PRIMORDIA;' or, The Voyage to New EngLAND, WHICH PRODUCED THE FIRST SEttlement of NEW PLYMOUTH; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF MANY REMARKABLE AND MEMORABLE PROVIDENCES RELATING TO THAT VOYAGE.

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§ 1. A NUMBER of devout and serious Christians in the English nation, finding the Reformation of the Church2 in that nation, according to the WORD OF GOD,3 and the design of many among the first Reformers, to labour under a sort of hopeless retardation; they did, Anno 1602, in the north of England,5 enter into a COVENANT, wherein expressing themselves desirous, not only to attend the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ, with a freedom from humane inventions and additions, but also to enjoy all the Evangelical Institutions of that worship, they did like those Macedonians, that are therefore by the Apostle Paul commended, "give themselves up, first unto God, and then to one another.”8 These pious people finding that their brethren and neighbors in the Church of England, as then established by law, took offense at these their endeavors after a scriptural reformation; and being loth to live in the continual vexations which they felt arising from their non-conformity to things which their consciences accounted superstitious and unwarrantable, they peaceably and willingly embraced a banishment into the Netherlands; where they settled at the city of Leyden,1° about seven or eight years after their first combination. And now in that city this people " sojourned, an holy CHURCH of the blessed JESUs, for several years under the pastoral care of Mr. John Robinson, 12 who had for his help in the government of the Church, a most wise, grave, good man, Mr. William Brewster,13 the ruling elder. Indeed, Mr. John Robinson had been in his younger

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time (as very good fruit hath sometimes been, before age hath ripened it) sowred with the principles of the most rigid separation, in the maintaining whereof he composed and published some little Treatises, and in the management of the controversie made no scruple to call the incomparable Dr. Ames 1 himself, Dr. Amiss, for opposing such a degree of separation. But this worthy man suffered himself at length to be so far convinced by his learned antagonist that with a most in: genious retractation, he afterwards writ a little book to prove the lawfulness of one thing, which his mistaken zeal had formerly impugned several years, even till 1625, and about the fiftieth year of his own age, continued he a blessing unto the whole Church of God, and at last, when he died, he left behind him in his immortal writings, a name very much embalmed among the people that are best able to judge of merit; and even among such, as about the matters of Church-discipline, were not of his perswasion. Of such an eminent character was he, while he lived, that when Arminianism 15 so much prevailed, as it then did in the low countries, those famous divines, Polyander and Festus Hommius, employed this our learned Robinson to dispute publickly in the University of Leyden against Episcopius, and the other champions of that grand choak-weed of true Christianity: and when he died, not only the University, and Ministers of the city, accompanied him to his grave, with all their accustomed solemnities, but some of the chief among them with sorrowful resentments and expressions affirmed, “That all the Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ had sustained a great loss by the death of this worthy man.”

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§ 2. The English Church had not been very long at Leyden, before they found themselves encountered with many inconveniences. They felt that they were neither for health, nor purse, nor language well accommodated; but the concern which they most of all had, was for their posterity. They saw, that whatever banks the Dutch had, against the inroads of the sea, they had not sufficient ones against a flood of manifold profaneness. They could not with ten years' endeavor bring their neighbors particularly to any suitable observation of the LORD'S DAY; 17 without which they knew that all practical Religion must wither miserably. They beheld some of their children, by the temptations of the place, which were especially given in the licentious ways of many young people, drawn into dangerous extravagancies. Moreover, they were very loth to lose their interest in the English nation; but were desirous rather to enlarge their King's dominions. They found themselves also under a very strong disposition of zeal, to attempt the establishment of

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES 18 in the remote parts of the world; where they hoped they should be reached by the royal influence of their Prince, in whose allegiance they chose to live and die; at the same time likewise hoping that the Ecclesiasticks, who had thus driven them out of the kingdom into a New World, for nothing in the world but their non-conformity to certain rites, by the imposers confessed indifferent,19 would be ashamed ever to persecute them with any further molestations, at the distance of a thousand leagues. These reasons were deeply considered by the Church; and after many deliberations, accompanied with the most solemn humiliations and supplications before the God of Heaven, they took up a resolution, under the conduct of Heaven, to REMOVE into AMERICA; the opened regions whereof had now filled all Europe with reports. It was resolved, that part of the Church should go before their brethren, to prepare a place for the rest; and whereas the minor part of younger and stronger men were to go first, the Pastor was to stay with the major, till they should see cause to follow. Nor was there any occasion for this resolve, in any weariness which the States of Holland had of their company, as was basely whispered by their adversaries; therein like those who of old assigned the same cause for the departure of the Israelites out Egypt: for the magistrates of Leyden in their Court, reproving the Walloons, gave this testimony for our English: These have lived now ten years among us, and yet we never had any accusation against any one of them; whereas your quarrels are continual."

