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THE EMBARKATION AT DELFT-HAVEN.

CHAP. These things being agreed, the major part stayed, and the pastor with them, for the present; but all 1620. intended (except a very few, who had rather we would have stayed) to follow after. The minor part, with Mr. Brewster, their elder, resolved to enter upon this great work, (but take notice the difference of number was not great.) And when the ship was ready to carry us away, the brethren that stayed having again solemnly sought the Lord with us and for us, and we further engaging ourselves mutually as before, they, I say, that stayed at Leyden feasted us that were to go, at our pastor's house, being large; where we refreshed ourselves, after tears, with singing of psalms, making joyful melody in our hearts, as well as with the voice, there being many of our congregation very expert in music; and indeed it was the sweetest melody that ever mine ears heard. After this they accompanied us to Delph's Haven, where we were to embark, and there feasted us again; and after prayer performed by our pastor, where a flood of tears was poured out, they accompanied us to the ship, but were not able to speak one to another for the abundance of sorrow to part. But we only going aboard, (the ship lying to the quay and ready to set sail, the wind being fair,) we gave them a volley of small shot and three pieces of ordnance, and so lifting up our hands to each other, and our hearts for each other to the Lord our God, July we departed, and found his presence with us in the midst of our manifold straits he carried us through.

July

21.

22.

Nov.

9.

And if any doubt this relation, the Dutch, as I hear, at Delph's Haven preserve the memory of it to this day, and will inform them.

But falling in with Cape Cod, which is in New

THE SETTLEMENT AT PLYMOUTH.

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Nov.

England, and standing to the southward for the place CHAP. we intended,' we met with many dangers, and the mariners put back into the harbour of the Cape, which 1620. was the 11th of November, 1620; where considering 11. winter was come, the seas dangerous, the season cold, the winds high, and being well furnished for a plantation, we entered upon discovery and settled at Plymouth; where God being pleased to preserve and enable us, we that went were at a thousand pounds charge in sending for our brethren that were behind, and in providing there for them till they could reap a crop of their own labors.

And

And so, good reader, I have given thee a true and faithful account, though very brief, of our proceedings, wherein thou seest how a late writer, and those that informed him, have wronged our enterprise. truly what I have written is far short of what it was, omitting for brevity sake many circumstances; as the large offers the Dutch offered to us, either to have removed into Zealand and there lived with them, or, if we would go on such adventures, to go under them to Hudson's river, (where they have since a great plantation, &c.) and how they would freely have transported us, and furnished every family with cattle, &c.3 Also the English merchants that joined with us in this expedition, whom we since bought out; which is fitter for a history than an answer to such an objection, and I trust will be accomplished in good time. By all which the reader may see there was no breach between us that went and the brethren that stayed, but such love as indeed is seldom found on earth.

4

See Mass. Hist. Coll. iii. 47.

386

CHAP.
XXV.

SUCCEEDING COLONIES CONSULT PLYMOUTH.

And for the many plantations that came over to us upon notice of God's blessing upon us, whereas 't is falsely said they took Plymouth for their precedent, as fast as they came;' 't is true, I confess, that some of 1629. the chief of them advised with us, (coming over to be freed from the burthensome ceremonies then imposed in England,) how they should do to fall upon a right platform of worship, and desired to that end, since God had honored us to lay the foundation of a Commonwealth, and to settle a Church in it, to show them whereupon our practice was grounded; and if they found, upon due search, it was built upon the Word, they should be willing to take up what was of God. We accordingly showed them the primitive practice for our warrant, taken out of the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistles written to the several churches by the said Apostles, together with the commandments of Christ the Lord in the Gospel, and other our warrants

"The Dissuader," says Cotton, "is much mistaken when he saith, The congregation of Plymouth did incontinently leaven all the vicinity; seeing for many years there was no vicinity to be leavened. And Salem itself, that was gathered into church order seven or eight years after them, was above forty miles distant from them. And though it be very likely that some of the first comers might help their theory by hearing and discerning their practice at Plymouth, yet therein the Scripture is fulfilled, The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till all was leavened." Way, &c. p. 16.

