yours is altogether <HI>unholy, unrighte|ous, unju&s;t, and wicked,</HI> and is to be &s;et at nought, and condemn|ed by the &s;ervants of the Lord: For this Law of yours, which you have made, to put the Righteous to death, hath not pro|ceeded from the Spirit of the Lord, which is <HI>meek,</HI> and <HI>lowly,</HI> and <HI>ea&s;ie to be entreated;</HI> which doth judge and condemn you, and your Law. Now if you would know from what &s;pirit this wicked and unnatural Law of yours hath proceeded: Well, we &s;hall &s;peak plainly, it hath proceeded from the <HI>murdering</HI> &s;pirit which raigned and ruled in the <HI>Per&s;ecutors</HI> of Old, from
<PB N="188" REF="9" MS="y">whence all &s;uch Lawes did and do proceed.</P>
<P>Now ye Rulers, chief Prie&s;ts and Inhabitants of <HI>New-Eng|land,</HI> this we &s;hall &s;ay unto you in the fear of the Lord and Spirit of the Almighty, and in the Power of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that you nor your Law is not to be regarded herein, and your Law is to be broken, and mu&s;t be broken by the Power of the Lord God, and you mu&s;t be judged and condemned by the &s;ame Power for making &s;uch a Law; For the Lord of Ho&s;ts is coming up again&s;t you, and your Power mu&s;t be &s;ubdued and taken from you by the Prince of Peace, even by Him who is come, and coming, to rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron; who is come and coming; who&s;e <HI>Right</HI> it is <HI>to Rule,</HI> and <HI>&s;ub|due all Powers</HI> and <HI>Authorities</HI> unto Him&s;elf, and to take the <HI>Go|vernment</HI> into his <HI>Own hand,</HI> unto whom it belongs; who will <HI>da&s;h you to pieces,</HI> ye Rulers, that rebel again&s;t his <HI>Righteous Power</HI> and his <HI>Holy Law,</HI> that He is E&s;tabli&s;hing in the Earth, in the hearts of the &s;ons of men, that obey his Voice, and that hearken unto his Coun&s;el, his Righteous and Holy Law mu&s;t be e&s;tabli&s;hed, and his Righteous Government and Kingdom mu&s;t be &s;et up; and your Unrighteous and Unholy Kingdom and Government mu&s;t be overturned and de&s;troyed by the Power of the Everla&s;ting God, in this day of his Eternal Pow|er; who is come, and coming, to make void all your <HI>ungodly, inhumane</HI> and <HI>bloody Laws,</HI> and to reward you according to your works: The Lord God hath &s;poken it, and by Him it &s;hall be accompli&s;hed upon you: for the Decree of the Mo&s;t High is gone out again&s;t you, ye unmerciful men, who&s;e Wic|kedne&s;s and Unrighteou&s;ne&s;s doth exceed the Nations about you, for <HI>barbarous Cruelty</HI> and <HI>unmanlike Actions:</HI> Have you not altogether lo&s;t your Sen&s;es, Rea&s;on and Under&s;tanding, that you are become &s;o bruiti&s;h and &s;o unlike Chri&s;tians? You are gone &s;o far in your <HI>Cruelties</HI> and <HI>unnatural Actions,</HI> that you are a <HI>&s;tink</HI> and a <HI>loath&s;om &s;mell</HI> to all People, that have the lea&s;t mea&s;ure of Uprightne&s;s and of the hone&s;t Principle ruling in them, and your barbarous and cruel actions and bloody deeds they abhor, and at your Cruelty that you have acted again&s;t the People of the Lord (who are by you in &s;corn called <HI>Quakers</HI>) many of the common &s;ort of People do &s;tand amazed and wonder to hear of &s;uch Cruelty to be acted by &s;uch a Ge|neration
<PB N="189" REF="9" MS="y">of men, that have made &s;uch a noi&s;e concerning Reli|gion, concerning a Church, concerning Mini&s;try and Magi|&s;tracy, and Church-Government and Ordinances, Preaching, Praying, Singing, Morning and Evening Sacrifices, Family-Duties (as you call them) that &s;uch &s;hould become &s;o bloody and &s;o cruel, it doth a&s;toni&s;h many that are called <HI>Heathens;</HI> that all your Preaching, Praying, Singing, making &s;uch a noi&s;e concerning Religion, that it &s;hould come to no more, and to produce no better fruits than <HI>Impri&s;oning, Whipping, Stocking, Burning in the Hand, Cutting off Ears, Bani&s;hing upon Death,</HI> as you have bani&s;hed Six already from their Wives and Children, and from their outward beings; So that you do not only in|tend to de&s;troy the <HI>Souls,</HI> but <HI>Bodies</HI> al&s;o. Come, let us know what have they done; what Law of God have they tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ed, that you &s;hould bani&s;h them upon pain of <HI>Death</HI> from their Families? What, was it becau&s;e their <HI>Conver&s;ations</HI> and <HI>Acti|ons</HI> were hone&s;t and upright, and yours are evil? What, was it becau&s;e their <HI>Practices</HI> condemed yours? What, was it be|cau&s;e they <HI>owned</HI> a People that are by you in &s;corn called <HI>Qua|kers,</HI> whom you evilly entreat? and &s;uch as owns them you bani&s;h and de&s;pitefully u&s;e them.</P>
<P>Surely the&s;e things will be remembred. Come, let us ask you what Rule or Example have you that you walk by? let us hear what you can &s;ay for your &s;elves: What Orthodox men were they that counfelled you to the&s;e barbarous actions? what Coun&s;ellors were they, that would give coun&s;el to Magi&s;trates to do the&s;e bloudy actions? of whom did you learn it? Come, let us hear your &s;trong Rea&s;ons, for the day is drawing near that you mu&s;t be further tried; for the Almighty God hath put it into the hearts of his Servants to try you, whether you will put us to death for di&s;obeying your unrighteous Law. We that are free-born <HI>Engli&s;h-men,</HI> we demand our Liberty for the exer|ci&s;e of our pure Con&s;ciences in this Country, as well as other <HI>Engli&s;h-men;</HI> we being free-born <HI>Engli&s;h-men,</HI> we may by the Law of God claim our Liberty before many other People: We who are not tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors of the Law of God, neither of any Law or Decree that is according thereunto, what is the Rea|&s;on that we &s;hould be bani&s;hed upon Death out of your Juri&s;|diction more than any other people? What, is it becau&s;e we
