CHAPTER XXVII. MEMOIR OF ELDER WILLIAM BREWSTER.' XXVII. April Now followeth that which was matter of great sad- CHAP. ness and mourning unto this Church. About the 16th of April,2 in this year, died their reverend Elder, our 1644. dear and loving friend, Mr. WILLIAM BREWSTER; a 16. man that had done and suffered much for the Lord Jesus and the Gospel's sake, and had borne his part in weal and wo with this poor persecuted Church about thirty-six years in England, Holland, and in this wilderness, and done the Lord and them faithful service in his place and calling; and notwithstanding the many From the records of Plymouth Church, book i. folio 38, into which it was copied by Secretary Morton, from Governor Bradford's MS. History of Plymouth Colony. 66 2 Morton, in his Memorial, p. 219, places Brewster's death on the 18th of April, 1643. Concerning whom," he adds, "I could say much of mine own knowledge; but I shall content myself only to insert the honorable testimony that Mr. William Bradford, deceased, hath left written with his own hand concerning him." He then proceeds to copy a considerable part of the above account. Hutchinson, in his Hist. Mass. ii. 460, inserts about a page of it from Governor Bradford's MS. History. There Brewster was the ruling elder. Neal, in his Hist. of New England, i. 85, errs in calling him John; an error which is repeated by the authors of the Mod. Univ. Hist. xxxix. 271. 462 XXVII. MEMOIR OF ELDER BREWSTER. CHAP, troubles and sorrows he passed through, the Lord upheld him to a great age. He was near fourscore years of age (if not all out) when he died. He had this blessing added by the Lord to all the rest, to die in his bed, in peace, amongst the midst of his friends, who mourned and wept over him, and ministered what help and comfort they could unto him, and he again recomforted them whilst he could. His sickness was not long. Until the last day thereof he did not wholly keep his bed. His speech continued until somewhat more than half a day before his death, and then failed him; and about nine or ten of the clock that evening he died, without any pang at all. A few hours before he drew his breath short, and some few minutes before his last he drew his breath long, as a man fallen into a sound sleep, without any pangs or gaspings, and so sweetly departed this life unto a better. i. 5-7. for I would now demand of any what he was the worse any former sufferings. What do I say? The worse? Nay, surely he was the better, and they now add to 2 Thess. his honor. "It is a manifest token," saith the Apostle, "of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer; seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty an iv. 14. 1 Peter gels ;" and "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you." What though he wanted the riches and pleasures of the world in his life, and pompous Prov. monuments at his funeral, yet the memorial of the just shall be blessed when the name of the wicked shall rot. x. 7. BREWSTER UNDER SECRETARY DAVISON. 463 XXVII. I should say something of his life, if to say a little CHAP. were not worse than to be silent. But I cannot wholly forbear, though haply more may be done hereafter. After he had attained some learning, viz. the knowledge of the Latin tongue and some insight into the Greek, and spent some small time at Cambridge, and then being first seasoned with the seeds of grace and virtue, he went to the Court, and served that religious and godly gentleman, Mr. Davison,' divers years, when he was Secretary of State; who found him so discreet and faithful, as he trusted him above all other that were about him, and only employed him in matters of greatest trust and secrecy. He esteemed him. rather as a son than a servant, and for his wisdom and godliness, in private, he would converse with him more like a familiar than a master. He attended his master when he was sent in ambassage by the Queen into the Low Countries, (in the Earl of Leicester's time,) as 1585. for other weighty affairs of State, so to receive possession of the cautionary towns; and in token and sign 1 The unfortunate William Davison, who fell a victim to Queen Elizabeth's duplicity and statecraft, was a person of great worth and ability. The Earl of Essex, in a letter to King James, April 18, 1587, interceding in his behalf, speaks of him as "beloved of the best and most religious of this land. His sufficiency in council and matters of state is such, as the Queen herself confesseth in her kingdom she hath not such another; his virtue, religion, and worth in all degrees are of the world taken to be so great, as no man in his good fortune hath had more general love than this gentleman in his disgrace;" and Lord Burleigh, in a petition to Queen Elizabeth, February 13, 1586, writes, "I know not a man in the land so furnished Brewster had for a colleague In 1584, when Elizabeth entered into a league with the United Provinces, and advanced money to enable them to maintain their independence of Spain, her rival in 464 XXVII. BREWSTER TRUSTED BY SECRETARY DAVISON. CHAP. thereof the keys of Flushing being delivered to him in her Majesty's name, he kept them some time, and committed them to his servant, who kept them under his pillow on which he slept, the first night. And, at his return, the States honored him with a gold chain, and his master committed it to him, and commanded him to wear it when they arrived in England, as they rode through the country, until they came to the Court. He afterwards remained with him until his troubles, 1587. when he was put from his place about the death of the Queen of Scots, and some good time after, doing him many offices of service in the time of his troubles.1 Afterwards he went and lived in the country, in good power and ambition, she very pru- 27-35. "When Mary, Queen of Scots, had been tried and condemned, and the Parliament of England had petitioned their sovereign for her execution, Elizabeth privately ordered Davison to draw a deathwarrant, which she signed, and sent him with it to the Chancellor to have the great seal annexed. Having performed his duty, she pretended to blame him for his precipitancy. Davison acquainted the Council with the whole transaction; they knew the Queen's real sentiments, and persuaded him to send the warrant to the Earls of Kent and Shrewsbury, promising to justify his conduct, and take the blame on themselves. These Earls attended the execution of Mary; He but when Elizabeth heard of it, BREWSTER JOINS THE PILGRIMS. 465 esteem amongst his friends and the good gentlemen of CHAP. those parts, especially the godly and religious. He did much good in the country where he lived, in promoting and furthering religion; and not only by his practice and example, and provoking and encouraging of others, but by procuring of good preachers to all places thereabouts, and drawing on of others to assist and help to forward in such a work; he himself most commonly deepest in the charge, and sometimes above his ability. And in this state he continued many years, doing the best good he could, and walking according to the light he saw, until the Lord revealed further unto him. And in the end, by the tyranny of the bishops against godly preachers and people, in silencing the one and persecuting the other, he and many more of those times began to look further into particulars, and to see into the unlawfulness of their callings, and the burden of many anti-christian corruptions, which both he and they endeavoured to cast off, as they also did, as in the beginning of this treatise is to be seen.1 XXVII. After they were joined together into communion, he 1602. was a special stay and help to them. They ordinarily met at his house on the Lord's day, which was a manor of the bishop's, and with great love he entertained them when they came, making provision for them to his great charge; and continued so to do whilst they could stay in England. And when they were to remove out of the country, he was one of the first in all adventures, and forwardest in any. He was the chief of those that were taken at Boston, in Lincolnshire, 1607. and suffered the greatest loss; and [one] of the seven. 'See page 20. |