ROBINSON'S DEATH. XXVIII. 479 pain, yet sensible, till the very last. He fell sick the CHAP. 22d of February, and departed this life on the 1st of March. He had a continual inward ague, but, I thank 1625. the Lord, was free of the plague, so that all his friends could come freely to him; and if either prayers, tears, or means would have saved his life, he had not gone hence. But he having faithfully finished his course, and performed his work, which the Lord had appointed him here to perform, he now rests with the Lord, in eternal happiness; we wanting him and all church governors, not having one at present that is a governing officer amongst us. Now for ourselves here left, (I mean the whole church,) we still, by the mercy of God, continue and hold close together in peace and quietness, and so I hope we shall do, though we be very weak; wishing (if such were the will of God) that you and we were again together in one, either there or here; but seeing it is the will of the Lord, thus to dispose of things, we must labor with patience to rest contented, till it please the Lord otherwise to dispose of things.' For news, at present here is not much worth the writing; only as in England we have lost our old king, James, who departed this life about a month ago, so here we have lost Grave Maurice,3 the old prince here, 1 "Until Robinson's death, the congregation at Plymouth had not abandoned the hope of his coming to America with their brethren who remained in Holland. The only solution of the singular fact, that the Plymouth people remained for so many years without a minister, is that until his death, their affectionate and beloved pastor cherished the desire, and they the expectation, of his coming to America. His death caused the dissolution of his congregation at Ley den, some of whom removed to Am- 2 King James died March 27, 3 Maurice, the prince of Orange, or landgrave of Holland, died at the Hague April 23, 1625, in his 59th year. He was succeeded by his brother Frederick Henry. Sco Grattan's Hist. of the Netherlands, p. 250. 480 EUROPEAN NEWS. XXVIII. 1625. CHAP, who both departed this life since my brother Robinson; and as in England we have a new king, Charles, of whom there is great hope of good, so here likewise we have made Prince Hendrick general, in his brother's place, who is now with the Grave of Mansfield with a great army, close by the enemy, to free Breda, if it be possible, which the enemy hath besieged now some nine or ten months; but how it will fall out at last, is yet uncertain; the Lord give good success, if it be his will. The king is making ready about one hundred sail of ships; the end is not yet certain, but they will be ready to go to sea very shortly; the king himself goes to see them once in fourteen days. And thus fearing lest this will not come to your hands, hoping as soon as I hear of a convenient messenger, to write more at large, and to send you a letter which my brother Robinson sent to London, to have gone to some of you, but coming too late was brought back again; and so for this time I cease further to trouble you, and rest, Your assured loving friend, Leyden, April 28, anno 1625. ROGER WHIte. THOMAS BLOSSOM TO GOVERNOR BRADFORD. BELOVED SIR, Kind salutations, &c. I have thought good to write to you, concerning the cause as it standeth both with you and us. We see, alas! what frustrations and disappointments it pleaseth the Lord to send in this our course, good in itself, and according to godliness taken in hand, and for good and lawful ends, who yet pleaseth ROBINSON'S DEATH DEPLORED. 481 XXVIII. not to prosper as we are, for reasons best known to him- CHAP. self; and which also nearly concerns us to consider of, whether we have sought the Lord in it as we see, or 1625. not. That the Lord hath singularly preserved life in the business to great admiration, giveth me good hope that he will, (if our sins hinder not,) in his appointed time, give a happy end unto it. On the contrary, when I consider how it pleaseth the Lord to cross those means that should bring us together, being now as far off or farther than ever, in our apprehension; as also to take that means away, which would have been so comfortable unto us in that course, both for wisdom of counsel as also for our singular help in our course of godliness; whom the Lord (as it were) took away even as fruit falleth before it was ripe; when neither length of days, nor infirmity of body, did seem to call for his end.' The Lord even then took him away, as it were in his anger; whom if tears would have held, he had remained to this day. The loss of his ministry was very great unto me, for I ever counted myself happy in the enjoyment of it, notwithstanding all the crosses and losses otherwise I sustained. Yet indeed the manner of his taking away hath more troubled me, as fearing the Lord's anger in it, that, as I said, in the ordinary course of things, might still have remained, as also, the singular service he might have yet done in the church of God. Alas! dear friends, our state and cause in religion, by his death being wholly destitute of any that may defend our cause as it should against our adversaries; that we may take up that doleful complaint in the Psalm, that there is no prophet left among us, nor "He means Mr. Robinson." -Bradford's Note. 482 XXVIII. ROBINSON'S INTENTION OF COMING TO AMERICA. CHAP. any that knoweth how long. Alas! you would fain have had him with you, and he would as fain have come to 1625. you. Many letters and much speech hath been about his coming to you, but never any solid course propounded for his going; if the course propounded the last year had appeared to have been certain, he would have gone, though with two or three families. I know no man amongst us knew his mind better than I did, about those things; he was loath to leave the church, yet I know also, that he would have accepted the worst conditions which in the largest extent of a good conscience could be taken, to have come to you. For myself and all such others as have formerly minded coming, it is much what the same, if the Lord afford means. We only know how things are with you by your letters; but how things stand in England we have received no letters of any thing, and it was November before we received yours. If we come at all unto you, the means to enable us so to do must come from you. For the state of our church, and how it is with us, and of our people, it is wrote of by Mr. White. Thus praying you to pardon my boldness with you in writing as I do, I commend you to the keeping of the Lord, desiring, if he see it good, and that I might be serviceable unto the business, that I were with you. God hath taken away my son, that was with me in the ANNUAL CHOICE OF MAGISTRATES. 483 XXVIII. ship, when I went back again; I have only two child- CHAP. ren, which were born since I left you. Fare you well. Yours to his power, 1625. THOMAS BLOSSOM.1 Leyden, December 15, anno 1625. ROGER WHITE TO GOVERNOR BRADFORD. To his very loving friend, Mr. William Bradford, Gov- My own and my wife's true love and hearty salutations to yourself and yours and all the rest of our loving friends with you; hoping in the Lord of your good healths, which I beseech him long to continue for the glory of his name and good of his people. Concerning your kind letter to the church, it was read publicly; whereunto (by the church) I send you here enclosed an answer. Concerning my brother Robinson's sickness and death and our practice, I wrote you at large, some five or six months since; but lest it should miscarry, I have now written to Mr. Brewster thereof, to whom I refer you. Now concerning your course of choosing your governors yearly, and in special of their choosing yourself year after year, as I conceive they still do, and Mr. Allerton your assistant; howsoever I think it the best way that can be, so long as it please the Lord to con 1 Thomas Blossom afterwards came over to Plymouth, probably in 1629, and was chosen a deacon of the church. Bradford speaks of him as one of " our ancient friends in Holland." The Church records describe him "" |