<PB N="190" REF="10" MS="y">are turners of the World <HI>up-&s;ide down?</HI> What, is it becau&s;e we are termed <HI>Ring-leaders</HI> of a People, that are in &s;corn called <HI>Quakers?</HI> What, is it becau&s;e the Laws of our God, which we obey, are different from all the unrighteous and bloudy Laws of <HI>New-England?</HI> What, is it becau&s;e we cannot obey the Commandment of the Rulers of <HI>New-England,</HI> that have com|manded us to bow to the &s;pirit that ruled in <HI>Haman,</HI> which now rules in the&s;e bloudy Rulers of <HI>Bo&s;ton,</HI> and el&s;ewhere in <HI>New-England?</HI> Nay, I &s;ay, the Lord our God hath rai&s;ed and is rai&s;ing the Royal Seed and Spirit that ruled in <HI>Mordecai,</HI> that could not, nor cannot &s;toop nor bow to the &s;pirit that ru|led in proud <HI>Haman:</HI> I &s;ay, &s;ee and behold if the &s;ame &s;pirit rules not in you, ye Rulers, chief Prie&s;ts and Inhabitants of <HI>Bo&s;ton,</HI> and el&s;ewhere; mark, if the &s;ame &s;pirit doth not rule you that ruled in <HI>Haman;</HI> who &s;ought not only the de&s;truction of <HI>Mordecai</HI> alone, but &s;ought to de&s;troy all the Seed of the <HI>Jews:</HI> Are you not of <HI>Haman</HI>'s off-&s;pring, and ruling in his nature, who was &s;o cruel and &s;o bloody? who did give a &s;um of money for de&s;troying the Seed of the <HI>Jews:</HI> Mark, what was it for? Becau&s;e <HI>Mordecai</HI> could not bow to him, nor do him reverence. Mark, it was not for the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of any Law of God: yet he di&s;obeyed the Commandment of King <HI>Aha&s;uerus,</HI> who raigned from <HI>Judea</HI> even unto <HI>Ethiopia,</HI> over an hundred and twenty and &s;even Provinces. Or, is your Law and Commandment of more force than his was, who had com|manded that they &s;hould reverence <HI>Haman?</HI> for &s;o had the King commanded. Are you greater than he was? Reade the Third of <HI>E&s;ther</HI> throughout. And yet did not <HI>Mordecai</HI> tran&s;|gre&s;s his Commandment, in not bowing to <HI>Haman?</HI> at which <HI>Haman</HI> was full of wrath. Is it not &s;o with you? are not you mad and full of wrath again&s;t the People called <HI>Quakers,</HI> be|cau&s;e they te&s;tifie to your faces <HI>that your deeds are evil?</HI> Are not you now full of wrath and envy, becau&s;e the <HI>Quakers</HI> will not obey your unlawful Commands and unrighteous Decrees? Now you that are in <HI>Haman</HI>'s nature, &amp; ruled by <HI>Haman</HI>'s &s;pirit, in Cruelty &s;eeking and labouring to de&s;troy the Royal Seed and <HI>True Jew</HI> from off the Earth in this Country of <HI>New-England;</HI> as <HI>Haman</HI> did labour to de&s;troy the Seed of the <HI>Jews,</HI> the Peo|ple of <HI>Mordecai,</HI> within the Kingdom of <HI>Ahafuerus,</HI> &s;o do ye
<PB N="191" REF="10" MS="y">&s;eek to de&s;troy the People of God, called <HI>Quakers,</HI> that are come, or comes into your Juri&s;diction; Is it not becau&s;e they cannot how to you? Now, did <HI>Mordecai</HI> in di&s;obeying the King's Commandment, di&s;obey the higher Power, yea or nay? <HI>unto which every &s;oul is to be &s;ubject for Con&s;cience &s;ake: And &s;uch as di&s;obey this Power, di&s;obey the Ordinance of God.</HI> Give <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s in your An&s;wer ye Rulers and chief Prie&s;ts, you that &s;eek and receive Honour from man; <HI>How can you believe that receive Honour one of another, and &s;eek not that Honour that cometh from God only?</HI> Well, is your Commandment and Decree of more force to us, than the King's was (concerning <HI>Haman</HI>) to <HI>Mor|decai,</HI> &s;eeing they are of one nature? We can obey your Commandment no more than <HI>Mordecai</HI> did bow to <HI>Haman,</HI> though the Kinghad commanded it. Now we &s;ay, are not you preparing a Gallows to hang us thereon, as <HI>Haman</HI> did for <HI>Mordecai?</HI> But take heed, We warn you in the Name of the Lord God, con&s;ider what you are going to do; In the Name of the Lord we demand that we may have Liberty for the Ex|erci&s;e of our pure Con&s;ciences within your Juri&s;diction, a&s;wel as other <HI>Engli&s;h-men,</HI> &s;eeing that you cannot lay to our charge the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of any Law of God, we being men that fear the Lord God of Heaven and Earth; and we come not for any thing of yours, God is our Witne&s;s, it is not for any thing that you have that we come for; for we do not <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ck any outward thing: for many of us have both Hou&s;es and Land of our own, and Silver al&s;o in <HI>Old England,</HI> &s;o that we &s;eek not any thing that you have (God is our Witne&s;s, whom we &s;erve in the Spi|rit of Truth, who hath con&s;trained us to leave all, and to fol|low Him) that it is not the World <HI>(that doth peri&s;h with the handling thereof)</HI> that we &s;eek or labour for, but the Good and Eternal Welfare of the &s;ons of men; for the Seed's &s;ake which is oppre&s;&s;ed in <HI>New-England,</HI> and other parts of the World, do we labour, and travel, and &s;uffer all manner of hard&s;hips; for Chri&s;t's &s;ake are we become fools, and do &s;uffer all manner of Evil to be done unto us, as Chri&s;t &s;aid un|to his Di&s;ciples, <HI>they &s;hall do all manner of Evil to you for my Name &s;ake;</HI> but tho&s;e that did it, and tho&s;e that do it, know neither God nor his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t, neither have they the Love of God abiding in them: <HI>For &s;uch as love not him whom
<PB N="192" REF="11" MS="y">they have &s;een, how can they love God whom they have not &s;een?</HI> and &s;uch have not Eternal Life abiding in them, but are of the Devil, as their fruits do make manife&s;t, and are the thorns of which men cannot gather Grapes, except it be &s;uch Grapes as <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Gomorrha</HI> did bring forth, which provoked the Holy One, the Mo&s;t High, to ari&s;e in his Wrath, and con&s;ume them in his Anger.</P>
