Nevv-England pesecutors [sic] mauled vvith their own vveapons giving some account of the bloody laws made at Boston against the kings subjects that dissented from their way of worship : together with a brief account of the imprisonment and tryal of Thomas Maule of Salem, for publishing a book entituled Truth held forth and maintained, &c. / by Tho. Philathes.

The Preface.

Christian Reader;

IT has not been without due Consideration, that we have seen cause to set forth and publish a true Account of some of the New-England Church Members cruel and bloody Laws, which through the Priests instigating the Magistrates, were by them made against both Quakers and all other Religious Persons within New-Englands Juris∣diction, that were found to dissent from their Worship, as also a short Relation of some few of the many Persons that suffered Persecution under the Anti-christian Power of the aforesaid Church, with some brief Observations on each Law, and the Preamble thereof. Unto which is added, an Account of the Priests, Rulers and Church Members great Hurly-burley or Confusion made about a late Book, entituled, Truth held forth and maintained, &c. by Thomas Maule of Salem, in which Book is contained thirty eight Chapters relating to the Principles of Truth, agreeing with the Testimony of the holy Prophets, Christ and his Apostles recorded in the holy Scriptures of Truth, together with an Account of Gods Judgments upon divers of the chief▪ persecuting Priests and Rulers, and a Decla∣ration, the late great ••udgment of God upon the Priests, Rulers & their F••llowers of whom Twenty were (through the Accusation ••y Specter Evidence, which Judgment con∣tinued

amongst the Inhabitants near or about Twelve Moneths, till at length there was so many of the Priests and Rulers, and others accounted eminent Persons, accused by the said Specter or Apparition, that the Rulers, with as much speed as they had condemned and put to Death, d••d now face about and clear the Prisons, both of the condem∣ned, as well as of all others accused by the said evidence for Witches, an Account of which is more at large to be seen in said Maules Book, of which Books the Persecutors sacrificed sixteen Pounds worth a burne Offering to their Anger and Revenge, the which by them was done, as also Imprisoning him about Twelve Months before that upon his Tryal he was cleared by a Jury that found him Not Guilty, the sums and substance of which tryal will appear in this Book, by which it doth manifestly appear, that many of the New-England Priests and Rulers, with many of their Church-Member Bre••hren in ••n••quity, do remain in the same, when they fled from Old England to save their Purses and Bodies from suffering by the Bishops Power, for their dissenting from their Mother Church, against whom it will sufficiently appear, have rebelled, by per∣secuting several Persons thereunto belonging, as well as all other Religious Persons found within their Jurisdiction, to dissent from their Priests Worship. As for Instance, soon after they came and had settled themselves in this Land, they began to persecute after a•• horrible rate, and in a cruel bloody manner did they persec••te Ann Hutchinsan, and that Company, of whom some wer•••• barbarously mur∣dered; so also was Mr. Clark and that Company, great Sufferers; as likwise Samuell Gorton and that Company, who for the want of one more casting Vot••, escaped the

Gallows for a Dissenter; and the Sufferings of the Lady Moody, with many others, was very great; as also was the Sufferings of Mr. Williams, Obadiah Homes, Mr. Donstor the President, and many others, of whom I shall hereafter more at large relate; about which time the Priests were so beset with the Baptists, Quakers, and the Church of England, that it caused thè Hirelings to roar out in their Pulp••••s for the help of Moses, otherwise Aaron must fall, and then they are all undone; whereupon the Magistrates mustered the Priests Drudges together, and to work they went against Dissenters, with all the strength of their Faith Defenders, which mostly fell upon the Innocent Quakers, as will hereafter appeare, which had these Per∣secuters manifested the least Repentance would have pre∣vented the Authur from publishing the following Account of their bloody Laws, and the cruel barbarous Works acted and done thereby to the Kings good Subjects within New-Englands Jurisdiction.

Tho. Thilathes.