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All who have published any thing concerning him, except Mr. Calender, have reprefented him as an infaurous character.

About this time, the French of Acadie, or Nova-Scotia, who had differed among themselves repeatedly, and engaged the English occafionally with them, awakened the fears of the colony. But thefe were foon happily compofed. The Indians were this year (1644) and the following, at war among themselves.

In 1646, the colony was disturbed by fome of its principal inhabitants, who had conceived a diflike of fome of the laws and the government. Several of thefe difaffected perfons were imprisoned, and the reft compelled to give fecurity for their future good behaviour.

An epidemical fickness paffed through the country the next year, and fwept away many of the English, French, and Dutch.

In 1648, we have the firft inftance of the credulity and infatuation refpecting witchcraft, which, for fome time, prevailed in this colony.

Margaret Jones, of Carleston, was accufed of having fo malignant a quality, as to caufe vomitting, deafnefs, and violent pains by her touch. She was accordingly tried, condemned, and executed. Happy would it have been, if this had been the only inftarce of this infatuation. But why fhall we wonder at the magiftrates of New-England, when we find the celebrated Lord Chief Juftice Hale, and others of high rank, in OldEngland, fhortly after, chargeable with as great delufion. The truth is, it was the fpirit of the times; and the odium of the witchcraft and other infatuations, ought never to have been mentioned as peculiar to NewEngland, or afcribed to their fingular bigotry and fuperftition, as has been injuriously done by many European hiftorians. The fame fpirit prevailed at this time in England, and was very probably brought from thence, as were most of the laws and customs of the first settlers in America. fame infatuation sprang up in Pennsylvania foon after its fettlement.*

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*The following extracts from the records of Pennsylvania, fhew that the method of proceeding with fuppofed witches, was equally ridiculous in the infancy of that colony as in New-England.

"Council Book A.

Page 43.

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7th 12th, Mo. 1683. Margaret Mattfon and Yethro Hendrickfon ex}aminer&ared antreten

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upon this Board ordered that Neels Mattfon bould enter into a Recognizance of fifty pounds for his Wife's appearance before this board the 27th infant. "Hendrick Jackfon doth the fame for his Wife.

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27th of the 12th Month. Margarit Mattfon's Indictment was read, and fhe pleads not guilty, and will be tried by the Country.

Page 44:

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Page 45. The Fury went forth and upon their Return brought her in guilty of having the Common fame of a Witch, but not guilty in manner and form as he stands indicted.

Page 46. "Neels Mattfon and Antho Neelfon enters into a Recognizance of fifty pounds a piece for the good behaviour of Margaret Mattfon for fix months. "Jacob Hendrickfon enters into a Recognizance of fifty pounds for the good behaviour of Getro Hendrickfon for fix Months.”

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The fcrupulousness of the people appears to have arisen to its height in 1649, and was indeed ridiculous. The cuftom of wearing long hair, ⚫ after the manner of ruffians and barbarous Indians,' as they termed it, was deemed contrary to the word of God, which fays it is a fhame for a man to wear long hair.' This expreffion of the Apostle Paul, induced these pious people to think this custom criminal in all ages and nations. In a clergyman it was peculiarly offenfive, as they were required in an efpecial manner to go fatentibus auribus, with open ears.

The ufe of tobaco was prohibited under a penalty; and the fmoke of it, in fome manufcripts, is compared to the finoke of the bottomlefs pit. The fickness frequently produced by smoaking tobacco was confidered as a fpecies of drunkenness, and hence what we now term fmoaking, was then often called drinking tobacco.' At length fome of the clergy fell into the practice of iinoaking, and tobacco, by an act of government, was fet at liberty.'

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In 1650, a corporation in England, conftituted for propagating the gofpel among the Indians, began a correfpondence with the commiflioners of the colonies, who were employed as agents for the corporation as long as the union of the colonies continued. In confequence of this correfpondence, the colonifts, who had too long neglected their duty, renewed their attempts to inftruct the Indians in the knowledge of the Christian Religion. These attempts were attended with little fuccefs.

While the English and Dutch were at war in Europe, in 1653, information was given to the governor of Maffachusetts, that the Dutch governor had been endeavouring to engage the Indians in a confederacy against the English, to expel or deftroy them. This created an alarm through the colonies. An examination was made, and preparations for a war enfued, which the pacification at home prevented.

In 1655, a distemper, like to that of 1647, went throngh the plantations.

