N00162:10
An earnest exhortation to the inhabitants of New-England, to hearken to the voice of…
An earnest exhortation to the inhabitants of New-England, to hearken to the voice of God in his late and present dispensations as ever they desire to escape another judgement, seven times greater that any thing which as yet hath been. / By Increase Mather; teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Eight lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1676
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
TO THE READER.
Although I was not altogether negligent, in noting down such occurrences, respecting the present War with the Heathen in New-England, as came to my knowledge, in the time of them: yet what I did that way was merely for my own private use, nor had I the least thought of publishing any of my Observations, […] •uch time as I read a Narrative of this Ware, said to be written by a Merchant in Boston, which it seems met with an Imprimatur at London in December •ast: the abounding mistakes therein caused me to think it necessary, that a true History of this affair should be published. Wherefore I resolved ([Greek or Hebrew]) to methodize such scattered Observations as I •ad by me, so were the Hora subseciva of a few days improved. Whilst I was doing this, there came to my hands another Narrative of this War, written by a Quaker in Road-Island, who pretends to know the Truth of things; but that Narrative being fraught with worse things then mere Mistakes, I was thereby quickened to expedite what I had in hand. I moved has some other might have done it, but none presenting, I thought of his Saying. A• ally […] ho• fieri mallem quàm à me, •ed à me tamen […] quám à […]. And I hope that in one thing, (though it may be in little else) I have performed the part of an Historian, viz. in endeavouring to relate things truly and impartially, and doing the best I could that I might not lead the Reader into a Mistake. History is indeed in it self profitable Study. Learned men know that Polybius, and the great Philosopher call it, [Greek or Hebrew]. And there is holy Scripture to encourage in a work of this nature; for what was the Book of the Wars of the Lord. Num. 21.14.? And that Book of Father which we read of in Jos•ua• and in Samuel? Yea and the Book of the Chronicles, mentioned in the Book of Kings (for we find not some of those things referred unto in the Canonical Book of Chronicles) What were these Books, but the faithful Records of the providential Dispensations of God, in the days of old? Yea and it is proper for the Ministers of God to engage themselves in Services of this nature; Witness the History, or Commentary […] of the Prophet Judo, 2. Cron. 13.32.