1630.

This year it pleased God, of his rich grace, to transport over into the bay of the Massachusetts divers honorable personages, and many worthy Christians, whereby the Lord began in a manifest manner and way to make known the great thoughts which he had of planting the gospel in this remote and barbarous wilderness, and honoring his own way

cumstances. Looking at them from our standpoint, we qualify somewhat the early statements on both sides. While we are led to believe that Roger Williams's conduct was sometimes censurable, and that he gave just occasion for suspicions and complaints, we must also think that the complaints and treatment of him were quite too severe. With his faults, it must be admitted also, that there was much to approve and to admire in his character. On the question of religious liberty and toleration, he was doubtless greatly in the advance of his day.

But he advanced some sentiments on religious subjects, and in regard to the patent, which occasioned him great opposition and trouble. And as Judge Davis says, "His opinions had reference to topics of so much interest, that we must expect to meet a bias of considerable strength in those who oppose, and in those who defend him." Gov. Bradford's statement regarding Williams is as reliable and correct probably as any that can be found. On the whole he thought well of Williams.

As found on the church records at Plymouth, Bradford says, "Roger Williams, a man godly and zealous, having many precious parts, but very unsettled in judgment, came over first to the Massachusetts, but upon some discontent, left the place and came hither (to Plymouth), when he was freely entertained according to our poor ability, and exercised his gifts among us, and after some time, was admitted a member of the church, and his teaching well approved, for the benefit whereof I still bless God, and am thankful to him even for his sharpest admonitions and reproofs, so far as they agree with the truth. He this year fell into some strange opinions, and from opinions to practice, which caused some controversy between the church and him, and in the end some discontent on his part, by occasion whereof he left them something abruptly; yet afterwards sued for his dismission to the church of Salem, which was granted with some caution to them concerning him; but he soon fell into more things there both to their and the government's trouble and disturbance. I shall not need to name particulars, they are too well known now to all, though for a time the church here went under some hard censures by his occasion from some that afterwards smarted themselves, but he is to be pitied and prayed for, and so I shall leave the matter, and desire of instituted worship, causing such and so many to adhere thereunto, and fall upon the practice thereof; among the rest, a chief one amongst them was that famous pattern of piety and justice, Mr. John Winthrop, the first governor of the jurisdiction, accompanied with divers other precious sons of Sion, which might be compared to the most fine gold.* Amongst whom, also, I might name that reverend and worthy man, Mr. John Wilson, eminent for love and zeal; he likewise came over this year, and bare a great share of the difficulties of these new beginnings, with great cheerfulness and alacrity of spirit. They came over with a fleet of ten ships, three of them arriving first at Salem, in which several of the chiefest of them came, who repaired, sundry of them, in some short time, into the bay of the Massachusetts; the other seven ships arrived at Charlestown, where it pleased the Lord to exercise them with much sickness, and being destitute of housing and shelter, and lying up and down in booths, some of them languished and died. Yea, it pleased God to take away amongst the rest that blessed servant of Christ, Mr. Isaac Johnson, with his lady, soon after their arrival, with sundry other precious saints.

This sickness being heavy upon them, caused the principal of them to propose to the rest to set a day apart to seek the Lord, for the assuaging of his displeasure therein, as also for direction and guidance in the solemn enterprise of entering into church fellowship; which solemn day of humiliation was observed by all, not only of themselves, but also by their brethren at Plimouth in their behalf; * and the Lord was entreated not only to assuage the sickness, but also encouraged their hearts to a beginning, and in some short time after to a further progress in the great work of erecting a way of worshipping of Christ in church fellowship, according to primitive institution. Those choice and eminent servants of Christ did not despise their poor leaders and fellow-soldiers that they found in the same work of the Lord with them, at Plimouth, but treated them as brethren, much pitying their great straits and hardships they had endured in the first beginning of planting this wilderness, promising all helpfulness even out of their own estates, according to their power; and their said brethren at Plimouth were persuaded they spake as they thought in their hearts; for, such was the simplicity of those times, as that divers faces were not carried under a hood; pride, covetousness, profaneness, and sinful self, were ashamed to be seen, except in obscure places and persons. O poor New England! consider what thou wast, and what thou now art! Repent and do thy first works, saith the Lord! So may thy peace be as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea, Isa. xlviii. 18, 19. So be it. But to

return.

