• h 
 
 
DUKE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 Treasure %oom ^^^ 
 
 
d 
 
 0>»v^. 
 
A ft 
 
 HlBorical Dtfcourfi 
 
 O N Ttt £ 
 
 Civil and Religious Affairs 
 
 of the CoLONt of 
 
 RHODE-ISLAND 
 
 AND 
 
 Providence Plantations 
 
 N E W - E N G L A N D 
 in America, 
 
 From the f5fft Settlement 1638, to the End of 
 fii ft CENTURY. 
 
 By]OHNCALLENDER,A'M' 
 
 JoHiiia xxii. 22. ^he LORt) God of Gods, the LORD God of 
 Gods, he kmiveth, and Ijrapljh^^ll kmw^ tf it be in RehtlUoriy of 
 if ifi TrdnfgteJJton agair.Jl the Lovd. 
 
 Pfal cxiv. 4. One. G?TJer,ttwn Jhall praife thy Name to afiother, 
 andjhall declare thy niipljy JHs. 
 
 ■ ' • ' ' * 
 
 B O S r O N: 
 
 Printed and Sold by S. Knf£land ^nd T. GreeH 
 in Queen^Screer. MDCCXXXIX. 
 
x ■ r» 
 
 ( ' 1. ' 1. 
 
 To the Honourable 
 
 WiUiam Coddington, Efq-, 
 
 SIR,' 
 
 T is not barely to 
 give youapublick 
 Teftimony of my 
 Gratitude for ma- 
 ny perfonal Favours, nor 
 , yet of that Efteem and Re- 
 fpe£t which all Men bear 
 you, for your lingular Equi- 
 ty and Benevolence, not on- 
 A 2 ly 
 
2 T>EVJCJTION, 
 
 ly in private Life, but in all 
 the various Offices, in which 
 you have ferved and adorned 
 your Country ; that 1 prefix 
 your Name to theie Papers : 
 ButbecaufeanAttempt to re- 
 cover feme Account of this 
 happy Ifland.and to makea re- 
 ligious Improvement of the 
 merciful Providences of God 
 towards it, is jnftly due to the 
 lineal Reprefentative of that 
 v^orthy Gentleman, who was 
 the great Inftrument of it's 
 ©f iginaj Settlement? 
 
 •jS Your honoured Grandfa- 
 ther Wiil'i^m CoddtngtQn^ Efq; 
 
 'ras ehpfen ia En^hvnl to be 
 
 m 
 
an Affiilnvt of the Colony o£ 
 
 the Maffachufetts-'Bay, A. 'D. 
 
 1629, and in i^:;o came o- 
 ver to IS! evo- England "^kh the 
 Governour and the Charter, 
 &c. after which he was feve- 
 ral Times rechofen to that 
 honourable and important 
 Office. He was for fome 
 Time Treafurer of the Colo- 
 ny. He was with the Chief- 
 eft in all publick Charges, 
 *and a principal Merchant 
 in Boflon ', where he built 
 the firft Brick Houfe. 
 
 In the Year 1(^37, when the 
 Contentions ran fo high in 
 the Country, he va-< grieved 
 
 at 
 
4 T>ET>ICJTI0K 
 
 at the Proceedings of the 
 Court, againft Mr. Wheel- 
 wright and Others. And 
 when he found that his Op- 
 pofitions to thofe Meafures 
 was ineffedual, he entred his 
 Proteft, 'that his Diffent 
 might appear to fucceeding 
 Times '; and though he was 
 in the faireft Way to be 
 Great, in the Majfachujetts as 
 to outward Things, yet he 
 voluntarily quitted his Ad- 
 vantageousSituation at'BoHon, 
 his largePropriety and Im- 
 provements at 'Braintree, for 
 Peace lake, and that he might 
 befriend, prote<St, and aflift 
 the pious People, who were 
 
 medi- 
 
T>E'DICATI0N. $ 
 
 meditating a Removal from 
 that Colony, on account of 
 their religious Differences. 
 
 Here when the People 
 firft incorporated them- 
 felves a Body politick on this 
 Ifland, they chofe him to be 
 their Judge or chief Ruler, 
 and continued to ele<5t him 
 annually to be their Gover- 
 nour for feven Years toge- 
 ther, 'till the Patent took 
 Place, and the Ifland was in- 
 corporated with TrovUence- 
 Plantations, 
 
 In the Year 11^47, he af- 
 fifted in forming the B^dy 
 
 of 
 
^ ^ET)ICJTIOK 
 
 of Laws, which has been the 
 Balis of our Conftitution 
 andGovernment ever fince ■, 
 and the next Year being 
 chofcn Governour of the 
 Colony, decHned the Of- 
 fice. 
 
 In i<^5i, he had a Com- 
 miflion from the fupream 
 Authority then in England^ 
 to be Governour of the If- 
 land, purfuant to a Power 
 rcferved in the Tatent : But 
 the People being jealous 
 * the Commillion might af- 
 fect their Lands and Liber- 
 ties as leemed to them by 
 the Patent', he readily laid 
 
 ic 
 
T>ET>JCAT10N. 7 
 
 it down on the firft Notice 
 from England that he might 
 do fo i & for their further Sa- 
 tisfaiSion and Contentment, 
 he, by a Writing under his 
 Hand, obh'ged himfelf to 
 make a formal Surrender of 
 all Right and Title to any of 
 theLands, more than his Pro- 
 portion in common with the 
 other Inhabitants, whenever 
 it Ihould be demanded. 
 
 After thathefeemstohave 
 retired much from publick 
 Bufinefs, till toward the latter 
 End of his Days, when he was 
 again divers Ijmes prevailed 
 with to take theGovernment 
 upon him; as he did particu- 
 B larly 
 
8 'DEVICjriON, 
 
 larly T^ySjwhenhedied Nov. 
 I. in the78//:>Yearof hisAge,^ 
 good A la n full of Day s. Thus 
 after he had the Honour to be 
 thefirllludgeandGovernour 
 of this Ifland, * after he had 
 fpent much of his Eftate and 
 thePrime ofhisLifein propa- 
 gating Plantations', he died 
 Governour of the Colony— 
 in promoting the Welfare 
 and the Profperity of the lit- 
 tle Common- VV^ealth, which 
 he had in a manner founded. 
 
 If there was any Oppofition 
 at any Time to any of his Mea- 
 fures, or if he met with any in" 
 grateful Returns from any he 
 had fei ved, it was no more 
 
 thai 
 
T>ET>1CJTI0K 9 
 
 than what feveral of the other 
 firft excellent Governours 
 of the othtrNew- Engl'tfi Co- 
 lonies met withirom a People 
 made froward by theCircum- 
 ftances of a Wildernels, and 
 over jealous of their Privi- 
 ledges. A free People will 
 always be jealous of their 
 Priviledges, and Hiftory a- 
 bounds withExamplesof the 
 Miftakes and Ingratitude oc- 
 calioned by that Jealoufy. 
 
 If the followingDifcourfe 
 has done any Juftice to the 
 Memory and Charadler of 
 the pious People who firffc 
 fetled thisColony, orif ithas 
 any Tendency to promote 
 
 the 
 
lo VETUCJTIOK 
 
 the true originalFnds of this 
 Plantation, 1 am fure of your 
 Patronage. And as to what 
 relates to fome Articles, dif- 
 ferent from your Judgment 
 andPradlice in religious Mat- 
 ters, theGenerofity and Can- 
 dour you inherit from your 
 great Anceftors will eafily 
 bear with me, endeavouring 
 to vindicate my own Opini- 
 ons on fuch an Occalion. 
 
 I hope there are few or no 
 Errors in theMatters of Fa(Sfc 
 related, or the Dates that 
 are affigned j to prevent any 
 Miftakes,! have carefully re- 
 viewed the publickRecords, 
 and my other Materials ; this 
 
 Review 
 
Review has bro't to my Know- 
 ledge orRemembrance many 
 Things, that were not menti- 
 oned in the Pulpit, which 
 however it feemed ought not 
 to be omitted. 
 
 I defigned to have put all 
 the Additions and Enlarge- 
 ments, in the Form of Notes 
 for my own tafe, but have 
 beenperfwaded to weave as 
 many of them as were pro- 
 per into the Body of the 
 Difcourfe, as what is general- 
 ly moft plealing to the Rea- 
 der. 1 am very fenfible, ie- 
 veral Things will be thottoo 
 minute or perfcnal by Stran- 
 gers, but the Defcendents of 
 B 2 the 
 
12 'DEVICMION. 
 
 tlie Perfons concerned, and 
 thelnhabitants of theColony, 
 wiJlfadily pardon me. And 
 feme other Things which are 
 familiarly known among our 
 felves, will be necellary to 
 Others. 
 
 It is much to be lamented 
 that many valuable Manu" 
 fcripts of fome of the firftSet- 
 iers here, are fo foon embez- 
 led and loft- And it is much 
 to be'wiihed, that fomeGen- 
 tlemen of Ingenuity andLei' 
 fare, would take Pains to col- 
 ledlasmany ofthefe oldPapers 
 as can be found difperfed a- 
 bout. I am apt to think, 
 that thefe, with the pobhck 
 
 Records, 
 
VESICATION, 15 
 
 Records, would furnifli Ma- 
 terials for zjnB: Hiftory of 
 the Colony, 
 
 What is here prefented to 
 your View, will by noMeans 
 fuperfede fuch a Defign ; I 
 rather hope it will ftimulate 
 Gentlemen in every Part of 
 theColony, to make a Search 
 after luch Papers, and more 
 efpecially now,\\h\\^ theA7(?]i^- 
 
 Engl and Chronology is in Hand, 
 compoiing by a Gentleman^ 
 above all Exceptions univer- 
 fally acknowledged the beil 
 verledin the Hiftory of the 
 Country, and the moft ca- 
 pable to give the World a 
 juil and clear Idea of all our 
 
 civil 
 
14 T>ET>ICAT10K 
 
 civil and religousAfFairsand 
 who is already fo well fur- 
 hifhed with Materials from 
 every other Part of theCoun- 
 try. 
 
 That the moft High 
 would be pleafed to blels 
 5 ou with all the Bleffings of 
 Grace and Providence, to- 
 gether with your pious Lady 
 and numerous OiFspring, is 
 the Prayer of 
 
 Tour Honours 
 moft olliged 
 Toutnlh Servant, 
 
 ^etifnyt on Rbode- Jjland, 
 05lo. 17th 1758. 
 
 John Callender. 
 
Ct) 
 
 
 "S 
 
 An Hiftorical Difcourfe,&c. 
 
 P S A L. LXXVII. 10, II, 12. 
 
 / will rememlper the Tears of the right Hand of the 
 moft High. 1 will remember the IVork of the 
 LORD^ farely I will remember thy IVonders of 
 cld^ I will meditate alfo of all thy iVork^ and 
 talk of thy Doings. 
 
 !i;S'^^'^§>^^^i? ^^^^5 ""C6 ^^^ Lands within 
 i0J;?^/-||^ the prelum Patent, or Char- 
 ter of this Colony, began to 
 
 llSsSl^ ^' f«"«^ by Englifli Men, 
 gfC^JJ and inhabited by Chriftians 
 our Anceflors; and as this 
 Day is juft an Hundred Tears fince the Indiaa 
 -Sachems * Miantonomy and the ancient Cancnicus 
 
 >^^ 
 
 * The Name of this ^achemh ufuaHy fpeltin the -printed Bocks j^ 
 Miantonimoky bac in all ihtManufcyiptiy .MyantonomSy or Aiiari' 
 tcnome^ or Miantonomu y and the Name is <•• profjounced hy 
 the People who rake the ^^rW by Tradi'ion, and nor from 
 the Books, with the Accent on the la*}. S-, ' -^ble but one 
 
 C hi$ 
 
2 An Hijlomal Lifcuurfe^ &c. 
 
 his Uncle and Guardian, figned the Grant of 
 thislfland, /tf Mr. Coddington and his Friends 
 united with him , and as Mr. JobnClark theFoun- 
 der under GOD, and the Jirjl Elder of this Churchy 
 and W$ liberal BenefaElor^ was a principal Inilru- 
 iTient, in negotiating the Purchafe, and Settle- 
 ment of the Ifland, as he was likewife afterward, 
 in obtaining and maintaining the old Patent, and 
 procuring the prefent Charter ; I tho'c it would 
 be but proper, to defer our Ledure, which in 
 Courfe fell out on Yefterday, to this Time ; and 
 now, I propofe to lay before you, fuch an Ac- 
 count as I have been able to colledl, of the Oc- 
 cafijn and the Manner of our firfi Settlement, to- 
 gether with a Jhort View, of the civil and religious 
 Hiftory, and the prefent State of the C>lony. And 
 then to entertain you, with fuch Refledions, as 
 the Subjedt will fugged, and fuch Remarks, as 
 jmayferve to difpofe, and aflilt us, to a religious 
 Improvement of thofe memorable Occurrences. 
 
 I confefs the Account I have been able to col- 
 lect, is very lame and imperfcd:, and for that 
 Reafon, I fhould have laid afide the Defign, if] 
 1 had not thought it, in Reality a Duty, to re- i 
 colledt and review {o much as we can, of the I 
 merciful Providence of GOD, in the fettling andi 
 preferving this Colony j and that we ought to re- 
 member tbs Tsars of the Right Hand cf the moft 
 
 H^ghl 
 
An Hifiorical Li/courfe^ &c. 3 
 
 High^ the IVorks of the Lord^ and the IVonders of 
 old^ to 7neditate of bis If or k^ and talk of tfs Divings, 
 
 And here in order to lay before you feme 
 Account rf the Occafin and Manner cf cur firft^ 
 Settlement J and the Condudl of divine Providence 
 towards us ever fince ^ it may be proper^ previ- 
 oufly to mention, a few Things relating to the 
 Scttlet/ient ^/New-England //; general. 
 
 And that we may take Things from the Be- 
 ginning, be pleafed to obferve that 05ioher 12. 
 1492, * this Part of the World fince called A' 
 mertca^ before that wholly unknown to the reH, 
 was firft difcovered by Chr'tftapher Columbus^ a 
 Qenoefe^ in the Service of the King of Spain. The 
 Vope loon after, generoufly bellowed the neisj 
 IVorld^ on the Spaniards^ they made vn^ny fuC" 
 ce/sful Voyages^ and many great C>nquejls and 
 Settlements in the fouthern Parts of the new found 
 World. Their Succefs, and the immenfe Riches, 
 
 * Where federal Writers, give the fame Account, 'ds need- 
 lefsro quote any one in parricular, as 'tis alio, where the 
 Accounr, is taken from a Comparifon of many Authors, 
 vich one anorher. However, I have followed the Dates in 
 the }\ew Er.glar.d Chrenclogyy where the moft material Fadts 
 are colie(^?d, and placed in the trueil Light, and rhe 
 Dues fixed with rhe greateft Accurscv, and Ex^fincfs.' 
 The R«adcr will obferve many Expreflionj marked '* *', 
 thefe are rhe very Words, of the Authoiiiics I folJov^', and 
 which I chufe to make ufe ot as ofcen ai conveniemly 
 miglit be. 
 
 C a they 
 
4 An Hiftorical Difcotirfe^ &c. 
 
 they carried home to Europe^ did in Procefs of 
 Time, excite other Nations, to put in for a Share 
 with them. Among the relt the EtigUjJj ( who 
 had narrowly mill the Advantages of the firfi 
 JDifcovery ) befides their Enterprizes on the Spa^ 
 niards^ made many fuccefsfive Attempts, to dif- 
 cover and fettle in North- America, 
 
 In 1578 or 1579, there was a Patent granted 
 by Queen Elizabeth for fix Years to Sir H. Gil- 
 lert^ to plant, and inhabit fome northern Parts 
 of y4//;tfnV^,unpofrers'd by anyPrince, with whom 
 fhe had any Alliance. 
 
 March 25. 1584, Queen Elizabeth granted to 
 Sir IV. Raleigh a Patent for foreign Parts not 
 pofTefled by any ChrillianPrince. And the fame 
 Year, he took Poffeflion of the Country, to the 
 weflward of Koanoke^ and called it Virginia^ in 
 Honour of his Miftrefs. He fcnt three feveral 
 Colonies, to fettle in thofe Parts, who all failed. 
 As did Capt. Gofnold in a like Attempt, to fet- 
 tle, in what, isCnce called New-EtJgland^ which 
 he fifft difcovered in 1602. And feveral other 
 Attempts met with the like ill Succefs. 
 
 Afril 10 16065 King James divided Virginia 
 into two Colonies, which were called South and 
 North,the firfl between 34 and 4iDegreesNorth, 
 and the lail between 38 and 45, and they were 
 
 not 
 
An Hiftorical Difcourfs^ &c. $ 
 
 not to fettle, within an hundred Miles of one 
 another. By 1611 ihefoutbem or London Ccm^ 
 pany^ had made an effectual Settlement ^ while 
 the northern or Plymouth Company were almoft 
 difcouraged at their repeated Difappointments. 
 However Judge Pophamy Sir Ferdinando Gorges^ 
 and othersa continued their Attempts, and their 
 Defigns, till divine Providence began aSettlement, 
 within their J urifdidtion, without their Knov/- 
 ledge or Contrivance. 
 
 It is acknowledged on all Hands, the firfi Set- 
 tkments of New- England^ were a Confequence 
 of the Dilputes, which attended the Reformation 
 in England , and therefore we muft obferve, 
 that during this Time, viz. 1517, Learning ha- 
 ving revived all over Europe^ the Keformation 
 was begun by Luther^ and others in Germany^ 
 and carried on in fevcral Parts of Chrijiendom^ 
 particularly in England^ where, after a long 
 Struggle, it was finally eflablifhed, by A6i of 
 Parliament.^ under Qiaeen Elizabeth^ who began 
 to reign November 17. 1558- 
 
 As the whole Chrijiian Religion^ had been cor« 
 rupted, and disfigured by the Inventions and Im- 
 pofitions of Popery, in a long Courfe of Time, 
 it is fo far from being to be wondered at, that it 
 could not, but be expedled, that many, who 
 were juftly and equally offended, at the horrid 
 
 Corruptions 
 
6 An Hiftorkal Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 Corruptions of Popery, fhould yet be unable, 
 entirely to agree in their Sentiments, of what 
 Things were to be reformed, or how far, they 
 fhould carry the Reformation at the firft. And 
 yet this, was every where, a great and unhappy 
 Remora to that glorious Work, and gave their 
 Enemies, a very confiderable Advantage, which 
 they well knew how, and failed not to im- 
 prove to the utmoft. 
 
 The EfF<;(5ls of thefe Divifions, and the Ani- 
 mofities with v/hich they were maintained, were 
 felt in England^ not only, in the Beginning of 
 the Reformation^ but after it was eilablifhed, and 
 even ever (ince to this Day. Among the Re- 
 formers in Qjjeen Elizabeth^ Reign ( many of 
 whom had been Exiles in Queen Mary's Perfe- 
 cucion, and fo had more Opportunity, to fee and 
 converfc wich the foreign Proreltants ) there 
 were many, who fought to carry the Reformati- 
 on, farther in fome Points, than had been done 
 in King Edward*s Time. They fought to take 
 away every Thing, they imagined, had the Co- 
 Jour of SuperlHtion, and to make the Bible 
 their real Rule in VVorlhip, and Difcipline, as 
 well as in Faith. Thefe were prefently called 
 Furitans^ as pretendi[)g to feek a purer Church 
 State, and a farther Reformation, than the other 
 Parry, tho'c wasneceflary or expedient. 
 
 ^bofe 
 
An Hijlorical Difccurfe^ &c. f 
 
 ^hofe^ had not the fame Exceptions, to many 
 Things the Puritans fcrupled j and befide, tho't 
 it was but good Policy, to make as few, and as 
 little Changes and Alterations, as poflible, efpeci- 
 ally in the Ceremonies, which moft powerfully 
 afFed the Vulgar, in order to draw in the Bulk 
 of the Clergy, and the Nation, to favour the o- 
 ther Alterations, which all of them efteemed to 
 be, of the molt Importance. And the ^esn 
 zealoufly efpoufing this Party, turned the Bal- 
 lance in their Favour, and accordingly for fome 
 Years, the whole Nation, in Effedt, came to 
 Church, tho' the Times were far from being 
 fctled. 
 
 The Puritans^ it feems, had few or no Ob- 
 jedions, to the Articles of Faith ^ but they chief- 
 ly, objeded againfl the Liturgy^ the Ceremonies^ 
 and ihcConJiittition and Di/cipline. But however, 
 they were not perfectly agreed among thcm- 
 felves 5 while the much larger Part of them. Fa- 
 thers of thofe fince called Prefbyterians^ generally 
 ftrove to keep their Places in the Church, without 
 conforming to fome of the moft cfFenfive Ceremo- 
 nies, and by voluntary Agreement among them- 
 Mves^ fought to remedy, and fupply what they 
 tho't, was amifs or wanting, in xht parliamentary 
 Eftabhjhment', others of them. Fathers of thofe 
 fince called Independents and Congregaticnahfts^ 
 feparated wholly from the publick Worfhip, ia 
 
 the 
 
S An HiftoYtcal Difcouirfe^ &c. 
 
 the Parifh Churches, and fought a thorough Al- 
 teration, in the whole Form and Conftirution of 
 the Churchy and to Jay afide the Liturgy, and all 
 the Ceremonies together. 
 
 Queen Elizahttb kept a watchful and jealous 
 Eye over them all, as fearing, and being deter- 
 mined againft all farther Alterations in religious 
 Matters. And Subfcription and Conformity, 
 being at Times preflfed harder, as the Friends to 
 the Puritans were out of Power, fome of them, 
 efpecially of thofe called Seperatiftx^ had been 
 driven out oi England ^ and at Length there was 
 a Church of the Independent Scheme^ formed at 
 Amjterdam in Holland, In the Reign of King 
 James ( whom the Puritans expedted, to be a 
 Patron to them, as he had been educated in 
 Scotland^ and had openly cenfured the Church of 
 England^ thofeTh\ngs which offended them,were 
 carried with an higher Hand. In the Years 1608 
 and 1609, feveral more of them in the North of 
 England^ removed to Holland^ and a Number of 
 them fettled at Leyden under the paftoral Care of 
 Mr. John Kohinfon ( afterwards the Father of 
 Plymouth Colony ) in hopes, to enjoy that Liher^ 
 ty of their Confcicnces^ in a ftraKge Land, they 
 were denied at Home. 
 
 Here they continued eleven or twelve Tears, 
 *til), for many Reafons, they began to meditate 
 
An Hiftorical Lifcourfe^ &c. 9 
 
 a Removal, and chofe to feek an Afylum^ fomc- 
 wheri in Nortb-Amsrica near Hud/on' s River. 
 They had a long and tediousTreaty^withtheSou- 
 thern or Virginia Company^ who might reafonably 
 expe6t, greater Sobriety, Patience, and Induftry, 
 from aPeople of fuch aCharadter,and in fuch Cir- 
 cumllances,and who had fuch Views and Defigns 
 of their own, than they had found, in fuch other 
 People,asihey could prevail on,to tranfportthem- 
 felves into a Wildernefs. However the Factions 
 and Difturbances in the Company, and other 
 Caufes, delay'd the Affairs for fome Time, 'till 
 1619, in the F^//, they obtain'd a Patent for the 
 Land, but they could not obtain a legal Aflu- 
 rance of the Liberty of iheirConfciences. How- 
 ever they determin'd at length to remove, de- 
 pending on fome generalPromifes of Connivance, 
 if they behaved themfelves peaceably, and hoping 
 that the Diftance, and remotenefs of the Place, 
 as well as the piihlick Service^ they fhould do the 
 King and Kingdom^ would prevent their being 
 diilurbed. 
 
 After encountring many Difficulties, and Dif- 
 couragements, from the Nature and Circumftan-" 
 ces of their Voyage, and from the Treachery of 
 fome of the Undertakers, they arrived at Caft 
 Cod on the gtb of November 1620. Here they 
 found their Fate;n ufelefs^ this Place being withia 
 
 D the 
 
10 An Hiftorical Difiourfe^ &c, 
 
 the Bounds of the New- England ox Plymouth Com- 
 fany j and yet Neceflity obliged them to fc^ 
 down thereabout. They did therefore two Days 
 after incorporate themfelvss a Body politick^ and 
 having made fuch a Search of the adjacent 
 Country, as their Circumftances would allow, at 
 that Time of the Year, they began their Settle- 
 ment, about Chriflmafs, at a Place, called by 
 the Indians^ Patuxet^ by them named New-Ply^ 
 moutb. Infinite almod were the Hardfhips, and 
 DiftrcfTes of the enfuing Winter, in which near 
 half the Company died, for want of NecefTaries. 
 However through the merciful Providence of GOD 
 they maintained their Ground, and through many 
 Difficulties, which they overcame by Patience 
 and the divine Bleffing, ihey encreafed to three 
 hundred Souls in nine Years after, when they ob- 
 tained a Patent^ from the New- England Company 
 the 13th oi January^ 1629,30. 
 
 In that Period, there had been many fuccefs- 
 Jefs Attempts, to make Settlements in New-Eng^ 
 /^/;i, for the fake of ^rade and Husbandry only^ 
 as if divine Providence had referved the Place 
 for thofe who foon after took PofTeflion of it. 
 The Succefs of the Plymouth Planters began to 
 excite the Puritans^ all over England^ to medi- 
 tate a Removal, to thofe Parts of the World, in 
 order to enjoy the Liberty of worfhipping GOD 
 according to their Confciences. There was no 
 
 Ground 
 
An Hiftdrkal Dlfcourfe^ &c. fi 
 
 Ground at all left them to hope for any Condc- 
 fcentionor Indulgence to their Scruples, butUni- 
 formity was pre fled with hardcrMeafures than e- 
 vcr. A greatPart of iheNation was alarmed,with 
 the Apprehenfions oiArminianifm^ and that evea 
 Popery itfelf was approaching ; yea, the civU 
 Affairs, and the Peace of the Nation, began to 
 be embroiled and interrupted by the falfe Poli- 
 ticks, and bad Councels of the unhappy Prince 
 on the Throne j fo that New- England began to 
 be looked on by them, as a Place of Refuge; 
 and it is faid, that fome who proved principal 
 Aftors in the Changes and Events that followed, 
 had even determined to tranfport themfelves 
 here, had they not been unaccountably reflrain- 
 ed by Authority. This is certain, the fame 
 Principles in fome Perfons, which had rendred 
 their Stay, uneafy at Home, and which refufed 
 them a legal Toleration, in the Wilds of America^ 
 made their leaving the Kingdom, as difficult as 
 pofiible. Whereas could good Policy have pre* 
 vailed over Bigotry, it would have appeared a 
 good Expedient for them, thus to clear the King- 
 dom of the DifafFefted and Nonconformifts, and 
 with tbem make fuch an efFedual Plantation^ as 
 promifed a gresLtAddition t^ tbefrade andRicbes^ 
 and Power of the Kingdom^ and greatly enlarged 
 its Territory. 
 
 Mr. 
 
