Stedman and Hutchinson, comps. A Library of American Literature:
An Anthology in Eleven Volumes. 1891.
Vols. IX–XI: Literature of the Republic, Part IV., 1861–1889
A Homely Plea for Toleration
By Peter Folger (1617?–1690)L
That I intend something to show
About our war, how it hath been
And also what is the chief sin,
That God doth so with us contend
And when these wars are like to end.
Read them in love; do not despise
What here is set before thine eyes.
hath had both rest and peace,
But now the case is otherwise;
our troubles doth increase.
in some great colonies,
And many towns are desolate
we may see with our eyes.
we may lament also,
Who in the war have lost their lives,
and fallen by our foe.
and children very small,
Great cruelty they have used
to some, though not to all.
are very foolish men,
Yet God doth take of them a rod
to punish us for sin.
He will remove his ire,
And will forthwith take this his rod,
and cast it into fire.
that God doth punish for;
And when found out, cast it away
and ever it abhor.
that magistrates do name,
And make good laws for to suppress,
and execute the same.
that rulers will not own,
And that whereby much cruelty
to brethren hath been shown.
such laws established,
By which laws they have gone so far
as blood hath touched blood.
since some of them were made,
Which was the ground and rise of all
the persecuting trade.
banished to the woods,
Where they among the natives did,
lose their most precious bloods.
have been to prison sent,
They have been fined, and whipped also,
and suffered banishment.
was not for any sin,
But for the witness that they bare
against babe sprinkling.
men come into this land,
To warn the rulers of their sins
as I do understand.
to fear God and repent;
And for their testimonies thus
they suffer a punishment.
that they were sent of God,
To testify to great and small
that God would send his rod
they did make laws not good;
And if those laws were not repeal’d
the end would be in blood.
and did no hurt to any,
But lived well like honest men,
as testified by many;
that they were put to death,—
And could not have the liberty
to speak near their last breath.
against our College men;
And this was, out of doubt to me,
that which was most their sin.
with a most sharp reproof,
Because they knew not how to preach
till sure of means enough.
I have but gave a hint;
Because that in George Bishop’s book
you may see all in print.
Let Magistrates and ministers
consider what they do:
Let them repeal those evil laws
and break those bands in two
to catch the innocents,
And whereby it has gone so far
to acts of violence.
the Balm of Gilead;
Then do not act as if you were
like men that are half mad.
the cause things are so bad?
I think instead of that, you make
the hearts of people sad.
to draw the blood of those
That are your neighbors and your friends?
as if you had no foes.
I would not have you for to think,
tho’ I have wrote so much,
That I hereby do throw a stone
at magistrates, as such.
do own them in the Lord;
And such as are for government,
with them I do accord.
is, that they would keep bounds,
And meddle not with God’s worship,
for which they have no ground.
there ’s many hundreds more,
That have for many years ago
spake much upon that score.
it ’s not your business
To meddle with the Church of Christ
in matters more or less.
to judge in mine and thine:
To succor poor and fatherless,
that is the work in fine.
enough of that to do;
Much more at such a time as this,
as there is war also.
for people in these days,
To ask the rulers for their leave
to serve God in his ways.
to use the iron sword,
To do that work which Christ alone
will do by his own word.
there ’s nothing for to do;
Their work is all cut out by law,
and almost made up too.
in what I said before
Concerning ministers, I think
to write a few words more.
that I am such a fool,
To write against learning, as such,
or to cry down a school.
that I intend hereby,
Where men are mew’d up in a cage;
fit for all villainy.
Now for the length of time, how long
these wars are like to be,
I may speak something unto that,
if men will reason see.
and ’t is as we do choose,
For to obey the voice of God,
or else for to refuse.
when war was threat’ned sore,
That if men do repent and turn
God will afflict no more.
as is but verbally,
When men refuse for to reform,
it is not worth a fly.
though you be under rod,
To say to Israel, Go, you,
and serve the Lord your God.
and add fasting thereto,
Yet if your hands be full of blood,
all this will never do.
is that we might amend,
Then, if that we reform aright,
the war will shortly end.
as like as like can be;
They made large promises to God,
at home and at the sea.
they cut the calf in twain,
They part between the part thereof,
O this was all in vain.
they floated to and fro,
Sometimes, then, brethren may be free,
while hence to prison go.
and weather is abroad,
So we can serve ourselves sometimes
and sometimes serve the Lord.
If that the peace of God did rule,
with power in our heart,
Then outward war would flee away,
and rest would be our part.
and do to them, I say,
As we would they should do to us,
we should be quiet straightway.
of fellow-servants so,
No marvel if our wars increase
and things so heavy go.
our war would not remain,
If so be that a thousand more
of natives were but slain.
God can make more arise,
And if that there were none at all,
he can make war with flies.
must make our foes to shake,
Or else it ’s like he will e’er long
know how to make us quake.
in all humility,
And then we shall with Asa see
our enemies to fly.
and trust in fleshly arm,
Then ’t is no wonder if that we
do hear more news of harm.
and trust in him alone,
And then no doubt this storm of war
it quickly will be gone.
leave these few lines with thee,
Hoping that in the substance we
shall very well agree.
for its uncomely dress,
I tell thee true, I never thought
that it would pass the press.
it ’s like he ’s galled at heart,
And that ’s the reason why he kicks,
because he finds it smart.
and that ’s the reason why
I write more plain than some men do,
that use to daub and lie.
to what I here insert,
Because to be a libeller,
I hate it with my heart.
my name I do put here,
Without offence your real friend,
it is P