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rear and covered by the shadows of the guides, were to descend the rocks. The descent was found to be difficult, but by letting themselves down by the bushes growing in the fissures of the rocks, the party reached the bottom without alarming the Indians.

Church, with a hatchet in his hand, seized the arms at the feet of Annawan, who, starting up on end, cried out "Howah!" and despairing of an escape, fell back in his couch. After the arms were secured parties went to the other Indians, informing them their chief was a prisoner, and that if they would submit their lives would be spared. The whole readily complied with the terms, and all appeared cheerful.

Church now inquired of Annawan what he had for supper, "for," said he, "I have come to sup with you." The chief, in a loud voice, ordered his women to prepare one, and inquired of his conqueror whether he would choose cow or horse beef. Church replied cow beef, and the supper was soon prepared, and all ate heartily. After suitable guards were posted the Indians lay down, and Church attempted a short repose near his captured chief; but neither slept. Some time had elapsed in silence, when Annawan arose from his couch and slowly retired into the wood. Church, apprehensive of some hostile design, drew near to Annawan's son and prepared for the worst.

At length, the chief returned with a pack, placed it on the ground, and falling on his knees before it, said:

"Great Captain, you have killed Philip and conquered his country-I believe that I and my company are the last who war against the English-I suppose the war is ended by your means." Then, opening the pack, he drew out a belt curiously wrought with wampum in various figures of flowers, birds and beasts, which, when hung upon the Captain's shoulders, reached to his feet. Another belt of wampum was next taken out, wrought in the same manner, which was worn on the head of the warrior, hanging down the back, to which two flags appended, waving behind. A third, with a star, and edged with red hair, was taken out, which, when hung upon the neck, descended to the breast.

These, with two horns of glazed powder, and a red cloth blanket, constituting the royal dress of Philip, were presented

to Captain Church, who, Annawan said, had "won them, and he was happy in having an opportunity of delivering."

The remainder of the night was spent in free conversation, in which the captured chief recounted his various exploits in the present, as well as former wars under Philip's father. The next day, Church marched his prisoners to Taunton, where he joined those that had been captured when Philip was killed, and had been ordered to that town. Annawan, with another chief, was perfidiously put to death at Boston, not long after. A few more exploits of Captain Church, in which a number of the Indians were captured and the few remaining tribes submitted, ended the war in this quarter.

"A few more exploits" of this sort, with a vengeance, and "Church," as well as State were likely to become quite as indivisible as Sam had heretofore consistently aspired to make them. It was, of course, only because unpleasant to "Captain Church," that when " a young minister, godly and zealous, having precious gifts," came among them, who dared to assert that "the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience is most evidently and lamentably contrary to the doctrine of Christ Jesus," they should have banished him, in the superflux of christian charity, to wander through the dangers of a remote, unknown and savage wilderness. Yes, this same Sam, concerning whom his locally-canonized historian asserts with iteration, passim, that "the purity of religion and civil liberty were the objects nearest the wishes of the emigrants," turned forth into the howling wilderness, the valiant Roger Williams, because he had spoken one of the freest and most pregnant truths that ever fell from mortal lips.

There was a charming consistency in this course, for, having set Hooker, their controversial champion, forth to meet the startling proposition of "liberty of conscience," and having found him, in their own convictions, foiled by the clear, serene intellect of his interlocutor, they concluded it was best, for the interests of "Church" and State, to extend the grace of starvation on the bleak and forlorn steps of the untracked southwest to the man who stood ready to die by the assertion that "the civil magistrate might not intermeddle, even to stop a 'Church' from infidelity and heresy." Thus

• Bancroft, page 359.

was dismissed the mild and valiant founder of Rhode Island, the chivalric State, which, though small in its area, has, in the sentiment from which it sprung, widened its limits to the circumference of the world that is, a world of recognition and of yearning! For, unfortunately, Earth is not yet free.

How far our friend Sam was disposed to recognize this liberty, is admirably displayed in the tone of the following harangue, delivered by the amiably belligerent saint, Mr. Hooker, that man of "vast attainments," to whom we have referred as the special champion pitted against freedom of thought and Roger Williams.