1% An Hiflofical Bifcourfi^ &c 
 
 Mr. IVhite of Darchejier^ the Father of the Maf- 
 fachufetts Colony^ encouraged Mr. .R. Cnant^ who 
 had on Difgull, removed from Plymouth to Nan» 
 tasket^ to continue in the Country, with the 
 Promife of Men, and all Things neceffary for a-- 
 nother Plantation, Whereupon this Gentleman, 
 1625, removed to Cape-Ann^ and the next Year 
 to Naumkeak^ fince called Salem, March 19, 
 1627,85 the Council for New-England figned the 
 Majfachufett s Patent^ ind March ji^^ 1628,9, tho 
 King confirms it by a Charter. TheNonc-nformiJfs 
 £0 called, are bufiiy employed about their inten- 
 ded Expedition. In 1628, they fend Mr. Endi* 
 cot^ with fome People, to begin and prepare the 
 Way for them, and the next Year they fend Mr^ 
 Higginfon and many more, and 1630, Governour 
 IVtnthorp^ deputy Governour Dudley^ with the 
 AJJiftants^ the Charter^ and i $00 People ^ and all 
 Neceffaries, came over and made effedtual Set- 
 tlements at CharleftLwn^ IVatertown, Dorchefter^ 
 Bofion^ &c. and more of their Friends coming 
 over to them, in the following Years, the new 
 Settlements cncreafed, and profpercd, notwith- 
 Handing the many Difficulties, and Hardlhips 
 which muft necelTat-ily attend, the planting fuch 
 a remote IVihhnefs, 
 
 As the Country was more fully difcovered, the 
 Lands on Connect cut River ^ grew fo famous for 
 
 their 
 
An Hijlorical Difc:urfe^ &c. 13 
 
 their Fruitfulnefs, and Convenience to keep Cat- 
 tle, that great Numbers from New-^cwn^ Dor- 
 cbejier^ &c. removed there, under the Condu(ft 
 of Mr. Hains^ Mr. Hopkins^ Mr. Ludlow^ and 
 Mr. H.oker^ &c. and thro' inexpreflible Hard- 
 ih ps, thro' Famine, and Wearinefs, and Perils 
 of the Enemy, they at length fettled at Hartford 
 1635 and 1636, which was the Beginning of 
 Cntieuiiciit CJutiy^ and in 1637 New- Haven Co- 
 lony^ was begun by a People diredly fiom Etig^' 
 lan.I^ under the Leading of Mr. Eaton^ and Mr. 
 Davenpcrt^ &c. Thus the four grand denies of 
 New- England^ were begun in a few Years, and 
 fome faint Attempts likewife made to fettle, in 
 the Eaftward Parts, in the Province of Main ^^.c- 
 fcr the fake of Trade and Fifhery, and by fome 
 ofthePeople who afterwards came here. Which 
 brings me to the more immediate Occr^fion of the 
 Settlement of this Colony^ and the Manner in which 
 it was brought about ^and accimpHJhed : It is allow- 
 ed by all Sides, the religious Differences among the 
 firfl Settlers of the Maffachufetts Colony^ gave Rife 
 to this Qjlony^ and the fettling of this ]/!and. 
 
 Almoft all the firfl Settlers of New- Engl an Jj. 
 were Puritans, The People at Plymouth were ge-- 
 iierally of that Sort called Seperatifts^ and thofe of 
 jB^y?i?« generally had lived in the Communion of 
 the Church of England^ tho' they fcrupled confor- 
 ming to fame of theCeremonies. But thefe being 
 D 2 come 
 
14 An Hijlorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 come to fo great aDiftance ffom the Bifhops Pow- 
 er, could well enough agree in the fame Forms 
 of Worfhip, and Method of Difcipline with the 
 Church at Plymouth^ and a mixtForm of Church 
 Government was generally fet up. Tho' they 
 had feemed well enough united, by the common 
 Zeal againft the Ceremonies, yet now they were 
 removed from the ecclefiaflical Courts, with a 
 Patent which gave them Liberty of Confciencc, 
 a Variety of Opinions, as to feveral Points, be- 
 fore not fo much rega»*ded, and perhaps not 
 tho'c of, now began to be vifible, and operate 
 with confiderable EiFedts. It is no Wonder fuch 
 Differences inOpinion, arofe among them, as had 
 been the Cafe before among theProteftantsin ge- 
 neral. It was the avowedOpinion of fome among 
 them of chicfeftNote & Authority, (Mr. Hooker.^ 
 *' That there were two great Referves for En- 
 " quiry in that Age of the World, Firft, where- 
 *' in the fpiritual Rule of our Lord's Kingdom 
 *' doth confift, and after what Manner it is re- 
 *^ vealed, managed, and maintained in the Souls 
 •* of his People. The Second, After what Or- 
 *' der the Government of our Lord's Kingdom is 
 ** to be externally managed and maintained in 
 •' his Church." Magnalia B. 3. p. 66. 
 
 Notwithftanding which, the chief Leaders, 
 SLud the major Part of the People, foon difcove- 
 red themfelves, as fond of Utuformity^ and as 
 
 loth 
 
An H'tjlorkal Difcourfe^ &c. i^ 
 
 loth to allow Liberty of Confcience to fuch as dif- 
 fered from themfelves, as thofe, from whofe 
 Power they had fled. Notwithftanding all theic 
 Sufferings and Complaints in England ^\hty Teem- 
 ed incapable of mutual Forbearance, perhaps they 
 were afraid of provoking the higher Powers at 
 Home, if they countenanced other Se6ls ^ and 
 perhaps thofe who differed from them, took 
 the more Freedom, in venting and prefling theic 
 peculiar Opinions, from the Safety, and Protedi- 
 on they expected, under a Charter^ that had 
 granted Liberty of Confciencs, 
 
 In Reality the true Grounds cf Liberty of Con- 
 fci^nce^ were not then known, or embraced by a- 
 ny Sed or Party of Chriflians , all Parties feem- 
 ed to think, that as they only were in the Poffefli- 
 on of the Truth, fo thty alone had a Right to 
 reftrain, and crufli all otherOpinions, which they 
 refpedively called Error, and Herefy, where 
 th^y were the moft numerous, and powerful ; and 
 in other Places they pleaded a Title, to Liberty 
 and Freedom of their Confciences. And yet at 
 the fame Time, all would difclaim Perfecution foe 
 Confcience fake, which has fomething in it fo 
 unjuft, and abfurd,fo cruel and impious, that all 
 Men are afhamed of the lealllmputation of it. A 
 Pretet2ce of the publick Feace^ the Prefervation of 
 the Cburcb of Cbrift from Infection, and the Ohfti-- 
 nacy vf the Hereticks^ are always made ufe of, to 
 
 excufe 
 
i6 An Hijlorical Di/courfe^ &c. 
 
 cxcufe, and jullify that, which ftiip'd of all Dif- 
 guifes, and called by it's tiue Name, tht Light 
 of Nature^ and the Lci'-jds of Cbrifi Jefus condemn 
 and forbid in the mofl plain and lolemn Man- 
 ner. Mr. il. IVtUiams^ and Mr J Clark^ two 
 Fathers of this Colony y appear among the firft, 
 who publickly avowed, that Jefus Cbrijl is King 
 in his own Kingdom^ and that noOihcrs, had Au- 
 thority over his Subjeds, in the Affaiis of Con- 
 fcience, and eternal Salvation. So that it was 
 not fingular, or peculiar in thofe People at the 
 Maffuchufats^ to think themfelves bound in Con- 
 fcience, toufe the Sword of the civil Magiilrate, 
 to open the Underftandings of Hereticks, or cut 
 them off from the State, that they might not in- 
 fect the Church, or injure the publick Peace. 
 Thefe were not the only People, who iho't they 
 were doing GOD good Service, when fmiting 
 their Brethren and Fellow-Servants ; all ether 
 Chrifiian Seels aded generally, as if they tho'c 
 this was the very beft Service they could do to 
 GOD, and the moll efFedual Way, to promote 
 the Gofpel of Peace, and prove themfelves the 
 true and genaine Difciples of J(fi<^ Cbrijl — of 
 Jefus Chrift^ who hath declared, his Kingdnmwas 
 not of this IVorld^ who had commanded his Dif- 
 ciples to call no Man Mafter on Earthy who had 
 forbidden them,to e^ercifeLordJhipcvsr each other^s 
 Confciences^ who had required them, to let the 
 yares grow with the IVbeat till the Harveft^ and 
 
 who 
 
Ati Hijiorical Difcourfe^ &c. 17 
 
 Ki\io had in fine, given mutualLove^ Peace, Long- 
 SufFering, and Kindnefs, as the Badge and Mark 
 of his Keligion. 
 
 Mr. Roger iVilliams^ a Minifler, who came o- 
 ver to Saleiii 1630, had on a Difguft, removed 
 to Plymouth^ where he was an AJJiJlatit to their 
 Mtnifier Mr. Smith for two Tears. And being 
 difgufted likewife at Plymouth^ returned back to 
 Salem^ where he was chofen by the People, to 
 fucceed Mr. Skelton in 1634, ^^^ Magifirates op- 
 pofed his Settlement there, as they had done be- 
 fore. They made great Objedions to his Prin- 
 ciples, and it is faid fome worldly Things, helped 
 to encreafe the Animoiities, that foon prevailed 
 againfl him ^ tho' Mr. H-^tlliams appears, by the 
 wholeCourfe andTenour of his Life,and Condudt 
 here to have been cfje of the mofl difinterefled Men 
 that ever Itved^ a mofi pious ^ heavenly mindedSoul, 
 Hewas charged with holding it '^ unlawful foran 
 '' unregenerate Man to pray, or a regenerate 
 '' Man to pray with him." " That it was un- 
 *^ lawful for the Magiltrate, to meddle with the 
 " Breaches of the firfl Table, " and that he in- 
 fixed on an ufilimited 'TcJcration^ or Liberty of 
 ConfcJence ; from whence they inferred him, 
 an Advocate f r Licenticufnefs^ which the good 
 Jllan's Scul abhorred^ *^ and ever di/claii7?edf 
 However, on thefe Accounts, and for teaching 
 ^he Patent wasfinfaJ^ ( in what Sen/esindhcw truly 
 E '^ is 
 
1 8 j^n Hijlorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 5s very obvious ) for oppofing the Oath of Fidelity 
 ( not out ofDi/loyalty to the King, but on account 
 of the Nature of an Oath^ which he tho't as a fa- 
 cred Thing, ought not to be forced on all Men 
 promifcuoully, whether in a State of Grace, or 
 Nature ) ^' and for feperating from, and re- 
 •' nouncing Communion with, all the Churches 
 '' in the Land, and even with his own, for noc 
 *' joining with him therein." For thcfe Things 
 he was at length banifhed the Colony, as a Dtf- 
 turher of the Peace of the Church and Common^ 
 Wealth'^ and as he fays, "a Bull of Excom- 
 *' munication, was fent after him in bis 
 ^' Abfence." 
 
 He came away to Secunke^ Cnce caWedRehohotb^ 
 where he procured a Grant of Lands, from Ou- 
 famequin^ or Maffafoiet^ the chief Sachem of Po- 
 kanoktL But being defired to remove from 
 thence, which was within the Jurifdidlion of 
 New-Plymouth^ " he had feveral Treaties with 
 *' Myantonomy^ and Canonicus^ the Nantyganfick^ 
 '' or Narragafj/et Sachems^ in the Years 1634 and 
 *' 1635 ; who affured him he fhould not want 
 '* for Land, for a Settlement •" divine Provi- 
 dence giving him wonderfully, great Favour in 
 the Eyes of the Sachems. And in the Spring of 
 the Year 1634,5, he came over the River, to a 
 FUce called by the Indians MoiJJjaufick^ and by 
 hmi named Providence^ " in a 8enfe of GOD's 
 
 " merciful 
 
An Hiftorical Bifcotirfe^ &c. 19 
 
 *^ merciful Providence to him in his Diftrers." 
 And feveral of his Friends following him, 
 <hey planted there. The Authority and Power 
 of Mi ant otiomy^ awed all the Indians round, to 
 afliil and fuccour thefe few feeble and helplefs 
 Engltjh Men^ thus call out by their Brethren, in 
 a Itrange Land. However, we muft (to be im- 
 partial ) own, that their being EngUJJo-Men^ was 
 a real Security and Prote<5lion to them ^ unlefs 
 the Indians had defigned a general War. The 
 EngltJJj at Majfacbufetls^ employed Mr. IVilliams^ 
 to make a League ofFenfive and defcnfive with 
 the Narraganfet Indians, in the Pequot M'ar^ 
 which followed in 1637. And the Indian Sa- 
 chems, in one of their Confirmations of theGranrs 
 of Lands to him, * exprefs their Gratitude, 
 *' for the many Kindneffes, and Services he had 
 " continually done for them, both with iheir 
 " Friends atMaJJacbufetts^ as alfo at ^mniticut^ 
 *' and Apaum or Plymouth'^ Mr. IVilltams alfo 
 maintained a lovingCorrefpondence^with manyof 
 his old Friends to the Eaft, and wasefteemed and 
 valued by many of them ; tho' he ever oppofed, 
 and that in Print, once and again, what he called 
 the hhody 7'enent^ i. e every Kind and Degree of 
 Perfecution forConfcience fake. The Hardfhips 
 
 The faid Wriing is dared Nayitiggarfck^ the 24th of the 
 firft Mon'h, commonlv called March, the fecond Year of 
 o ir Plantation, or p'anting at Mocjjajick or Providems, 
 
 £ 2, and 
 
20 An Hijlorical BifcGurfe^ &c. 
 
 and Diilreffes of thefe poor Exiles, are hardly 
 to be conceived by the prcfent Generation, who 
 thro' the divine Goodnefs, have never feen any 
 Thing like what they chearfully endured. But 
 divine Providetice^ in which they trufted, fuppor- 
 ted them, and provided for them in their greateft 
 Straits, and wondeifully bleffed their honeft In- 
 duftry, fo that in a few Years, they had Plenty 
 of all Things necelTary to their Subfillence and 
 Comfort. 
 
 The Banifhmentof Mr. IVtHiams^ SLnd the vo- 
 luntary Exile of many of his Adherents, did no^ 
 put an End to the unhappy Divifions, and Con- 
 tentions in the Majfacbufetts. Mr. Hains the 
 Governour, in 1635, did with great Difficulty, 
 Hill and quiet the Storm for the prefent, in the 
 Beginning of his Adminiltration , but Mr, after- 
 u'ards Sir Henry Vajie^ jun. arriving at Bcfion 
 that Summer, and zealouily falling in with the 
 Opinions of one Party, he was by them per- 
 fwai^^i^^ to tarry there, ( tho' defigned for Con- 
 ne^icut Rivsr ) and was the next Year, 1636, 
 cbofen Governour^ and then the Animofuies and 
 Contentions, were carried to a very great Heigtb, 
 One Side reproaching the other, as Legalifis and 
 under a Covenant of ^^orks^h^c. and the others 
 calling them Familifis^ Antinoraians^ &c.. The 
 next Year, Mr. F/intbr p being rechofen Gover- 
 liour, with a great Scrugglejhe Ihenucully c^^erred 
 
 himlelf, 
 
An H'tftorical Difccurfe^ &c. 21 
 
 himfeir, to crufh and exterminate the Opinions, 
 he difapproved. A Synod was called for that 
 End at New-l'cwn (fince named Cambridge ) on 
 the 30th o^L Ai^guft^ where Eighty erroneous Opinio 
 ons^ were prefented, debated, and condemned -^ 
 and a Court held on the 2d of O^lober following, 
 at the fame Place, baniihed a few of the chief 
 Ferfons, among thcfe who were afperfed with 
 thofe Errors, and cenfured feveral that had beea 
 the molt adive, not, it feems, for their holding 
 thofe Opinions, but for their pretended feditious 
 Carriage and Behaviour j and the Church atBofton, 
 Jikewife excommunicated at leall one of her 
 Members, not for thofeOpinions, but for denying 
 ihey ever held them, and the Behaviour, which 
 thefe Heats occafioned ^ and fome of tbefe^ with 
 their Friends and Fcd/owers^ came to this Jjland, 
 
 Notwithllandingfuch a formidable Number of 
 Errors, produced at the Synod, that which thefe 
 People differed in from the others, was chiefly this ^ 
 as Mr. John Clark has briefly reprefented it, i^tz^ 
 l^ouching theCcvenants and in Point of evidencing 
 a Man's good Eftate. Some ( fays he ) prefs'd 
 bard for the Cjvenant of IVorks^ and for Sancii^ 
 fication to he the fir fi and chief Evidence -^ others 
 '' (he means himfelF, and thofe who came here) 
 " prefs'd as hard for the C'venant cf Grace^ that 
 '' was eftahlifloed on better Promifes^ and for the 
 [\ Evidence of the Spirit j ^s that which is a more 
 
 '' fure^ 
 
^^ An Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 ^^ fure^ conftant^andfatisfa^forylfitnefs,'' (^Clark's 
 Narrative Introd.'^ This Account is agreabJe to 
 what there is in thofe Books wrote on the other 
 Side, I have had theOpportunity toconfult ; on- 
 ly they muft be allowed, to cxprefs their own 
 Way, their own Sentiments of the Opinions of 
 the other Side, and they add fuch Shades as dar- 
 ken and disfigure the Opinions of the oppofitc 
 Party, and fet offtheir own to the belt Advan- 
 tage. 
 
 Dr. Mather^ thus defcribes the five ^eftions^ 
 debated between the Synod and Mr. Cotton j 
 (which were the fame Points about which all 
 the Divifions firft began, ) they were " about 
 ^^ the Order of things in cur Union to our Lord 
 *' Jefus Cbrift^ about the Influence of our Faitb in 
 *' theJppJicaticnofhis Kighteotifnefs^ about theC//^ 
 '^ of cur San5iification^in evidencing our Jujiifi- 
 " cation, and about the C^nfuhration of our Lord 
 ** Je/us Chrift, by Men, yet under a Covenant of 
 " ff'orks, briefly they were tbe Points wbereon 
 " depend, tbe Grounds of our JJfurance for Bhffed- 
 " nefs in amtber and better iVorJd. Mag, B. 7. 
 p. 17. 
 
 Mr. Neal fays, " The Common- Wealth was 
 
 " almnft torn in Pieces, by inreftine Divifions, 
 
 *' occafioncd by the fpreading famlUftical & an- 
 
 *' tinmian Errors, among the People." And 
 
 from 
 
An Hijlorical Difcottrfe^ &c. 25 
 
 from the Writers before him, he gives the Ori- 
 ginal of theControverfy, to this Purpofe, " The 
 '^ Members of the Church at Bofton^ ufed to 
 *' meet once a Week, to repeat the Sermons they 
 '' heard on the Lord's- Day, and to debate 
 *' on the Dodrines contained in them ; thofe 
 '^ Meetings being peculiar to the Men, fome of 
 '' ths zealous WciiLen^ iho'c it might be ufeful to 
 " them. One Mrs. H«?^Z?;«/6/;, a Gentlewoman 
 ^' of a bold and mafcuiine Spirit, and a great 
 '' Admirer of Mr.Orr^^jfet up one at her Houfe, 
 '^ The Novelty of the Thing, and the Fame of 
 *' the Woman, quickly gained her a numerous 
 '' Audience, and from thefe Meetings arofe all 
 " the Errors, that foon after overfprcad the 
 " Country." He fays fhe taught that Believers 
 in Chriil are perfonally united to the Spirit of 
 GOD ; ihatCommands 10 workout ourSalvation 
 with Fear and Trembling, belong to none, but 
 fuch as are under the Covenant of Works ^ that 
 Sandtification is not a good Evidence of a good 
 Edate. She likevvife fet up, immediate Revela- 
 tion about future Events, to be believed as equal- 
 ly infallible with the Scriptures j and a great 
 many other Chimeras and Fancies^ which ( fays 
 he ) under a Pretence of exalting the free Grace 
 of GOD, deftroy'd the pradicalPart of Religion, 
 '^ and open'd a Door to all forts of Licentiouf- 
 '' nefs." IS^eaW Hift. C. 5- ?• 166. 
 
^4 ^n Hiflorical Difc'urfe^ &c. 
 
 I fhall not enter into the Merits of the CzM^e^ 
 there is neither Time, nor Occafion for ir, only, 
 I muftoblerve, how each Side afcribed to the 
 ethers, Confequenccs, they imagined followed 
 from their Opinions, which they did not fee or 
 own. And particularly the People who came 
 here, have Things laid to their Charge, \^'hich 
 they utterly denied, and detefled equally with 
 their Antagonifls. So harfh'y did their Adver- 
 faries judge of them, as even to involve in their 
 Opinions, or the Confcquences of them, a Deni- 
 al of the Refureaion oi the Dead, and the Life 
 everlafiing ; which totally Tubverts and deftroys 
 Chrillianity, and all Religion at once, which ne- 
 ctfT^iily implies a future State ; x^bcn yet the 
 whole Debate fuppofed the Truth of Chrillia- 
 nity, and the Certainty of a future States and 
 the main Quefiion, way about the Method in 
 which they might beft obtain an Affurance of 
 their Interefl in, and their Title to, the Inheri- 
 tance of the Saints in Light. The very fi>ft of 
 the eighty Errors, to be tryed in the Synod, doth 
 ( as 1 remember ) charge the Denial of the Im- 
 morrality of the Srul, as a Conftquence of the 
 Opinion, that the Faculties ofihe Soul are psfiive 
 or quieicent in the Work of Converfion and Re- 
 generatior) ; when yet the Synod ihemfdves, 
 unanimoufly believed particular Elcdlion, and 
 
 iricTiitab'e Grace. 
 
 '' The 
 
Ajd Hiftorical Lifcourfe^ &c. 25 
 
 '* The Quedion was. By what Evidence, 
 ** muft a Man proceed, in taking to himfelf the 
 *' Comforts of hisjuftification ? The bigger Part 
 '' of the Country laid the firfl and main Strefs 
 " of our comfortable Evidence, on our Sandlifi- 
 '^ cation -, but the Opinionifts (fays Dr. Mather^ 
 *' were for another fort of Evidence, as their 
 *^ Chiefs namely the Spirit of GOD, by a power- 
 *' ful Application of a Promife, begetting in us, 
 •' and revealing to us, a powerful AlTurance of 
 *^ our being jqflificd." Mag, B. 7. p. 14. 
 
 Now, as the Doftor adds C even on this Way 
 of flating the Queilion, or cxpreffing the 
 Sentiments of thofc called Opinionifts^ which 
 they would be far from acquiefcing in, as 
 expreffing their full and true Opinion ) " The 
 Truth might eafily have united both thefe 
 *' Opinions." But as he goes on, " They 
 '^ carried the Matter on to a very perrilous 
 '' Door, opened to many Errors and Evils, 
 *' yea to threaten aSuhverfion of the peaceahle Or-' 
 '' der in Government" But they deny and dif- 
 claim the Confequences fixed on them, and juf- 
 tify their own Opinion and Condu6l,and charge 
 the other Party with as fatal and mifchievous 
 Confequences, and a Condudl arbitrary and op- 
 preflive. 
 
 B Belidcs 
 
26 An Hijforical Di/courfe^ &c. 
 
 Befides the Differences about thofe Points, for 
 which thefe People were charged with Ant'tno" 
 mianifm^ what was called Familifm^ was perhaps 
 not a little offenfive. Nay their Differences in 
 Opinion were worked up to almolta State Quar- 
 rel at the lafl, as Arminianifm had been in HoU 
 hfid^ and Epifcopacy was in England afterwards, 
 and as the Reformation flill is all over Europe, 
 The publick Affairs of Town and Colony were 
 affeded by thefe Contentions, and the Gover- 
 nour and Afliftants put in and out, as the one or 
 the other Side prevailed. The whole People un- 
 happily run into Fadlions and Parties, in fuch a 
 Manner, as if Contention and every evil Work, 
 had not been Evidences inconteftable, that the 
 VVifdom from which they proceeded could not 
 be from Above. But fo it is, where Men differ 
 about Religion, their Contentions are ufually the 
 moft fharp, and carried on with the molt irreli^ 
 giousHeat and Animofity : Even iho' they differ 
 about the fmallefl Matters, or when, as was the 
 Cafe here, they differ from each other but in a 
 very l.ttle. 
 
 A great Part of the Body of the People, and I 
 am apt ro think, at the firfl, the Majority of the 
 Town of Bofton^ were of the fame Side the 
 Queflion with thofe People who afterwards came 
 here. 'Tis certain the Synod and the Court were 
 both held at New-Town^ becaufe of the Difaf- 
 
 fedion 
 
An Hiflorkal Difcourfe^ &c. %^ 
 
 \ 
 fedlion of the People of Bofton, The Deputies 
 
 of the I'own^ at leaft feme of them, openly efpou- 
 
 fed that Party. The fown^ at leaft many of 
 
 them, ^^^/Y/^/?^^ in their Favour. And Mt. Cot^ 
 
 tofi^ the chief Oracle then of both Town and 
 
 Country, was confidently believed by them, to 
 
 be of the Opinion they contended for. To 
 
 which I might add the Number of the People in 
 
 tbat ^own^ that were cenfured at the Court, 
 
 Thofe who came away were moft of them long 
 efteemed as Brethren of the Churchy and never 
 cenfured by the Church at all ; nay that Church 
 did Icng retain fome Particularities, as to the 
 Brethren's Power in Church Affairs, and theic 
 Liberty to exercife their Gifts in private or fa- 
 mily Meetings, and as to the Subjed^s of Infant 
 Baptifm. It is certain Mr. Wheelwright^ Minif- 
 ter to a Branch of that Church, at a Place fince 
 called Braintree ( where the Town had fome 
 Lands ) was eager and zealous againft the Cove- 
 nam of IVorks y and was baniflied by the Court 
 for what was then called Sedition^ by the fame 
 Rule which will make every Diffent from, or Op- 
 pofition to a Majority in any religious y^ffairs^ to 
 be Sedition^ and an Iniquity to be punifhed by 
 the Judge. The minor Part muft always be fe* 
 ditious, if it be Sedition to defend their own re- 
 ligious Opinions, and endeavour to confute the 
 contrary. This Maxim once allowed muft chaici 
 F 2 Mea 
 
ifcS 'An Hiftofical Difcourfc, &c. 
 
 Men down under Errors and Falfhoods wherever 
 they prevail, and even rivet their Chains. On 
 this Foot, what will become of the glorious Mat" 
 tyrs for the Gofpel in the firfl Ages of it, and the 
 holy ApoftUs^ who turned theWorld upfide down, 
 who turned Men from Darknefs to Light, from 
 the God's of the Nations, whom they called Va^ 
 fiitiesy to the living and true GOD. Nay, what 
 ihall we fay of our hlejjed Saviour bimfelf^ who fays 
 he came to fend Divifion on Earth. How ihall 
 we excufe the Proteftants^nsiy how Ihall we juftify 
 the Puritans themfehes^ if it be feditious to oppofc 
 any religious Opinions we think are falfe or erro- 
 neous, when the major Part of the Society hap- 
 pen to think otherwife. I muft farther add, 
 that however Mr. Cotton^ at the Synod^ after long 
 Labour with him, difowned many of the Opini- 
 ons charged on thefe People, yet he would not 
 condemn all the faid Errors in the Grofs, as the 
 reft did, and there isfome Reafon to believe that 
 he differed from the other Miniflers to the laft, 
 at leaft in the Manner of explaining thefe mod 
 abllrufe and difficult Points , if he did not con- 
 tinue to hold, that ** Union to Cbrift luas before 
 ** Faith in him^ and that the Habit of Faith pro- 
 *' ceededor followed from our Jujiification^" which 
 *cis faid, he once feemed to hold in the Synod ; 
 and which was in Reality the Root or Fountain of 
 all theOpiniQns fu much faulted in tbisPecpIe, And 
 
 however 
 
An HifiorkaJ Difcourfe^ &c. a^ 
 
 however Mr. Cotton has in Print difowned them, 
 and they are by others charged wiihFalfhood and 
 Calumny, in Ihrouding themfelves under the 
 Authority of his great Name ; yet they who 
 ihould be owned to know their own Opinions, 
 and underftand their own Expreflions and De- 
 figns beft, always perfifted in it, that " Mr On 
 *^ ton was with them," or that they meant no 
 more than they underllood him to mean. 
 
