Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

er was revived. The mouth of the Merrimac was also CHAPTER occupied, and a town established there called Newbury,

IX.

of which Richard Dummer was a principal founder. 1635. Some of the new comers of the last year had removed to Agawam, which they called Ipswich, and a church had been gathered there, of which Nathaniel Ward was chosen teacher. The famous Norton, afterward minister of Boston, who arrived in New England toward the close of the present year, was soon after settled at Ipswich as Ward's colleague. Another body of new comers established themselves, and gathered a church at Wissagusset, to which they gave the name of Weymouth. Near by, at Hingham, was another new plantation. A settlement was also begun at Marblehead. It was no easy matter for the now numerous emigrants to find convenient situations. Unwooded meadows, affording hay and pasturage for cattle, were chiefly sought for. As the best points on the coast were already taken up, some of the new comers ventured inland, and Dedham and Concord, the first interior towns, began now to be settled. An important law, enacted the next year, prohibited the erection of dwelling-houses in any new town, at a greater distance than half a mile from the meeting-house. Lands were seldom granted to individuals, but only to companies associated together for settling a plantation. New England settlements were thus made villages, differing, in that respect, from those of Virginia, whence resulted a concentrated population and a co-operative energy, not without important social results. As these regulations had chiefly in view the religious organization of the settlers, care was taken to strengthen the theocracy by forbidding any but church members to vote in town affairs.

The

The Council for New England, before making a for

IX.

The

CHAPTER mal surrender of their patent, had divided their whole territory into twelve portions or provinces, assigned to 1635. eight principal members, to whom the king was requested to issue proprietary charters, like that granted to Lord Baltimore. The Earl of Sterling had for his share the district from St. Croix to Pemaquid Point; but this region, like the adjoining province of Nova Scotia, was claimed by the French as a part of Acadie. Long Island, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard were also assigned to the Earl of Sterling. Gorges had two provinces, including his portion of the old grant of Laconia, extending from the Kennebec to the Piscataqua. Mason retained his province of New Hampshire. district west of Narraganset Bay was assigned to the Marquis of Hamilton. It is not necessary to enumerate the other provinces, as no claim to them was ever set up under this division. It was arranged that Gorges should go to New England as governor general, supported by a force of a hundred and twenty men, ten to be contributed for each province. The vessel he was to go in broke in launching; and this accident, which prevented his departure, was regarded in Massachusetts as a special Providence. Yet the news from England still continued alarming. Mason, who claimed by prior grant a part of the Massachusetts territory, had caused a process of Quo Warranto to be commenced against the charter. Winslow had gone to England on behalf of the colony of Plym outh, to solicit a commission to withstand the intrusions of the French and Dutch-a proceeding esteemed in Massachusetts "ill-advised, and dangerous to the liberty of the colonies, tending to establish the precedent of doing nothing but by commission out of England." Nor was it attended with any success; for Winslow was seized in the midst of his negotiations on complaint of

IX.

Morton, and detained in prison for upward of four months, CHAPTER on the charge of having presumed, being á layman, to teach in the church at Plymouth, and to perform the 1635.. marriage ceremony.

The French, meanwhile, continued their encroachments. Razzillai, governor of Acadie for the Company of New France, sent an armed ship to Penobscot, and took possession of the Plymouth trading house there. Bills on France were given for the goods, and the men were sent home with a message that the French claimed to Pemaquid Point, and intended to "displant" all the English who might settle beyond that limit.

Roused

by this new aggression, the people of Plymouth, without August. waiting for any commission from England, attempted to recover their trading house by force. They hired one ship for the expedition, and sent another smaller one of their own. But the French were strongly posted; the two ships spent all their powder, and the smaller one came back for supply and re-enforcement. The Massachusetts General Court were applied to for assistance, Sept. and they offered to give it if Plymouth would pay the expense. But the Plymouth commissioners insisted that this was "a common cause of the whole country." Upon this difference the expedition fell through, and the French remained in possession of Penobscot, which they continued to hold for many years.

The same court at which Plymouth had applied for aid against the French was much occupied with the case of Roger Williams, whom, notwithstanding his heresies lately promulgated, the Salem church had presumed to elect as their pastor, in place of Skelton, lately deceased. Williams had been summoned, in consequence, before the July. Court of Assistants, and divers of his opinions-his doctrine, in particular, "that the magistrate ought not to

IX.

CHAPTER punish breaches of the first table"-that is, ought not to enforce religious opinions and observances by law-had 1635. been adjudged "erroneous and very dangerous," and the calling him to office at Salem "a great contempt of authority." As a further token of displeasure, the petition of Salem for the grant of a piece of land, claimed as appertaining to that town, was refused. Instead of quietly submitting to this refusal, Williams and the Salem church addressed a letter to the other churches, calling on them to exercise church discipline upon magistrates who had consented to such a piece of injustice. This letter the magistrates denounced as seditious; they denied any accountability in their political character to the particular churches to which they belonged; they claimed, rather, at least in conjunction with the deputies and the elders, a controlling power over each particular church.

Sept.

Oct.

When the General Court met, Endicott "made a protestation," justifying the offensive letter, for which he was committed. But he acknowledged his error the same day, and was discharged. The Salem deputies were refused seats in the court, and were sent home "to bring satisfaction for that letter," or else "the arguments and names" of those who would defend it. The church at Salem began to falter; but Williams, nothing daunted, declared his intention, if they would not separate from "the anti-Christian churches in the bay," to separate from them. This threat of schism filled up the measure of his offenses. At an adjourned session of the General Court he was again "convented"-all the ministers in the bay being present-and charged with the said two letters. He justified both, and maintained all his opinions. Being offered further conference, and a month to prepare for it, he chose to dispute on the spot. Hooker was appointed to dispute with him, but could not reduce

him from any of his errors.

So the next morning the CHAPTER

IX.

court sentenced him to depart out of the jurisdiction within six weeks, all the ministers, save one, approving 1635. the sentence. Who the dissentient was does not appear. As winter was so close at hand, the banished Williams obtained leave to remain till spring. Being called in question by his own frightened church, he renounced their communion, and held a separate assembly of a few faithful adherents at his own house. He even refused to allow his wife to join him in any acts of worship because she adhered to the Salem church.

Pending these proceedings, three commissioners arrived at Boston on behalf of the lords proprietors of Connecticut. They were John Winthrop the younger, on his return from a visit to England; his father-in-law, Hugh Peters, lately minister of an English refugee congregation at the Hague; and Henry Vane, a young man of twentythree, son of one of the king's principal ministers, but himself an ardent and enthusiastic Puritan. These commissioners brought instructions to take possession of the mouth of Connecticut River, and to fortify it; for which purpose they were furnished with the necessary means. Already, before their arrival, an extensive scheme of emigration had been matured in Massachusetts. Haynes, the governor, Hooker and Stone, ministers of Newtown, and Warham, minister of Dorchester, with almost the entire churches of those two towns, had resolved to transfer themselves, with their town and church organizations, to the banks of the Connecticut. It was agreed with the commissioners that, in case the lords proprietors of Connecticut should remove to New England, room should be found for them on the river; the Massachusetts emigrants to sell out, and, if necessary, to seek some other place.

Several families from Newtown, with others from Dor

Oct.

« ПредишнаНапред »