 He served for many years as a commissioner representing Massachusetts to the New England Confederation , an organization that coordinated matters of common interest ( principally defense ) among most of the New England colonies . He was regularly chosen as an assistant , serving on the council that dominated the public affairs of the colony , but did not reach higher office until 1678 , when he was first elected deputy governor under John Leverett . He was against military actions against some of the colony 's foreign neighbors , opposing official intervention in a French Acadian dispute in the 1640s , and also spoke against attacking the New Netherland during the First Anglo @-@ Dutch War ( 1652 – 1654 ) . 
 He served for many years as a commissioner representing Massachusetts to the New England Confederation , an organization <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>that</mark></a>coordinated matters of common interest ( principally defense ) among most of the New England colonies . He was regularly chosen as an assistant , serving on the council <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>that</mark></a>dominated the public affairs of the colony , but did not reach higher office until 1678 , when he was first elected deputy governor under John Leverett . He was against military actions against some of the colony <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>foreign neighbors , opposing official intervention in a French Acadian dispute in the 1640s , and also spoke against attacking the New Netherland during the First Anglo @-@ Dutch War ( 1652 – 1654 ) . 
He served fa many years as a commissioner representing Massachusetts to da New England Confederation , an organization coordinated matters of common interest ( principally defense ) among most of the New England colonies . He was regularly chosen as an assistant , serving on the council dominated tdapublic affairs of the colony , but did not reach higher office til 1678 , when he was first elected deputy governor under John Leverett . He was against military actions against some of the colony  foreign neighbors , opposing official intervention in a French Acadian dispute in thda640s , and also spoke against attacking thedaw Netherland during the First Anglo @-@ Dutch War ( 1652 – 1654 ) .