21 Hingham’s Reply in Regard to a Contribution for the College

    Hingham, November 28 1653

    Much Honoured Sirs

    I Received your Letters though they were long before they came to my hands, insomuch as I could not get a fit opportunity to impart the desires, and good motions (therein specified) unto the Towne before this present day, wherein I have not onely certified them of your just and laudable proposalls, but have also labored to my utmost to effect something therein, that might be satisfactory to your worships who are intrusted with these affaires, and also benificiall unto learning, and for the honor of god. And truely our Towne stands very well affected toward Learneing and are noe lesse desirous to entertayn and prosecute this your present motion of contributeing to the Colledg, by reason of the respect they beare to the honoured Court, and yourselves who are the authors of this present design, but cheifly out of an earnest desire of the honour of god in the thing itselfe. And therefore they are very sorry that at the present they cannot answer Fully the expectations therein for some particular Reasons which they alledg to the Contrary; which are first in regard of their charges toward the Country and expenses in the towne, which have this last year been very extraordinarily great; and also because they dayly see and take notice that many students and scholars brought up at the Colledg, when they through gods blessing are fitt for Imployment are continually departeing out of the Country so as we are likely to bee little the better for any cost we shall be at in this behalfe, and we doe conceive, and indeed have understood as much by some of the students themselves that this is one maine reason of it because illiterat and unlearned men are bold to undertake the great worke of publick preaching which as we conceive belongs onely to godly and learned Ministers. These are some grounds amongst some others, which they will mee on their behalfe to hint at present unto your worships, as for the rest and these also I hope more fully to informe you of them, upon the first opportunity I have to speak personally with your worships, upon which discourse I hope I shall by yourselves bee inabled, to give the Towne such reasonable satisfaction as I doubt not but will induce them to bee free according to their abilities, in this so considerable a matter. Neverthelesse I would not have you imagine that there are none in our Towne who are frely willing to contribute to this business, for there are Some amongst us that did manyfest their present readynes unto the same, but wee had not at that time, leisure to bring it to such an issue as we much desired, and were also in some measure discouraged we Heard it would amount to so small a summ, as would be hardly worth your acceptance, In Respect of what might otherwise be produced from the Towne in generall. Thus with my unfeigned respects and service to your worships presented, I remaine yours in what service that in this or any other respect I am able.

    Joshua Hubberd

    [Addressed:] To his much honoured Freind Mr. Increase Nowell at his house in Charles Town these present.

    Corporation Papers.