N00452:13
The Revolution in New England justified, and the people there vindicated from the aspersions…
The Revolution in New England justified, and the people there vindicated from the aspersions cast upon them by Mr. John Palmer, in his pretended answer to the declaration, published by the inhabitants of Boston, and the country adjacent, on the day when they secured their late oppressors, who acted by an illegal and arbitrary commission from the late King James.
Boston: printed for Joseph Brunning, 1691
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
THE Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance, which a sort of men did of late when they thought the World would never change, cry up as Divine Truth, is by means of the happy Revolution in these Nations, exploded, and the Assertors of it become ridiculous.
No man does really approve of the Revolution in England, but must justify that in New England also; for the latter was effected in compliance with the former, neither was there any design amongst the People in New England, to reassume their Ancient Charter-Government, until His present Majesties intended descent into England, to rescue the Nation from Slavery as well as Popery, was known to them (for indeed to have attempted it before that would have been madness.) They considered that the men then usurping Government in New England were King James's Creatures, who had invaded both the Liberty and Property of English Protestants after such a manner as perhaps the like was never known in any part of the World where the English Nation has any Government: And the Commission which they had obtained from the Late King James was more Illegal and Arbitrary, than that granted to Dudley and Empson by King Henry 7th. or than it may be was ever before given to any by King James himself, or by any one that ever swayed the English Sceptre, which was a Grievance intolerable; and yet they desired not to make themselves Judges in a case which so nearly concerned them, but instead of harsher treatment of those who had Tyrannized over them, they only, secured them that they might not betray that Country into the hands of the Late King, or of King Lewis, which they had reason enough to believe (considering their Characters and Dispositions,) they were inclined to do. They designed not to revenge themselves on ⟨p. 2⟩their Enemies, which they could as easily have done as a thousand men are able to kill one, and therefore when they secured their Persons, they declared (as in their Declaration Printed at Boston in New England is to be seen) that they would leave it to the King and Parliament of England, to inflict what punishment they should think meet for such Criminals. Their seizing and securing the Governor, was no more than was done in England, at Hull, Dover, Plymouth, &c. That such a man as Mr. John Palmer should exclaim against it, is not to be wondered at, seeing he was one of the Governors Tools, being of his Council, made a Judge by him, and too much concerned in some Illegal and Arbitrary Proceedings: