USA > Massachusetts > Chronicles of the first planters of the colony of Massachusetts Bay, 1623-1636 > Part 38
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520
SHEPARD SEES THE SIN OF CONFORMITY.
CHAP. XXIV. fellows prate in my diocese. Get you gone ; and now make your complaints to whom you will." So away I went ; and blessed be God that I may go to Him.] 1
Yet when I was thus silenced, the Lord stirred me up friends. The house of the Harlakendens were so many fathers and mothers to me ; and they and the people would have me live there, though I did no- thing but stay in the place. But remaining about 1631. half a year, after this silencing, among them, the Lord let me see into the evil of the English ceremo- nies, cross, surplice, and kneeling. And the Bishop of London, viz. Laud, coming down to visit, he cited me to appear before him at the Court at Reldon ;2 where I appearing, he asked me what I did in the place ; and I told him I studied. He asked me, What ? I told him the Fathers. He replied, I might thank him for that ; yet charged me to depart the place. I asked him, Whither should I go ? To the University, said he. I told him I had no means to subsist there. Yet he charged me to depart the place.
Now, about this time, I had great desire to change my estate by marriage; and I had been praying three years before, that the Lord would carry me to such a place where I might have a meet yoke-fellow.
1 This passage included in brack- ets, is inserted from Prince, page 338, who says, " I have by me a manuscript of Mr. Shepard's, writ- ten with his own hand, in which are these words." Prince adds, "Thus did this bishop, a professed disciple of the meek and lowly Jesus, treat one of the most pious, humble, dili- gent and faithful young ministers in
the Church of England in this day." See Laud's character portrayed in Hallam's Const. Hist. i. 450, (4th ed. London, 1842,) and Macaulay's Essays, i. 241, (Phila. 1843.)
2 So in the manuscript, and in Jacie's Letter, Keldon; both un- doubtedly errors for Peldon, which is a parish in Essex, five miles south by west of Colchester.
521
WELD IS ARRESTED. e
And I had a call at this time to go to Yorkshire, to CHAP. preach there in a gentleman's house. But I did not XXIV. desire to stir till the Bishop tired me out of this 1631. place. For the Bishop having thus charged me to depart, and being two days after to visit at Dun- mow,1 in Essex, Mr. Weld, Mr. Daniel Rogers,2 Mr. Ward,3 Mr. Marshall,4 Mr. Wharton, consulted together whether it was best to let such a swine to root up God's plants in Essex, and not to give him some check. Whereupon it was agreed upon pri- vately at Braintry,5 that some should speak to him, and give him a check.
So Mr. Weld and I, travelling together, had some thoughts of going to New-England. But we did think it best to go first unto Ireland, and preach there, and to go by Scotland thither. But when we came to the church, Mr. Weld stood and heard without, being excommunicated by him. I being more free, went within. And after sermon, Mr. Weld went up to hear the Bishop's speech ; and being seen to fol- low the Bishop, the first thing he did was to exam- ine Mr. Weld what he did to follow him, and to stand upon holy ground. Thereupon he was com- mitted to the pursuivant, and bound over to answer
1 Dunmow (Great) is a market- town on the western bank of the Chelmer, 12 miles from Chelmsford and 38 miles from London. Popu- lation in 1841, 2792.
2 Daniel Rogers was the son of Richard Rogers, of Weathersfield, mentioned on page 508, and brother of Ezekiel Rogers, of Rowley. See Brook's Lives of the Puritans, iii. 149.
3 Either old Mr. John Ward, of Haverhill, or his son Samuel, of Ipswich, or Nathaniel, of Standon
Massey. See note 5 on page 112, and note 2 on page 426.
4 Stephen Marshall was a celebra- ted Puritan minister, at Weathers- field, in Essex, and afterwards at Finchingfield, in the same county. See Brook's Lives of the Puritans, iii. 241-254 ; Neal's Puritans, iv. 169; Fuller's Worthies, i. 473; Newcourt's Repertorium, ii. 265.
