When the parliament took the government of England into their own hands, the causes of emigration ceased at once to operate. Tile puritans were not only delivered from oppression, but constituted a great body of the na tion, and directed every thing by their authority and in fluence. The effects of this change, upon the colonies, were immediate. The price of provisions fell in all the settlements. A milch cow, which was sold for 30/. at the time when the influx of strangers was greatest, might now have been purchased for 6/. and other arti cles, necessary to life, sustained an equal diminution. The property of the colonists became more fixed and settled, and the rewards of industry more secure. And it was towards the close of the period at which we have arrived, that the planters had the first returns for their stock ; as about that time they were able to export a small quantity of corn to the West Indies. Every act of the parliament was friendly to the interest of the set tlers. They exempted them from all duties whatso ever, either on the goods which they received from Eti !tope, or on those which they' imported into the mother country : and this unusual exemption was afterwards con firmed to them in its utmost extent. The leaders of the commons in England appear to have considered the Americans as friends, whom they' could not sufficiently oblige, and whose encroachments they had no reason to fear. They allowed the colonies of Plymouth, Massa chusetts, Connecticut, and Newhaven, to enter into a league of perpetual confederacy, offensive and defen sive ; which these colonies regarded as necessary, in order to protect themselves from the Indians, and from the Dutch at Manhadoes, whose views were supposed to be hostile. It was agreed by the confederates, that they should be distinguished by the name of The United Colonies of New England ; that each colony should re tain a distinct and separate jurisdiction ; that in every war each coloq should furnish its proportion of men, according to its population ; that all questions of gene ral interest should be determined by commissioners ap pointed by•.the colonies, that each colony should appoint two commissioners for that purpose ; and that every de termination, in which six of the commissioners agreed, shount be obogatory upon the whole association. From this confederacy Rhode-island was excluded.
But the indulgence of the parliament towards these settlers in New England did not stop here. They even permitted them to usurp the privileges of royalty, and to coin money at Boston, without notice or remonstrance. A peace was concluded with the Dutch. The Indians had ceased to infest the colony ; and the planters, exert ing themselves with vigour under all their privileges and encouragements, enjoyed an unbroken tranquillity till Charles 11. was restored to the dominions of les an cestors, and the authority of the puritans abolished.
But, notwithstanding these favourable circumstances, the intolerant spirit of their religious sentiments re mained in its lull force. The government exerted it selt in maintaining the purity of the faith, and in the holy work (as It was called) of punishing heretics. Tiley were deprived of their rights as freemen ; they were fined and imprisoned ; they were scourged, and put to death. The quakers, who were branded with the name or open and public blasphemers, suffered particu larly front the 'rigour of these proceedings ; but none of those, who differed from tkie opinions of the men in power, were permitted to escape. At this unhappy
time it was not discovered, that it is beyond the autho rity of the magistrate to regulate the decisions of intel lect, and that persecution is the worst engine that can be employed for abolishing the differences of religious opt uoli.
The restoration of Charles was an event by no means agreeable to the settlers in New England. They had been lostered under the care of the parliament and Cromwell, and were republicans both in religion and politics. No sooner had the monarch been seated on his throne, than his attention, as well as that of his peo ple, was turned to the colonies in America. The navi gation act was passed and enforced. The settlements of Rhode-Island and Connecticut were established by charter. The people of Massachusetts, though they neither proclaimed the king, nor formally acknowledged his authority, received with respect and kindness, Whaley and Goff, the judges whom he had appoint ed. But, all doubt of the universal and joyful submis sion to Charles being dispelled, with the flexibility of men who have much to lose, they voted an address, full of loyalty and attachment to their sovereign, yet, at the same time, without giving up what they conceived to be their rights. Not long after, it was determined by the general court, that the royal warrant to apprehend Wha ley and Goff, for some offence against the king, should be faithfully executed : but these persons were allowed to escape to Connecticut, and to remain there during the rest of their lives. The republican spirit still pre vailed among the settlers. They neglected to comply with the orders of the king, enjoining more liberality in ecclesiastical affairs: and though they received his commissioners, appointed to hear complaints and ap peals, and enabled them, by their assistance, to conquer the Dutch, and take possession of their settlements, yet. their obedience was that of necessity, and different alto gether from the promptitude of voluntary service. They declared in a general court, that the proceedings of the commissioners had been a disturbance of the public peace ; and Charles having heard what the sentiments of the colonists were respecting the officers whom he had appointed, summoned the latter into his presence, and ordered the agents of the former to appear at the same time. But the court affected to disbelieve the au thenticity of the letter containing the order for their at tendance, and excused themselves in the best manner they could. Aker the departure of the commissioners, New England was for some time quict and prosperous.
The repose of the colonists was interrupted by the In dians in the neighbourhood of Massachusetts-bay. Phr ip. their leader, at the bead of a powerful confederacy, obliged the settlers to contend, not for their possession-, only, but also for their lives. The struggle was long and bloody. The progress of the Indians was marked wherever they went with slaughter and desolation : and six hundred of the colonists, the strength and flower of New England, either fell in battle, or were murdert d by the enemy. The result of the whole was favourable to the English.