boil to poison the whole
body politic. Prick therefore the imposthume at once, and, like wise
surgeons, let out the offensive matter. He was not surprised at the
indignation of the worthy Deputy. It was a zeal unto godliness, and
devoutly did he wish, that himself, and all, were more inspired with
it. When he had asked that the prisoner might be permitted to speak
freely, it was that every Assistant might be convinced by his own ears
of the boldness wherewith rebellion to constituted authority,
impudently bursting from the bottomless pit, ventured to obtrude into
a court of justice, and to boast of its misdeeds. Was a child of the
covenant of grace, and our brother in Christ, to be reproached with
the sins which he had committed when in the gall of bitterness and
bonds of iniquity, and which had been washed out by the blood of the
New-Testament? Nay, then, give a universal license to every lewd
fellow, to rake up the sins of your youth, and let him send to
England--that England which spewed us out of her mouth, as if we were
not the children of her bowels--to obtain the proofs. Had there been
no word of evidence, the bare conduct of the prisoner before them was
enough to satisfy them of his dangerous character, and he should feel
his conscience accusing him of failure in his obligations to the
Church and the Colony, were he not to advise exemplary punishment,
whereof banishment would be a necessary but the slightest part."

The speech of Spikeman was evidently acceptable to a majority of the
Assistants. It appealed to the fanaticism of some, and to the fears of
others; but there were some on whom it produced no such effect.
Captain Endicott, fierce zealot as he was, found in it something
disagreeable. As his manner was, he stroked with his hand the long
tuft on his chin, before he commenced speaking:

"There are things," he said, "in the speech of the worshipful brother
whereof I approve, and others, again, whereunto I may not give my
assent. Though it may savor of worldly pride, and be proof of the old
Adam lingering in me, I will say, that however guilty in the sight of
God, before whom I acknowledge myself the chief of sinners, I
challenge before man an examination of my life, and fear no evil
report from England or elsewhere. But for this self-boasting, I crave
the pardon and prayers of my brethren. Touching the prisoner, which is
the matter in hand, I find him somewhat bold, and not altogether in
other respects w