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164

Banishment of R. Williams.

was invalid, and an instrument of injustice which: they ought to renounce, being injurious to the nations, the king of England having no power to dis-pose of their lands to his own subjects."* On account of these sentiments, and for refusing to join with the Massachusetts churches, he was, at length banished the colony, as a disturber of the peace of the church and commonwealth.

He left his house, wife, and children at Salem, in: the dead of winter, and sought a residence within the limits of Massachusetts. Fortunately for Mr. Williams, he had cultivated an acquaintance with the Indians, and learned their language, and before he left the colony, he had privately treated with Canonicus and Osamaquin, two Narraganset sachems, for a tract of land within their territories, provided he should be under the necessity of settling among them. These circumstances, together with the advice of governor Winthrop, induced him, with four of his friends, after his banishment, to direct his course towards Narraganset bay.

He with his companions established themselves first at Secunk or Seekhonck, now Rehoboth. But that place being within the bounds of Plymouth colony, governor Winslow, in a friendly manner, advised them to remove to the other side of the river, where the lands were not covered by any patent. Accordingly, in 1636, they crossed Seekhonck river, and landed among the Indians, by whom they were hospitably received, and thus

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His Settlement at Providence.

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laid the foundation of a town, which, "from a sense of God's merciful providence to him in his distress," Mr. Williams called PROVIDENCE. Here the little colony were soon after joined by a number of others, and though they were secured against the Indians by the terror of the English, yet, for a considerable time, they suffered much from fatigue and want; but they enjoyed liberty of conscience, and the consolation of having " provided a refuge for persons persecuted for con science sake."

Unhappy religious dissensions still prevailed in Massachusetts; and from a zeal for the purity of the faith, governor Winthrop strove to exterminate the opinions which he disapproved. For this purpose, on the 30th of August, 1637, a synod was convened at Newtown (now Cambridge) to whom eighty erroneous opinions were presented; these were debated and unanimously condemned. At a court holden at the same place, the following October, Wheelwright, Mrs. Hutchinson, and Underhill, the leading characters who had embraced these errors, were banished, and several others were censured for seditious conduct. A number who had signed a seditious petition to the general court, in which they charge them with having condemned the truth of Christ, those, who refused to retract, were disarmed. Of these, fifty eight belonged to Boston, six to Salem, three to

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Rhode Island purchased

Newbury, five to Roxbury, two to Ipswich, and two to Charlestown.

The subsequent election of civil officers was carried by a party spirit excited by religious controversy, but the orthodox party maintained the ascendency, and Mr. Winthrop was re-elected governor. Those who were banished by the court, joined by a number of their friends, left the colo-. ny, and went in quest of a new place for settlement. They first proceeded to Providence, where they were kindly received by Mr. Williams, and with whom they remained for some time.

The largest island

In March, 1638, two sachems, by virtue of their authority, and in consideration of fifty fathoms of white beads, sold to Mr. Coddington (one of the most respectable of these exiles) and his associates, the great island of Aquidneck, and the other isles. in Narraganset bay, except two which had been previously sold. The natives soon after agreed, upon receiving ten coats and twenty hoes, to remove before the next winter. was soon after called Rhode Island. Having thus acquired a title and possession on considerations. which gave satisfaction to the original owners, they here established themselves; and copying the conduct of their neighbours, they formed a similar association for the purposes of civil government. Though the numbers associated were few,. yet the soil being fruitful, and the climate agrecable, many persons soon resorted where they found

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protection, and the island, in a few years, became so populous as to send out colonists to the adjacent shores. The little colony elected Mr. Coddington their judge and chief magistrate. This gentleman came to America in 1630, and settled at Boston as a merchant. After his removal to Rhode Island, he embraced the sentiments of the Friends, and became the father of that denomination of christians in that colony. Their yearly meeting was held in his house till his death, in 1638. Mr. John Clarke was another principal character among the exiles; for the sake of enjoying liberty of conscience, he voluntarily abandoned the colony of Massachusetts and settled in Rhode Island, where, in 1644, he founded a Baptist church.

The first settlement on Rhode Island was made at the north end, and called Portsmouth. In 1639, another settlement was begun at the south west part of the island on a fine harbour, which they called Newport. From the convenience of this harbour, the fertility and pleasantness of the island, and the wealth of the first settlers, this place had a rapid growth, and in a few years became the capital of the colony. The government which they established was of the democratic kind. The chief magistrate and four assistants were invested with part of the executive powers; the remainder, with the legislative authority, was exercised by the body of the people in town meetings.

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The colonies at Providence and Rhode Island, at different periods, received large accessions from the denominations of Baptists and Friends, who were persecuted in other colonies. What distinguishes these colonies from all others is, that they were settled on a "plan of entire religious liberty; men of every denomination being equally protect-ed and countenanced, and enjoying the honours and offices of government."

The inefficacy of a voluntary government, and the want of a patent to legalize their proceedings, was soon experienced by the colonists at Provi dence and Rhode Island. Accordingly, in the year 1643, they sent Mr. Roger Williams to England, as their agent, to procure for them a charter from the crown. On his arrival at London, he found that king Charles I. had been driven from his capital; he of course applied to those who had assumed the power. Sir Henry Vane, his former associate and friend in America, received him kindly, and aided his views. In March, 1644, through the Earl of Warwick, then governor and admiral of all the plantations, he obtained from Parliament," a free and absolute charter of civil incorporation of Providence plantations in Narraganset bay," investing the inhabitants with the rea quisite authority to govern themselves, but acco.ing to the laws of England.

Mr. Williams was well received by some of the leading members of Parliament, and when he

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