Endicott, writing to Governor Bradford from Salem, May 11, 1629, says, "I acknowledge myself much bound to you for your kind

love and care in sending Mr. Fuller (the physician) amongst us, and rejoice much that I am by him satisfied touching your judgment of the outward form of God's worship. It is, as far as I can yet gather, no other than is warranted by the evidence of truth, and the same which I have professed and maintained ever since the Lord in mercy revealed himself unto me, being far differing from the common report that hath been spread of you touching that particular." Fuller himself, in a letter dated Massachusetts, June 28, 1630, writes, "Here is a gentleman, one Mr. Coddington, a Boston man, who told me that Mr. Cotton's charge to them at Hampton was, that they should take advice of them at Plymouth, and should do nothing to offend them." Mass. Hist. Coll. iii. 66, 75.

THE PRIMITIVE CHURCHES THE ONLY PATTERN.

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for every particular we did from the book of God. CHAP. Which being by them well weighed and considered, they also entered into covenant with God and one 1629. another to walk in all his ways, revealed or as they should be made known unto them, and to worship him according to his will revealed in his written word only, &c. So that here also thou mayest see they set not the church at Plymouth before them for example, but the primitive churches were and are their and our mutual patterns and examples, which are only worthy to be followed, having the blessed Apostles amongst them, who were sent immediately by Christ himself, and enabled and guided by the unerring spirit of God. And truly this is a pattern fit to be followed of all that fear God, and no man or men to be followed further than they follow Christ and them.

Having thus briefly showed that the foundation of our New England plantations was not laid upon schism, division or separation, but upon love, peace and holiness; yea, such love and mutual care of the church of Leyden for the spreading of the Gospel, the welfare of each other and their posterities to succeeding generations, as is seldom found on earth; and having showed also that the primitive churches are the only pattern which the churches of Christ in New England have in their eye, not following Luther, Calvin, Knox, Ainsworth, Robinson, Ames, or any other, further than they follow Christ and his Apostles, I am earnestly requested to clear up another gross mistake which caused many, and still doth, to judge the harder of New England and the churches there, "because (say they) the Church of Plymouth, which went first from

388

XXV.

ROBINSON'S DOCTRINE OF COMMUNION.

CHAP. Leyden, were schismatics, Brownists, rigid Separatists, &c., having Mr. Robinson for their pastor, who made and to the last professed separation from other the churches of Christ, &c. And the rest of the churches in New England, holding communion with that church, are to be reputed such as they are."

1617.

to

For answer to this aspersion, first, he that knew Mr. Robinson either by his doctrine daily taught, or hath read his Apology, published not long before his death,' or knew the practice of that church of Christ under his government, or was acquainted with the wholesome counsel he gave that part of the church which went for New England at their departure and afterward, might easily resolve the doubt and take off the aspersion.

For his doctrine, I living three years under his min1620. istry, before we began the work of plantation in New England, it was always against separation from any the churches of Christ; professing and holding communion both with the French and Dutch churches,3 yea, tendering it to the Scotch also, as I shall make appear more particularly anon; ever holding forth how wary persons ought to be in separating from a Church,

1625.

In 1619. Robinson died in

From 1617 to 1620. Winslow was 22 years old when he united himself to Robinson's church at Leyden. See note on page 274.

Robinson says in his Apology, page 6," We do profess before God and men, that such is our accord, in the case of religion, with the Dutch Reformed Churches, as that we are ready to subscribe to all and every article of faith in the same Church, as they are laid down in the Harmony of Confessions of Faith, published in their name.

Again, on page 8, he says, "Touching the Reformed Churches, what more shall I say? We account them the true churches of Jesus Christ, and both profess and practise communion with them in the holy things of God, what in us lieth. Their serinons such of ours frequent, as understand the Dutch tongue; the sacraments we do administer to their known members, if by occasion any of them be present with us; their distractions and other evils we do seriously bewail; and do desire from the Lord their holy and firm peace."