sequel of the Antinomian controversy, Underhill had gone first to England for a short time. On his return, 1638. he was banished from Massachusetts for retracting his apology and submission made the year before. A charge of adultery, brought against him at the same time, was not sufficiently proved.1 Betaking himself to Cochecho, he was followed thither by a letter which Winthrop, September. on the part of the General Court, addressed to Burdet and others, complaining that they had received one lying under sentence of banishment from Massachusetts, and intimating an intention to survey and take possession of all lands within the chartered limits of that Colony. An offensive answer was returned by Burdet; and Winthrop would have had him brought to Boston to answer for a contempt, but was dissuaded by Dudley, on the ground of its being inexpedient to exasperate him at a time when he was known to be furnishing Laud with representations to the prejudice of Massachusetts.3 Win 1 A charge of having used seditious language on his voyage was proved to his face by a sober, godly woman," who had come to America in the same vessel, and whom, for a while, he had "drawn to his opinions.". "Among other passages, he told her how he came to his assurance, and that was thus: he had lain under a spirit of bondage and a legal way five years, and could get no assurance, till, at length, as he was taking a pipe of tobacco, the Spirit set home an absolute promise of free grace with such assurance and joy, as he never since doubted of his good estate, neither should he, though he should fall into sin." This was thought both levity and heresy; and he did not mend his case when, "the Lord's day following, he made a speech in the assembly, showing that, as the Lord was pleased to convert Paul as he was in persecuting, &c., so he might manifest himself to him as he was taking the mod erate use of the creature called tobacco." (Winthrop, I. 270.) He confessed that his habit of private interviews with the person implicated with him in the charge of adultery "was ill, because it had an appearance of evil in it; but his excuse was, that the woman was in great trouble of mind and sore temptations, and that he resorted to her to comfort her, and that, when the door was found locked upon them, they were in private prayer together; but this practice was clearly condemned by the elders." (Ibid., 271.) "1 October. throp wrote to Hilton at Cochecho, "intimating how ill it would relish, if they should advance Captain Underhill." But this warning came too late. "Pascataquack men had chosen him their Governor before the letter came to them." He had probably been aided in supplanting Burdet by some Antinomian allies whom he had brought with him. Relieved from public station, and, moreover, being detected in some debaucheries, Burdet before long withdrew to Agamenticus. With Underhill, or more probably a little sooner, Hansard Knollys came to Cochecho. He had in England been a minister of the Established Church; but, falling under censure for adopting Puritan principles, he determined to seek his fortune in America. After a few weeks passed in Boston,3 he accepted an invitation to go to Cochecho. Burdet forbade him to preach there; but on Burdet's de parture, very soon after, "the people called Mr. September. Knollys, and in a short time he gathered some of diligence to fortify themselves." "The day before the writing hereof, I was credibly informed that Massachusetts Magistrates have from England received copies of my first two letters to your Grace, which, themselves say, Mr. Vane procured from your Grace's chaplain. If this was without your Grace's consent, it will much concern your Grace; if with it, which I cannot believe, it will behoove me to consider of it." About the same time, (December 13, 1638,) Winthrop records (I. 281): "They [Burdet and Underhill] wrote presently into England against us, discovering what they knew of our combination to resist any authority that should come out of England against us." And again (May 6, 1639): “One of Pascataquack, having opportunity to go into Mr. Burdet his study, and finding there the copy of his letter to the Archbishops, sent it to the Governor, which was to this effect: that he did delay to go into England, because he would fully inform himself of the state of the people 2 Brook, Lives of the Puritans, III. 491, 492. 3 "I, being very poor, was necessitated to work daily with my hoe, for the space of almost three weeks. The Magistrates were told by the ministers that I was an Antinomian, and desired they would not suffer me to abide in their patent. But within the time limited by their law in that case [see above, p. 482], two strangers coming to Boston from Piscataqua, hearing of me by mere accident, got me to go with them to that plantation and preach there." (Knollys, Account of his Own Life, as quoted by Backus, in his History of New England, &c., I. 102.) 1 the best-minded into a church body, and became their pastor." In the competition between Churchmen and Antinomians in that remote settlement, the latter party for the present had its way. 1639. July. There might have been a question, from which of the two Massachusetts was likely to experience most hostility. Before a year had passed, "there was sent to the Governor," says Winthrop, "the copy of a letter written into England by Mr. Hansard Knolles of Pascataquack, wherein he had most falsely slandered this government, as that it was worse than the High Commission, &c., and that here was nothing but oppression, &c., and not so much as a face of religion. The Governor acquainted one of Pascataquack, Mr. Knolles's special friend, with it. Whereupon Mr. Knolles became very much perplexed, and wrote to the Governor, acknowledging the wrong he had done us, and desired that his retractation might be published.' Afterwards, having "desired a safe-conduct, he came, and upon a lecture-day at Boston Feb. 20. (most of the Magistrates and elders in the Bay being there assembled) he made a very free and full confession of his offence, with much aggravation against himself, so as that the assembly were well satisfied." 3 1640. " 2 Meantime, Underhill was not less busy. Presently after his accession to the government of the plantation at Dover (as at that time it began to be called), he "wrote a letter to a young gentleman who sojourned in the house" of Winthrop," wherein he reviled the Governor with reproachful terms and imprecations of vengeance upon them all." This communication, and at the same time a second charge of dissolute conduct, having been laid before the church in Boston (of which he was still a member), they sent to him to come to that place and clear himself. He would have disregarded the summons; but, finding that his 1 Winthrop, I. 326. 2 Ibid., 306, 307. 3 Ibid., 326. 4 Ibid., 392. 2 friends were not prepared to stand by him, his "courage was abated"; he "wrote divers letters to the Governor and Deputy, &c., bewailing his offences and craving pardon"; and at length, coming before the Boston church, he acknowledged himself to be guilty of adultery and other miscarriages. He had hoped that his abject expressions of penitence would avert the threatened penalty; but the church, believing his confession, and distrusting his remorse," presently cast him out," and he returned to Dover, humiliated and incensed.3 1640. March 5. 3 Ibid., 326. 44 1623. the mouth of qua. 1630. CHAPTER XIII. THE settlements north of Massachusetts, which last engaged our attention, were more or less connected with the Antinomian dispersion. The principal of those which had been made further towards the east belonged as yet to Churchmen. David Thompson, who, under the auspices of John Mason, attempted a plantation at Plantation at the mouth of the Piscataqua, soon became disthe Piscata Couraged, and removed to an island in Boston harbor. A new patent having been solicited from the Council for New England by Gorges, Mason, and others, the enterprise was resumed, and a party of some fifty men was sent out to be employed in fishing, trade, salt-making, and farming, under the superintendence of Captain Walter Neal.3 He returned to England after about three years, and, August. the other partners having withdrawn themselves, the settlement fell into the hands of Mason, who reinforced it with a new supply of men and means, and gave it in charge to Francis Williams. withstanding the judicious management of this agent, the undertaking still continued to be unprosperous. Mason made too free an outlay for stores, tools, arms, ammunition, and live stock, of the last of which he imported costly specimens from Denmark. His death put a sudden. end to the measures on foot for retrieving his affairs in the plantation. 1633. 1634. 1636. 1 See above, pp. 205, 233. 2 The patent was the one dated November 3, 1631. See above, p. 398, note. Hubbard (215, 216) has preserved what he understood to be a copy of it. Not 3 See Letters of Ambrose Gibbons and others, in Farmer's edition of Belknap's New Hampshire, I. 422–432. 1 |