Those Indians having killed and driven away all the English upon the main, as far as Stamford, (for so far the Dutch had gained possession by the English,) they passed over to Long Island, and there assaulted the Lady Moodey in her house divers times, so that if there had not been forty men to have guarded her, she might have perished by their hands likewise. For she had not long before removed from Salem, upon the account of Anabaptism, and seated herself towards the westernmost part of that island, under the command, likewise, of the Dutch. About these times, a door of liberty being opened by the Parliament in London, Familistical opinions began to swarm in many Plantations of the English, abroad in other parts, to the disturbance of the civil government where they came. In the year 1643' the Governor of the Massachusetts received letters from Philip Bell, Esq., Governor of the Barbados, complaining of the distracted condition of that island, in regard of divers sects of Familists sprung up there, and their turbulent practices, which had forced him to proceed against some of them by banishment, and others of mean quality by whipping, &c.; earnestly desiring him to send them some godly ministers and other good people, that the island might be planted with men of better principles. The Governor imparted this letter to the Court, and to the ministers; but, considering what little good was like to be done upon persons led away with those notions, and what little encouragement there was like to be in such a Plantation as that was, none were forward to hearken to the motion, and answer was returned accordingly. It may appear by this intimation, that New England is not the only place that hath made use of the civil power to prevent the spreading of erroneous principles, that are like, otherwise, so much to disturb the civil peace. And it was on that account that they suffered under authority, and not for their opinions; for if men that have drunk in any erroneous principles, would also make use of so much prudence as not to publish them in a tumultuous manner, and to the reproach of the 1 About September.-H. religion and worship established in the place where they live, they would not have occasion to complain of the severity of the civil laws. About the year 1644 the Anabaptists increased much in the Massachusetts Colony of New England. Now because they had found, by sad experience, that those of that persuasion did also usually maintain the unlawfulness either of any civil magistrates, or that the exercising of their power in Sany§ matters of the first table was unlawful, they drew up an Order1 to banish those who did publicly oppose the truth in that point; which notwithstanding, divers that have questioned the lawfulness of baptizing infants, yet have lived in the country ever since, without any disturbance, and might continue so to do; but when men cannot be content to enjoy their own liberty of opinion, or soberly defend it, without reproaching the contrary practice of others, they do justly, in the account of all the civil governments that have been in the world, deserve to suffer; which is all that can be said of any in that place. There was one named Painter,2 that had lived at divers places in the Massachusetts, and at New Haven, and had been scandalous and burdensome to them all, by his idleness and troublesome behavior. This fellow, in the year 1644, was suddenly turned Anabaptist, and having a child born, would not suffer his wife to carry it to be baptized. He was complained of for this to the Court, and enjoined by them to suffer his child to be baptized, (which, it seems, his wife, a Christian woman, desired ;) but he still continuing, not only to refuse that, but also to reproach their baptism as Antichristian; he was for this afterwards brought to the Court, where he openly professed as much, and for the same, having nothing but his person to satisfy the law, he was sentenced to be whipped, and endured his punishment without any seeming sense of pain, through the obstinacy of his mind. He boastingly said, when it was over, that God had marvellously assisted him; whereupon two or three honest men, that were his neighbors, affirmed, before all the company, that he was of very loose behavior at home, given It may be seen in Hazard, i. 538. See pages 373 and 413.-H. • Thomas Painter, "a poor man of Hingham."-H. much to lying and idleness, &c. Nor was there any occasion for him, or any other in like case, to talk of God's assistance; for many notorious malefactors, and one about that time, at the Court had shewn the like silence, when their punishment was inflicted upon them. It may be that some others, that at that time came down from Providence and Rhode Island, and entering into the assemblies in some places in the Massachusetts, would in time of singing keep on their hats, as it were to brave it out with them, and so occasion disturbance, and breach of the peace; if any such have, by that means, been brought to suffer corporal punishment, they will certainly, in the account of all indifferent and prudent people, have cause to find no fault with any thing but their own obstinacy and folly. Mr. Roger Williams, of whom there is large mention before, having