I told them it was altogether impossible for me to comply with their desires, it being wholly repugnant to the laws of England to compel the subject to pay for the maintenance of any minister who was not of the National Church, and that it lay not in any Governor's power to help them, but since they were so zealous for having religion and good order settled amongst 'em, I would propose a medium in that matter, which was that there being at Boston a French Protestant Minister, Mr. Bondett, a very good man, who was in orders from my Lord (Archbishop) of London, and the people of New Rochelle being destitute of a minister, we would call Mr. Bondett to the living, and the parish being large enough to maintain two, we would likewise continue i\Ir. Mather and support him by subscription. The vestry seemed to be extreamly well pleased with this proposal and desired me to send for Mr. Bondett, which I immediately did, hoping by that means to bring them over to the church ; but Mather, apprehending what I aimed at, persuaded the vestry to alter their resolutions, and when he came they refused to call him, so that projection failing me, and finding that it was impossible to make any progress toward settling the church so long as Mather continued among us, I made it my business in the next place to devise ways to gett him out of the country, which I was not long in contriving, which being effected and having gained some few proselytes in every town, and those who were of the best esteem amongst 'em, who having none to oppose them, and being assisted by Mr. Vesey and j\[r. Bondett, who very often preached in several parts of the country, baptizing the children, by easy methods the people were soon wrought into a good opinion of the church and indeed beyond my expectations."