tor, the other with Mr. Dalton, the teacher of the church. They were managed with a great deal more passion on both sides, as some said, than reason, or discretion, which made it long before they were composed.

At a general court, March, 1645, two petitions were preferred, one for suspending (if not abolishing) a law made against Anabaptists, the former year, the other was for easing a law of like nature, made in Mrs. Hutchinson's time, forbidding the entertaining of any strangers, without license of two magistrates, which was not easily obtained in those days. Austin long since complained that the church in his time was overburdened with too many canons, and ceremonious impositions. Many christian states have as much reason to complain of too many laws, (unless they were better observed,) especially such as are made to obviate a particular evil, which ofttimes proves no small disadvantage to the general good.

It was always the apprehension of the wisest rulers in New England that it had been better for the country to have left more liberty in the hands of the magistrates, and not to have tied them up so strictly to the observation of particular laws, that many times are very prejudicial to honest men, which cannot well be helped, against laws, whilst they are in force. Some at this time were much afraid of the increase of Anabaptism, which, by a kind of antiperistasis, is observed the more to increase thereby; there being little observable in them, that make profession of that and other novel errours, but the glory of their suffering for something, that with this sort of people goes for truth.

This was the reason why the greater part prevailed for the strict observation of the foresaid laws, although peradventure, on some accounts, a little moderation, as to some particular cases, might have done very well, if not much better.

One Capt. Partridge arrived at Boston in October, 1645, who was observed in the ship, as he came, to have broached and zealously maintained several points of

familism and Antinomianism; for which he was called before the magistrates and charged with the said opinions, but he refused to give any answer. But before he departed he was willing to confer with Mr. Cotton, which accordingly he did, and Mr. Cotton reported to the magistrates that he found him corrupt in his judgment, but ignorant of those points which he had maintained, so as he perceived he had been but lately taken with them, and that upon argument he was come off from the most of them, and he had good hope to reclaim him wholly. But some of the magistrates requiring a present renouncing of all under his hand, he was unwilling to that before he were clearly convinced of his errour in them. It was moved by some that he might have liberty to tarry till the spring, because of the near approach of the winter; but the greater number in the court overruled, and voted the contrary, so as he was forced to depart before winter, and so he removed to Rhode Island. This strictness was offensive to some, and approved by others; and surely where there is hope of reducing any from the errour of his way, and from the snare of the Devil, the rule of love (besides that of hospitality to strangers) doth seem to require more moderation and indulgence toward human infirmity, where there appears not obstinacy against the clear truth.

This year twenty families (most of them of the church of Braintree) petitioned the court for liberty to begin a plantation where Gorton and his company had erected two or three houses at Showamet, some part of Pumham's land, but it was challenged by Mr. Brown of Plymouth, as belonging to their jurisdiction. This he did without any order, from their court or council, (as they declared afterward,) but only out of respect to some private end of his own. It might have been of some advantage to the interest of the English on the frontiers of the Narraganset country; but ofttimes regard to particular profit proves prejudicial to the general good. For if there had been a plantation erected there, by those of Braintree, it might have been as a bulwark against the

corruption in faith and manners prevailing in that part of New England, about Providence; but it is to be feared those parts of the country, like the miry places and marshes, spoken of in Ezek. xlvii. 11, are not as yet to be healed, but to be given to salt.

