USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The history of the First Baptist church of Boston (1665-1899) > Part 6
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When the Baptists appeared in Court, they declared their views to be unaltered, whereupon the Court pro- ceeds :
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Whereas Thomas Goold, William Turner and John Farnum, Senior, obstinate and turbulent Anabaptists, have some time since combined themselves with others in a pretended church estate, without the knowledge and approbation of the authority here es- tablished, to the great grief and offense of the godly orthodox, etc., . . this Court do judge it necessary that they be removed to some other part of this country, or elsewhere, and according doth order that they remove themselves out of this jurisdiction before July 20th next. 1
If they were found after that date in the colony, they were to be arrested and put in prison, without bail, until they should give sufficient security that they would banish themselves. They were forbidden to hold any meetings before the time of their final banishment, or to exercise any ecclesiastical functions. Not more than two of their friends, at any one time, were allowed to visit them in prison. But the Coun- cil had to deal with men as determined as themselves. The Baptists were men of English stock and English tradition as well as the magistrates, and, in addition, were reinforced in their resoluteness by profound con- victions founded upon the Holy Scriptures. They neither banished themselves from Massachusetts nor refrained from holding their religious assemblies. That, passionate love of liberty which has always been characteristic of Baptists in every land made them ready to die for it, but never ready to surrender inatters of faith and spiritual life to the tyranny of civil authority. They were soon arrested and thrust into prison, from which, after some months of weary waiting, they sent the following manly and touching letter to the Court :
1 " Massachusetts Records."
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Oct. 14, 1668. Honored Sirs : After the tenders of our service according to Christ, his command, to yourselves and the country, we thought it our duty and concernment to present your honors with these few lines, to put you in remembrance of our bonds : . and this being the twelfth week of our imprisonment, we should be glad if it might be thought to stand with the honor and safety of the country, and the present government thereof, to be now at liberty. For we doe hereby seriously profess that as far as we are sensible or know anything of our own hearts, we do prefer their peace and safety above our own, however we have been repre- sented otherwise : and wherein we differ in point of judgment, we humbly beseech you let there be a bearing with us, till you shall reveal otherwise to us : For there is a spirit in man and the inspi- ration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Therefore, if we are in the dark, we dare not say that we doe see or understand till the Lord shall clear things up to us. And to him, we can ap- peal to clear up our innocence as touching the government both in our civil and church affairs, that it was never in our hearts to think of doing the least wrong to either ; but have and, we hope by your assistance, shall always endeavor to keep a conscience void of offence toward God and man : And if it shall be thought meet to afford us our liberty, that we may take that care, as be- comes us, of our families, we shall engage ourselves to be always in a readiness to resign up our persons to your pleasure. Hoping your honors will be pleased seriously to consider our condition, we shall commend both you and it to the wise disposing and blessing of the Almighty, and remain your honors faithful servants in what we may,
THO : GOOLD WILL : TURNER JOHN FARNAM. 1
This petition, whose words and spirit do not seem like those of turbulent and seditious men, did not bring their release, nor did their imprisonment make the authorities relent in their persecuting quest after
1 " Mass. Archives."
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other members of the church. It is easy to guess that the members of this flock gathered from day to day in their accustomed meeting-place to pray that the prison doors might be opened and their beloved leaders be set at liberty. They would read over again the story of the Apostle Peter's imprisonment as told in the Acts, and like the early disciples would offer "prayer without ceasing " unto God for them. The Council became aware of such meetings and forth- with issued the following warrant :
To the constable of Charles-Towne.
Whereas it is credibly reported that there is a company of persons who ordinarily meete on ye Sabbath Dayes within ye limits of yor Towne (turning their backs on ye Publique assemblys for the worship of the Lord according to his holy institutions here established) in a schismattical way & contempt of ye order of ye generale court that have prohibited them therein. In his Maty name you are required from time to time to repayre to ye place of their meeting and take yer names of such as you shall find mett together and if any shall refuse to give you their names, you are to apprhend them & bring them before ye next magr. to be pro- ceeded agt as ye law requireth & hereof you are to make a true return under yor hand & into jailor.
Dat. 24, 8, 1668.
EDW. RAWSON, Sect. 1
How watchful the constables had been, and how they invaded the privacy of homes, the following re- turn will show:
CHARLESTOWNE 13. (9) : 68.
