the English, nor other Nations had any thing to do, but only Indians, the true natives, of whom we bought a parcell of land called Shaw-omet (as is abovesaid) not only of Myantonomy, chiefe Sachim, or prince of those parts of the Country; but also with the free consent of the Inhabitants of the place. . . [Samuel Gorton], Simplicities Defence against Seven-Headed Policy (London, 1646), 2–9 passim. REESE LI UNIVERS 114. Objections to the New Charter (1651) BY WILLIAM ARNOLD OF TH CALIFORN Arnold represents the opposition to Williams; he was one of the residents of Pawtuxet, who were trying to get under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. - Bibliography: Samuel G. Arnold, History of Rhode Island, I, 237-239; Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, III, 376-380; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 120. I THOUGHT it my dutie to give intelligence unto the much honoured court of that which I understand is now working here in these partes. So that if it be the will of God, an evill may be prevented before it come to too greate a head, viz. Whereas Mr. Coddington have gotten a charter of Roade Iland and Conimacucke Iland to himselfe, he have thereby broken the force of their charter that went under the name of Providence, because he have gotten away the greater parte of that colonie. Now these company of the Gortonists that live at Showomut, and that company of Providence are gathering of 200. to send Mr. Roger Williams unto the Parlyament to get them a charter of these partes, they of Showomut have given 100£. already, and there be some men of Providence that have given 10£. and 20£. a man to helpe it forward with speede, they say heere is a faire inlett, and I heare they have said, that if the Parlyament doe take displeasure against Massachusitt, or the rest of the colonies, as they have done against Barbadas and other places, then this will serve for an inroade to lett in forces to over-runne the whole country. It is greate petie and very unfitt that such a company as these are, they all stand professed enemies against all the united colonies, that they should get a charter for so smale a quantity of land as lyeth in and about Providence, Showomut, Pautuxit and Coicett, all which now Roade Iland is taken out from it, it is but a strape of land lying in betweene the colonies of Massachusits, Plymouth and Conitaquot, by which meanes, if they should get them a charter, off it there may come some mischiefe and trouble upon the whole country if their project be not prevented in time, for under the pretence of liberty of conscience about these partes there comes to lieve all the scume the runne awayes of the country, which in tyme for want of better order may bring a heavy burthen upon the land, &c. This I humbly commend unto the serious consideration of the much honored court, and rest your humble servant to command. William Arnold. They are making hast to send Mr. Williams away. We that lieve heere neere them and doe know the place and hear their wordes and doe take notice of their proceeding doe know more and can speake more of what evill may come to the country by their meanes, then the court do yet consider off: We humblie desire God their purpose may be frusterated for the country's peace. I humblie desire my name may be conceled lest they hearing of what I have herein written they will be enraged against me and so will revenge themselves upon me. Some of them of Showomut that cryeth out much against them which putteth people to death for witches; for say they there be no other witches upon earth nor devils, but your own pastors and ministers and such as they are, &c. . . . Thomas Hutchinson, A Collection of Original Papers Relative to the History of the Colony of Massachusets-Bay (Boston, 1769), 237–238. 115. Toleration in Rhode Island (1670) BY REVEREND ROGER WILLIAMS Roger Williams was distinguished as a divine, as the founder of Providence, as one of the Antinomians, and as the apostle of religious liberty in New England. He wrote much and well, in his own crabbed style. - Bibliography: Narragansett Club, Publications, I, Introduction; Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, III, 368384; Edward Eggleston, Beginners of a Nation, 307–314; J. A. Doyle, English in America, Puritan Colonies, I, chs. vi, viii; Channing and Hart, Guide, §§ 120, 124. See No. 108 above. Providence, 22 June, 1670, (Ut Vulgo.) Y honoured deare and antient friend. My due respects and earnest desires to God for your eternall peace, &c. MY I crave your leave and patience to present you with some few con siderations occasioned by the late transactions between your colony and ours. The last yeare you were pleased, in one of your lines to me, to tell me that you longed to see my face once more before you died: I embraced your love, though I feared my old lame bones, and yours, had arrested travelling in this world, and therefore I was and am ready to lay hold on all occasions of writing as I do at present. The occasion I confesse is sorrowful, because I see yourselves, with others, embarqued in a resolution to invade and despoil your poor countrimen, in a wildernes, and your antient friends of our temporal and soul liberties. . . . Sir I am not out of hopes but that while your aged eyes and mine are yet in their orbes, and not yet sunck doune into their holes of rottennes, we shall leave our friends and countrimen, our children and relations and this land in peace behind us. To this end Sir please you with a calme and steadie and a christian hand, to hold the ballance and to weigh these few considerations in much love and due respect presented. First, when I was unkindly and unchristianly, as I believe, driven from my house and land and wife and children (in the midst of NewEngland winter, now about 35 yeaors past) at Salem, that ever honoured Governour Mr. Winthrop privately wrote to me to steer my course to Nahigonset-Bay and Indians for many high and heavenly and publike ends, incouraging me from the freenes of the place from any English claims or pattents. I took his prudent motion as an hint and voice from God and waving all other thoughts and