82 BULLETIN OF THE ESSEX INSTITUTE. 



and, though without renouncing his opinions, he offered 

 his book to be burned. 



Mr. Skelton, whom Mr. Upham calls his "fiiithful de- 

 fender, " died in the summer of 1634 and the Salem Church 

 immediately invited Mr. Williams to be its pastor. Again 

 the Court interfered and sent a mandate to the Church 

 that it should not ordain him. Whether the majristrates 

 in Boston had a right thus to interfere has been a cause of 

 much contention. 



The Church gave no heed to this injunction, and Roger 

 Williams was regularly installed in Aug., 1634. The 

 independence of the Salem Church was not allowed to 

 go unpunished. From this time forth the Salem Church 

 and Mr. Williams were in constant collision with the 

 authorities. 



"In Salem every person loved Mr. Williams. He had 

 no personal enemies. All valued his friendship. He 

 was not afraid to stand for truth against the world. He 

 knew man better than he did civil government. He was 

 a friend of human nature, forgiving, upright and pious." 

 "His preaching was faithful, his doctrines on all the great 

 essentials of Christian faith were sound and his life was 

 of blameless purity." Moreover " Salem began to enjoy 

 unrivalled prosperity and to entertain the proudest hopes." 

 Boston appears to have been jealous of Salem. "It was 

 feared that, in connection with other causes, his resolute 

 spirit and popular talents would give an importance to 

 that town [Salem] that might eclipse the metropolis." 



Finall}'^, came the climax. In March, 1635, the people 

 of Salem petitioned for some land between Marblehead 

 and the Cliff, which they said belonged to them, but the 

 Court, as a punishment for contempt of authority in set- 

 tling Mr. Williams, refused to allow the claim ; for in 



