Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/82

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54
New England
[1720

Fashion in London, but in three or four Months is to be seen at Boston nay, they are fond of the very Name and Person of an English Man, insomuch that some who have had no great Affection for the People on the Account of their Preciseness, have yet been so agreeably entertain'd by them, as to leave the Country with Regret. In short, the only Difference between an Old and a New-English Man is in his Religion ; and here the Disagreement is chiefly about the Liturgy, and Church-Government, the one being for a National Church, govern d by Arch-Bishops, Bishops, and a Convocation : The other esteeming all Ministers to be of the same Order, and every Society of Christians meeting together in the same Place, a compleat Christian Church, having all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within itself, without being subject to a Classis, Synod, or Convocation any further than for Advice.

Their Political Interests. It can't be denied but there are two State-Factions in New-England, as well as in most Kingdoms of Europe,which have arisen partly from a private narrow Spirit in some leading Men, who are a Sort of Spies upon the Gover[n]ment they live under, and express their Dislike of the Management of publick Affairs in all Companies, chiefly because themselves have no Share in it ; but I can assure the World, that Religion is no Part of the Quarrel, for there being no Sacramental Test for Preferments in the State, all Parties of Christians among them are easy ; Happy People ! as long as Religion and the State continue on a separate Basis ; the Magistrate not medling in Matters of Religion any further than is necessary for the Preservation of the publick Peace ; nor the Churches calling for the Sword of the Magistrate to back their Ecclesiastical Censures with corporal Severities. May they long continue on this Foot a Sanctuary to oppressed Protestants in all Parts of the World !

But after all, it will be impossible for New-England to subsist of itself for some Centuries of Years ; for tho they might maintain themselves against their Neighbours on the Continent, they must starve without a free Trade with Europe, the Manufactures of the Country being very inconsiderable ; so that if we could suppose them to rebel against England, they must throw themselves into the Arms of some other Potentate, who would protect them no longer than he could sell them to Advantage ; the French and Spaniards are Enemies to their Religion and Civil Liberties, and the Dutch are too cautious a People, to run the Hazard of losing their own Country, for the Alliance of another at so great a Distance ; Tis therefore the Grand Interest of New-England to