I writ unto you not long since by mr. Peirce, since which time there is little of anie moment that offers it selfe more then I have (to my present best remembrance) intimated in some of your letters eyther then or now, and though for prevention of anie miscarriage it were meete of all businesses to send several letters of the same thinges, yet I know neyther yours, no more then my present leasure (yet much lesse) will affoord much spare time for unnecessaries, whereas (but that hee hath a feeding fountaine of everlasting strength that underprops you) I should feare (and manie times doe) that you will neede time and strength for ordinarie occasions. Therefore I would not overloade you with manie more needeles lines, who are (the lord keepe you from sin in that your too great zeale of dutie) too to readie to overloade your selfe everie way. Sir I beeseech you give mee and manie others occasion to bee thankeful unto you for your more indulgent care of your selfe, as I (above manie) have alreadie an obligation of further love and service laide upon mee for your tender care of my dearest brother.2 Consider I pray you how inexpiable a failing it were, both in respect of the lord whose worke you are in, the worke it selfe, the manie lives yea soules that depend upon your wellbeing not to speake of your deare wife, hopeful and some allreadie hope-answering children, your freindes (who expect that wisedome to bee shewed in your discreete carriage of your selfe in this busines, that to good purpose they have observed in you in other undertakings), and much lesse to speake of my owne and those that are alike interested in you, who yet of faithful and service-owing freindes should become most severe and iustly provoked censurers, if you should bee prodigal of your precious health, and so slight all these ingagements with manie more. I seriously professe and that in truth that all the sinnes you ever committed or possiblie can commit (under that unpardonable one) I 332am perswaded would bee of lesse weight to your conscience then this one. Take heede therefore I beeseech you under what specious pretence soever the divel as an Angel of lihgt sic insinuate himselfe, sugesting the necessitie or great advantage of an exemplarie and selfe denying and selfe neglecting carriage in you, for the animating and confirming the weake harts and hands of others to doe and suffer, following your tracke that else would not find the way, I say take heede least hereby your bodie (unaccustomed to hardnes of unusual kindes and not necessitated, unles by a voluntarie and contracted necessitie) should sinke under his burthen and fall to ruine for want of a more conscionable tenaunt. What the lord layes upon you, hee is able and faithful to enable you unto, and hee that knowes your strength I dare warrant you will exercise it to the utmost, but bee not barbarously cruel unto your selfe, by thinking eyther to supererrogate or superinduce upon your selfe more then you have strength to beare, and then the lord in his wisedome and mercie imposeth upon you. Some neede the spurre, but you the reine, your exesse may bee of more daungerous consequence then their defect and indeede the greater sin, being this would bee greatest against the publicke, theirs cheifely against their owne private, and but with a reflexive or secondarie respect against the common good. But that it is a case of importance, and that wherein your wisedome and pietie, as well as your bodie and estate suffer with us all, I should not so soone have forgot my selfe to remember you.

I have sent you Dr. Ames Cases of Conscience newlie come foorth, wherein you will find manie thinges of especial use and singularly helpeful for present direction and satisfaction, untill what may not bee answered to the full here, shall both from him and others (best studied in those thinges wherein doubts are like to arise) ere long bee sent unto you, if I faile not in my hopes and endeavours that way. It will much concerne us to seeke (without which wee cannot keepe) the truth in love, whose iudgments and practice may (without good guidance of us in laying the foundation) bee pernicious not onely to ourselves, but to our posterities, and all ages (in those parts at least) after us. And therefore as wee find, and you foresaw there will neede great wisedome, much advice earnest prayer and a total subiugation of our owne iudgments, wills and affections, unto the clearer light of truth shining unto us in those helpes which the lord shall bee pleased Pro: 14, 29 to affoord unto us. For certainely, as they who are immaturely precipitate in their councels or actions, are thereby but advancers of follie, and they who looke not to their feete in such weightie considerations, and are not readie to Eccl: 5. 1. 2 seeke and heare advice, must needes offer the Sacrifice of fooles not considering that they doe evil, and if it bee daungerous to utter a thing rashly 333before god with ones mouth, how much more to conclude determinately of thinges not well examined which is as it were to answer a matter before it bee heard which is both follie and shame Pro. 18. 13 So the lord will not beare with anie cursed negligence in our not seeking digging and crying after wisedome, to bee directed in so important a worke as is the recoverie of anie allmost-lost truthes: Neyther will it answer the Maiestie of those truthes of god, nor our owne humble esteeme of ourselves and our right iudgment of our owne weakenesses to thinke with the first glaunce of our eyes to discerne clearly, what the most iudicious and holy men have beene so dazeled in and differed about. Rather let us heare what the lord saith by them, and so far as they weigh everie pinne of the tabernacle in the scales of the Sanctuarie, follow and obey them, where anie yea though an Angel from heaven shall obtrude anie thing upon us without warrant from the word, avoide them yea let them bee in that Anathematiad.

For the place of fixing yourselves it is sollicitously agitated by manie good and noble freindes where it were best and safest; to the South they conclude as it is warmer, and (report gives out) the snow even at Narraganset lies lesse while, so doe they conceave it will bee everie way better, especiallie if wee could come in upon Hudsons river (which as mr. Allerton affirmes meetes with Canada) with cleare warrant in respect of the planters and natives there, to remove our choice people thither and to leave the mixt multitude (that will ever bee as thornes and prickes unto us) behind us as tenaunts in our houses and of our lands. Now though the bodie of our best people neede not presently move yet after discoverie and resolution some workemen might bee sent before to provide in some sort for those good people who shall the yeare following hence and from you transplant themselves. For this end I hope wee shall send you a barke for discoverie with some corne in her, and if this bee resented and prosecuted by you, and some new and better satisfaction bee given to the good people here that wee goe not away for Separation, the apprehension whereof (against the best assurance and protestation I can make) takes deepe impression in them, I hope wee shall againe redintegrate both ourselves and the undertaking in the former good opinion which hath beene conceaved of us and it. The opinion of this place you are in partly in in sic those and in respect of the sharpenes of the cold and continuance of the snow, partly in respect of the several titles and pretencions of several men togeather with the implantation of manie lewde persons among us, who will ever bee espying out our libertie, and bee as Tobiah Sanballat and the rest both to hinder the building and to 334further and promove all uniust accusations eyther finding or making matter of complaint alwayes against us, these considerations much dampe and dull the edge of some of good estates who were looking towards us. These thinges I leave to your wise and serious consideration, being sorrie, that once in I can scarce get out, and so having overpast my word and my time for the present, with my due respect and service, my poore prayers and best endeavours for you and the worke though to little purpose I rest Your trulie loving and honouring