About the yeare 1626 or 1627 there was a Patent granted by his Matyes: Royall Father of ever blessed Memory to certaine Gentlemen and Merchants, for the Tract of land befor menc˜ond, and power given them by the same to incorporate themselfes into a body pollitick the Governor and all other officers to be Annually chosen by the Major part of the inhabitants, ffreholders, As soon as the grant was confirmed, they chose here on Mr Mathew Craddock Governor and one Goffe deputy; They forthwith sent over one Mr Endicott, Governor[A] as deputy to rule over us the Inhabitants which had leived there long befor their Patent was granted, and some had Patents preceeding theirs, had he had pouer according to his will he had ruled us to ye purpose; But within two yeares after they sent ower one Mr John Winthrope Governor and with him a Company of Assistants all Chosen here in England without the Knowledge or Consent of them that then leived there or of those which came with them.
[A] This word "Governor" was interlined over the word "as," and unfortunately no caret mark made to show its intended place.
This Governor and his Councill, not long after their Aryvall made a law that no man should be admitted a Freeman, and soe Consequently have any voyce in Election of Officers Civill or Military, but such as were first entered into Church covenant and brought Certificate of it, let there Estates, and accordingly there portion of land be never soe great, and there taxes towards publick Charges. Nor could any competency of Knowledge or inoffensivenesse of liveing or conversation usher a man into there Church ffellowship, unless he would also acknowledge the discipline of the Church of England to be erroneous and to renounce it, which very many never condescended unto, so that on this account the far great Number of his Majesties loyall subjects there never injoyed those priviledges intended by his Royall ffather in his Grant, And upon this very accompt also, if not being Joyned in Church ffelowship many Thowzands have been debarred the Sacrament of the Lords Supper although of Competent knowledg, and of honest life and Godly Conversation, and a very great Number are unbaptized. I know some neer 30 years old, 7 persons of Quality about 12 years since for petitioning for themselves & Neighbors that they might have votes in Elections as ffreeholders or be ffreed from publick Charge, and be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and theire Children to Baptisme as Members of the Church of England, and have liberty to have Ministers among themselves learned pious and Orthodox, no way dissonant from ye best Reformation in England, and desireing alsoe to have a body of Lawes to be Established and published to prevent Arbitrary Tiranny, For thus desireing these three reasonable requests besids imprissonement and other indignitys, they were fined 1000lb, a Notwtstanding they Appealled to England, they were forced to pay the same, and now also at great Charges to send one home to prosecute their appeall which proved to no Effect, That dismall Change falling out, Just at that time And they sending home hither one Edward Winslow a Smooth toungued Cunning fellow, who soon gott himselfe into Favor of those then in Supreame power, against whom it was in vaine to strive, and soe they remained sufferers to this day.
By what I have said it appears how the Major part of the Inhabitants are debarred of those Priviledges they ought to enjoy and were intended for them, How they Esteem of the Church of England. How farr they owne his Matie as haveing any power over them, or their Subjection to him; This I know that not long after they arrived they defaced the Collours which they brought over with them, being the English Redd Cross terming it a badge of the Whore of Babelon.
And not long after haveing received a Report that his Matie intended to send a Generall Governor over, and being informed by a Shallop that they had seen a great shipe and a smaller one goe into Cape Ann Harbor about 8 Leagues from Boston. There was an Alarme presently given and early in the Morning being Sabbath day all the Traine Bands in Boston, and Townes adjacent were in Armes in the streets and posts were sent to all other places to be in the same posture, in which they continued untill by theire scouts they found her to be a small shipe of Plymouth and a shallope that piloted her in, The generall and Publick report was that it was to oppose the landing of an Enemie a Governor sent from England, and with this they acquanted the Commanders.
And about the year 1636 one Brooks hearing one Evers to vilifie the Goverment of England both Civill and Eclesiasticall, and saying that if a Generall Governor were sent over he would kill him if he could, and he knew the Magistrats would bear him out in it, of which Brooks complaining by way of Information, the matter was handled that Evers had nothing said to him, and Brookes forced to escape privatly for England.
They also in the yeare 1646 & 1647 suffered a ship the Mary of Bristoll then standing out for the Kings Majestie to be taken by one Stagg haveing a Commission from the Parliament, and conveyed away although they had promised them a protection. They also Ordered the takeing downe of the Kings Armes and setting up the States, & the like by the Signe of the Kings head hanging before the doore of an Inne. And when that unhappy warr was between King and Parliat they compelled every Commander of a Vessell that went out from thence to enter into Bond not to have any Commerce with any place then holding out for the King, and in opposition to the then pretended power in England, Nor was there ever any Oath of Alleageance offered to any, but instead thereof they have framed two Oathes, which they impose on those which are made free. The other they terme the Oath of ffidelitie, which they force all to take that are above 16 yeares of age, a Coppy of it is as followeth—
I. A. B. by Gods providence being an Inhabitant within the Jurisdiction of this Comon Wealth doe freely and sincerely acknowledge myselfe to be subject to the Goverment thereof. I doe hereby swear by the great and dreadfull name of the ever liveing God, that I will be true and Faithfull to the same, and will accordingly yeild assistance thereunto with my person, Estate, as in equity I am bound And will also truly endeavor to maintaine and preserve all the Liberties and priviledges thereof, Submitting myselfe unto the wholesome Lawes made and established by the same. And further that I will not plot or practize any evill against it or consent to any that shall soe doe. But will timely discover and reveall the same to Lawfull Authority now here established for the speedy preventing thereof. So Help me God in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
By this it may be judged what esteeme they have of the lawes of England, swearing theire subjects to submite to lawes made only by themselfes, And indeed to Alleage a Statute Law of England in one of their Courts would be a ridiculous thing. They likewise long since fell to coyning of monies, melting downe all the English Coyne they can gett, every shilling makeing 15d in their monies, And whereas they went over thither to injoy liberty of Conscience, in how high a measure have they denyed it to others there wittnesse theire debarring many from the Sacraments spoken of before meerly because they cannot Joyne with them in their Church-ffellowship, nor will they permitt any Lawfull Ministers that are or would come thither to administer them. Wittness also the Banishing so many to leave their habitations there, and seek places abroad elswhere, meerly for differing in Judgment from them as the Hutchinsons and severall families with them, & that Honble Lady the Lady Deborah Moody and severalls with her meerly for declareing themselfes moderate? Anabaptists, Who found more favour and respect amongst the Dutch, then she did amongst the English, Many others also upon the same account needless to be named, And how many for not comeing to theire assemblies have been compelled to pay 5s a peece for every Sabbath day they misse, besides what they are forced to pay towards the mantenance of the Ministers, And very cruelly handled by whipping and imprissonment was Mr Clark, Obadiah, Holmes, and others for teaching and praying in a private house on the Lords day, These and many other such like proceedings, which would by them have been judged Cruelty had they been inflicted on them here, have they used towards others there; And for hanging the three Quakers last yeare I think few approved of it.
There are or will come unto the Honble Councell many Complaints against them, I shall say no more but come to