Letters to John Winthrop and John Winthrop Jr. (1636-1643)

p. 387LETTERS OF THOMAS HOOKER.*

To John Winthrop, Jr., [at the mouth of the Connecticut,] 1636

THOMAS HOOKER TO JOHN WINTHROP, JR.

To his much Honored & worthy freind Mr. John Wynthropp, Governor, at the mouth of the river of Conitticut, these.

WORTHY SIR, — Your letter coming but late this evening, immediatly before your servants were returning, I am forced to shorten these few lynes. Your charge & advise is seasonable, & so exceeding vsefull, that I should be much awanting in my duty to God, & that due respect I owe vnto your self, if I should not help forward the execution of so good a work. I haue observed in my life tyme that want of prudence & providence hath occasioned the most of hazards that befall men in their life. I desire that we may not preiudice the Lords care he hath had of our preservation, & our owne comforts: for the way is open & easy, in my apprehension, to prevent any pretended evill, if we be faythfull to attend God's way. I heard but this day, how likely the trade is to miscary, for want of care in setling of it. If you be pleased suddaynly to advise, that a course may be taken by the mutuall agreement of all the plantations, & that execution may be p. 388speedy, & through for the accomplyshment of it, it may yet be recovered, but delay will breed a vtter & irrecoverable decay. The good Lord bless you in your way & work: which he wisheth who is

Yours in all due respect, T: HOOKER.

[* Footnote, p. 387: Rev. Thomas Hooker was born in Leicestershire, England. He was educated at Emanuel College, Cambridge, and was afterwards chosen one of the Fellows. Subsequently he became a lecturer at Chelmsford, in Essex; and preached for a time in London. Being subject to annoyance for his Puritanism, he went to Holland; where he spent four years in the exercise of his profession. He came to this country in 1633, in company with the Rev. Samuel Stone and Rev. John Cotton; arriving at Boston 4th September. He settled at Cambridge, but in June, 1636, went to Hartford with a majority of his parishioners, where he resided till his death, 7th July, 1647, in his sixty-first year. He was one of the most distinguished of the early clergymen of New England. See Winthrop's Hist. of N. E., i. 108, 109; Savage's Geneal. Dict.; Allen's Biog. Dict. — EDS.]

THOMAS HOOKER TO JOHN WINTHROP.

To his much honored freind John Wyntrop Esquier his house at Boston dd.

MUCH HONORED IN OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR, — When I first heard of those heavy distractions which have risen so vnexpectedly, I did reioyce from the root of my heart, that the Lord did, & hath gratiously kept you from any taynt of those new-coyned conceits. The Lord strenghthen & establish you in every holy word & work. In a good cause He hath given you gratious abilityes to do Him much service, & I am perswaded He will blesse you in such indeavors. You know my playnnesse: you can not keepe your comfort, nor an honorable respect in Christ in the hearts of His, more then in keeping closse to the truth. You shall have what interest I have in heaven to help you in that work. How the Pequoyts have made an inrode, by a suddayne surprisall, vpon some of our brethren of Watertowne,* slayyng weomen & children, who were sent out carelessly, without watch & guard, this bearer will tell you.

Though we feele nether the tyme nor our strenght fitt for such a service, yet the Indians here, our frends, werr so importunate with vs to make warr presently, that vnlesse p. 389we had attempted some thing, we had delivered our persons vnto contempt of base feare & cowardise, & caused them to turne enemyes agaynst vs. Agaynst our mynds, being constrayned by necessaty, we haue sent out a company, taking some Indians for guides with vs. What is done, you will better heare it by report, then I shall relate it by penn, for our men went downe as these pynaces came to vs. Only we heare, ther is six of the Pequoyts slayne by our Indians, not far from the fort. I hope you see a necessity to hasten execution, & not to do this work of the Lords revenge slackly. I shall commend the cause to your love & wisdome, & your self to the rich mercy of our God in Christ, & in all thankfulnes for all your love, rest

Yours in all due respect T: HOOKER.

[* Footnote, p. 388: This attack of the Pequots upon Watertown (now Wethersfield), Conn., took place in April, 1637. — EDS.]

p. 425THOMAS HOOKER TO JOHN WINTHROP.

To the right worship John Wynthropp, Esquier, Governour in Matheshusetts, dd.

RIGHT WORSHIP: & MUCH HONORED IN OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR,

By returne of our speciall freinds I could not but returne a thankfull acknowledgment of all your former kyndnesses & your last loving entertaynement, & also to give you an account of such businesses wch were in part commended to our care touching the ripening of such passages of the Synod wch were of wayt & worthy record & consideration. You may be pleased therfore to understand yt Mr Higginson, who was the scribe in Assembly, hath imployd his tyme, since his coming, to transcribe such things wch were of use; but because the things were many & his tyme short, our freinds returning so speedily, he could not accomplish much, but hath taken his papers wth him downe to the mouth of ye river, whither his occasions call him for the present & from whence he will send you such particulars as he shall shortly write out, & yt by the soonest conveyance. The good Lord prosper these begynings for the setling of peace & truth wth you in all his Churches. …