Wee whose names are hereunto subscribed having receyved a warrant from Mr. Rawson the order of the Counsell to take the names of all such persons as shall schismaticalie meete one the Sabath Daye : in pursuance whereof wee did one the Sixth Day in
1 " Mass. Archives," Vol. X., p. 224.
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J. repayre unto the house of Thomas Golde, wheare wee founde assembled together in theire exercises at the tyme off the publique assembly in the afternoone time,
Thomas Osborne Steaphen Baker Enoch Greenliefe Junr
The wife of Tho : Golde
JO : WAYMAN
RICHARD LOWDEN Constables.
and severall of the family. 1
Goold, Turner, and Farnum were in prison and could not meet with their friends and fellow-disciples at home in their simple worship. In October we find them still missing from the little circle of worshipers, as appears :
Wee whose names are hereunto subscribed having received warrant from Mr Rawson in the name of the counsell dat. October 24, 68, for the preventing of schismatticall meetings in Charlestowne one the Sabbath Daye, In pursuance whereof one the 25 of Oct did repayre unto the howse of Thomase Goolde : And in the waye neare the saide howse wee did meete with Osborn and hys wife : who saied unto us that they had beene at Thomas Goolde hys howse at meet- inge : and that theire meetinge was unto the saide Gooldes howse : wee found their Obaddiah Hoames of Roade Island (as he saide hys name was) And also Benanuel Bowers, Jonathan Buncer and Steaphen Baker of Charlestowne : and Enoch Greenleefe Sean" And Mary hys wife and Enoch Greenleife Jun' of Malden. Thys was in the tyme of the publique assembly at Charlestowne one the Sabbath Daye in the after part of itt.
Jo : WYMAN - RICHARD LOWDEN
Constables.2
It is interesting to find Obadiah Holmes once more on Massachusetts soil, from which he had been driven in 1651, after his cruel whipping, and warning not to
1 " Middlesex Court, Original Papers." 2 Ibid.
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set foot on it again. The Newport Church was not indifferent to the sufferings of their Boston brethren, and it would afford no little cheer and courage to see and hear Holmes, who himself had been so heroic a sufferer for the faith. He had come to strengthen his brethren in this time of their trial. He was fright- ened by the officers of the law as little as were his fellow-disciples. It is not known whether or not the authorities disturbed him during this fraternal visit to the church which met in Goold's home.
In November, 1668, the Court received a petition signed by sixty-five persons of standing in the colony, whose sympathies were aroused by the sufferings of the Baptist prisoners. That the prisoners did suffer is evident from the fact that Goold, Drinker, Turner, and Russell had each been at death's door through the rough treatment which they received in jail. They survived their liberation, but remained with broken health for a few years only, when death brought them release. All of them died in the prime of life and were truly martyrs for their faith. This petition for a surcease of persecution and a release of the prisoners was treated very haughtily by the Court. The following is their petition :
Whereas, by the censure of this honorable Court, Thomas Goold, William Turner, and John Farnum now lie in prison de- prived of their liberty, taken off from their callings, separated from their wives and children; disabled to govern or to provide for their families, to their great damage and hastening ruin, how inno- cent soever : besides the hazard of their own lives, being aged and weakly men,1 and needing that succor a prison will not afford :
1 They were not aged in years. Sufferings had aged them.
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the sense of this, their personal and family most deplorable and afflicted condition, hath sadly affected the hearts of many sober and serious minded Christians, and such as neither approve of their judgment or practice ; especially considering that the men are reputed godly and of a blameless conversation : and the things for which they seem to suffer seem not to be moral, unquestioned, scandalous evils, but matters of religion and conscience : not in things fundamental, plain, clear, but circumstantial, more dark and doubtful, wherein the saints are wont to differ, and to forbear one another in love, that they be not exposed to sin or to suffer for conscience sake. We therefore most humbly beseech this honored Court in their Christian mercy and bowels of compassion, to pity and relieve these poor prisoners, & etc. 1
Some of the signers of this petition were among the leading citizens, nevertheless they were compelled humbly to acknowledge their fault before the Court, and after severe reprimand were fined for thus plead- ing for clemency. Among those whom the Court fined was Benjamin Sweetser, whose fine was ten pounds. This fine seems to have had a decisive effect upon him, for not long after he united with the Bap- tists, and remained through life a steadfast and useful member. The Court thus put itself on record not only as sternly determined to punish Baptists, but also to punish those who showed sympathy or appealed for mercy toward thiem. It was the same spirit which had impelled the Court, seventeen years earlier, to punish John Hazael and John Spurr for speaking kindly and with compassion to Obadiah Holmes when the executioner's lash cut into his quivering and bleeding flesh, as he stood tied to the whipping
