Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

form; since it was added, that all offenders against any of these injunctions were to be suspended from their office and benefice "for a year and a day, till his majesty should prescribe some further punishment with advice of convocation." * Before this, the puritans had suffered for neglect of ceremonies only; but now they were excluded from interpreting the doctrines of the gospel. Such as refused to preach up the royal prerogative, and to declaim against evangelical doctrines, were termed "doctrinal puritans ;" and as Archbishop Abbot, the chief of the party, had retired from court in consequence of the misfortune that had befallen him, there was little or no restraint laid upon their persecutors of the high church school. Many were deprived and imprisoned; and numbers left the country for liberty of conscience' sake, and fled to other lands.

Such was the course of ecclesiastical affairs during the latter part of the reign of James the First.

While these events were happening at home, a way was being prepared for the diffusion of the principles of Independency, in a hitherto unpeopled region of vast extent, and under circumstances of special interest. New England was already destined, in the providence of God, to become a widened sphere for the development of civil and religious freedom.

Soon after the formation of Jacob's church, in London, or in 1617, Robinson and the church at Leyden entertained the purpose of emigrating to America. Who first entertained it, we have not ascertained. The project, however, was not entirely new. In 1608, some puritan families had emigrated from England to * Neal, i. 495, 496.

[blocks in formation]

Virginia; and more would have followed, but for an interdict procured by Archbishop Bancroft, who, refusing liberty of conscience at home, was unwilling to let his victims seek it abroad. Two companies also existed-one in Plymouth, and the other in London -under the name of the Virginia Company, with a chartered power under the royal patent, to make settlements on that extensive country. * Virginia was at this time divided into north and south; and, since the year 1614, the northern division was becoming known under the name of New England. to this portion of Virginia that the emigrants already referred to had repaired; and although their enterprise had been very unsuccessful, Robinson and his people were not to be discouraged from making another adventure in the same direction.

It was

The reasons which moved the Leyden congregation to contemplate this step, were the result of serious deliberation. They were, as they expressed themselves, in a land of strangers, who differed from them not only in language and manners, but in their religious observances, more especially in relation to the keeping of "the Lord's-day as a Sabbath." Their countrymen, who came over from England to join them, were repelled by "the hardness of the country," and for the most part forced to return; so that there was no great hope of much addition to their numbers or usefulness. Their children were, some of them, overtasked by their heavy labours, and became "decrepit in their early youth;" while others were drawn away into wild and dangerous courses, through the evil examples of the licentious youth in the neigh

* Young's Chronicles of the Pilgrims, p. 54, note 3. This work is our chief authority; all others are more or less erroneous.

bourhood. Their posterity, they felt assured, "would in a few generations become Dutch," and lose all "their interest in the English nation," a thing greatly to be deprecated. Lastly, they had "a great hope and inward zeal of laying some good foundation for the propagation and advancement of the gospel in those remote parts of the world," and were willing to embark in the enterprise, even if they should prove only "stepping-stones unto others for the performance of so great a work."

After these reasons had been maturely considered, and much time spent in humiliation and prayer, both in private and in public, they agreed to emigrate, if Divine Providence did not throw any insuperable obstacle in their way. It appears that they had some debate among themselves whether they should go to Guiana or New England, in consequence of some overtures on the part of their Dutch neighbours, who wished them to settle in one of their colonies.* They decided at length, however, on Virginia, where, while under British government, they hoped to be free to follow their own religious convictions.

In order to carry out their design, they sent two agents to England, to make arrangements with the Virginia Company, and with the privy council. The negociation proved fruitless. The company, indeed, cheerfully assented, and King James seemed to approve of their enterprize; but the bigotry of the ecclesiastical rulers prevailed against them. His majesty was willing to connive at their project, should they conduct themselves peaceably; but was either unwilling or afraid to grant them a religious toleration under his public seal. Archbishop Abbot, it is said, was

* Young's Chronicles, p. 42-note 2, p. 52.

obstinate in his refusal to sanction their object, and Laud, whose evil star was rising, was too consistent to lend his approval. After a year's negociation, therefore, the two agents returned to Leyden unsuccessful.

Notwithstanding this discouragement, they determined to persevere in their original design. In February, 1619, they sent over " two other agents," who, in the course of that year, were successful in procuring a patent under the Virginia Company's seal, in the name of a Mr. John Wincob, "a religious gentleman belonging to the Countess of Lincoln, who intended. to go with them." Although it so happened that Mr. Wincob did not go with them, and his patent was never used, yet the circumstance of the Virginia Company sending the patent over to the Leyden congregation, with certain "proposals for their transmigration," decided them to prepare at once for the voyage. The year 1620, however, had arrived before this decision. On receiving this intelligence, they devoted a day to prayer and fasting, when their pastor preached to them 66 a very suitable sermon," from 1 Sam. xxiii. 3, 4; "strengthening them against their fears, and encouraging them in their resolutions." After this, it was determined that all who could make ready should prepare at once, by converting their property into money; and that these should emigrate first, as an absolute church of themselves," under Mr. Brewster; while the remainder, under Mr. Robinson, should wait until a favourable opportunity offered for them to follow.

[ocr errors]

The necessary preparations were now entered upon. A small ship of sixty tons was purchased and fitted out in Holland, and another of about a hundred and eighty tons was hired in London. The former, which

was called the Speedwell, was intended for the future service of the colonists; the latter, called the Mayflower, was engaged for the emigration only. These and other preliminaries having occupied some months, they set apart another day, early in June, for purposes of devotion. Robinson, on this occasion, preached from Ezra viii. 21, "I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict our souls before God, to seek of him a right way for us and for our little ones, and for all our substance."* The discourse was not printed, but the following passages have been preserved from the notes of those who heard it :

“Brethren, we are now quickly to part from one another; and whether I may ever live to see your faces on earth any more, the God of heaven only knows. But whether the Lord hath appointed that or not, I charge you, before God and before his blessed angels, that you follow me no further than you have seen me follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

"If God reveal anything to you by any other instrument of his, be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth by my ministry; for I am verily persuaded, I am very confident, the Lord hath more truth yet to break forth out of his holy Word. For my part, I cannot sufficiently bewail the condition of the reformed churches, who are come to a period in

* The next verse has been referred to as appropriate to the occasion; but it does not appear that Robinson included it in his text. The verse is as follows:-" For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him : but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him."

« AnteriorContinuar »