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Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 4

Henry Smith to John Winthrop1
Smith, Henry JW

1641-04-25

To the Right worshipfull and duly respected John Winthrop Esqr. these be delivered in Boston
Right worshipfull,

After my due respect remembred, I have by my Father bin made acquainted with what, in your letter to him, yow write about John Porters busyness. In answer wherto this I returne as formerly: I shall 331endevor to satisfy the debt in the best maner I can, though it was a busyness put vppon me contrary to my desire, and I can truly say I have not received 30s in mony for all his goods and yet I have payd 7li in mony by Goodman Johnson and some depts are yet vnpayed, and the partys for the present vnable to satisfy it, one especially who owes a good summe, had lately his howse and goods burnt. mony we have none with vs, nor means to procure any. The best means I can at present thinke on is corne: which if John Porter will appoynt any Pynace that comes into the river to call for it, I will deliver heere as much corne as the dept comes to at 3s per bushell which is the setled price amonge vs. the cariadge of it downe from vs to Hartford doth vsually cost 6d per bushel, and I alsoe will take order with some of our towne to carry it downe to the Pynace as I shall have direction from him: for I thinke it is as much as in equity can be required of mee to make payment in the place where I received it, and not be put to any further charge or trouble. for a coppy of the will2 I cannot at the present send it because of the messengers hast. Mr. Moxon only tooke some noates from his mouth which he hath, and at his cominge into the Bay in June shall be brought with a coppy of the Inventory. thus forbearinge to be further troublsome at present I rest Yours in all offices of due respect

Henry Smith Springfeild this 25th Aprill 1641

My Father desyrd to remember his due respect to yow who hath received your letter and kindly thanks yow for your care in that busyness.

1.

W. 18. 76.

2.

I.e., that of John Allen. See Henry Smith to John Winthrop, November 2, 1640 (page 296, above).

Thomas Jenner to John Winthrop1
Jenner, Thomas JW

1641-04-26

Worthy Sir,

Your pious and good letter I received for which I humbly thanke you. Your judicious counsel therin I loueingly imbrace, as concurring fully with mine owne Judgment: hence have I not troubled the people at all with Church discipline, or constitutions of Churches, etc. but haue bent my whole studdies to shew them their miserable and lost estate with out Christ, etc. Nor haue I enveyed, in the least measure against the Church of England (to my remembrance) but haue ben (and still am) very fearefull to giue one word of distast about those things; but altogether do seek to gaine them 332to Christ. True I do acknowledge that after I had ben here for the space of a month or 6 weeks, and perceiuing them very superstitious: (performing mans invention rather then the instituted worship of God:) now that I might gaine their good esteme of Gods pure ordinances and make them see the evill and folly of their superstition and willworship, I made choise of Ps. 19 and 7 to handle it at large. And in one of the uses of reprofe, I bent myselfe as strongly as I could against the religion of the papists, and condemned those practices which I saw the people here were superstitiously addicted to, in that use against the papists whose religion I shewed at large, consisted either of a new invented worship not mentioned in the law of God, or of Gods instituted worship miserably abused either by their additions or diminutions; and shewed the perticulars wherin. Now (I heartily thank God for it) it tooke a generall good impression: excepting Mr. Vines and one more: who told me that I struck at the church of Engld., though I mentioned her not. wherupon he pressed me to dispute with him about one part of Baptizing infants with Godfathers and Godmothers the which I was very loth to discourse about: yet I saw that either I must, or else sit downe with shame, for he had caled to gether his whole family to heare it. now it pleased God so to strengthen me (through the riches of his mercy) that he was utterly silent: and since that time hath manifested more respect and loue to me and my master then formerly, and doth take notes of the sermons dayly, and repeate them in his family very orderly, as I am informed.

Thus sweet sir I make very bold to enforme your worship with the truth of things, though not worth the writing. I haue ben solicited both from the inhabitance of Stratens Plantation, and from those of Caskoe to be a meanes to helpe each of them to a godly minister, wherfore I do make bold to intreat your worship to do your endevour to furnish them both.

Thus hopeing err long to se your face, I leaue you in the arms of our blessed Saviour, in whome also I rest Your worship's to command till death

Th. Jenner Saco, 26 of the 2d 1641
1.

Miscellaneous MSS., Bound, M.H.S.; Hutchinson Papers (1769), 111–112; (1865), I. 125–126.