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In 1656 began what has been generally called the perfecution of the Quakers. The first who openly profeffed the principles of this feet in this colony, were Mary Fisher and Ann Austin, who came from Barbadoes in July of this year. A few weeks after, nine others arrived in the fhip Speedwell, of London. On the 8th of September, they were brought before the court of Affiftants. It seems they had before affirmed, that they were fent by God to reprove the people for their fins; they were accordingly queftioned how they could make it appear that God fent them? After paufing, they answered, that they had the fame call that Abraham had to go not of his country. To other questions they gave rude and contemptuous answers, which is the reafon affigned for committing them to prifon. A great number of their books which they had brought over

with

The author of the European fettlements in America, among many errors as to biflorical facts, judiciously obferves, on the fubject of the New England perfecu tions, • Such is the manner of proceeding of religious parties towards each other, and in this refpect the New-England people are not worse than the reft of mankind; nor was their feverity any just matter of reflection of that mode of religion which they profefs. No religion whatsoever, true or falfe, can excufe its own members, or accufe thofe of any other, upon the score of perfecution.

with intent to fcatter them about the country, were seized and reserved for the fire. Soon after this, as the governor was going from public worship on the Lord's-day to his own houfe, feveral gentlemen accompanying him, Mary Prince called to him from a window of the prifon, railing at and reviling him, faying, Woe unto thee, thou art an oppreffor; and denouncing the judgments of God upon him. Not content with this, fhe wrote a letter to the governor and magiftrates, filled with opprobrious ftuff. The governor fent for her twice from the prifon to his houfe, and took much pains to perfuade her to defift from fuch extravagancies. Two of the minifters were prefent, and with much moderation and tendernefs endeavoured to convince her of her errors, to which the returned, the groffeft railings, reproaching them as hirelings, deceivers of the people, Baal's priefts, the feed of the ferpent, of the brood of Ishmael, and the

like.

At this time there was no fpecial provifion made in the laws for the punishment of the Quakers. But in virtue of a law which had been made against heretics in general, the court paffed fentence of banishment upon them all. Afterwards other fevere laws were enacted, among which were the following; any Quaker, after the first conviction, if a man, was to Jofe one ear, and for the fecond offence, the other-a woman to be each time feverely whipped-and the third time, whether man or woman, to have their tongues bored through with a red hot iron.

The perfecution of any religious fect ever has had, and ever will have a tendency to increafe their number. Mankind are compaffionate beings; and from a principle of pity, they will often advocate a cause which their judgment difowns. Thus it was in the cafe of the Quakers; the fpectator compaffionated their fufferings, and then adopted their fentiments, Their growing numbers induced the legislature, in their October feffion, to pass a law to punish with death all Quakers who should return into the jurifdiction after banishment. Under this impolitic as well as unjust law, four perfons only fuffered death, and thefe had, in the face of prudence as well as of law, returned after having been banished. That fome provifion was neceffary against these people, fo far as they were difturbers of civil peace and order, every one will allow; but fuch fanguinary laws against particular doctrines or tenets in religion, are not to be defended. The most that can be faid for our ancestors is, that they tried gentler means at first, which they found utterly ineffectual, and that they followed the examples of the authorities in moft other states and in moft ages of the worid, who, with the like abfurdity, have fuppofed every perfon could and ought to think as they did, and with the like cruelty have punished fuch as appeared to differ from them. We may add, that it was with reluctance that thefe unnatural laws were carried into execution.

The laws in England, at this time, were very fevere against the Quakers; and though none were actually put to death by public execution, yet inany were confined in prifons where they died in confequence of the rigor of the law. King Charles the fecond alfo, in a letter to the colony of Maffachusetts, approved of their feverity. The conduct of the Quakers, at

* Extract from the King's Letter, dated the 28th of June, 1652.

feveral

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feveral times, was fuch as rendered them proper fubjects of a mad-house, or a house of correction; and it is to be lamented that ever any greater feverities were ufed. I will mention one or two inftances of their conduct, which clearly manifeft a fpecies of madness. Thomas Newhouse

went into the meeting-houfe at Boston with a couple of glafs bottles, and broke them before the congregation, and threatened, Thus will the Lord break you in pieces. Another time M. Brewfter came in with her face fineared as black as a coal. Deborah Wilfon went through the ftreets of Salem naked as he was born.' While we condemn the feverity with which the Quakers were treated on the one part, we cannot, at the fame time, avoid cenfuring their imprudent, indelicate and infatuated condu&t on the other.