motions, I steered my course from Salem (though in winter snow which I feel yet) unto these parts, wherein I may say Peniel, that is, I have seene the face of God. 2. I first pitch't, and begun to build and plant at Secunk, now Rehoboth, but I received a letter from my antient friend Mr. Winslow, then Governour of Plymmouth, professing his oune and others love and respect to me, yet lovingly advising me, since I was fallen into the edge of their bounds and they were loth to displease the Bay, to remove but to the other side of the water and then he said I had the country free before me and might be as free as themselves and wee should be loving neighbour's togeather. These were the joynt understandings of these two eminently wise and christian Governours and others, in their day, togeather with their councell and advice as to the freedome and vacancie of this place, which in this respect and many other Providences of the most holy and only wise, I called Providence. 3. Sometime after Plymmouth great Sachim (Ousamaquin) upon occasion affirming that Providence was his land and therefore Plymmouth's land and some resenting it, the then prudent and godly Governour Mr. Bradford and others of his godly councell, answered that if after due examination it should be found true what the barbarian said, yet having, to my loss of a harvest that yeare, been now (though by their gentle advice) as good as banished from Plymmouth as from the Massachusetts; and I had quietly and patiently departed from them, at their motion, to the place where now I was, I should not be molested and tost up and down againe while they had breath in their bodies; and surely betweene those my friends of the Bay and Plymmouth, I was sorely tost for one fourteen weekes, in a bitter winter season, not knowing what bread or bed did meane; beside the yearly losse of no small matter in my trading with English and natives, being debarred from Boston, the chiefe mart and port of New England. God knows that many thousand pounds cannot repay the very temporary losses I have sustained. It lies upon the Massachusetts and me, yea and other colonies joining with them to examine, with feare and trembling before the eyes of flaming fire, the true cause of all my sorrows and sufferings. It pleased the Father of spirits to touch many hearts, dear to him, with some relentings; amongst which that great and pious soule Mr. Winslow melted, and kindly visited me at Providence and put a piece of gold into the hands of my wife for our supply. 4. When the next yeare after my banishment the Lord drew the bow of the Pequot warr against the country, in which, Sir, the Lord made yourselfe, with others, a blessed instrument of peace to all New England. I had my share of service to the whole land in that Pequot busines, inferiour to very few that acted, . . . 5 Consid. Upon frequent exceptions against Providence men that we had no authoritie for civil government, I went purposely to England and upon my report and petition, the Parliament granted us a charter of government for these parts, so judged vacant on all hands. And upon this the country about us was more friendly, and wrote to us and treated us as an authorised colony; only the differences of our consciences much obstructed. The bounds of this our first charter I (having ocular knowledge of persons, places and transactions) did honestly and conscientiously, as in the holy presence of God, draw up from Pawcatuck river, which I then believed and still doe is free from all English claims and conquests. .. 6. Some time after the Pequt war and our charter from the Parliament, the government of Massachusetts wrote to myselfe (then chief officer in this Colony) of their receaving of a pattent from the Parliament for these vacant lands, as an addition to the Massachusetts, &c. and thereupon requiring me to exercise no more authorite, &c. for, they wrote, their charter was granted some few weeks before ours. I returned what I beleived righteous and waighty to the hands of my true friend, Mr. Winthrop, the first mover of my coming into these parts, and to that answer of mine I never received the least reply; only it is certain that at Mr. Gorton's complaint against the Massachusetts, the Lord High Admiral, President, said openly, in a full meeting of the commissioners, that he knew no other charter for these parts than what Mr. Williams had obtained, and he was sure that charter, which the Massachusetts Englishmen pretended, had never past the table. . . . 8. But the Kings Majestie sending his commissioners, among other his royall purposes, to reconcile the differences of, and to settle the bounds betweene the colonies, yourselves know how the King himself therefore hath given a decision to this controversie. Accordingly the Kings Majesties aforesaid commissioners at Rode (where, as a commissioner for this colony, I tranacted with them as did also commissioners from Plymmouth) they composed a controversie betweene Plymmouth and us and settled the bounds betweene us in which we rest. . . . 10. Alas, Sir, in calme midnight thoughts, what are these leaves and flowers, and smoke and shadows, and dreams of earthly nothings, about which we poore fools and children, as David saith, disquiet ourselves in vain? Alas, what is all the scuffling of this world for but, come will you smoke it? What are all the contentions and wars of this world about, generally, but for greater dishes and bowls of porridge, of which, if we believe God's spirit in scripture, Esau and Jacob were types? . ... Besides Sir the matter with us is not about these children's toys of land, meadows, cattell, government, &c. But here all over this colonie, a great number of weake and distressed soules, scattered are flying hither from Old and New England, the Most High and only wise hath in his infinite wisdom provided this country and this corner as a shelter for the poor and persecuted, according to their several perswasions. . . . Thus Sir, the Kings Majestie.. hath vouchsafed his royall promise under his hand and broad seal that no person in this Colony shall be molested or questioned for the matters of his conscience to God, so he |