<P>Come, ye Rulers, let us further ask you a Que&s;tion: Of whom did you receive, or from whence had you your Rule, to Impri&s;on any for coming to vi&s;it one another? did you finde any &s;uch Example in the Scripture, which you call <HI>Your Rule?</HI> did ever any Magi&s;trate do &s;uch a thing, to impri&s;on any of the Pri&s;oners Acquaintance or Friends, for onely coming to vi&s;it them? Had not <HI>Paul</HI>'s Friends and Acquaintance liberty to come and vi&s;it, and to mini&s;ter unto him? Now you do not only hinder that which the <HI>Heathen</HI> granted, but exceed &s;uch in Cruelty which impri&s;oned <HI>Paul,</HI> who did let his Friends and Acquaintance come to him, and mini&s;ter to him: Now this you hinder, and will not &s;uffer any of our Friends nor Ac|quaintance to come to vi&s;it us, nor to mini&s;ter unto us; much more when your Crnelty is become &s;o great, to impri&s;on &s;uch as come many miles to vi&s;it us, as you have done <HI>Mary Dyar,</HI> who came from <HI>Rhoad I&s;land</HI> to vi&s;it us, and to mini&s;ter to our Nece&s;&s;ities, if we &s;tood in need: Now you do not only hinder any for coming or mini&s;tring to us, but &s;hut &s;uch up in Pri&s;on (to be kept clo&s;e Pri&s;oners) as remember <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s Afflictions, who&s;e bowels are opened to &s;uch whom you di&s;pitefully u&s;e: Is this <HI>your doing as you would be done by?</HI> O &s;hamele&s;s men! Are you without all natural affection? What Rule is it you walk by? You &s;ay that &s;he affirmed, <HI>That the Light within her is the Rule:</HI> But I &s;ay, <HI>The Light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World, which condemneth the World for evil deeds and unnatural actions,</HI> this Light which is the <HI>Saints Rule</HI> is the <HI>Worlds Condemnation;</HI> this Light was not your Rule for what you have done; ye took not coun&s;el at this Light which is the <HI>Quakers Rule:</HI> for this Light which &s;hines in the heart of man, beholding all his actions, this Light doth condemn all blind Per&s;ecutors and Judges, &s;uch to be wor&s;e than they that impri&s;oned <HI>Paul,</HI> who would &s;uffer him to &s;peak for him&s;elf;
<PB N="193" REF="11" MS="y">which many times you are &s;o mad you will not &s;uffer the <HI>Qua|kers to &s;peak for them&s;elves,</HI> but you will call to your Officers, to take them away to Pri&s;on.</P>
<P>Again, It is written in the Warrant whereby we were com|mitted to Pri&s;on, <HI>that we &s;hall be tryed according to Law.</HI> We de&s;ire no more than to be tried according to <HI>Equity, Truth,</HI> and <HI>true Judgment,</HI> to be tried according to the <HI>Law of God;</HI> but your Law, you unju&s;t men, we deny to be tried by it; for you are both our Accu&s;ers and Judges: which is not accord|ing to the Law of God; for <HI>Equity</HI> and <HI>Truth</HI> judgeth and condemneth all <HI>un&s;ound Judgment, Unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, Partiality</HI> and <HI>re&s;pecting of Per&s;ons:</HI> Therefore all you Magi&s;trates and Rulers (&s;o called) &s;toop to the Witne&s;s of God, and bow to the Light of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, own the Light of the Son of God; for until you own and be led by the Light of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which leads into Union with God, you cannot judge aright of the things of God. So take heed how you do; for the Line of true Judgment is &s;tretched over you all, with which you are mea&s;ured, weighed and tried in the ju&s;t Ballance of Truth, and according to true Judgment you are found want|ing, and are found, tried and judged by the Spirit of Truth, to be too light: Therefore be awakened all ye Rulers and Inha|bitants of <HI>Bo&s;ton,</HI> and el&s;ewhere within your Juri&s;diction, and give over per&s;ecuting the Saints of the mo&s;t high God.</P>
<P>This is a Warning to you all in <HI>New-England</HI> who have had a hand in per&s;ecuting the Saints and Children of the Lord, (who are by you in &s;corn and contempt called <HI>Quakers</HI>) Give over your Cruelty, and cea&s;e from oppre&s;&s;ing the Innocent; for the Lord God hath regard unto their Sufferings, and the Lord God is ri&s;en and ari&s;ing to plead their Cau&s;e again&s;t all their Enemies, and all their Adver&s;aries mu&s;t fall before them; for the Lord is with them, and the &s;hout of a mighty Prince is among the Innocent People, called <HI>Quakers,</HI> and this is the day of their Suffering, and the day of your Cruel|ties and Per&s;ecution upon them within this <HI>New-England:</HI> but the day of their Deliverance draweth near, and the day wherein they &s;hall rejoyce in the Lord, the God of their Salva|tion, who is mighty to &s;ave and able to deliver them out of
<PB N="194" REF="12" MS="y">the hands, and out of the mouthes of Devourers, and from the Jaws of the Ungodly and Cruel men; who will take Vengeance at that day upon all bloudy-minded men and blind Per&s;ecutors: And at that day you &s;hall find that the Lord will be too hard for you, though you now boa&s;t in your Wic|kedne&s;s. And thus far I am clear, and have cleared my Con&s;cience to you at this time: And whether you will hear, or forbear, I am clear of your Bloud; I who am now a Suf|ferer under you, with my Brother and Companion; who&s;e Lives are not dear unto us to lay them down as a Witne&s;s again&s;t &s;uch a <HI>Bloudy,</HI> and <HI>Unrighteous</HI> and <HI>hypocritical Gene|ration;</HI> and this We are ready to &s;eal with our <HI>Bloud</HI> for the breaking of your <HI>Bloudy Law.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>From us, who are in &s;corn called <HI>Quakers,</HI> who are Sufferers un|der <HI>Zions</HI> Op|pre&s;&s;ors. <DATE>The <HI>Sixth Moneth,</HI> 1659.</DATE> In the Common Goal in the <HI>Bloudy Town</HI> of <HI>Bo&s;ton.</HI></DATELINE>
<SIGNED><LIST>
