Chap. IV. ?he HISTORY of the PURrrANs. 543 families driven to di(trefs ; nor was there any profpect of relief, the clouds K. Charles r. gatheringevery day thicker over their heads, and threatening a violent ftorm. 1629. This put them upon projecting a farther fettlement in New England, where Mathew' they might be delivered from the hands of their oppreffors, and enjoy the ry. En of free liberty of their confciences ; which gave birth to a fecond grand colony nd g- inNorthAmerica, commonly known by the name ofthe MASSACHUSETS- BAY. Several perfons of quality and fubftance about the city of London engaging in thedefign, obtained a charter datedMarch 4 1628-9. wherein the gentlemen and merchants therein named, and all who fhould there- after join them, were con(lituted a body corporate and politick, by the name of the governor and company of the MASSACHUSETS-BAY in NEW ENGLAND. They were empowered to eleEt their own governor, deputy-governor and magiflrates, and to make fuck laws as they fhould think fit for the good of the plantation, not repugnant to the laws of England. Free liberty of confcience was likewife granted to all who fhould fettle in thofe parts, to worfhip God in their own way. The new planters being all puritans, made their application to the reverend Mr. Hig- ginfon, a filenced minifler in Leicefterfhare, and to Mr. Skelton another fi- lenced minifter of Lincolnfhire, to be their chaplains, defiring them to en- gage as manyof their friends as were willing to embark with them. The little fleet that went upon this expedition, confifled of fix fail of tranfports, from four to twenty guns, with about three hundred and fifty paffengers, men women and children. They carried with them one hundred and fifteen head of cattle, as horfes, mares, cows, &c. forty-one goats, fix pieces of canon for a fort, with mufkets, pikes, drums, colours, and a large quantity of ammunition and provifion. The fleet failed May 1r 1629. and arrived the 24th of fune following at a place called by the na- tives Neumkeak, but by the new planters Salem, which in theHebrew lan- guage fignifies peace. RELIGION being the chief motive of their retreating into thefe parts, that was fettled in the firft place. Auguf! the 6th. being appointed for the folemnityof forming theinfelves into a religious fociety, the day was fpent in fading and prayer; and thirty perlons whodefired to be of the commu- nion, Severally in the prefence of the whole congregation, declared their confent to a confefiion of faith which Mr. Higginfon had drawn up, and figned the following covenant with their hands. " We covenant with our Lord, and one with another. We bind our- TbeTroburcb felves in the prefence ofGod, to walk together in all his ways, according covenant. " as he is pleafed to reveal himfelf to us in his bleffed word of truth, and H :/tors of " do profefs to walk as follows, through the power and grace of our New-Eng- " Lord Jefus Chritt. gland,p.r26. " We
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