5 Braintree is a market-town in Essex, forty miles north-east of London, and eight east of Dunmow. Population in 1841, 3670.
522
SHEPARD ESCAPES FROM THE PURSUIVANT.
CHAP. it at the High Commission. But when Mr. Weld XXIV. was pleading for himself, and that it was ignorance 1631. that made him come in, the Bishop asked him whither he intended to go, whether to New-England, and if so, whether I would go with him. While he was thus speaking, I came into the crowd, and heard the words. Others bid me go away. But neglecting to do it, a godly man pulled me away with violence out of the crowd ; and as soon as ever I was gone, the apparitor calls for Mr. Shepard, and the pursuivant was sent presently after to find me out. But he that pulled me away, Mr. Holbeech by name, a school- master at Felsted, in Essex, hastened our horses, and away we rid, as fast as we could ; and so the Lord delivered me out of the hand of that lion a third time.1
And now I perceived I could not stay in Colne without danger ; and hereupon receiving a letter from Mr. Ezekiel Rogers,2 then living at Rowly, in
1 The preceding account is inci- dentally confirmed by a letter dated Jan 9, 1632, written to John Win- throp, Jr. by Henry Jacie, a celebra- ted Puritan divine, mentioned by Wood, in his Fasti Oxon. i. 435, (ed. Bliss.) He says, " The plague having been lately at Colchester, the Bishop's visit was propria persona at Keldon. There he excommuni- cated Mr. Weld, who had been sus- pended about a month, and requir- ing Mr. Rogers, of Dedham, to sub- scribe there, he refused ; so he sus- pended him. Mr. Shepard he charg- ed to be gone out of his diocese, as one that kept conventicles. Mr. Weld, after excommunication, com- ing into a church where the Bishop was visiting, the Bishop spied him, and called him, and asked him if he were on this side New-England, and if he were not excommunicated. He
answered, Yes. 'And why here then ?' He hoped he had not offend- ed. 'But he would make him an example to all such. Take him, pursuivant.' The pursuivant called Mr. Shepard, and said he would rather have Shepard ; but he esca- ped, and Mr. Weld, by a bond of 100 marks, (others bound with him) and so fled to Bergen." See Mass. Hist. Coll. xxi. 236-238.
2 Ezekiel Rogers was the second son of the venerable Richard Rogers, the minister of Weathersfield, in Essex, and brother of Daniel Ro- gers, mentioned on page 501, who succeeded his father in the same parish. He was born in 1590, and at the early age of thirteen was sent to Cambridge, where took the de- gree of A. B. at Bennet College in 1604, and of A. M. at Christ's in 1608. On leaving the University
523
HE LEAVES EARLS-COLNE.
Yorkshire, to encourage me to come to the knight's CHAP. house, called Sir Richard Darley, dwelling at a town XXIV. called Buttercrambe,1 and the knight's two sons, 1631. viz. Mr. Henry and Mr. Richard Darley, promising me £20 a year for their part, and the knight promis- ing me my table, and the letters sent to me crying with that voice of the man of Macedonia, "Come and help us," hereupon I resolved to follow the Lord to so remote and strange a place ; the rather because I might be far from the hearing of the mali- cious Bishop Laud, who had threatened me, if I preached any where. So when I was determined to go, the gentleman sent a man to me to be my guide in my journey ; who coming for me, with much grief of heart I forsook Essex and Earles-Colne, and they me, going, as it were, now I knew not whither.
