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XVI.

REMOVALS TO AMERICA, AND FOUNDING OF
THE PURITAN CHURCHES.

Plymouth a few years after its settlement. Plantation at Cape Ann.
Naumkeag. Charlestown. Fleet and Colony of 1629. Tolerant spirit
of the Colonists. Salem Church. The Fleet and Colony of 1630
Rapid emigration. Planting of the New England Churches.

THE settlement at Plymouth affording a rendezvous and shelter to adventurers in the fisheries and the trade in furs, such adventurers began immediately to swarm all along the northern coasts of New England. In the year 1624 about fifty ships left England for such adventures upon these coasts. At this period there were at Plymouth about one hundred and eighty souls. The town was impaled about, half a mile in compass. On the hill they had a fort "well built with wood, lime, and stone,' Health had returned to the colony; not one of the first planters having died within the last three years. This year they had freighted with the products of their trade and industry, a ship of 180 tons.†

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The adventurers for trade and commerce had now turned their thoughts to the establishment of some settlements for the furtherance of their projects; when Mr. White, a Puritan minister of Dorchester in England, conceived the idea of making these settlements conducive to the great ends of planting religion in America. A plantation was commenced at Cape Ann; and, soon after, its management was committed to Mr. Roger Conant, a "pious, sober, prudent man," from among the colonists at Plymouth. In 1626 the adventurers threw up their business in discouragement. Mr. White, unwilling that so good a desigu should fail, writes to Mr. Conant, that if he and three others will remain, he will procure them a patent, send them men, provisions, and whatever they need to pursue the trade with the natives.

Mr. Conant had, before this, foreseen that the persecuted Puri† Ibid.

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tans in England must soon want a place of refuge. Before the settlement of Cape Ann was given up, he had fixed his eye upon Naumkeag, now Salem, as a convenient spot for such a settlement; and had communicated his views to his friends in England. Upon the reception of Mr. White's letters, he told his disheartened companions, that he "Did believe God would make this land a receptacle for his people; and if they should leave him, yet he would not stir, for he was confident he should not long want company."

Conant and his companions removed to "Naumkeag, a pleasant and fruitful neck of land, embraced on each side with an arm of the sea,"* and awaited the coming of those who, they foresaw, must soon flee from the storm of persecution in England. A year had nearly passed after their removal, when some friends in Lincolnshire, conversing together about their troubles, turned their thoughts to New England. Might there not be a refuge there? Might they not plant the Gospel there? Might they not enjoy there freedom of conscience, and leave the ordinances of religion pure, to their posterity? "We imparted our reasons," says Dudley, "by letters and messengers to some in London and the West country." A purchase was made from the Council for New England, for a patent for a belt of land from three miles south of the Charles River, to three miles north of the Merrimac, extending from Massachusetts bay to the Pacific Ocean. White sought out and secured such associates as could be relied upon for the great enterprise; men of religious fervor, of high character, of enterprise, courage, and unyielding perseverance. Their design was to found a religious settlement; and their determination was to colonize "the best."

On the 20th of June, 1628, Endicott set sail from Weymouth, in England, with a small company, to make way for the settlement of the new colonists. In September, they were welcomed by Conant and his companions to the new settlement amid the forests of Salem. Yet what will not the restless spirit of enterprise and adventure do? It was a curious prognostic of the future character of American pioneers, that of the little band which came over with Endicott, some seven, with leave of the governor, undertook a journey through the woods; and, after a ramble of twelve miles, lighted on the present site of Charlestown. Here they found a lonely English house, thatched and palisadoed; and here, with the consent of the Indian Sachem, they began a settlement. Another company was sent over to Salem, in the fall of the same year, to make further preparation for the expected colony. In February, 1628, Mr. Cradock, at London, wrote to Mr. Endicott, of the progress of things at home. "Our company,"

* Prince.

said he, "are much enlarged: there is one store ship bought, of 100 tons; two more hired of 200 tons; one of 19, the other of 20 ordnance; in which ships are likely to be embarked between two and three hundred persons, and about 100 head of cattle." "It is resolved to send two ministers, at least, with the ships now to be sent those we shall send shall be by approbation of Mr. White, of Dorchester, and Mr. Davenport. I account our ships will be ready to sail hence, by the 20th of next month."*

