the habit of protest against
illegal action, was an English tradition. The circumstances of the
migration had tremendously accentuated the force of the religious
appeal, and the freemen, being church members, were of all the settlers
precisely that part most disposed to defer to the wishes of the clergy,
and to select for magistrates those whom they approved.

"They daily direct their choice to make use of such men as mainly
endeavor to keepe the truths of Christ unspotted, neither will any
christian of sound judgment vote for any but such as earnestly
contend for the faith, although the increase of trade and traffique
may be a great inducement to some."

The freemen sometimes demonstrated their power, but the same men were
customarily returned to office year after year. The magistrates and the
clergy, a handful of men with practically permanent tenure, men of
strong character and of great ability for the most part, virtually
governed Massachusetts Bay for two generations.

They governed the colony, these "unmitred popes of a pope-hating
commonwealth," yet not without storm and stress; and of all their
difficulties, the quarrel with the freemen over the distribution of
political power was far from being the most perplexing. In 1681, Roger
Williams, a young minister of engaging personality, with "many precious
parts, but very unsettled in judgemente," came to Boston. He scrupled to
"officiate to an unseparated people," and soon went down to Plymouth,
where he "begane to fall into strange oppinions, and from opinion to
practise; which caused some controversie, by occasion whereof he left
them something abruptly." Returning to Massachusetts, he became minister
of Salem Church, which was itself thought to be tinged with radicalism.
But the radicalism of Williams went beyond all reason. He maintained
that the land of New England belonged to the Indians, and that the
settlers were therefore living "under a sin of usurpation of others
possessions." And he denied that the state had any rightful authority in
matters of conscience, holding with Robert Browne that "concerning the
outward provision and outward justice [the magistrates] are to look to
it; but to compell religion, to plant churches by power, and to force a
submission to Ecclesiasticall Government by lawes and penalties,
belongeth not to them." By farmer and magistrate alike the man was
regarded as a nuisance, and after three troubled years