The danger of tolerating levellers in a civil state, or, An historicall narration of the dangerous pernicious practices and opinions wherewith Samuel Gorton and his levelling accomplices so much disturbed and molested the severall plantations in New-England parallel to the positions and proceedings of the present levellers in Old-England : wherein their severall errors dangerous and very destructive to the peace both of church and state ... together with the course that was there taken for suppressing them are fully set forth, with a satisfactory answer to their complaints made to the Parliament / by Edw. Winslow of Plymouth in New-England.

The Publisher to the Reader.

THE reason wherefore nothing is answered to the great charge in his voluminous Postscript, is because it hath been answered already by a former treatise printed: but more especially because many of the friends, children and kindred of the dead are in good esteeme with us, whom I am loath to grieve.

But since by course thou art next to cast thine eye Gentle Reader upon the summe of a Presentment which the Court at Road Iland re∣ceived from their Grand Jewry being present when Samu••l Gorton had so much abused their Government in the face of the Country, yea in open Court, their owne eyes and eares bearing witnesse thereunto, they I say presented these abuses to the Court, as such which they conceived ought not to bee borne without ruine to their Govern∣ment, and therefore besought the bench to thinke of some one pu∣nishment for examples sake as well as otherwise to bee inflicted o•• the Delinquent.

And therefore that thou maist see the occasion thereof, take no∣tice that an ancient woman having a Cow going in the field where

Samuel Gorton had some land. This woman fetching out her Cow, Gortons servant maid fell violently upon the woman beating and no∣toriously abusing her by tearing her haire about her, whereupon the old woman complaining to the Deputy Governour of the place, hee sendeth for the maid, and upon hearing the cause, bound her over to the Court. The time being come and the Court set, Gor∣ton appeares himselfe in the defence of his maid, and would not suf∣fer his maid to appeare or make answer, but said expresly she should not appeare, and that if they had any thing against her they should proceed with him. And though hee was lovingly disswaded by some of the Bench not to engage himselfe but let his maid appeare▪ yet hee refused: but when hee could not bee prevailed with, the action was called and witnesses produced, sworne, and examined: which being done, hee moved for another witnesse to bee called, which hee perswaded himselfe and the Bench was an honest wo∣man and would speake the truth. Now shee being sworne, said, Mr. Gorton, I can speake nothing will helpe your maid. And indeed her whole testimony was against her and for the old womans cause, whereupon hee openly said, Take heed thou wicked woman, the earth doth not open and swallow thee up. And then hee demand∣ed of the Court if hee should have equity and justice in his cause or no? To which was answered, if he had either plea or evidence to produce in his maids cause it should be heard. Then hee nomina∣ted one Weekes who could say something to it. Weekes was called and required to take his oath before hee spake; at which Gorton and Weekes both of them jeered and laughed and told the Court they were skilled in Idols, and that was one, and stood stoutly a long time to makeit good. Hereupon some of the Court put him in mind how they had forewarned him of such carriages fearing he would fall in∣to some extreames. At length the Governour gathering up the summe of what was witnessed, commends it to the Jewry. At which time Gorton said, the Court had perverted Justice and wrested the witnesses, with very many high and reproachfull termes; and in the midst of his violence throwing his hands about, hee touched the Deputy Gove••nour with his handkerchiefe buttons about his eares (who it seemes sate at a Table with his backe towards him) whereupon the Deputy said, what will you fall about my eares? To which Gorton▪ answered I know not whether you have any eares or no? and if you have, I know not where they stand; but I will not

touch them with a paire of Tongues. The Governour often cal∣ling upon the Jewry to attend the Cause, was as often interrupted by him. Where upon many of their Freemen being present, desi∣red the Court they would not suffer such insolencies, professing they were troubled the Court had borne with them so long. For which in briefe, hee was committed, but when the Governour bade the Marshall take him away; hee bade take away Coddington, which was their Governours name: a thing I thought meet to explaine, lest thou shouldst not understand it by the Heads of the Presentment here following, abusing all and every particular of the Magistrates with opprobrious terms. But note when hee was committed upon his mutinous and seditious speeches, Weekes, Holden, &c. his abet∣tors, stopped the way with such insolency, as the Governour was forced to rise from the Bench, to helpe forward the Command with his person, in clearing the way, put Weekes in the stocks, and was forced to command a guard of armed men to preserve them∣selves and the peace of the place: And this they did because of some fore-going jealousies; and now taking occasion to search the houses of that party that adhered to him, they found many of their peeces laden with bullet: and by meanes hereof they were for∣ced to continue their guard, whilst upon their banishment they were forced from the Island.

And however it were enough for a Book alone to relate all the particulars of his insolent carriage, yet take notice onely of two or three particulars: •• When hee was censured to bee whipt and banished, he appealed to England; they asked to whom? Hee said with a loud voice, To King Charles. They told him, hee should first have his punishment, and then afterwards hee might complain. To which hee replyed, take notice I appeale to King Charles, C••••lv, or Selah; the party who was present told mee hee could not tell which, but that word was spoken with an extraordinary high and loud voice.

A second thing to be observed, was, that after hee had been so deservedly whipt, some of his faction said, Now Christ Jesus had suffered.

And thirdly, although the weather was very cold, the Governour going away after execution of Justice upon him, yet he ran a ••••od way after the Governour, drawing a chaine after one of his ••gs, the upper part of his body being still naked, and told him, He had

but lent him this, and hee should surely have it again. All this I had from a man of very good repute, who then lived with them, and was an eye and ea••e witnesse to all these proceedings.

In the next place take notice good Reader, that when hee went from hence well whipt, as before, and entred upon his banishment, the place hee went to (in a sharpe season) was a Town called Provi∣dence, where Mr. Roger Williams, & divers others lived, who in regard of the season, entertained them with much humane curtesie, but the Gortonians, answered all like AEsops snake, as thou maist read by the severall Letters of the chief Inhabitants of that place, by a notorious faction there also by them raised, to the great distracti∣on and amazement of the Inhabitants, as appeareth by their dole∣full complaints in their own Letters, a true Copy whereof I present unto thee.