HYPOCRISIE UNMASKED: By a true Relation of the Proceedings of the Governour and Company of the Massachusets against Samuel Gorton, (and his Accomplices,) a notorious disturber of the Peace and quiet of the severall Governments wherein he lived: With the grounds and reasons thereof, examined and allowed by their General Court holden at Boston in New England, in November last, 1646. Together with a particular Answer to the manifold slanders, and abominable falsehoods which are contained in a Book written by the said Gorton, and entituled Simplicities Defence against Sevenheaded Policy, &c. Discovering to the view of all whose eyes are open, his manifold Blasphemies; as also the dangerous agreement which he and his Accomplices made with ambitious and treacherous Indians, who at the same time were deeply engaged in a desperate Conspiracy to cut off all the rest of the English in the other Plantations. Whereunto is added a Briefe Narration (occasioned by certain aspersions) of the true grounds or cause of the first Planting of New England; the Precedent of their Churches in the way and worship of God; their Communion with the Reformed Churches; and their practise towards those that dissent from them in matters of Religion and Church Government. By EDWARD WINSLOW. Psalm cxx. 3, 4. What shall be given unto thee, or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.' Published by Authority. LONDON. Printed by Rich. Cotes for John Bellamy, at the Three Golden Lions in Cornhill, neare the Royall Exchange. 1646." sm. 4to, pp. 103. CHAPTER XXV. OF THE TRUE GROUNDS OR CAUSE OF THE FIRST PLANTING AND now that I have finished what I conceive CHAP. necessary concerning Mr. Gorton's scandalous and XXV. slanderous books,' let me briefly answer some objections that I often meet withal against the country of New England. The first that I meet with is concerning the rise and foundation of our New England Plantations; it being alleged (though upon a great mistake by a late writer)2 1 Winslow was sent to England in 1646 as the agent of Massachusetts, to defend that colony against the complaints of Gorton; and for that purpose published the work, the title of which is given on the last page, and of which this Brief Narration constituted an Appendix. No copy of it is known to exist in this country, although it was in the possession both of Prince and Morton; and I have endeavoured in vain to procure it from England. The portion of the volume which I print was copied for me from one in the British Museum. It is very desirable that the whole book should be reprinted here, as Gorton's work, to which it is an answer, has been recently embodied in the Collections of the R. I. Historical Society, and 2 This was Robert Baylie, minis- 380 XXV. THE PILGRIMS AT LEYDEN. CHAP. that division or disagreement in the church of Leyden was the occasion, nay cause, of the first plantation in New England; for, saith the author, or to this effect, when they could no longer agree together, the one part went to New England, and began the Plantation at Plymouth, which he makes the mother, as it were, of the rest of the churches; as if the foundation of our New England plantations had been laid upon division or separation, than which nothing is more untrue.' For I persuade myself, never people upon earth lived more lovingly together and parted more sweetly than we, the church at Leyden, did; not rashly, in a distracted humor, but upon joint and serious deliberation, often seeking the mind of God by fasting and prayer; whose gracious presence we not only found with us, but his blessing upon us, from that time to this instant, to the indignation of our adversaries, the admiration of strangers, and the exceeding consolation of ourselves, to see such effects of our prayers and tears before our pil Leyden, under Master Robinson's Hutchinson, too, in his Hist. of |