The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

196 HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
originally laid out five rods square. The southwest corner is the oldest part, and has been enlarged several times. It is supposed that this ground,
although not the most ancient, contains the oldest
inscriptions in the United States, excepting, perhaps, a few in Jamestown, Va.; one being dated
1638, and others in 1644 and 1648.
April 3d, of this year, "Mr. Mather, after the
evening exercises, did declare that Mr. Stoughton
did intend the next Lord's day to preach again, at
the motion of the messengers of the church, although he had not preached publicly full 14 sabbaths before."
Mr. Mather preached the election sermon this
year, from Haggai ii. 4-" Yet now be strong, all
ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work, for
I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts." A very
significant text for the occasion, and the discourse
was probably a preliminary step in that onward
march of events which finally caused the separation
of the colony from the mother country.
The following important petition from the town,
signed by nearly all the men in it, speaks for itself;
but a few remarks may help to understand its significance. The colony had no doubt, greatly sympathised with Cromwell and his party, and were not a
little disappointed at the accession of the undignified and lascivious Charles. It was with these feelings, and under the fear, likewise, that former rights
and privileges might be curtailed upon the restoration of the Stuart family, that this document was
sent to the General Court. It is undoubtedly in