 But to return- 
 
 The Affair was agitated \nCourt for threeDays, 
 and fome changing Sides in the Court^ the Ma- 
 jority was on the Side of the Synod^ and took 
 Mcafures cffeftually to fupport their own Opini- 
 ons. Whereupon, many of the other Side 
 determined to remove, for Peace fake, and 
 to enjoy the Freedom of their Confciences. And 
 Mr. John Clark, " who made the Propofal, was 
 rcquefted with fome others, to feck out a Place, 
 and thereupon by Reafon of the fuffocating 
 Heat of the Summer before, he went Njrtb, 
 to be fomewhat cooler, but the Winter fol- 
 lowing proving as cold, they were forced in 
 the Spring to make towards the South: So ha- 
 ving fought the Lord for Diredion, they a- 
 <^ greed, that while their Veflel was pafiing about 
 *' a large and dangerous Cape^ ( Cape Cod ) they 
 " would crofs over by Land, hsiwiD^Lofig- I/land 
 
 '' and 
 
 cc 
 
 (C 
 
 cc 
 cc 
 cc 
 cc 
 cc 
 
|Q j^n Hiftorical Difccurfe^ &c. 
 
 '^ and Delaware- Bay m their Eye, for the Place, 
 '^ of iheir Refidence. At Providence ^Mt.K,Wil' 
 *' Uams lovingly entertained them, and being 
 *' confulted about their Defign, readily prefen- 
 *' ted two Places before them in the Narragatifet'- 
 *' Bay^ the one on the Main called Sowwames^ 
 (the fouth-eafterly Part of the A^.^^ fiuce cal- 
 led Pbehe*s Neck, in Barrington'^ ) and Aqued' 
 *' ;;^^^5 now Khode-Jfland^ And inafmuch ^» 
 they were determined to go out of every other 
 Jurifdidion, Mr. iVilliams and Mr. Clark, atten- 
 ded with two other Perfons, went to Plytnoutb to 
 enquire how the Cafe Hood j they were lovingly 
 received, and anfwered, that Sowames was the 
 Garden of theirPatent, But they were advifed to 
 fettle at Aquetneck^^nA promifed to be looked on 
 as free, & to be treated &aflifted as lovingNeigh- 
 bours. (Mr. J. Clark's Nar.^ On their Return, 
 the 7th oi March 163738, the People to theNum- 
 bcr of Eighteen^ || incorporated themfelve a Body 
 
 * Perhars Sowames kproper\y xheK^mc of theR/t/fr^where the 
 tv.o Swanzey Rivers meet and run toi^etber for near a Mile, 
 wlien rhey empty themfelvcs in ihe Narragarfet Bryy or of a 
 ff?it7ll IJliindy where thofe two firftRivers mecr, ar the Bottom 
 of New MeadowNecky fo called. 
 
 IJ Their Names are as Follow, JVilliam Cocdington, Join Clark^ 
 ff^aiiam Htdtchwfon, John Cogp/jhall, IVtUiamAfpinivall Samu* 
 el If'ilbore^Jchn Porter ^Johti Sanford, Edward FIutchln/oti/}un, 
 Thwas Savasie, ffllfiam Dyre, IFilllim Freehorm, Philip 
 S'e^tymw, John If^aiker, Richard Carder , U-'tUiam Baul/lon, 
 Edward HuUhirifon icn, Flcmy Brill- 
 
 politick, 
 
Jtt HiftoYJcal Di/cour/e^ &c 31 
 
 politick, and chofe Mr. Coddington their Leader, 
 to be the Judge or chief Magiftr ate. After the 
 fame Manner Plymouth and Cotwe5iicut Colonies 
 were forced to enter into a voluntary Agreement 
 or Covenant at the firft, as having no legal Au- 
 thority amongft them ^ the People here however 
 immediately fought a Patent^ and in a few Years 
 obtained one. 
 
 Mr. R. IVilliams was very inftrumental in pro- 
 curing thel/land of thelndianSacheras^^nd has left 
 this Account in perpetuam rei rnemoriam " It was 
 " not Price or Money that could have purcha- 
 '' {cd Rhode- J/latid^ but 'twas obtained by Love, 
 *' that Love and Favour which that honoured 
 " Gentleman, Sir Henry Vane and myfelf^ had 
 '^ with the great Sachem Myantonomo^ about the 
 '^ League which I procured, between the Majfa^ 
 *' chufetts Englijh and the Narraganfets in the 
 ** Pequot IVar, This I mention, that as the 
 *^ truly noble Sir Henry Vane^ hath been ^o 
 " great an Loftrument, in the Hand of GOD, 
 *' for procuring this Ifland of the Barbarians^ a« 
 ^' alfo for the procuring and confirming ihtChar^ 
 *' ter, it may be with all thankful Acknowledg- 
 '' ments recorded, and remembred by us, and 
 ^* ours who reap the fweet Fruits of fo great Be* 
 *' nefits, and fuch unheard of Liberties among 
 " us" mfs. of K. IV. And in ano- 
 
 ther Manufcrift he tells U5, thcInJians were very 
 
p An Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 JJoy and jealous of felling the Lands to any^ and 
 chofe rather to make a Grant of tbem to fuch as 
 they affedted, but at the fame Time, expeded 
 fuch Gratuities and Rewards as made an Indian 
 Gift often times a very dear Bargain. And the 
 Colony 70 Tears agon 1666 avered, that tho'the- 
 Favour Mr.lVillia^ns h^d whhMyantonomywsLS the 
 great Means of procuring the Grants of theLand, 
 yet ihePurchafe bad been dearer than of anyLands 
 in New-England 3 the Reafon of which might 
 be, partly, the Engltflo inhabited between two 
 powerful Nations, the IVamponoags to the North 
 and Eaft^ who had formerly poffelTed fome Part 
 of their Grants, before they had furrendred it to 
 the Narraganfets^ and tho' they freely own'd the 
 Submiffion, yet it was tho'tbell by Mr. tVilliams 
 to m.ake them eafy by Gratuities, to the Sachem 
 his Counfellors and Followers. On the other Side 
 the Narraganfetts were very numerous, and the 
 Natives inhabiting any Spot the Englifh fat down 
 upon, or improved, were all to be bought oif to 
 their Content, and often times were to be paid 
 over and over again. 
 
 On the 24th of March 1637,8, this Day an 
 Hundred Tear 5^ the Indian Sachems Jigned the Deed 
 cr Grant of the Jfland Aquetneck^ &c. and the £//- 
 gU(Jj not only honeftly paid the mentioned Gra- 
 tuities, to the Sachems, but many more to the 
 Inhabitants to remove off, as appears by the Kc- 
 
 ceipts 
 
 \ 
 
An Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. §3 
 
 ceipts ftiJl eiitant. And afterwards, at a conCde- 
 rable Expence, they purchafed Quit-Claims, of 
 the Heirs and SuccelTors of the Sachems 3 befidea 
 they were forced to buy over again, feveralParts 
 of the firfl Grant. So that they came very juftly 
 by the Soil. And thus they defcribe tbew/elvcs 
 twenty Years after, in anAddrefs to the fuprcam 
 Authority in England 1659 ; " This poor Colony 
 *' ( fay they ) moftly confifts, of a Birth, and 
 ^' Breeding of the moft High. We being an 
 " outcafl People, formerly from our Mother- 
 *^ Nation, in the Bifliops Days, and fince from 
 <• the reft 6i the New-EngliJIj over zealous Co- 
 *' lonies. Our whole Frame, being much like 
 *' the prefect Frame, and Conftitution of our 
 *' deareft Mother England ; bearing with the 
 '^ feveral Judgments, and Confciences of each 
 '^ other, in all the Towns of the Colony j which 
 '' our neighbour Colonies do not 5 and which is 
 *^ the only Caufe, of their great Offence, a- 
 •' gainll us." 
 
 The Settlement began immediately, at the J? t?/?- 
 
 ward cr Northward End of the J/land^(thcn called 
 
 Pocajfet^^ * round theCove^^nd the Town was laid 
 
 G out 
 
 * All our Hiftories cail the m^w Z.^^-^, over a?ainft the eafter* 
 ly End of tlie Ifland, where i^ now^/^-er/oW; &c. by rheName 
 of Pocrffet, and in the Indian Grant ro the firft Serlers, ths 
 Cime Place feems to bs called Po^wac^Jick. But ';is as evi- 
 
 dent 
 
34 ^^^ Hijiorica} Ltfccmfe^ &c. 
 
 out at the Spring, And many of their Friends 
 following them that Summer, theic Number was 
 fo confiderably incrcafed, that the next Spring, 
 Tome of the Heads with others, came to the 
 f utbernot wefiern End of the Ifland. The J/land 
 was divided into two ^ownjhips^ the eaflern Part 
 called Portfmoiith^ and the other Newport ; and 
 1644, they named the Ifland the Ifle of Rhodes or 
 'Rbode^ I/land. Thus began thcSettlement of this 
 'Ifland and Cohny^^nd thro' the goodHand of our 
 GOD upon us, we have continued to this Day. 
 GOD has blefTed and profpered the People, in 
 their Labours, and preferved to them their Pri- 
 viledgcs, for the fake of which they followed 
 him into the Wildernefs. 
 
 And now having feen fomething of the Occa- 
 fion, and Manner of our firft Settlement, let us 
 take a JJjort View of the Htflcry^ and prefent State 
 cf the C)lony. 
 
 dcni incur Records, rhar rhe eafiern End of the Ifland, is 
 called by thcf^me Name ; perhaps \\ I may be in::iilged a 
 Conjedure, the Narne^ properly belonged, to the Stratt iu 
 the Ktxet or Buy^ ar the callern End oFrhc ifland, where is 
 nosv /7ox^7^?7W's Ferrv, and the Lands on borh Sides might 
 be Called Pcc^Jfety '(iil the Engiifh Name oF Port/mouth for 
 the caftcrl) End of the ]fland prevailed, when the Indian 
 Kame PocrJJlt n:ight became confin'd to the main Land, 
 which v\a>not fetled bv the £V;^7y^ for many Years affcc. 
 *7'i.s cctiuin c^cry rcmiarkablc Strait, or Fall in a River, 
 had a A^/JWf anxui^^ tiic Irdians^ as well as c\ ery PoJit of 
 Land inihcBiy.' A Knowledge of the Mcai.ing of" the 
 hjdi,]n /fords f v.oiild dcc:de all Cuch Difputcs. 
 
 And 
 
An Hijlorical Difcourfe^ &g. ^^ 
 
 And here in the firfl Place, as to the inbahiting 
 the other Lands ^ and ere^itig the other ^{?w?is m^w 
 
 within our Bounds. Atibe/ame T'imeihG, Jjland 
 
 was inhabited^ a Number of the Providence Peo- 
 ple^ Mr. Arnold^&ic, fat down atPatuset^ a Place 
 adjoining, and within their Grant. They were 
 encouraged by the Meadoijus^ on theRiver, which 
 were every where an Inducement, to People to 
 fettle thcmfelves, as they immediately furnifhed 
 Food for their Cattle in the Winter. 
 
 In 1642,35 on the i2.\hoi January^ Shawcmet^ 
 or MiJJjawomet^ fmce called li^''arwick^ was pur- 
 chafed of Myantonomo ; Pomham the pettySachem 
 confenting to the Sale or Grant, iho' he after- 
 wards denied it. The Grant was made to Kan^ 
 dal Holden^ John Wickes^ Samuel Gorton^ John 
 Greene^ Francis M'ejion^ Richard Waterman^ John 
 Warner^ Richard Carder^ Sam/on Sbctton^ R.hcrf 
 Potter^ miliavi IVuodeaJ, 
 
 Here it may be proper, to take fome Notice of 
 the religious Opinions oi Mr. Gorton^ whole Fol- 
 lowers were called Gortcnijls^ or Gcrtcnians^ hol- 
 ding fome Things peculiar to ihemfelves, and 
 different from all the ether People in Ncuu- Eng- 
 land, 
 
 He came to Rhode- Jjland \n June 1638, wher^ 
 
 he tarried 'till 1639,40, that he was on fome 
 
 Contentions banifhed the Ifland. Thence Ire 
 
 G 2 went 
 
^ An HiftoYical Difcourfc^ &c. 
 
 went to Providence, where many of the People 
 growing uneafy at his planting and building at 
 Pataxet, and complaining to the MaJfacbufettS' 
 Government in 1642, he was fummoned to appear 
 before their Court, which he defpifed. But how- 
 ever he purchafed this Trad of the Indians, and 
 removed there with his Friends. But new Com- I 
 plaints foon went to Bofton from fome of the -C;;^- 
 lijh, and Pcmba7nand Sccononoko petty Sachems of j 
 the Indians, who it feems, were willing to take 
 Advantage of theProtedtion of ih^MaJfachufetts^ 
 BngliJJy^ to revolt from their Subjedion to Myan- 
 tono^iiy, as ilf^^y^/Y had done before, by Means 
 of the Plymoutb'EngliJJj. Hereupon Mr. Gotten 
 and his Friends being fummoned to Court, he rc- 
 fufed to obey, ac out of the Jurifdidion, both of 
 Bofton and Plymoutb, who both fought to (Iretch 
 their Bounds^ to have taken him in. The Go- 
 vernment at length, fent up a Company of ar- 
 med xMcn, who after a fruitlefs Treaty, made 
 h\iw aod his Friends Prifoners, except a few who 
 efcaped by Flight. They were carried loBoJion, 
 and afteraTryal in their Court, condemned, to 
 be confined in a feverc, and even a fcandalous 
 Manner, in fcveral Towns, for the Winter, and 
 sn the Spring banifhed the Colony, They came 
 to Rbode-If/and^and fearing to be again troubled, 
 Ihe jW'^facbufats fecking a Patent of fome of 
 the }^ur^atifa Coijncry^ they procured an 
 ^41^4! ?nci lol^^mn SubmiSion of the Sachems to 
 
 King 
 
uin Hijlorical Di/cotiffe^ &c. %7 
 
 King Charles^ on the 19th of y^u^uft 1644, and 
 Meffi. Gartofi^Gi-eerie^^nd Hlden^ went to England^ 
 and obtained an Order, to be TufFered peaceably 
 to poffefs their Purchafe. And the Lands fore- 
 mentionedjbcing incorporated in the ^ Province of 
 Providence Plantations ; They returned & carried 
 on their Improvements, naming their Purchafe 
 IVarwick^ in Honour to theEarl of l^^arwick^'w ho 
 gave them his friendly Protedtion. 
 
 What Mr. Gcrton*s religious Opinions really 
 were, is now as hard to tell, as 'cis to underftand 
 his molt myfterious Diah^^ior there are fufficient 
 Reafons, why we ought not and cannot believe, 
 he held all that are confidently fathered upon him. 
 For 'cis certain that whatever impious Opinions, 
 his Advcrfaries imputed to him, and whatever 
 horrid Confequences tbey drew^irovn the Opinions 
 he owned j he afcribed as bad to them, and fixed 
 as dreadful Confequences on their Tenets 5 and 
 at the fame Time, in the moft folemn Manner, 
 denies and difavows many Things they charge 
 him with; above all, when he is charged with 
 denying a future State, and the Judgment to 
 come, both in Theory and in Pradlice ; he pe- 
 remp'rorily, and vehemently denies the Charge, 
 and folemnly appeals to GOD, and all that knew 
 
 * They fomerimescilled themfelves the Cclcrsy, fomcrimcs the 
 Provime of Providence Plaptatms^ ?.nd lumctinics the Colony 
 or Provifjc^, ~' ' 
 
 him. 
 
38 jin Hifiorical Lifiourfe^ &c. 
 
 him, of the Integrity of his Heart, and the Purity 
 of his Hands; and avers, that he always joins 
 Eternity with Reh'gion, as moll eflfential. And 
 that the Doctrine of the general Salvatiofiifis, 
 was the Thing which his Soul hated.) Mfs, Let- 
 ter hi Anf, to Mr, Morton's Memorial,') 
 
 In an Addrefsto King Charles II. 1679, he 
 difowns the Puritans^ and moil unaccountably 
 fays, he fucked in his peculiar Tenets, "from the 
 Breads of his Mother, the Church of EfJgJafid" 
 He ilrenuoully oppofed the Dodlrines of the 
 People called i^<^/^tfrj. I am informed that be 
 and h'lsFoIlowers^ maintained a religious Meeting, 
 on the firflDay of theVVeek,for above fixty Years, 
 and that their Worfhip confided of Prayers to 
 GOD, of Preaching, or expounding the Scrip- 
 tures,and finging of Pfalms. He lived to a great 
 Age. He was of a good Family in England^ 
 and fays he made nfe of the learned Languages 
 m expounding the Scriptures to his Hearers. 
 
 About 1642,3, there were two trading Houfes^ 
 Tet up in the Narraganfet Country ; one by Mr. 
 Wiko^^ and Mr. R. IVilliaras^ the other by Mr. 
 Richard Smithy and fome few Plantations made 
 near them, on particular Grants or Purchafes of 
 the Indians, but not very many '(ill 1657: 
 When feveral Gentlemen on the Ifland^ and 
 eifcwberc^m^dQ a'^confiderable • Puichafc, cnlled 
 
 the 
 
An Hlftorical Difcouffe^ &c.* |^' 
 
 the Petaquam/cut Parcbafe. And the fame Yeac- 
 there wasa Purchafc of the Ifland oi Canonicut^ as 
 the fmailer Iflands had been purchafed before. 
 
 In 1665, Mifquamicut was purchafed of the 
 Indians, and it was granted a Townfhip by the 
 Name of iVefierly^ 1669. In 1672 Mamies C2X'' 
 ]td Block' Jfiand^vj^s made a Townfhip, by the 
 Name of New- Sborebam. In 1674 the Inhabi- 
 tants at Petequamfcut and Parts adjacent, had 
 their Lands incorporated, a Townfhip by the 
 Name of Ktngfloti. And in 1677 the Town of 
 Eaft'Greenwlcb was incorporated, and 1678 C^- 
 ttofiicut Iflaad, or rather ^lononoqtiot^ was in- 
 corporated a Townfhip by the Name of JameS" 
 town. In 1722, the Lands properly calledAT^r- 
 raganfet^ were divided into the two Townfhipsof 
 Nortb and Soutb-Kingfton. In 1729 the whole 
 Colony was divided into tbree Counties^ for the 
 Eafe of the Inhabitants. And 1730 the Town 
 of Providence was divided into the four STowns of 
 Provide nee ^ Sriiitbfield^ Gloc^fter^ and Scitiiate' 
 The whole Land being filled with Inhabitants, 
 partly by the coming in of fome few from other 
 Plac'es, but chiefly by the natural Increafe of the 
 firil Seders. * In the forefaid Year 1730, there 
 
 » 
 
 * In 1758 the Town of //^fy'?:>i^ is divided, and the eaftcrly 
 Part of if, erected into a To., nfhip, by rhe Nsme of Charles- 
 ^ozi^n, which nr.H' bi; to r'lc HQiiour or Kin^ Charles the II. 
 who granted us, Our ^.rcknt Charter, 
 
 was 
 
ip An Hiftorical Lifcourfe^ &c. 
 
 was by the King's Order, an exadl Account 
 taken of the Number of Souls in the Colony, f 
 and they were found to be no lefs, than SeveU" 
 teen 'Tboufand Nine Hundred and Thirty Five^ of 
 which no more than Nine Hundred and Eighty 
 Five^ were Indians^ and One i'houfand Sis Hun* 
 dred and Furty Eighty Negroes. So that the En- 
 gJiJh in all were Fifteen Hboufand Three Hundred 
 and two. 
 
 Some of the principal Perfons, who came at 
 firft to this Ifland, removed again in a littleTime, 
 fome to Long Ifland for larger Accommodations, 
 fome to Majfachufets again, where three * of 
 t-hofe Families, have made a very confiderable 
 Figure, ever fince to this Day. A confiderable 
 Number likewife, removed to the other Towns 
 in this Colony, and many fetled in the Parts ad- 
 
 f The laid Account was taken before Providence Townfliip was 
 
 divided. The whoIcAccoant is this, 
 
 IVhiies. Negroes. Indians, 
 
 Newport^ 5845 649 148 
 
 , Providence^ 3707 128 Si - 
 
 Port/mouth, 645 1 00 70 
 
 JVarivicky J 028 77 "5 
 
 IVefitrJy, 162.0 56 2 5 J* 
 
 North King f on, 3875 ^^5 ^5 
 
 South Kingjion, 965 $55 21 y 
 
 Eajl GreeniL'tch, 1149 40 54 
 
 James'^o'xn, 222 80 19 
 
 New Shoreham^ 250 20 20 
 
 15502 I^4S 5;S5 
 * Hutdhfon^ Dttmmer, S^vagi, 
 
 jacent. 
 
An HifiortGal Bifeourfe^ &c. 4t 
 
 jacent, that are within the Colony of Plymouth, 
 Neverthelelli in 1730 the Inhabitants of ihe zvbole 
 JJJand were Frje Tboufand flur Hutidrcd and Fifty 
 Eighty and of this Town Four ^boiifand fix Hun* 
 dred and Forty ^ who are no doubt by this Time 
 increa fed to Five ^houfand Souls. TheTrade and 
 Bufinefs of the Town at the fitfi-j was but very 
 little, and inconfiderable^ confifling only of a lit- 
 tle Corn and Purk and ^ohacco^ fenC to Bofion^ for 
 a few European and other Goods, they could no^ 
 fubfill: without, and all at the Mercy of the Tra* 
 ders there too, * At prefent there are ab've on6 
 Hundred Sail of VefTels belonging to this fowfi^ 
 befhies what belong to the reft of tie Colony^ 
 GOD grant, that as we increafe in Numbers and 
 RicheSj we may not increafe in Sin and Wicked- 
 nefs j but that we may rather be lead^ by the 
 divine Goodnefs, to reform whatever may have 
 been amifs or wanting among us. 
 
 As to the Form of Govermnent we have pa (Ted 
 under, it mull be obferved, the GovernmefiC has 
 
 Perliaps ic may be agreabis to fome Perlonj, ro oblervc, ihaC 
 aboat 1660, and many Years atter, Prcv'tfion Pay was 
 IQO per Cent, htnt ?iih Sterliiig Money. In 168: the Prices 
 of Goods fcrt to pay Taxes in, were. Wool 8 d pe- Prund, 
 Batter 4 d Indian Corn \ s 6 d per Bufhel. U the Tax 
 was paid in Money, then there was to be an Allowance or 
 Aba-ement of one fixrhParf, and that perhaps v ill nearly give 
 rhe tnie current Piicc, ot thofe Kinds ol Provifions, at that 
 Tims. 
 
42 An Hifiorical Difcourfe^ 5cc. 
 
 been always more or lefs demccratical. Kx the fir ft 
 Incorporation on thelflandjihePeoplechofe ajttdge 
 to do Juftice and Judgment, and preferve the 
 publick Peace , and towards the latterEnd of the 
 Year, on the fecond Day of the eleventh Month, 
 they added three Gentlemen as y^jfijlants to him 
 in his Office. % And foon after appointed all, 
 to take the Oath of Allegiance to the King, ac- 
 cording to the Statute. In 1640 they voted, 
 the chief Magiftrate (hould be called Governour^ 
 the next Deputy Governour^ and four Getitlemen 
 cho/en out of the two Towns, JJJifiants Their 
 Names were IV. Coddington Governour, IV. Bren- 
 ton Deputy Governour, N. Eafton^ J, CoggefJoaU^ 
 TV. Htitchinfon^ J. Porter^ Affiftants. The next 
 Year JR.. Harding^ was in Mr. Eafion's Place, and 
 Mr. ^. Baulfton in the Room of Mr. Hutcbinfon, 
 C who perhaps removed ) and the next Year Mr. 
 Eajion was chofen Afliltant again, and thofc fis * 
 Gentlemen^ held their Offices, 'till the Patent cf 
 Incorporation, 
 
 At Providence^ all new Comers prcmifed " to 
 '' fubmit themfelves in adive or paffive Obe- 
 dience, to all fuch Orders, and Agreements, 
 
 cc 
 
 :^ The three Elders were Nkbclas Eafion, John Coggfjhall^ aiid 
 
 If^iUinm Erenton. 
 "' The Six Genrlcmen were IV, Ccdd'mpton Governour, IV. 
 
 Brehton Dcpirv Governour, N. Eofion^ J.CoggfJballj lV> BauU 
 
 (lon^ and ^. P^y/tr, AfliPan:i. 
 
 as 
 
An Hifiorical Bifcourfc^ &c. 43 
 
 " as ihall be made for publick Good of the Body, 
 " in an orderly way, by major Confent of the 
 " Inhabitants,"4: but this being infufficient,27th 
 Day 5th Mo. 1640, they did to the Number of 
 near 40 Perfons, Comhne in a Form of civil Go- 
 vernment, according to a Model drawn up by 
 fome of themfelves, as moft fuitable to promote 
 Peace and Order in their prefent Circumftances ; 
 which however left them in a very feeble Con- 
 dition. 
 
 But all the Inhabitants in theNarragafifet-Bay, 
 being "Jiithout a Patent^ and any legal Authority, 
 1643 Mr. R. IViUiafns^vi^ni to England as Agtnt^ 
 and by the Help and Afliftance of 6ir H^f/r^F^;/^, 
 jun. obtained of the Earl of IV ai wick (appointed 
 by Parliament Governour & Admiral of all the 
 Plantations) andhisCouncil^ " a free and abfolute 
 *' Charter of civil Incorporation, by the Name 
 *^ of the Inco'-poration of Providence Plantatiofis 
 " in the llarraganfet-Bay [in New-England '^'' 
 impowring them '' to rule themfelves, and fach 
 
 ± The firft twelve Perfons who came to Mr. IVilUams^ and 
 therefore had, by verrne cf his Conveyance, Tome Prerc- 
 j^arive wirh him, in the Divifion? B'^:. of the Land, were 
 JVilUam Arriold^ '^o'hn Gree}7e, ^ohn Thrc^tTioyton, Thomas 
 yam-s, IVilUiXm Harris ^ Tkcm.ii Olney^ Richard JVatermav^ 
 Francii IVffton, Ezekiel HolUman, Robert Cole, Stukeky IFffi- 
 coaty and IViUiarn CtrpenUr Soon afrer came to them G.yjd. 
 Browne, IVm. Fairfield, J. IFarr/er, E. Angel, f IFwdfor, R. 
 Scott, U^m, ReiNolds, H'm JFirkef:deiJ, Gregory Dexter, &C.&C. 
 tsolt ot whofe Names remain in a num.eroui Pofteriry. 
 
 H 2 ''as 
 
/^^ An Jliftorical Difconrfe^ &c. 
 
 *^ as fhould inhabit within their Bounds, by fuch 
 ^' a Form of civil Government^ as by the volun"- 
 ^' tary Agreement of all, or the greater Parr, 
 ^' (hall be fou[)(i moft ferviceable, in their Eftate 
 *' and Condition j and to make fuitable Laws, 
 '^ agreeable to the Laws of Evgland^ fo far as 
 ^^ the Nature and Conditution of the Place will 
 
 ^' admit, &c '* It was dated \*]th o{ March ^ 
 
 jp h Charles^ u e. 1643,4. but it don't appear 
 how long it was, before Mr. U^iHiains brought ic 
 over. It is not to be wondred at, if it took them 
 feme Time to agree in a Method. 
 
