Ecclesiastical History. 9 



for it began (3) 14, and brake not up (save one week) till (5) 5, were 

 content they should pay the charges of the court. After, they were 

 drawn to consent to some small fines, but in this they would have drawn 

 in lieutenant Ernes to have been fined deeply, he being neither plaintiff 

 nor defendant, but an informer only, and had made good all the points 

 of his information, and no offence found in him, other than that which 

 was after adjudged worthy of admonition only ; and they would have 

 imposed the charges of the court upon the whole trained band at Hing- 

 ham, when it was apparent, that divers were innocent, and had no hand in 

 any of these proceedings. The magistrates not consenting to so manifest 

 injustice, they sent to the deputies to desire them to join with them in 

 calling in the help of the elders, (for they were now assembled at Cam- 

 bridge from all parts of the United Colonies, and divers of them were 

 present when the cause was publickly heard, and declared themselves 

 much grieved to see that the deputy governour should be called forth to 

 answer as a delinquent in such a case as this was, and one of them, in 

 the name of the rest, had written to him to that effect, fearing lest he 

 should apprehend over deeply of the injury &c.) but the deputies would 

 by no means consent thereto, for they knew that many of the elders 

 understood the cause, and were more careful to uphold the honour and 

 power of the magistrates than themselves well liked of, and many of them 

 (at the request of the elder and others of the church of Hingham during 

 this court) had been at Hingham, to see if they could settle peace in the 

 church there, and found the elder and others the petitioners in great 

 fault &c. After this (upon motion of the deputies) it was agreed to refer 

 the cause to arbitrators, according to an order of the court, when the 

 magistrates and deputies cannot agree &c. The magistrates named six 

 of the elders of the next towns, and left it to them to choose any three 

 or four of them, and required them to name six others. The deputies 

 finding themselves now at the wall, and not daring to trust the elders 

 with the cause, they sent to desire that six of themselves might come and 

 confer with the magistrates, which being granted, they came, and at last 

 came to this agreement, viz. the chief petitioners and the rest of the 

 offenders were severally fined, (all their fines not amounting to 50 

 pounds), the rest of the petitioners to bear equal share to 50 pounds more 

 towards the charges of the court, (two of the principal offenders were the 

 deputies of the town, Joshua Hubbert and Bozone Allen, the first was 

 fined 20 pounds, and the other 5 pounds), lieutenant Ernes to be under 

 admonition, the deputy governour to be legally and publickly acquit of 

 all that was laid to his charge. 



"According to this agreement, (5) 3, presently after the lecture the 

 magistrates and deputies took their places in the meeting house, and the 

 people being come together, and the deputy governour placing himself 

 within* the bar, as at the time of the hearing &c. the governour read the 

 sentence of the court, without speaking any more, for the deputies had 

 (by importunity) obtained a promise of silence from the magistrates. 

 Then was the deputy governour desired by the court to go up and 

 take his place again upon the bench, which he did accordingly, and the 

 court being about to arise, he desired leave for a little speech, which 

 was to this effect. 



'"I suppose something may be expected from me, upon this charge that 

 is befallen me, which moves me to speak now to you ; yet I intend 

 not to intermeddle in the proceedings of the court, or with any of the 



