Mr. Thomas Gorges, a kinsman to Sir Ferdinando, a young gentleman of the Inns of Court. He was sober and well disposed, and careful, in the prosecution of his charge, (which was to govern the Province of Maine, or New Somersetshire,) to take advice of the magistrates in the Bay how to manage his affairs. When he came to Agamenticus he found all out of order, both as to the personal, as well as political, state of that Province. For, as to the state of the proprietor, (whatever vast sum of expense was then or is since pretended,) it was all embezzled, with all the household stuff, save an old pot, and a pair of cob-irons and tongs, as the gentleman himself did express to a friend at his return. And as for the government, Mr. Burdet that ruled, or rather misruled, all, had let loose the reins to his lust, so as he was grown very notorious for his pride and adultery; taking no notice of any law, unless that which might be improved to establish iniquity. But the neighbors now finding that Mr. Gorges was well inclined to reform things, they complained of him, and produced such foul matters against him, that he was laid hold on, and bound to appear at their Court at Saco. But he had dealt so with some other of the commissioners, such as Mr. Vines, the former agent, and two more, that when the Court came, they there stood for him; but Mr. Gorges having the greater part on his side, and the jury finding him guilty of adultery, with much labor and difficulty he was laid under a fine of £30. He appealed unto England, but Mr. Gorges would not admit of any appeal, but seized some of his cattle. Upon this Mr. Burdet went into England, but when he came there he found the state of things so changed, as his hopes were soon blasted; for, falling in with one party, he was taken by the other, and committed to prison, where we shall leave him, not having any occasion to call for him again in the pursuit of this history. The upper part of Pascataqua, all this time, passed under such a vicissitude of changes, as § if § it were designed 1 His Commission, dated March 10, 1639-40, (in which Sir Ferdinando styles him "Cousin,") may be seen in Sullivan's Maine, pp. 413-17.-H. From the proceedings of the Court, Sept. 8, 1640, (in Maine Hist. Coll. 1. 271-2.) it appears that Burdet, on three several charges, was fined, for the first £10, for the second £20, and for the third £10.-H. 2 to become a stage of great disturbance and trouble; for, being cleared of Mr. Burdet, by his removal to Agamenticus, it was soon after ridden by another churchman, who, though he pretended to more of sobriety and religion, yet was not of much better conduct. His name was Larkham; one that had been a minister at Northam, near Barnstable, in England, and coming to New England, but not favoring their discipline, he removed to this part of Pascataqua, and being of good parts, and gifted to speak well in a pulpit, the people of Dover were much taken with him, and not being able to maintain two ministers, they resolved to cast off Mr. Knollis and embrace Mr. Larkham; whereupon Mr. Knollis, making a virtue of necessity, for the present gave place. And the other, soon after he was chosen, discovered himself by receiving into the church all that offered themselves, though never so notoriously scandalous and ignorant, so they would promise amendment; and, soon after, fell into contention with the people, taking upon him to rule all, even the magistrates themselves, (such as they were,) so as there soon grew very sharp contention between him and Mr. Knollis, who either yet retained, or else, on that occasion, reassumed, his pastoral office; whereupon they were neither able quietly to divide into two churches, nor peaceably live together in one; the more religious sort still adhering to Mr. Knollis, the first pastor. At the last, the contention proceeded so far that Mr. Knollis and his company, without any more ado, excommunicated Mr. Larkham, in the name if not of the major part, yet of the melior part. And he again laid violent hands on Mr. Knollis, and taking the hat from his head, pretending it was not paid for; but he was so civil as to send it him again. In this heat it began to grow to a tumult, and some of the magistrates joined with Mr. Larkham, and assembled a company to fetch Captain Underhill, (another of their magistrates and their Captain,) to their Court. And he also gathered some of the neighbors together, to defend themselves, and see the peace kept; so they marched forth towards Mr. Larkham, one car 1 Rev. Thomas Larkham, a Native of Lyme, in Dorsetshire.-H. About 1640. Farmer.-H. rying a bible on an halbert|| for an ensign, and Mr. Knollis with them, armed with a pistol. When Mr. Larkham saw them thus provided, they of his part proceeded no further, but sent down to Mr. Williams, Governor of that called Strawberry Bank, towards the mouth of the river, who came up with a company of armed men, and beset Mr. Knollis's house, where then Captain Underhill was, and kept a guard upon him night and day, till they had opportunity to call a Court; and when that was assembled, Mr. Williams sitting as judge, they found Captain Underhill and his company guilty of a riot, and set great fines upon them, ordering him and some others to depart out of the Plantation. The cause of this eager prosecution was, because Captain Underhill had procured a good part of the inhabitants to offer themselves again to the government of the Massachusetts; and being then prosecuted, they sent a petition to them for aid. The Governor and Council considered of their petition, and gave a commission to