Thefe unhappy disturbances continued until the friends of the Quakers in England interpofed, and obtained an order from the king, September 9th, 1661, requiring that a ftop should be put to all capital or corporal punishment of his fubjects called Quakers. This order was prudently complied with, and the disturbances by degrees fubfided. From this time the Quakers became in general an orderly, peaceable people, and have fubmitted to the laws of the governments under which they have refided, except fuch as relate to the militia and the fupport of the miniftry, and in their fcruples as to these they have from time to time wifely been indulged. They are a moral, friendly, and benevolent people, and have much merit as a body for their ftrict difcipline, regular correfpondence, for their hofpitality, and particularly for their exertions in the abolition of the flavery of the Negroes. In this land of civil and religious freedom, it is hoped that perfecution will never again lift its direful head against any religious denomination of people, whofe fentiments and conduct are confiftent with the peace and happinefs of fociety.

Soon after the restoration of Charles II. in 1660, many complaints were made to his majefty refpecting the colony, and, agreeably to a requifition from him, agents were fent over to answer to them. These were favourably received, and returned in a fhort time with letters from the king, commanding the alteration of fome of the laws and customs, and directing the adminiftration of justice to be in his name. The letters not being strictly obeyed, and new complaints coming to the king's ears, four commiffioners were difpatched in 1665 to the colony, with abfolute authority to hear and determine every caufe. This authority met with merited oppofition. The coloniits adhered to what they imagined to be their just rights and privileges, and though fomewhat culpable for their obftinate defence of a few unwarrantable peculiarities, deferve commendation for their general conduct. The commiffioners left the colony diffatisfied and enraged.

Their report, however, occafioned no trouble from England, on ac

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"We cannot be understood hereby to direct or wish that any indulgence should be granted to thofe perfons commonly called Quakers, whofe principles being inconfiflent with any kind of government, we have found it necessary by the advice of our parliament here, to make a fharp law against them, and are well contented that you do the like there.

count of the jealoufies of government which then prevailed there, and the misfortunes of the plague and fire of London.

The colony now attained a more profpercus condition than it had hitherto known. A fpirit of industry and economy pervaded the people, and many of the magistrates and merchants became opulent. The civil and ecclefiaftical parts of the conftitution had, from the beginning, been harmoniously united, and continued to be until 1670, when a divifion, which had been made fome years before in the church, originated a difpute, in which the civil authority interpofed, and claimed a fuperiority to the ecclefiaftical. The clergy, notwithstanding continued to have great influence in government until the diffolution of the charter.

The war, commonly called Philip's war, occafioned the next disturb ances in the colony. This war latted feveral years. Many Indians were engaged in it. They meditated the general deftruction of the Englifh, and much cruelty was exercised by both parties, until a period was put to hoftilities by the death of Philip, the Indian chief, in 1676.

In the height of the diftrefs of the war, and while the colony was contending for the poffeffion of the foil with the natives, complaints were renewed in England, which ftruck at the powers of government, and an enquiry was fet on foot, and followed from time to time until 1684; when a judgment was given against the charter.

The fucceeding year, the legislature, expecting every day to be fuperceded, paid little attention to public affairs.

In 1686, May 15th, a commiffioner arrived, appointing a prefident, and divers gentlemen of the council, to take upon them the administra tion of government. This adminiftration was fhort, and productive of no grievances.

On the 19th of December, the fame year, arrived Sir Edmund Andros, with a commiffion from King James for the government of New-England. Connecticut, however, was not included in this commiffion. His kind profeffions encouraged, for a while, the hopes of the people, who, from his character, expected a different treatment from him. He foon acted out himself, and, together with his council, did many arbitrary acts to the oppreffion of the people, and the enrichment of himself and followers.

The prefs was reftrained-public thanksgiving, without an order from the crown, was prohibited-fees of all officers were encreased, and the people compelled to petition for new patents of their lands, for which they were obliged to pay exorbitant prices.

The colony was greatly difquieted by thefe and fimilar tyrannical proceedings; and when news arrived of the declaration of the Prince of Orange, in 1689, the governor and about fixty others were feized and confined, and afterwards fent home, and the old magiftrates reinftated in their offices.

The affairs of the colony were conducted with prudence, and liberty being granted to the people by the crown, to exercife for the prefent their former government, they proceeded with regularity according to the old charter, ftriving in vain to get it confirmed, until, in 1692, they received and adopted a new one. The new charter comprehended all the territory of the old one, together with the colony of New-Plymouth,

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