de better terms for their country; but they
acted in the uprightness of their hearts, though the success did not
answer their expectations. It was debated among them whether they should
accept of the new Charter or stand a trial at law for reversing the
judgment against the old one; but, upon the advice of some of the best
politicians and lawyers, the majority resolved to acquiesce in the
King's pleasure and accept what was now offered them." (Neal's History
of New England, Vol. II., Chap, xi., pp. 476, 477.)]

[Footnote 210: Neal's History of New England, Vol. II., Chap, xi., p.
476.

Massachusetts would doubtless have retained the election of their
Governor and their first Charter, as did the colonies of Rhode Island
and Connecticut, had her rulers submitted to the conditions on which
Charles the Second proposed to continue their Charter. Mr. Hildreth
says: "The Charters of Connecticut and Rhode Island never having been
formally annulled, and having already been resumed, were pronounced by
the English lawyers to be in full force.... The English lawyers held
that the judgment which Massachusetts had persisted in braving was
binding and valid in law, until renewed by a writ of error, of which
there was little or no hope." (History of the United States, Chap,
xviii., pp. 94, 95.)]

[Footnote 211: The platform of Church government which they settled was
of the Congregational mode, connecting the several Churches together to
a certain degree, and yet exempting each of them from any jurisdiction,
by way of censure or any power extensive to their own.... No man could
be qualified to elect or be elected to office who was not a Church
member, and no Church could be formed but by a license from a
magistrate; so that the civil and ecclesiastical powers were intimately
combined. The clergy were consulted about the laws, were frequently
present at the passing of them, and by the necessity of their influence
in the origination, demonstrated how much the due execution of them
depended on their power.

"But the error of establishing one rule for all men in ecclesiastical
policy and discipline (which experience has proved cannot be maintained,
even in matters of indifference) could not fail of discovering itself in
very serious instances as the Society increased. The great body of the
English nation being of a different persuasion in this respect, numbers
belonging to their Church, who came into the country, necessarily formed
an