[84] Court to them, for their enabling to maintain the ordinances of God among them, and all other common charges inevitably arising in a township; so that what they call a burden will appear to be no more than their duty which they owe to the town; and if, in that sense, charge and burden may be admitted as a just plea, may not the servant as well petition the Court to be freed from his master, the tenant from his landlord, or any single town petition his Majesty to have their freedom, and be a distinct Colony, and plead that the annual charges for maintenance of government and the peace of the commonwealth is to them a great charge and burden? 2. Their charge and burden hath not been greater than their brethren and neighbors; for we have not, by burdening or charging them, eased ourselves of our just dues and proportion in any kind; and although their accommodations for enabling then to bear and discharge their dues are far better than those of the town, yet it seems that what they call great (and we may without wronging our case freely concede to the truth thereof, that when all our shoulders bear, and hands and hearts join together, we find it so by daily experience) they are content that we should bear it alone, not pitying us, though we sink and break under it; for they know full well that their withdrawing will not abate the weight of our burden; for the bridge must be maintained, the school must be kept up, the Deputies must be sent to the General Court: and they have no other charge or burden imposed upon them by us than their just proportion of that which these do ordinarily require. 3. They know full well that such hath been the tenderness of the town towards them at all times, that they have evermore chosen a Constable that hath been resident among them, and for the Selectmen also they have desired that they might constantly have some of them joined with those of the town, partly for their help, and partly that they might more easily have help from them, and be satisfied in the equity and justice of their proceedings in all respects; so that we know they cannot and dare not to plead that we have at any time been unwilling to execute the power of the Selectmen for gathering the rates due to their minister or otherwise more properly belonging to them, nor that we have carried crossly, proudly, or perversely towards them. If we have, let us be accused to our faces, and not backbitten and slandered as we have been in the other particulars whereof they accuse us.Thus far in answer to the petitioners' 2d argument in general. We shall now make answer thereto more particularly.
