nation. Hither they brought their entire company, in the following December,* and in commemoration of the mother country, and the last English town of whose hospitality they had shared, they called the place New Plymouth. A large portion of the rock on which they landed is now deposited in the centre of the town, the foundations of which were then laid, and the names of the brave adventurers grace the iron enclosure in which the memorable relic is preserved. 66 It is beyond our design to trace the history of these pilgrims any further; neither could justice be done to the subject without devoting considerable space to it. Suffice it to say, that "the little one" soon became a thousand," and "the small one a strong nation." A mighty people dates its origin from these beginnings. In succeeding periods New England became an asylum for those who were oppressed and persecuted in Old England; and although some sad errors were committed in the early policy of the colonists, as a necessary consequence of defective views respecting the great principle of liberty of conscience, they had enough of truth and piety amongst them to extricate them out of their difficulties, and to lead them eventually into the right course. The Carvers and Bradfords, the Winslows and Standishes of New England's early history, transferred from Leyden the defective theory of John Robinson, respecting the power of the civil magistrate in matters of religion; but in connexion with what was defective, they derived from the * One of their number died during the voyage, and one was born. The list of names and numbers generally referred to, includes the name of the party who died-thus making 101. This is the common account. It is affirmed, however, that Capt. John Smith gave it this name in his map of 1616. same source so much that was calculated, in the progress of things, to rectify the defect, that their names are still honoured by a grateful posterity, and are ever likely to be so, as of the founders of a mighty republic, in which religion and liberty have grown up side by side. A few particulars will not be out of place here, respecting some of the more prominent individuals whose names have frequently occurred in the preceding pages, and who died in the period embraced by this chapter. Henry Jacob, after presiding over the church in London for about eight years, emigrated to New England in 1624, and shortly afterwards died.* Henry Ainsworth became sole pastor of the church at Amsterdam, on Johnson's retiring to Embden, and remained in that office until his death, in 1623. Although a great controversialist, he was a man of a meek and peaceful spirit; and his various works, more especially his Annotations on the Pentateuch, and other portions of the Old Testament, afford abundant evidence of the laboriousness of his life. Governor Bradford, who knew him well, has given the following sketch of his character. After calling him " a man of a thousand," he adds: "A very learned man he was, and a close student, which much impaired his health. We have heard some, eminent in the tongues, of the university of Leyden, say that they thought he had not his better for the Hebrew tongue in the university, nor scarce in Europe. He was a man very modest, amiable, and sociable, in his ordinary course and carriage, of an innocent and unblameable life and conversation, of a meek spirit, and a calm temper, *Neal, i. 447. void of passion, and not easily provoked. And yet he would be something smart in his style to his opposers in his public writings; at which we that have seen his constant carriage, both in public disputes and the managing of all church affairs, and such like occurrences, have sometimes marvelled. He had an excellent gift of teaching and opening the Scriptures; and things did flow from him with that facility, plainness, and sweetness, as did much affect the hearers. He was powerful and profound in doctrine, although his voice was not strong; and had this excellency above many, that he was most ready and pregnant in the Scriptures, as if the book of God had been written in his heart; being as ready in his quotations, without tossing and turning his book, as if they had lain open before his eyes, and seldom missing a word in the citing of any place, teaching not only the word and doctrine of God, but in the words of God; and, for the most part, in a continued phrase and words of Scripture. In a word, the times and place in which he lived were not worthy of such a man.”* It has been affirmed by some, that he died by poison; and various stories have been published respecting the cause of this violence. Happily, however, an eyewitness of his death has afforded explicit testinony to the contrary; testimony prefixed to Ainsworth's Annotations upon the Song of Solomon, and published in the same year in which that death occurred. The words of this witness are to the effect that he was 66 comfortable in his death to all the beholders, of which there were many, myself being one."+ * Young's Chronicles, pp. 448, 449. Richard Clyfton died at Amsterdam, soon after the embarkation of the pilgrims, and at an advanced age. When he first went to Holland he is said to have been "a grave and fatherly old man, having a great white beard." According to the same testimony, he was "sound and orthodox, and so continued to his end."* cumstances. John Robinson intended and earnestly desired to have gone over with the remainder of his flock to New Plymouth; but was prevented by various cirHe died at Leyden on the first of March, 1625, the same year in which James the First died, and in the fiftieth year of his age. A letter from Leyden conveyed the tidings of his decease to the settlers in New Plymouth in the following terms:- -"It has pleased the Lord to take out of this vale of tears your and our loving and faithful pastor, Mr. Robinson. He fell sick on Saturday morning, Feb. 22nd. Next day, taught us twice. On the week, grew weaker every day, feeling little or no pain. Sensible to the last. Departed this life the first of March, 1624-5. Had a continual inward ague. All his friends came freely to him: and if prayers, tears, or means would have saved his life, he had not gone hence." His death was (6 mourned as a public loss;" and "the magistrates, ministers, scholars, and most of the gentry of Leyden followed him to the grave."‡ Besides the works already mentioned, Robinson published some others which deserve to be recorded. In 1618, he expressed his views in favour of what would now be termed lay-preaching, in a work entitled * Governor Bradford's Dialogue, in Young's Chronicles, p. 453. + New England Chronology, Hanbury, i. 463. Prince, p. 238. "The People's Plea for the Exercise of Prophecy." In this treatise he contends for the practice of other parties, besides the pastor or teacher, being permitted to address the church in its religious assemblies, as a lawful practice "from the beginning;" and adds with great earnestness, "The Lord give unto his people courage to stand for this liberty amongst the rest, wherewith Christ hath made them free; and unto us who enjoy it, grace to use the same unto his glory, in our mutual edification."* It is worthy of consideration how far the neglect of this practice has impaired the efficacy of the churches' ministrations in later times. In the following year he published his " Apology," already adverted to. The synod of Dort was holding its sessions at the time; and Robinson seized the opportunity of presenting to the representatives of the several churches of Europe, a faithful statement respecting the faith and polity of the despised separatists. On this account the work was written in Latin, with the following title," Apologia justa, et necessaria quorundam Christianorum, æque contumeliose ac communiter dictorum Brownistarum sive Barrowistarum; per Johannem Robinsonum, Anglo-Leidensem, suo et ecclesiæ nomine, cui præficitur." The work is divided into twelve chapters, each chapter comprising a distinct subject. It is to the use of the word " independently" * Page 77. Hanbury, i. 356. "A Just and Necessary Apology of Certain Christians, no less contumeliously than commonly called Brownists or Barrowists; by John Robinson, an Anglo-Leydener, in his name and that of the church over whom he is placed." Hanbury has " Brownistarum ac Barrowistarum," instead of "sive." The copy we quote from is in Coward College Library, and bears the date of 1619. |