ect to Endicot himself, who was appointed manager of
the New England Company, to succeed Roger Conant, and in charge of one
hundred "adventurers" who reached Naumkeag (which they called Salem) in
September, 1628--seven months before the Royal Charter granted by
Charles the First passed the seals. Within two months after the Royal
Charter was granted, another more numerous party of "adventurers"
embarked for New England, and among these two gentlemen, original
patentees and members of the Council--John and Samuel Brown, and four
ministers--Higginson, Skelton, Bright, and Smith. During the winter of
1628-9 much sickness prevailed among the emigrants who accompanied
Endicot, who sent for a physician to the Plymouth settlement of the
Pilgrim Fathers. A Doctor Fuller was sent, who, while he prescribed
medicine for the sick of the newly-arrived emigrants, converted Endicot
from Episcopalianism to Congregationalism--at least from being a
professed Churchman to being an avowed Congregationalist. This is
distinctly stated by all the historians of the times.[31]

It is therefore clear that Endicot had imbibed new views of Church
government and form of worship, and that he determined not to perpetuate
the worship of the Church of England, to which he had professed to
belong when he left England, but to form a new Church and a new form of
worship. He seems to have brought over some thirty of the new emigrants
to his new scheme; and among these were the newly-arrived ministers,
Higginson and Skelton. They were both clergymen of the Puritan
school--professing loyalty to the Church, but refusing to conform to the
novel ceremonies imposed by Laud and his party.[32] But within two
months after their arrival, they entered into the new views of Endicot
to found a new Church on the Congregational system. Their manner of
proceeding to do so has been stated above (p. 29.) Mr. Hutchinson
remarks--"The New England Puritans, when at full liberty, went the full
length which the Separatists did in England. It does not follow that
they would have done so if they had remained in England. In their form
of worship they universally followed the New Plymouth Church."[33]

The question is naturally suggested, could King Charles the First, in
granting the Charter, one declared object of which was converting the
Indians, have intended or contemplated the superseding the Church for
whose episcopacy he perished on the scaffold, by the establishment of
Cong