OCR Text |
Show ( )0 ) .could never make lhem G~od, or according t~ Scripture. 1 'ij!IJtft P. 88~ 89, &c. He reckons up many Si?s an.d ~in!' Evils that have provoked rhe Lord to bnng hts tbe )Jilgments on Neiv-England, as a g:ear and ~Hi, tauft Of b,le decay of the Power of Godhnefs; Pnde, ]utlg- Comemion, breach of che fecond Commandnunt) J. menr, faying, Men ha71e {et up their Thre{holds by God's Threfhold, and their Pojls by his Pofl;. 0Ja~ers · arc fatfe liV'orjhippers; but cells not wherem, whtch therefore I charge him to do ; for if they that Worlhip God _in Sp1rir and Truth, accGrding w J-ohn 4· are f<llfe Worlhippers, I know not who are true; But this, of feuing their Pofis by God's Pofi:, &c~ is bur their old Story, when tl)ey put our Friends to Death, when 'r~as they rhemfelves did fo, by intrenching on hts Prerogative of .the Confcience: And, ro refume't is the wrong way ro appeafe Divine Vengeance; and among all the rdl of the Evils he reckons 11p, as Oaths, Sabbath-breaking, Family· Duries? ino~·dint~ te Pajjiom, Intemperance, want of Truth, mordl- . i;ate .11./feE!ion, Opprrffion, a worldly Spirit, Oppofi~ tion to the Work o( Reformation, wam ~(a pubtick Spirit, Sins againfl the Go/pel; _he does nqt m~~tion that of Perfecution, which to be fure IS none of the lealt ; and the only Remedy for them he fees down, was but the renewing of their Covenanr; wh~~h fignifies little, while rhe Heart is the fame. Book VI. p. 7 3, 7 4· He teJls of a Maid that was bewirched or poHerfed, that when a Q_uaker's i Bo9k was brought her, jhe could qrtietly rtad . 'vhole l6e Ug Pages of it, only the Name, God, and Chriftt fhe ei-td ''O.ftilt Jkip'tl over, be.i1'g unable to pronounce. it, except f" , !l fometim es ftammermgb·-but a Book agatnfl Qua- ~~erifin [they] 7vou!d not a!tmv b~r ro tmddle with; • ' . ' 3:1 ( ) 'J ) 11~ if"rhey ( the Witches or evil Spi.rirs) iikt cf rhe Qllakets Books lkrrer, or thar rhey were more favourable ro rhc 11 , rhan fuch as was againfi them, faying, Such Books tU it might have been profitable anrJ edifying f or her to read, and e[pecially her Catecl1ifm, if fl;e did but offer to J'ead" line m them, fhe 'JJJotSld be cafl into hideom CBnvulfiom, and be toft about the Ho11{e like a foot ball; yer, co his own Confurarion, a lilde lower, p. 7 4· c. 1. he fays, A certain Prayer-Book being brought her: Jhe not only cot1ld read it very 'JJJeU, but a(fo llitl reatl a large part of it over, caiJint it her Bible, an.d putting a more than Ordinary Rtf peEl upon it ; if {he were going into her Tortures, at the tender of this Book, foe would recover her [elf to reaJ it; ~'tll1 when {he came to the Lord, s- Prayer-fhe 7JJou!tl have her Eyes put out, fo that [he mtlj} turn over a ne'Jbl le11f, and thm J11e could read again. Yea, c. l. he telJs how, entring into a Clofet, fhe fate reading 'f the Bible and other good Books, for a gooJ part o{ the Afternoon. So that her reading a f<!!aker' s Book argu~s no more againft the Truth or Sounilnefs of h, c~an ic do~s againfr their own PrtJytr-Book, or even the Bible ic felf, only ffiews his Envy againtl rhe Quakers, and their Books, by fuggefiing it, which he confelfes himfelf, there might be a fnare in it. ~ook If. p. 64. c. I, 1. He fays, The People of New-England are, to this bour, full of doubrs abo:~t ~nullt~ the Steps which were taken, viz. as to the cxecu. anb ting of the Witches, Whether they Ji,J· not kill Qtautifome of their own fide (that was Innocent, I fup- on~ tlt pofe he means) And Book VI. p. 8o. c. 1. he bout obferves·, in the profecution of thefe Affairs, that illllitt!Jthere 'WIM in the 1uflices, Ju4ges, ana others con- t)'$. t~rnul, a confciencious Endeuvot~r to do the Thin~ that 'Jilas Right) anJ to that end, theJ confulteJ the Pre• {iJents |