sioned the war with the Pequod Indians, near adjoining to them, it is particularly described in the history thereof.

Soon after the setting up of these Plantations, the inhabitants being fully satisfied that they were all or most of them without the limits of the Massachusetts, (of which they had no small presumption before,) and therefore not belonging to their jurisdiction, they entered into a combination among themselves, and so became a body politic by mutual consent, and framed such laws and constitutions as were necessary for the foundation of a civil government; choosing some prudent and meet persons yearly to be both magistrates and representatives of the people in some General Assemby, empowering them as well to enact new orders as to put the former in execution, so far as was needful for the welfare of the people; which, possibly, was the occasion, that those of that Colony took a larger compass, as to their freemen, than the Massachusetts had done before them; not restraining the freedom of their civil government to the membership of their churches; for where a government is founded on the consent of the people, it will be necessitated to extend the favor of a civil freedom to many, who otherwise might be looked upon, [as] not so capable, at least, not so worthy, thereof.

2

In this way of government the Plantations of Connecticut continued until the year 1644, within which time George Fenwick, Esq., a worthy and pious gentleman, came over thither, and, in the behalf of sundry Lords and gentlemen, took up much land about the mouth of Connecticut River, and there began another Plantation, which was called Saybrook, in remembrance of those two noble Lords, the Lord Say and the Lord Brook, claiming the government and propriety of those places by virtue of a Patent, granted to the foresaid Lords and other gentlemen, and their associates, by the right honorable Robert, Earl of Warwick; although it is since known that there was a grant made, of lands containing sixty miles in length and breadth betwixt the River of Connecticut and the Narrhaganset country, to the Marquis Hamilton, by the

See this compact, dated Jan 14, 1638-9, in Trumbull, i. 498-502.-H. * See page 279.-H.

Grand Council of Plymouth, bearing date1 in the eleventh year of King Charles the First; but whether the Patent aforesaid, granted by the Earl of Warwick, were of a more ancient date, must be determined by them that have power assigned them for that end, seeing the heirs of the said Marquis still challenge an interest therein. But for the extent of the Patent, granted by the Earl of Warwick, it reaches unto, and takes in, "all that part of New England, in America, which lies and extends itself from a River, there called Narrhaganset River, the space of forty leagues upon a straight line, near the sea shore, towards the southwest, west and by south, or west, as the coast lieth, towards Virginia, accounting three English miles to the league; and also all and singular the lands and hereditaments whatsoever, lying and being within the lands aforesaid, north and south in latitude and breadth, and in length and longitude, of and within all the breadth aforesaid, throughout the main lands there, from the Western Ocean to the South Sea.2" &c.

December 5, 1644, they made their purchase of Mr. Fenwick. The troubles and unnatural wars breaking forth, and increasing in England, the good people of the Colony of Connecticut rested contented with what they had, and did not seek for a confirmation of their purchase of the then prevailing powers in England; but as soon as the times were changed, and our gracious King, Charles the Second, (whom God preserve,) was restored to the quiet possession of his crown and dignities, the General Court of that Colony saw reason to make their application to his Majesty, to procure a royal stamp and confirmation upon the former purchase, conquests, and improvements; and the design being of great importance, for the managing of it they improved their honorable Governor, John Winthrop, Esq., a man eminently qualified with all suitable endowments for such a service, and exceeding ready to spend and be spent in what would advance the public good. Upon their desires manifested in Court, May 16, 1661, he readily complied with the motion, and went for England, addressed himself to the

1 April 20, 1635, says Trumbull.—н.

See the Patent, in full, dated March 19, 1631, in Trumbull, i. 495–6.—H.

service, and God (who hath the hearts of Kings at his dispose) was graciously pleased to incline the heart of the King towards them, so as he was not unwilling to grant them a gracious Charter, and therein many great privileges, and a large tract of land, viz. all that part of his Majesty's dominions in New England, in America, bounded on the east by Narrogancit River, commonly called Narrogancit Bay, where the said river falleth into the sea, and on the line of the Massachusetts Plantation, and on the south by the sea, and in longitude as the line of the Massachusetts Colony, running from east to west, that is to say, from the said Narrogancit Bay on the east to the South Sea on the west part, with all the islands adjoining, &c., as by his Majesty's grant, dated in Westminister, the three and twentieth day of April, in the fourteenth year of his reign, will appear.1

