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Conduct of some Quakers.

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Court the following paper, containing the reasons of his conduct. "On the 8th day of the eighth month, 1659, in the after part of the day, in travelling between Newport and Daniel Gould's house, the word of the Lord came expressly to me, which did fill me immediately with life, and power, and heavenly love, by which he constrained me, and commanded me to pass to the town of Boston, my life to lay down in his will, for the accomplishing of his service, that he had there to perform, at the day appointed. To which heavenly voice I presently yielded obedience, not questioning the Lord how he would bring the thing to pass. For the Lord had said unto me, 'My soul shall rest in everlasting peace, and my life shall enter into rest, for being obedient to the God of my life."

Marmaduke Stephenson gave in another paper, informing the court how he heard a voice, as he was ploughing in Yorkshire, saying, I have ordained thee a prophet to the nations.* After he came to Rhode Island, he says, "The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, "Go to Boston." So did the Quakers revolt from the laws of all societies, outrage decency, and seek their own ruin. The general court of Massachusetts, among many other things, urged these considerations.† If a stranger break in upon the house of another, when absolutely forbid, if the intruder be slain, his blood

* Backus's History. † Hazard.

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Synod of New England.

must be on his own head; and have not the pub-. lic guardians of the Commonwealth equal right to take away the lives of those who intrude upon the government? If a stranger, covered with the plague, break in upon a family of children, will not their good father withstand such intrusion, and if there be no other possible way of defending himself and beloved family from the deadly contagion, may he not, from the principle of self-preservation, slay the intruding person?

By order of the general court, a synod of the New England churches convened at Boston, September, 1662. The people were at this time much divided in opinion on the two following questions, which were submitted to the synod for their decision, viz. 1st, "Who are the subjects of baptism?" 2d, "Whether, according to the word of God, there ought to be a consociation of churches, and what should be the manner of it?" The general court ordered the result of this synod, which was not unanimous, to be printed, and it may be seen at large in Dr. Mather's Magnalia, and in Neal's History of the Puritans.

In 1656, at a very advanced age,died Capt. Standish, the military commander, the WASHINGTON of Plymouth colony. A man so conspicuous and cclebrated in his life, ought not to beforgotten when dead. It is impossible to have any adequate view of the establishment and rise of Plymouth colony, without entering familiarly into the character of this era

Character of Captain Standish.

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of that little band of pilgrims. He descended from a family of distinction, and was heir apparent to a great estate; unjustly detained from him, which compelled him to depend on himself for support. He was small in stature, but of an active spirit, a sanguine temper, and strong constitution. These qualities led him to the profession of arms. Hav ing been in the service of Queen Elizabeth, in aid of the Dutch, after the truce, he settled with Mr. Robinson's people in Leyden. He was in the first company, who came over in 1620; he commanded the first detachment for making discoveries after their arrival; he was chosen military commander on the first settlement of their military concerns. Generally, in the subsequent excursions and interviews with the natives, he was the first to meet them, accompanied by a small number of his own choosing. During the terrible sickness of the first winter, when two or three died in a day, and the living were scarcely able to bury the dead, captain Standish retained his health, and kindly nursed the sick. On the 29th of January, he was called to see his beloved wife expire.

When Corbitant, one of the petty sachems of Massasoit, meditated a revolt, captain Standish, with 14 men, surrounded his house in Swansey, but he being absent, they informed his people, they should destroy him, if he persisted in his rebellion. This so alarmed the chief, that he en

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Remarkable Escape.

treated the mediation of Massasoit, and according ly was admitted, with eight other chiefs, to subscribe his submission to the English.

In 1622, when he had fortified Plymouth, he divided his men into four "squadrons," appointing every individual his post. In case of fire, a select company mounted guard with their backs` to the fire, to watch for approaching enemies. Being sent on a trading voyage to Matachiest, between Barnstable and Yarmouth, in February, 1623, a severe storm compelled him to leave his vessel, and sleep in a hut of the Indians; being impressed with an idea of their design to kill him, he made his people keep guard all night, by which he escaped the snare they had laid for him. In the morning it was found that goods had been stolen in the night from the shallop; he, with his party, surrounded the house of the sachem, and the things were restored.

Often was the providence of God conspicuous in his preservation. The next month, at Manomet, a creek in Sandwich, where he went for corn, he was not received with their usual cordiality; two Indians from Massachusetts were there, one had an iron clagger, and derided the Europeans because he had seen them, when dying, cry and make sour faces like children." An Indian of the place who had formerly been his friend, appearing now very friendly, invited the captain to sleep with bim, because the weather was cold. Standisk

Goes to settle Disturbances at Weymouth. 243

accepted his hospitality, and passed the night by his fire; but sleep had departed from his eyes ; he was restless, and in motion all night, though his host seemed solicitous for his comfort, and

earnestly pressed him to take his rest." It was afterward discovered that this Indian intended to kill him if he had fallen asleep.

Weston's people, who settled at Wessagusset, lived without religion or law, or, in modern style, enjoyed liberty and equality. This rendered them contemptible in the view of savages, who soon began to insult and abuse them. The company pretended to satisfy the Indians for a theft, not by punishing the thief, but by hanging a decrepit old man, who had become burdensome to them. This settlement was composed of a set of needy adventurers. But before this company knew their own danger, the governor of Plymouth had learned from Massasoit, the plot of the natives for their destruction, and sent captain Standish to their relief. He had made choice of eight men, refusing to take more. Arriving at Wessagusset, now Weymouth, he found the people scattered, and in imminent danger, yet stupidly insensible of the destruction ready to burst upon them. Standish was careful not to excite the jealousy of the natives till he could assemble the people of the plantation. An Indian brought him some furs, whom he treated "smoothly," yet the Indian reported