could worship in one congregation; that every man ought, in appearance, to be a true believer in Christ and fubject to his authority; that when there was a fuitable number of fuch believers, who thought themselves bound in conscience to do it, they had a right to imbody into a church, by fome certain contract or covenant, expreffed or implied; and that, being imbodied, they were to choose all their officers, who were pastors or teaching elders, mere ruling elders meant to afflift the former, and qualified to teach occafionally, and deacons who were to manage the temporalities of the church, to take care of the poor, and to officiate at the Lord's table by providing the bread and wine, laying the cloth, carrying the elements, &c. [The cuftom of having ruling elders has now ceafed.] The elders of both kinds were to form the prefbytery of overfeers and rulers. They also held, that no churches or church officers had any power over other churches or officers, to control or impofe upon them, all having equal rights and pri vileges. Their own officers were removable by them upon justifiable reasons; in case of capital errors, grofs misconduct and the like. When they baptized, they rejected the fign of the crofs, and other ceremonies not enjoined by fcripture. They received the elements of the Lord's fupper, in the table posture of the day and place in which they lived. Excommunication they deemed to be wholly fpiritual; and denied, that the church or its officers had any authority to inflict temporal pains and penalties. They confidered no days as holy, but the Lord's day, which they obferved with great strictnefs. Solemn fastings and thanksgivings, as the afpects of Providence required, they had a pious regard

7

regard to, as agreeable to both natural and revealed religion.

A better fet of emigrants never croffed the Atlantic.. "They were a plain, frugal, induftrious, confcientious and loving people; and, for the day in which they lived, and confidering their education, poffeffed a good share of politeness. The important light in which they viewed morality, led them, in many inftances, to fuch critical exactness, as would be deemed by the moderns ridiculous; from thence however the community derived fubftantial benefits. They have been ftigmatized as enthufiafts; but nothing like enthufiafm is to be met with in the records of any of their tranfactions, either civil or ecclefiaftic. Their piety indeed was eminent and fervent, but it was alfo rational; and their religion. was that of the Bible, and had a proper influence upon their conduct."

The Plymouthians having cleared the way for other fufferers to fettle in America, with lefs difficulty and danger than what they had experienced; the fame of their plantation fpreading through the western parts of England; and, the government in church and ftate growing more and more oppreffive; the territory of the 1628. Massachusett's-Bay was purchased of the Plymouth Council, and a company foon formed, who confulted on fettling a plantation, to which non-conforming puritans might emigrate in order to enjoy their own principles in full fecurity. Their fufferings had been moderated for a few. years before Elizabeth's death. The queen was far advanced in life; the next heir to the crown was a prefbyterian, who had fubfcribed to the Scotch national covenant, and, with hands uplifted to heaven, had pronounced, "The

Scotch

Stotch kirk is the pureft in the world, and the fervice of the kirk of England an evil faid mafs in English, that wants nothing of the mass but the liftings:" he had interceded for fome of the perfecuted ministers; and the bishops were cautious of acting against a party, for whom king James had declared: but upon his afcending the throne, the fears of the high church-men and the hopes of the non-conformists were foon ended. It was not long before the king became in the church a furious perfecutor of the non-conformifts, and in the state as errant a defpot as his cowardice would allow. In ftigmatizing for Puritans, all who ftood by the laws of the land and oppofed his arbitrary government, though ftrenuous churchmen, he ftrengthened the cause of the church-puritans: the former, called by way of diftinction ftate-puritans, joining the latter, both together became at length the majority of the nation.

Still the times were not mended; and the death of James made way for their becoming much worse. King Charles unfortunately took for his bofom counsellor, in religious affairs, bifhop Laud, the most unqualified perfon for the purpose of any to be found in his three kingdoms: he also refigned himself up to arbitrary

councils.

The lowering profpect thickened apace; the Massachusetts Company therefore provided a safe retreat, in season. They applied immediately to the improvement of their purchased territory; and fent out Capt. John Endicott and others, with fervants, to begin a plantation; who arrived at (what is now named) Salem. They foon after petitioned for a royal charter, hoping that their existence and powers would be thereby fecured and proVOL. I. moted.

C

Mar.

4.

1629-moted. They fucceeded, and a charter of incorporation was granted, making them a body politic, by the name of "The Governor and Company of the MaffachusettsBay in New England," with as full powers as any other corporation in the realm of England. The grant and fale of the Plymouth-Council was confirmed. Till the annual election by the company could commence, the governor, deputy-governor, and eighteen affiftants were specified. The mode of governing, and of admitting freemen was prefcribed. They were empowered to elect and conftitute fuch other officers, as might be thought requifite for the managing of their affairs; and to make laws and ordinances, not contrary to the laws and statutes of the realm, for the good of the faid company, and the government of their lands and plantation, and the inhabitants thereof. They were allowed to transport perfons, whether fubjects or strangers, weapons, merchandife, &c. any law to the contrary notwithstanding

fuch was the difpenfing power the king affumed. He alfo exempted them from paying cuftom or fubfidy for feven years: the governor and company, their factors and affigns, were to pay neither that nor any taxes IN New England for the fame space. All were freed from duties upon goods imported or exported for 21 years, except the old 5 per cent. custom upon imports after the expiration of the feven years. All his majefty's fubjects going to and inhabiting the company's lands, together with their children, were to enjoy all the liberties of free and natural fubjects, within any of his dominions, the fame as though born in England. The king could mean only, that, by removing to and refiding in the Maffachufetts, they should not forfeit for them

felves,

lelves or children, the privileges of Englishmen, and be treated as foreigners; and not, that they fhould be governed by laws and officers of their own making or choofing, perfonally or by reprefentation; for they were evidently diftinguifhed from the governor and company (of whom it appears to be fuppofed, that they were to remain in England) as these were authorized to administer the oaths of fupremacy and allegiance to all and every person or perfons, who should hereafter go to inhabit the lands and premises of the company. Befide, the governor and company were entrusted with the power of making laws, ordinances, &c. not contrary to the laws of England; of fettling the government, and magiftracy of the plantation, and its inhabitants of naming all the officers; and of fetting forth their feveral duties, powers and limits; and the king commanded that all fuch laws, ordinances, &c. fhould be published, in writing, under the common feal of the company, and thereupon be carefully obferved and put into execution, according to their true meaning. The charter does not once mention liberty of confcience or toleration; though one † hiftorian has inadvertently advanced, that "free liberty of confcience was likewise granted to all who fhould fettle in the Maffachusetts-Bay, to worship God in their own way," and another ‡,

the charter granted toleration to all chriftians, except papists." The affertions apply only to the charter granted by king William and queen Mary.

See the Charter in Hutchinfon's Collection of Papers, p. 1-23. + Neale's Hiftory of the Puritans, 4to. Vol. I. p. 543. Hutchinfon's Hiftory of the Massachusetts-Bay. Vol, II. F. 3.