oft complained to me so and so; now is the time, if you will doe any thing, I will stand by you, etc. Thinking that every one (knowing his humor) that had soothed and flattered him, or other wise in their discontente uttered any thing unto him, would now side with him in open rebellion. But he was deceived, for not a man opened his mouth, but all were silent, being strucken with the injustice of the thing. Then the Gov[erno]r turned his speech to Mr. Lyford, and asked him if he thought they had done evill to open his letters; but he was silente, and would not say a word, well knowing what they might reply. Then the Gov[erno]r shewed the people he did it as a magistrate, and was bound to it by his place, to prevent the mischeefe and ruine that this conspiracie and plots of theirs would bring on this poor colony.' But he, besides his evill dealing hear, had delte trecherusly with his freinds that trusted him, and stole their letters and opened them, and sent coppies of them, with disgracefull annotations, to his freinds in England. And then the Gov[erno]r produced them and his other letters under his owne hand, (which he could not deney,) and caused them to be read before all the people; at which all his freinds were blanke, and had not a word to say.

It would be too long and tedious here to inserte his letters (which would almost fill a volume), though I have them by me. I shall only note a few of the cheefe things collected out of them, with the answers to them as they were then given; and but a few

1 The definition of the office of the Governor contained in the Plymouth Col. Rec., XI. 7, probably dates from 1636, but the essential features must have been settled at a very much earlier period. In the form of 1636 it is stated that it shall be lawful for the Governor "to examine any suspicious persons for evill against the Colony, as also to intercept or op[pose] such as he conceiveth may tend to the overthrow of the same." In the Book of Laws of 1658 the second clause was so modified as to read "to interupt or oppose such letters as he," etc. Plymouth Col. Rec., XI. 82, 158. It is safe to say that the word interupt should read intercept in both instances. The laws and orders of Massachusetts Bay contained no like provision; but the oath of the Governor in New England will be found in Mass. Col. Rec., 1. 351; that of a freeman, known only in its later form of 1634, in Ib. 117.

of those many, only for instance, by which the rest may be judged of. [121]1

1. First, he saith, the church would have none to live hear but them selves. 2ly. Neither are any willing so to doe if they had company to live els-wher.

Ans: Their answer was, that this was false, in both the parts of it; for they were willing and desirous that any honest men may live with them, that will cary them selves peac[e]ably, and seek the commone good, or at least doe them no hurte. And againe, ther are many that will not live els wher so long as they may live with them.

2. That if ther come over any honest men that are not of the seperation, they will quickly distast them, etc.2

A. Ther answer was as before, that it was a false callumniation, for they had many amongst them that they liked well of, and were glad of their company; and should be of any shuch like that should come amongst them.3

66

1 121 is repeated in the paging of the original.

2 This charge was made in a letter from some of the Adventurers, December 18, 1624, and as it stood first in order, the gravity of the offence was thus emphasized. Ist. A distaste of you there, for that you are (as they affirm) Brownists, condemning all other churches, and persons but yourselves and those in your way, and you are contentious, cruel and hard hearted, among your neighbors and towards such as in all points both civil and religious, jump not with you." Bradford Letter Book, 29.

Replying to a charge of the same nature, made by Samuel Gorton, Winslow pointed out that the church at Plymouth had received some of the Dutch church, like Godbert Godbertson and Moses Symonson; some of the French church, as Mrs. Francis Cooke, a Walloon, and Philip Delanoy. "For the truth is, the Dutch and French Churches either of them being a people distinct from the world, and gathered into an holy communion, and not National Churches, nay, so far from it, as I verily believe the sixth person is not of the Church, the difference is so small (if moderately pondered, between them and us) as we dare not for the world deny communion with them." Hypocrisie Unmasked, *96. The church at Leyden "made no Schisme or separation from the Reformed Churches, but held communion with them occasionally: For we ever placed a large difference between those that grounded their practise upon the Word of God (tho differing from us in the exposition, or understanding of it) and those that hated such Reformers and Reformation, and went on in Antichristian

3. That they excepted against him for these 2 doctrines raised from 2 Sam.: 12. 7. First, that ministers must sume times perticulerly apply their doctrine to spetiall persons; 2ly, that great men may be reproved as well as meaner.1

A. Their answer was, that both these were without either truth or colour of the same (as was proved to his face), and that they had taught and beleeved these things long before they knew Mr. Liford.

4. That they utterly sought the ruine of the perticulers; as appeareth by this, that they would not suffer any of the generall either to buy or sell with them, or to exchaing one commoditie for another.

Ans: This was a most malicious slander and voyd of all truth, as was evidently proved to him before all men; for any of them did both buy, sell, or exchaing with them as often as they had any occation. Yea, and allso both lend and give to them when they wanted; and this the perticuler persons them selves could not deney, but freely confest in open court. But the ground from whence this arose made it much worse, for he was in counsell with them. When one was called before them, and questioned for receiving powder and bisket from the gunner of the small ship, which was the companys, and had it put in at his window in the night, and allso for buying salt of one, that had no right to it, he not only stood to back him (being one of these perticulers) by excusing and extenuating his falte, as long as he could, but upon this builds this mischee[v]ous and most false slander: That because they would

opposition to it, and persecution of it, as the late Lord Bishops did, who would not in deed and truth (whatever their pretences were) that Christ should rule over them.” Hypocrisie Unmasked, *94.

1 "Then Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anoynted thee King over Israel, and delivered thee out of the hand of Saul." This involved the question of church discipline and of excommunication. The separatists believed that excommunication should be exercised by the church, and not by officers, as was practised in the English establishment. Robinson, Works, 11. 238.

not suffer them to buy stolne goods, ergo, they sought their utter ruine. Bad logick for a devine.

5. Next he writes, that he chocked them with this; that they turned [122] men into their perticuler, and then sought to starve them, and deprive them of all means of subsistance.

A. To this was answered, he did them manifest wrong, for they turned none into their perticuler; it was their owne importunitie and ernest desire that moved them, yea, constrained them to doe it. And they apealed to the persons them selves for the truth hereof. And they testified the same against him before all present, as allso that they had no cause to complaine of any either hard or unkind usage.1

6. He accuseth them with unjust distribution, and writeth, that it was a strang[e] difference, that some have bene alowed 16li. of meale by the weeke, and others but 4li. And then (floutingly) saith, it seems some mens mouths and bellies are very litle and slender over others.

Ans: This might seeme strange indeed to those to whom he write his leters in England, which knew not the reason of it; but to him and others hear, it could not be strange, who knew how things stood. For the first commers had none at all, but lived on their corne. Those which came in the Anne, the August before, and were to live 13 months of the provissions they brought, had as good alowance in meal and pease as it would extend too, the most part of the year; but a litle before harvest, when thay had not only fish, but other fruits began to come in, they had but 4/i.3 having their libertie to make their owne provissions. But some of these which came last, as the ship carpenter, and sawiers, the salte-men and others that were to follow constante imployments

1 See p. 352, supra.

2 See p. 323, supra. Meal was brought from England, and it was estimated that eight bushels for each man a year, with other provision, would be a sufficient allowance. From this point to the "4li" below was dropped by the copyist for Mr. Deane's text, and was omitted in his edition.

3