History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 1 95
he had been repeatedly cautioned and admonished, even to
" denying him to be in unity " with them, but all to no pur-
pose. Judging from the lenient treatment which he received,
he must have been an able speaker, although somewhat rash in
his expressions. At the monthly meeting in June he was pres-
ent and expressed his mind as follows :
" John Colllins being spoke to concerning our Last Labouring
with him to forbear offering among us by way of publick Testa-
mony or preaching : he s d John Collins stood up in s d meeting
and made the following speech or Protestation : ( which was as
followeth) viz. I had rather than conforme to your judgment
go and Kiss the Poopes toe : or turn Powower among the
heathern : yea or go joyn with mehomit or be carried into the
uttermost Parts of the Earth and there be put into Jayl near
to hear joyfull sound more : yea or if hell was open before me
and God behind mee with all his heavenly Host, and they the
Heavenly Host should tell mee that if I would not conform to
you he would Imediately cast me in thither I would Rather
trust in his mercy that he would not, than conforme to what
you would have mee ; which was to forbear speaking in our
meetings untill he be reconciled to his Brethren."
Verily, perfect freedom was not found even among the Order
of Friends. After laboring with him some five years longer, he
was, in 1738, formally turned out of the society. Mr. Collins
was of Salisbury and, probably, an honest free-thinker.
1734.
It was contemplated obtaining a grant of land from the Gen-
eral Court to assist in establishing a free school in town, and
the representative elect was instructed to petition the next Court
to that effect. If any such petition was preferred, no record of
the result is found.
At the May session the General Court passed a stringent law
in regard to taking fish in the Merrimac river. No person was
allowed to set up any " wear, hedges, fish garths, stakes, kid-
dles or other incumberance," under a penalty of fifty pounds
for the first offence and one hundred pounds for every other
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