 In 1647 May igth, a General AiTembly of the 
 province (as then called) eilablifhed a Body of 
 ro^ry go'^d and whoUfome Laws^ agreeable to the 
 BfigliJIj Statute Bonk ; and ereded a Form of civil 
 Govsyfnnem for the Adminiflration of the Laws, 
 and the making fuch other, as fiiould be found 
 necelTary. The fupreme Ptwcr was left in the f 
 Body of the People, afTcmbled in an orderly 
 way; a Court (f C'jmraiflo tiers ^ confifling of fix 
 Ferfons, chofen by each of the four Towns of 
 Providence^ Portfm-'dth^ Newport^ & IVarwick^ had 
 9 Leg'iflativs Authority^ at leall, their Adts v/ere 
 to be in Force, unlefs repealed within a limited 
 Time,, by the Vote of the major Part of theFrec- 
 pien of £hc Province, to be colle^icd at their 
 itipecliye Town Meet i::;gp sppoir^ted for d^atEr.d. 
 
 A 
 
An Hiftoricctl Difcotirfe^ &c» '45 
 
 A Frefidefit ^ four Jffiftants were chofen year- 
 \y^ to be Conleivators ot the Peace, with all civil 
 Power, and by a fpeciai Commiffion, they were 
 Judges of the Court of Tryals, aflifted by the 
 tivo IVardens or Juiiices of the particular Town, 
 ia which the Court fat from Time to Time. 
 
 Every Town chcfe a Council of fi^ Perfons^ to 
 manage their Town Affairs, and their Town 
 Courr, had the Tryai of fmall Cafes, but with 
 
 an Appeal to the Cam of tbePrefide}n^Ajfociates, 
 
 'This For-ra of Government fubfiiled till 1651, 
 when there were fome Obilrudtions to it, by a 
 Commiilton granted from ths Council of St ate ^ to 
 the principal Inhabitant of the Ifland, to 
 govern the Ifland, with a Council chofea 
 by the People, and approved by himfelf But 
 thePeople thinking jr, '' aViolation or Incroach- 
 mcnt on their Liberties, and Purchafes,as grant- 
 ed and fecured by Charter " ; immediately dif- 
 patched Mr. R. IViUiams and Mr. J, Clark to 
 England^ as theirAgents, and they eafily procured 
 an Order from the C uncil of State^ to vacate or 
 fufpend the CommifTion. This Order is dated 2d 
 of 06lobcr 1652, but by Reafon of fome Mif- 
 pnderllandings between the four Towns, it was a 
 Year or tv/o before they returned to their old 
 f^^n^ which then laded to the prefect Charter. 
 
 In 
 
4l An Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 In 1663 July 8. Charles 2d. granted an ample 
 Chac teTjWhereby the Province was made *' a Body 
 *' Corporate and Politick, in Fadl & Name, by 
 •^ the Name of the Governour and Company of 
 *' tbeEngUjJ^CoJony of Rhode- I/land and Providence 
 '* Plantations inNew- England in America. " This 
 Charter we enjoy to this Day, thro' the mer- 
 ciful Providence of GOD. And as every one 
 knows, the Form of Government eflablifhed in 
 it, I need fay but little about it. The Governour^ 
 xht Deputy G ever nour^ and ten AJJijiants chofen 
 yearly by the Freemen^ on the firft Wedncfday in 
 May^ havethe Adminiflration of the Government 
 in their Hands ; and together with thirty fix De^ 
 futiesy :^ chofen half yearly by thefcveralTowns, 
 make up the General Ajfemhly j which is the higb» 
 eft Court in the Colony^ and cur Legiflature : im- 
 powred to makeLaws as to them fhali feem meet, 
 for the Good and IVelfare of the faid Company-- 
 '* fo as fuchLaws be not contrary and repugnant 
 *^ untOjbut as near as may he^agreahle to the Laws 
 ** of England^ conftdering the Nature ^ConftitutioH 
 ** of the Place and People there,'"" 
 
 7'bis Affemhly meets twice a Year by Charter^ 
 on EleaiooDay, and the hiMf'ednefday ffO^cher, 
 
 ^ Th<zTovnofCbarlrJIc<:i'r2 being ereftcd fince this wa« pre- 
 pared for the Prefs, the Number oi Depuiics is now Thirty 
 
 Etpbf. 
 
Ajt Hiftofkal Lifcourfey &c. 4? 
 
 fbefirft^ by Law is held at Newport^ and the laft 
 at Providence & South- KingJIon alicmsLicly, The 
 Governour has no negative Voice, and the major 
 Vote of the whole Aflembly in one Houfe, de- 
 termines in theChoice of civil or militaryOfficcrs, 
 but in the pafHng Laws the Aflembly fits in two 
 Houfes. 
 
 It would be too tedious, to give a particular 
 Account of all the repeated Attempts, and Stra- 
 tagems made ufe of, to wrcft the Jurifdidtion and 
 Propriety of a confiderable Part of the Lands 
 within our Patent from the Colony. 
 
 Therefore I proceed to fay, 
 
 When Col. Dudley was appointed Prefident o^ 
 the Majfachufetts^ the Narragatifet Country, called 
 then King^s Province^ was included in his Com- 
 miflion. In 1685 ohoher 6. a IVrit of ^10 IVar^ 
 ranto^ was iflued out againft the Colony^ which 
 was brought here June 2.6. 1686, by Ed. Kan-- 
 dolph, Efq^ whereupon the Free Inhabitants, ef- 
 pecially of the chief Towns, met at Newport oa 
 the 29ch, and gave in their Opinion to the Gene- 
 ral Aflembly, and left " the further Proceeding 
 to the judicious Determination of the Aflembly," 
 The Aflembly upon ferious Coniidcration, pub- 
 iifhed and declared, that they determined, not to 
 *' Hand Suit with His Majefty^ hut to proceed^ hy 
 
 hiivihle 
 
4'ft An Hifiorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 ^' bumlk Addrefs to His Majefty to continue their 
 *^ Privikdges & Liberties accorditjg to tbs Charter -^ 
 and they accordingly fcnc home an Addrels to 
 the King^ who by his Anfvver promifed them 
 Protedion, and Favour. However the Cohny 
 was put under theGovernment of Sir Ed.Androfs^ 
 and " fuffered with others, feveral Hardlhips^and 
 feverc Impofitions." 
 
 -■: The Reafons why the AfTembly chofe not to 
 Hand Suit with the King, were partly " tbeir Po- 
 ^' verty^ and Inability to bear theExpenceof fuch 
 *^ a Law- Suit in Etigland^ and partly tbeE sample 
 '' of the many Corporations in Englajid^ which 
 *' had in the likeCafe furrendered their Charters/* 
 
 *and perhaps the fecretHope they (hould find more 
 Favour with the King, by this way of Proceed- 
 ing, was the principal Motive. 
 
 January 12. 1686,7. Sir Edmund Androfs^^ 
 Commiflion to be Governour of this Colony^with 
 the relt of New England^ was publifhed here, and 
 the Colony made one County, and governed by 
 civil Officers under him. 
 
 After the Revolution in England^ there was 
 a General Aflembly of the Freemen of the 
 Colony at Newport^ May i. 16S9, who agreed 
 *' that fincc Sir Ed. Androfs was felled and con- 
 *' fined with others of his Council C^tBojIon^ and 
 
An tiiftorical Lifcourfe^ &o' 4^ 
 
 ^^ his Authority filenced and depofed/it wastheic 
 *^ Duty, to lay hold of their former Charter Pri^ 
 "uiledges 3 and avowedly profeffing all Aliegiancfi 
 to the Crown of England^ they replaced all thd 
 general Officers that had been difplaced three 
 Years before. But feme of the Gentlemen after«s 
 wards declining to adl by this Authority, a gene- 
 lal AiTembly called February 20 followingjeleded 
 others in their Room. And there having been no 
 Judgment againll the Chartefj the GovernrticnE 
 allowed of the refuming it, and thro* the divine 
 Goodnefs, and the Clemency, Juftice, and Pru-* 
 dence of our Princes, it has been continued eveC 
 fincc. GOD grant, we may never forfeit noc 
 Jofe our precious and invaluable Liberties and 
 Priviledges 5 and that we may ever ufe them 
 with Prudence and Difcretion^ with Gratitude to 
 GOD, the Governour of the World ^ and with 
 Loyalty to the Crown J 
 
 It is now more than Time for me to lay before 
 you^ fame Account of our religicus Affairs. 
 
 It is a Pitty we cannot intirely confute all th$ 
 cpprchrious i'hings^ which fome have written of 
 fome of the Inhabitants. I am fatisfied a great 
 many of them were v;^holly groundlefs, many 
 others very much aggravated, and mifreprefen* 
 ted, and fome Things made to be Reproachca^^ 
 which m Reality were Praife-^worthj? 
 
 I I 
 
50 ^n Hifiorical Lifcotirfe^ &c. 
 
 I take it to have been no Diflionour to the Co- 
 lony, that Chriftians, of every Denomination, 
 were fuffered to lead quiet and peaceable Lives, 
 without any Fines, or Punifhments for their fpe- 
 culative Opinions, or for ufing thofe external 
 Forms of Worlhip, they believed GOD had ap- 
 pointed, and would accept. Bigots may call 
 this Confufion, and Diforder, and it may be ^o^ 
 according to their poor worldly Notions of Re- 
 ligion, and the Kingdom of Chrift. But the pre- 
 tended Order of humane Authority, affuming the 
 Place and Prerogatives of JefusChrift, and tram- 
 pling on the Confciences of his Subjects, is, as 
 Mr. R. IVilliams moft juftly calls it, " monltrous 
 " Diforder." 
 
 Tho' it be very certain, that a publickWorfhip 
 ofGOD,is very ncceflary eventocivilizeMankind, 
 who would be likely to loofe all Senfe of Religi- 
 on without it ^ yet it will not follow, that the ci- 
 vil Magiftrate,^ as fuch, has Authority to appoint 
 the Rites of Worfliip, and conftraiia all his Sub- 
 jeds to ufe them, much lefs to punilh them for 
 ufing any other. What has been forever the 
 Confequenccs, of his pretending to fuch Authori- 
 ty, and ufing his Power to fupport it ? What 
 Glory doth it bring to GOD, and what Good 
 can it do to Men, to force them to attend a Wor- 
 lhip they difapprove ? It can only make them 
 •Jiypocrites.and GOD abhors fuchWorfhippers. 
 
 Not- 
 
An Hijlorical Bifcotirfe^ &c. -ji 
 
 Notwithftanding our Conllitution left every 
 one to his own Liberty, and his Confciencejand 
 notwithftanding the Variety of Opinions that 
 vterc entertained, and notwithftandingfome may 
 have contraded, too great an Indifference to a- 
 ny focial Worfhip, yet I am well afTured, there 
 fcarcc ever was a Time, the hundred Years paft, 
 in which there was not a weekly publick Wor- 
 fhip of GOD, attended by Chriftians, on this 
 llland, and in the other fifil Towns of the Colo- 
 ny. 
 
 It isno way^mnlikely, fome odd, and whimfi- 
 cal Opinions may have been broached, the Li- 
 berty enjoyed here, would tempt Perfons diftref- 
 fed for their Opinions in the neighbouring Go- 
 vernments, to retire to this Colony as an Afylum. 
 It is no ways unlikely, that fome Perfons of a 
 very different Genius, and Spirit from the firfl 
 Setlers, might intrude thcmfelves, and ufe this 
 Liberty as an Occafion to the Flefh -, but the firft 
 Set of Men who came here, were a pious Gene- 
 ration, Men of Vertue and Godlincfs, notwich- 
 llanding their Tinflure of Enthufiafm, which 
 was not peculiar to them j and notwithftanding 
 their peculiar Opinions of Juftification, and the 
 Nature, and Rights, of the Chriftian Church. 
 They had not fomany great and wifeMen among 
 them, perhaps, as were in fome of the other Co- 
 lonies 5 but their whole Number was very fmal), 
 
 I 2 in 
 
Jt Jn H'tftorical Dlfccurfe^ &c. 
 
 jn Comparifon with the other Colorjies : Never^ 
 thj&lefs they had fome very confiderablc Men, 
 0nd of fuperiour Merit. It is true Jikewife, their 
 Form of Government was too feeble, their fir^ 
 Patent left them without fufficient Authority in 
 their civil Officers, to check any popular Hu- 
 rnours ; but yet, they did, and that as early as the 
 J^L?Jfacbti/etts Colony, form aBody of goodLaws, 
 by which all Vice, and every Immorality, was 
 difcouraged or punifhed. And throughout the 
 whole Hiflory of the l/lafid and Colony^ there is 
 jnanifeilly, an Aim and Endeavour^ to prevent 
 or fupprefsall Diforders and Immoralities, and to 
 promote tsaiverfal Peace, Vertue, Godlinefs, and 
 Charity. 
 
 J r'o not pretend to defend all the Opinions, 
 ?:hat were entertained by any of them j much 
 Jefa all the extravagant Notions, that were un- 
 juflly afcribed to fome of them j nor yet to juf- 
 tify every Word, or Adion, that might be the 
 Bffedt of heated Zeal, orraifed Indignation and 
 Jtefentment. That Man, who will go about to 
 jqftify, or condemn a Party, in the Grofs, and 
 without Diftindlion, fhall never be approved or 
 Imitated by me, much ItU can it be expeded, 
 I ihould defend all the Opinions of ^o many dif- 
 ferent religious Parties^ as were here united in 
 jcfvil Peacfe. Howcverj I dare fay it after Mr. 
 f.CIart^ih^t ^^ fiotwithft^nding the digereni: 
 
 *"' Confciencf3 
 
An Hlfiorical Lifcotirfe^ &c. ' [(ff^^ 
 
 ^^ Confciences and Underftandings among them, 
 ' ' they agreed to maintain civiljuftice and Judg^ 
 *^ mentSy neither were there fuch Outrages com- 
 *' mittcd among them, as in other Parts of the 
 *' Country were frequently feen." ( C/^r^'s Nar 
 Introd.') And I bear them VVitnefs, they had a 
 Zeal for GOD : If it were not according toKnow- 
 Jedge in every Article, yet they lay open to In- 
 ftrudtion, defirous to find out and difcover the 
 whole Mind and Will of GOD; which cannot 
 fo truly befaid of all Places, where yet Men are 
 not more infallible. If there were any of them, 
 who made Shipwrack of Faith and a good Con- 
 fcience, perhaps it would be as eafy^ns it would be 
 invidious, to find ParalJels enough in other 
 Places, to fhew there are other dangerous Rocks, 
 befides Liberty of Confcience. It is an unac- 
 countable Humour, that has prevailed among 
 too many chriftian St6(s^ to make Religion, and 
 the Gofpel confift, in their own peculiar and dif- 
 tinguifhing Tenets, which would almoil tempt 
 an impartial Man, to think it ought rather to 
 confift, in thofe Things, wherein they are moft 
 generally agreed, and conclude in the Words of 
 the excellent Dr. Cotton Mather^ " The Period 
 Uaftens for a new Reformation^ wherein 'tis 
 likely none Oi our veryhejl Parties^ will be in 
 all Things, the Standard of what fhall prevail 
 in the World, but our holy Lord will form a 
 l[ ne?/ People, of thofe good Men that fhall u- 
 
 " nite 
 
S4- ^f^ Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 " nite in the Aticles of their Goorlnefs, and 
 ^' fwcetly bear with one another in iheir JcfTcr 
 '' Differences." ( Good Men united, p. 26, 7. ) 
 
 It nnuft be a mean contradedWay of thinking 
 to confine the Favour of GOD, and the Power 
 of Godlinefs, to one Set of fpeculative Opinions,, 
 or any particular external Forms of Worfhip. 
 How hard muft it be, to imagine, all other Chrif- 
 tians, but our felves, mufl be formal, and hypo- 
 critical, and deflitute of the Grace of GOD, be- 
 caufe their Education or Capacity differs from 
 ours, or that GOD has given them more or lefs 
 Light than to us, tho'we can't deny, they give 
 thQ proper Evidence, of their fearing GOD, by 
 their working Righteoufnefs , and fhew their 
 Love to him, by keeping what they underhand, 
 he has commanded , and tho' theirFaith /;; Chriji 
 JsfuSy purifies their Hearts, and works by Love, 
 and overcomes the World. It would be hard to 
 fhew, why Liberty of Confciencc, mutual For- 
 bearance, and Good Will, why brotherly Kind- 
 nefs and Charity ,is not as good a Center of Uni- 
 ty, as a conftrain'd Uniformity in external Ce- 
 remonies, or a forced Subfcription to ambiguous 
 Articles. Experience has dearly convinced the 
 Woild, that Unanimity in Judgment and Affec- 
 tion, can'c be fecurcd by penal Laws. Who can 
 tell, why the Unity of the Spirit in the Bonds of 
 Peace, is not enough for Chriftians to aim at ? 
 
 And 
 
An Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. ^5 
 
 And who can aflign a Reafon, why they may 
 not Jove one another, tho' abounding in theic 
 own feveral Senfes ? And why, if they live 
 in Peace, the GOD of Love and Peace, may not 
 be with them ? 
 
 Indulgence to tender Confcicnccs, might be a 
 Reproach to the Colony, an hundred Yeais agon, 
 but a better Way of thinking prevails in the Pro- 
 teflant Part of the chriftian Church at prefent* 
 It is now a Glory to the Colony, to have avowed 
 fuch Sentiments fo long ago, while Blindnefs in 
 this Article, happened in other Places, and to 
 have led the Way as an Example to others, and 
 to have firll put the Theory into Praftice. 
 
 Liberty of Confcience, is more fully eftablifh- 
 ed and enjoyed now, in the other New- Engl ijl;f 
 Colonies ^ and cur Mctber-Kingdom, grants a le- 
 gal Toleration, to all peaceable and confcientious 
 DifTenters from the parliamentary Eftablifhment. 
 Greater Light breaking into the World, and tho 
 Church, and efpecially, all Parties by Turns, ex- 
 periencing, and complaining aloud of the Hard- 
 fhips of Conftraint, they are come to allow as 
 reafonable to all others, what they want and 
 challenge for themfelves. And there is no orher 
 Bottom but this to reil upon, to leave others the 
 Liberty we fhould defire ourfelves, the Liberty 
 wherewith Chrift hath made them free. This is 
 
 doing 
 
S6 • An Hijiorical D'lfcourfe^ &c. 
 
 doing as we would be done by, the grand Ku\€ 
 of Juftice and Equity -this is leaving theGovern* 
 ment of the Church to Jefus Chrirt, the King and 
 Head over all Things, and fuffering his Subjedls 
 to obey and ferve him. 
 
 But to take Things in their Order, Mr. K.lViU 
 Jiams IS iVi(]^ in a few Years after his fetling at 
 ProvidetJce^ to have embraced the Opinions of 
 the People called ( by Way of Reproach ) Ana^ 
 lapttfts^ in Refpe^ to the Suhje5i and Mode of Bap-^ 
 tifni j and to have formed a Church there, in that 
 Way,.with theHelp o( oneMr.Ezekiel HoIIiman^ * 
 and that after a while he renounced thefe Opini- 
 ons likewife, and turned Seeker, (i. e. ) to wait 
 for new Apoflles, to reflorc Chriftianity. He 
 believed the Chrillian Religion, to have been 
 fo corrupted and disfigured in what he called the 
 *' Apojlacy^ as that there was no Miniflry of an 
 ordinary Vocation left in the Church, but Pro* 
 
 Since this was rranfcribed for the Prefs, I find fome Reafonj 
 tofufped, that Mr. IVilliams did nor form a Church of the 
 j4n^bi7pti(if^ and that he never join'd with the B apt'tfi Church 
 there Only, that he allowed rhem to be neareft the Scrip- 
 ture Rule, and true primitive Practice, as to the Mode and 
 Suhjea of Ba-pfifm. But that he himfelf waited for new A- 
 poftles, ^c. Tne moft ancient Inhabitants now alive, fome 
 of them above eighty Yeats old, who perfonally knew Mr. 
 Wliliami^ and were well acquainted wi'^h many of the ori- 
 ginal Serlers, never heard that Mr. WWUams formed the 
 Bapiift Church there, but always underftood that Mr. BrcivvF, 
 Mr. If icket3(fen or IVigi^icn, Mr. Dexter y Mr.^Olr^cy, Mr. 
 7iI!i?3gfMft, QPc. v.ere thefi:ft Fcunders of ihac Church, 
 
A» Hiftorical DifcQiirfe^ &cJ 57 
 
 phcy^^'' and that there was need of a fpecial 
 Commiflion, to reitore the Modes of politive 
 Worfhip, according to the original Infliculion. 
 It don'c appear to me, that he had any Doabe 
 of the true Mode, and proper Subjedls of Bap- 
 tifm, bur, that noMan had anyAuthority, to revive 
 the Pradice, of the facred Ordinances, without 
 a new and immediate Commiflion. It is alfo 
 faid QNeale.^ " That his Church hereupoa 
 *' crumbled to Peices, every one following his 
 *^ own Fancy, and the Worfhip of GOD came 
 " to be generally negledted." But I believe this 
 to be a Miftake in Fadt, for it certainly appears^ 
 there was a fiourKhingChurch of the Baptills there, 
 a few Years after the Time of the fuppofed 
 breaking to Pieces ; and 'tis known by theNames 
 of the Members, as well as by Tradition, they 
 were fome of the firlt Setlersat Providence j how- 
 ever, 'tis pofiible fome of his Followers, might 
 embrace his «fiy Opinions. Mr. IVilliams uCedto 
 uphold a publick Woifhip, fometimes, tho' not 
 weekly, as many now alive remember, and he ufed 
 to go once a Month, for many Years, to Mt,SmitF$ 
 ui the Narraganfety for the fame End. 
 
 There was no Reafon, to lay afide the Ufe of 
 the facred Infiitutions of Jefus Cbrift^ becaufe 
 they had been perverted^ for furely the Difciple3 
 of Jefiis Cbrift^ muft of Neceffity have an inhe- 
 renr Righr, to revive, or rectify, any of his Or- 
 K dinances 
 
58 An Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 dinances that have been mifufed. The Protef' 
 tants in general have done Tojby both Sacraments^ 
 which they have all of them refcued from fome 
 or other o( the Corruptions cf Popery. And why 
 they may not be as well refcued from every Cor^ 
 ruption^ as from fome, and why Chiiftians may 
 not revive the true Form of adminiflring Bap- 
 tifm, as well as the Supper, is hard to tell, unlefs 
 we make a Charm of the Inftitution. So long as 
 we have the New-Teftament, wherein the origin 
 fial CommiJJion and Injlru^ions are contained^ we 
 can want no immediate Warrant, to obey the ge- 
 neral Laws of CbrtJ}^ any more than a new Re- 
 velation, and new Miracles, to juflify our belie- 
 ving the old Fads and Doctrines of the GofpeL 
 The Bible contains the Religion of Chrillians, 
 and the Word of GOD is a fufficicnt Rule of 
 Faith and Worfhip. Had Mr. li^illiams adhered 
 to this Maxim, the Maxim of the Pr^r^j*?^/?^!, and 
 more efpecially of the Puritans, he might have 
 continued an Anahaptift z\\ his Days, as *cis faid 
 he was more inclinable to them, in his latter 
 Time. 
 
 Bifhop Sander fon fays, (J^eneer on the thirty nine 
 Articles, p. 6^5-^ That " the Rev. Arch- R-fhop 
 *^ ^/hitgfft^;iiiu\ the learned //^'^^e?r. Men of great 
 '' Judgment, and famous in their Timet?, did 
 '' long fuice forefee, and declare their Fear, that 
 ** if ever Puritanifm fliould prevail among us, it 
 
 " would 
 
All Hi fl or teal Difcourfe^ <?iC. 5^ 
 
 ^^ would foon draw in .^nabaptifm after it, ---• 
 *' This Cartwrightdindiht Difciplhiarians den'icc]^ 
 
 '^ and were offended at. But thefegoodMen 
 
 *^ judged right, they confidered only as prudent 
 " Men, that Anabaptifm had it's Rife, from the 
 *^ fame Principles the PurJtatJs held, and it's 
 *' Growth from the fame Courfe, they tork ; to- 
 *^ gether with the natural Tendency, of their 
 '' Principles and Pradices toward it j efpecially 
 *^ that ONE Principle, as it was then by 
 *^ them mifunderltood, that the Scripture was a- 
 '' dequata agendorum regula^ fo as nothing might 
 '^ be lawfully done, without exprefs Warrant, 
 '^ either from feme Command or Example therein 
 ^* contained j which Clue, if followed as far as 
 *^ it would go, would certainly in Time carry 
 ^' them as far as the Anabaptifis had then gone." 
 
 This I beg Leave to look on as a moft glotious 
 ConcefHon, of the moft able Adverfaries. One 
 Party contend, that the Scripture is the adequate 
 Rule of Worfhip, and for the necefCty of Tome 
 Command or Example there ; the other Party, 
 fay this leads to Anabaptifm. It feems very re- 
 markable, that the Puritans^ at leafl fome of the 
 Puritans, put the Baptifm of Infants^ and the ad-- 
 miniftritig Baptifm by Sprinkling^ on a different 
 Foot from many of the other Party. It was one 
 grand Reafon of the Piymoutb People's Difcon- 
 tent in Holland that the Dutch would not reform 
 K 2 the 
 
6o 'An Hifiorkal Lifccurfe^ &c 
 
 the Cuflom of baptifing indifferenily, the Chil- 
 dren of all Perfons that had been ihemfelves bap- 
 tifed in Infancy. And ic was once a great Com- 
 plaint, againlt New Engtand^ that the Children 
 only of vifibie Church Members, were admitted 
 to Baptifm, Nor did the general Way of bapti- 
 fing the Grand-Children of the Covenant, orthe 
 Infants of fuch as do^ what is called (^owning the 
 Ccvenanf) (^a Pbrafe and Way peculiar perhaps to 
 New England'^') take Place, without a very great 
 and long Struggle : perhaps it don't yet univer- 
 fally prevail. When the firitPrinciplcs,&Pra6lice 
 of New England are inquired into, and compared 
 together, and with thofe that prevailed forty 
 Years after j it will be found no great wonder,if 
 a Perfon (and there have been fuchPerfons) who 
 heard the unanfwerable Argument, with which 
 fome PadO'baptifis prove the Infants of thofe who 
 are not Members of fome vifible Church, are not 
 10 be baptifed ; and the like powerfulArguments, 
 with which others, prove that other Infants have 
 an equal Right and Claim with the Infants of 
 Church Members ; I fay, it would be no won- 
 der^ if fuch a Perfon (hould believe them both, 
 and conclude in the W^ords of the late excellent 
 Dr. C Matter on a like Occafion, " that R e g e- 
 N E R A T I p N /i ?/J?(? Things without which^ a 'Title 
 unto Sacraments^ is not to be pretended That real 
 Regeneration, is that which before GOD, renders 
 Men capable of claiming Sacraments ; and vifi- 
 
 bls 
 
An HiJIorical Blfcourfe^ &c. €l 
 
 b!e or c^jpreffed Regeneration, is that which be- 
 fore Men, enables them to make fuch a Claim '*. 
 QCo7/?p. f(^r Co mm. p. 31.) 
 
 But to return, about the Year 1653 ^r545there 
 
 was a Divifion in the Baptift Churchy at Providence^ 
 about the Kite (yf laying on of Hands^ which fome 
 pleaded for as effentially neceffary to Church- 
 Communion, and the others would leave indiffe- 
 rent. Hereupon they walked in two Churches, 
 one under Mr. C Browne^ Mr, IVickenden^ &c. 
 the other under Mr. ^bomas Olney • * but laying 
 on of Hands at length generally obtained. 
 
 It is remarkable, that the Principles of a too 
 rigid Separation^ planted by Mr. IVilUams^ have 
 taken a deep Root, while feme other of his dar- 
 ling Opinions are almoft withered away. That 
 Church which was diflinguifh'd by holding laying 
 en pf Handsy nGceffdvy to all baptized Perfons, 
 came in Time, generally to hold univer/al Re- 
 demption. 
 
