202

Inftructions to William and Anthony.

church of Natick fends them two fcriptures, which we intreat them to obey. The firft is Deut. xx. 10, 11, where we fee, as it is the duty of Plymouth to offer you peace before they war upon you; fo it is your duty to offer, accept, and defire peace; and we pray you for God's fake, and for your foul's fake, obey this word of God. The fecond text is 1 Cor. vi. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, where God commandeth, that when difference arife among people, they ought to put their differences to arbitration of others; and therefore we do exhort you to obey this word of God; and whatever differences are betwixt you and the English of Aquidneck, or betwixt you and Plymouth, refer them all to the judgment of the rulers of the Maffachusetts; and whatever they judge, do you obey; lay down your lives and all you have at their feet.

If they of Miffogkonnog accept this our exhortation, tell them that the church hath alfo fent you to the gov ernor, to tell him what the church hath done, and how acceptable it is to you, and that you do obey both thofe words of God. You defire peace, and defire to refer the whole matter to the judgment of the government of the Maffachusetts.

2. When you come to the governor, tell him that the church hath fent you to be mediators of peace in the behalf of the Miffogkonnog Indians, or any other of their neighbours; tell him that they yield willing obedience to both those texts of fcripture, and therefore tell him that the poor church of Natick doth befeech him, and all the reft of the magiftrates, for God's fake, who is the God of peace, and for Chrift his fake, who is the King of peace, and our great Peace-Maker in heaven, that they would accept this offer and fubmiffion unto peace, and unto the inftituted way of making and eftablishing of peace, and to ceafe preffing and arming of foldiers, and marching against them that are defirous of peace. We befeech you to confider what comfort it will be to kill or be killed, when no capital fin hath been committed or defended by them, (that we hear of.)

And we requeft you our beloved brethren to be fpeedy in your motions. We fhall endeavour to follow you with our prayers, and long to hear of a happy peace, that may

open

ich open a clear door for the paffage of the gofpel among , that people. Thus commending you to God in prayer, we do fend you forth upon this great fervice of peaceof making, which is eminently the flower and glory of Chrift & his kingdom.

JOHN ELIOT,

with the confent of the church.

Natick, Auguft, or 6 mo. 1ft, 1671.

COPY OF A LETTER FROM GOVERNOR PRINCE TO ROGER

LOVING SIR,

I RECEIVED your's

WILLIAMS.

you

-, whereby you are pleafed to remind me of the copy of your's to Major Mafon, which, according to direction, I prefented; which done, I know not what you expected more from us. In it mention your great fufferings and forrows in and for the country, in times paft (which indeed fhould not be forgot) and of a prefent difference between your colony and Connecticut, which we are ftrangers to, and yet cannot but be grieved at (if fo as you relate); which will indeed be ill refented not only to the favages, in whose land we fojourn, but others alfo, and to our own fovereign lord the king; doubtlefs difpleafing to our gracious God. But we hope you will both of you labour to compofe your differences, as becometh fo near neighbours, fellow fubjects to one king, profeffed fervants to one holy, juft and righteous God, at which we fhall rejoice. In it, alfo, you offer a public difpute, in your three neighbour colonies; the ground thereof, I did not then well perceive; but in your laft you feem to give it in, affirming that Maffachusetts, Plymouth, and Connecticut have defigned to opprefs and undo your colony, and deprive you of that, which is by fome cried up above all you call New-England's gods, viz. liberty for every one to worship God as he lifts, or liketh beft; and why not what God he liketh beft alfo ?

Sir, I will not fay as Nehemiah vi. 8, when upon him and others of the people of God with him, a moft grievous, but falfe charge was laid; but this I fay in the words of truth, there is no fuch thing known to us, much lefs intended

intended by us, nor hath been here the leaft mention of any fuch thing but from yourfelf; and I have reafon to conclude the fame of the other two colonies, till I fee or perceive any thing to the contrary. From what fountain this fo foul and falfe a charge doth arife, I leave to yourfelf to examine and find out; but if from the fame or like forementioned large principle of liberty, I fhall like it the worse. But know affuredly, there is no fuch thing intended or imagined, except among yourfelves, that I know of; and therefore the main ground of your difpute with us faileth, not having truth to bottom on, as to us. And you please to fignify that major Mafon will fave you that labour as to that colony, being content to take up with a fight of your grounds and reafons: and truly, Sir, fo I dare prefume, fhall we. So that except the gentlemen of the Bay will accept of the challenge, (who are wife enough to manage their own concerns) the difpute is at an end; not becaufe we have not fome, through the grace of God, both able and willing to maintain what truth we profess against gainfayers; nor because we judge ourfelves perfect in knowledge, but defire and endeavour daily to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jefus Chrift. But who would expect to be any whit perfected or completed in matters appertaining to God's worfhip, by fuch as clofe not with any public worship upon earth, that is known? Not I. Such worship, and a Samaritan religion are much alike to But if you judge it advantageous to your colony's intereft, and what you account the only way of worfhip among you, who can hinder you to maintain the difcuffion of thofe propofitions in any of our towns, and at what times you pleafe? And all fuch as judge it worth their labour, either to do or re ceive good thereby, may have recourfe thither. But hope there is not many among us that have received Chriftin Jefus the Lord, but have fo received him as not now to feek that way of worfhip, having of him been taught the truth as it is in Jefus. lib