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§ 3. These good people were now satisfyed, they had as plain a command of Heaven to attempt a removal, as ever their father Abraham had for his leaving the Caldean territories; 21 and it was nothing but such a satisfaction that could have carried them through such, otherwise insuperable difficulties, as they met withal. But in this removal the terminus ad quem' was not yet resolved upon. The country of Guiana flattered them with the promises of a perpetual Spring, and a thousand other comfortable entertainments. But the probable disagreement of so torrid a climate unto English bodies, and the more dangerous vicinity of the Spaniards to that climate, were considerations which made them fear that country would be too hot for them. They rather propounded some country bordering upon Virginia; and unto this purpose, they sent over agents into England, who so far treated not only with the Virginia company, but with several great persons about the Court; unto whom they made evident their agreement with the French Reformed Churches in all things

whatsoever, except in a few small accidental points; that at last, after many tedious delays, and after the loss of many friends and hopes in those delays, they obtained a Patent for a quiet settlement in those territories; and the Archbishop of Canterbury himself gave them some expectations that they should never be disturbed in that exercise of Religion, at which they aimed in their settlement; yea, when Sir Robert Nanton, then principal Secretary of State unto King James, moved his Majesty to give away "that such a people might enjoy their liberty of conscience under his gracious protection in America, where they would endeavor the advancement of his Majesty's dominions, and the enlargement of the interests of the Gospel; " the King said, “It was a good and honest motion." All this notwithstanding, they never made use of that Patent: but being informed of New England, thither they diverted their design, thereto induced by sundry reasons; but particularly by this, that the coast being extremely well circumstanced for fishing, they might therein have some immediate assistance against the hardships of their first encounters. Their agents then again sent over to England concluded articles between them and such adventurers as would be concerned with them in their present undertakings — articles that were indeed sufficiently hard23 for those poor men that were now to transplant themselves into an horrid wilderness. The diversion of their enterprise from the first state and way of it, caused an unhappy division among those that should have encouraged it; and many of them hereupon fell off. But the Removers having already sold their estates, to put the money into a common stock,24 for the welfare of the whole; and their stock as well as their time spending so fast as to threaten them with an army of straits, if they delayed any longer : they nimbly dispatched the best agreements they could, and came away furnished with a Resolution for a large Tract of Land in the southwest part of New England.

§ 4. All things being now in some readiness, and a couple of ships, one called The Speedwell, the other The May-Flower, being hired for their transportation, they solemnly set apart a day for fasting and prayer; wherein their Pastor preached unto them upon Ezra viii. 21: "I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance."

After the fervent supplications of this day, accompanied by their affectionate friends, they took their leave of the pleasant city, where they had been pilgrims and strangers now for eleven years. Delft

Haven 25 was the town where they went on board one of their ships, and there they had such a mournful parting from their brethren, as even drowned the Dutch spectators themselves, then standing on the shore, in tears. Their excellent Pastor, on his knees, by the sea-side, poured out their mutual petitions unto God; and having wept in one another's arms, as long as the wind and the tide would permit them, they bad adieu. So sailing to Southampton in England, they there found the other of their ships come from London, with the rest of their friends that were to be the companions of the voyage. Let my reader place the chronology of this business on July 2, 1620. And know, that the faithful Pastor of this people immediately sent after them a pastoral letter; a letter filled with holy counsels unto them, to settle their peace with God in their own consciences, by an exact repentance of all sin whatsoever, that so they might more easily bear all the difficulties that were now before them; and then to maintain a good peace with one another, and beware of giving or taking offences; and avoid all discoveries of a touchy humour; but use much brotherly forbearance (where by the way he had this remarkable observation: "In my own experience few or none have been found that sooner give offence, than those that easily take it; neither have they ever proved sound and profitable members of societies who have nourished this touchy humour"); as also to take heed of a private spirit, and all retiredness of mind in each man, for his own proper advantage; and likewise to be careful, that the house of God, which they were, might not be shaken with unnecessary novelties or oppositions; which LETTER afterwards produced most happy fruits among them.

§ 5. On August 5, 1620, they set sail from Southampton; but if it shall, as I believe it will, afflict my reader to be told what heart-breaking disasters befell them, in the very beginning of their undertaking, let him glorifie God, who carried them so well through their greater affliction.

They were by bad weather twice beaten back, before they came to the Land's end. But it was judged, that the badness of the weather did not retard them so much as the deceit of a master, who, grown sick of the voyage, made such pretences about the leakiness of his vessel, that they were forced at last wholly to dismiss that lesser ship from the service. Being now all 26 stowed into one ship, on the sixth of September they put to sea; but they met with such terrible storms, that the principal persons on board had serious deliberations upon returning home again; however, after long beating upon the Atlantick