and boundaries, as conveyed to the Earl of Warwick. This patent, or charter, embraced a width of two degrees, or 120 miles from the south line of Massachusetts, and thus interfered with the patent of the Duke of York, and the settlement of the Dutch at Manhadoes, at the mouth of the Hudson, as well as upon the settlements in New-Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This claim was overruled, in 1664, and the sea, fixed as the southern boundary of Connecticut. The patents of the Duke of York and William Penn, intersected the charter of the colony of Connecticut, and prevented their extending to the western ocean. ter of King Charles included the colony of New-Haven; but they were not united until 1665, when it became necessary to form an union of interest and effort, to protect their charter, and their rights.

This char

CHAPTER XII.

ADVENTURES OF THE PILGRIMS CONTINUED.-S SETTLEMENT OF RHODE-ISLAND.

Ir will here be recollected that James I. of England, by attempting to establish episcopacy, as a uniform mode of worship in England and Scotland, roused up the Puritans to resist this religious usurpation, and kindled the fire which led the first colonies to flee into exile, and seek a sanctuary in the wilds of America; where they might enjoy in quiet, the religion of their hearts and their consciences. It will also be recollected, that this same usurpation, when continued into the reign of Charles I. kindled a civil war, which brought the king to the block, and established the commonwealth in England, under Oliver Cromwell.

The pilgrims carried with them into the wilds of America, the same civil and religious principles, which prevailed in England, in the time of the commonwealth, and these formed the basis of their civil and religious institutions, in America.

When the Quakers appeared amongst them, in Massachusetts and Connecticut, they enacted several laws against them, which suppressed the sect, as promptly as they had suppressed in England, the usurpations of King Charles I. and Arch-Bishop Laud. Impressed with the extremes of these virtues, the Reverend Roger Williams emigrated to New-England, and settled at Salem, 1631, as assistant to the Reverend Mr. Skelton. Mr. Williams soon disclosed his sentiments, which were these

1. That such churches, or church members, as had held communion with the Church of England, should manifest their repentance, by a confession ;-2. That it is not lawful for the godly to hold communion with the ungodly; either in prayer, or in an oath ;-3. That it is not law

ed, from all

ful, for the unregenerate to pray;-4. That the magistrate ought to be excluded, from all interferance in religious matters, and that whatever controuled a free toleration of religious sentiment, was persecution and lastly, that King Charles' patent, was founded upon injustice, in disposing of the lands of the natives, to which he had no right, and therefore a nulity.

These sentiments openly and publicly avowed; led the Colony of Massachusetts, to call Mr. Williams to an account, and banish him from their limits. Mr. Williams fled into the wilderness, and settled upon the banks of a noble river, upon the confines of Massachusetts; this place he called Providence, commemorative of his providential deliverance and preservation. This commenced the settlement of the state of Rhode-Island.

The best comment that can be made, upon the proceedings of Massachusetts, and the principles of Mr. Williams, is, the comparative characters of the states of Massachusetts and Rhode-Island. The same principles in Massachusetts, that banished Mr. Williams, banished also the Quakers. If any one can be at a loss, with regard to the expediency of this measure, let him read the account of Philip's wars, and reflect what New-England would have been had they all been Quakers. That diversity of sentiment that distracted England, and drove into exile the pilgrims of Massachusetts, now distracted their councils, and drove into exile the pilgrims of Rhode-Island; these aug-. mented the little colony of Mr. Williams, and received his patronage and protection.

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As this little colony increased, they cultivated a friendly intercourse amongst the natives, and explored the country to the ocean, on the south, and the shores of the Naraganset Bay. In 1638, they extinguished the Indian claims to those lands, by purchase, (including Rhode-Island, and the islands of the Bay,) and associated themselves, under VOL. L

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a civil compact. In 1639, a settlement commenced on the Island of Rhode-Island, and in the same year, they commenced the settlement of Newport; which became the capital of the colony. Their civil compact was purely democratic, and imbraced the whole field of religious toleration. In 1644, they, through Mr. Williams, obtained a Charter from parliament, guaranteeing to them the right of governing themselves, according to the laws of England.

From this time, mutual harmony prevailed between Massachusetts and Rhode-Island, so far as related to trade, and friendly intercourse; but when the colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, and Connecticut, attempted to confederate, for general safety and defence, they rejected the application of Rhode-Island, and exclued them from the confederacy, on account of their civil and religious sentiments. If the correctness of this measure is questioned, let it be remembered, that the extremes of civil, or religious liberty, become licentiousness, and that this formed no part of the divine plan, in planting this church in this modern Canaan,* and in erecting the standard of the cross, in the wilderness of the west. It became necessary to check the free toleration of Rhode-Island. Let it also be remembered, that this church in the wilderness, was destined by God, to form the basis of a great nation, whose empire should be controuled by religion and the laws. To effect this, he has raised up his Joshuas, and his Judges, to drive out their enemies, and protect their rights. In 1647, all the freemen in the colony assembled, as a legislative body, and chose a President, as the chief executive, and proceeded to legislation. In 1652, this assembly was dissolved by order of Parliament; but was again resumed in a short time, and prevailed until the year 1663, when they obtained a regular charter from King Charles II.' under the title of "The Governor and Company of the English colony of Rhode-Island, and Providence Plantations." This

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charter, placed Rhode-Island upon the same footing as the colony of Connecticut, and authorised them to pass and repass through, and traffic with any of the colonies in New-England. This destroyed the interdiction of Massachusetts, and restored liberty to Rhode-Island.

The first legislative council that assembled, and in the same year, commenced the same persecutions against Roman Catholics, that Massachusetts had exercised against Quakers, and thereby barred them from the privilege of freemen, and thus destroying their rights in the charter. I am sensible that it has been reflected, and will be again, upon this colony of religious tolerance, that they, in their turn, became corrupted with intolerance, and persecution; but let it be remembered, that it was the persecu tions of the Catholic church, that drove them out from the land of their fathers, into this howling wilderness, and that this religion, above all others, was the most obnoxious to them, and wholly incompatible with their views of civil and religious liberty.

erance.

Upon the accession of James II. who was a Catholic, they were brought, in their turn, to smart for their intolJames ordered a writ of quo waranto against their patent, stripped them of their charter, and in 1686 placed them under the government of Sir Edmond Andros, governor of Massachusetts.

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The revolution in England, of 1688, which stripped James II. of his crown, and sent him into banishment, opened the way for the recovery of their liberties; they resumed their charter, and have continued to preserve it. That licentiousness of liberty which marked the character of Rhode-Island in her early settlement, was much improved, by the severe corrections she was called to pass through, and opened the way for such improvements, as her own experience, and the example of her neighbours, have taught her.