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One of the ministers to whom the company made application, was Mr. Higginson, of Leicester; a man eminent for his abilities, his piety, and for the great success which had attended his ministry. Says Cotton Mather, "Such was the divine presence with, and the blessing on the ministry of this good man" [in Leicester], "that the influence thereof on the whole town became a matter of observation; many were turned from darkness to light, and from Satan to God: and there was a notable revival of religion among them." The matter of Church order and discipline was then agitating the Church of England: and for some years, Higginson, while continuing a Conformist, had entertained scruples of conscience. Pursuing the study of the Scriptures, and of antiquity, he at length came out a conscientious Non-Conformist. He still retained his attachment to the Church of England, and refused to separate, though he could no longer conform to its rituals. Of course, he could no longer officiate in his parish church. By the favor of the good Bishop Williams and of the people of Leicester, he was still permitted to preach the Gospel, till both the people and the bishop fell under the vengeance of Laud. Even then the authorities of the town chose Mr. Higginson to be their town preacher, to which place there was annexed a large maintenance paid out of the town treasury. Mr. Higginson thanked them, but could not comply with the necessary conditions of conformity. "Offers were made him," says Mather, " of the greatest and richest livings of the country thereabouts." These he declined for conscience' sake. He still endeavored to do good in private. "Many resorted to him for his counsel and advice in regard to the state of their souls, and he did much for the education of scholars going to or coming from the University; some of whom were afterwards among the most eminent ministers of the Gospel in England. But the fury of Laud could not suffer him to rest. Complaints were laid against him, "so that he lived in continual expectation to be dragged away by the pursuivants to the High Commission Court; where," says Mather, "a sentence of perpetual imprisonment was the best thing that could be looked for."

With Higginson, was associated Mr. Samuel Skelton, another

* In Prince.

nonconformist clergyman of Lincolnshire. With these, came also Mr. Ralph Smith, who became the first pastor of the Church at Plymouth; that Church having lived in expectation of Mr. Robinson for some years, till with deep sorrow, they heard of

his death.

It was in the beginning of May, 1629, that these ships, the "George Bonaventure," the "Lion's whelp," and the "Talbot," sailed for Massachusetts. Three more, the "Mayflower," the "Four-Sisters," and the "Pilgrim," followed them in the beginning of June. When the first of these fleets came opposite to Land's-end, Mr. Higginson called up his children and the other passengers to take their last view of England. "We will not say," exclaimed Mr. Higginson, "as the Separatists are wont to say at their leaving England,-Farewell, Babylon,-Farewell, Rome; but we will say, Farewell, dear England: Farewell, the Church of God in England, and all the Christian friends there. We do not go to New England as Separatists from the Church of England, though we cannot but separate from corruptions in it; but we go to practise the positive part of Church Reformation, and to propagate the gospel in America." He concluded "with a fervent prayer for the King, the Church, and state in England, and for the blessing of God with themselves in their present undertaking for New England."

After a pleasant summer voyage, on the 24th of June, 1629, they entered the harbor of Salem, and descried the eight or ten hovels, that composed the town, surrounded by a few corn-fields, and the dense forest beyond. The whole body of planters was now three hundred; of whom one-third removed, and joined the infant settlement at Charlestown.

The Pilgrims at Plymouth came as an organized Church; having long enjoyed the ordinances, and exercised the discipline of a Church, separate from the Church of England. The colonists at Salem had continued with the English established Church-Puritans, and suffering for nonconformity; but never having established a separate Church organization. Bringing with them regularly ordained and acknowledged ministers of the Church of England, they had contemplated the enjoyment of Church organization and ordinances: nor did they design to set up again those things in their Church estate, which they deemed unscriptural, for which they had suffered persecution, and to avoid which they had fled from their native land. The principles of Church polity had been long and earnestly discussed in England. Mr. Higginson had devoted special attention to this subject for years. He had conferred with such men as Thomas Hooker and Davenport; and, with the great mass of the Puritans, he had come to the conclusion, that in several important

respects, the organization of the English Church corresponded neither with the scriptural platform, nor with the earliest antiquity of the Christian Church. The people who came with him, came with an understanding of each other's views; they expected to set up a Church polity differing materially from that of the English Church; yet, before their voyage, they had agreed only on this, that in their future organization, "The Reformation of the Church was to be endeavored according to the written Word of God."

Being now arrived at their destined haven, these general outlines of Church polity were to be filled up; their principles were to be reduced to practice; a Church was to be organized according to the pattern set forth in the Word of God.

Here might appear to be room for great discrepancies of opinion, and great difficulties might seem to lie in the way of their coming to an agreement, as to what are the principles of Church polity delineated in the Word of God. These discrepancies and difficulties were not found in practice. The Word of God was found so plain on this subject, that their views readily harmonized on every practical point, as soon as they were at liberty to throw everything else away, and to follow the Word of God as their only authority. They had been bitterly prejudiced against the settlers at Plymouth: yet it is remarkable how closely they agreed with the people of Plymouth in all the conclusions. which they drew concerning Church polity, as soon as they set themselves down to reduce to practice the scheme to be drawn solely from the Word of God. No less remarkable was the unanimous conclusion to which scores of the most learned ministers in England arrived-who had either independently, or with mutual consultation, set themselves to collect the scheme of Church order and organization recognized in the New Testament. Ten years brought over, as we have seen, no less than seventyseven ministers, who had all been clergymen of the Church of England, and who had all continued their connection with that Church; having never set up a separate Church organization;all of whom gave up every earthly emolument and comfort;left their country as well as their livings, and took up their abode in a wilderness for the sake of Gospel truth and order; and all of whom, as the result of their independent study of the Word of God, came out upon the platform of Church government which has characterized the New England Churches ever since that

time.

The prejudices of the Salem colonists against the Church of Plymouth, arose from the mistaken impression that the people of Plymouth were Separatists and Brownists; separating not merely from the world, but from all other Churches; and that they held

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