my due service and respect remembred and having giuen full information to the Governour of the manner of the Lords Proceeding with vs here, I spare to write therof vnto your selfe. Onely I make bould to present you with my weak and feeble thoughts concerning the same which you may be pleased to consider of as you see cause.

First whether now the Lord begins not to send (as shephards vse to doe their dogs to fetch in their stragling sheep so he) the Indians vpon his servants, to make them cleaue more close togither, and prize each other, to prevent contentions of Brethren which may proue as hard to break as Castle barres, and stop their now beginning breaches before they be as the letting out of many waters that cannot be gathered in againe, etc. O that as this is the Lords meaning so it may be the vse that all his servants may make therof, that he may haue the praise in Jesus Christ forever more.

Secondly whether the Lord intends not in his dealings here with vs a gratious warning to all the English in the land that shall ever haue to doe with Indians againe in this kinde: For it hath been a common conceit but is in truth a dangerous errour, Indians are afrayd of pieces, etc. 10 English will make a 100 Indians fly: some dare venture (happily now) with 20 40 60 men among a 1000 Armed Pequots (for that, if not many more, in probabilitie is their number) etc. etc. but if the passages here be well considered, and the Lord be pleas’d to sanctifie our punishments to be warnings to the wise; I hope it may be a means to roote out that deeply-rooted securitie, and confidence in our owne supposed strength (2 English diseases and dangerous wormes that vse to breed and grow in abused peace or slighted liberties), that so the loss of these, and danger of our selues may be the saftie and preservation of many others.

Thirdly, whether now the Lord calls not by all these sad alarums and heauenly warnings from hence, to all his servants lowder and lowder etc. more seriously to intend this warre then yet they seeme to doe.

For if that our condition here, to haue 10 lustie men out of so little a number 405as ours is so cruelly slayne, others crying and roaring out through extremitie of the paine of wounds, others gasping and dying and breathing out their last, our selues beleaguerd by the same blood thirstie, and hemmed in by those who daily seek our liues, etc. etc. If this I say were the case of the servants of the Lord in the Bay their hearts would be affected, their purses opened and their hands enlarged to defend (not so much their Hues and liberties, to say nothing of them) as the glorious gospell of Jesus Christ, which hath shined amongst vs hitherto, and may doe yet if it be not our owne fault.

And yet this may be the condition of those pretious servants of the Lord vp this river we know not how soone; vnless the Lord be pleas’d as he hath done hitherto and I hope he will make salvation vnto them for walls and bulwarks round about. For had not the Lord in abundant mercy to them, kept the many hundreds of our enimies in a serious and furious beleaguering of vs here, and restraind them from attempting any thing there as yet as they have vpon our selues, I see not how they could haue been preseru’d without a miracle.

And let not Boston Roxburie etc. thinke warre is farre enough from them, for this seems to be an vniversall deluge creeping and encroaching on all the English in the land: The multitudes of our enimies daily encrease, by the falling of Mohigoners, Nepmets (who liue not many miles from the bay) Niantucuts at Narrohigganset and their malice is not to be questiond, their cruelty diuers of ours haue felt. Their experience in warlike affaires (being men of warre from their youth) their advantages against vs, in agilitie and armes, their industrious sedulitie plying and attending the warre against the English as their mainest busines, provideing retreats at long Iland, fortifying vpon the maine, gathering new supplyes of forces, confoederating with former enimies, giuing large rewards to those amongst them, who are most skilfull to destroy, etc. (which we hear of from Plantations aboue, and they from Indians) doe farre exceed the preparations and provisions of the English against them, who yet haue farre more cause to seek to defend their liues and liberties and gospell, then such bloodthirstie wretches haue to invade destroy and take away the same.

And add to the former also this, that now the eyes of all the Indians in the countrey are vpon the English, to see what they will doe; and All may be assured of this, that if some serious and verie speedie course be not taken to tame the pride and take down the insolencie of these now-insulting Pequots though with charge and loss and damage for the present, we are like to haue all the Indians in the countrey about our ears, and then their will be worke enough, etc.

