members of churches, and did not take an oath of fidelity, devised by the local authority, although they were free-born Englishmen of sober lives, conversation, &c. 3rd. That they were debarred from Christian privileges, viz., the Lord's Supper for themselves, and baptism for their children, unless they were members of some of the particular churches in the country, though otherwise sober, righteous, and godly, and eminent for knowledge, not scandalous in life and conversation, and members of churches in England.

They prayed that civil liberty and freedom might forthwith be granted the inhabitants, and that all members of the Church of England or Scotland, not scandalous, might be admitted to the privileges of the churches of New England, or, if these civil and religious liberties were refused, that they might be freed from the heavy taxes imposed upon them, and from the impresses made of them, their children, or servants in the wars.

They further stated that if they failed of redress, they should be under the necessity of making application to Parliament, who they hoped would take their sad condition into consideration, provide able ministers for them, New England having none such to spare, or else transport them to some other place, their estates being wasted, where they may live like Christians.

Such a bold and decisive measure at once

awakened the fears of the Governor, and aroused the anger of the clergy. The former summoned them to appear and answer for this contumacious conduct, at the bar of the court; the latter, with their usual zeal and intolerance, invoked the judgment of God upon the malignants, who dared to impugn the saints, and threatened to slander the elect by appealing to an English tribunal, the members of which were under a covenant of works. The inveteracy of both justified the proceedings of the petitioners, and confirmed them in the course they had resolved to pursue. The thunders of the pulpit and the threats of the executive, though not equally formidable, were both sufficient to terrify men of ordinary nerves. The denunciations of the ministers were equivalent to excommunication among a people who believed that salvation was not to be obtained beyond the pale of Puritanism; and the frowns of a court that held irresponsible power over life and property, and believed it was doing God service in freely exercising it, were not to be encountered without terror. Instead of receiving redress, they were required to answer for their own conduct. They humbly submitted that they had preferred no charges, but had merely solicited a change, and requested a reform. The right to petition was freely conceded by their rulers, with a mildness and meekness that did honour to their Christian humility, but they were

informed with great sternness that they had exceeded the bounds of that invaluable privilege, and endangered the liberty of the people by a licentious use of a constitutional right, and were accordingly heavily fined in proportion to their ability. They then claimed an appeal to the Commissioners for Plantations, but they were told that was an aggravation of their offence, inasmuch as it had a tendency to lower the character of the court among the people, and were therefore ordered to find securities for their future good behaviour.

To submit to authority is the duty of all good subjects, but to obey without a murmur, when it is abused, is more than can be expected from the infirmity of human nature. In the irritation of the moment, some of the petitioners announced their intention of proceeding to England, to lay their complaint before the Imperial Government. This fresh offence called for further coercive measures, and a search-warrant was issued to seize and examine their private papers. A memorial was found addressed to the Earl of Warwick and the other members of the board, signed by twenty-three non-freemen, for themselves and many thousand more,* in which they stated, that from the pulpit they had been reproached, and

* It is probable that the words "many thousand more," are about as accurate as numbers, when spoken of in petitions, usually are.

branded with the names of destroyers of churches and commonwealths, called Hamans, Judases, sons of Korah, &c., and the Lord entreated to confound them, and the people and magistrates stirred up against them, by those who were too forward to step out of their callings-in consequence of which some of them had even been committed for refusing to give bonds for two hundred pounds, to abide by the sentence of the court; when all their crime was to petition, and they had publicly been treated as malefactors, &c. They then proceed to pray :

1. For settled churches in Massachusetts according to the Reformation of England.

2. That the laws of England may be established.

3. That all English freeholders may enjoy such privileges as in England, and the other plantations.

4. That a general Governor, or some Commisbe appointed, &c.

sioners may

5. That the oath of allegiance may be taken by all, and other covenants which the Parliament shall think most convenient.

To this petition were appended certain queries: Whether the patent of Massachusetts was confirmed by Parliament, and whether it was not necessary it should be?

Whether the court may forfeit their Charter, &c.?
Whether, if treason be uttered in the pulpit, or

in the court and not questioned, the court do not consent, &c.?

Whether it be not high treason, as well in New England as in Ireland, to endeavour to subvert the fundamental laws of England, to take away the liberties of the English nation, to say that Massachusetts is a free state, &c. ?

Whether the oath of allegiance and the covenant be not binding there?

Whether all English inhabitants having lands, are not freemen?

Whether the court hath power to confine to prison, banish, impose censures, impress persons and goods for an offensive war, &c. ?

Whether the ministers may publicly vilify the English nation, laws, &c.; and not be ques

tioned ?

Whether the petitioners ought to be hindered settling in a church way, according to the churches in England, &c.?

Good behaviour is a term of extensive signification, and at that period petitioning Parliament, whose jurisdiction was not admitted, was evidently a violation of the duty of an obedient subject. The fine which had already been exacted from them, and the dread of forfeiting the bonds into which they had entered, deterred them from further prosecuting their appeal until a more favourable opportunity. Resistance to constituted