They impose an oath of fidelity to themselves, without regarding the oath of allegiance to the King.5.They refuse justice by withholding appeals to the King.6.They oppose the Acts of Navigation, and imprison the King's officers for doing their duty.7.They have established a Naval Office, with a view to defraud the customs.8.No verdicts are ever found for the King in relation to customs, and the Courts impose costs on the prosecutors, in order to discourage trials.9.They levy customs on the importation of goods from England.10.They do not administer the oath of supremacy, as required by the Charter.11.They erected a Court of Admiralty, though not empowered by Charter.12.They discountenance the Church of England.13.They persist in coining money, though they had asked forgiveness for that offence." (Chalmers' Annals, p.

462.)] [Footnote 187: _Ib._, p.

377.] [Footnote 188: "From this period (1683) one may date the origin of two parties--the Patriots and Prerogative men--between whom controversy scarcely intermitted, and was never ended until the separation of the two countries." (Minot's History of Massachusetts, etc., Vol.

I., p.
51.)] [Footnote 189: In a Boston town meeting, held January 21, 1684, to consider the King's declaration, the Rev.Increase Mather, who was then President of Harvard College, and had for twenty years exerted more influence upon the public affairs of Massachusetts than any other man for the same length of time, delivered a speech against submission to the King, which he miscalled "the surrender of the Charter." He said, among other things: "I verily believe we shall sin against the God of heaven if we vote in the affirmative to it.

The Scripture teacheth us otherwise.