Something in answer to a letter (which I have seen) of John Leverat, governour of Boston, to William Coddington, governour of Rhode-Island, dated 1677 wherein he mentions my name and also wherein John Leverat justifies Roger Williams's book of lyes.

Something in ANSWER TO A LETTER (Which I have seen) Of John Leverat Governour of Boston, TO William Coddington Governour of Rode-Island, Dated, 1677.

Wherein he mentions my Name, and also wherein John Leverat justifies Roger Williams's BOOK of LYES.

JOhn Leverat faith, I am not asham'd to own my taking Care for, and being at the Charge of the coming forth of Roger Williams's Book, entituled, Gorge Fox digged out of his Borrows — And in it there is asserting many great Truths, which they, you call Friends, turn from, &c — And thou sayst con∣cerning the rest of William Coddington's Letter, Thou wouldest leave it to R. Williams, who is better able to answer then thy self, &c.

Answ. And yet thou Patronizest his Book, and art at the Charge of bringing it forth. But what Troths those are,

which William Coddington's Friends have turned from, thou hast not declared; so these are but general Calumnies. For there are no Truths, either from God or Christ, Prophets or Apostles, but we own them all. And thou who hast been found in the Steps of the former Persecutors of the Servants of the Lord (as instance the persecuting Margaret Brewster) it was likely, that thou wouldst be at the Charges of Printing and Patroni∣zing Roger Williams his Book of Forgeries and Lyes, rather than to encourage Truth. But how darest thou or Roger Williams professing Truth or Christianity) say, That he digged George Fox out of his Burrows, when that he neither spoke to him nor writ to him, when G. F. was at Rode. Island, and at Providence, and at Narragansit some Moneths? when all this time Roger Williams lay in his own Burrows (as he phraseth it. And did not your Priests at Boston lie in their Burrows when James Lan∣caster and John Stubbs desired a publick Discourse with them, though they could not allow them the Title, as true Christians, because of their Bloody Persecuting Spirit? And why could not your Priests have discoursed with M. Brewster, but deliver'd her up to the Barbarous Multitude, and to the secular Pōwer, Papist like? And thou giving command to Whip her, and cast her into Goal; Was she a Gain sayer? where were your Priests that they could not stop her Mouth then? were not your Priest, in their Burrows? If she had not been fent of God its like thou mightst have been at Charges to have sent for R. Williams to have helpt you, and digged him out of his Burrows. It is a Shame for you to feed a Company of Priests in their Burrows, when that a poor simple Woman should leave her Family, and come some Thousands of Miles, and be as a Sign among you of your Shame and Nakedness of God's Armour and Spiritual Wea∣pons, who had no better Entertainment from you but Blows and Prisons, and your Whips and Stocks, which manifests your Diabolical Spirit, which thou speakest of (and not the Spirit of Christ) and your Nakedness of the Armoun of God and spiri∣tual Weapons, and your Poverty of Heavenly Vertue and Spi∣ritual Treasure. For were not your People as Mad in an Ʋp∣roar, like Diana's People against Paul, and as Mad as the Jews

were against Christ and his Apostles? And was not all Jerusalem in an Ʋproar when Christ was born, who were as great Professors of God, and Christ to come, as you are? And were not the Jew's in an Ʋproar against Paul, when he went into the Temple and shaved his Head?

And did not Isaiah go Three Years Barefoot and Naked, and a Sign and a Wonder, with his Buttocks uncovered. Psa. 20? And have not you appeared as Cruel as the Aegyptians, and as Black as the Aethiopians? And doth not the Prophet Isaiah say, Behold I and the Children which God hath given me, are for Signs and for Wonders in Israel (Isaiah 8. and Heb. 2.) So they have been for Signs and for Wonders to you. Was Isaiah led with a Diabolical Spirit when the Lord commanded him to strip himself and go NAKED so long? And was he in a Di∣abolical Shape? And wouldst not thou and your Priests have persecuted Isaiah (if you had been in his dayes) when he stript himself, and went NAKED?

