At a Court held in his Majesty's name, and under his authority, at the towne of Westerly, in the King's Province, the 17th of September, 1679. Proclamation openly made of the Court's being and sittinge. The Suncksquaw, Ninecraft's daughter, appearing in this Court, and complaining about some injury done her by Harman Garrett's claiminge part of her lands, she produced some writeings in Court, to evince her complaint, this Court doe order, that the Secretary take copys thereof. The inhabitants of Westerly being by warrant required to appeare at this Court to give the oath of allegiance to his Majesty, and of fidellity to his Majesty's authority, for this Collony, these persons here under named Mr. Tobias Saunders, Edward Larkin, John Fairfield, John Randall, John Macoone, James Badcock, Capt'n James Pemblton, appeared, and gave oath, viz.: Gersham Cotterill, Henry Hall, Sen'r, William Champion, James Crandall, Christopher Champion, Thomas Burdick, The oath given by the above written persons was in these followinge words: I doe truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify and declare in my conscience before God and the world, that our Soverreign Lord, King Charles, is lawfull and rightfull King of the Realm of England, and of all other his dominions and countries; and that the Pope, neither of himselfe, nor by any authority of the Church, or See of Rome, or by any other meanes with any other, hath any power or authority to depose the King, or to dispose of his Majesty's kingdoms or dominions, or to authorize any forreigne prince to invade, or annoy him, or his country, or to discharge any of his subjects from their allegiance and obedience to his Majesty; or to give licence or leave to any of them to beare armes, raise tumults, or offer any violence or hurt to his Majesty's Royall person, State or Government, or to any of his Majesty's subjects within his Majesty's dominions. Alsoe I doe sweare from my heart, that notwithstanding any declaration or sentence of excommunication, or deprivation, made or granted, or to be made or granted by the Pope or his successors, or by any authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his See against the said King, his heires or successors, or any absolution of the said subjects from their obedience, I will beare faith and true allegiance to his Majesty, his heires and successors, and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their persons, their Crowne and dignity, by reason or clause of any such sentence or declaration or otherwise, and will doe my best endeavour to disclose, and make knowne unto his Majesty, his heires and successors, all treasons and traiter ous conspiracies, which I shall know or hear of, to be against him or any of them. And I doe further sweare, that I doe from my heart, abhor, detest and abjure as impious and herritical, this damnable doctrine and position, that princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope, may be deposed or murthered by their subjects, or any other whatsoever. And I doe believe and in my conscience am resolved, that neither the Pope nor any person whatsoever, hath power to absolve me of this oath, or any part thereof, which I acknowledge by good and full authority to bee ministered unto me; and doe renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary. And all these things I doe plainly and sincerely acknowledge and sweare according to these express words by me spoken, according to the plaine and common sense and understandinge of the same words, without any equivocation or mentall evasion or secrett reservation whatsoever. And further, I doe here solemnly engage all true and loyall obedience unto his Majesty's authority placed and established in this his Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and King's Province. And I doe make this recognition heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the true faith of a Christian. So help me God. Ordered, That the commission and power formerly granted to Mr. Tobias Saunders and Mr. John Crandall, by the Governor and Councill, bearinge date the 21st of May, 1669, is continued, and placed on [record]. Mr. Tobias Saunders and the Governour are empowered to signe the same; the said Mr. Saunders haveing in this Court given his engagement. Whereas, this Court have received a paper from a Court at New London, signed William Leete, Governour, called a Protest, it is ordered, That an answer from this Court bee made. *Letter from Connecticut to Rhode Island. New London, Sept. 16, 1679. Gent. Not having intelligence vntill now, at New London, of your rash and presumptius motions to come and keep an affronting Court within the limits of Stonington, while we are keeping Court here for that county, and some of those inhab A true Copy of the Answer. Westerly, one of the frontier townes in the there held in his Majesty's name. Gentlemen Wee received some lines, bearing date September 16th, 1679, in an open pamphlett, by the hands of Mr. Thomas Minor, the 17th instant, in the eveining, said by him to be sent to us by yourselves, the truth whereof wee very much questioned. 1. Because the superscription is directed not mentioninge the Governour's name nor the Collony he belongs to. 2. Because the lines doe import untrue charges, together with threats of violence, which if wee were certaine the lines were written from your selfe to us, yett neither flattery nor threats can withdraw us from our loyalty; nor deterr us from executinge the King's business in his Province, according to his Royall commands; into which upon all occasions your itants are under summons hitherto to be responsible; but doe not appeare, as is supposed, by your interruption, &c., or occasion taken from this intrusion of yours. These things look vpon vs more like incendiary actings than a peaceable carriage of loueing neighbours, liveing in a juncture of great troubles in England, which may retarde an issue of our applications thither; where the matter betwixt yourselves and vs depending, in obedience to his Majesty's orders vnto all the Colony's respectively; being the same (for substance) as we are informed, whereupon we have been willing to sit silent for the interim: and loth to vse violence to repell incroachments, although you doe continue thus to be vrgeing vs therevnto. But we cannot now in duty omit hereby to send, and make protestations against this and all other your illegall and irregular vsurpations of authority and incroachments, within our just and knowne Pattent limits; and therefore your pretenses haue had an indifferent bearing and determination in England. Gent., we would request you not to be too hasty to drive on commotions, so immediately after our late troubles with barbarians; to begin intestine vexations amongst Christian neighbours. Yet haueing thus friendly giuen notice and made protest, we take leaue and subscribe ourselves, Your loueing ffriends and neigbours, WILLIAM LEETE, Gov'r, With consent of the County Court assembled. To the Honoured Governour and other authority of Rhode Island, if present, at Squamacuck. selves have striven to intrude, notwithstandinge [the] decision of the matter in our Pattent, as alsoe his Majesty's Honorable Commissioners' orders; as if you violate their actions in contempt of his Majesty, which said orders are mentioned to you in his Majesty's late letter, which cannot be deemed but as a justification of our proceedings and the contrary to you. And whereas you say the matter is depending in England, you know wee have severall times according to our Pattent, signifyed our appeale to his Majesty, unto you, by our letters, whereunto you have refused to answer, as by your letters may be made to appeare. Furthermore, bee it knowe to you, wee come hither only to continue the jurisdiction of his Majesty's Province, as wee have formerly done, and not to sett up a new one; although you, by your violent intrusion, have compelled the inhabitants to the contrary, which wee hope for the future you will forbeare. Therein you will give occasion for us remaine your friends and neighbours. JOHN CRANSTON, Governor of his Majesty's Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and To the Honoured William Leete, Governor at New London, if there, or elsewhere. These, Per THOMAS MINOR. Proceedings of the Generall Assembly held for the Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at Newport, the 30th day of October, 1679. The Governor chosen Moderator. The Recorder chosen Clerke. Voted, Arthur Cooke is admitted a freeman of this Collony. |