Pietas in patriam the life of His Excellency Sir William Phips, Knt. late Captain…

It was lastly, argued, That by the New Charter very great Privileges were granted unto New-England; and, in some respects greater, than what they formerly enjoyed. The Colony is now made a Province, and their General Court, has, with the King's Approbation, as much Power, in New-England, as the King and Parliament have in England. They have all English Liberties, and can be touched by no Law, by no Tax, but of their own making. All the Liberties of their Holy Religion are for ever secured, and their Titles to their Lands, once, for want of some Forms of legal Conveyance, contested, are now confirmed unto them. If an ill Governor should happen to be imposed on them, what Hurt could he do to them? None, except they themselves pleased; for he cannot make one Counsellor, or one Judge, or one Justice, or one Sheriff to serve his Turn: Disadvantages enough, one would think, to discourage any ill Governor from desiring to be Stationed in those uneasy Regions. The People have a Negative upon all the Executive Part of the Civil Government, as well as the Legislative, which is a vast Privilege, enjoyed by no other Plantation in America, nor by Ireland, no, nor hitherto by England it self. Why should all of this Good be refused, or despised, because of somewhat not so Good attending it? The Despisers of so much Good, will certainly deserve a Censure, not unlike that of Causabon, upon some who did not value what that learned Man counted highly valuable, Vix illis optari quid. quam pejus potest, quam ut fatuitate sua fruantur: ⟨p. 61⟩Much good may do them with their Madness! All of this being well considered, Sir William Phips, who had made so many Addresses for the Restoration of the Old Charter, under which he had seen his Country many Years flourishing, will be excused, by all the World from any thing of a Fault, in a most unexpected passage of his Life, which is now to be related.

It was lastly, argued, That by the New Charter very great Priviledges were granted unto New-England; and, in some respects greater, than what they formerly enjoyed. The Colony is now made a Province, and their General Court, has, with the King's Approbation, as much Power, in New-England, as the King and Parliament have in England. They have all English Liberties, and can be touched by no Law, by no Tax, but of their own making. All the Liberties of their Holy Religion are for ever secured, and their Titles to their Lands, once, for want of some Forms of legal Conveyance, contested, are now confirmed unto them. If an ill Governour should happen to be imposed on them, what Hurt could he do to them? None, except they themselves pleased; for he cannot make one Counsellour, or one Judge, or one Justice, or one Sheriff to serve his Turn: Disadvantages enough, one would think, to discourage any ill Governour from desiring to be Stationed in those uneasie Regions. The People have a Negative upon all the Executive Part of the Civil Government, as well as the Legislative, which is a vast Priviledge, enjoyed by no other Plantation in America, nor by Ireland, no, nor hitherto by England it self. Why should all of this Good be refused, or despised, because of somewhat not so Good attending it? The Despisers of so much Good, will certainly deserve a Censure, not unlike that of Causabon, upon some who did not value what that learned Man counted highly valuable, Vix illis optari quid. quam pejus potest, quam ut fatuitate sua fruantur: