WITH THE VIRGINIA COMPANY. V. 63 Thus much by way of digression. For further light CHAP. in these proceedings forenamed, see some other letters and notes, as followeth. The Copy of a Letter sent to Sir John Wolstenholme.1 Right Worshipful, 1618. With due acknowledgment of our thankfulness for Jan. your singular care and pains in the business of Vir- 27. ginia, for our and (we hope) the common good, we do remember our humble duties unto you, and have sent, as is desired, a further explanation of our judgments in the three points specified by some of His Majesty's honorable Privy Council. And although it be grievous unto us that such unjust insinuations are made against us, yet we are most glad of the occasion of making our just purgation unto the so honorable personages. The Declarations we have sent enclosed; the one more brief and general, which we think the fitter to be presented; the other something more large, and in which we express some small accidental differences, which, if it seem good unto you and other of your worship's friends, you may send instead of the former. Our prayer unto God is, that your worship may see the fruit of your worthy endeavours, which on our part we shall not fail to further by all good means. It is Worsingham in the MS.; but this is an error. Prince, p. 144, and Hubbard, p. 47, write it Worstenholme. Sir John Wolstenholme was a wealthy merchant and a farmer of the customs, one of the principal members of the Virginia Company, and one of the Council established by the second charter. He died in 1639. In Hutchinson's Collection of Papers, p. 383, there is a letter written to Mr. Edward Rawson, Secretary to the New 61 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE PILGRIMS CHAP. And so praying that you would, with all conveniency that may be, give us knowledge of the success of the 1618. business with His Majesty's Privy Council, and accord27. ingly what your further pleasure is, either for our di Jan. rection or furtherance in the same, so we rest Your worship's, in all duty, JOHN ROBINSON, WILLIAM BREWSTER. Leyden, January 27, 1617, old style.' The first brief Note was this. Touching the ecclesiastical ministry, namely, of pastors for teaching, elders for ruling, and deacons for distributing the church's contribution, as also for the two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's supper, we do wholly and in all points agree with the French Reformed Churches, according to their public Confession of Faith; though some small differences. The oath of Supremacy we shall willingly take, if it be required of us, if that convenient satisfaction be not given by our taking the oath of Allegiance.2 That is, Jan. 1618, new style. In 1531, in the reign of Henry JOHN ROBINSON, WILLIAM BREWSTER. Allegiance was drawn up and appointed to be taken by all the king's subjects. This was an oath of "submission and obedience to the king as a temporal sovereign, independent of any other power upon earth." By the third charter of the Virginia Company, their Treasurer, or any two of the Council, were empowered to administer the oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance to all persons going to their Colony. See Burnet's History of the Reformation, ii. 387 (folio); Neal's Puritans, i. 8, 11, 84, 117, 440; Stith's App. p. 28; Hazard, i. 78. WITH THE VIRGINIA COMPANY. The second was this. 65 CHAP. V. 1618. 27. Touching the ecclesiastical ministry, [as in the former, &c.] we agree, in all things, with the French Jan. Reformed Churches, according to their public Confession of Faith; though some small differences be to be found in our practices, not at all in the substance of the things, but only in some accidental circumstances; as 1. Their ministers do pray with their heads covered; we uncovered. 2. We choose none for governing elders but such as are able to teach; which ability they do not require. 3. Their elders and deacons are annual, or at the most for two or three years; ours perpetual. 4. Our elders do administer their office in admonitions and excommunications, for public scandals, publicly and before the congregation; theirs more privately and in their consistories. 5. We do administer baptism only to such infants as whereof the one parent, at the least, is of some church, which some of their churches do not observe; although in it our practice accords with their public Confession and the judgment of the most learned amongst them. Other differences, worthy mentioning, we know none. (Subscribed,) JOHN ROBINSON, 66 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE PILGRIMS CHAP. 1618. Feb. 14. Part of another Letter from him that delivered these. London, Feb. 14, 1617.1 Your letter to Sir John Wolstenholme I delivered, almost as soon as I had it, to his own hands, and stayed with him the opening and reading thereof. There were two papers enclosed. He read them to himself, as also the letter; and in the reading he spake to me and said, "Who shall make them?" viz. the ministers. I answered his worship that the power of making was in the Church, to be ordained by the imposition of hands by the fittest instruments they have. It must either be in the Church, or from the Pope; and the Pope is Antichrist. "Ho!" said Sir John, "what the Pope holds good, (as in the Trinity,) that we do well to assent to. But," said he, " we will not enter into dispute now;" and as for your letters, he would not show them at any hand, lest he should spoil all. He expected you should have been of the Archbishop's mind for the calling of ministers; but it seems you differed. I could have wished to have known the contents of your two enclosed, at which he stuck so much, especially the larger. I asked his worship, what good news he had for me to write to-morrow. 1 That is, 1618, new style. He WITH THEIR AGENTS IN ENGLAND. 67 V. Feb. told me, "Very good news; for both the King's CHAP. Majesty and the bishops have consented." He said he would go to Mr. Chancellor, Sir Fulke Greville,2 1618. as this day, and next week I should know more. I 14. met with Sir Edwin Sandys on Wednesday night. He wished me to be at the Virginia Courts the next Wednesday, where I purpose to be. Thus loth to be troublesome at present, I hope to have something next week of certainty concerning you. I commit you to the Lord. Yours, S. B. These things being long in agitation, and messengers passing to and again about them, after all their hopes they were long delayed by many obstacles that fell in the way. For at the return of these messengers into England, they found things far otherwise than they expected. For the Virginia Council was now so disturbed with factions and quarrels amongst 1 The word very is restored from Prince, p. 145. Sir Fulke Greville was appointed chancellor of the exchequer, and sworn of the Privy Council Oct. 1, 1614. On the 9th of Jan. 1621, he was raised to the peerage by the title of Lord Brooke, of Beauchamp's Court. He wrote a Life of Sir Philip Sidney, and "The First Five Years of King James," which is contained in the Harleian Miscellany, v. 349 (Svo. ed.) On his tomb-stone in Warwick Church, he had inscribed this brief but noble epitaph: "Fulke Greville, servant to Queen Elizabeth, counsellor to King James, and friend to Sir Philip Sidney." See Wood's Athenæ Oxon. i. 521; Fuller's Worthies, ii. 415; Birch's 3 By the third charter of Virginia it was provided that "the Company shall and may once every week, or oftener, at their pleasure, hold and keep a court and assembly for despatching all casual matters of less consequence and weight concerning the plantation; and for all affairs of government trade, and disposal of lands, there shall be held every year four great and general courts," at which all officers were to be chosen, and all laws and ordinances enacted. See Stith, App. 26, and Hazard, i. 76. |