USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Plymouth church records, 1620-1859 > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
See how this holy man his sperit was Elivated and his hart Raised vp in praiseing of the Lord in Consideration of the downefall of the proud prelatse; as hee and many more of the Saints had Good Rea -. son; who felt the smart of theire bitter and Crewell tirany; whoe are endeed a limbe of Antichrist; and if the Generallitie of the Saints had bin those sencible of this Great and1 Marueilous work of God, posibly that proud hirachy, had not Gott vp soe soone againe as they haue done soone, after this Good man[s] departure out of this world ;? Neuertheles wee doubt not but that God wil bring them down in his Good time; for vndoubtedly all those that will not that the Lord Jesus should Raig[n] ouer them; but ensteed therof exercise a usurped lordly power over the poor saints of God sha[ll be] brought and slaine before him; (and without Repentance) shall together with the beast and ffalse prophett be thrown into the lake burning with fier and brimstone; when Babilon [cometh into] Remembrance
Reu: 17 5: 6: : 7
1 Here "vnde" is crossed out.
' Bradford died May 9, 1657.
.
13
MANY REFORM AND MAKE CONSCIENCE OF THEIR WAYS
before God then shall the saints with the angell say thou art J[ust] and holy because [thou hast judged] these thinges for they; viz: that hord1 of Room [an]d the prelates theire ad[herents] haue shed the blood [of the saints. Give them blood to drink; for they are worthy.'] [6]
The exordium being Concluded; I shall come more Nearier my Intended purpose: viz: in Reference vnto the Church of Christ at Plymouth in New England; first begun in old England and carryed on in holland; and att Plymouth aforsaid;
Chapter I.
When by the trauell and dilligence of some Godly and Zelous Imp: Preachers and Gods blesing on theire labours as in other places of the Land soe in the North prtes many became Inlightened by the word of God and had theire Ignorance and sines discouered by the word & of Gods Grace; and began by his Grace, to Reforme theire liues and make Consience of theire wayes, the work of God was noe sooner manifest in them but p'sently they were both scoffed and scorned by the prophane Multitude and the minnesters vrged with the yoake of Subscribption or else must be silenced; and the poor people were soe' vexed with apparrators and Pursvants and the Comission courts as truly theire affliction was not smale; which Notwithstanding they bare sundry yeers with much Patience vntill they were occationed by the Continewance and Increase of those troubles and other meanes which the Lord Raised vp in those dayes; to see further Into thinges by the Light of the word, of God; how not onely " those base beggerly Ceremonies were vnlawfull but alsoe that the lordly tiranous power of the Prelates ought Not to be submitted to which thuse Contrary to the ffreedome of the Gospell would load and burten mens Consiences with and by theire Com- pulsiue power make a prophaine mixture of pisons and thinges in the worship of God; and that theire offices and Callings Courts and
1 Perhaps "hore."
' This paragraph is of course Morton's. The words torn away are supplied from Young's Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers, p. 17.
" Here the words "of truth" are interlined and crossed out.
' Here two letters, apparently "xe," are crossed out.
" Here the words "some of the" are crossed out.
·
- ·
1.
1
.
-
.
