1

ing all met together, they fell close upon the business' of their commission, or the matter principally, (as was supposed,) intended with the Massachusetts. They therefore took the first opportunity to communicate their instructions to the general court, concerning such things as they had order, by their commission, to inquire into. The court complained, that they were acquainted with their instructions by piecemeal and not all at once, by which means they might have taken a view of them together, and so have been in a better capacity to have re1 turned an answer to more satisfaction; but being necessitated to attend the order, in which the commissioners intended to proceed, they at last complied. There was a pretty large debate betwixt them, and the general court were very slow to grant what was proposed in the subjecting of the power of the country to a court of appeals, wherein things were to be issued by the power of the commissioners without any jury.

At the last, to put the matter to a final conclusion, the commissioners resolved to sit as a court of appeals, and took notice of two cases, one criminal, the other a civil action, to answer unto which they summoned the governour and company of the Massachusetts; who, upon serious consideration, chose rather to commit themselves and their affairs to his majesty's judgment, than to attend such a commission of appeals, or of oyer and terminer. Some that were the more cordial asserters of the royal interest in the Massachusetts, wished that some other cases had fallen under their cognizance, than those that were pitched upon, which it is thought best not to mention, either the particulars or the circumstances of them, lest it should any ways reflect upon the honour of their persons or their commission, especially since there is none of them now left behind to return an answer in any thing, by way of defence, or to shew the ground of their proceedings.

Offence was taken at the order of the general court, in declaring their purpose not to attend the summons of the commissioners by sound of a trumpet. But many in the general court apprehended that such a concern ought

to be done in that way, which would make their intention the more publick, for preventing any confusion that else might have happened. Immediately hereupon, scil. May 24, 1665, the commissioners declared they would treat no more with the 'court, that would not own their authority and power of determining matters of difference, whether civil or criminal, without a jury. And soon after, they took their leave of Boston, and repaired, Col. Nichols to the government of New York, and the other three to the eastward, beyond and about the parts of Pascataqua river, where they summoned the people together, many of whom made show of a desire to be taken into his majesty's government; the advantage of which, above any another, was laid before them by the three commissioners then present. Now it must be minded, that as to the Province of Maine, there were two sorts that pretended a right to the government thereof: one that derived their power from Sir Ferdinando Gorges' title, the other derived theirs from the general court of the Massachusetts. For about this time, or not long before, an agent, sent from Sir Ferdinando Gorges' heir, had put the people of Yorkshire, or Province of Maine, into some distractions, by pretending to exercise government there, upon the account of the patent of the Province of Maine, whereupon the general court of the Massachusetts declared their purpose still to exert their authority over that part of the country, requiring the inhabitants to continue their obedience thereunto; intimating also their intent to give an account to his majesty of the reasons why they so do, by presenting some kind of map of the bounds of their northern line.

But the commissioners passed an act to enervate the claim of both parties, having first received a petition from sundry of the inhabitants to his majesty, and supposing the desire of the petitioners was to be taken into his majesty's government and protection, they did accordingly receive them, and appointed several persons for justices of the peace in the said Province of Maine, viz. Capt. Champernoon, Mr. Joseline, Mr. Ryshworth, of York, and Mr. Robert Cutts, of Kittery, and some

others, eleven in all, giving power and authority to any three of them, or more, to meet together, as other magistrates formerly used to do, and to hear and determine all ⚫ causes, civil or criminal, and order all affairs of the said province for the peace and safety thereof, according to the laws of England, as near as may be; and this to be donc until his majesty appoint another government: forbidding as well Gorges' commissioners, as the corporation of the Massachusetts, to exercise any further power of government there, by virtue of their pretended rights, till his majesty's pleasure were further known. This was done in the June or July, in the year 1665.