1 Ford, "New England Struggles, " also " Mass. Archives, " Vol. X., P. 221.
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post on account of his Baptist faith. There had been little or no relenting during all the intervening years.
The continual news of these severe measures caused much commotion in England and no little uneasiness withal. The same treatment which they were meas- uring out so lavishly to Baptists in New England might possibly be measured out in the same measure to Congregationalists in Old England. Baptists were dissenters in the new world, Congregationalists were dissenters in the old world, and the Church of Eng- land was not greatly disposed to be tolerant of dissent. The principle of coercion in matters of faith which the Puritans were so rigorously applying in the colony was a two-edged sword, whose application in England would be fraught with grave calamity to them. Hence the leading Congregational ministers of London began to remonstrate earnestly with their brethren in Boston upon the shortsightedness and the peril of their present procedure. Remonstrance proved to be of little avail. A letter dated March 25, 1669, and signed by Drs. Goodwin, Owen, and eleven others of the foremost Puritan ministers of England, was sent to the governor, and stated plainly that they themselves were put in peril of persecution, because of the occasion given to their enemies through the action of their brethren in Massachusetts in their severities toward Baptists. They expressed as strong dissent as their New England brethren from the doctrines of Baptists, but declared it to be a matter of prudence and of safety for themselves not to perse- cute them further.1 Even this appeal did not prove
1 Letter in Backus' "Hist.," Vol. I., p. 314.
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dissuasive enough to arrest proceedings. Cotton Mather says : "I cannot say that this excellent letter had immediately all the effect it should have had." 1
John Farnum, one of the three prisoners, was ad- mitted a freeman of Boston, May 13, 1640. He united with the North Church (Second Church) in Boston, under Mr. Mayo and Dr. Mather. He was put under discipline in 1665 for his sympathies with Baptists, in whose assemblies he was often found. Some time in the summer of 1666 he united with them, and soon fell under the ban of the common persecution. He was publicly excommunicated from the North Church, which had spent much labor and patience in disci- plining and endeavoring to reclaim him. The ac- count of it in their record, in the handwriting of Increase Mather, is almost as long as the account of Goold's discipline in the Charlestown Church record. He remained with the Baptists for some years, but afterward withdrew from them, and was restored to the North Church in 1683. He was a man of quick and ungoverned temper, which gave his brethren, in whatever church he was, much trouble. In October, 1668, he wrote from his prison a petition praying to be released, and agreeing "to attend the hearing of , the word preached in the publike assemblys each Lord's day, sickness or the like not hindering."2 Imprisonment had overcome his steadfastness, and made him ready to purchase release at any price. It is the only case of its kind in our records. He was unlike Robert Lambert, one of the constituent mem-
1 " Magnalia," Bk. VII., pp. 27, 28.
2 " Mass. Archives," Vol. X., p. 224.
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bers, who, when the Court, in May, 1668, demanded whether he would cease attending the Baptist meet- ings, replied that he was " determined to continue in that way and was ready to seal it with his blood." Farnum obtained his release, but Goold and Turner were kept in prison until March, 1669, a period of almost a year. The prisons of that time liad few points of likeness to the comfortable prisons of modern tinies. Usually the prisoners were obliged to provide their own food, and for this they were dependent on friends and relatives. Their repeated petitions at last de- cided the Council to allow them "liberty for three days to visit their families and also to apply them- selves to any that are able and orthodox, for their further convincement of their many irregulari- ties."' They were to return again at the end of three days to their prison. The Council evidently regarded their " convincement " as of far greater im- portance than their "visit to their families." It ap- pears that they did not return to the prison, for in this same month (March, 1668) I find two search warrants were issued for the apprehension of Goold in Charlestown. They did not find him, for he used his liberty to remove himself and his family to Noddle's Island and out of the jurisdiction of Charles- town and Boston. Turner also escaped, but was apprehended again in January, 1670 (probably on a visit to his house in Boston), and was returned to the jail. Goold did not remove from his Charlestown home until after March 7, 1669, as the following con- stables' returns show :
} Backus, Vol. I., p. 315. Note.