- -
14
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART I
-
Cannons &c: were vnlawfull and Antichristian being such as haue noe warrant in the word of God but the same that were vsed in Popery: and still Retained; of which a famous Auther thus writeth in his duch Comentaryes1
"Att' the Comeing of Kinge James out of Scotland into England, the New Kinge (saith hee) found there established the Reformed Re- ligion; According to the Reformed Religion of Kinge Edward the sixt, Retaining or keeping still the speritvall state of the bishopes &c: after the old manor much varying and differing from the Re- formed Churches of Scotland ffrance and the Netherlands Emden Geneva etc whose Reformation is Cutt or shapen much Nearer the first Churches as it was vsed in the Apostles times;"
Soe many therfore of these proffessers as saw the euil of these thinges, in these p'tes and whose harts the Lord had touched with heavenly Zeale for his truth, they shook of this yoake of Antichris- tian Bondage and as the Lords ffree people Joyned themselues (by a Covenant of the Lord) into a Church estate in the ffellowshipp of the Gospell to walk in all his wayes made knowne or to be made knowne vnto them according to theire best endeauors whatsoeuer it should Cost them ' and that it Cost them much paines trouble sorrow affliction and " p"secution; and expence of theire estates &c this ensueing history will declare
These people became two distinct bodyes or Churches; in Regard of Distance of Place and did Congregate Seuerally for they were of seuerall townes & villages some in Nottingamsheire some in Lan- kishsheire " and some of Yorksheire where they bordered Nearest together; In the one of these Churches besides others of Note was m" John Smith a man of Able Giftes and a Good preacher whoe afterwards was Chosen their Pastour but these afterwards falling
1 Emanuel van Meteren's General History of the Netherlands was trans- lated by Edward Grimstone.
' Against this paragraph and the next is written in the margin: "[The Re- formed [Chur]ches shapen [muc]h Nearer the [primitive Pateren [th]en England [f]or they Casheired [t]he Bishopps [w]ith' all theire [Court Canons and [Cer]e- monies att [the] first and [left] them amongst [the] popish trash [to which they [app]ertaine."
' Here a word is crossed out.
" Here a word, perhaps "p"secution," is apparently crossed out.
" Morton's error for Bradford's "Lincollinshire" (History, i. 22).
--
1
15
RESOLUTION TO GO FROM ENGLAND TO HOLLAND
into some errours in the low Countryes, there for the Most p'te buriyed themselues and theire Names
But in this other Church; which must be the subject of our dis- course besides other worthy men was M' Richard Clifton a Graue and Reuerend Preacher whoe by his paines and dilligence had don much Good and vnder God had bin a meanes of the Conversion of Many; and Alsoe that famous and worthy man M' John Robinson whoe afterwards was theire Pastour for many yeers vntill the Lord [6] The Lord took him away by death; And alsoe m' William Brewster a Reuere[nd] man who afterwards was Chosen an Elder of the Church and liued with them [until] old age; and death
Butt after these thinges they Could not longe Continew in any peacable manor but were hunted and prsecuted on euery side soe as theire former Afflictions; were but as molehills to Mountaines, in Comparison to these; which now Came vpon them; for some were taken and Claped vp in prisons, others had theire houses besett and watched Night and day and hardly escaped theire hands and the most were faine to fly and leaue theire houses and habitations, and the meanes of theire livelihood yett these and many other sharper thinges which afterward befell them were Noe other then they looked for; and therfore were the better prepared to beare them by the Assist- ance of Gods Grace and speritt; yett seeing themselues thus Molested, and that there was noe hope of theire Continewance theire; by a Joynt Consent they Resolued to Goe into the low Countryes; where they heard was ffreedom of Religion for all men; as alsoe how sun- dry from London and other prtes of the land that had bine exiled and p"secuted for the same Cause and were Gon thither and liued att Amsterdam 1 and in other places of the land;
Soe after they had Continewed together about a yeer and kept theire meetinges euery sabbath in one place or other exercising the worship of God amongst themselues, Notwithstanding all the dilli- gence and mallice of theire aduersaries; they seeing they Could Noe Longer Continew in that Condition they resolued to Gett ouer Into holland as they Could which was in the yeer 1607 and 1608: of which more in that which followeth;
1 This refers to the church which, originally set up at London in 1592, soon after removed to Amsterdam. Francis Johnson was the pastor and Henry Ainsworth the teacher.
