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

204 HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
future greatness began to dawn upon him, and decided him not to commit himself to a profession that
was then considered so sacred, so enduring, and so
difficult to resign, as the clerical. The church not
feeling satisfied, made another request to the same
purport, on the last day of the year. Still he continued firm to his purpose, but was willing to preach
as formerly. These invitations were repeated to the
sixth time, until the death of Mr. Mather in 1669,
and even the elders of the other churches at their
meeting in Boston were desired to persuade him to
accept of the offer; but all to no purpose. Circumstances like these show that he must have been one
of the most attractive preachers of the day, and a
trained and accomplished scholar. They show, also,
his inflexibility of purpose, when he had once decided upon the course which he judged right for him
to pursue.
The king's commissioners, Col. Cartwright and
others, arrived in Boston this year, with power to
settle some difficulties which were at issue between
different parties in the colony. They had been to
New York for the same purpose, and appeared here
in rather an offensive light before the magistrates.
They directed them to assemble the people together,
which they declined to do, in an indirect way, intimating that they were very busy, and that therefore
they should not encourage such a meeting. Cartwright was very severe upon this answer, and denounced all who opposed his measures as traitors.
The attention of the government in England had
been called towards the treatment which the Qua