In all these respects and many more I desire it may be considered whither the serious and speedie prosecution of this warre be not the greatest busines New England hath. For it cannot be conceiued that either building planting fishing trading colledges etc. or in a word the good of either Church or Commonweal can flourish, and goe forward, without a timely remouing and preventing the warres that now begin. For these are but the beginnings of warre, the progress hath been something sad, what the Issue will be the Lord he onely knowes.

Now the Lord be pleased to raise vp the publick spirits of his servants (and where they are not to create them) that every heart and head and hand may be stirring and working in this case; for the strength and sinnewes of these warres I take to lye in the combined abilities and vnited hearts and hands of all the servants of the Lord etc. (To omit that it cannot be expected that ever warres should prosper abroad, if ciuill (nay worse and religious) dissentions abound at home) yet all pertaking in the good and benifit of peace and in the danger and damage of a common warre should also be every way enlarged to their vtmost for the procuring and preserving the one, removing and preventing of the other.

Three places and presidents in scripture I onely make bould to present your worshipp with and so I end. Judges 20, 1, 2, 8: Ezra 10, 3, 4: Hag. 2, 4. Hence may be collected this in brief, that (after serious reconciliation with the Lord of armies and Indians himselfe) It belongeth firstly and chiefly to you the much honoured magistrates that as you haue hitherto not been wanting according as the Lord hath called, so now yow will arise be serious be speedie, be strong, and be couragious in the Lord, etc.

That also our much honoured the ministers and watchmen of the Lord will not be wanting to press vpon the conscience, charge as a dutie, command in the name of the Lord from heaven, etc. the serious and speedie prosecution of this warre.

That also all the people of the land should be seriously rouzed vp to open their purses and enlarge their hands offer their persons etc. to doe what service they can to help the Lord against the mighty.

And O that the heavie curse of Merosh may never fall vpon any of the Lords. And O that the disposition of this bearer and others also lately come out of the bay, who are sensibly affected with things here etc. might runne through all the land viz. they would willingly lay downe halfe they haue to serue this way, and yet less then a halfe a quarter a tenth would doe that now which herafter all the world cannot recouer, etc. But I fear I am to bold; I entreat you therfore pardon my weaknes, and consider the things and tho I it 407may be am afraid to die, our men here fearfull, melancholy, etc. yet the Lord help all his servants to consider what his will and pleasure is in all these sad occurrences hitherto: He be pleased to counsell and direct and bless from heaven all intended enterprizes in Jesus Christ. (In great hast) I rest Yours engaged in many bonds in all due service most devoted

When I first heard of those heavy distractions which have risen so vnexpectedly: I did reioyce from the root of my heart, that the Lord did, and hath gratiously kept you from any taynt of those new-coyned conceits: The Lord strenghthen and establish you in every holy word and work: In a good cause he hath given you gratious abilityes to do him much service, and I am perswaded he will blesse you in such in-deavors. you know my playnnesse: you cannot keepe your comfort, nor an honorable respect in Christ in the hearts of his more then in keeping closse to the truth: you shall have what interest I have in heaven to help you in that work: How the Pequoyts have made an inrode by a suddayne surprisall vpon some of our brethren of Watertowne,2 slayyng weomen and children who were sent out carelessly without watch and guard, this bearer will tell you:

Though we feele nether the tyme nor our strenght fitt for such a service, yet the Indians here our frends were so importunate with vs to make warr presently that vnlesse we had attempted some thing we had delivered our persons vnto contempt of base feare and cowardise, and caused them to turne enemyes agaynst vs: Agaynst our mynds, being constrayned by necessity, we 408have sent out a company, taking some Indians for guides with vs: What is done you will better heare it by report, then I shall relate it by penn, for our men went downe as these pynaces came to vs: Only we heare, ther is six of the Pequoyts slayne by our Indians not far from the fort. I hope you see a necessity to hasten execution, and not to do this work of the Lords revenge slackly: I shall commend the cause to your love and wisdome, and your self to the rich mercy of our God in Christ, and in all thankfulnes for all your love rest Yours in all due-respect