16
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART I
1608: of theire departure Into holland And theire troubles therabout with some of the many difficulties they found and mett withall
2 Chapt
Being thus Constrained to Leaue theire Natiue Country theire lands & liueings and all theire frinds and familliar acquaintance, It was much and thought marueilious by many; But to Goe into a Country they knew not (but by hearsay) where they must learn a New Language and Gett theire Liuings they knew not how; It being a deare place and subject to the Misseryes of warr It was by many thought an adventure almost desparate, a Case Intollerable and a missery worse then death especially seing they were Not acquainted with trades nor traffick (by which the) Country doeth subsist; but had onely bin vsed to a plaine Country life and the Inocent trade of husbandry; But these thinges did not dismay them (although they did sometimes trouble them) for theire desires were sett on the wayes of God and to enjoy his ordinances But they Rested on his prouidence; and knew whom they had beleiued; yett this was not all for although they Could not stay; yett were they not suffered to Goe but the ports and hauens were shutt against them; soe as they were faine to seeke secrett meanes of Conveyance and to see the Marrinors and Giue extreordinary Rates for theire passages and yett were they oftentimes betrayed many of them; and both they and theire goods Intercepted and surprised and therby put to Great trouble; and Charge of which I will Giue an Instance or two and omitt the Rest;
There was a Great Companie of them purposed to Gett passage att Boston in Linkensheire and for that end had hiered a shipp wholly to themselues and made agreement with the Master to be Ready att a Certaine day; and take them and theire goods in att a [7] Convenient place where they accordingly would all attend in Reddines; soe after longe waiting and large expences, though hee kept not the day with them yett hee came att Length and took them in In the Night, and when hee had them and theire Goods aboard, hee betrayed them haueing before hand Comploted with the serchers and others officers soe to doe, whoe took them and putt them into
17
BAFFLED ATTEMPTS TO GET FROM ENGLAND TO HOLLAND
open boates and there Rifelled and Ransaked them serching them to theire shirts for mony, yee euen the weomen further then became Modesty; and then Carryed them backe into the Towne, and made them a spectacle and wonderment to the Multitude which came fflocking on all sydes to behold them; Being thus by the Catchpole1 officers Riffled and striped of theire Mony bookes and much other goods they were p'sented to the Majestrates and Messengers sent to Informe the Lords of the Councell of them; and soe they were comitted to ward Indeed the Majestrates vsed them Curtuovsly and shewed them what fauor they Could but Could not deliuer them vntill order Came from the Councell Table, but the Issue was that after a month Imprisonment the Greatest p'te were dismissed and sent to the place from whence they Came; but some' of the principall were still kept in prison and bound ouer to the Assices.
The Next spring after there was another attempt made by some of these and others made to Gett ouer att another place; and it soe fell out that they lited of a duch man att hull haueing a shipp of his owne belonging to Zealand; they made agreement with him and ac- quainted him with theire Condition; hopeing to find more faithfull- ness in him, then in the former or of theire owne Nation; hee bad them not feare for hee would doe welenough hee was by appointment to take them in between Grimsbey and hull where was a large Comon a Goodway ' distant from any towne; Now against the prfixed time the weomen and Children with the Goods were sent to the place in a smale barque which they had hiered for that end and the men were to meet them by land but it soe fell out that they were there a day before the shipp Came, and the sea being Rough and the weomen very very sick:prevailed with the seamen to put into a Creek hard by where they lay on Ground att Low water The Next morning the shipp came but they were fast and Could Not stirr vntill about noone; In the mean time the shipp Master p seiveing how the Mater was sent his boate to be Getting the" Men aboard whome hee7 saw
P. 40/1.º
! Altered from "Catchpoles."
" Here Bradford has "7" (History, i. 31).
" The reference is to pp. [40-41] of the text, or p. 80 of this volume.
' Here a word, perhaps "distinct," is crossed out.
" Here "weomen" is crossed out.
" Written above "them," crossed out.
" Here "say" is crossed out.
1
!
18
PLYMOUTH CHURCH . RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART I
.
