Ebenezer Smith's Poem
by Ebenezer Smith[Note: According to The New England Quarterly 47:97-108, at the end of a pamphlet donated to Brown University containing Chileab Smith's An Answer to Many Slanderous Reports Cast on the Baptists at Ashfield (dated 14 Feb 1772) is found the following poem by his son, Ebenezer. For additional background information, The New England Quarterly 47:97-108.]
When God at first Mankind did make
And in his image did create
Male & female him for to praise
Him to obey in all their ways,
In peace & union they did stand
Till they the Law of God did break
And the forbidden fruit did take.
Then too accuseing they do go,
And the efect of sin do show.
Man on his wife dos lay the blame;
She on the Serpent does the same.
Near unto Edens ancient ground
Two brothers are to gether found;
The one dos there the other kill
And on the ground his blood doth spill.
This is the reson that we find
(All would do well the same to mind)
The murderers works they evil were
His brothers riteous truth declares.
This Spirit walking to & from
Four thousand years the Earth upon
What works it did you may behold
Within the sacred pages told.
Perticulars I shall not tell
Least I on them two long should dwel.
Only in general I may say
It always went in the same way—
Condemning those whose works were good
Because it is a foe to God
And sought his Glory to destroy
And his dear children to anoy.
And the Son of God came down,
Lost man to raise unto a crown,
How they in spite against him join,
The Jews & Gentiles do combine
Against the Lord[‘s] anointed son
Whose praise the Angels long had sung.
Him they do charge with Blasphemies
And load his name with hatefull lies.
In him no sin was ever found
While he livd on this earthly ground,
And when before the Judge he stood,
‘Twas Envy made them seek his Blood,
And tho’ the Son of God when left
In sinners hands of life bereft,
And in the silent tomb was laid,
He quickly did rise from the dead.
And now in heaven he’s set down
With his own father in his throne.
Envy against His servents dear
It very quickly did appear.
Where’er they went to preach Gods word,
O how their Envy ‘gainst them stird,
As if they were the worst of men
Because they spoke against their sin.
And as they past through Asia,
And as they preached in Affrica
Envy against them oft apeard
While they the truth of God declared.
In Europe also we may see
Against those that Gods children be
Envy has them afflicted there;
They often persecuted were.
In Briton too Gods saints have been
Envy’d by people and by Queen.
Who Righteous blood have often shed
And brou’t the Guilt on there own head.
At length out fathers to be free,
And to enjoy their Liberty,
Chose for to cross the ocean wide
And in this desart to abide.
To them the king this freedom gave
That in this land they might it have
In worship of the Lord to join
As they thought right from time to time.
How happy had New England been
If Envy here had nare been seen,
But love to God & love to men
Had always guided us herein.
The Gosple of the Lord was brou’t
Into this land and many sought
Hither to come the ocean or’e [o’er]
For to git rid of prelates pow’r.
O might the Gosple here alont
Have past this desart up & down,
And found its way in every heart
And caused all evil to depart.
Then would New England have apeard
Like to a garden well prepared,
Where jesus would his blessings grant
And well supply his peoples want.
But, O!, alas, with greif I tell
Envy, that first was hatcht in hell,
Has found its way this land into
Sad work has here been done also.
Witnis the Jail & whiping post,
The Gallos where some lives were lost,
The confi[s]cation of mens goods,
And banishment into the woods.
Some say these men disturbers were,
Therefore such things fell to their share;
So said the Jews & Greeks of old
As in the Scriptures we are told.
When I these thing[s] to some did tell,
That rulers in this land do dwell,
They like the Jews of old do say
Had they been in there fathers day
Surely they would not thus have done,
To whip & kill & banish some.
Yet clear it is they do also
The works there fathers once did do.
‘Tis not for want of a good will
They do not now with some thus deal,
As dos appear most plain to me
By what I once & twice did see.
Tho’ freedom unto all is given,
Thro’ the kind Providence of heavin,
In charter grant our soverign from,
Yet some would trample others on.
And tho’ their lives they can’t destroy,
Yet their estates they would anoy,
Take the support of life from them,
For to uphold the way there in.
Much of this kind is done of late,
More than I here can well relate.
This I affirm, for I it knew,
I could say more and yet be true.
And when of hardship I complain,
I have been told once & again,
I worship might as I see fit
Only let us have your Estate—
Or word[s] near unto this efect.
So pharaoh did to Moses say:
Go, to the Lord your worship pay,
Only your flocks & herds let stay.
Some times [“] ‘tis law [”], they to me say,
And therefore they will it obey.
So did the Jews to Pilate cry:
[“] ‘Tis by our Law Jesus must die [”].
But, O, New England, be thou sure,
There will come on a trying hour
Before the Judge of old and young
Who now regards the oppressing throng,
Who will releve the poor oppressed,
And give his suffering children rest
From all that oppressed them here,
For they to him are very dear.
Some of these things in Ashfield done,
In ten years past that now are gone,
Till by our gracious king’s decree
A stop put to the same we see.
Tho’ there was many pleading crys
Sent to the court with weeping eyes
That they these sufferers would a[c]quit,
But yet they never would do it.
They plead the native right of men;
They plead there right the charter in;
But all in vain, no help is gain’d
‘Till of the king they it obtain’d.
Encoragement, some times tis true,
They gave as if they would it do,
And yet they never did the thing;
Therefore twas sent unto the king.
Do any ask who suffer’d here?
The Baptist twas, I do declare.
Unto what court was it they cryd
So oft and had their suit denied?
‘Twas to the court in Boston met,
And when in Cambridge they did set,
These crys were sent, hoping they’d hear;
I know it for my self was there.
But I have some thing more to tell
Which many witnis can ful-well,
The truth of which you may reseive
From the fore-going Naritive;
How one there apprehended was,
And under trial made to pass.
And tho no crime could proved be,
Yet is he keept in bonds we see.
So if we mind the false reports,
Thet up & down are told about,
It may put us in mind what they
Did of the good old prophet say:
Report & then we will it tell,
We like to spread slander so well.
But what saith God in ‘is word about
Mens raiseing of a false report?
Now all these things I think must spring
From Envy, that accu[r]sed sin,
Which ‘bove five thousand years has done
Much hurt the sons of men among.
And now I would intreat all those
That for to read these lines shall chose,
Of cruel Envy to beware
As of a deadly hurt-full snare.
We’er [we’re] told that wrath is cruel too,
And that anger rageth also,
But who can Envy stand before
Because it cruel is yet more.
O, when shall Envy be destroy’d,
And love be by all men enjoyed?
Let every one then love persue,
And Envy by the same subdue.
But you that harbour in your breast
Envy as if a pleaseing guest,
Know that the time will quickly come
When you will find your souls undone.
But happy they who do subdue,
Thro’ grace, Envy that cruel foe,
And who the Blessed Jesus serve,
And from his precepts never swerve.
Tho’ they do suffer here in time,
Yet they in heaven ere long shall join,
To sing the praises of the Lamb
With all his saints for aye, amen.
Now if you ask the writers name,
Here on these lines doth stand the same:
E nvy it is a cruel foe;
B e care-full then it to subdue.
E nvy was seen in early days;
N ow may it sink no more to raise.
E nvy, it hates what God has chose;
Z ealously then the same oppose.
E nvy on earth much hurt has done;
R ule may the Lord till this put down.
S o that Envy no more may wound
M ay God the sinners hopes confound
I n bringing them to die in sin,
T o trust the Lord Jehovah in.
H appy then be, eternally.