The first that began in the work of the Lord above mentioned, were their honored governor, Mr. John Winthrop, Mr. Johnson, forenamed, that much honored gentleman, Mr. Thomas Dudley, and Mr. John Wilson, aforesaid; these four were the first that began that honorable church of Boston, unto whom there joined many other. The same year also

i

Mr. George Phillips, who was a worthy servant of Christ and dispenser of his word, began a church fellowship at Watertown; as did also Mr. Maverick and Mr. Warham at Dorchester, the same day.

Thus, out of small beginnings, greater things have been produced by his hand that made all things of nothing; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea, in some sort, to our whole nation. Let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise in all ages.†

* See Appendix for his descendants.

† Mr. Prince transcribes from "The Book of Charters," a patent granted January 13, 1630, from "the Council for New England," to "William Bradford and his associates and assigns, all that part of New England between Cohasset rivulet towards the north, and Narraganset river towards the south, the Western Ocean towards the east, (the Atlantic was then so called,) and between a straight line directly extending up into the main land towards the west, from the mouth of Narraganset river to the utmost bounds of a country in New England called Pacanokit, alias Sawamset westward, and another like straight line extending directly from the mouth of Cohasset river towards the west, so far into the main land westward, as the utmost limits of the said Pacanokit or Sawamset entered;" also a tract of land fifteen miles on each side of Kennebeck river, which they afterwards sold.

The patent recites that the grantees "had lived nine years in New England, had planted a town called New Plymouth, at their own charges, and by the special providence of God, and their extraordinary care and industry, had increased their plantations to near three hundred people, and are, on all occasions, able to relieve any new planters, or others of his majesty's subjects who may fall on that coast." It gives them "all the right and interest which the said council had or ought to have thereto, with liberty to trade with the natives, and fish in the seas adjoining," and "liberty to make orders, ordinances, and constitutions not contrary to the laws of England, for their better government, and to put the same in execution, by such officers as they shall authorize and depute." — Prince, 268, 269.

The reader will be very likely to inquire what "right and interest" this council had, which they here undertook to convey? The following is taken from Prince, 180:

"Nov. 3, about a week before of their (the Pilgrims) arriving at Cape Cod, king James signs a patent for the incorporation of the adventurers to the northern colonies of Virginia, between 40 and 48 degrees north, being the duke Lenox. The marquises of Buckingham and Hamilton, the earls of Arundel and Warwick, and Sir F. Gorges, with thirty-four others, and their succes

1631.

This year the reverend and useful instrument Mr. John Eliot came over, and not long after Mr. Weld, who began a church society at Roxbury; as likewise good old Mr. Maverick, and Mr. Warham began one at Dorchester.*

1632.†

This year one Sir Christopher Gardiner, being, as himself said, descended of the house of Gardiner, bishop of Winches

sors, styling them 'The Council established at Plymouth, in the county of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering, and governing, New England in America,' which is the great and civil basis of all the future patents and plantations which divide this country."

"Oct. 1630. The first execution in Plymouth colony; which is a matter of great sadness to us, is of one John Billington, for waylaying and shooting John Newcomen, a young man, in the shoulder, whereof he died. The said Billington was one of the profanest among us. He came from London, and I know not by what friends, shuffled into our company. We used all due means about his trial; he was found guilty both by grand and petty jury, and we took the advice of Mr. Winthrop and others, the ablest gentlemen in Massachusetts Bay, who all concurred with us that he ought to die, and the land be purged from blood." — Ibid. 320.

* The Rev. John Warham, first minister of Windsor, Ct., was an eminent preacher at Exeter; the Rev. John Maverick, lived about forty miles from tha city. Mr. Maverick died at Boston, in February, 1636; a large part of his society had, just before, removed to Windsor, in Connecticut, and it was his intention to follow them. Mr. Warham accompanied those of his people who removed to Connecticut, and died at Windsor in 1670. "I suppose,” says Dr. Mather, " the first preacher that ever preached with notes, in our New England, was the reverend Warham, who, though he were sometimes faulted for it, by some judicious men, who had never heard him, yet, when once they came to hear him, they could not but admire the notable energy of his ministry. He was a more vigorous preacher than the most of them, who have been applauded for never looking into a book in their lives." - Allen's Biog. Dict., Hist. Coll. ix. 127-199; Life of John Eliot; Hist. Coll. viii. 5-36.

† This year (1632), the general court of Plymouth colony make an extraordinary act, that whoever refuses the office of governor shall pay twenty