punishment might have been inflicted upon an individual, though
notoriously unlawful, and the only redress possible would have been
subsequent proceedings to vacate the charter.

Through appeals, corporations could be controlled; and by none was this
control so stubbornly disputed, or its necessity so clearly demonstrated,
as by the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay in New England. A good
illustration is the trial of the Quaker, Wenlock Christison, for his life
in 1661.

"William Leddra being thus dispatch'd, it was resolved to make an end also
of Wenlock Christison. He therefore was brought from the prison to the
court at Boston, where the governor John Indicot, and the deputy governor
Richard Billingham, being both present, it was told him, 'Unless you will
renounce your religion, you shall surely die.' But instead of shrinking,
he said with an undaunted courage, 'Nay, I shall not change my religion,
nor seek to save my life; neither do I intend to deny my Master; but if I
lose my life for Christ's sake, and the preaching of the gospel, I shall
save my life.' ... John Indicot asked him 'what he had to say for himself,
why he should not die?' ... Then Wenlock asked, 'By what law will you put
me to death?' The answer was, 'We have a law, and by our law you are to
die.' 'So said the Jews of Christ,' (reply'd Wenlock) 'we have a law, and
by our law he ought to die. Who empowered you to make that law?' To which
one of the board answered, 'We have a patent, and are the patentees; judge
whether we have not power to make laws.' Hereupon Wenlock asked again,
'How, have you power to make laws repugnant to the laws of England?' 'No,'
said the governor. 'Then,' (reply'd Wenlock,) 'you are gone beyond your
bounds, and have forfeited your patent; and that is more than you can
answer.' 'Are you,' ask'd he, 'subjects to the king, yea or nay?' ... To
which one said, 'Yea, we are so.' 'Well,' said Wenlock, 'so am I.' ...