.
walking about the shore but after the first boate full was Gott aboard and shee was Reddy to Goe for more the Master espyed a Great Companie both horse and foot with bills and Guns and other weapons for the Country was Raised to take them; The duch man seeing that, swore his Countryes Oath (Sarament) and haueing the wind faire wayed his Ancre hoysed sayles and away but the poor men which were Gott on board were in Great Distress for theire wiues and Chil- dren which they saw thuse to be taken and were left destitute of their healpes and themselues alsoe, Not haueing a Cloth to shift them with more then they had on theire backes; and some scarse apeny about them all they had being on board the barke; It drew tears from theire eyes and any thinge they had they would haue Giuen to haue bin on shore againe but all in vaine there was Noe Remedy they must thus sadly pite; and afterward Indured a fear- full storme att Sea being forteen dayes or more before they ariued att theire1 port; In seauen whereof they Neither saw Sun moon Nor starrs; and were driuen to the Coast of Norway the Marrinors them selues often desparring of life; and once with shrikes and Cryes Gaue ouer all as if the shipp had bine foundered in the sea, and they sink- ing without Recouery; But when Mans hope and healp wholly faylleth the lords power and Mercy appeered for theire Recouery for the shipp Rose againe, and Gaue the Marriners Corrage againe to Manage her; and if Modesty would suffer [8] mee I might de- clare with whate feruent prayers they Cryed vnto the Lord in this Gr[eat] distress especially some of them euen without any Great destraction when the water Ran in theire very ears and Mouthes; and the Marrynors Cryed out wee sinke wee sink; they Cryed if not with Miraculous yett with a Great hight of divine ffaith; yett Lord thou Canst saue yett Lord, thou Canst saue; with such other expressions as I will forbeare; ' vpon which the shipp did not onely Recouer but shortly after the violence of the storme began to abate; and the Lord filled theire afflicted Minds with such Comforts as euery one Can not vnderstand; and in the end brought them to theire desired hauen where the people Came fflocking admireing theire deliverance, the storme haueing bin soe longe and sore; in which
1 Here a word is crossed out.
" Here the words "with such other expressions as I will forbeare" are crossed out.
1
---
.- ------- --- --
19
DANGERS AND MISERIES ENDURED IN ENGLAND
. much hurt had bin don as the Masters frinds had Related vnto him, in theire Congratulations;
But to Returne to the others where wee left; the Rest of the men that were in the Greatest danger made shift to escape away before the troope Could Surprise them those onely staying that best might; to be assistant to the weomen but pittifull it was to see the heauy case of these poor weomen; in their destress what weeping and Crying on euery syde, some for theire husbands that were Carryed away in the shipp as it was before related; others not knowing what should become of them and theire Little ones others melted in1 teares seeing theire poor Little ones hanging about them Crying for feare and quaking with Cold; being thus apprehended they were hurryed from one place to another and from one Justice to another vntill in the end they knew not what to doe with them for to Imprison soe many weomen and Inocent Children, for noe other Cause (Many of them) but that they must Goe with theire husbands, seemed to be vn- reasonable ' and all would Cry out of them, and to& send them home againe was as difficult; for they alledged (as the truth was) They had noe homes to Goe to; for they had sold or otherwise disposed of their houses and liueings to be short after they had bin thus tor- moyled, a good while and Conveyed from one Constable to another they were Glad to be Rid of them, in the end vpon any tearmes for all were wearie and tired with them; tho in the mean time the poor soules Indewred Misery enough and thus in the end Nessisitie forced a way for them;
But that I be not tedious in these thinges I will omitt the Rest; although I might Relate many other Notable passages and troubles which they Indvred, and vnderwent in these theire wanderings and trauells both att " Land and Sea. But I hast to other thinges yett I may not omitt the fruite that Came heerby; for by those soe pub- lick troubles in soe many eminent places theire Cause became famous, and occationed Many to Looke into the same, and theire Godly Carryage and Christian behaviour; was such as left a" deep Im-
1 Something in here crossed out.
" Here the words "vnto all" are crossed out.
* Here "send" is crossed out.
" Here "sea" is crossed out.
" Here the letters "dep" are crossed out.