 This Church (hot out into divers Branches, as 
 the Members increafed, and the Diilance of their 
 Habitations made it inconvenient to attend the 
 publick Worfhip in the Town ^ feveral Meetings 
 
 * Thi,^ lail conrinued 'ti'i abour 20 Years {ince, when be- 
 jj.* coming deflirure of an Elder, rhe Members were unired 
 ' wirh orher Churches. At prefcac there is fome Profped of 
 their Re eftabliihmenr in Church Order. 
 
 were 
 
6i An Hiftorical Difccurfe^ &c. 
 
 were thereupon fixed at different'PIaces, for their 
 Eafe and Accommodation ; and about this Time 
 the Jarge Townfhip oi Providence btcam^ divided 
 into four ^owns : theii Chapels of Eafe ^ began to 
 be confidered as diftindl Churches, tho' all are 
 yet in a Union of Councils and Interefls : And 
 there is a llridl Aflbciation, of all the Baptilt 
 Churches in New England^ that hold theDodrine 
 oi laying on of Hands ^ in that Senfe^ maintained, 
 by yearly Meetings of the Elders and Brethren, 
 at feveral Places, from time to time, where the 
 Affairs of all the Churches are confidered. 
 
 The People who came to Rhode- I/land^ who 
 were Puritans of the highert Form, had defired 
 and depended on theAfTiftanceof Mr./r/^tf(?/z£;r/^i7f, 
 a famousCongregational Minifter aforementioned. 
 But he chofe to go to Long- I/land^ where he 
 continued fome Years. In the mean Time Mr. 
 Jchn Clark^ who was a Man of Letters, carried 
 on a publick Worlhip (as Mr. Brewfter did at 
 Plymouth^ at the firfl: coming, till they procured 
 Mr. Lenthal of li^eymcutb^ who was admitted a 
 Freeman here Ai-tguft 6. 1640. And Auguji 20, 
 Mr. Lenthal^ was by Vote called to keep a publick 
 School for the learning of Youth, and for hisEn- 
 couragement there was granted to him and his 
 Heirs one hundred Acres of Land, and four more 
 for an Houfe-Lot ; it was alfo voted, " ihat one 
 '' biifidred Acres (hould be laid forth, and appro- 
 
 '^ priated 
 
An Hiflorical Difcoiirfe^ &c. 63' 
 
 *' priated for a School^ for encouragement of the 
 *' poorer Sort, to train up their Youth inLearn- 
 " ing, and Mx. Robert Leritbal whWc he continues 
 '' to teach School, is to have theBenefit thereof." 
 B'u thisGentleman did not tarry here very long : 
 I find him gone to England the next Year but 
 one ; but there is noReafon to think thatPerfons 
 of their Zeal, fhould immediately fall into a to- 
 tal negled: of a focial VVorfhip. One of their 
 fi>^ Cares both at Portfmoutb and at Newport was 
 to build a Meeting Hu/e^ which I fuppofe was de- 
 figned for publick Worfhip. 
 
 It is faid, that in 1644, Mr. Jobn Clark^ and 
 fome others, formed aChurchjOn the Scheme and 
 "Pdnaplcs of tbe Baptifis, It is certain that in 
 1648 there were fifreen Members in full Commu- 
 nion i. And it is this Church, of which we are 
 by divine Providence, the SucceiTors, iho' with 
 fome little Variation in the Points, which their 
 Adverfaries had objeded to them, in the other 
 Colony. And thus all the Churches of Chriil in 
 New England have meliorated their Opinions,and 
 ways of rpeakJng of fomePoints, fince thatAge of 
 Difpute, Contention and Temptation. However, 
 I hive g^od Realbn to thi ,k, the fift Founders 
 
 ± fhc NiiDcs -fthe Males v. ere foln Clark, M.irk Lukar^ 
 Withanacl IVeJl, IFm ValjAti, Thom.is Q.ok, Jcfr.h Chyk, 
 ■Jv'Ti Pr^kJjamf John 'IlcrndQn, lVt:ii.wi iVecdev^ c»nd S.w.ud 
 IJ nhbrtrd, 
 
 of 
 
64 ^fi' Hiftorical Difcourfc^ &c. 
 
 oF rhisChurch would have heartily joined in thas 
 Explanation, which was accepted from Mr. Cot" 
 ton^ by the Synod^ and which is laid " to make 
 an happy Conclufion of the whole Matter/* and 
 I fuppofe every one of the prefent Members, 
 would readily fubfcribe it, viz. " That we are 
 " not married to the Lord Jefus Chrift, withoui; 
 *' Faith, giving an adual Confent of the Soul tq 
 " it. That effedual Calling, and the Soul's ap- 
 '' prehending by Faith, is in the order of Na- 
 *' ture, before God's A6t of Jullification on the 
 " Soul 5 and that in the Teftimony of the Holy 
 *' SpiritjWhich is the Evidence of our goodEllate 
 '^ before God, the Qualifications of inherent 
 *' Graces, and the Fruits thceof, proving the 
 *^ fincerity of our Faith, muft ever be co-exiflent, 
 ^' concurrent, and co-apparent, or eJfe the con- 
 *' ceived Teftimony of the Spirit, is either a De- 
 " lufion or Doubtful ? " (^Mn^tiaL B.^ P.17.) 
 In this Church there were feveral Perfons, able 
 to fpeak to the Edification of the reft ; and I 
 have been informed by fraditioti^ that the great- 
 eft Part of the Inhabitants, ufed to attend this 
 Worfhip, tho' the Members in Church Fellowfiiip 
 were always but few. 
 
 In 1652 (during Mr. Clark's Abfence in -E/;^- 
 land) feme of the Brethren, embraced the Opi- 
 nion oi Layi}!^ on cf Hatids^ as necelTary to all 
 baptiJed Perlbns^ and in the Year 1654 cr 1656, 
 
 ihc 
 
An Hijlorical Difcotirfe^ &c 6$ 
 
 the Opinion it was neccffary to Chuxch Commu-^ 
 nion and Fellowfhip, together with iheii Opinions 
 of the Dodrines of Grace and Free- Will, occa- 
 fioned feme of them to feper ate ^and form a Church 
 by themfelves, under the Leading of Mr. If^m* 
 Vahan • this Church continues to this Day, 
 and is numerous ; at prefcnt under the pafloral 
 Care of Mefli. D. IVightman and 11, Eyres* 
 
 In 1656 or 1657, fome of the People called 
 ^takers ^ came to this Colony and Jjland • and be- 
 ing peiTecuted and abufed in the other Colonies^ 
 that, together with the Opinions and Circumftan- 
 ces of the People here, gave them a very large 
 Harveft ; many, and fomc oi the Baptifi Cburcb^ 
 embraced theirDodlrines and particularOpinions, 
 to which many oi their Pojierity^ and others, fliU 
 adhere. 
 
 About 1665, a Number of the Members of 
 the Church under Mr.7.C/^r^,removed to the new 
 Plantation at l^^'efterly^^mon^ v/homMr.JohnCran^ 
 dal was a Preacher and Elder. They afterwards 
 did generally embrace the Seventh-Day. Sahbath^ 
 and their SucccfTus are now a very large and foU" 
 riJJjing Chunb^ w.der the paftoral Care of Mefli, 
 ^. and G. Mexon^ and Mr. William Hi/dx. 
 
 In 1671, fome of the Members of Mr. ClarJCs 
 Churchy who had been in the Obfervation of th^ 
 
 L Stventb' 
 
66 uin Hijlorical Bifcourfe^ &g. 
 
 Seventh Bay Sahhath^ for fome Years, tho't it 
 proper and neceffary to draw off by themfelves ; 
 and they eredted a Church, under the Leading 
 of Mr. William Hifcos. 'Tis under the Roof of 
 their SuccefTors we are now aflembled. * Mr. 
 J, Grandaly Elder of this Church, died the 12th 
 of Sept. 1737. 
 
 In 1695, feveral Minifters of the MajfachufettS" 
 Colony^came and preached here to fome who had 
 defired it. The next Year there was a Meetings 
 Houfe ere6led^ in which the publick Worfhip of 
 GOD, was maintained by the Rev. Mr.Natbanael 
 Clap. In 1 720 there was a Church in the congre^ 
 gational Scheme gathered, and he was ordained 
 the Paflor, and is flilJ alive, labouring in the 
 Word and Dodtrine. In 1728 there was ano- 
 ther Chuich, foimed out of this ^ the prefent 
 Pallor the Rev. Mr. James Searing. 
 
 About 1706, the Worfhip of GOD, according 
 to the Kites of the Church of England^ was began 
 to be fet up here, by the Society for propagating the 
 Go/pel in f reign Parts. Mr. Lockyer was the 
 firft Miffionary^ fucceeded by the Rev. Mr. 
 James Honyman^^t prefent the mofl ancient Mif^a^ 
 nary of the Church of England in all America. 
 
 * W'Tiieour Ctiurch is creating a new and more convenient 
 Meeting Houfe, we arc kindly favour,:d wich the Ulc o^ thif, 
 belonging to the Sabbatarian Church. 
 
 So 
 
An Hifiorical Difcourfe^ &c. ^7 
 
 So that there are at this Time, feven worfiip^ 
 ping AJfemhlies^ Churches or Societies, in this 
 S'own^ befides a large one of the People called 
 ^lakers^ at Fortfmoutb^ the other Part of the 
 Ifland. 
 
 I am not able, to affign the exadl Date, whea 
 every Church, or Meeting began, oreveryMcet- 
 ing Houfe was built, in all the feveral Towns of 
 the Colony. But there are now in the other 
 eleven i'owns no lefs thary twenty five difiin^f So^ 
 defies or worfhipping AfTemblies of Chriflians ; 
 befides feveral Places where there are occafional 
 Meetings, in fome Part of the Year, or at certain 
 Seafons, as is the Cuftom in the other Colonies, 
 among the new or fcattered Settlements. 
 
 There are in the nine Towns on the main Land 
 eight Churches of the People called Baptijis^ one 
 ^n every Town, except Greenwich^ where there is 
 however a Meeting Houfe in which there is a 
 Meeting once a Month. * 
 
 Of the People called fakers there are feven 
 Meeting Houfes on the main Land, and one at 
 
 * The Names of the Eiders of thefe Churches are, a^ PraVfde?ice 
 M- ^Windfor, & ^ho. Burlingham ; ar SmithfieJd Mr. Jofias 
 Cocke; ac Sciiuate Mr S.Fisk; at Glcce/Jer Mr Ed. MtcLel ; zz 
 Warwick Mr ManaJJeh Adartyn and Mr. Francis Bates; ac 
 N. Kingfion Mr. K. Swett and Mr.5. Herrivgton ; atS.Kingpn 
 Mtv Daniel Everit. 
 
 L 2 James* 
 
6t 'An Hifiorhal Vifcourfe^ &c. 
 
 James'^own on Conankut Jfland • and a conftant 
 Meeting at Ifejierly^ tho' no Meeting Houfe yec 
 ereded* 
 
 There are four epifeopal Churches en the Main^ 
 one at Providence^ to which the Rev. Mr. John 
 CheckJey is appointed, and one at Norths Kingflon^ 
 of which the Rev. James Mc^Sparran^ D. D. 
 is the prefent Redor 5 befides one at M'efierly^ 
 and one on theEdge ofT^'lj^rw/V^, adjoining toEaft* 
 Greenwich^ which are occafionaliy fupply'd by 
 the Miflionaries at other Towns. 
 
 There are three Freshyterian or Congregational 
 Churches^titProvidence^Sctitb'Kingfionj&i IVefterly j 
 each of rhem fupplied at prefent with a Pallor, 
 *viz. the Rev. Mr.Jof.ab Cotton^ axFrovidence -, the 
 Rev. Mr. Jo/epb Torrey^ at South- King fton , and 
 the Rev. Mr. Jofepb Park^ at IVefterly. And at 
 New- Sboreham or Bhck-I/land^thcve is a Meiting^ 
 Houfe^ which is at prefent fupplied with a Prea- 
 cher. 
 
 Thus, notwithflanding all the Liberty, and 
 Indulgence here allowed, and notwithftanding 
 the Inhabitants have been reprefented, as Jiving 
 
 without a puhlick Wcvjloip^ and as ungcfpehzed 
 Plantatins -, we fee there \sfume Form of Godli- 
 mfs every 'where maintained. GOD grant the 
 Power m^y p.lw^ys accompany the Forrn, and 
 that 9I! that Name the Name of OmJ^ n\zy de- 
 
 p.ut 
 
An Hiflorkal Blfcourfc^ &c. t^ 
 
 part from Iniquity • may Chrift Jefus\N2^km the 
 midft of his golden Candiefticks, and hold the 
 Scars in his right Hand ^ and may he heal all 
 Divifions among his Difciplcs, may he unite the 
 Hearts of all that love Him^to love one another j 
 may he grant them to be all like minded, and 
 may pure Religion, and undefiJed, before GOD, 
 and the Father, thrive and flourifh among us 1 
 
 It remains now that I fay a few Words rela- 
 ting to the State of the INDIANS, within the 
 Bounds of this Colony, and the Citcamltances of 
 the Englifh in Regard to them. 
 
 In general, all the New-EngVtJJj Colonies^ were 
 at the fiid but one Intereit, in Relation to the 
 Indians, and tho' the other four, called them- 
 felves the united Ci^Ionies^ there was a Comm'fiiorv 
 from this Colony to Mr. iVtlHams and Mr. Clark^ 
 ^o enter into a League offcTjfive and defenfive 
 with them. 
 
 A few Years, three or four, before the EnghJIo 
 ;cameto Plymouth^ the Indians had been dread- 
 fully walked away by devouring Sicknefs, from 
 Narrdganfet to Pen^hfcut. So that the Living 
 fufficed not to bury the Dead, and the Ground 
 was covered with their Bones in many Plaices. 
 This wonderfully made Room for the EngliJJ: at 
 Plymoutb and MaffichufePts^ and thofe Colonies 
 prgteded the reft. 
 
 In 
 
^i ^n Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 In the Year 1637, the EngUfi with united 
 Forces fubdued the Pequots, who had attacked 
 their Brethren in Conne£iicut ; the Narragatjfetts^ 
 who bordered on the Pequot*s Land, confcnted 
 and aflifled in their Deftrudtion, thro' a Defire 
 of Revenge, which is remarkable in all the Sa- 
 vages, tho' their old Sachems defired to have 
 preferved Peace. 
 
 The Nantygganfiks^ or Nanaganpits^ inhabited 
 the Lands, or governed over all ihelridians within 
 the Bounds of this Colony. They were a nume- 
 rous, a rich, and powerful People : and though 
 they are by feme faid, to have been lefs fierce, 
 and warlike than the Pequots^ yet it appears they 
 had lately before the Etiglijh came, not only in- 
 creafed their Numbers, by receiving many who 
 had fled to them, from the devouring SicknefsjOr 
 Plague in the other Parts of the Land ; but they 
 had enlarged their Territories, and that both on 
 the Eaftern & Weflern Boundaries. They were 
 reckoned j^'-j^ yi?^///'^^ J fighting Men. (^Mfs.ofMr, 
 R. IV. in Evidence:) And Mr, IVil/iams faySjthey 
 were fo populous, that a Traveller would meet 
 with a dozen Indian 2'owns in twenty Miles, 
 
 In the midft of this mighty, and haughty Peo- 
 ple, the little handful of helplefs jB*//^///??, ventur'd 
 to fit down i tho* not without taking all polTible 
 
 Precautions ^ on the one Hand, to give them no 
 
 jull 
 
An Hiftorical Lifcourfe^ &c. ^jt 
 
 juft Offence, and on the other Hand, to keep 
 thcmfelvcs in the beft Pofture of Defence their 
 Circumitances would admit of ButtheConqueft 
 and utter Deitrudion of the Pequots^ had for the 
 prefent endeared Englifh-Men to the Narragan^ 
 fets. And the Condud: and Valour they had 
 fhewn, and the wonderful Succefs of their Ex- 
 pedition, had made them a Terror to all the 
 Indian Nations round about. 
 
 Mr. IViUiams at fir ft " made a League of pea- 
 ceable Neighbourhood, with all the Sachems and 
 Natives round about "i in this Rhode- Jjland was 
 included. And on the 7th of JuJy 1640, Mr. 
 Coddtngton^ with tba reft of bis Afiftants^ had a 
 particular Treaty of Peace and Amity with My^ 
 autonomy and the reft of the Sachems, Neverthe- 
 Jefs, the next Year, there was a Mifunderftand- 
 Jng, and fome Hoftilities, occafioncd, I think, by 
 fome of the Indians^ (\( not Myantonomy himfelf) 
 kindling Fire in Mr. Eaftori's Land, Lord's Day 
 April 4. 1641. whereby an Houfe cf bis was burnt. 
 But whether it was defignedly, or only through 
 carelefsnefs, don't plainly appear in the Records, 
 However it alarmed the People, and among other 
 Mcafures, they ficted out an armed Boat, to ply 
 round the Jjland^ to keep off the Indians from 
 Landing ; and it feems in fome Scuffle on that 
 .Account, two Englifto Men were wounded^ undone 
 Indian /lain j tho'the Orders to the Soldiers were 
 
 as 
 
>]2 An Uiftofkal Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 as mild and prudent as could be given. They 
 Jikewife appointed Garrtfon Hotifes^ to which the 
 People were to repair on an Alarm. Among 
 which 1 find one was Mr. Lentbal's the Minifler. 
 But the Rupture lafled not long, before Peace 
 was reftored. 
 
 In 1643 Myantonoiny the great Sachem of the 
 Narraganjets^ was taken Prifoner by Uncas Sa- 
 chem of the Moheags^ and fome time after Slain, 
 and as fome of the Etiglijh fay, after Quarter and 
 Promife of Life given. This excited his Siibjeds 
 to revenge his Death, but the Terror of the 
 Enghjlo at theMeJfacbu/stts kept them quiet. And 
 fo 'tis faid, that iQven Years after, there were 
 fome Commotions llilled, by the fame Terror 
 likewife in 1653, &c. &c. 
 
 In 1652 when the Council of State confirmed 
 their Patent, the People were put on fome En- 
 terprifes againfl the Dutch at New-Tor k^ 01 Nrji'- 
 Netberhfids^ and the next Year the Jjlatid fent 
 fome Men to the AHiflance of their Country- 
 Men, fettled at Lojig-Jfland^ which gave great 
 Offence to the ^oi^ns en the Main^ and in the 
 tis}0 Dutch IVars^ in King Charles 2.d^s Time, the, 
 C&Io;iy ^ Jjland were put to confiderable Expence 
 and Trouble, to put and keep theinfelves in 2l 
 
 Pcilufe of Defenceo 
 
 la 
 
An HifljYtcal Diftourfe^ &c, 73 
 
 In 1675 Pbii'p^ K'tJgof the U^ampaneags^htg^n 
 a War agaiufl Plymouth C lo?iy in June^ which 
 loon i'p^c^d alm^^it throughout all New- England, 
 ^raditiun fays, 4: " He was forced on by theFury 
 of his young Men, fore againlt bis own Juo'gmenC 
 and Inclination -, and that tho' he forefaw, and 
 foretold the EvghJJj would in Time by their In- 
 dullry, root out all the Indians^ yet he was a- 
 gainft making War with them, as what he tho'c 
 would only hurry on^and increafe theDellru6tioa 
 of his People :" and the Event proved he judged 
 right. The Pc'wau's had foretold Philip^no Et:g^ 
 UJJj Man f,j iild ever kill him^ which accordingly 
 proved true ^ he was fhot dead by fn Indian. * 
 
 M Wbea 
 
 4: A I! the Kiftories from Mr Hubbard ^.udDr AJather, make 
 Philip w be rhe Spiing and Mover of rhe War ; but rhcre 
 is 3 conlianr Tradiiion among the Polleriry of the People, 
 ivlo Itvcd next to hlm^ and vv're famiUavly Ciwverf7/7t with 
 him, as alto with :he Indians vs ho furv\yed the War, thac 
 both Pkilip, and his chfef old Men, were urterlv aveife to 
 rhe War, and they fliew the Spot {Kik?muit Sprir.g, in a 
 Farm bclongin;^ ut Stfphen Poir,e Elq; in Brijlol) where 
 P^?///» received the News of the fift £"?.;^/y^ Men that were 
 killed, wiih Gfiet -rnd Scr'-ow, and turpi at the Seivs ; and 
 that a Div cr two before rhe Fiiil O sfrages. he had pro- 
 tected an E'^pijT) Man the Tn^i.^n-; hid cap i-'3fed, rcfctied 
 Iiim from them, and priv.n'>ly fer.t h'-m home fife •— . 
 
 * 1 have heard from '•'opr^z old People^ u ho were tami'ia^fV -c- 
 quiintcd wih the Indi.'j.K, both before and af'cr the War, 
 that the Poiva^s had likev^ife gi'-'n out ?.n o'^h^r nmhi?tH> us 
 OacU. -.vhich did verv mi'ch f -iri- on rhe Indiana ro Wic 
 ar firft, and afterwards as ranch difcouraqt-d them. -viz. 
 tJj,it they promijcd (he IrJ'uws ivould h? fti:crfif'uly if thf En^hjb 
 fif(dtbeji-ji Gun. it ii c::rtuia the iMians long deluded, 
 
 and 
 
74 -^^ Hijiorical Lifccurfe^ &c. 
 
 When Philip could no longer refift the Impor- 
 tunity of his Warriours, he, like a wife Man, 
 took the moll proper Meafures, to make theic 
 Enterprize efFedual, efpecially by an early En- 
 deavour, to perfwade the other Indian Nations 
 into the War, that with united Forces, they 
 might fall on the EnglijJo every where at once ; 
 and particularly he endeavoured to perfwade the 
 Narraganfets, who had feveral Pretenfions to 
 quarrel with the EngJilJj^ and who were then re- 
 
 and delignedly avoided firing on the En^J'/h^ and fecm'd to 
 ufe all poflible Means, to provoke the Engltjh to fre firfi^ 
 by rifling their Houfes, abufing their Carclc, ihreatning and 
 infaiting their Perfons &c. And the Hiftories carry it, that 
 an Englifli Man fired the firft Gun, at Afetapoi/et GaYrifon^ 
 fome Days before any EvgVJb were {lain. But thofe ancient 
 People, fince dead, told me, that by a Miftake, occafioned 
 thro* the Hurry and Trepidation, which ulually attends 
 the beginning of any confiderable Enrcrprife, an Indian fired 
 ihefrjl Guny (whether on Poc/rjfet Side where there was a 
 Skirmifh at the beginning of the PP'^ar^ that is nor mentioned 
 by Mr. Hubbard 6tc I cannot now fay j and that the New$ 
 of this, when known among the lndianSyV,'^s a fatal Wound to 
 their Courage, they faying the Engljjj AJan*s GOD Would 77o'W 
 fubdue them, which contributed not a little to their after Dc" 
 ftrudion This I always looked on, as a very remarkable 
 Paflage, but the Authors before mentioned, and Col, Ckurchf 
 vho had by far, the bcfl Means to be informed, in all Cir- 
 cumftances, relating to the Beginning and Progrels of the 
 War, in this Part of [he Country, being wholly filcrt about 
 it ; and the few ancient People who are now alive, that were 
 Actors in the War, not retaining any perfect Tradition of 
 the Miitrcr, the Reader may entertain th. Story as he pleafes^, 
 1 dare not warrant tlie Truth ofi', bit only that I certainly 
 heard the Story from fome i.ncicnc People of Swanzfy, fines 
 deccafed. 
 
 puted 
 
An Hiftorkal Dlfcourfe^ &c. 175 
 
 puted/<?«r* ^boufand ^ fighting Men. But whe- 
 ther the War began too foon for theni, or the 
 firll Beginnings difcour^iged them, or that they 
 did not intend to make War at all ; they renew- 
 ed their League of Peace and War with the uni- 
 
 4: ^1t. Hubbard fays, Page 15. ** The N.trhaganfets promifcd 
 " to rife with four Thou/and in the Spring ot chsYear i6~6" 
 and in a Poftfcript fays, *' Concerning the Narhaganfets^ 
 " this is further to be added here, that [sir. Thomas Stanton 
 ** and his Son Robert ^ who have a long Time lived amongft 
 ** fhem,andsre beft acquain'ed with theirLanguags & Man- 
 ** nersofanyin New- England y^o affirm, that to their Know- 
 ** ledge, the Narhaganft Sachems y before the late Troibles, 
 " badtzuo T/^^f/pTZfl/ fighting Men under rhem, and ?7i77^//««- 
 " dred Arms. " Thele Accounts are perhaps bcth true, For 
 the firft, might mean to contain, <?// the Indinns'in the Bounds 
 of this Colony who being under theAuthori:y ot the great 
 Narhr.ganfet S^uh^m, were often called by this generalNamci 
 and were perhaps fcur ^houfwd fighiing Men. Mr. Slanton 
 might mean, only rho(e prcpprly or precifely called Narra- 
 ^^w/e/ /»^/rtr3/, in Difiinftion from the Indians at Providersce 
 and the Indians at IVnrivicky v. ho joined in the War under 
 Pomham, &c. and from the Nybantick Indians, under Kinigrct 
 who did not join in the War; tho' ihefe were always, and 
 to this Day, arc frequently included in the genera! Name of 
 Narhagnfjfet Indhw. What Teems ro confirm this is what 
 Mr. Hubbard adds, viz- " Yet are they fo brolccn and fcar- 
 «* tered at fhis Day, that there is none of them left on this 
 " Side theCountry,unlefs lome Few, not exceeding fevcMyin 
 ** Number, that have flieltercd themfelves under the Inha- 
 " hhd.'Ms oi Rhode IJl and, as a Merchant o( that Place, v/cr- 
 •* thy of Credi', larely affirmed to theWrirer hereof" Thofe 
 fheltcred at the Ifland were either Prifoners oF War, or 
 fuch as had volun'arily fjrrendred themfelves to the Englijb 
 tor Proredion, on Promife of Life. But *ti» well known, 
 that N'tnigret^ Men alone, valfly exceeded that Number; 
 beiides there were divers Prifoners at Providence. And that 
 Side of the Country, was much fuller of Indians, in the 
 Memory of very muny now alive. 
 
 M 2 ui 
 
76 ^n Hifiorkal Bifcourfe^ &c. 
 
 ted Oil nies^ in Ju^y^ a Month after Philip had 
 began Holtiiities at Swanzey. 
 