And how darest thou say, that you were the Lord's People, and were peaceable and quiet in your Assembly, and Religiously Worshipping God in his Will, according to his Word? Which manifests, it was in your own Wills, your Fruits manifested it, by persecuting her that came in the Will of God.

And thou sayest, What thou didst therein (viz. in persecuting and whipping Margaret Brewster) was for the Lord, and by his Grace (thou sayest) I shall be yet more Vile, &c.

Answ. I am sorry to hear thee father thy Persecution upon the Lord God, who is Love, &c. or seek to make the Lord and his Grace the Author or Cause of thy bloody Persecuting of the Lord's Servant Margaret Brewster, who came peaceably amongst you in a Mournful State: For had not she Ashes upon her Head as a Sign, for the BLOOD of them which you had formerly put to Death, the MARTYRS of JESUS, and Whipt and Banished? Had not you better have mourned in Dust and Ashes, than to have Stript and Whipt her so Cruelly as you did? And did not you seek to take away her Life? And will not the King of Nineve rise up in Judgment against you, at the great Day of the Lord, who repented at the preaching of Jonah?

But Governour Leverat, seeing thou father'st thy WHIP∣PING and Persecuting of Margaret Brewster (that came peace∣ably amongst you) upon the Lord and his Grace; now I do de∣mand of thee, and of all the Priests in New-England, where ever Christ or his Apostles, and the Church in the primitive Times, who were in the Grace of God did WHIP & Impri∣son any that came amongst them, as a Sign, as Margaret Brew∣ster did to you some Thousands of Miles? For you profess the Scripture to be your Rule, therefore let me see any such Pra∣ctice and Example in the New Testament. Nay, doth not the Apostle say, That False Prophets, and False Apostles, and False Teachers, and Satan's Messengers were got among them? But where did ever the true Apostles, and Prophets, and Teachers, and those that were Helps in Governments in the Church of Christ, in his Grace, WHIP, or Imprison, or Persecute, or HANG, or put to Death, or BRAND in the Forehead with an Hot Iron, and Spoil the Goods of the False Apostles, Satan's Messengers, False Teachers, or the Unruly Talkers, Vain Dis∣puters, such as taught for Filthy Lucre, and minded Earthly Things, who served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own Bellies? I say, Where did ever the true Apostles and Teach∣ers Whip, Hang, Brand with an Hot Iron, Banish upon Pain of Death, and Spoil the Goods of such in the Apostles dayes? Let thee, and all the New-England Priests come out of your Burrows, and give us Chapter and Verse for it? Or did ever the Bishops in Old England Hang and Whip, Cut off Ears and Banish upon pain of Death any of you, and Brand in the Fore∣head, as you have done to some of the Servants of God that came amongst you? And did ever Christ Hang, Whip, Cut off Ears, Brand in the Forehead with an Hot Iron, Banish upon pain of Death such as did oppose him, and did not receive him, and blasphemed against Christ in the dayes of his Flesh, which is the Son of God, and King of Kings, who said, All Power in Heaven and Earth was given unto him; a greater Power than all you of New England have. Let all your Priests come forth and give us Chapter and Verse for this your Practice, or else for shame never say more, that the Scripture is your Rule.

And is not this the Command of Christ (to them that would have pluckt up the Tares) Let both Tares and Wheat grow toge∣ther, till the Harvest, left they pluck up the Wheat, &c. And did not Christ Rebuke such, as would have had their Lives de∣stroyed that did not receive him, and told them, They did not know what Spirit they were of, and how that he came to save mens Lives, and not to destroy them? And now have not New-England's Priests and Professors manifested themselves, that they do not know their own Spirits, neither what Spirit they are of, who have Banished upon pain of Death, Branded in the Forehead with an Hot Iron, Cut off Ears, Spoiled their Goods, put to Death and Whipped, as you have done, like the Papists and the Jews? For indeed, the Jews Whipt the Apostles, and persecuted them; and therefore how can you have the Name of true Christians, which do not shew forth the Fruits of Christ's Spirit, but to be such as go in Cain's Way, persecuting; and not in Abel's. And Christ's Command was, First to pluck the Beam out of their own Eye, before they judged others. And now see if the Beam be pluckt out of thy own Eye, and of the Priests.

