ting ourselves, with our wives, little ones, and our
substances, from that over the Atlantick ocean, into the vast
wilderness, choosing rather the pure Scripture worship with a good
conscience in this remote wilderness among the heathen, than the
pleasures of England with submission to _the impositions_ of the _then_
so disposed and so far _prevailing hierarchy_, which we could not do
without an evil conscience." "Our witness is in heaven that we left not
our native country upon any dissatisfaction as to the constitution of
the civil state. Our lot after the good old nonconformists hath been
only to _act a passive part throughout these late vicissitudes_ and
successive turnings of States. Our separation from our brethren in this
desert hath been and is a sufficient bringing to mind the afflictions of
Joseph. But providentiall exemption of us hereby from the late warres
and temptations of _either party_ we account as a favour from God; the
former cloathes us with sackcloth, the latter with innocency.

(Signed) "JOHN ENDICOT, _Governor_.

"In the name and by order of the _General Court of Massachusetts_."]

[Footnote 117: It is known that the "_old_ nonconformists" did not fight
against the king, denounced his execution, suffered for their
"nonconformity" to Cromwell's despotism, and were among the most active
restorers of Charles the Second.]

[Footnote 118: See above, in a previous page.]

[Footnote 119: Letter from Charles II. to Governor Endicot:

"CHARLES R.

"Trusty and well beloved--Wee greet you well. It having pleased Almighty
God, after long trialls both of us and our people, to touch their hearts
at last with a just sense of our right, and by their assistance to
restore us, peaceably and without blood, to the exercise of our legall
authority for the good and welfare of the nations committed to our
charge, we have made it our care to settle our lately distracted kingdom
at home, and to extend our thoughts to increase the trade and advantages
of our colonies and plantations abroad, amongst which as wee consider
New England to be one of the chiefest, having enjoyed and grown up in a
long and orderly establishment, so wee shall not be behind any of our
royal predecessors in a just encouragement and protection of all our
loving subjects there, whose application unto us, since our late happy
restoration, hath been very acceptable, and shall not want its due
remembrance upon all seasonable occasions; neither sh