under a French and Spanish Instigation. And that some other Colonies, which, alas, are too obnoxious, may shortly suffer grievous Depredations from them.

In this Countrey, we are not free from our Share with the rest if them that profess the reformed Religion abroad in the world, in a lamentable Decay upon the power of Godliness. Nevertheless, the Countrey has in it a Number of prayerful, watchful, Fruitful Christians, and something more is to be said, than meerly this, that it is generally filled with a sober and an honest people. And it is impossible for me to express, how dear the Ch: of Scotland is, unto their Brethren here tho' it be a little Express'd in the Civilities, which its Ministers happening to come hither, do commonly meet withal.

I join with you in expecting, that the Kingdome of God will quickly be seen, in some Appearances and Advances of it, beyond what have been in the former Ages. But very much of my Expectation is, that God will raise up some Instruments, who from the Mines of the Sacred Scriptures, will dig and run the Maxims of the everlasting Gospel; the glorious Maxims, wherein all the Children of God really are united, and whereinto all that come are to be esteemed and embraced as the Children of God. The children of God and of His Kingdome, under various professions will arrive to a declared and explicit union on these Maxims; and lesser points will be depressed into their due subordination. Disputations on these Lesser Points may be continued; but managed with that mutual Justice, and Candor, and meekness, which becomes the Children of God. The Brethren thus becoming sensible that they are so, will associate for the Kingdome of God, in such methods, that the Things to be consumed by the Stone cutt out of the mountain shall be all broke to peeces before them. Glory to God in the Highest, with peace on Earth from Good-will among men, will be the grand Characters and Intentions of the Kingdome; and the Tokens and Effects of the divine Presence among this people of our Immanuel, will be wonderful, wonderful! Joels prophecy is also to receive its full Accomplishment!

I confess myself to be at Work upon those Maxims; not without hopes, that some Fruits of my Studies may ere long reach unto you; In the mean time, I was comforted with Letters from the most illustrious University in the world, which much animated my studies, whereof I have here enclosed you a short memorial, under the Title of, Nuncia bona.1

1 Printed by B. Green for Samuel Gerrish, 1715. Mather adds to his name on the titlepage the letters "F. R. S.”

I entreat you to remember me most affectionately to the best of men, my Lord of Pollock, unto whom I wish always the best of Blessings. You will treat him with the sight of all that this packett containeth in it.

My long letter terminates in my earnest Supplications to our glorious Lord, That His Church with you, the dearly beloved of His soul, may be preserved from the High flying Birds of prey; on whom Obadiahs prophecies will be spedily executed; and that you particularly may be many years an useful Instrument of much service to His Kingdome in the world. With such Prayers, and all possible Brotherly affection, I am, Sir, Your Brother and Serv't.1

TO SIR WILLIAM ASHURST.

A.A.S.

BOSTON, 18 d. 8 m. [October.] 1715.

SIR, In the last Letters, which I had the Honour of receiving from you, there were some Intimations of your Desire to receive some Account of the Biblia Americana, a work waiting to see its publication encouraged.

In obedience to your command, I have here enclosed, a, New offer, which exhibits a brief Account of the Work. And therewithal assure you That altho' the Author has all this while even ever since his being seventeen years of age, had lying upon him the ponderous Load of the Evangelical service which the greatest, Church in these Colonies has expected from him; and tho he has in this while undergone the fatigue of publishing more than 250 Books of sundry Dimensions, on various Arguments, in diverse Languages; yett, thro' the most gracious Assistence of God our Saviour, there is performed in the Biblia Americana, more than all that is promised in the Advertisement.

I have sometimes flattered myself, with an Imagination, that if the Treasures wherewith our B. A. are enriched, were so acceptable in their separate States, as to render many copious and costly volumes Vendible, certainly there would be at some time or other so much common sense operating in the world, as to beleeve, that a close Amassment of these Treasures, refined from Superfluities, with an Addition of many never before exposed, would be not unworthy of some Acceptance.

1" 16 d. 8 m. Dismissed unto the new Church at Romny-marsh three Stasseys, two men and a woman." Cotton Mather's MS. Records of the Second Church, II.

I did not know, but that a Composure, which may pretend without Vanity to be the richest collection of the most valuable Treasures, in so little a Room, that ever the Ch: of God was entertained withal, might hope for a favorable Reception, with people of Religion and Ingenuity.

But I find, and I do not wonder at it, that I do so, the work labouring under Discouragements.

The Booksellers are generally such, that a celebrated Author, thinks the most opprobrious Term he can give unto them, is to say, in one word, they are Booksellers.

It is complained unto me, I know not how truly, that our Dissenters do not seem to over-value Literature; and that a public Spirit among them is much lost by their unusual Emulations; nor do they seem to think, that it is much for their Interest or Honour, to have any of their Number, do things of much consideration in the Common-wealth of Learning. It has been surprizing unto me to read the little, absurd, ridiculous exceptions, which have been made against this work among some of my Brethren. Indeed the goodspirited Mr. Henry, several times, in his Letter to me express'd his Good-will to this undertaking; but, he is dead.1

The Surviving seem to be of the opinion, that a poor American must never be allow'd capable of doing any thing worth any ones regarding; or to have ever look'd on a Book. And the Truth is, we are under such Disadvantages, that if we do any thing to purpose, it must carry in it a tacit Rebuke to the sloth of people more advantageously circumstanced.

