nies and plantations abroad, having enjoyed and
grown up in a long and orderly establishment, adding this royal promise:
'Wee shall not come behind any of our royal predecessors in a just
encouragement and protection of all our loving subjects there.' In your
Majestie's letter of the 28th of June, 1662, sent us by our messengers,
besides many other gracious expressions, there is this: 'Wee will
preserve and do hereby confirme the patent and Charter heretofore
granted unto them by our Royal father of blessed memory, and they shall
freely enjoy all the privileges and liberties granted unto them in and
by the same.'[140] As for such particulars, of a civil and religious
nature, as are subjoined in the said letter, we have applyed ourselves
to the utmost to satisfy your Majesty, so far as doth consist with
conscience, of our duty toward God and the just liberties and privileges
of our patent.[141] Wee are further bound, with humble thankfulness, to
acknowledge your Majestie's gracious expressions in your last letter we
have received, dated April 23, 1664, as (besides other instances
thereof) that your Majestie hath not the least intention or thought of
violating, or in the least degree infringing, the Charter heretofore
granted by your Royal father with great wisdom, and upon full
deliberation, etc.

"But what affliction of heart must it needs be unto us, that our sins
have provoked God to permit our adversaries to set themselves against us
by their misinformations, complaints and solicitations (as some of them
have made it their worke for many years), and thereby to procure a
commission under the great seal, wherein four persons (one of them our
knowne and professed enemy) are impowered to hear, receive, examine and
determine all complaints and appeals, in all causes and matters as well
military as criminal and civil, and to proceed in all things, for
settling this country according to their good and sound discretion,
etc., whereby, instead of being governed by rulers of our owne choosing
(which is the fundamental privilege of our patent), and by lawes of our
owne, wee are like to be subjected to the arbitary power of strangers,
proceeding not by any established law, but by their own discretion. And
whereas our patent gives a sufficient royal warrant and discharge to all
officers and persons for executing the lawes here made and published, as
is therein directed, we shall now not be discharged, and at rest from
further mol