After the settling of these things in this sort, in the Province of Maine, the commissioners proceeded further eastward, where they reduced things to as good order as they could, taking care to prevent any quarrel betwixt the Indians in those parts, (who it seems in those times gave some occasion of jealousy,) and the English, directing what course should be taken for redress, if any injury were offered on either side, before they should do any acts of hostility one against another. It had been well for those parts if these ways had been attended, which were by them prescribed, for then might much of the mischief have been prevented, which fell out in the years following; of which more is said in the following narrative, which hereunto may be annexed.

After things were thus ordered by those commissioners, they returned back towards the Massachusetts, preparing two of them to ship themselves for England, Sir Robert Carr and Col. Cartwright; but it seems one of them, viz. Sir Robert Carr, was arrested with a sickness as soon as ever he was landed in England, which in a few days put a period to his life, as well as his commission, and called him to give an account thereof before an higher tribunal. The other, viz. Col. Cartwright, had taken exact account of all the transactions that had passed here under his cognizance; but falling into the hands of the Dutch he hardly escaped with his life, losing all his papers and writings. From them, likewise, he met with pretty harsh and coarse usage, they putting a gag into

his mouth, which, (it is said,) he threatened to some in New England that pleased him not, in some of his ad. ministrations; and losing his writings no doubt was prevented of the exactness of his account of things here, upon his return, which depended now only upon the strength of his memory, whereby some trouble possibly also was saved, which might have fallen out, in reference to some of the plantations in New England. And probably the war that immediately before broke out between the English and the Dutch, and was not yet ended, turned aside some other designs, which some had thought upon for the ordering those plantations, which hath of late fallen under debate upon another occasion, of which the series of the history will call to speak more afterwards.

Things being left in this sort in the plantations about Pascataqua, those of the Province of Maine remained in the state wherein they were left by those three commissioners for two or three years; but for the plantations on the south side of Pascataqua, viz. Portsmouth, Dover, and Exeter, some of their inhabitants, soon after they, i. e. the commissioners, left the country, addressed them. selves to the Massachusetts' court for an opportunity to clear some aspersions cast on that government they were settled under before. Whereupon three or four gentlemen were sent by the general court with commission to act somethingfor the settling the peace of those places; who, assembling the people of Portsmouth and Dover togeth er, told them, that whereas some had petitioned against the Bay government, if any such grievance were made known they would acquaint the court, and so redress might be had. But instead of that, about thirty of the inhabitants of Dover, by a petition to the general court, desired the continuance of their government over them. To the same purpose did about the like number of of Portsmouth petition about October following, whereby they cleared themselves from having any hand in such petitions, as complained of their government as an usurpation. The like was done from some of Exeter. Some other petitions had been in like manner presented to the commissioners from about the parts of Providence and

Warwick against the Massachusetts, as namely, by Samuel Gorton and his complices, wherein were many strange allegations, but very far from truth; a thing little minded by the said Gorton, to which reply was made by the court to vindicate their proceedings.

This year the general court of the Massachusetts voted to send a present, to the value of 500 pounds, for accommodation of his majesty's navy, which was gracious. ly accepted, as was said.

CHAP. LXVII.

Ecclesiastical affairs in New England, from the year

1661 to 1666.

In the beginning of this lustre, some questions were raised amongst the churches and people of the Massa. chusetts; one was about the extent of baptism, viz. whether the children of some parents might not be admitted to baptism, though they themselves were never yet admitted to full communion with the church, at the Lord's table; about which case, the country was strange. ly divided. The other was about the extent of communion, that ought to be between particular churches that are seated together, and live under the same civil government. For the discussing of both these questions, the general court of the Massachusetts, in their second session in the year 1661, did order and desire, that the churches within their jurisdiction would send their elders and messengers of the said churches, to meet at Boston the next spring, to determine those practical points of difference about church discipline. The elders and messengers of the said churches did assemble accord. ingly, in the year 1662, and delivered their determination to the court, who ordered the result of the said synod to be forthwith printed, and commended the practice thereof to all the churches in their jurisdiction.

An answer of the ministers, and other messengers of the churches, assembled at Boston, in the year 1662, to the questions propounded to them by order of the general court.

Question 1. Who are the subjects of baptism?