<ITEM><HI>William Robin&s;on.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Marmaduke Stephen&s;on.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="195" REF="12" MS="y">
<HEAD>The 28th. of the 8th. Moneth, 1659.</HEAD>
<P><HI>ONce more to the general Court a&s;&s;embled in</HI> Bo&s;ton, <HI>&s;peakes</HI> Mary Dyar. <HI>Even as before, my Life is not accepted, nei|ther availeth me, in compari&s;on of the Lives, and Liberty of the Truth and Servants of the living God; for whom, in the bowels of Love and Meekne&s;s I &s;ought you: Yet neverthele&s;s, with wicked hands have you put two of them to Death; which makes me to feel that the</HI> mercies of the wicked, are cruelty. <HI>I rather choo&s;e to dye than live, as from you (who are guilty of their innocent blood) Therefore &s;eeing my reque&s;t is hindred, I leave you to the Righteous Judge, and Father of all Hearts; who, with the pure mea&s;ure of Light He hath given to every man to perfect withal, will in His due time let you &s;ee who&s;e Servants you are, and of whom you have taken Coun&s;el; which I de&s;ire you to &s;earch into: But all his Coun|&s;el hath been &s;lighted, and</HI> you would none of His Reproof. <HI>Read your Portion,</HI> Prov. 1.24, <HI>to the</HI> 32. <HI>For verily,</HI> the night com|eth <HI>on you apace,</HI> wherein no man can work, <HI>in which you &s;hall a&s;&s;uredly fall to your own Ma&s;ter. In obedience to the Lord, whom I &s;erve with my &s;pirit, and pitty to your poor &s;ouls, which you nei|ther know nor pitty, I can do no le&s;s than once more to warn you to</HI> put away the Evil of your Doings, and Ki&s;&s;e the Son <HI>(the Light in you)</HI> before His Wrath be kindled <HI>in you; for where it is, there is nothing without you can help, or deliver you out of His hands at all. And if the&s;e things be not &s;o, then &s;ay, there hath been no Prophe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> from the Lord &s;ent among&s;t you: Though we be nothing, yet it is His plea&s;ure to bring to nought things that are.</HI></P>
<P><HI>When I heard your la&s;t Order read, it was a di&s;turbance to me, that was &s;o freely offering up my Life to Him that gave it me, and &s;ent me hither &s;o to do: Which Obedience, being His own Work, He gloriou&s;ly accompanied with His Pre&s;ence, Peace and Love in me, in which I re&s;ted from labor; till by your Order, and the People, I was &s;o far di&s;turbed, that I could not retain any more of the words thereof, than that I &s;hould return to Pri&s;on, and there remain forty eight hours: To which I &s;ubmitted, finding nothing from the Lord to the contrary, that I may know what His Plea&s;ure and Coun|&s;el
<PB N="196" REF="13" MS="y">is, concerning me, in whom I wait therefore; For, He is my Life, and the length of my days: And as I &s;aid before, I came at His Command, and go at His Command.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>MARY DYAR.</SIGNED>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<P>This was given them at the fir&s;t time, after &s;he re|turned from the place of Execution.</P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>To Friends in <HI>New-England,</HI> or where this may come, Greeting.</HEAD>
<P><HI>IN your meeting together, and attending at the foot-&s;tool of the Altar, waiting to be fed with the Bread of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">fe, which through death to all things that the carnal mind hath fed upon, or delighted in, either in corruption or birth, either in thought or acti|on, whether things in Heaven, or things in Earth; for verily all old things mu&s;t be di&s;&s;olved before the eternal Spirit, which as a de|vouring fire and everla&s;ting burning, is now entred into the Regions of the Earth, and hath manife&s;ted it &s;elf unto you, that thereby you might profit, and be had and in&s;tructed in the way of holine&s;s, and as an earne&s;t of the glorious Inheritance, that never fades away, hath from time to time mini&s;tred comfort, joy, and peace in the holy Place within the Vail, as you have patiently waited, through pangs of death, to the old nature, and in meekne&s;s and content, when darkne&s;s was over the Land, have indured the &s;haking of the Earth, and ter|rible rending of the Vail. I &s;ay, as you, in any mea&s;ure, have come through the&s;e things, even &s;o in mea&s;ure have every one of you ta&s;ted of the Bread of Life, and hidden</HI> Manna <HI>which within the Ark is laid up for all the followers of the Lamb, through great Tri|bulations, which plentifully you will meet withal in the worldly Re|gions, both within and without. And although, my dear Friends, the fruits of</HI> Sodom <HI>and</HI> Egypt, <HI>as they do outwardly appear in many, as pride, wantonne&s;s, revilings, and the like, are done away; yet you will find many dangerous and hurtful lu&s;ts, ari&s;ing out of the nature of &s;pirtual</HI> Sodom <HI>within, which will &s;trongly a&s;&s;ault you
<PB N="197" REF="13" MS="y">when the light of the Sun is but a little withdrawn, and pa&s;&s;ing un|der a cloud; through which if ye wait patiently for the next appear|ance, it will &s;hine more glorious and higher than before. Yet di|vers wayes will the enemy of your &s;oul appear at &s;uch a time, to draw you a&s;ide from the hope of the Go&s;pel, and expectation of injoying the righteou&s;nes and heavenly trea&s;ure, which therein was revealed, when the glorious Light in full power &s;hined in the earthen Ve&s;&s;el, and will &s;trive to make void all that you have received, as the earne&s;t of the purcha&s;ed Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; by pre&s;enting before you the hardne&s;s of the way, and bringing to mind, things you were formerly in bond|age to; yea, and to tell you, ye may eat and not die. The&s;e things and more unutterable, will the &s;pirit, (who&s;e progre&s;&s;e is to and fro in the earth) pre&s;ent to your view, and feed the carnal withal: yet be|hold them all