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We, the constables of Carls-town, Referring to a warant from the counsell at Boston under Mr. Rosin's [Rawson] hand dated ocktober, 68 : Requesting us to look after persons meting togither upon the Lord's Day in a disorderly way & to Return the nams of which, we gooing to Thomas Goold's hous upon the sevinth day of March 6 & which wos the Sabeth day we found thes as fow- lous :
Thomas Goold & his wif
Nathanell howerd & his wif
Benjamin Swicher
Stiving Backes
Jonathan Nuell
Josif Shapeys wif
of boston Wm Turner
& five of his children
Edward Drincker
Goode gockelling
of woborn John Johnson John Russell
When we came into the hous John Johnson was exorting the pepell : After he had don Thomas Goold spack from that place in first of the canticells the seckond vers let him kis me with the kisis of his mouth & then went to prayer & so ended. They said it was att 2 of ye clock when they went thither to Th : Goolds hous.
Attested. 7. 2, 69.
RICHARD LOWDEN JOHN KNIGHT
Constables. 1
The vigilance of these officers is more noteworthy than the accuracy of their spelling. I have allowed them to give their account literally in their own lan- guage. It is of especial interest because it is the only description (which is known) of the very simple form
1 " Middlesex Court, Original Papers."
Y
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of worship of these much-hunted disciples. They had no singing, perhaps lest it should attract too much attention, and yet they made no secret of their meeting together. One or two of them exhorted from the Scriptures, a prayer or two was offered, and they sepa- rated. They were not dependent on the presence of a minister. They believed that every individual should have liberty of utterance in their social gatherings. They had an elder who usually preached and administered the ordinances in an orderly way, but if the elder were necessarily absent, some lay brother was called on to preach or exhort in his place. This worship and organization was the heresy which so agitated the whole government that it used its power to the utmost, even far beyond legal limits, to crush it. It is probable that the very simplicity and flexibility of the organization preserved it from utter destruction. It did not depend on any one man. Any one might expound the Scriptures to the others. Any one might pray in their assembly. Whoever of their number might be in prison, or absent for other cause, there was always some one present and ready to lead their service of worship. It was this fact which proved so baffling to the authorities in attempt- ing to suppress the church. However many of their number might be under arrest, they were still never without leaders. The coming together at Goold's house week after week, while the father and head was still in prison, always gave their meetings a pathos, a tenderness, and a purpose which stimulated rather than paralyzed them. His house remained the meeting place to which members and adherents cane
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from Boston, Woburn, Malden, Newbury and Charles- town, until his removal to Noddle's Island in the spring of 1669. In April of this same year the fol- lowing warrant was issued, and led to the imprison- ment of another member of the church :
TO THE MARSHALL OF SUFF.
In his Majies name, you are required to warne and bring Edw. Drinker before mee at my house in Cambr. to answer for his assembling with Thomas Goold & Company on the Lord's Day in March last, contrary to the order of the Genll Court & hereof you are to make a true returne under yor hand & not to faile.
Dat. I. 2. 1669.
THOS : DANFORTH, Assist. 1
The memorable meeting in March at Goold's house, where they had met to welcome him home from his long imprisonment, and pray and rejoice together, and of which the constables' account has already been given, proved to be the last meeting held in Charles- town for a long time. Henceforth they inet on Noddle's Island. From his prison, Edward Drinker, who was a potter by trade, sent the following peti- tion :
The humble petition of Edward Drinker prisoner at boston to the honored Court assembled and sitting at Cambridge showeth, that whereas as your petitioner was so suddenly taken and com- mitted, having a great passell of weare by mee made but not burnt nor have I any person that is able to doe that work for mee, considering the casualty of it, if not burnt, but more especially the great want the country stands in of it. My request to the honored Court is that you would please to grant mee but two days Liberty to perfect that work upon giveing security to the keeper
1 " Middlesex Court, Original Papers."