Sir, not being willing to give you the leaft occafion to think your pains in writing was wholly difregarded, I was willing to fcribble thefe few lines, having an opportunity of fending, and fubmit to your cenfure for what is amifs;

but

וזכ

but doubt not you will rather impute it to my old age, than want of love to yourfelf, whofe real happiness I do unfeignedly defire and pray for, and reft, Sir, yours in any office of love,

To his loving friend Mr. Roger Williams, at Providence, thefe prefent.

THOMAS PRINCE.

NOTE. This copy of a letter was found among the Winflow papers, at the family feat in Marthfield, and prefented to a member of the Hiftorical Society, with a number of other ancient papers, by Dr. Ifaac Winflow. It is not dated. It was probably written foon after R. Williams's letter to major Mafon, a copy of which was fent to Governor Prince, and which was published in the firft volume, page 275, of the Collections of the Society.

JAMES QUANAPAUG'S INFORMATION.

24th 11 mo. 1675.

James Quanapaug, an Indian, fent out with Job, as fpies, to make difcovery of the enemy; returneth as followeth

Saith,

T came to Heflamefit, and from thence went to Ma

THE firft night after his departure from Natick, he

enemy,

nexit, where he met feven Indians of the who took Job and him. They were Quahmfit and Segunefit Indians. The next day we went to Quabaug pond, and met other Indians at Quabaug old fort, four men and two fquaws. There we lay all night. Next day one Indian faid he would carry us to the Indians; and we croffed over on this fide Quabaug, and travelled one day; and in the night came to three Indian towns, the furtheft not above three miles diftant from the other, in which there was about 300 foldiers, befides women and children, and lie about thirty miles from Lancafter. The place is called Menemeffeg, about twenty miles to the northward of Connecticut path. They have bark wigwams for fhelter, and fome mats; have pork, beef, and venifon plenty. Their corn, he thinks, will fall fhort. The firft night they afked us how we came from the ifland.. We told them

"

we

we lived badly, had no firing, and run away. They faid we were the English's brothers, and came as fpies, and faid they would kill us; but fome of the chief would not yield to it. They were two Narraganfets, would have had us killed. They inquired, what army was at Narraganfet. We told them, we knew not; we dare not go to Boston. One Indian would have borrowed my knife, another my hatchet. Then I fpake to Job, faying, come let us go to their council. The first night we came, they took our fnow-fhoes from us; and one-eyed John told us, it was a great way, we could not come there by night; but we went, and found it but three miles. We came to the chief wigwam, where was about fifty men. They did not afk us many queftions. Tuckup William told us, they had appointed to kill James Speen, Andrew Pitimy, captain Hunter, Thomas Quanupu, and Peter Ephraim, if they fell into their hands, and that Philip had hired them to do it; and faid, I was one of the worft, and they would kill me, because I went up with the army to Swan zey, where Pebe and one of Philip's counfellors were kill ed, and that I helped to cut off their heads, and bade me look to myfelf. Next morning I went to one-eyed John's wigwam. He faid he was glad to fee me; I had been his friend many years, and had helped him kill Mohaugs; and faid, nobody fhould meddle with me. I told him what was faid to me. He faid, if any body hurt me they fhould die. Then came Matoonus his company and others, and went to dancing; we painted our faces and went to dancing with them, and were very good friends. The dance continued two or three nights, after which they looked badly upon me again. I lay in the fagamore's wigwam; and he charged his gun, and threatened any man that fhould offer me hurt; and all thofe of his wigt wam were of that mind, and fent a guard with me to the place whence I came. I went to another fachem who told me, nobody fhould hurt me. I afked one-eyed, John, how many men he loft: he faid, but two. I afked him how many he loft up about Hatfield he faid, he loft one in the fight with captain Beers; another in fight with captain Lathrop. He hath about forty men under him I asked him how many Philip and Northampton Indians loft