-
20
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART I
pression in the minds of Many; and tho, some few shrunke; att those first Conflicts and sharp beginin[gs] (as it was noe Maruell) yett many more Came on with ffresh Corrage and Greatly anymated others; and in the end 1 Notwithstanding all these stormes of 2 opposition they all Gott ouer att 3 length some att one time and some att another and mett together againe according to theire desires with noe smale Rejoycing;
Chapt: 3 of theire settleing in holland and theire manor of Liueing and entertainment there;
Being now Come into the Lowcountryes " they saw many Goodly and fortified Cittyes strongly waled and Gaurded with troopes of Armed men; alsoe they heard a strange and vncouth Language and beheld the different Manors and Customes of the people with theire strange fashions and attires; all soe farr diffiring from that of theire plaine Countrye villages wherein they were bread and borne and had soe longe liued; as it seemed they were Come into a New world; but those were not the thinges they much looked on, or longe took vp theire thoughts for they had other work in hand; and another kind of warr to wage and maintain [9] ffor though they saw fair and butifull Cittyes flowing with aboundance of all sorts of wealth and Riches, yett it was not longe before they saw the Grime and Griseled face of pouerty Comeing on them like an Armed man, with whom they must buckle & incounter, and from whom they Could not fily But they were armed with faith and Patience against him and all his encounters and though they were sometimes foyled, yett by Gods assistance they prevailed and Gott the victory; Now when Mr Robinson M' Brewster and other principall Members were Come ouer for they were of the last and stayed to healp the weakest ouer before them; such thinges were thought on as were Nessesary for theire settleing and best ordering of the Church affaires and when they had liued att Amsterdam about a yeer; M' Robinson theire
1 Here "vnder" is crossed out.
? Here some letters are crossed out.
' Here "leg" is crossed out.
. "In this history the Low Provinces mean the two provinces of Holland and Zealand" (W. C. Ford, Bradford's History, i. 36 note).
" Here the letters "victo" are crossed out.
21
REMOVAL FROM AMSTERDAM TO LEYDEN
Pastovr, and some others of best descerning seeing how m" John Smith and his Companie was alreddy fallen into Contension (with the Church) that was there before them;1 and noe meane[s] they Could vse would doe any Good to Cure the same; and also that the fflames of Contension were like to breake out in that ancient Church; it selfe as afterwards Lamentably Came to pase; which thinges they prudently foreseing; thought itt was best to Remoue before they were any way engaged [with] the same; though they well knew it would be much to the prejudice of theire outward estate both att prsent and in likelyhood in the future; as Indeed it proued to be; for these and some other Reasons they Remoued to Leyden a fayre and butifull Citty and of a sweet Scittuation; But made more famous by the vnivercety wherwith it is adorned in which of late ha[th] it bin, by soe many Learned men; But wanting that traffick by sea which Amsterdam Injoyed It was not soe benificiall for theire out- ward means of liueing and estates; but being Now heere pitched they fell to such trades and Imployments as they best Could vallue- ing peace and their sperituall Comfort aboue any other Riches whatsoeuer; and att length they came to Raise a Competent and Comfortable Liueing; and with hard and Continuall labour being thus settled after many difficulties they Continewed Many 2 yeers In a Comfortable Condidition Injoying much sweet and delightfull society; and sperituall Comfort together in the wayes of God vnder the able minnestry and Prudent Gouerment of M' John Robinson and Mr William Brewster who was an Assistant vnto him in the place of an elder, vnto which hee was Now Called and Chosen by& the Church soe as they Grew in knowlidge and other Gifts and Graces of the speritt of God And liued together in peace and loue and holi- nes; and Many Came vnto them from diuers ptes of England; soe as they Grew a Great Congregation; and if att any time any differ- ences did arise or offences broke out, as it Can not be but that som- times ' there will euen amongst the best of men; they were eue[r] soe mett with and Nipt in the head betimes or other wise soe well Composed a[s] still loue peace and Comunion was Continewed, or else the Church purged of those that were Incurable; and Incorrig-
1 See p. 15 note 1, above.
* Here something is crossed out.
