[62] Gov. Hutchinson omitted this paragraph when he prepared his next
and final draft, which was a judicious proceeding. The above is a view
of the document which may occur to a reader on a first and superficial
examination; and it has been claimed by a late writer that “the paper
is so worded as to mislead.” The paper was drawn by Cotton Mather;
and was “concurringly presented before his Excellency and Council by
twelve ministers” of Boston and the vicinity. (_Cases of Conscience_,
Postscript.) Those twelve men knew the meaning of language; and it
is hardly possible to believe that they would concur, at that solemn
period, in a series of recommendations to the public authorities which
carried a contradiction, if not a fraud, on the face of the document.
Hutchinson’s omission of the passage may be regarded as a retraction
of his first impressions, resulting from further investigation. The
advice, in my opinion, is wholly consistent; but this is not the place
to discuss the point. I purpose to do this on some other occasion.