in the Light Eternal, and in their mo&s;t glorious ap|pearance, they are all but du&s;t, which is his own meat, whom you are to re&s;i&s;t &s;teadfa&s;tly in the power of the Spirit of Faith, which over|comes the World; and remember how the Lord did deliver you won|derfully in your former journeys, wherein you perfectly &s;aw the naked Arm of Gods &s;alvation; and He remaines the &s;ame in Him&s;elf, ye&s;terday, and to day, and for ever; although the enemy, while the cloud was over the Ark, (for that is his time to work)</HI> goeth a|bout, <HI>in the airy part,</HI> &s;eeking whom he may devour, <HI>did &s;trongly tempt to prevail, as if you were in the wilderne&s;s of &s;in, to lead you back again, in your hearts, into &s;piritual</HI> Egypt; <HI>for it is within he thus &s;ubtilly works; and I well knowing it, cannot forbear to exhort you in the clean fear of the Lord God, that you with the eye of your mind, retyred out of all things vi&s;ible, there to wait &s;till and quiet, and cea&s;ing from all &s;elf-working, may with meekne&s;&s;e receive Pow|er, Might, Dominion, and perfect Strength, again&s;t all that ever the enemy did appear in; and in this condition of the free &s;aving Grace of God, which is appeared for your Deliverance and Teacher, you may learn to grow from grace to grace, into the knowledge of the wonderful works of God, which your forefathers &s;aw, and many things happened them for our En&s;amples, and are written for our learning Spiritually, and the &s;ame way you are to travel, as they did who were baptized into</HI> Mo&s;es, <HI>and &s;o pro|ceeding, you will find the &s;ame &s;piritual meat, from the lea&s;t to the greate&s;t of you; and he that gathereth mo&s;t, will have nono over; and behold I te&s;tifie (as the lea&s;t among many Brethren) that
<PB N="198" REF="14" MS="y">he that gathereth little hath no lack, but in his father's hou&s;e feeds on the Bread of Life; the nouri&s;hment and vertue of it will make the lea&s;t, as &s;trong as</HI> David, <HI>and give power over all &s;piritual enemies, though every one in the Camp were as great as</HI> Go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">h. <HI>And thus to this day hath the Lord pre&s;erved me in the Power of the endle&s;s Life, where, like a Beacon on a Hill, the Watchers fired and filled with Zeal to give others warning of the nigh approaching of the Enemy, who lyes lurking in the nature of Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, ready upon all opportunities to appear in evil thoughts, lu&s;ts, &amp;c. and &s;o to de|file the Temple, if not re&s;i&s;ted in the fir&s;t motion. And as the Crea|ture gives way to the Temptation of the De&s;troyer, he will grow cold, and his Zeal towards God, and love to his People will wither, and &s;ometimes be hardly drawn to their A&s;&s;emblies; And all this while he may walk under covert of an outward profe&s;&s;ion of Truth, yet grow not at all; for having oyned with that in the motion, although not brought forth into the act that hides from the pre&s;ence of the Lord, and keeps from &s;weet Nouri&s;hment of the Vine, which cau|&s;eth all that abides in it to bring forth fruit; as the heat of the Sun cau&s;eth the tender herb to &s;pring. And whoever comes into this condition, the &s;ingle Eye di&s;cerns him, and the Faithful goes about mourning, and &s;aying, How have &s;uch defiled the Bed of Virgi|nity, who once in a great mea&s;ure had e&s;caped the Corruptions that are in the World through lu&s;t; and although I am per&s;waded better things of you, yet my Beloved Friends, who are dear unto me, as you abide in that which crucifies you to the World, wherein I dearly ex|hort you to abide, as it ari&s;eth in you, and put it on as a garment of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, wherein from faith to faith you may pa&s;&s;e on, and &s;o preach Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e to the old World, and in it you will be pre|&s;erved, as in an Ark, from the De&s;truction, like a flood, that will a&s;&s;uredly come upon the World of Ungodly: And in all your tryals and troubles, look and wait for the Power that once delivered you, and again and again it will deliver you from the power of the Dogg, and work mightily in you; that with willing mind you deny all for its &s;ake, until the Image of the Beloved be formed in you, and you in Him, where in Love ye will be accepted, and the knowledge of his My&s;tery, manife&s;ted in fle&s;h, in every mea&s;ure of it, is and will be &s;o far above all the Glory, Trea&s;ure, and Plea&s;ure of the Land of Darkne&s;s, that it will wholly take the Meditations out of them, as if they were not worth the minding no more than dro&s;&s;e or du&s;t; yea,
<PB N="191" REF="14" MS="y">or what&s;oever el&s;e may attend or can come upon tho&s;e that follow the Light, as Per&s;ecution, Di&s;tre&s;s, Affliction, Famine, Nakedne&s;s, Perils in the Wilderne&s;s, in the Sea, in the City, yea, or Death it &s;elf; I am per&s;waded that Gods Armour of Light, as it is lived in and loved, will pre&s;erve them. And I further te&s;tifie in the Fear of the Lord God, and witne&s;s with a Pen of Trembling, That the noi&s;e of the Whip on my Back, all the Impri&s;onments and Bani&s;h|ing upon pain of Death, and after returning, the loud threatning &s;ound of an Halter from their mouths, who,</HI> Jezebel-<HI>like, &s;ate on the Imperious Throne of Iniquity, did no more affright me, through the &s;trength of the Power of God in me, than if they had threatned to have bound a Spiders Web to my Finger; which makes me &s;ay with unfeigned lips,</HI> Wait upon the Lord, O my &s;oul for ever, who hath made known unto me his loving-kindne&s;s, when I even thir&s;ted for Him, and kept my &s;eet upon the Rock, whil&s;t the raging Waves of the Sea went over my back; whil&s;t for the Truth and Cau&s;e of God's People I have been freely offered up, and am not at all &s;traightned to be baptized for the dead, whether