All these emigrants were puritans of the strictest sort, and their notions of ecclesiastical affairs were re duced to the lowest standard of Calvinistic simplicity. But with an inconsistency of which there are many examples, and with which no particular sect can be charged to the exclusion of others, the very men who had just escaped from the intolerance of persecution in England, shortly after their arrival, banished two of their number from the settlement, on account of a difference in religious opinion.
It was by no means agreeable to the planters in Ame rica, that they should be governed by the company in England, the members of which were at a distance, and unacquainted with their circumstances : and not a few of the proprietors themselves, were disheartened by the oppression of Laud, and eager to be disengaged from an adventure which was yet unpromising. It was there fore determined by general consent, that "the charter should be transferred, and the government of the cor poration settled in Massachusetts Bay." This is per haps the most remarkable occurrence in the history of English colonization. The right of the company to make such a transference is very questionable. The indifference of the king in allowing it to take place is no less astonishing: but he was engaged at this time in disputes with his parliament, and perhaps was not displeased that a body of his subjects, who were known for their dislike to his government, were removed to a country where their turbulent spirit could not so easily prove dangerous to his interests. Whatever was the reason of Charles's connivance, the adventurers pro ceeded without delay to execute their plans. In a gene ral court, Winthrop was chosen governor, and eighteen persons were nominated his assistants ; and in these, together with a body of freemen who should settle in New England, all the rights of the company were vest ed. In consequence of this alteration, seventeen vessels, and three hundred planters, sailed for America. As soon as they arrived at New England, they explored the country in quest of a better station than that of Endicott at Salem, and laid the foundations of many towns, espe cially those of Charlestown and Boston.
As the same causes which at first led to emigration continued to operate, the number of the settlers increa sed, by arrivals from Europe almost every year. Among those who left their country about this time, were two persons, afterwards distinguished on a more conspicuous theatre—Peters, the chaplain and assistant of Oliver Cromwell, and Mr Vane, son to sir Henry Vane, a man of note, a privy counsellor, and of great influence with the king. Mr Vane received by the planters with
the lbndest admiration, Ili, grave and mortified ap pearance, and his reputation for wisdom and piety, to gether with the attention which he paid to the leading members of the church, all conspired to render him the favourite of the people ; and he was appointed to the office of governor with universal approbation. But the part which lie took in the religious disputes which then agitated the colony, detaching many of his adherents from his interest, he quitted America in disgust, unre g-retted even by those who had so lately admired him.
Besides the meetings for the worship of God on Sun. clay, and the lecture every Thursday, the inhabitants of Boston assembled on the other days of the week, for tin purposes of religious conference and theological discus sion. With a propriety which has not always distin guished the enthusiastic and the visionary, the females were strictly excluded from these assemblies. But MI, Hutchinson, a woman of sonic talents, and not deficien! in eloquence, instituted a meeting of the sisters also and her lectures were at first attended by many respect able persons of her own sex. The number of these daily increased. The doctrines of Mrs Hutchinson soon became public, and generally known : and Vane, the governor, whose prudence always forsook him when his thoughts were turned towards religious subjects, es poused the wildest of her tenets with the zeal which characterised the times in which he lived. She main tained, that purity of life was not an evidence or accept ance with God: that those who inculcated the necessity of a vii tuous conduct, preached only a covenant of works : and that as the Holy Ghost dwells personally in such as are justified, they have no occasion for positive laws to regulate their actions. These tenets, equally hostile to good sense, and pernicious to society, were adopted and defended by many of the colonists. Mrs Hutchinson, in order to separate her followers from such as opposed her, drew a marked line of distinction between them : the former she described as under a covenant of grace, and in a state of favour with the Almighty; and the lat ter, as under a covenant of works, and the objects of his displeasure. Dissensions prevailed and rose to a great height. Religious conferences were held; days of fast ing and humiliation were appointed ; a general synod was called; and, at last, to the honour of our rational nature, Mrs Hutchinson's opinions were condemned as erroneous; and she herself was banished from the colo ny. It was after this decision that Vane quitted the settlement.