Sometime after the Charter of the Colony of Connecticut came over, and the government was established according to the Charter. The Plantations of New Haven, (who began to settle soon after the Pequod War,2) being comprised within their Charter limits, (according to the desire of Connecticut, and the honorable William Leet, Esq., then Governor of New Haven, as by his letter to Governor Winthrop, then going for England, may appear,) did (soon after Colonel Nicols's arrival at New York, viz. in the year 1664,) conjoin themselves with the Colony of Connecticut, about the latter end of the year; and all the privileges of the Charter were confirmed upon them, and four of their honored magistrates, at the next Court of Election at Hartford, May 11, 1665, were by the freemen of the Colony chosen to be Assistants to the Governor, in the management of the government, according to the Charter.

May 10,3 1666, at a General Court held at Hartford, for the better government of the people of the Colony, and administration of justice, according as occasion should require, they divided the Colony into four Counties, viz. the County of Hartford, in which are these Plantations, Hartford, Windsor, Weathersfield, Farmington, Middle

1 See it in Hazard, ii. 597–605.-H.

3 May 11th, says Trumbull.-H.

In 1637-8.-H.

town, Simsbury, and Haddam, in which towns, except it be the two last, are churches already settled, in the two last also are preachers of the Gospel settled and now abiding there.

There is also the County of New London, in which are these towns, viz. New London, Saybrook, Norwich, Stonington, Kenilworth, and Lime, in which towns are churches settled, only the last hath not yet so far attained, although they have a reverend and able minister settled there.

There is also the County of New Haven, in which are these towns, viz. New Haven, Milford, Guilford, Brandford, Wallingford, and Derby, in which towns, except the two last, are churches already gathered and settled: in the two last are ministers of the Gospel settled, and Wallingford are preparing for gathering themselves into a church fellowship and lastly,

There is also the County of Fairfield, in which are these towns, viz. Fairfield, Stratford, Norwalk, Standford, Greenwich, Rye, and Woodbury, in which are churches already gathered, except in the three last; and there is a church settling in the last of the said three, and had been upon the place, but the fury of the last war prevented their settlement for the present.

In each County are two County Courts annually to be held at the County-towns, where justice, for the ease of the people within the County, is to be administered by the persons appointed, and commissionated to that work, by the General Court yearly.

In the Narrhoganset Country there is a town called Wickford, who were to have recourse to New London for justice, but the fury of the Indian war, 1675, hath demolished that place; yet now it is again beginning to be inhabited.

By what hath been said in the premises it doth appear, that the foresaid Colony of Connecticut hath had experience of a double settlement, the first by combination and consent among themselves, the other, by right of a royal Charter or Patent from the King; in both which the

constitution of the civil government hath in some things always differed from that of the Massachusetts, as was hinted before, especially in reference to the persons betrusted with the choice of their Governor and magistrates, who are not determined by church membership, as in the other Colony, but by some other qualification.

But as to their ecclesiastical affairs in that Colony, it is to be noted that the two principal towns, viz. Hartford and Windsor, were peopled with such as were settled in their church state before their removal thither, conformable in all things to the churches in the Massachusetts; and so lived in great peace together all the days of Mr. Hooker, for about eleven years space; although at Weathersfield the case was much otherwise ; for there was scarce men enough removed thither to constitute a church; neither were they supplied with a minister before they removed, and he whom they called to that function among them, after their removal, was not so happy in his conduct, or in his colleague, (who bore the ruling elder's place,) as to maintain the place in any tolerable degree of unity and peace, insomuch that they were looked upon as a people, by a kind of fatal necessity, destined to contention for many years after, Whether there were any indirect means used in a kind of surreptitious seizure of the land, (which made the Plantation,) that of right belonged to their neighbors of Hartford, as some have said, or any other secret occurrence, they were not so blessed in the enjoyment of it, as was to be desired for it might have been said, not only (as they about Jericho said to Elisha) that the situation was pleasant, and the land also very fertile, but for want of agreement amongst themselves they had not much comfort therein, for a long time after. For about the year 1639 it was found, not only that the church was divided, but that the rent grew greater, notwithstanding the great pains which had been taken for the healing thereof and the church was not only divided from the rest of the town, but of those seven, which made the church, four fell off, so as it was conceived that thereby the church