I have done expecting anything, from my Brethren in the City; upon the Reasons whereof, I know not, whether or no I am right in my Conjectures.

I am not without importunate sollicitations, from other parts of England, and from Scotland, and from Ireland, that the work may be proceeded in; and promises of Subscriptions, which I beleeve would be Numerous.

And some very Eminent persons in the established Church, lett me understand by kind Letters that they will be Benefactors unto it.

I no sooner published the Advertisement here but I had about an hundred Subscribers in view: whereof three are Governours of the Colonies; many of them Gentlemen of uncommon Erudition.

I have been this year and half, begging my Brethren, the Ministers of the City, to lett me know, what they would have me to do, in 1 Matthew Henry died of apoplexy, June 22, 1714.

pursuance of the proposal, at the End of the Advertisements. But they have never to this Hour thought fitting to take the least notice of my Request.

I am sensible, it has been an extraordinary Time with them; and I would make no misconstructions.

However, I am wholly at a Loss, what further to do, in the affayr. It is no unlawful or immodest or imprudent Thing for me, to make unto the world, a Tender of my poor Studies to serve it; in wayes wherein wiser and greater men have gone before me.

But if the Tender be rejected, I am sure I ought to be humble and patient, and with all possible Resignation, leave unto the glorious Lord, the Disposal of my Essayes to do Good in the world.

Had not the work been in the English Tongue, my Correspondents in the most illustrious Frederician University1 who have putt great Marks of their Favour upon me, would soon bring it into the Light.

One considerable Article in the work, namely The Christian Virtuoso, one would think, might procure some subscribers to it, among the members of the Royal Society, which have allowed my Relation to them.

It may be, God our Saviour will in His Time, dispose the Minds of some eminent and opulent persons, to cast a benign Aspect upon a work which may hand down their Names with lasting Acknowledgments unto posterity.

Be it as it will, I do with the greatest Acquiescence of Mind in the holy Dispositions of His Providence Leave all in His glorious Hands. To which your Honourable person and Family is also most affectionately comended by, Sir, Your Honors, Most affectionate

servant.

TO ANTHONY WILLIAM BOEHM.

A.A.S.

2 d. X m. [December.] 1715. MY MOST HONOURED FRIEND, Several Months are passed, since by way of Return, for the Favours, which accompanied those of our dear Franckius, I addressed you with a large Number of Packetts, which had in them some scores of American Treatises, besides a few small presents of Gold, unto the Orphanotropheum. All which I hope, have long since reached you.

I am extremely desirous of maintaining a correspondence, with a person of your excellence, spirit, and Intention; And therefore you

1 Founded in 1694, by the elector Frederick III of Brandenburg.

must give me leave to lay hold as frequently as I can on opportunities to entertain you, with such Books of Piety as are published in our Countrey: In which, perhaps you will find, something of the spirit of that vital Religion which you have so wisely chosen to cultivate and inculcate.

But of the Things, which the mean hand that now writes has published, since the last that I have tendered you, there is none that has more of my Heart, than the Enclosed, Lapis Excisus; upon which I will freely declare unto you my Apprehensions.

A small spark, will sett fire to a mighty Train, when it is already praepared: He was wondrously exemplified, in the Successes of Luther's Essayes, which if they had been made some years afore, would have been insignificant enough, and have succeeded but very poorly.

I apprehend the Time is now coming on apace, for the Empire of Antichrist and Satan (whereof, there are too sensible Remains, even in the most Reformed churches ;) to come unto its promised period, and the Kingdome of our Saviour to be Exhibited wth glory to God in the Highest, and on earth Peace, thro' Good Will among Men.

But if it be so, that the Time to Favour the sett Time, is come, who can tell, how far such a small Thing, as our Lapis Excisus, may operate, for the Introducing of the Things, which the soul of my dear Boem, is with weary anhelations, looking and longing for!

God will shake all Nations, that He may bring them to the Ms1 of the everlasting Gospel, which are the Things that cannot be shaken. And, I am altogether of the same opinion, with our excellent Ludolf, that the world is already deeply entred into the Distresses, that are designed for such a purpose.

My Request therefore is, that you would please, to disperse these little Engines of Piety, as fast and as far as you can; send of them, to our invaluable Friends at Halle; send of them, to the Malabarian missionaries; And if you can do it, send of them into France; yea, excuse me, if I say, procure them to be translated into as many Languages as you can. Magna est veritas, et prevalebit.

By the next, I may furnish you with more of them; and then more fully acquaint you with the Reasons that have emboldened me to impose at this rate upon you.

In the meantime, and alwayes you will continue your Loves and Prayers for, Sir, Your most affectionate Brother and Serv't.

1 Mercies or Messages?