THat a Colony so considerable as New-England is, should be discouraged, is not for the Honour & Interest of the Eng­lish Nation; in as much as the People there are generally Sober, Industrious, Well-Disciplin'd, and apt for Martial Affairs; so that he that is Sovereign of New-England may by means thereof, (when he pleaseth) be Emperour of America: Nevertheless, the whole English Interest in that Territory has been, of late, in apparent Danger of being lost & ruined, and the Miseries of that People by an Arbitrary Government erected amonst them, have been, beyond ex­pression great.

The Original of all which has been the Quo Warranto's issued out against their Charters, by means whereof they have been deprived of their ancient Rights and Privileges.

As for the Massachusets Colony (whose Patent beareth date from the year 1628) There was in the year 1683, a Quo warranto; and after that, in the year 1684, a Writ of [...] against them, and they were required to make their Appearance at [...] in October, when they knew nothing [...] the month before, so that it was impossible for them to answer at the [...] appointed; yet Judgment was entred against them.

[...] [Page 2] alledged) had all their Priviledges at once taken from them. There was a Quo Warranto against Connecticut Colony (whose Charter was granted to them by King Charles the Second) only Letters were sent to them in the King's Name, signifying, that (incase they did resign their Charter) they should take their Choice of being under New-York or Boston. Several of the Magistrates there returned a most humble & supplicatory Answer, praying, That their former Government might still continue; but that if it must be taken from them, they had rather be under Boston than New-York: This was by some at Court interpreted a Resignation of their Charter, and a Commission sent to Sir Edmond Andross, who went to Hartford, (their principal Town) and declared their Charter and former Govern­ment to be void. As for Road-Island, they submitted themselves to His Majesties pleasure.

Before these Changes happened, New-England was, of all the Forreign Plantations (their enemies themselves being Judges) the most flourishing and desireable.

But their Charters being all (one way or another) declared to be void and insignificant, it was an easy matter to erect a French Go­vernment in that part of the Kings Dominions, (no doubt intend­ed by the Evil Counsellours) as a specimen of what was designed to be here in England, as soon as the times would bear it. According­ly Sir Edmond Andross (a [...] man) was pitched on, as a fit In­strument to be made use of; and a most illegal Commission given him, bearing date June 3, 1686. by which he, with four of his Council, (perhaps all of them his absolute Devotees) are impowered to make Laws and raise moneys on the Kings Subjects, without any Parliament, Assembly, or Consent of the People.