he spent five or six years as chap- lain in the family of Sir Francis Bar- rington, by whom he was presented to the benefice of Rowley, in York- shire. Here he remained twenty years, till he was suspended, as he says, for refusing to read the Book of Sports. He came to New-Eng- land in 1638, with some twenty fa- milies of good estate, from York- shire, and though earnestly solicited to settle at New Haven, he com- menced a new plantation between Ipswich and Newbury, to which was given the name of Rowley, from the former place of his resi- dence and ministry. Johnson says, that these Yorkshiremen " were the first people that set upon making of cloth in the western world ; for which end they built a fulling-mill, and caused their little ones to be very diligent in spinning cotton wool, many of them having been clothiers in England." He preach- ed the Election Sermon in 1643, and also preached before the Synod at Cambridge in 1647. Having met with many misfortunes in losing
two wives and all his children, hav- ing his house burnt with his furni- ture and library, and by a fall from his horse losing the use of his right arm, he died Jan. 23, 1661, aged 70. He was a cousin of the Rev. Na- thaniel Rogers, of Ipswich, and he married for his second wife the daughter of the Rev. John Wilson, of Boston. Winthrop speaks of him as " a man of special note in Eng- land for his zeal, piety, and other parts, a very wise man, a worthy son of a worthy father." In his will he left to Harvard College a reversionary interest in his real es- tate, from which the College has derived $ 5000 of its funds. See Winthrop, i. 278, 294, 324, ii. 99, 308 ; Mather, i. 369 ; Brook's Puri- tans, iii. 341 ; Gage's Hist. of Row- ley, pp. 55-67, 120-134 ; Mass. Hist. Coll. xxvii. 13, xviii. 248.
1 Buttercrambe is a township in the parish of Bossall, in the north riding of Yorkshire, twelve miles north-east of York, pleasantly situ- ated on the Derwent.
524
HE NARROWLY ESCAPES DROWNING.
CHAP. XXIV. So as we travelled, (which was five or six days together, near unto winter,) the Lord sent much rain 1631. and ill weather, insomuch as the floods were up when we came near Yorkshire, and hardly passable. At last we came to a town called Ferrybridge,1 where the waters were up and ran over the bridge, for half a mile together, and more. So we hired a guide to lead us. But when he had gone a little way, the violence of the water was such, that he first fell in, and after him another man, who was near drowning before my eyes. Whereupon my heart was so smit- ten with fear of the danger, and my head so dizzied with the running of the water, that had not the Lord immediately upheld me, and my horse also, and so guided it, I had certainly perished that bout. But the Lord was strong in my weakness ; and we went on, by some little direction, upon the bridge, and at last I fell in ; yet in a place where the waters were not so violent, but I sat upon my horse ; which, be- ing a very good horse, clambered up upon the bridge again. But Mr. Darley's man, for fear of me, fell in also, but came out safe again ; and so we came to the dry land, where we had a house, and shifted ourselves, and went to prayer, and blessed God for this wonderful preservation of us. And the Lord made me then to profess that I looked now upon my life as a new life given unto me ; which I saw good reason to give up unto him and his service. And truly, about this time, the Lord, that had dealt only gently with me before, began to afflict me, and to let me taste how good it was to be under his tutoring. So I came to York late upon Saturday night ; and
1 Ferrybridge is 20 miles south-southwest of York, on the river Aire.
525
HE RESIDES IN YORKSHIRE.
having refreshed ourselves there, I came to Butter- CHAP. crambe, to Sir Richard's house, that night, very XXIV.
wet and late, which is about seven miles off from 1631. York.
Now as soon as I came into the house, I found divers of them at dice and tables ; and Mr. Richard Darley, one of the brothers, being to return to Lon- don the Monday after, and being desirous to hear me preach, sent me speedily to my lodging, (the best in the house,) and so I preached the day after once ; and then he departed the day after, having carefully desired my comfortable abode there. But I do re- member I never was so low sunk in my spirit as about this time. For, first, I was now far from all friends. Secondly, I was, I saw, in a profane house, not any sincerely good. Thirdly, I was in a vile,
wicked town and country. Fourthly, I was un- known, and exposed to all wrongs. Fifthly, I was unsufficient to do any work, and my sins were upon me, &c. ; and hereupon I was very low, and sunk deep. Yet the Lord did not leave me comfortless ; for though the lady was churlish, yet Sir Richard was ingenious, and I found in the house three ser- vants, (viz. Thomas Fugill,1 Mrs. Margaret Toute- ville,2 the knight's kinswoman, that was afterward my wife, and Ruth Bushell, who married to Edward
1 Thomas Fugill was one of the
out of office, and excommunicated principal settlers of New-Haven, in from the Church. Soon afterwards 1638, one of the seven pillars of the he returned, it is believed, to Lon- don." See Trumbull's Conn. i. 99, 106 ; Bacon's Historical Disc. pp. 24, 317 ; Kingsley's Hist. Disc. pp. 83, 163. church there, and the first secretary of the Colony, with the title of " public notary." Bacon says that "in the year 1645, he fell under censure for having made an incorrect ' She was at this time 27 years record for his own advantage. He old. See Mass. Hist. Coll. xxviii. was very sternly dealt with, turned 268.
526
HE IS MARRIED.
CHAP. XXIV.
1631.
Michelson,1) very careful of me ; which somewhat refreshed me.
But it happened, that when I had been there a little while, there was a marriage of one Mr. Allured,2 a most profane young gentleman, to Sir Richard's daughter ; and I was desired to preach at their mar- riage. At which sermon the Lord first touched the heart of Mistress Margaret with very great terrors for sin and her Christ-less estate. Whereupon others began to look about them, especially the gentlewo- man lately married, Mrs. Allured ; and the Lord brake both their hearts very kindly. Then others in the family, viz. Mr. Allured, he fell to fasting and prayer and great reformation. Others also were reformed, and their hearts changed ; the whole fam- ily brought to external duties, but I remember none in the town or about it brought home. And thus the Lord was with me, and gave me favor, and friends and respect of all in the family; and the Lord taught me much of his goodness and sweetness. And when he had fitted a wife for me, he then gave me her, who was a most sweet, humble woman, full of Christ, and a very discerning Christian, a wife who was most incomparably loving to me, and every way amiable and holy, and endued with a very sweet spirit of prayer. And thus the Lord answered my desires. When my adversaries intended most hurt
1 Edward Mitchenson and Ruth his wife both came over to New- England, and were members of the Church in Cambridge. Their child- ren were Ruth, Bethia, Edward, and Elizabeth. See Newell's Cambridge Ch. Gathering in 1636, p. 56.
2 There was a Colonel Alured, and some others of the name, from Yorkshire, who were somewhat conspicuous in the Civil Wars. . See Carlyle's Cromwell, i. 57, ii. 79,80.
527
HE REMOVES TO NORTHUMBERLAND.
to me, the Lord was then best unto me, and used me CHAP. the more kindly in every place. For the Lord turn- XXIV. ed all the sons, and Sir Richard, and Mr. Allured, so unto me, that they not only gave her freely to be my wife, but enlarged her portion also ; and thus I did marry the best and fittest woman in the world unto me, after I had preached in this place about a twelvemonth. For which mercy to me in my exiled 1632. condition in a strange place, I did promise the Lord that this mercy should knit my heart the nearer to Him, and that his love should constrain me. But I have ill requited the Lord since that time, and forgot myself, and my promise also.
But now when we were married, in the year 1632, she was unwilling to stay at Buttercrambe, and I saw no means or likelihood of abode there. For Bishop Neale1 coming up to York, no friends could procure my liberty of him, without subscription. And hereupon the Lord gave me a call to Northum- berland, to a town called Heddon, five miles beyond Newcastle.2 Which when I had considered of, and saw no place but that to go unto, and saw the people very desirous of it, and that I might preach there in peace, being far from any Bishops, I did resolve to depart thither. And so being accompanied with Mr. Allured to the place, I came not without many fears of enemies, and my poor wife full of fears. It was not a place of subsistence with any comfort to me
1 " Bishop Neile and Bishop Laud were a frightfully ceremonial pair of Bishops ; the fountain they of innumerable tendencies to Papis- try and the old clothes of Baby- lon !" See Carlyle's Cromwell, i. 61.
2 Newcastle is the county-town of Northumberland, situated on the left bank of the Tyne, ten miles from the sea, and 273 from London. Population in 1841, 49,860.