 However when he was driven out of hisCoun- 
 try, they were charged to have received, and en- 
 tertained hi^ People. Whereupon the unttedCloJo^ 
 flies lent an Army of a thoufand Min^ under J(f. 
 JVtfiJl w.^ Efqi He arrived with ihtMojfachufetts 
 and Plymouth Forces y the 12th of Deccnihcr^ at 
 JMc^j )r Smith's in Nortb-Khigllcn • on the iS^h 
 the Cnnetlicut Men being arrived, the Aimy 
 marched the next Day near 18 Miles to a Sort of 
 a Fort, ( \(^tb of Hubh. ) which the Indians had 
 railed on an Jflind of Upland, in the midfl of a 
 nioit hideous Swamp. Their Indtan Guide lead 
 them to the only Place where it could be attack- 
 ed, the Englijh fell on with too much Courage 
 andEsgernefs, which proved fata) to {oraQ of their 
 valiant Captarns. However their Vidlory was 
 coTipleat; the Fort wr.s t^ken, and 'tis iV\d fcven 
 Ilunurcd fightifigiMen^^^;/'"/ twenty chiefC^iptains of 
 the Enemy were flain that Day, befidcs Women 
 arxiLhildren, and tbrecHundred raore died of their 
 \Vou!)ds afterwards, btfidcs the V2l^ Numbers 
 who pe.ifncd thro' Cold and Hanger. The Lofs 
 to the Lnghjh was of about agbty liUn , fi>c dip- 
 tiiins fliiiij and one Hundred and Fifty Men "jL^Gun- 
 ^/i?:/, nviny of theni by their own Friends. To- 
 ivards Ni^h-j ti^cy kc Fire to the Fcif; ar^d re- 
 treated 
 
An Hijiorlcal Lifcourfe^ &c. 77 
 
 tre-ated to their Head Quarters, thro' the Cold 
 and Snow. Some cbo'c, if they had kept Pof- 
 feflion of the Fort, where was the Indian Provi- 
 fions, they might have faved many of their own 
 wounded Men, and that the Indians muft all 
 have perifhed, thro' Cold and Hunger, or fur- 
 rcndred at Difcretion the next Morning. Others 
 tho'c it a merciful Providence, they retreated fo 
 joon, notwithftanding the Fatigue of fuch a Re- 
 treat. E'Jt however that be, which can't fo well 
 be judged of now, i the wounded and ftarving 
 
 Mr Fluhhavd reprefer.ts rhc burning the Fort as ncceflary to 
 dillodt^e the I.ididns, and after rhar the Rerreac muft be alio 
 necelLiry. However he men ions their Want of Pro*if]cns, 
 by xMeans of their VcOVi's being frozen in ar Cai}e Cod. He 
 fays there was a grear Q^.mriry of Proviilons bnrncd in the 
 jour or fiJc Hundred IP 'giVixms in the Fort, And he lev era! 
 Times la. iien's the Milery cfrhe wounded Mfn, in marching 
 n<^r eightcpn WlW^s tiiro* the Gold and Sio.v that Night, 
 before their Wo'jnds could be drcOrd. Q-2i Col. Church, 
 vho uas prefent and wounded in [he Adlion, tells us, he ve- 
 hcmentJv oppofed the fifing the Fo>t. That the General 
 w^is firp.-ized inro ir, and he condemns it as a vcrv impra- 
 dc^u and unfortunate Condu6i:. He *a\s, * The Forr was 
 <■?! of Corn and other P^cilions, r fficient to fnpporr the 
 v.iiole Army 'liil th: Spring, and there uas no other Provi- 
 lions to be depended on ; there was good warm Lodging foe 
 tbe wo'inded Men, nor eife^vhc^c to be hnd.' He fypports 
 c/eryone acQ;:ainrcd with the Circumrr;mces of that ISighr's 
 March, deeply lii"e:"'t5 ihc P^liiery o'' the who'e Army, ef- 
 pcciallv of the wounded arid d\ing Men. He -.dds, ' That 
 it mercifully came to pal^, tn?.r Capt. Jndvfiv Bfkher arrived 
 fiia^ very Night at Mr. Smi/L'i from Bofton \ iojden wMi 
 Pro.'ififMis for the Army, who m\^^ cflrriiif? have prt'/brdfcr 
 jyant. ( Curcb p. i5, 17. ) Tradition is on :l)e lane Side, 
 5;-.d luppofes had the Avnn kept PofiTflion of the Fort, k 
 ■ " ' VYur. 
 
^2 An Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 Indians^ in their Retreat, returned, put out their 
 Fires, and fheltred themfelves, and found fome 
 Refrefhment among the Aihes of the beft and 
 firongelt Fortification the Indians v/cte ever Maf- 
 ters of in this Country. This was the greateft 
 ASiion ever performed by the New-EngUjh CjIo* 
 fiies^ againft the Indians ^ if we regard either the 
 Numbers of Men on each fide, or the Confequences 
 of the A5iion. Befide that the Indians had now 
 theUfc of Guns,as well as they ; and were as ex- 
 pert in the Ufe of them, as anyMen in the World. 
 The Indians were foon purfued with Fajnine and 
 Sicknefs^ fo that afrer they fubmitted the next 
 Year, they were never formidable again. Thefe 
 Narraganfets-^ do now in a Manner ceafe to be a 
 People, the few, if any, remaining in iht Colony^ 
 being either fcattered about where the Englijh 
 will employ them, or (heltred under iheSuccelTors 
 of Ninegret^ a Sacbem that refufed to join in the 
 War, and fo has preferved his Lands to his Pof- 
 terity ; and there are a few Indians now living 
 round him, on his Lands, or belonging to his 
 Tribe. 
 
 As to the Part this Colony bad in that War, 
 jt mud be obferved, that tho' the Colony was not 
 as they ought to have been confulted, yet they 
 not only afforded Shelter and Protedion to the 
 flying Engiifij^ who deferted in many of the 
 ijeighbouri-g PlantarioDS, in Plymoutb CJnyy 
 
 and 
 
An Hifiorical Difcourfe^ &c. 79 
 
 and were received kindly by the Inhabitants, and 
 relieved, and allowed to plant the nest Tear on 
 their Commons, for their Support > but they 
 jikewife furnifhed fome of the Forces withProvi- 
 fions and Tranfports : and fome of their principal 
 Gentlemen, as Major Sanford^ and Capt. Gotil^ 
 difJgj were in the Ad ion at Mount H-pe^ as Vo- 
 Juntiers in Capt. Churches Company, when King 
 Pbilfp was flain. t The Indians never landed on 
 the I/lafid^ in the War Time, armed Boats being 
 kept plying round, to break their Canoes, and 
 prevent their making any Attempts. But our 
 Settlements on the Main fufFered very much, both 
 at Petequamfcut^ and at IVavjoick^ and at Provi^ 
 dence-^ where the Indians bmnt a\\ the ungani/on'd 
 and deferted Houfes. And thelnhabitants made 
 heavy Complaints, that when the Army of the 
 united Colonies returned home, they did not leave 
 a fufricien: Number of Forces to protedt our 
 Plantations, which were now, in a very peculiar 
 
 In ih t Chr.y's Ar^fwer to the K'wg's Letter I^'p, enq-iiring 
 the Value of A-joitr.t Hope Necky p.hich vas begged of the 
 King, by Johriy Crowne the Por/, they fay, that ' a Rhode- 
 
 * ijland In.uan, under a Khode IJlarJ. CaptaWy a Vduntkry with 
 
 * ^ Plyn:cutb C.7f tain, kiWc^ Km^ Plilip' Kis Name was 
 Aldermrni^^nd Col Church fays h^ deferred rhc Year beforf, 
 from An-.Jbonks Sq-iav^- Sachem of P oc .^^Jfet , znd. came over ro 
 Rhode- IJl^ind w'vM hi'. Farriily, ard gave good Jnreiligence ro 
 the EnQljh at that Time, which v. as i^i i(ppro.cd or ne- 
 gkacd. 
 
 Manner, 
 
8ft An Hijlorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 Manner, expofed to anexafperatedand defperate 
 Enemy. * 
 
 * I know this wasatrcmprcd lo be excufed, by the Agents of a 
 neighbouring Colony, bcfcre the King ; and they had the 
 Face to aiTcrt, ihnt * the Colcny vculd never yci!d any 
 
 * joint Affiftance ?gainR rhe comn'on Enemy, no not fo mucli 
 
 * as in their own Tovuis, on ihe Main, nor gairifon their 
 
 * own Towns of Pycv;VYt7;te and IViirivicky and fo that the 
 
 * Blame ought to lie on this Governmenr, if rhey fuHcrcd 
 
 * Spoyle, while the Army was parfning the routed Enemy.* 
 But the printed Hiflories crnfuie thi*; AniV.er in Parr, the 
 PrcxinVwfg Company under Q<i\n A7idrciv Edmonds y wasvcr'/ 
 helpful, and fuccelbful tco ijgainrt the common Enemy, and 
 that e\'en out of cur oun CounGS. ( See Huhbard\^2rT2Ln\'Q 
 cf theTroubies with ihe Indisns, p. 2S. ) ( See alfo Col. 
 Q^/rc^'s Hifiory. ) J could gi-e leverai Reafcns, why rhe 
 Colcny did not ^.H r)icr(jo''r/tly,^v\d why it ought not to be 
 charged to their Fault, that 'hey did, nor. But perhaps 
 'twould be no Service to any Body now to mention them. 
 However I muft fay ; it was noi cv.ing only to the religious 
 Principles of the Gentlemen then at the Head of our Admi- 
 nilirarion. 'Tis tJue the Gox'^jt^w/*' and the Dcpu'y Gcvcrr.our 
 that Year, were both of the People called ^iakevSy but 
 there are military Ccmn iiricns Oiil in Being urder their 
 Hands and Seals, to Mr. B. Arnold^ jun. and ochers ro go in 
 an armed Sloop to vifir ihtG^n^fcns at 'Provide?.ce^ 6cc. It 
 \vas but reafonabie the united Colonies, fliouM have left a 
 ln0icicnt Guard, at lea0, at their own Head ^■art-rs^ and 
 Ibmeoiher PJace>, while the J/lr:?:dy the only P-'-rr of the Co- 
 lony able to contribmeto the Charge of the Wars, was at 
 lb great an Expence, in fupponing and defending the dif- 
 treffed Effglljh, who fled to them from all the adjaccnrParts. 
 Cn account of thefc and feme other like Afperfions, the 
 iof emen.icned Deputy Governour, in order that 1 hings niighc 
 not beotherwife relented againfl us than they wetc, gave an 
 Affidavit or Evidence on fckmnEngagement, that ' he never 
 
 * was againft giving forth any CommilTions to any, that 
 
 * might have been for tlic Security of the King's Inrereft ifi 
 
 * thi:.Colony.* This with fcnKCommiflions adually fJgned by 
 him, iv among a large Number of ancient Ajnr.tifiv'ps in the 
 Pcfl-.flk'n of the honourable //^////.rw Cc.'fn'>/'£/(?», Etn; 
 
 A9 
 
An Hijlorical Difcourfe^ &c. St 
 
 As King Fbilip had bo fortified Places, and no 
 Magdzines, wheii the foreign Succour and Affif- 
 tance, which he depen'^ed upon, failed him, when 
 the Narr^gat2fcts were in his own Condition, and 
 the Mohawks refufed to affiil him, his People loll 
 all Hope, and Courage, and Conduit , being 
 beaten off from their Planting and Fifbi»g, 
 and purfued by Famine and Sicknefs, and divers 
 Parties of the £'/?^//y^, who had their Courage 
 raifed in Proportion, as the other Side were dif- 
 couraged, they were forced to furrender almoft 
 at Difcretion, and beg Peace on any Terms. 
 Philip himfelf being flain, and mod of the chief 
 Captains, the VVar wholly ccafed, in this Part of 
 the Country, and with thofe Nations who fi ft 
 began the War. 
 
 Ever fiQce that Peace, this Colony has had little 
 or nothing to do with the other Indian IVars^ 
 but only to afTift the^^^^r C / «/^5, when properly 
 confulted and applied to. The 04 ny bore it's 
 Part chearfully \\\ the feveralExpeclivions agsinll 
 the French at Port-K yal^ and Canada. And di^ 
 vine Providence remarkahly fucceeded and fmiled en 
 the Defence and Pnteufton </ our Sea-Coafts^ which 
 were very much expoled all the tw^^ hng French 
 Wars, 
 
 The nerfiTirv D^^fenrc of the Inhabitants, v-^-^s 
 never r!eg!e(^ed in the Time of War, and fmce 
 
 N the 
 
S2 Afi HiJloYtcal Difccurfc^ See- 
 
 the Peace, the Colony, tho' fo fmall as it is,hath 
 rebuilt an handfome Fort on an Jfland that com- 
 mands the Harbour of Newport^ and 1733 fur- 
 nifhed it with a Number of fine Giins^ at their 
 own Expence. Befides, the Colony always keeps 
 a certain Number of fmaller Carriage Guns and 
 fmall Arms J with all Necejfaries and y^ppurtenances 
 in good Order, ready to put on Board one or 
 more VefTels, as Occafion may require, on the 
 very firft Notice of any Enemy on the Coafts. 
 And tho' a large Proportion of the Inhabitants, 
 are not free in their Confciences to learn IVar^ 
 yet the Military Exercifes, arc kept up as in o- 
 ther Places, and the Succefs, which formerly 
 attended the Enterprifes of our Forces, will, while 
 the Memory thereof remains, keep up a military 
 Spirit, in the Body of the People. 
 
 The Narraganfets^ as I obrerved5were the mcft 
 populous Nation among the Indians, but all At- 
 tempts toCivilize orChrillianize them were utter- 
 ly inefF::dual. Thtw Sachems would not fuiFer the 
 Gofpel to be preached to their Subje<$ts, and their 
 Subjedls obftinatcly adhered to theTraditions and 
 Culloms of their Fore- Fathers. It feems hard 
 th Sit Nerj England fhould be complain'd of and 
 reproached as particularly negligent of the Con- 
 verfion of the Indians, and harder ilill we fhould 
 be reproached f r ne^le^ing the Methods ufed hy 
 the French to make Prolelytes of their Indians, 
 
 and 
 
ylfi Hijlorical Difcotirfs^ &c. 83 
 
 and mod unhappy that fuch Complaints, are made 
 by IVrtters that Teem otberwife ijoell acquainted ivitb 
 Flat2tation/lffairs^2Lnd aredefervcdJy of greatNote 
 andCharadter. It is happy however thefe Reproa- 
 ches are not wellgrcutjded. NewEnglan 0,0 ay 
 the Majfachufetts and Plymouth Colonies alone ^ have 
 had more Real SuccEss,in tbeConverfion af thelti" 
 dians^mt only than all the larger EngUJh Colonies ^to 
 theSoutbward ; hut than all the other Christian 
 Nations that have fettled tbrougbottt the '■jubole 
 Continent of America. The Societies of NeinJ Erg^ 
 England^ could never be contented with fuch fort 
 of Converts as the Roman CatbAick MiJJionaries 
 boafted of in many Places 3 they bad no Satis- 
 faction in the Religion of the nominal Chrillians 
 in Europe^ and tho'c it would be no Advantage, 
 to make fuch Cbriftians among the Indians^ as 
 knew no more of the Gofpel, than to make the 
 Sign of the Crofs^ or who defired Baptifm only, 
 for the fake of the new Shirty with which their 
 Converfion was to be rewarded. And there was 
 very great OppoCtion, to the making them real 
 Chrillians. Their Sachems or Princes generally, 
 their Powaws or Priefts always, oppofed all their 
 Power and all their Arts to prevent the Growth 
 of the Gofpel, as what they imagined would put 
 an End to their Authority, cfpecially that of their 
 Priefls ; and the Cufloms of the People, their 
 way of Life, and their national Vices, made it a 
 moll difficult Task to gofpeJUze fuch People, as 
 
 N 2 mud 
 
84 J^ Hijiorical Llfcourfe^ &:g 
 
 muft be fifft d^/7/;2^i or humanized. The NeW" 
 Enghjh wonder to hear themfelves rcproachef1,for 
 not inter7narrying'with fucb Barbarians^ of a Com- 
 p!e6tionfo different , they never had theTemp- 
 tations ro the unnatural Mixture^ as foine foreign 
 Plantations had, nor do they know other EnghJJj 
 Plantations ufed to do ^o. 
 
 As to this Colony inParticular ; at fifll, theiVi^r- 
 vaganfets made it a puhhck hit ere ft ^ to oppofe the 
 Propagation of the Chrifttan Keligi-n. And tho' 
 Mr, Williams made fome laudable Attempts, to 
 inflrud rhem, yet he was much difcouraged, not 
 only by want of a lawful Warrant, or an imrae- 
 diace Commiflion to be an Apoftle to them, but 
 efpecially by (as he tho't) the infuperahle Diffi- 
 culty (f preaching Chriftianityto them^ in their own 
 Language with any Propriety^ without Infpiration. 
 After the War, they were foon reduced to the 
 Condition of the labouringPoor, withoutProperty, 
 Hewers of Wood, and Drawers of Water ; and 
 there is no moreReafon to expect Religionjfliou'd 
 by human Means, thrive among fuch Peoplejihan 
 among the lazy and abandoned Poor in London,^ 
 The few that have Jived much together, onAv;;/- 
 g'ets Lands, have had feveral Offers of the Gof- 
 pel, as the Narraganfets had before ; and at pre- 
 f-i\t the Congregcuiona) Miniiter at IVefterly is 
 a M.fliv^nary to rhem, and encouraged by an Lx- 
 hibuijii from the Uitt(^h S.aety f:r pvi-pcfgatttig 
 
 Clnjitafi 
 
An Hiftorical Difcourfs^ &c. 8^ 
 
 Cbriftian Knowledge^ by means of an Eftate, mor- 
 tified to them for this End, by the late 'Dt.Damel 
 IVilliams of London, However, it muft be own- 
 ed we have been too foon difcouraged, and tot> 
 negligent in this Affair. Perhaps it is one of the 
 worit Effects of the variety of religiousOpinions, 
 among the£'^^/jr/Z7,that it has been fome hindrance 
 to this goodWorkjand even furnifhed the hidians 
 fome times, with an Excufe or Pretence to wave 
 any Offers to inftrud them. If the Manners of 
 any, have likewife prejudiced any Indians^ it is 
 moll lamentable. The Vices of Chriflians have 
 been an infurmountable Obftacle to the progrefs 
 of Chriftianity,in all the other Parts of theVVorld, 
 as there are too many Evidences. May thefe 
 Refledions, however, ftir us up to adorn our 
 holy Religion, and to be careful that we give 
 none Offence to any, that are without : And 
 may it difpofe all Perfons to contribute all m 
 their Power, to farther the Converfion of thefe 
 People to the Chriftian Religion. They demand 
 our CcmpafHon, and our Prayers to the Throne 
 of Grace, that God would remove the Vail from 
 their Eyes, and all Prejudices from their Hearts; 
 that he would convert and fave them. 
 
 Mr. R. IVilliams at fid, gave a promifirg 
 Charadter, of the Morals of thcfc People ; but 
 on longer Acqviainrance, and more Experience, 
 he feems lo have altered his Opiriion of thejr ; 
 
 as 
 
B^ An Hijlorkal Difcourfe^ &c.^ 
 
 2S appears by fome Expreflions in a Manufcript 
 of his yet remaining. " Tlie Diflindion of 
 «-^ drunken, and fober honed Sachems, is (fays 
 *^ he) both lamentable, and ridiculous j lamen- 
 ** table, that all Pagans are given to Drunken- 
 " ncfs 5 and ridiculous, that ihofe (of whom he 
 *' was fpeaking) are excepted. It is (fays he). 
 *' notorioully known, what Confcicnces all Pa-- 
 '^ gans make of Lyings Stealings U^borivg^ Mur- 
 " derifig, '' &c. 25th 6th m. 1658. 
 
 After this Account of their Morals^ I fliould 
 think it hardly worth while to inquire, what was 
 their Faith and lVurJJ:^ip that had fo little EfFcdl 
 on their Converfation ^ if we had not juft heard 
 what a fcandal to Chriilianity, the Lives of too 
 many ChriAians are. However the Faith of this^ 
 People and their idolatrous IVorfiip^ was much like 
 the other Indian Nations. They believed in one 
 Great and Good God, who lived fomewhere at 
 a great Diflance in the South Weft, and that the 
 Spirits of Good Men do after Death refide with 
 him. But, the Government of theWorld, they 
 feem'd to think, left in the Hands ofanEvilGod, 
 the Devil, to whom, with many inferior & fub- 
 ordinate Deities, they paid their chief Worfliip, 
 at ih^'wNicemtnors^ or devilifli Feails, as Mr.lVil- 
 Hams calls them. 
 
 The 
 
An Hiftorical Difcotirfe^ &cc. 6^ 
 
 The Indians in this Fart o( Ajner tea, appear to 
 have been fome of the leaft improved, of tha 
 bHtnane Species, without any Learning, or Know- 
 Jedge in any of the politer Arcs of Life, even 
 without Iron and the Improvements which depend 
 on that. The (Irange Deltrudion of this People,* 
 now ^mcQ the Wars ceafed, and within Memory, 
 is very remarkable. Their infuperable Averfiort 
 to the Englifh Indullry, and Way of Life,' th© 
 Alteration from the Indian Method of Jiving^' 
 their Lazinefs, and their univerfai Lome of Strong 
 Brink, have fwcpt them away, in a wonderful' 
 Manner. So that there are now above twenty 
 Englijh to one Indian m the Colony. Their few 
 oiiferable Remainders are left, as Monuments of 
 the Anger of a righteous God, and for our* 
 Warning & Inllrudlon. While iheContentioriS,; 
 and mutual Animofities of the Indians in ^epe- 
 ral, and their curfed Third of Revenge, made 
 them a Prey to the Weak, and fmall Number 
 of Englifh, we fhould learn not to. bite & devour 
 one another, led we be devoured one of another,^ 
 or of the Judgments of God. While we have^ 
 ^tQn their Iniquities prove their Ruin, we fhould 
 learn to break off from our Sins byRightecufnefs, 
 and efpecially abftain from, and watch againll 
 the Sins, which have been fo evidently both, the 
 procuring Caufes, and the Means, of their De- 
 flrudion. When Co(^ was condudins; the Ifrae- 
 lites to the Land of Canaan^ and diiving out the 
 
 liihabitants 
 
$% \An Hifiorical Difiourfa^ &c. 
 
 Inhabitants, to make room for them, he was 
 pleafed to warn and require them, not to defile 
 themfelves with the Abominations of thofe Na- 
 tions, left as the Land then fpued out its Inha- 
 bitants, fo it fhould Ipueout them likewife, whea 
 they in like manner defiled it. Tho' it wouM be 
 ridiculous to compare our felves, to the IfraeUtes^ 
 and the Indians to the Canaanites^xn manylmlan- 
 ces, yet in this Pvefped", it may be proper to sr- 
 gue, that if we Indianize in our Manners andVi- 
 ces, they will in Time draw down the like, or as 
 heavy Judgments of God, upon us, as thofe 
 with which he hath deftroyed our PredecelTors. 
 God grant that the People^ who have been cveY'^ 
 thrown in the IVtldernefs may be Enfamphs to us, 
 to prevent our lufting after any Evils, left wc 
 be deftroyed likewife of the Deftroyer ! — • 
 
 And this brings me now at laft, to the R e- 
 M A R K s I promifed at the Beginning. And 
 
 T. The firft is, 'The wonderful and unfearchahle 
 Providence of GOD^ in the whole Affair^ of driving 
 cut the Natives^ and planting Colonies of Europeans, 
 and Churches of Chrijiians^ in the Place of Heathen 
 m/m and Barbarity. 
 
 I pretend not to have known the Mind of the 
 L o R D, or to have been his Counfeller, or to be 
 able to comprehend, the Ways of divine Provi- 
 dence, god's Judgments are a great Deep j 
 
 but 
 
An Hiflorkal Difcourfe^ &c. 89 
 
 but we muft be wilfully blind, if we cannot fee, 
 that the Hand of the Lord batb wrought this. 
 
 The Difcovery, and theConqueft of America, 
 with the amazing Defolations wrought therein, 
 appear a more temarkable Event, than any other 
 in all prophane Hiltory, ficice the univerfal De- 
 luge. A new World, as it was juftly called, dif- 
 covered to the other, or rather to Europe^ and 
 all its Riches and Glory overturned, and given 
 away to an other People j and the Abi-riginal 
 Natives^ by Famine, Sword and Peftilence, de* 
 Uroyed, and wafted away by Millions throughout 
 all America ! Who can tell how, or how long 
 it had been inhabited ; and by what a Series of 
 Iniquity, it was ripe for fuch a fearful Defolaiion, 
 fuch an utter Deftrudlion! If we believe a Pro- 
 videnre (and 'tis impoffible we can believe none) 
 we muft needs think it concerned, in the Picfer- 
 vation, and the Punifliment of Kingdoms, and 
 Nations j and that thefe Parts of theWorld,tho* 
 feperated, hid, and unknown to the reft, are yet 
 as near the Omniprefence of GOD, and as much 
 under his G.)vernment,as any other. And there- 
 fore we (h >uld takeNotice of the wonderful Provi- 
 dence otGOD,inthisgreat Affair. Howihould we 
 learn to fubmit our little perfonal Affairs, to the 
 divineProvidence,when wefee th.itNations,before 
 Him, are hut as the fmall Duft '^f the BiHance ? 
 Aadhow juitly may we fay, Great and marvellous 
 
 O ^^^ 
 
9€ -^n Hifiorkal Dlfcourfe^ &g. 
 
 arethylVcrksfl LordGODAhmghty, true i3 faith fui 
 are thy Ways ^ and righteous are thy Judgment s^tbou 
 King of Saints ^ who JJjall not fear thee^ and glorify 
 thy l^ame^ for thou only art holy : Let aU Nations 
 come and worjhip before thee^ for thy Judgments are 
 made manifefl. The moftHigh rukth in the Kingdoms 
 cj Mcn^ and givetb them to wbom/oever he plea/eth. 
 
 Again, tie Settlement of New England in parti" 
 cular, was evidently providential^in manyK(fpe5is, 
 I have mentioned often the prevailing Mo- 
 tive with the People, who came firft to plant 
 and inhabit in this Wilder ncfs , but the 
 Difficulties and Difcouragemcnts in their Way, 
 were really many and very great ; fo that who- 
 ever refleds the Icall upon them, " mufl wonder 
 *' io many were carried out from a flourifbing 
 *' State, to a Wildernefs fo far diltant , for (as 
 *' One of them, Mr. Shepherd of Cambridge ^ his 
 Life in the Magnalia , fays ) '' they were not all 
 "of them raih and weak fpirited PerfonSjincon- 
 *' fiderate of what they left behind, and were 
 *' going to. It was not Gain, or Riches they 
 '^ aimed at. When we look back (fays he) and 
 '' confiJer, what a ftrange Poife of Spirit, God 
 *' had laid on many of ourHearts, we cannot but 
 '* wonder at our felves, that fo many, and fome 
 '^ fo weak and tender, with fuch Chearfulnefs, 
 ^' and conftant Refolution, againft fo many Per- 
 ^* fvvafions of Friends, & Difcouragements frrm 
 
 " the 
 
An Hfprical Di/ccur/^^ &c. 9f 
 
 ^* the ill Reports of the Country, and the Straits 
 ^ and Wants, and Trials of God's People in if, 
 ^^ yet fhould leave our Accommodations &Com- 
 ^ forts, forfake our deareft Relations, overlook 
 *^ all the Dangers and Difficulties of the vafl Sea> 
 ** and all this to go into a Wildernefs, where we 
 " could for^ail nothing but Care and Temptati- 
 *^ ons, only in hopes to enjoy Christ in his 
 ** Ordinances, and the Fellowfliip of his People". 
 
