Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/241

 KEPLV OF SWANSEA. 191 powed and the Church of Christ then gathered and assem- bling in said town, and confirmed by all the proprietors of said town to prevent all troubles and discords arising for the future of this nature (a copy of which is hereto annexed). " One foundation article thereof is that a comfortable maintenance was due to the ministry from such as partook of their teaching, so careful was the first inhabitants to lay such a foundation that might effectually prevent all present and future disturbances ; that if any person denied any par- ticular in the said agreement, they should not be admitted an inhabitant in said town : and according to the said agree- ment the worship of God is and hath been maintained in this town, and in that part the petitioners would have be a township, without any assistance from said petitioners by compulsion but by free contribution, and accordingly we have been at considerable charges in building and repairing meeting-houses for our own conveniences (and constantly attending the worship of God in them) and our neighbors, the petitioners, always enjoying the same liberty according to covenant have no reason to complain. But likely said petitioners may not be acquainted with the foundation set- tlement of our town (being none of them the first proprie- tors nor but a very few children of the first, being mostly strangers, several of them lately come to town, and not all town dwellers), which if they had made the town acquainted they might have been informed. But if our neighbors expect assistance from other societies that uphold the worship of God among them as aforesaid in our town or others with them, it cannot but tend to great dissatisfaction, it being contrary to the grant given us which we and our forefathers have enforced more than forty years, and we desire so to continue. We see no advantage in breaking our town, but increasing a charge to no profit ; our township being small and granted by the General Court for our township. We desire that it so remain and every conscies person may enjoy their liberty and just rights according to the said grant, and