* Here "in" is crossed out.
' Here "euen" is crossed out.
.
22
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART I
Gouldca book &o:"
able, when after much Patience vsed noe other meanes 1 would serue which seldome comes to pass yee such was the mutvall loue and Resiprocall Respect; That this worthy man had to his fflock and his flock to him, that it might be said of them 2 as it once was said of that famous Emperour Marcus Aurelius and the people of Roome; That it was hard to Judge whether hee delighted more in haueing such a people; or they in haueing such a pastor his loue was Great towards them; and his Care was alwaies bent for their best Good both for soule and body for besides his singular abillities in diuine thinges (wherin hee excelled) hee was able alsoe to Giue direccion [10] In Civill affaires and to foresee dangers and Incon- veniences, by which meanes hee was [very] healpfull to theire out- ward estates; and soe was euery way as a Comon father vnto them, and none did more offend him; then those that were Close and Cleaue- ing to themselues and Retired from the Comon Good; as alsoe such as would be stiffe and Ridged in Matters of outward order and ' Invay against the euills of others; and yett be Remise in them selues, and not soe Carefull to express a vertuous Conversation; they in like manor had euer a Reverent Regard vnto him and had him in precious estemation as his worth and wisdome did deserue, and although they esteemed him highly whiles hee liued and laboured amongst them; yett much more after his death when they Came to feele the want of his healp and saw by woefull experience " what a treasure they had lost of the Greife of theire hearts and wounding of theire soules, yee such a losse as they saw Could not be Regained for it was hard for them to find such another leader and feeder in all Respects, as the Taborites to find another Ziska; and although they did not Call themselues orphanes as the other did after his death yett they had Cause as much to Lament in another Regard, theire prsent Condition and after vsage; But to Returne I know
1 Here the words "Noe other Meanes" are crossed out.
' Here some words are interlined and crossed out.
' The Golden Boke of Marcus Aurelius Emperor and Eloquent Oratour, a translation by Lord Berners of a French version of Antonio de Guevara's Libro Aureo de Marco Aurelio (1528). In 1529 Guevara published an enlarged version entitled Libro de Emperador Marco Aurelio co Relox de Principes, which .was translated by Sir Thomas North. See The Diall of Princes (ed. K. N. Colvile, 1919), pp. ix, xiii, xiv-xv, xliii-xliv.
" Here a word, perhaps "Invey," is crossed out.
' Here "which " is crossed out.
--
23
THE PILGRIMS HONORED AND ESTEEMED IN LEYDEN
not but it may be spoken to the honor of 1 God and without preju- dice to any That such was the humble Zeale and feruent loue of this people (whiles they thus liued together) towards God and his wayes and the single hartednes and senseer affection one towards another That they Came as Neare the primitiue Patteren of the first Churches as any other Church of these latter times haue don; according to theire Ranke and qvallitie; But seeing it is not my pur- pose to treat of the seuerall passages that befell this people whiles they thus liued in the low Countryes, which might worthyly Re- qvire a large treatice of it selfe; But to manifest somthing of theire begining and after progresse in New England which I principally Scope, and aime att; yett because some of theire Adversaries did vpon the Rumer of theire Remoueall Cast out Slanders against them; as if that State had bine weary 2 of them; and had Rather driuen them out as the heathen histories did faine of Moses and the Israellits when they went out of egipt; then it was theire owne free Choise and motion; I will therfore mention a paticular or two to shew the Contrary; and that Good acceptation they had in the place and first altho it was low with many of them yett theire word would be taken amongst the duches when they wanted mony, because they had found by experience how Care full they were to keep theire [A] Great word; and saw them soe painefull and dilligent in theire Callings the [Gjospell [h]onor [to] that they stroue to Gett theire Customes, and to Imploy them aboue others in theire work for theire honesty and dilligence;
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.