When the ninety men had assembled to go and roast the feeble Pequods, which, it will be remembered, they did most effectually, exterminating, with fire, and sword, an entire nation, this mouthpiece of christian charity thus addressed them :

"Fellow soldiers, countrymen and companions, you are this day assembled by the special providence of God; you are not collected by wild fancy, nor ferocious passions. It is not a tumultous assembly, whose actions are abortive, or if successful, produce only theft, rapine, rape and murder; crimes inconsistent with nature's light, inconsistent with a soldier's valor. You, my dear hearts, were selected from your neighbors, by the godly fathers of the land, for your known courage, to execute such a work.

"Your cause is the cause of heaven; the enemy have blasphemed your God, and slain his servants; you are only the ministers of his justice. I do not pretend that your enemies are careless or indifferent: no, their hatred is inflamed, their lips thirst for blood; they would devour you, and all the people of God; but, my brave soldiers, their guilt has reached the clouds; they are ripe for destruction; their cruelty is notorious; and cruelty and cowardice are always united.

"There is nothing, therefore, to prevent your certain victory but their nimble feet, their impenetrable swamps and woods; from these your small numbers will entice them, or your courage drive them. I now put the question-Who would not fight in such a cause? fight with undaunted boldness? Do you wish for more encouragement? More I give

you. Riches waken the soldier's sword; and though you will not obtain silver and gold, on the field of victory, you will secure what is infinitely more precious; you will secure the liberties, the privileges, and the lives of Christ's Church, in this New World.

"You will procure safety for your affectionate wives, safety for your prattling, harmless, smiling babes; you will secure all the blessings enjoyed by the people of God in the ordinances of the gospel. Distinguished was the honor conferred upon David, for fighting the battles of the Lord; this honor, O! ye courageous soldiers of God, is now prepared for you! You will now execute his vengeance on the heathen; you will bind their kings in chains and their nobles in fetters of iron. But perhaps some one may fear that a fatal arrow may deprive him of his honor.

"Let every faithful soldier of Jesus Christ be assured, that if any servant be taken away, it is merely because the honors of this world are too narrow for his reward; an everlasting crown is set upon his head; because the rewards of this life are insufficient. March then with Christian courage, in the strength of the Lord; march with faith in his divine promises, and soon your swords shall find your enemies; soon they shall fall like leaves of the forest under your feet."

Cromwell's troops always went into battle prayerfully, but we think this rather peculiar specimen of saintly eloquence, would have astonished any Barebones of them all, and yet this earliest counselor of Sam, would appear to have been, according to his historian, a man of "vast endowments, strong will and energetic mind."

CHAPTER VI.

The humorous Nathaniel Word-Sam's theory of Government through his assistance-Blue Laws.

AFTER this, we think we can afford to quote some account of the theory of government promulgated by one of the cotemporaries—and we may as well suppose-friends of this grave didactic teacher, the humorous Nathaniel Word, as he is called:

"Poley-piety," says he, "is the greatest piety in the world. To authorize an untruth, by toleration of the State, is to build a sconce against the walls of Heaven, to batter God out of his chair. Persecution of true Religion and toleration of false, are the Jannes and Jambres to the Kingdom of Christ, whereof the last is by far the worst. He that is willing to tolerate an unsound opinion, that his own may be tolerated, though never so sound, will, for a creed, hang God's Bible at the devil's girdle. It is said that men ought to have liberty of Conscience, and that it is persecution to debar them of it. I can the rather stand amazed than reply to this; it is an astonishment that the brains of men should be parboiled in such impious ignorance."

This is the same facetious gentleman who, about this time, in conjunction with other and worthy collaborateurs, drew up a code of laws for Sam, which he, or rather they, designated as the "Body of Liberties," which, it seems, was compiled chiefly from the code of Moses, and, though the date of their being commended to the general court, was as early as the year 1639, let it be mentioned to the everlasting credit of Sam, that they were not accepted, even by his unwilling innocence, until 1641, and that even then, the whole proposed by the amiable originators was not adopted by him without some little variation.

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