into Death, or otherwi&s;e; following his Example, who laid down his Life for his Enemies: <HI>And herein the Record in Heaven knows I lye not, and the Witne&s;s in Earth is bearing is it|ne&s;s to me, that I yet do not (as I have not hitherto) &s;eek to with|draw my Cheek from the Smiter, nor to turn a&s;ide my feet from the foot&s;teps of the Flock; as witne&s;s this Chain and Log at my Leg: but do de&s;ire, &s;o far as the Lord draws me, to follow my fore|fathers and Brethren in Suffering and in Joy: Wherefore my &s;pirit waits and wor&s;hips at the feet of</HI> Emmanuel, <HI>unto whom I commit my Cau&s;e, who may work my bodies deliverance; if not, yet the Freedom, Peace, Joy and Patience, which in the mid&s;t of trouble I have enjoyed, and I believe &s;hall continue from Him, &s;hall fully &s;atisfie me; for which let my &s;oul, and all that is within me, prai&s;e him for ever and ever. And I &s;hall continue my Exhortation to you, earne&s;tly de&s;iring ye may wait to feel the Love and Life of God flow in your particular Ve&s;&s;els, and therein watch over and &s;erve one another; and let the Strong and Faithful among you dwell in the Power, that he may have a Garment ready to cover the Nakedne&s;s of the Weak; and if the Tares at any time appear, let Wi&s;dom and the Spirit of Meekne&s;s be alwayes u&s;ed to &s;eparate the
<PB N="192" REF="15" MS="y">Tares from the Wheat, both in the ground and off-&s;pring, that the bearer may clearly &s;ee it, and then if he will not put in his &s;harp|thre&s;hing In&s;trument to cut them down, his blood will be required at his hands, and with compa&s;&s;ion pour Oyl into the wounds of the wounded, and bring them into the hou&s;e where Salvation is; for the hope of Glory in you is come to &s;ave that which was lo&s;t; &s;o the Plant of God will grow, the Thorns and Thi&s;tles will be cut down, and the Ground clean&s;ed that the Cour&s;e may be no more; and if the Weeds &s;hould appear again, let them &s;till be trodden down and broken off the Root, and in time you &s;hall &s;ee them dye at the Root, and then the Plant of Renown, the Stem of the Root of</HI> Je&s;&s;e <HI>within its &s;eed and beginning, may truly be re&s;embled to the little Mu&s;tard|&s;eed, which will grow and pro&s;per, and be watered with the dew of Heaven, which, like &s;oft drops of Balm, will gently fall on the branches thereof; as Patience working unto Perfection, waits to en|ter at the door of Life, without climbing one &s;tep to &s;atisfie the Lion of greedy de&s;ire, but let it &s;uffer hunger, yea and death al&s;o, through which you will find entrance into the green and plea&s;ant Pa&s;tures of the Folds, where you &s;hall feed as the Herd in the low Valeys of</HI> Acho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, <HI>the entrance thereof will be a Door of Hope in the day of your greate&s;t need and &s;piritual hunger, when Experience and Hope is added to your Patience: And at the Thre&s;hold theroof I leave all that hunger and thir&s;t after Righteou&s;ne&s;s to enjoy the De&s;ire of their Souls.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Bo&s;ton-Pri&s;on</HI> in <HI>New-England,</HI> <DATE>1660.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>William Leddra.</SIGNED>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<P>This was given forth about three months before he &s;uffered, and was copyed by W. <HI>Coddington</HI> of <HI>Rhoad I&s;land.</HI></P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="193" REF="15" MS="y">
<HEAD>An EPISTLE of <HI>WILLIAM LEDDRA,</HI> to Friends, written by him the day before he was put to Death.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the Society of the Little Flock of Chri&s;t, Grace and Peace be Multiplied.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Mo&s;t Dear and inwardly Beloved,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THe &s;weet Influences of the <HI>Morning-Star,</HI> like a Flood <HI>di&s;tilling</HI> into my <HI>Innocent Habitation,</HI> hath &s;o <HI>filled</HI> me with the <HI>Joy</HI> of the <HI>Lord</HI> in the <HI>Beauty</HI> of <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> that my Spirit <HI>is</HI> as if it did not <HI>Inhabit</HI> a <HI>Tabernacle</HI> of <HI>Clay,</HI> but is wholly <HI>&s;wallowed up</HI> in the <HI>bo&s;ome</HI> of <HI>Eternity,</HI> from <HI>whence</HI> it had its <HI>being.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Alas, alas!</HI> What can the <HI>Wrath</HI> and <HI>Spirit</HI> of <HI>man</HI> that <HI>lu&s;teth</HI> to <HI>Envy, aggravated</HI> by the <HI>heat</HI> and <HI>&s;trength</HI> of the <HI>King</HI> of the <HI>Locus</HI> which came out of the <HI>Pit, do</HI> unto <HI>one</HI> that is <HI>hid in the Se|cret Places of the Almighty?</HI> or, unto <HI>them</HI> that are <HI>gathered under the healing wings of the Prince of Peace?</HI> under who&s;e <HI>Armor</HI> of <HI>Light,</HI> they &s;hall be able to <HI>&s;tand</HI> in the <HI>day</HI> of <HI>trial, having on the brea&s;t-plate of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and the &s;word of the Spirit, which is their weapon of war again&s;t Spiritual wickedne&s;s, Principalities and Powers, and the Rulers of the darkne&s;s of this World,</HI> both within and without! Oh my Beloved! <HI>I have waited as a Dove at the Windows of the Ark,</HI> and have <HI>&s;tood &s;till in that watch,</HI> which the <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> (without whom I could do nothing) <HI>did</HI> at his coming <HI>reward</HI> with <HI>fulne&s;s</HI> of his <HI>Love,</HI> wherein my heart did rejoyce, that I might in the <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Life</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> &s;peak a few words to you, <HI>&s;ealed with the Spirit of Promi&s;e,</HI> that the <HI>ta&s;te</HI> thereof might be a <HI>&s;avor</HI> of <HI>Life</HI> to your <HI>Life,</HI> and a <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> in you of my <HI>Innocent Death:</HI> And if I had been altogether &s;ilent, and the Lord had not opened my mouth unto you, yet he would have opened your hearts, and there have &s;ealed <HI>my Innocency</HI> with the <HI>&s;treams of Life,</HI> by which we are all <HI>Bapti|zed into that body which is in God, with whom and in who&s;e pre&s;ence there is Life;</HI> in which as you <HI>abide,</HI> you <HI>&s;tand</HI> upon the <HI>pillar</HI>
