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[29] be to the commonwealth if they should not keep that strength to balance the greater number of the Deputies) thought it safe to stand upon it. So when they could proceed no farther, the whole Court agreed to keep a day of humiliation to seek the Lord, which was accordingly done, in all the congregations, the 18th day of this month: and the 24th the Court met again. Before they began, Mr. Cotton preached, (being desired by all the Court upon Mr. Hooker's instant excuse of his unfitness for that occasion.) He took his text out of Hag. II. 4, etc., out of which he laid down the nature or strength (as he termed it) of the magistracy, ministry, and people, viz.—the strength of the magistracy to be their authority; of the people, their liberty; and of the ministry, their purity; and showed how all of these had a negative voice, etc., and that yet the ultimate resolution, etc., ought to be in the whole body of the people, etc., with answer to all objections, and a declaration of the people's duty and right to maintain their true liberties against any unjust violence, etc., which gave great satisfaction to the company. And it pleased the Lord so to assist him and to bless his own ordinance, that the affairs of the Court went on cheerfully; and although all were not satisfied about the negative voice to be left to the magistrates, yet no man moved aught about it, and the congregation of New Town came and accepted of such enlargement as had formerly been offered them by Boston and Watertown; and so the fear of their removal to Connecticut was removed.1


This “enlargement,” however, was not permanently satisfactory. The inhabitants of New Town again manifested “the strong bent of their spirits to remove.” It does not appear when they received permission of the General Court. Perhaps the liberty granted in general terms, May 14, 1634, was held to be sufficient. It seems certain that a considerable number of them went to Connecticut before Sept. 3, 1635; for on that day William Westwood, a New Town man, was “sworn Constable of the plantations at Connecticut till some other be chosen.” 2 But the general exodus was several months later. Under date of May 31, 1636, Winthrop says: “Mr. Hooker, pastor of the church of New Town, and the most of his congregation, went to Connecticut. His wife was carried in a horse-litter; and they drove one hundred and sixty cattle, and fed of their milk by the way.” 3 Their possessions in New Town were purchased by Mr. Shepard

1 Savage's Winthrop, i. 140-142.

2 Mass. Col. Rec., i. 159.

3 Savage's Winthrop, i. 187.

Boston. Houghton and Mifflin. 1877.

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