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and returning to the prison every night. I shall acknowledge my thankfulness to youre honors and pray for youre welfare.
Your pore petitioner in bonds
EDWARD DRINKER. 1
From boston prison 6th 2. mo 1669.
It is not known that they granted his petition. He remained a prisoner until some time in the following year, when he wrote the following letter to Dr. John Clarke and his church at Newport :
BELOVED BRETHREN AND SISTERS : I most heartily salute you all in our dear Lord, who is our alone Savior in all our troubles, that we his poor members are exercised with for his name's sake. And blessed be God our Father, that has given us such a High Priest, that was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, which is no small comfort to the souls of his poor suffering ones ; the which, through grace, the Lord hath been pleased to make us in some (small) measure partakers of. And at this present our dear brother William Turner, a prisoner for the Lord's cause in Bos- ton, has some good experience of, both of that which Paul desired, to be conformable to our Lord in his sufferings, and also of the promises of our Lord, in the giving forth (of) the comfort of his Spirit, to uphold us all, for that he is sensible of the sufferings of his poor members, and is ready to give forth supplies as are most suitable to such a condition as he calls his to. Friends, I sup- pose you have heard that both he and brother Goold were to be taken up ; but only brother Turner is yet taken and has been about a month in prison. Warrants are in two marshals' hands for brother Goold also, but he is not yet taken, because he lives on Noddle's Island, and they only wait to take him at town (but he comes not over). The cause why they are put in prison is the old sentence of the General Court in '68, because they would not remove themselves. There were six magistrates' hands to the warrant to take them up, viz, Mr. Bradstreet, Major Denison, Thomas Danforth, Captain Gookin, Major Willard and Mr. Pin-
1 " Middlesex Court, Original Papers."
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chon. But all the deputies of the Court voted their liberty, ex- cept one or two at most, but the magistrates carry against all ; and because some others of the magistrates were absent, and some that were there were Gallio-like, as one Mr. R. B. G.1 But blessed be the Lord who takes notice of what is done to his poor servants, though men little regard. The town and country is very much troubled at our troubles ; and especially the old church in Boston, and their elders, both Mr. Oxonbridge and Mr. Allen have labored abundantly, I think as if it had been for their best friends in the world. Many more gentlemen and solid Christians are for our brother's deliverance ; but it cannot be had ; a very great trouble (is it) to the town ; and they had gotten six magis- trates' hands for his deliverance, but could not get the Governor's hand to it. . . Some say one end is, that they may prevent others coming out of England ; therefore they would discourage them by dealing with us ; a sad thing if so, when God would have Moab be a refuge for his banished ones, and that Christians will not. But God will be a refuge for his, which is our comfort. We keep our meeting at Noddle's Island, every First-day, and the Lord is adding some souls to us still, and is enlightening some others ; the priests are much enraged. The Lord has given us another elder, 2 one John Russell, senior, a gracious, wise, and holy man that lives at Woburn, where we have five brethren near that can meet with him ; and they meet together First-days when they cannot come to us, and I hear there are some more there looking that way with them. Thus, dear friends, I have given you an ac- count of our troubles, that you may be directed in your prayers to our God for us ; as also of the goodness of God to us, and the proceedings of his good work in our hands, both to our, and I doubt not, to your joy and comfort. That God may be glorified in all, is our earnest desire and prayer to God, in all his dispen- sations to us. Brother Turner's family is very weakly and himself to. I fear he will not trouble them long ; only this is our comfort, we hear if he dies in prison, they say they will bury him. And thus, my dear friends, I desire we may be remembered in your
1 Governor Bellingham.
2 Evidently a teaching elder. He was never pastor of the church.
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prayers to our Heavenly Father, who can do abundantly above what we can ask or think ; to whom I commend you all, and rest, your friend and brother,
EDWARD DRINKER.
November 30, 1670.
In October, 1670, six magistrates signed a warrant. to "Marshall Genrll or his Deputy of Suffolk " "to apprehend the body of Thomas Goold and commit him to prison."1 He was not found, and for unknown reasons the marshal did not go over to Noddle's Island, where he now lived, to arrest him. The war- rant remained in readiness for his arrest, if he should at any time venture into Boston. William Turner was rearrested in January, 1670, and thrust again into prison, from which he sends the following petition :
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