ays:

"Another thing I take occasion to mention to you at this time is my good
friend Mr. Neal's History of New England. He has been for many years
pastor of a Congregational Church in London--a man of valuable talents
in the ministry. I could wish indeed that he had communicated his design
to you, but I knew nothing of it till it was almost out of the press....
He has taken merely the task of an historian upon him. Considered as
such (as far as I can judge), most of the chapters are well written, and
in such a way as to be very acceptable to the present age.

"But the freedom he has taken to expose the persecuting principles and
practices of the first Planters, both in the body of his history and his
abridgment of their laws, has displeased some persons here, and perhaps
will be offensive there. I must confess I sent for him this week, and
gave him my sense freely on this subject. I could wish he had more
modified some of his relations, and had rather left out those laws, or
in some page had annexed something to prevent our enemies from insulting
both us and you on that subject. His answer was, that 'the fidelity of
an historian required him to do what he had done;' and he has, at the
end of the first and second volumes, given such a character of the
present ministers and inhabitants of the country as may justly secure
this generation from all scandal; and that it is a nobler thing to tell
the world that you have rectified the errors of your fathers, than if
mere education had taught you so large a charity. He told me likewise
that he had shown in the preface that all such laws as are inconsistent
with the laws of England are, _ipso facto_, repealed by your new
Charter. But methinks it would be better to have such cruel and
sanguinary statutes as those under the title of 'Heresy' repealed in
form, and by the public authority of the nation; and if the appearance
of this book in your country shall awaken your General Assembly to
attempt to fulfil such a noble piece of service to your country, there
will be a happy effect of that part of the history which now makes us
blush and be ashamed.

"I have taken the freedom to write a line or two to your most excellent
Governor on this subject, which I entreat you to deliver, with my
salutation; and I assure myself that Dr. Mather will have a zealous hand
in promoting so gracious a work if it may be thought expedient to
attempt it." (Collections of the Massachusetts Historical