N00532:21
The great blessing, of primitive counsellors. Discoursed in a sermon, preached in the audience…The great blessing, of primitive counsellours. Discoursed in a sermon, preached in the audience…
The great blessing, of primitive counsellors. Discoursed in a sermon, preached in the audience of the governor, Council, and representatives, of the province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New-England. May 31st. 1693. Being the day for the election of counsellors, in that province. / By Increase Mather. President of Harvard College in Cambridge, and teacher of a church at Boston, in New-England. ; [One line epigram in Latin]The great blessing, of primitive counsellours. Discoursed in a sermon, preached in the audience of the governour, Council, and representatives, of the province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New-England. May 31st. 1693. Being the day for the election of counsellours, in that province. / By Increase Mather. President of Harvard Colledge in Cambridge, and teacher of a church at Boston, in New-England. ; [One line epigram in Latin]
Boston, : Printed and sold, by Benjamin Harris, over-against the Old-Meeting-House., 1693
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
If they will be Dissatisfied, it is Impossible that they should be Dissatisfied at You, for Mankind knows that You did all that you could to obtain that and all other Privileges which themselves can wish for. But were I in Your Case, at my Return to New-England, I would say to them, Gentlemen, I have brought to You, the Best Charter I could get for you▪ 'Tis in Your Power, whether you will accept of it or no; If you like it not you may if you please send it back to the King, and send over a more Fortunate Agent! And let them Try (said my Lord) whether they can find a man in all New-England that can get a better Charter for them, than you have obtained.
If they will be Dissatisfyed, it is Impossible that they should be Dissatisfyed at You, for Mankind knows that You did all that you could to obtain that and all other Priviledges which themselves can wish for. But were I in Your Case, at my Return to New-England, I would say to them, Gentlemen, I have brought to You, the Best Charter I could get for you▪ 'Tis in Your Power, whether you will accept of it or no; If you like it not you may if you please send it back to the King, and send over a more Fortunate Agent! And let them Try (said my Lord) whether they can find a man in all New-England that can get a better Charter for them, than you have obtained.
The true and plain State of the Case was this: The Colony lay a Bleeding for want of a Settlement as to Civil Government. The General Court had in an Address to the King, signified, That the former Governor and Assistants did not think it safe, to Enter on the full Exercise of their Old Charter Govern […] ⟨p. 8⟩gland, there should be an Orderly Settlement. The Agents had no Instruction, from their Principals not to submit unto whatever Settlement should in England be concluded best for them. So that if they had refused what was offered, they could not have answered their so doing. It is an Old Proverb, That half a Loaf is better than no Bread. And I must confess I am not of their Opinion, who if they cannot have every thing they desire, they will have nothing, who prefer their Late Bondage to their present Liberty; who if they must have a Governor Set over them by the King, had rather have a bad than a good man for such Reasons as I am not willing to mention.