 Moreover, as thefe People came not here, for 
 Plunder, which drew over the Spaniards to the 
 Southward^ neither did they fettle tbcmfelves^^ 
 Force or by their own Might ; but GOD was 
 pleafed to make ready a Place prepared as an 
 Afyl'um for them : And fince he ha^ wonderfislly 
 driven out and confumed the Natiz^es by h'ys de- 
 vouring Judgments, their Sins have proved their 
 Punifliment ; and their deteftable Vices, have 
 drawn on thofe mortal Sicknelfes, which have 
 walied away all within the EnglifhPaiejbat a few 
 etTibraced Chriftianity^ or who by fubmltting to 
 the EngUJJj Pcwer^ remains the Memorials of 
 thefe wonderful Events. It is true, the Indian 
 J-ealoufy and Revenge prevented a Union among 
 their feveral Clans at firfl, and made them in- 
 ilrumental in the Deftrudtion of one another, and 
 the Englifa had great Advantages inth^ir Arms ; 
 bat ftill the Indians vaftly ouc-numbred them i 
 were more abk to endure Fatigue, & Hardfhips, 
 Hanger^ & Traveli and were perfeftly acquaint- 
 
 O 2 cd 
 
fZ An Hiprical Difceur/e^ &c. 
 
 ed with their own Country. However a remaf" 
 kahU Interp fition of Provide ftee^wBs vifibic in fomc 
 of the carheft, and other the moft important En- 
 terpnfes againfl them ; and it would be unjull 
 not to give to GOD the Glory due to his Name : 
 The Lord is King for ever, and the Heathen 
 are perifhed out of the Land ! As therefore 
 GOD hath planted this People,and not their own 
 Skill, or Power, fo neither let them imagine it 
 was for their Merits and Deferts : We know not 
 the fpcret and future Defigns of Providence. 
 Only let us remember, that He who chaftifeih 
 the Heathen^ will alfo corred thofe, who are 
 called by bis Name^ if they turn to Folly. 
 
 Again, 'tis remarkable how divine Providence 
 ^as plcafed to fupply their Wants in a Wilder- 
 nefs, among a People that never took care for the 
 Morrow ^ and tofupport them under theDiftrefles 
 they were tried with. At Plymouth and Bofton^ 
 many died at firft, for want of Neceflaries and 
 Conveniencies, but afterwards, it was many 
 Years, before any Sicknefs prevailed amongft the 
 Planters, And tho* they have often fmce been 
 vifired with fore Calamities, and wafting Sick- 
 neffes, yet their Numbers have continually 
 sncreafed to a very great Degree; while the Na-^ 
 fives have been wafted away,by the fameDifeafcs, 
 and feme other infedious Diftempers, from 
 which the EvghJJd have been providentially 
 
 deliver- 
 
An Hiftorical Dijcourfe^ &c. 93 
 
 delivered. ^ 1 can't help obferving here, the 
 very great Age^ to which many of the firft Settlers of 
 this Cohny lived. Many of them thro* all the 
 Difficulties and Hardihips of a new Plantation, 
 lived here near and fome above forty Years, and 
 feme above y/x/^. ^ Remarkable was the Care 
 
 of 
 
 1^ Thus I am informed by a worthy Gentleman^ that an Indian^ 
 xoming in from Sea, fick of an uncommon Fever, infe^d 
 his Acquaintance, and they propagated the Difcafc to 
 others, and a very great Mortality enfucd among the In- 
 dian/f in Narhagartfet ; while the Englijb, were preferved 
 from the Infe^ion. 
 
 * Many of the Original Settlers of the Colony, lived thro* all 
 the Dangers and Difficulties of their new Settlement, above 
 forty Tears. Particularly Mr. If^im. Jrnold, Mr jf Greene 8cc. 
 who came up the firft Year with Mr. ff^illiams. Mv.Harrij^ 
 Mr. Olney &c. who came foon after Mr. IVilliams himfelf, 
 lived till about 1^82, when he was buried uich all the So* 
 lemnity the Colony was able to fhew. Gov. Jrnold^ who 
 came up a Man grown, the f^fl tVintery dyed a few Months 
 before Gov. Coddingtonin 1678. At H^arwick Mr IVeekes 
 was (lain by the /»i//^»/ 1675, a very ancient Man ; and 
 Mr. Gorton, Mr. Holden &c. furvived the War, and fome 06 
 them, many Years : Particularly Major y. Greency who 
 came a Youth to Providence in 1654,5, ^nd was a Com- 
 miflioner for Providence the firft Affembly after the Patent 
 in 1647. was Deputy Gov. of the Colony 1700, as he had 
 been many Times before. Here at Ncwpor/ fever al of thofc 
 who Incorporated themfelves 1657,8 and of ihofe who came 
 to them the Summer following furvived the Indian fVar, 
 Mr. John Clark lived to the 20fh of j^pril i6]6. Gov. 
 Brenton died in 1674. Mr N. Eafion who came 1658 from 
 Hampton^ where he built the J?rji Engljb Houfe, as he did 
 alfo in 1639 in Newport, lived to 1675, when he died a very 
 ancient Man. His Son Mr. John Eaflo»t who, as his Father^ 
 v/as divers Times Governour of the Colony t died 1705, in hi* 
 85th Year. Mr. H, Bull, ontoi the 18 that Incorporated 
 themfelves at the firft, was Governour of the Colony aftcc 
 the Revolurion. Mr. Ed. Thurpon^ who was Affiftant 167 5» 
 
 and 
 
$4 -^^ Hifiorical Ltfccurfe^ &c. 
 
 of divine Providence in preferving them from 
 Famine in a new Country, where 'twas fomcTime 
 fecforc they could be enabled, to provide for their 
 comfortabLeSobfiftence. God was pleafed to blefs 
 their Pfovifion, and fatisfy his Poor with Food. 4: 
 
 II. IVc 
 
 and many Times Deputy for Newport^ died ,1706,7, aged 50 
 Years. Many fuch Inftances might be given. And many 
 of the fecond Generation^ fuch I mean, as were bcrn vithin 
 the firft 20 or 25 Years, reached to fomrfcore, and fome 
 CO ninety Years. If wc confider, the long Lives of fo many 
 of the firfi Comers, nct^^ithflanding the Hard^ips and 
 DiftrelTcs they underv^ent, and the Change of Climate, 
 Dict&c.a«dto this add, the greatAge of many of thcirChildren, 
 we can't call the Country ^ Unhealthy^ or the Inhabitants Short- 
 Livecl. The Proportion of ancient People above 70 Years 
 of Age, to the whole Number of the prefent Inhabitants, 
 xiompared wiih the like Propor;ion in other Countries, 
 which have been fully fettled, and inhabited above 1000 
 . Years, can be no good Rule to judge by. Eighty Years 
 agon, the whole Number of the Inhabitants, and ccnie- 
 quently of the Births here, vas very Imall, perhaps there 
 w«re fewer than tuo hundred Fatvilies in the whole Cdony. 
 And the Number of Inhabitants in this Town, has vaftly 
 iiKrcafcd the laft 50 Years. Let mc further add, that the 
 lorcfaid Rule will not be applicable to this Colony a great 
 u-hile hence, if ever ; b?caul'e, fo many of the Natives^ 
 ^ye in tie Jf^ejl India Jfiands. It is certain, a very great 
 Part of thofe of them who dye between fixteen and thirty- 
 fiK, arc loft at Sea, or dye in thofe lilands, or 
 bring home from thence, thofe Difeafes, which foon prove 
 fatal to them here ; tho' 'lis notorious, how condu- 
 cive to the Recovery of Health, a Voyage from thofe 
 Iflands, to the Northern Plantations, is generally found, lb 
 that we have almoft always fome or other of tlieir Inhabi- 
 tants here for that End. 
 \ Jaruary 22 1^59, it was found that there were but icS 
 Bufhcis of Corn, to fupply 96 Perfons : Which at the 
 Proportion of one IJufbcl and half a Peck to each, was not 
 TTj&vc than lufficieiK; to Jjyply thcEi for fix tf^eeh, and yec 
 
An Hiftorical Dijcourfe^ &c. 9 J 
 
 II. IVe muft remark (however it will found in 
 the Ears of many) that this Colony was a Settle^ 
 merit ^and Plantation forReligion andConfciencefake. 
 Thefirfl:Comers5came on thisAccount 3 theirBre- 
 thrcn may have faid many hard Things of them, 
 in their Hafte -, but 'tis certain the firft Planters 
 of this Colony^ and Jjland^ fled not from Religion, 
 Order, or good Government ; but to have Li- 
 berty to VVoifhip GOD, and enjoy their own re- 
 ligious Opinions and Belief. They left England 
 for the fame Reafons, and with the fame Views, 
 as the reft -, and they left the Majfachufetts^ as 
 they tho'r, on the like Account, and came here 
 to purfue, and effe(St the Ends of their firft re* 
 moval into America. 
 
 I know well what Account, the New Englijh 
 Hiftorians give of that Set of Men j but we muft 
 remember, they were Parties^ and wrote by way 
 of Apology^ or to vindicate themfelves from th« 
 Charge of Per/ecution, or Error and Herefy^ both 
 ^like odious. Now if it be confidered what Ac- 
 count contending Parties, ufually give of each 
 other, and in what a Light, and with what Co- 
 lours they ufually reprefent their Adverfaries 5 
 no one will charge me, with any Defign to re- 
 
 i: was then more rhan fo manyMonrhs to Harveft. But there 
 was plenty of Fifh, and Fowl, and Veniion ; and foon after, 
 even to this Day>, all the NecciTdries of Lite have been 
 plcniitul. 
 
 flea 
 
96 J^n Hiftor'ica! Difrourfi^ &e. 
 
 fled on thofe Gentlemen, whofe Memory is fo 
 highly regarded in the other NeW'EngliJh-CoJo^ 
 fiies^ if I beg leave to quellioh' and fufpeS the 
 ill Charad^er, they have faftned on thofe poor 
 People, fome of whom have exprefled a deep 
 Refentment of the Injury, and Wrong that was 
 done them, by the Hiftorians of the other Party. 
 Whoever confiders the Cbara^er^ thofe IVriters 
 give of all other Se^s^ and Parties of Chriftians ; 
 and the Ch^ra&et fome otberParties give of them, 
 will be apt to think that both Sides are to be 
 read with Allowance for their re/pe^ive Prejudiced. 
 I fay, whoever confiders the Charader the con- 
 tending Parties of Chriftians, almofl for ever 
 give, not only of each others STenets^ or Opinions^ 
 but of xhtitConduSf^ efpecially in fo far as relates 
 to the Support or Spreading their Opinions ; not 
 only the Papifts of the Proteftants^ but the PrO" 
 teftants of one another, particularly thcLutherans 
 of the Cahinifis : (Jlornheck ; Summ.) Who- 
 ever confiders how common *tis for perfonal Ke- 
 fledions, to mix with folemn Debates, on the 
 higheft and moll awful Doftrines, as well ^s the 
 ]catt and moft indifferent ; I fay, whoever con- 
 fiders thefe Things, will readily acknowledge we 
 are not to take the Charadler of any Seft or 
 Pcrfon, barely from the Defcription of knowa 
 Adverfaries j efpecially when the Defcription 
 doth it felf imply many Circumftances, which 
 carry theftrongeilGrounds ofSufpicion with them. 
 
 If 
 
cc 
 
 An Hijioricjl D'/csurp^ &c. 97 
 
 ir I here be any thing in that Obfervatron, 
 iha: the Nature, and import of the Q^aellions, 
 *-^ about which theDifference began, and the Zeal 
 '' wherewith they were handled, intimate fome- 
 ^^ thing cf the holy^cmpcr^ prevailing among the 
 *' Body of the People s" (^Mc^gnalia^ 1 defire it 
 may be cor4fidered5 that thole Perfons, were in 
 repute with the very bed, for Holinefs and Zeal, 
 before this unhappy Contention. Moreover, ic 
 muil be remcmbred, that the Points about which 
 they were charged with Error, are of fucha Na- 
 ture, as that a Perfon's Sentiments may be eafily 
 mi {taken, and mifrepreftnted. It was long before 
 the Church at Bofien could have any Evidence of 
 their holding thole Opinions, which that Church 
 condemned, the Wirneffes at the lait wereParties 
 and tranfported withZsal. 'Tis not doubted there 
 was Tome Difference in their Opinions, at leaft in 
 their Exprtfiions j but there is much Ground to 
 doubt, whether any of them held all the Opinions 
 condemned in the Synod^ and that few of them 
 held many ofthofe harfh Confequences, which 
 their Adverf^uics, drew from their Tenets. Be- 
 fides much the greater Number were never cen- 
 fured at nil ; but (as I obferved before) confider- 
 ed as Brethren-^ long after their coming here. 
 
 We cannot rcafonably fuppofe that they di- 
 re<^ly forgot or negleded the foJe End o^ theic 
 Removal, but as they followed thai ChiiYch Order^ 
 
 P ihey 
 
9^ ^n Hijlorical Difcourp^ &c. 
 
 they judged mod agreable to the Will of GOD, 
 and profeiTed thofe Opinions^ atjd ArticJes of Be- 
 lief they thoh GOD had revealed, fo we muft 
 charitably judge, the Life of Religion^ and the 
 Love and Fear cfGOD^ did not go outjand vanifli 
 away, on their leaving all, for bis Name fake and 
 the Gofpel^ 1. e. the Liberty to worfhip Him ac- 
 cording to their Confciences. And yet all the 
 other Colonies will be obliged to own, that the 
 Trials and Temptations of a WildernefSjhad fome 
 unhappy EfFeds, on many who had fhewn great 
 Zeal about Religion. 
 
 However, while we are contemplating the Oc- 
 cafion of our Settlement, and the Ends& Views 
 of our pious Anceftors, when we find thatKeJigion 
 ^ndConfcience began iheColony^Ws natural, 'tis necef- 
 fary to refledl & confider how thefe Ends are anf- 
 wered by their Pofterity at prefent. Our Fathers 
 bore theHeat &Burden of theDay,and tho' Provi- 
 dence gave them a pleafant and fruitful Land, * 
 
 the 
 
 * Mr. locale juftly obfcrvcs (p 595) this Ifland which is a- 
 bour 14 or 15 Mi'es lonjy, and abonr 4 or 5 Miles broad 
 (tho* of unequal Brcadrh) is defcrvedly eftecmed the Pam* 
 d'fe of Iseiv En^lavd fcr the fru'ttfuJnffs of the Soil, and t!ic 
 tewpfratenfff of the Climnte \ that tho* it be nor above 65 
 Milfrs So'.uli of Bcpon, \s a Coar warmer in Winrer, and 
 being rjrro'M^dcd by the Ocean is not fo much sH^;6kd in 
 Summer v^ith the hot Li^nd Breezes, as ThcTow.ns en the 
 Continent. *' Lcr me :i6<\, \\c bave all S-'mm.er a Sooth 
 or South w^eft.:rly Sea Brcexe» aln-x)ft every Day. vhich rifes 
 ^bout 10 A. M. and wonde. fully cools the Air. And by 
 
 realbti 
 
An Hi ft or ic a I Di/courfe^ &r. 99 
 
 the Garden of New Eri^Iand^ yet the fubduing 
 and cultivating a VVildernefs, was a tedious, and 
 a laborious Bafinefs, and necefTdrily attended 
 with many Hardfliips, Straits, and Difficulties. 
 Their Polterity pcffefs the Fruit of their Labour, 
 and fhoulJ think thcmfelves obliged to fulfil the 
 pious Ends of our Plantation. GOD juflly ex- 
 pedts that we fear the Lord our God, and Love 
 Him, and walk in his Ways, and lerve him with 
 all our Heart. It feems, that pure Religion, and 
 true Godlinefs, is what we /;; a mfl peculiar 
 
 reafon of foutheafterly Sea ^r^azt^^ in rhe Spiinp, the S'lm- 
 nier does not come on lb quick as ar Bcfo?i, ti;o'che Win- 
 ter ufjally breaks up iboner. ■ - ^Here lee mc be per- 
 mitted to o&er a Correction o*" a vuia.ir E-^ror, about the 
 Reafon of the Q'd of Neiu E?2glarJ IFir.tevs, which is lb 
 very much greaier, than in the European Coun'rys in the 
 fame Latiiuie?. The Liikes uluallv bear rhe Biame of our 
 coid Nc?>'f^-a;t'j'2 Winds, bur by a Map of rhe Counrrv oftne 
 five Nations, and ot the Lakes &c. pubiOied at Keiv Tork 
 by Authority, and laid to be taken fonn a Map of Lcirfi-ina^ 
 done by hir.De Ltjle'in 17 i8. i: anrears that all the Lal<e>, 
 except the L^k^Champlainy are coufiderablv ro the WelUvard 
 oi rhe Korthivrfi Point, from rhis Toivyi The ch.ief of t'!>ere 
 vaft Lakes are Norrhweft from Pevftlvania^ J/.t)v/ nU and 
 Virginia AH the g^reat Lahs arc U^efi from JiL.v^y, aN the 
 Council of NeW'Tork feem to alT.rt ; and JH-iriyi^, ?^ I fup- 
 pofe, nearer l^P^eJl Irom Bojif^n than Northweft. Bcfide^, ic 
 is credibly reported by inreliigenr Perfons, moft con.erlanc 
 in thofe Region?, that at the moll: Eaftern of the Lake*, the 
 Winds are ufually E.zflerly in 'thofe Mon:h«, wlien v. e are 
 frozen with North JVcft JVinds. Perha^js as onr Dil^ance 
 from the Equator, occafions the long Draft of Winds from 
 Korth- Weft, lb the vart Body of Lmds, uncultivated, and 
 covered with a perpetual Foreft. which b-eaks the Rav s of 
 the Sun, and prevents their Reflcflion from the Ea-th, is 
 ivhac occafions thole Winds, to be lb very c^Id here. 
 
 "S z manner^ 
 
100 An Hlftorical D^fiourft.. &c. 
 
 r/i^^ifier^ owe to GOD, as the very Quit-Rents 
 of HirLanns, & anAeknovvJcgemcdt of ihcn.crci- 
 lulProvidences in our fitftSettJemenr , as well as for 
 the conll:cint Favours of GOD to us ever fince. 
 
 The Poflerity of a Fcoplc^ who were guided by 
 the Providence of GOD, to this b/ippy Jf^and^ as 
 a fafe Retreat from the iiormy Winds ^ as a Place 
 of freedom to practice every Branch of Religion 
 in, mult be ifjcxcuiable, if they degenerate and 
 forget rhe God of their Fathers. The 'veryhijiru- 
 ment of our original hicorp ration^ obliges us to 
 " ferveGOD &JesusChrist5& obey all his 
 holy Laws." Irreligion then, and Prophanr.cf?, 
 and Immorality murt be a peculiar Reproach to 
 fuch a People. Our Fathers will rife up injudg- 
 ment againli, and condemn their degenerate Off- 
 Ipring, and rhe GOD of our Fathers uili call us 
 rff tor ever, if we do not practice that Sobriety^ 
 Righteoufnefs, and Godlinefs, which his Gofpel 
 requires, and we are under \o many pecuHsr 
 Obligations to obferve. Nay, it will be more 
 tolerable for the Peqr.iots^ the IVanqjancags^ the 
 ISfarragatiftts in the Day of Judgment, than frr 
 fuch of us as obey not the Gofpel of our Lord 
 J E s u s C H R I s T. It is true, the Indian Naticis 
 did obllina'.eiy refufe the Gotpel, but they knew 
 not what they did ; they did it ignorantly, f5f:d 
 in Unbe'ic'f , v,hi!e v, e have kno\^ n our Malief 's 
 Will i and to wh-^m much is giver.jt)f ihtm n.uch 
 
 will 
 
An Hijlcrlcal Difcoiirfe^ &c. loi 
 
 uill be required. As we have be^n as it were 
 lifted up to Heaven with Privileges, our Fall will 
 be fo much the greater, in the bottomlefs Pit,un- 
 Jels we lay hold on eternal Lite. 
 
 If our Neighbours obferve the Manners of the 
 Inhabitanrs arc reformed in any Inltances, for- 
 merly grievous to them, let us endeavour to ic- 
 form whatever is ftiil really amifs among us, and 
 put away the Evil of our Doings, that the Lord 
 GOD may dwell among us. May we be noted 
 only, and ever, for the general Difcharge of all 
 pablic!< and private Venues j for the impartial 
 Adminillration of Juftice , and the lleddy Exe- 
 cution of good and wholefome Laws ; and for 
 leading quiet and peaceable Lives,in all Godlinefs 
 and Honerty. 
 
 It is an old and common Obfervation, that the 
 Stature, and Completion * of humaneCreaturcs, 
 as well as of Plants and Animals j yea, and 
 the Genius and Dirpofitions of a People, are very 
 much influenced by the Soil, and Climate -, by the 
 
 * Jn like manner fomcDifeafes are peculiar to every Country , 
 pcrr!)aps v\c may thiilF~y account Tor what has been, in vain, 
 iicrempred to be accounccd for fo manv orherWavs ; viz. the 
 defcciive Teeth lb common in Nfo; England. Mr.P^.lViliiams, 
 i'i)"i, that vviicn he firft came here, ihz Indians were v^.tily 
 ru'j<aro the Teeth' A' ch, and that their very ftou'eft Men, 
 con'plainedmon of that Pr,in, than their f^romen o( the P^ins 
 Cj TnV'.'nil. 
 
 Situation, 
 
102 An Hiftorical Difccurfe^ &c. 
 
 Situation, the Nature, and Circumftanccs of the 
 Place they inhabit. Thus^the Inhabitants of the 
 feveral Parts of Italy^ of Germany &c. are cha- 
 radterized from their refpedtive Countrys ^ and 
 thus it was obferved of the Carthaginians. The 
 peculiar Genius, and Difpofitions of a People, 
 mull arife from hence ; or the Form of Govern^ 
 ment, and Laws they live under , or the 
 Genius of the prefent chief Commanders. 
 The Narraganfets^ who inhabited this Trad of 
 Land, before us, were not remarkable among the 
 Indians^ for many Vices peculiar to them, i only 
 that in proportion to their greater populoufnefs, 
 they exceeded in the Vices, common to all the 
 Indian Nations. Ultnefs and Intemperance are 
 every where branded, as Indian Vices ; and they 
 were complained of, as (hamefully «^^//^^»^ in the 
 Education of their Children, and that they had 
 in a Manner, no Family Government at all. Tho' 
 the Face of the Country is greatly changed by 
 Englijh Indultry, and an almofl ImmenfeLabour 
 and Expence, yet a plentiful Country will always 
 afford its Inhabitants Inducements and Tempta- 
 tions to abufe the divine Goodnefs, and to turn 
 the Grace of GOD into Wantonnefs. If inftead 
 of having been able, to teach thelndians^ Clriftian 
 
 ^ Mr. Huhhard f2ys,^2. '^. ** The Narhafrar/ets, were always 
 noic Civil ard Cow'fecas to ihz EngVJh^ ;han eny of the 
 
 Vertues^ 
 
'An Hijlorlcal Difcourfiy &o 103 
 
 Vertues, we fhould learn, and imitate the Indian 
 Vices J how unhappy, how reproachful, how la- 
 mentable would it be ? Surely, we muft thinfc 
 GOD expeds more from us, with all our Ad- 
 vantages of Knowlege, with the Gofpel, the 
 Word of GOD 5 which is able to make us wife 
 to Salvation, thro' Faith that is in Chrift Jefus. 
 We have not only theLight of Reafon,brightned 
 and improved, but Revelation, to be as a Guide 
 to us : Let us make the Scriptures then as a 
 Light to our Feet, and a Lamp to our Path. 
 
 And in fine, let every Scft, and Party of 
 Chriftians among us, be followers of GOD as dear 
 Children : Let us be careful to build onlyGold, 
 Silver, precious Stones, on the Rock of Ages^ihe 
 true Foundation of our Faith, and Hope : Let us 
 walk worthy of GOD to all well plcafing, and a- 
 dorn the Chriflian Religion in general, in the 
 Sight of the Heathen j and reconwriend ouc 
 dillinguifhing Opinions to one another, by a more 
 exemplary Behaviour j a>nd fo induce others to 
 glorify GOD our Heavenly Father. 
 
 III. Liberty of Confcience was the B4zjis cf this 
 Colony, Our Fathers tho't it juft and neceflary to 
 allow each other mutually to worfhip GOD, as 
 their Confciences were refpedlively perfwaded : 
 They tho'c no Man had Power over the Spirit of 
 GOD ; and that the Duty of the Magillrate was 
 
 to 
 
I ©4 ^n HifioYical Difccurfe^ he. 
 
 to leave every one to follow the Light of his 
 Confcience. They were v^illing to exhibit ro 
 the Worlds an Inftance that Liberty of Confci- 
 ence was confiftent with the publick Peace, -and 
 the flourifhing of a civil Common Wealth, as well 
 as that Chriftianity could fubfifl without Com- 
 pulfion, and that bearing each others Burdens, 
 was the way to fulfil the Law of Chrifl. 
 
 I do not know there was ever before, fince the 
 World came into the Church, fuch an Inftance, 
 as the Settlement of this Colony and Jjland. In 
 other States the civil Magiftrate had for ever, 
 z puhlick Driving in the particular Schemes of 
 Faith, and Modes of Worfhip ; at lealt,by nega- 
 tive Dlfcouragements, by annexing the Rewards 
 of Honour and Profic to his own Opinions ; and 
 generally, the Subject: was bound by penai Laws, 
 to believe that Set of Dodlrines, and to woilh p 
 GOD in that Manner, the Magiftrate pleafed to 
 prefcribe. Chriftian Magijlratcs would unaccoun- 
 tably affumc to themfelves, the fame Authority 
 in religious Aifairs, which any of the Kings of 
 Judab, cr Jfrael^ exercifed, either by Ufurpaticn, 
 or by the immediate Will, and Infpiration of 
 GOD ; and a great deal more too. As if the 
 becoming Cbriftian^ gave the Magiftrate any new 
 Right, or Authority over his Subjcds, or over 
 the Church of Chrift ; and as if that becaufc 
 they fubmittcd perfonally to the Authority, and 
 
 Govern- 
 
Aft Hifljfkal Difcour/e^ &c. \o$ 
 
 Government of Chrill: in his Word, that there- 
 fore they might cloath themfelves with his Au- 
 thority j or ratfoer, take his Scepter oik of his 
 Hand, and lord it over GOD's Heritage It is 
 JamenrabJe that Pagans and Infidels allow more 
 Liberty to Cbriftians^ than they were won't to 
 allow to one another. 'Tis evident, the civil 
 Aiagiitrate as fuch, can have no Authority to 
 decree Articles of Faith, and to determineModes 
 of Worfhip, and to interpret the Laws of Cbri^ 
 for his Subjedls, but what muft belong to aP Ma- 
 giitrates j but no Magiftrates can have moreAu- 
 thority over Confcicnce, than what is neceflary 
 to preferve the publick Peace ; and that can be 
 only to prevent one Sec^b, from opprefling ano- 
 ther, and to keep the Peace between them. No- 
 thing can be more evidently proved, than *^ the 
 Right of private Judgment for every Man^in the 
 Affairs of his own Salvation, " and that both from 
 the plaineil Principles of Reafon, and the plain- 
 eilDeclarations of theScripture. This is theFoua- 
 dation of the Reformation, of the Chriiliaa Re- 
 ligion, of all Religion, which neceflarily implie* 
 Choice and Judgment. But I need not labour a 
 Point, that haj been fo often demonflrated. ^o 
 many Ways. Indeed as every Man believes his 
 own Opinions the be(^, becaufe the truell, and 
 ought charitably to wifh all others of the fame 
 Opinion, it muft feem reafonable, the Magiftiate 
 Ihjuid have a puldick Leading^ in rel'giousAiFairs, 
 
 Q_ bw 
 
io6 jin H'lftoY'ical Lifcotirfe^ &c. 
 
 but as he almolt foi ever exceeds the dueBounds, 
 and as Error prevails ten Times more thanTruih 
 in the World, the Intereft of Truth, and the 
 Right of privatt Judgment feem better fecured, 
 by a univerfiil Toleration, that fliall fupprefs all 
 Prophaneis, and Immorality, and preferve every 
 Party, in the free and undiAurbedLiberty of their 
 Confciences- while they continue quiet & dutiful 
 Subjeds to the State. 
 