528
HE PREACHES ABOUT NEWCASTLE.
CHAP. there.
1632.
XXIV. But the good Lord, who all my life followed me, made this place the fittest for me ; and I found many sweet friends and Christian acquaintance, Mrs. Sherbourne maintaining me, and Mrs. Fenwick lend- ing us the use of her house ; and so God comforted us in our solitary, and yet married condition, many ways.
Now when I was here, the Lord blessed my poor labors both to the saints, and to sundry others about and in Newcastle ; and I came here to read and know more of the ceremonies, church government and estate, and the unlawful standing of Bishops than in any other place. I lived at Mrs. Fenwick's house 1633. for a time, about a twelvemonth or half a year, and then we went and dwelt alone in a town near Hed- don, called [blank], in a house which we found haunt- ed with the Devil, as we conceived. For when we came into it, a known witch went out of it ; and be- ing troubled with noises four or five nights together, we sought God by prayer to remove so sore a trial ; and the Lord heard and blessed us there, and re- moved the trouble. But after we were settled, the Bishop put in a priest, who would not suffer me to preach publicly any more. Hereupon the means was used to the Bishop of Durham, Bishop Morton ; and he professed he durst not give me liberty, because Laud had taken notice of me. So I preached up and down in the country, and at last privately in Mr. Fenwick's house. And there I stayed till Mr. Cot- ton, Mr. Hooker, Stone, Weld, went to New-Eng- land ; and hereupon most of the godly in England were awakened, and intended much to go to New- England. And I having a call by divers friends in
529
HIS FIRST SON IS BORN.
New-England to come over, and many in Old Eng- CHAP. land desiring me to go over, and promising to go XXIV. with me, I did hereupon resolve to go thither, espe- cially considering the season. And thus the Lord blessed me in this dark country, and gave me a son, called Thomas, anno 1633 ; my poor wife being in sore extremities four days, by reason she had an un- skilful midwife. But as the affliction was very bitter, so the Lord did teach me much by it, and I had need of it ; for I began to grow secretly proud, and full of sensuality, delighting my soul in my dear wife more than in my God, whom I had promised better unto ; and my spirit grew fierce in some things, and secretly mindless of the souls of the people. But the Lord, by this affliction of my wife, learnt me to desire to fear him more, and to keep his dread in my heart. And so, seeing I had been tossed from the south to the north of England, and now could go no farther, I then began to listen to a call to New-England.
The reasons which swayed me to come to New- England were many. 1. I saw no call to any other place in Old England, nor way of subsistence in peace and comfort to me and my family. 2. Divers people in Old England of my dear friends, desired me to go to New-England, there to live together ; and some went before, and writ to me of providing a place for a company of us ; one of which was John Bridge ;1 and I saw divers families of my Christian friends who were resolved thither to go with me. 3. I saw the Lord departing from England when Mr.
1 John Bridge was at Cambridge had a son Matthew. See Winthrop, in 1632, admitted a freeman March ii. 347, 365 ; Farmer's Genealogi- 4, 1635, a representative in 1637, cal Register ; Newell's Church-Ga- and a deacon of the church. He thering at Cambridge, p. 53.
34
1633.
530
HIS REASONS FOR GOING TO NEW-ENGLAND.
CHAP. Hooker and Mr. Cotton were gone, and I saw the XXIV. hearts of most of the godly set and bent that way ; 1633. and I did think I should feel many miseries if I stayed behind. 4. My judgment was then convinced not only of the evil of ceremonies, but of mixed commu- nion, and joining with such in sacraments ; though I ever judged it lawful to join with them in preaching. 5. I saw it my duty to desire the fruition of all God's ordinances, which I could not enjoy in Old England. 6. My dear wife did much long to see me settled there in peace, and so put me on to it. 7. Although it was true I should stay and suffer for Christ, yet I saw no rule for it now the Lord had opened a door of escape. Otherwise, I did incline much to stay and suffer, especially after our sea-storms. 8. Though my ends were mixed, and I looked much to my own quiet, yet the Lord let me see the glory of those lib- erties in New-England, and made me purpose, if ever I should come over, to live among God's peo- ple, as one come out from the dead, to his praise. Though since I have seen, as the Lord's goodness, so my own exceeding weakness to be as good as I thought to have been.