And as for thy saying, There were many Truths in Roger Wil∣liams's Book, &c.

Answ. The Jews and Antichrists may speak True Words, and yet out of Truth; and the Devil could speak Scriptures, who abode not in the Truth, and there is no Truth in him. And so may Roger Williams speak some True Words, but is manifest∣ly out of it, as by his Book appears. And the Devil he was a Lyar and a Murderer from the beginning, and his Works you have done, as Christ said to the Jews, those great Professors. My Desires are, That you may give over your Work of Per∣secution, and come to be Meek and Humble, and Learn of Christ Jesus, who will never teach you to persecute. And do not father your Murdering, Bloody, Persecuting, Jewish and Popish Spirit upon God nor Christ, nor his Grace, because People will not bow to your Image, and receive your Rudi∣ments and Traditions, and your Precepts you teach for Do∣ctrine; but have neglected the Command of Christ, which is,

To love both Friends and Enemies. And you may see plainly, that Christ would have none put to Death for not recei∣ving him; and told them then, They did not know what Spi∣rit they were of: And is not Christ the same now, and this Persecuring Spirit the same now, as it was then, as your Fruits manifest? And therefore, how can you think that we can trust our Bodies, Souls and Spirits into your Hands, who do not know your own Spirits? But we commend them into the Hand of Christ Jesus, our Re∣deemer and Saviour, who hath bought us with his precious Blood.

And the Apostle saith, Be not forgetful to Entertain Stran∣gers, for some have entertained Angels unawares. And both the Law and Gospel commend this Practice. But your Pra∣ctice has clearly shewed the contrary. And therefore Re∣pent, and while you have time prize it. And if you have no Command from Christ nor his Apostles (who say the Scripture is your Rule for your Faith, Doctrine and Pra∣ctice) to Whip Men and Women till you cleaved the Teats of their Breasts (as you did to Anne Col••man) and to Cut Off Ears, and to Brand in the Forehead with and Hot Iron, and to Imprison and Banish upon Pain of Death, and to Hang, and to Spoil Goods (only upon the Account of Re∣ligion) and Seize upon Goods sent to others, that come by Ship, without giving any Account of them (as William Cod∣dington Governour of Rode-Island demanded) Have you not practised all these things contrary to the Rule of the New Te∣stament?

And when you fled out of Old England, upon the Ac∣count of Religion from the Bishops, and the KING was pleased to give you a Patent, did the King in his Patent allow or grant you, that you should Hang or Burn his Sub∣jects with a Hot Iron, and Cut Off Ears, and Banish upon pain of Death, and Spoil their Goods, and whip such as were not of your Religion, for Religions sake? Look your Patent, and see if the King hath granted you that Liberty,

or you have gone contrary to it, and contrary to the Scrip∣tures, Christ and the Apostles. And we cannot expect but that such a spirit will promote and be at Charges of any Calumnious Book that is published against us; for Herod and Pilate were made Friends when they turned against Christ; and its like, you and Roger Williams are made Friends in your turning a∣gainst God's People and his Truth now.

And were not Roger Williams and all your Priests in their Burrows when G. F. was in your Country, and never one ap∣peared? And now to Rail behind his Back, when he is gone, and for thee to Patronize and be at Charges of R. W's Book of Lyes, and Scoffing Title, to say, That he digged G F. out of his Burrows, and yet never appeared when G. F. was there in the Country, to speak or write to him. This brings not Cre∣dit to thee, nor you, nor him, neither as Men, nor as Chri∣stians: But its not my Desire, that thou and you should believe Lyes, who know the Portion of such; but that you may Repent, and do so no more, lest a worse thing come unto you.

G. F.