 Our Fathers eflablifhed a mutual Liberty of 
 Confciencejwhen ihty fir fi Incorporated themfelves : 
 this they confirmed under their firji Patent^ and 
 and at the Keftorathn^ they petitioned King 
 Charles 2^. (Charter^ " That they might be 
 •' permitted, to hold forth a lively Experiment, 
 *' that a moll flourifhing civil State, may {land, 
 *' and beft be maintained, and that among Eng- 
 *^ hjh Subjeds, wich a full Liberty in religious 
 *^ Concernments^ and that true Piety rightly 
 '' grounded on Gofpel Principles, will give the 
 ** bell and the grcatefl Security to Sovereignty j 
 ** and will lay in the Hearts of Men, thelliong- 
 ** eft Obligations to true Loyalty. " And the 
 King was pleafed to make them a Gr^ux^hy which 
 ^' every Perfon may ever freely and juUy have ^ en- 
 ^*^ joy bis own Judgment or Confcience in Matters 
 ' :/ ^^ligi'^us Concernment^ behaving himfelj peacea- 
 '"• bh and quietly^ and not uflng this Liberty^ for 
 y* LicentiC'tipjefs^ and Pr(pbanefs^ nor to the civil 
 
 '' Injury^ 
 
An Hijlorical Difcourfe^ &c. 107 
 
 ^* Injury^ or outward D^JfurbatJce of others. " 
 This happyPfiviledge wc enjoy to this Day, thro' 
 the divine Goodnels s and the Experiment has 
 fully anfvvered, and even beyond what might 
 have been expeded, from the fir fl Attempt, The 
 civil State has flounfhed, as well as if fecured by 
 ever {o many penal Laws, and an Inquifition to 
 put them in Execution. Our civil Officers have 
 been chofcn, out of every religious Society, % 
 and the publick Peace has been as well preferved, 
 and the publick Councils as well conducted, as we 
 could have cxpedted^had we been afTiiled by ever 
 fo many religious TelU. 
 
 All Pfophanefs, and Immorality, are punifhed 
 by the Laws made to fupprefs them j and while 
 thefe Laws are well executed, fpeculativc Opi- 
 nions, or Modes of Worfhip, can never dlfturb or 
 injure the Peace of a State, that allows all its 
 Subjects an equal Liberty of Confcience. In- 
 deed it is not variety of Opinions^ or feperation if% 
 
 ^ It has been no uncommon Sight, ro fee Genrle nen of almoll 
 every religicjs Perfwafion amon^ u$, fi[[ing on the lame 
 Bench of M^gijiratcs together. And we may always expeCi 
 to fee ir, while that Principle prevails, that the fureflWay 
 to prcferve and enjoy O'lr Charter Priviledgei, is fo to divide 
 the Pofts of Honour, Truft, and Profit among ail F-^irfwa- 
 fions indifferenrly ; and in general, to prefer ihofe Gentle- 
 men, of whatever religious Opinions they are, that are o- 
 therwife bcft qualified, to (erve the Publick, and adorn rhcic 
 Stations ; and to fiffer no one religious Sc^, to monopo^. 
 Ulc the Places of Power, and Authoriry. 
 
 Q 2 Worjtip^ 
 
io8 An Hijlorical Difccurfe^ $cc. 
 
 IVorJhip^ that makes DiforderSy and C-nfufions in 
 Goverr.nient : It is the unjuft, unnatural, and ab- 
 furd At':empt to force all to be of one Opinion, 
 or to feign rind diffemble that they are ; or the 
 cruel and impious punifliing thofe^ who can'c 
 change their Opinions without Light, or Reafon j 
 anci will not diffemble againfl: all Reafon, and 
 Confcience. It is the wicked Attempt to force 
 Men to vvo'fhip GOD in a Way^they believe He 
 hathnei-htrr conitiianHed^nor will accept • and the 
 rcilraining them from worfhipping Him in a Me- 
 thod, they thl;tk He has inflicuted, and made 
 neccffary for them ^ and in which alonCjthey can 
 be fiiicere Woffliippers, and accepted of GOD; 
 in which aione, they can find Comfort, &' Peace 
 of Confcience, and approve themfelves before 
 GOD; in which alone, they can be honeft Men, 
 and good Chriflians. Perfecution will ever oc- 
 cafion Lonfufion 6c Diforder, or if everyTongue 
 is forced to confefs, and every Knee to bow to 
 the Power of ihe Sword : this it felf is the great- 
 eft of all Dirorders,and the worft of Confufions in 
 the Kingdom of Chrill Jefus. 
 
 Liberty of Confcience was never more fully 
 enjoyed in any Place, than here ; and this Colofiy^ 
 with fome fince fornicd on the fame Model, have 
 prov*d that tlie terrible Fears, th.it Barbarity 
 would break in, where no particular Forms of 
 Woflhip or Difcipline are ciUblifhed by the Civil 
 
 1^0 wer. 
 
An Hifiorical Difcourfe^ &c. 109 
 
 Power, are really vain and groundlefs ; * and 
 that Chiiftianity can lubfifl without a National 
 Church, or vifible Head ; and without being in- 
 corporated into the State. It fubfifted fo for the 
 firfl: three butidred Years ; yea, in Oppofition and 
 Defiance to all the Powers of Hell and Earth. 
 And 'tis amazing to hear thofe who plead for 
 penal Laws, and the Magiftrates Right, & Duty 
 to govern the Church of Christ, to hear fuch 
 Perfons, call the early Times, the golden Age of 
 Chriflianity. 
 
 However, as the bed Things, the wifcfl Inlli- 
 tutions are fubjedt to feme Inconveniencies,while 
 fome Good may accidentally follow the very 
 worlt Things in the World, it may be worth our 
 while to confider, whether feme Inconveniencies 
 do not naturally, or have not in Fad, followed 
 or attended our Conltitution. The popifh Inqui- 
 fition it felf, which is fuch an open Tyranny o- 
 ver Confcicnce, and fuch anabfolute Dellrudioa 
 of the EfTentials of Chriilianity, and all true 
 Religion, yet keeps up the Face and Shew of the 
 greateft Decorum, Order, and Harmony imagi- 
 nable. It ought not to be wondred at, if an unli- 
 
 * I am aware, fome fuch Cliarges of Ignorance andBarbarity, 
 have been formerly infmuared, and that rhe People lived 
 in a Stare of ylnarchy ; bur I hope, I have f.iid enou:^h, ro 
 fhew th-e f^rountelsnefs of fxh Reports ; v\hich were the 
 pftcds of Prejudice, and Miiinfor mat/on. 
 
 miced 
 
no An Hijlorical Difeourfc^ &c. 
 
 mited Toleration of every Dodrine, or Form of 
 Chriftian Worfhip^ tho' never fo juft in it felf, 
 and fo ufeful and beneficial in many Rcfpedts 
 yet in fome other Refpeds,may be attended with, 
 or productive of fome Inconveniencies. We 
 know fome followed on thcGofpel itfeif. It can'c 
 be wondred at, if fome fhould make an ill Ufe of 
 this Liberty ^ yea, if this Liberty it felf, Ihould 
 be unhappily a Snare to fomeMen. Have,ncver 
 any in no Parts of theColony, appeared lolt, and 
 bewildred in a variety of Opinions round them ? 
 At leaft, is it not likely, there fhould be fome 
 Perfons fo weak and unliable ? Have never any 
 pretended, to think it needlefs, or cndlcfs, to 
 fearch after Truth, among fo manyPretendcrs to 
 it ? And have not fome, in the Heat and Hurry 
 of Difpute about the Circumftaniials of Chriftia- 
 nity, the Circumftancts of Ordcr,Time, & Place, 
 grown cold or negIigenr,about theVitals & Eflen- 
 tiaisof theGofpelCovenant ? Hath not too much 
 Zeal about outward Things^ too often occafioncd 
 Cenforioufnefs, and Uncharitablencfs,and ftarved 
 the Life of Pveligion "> Is there no Foundation 
 for thatCharader that has been given of too many 
 among us,that " they have a thoroughlndifFcrence 
 '' for ail that is facred, being equally carelefs of 
 *' outward VVoifliip, and of inward Principles, 
 " whether of Faith nr Fradice.'* And '' that 
 *^ they have worn off a ferious Stn^t of all Re- 
 *^ ligion." Ic would be no wonder if fome oral/ 
 
 thcfc 
 
An HiftGfical Difcourfe^ &c, iix 
 
 thefe evil Confequences, (hould have foIlowcd,in 
 fome Degree j they have oAen done fo in other 
 Places, even where there \\as not the like fair 
 Occafion. The Tempter always fuits hisTempta- 
 tions, to the Circumftances of tbofe he afTauIts. 
 But thefe Things will be no goodObjedion againft 
 Liberty of Confcience, becaufe infinitely greater 
 Evils, neceffariiy follow on Perfccution foiConf- 
 cience fake. 
 
 Neverthelefs our own Experience, on the Ob- 
 fervations, and Reproaches of others, will dif* 
 pc'fe us to be peculiarly careful, againft all thefe 
 Evils, and fome others, that ourConllitution|nay 
 be peculiarly liable and expofed to. Here in a 
 particular Manner, let us be exhorted, 
 
 1. To prevent our religiotisDifferences^ from Ve^ 
 
 ingcver carried into our civil Affairs Let them 
 
 never make Fadions in Government.— 
 
 2. Let us ^M^Y for Peace ^ and toprcmote mutual 
 Love among Chrijlians of every Denomiriation We 
 fhould love all of C h r i s t, we fee in them, and 
 as far as pofTible fpeak the fame Things. On the 
 one Hand, we (hould take heed that Charity and 
 mutual Forbearance don't fink into Lukewarmnefs 
 and Indifference to the Truth of the divine Infti- 
 tucions ', and on the other Hand, we fhould main- 
 tain our own Opinions, and manage the Defence 
 of them, v.hen Need requires it, with a Chriilian 
 
 Spirit 
 
112 An Hiflorical Difccurfe^ Sic, 
 
 Spirit of Candour, and Moderation. Efpeciallyj 
 let us be warned by our own Hifloryjtotakc heed 
 of imputing to others, the Confequences we think 
 follow from their Opinions ^ if on the Account 
 of the Confequences, we can't embrace iheir O*. 
 pinions, yet Jet us remember, every Man's Opi- 
 nion mud be taken from his own Underllanding, 
 andjudgment, and not from the Undcritanding^ 
 and Judgment of other Men. 
 
 tt is no Pleafure to any real Chrillian, to fee 
 his Brethren, the Difciples of Jesus Christ, 
 fo divided as they are thro' the World, in their 
 Opinions of various Articles, of his Religion ; and 
 much lefs, to fee them fo divided in their AfFed ions. 
 Indeed, confidering the finite Capacity, and the 
 Corruption of humane Nature, we ought -to expedb 
 a variety of Opinions in Religion, as well aS in 
 everyThing elfe. But as theEnemies to theCrols 
 of Chrift, make this, tho' unjuflly, a Reproach to 
 Chridianity ; and as many weak Pcrfons, are car- 
 ried away with the Errors of the Wicked, every 
 fincerc Chrillian can't help wifhing, that every 
 tumbling Block, and Rock of Offence, was re- 
 moved out of the Way, and that all Chrirtians 
 walked in the Truth, with one Confent of Heart 
 and Voice. It is a Grief to a Chriltian, as 'cis a 
 Scandal to the whole World, to fee Chriflians, 
 Cfo called) full of Envy, and Malice, hating, and 
 teviliog one aaolher^ and fmiting with the Fift of 
 
 W'ickcdncfs* 
 
An Hijlorical Bifcourfe^ &c. 113 
 
 Wlckednefs. This, when all is faid andc'rnCj is 
 a more fuJ) and jult Argument, that fuch have no 
 Part in Chiift, than any fuppofed orthodoxy 
 of Opinion, can be of their Intereil ia 
 Him. For by this (fays he) JJjall all Men ktiow 
 that ye are my Difaples, if ye have Love crie to arnj'^ 
 ther. Ic is a glorious Sight, to fee the Difcipies 
 of J E s u s, live in Love & Peace, and " fwettly 
 bear with one another in their lefler Differences */ 
 To fee every one, keeping the Ordinances, as he 
 thiiiks Christ has commanded him, and at the 
 fame Time, carefully abllaining from all Evil,and 
 theAppearances of Evil j and pradliGng whatfo- 
 ever Things are true, honeft, juf^, and pure ; 
 whatfoeverThings are lovely, and of goodReporc. 
 
 When we haveFreedom tofearch theScripture, 
 and Liberty to believe, and profefs what we find 
 there revealed, how unhappy would it be, if any 
 fhould negledt their Priviledge, and be Fools and 
 flow of Heart to improve the Opportunity they 
 enjoy ? How unhappy would it be, if any fhould 
 negledt the Worfhip cfGOD, and thelnftitu^ions 
 ofCuRisTjEsu s,becaure they are not ern'orced 
 by humane penal Laws ? Let us be all able ever 
 to give an Anfwer to every one, that asks us a 
 Reafon of the Hope tbst is in us, with Meeknefs, 
 and Fear ^ and let us lay afideall VVraih, Anger, 
 Malice, Bigotry, and Cenforioufnefs ; and cn- 
 deavouf to pay a univerfal and conilant Regard 
 
 R to 
 
114 -^^ Hiftorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 to the Will of GOD, revealed in his Word. 
 Let us be united to Chrifl Jefus by a true & living 
 Faith i and let everyMan take heed how he build- 
 cih : Other Foundation can no Man lay^ than that 
 which is laid^ viz, the Prophets & Apoftles, Jefus 
 Cbrift hnnfelf being the grsat corner Stone. Nc^w if any 
 Man build on tbts Foundation^ Gold^ Silver^ precious 
 Stones^ IVood^ Hay^ Stubble ; every ManslVorkJhali 
 he made manifeft. For the Day fhall declare it^ be' 
 caufe it Jhall be revealed by Ftrc • and the Fire Jhall 
 try every Man^s IVork^ of what fort it is. If any 
 Mans WorkfJoall be burnt ^hejh all fufferLofs j but he 
 him/elf Jhall be faved '^ yet fa ^ as by Fire, 
 
 3. Above all Things, let us unite in the pra^ice 
 of Piety and H linefs. Let us do juftly, and love 
 Mercy, and walk humbly with GOD j let us deny 
 all Ungodlinefs, and every worldly Luft, & live 
 fobcrly, righteoufly, and godly, and perfed Ho- 
 lincfs in the fear of GOD. ThefeThings we may 
 do without anyOffence toanyParty of Chriftians. 
 If we be followers of that which is Good, who are 
 they that will harm us,or be offended at us on that 
 Account. Each Party requires all Men, to be re- 
 deemed from a vain Converfation ; every Party 
 owns theNecefIiry,if theydifferin iheNature of the 
 Obligation of thefe Duties : Let us ihen unite in 
 the Piadlice of thcm^and have our Converfation, 
 as becometh ihcGofpel, which we in common pio- 
 
 fefs. How unhappy, how inexcufable, would it 
 
 be. 
 
An Hlfiorical Difcourfe^ &c. 115 
 
 be, if Liberty of Confcience fhould degenerate into 
 Licencioufnefsjand open aDoor for a Flood of Im- 
 moralities ? If while we plead a Right to think, 
 and judge for our felves, and rtjed all meer hu- 
 man Authority, in Matters of Faith £c Worfbip ; 
 we fhould ncgled the facred Laws ot GOD, and 
 the unalterable, and eternal Duties of Morality ? 
 It is certainly a Reproach to ChriftianSjthat they 
 can be fo zealoufly afFedted, about the Things, 
 which are pecuhar & diftinguifhing to each Sec^ 
 refpedively, and yet be focold, and negligent of 
 thofe, wherein they all agree. It is reafonable to 
 fuppofe thafeDodtrinesSc Duties, which all agree 
 in, are the moil important, and efTential. Let us 
 then be truly concerned to glorifyj^ferve GOD, 
 by a true & fpiritual Worfhip, and the Vertuesof 
 a goodLifc ; and to imitate theExamplejwhich the 
 great Author and fiaifher of our Faith hath fet us. 
 Let us hold fail the Form of found Words we 
 have received, and not make Shipwrack of Faith, 
 and a good Confcience. 
 
 IV. I hopel fhall be excufedjifonthisOccafion, 
 I exhort the Me77ihers of this Church in particular^ 
 to review tie merciful Prcvidefices of GOD^ 'which 
 have hitherto preferved this Vitie^ which we trufl, 
 bis own Right Hand hath planted. We may fing 
 of Judgment and of Mercy; in many fore LcfTes 
 and Bereavements ; in fome uncomfortable Con- 
 tentionsi and in a total failure of Eiders, for 
 
 R 2 many 
 
ii6 j^i Hifiorkal Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 fuany Years together. Nevcrthelers,ihe burning 
 Ba(h has not been confumed , iheChmch has lliil 
 fubfjited, and been refectled again in Peace and 
 Comfort. Various are the Storms in which this 
 Chu'ch has been icfHci j but thro" ihtmalI,GOD 
 has prefcrved us. May we, and our SuccefTors, 
 be as a Name, and a Praife to Hini, ihroughouc 
 all Generations 1 Let us pray the Father of 
 Lighfs, and the Lord of the Harvefl, to revive 
 and profprr his Work in the midit of ihefe Yeais. 
 May He unite our Hearts roLove Him morejand 
 Serve Him better^ and to Love one another, and 
 flrive together to promote his Glory, and our mu- 
 tual Edification, and Growth in Grace. May he 
 tba( mtniftretb Seed to the Sower^ both minifierBread 
 for your Food^ and multiply the Seed [own ^ and ifi' 
 creafe the Fruits of your Kightejufnefs. 
 
 As this was the firrt: Society, fettled in Church 
 order on this Ifland, as 'tis the eldeft, (tho' nearly 
 the ]eafx^ let us llrive to go before all others, in 
 the priniicive Simplicity, Love, Integrity, and 
 publick Spificedneis. 
 
 Let us confiider, whether we make good the 
 Ground of thofe pious & excellent ChriAians,who 
 firft formed this Church ; & whether theSuccefTors 
 of Men, lb holy, and fo zealous, are not obliged in 
 a fingular Manner, to imitate them, wherein they 
 followed Christ. We have prof^ffed a Sub- 
 jection to the Goipel oi C h R i s t ^ let our Lights 
 
 Ihiiie 
 
An Hlprical Dtfcourfe^ &c 117 
 
 fliine before Men ; let us ddorn the Doctrine of 
 God our Saviour in allThir^gs j and let us hold 
 the Be^innifis of our Cojifiderice, lledfafl to the 
 End j ?ind lee us coniider one a not her, to provoke 
 unto Love, and to good Works : In firre, let us 
 contend earnellly for the Faith, and Order of the 
 Gofpel, once delivered to the Saints ; and at the 
 lame Time, maintain the unity of the Spirit in 
 theBonds of Peace. Kim that is weak in theFaith 
 receive, but not to doubtlul Difputations. And 
 the GOD of Patience & Confolation grant us to 
 be like minded one towards another, according 
 toCtjRisT Jesus. 
 
 V. Is it not proper to remark^ the very great 
 
 Alteration which the merciful Pr(^vidence of GOD has 
 made^ in the outwardCtrciimftances^andAccommoda' 
 tions of the Inhabitants of the Ijland and Colony ^fince 
 their firft Settlement here. 
 
 We have reafon to think, the very firft Setlers^ 
 did not come here empty handed -^ * but as their Stock, 
 on which they lived, was by Degrees confumed^ 
 the produce of wild Lands was able to go but a 
 little way, in purchafing a new Supply of many 
 Comforts of Life^ and they v/ere obliged to make 
 an hardShif: with fuchThingSj^s the prefentGene- 
 ration perhaps may too much defpife. 1 don't wel 
 know, how to defcribe theDiffc rence in fomeAt ti- 
 des, in fuitable ScgraveExpfeflions : the mention 
 
 { Vid.Mr.C7//<j»*sWay of CcngregarionaiChurchesckared.?6r. 
 
 of 
 
ii8 An Hijlorical Difcourfe^ &c. 
 
 of fome Inftanccs, would perhaps furprize many. 
 Let us then be thankful toGOD^who has bleffed 
 the Labours of our Hands , and let us not wax 
 Fat and kick againfl GOD, now wc have eaten, 
 and arc full of the Mercies of the Lord. 
 
 Nay, would it be unufefuljOr improper, to think 
 of the outward Accommodations which the pre- 
 fent EnghJJj Inbahitants enjoy ^ above the Aboriginal 
 Natives^ and their miferable Remainders among us ? 
 DoubtlefSjit would excite our Gratitude to GOD, 
 who has made us to differ, and to fay with David^ 
 Bkjfed he tbou^LOKD God of Ifrael^ curFatber^for 
 ever and ever, ^blne^ O LOKD^ is tbe Greatnefs^ 
 and the Fewer ^ ^ tbe Vt^fcry^ ^ tbe Majefty^ for all 
 that is in theHeaven^or in the Earth ^is thine, ^bins 
 is the Kingdom^ O LOKD, and tb u art exalted as 
 Head above all. BothRtchcs^^ Honour comeofthee^ 
 and thou reigtieft over all-, S in tbmeHand is Power ^ 
 and Mighty and in thiricHand :t is to inakeGreat^and 
 to give Strength unto alt. Now therefore our GOD^ 
 we thank tbee^ and praife thy glorious Name I 
 
 VI. Laflly. As the piousPeople,whofirft plant- 
 ed this IJland and Colony^ were To concerned, about 
 tbe heft way of evidencing a Man^s good EJiate^mC' 
 thinks, there is no more proper Remark^ for us to 
 fioifh with, than the Dniy^thelVifdom^ and theNe- 
 Cfjfity of every cne^ to get into a good Eft ate as to 
 GOD, an I the future IVorid ; and to feek after fuffi- 
 cient andfatisfuwfory Evidence there' f 
 
An Hi fl or teal Difcourfe^ &c. 119 
 
 I mean not to revive the old Difpute , I am well 
 facisfied, the Difference may be compromifedjWith 
 great Eafe & Juftice j but to perfwade each of us 
 to think of this Artic]e5withreriourners5& fuitable 
 Concern. What will it fignify, which of thofe 
 Ways is the moft fatisfadory/if we our felves have 
 no Grounds for Satisfadlion, in either of them ? 
 And what can excufe us negledling to work out 
 our Salvation, and make our Calling & Eledion 
 fure, when GOD is working in us to will, and to 
 do, of his good PJeafure ? Alas ! how very com* 
 mon is it for Perfons, who live under the Gofpel, 
 to be very carelefsSc unconcerned in thisMatter^* 
 for many who call themfelves Chriftians, to prc- 
 fume they are fomething, when indeed they are 
 nothing ? and cry Peace, Peace to themfelveSjWhen 
 they are in the Gall of Bitternefs, and the Bonds 
 of Iniquity ^ and have no Lot or Part in the 
 ChrilUan Salvation ? 
 
 A Man's good Eflate confiUs in his being recon- 
 ciled to God through Je/usChriJl ^who was delivered 
 iorourOffences,& raifed again for ourjuftification. 
 Let us aim to have both the ^ejlimony of cur own 
 Confciences^ and the Spirit rf God witnejjing together 
 with our Spirh^ that we are the Children of GOD, 
 and Heirs with Christ, to the Inheritance of 
 the Saints in Light. And may He that is able, 
 keep us from failing, and prefect us faultlefsjbe- 
 foie his Prefeiice with exceeding Joy. 
 
120 An Hiftorical Di/courfe^ &G. 
 
 ^0 Conclude^ Should not this Solemnity put us in 
 Mind of our mortal tranfitory Conditi'.tj^ and To llir 
 us up the more, to give Diligence to make our 
 Calling and Eiedion fure. The Generations of 
 Men ate pafBng away continually. Not one Per^ 
 /jiythat we know of, is now alive, of ail tbo/e'who 
 began this Settlement • and but few remain of the 
 fecond Generation. Death is daily preying upon 
 us. Should v.e not then be the more quickned 
 in the fecuring our eternal VV^elfare ? Should we 
 not do with our Mighr, what our Hands find to 
 do, before the Night of Death overtakes us ? 
 
 Let us remember we are Strangers and Pilgrims 
 here^ as 'UJsre all our Fathers • and let us feek after 
 a City which is to come, which hath Foundations, 
 whole Builder & Msker is GOD. And let us be 
 followers of thofe, who throughFaiih & Patience, 
 inherit the Promifes. 
 
 Let this Occafion, an Occafiojj we can never ex^ 
 pe5f again^ excite us to number our Days aright; 
 lo as to apply our Hearts to true VVifdom. May 
 we fo prepare for Death and Judgment, and the 
 eternal World, as that an Entrance may be at lall 
 adminiffred to us into the EverlaftingKingdcm of 
 our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ: Which 
 COD of His itifi?iite Mercy grant thru Him : ^o 
 i^hum with the Father and the Holy Spirit,^^?^^ 
 H.mur^ Glury S Power ^ both now & ever, AMEN, 
 
 FINIS. 
 
^- Advertifement. 
 
 THe Reader is dcfircd to Ex'cafe & CorrtB tf e zvrongVunBu- 
 ation in feveral Piacei, and the following Errata^ mcft 
 of whigh inj'Jre the Senfe ; and ro infcrt a (evv Amendments. 
 Title Pag€, read the fi'^ft Century. 
 
 Dedication p 4 1. 5. r. Oppoliticn, 1. i^. r. and his. p. 6. 
 I. 6. f^focmed, r. Iccared. 
 
 Sermon p 1. 1.2. in theNote f. Misntonimpk r. Miantonimo^. 
 p. II. 1.' 18.' after and which, inJert affrf. p. 12. 1. Ii. after 
 Charter, infcrt, which included Liberiy of Confcicnce. p. 19. 
 »1. 22. rEafl^ r. laft. In che No;e 1. i. f Nantigganfick r. Nan- 
 hjganfick., p. 22. K^-J r. exprefs in their 07. n Way. p. 2S. 1.:. 
 r 0^^%. jr:'3o.'l. 7';^ dele the fouth-eafterlyParc of. Note.I.4. 
 dele fifft,.--^. 52.. I. 12. r. Wampanoags. p. 34. Note 1. 8. r. 
 become. - pc 41. 1. 20. r. Forms, p. 45. 1. 10. f. Aflociates r. 
 Affiftants. p 45. 1. 17. f. to r. ar. p. 53. 1. 2. r. Judgment. 
 ^.p. 55 Note 1. 9. r. Williams, p. 60 1. i". r. Argument.s. p. 
 62. 1. 2. f; this r. the. 1.4 f their r.rhefe. p 6^. 1. 25. r J. & J. 
 Maxon. p 65. 1. 19. r. 1700. p. 70. 1. 7. r. Sachem, l.p. r.Nan- 
 Jiyganiicks p. 72 1. i6. after Terror, infcrt, and fo. p. 73. 1. 1. 
 r. VVart*|)anoag8. p. 76. 1. 12. r. 19th December. p.-S.l.i.for 
 in, r. on. 1. 2. from the bottom, f in, r.trorii. p. 79. Notes ). 7. 
 for A.vafhonks r. Weetamore. p. 83. 1. li. f. Societies, r. 
 ^, Seftaries. p 86.1 laft but one, r. Nicommors P91.I.21. r. a 
 ft w who. 1. 22. r. remam p.92. I.19, forBofton, r.Charleftown. 
 iy P- 94-J- 23 in the Nores, for part of thofe of them who, r, 
 Prop^tion. 1. 27. r. Recovery, p. 100. 1. 23. r. Wampanoags.^ 
 p. 109, 1, 4 in the Note r. Groundleisnefs 1. 10. f. the r. thofe 
 p. III. 1. 10. f. on r. or. p. 112. 1. 5. f. the r, thofe. 
 
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