suffered not a little on this score, taking upon himself a kind of voluntary exile, did now take the opportunity of passing over into England, to promote some designs of his own, or of his friends about Providence; and did, in the year 1644, return again to New England, bringing with him a letter, under the hands of several honorable and worthy personages, (to whom he was either known before, or had now made himself known unto,) wherein they express their compassions toward him, which he might have found from his neighbors here, long before, if the way had not been obstructed by himself. The copy of the said letter, to prevent mistakes or misreports, here followeth. To the Right Worshipful the Governor and Assistants and the rest of our worthy friends in the Plantation of the Massachusetts Bay, [in New England.'] OUR MUCH HONORED FRIENDS. Taking notice (some of us of long time) of Mr. Roger Williams's good affections and conscience, and of his sufferings by our common enemy and oppressors of God's people, the prelates, as also of his great industry and travails in his printed Indian labors in your parts, (the like whereof we have not seen extant from any part of America,) and in which respect it hath pleased both Houses of Parliament [freely'] to grant unto him and friends with him, a free and absolute Charter of civil government for those parts of his abode: and withal sorrowfully resenting, that amongst good men (our friends) driven to the ends of the world, exercised with the trials of a wilderness, and who mutually give good testimony each of other, (as we observe you do of him, and he abundantly of you,) there should be such a distance; we thought it fit (upon divers considerations) to profess our great desires of both your utmost endeavors of nearer closing, and of ready expressing [of1] those good affections (which we perceive you bear each to other) in the actual performance of all friendly offices; the rather because of those bad neighbors you are like to find too near [unto'] you in Virginia, and the unfriendly visits from the West of England and from Ireland; that howsoever it may please the Most High to shake our foundations, yet the report of your peaceable and prosperous Plantations may be some refreshings to Your true and faithful friends, NORTHUMBERLAND, ROBERT HARLEY, JOHN GURDON, COR. HOLLAND, JOHN BLACKISTON,|| ISAAC PENNINGTON, MILES CORBET, Upon the receipt of the said letter the Governor and magistrates of the Massachusetts found, upon examination of their hearts, they saw no reason to condemn themselves for any former proceedings against Mr. Williams; but for any offices of Christian love, and duties of humanity, they were very willing to maintain a mutual correspondency with him. But as to his dangerous principles of Separation, unless he can be brought to lay themdown, they see no reason why to concede to him, or any so persuaded, free liberty of ingress and egress, lest any of their people should be drawn away with his erroneous opinions. Blacklistow | Inserted from Winthrop.-H. • Dated March 14, 1643. See it in Hazard, i. 538-40.-H. He had so much interest sometimes with the people of Rhode Island, as well as Providence, as to be chosen their Governor,' (whether before or since his obtaining the Charter, specified in the letter above, is not much material,) but, for the most part, he hath contented himself with a private and retired life; nor will his outward estate admit of any other; on which account he hath many times been an object of charity to divers persons of the Massachusetts, that way disposed. But as to the differing sorts of religion found at Rhode Island; those of the persuasion of the Quakers, as they have had great resort to the place of late years, so are they at present the prevailing party there, or lately were so. They have been strenuously opposed in their damnable opinions by Mr. Roger Williams, who, though himself had vented divers strange notions about Separation, yet, apprehending the danger of the Quakers' principles, which do overthrow the very fundamentals of Christian religion, he stoutly engaged with sundry of their chief leaders in a public dispute, since published by himself, Anno 1677.2 But forasmuch as it will be very difficult, in an historical way, to give a particular and distinct account of all the affairs of that Colony, without much reflection upon the persons, or relations yet surviving, of some that were much concerned therein, no more shall be added; only intimating the fear of their *righteous* neighbors round about them, that the Spanish saying of the English nation may not unfitly be applied to them of Rhode Island, “bona terra, mala gens. CHAP. XLIV. Ecclesiastical affairs, with other occurrences, at Pascataqua and the places adjacent. Contests between Mr. Cleeves and Mr. Vines about the bounds of Ligonia. MR. WHEELWRIGHT, as was declared before,3 being sentenced to depart out of the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts, was not so ill grounded in the truth as to be carried away with any dangerous errors of the Antinomian doctrine, therefore, refusing to go along with the He held the office from 1655 to 1657, being succeeded by Arnold.-H. See page 209.-H. See pp. 276, 280.-H. |