<PB N="194" REF="16" MS="y">and <HI>ground</HI> of <HI>Truth:</HI> For, the <HI>Life</HI> being the <HI>Truth</HI> and the <HI>Way,</HI> go not one &s;tep without it, le&s;t <HI>you &s;hould compa&s;s a Moun|tain in the Wilderne&s;s;</HI> for <HI>unto every thing there is a &s;ea&s;on.</HI> As the <HI>Flowing</HI> of the <HI>Ocean</HI> doth <HI>fill</HI> every <HI>creek</HI> and <HI>branch</HI> thereof, and then <HI>retires</HI> again towards its own <HI>being</HI> and <HI>fulne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>leaves</HI> a <HI>&s;avor behind</HI> it; &s;o doth the <HI>Life</HI> and <HI>Virtue</HI> of <HI>God flow</HI> into every one of your hearts, <HI>whom He hath made partakers of his Divine Nature,</HI> and when it <HI>withdraws</HI> but a <HI>little,</HI> it <HI>leaves</HI> a <HI>&s;weet favor</HI> behind it, that many can &s;ay, they <HI>are made clean through the Word that He hath &s;poken to them:</HI> In which <HI>Inno|cent Condition</HI> you may &s;ee <HI>what you are in the pre&s;ence of God,</HI> and <HI>what you are without Him.</HI> Therefore my <HI>Dear hearts,</HI> let the <HI>enjoyment</HI> of the <HI>Life</HI> alone, be your <HI>Hope,</HI> your <HI>Joy</HI> and <HI>Con&s;olation,</HI> and let the <HI>Man</HI> of <HI>God flee</HI> tho&s;e <HI>things</HI> that would <HI>lead</HI> the <HI>Mind</HI> out of the <HI>Cro&s;&s;e,</HI> for then the <HI>Savor</HI> of the <HI>Life</HI> will be <HI>buried:</HI> And although &s;ome may &s;peak of things that they <HI>received</HI> in the <HI>Life,</HI> as <HI>experiences,</HI> yet the <HI>Life</HI> being <HI>vail|ed,</HI> and the <HI>&s;avor</HI> that it <HI>left behind,</HI> wa&s;hed away by the fre&s;h floods of Temptation, the <HI>Condition</HI> that they did <HI>enjoy</HI> in the <HI>Life, boa&s;ted of</HI> by the <HI>A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ery Thing,</HI> will be like the <HI>Manna</HI> that was <HI>gathered Ye&s;lerday,</HI> without any <HI>good &s;cent</HI> or <HI>&s;avor:</HI>For it was onely <HI>well</HI> with the <HI>Man</HI> while he was in the <HI>Life</HI> of <HI>Inno|cency,</HI> but being <HI>drivea</HI> from the <HI>Pre&s;ence</HI> of the <HI>Lord</HI> into the <HI>Earth,</HI> what can he <HI>boa&s;t</HI> of? And although you know the&s;e things, and (many of you) much more than I can &s;ay; yet for the Love and Zeal I bear to the <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Honour</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> and tender de&s;ire of my Soul to tho&s;e that are young, that they may read me in that from which I write, to &s;tren <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hen them again&s;t the wiles of the &s;ubtil Serpent that beguiled <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ve;</HI> I &s;ay, <HI>&s;tand in the Watch within,</HI> in the <HI>Fear of the Lord,</HI> which is the <HI>ve|ry Entrance of Wi&s;dom,</HI> and the <HI>State</HI> where you are <HI>ready</HI> to <HI>re|ceive</HI> the <HI>Secrets</HI> of the <HI>Lord: Hunger</HI> and <HI>Thir&s;t patiently,</HI> be not <HI>weary,</HI> neither <HI>doubt; &s;tand &s;till</HI> and <HI>cea&s;e</HI> from thy <HI>own</HI> work|ing, and <HI>in due time thou &s;halt enter into the Rest, and thy Eyes &s;hall behold thy Salvation, who&s;e Te&s;timonies are &s;ure and righteous altogether: Let them be as a Seal upon thine Arm, and as Jewels about thy Neck,</HI> that others may &s;ee <HI>what the Lord hath done for your Souls: Confe&s;&s;e Him before Men,</HI> yea before His greate&s;t Enemies, <HI>Fear not what they can do unto you: Greater is He
<PB N="195" REF="16" MS="y">that is in you, than he that is in the World:</HI> For he will <HI>cloath you with Humility,</HI> and in the <HI>power of His Meekne&s;s</HI> you &s;hall <HI>reign</HI> over all the <HI>rage</HI> of your <HI>Enemies</HI> in the <HI>favour</HI> of <HI>God;</HI> wherein as you <HI>&s;tand</HI> in <HI>Faith,</HI> ye are the <HI>Salt of the Earth;</HI> For <HI>many &s;eeing your good works, may glorify God in the day of their Vi|tation.</HI> Take heed of <HI>receiving</HI> that which you <HI>&s;aw</HI> not in your <HI>Life,</HI> le&s;t you give ear to the Enemy; Bring all things to the <HI>Life</HI> that they may be <HI>proved,</HI> whether they be <HI>wrought</HI> in <HI>God<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> The Love of the World, the Lu&s;t of the Fle&s;h, and the Lu&s;t of the Eye, are without the Light, in the World;</HI> therefore <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e</HI> your <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> in all <HI>Sanctification</HI> and <HI>Honour,</HI> and let your <HI>Eye look</HI> at the <HI>Mark; He that hath called you is holy:</HI> And if there be an <HI>Eye that offends, pluck it out, and ca&s;t it from you:</HI> Let not a <HI>Temptation</HI> take hold, for if you do, it will keep from the <HI>Fa|vour,</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> and that will be a <HI>&s;ad &s;tate:</HI> For without <HI>Grace po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed,</HI> there is no <HI>a&s;&s;urance</HI> of <HI>Salvation; By Grace you are &s;aved,</HI> and the <HI>Witne&s;&s;ing</HI> of it is <HI>&s;ufficient</HI> for you; to which I commend you all my <HI>Dear Friends,</HI> and in it remain,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>You Brother, <HI>William Leddra.</HI></SIGNED> <DATELINE><HI>Bo&s;ton</HI> Goal, <DATE>the 13 of the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> Moneth, 1660. 61.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>The 9th. of the fir&s;t. Moneth 1660. 61.</HEAD>