Many books coming out of England in the year 1645, some in defence of Anabaptism and other errours, and for liberty of conscience, as a shelter for a general toleration of all opinions, &c. others in maintenance of the Presbyterial government, (agreed upon by the assembly of divines at Westminster,) against the Congregational way, which was practised in New England, the ministers of the churches, through all the United Colonies, agreed upon a meeting at Cambridge, where they conferred their counsels, and examined the writings which some of them had prepared in answer to the said books, which, being agreed upon and perfected, were sent over into England to be printed, viz. Mr. Hooker's Survey in answer to Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Mather's, Mr. Allen's, and Mr. Shepard's discourses about the same subject; though all did not undergo the same destiny, habent enim sua fata libelli; for Mr. Hooker's book, which he had so elaborately penned, was lost in the New Haven ship, that perished about that time in the main ocean. The author did not long survive after it, nor could ever be persuaded to let another copy be sent over in his life time; but after his death a copy was sent over, (whether so perfect an one as the original shall not now be discussed,) and was printed in the year 1648, which put such a stop to the Presbyterial career, for the present, that it brought that cause to a stand, till the antagonista there took a time to rally up his broken arguments for the defence of that cause, in something an angry, not to say hasty and disorderly posture, to make good the Presbyterial platform, as sometimes Shammah did, with more manly force, the field of the Lentiles. Those of that persuasion that began to muster together in New England, in the year 1643, were at the first sight easily routed by an assembly that met together on that account in the year 1643.

September 19, 1644, two churches were appointed to be gathered, the one at Haverhill, the other at Andover, (both upon Merrimack river.) They had given notice thereof to the magistrates and ministers of the neighbouring churches, as the manner is with them in New England. The meeting of the assembly was to be at that time at Rowley, (the, forementioned plantations, being then but newly erected, were not capable to entertain them that were like to be gathered together on that occasion.) But when they were assembled, most of those who were to join together in church fellowship at that time refused to make the confession of their faith and repentance, because, as was said, they declared it openly before in other churches, upon their admission into them. Whereupon, the messengers of the churches not being satisfied, the assembly brake up, before they had accomplished what they intended. But in October, 1645, messengers of churches met together again on the same account, when such satisfaction was given, that Mr. John Ward was ordained pastor of the church of Haverhill, on the north side of the said Merrimack, and Mr. John Woodbridge was ordained pastor of the church of Andover, on the south side of the same.

On the 5th day of November following there was a church gathered at Reading, six miles to the west of Lynn, and Mr. Henry Green was ordained pastor thereof. Thus the people of New England having rest, their churches were multiplied and edified, walking in the fear of God and comfort of the Holy Ghost, as was said of old concerning the primitive times.

And at the general court in the year 1645 it was ordered, that divers farmers belonging to Ipswich and Salem, (but so far distant from either town that they could not duly repair to the publick worship there,) should erect a village, and have liberty to gather a church, This was much opposed by those of the town of Ipswich, pleading their interest in the land, &c. But it was answered, that when the land was granted to the towns it was not intended only for the benefit of the near inhabit

ants, or for the maintenance of the officers of that one church only, but of all the inhabitants, and of any other church which should be there gathered; and a principal motive which led the court to grant them, and other towns, such vast bounds was, that (when the towns should be increased by their children and servants, &c.) they might have place to erect villages, where they might be planted, and so the land come to be improved to the more common benefit.

Many years after, that village was raised to a township, and called Topsfield, and a church being there gathered, Mr. Thomas Gilbert was the first pastor that was ordained there, which was many years after.

A troublesome business fell out the same year at Hingham, which was the cause of much disturbance, both to the town and church there, the occasion of which was this: The captain's place being void in that town, they chose one Eames (that had been the lieutenant, with good approbation, seven or eight years) into that office, and presented him to the standing council, in the year 1644, to be established therein; but before it was accomplished the greater part of the town took some light occasion of offence against him, and chose one Allen into the place, and presented him to the magistrates to be allowed; but the magistrates considering the injury that would thereby accrue to Eames, that had been the chief commander so many years, and had deserved well in his place, and that Allen had no other skill but what he had learned of Eames, refused to confirm him, but willed both sides to return home, and every officer to keep his place, until the court should take further order. Upon this the party that stood for Allen endeavoured, with a kind of violence, to bring him into the place, and upon a training day (appointed by themselves) did by vote choose him thereunto, and he accepted thereof, and exercised the company two or three days, as their captain, only about a third part of them followed Eames, their lieutenant. the agitation of the business, when Allen was chosen to be captain, some had reported that authority had advised

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