484 XXVIII. ROTATION IN OFFICE EXPEDIENT. CHAP, tinue your lives, and so good governors offer you, yet, considering man's mortality, whose breath is in his 1625. nostrils, and the evils of the times wherein we live, in which it is ordinarily seen that worse follow them that are good, I think it would be a safer course, for after time, the government was sometime removed from one to another; so the assistant one year might be governor next, and a new assistant chosen in his place, either of such as have or have not been in office; sometimes one, sometimes another, as it shall seem most fit to the corporation. My reasons are, 1st, because other officers that come after you, will look (especially if they be ambitiously minded) for the same privileges and continuance you have had; and if he have it not, will take great offence, as though unworthy of the place, and so greatly disgraced, whom to continue, might be very dangerous, and hazard (at least) the overthrow of all; men not looking so much at the reasons why others were so long continued as at the custom. 2dly, because others that are unexperienced in government might learn by experience; and so there might be fit and able men continually, when it pleaseth the Lord to take any away. 3dly, by this means, you may establish the things begun, or done before; for the governor this year, that was assistant last, will in likelihood rather ratify and confirm and go on with that he had a hand in the beginning of, when he was assistant, than otherwise, or persuade the new to it; whereas new governors, especially when there are factions, will many times overthrow that which is done by the former, and so scarcely any thing goeth forward for the general good; neither, that I see, can this be any prejudice to the corporation; for the new may always have the counsel THE PROSPECTS OF THE COLONY. 485 XXVIII. and advice of the old for their direction, though they CHAP. be out of office. These things I make bold to put to your godly wisdom and discretion, entreating you to 1625. pardon my boldness therein, and so leaving it to your discretion to make use of as you see it fitting, not having written the least inkling hereof to any other. Now I entreat you, at your best leisure to write to me, how you think it will in likelihood go with your civil and church estate; whether there be hope of the continuance of both, or either; or whether you fear any alteration to be attempted in either. The reason of this my request is, the fear of some amongst us, (the which, if that hinder not, I think will come unto you,) occasioned partly by your letter to your father-in-law, Mr. May,' wherein you write of the troubles you have had with some, who it is like (having the times and friends on their sides) will work you what mischiefs they can; and that they may do much, many here do fear; and partly by reason of this king's proclamation, dated the 13th of May last, in which he saith that his full resolution is, -to the end that there may be one uniform course of government in and through all his whole monarchy, that the government of Virginia shall immediately depend on himself, and not be committed to any company or corporation, &c., so that some conceive he will have both the same civil and ecclesiastical government that is in England, which occasioneth their fear. I desire you to write your thoughts of these things, for the satisfying of others; for my own part and some others, we durst rely upon you for that, who, we persuade ourselves, would not be thus earnest for our pastor and church to come to you, 'The father of his first wife, Dorothy. See note on page 162. 486 LETTER FROM THE LEYDEN PEOPLE. XXVIII. CHAP. if you feared the danger of being suppressed. Thus "desiring you to pardon my boldness, and remember 1625. us in your prayers, I for this time and ever, commit you and all your affairs to the Almighty, and rest Your assured loving friend And brother in the Lord, Leyden, December 1, anno 1625. ROGER WHITE. P. S. The church would entreat you to continue your writing to them, which is very comfortable. THE LEYDEN PEOPLE TO BRADFORD AND BREWSTER. To our most dear and entirely beloved brethren, Mr. As it is no small grief unto you, so it is no less unto us, that we are constrained to live thus disunited each from other, especially considering our affections each unto other, for the mutual edifying and comfort of both, in these evil days wherein we live, if it pleased I WILLIAM BRADFORD, whose name occurs so frequently in the preceding pages, and whose writings occupy so large a portion of this volume, was born at Austerfield, in Yorkshire, in 1588. His parents died when he was young, and he was trained by his grand-parents and uncles to "the innocent trade of husbandry." His paternal inherit ance was considerable; but he had no better education than what falls to the common lot of the children of farmers. Being early interested in religion, and embracing the views of the Separatists, he incur red the displeasure of his relatives and the scoffs of his neighbours; but neither opposition nor scorn could deter him from attending on the ministry of Clifton, and joining Robinson's church. The part which he took in the escape of the Pilgrims to Holland, and in their measures for leaving that country for America, has been related in the preceding narrative. On his arrival at Plymouth he was about 32 years old. We have seen, page 201, that on the death of Carver he was immediately chosen governor of the Colony; and was annually THEY WISH TO COME OVER. 487 XXVIII. the Lord to bring us again together; than which as no CHAP. outward thing could be more comfortable unto us, or is more desired of us, if the Lord see it good, so see 1625. we no hope of means of accomplishing the same, except it come from you; and therefore must with patience rest in the work and will of God, performing our duties to him and you asunder; whom we are not any way able to help, but by our continual prayers to him for you, and sympathy of affections with you, for the troubles which befall you; till it please the Lord to reunite us again. But, our dearly beloved brethren, concerning your kind and respective letter, howsoever written by one of you, yet as we continue with the consent (at least in affection) of you both, although we cannot answer your desire and expectation, by reason it hath pleased the Lord to take to himself out of this miserable world our dearly beloved pastor, yet for ourselves we are minded, as formerly, to come unto you, re-clected as long as he lived, excepting three years when Winslow, and two when Prince was chosen - having filled the office 30 years. Though he had not received a learned education, yet he was fond of study and writing, and his attainments were respectable. Cotton Mather says, "the Dutch tongue was almost as vernacular to him as the English; the French tongue he could also manage; the Latin and the Greek he had mastered; but the Hebrew he most of all studied, because, he said, he would see with his own eyes the ancient oracles of God in their native beauty." He died May 9, 1657, in his 69th year, "lamented," as Mather says, "by all the colonies of New England, as a common blessing and father to them all." Gov. Bradford had one son, John, by his first wife, Dorothy May: and by his second, Alice Southworth, a widow, whose maiden name was Carpenter, and whom he married in 1623, he had two 488 LETTER FROM LEYDEN. CHAP, when and as the Lord affordeth means; though we XXVIII. see little hope thereof at present, as being unable of 1625. ourselves, and that our friends will help us we see little hope. And now, brethren, what shall we say further unto you? Our desires and prayers to God is, (if such were his good will and pleasure,) we might be reunited for the edifying and mutual comfort of both, which, when he sees fit, he will accomplish. In the mean time, we commit you unto him and to the word of his grace; whom we beseech to guide and direct both you and us, in all his ways, according to that his word, and to bless all our lawful endeavours for the glory of his name and good of his people. Salute, we pray you, all the church and brethren with you, to whom we would have sent this letter. If we knew it could not be prejudicial unto you, as we hope it cannot, yet fearing the worst, we thought fit either to direct it to you, our two beloved brethren, leaving it to your goodly wisdom and discretion, to manifest our mind to the rest of our loving friends and brethren, as you see most convenient. And thus entreating you to remember us in your prayers, as we also do you, we for this time commend you and all your affairs to the direction and protection of the Almighty, and rest, Your assured loving friends And brethren in the Lord, Leyden, Nov. 30, A. D. 1625. 'Richard Masterson, afterwards came over to Plymouth, and was a FRANCIS JESSOP, THOMAS NASH, THOMAS BLOSSOM, deacon of the church. See note ' on page 73. |