And although they did desire me to stay in the north, and preach privately, yet, 1. I saw that this time could not be long without trouble from King Charles. 2. I saw no reason to spend my time pri- vately, when I might possibly exercise my talent publicly in New-England. 3. I did hope my going over might make them to follow me. 4. I consider- ed how sad a thing it would be for me to leave my wife and child (if I should die) in that rude place of the north, where was nothing but barbarous wicked-
.
531
HE RETURNS TO EARLS-COLNE.
ness generally, and how sweet it would be to leave CHAP. them among God's people, though poor. 5. My lib- erty in private was daily threatened ; and I thought it wisdom to depart before the pursuivants came out, for so I might depart with more peace and lesser trouble and danger to me and my friends. And I knew not whether God would have me to hazard my person, and comfort of me and all mine, for a disor- derly manner of preaching privately (as it was repu- ted,) in those parts.
XXIV.
1634.
So after I had preached my farewell sermon at Newcastle, I departed from the north in a ship laden with coals for Ipswich, about the beginning of June, June. after I had been about a year in the north, the Lord having blessed some few sermons and notes to divers in Newcastle, from whom I parted, filled with their love. And so the Lord gave us a speedy voyage from thence to Ipswich,1 in Old England, whither I. came in a disguised manner,2 with my wife and child and maid ; and stayed a while at Mr. Russell's 3 house, another while at Mr. Collins4 his house, and then went down to Essex, to the town where I had preached, viz. Earles-Colne, to Mr. Richard Harla- kenden's house, where I lived privately, but with much love from them all, as also from Mr. Joseph Cooke,5 and also with friends at London and North-
1 Ipswich, an inland port, and the capital of Suffolk, is situated on the north-eastern banks of the united rivers Gipping and Orwell, 69 miles north-east of London. Population in 1841, 24,940.
2 See note 5 on page 260. .
· 3 Perhaps John Russell, who was admitted a freeman at the same time with Shepard and Harlakenden, and was a prominent citizen of Cam-
bridge. See Newell's Cambridge Church-Gathering, pp. 47, 50.
4 Perhaps Edward Collins, who was admitted a freeman May 13, . 1640, and was deacon of the church at Cambridge. See Mather's Mag- nalia, ii. 116 ; Newell's Cam. Ch. Gath. p. 53; Winthrop, ii. 370 ; Farmer's Genealogical Register.
5 Joseph Cooke came to New- England in 1635 in the same ship
532
HE RESOLVES TO GO TO NEW-ENGLAND.
1634.
CHAP. amptonshire. And truly I found this time of my life, XXIV. wherein I was so tossed up and down, and had no place of settling, but kept secret in regard of the Bishops, the most uncomfortable and fruitless time, to my own soul especially, that ever I had in my life. And therefore I did long to be in New-Eng- land, as soon as might be ; and the rather because my wife, having weaned her first son, Thomas, had conceived again, and was breeding ; and I knew no place in England where she could lie in, without discovery of myself, danger to myself and all my friends that should receive me, and where we could not but give offence to many, if I should have my child not baptized. And, therefore, there being divers godly Christians resolved to go toward the latter end of the year, if I would go, I did therefore resolve to go that year, the end of that summer I came from the north. And the time appointed for the ship to go out was about a month or fortnight Sept. 29. before Michaelmas, (as they there call it.) The ship was called the Hope, of Ipswich. The master of it, a very able seaman, was Mr. Gurling, who professed much love to me, who had got this ship, of 400 tons, from the Danes, and, as some report, it was by some fraud. But he denied it; and being a man very loving and full of fair promises of going at the time
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