<P><HI>VVIlliam Leddra</HI> being called before the Court, and they having found him guilty, that by their Law he was to die. He asked them, <HI>What Evil he had done?</HI></P>
<P>They <HI>An&s;wered,</HI> His own Confe&s;&s;ion was as good as a thou|&s;and Witne&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>He Asked, <HI>What was that?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> He owned tho&s;e that were put to Death, and that they were Innocent, for which they died; and that he would not put off his Hat in the Court; and that he would &s;ay, <HI>Thee</HI> and <HI>Thou</HI> to the Magi&s;trates.</P>
<P><HI>Then &s;aid he, You will put me to Death for &s;peaking Engli&s;h, and for not pulling off my Cloathes.</HI></P>
<PB N="196" REF="17" MS="y">
<P> Then <HI>Daniel Deni&s;on</HI> &s;aid, A man may &s;peak Trea&s;o Engli&s;h.</P>
<P>Then <HI>William</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Let us come to the Thing in hand; Is it evil to &s;ay</HI> Thee <HI>and</HI> Thou <HI>to a &s;ingle Per&s;on?</HI> To it they An&s;wer|ed not.</P>
<P>Then one of the Court asked him, If he would Recant of tho&s;e Errors?</P>
<P>He <HI>An&s;wered, What, to joyn with &s;uch Murderers as you are?</HI> Then let every man that meets me &s;ay, <HI>This is the man that hath for&s;aken the God of his Salvation.</HI></P>
<P>They &s;aid unto him, the la&s;t general Court he had the liber|ty granted him to go for <HI>England,</HI> or go out of their Juri&s;dicti|on; and promi&s;ing to come here no more, he might &s;ave his Life.</P>
<P>He <HI>An&s;wered, I &s;tand not in my own Will, but in the Will of the Lord, if I may have my freedom I &s;hall go, but to make &s;uch a Pro|mi&s;e I cannot.</HI></P>
<P>After they proceeded to Pronounce the Sentence of Death, and the 14th. of the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> Month, 60.61. they went to the Place with a Band of Men, and put him to Death. When he came upon the Ladder, one &s;aid, <HI>William, Have you any thing to &s;ay to the People?</HI> and after &s;ome time he &s;aid, <HI>For the Te&s;ti|mony of Je&s;us, and for bearing witne&s;s again&s;t Seducers and Sedu|ced, I am come to this day.</HI> And the la&s;t words he &s;pake to be&s;t remembrance were, <HI>Lord Je&s;us receive my &s;oul, for unto thee I commit my &s;pirit.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>This was &s;ent me by <HI>Nicholas Up&s;hal,</HI> and Coppied by me, <HI>William Coddington,</HI> of <HI>Rhoad</HI> I&s;land.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="197" REF="17" MS="y">
<HEAD>The COPY o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a LETTER from a Stranger to his Friend, touching the Death of <HI>W. Leddra.</HI></HEAD>
<HEAD><HI>Bo&s;ton, March</HI> 26. 1661.</HEAD>
<P>ON the 14th of this in&s;tant here was one <HI>William Leddra,</HI> which was put to Death. The People of the Town told me, he might go away if he would; but when I made further Enquiry, I heard the Mar|&s;hal &s;ay, <HI>That he was chained in Pri&s;en from the time he was Condemned to the day of his Execution.</HI> I am not of his Opinion: but yet truly me thought the Lord did mightily appear in the man. I went to one of the Magi&s;trates of <HI>Cambridge,</HI> who had been of the Jury that condemned him (as he told me him&s;elf) and I asked him by what Rule he did it? He an&s;wered me, <HI>That he was a Rogue, a very Rogue:</HI> But what is this to the Que&s;tion (I &s;aid) where is your Rule? He &s;aid <HI>be had abu&s;ed Authority.</HI> Then I goes after the
<NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="foot">William Leddra.</NOTE> man, and asked him, Whether he did not look on it as a breach of a Rule, to &s;light and undervalue Authority? and I &s;aid that <HI>Paul</HI> gave <HI>Fe&s;tus</HI> the title of <HI>Honour,</HI> though he was a Heathen (I do not &s;ay the&s;e Magi|&s;trates are Heathens.) I &s;aid then when the man was on the Ladder (who looked on me, and called me Friend, and &s;aid, <HI>Know, that this day I am willing to offer up my Life for the Witne&s;s of JESUS</HI>) Then I de&s;ired leave of the Officers to &s;peak: and &s;aid, <HI>Gentle|men, I am a &s;tranger both to your Per&s;ons and Country, and yet a friend to both:</HI> and I cryed aloud, <HI>For the Lord's &s;ake, take not away the man's Life: but remember</HI>
<PB N="198" REF="18" MS="y">Gamaliel's <HI>Coun&s;el to the Jews; If this be of man, it will come to nought; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it: but be careful ye be not found fighters again&s;t God.</HI> And the Captain &s;aid, <HI>Why had you not come to the Pri&s;on?</HI> The Rea&s;on was, becau&s;e I heard the man might go if he would; and therefore I called him down from the Tree, and &s;aid, <HI>Come down</HI> William, <HI>you may go away if you will.</HI> Then Capt. <HI>Oliver</HI> &s;aid, <HI>it was no &s;uch matter;</HI> and asked; <HI>What <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> had to do with it?</HI> and be&s;ides, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ad me to be gone: And I told them <HI>I was willing; for I cannot endure to &s;ee this,</HI> I &s;aid. And when I was in the Town, &s;ome did &s;eem to &s;ympathize with me in my Grief. But I told them, <HI>that they had no Warrant from the Word of God; nor Pre&s;ident from our Country; nor Power from his Maje&s;tie to hang the Man.</HI> I re&s;t,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Friend, <HI>Thomas Wilk<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>To Mr. <HI>George Lad,</HI> Ma&s;ter of the <HI>Ame|rica</HI> of <HI>Dartmouth,</HI> now at <HI>Barbados.</HI></TRAILER>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="18">
</DIV1>
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