Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

MORTON'S PREFACE.

CHRISTIAN READER,

I HAVE looked at it as a duty incumbent on me to commit to writing the first beginnings and after progress of the Church of Christ at Plymouth in New England; forasmuch as I cannot understand that there is any thing particularly extant concerning it, and almost all the members of the said church, both elders and others, being deceased, by whom intelligence of matters in that behalf might be procured.' I dare not charge the reverend elders of that church who are gone to their rest, with any neglect on that behalf; for when they were in Holland, they were necessitated to defend the cause of Christ by writing against opposites of several sorts; so as such like employs, together with the constant and faithful discharge of the duties of their offices, probably took up the greatest part of their time; and since the church parted, and a considerable part thereof came unto this going down of the sun, it might be neglected partly on the account that divers writings, some whereof being put forth in print,

In 1679, the year previous to the date of this Preface, twelve only were living of the hundred and one

who came over in the Mayflower. See Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts, ii. 456.

4

MORTON'S PREFACE.

did point at and in a great measure discriminate the affairs of the church; forasmuch as then the small commonwealth, in our first beginning at New Plymouth, consisted mostly of such as were members of the church which was first begun and afterwards carried on in Leyden, in Holland, for about the space of twelve years, and continued and carried on at Plymouth, in New England, a small part whereof remaineth until this day. If any thing was done on this kind by those worthy leaders, I suppose the blame is rather to be laid on those which had the first view of their studies, and had their books and writings in custody after their decease; for I am persuaded that such was their faithfulness and prudence, as that they did not wholly neglect this matter.'

Some years since it pleased God to put an impulse upon my spirit to do something in a historical way concerning New England, more especially with respect to the Colony of New Plymouth; which was entitled New England's Memorial; in which I occasionally

The records of John Robinson's church at Leyden contained, no doubt, some account of its origin and its memorable vicissitudes in England and Holland. These records, however, were probably lost when the remnants of that church were scattered after his death in 1625. The church at Plymouth had no settled pastor till 1629, and afterwards, for long intervals, was destitute of a regular ministry until 1669, when John Cotton, son of the famous John Cotton, of Boston, was ordained. No records were kept by either of his three predecessors, Ralph Smith, Roger Williams, and John Reyner. The records of the church, previous to his settlement, are in the handwriting of Secretary Morton. MS. Re

cords of Plymouth Ch. and Mass. Hist. Coll. iv. 107.

2 This work was printed at Cambridge in 1669, in a small quarto volume, of 198 pages, and the expense was defrayed by a contribution in the several towns in the Colony. The greatest part of Morton's information was "borrowed," as he informs us, "from his much honored uncle, Mr. William Bradford, and such manuscripts as he left in his study." Prince, the New England annalist, whose copy of the first edition of the Memorial is now before me, enriched with his marginal notes and emendations, says that "Morton's History, from the beginning of the Plymouth people to the end of 1646, is chiefly Gov. Bradford's manuscript, abbre

5

MORTON'S PREFACE.

took notice of God's great and gracious work in erecting so many churches of Christ in this wilderness. But it was judged by some that were judicious that I was too sparing and short in that behalf; the consideration whereof put me on thought of recollecting something more particularly relating to the church of Plymouth. But it pleased the Lord so to dispose, that having accomplished my desires, some time after the finishing of this work I was solicited to lend it to a reverend friend at Boston, where it was burned in the first fire that was so destructive at Boston, in the year 1667.1 Yet, notwithstanding, I have, through the goodness of God, crowded through many difficulties to achieve it the second time; and, for that end, did once again repair to the study of my much honored uncle, William Bradford, Esquire, deceased, for whose care and faithfulness in such like respects we stand bound; as firstly and mostly to the Lord, so secondarily to him and his, whose labors in such respect might

viated." In fact, Morton's chief merit is that of a diligent, but not always accurate copyist of his uncle's documents. He would have done a much greater service by causing Gov. Bradford's History to be printed entire. It is the loss of that work that now gives so much value to his extracts and compilations. The fifth edition of the Memorial, greatly enlarged by the valuable notes of the learned editor, Judge Davis, was printed at Boston in 1826, in an octavo volume of 480 pages. See Plymouth Colony Laws, p. 153, Morton's Memorial, p. 10, and Prince's Annals, P. xx.

This is unquestionably an error; it should be 1676. For the writer says he began this compilation after the publication of the

Memorial in 1669; and the date of
"the first fire that was so destruc-
tive at Boston" was Nov. 27, 1676.
The reverend friend to whom the
manuscript had been lent, was In-
crease Mather, whose church was
destroyed by this fire, as well as his
dwelling-house, and a part of his
library. Increase Mather had
married a daughter of John Cot-
ton, of Boston; and her brother be-
ing at this time the minister of
Plymouth, this circumstance pro-
bably led to an acquaintance be-
tween Mather and Secretary Mor-
ton. See Hutchinson's Massachu-
setts, i. 349, Snow's History of Bos-
ton, p. 164, and Cotton Mather's
Memoirs of his Father, p. 79.
2 Gov. Bradford died May 9,
1657, in his 69th year.

6

MORTON'S PREFACE.

fitly have been published to the world, had they not been involved in and amongst particulars of other

nature.

Gentle reader, I humbly crave thy patience, and acceptance of this small treatise, so as to read it over considerately; wherein so doing thou wilt discern much of the goodness, mercy, and power of God; who as at the first brought this fabric of the world out of the womb of nothing, hath brought so many famous churches of Christ out of so small beginnings; with many other useful considerations that thou mayest meet with in the serious perusal thereof. So leaving thee and this small work to the blessing of the only wise God,

I remain thine in Christ Jesus,

NATHANIEL MORTON.1

Plymouth, in New England, January 13th, 1680.

Nathaniel Morton was the son of George Morton, who had married in England a sister of Gov. Bradford, and came over to Plymouth with his family in July, 1623, in the ship Ann. His father died in June, 1624, when Nathaniel was twelve years old. In 1645 he was chosen Secretary of the Colony

Court, and continued in this office till his death, June 28, 1685, in his 73d year. His residence in Plymouth was by the side of Wellingsly Brook, half a mile south of the village. See Judge Davis's Preface to Morton's Memorial, pp. iv. and 101, and Mass. Hist. Coll. xiii. 178.

INTRODUCTION.

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AT PLYMOUTH, IN

NEW ENGLAND, AS FOLLOWETH.'

It is well known to the godly and judicious, how INTR. that ever since the first breaking out of the light of the Gospel in our honorable nation of England,-which was the first of nations whom the Lord adorned therewith, after that gross darkness of Popery, which had covered and overspread the Christian world,

wars and oppositions ever since Satan hath raised, maintained, and continued against the saints from time to time, in one sort or other; sometimes by bloody death and cruel torments, otherwhiles imprisonments, banishments, and other hard usages; as being loth his kingdom should go down, the truth prevail, and the churches of God revert to their ancient purity, and recover their primitive order, liberty, and beauty. But when he could not prevail by these means against the main truths of the Gospel, but that they began to take footing in many places, being watered with the blood of the martyrs and blessed from heaven with a gracious

1 This was originally penned by Mr. William Bradford, Governor of New Plymouth. - Morton's Note.

« ElőzőTovább »