ry happy for the propagation of the Gospel in those parts," the
Massachusetts colony had not established a single mission or employed a
single missionary or teacher for the instruction of the Indians. 3. The
House of Commons exempts the colony from payment of all duties on
articles exported from or imported into the colony, _until the House of
Commons shall take further order therein to the contrary_,--clearly
implying and assuming, as beyond doubt, the right of the House of
Commons to impose or abolish such duties at its pleasure. The colonists
of Massachusetts Bay voted hearty thanks to the House of Commons for
this resolution, and ordered it to be entered on their public records as
a proof to posterity of the gracious favour of Parliament.[75]

The Massachusetts General Court did not then complain of the Parliament
invading their Charter privileges, in assuming its right to tax or not
tax their imports and exports; but rebelled against Great Britain a
hundred and thirty years afterwards, because the Parliament asserted and
applied the same principle.

The Puritan Court of Massachusetts Bay were not slow in reciprocating
the kind expressions and acts of the Long Parliament, and identifying
themselves completely with it against the King. In 1644 they passed an
Act, in which they allowed perfect freedom of opinion, discussion, and
action on the side of Parliament, but none on the side of the King; the
one party in the colony could say and act as they pleased (and many of
them went to England and joined Cromwell's army or got places in public
departments); no one of the other party was allowed to give expression
to his opinions, either "directly or indirectly," without being
"accounted as an offender of a high nature against this Commonwealth,
and to be prosecuted, capitally or otherwise, according to the quality
and degree of his offence."[76]

The New England historians have represented the acts of Charles the
First as arbitrary and tyrannical in inquiring into the affairs of
Massachusetts Bay, and in the appointment of a Governor-General and
Commissioners to investigate all their proceedings and regulate them;
and it might be supposed that the Puritan Parliament in England and the
General Court of Massachusetts Bay would be at one in regard to local
independence of the colony of any control or interference on the part of
the Parent State. But the very year after the House of Commons had
adopted so gracious an order