Mr. Bradstreet, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Dalton,' to go thither and endeavor to reconcile them, and if they could not, then to inquire how things stood, and certify them in the Bay, &c. They met accordingly, and finding both sides to be in the fault, they at the length brought matters to a peaceable end; so as Mr. Larkham was released of his excommunication, and Captain Underhill and the rest from their censures; and, by reason of these agitations, Mr. Knollis was discovered to be tardy in the same guilt with others of the Antinomian sect, viz. to have solicited the chastity of two maids, his servants, and to have used wanton dalliance with them; which he acknowledged before the church there, and so, being dismissed, he removed from Pascataqua. This sin of his was the more notorious, in that it was first discovered the same night after he had been exhorting the people, by reason and Scripture, to proceed against Captain Underhill for his adultery. So apt are men to be blinded in their own case, and forbid others to steal, while themselves are committing sacrilege. This example, added to the former, makes it the more observable, that God doth many times justly give up those, || one an halbert || ' Rev. Timothy Dalton.-H. that cry down any evidence by sanctification, to such filthy ways, that they should find no sanctification in themselves, to evidence a justified estate by. The two ministers employed in this service, with another' they took along with them, (intended for the minister of Agamenticus,) in going from Pascataqua to Agamenticus, within but six miles distant from the other,) lost their way, and wandered two days and one night, without food or fire, in the snow and wet. But God heard their prayers, wherein they earnestly pressed him for the honor of his great name; but when they were even quite spent he brought them to the sea side, near the place whither they were bound. The next year after, Mr. Larkham suddenly departed from his place at Dover, against his own promise, as well as the persuasion of his people, (for every heart knows best its own grief and guilt,) to prevent the shame of a scandalous evil, (of like nature with that forementioned of Mr. Knollis,) which otherwise would unavoidably have fallen upon him, in the mean time leaving the people to provide for themselves as well as they could for a supply, which not long after they obtained, by one Mr. Maud," whom they enjoyed many years for their minister, who was a good man, and of a serious spirit, and of a peaceable and quiet disposition. He continued with them to his death; after whom they procured Mr. Reynor, from Plymouth. About the year 1654 he was called to the pastoral office at Dover, which he discharged with good satisfaction and faithfulness all his days. About this time the people of the lower part of Pascataqua, toward the mouth of the river, having invited Mr. James Parker, of Weymouth, well esteemed of for godliness and scholarship, obtained him for a winter, in the year 1642; in which time he gave such proof of his ministry, that they earnestly desired that he might be settled as a minister amongst them, and signified so much to the magistrates and ministers of the Bay, under forty of their hands; but he, having a call to remove elsewhere, 2 1612.-H. Rev. John Ward, afterwards of Haverhill. Sav. Win. ii. 29.-H. Rev. Daniel Maude, of whom see Young's Chronicles Rev. John Rayner, (or Reyner,) minister of the first church in Plymouth from 1636 to 1654.-H. 'December, 1642.-H. of Mass., p. 449.-H. either for want of due encouragement, or suitable endeavors of the people, they were destitute of a settled minister for many years after. But the light of the Gospel, by the ministry thereof, did then begin to dawn, which afterwards did arise with more brightness and power upon them. In September, 1641, Captain Underhill not able longer to subsist at Pascataqua, upon the occasions forementioned, and being reconciled to the Court of the Massachusetts, and church of Boston, returned thither with his family to seek some way of subsistence; where, having no employment that would maintain him, and having good offers made him by the Dutch Governor, (he speaking the Dutch tongue very well, and his wife a Dutch woman,) he removed thither. The church of Boston furnished him out, and provided a pinnace to transport him; advising him rather to settle at Stamford, where was a town of the English, and in church estate, and near the Dutch; to the which he hearkened at first.' The people there offered him employment and maintenance, according to their ability; but, upon one account or other, he changed his mind afterward and went to the Dutch, who gave him good encouragement, having at that time great need of him, by reason of their war with the Indians, wherein he did them good service, having, with one hundred and twenty men, Dutch and English, killed one hundred and fifty Indians on Long Island, and three hundred on the main land.3 2 4 Mr. Wheelwright afterwards, in the year 1643, had removed from Exeter to Wells, near Cape Porpoise, where he was pastor of a church; but being sensible of the great inconveniency he was in, while excluded from the society of the ministers, as well as other friends, by the sentence of banishment, which he still continued under, he wrote a letter to the Governor at Boston, entreating the favor of the Court that he might have leave to come. into the Bay, upon some special occasions, which was 1 May 1642. He represented Stamford in the General Court, held at This was while he was at Stamford. Ibid; Trumbull, i. 140.-H. VOL. VI. SECOND SERIES. 6 |