It was thought by wise men, that the Remembrance of Dudley and Emp [...]son, who in the dayes of King Henry the 8th were executed for acting by a like Commission, would have deterred them from doing so, but it did not, for Laws are made by few of them, and indeed what they please: nor are they printed: as was the Custom in the former Governments, so that the people are at a great loss to know what is Law and what [...]. Olny, one Law they are sensible of, which doth prohibit all Town-Meetings, excepting on a certain day once a year; whereas the Inhabitants have occasion to meet once a Week▪ for the Relief of the Poor; or other Town-Affairs. But it is [...] to penetrate into the Design of this Law, which was (no Question) to keep them in every Town from Complaining to [Page 3] to England, of the Oppression they are under: And (as Laws have been establishst) so Moneys have been raised by the Government in a most illegal and Arbitrary way, without any consent of the People. Sir Edmond Andross caused a Tax to be levied of a Peny in a Pound on all the Towns then under his Government: and when at Ipswich and other places, the Select Men (as they are stiled) voted, that in­asmuch as it was against the common Priviledges of English Subjects to have money raised without their own Consent in an Assembly or Parliament; That therefore they would petition the King for Li­berty of an Assembly before they made any Rates; the said Sir Ed­mond Andross caused them to be imprisoned and Fined, some 20 l. some 30 l. as the Judges, by him instructed, should see meet to de­termine; yea, and several Gentlemen in the Country were Impri­soned and bound to their Good Behaviour, upon meer suspicion, that they did incourage their Neighbours not to comply with these Arbitrary Proceedings. And that so they might be sure to effect their Pernicious Designs, they have caused Juries to be pick'd of Men who are not of the Vicinity, and some of them meer Strangers in the Country, and no Freeholders; which actings are highly ille­gal. One of the former Magistrates was committed to prison with­out any Crimes laid to his Charge, and there kept half a Year with­out any Fault; and though he petitioned for a Habeas Corpus, it was denied him. Also inferiour Officers have extorted what Fees they please to demand, contrary to all Rules of Reason and Justice. They make poor Widows and Fatherless pay 50 s. for the Probate of a Will, which under the former easy Government would not have been a Tenth part so much. Six Persons who had been ille­gally imprisoned, were forced to give the Officers 117 l. when as up­on Computation, they found that here in England their Fees would not have amounted to 10 l. in all. And yet these things (tho bad enough) are but a very small part of the Misery which that poor people have been groaning under, since they have been governed by a Despotick and Absolute Power. For, their new Masters tell them, that their Charter being gone, their Title to their Lands and Estates is gone therewith, and that all is the Kings? and that they represent the King; and that therefore all Persons must take Patients from them, and give what they see meet to impose, that so they may en­joy the Houses which their own Hands have built, and the Lands, which at vast Charges in subduing a Wilderness; they have for ma­ny Years had a rightful possession of, as ever any People in the world [Page 4] had or can have; Accordingly the Governour ordered the Lands belonging to some in [...] to be measured out, and given to his Creatures, and Writs of [...] to be issued out against others: And the Commons belonging to several Towns have been given to some of the Governours [...], who begged them, to the impove­rishing, if not utter ruining of whole Townships: And when an I­sland belonging to the Town of Plimouth was petitioned away from them by one Nathaniel [...] whom Sir Edmond Andross made his Property [...] because the Agents of the said Town obtained a volunta­ry Subscription to maintain their Title at Law, they were compelled to come not only out of their own Country, but Colony, to [...], to answer there as [...] the next Assizes, and bound to their good Behaviour: The Officers in the mean time extorting 3 l. per Man for Fees, These were the miserable Effects of New-England's being deprived of their Charters, and with them of their English li­berties: They have not been altogether negligent. as to endeavours to obtain some relief in their sorrowful Bondage; for several Gen­tlemen desired Increase Mather; the Rector of the Colledge at Cam­bridge in New-England, to undertake a Voyage for England, to see what might be done for his distressed Country, which Motion he complied with; and in June the 1st 1688: he had the favour to wait on the King, and privately to acquaint him with the enslaved and perishing Estate of his Subjects in New-England. The King was ve­ry gracious and kind in his Expressions; then, and often after pro­mising to give them ease as to their Complaints and Fears; amongst other things the said Mather caused a petition from the Town of Cambridge in New-England to be humbly presented to his Majesty; which because it doth express the Deplorable Condition of that People, it shall he here inserted.

Besides this, Mr. Increase Mather, with two New-England Gen­tlemen, presented a Petition and humble Proposals to the King, wherein they prayed, that the Right which they had in their Estates before the Government was changed, might be confirmed; and that no Laws might be made or moneys Raised, without an Assem­bly, with sundry other particulars; which the King referred to a Committee for Foreign plantations, who ordered them into the hands of the Attourney-General to make his Report. The Clerk, William [...] sent to the Attourney General a Copy, wherein the Essential Proposal of an Assembly was wholly left out: and be­ing spoke to about it, he said the Earl of Sunderland blotted out that with his own hand. Likewise a Soliciter in this Cause related that the said Earl of Sunderland affirmed to him, that it was by his Advice [Page 6] that the King had given a Commission to Sir Edmond Andross to raise moneys without an Assembly, and that he knew the King would never consent to an Alteration, nor would he propose it to His Ma­jesty. When of late all Charters were restored to England, it was high time for New-England to expect the like; for if it be an ille­gal and unjust thing to deprive good Subjects here of their Laws and Liberties, it cannot be consistent with Justice and Equity to deal so with those that are affar off. Applications therefore were made to the King, and to some Ministers of State: It was urged, that if a Foreign Prince or State should, during the present Troubles send a Friggot to New-England, and promise to protect them as under their Former Government, it would be an unconquerable Temp­tation; yet no Restoration of Charters would be granted to New-England, which has opened the Eyes of some thinking men. Thus has New-England been dealt with: this has been and still is the bleeding state of that Countrey: they cannot but hope that Eng­land will send them speedy relief; especially considering that throw the ill Conduct of their present Rulers, the French Indians are (as the last Vessels from thence inform) beginning their cruel Butcheries amongst the English in those parts. And many had fears that there is a Design to deliver that Countrey into the hands of the French-King, except His Highness the Prince of Orange, whom a Divine Hand has raised up to deliver the Oppressed, shall happi­ly and speedily prevent it.