921.73 W589w.pdf - Mesa FamilySearch Library

Rev. Samuel Whiting. i9
governors of the earlier settlements at Cape
Ann _ and Salem; and, at a later date, Simon
Bradstreet, Who succeeded Mr. Leverett as gov-
ernor of Massachusetts, in 1679. Prominent
and active as they were in their efforts to control
the civil and religious affairs of their contempo-
raries, an influence upon the destiny of the
colony, not less potent and not less important,
may justly be ascribed to Cotton, Whiting, and
Bulkley. The char_tcter and extent of that
influence upon the future welfare of the peo-
ple can be understood and appreciated only
by thorough examination of the lives and do-
ings of the political as well as of the religious
leaders of the time, and by tracing the parts
which they have respectively taken in sustaln-
ing or attempting to overthrow those principles
which are now acknowledged as the foundation
of republican government. But, in this brief
sketch, it is impracticable to do more than to
make an occasional allusion to these interest-
ing topics. " Lincolnshire" (says Hutchin-
son) "contributed greatly; and more of our
• See " Landing at Cape Ann, or the First Charter ;" by I. W.
Thornton, Esq. Note 6, p. 264.