Soon after the commencement of the reformation in England, which was not until the year 1534, the Proteftants were divided into two parties, one the followers of Luther, and the other of Calvin. The former had chofen gradually, and almost imperceptibly, to recede from the Church of Rome; while the latter, more zealous, and convinced of the importance of a thorough reformation, and at the fame time poffeffing much firmnefs and high notions of religious liberty, was for effecting a thorough change at once. Their confequent endeavours to expunge from the church all the inventions which had been brought into it fince the days of the Apoftles, and to introduce "Scripture purity," obtained for them the name of PURITANS.

A number of thefe people, upon the borders of Nottinghamfhire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire, having fuffered perfecution patiently for years, and fearched the Scriptures diligently, were at length fully of opinion, that the ceremonies of the English church were unlawful; that the lordly power of her prelates was contrary to the freedom of the gofpel; and that her offices, courts, and canons, had no warrant in the word of God. They determined, therefore, to shake off human impofitions, brought into the church against the fuperior law of Chrift, the genius of his plain religion and Chriftian liberty. They refolved, as the Lord's free people,

to join themfelves by covenant into a church ftate; and, agreeably "to prefent or future knowledge, to walk in all the ways of God, according to their beft abilities, whatever it coft them."+

The affembly, owing to the distance of habitations, was obliged to form itself into two distinct religious focieties; the one, with which is our concern, "foon had for its paftor the famous Mr. John Robinfon. The church kept together about a year; but being extremely haraffed by perfecution, concluded upon removing to Holland. The pious refugees repaired to and fettled at Amfterdam; but after a while removed to Leyden; where they were highly refpected, and would have been allowed fome public favour, had it not been for fear of offending England. By hard and continued labour they obtained a living. The Dutch employed them before others, for their honeft and exemplary behaviour, and readily trufted them when in want of money. Matters, however, were not altogether to their mind; and fome of the moft fenfible in 1617 began to think of another removal. It

Such was the rapid growth of the Proteftant intereft, that in 1563, only forty-fix years after the commencement of the reformation by Luther, there were in France alone two thoufand one huudred and fifty affemblies of Proteftants.

+ Prince's New-England Chronology, Part. I. p. 4.

was imagined, that if a better and eafier place of living could be had, numbers would join them. The morals of the Dutch were too diffolute, and they were afraid that their offspring would become irreligious. Befide, they had an ardent, noble, and godly defire, of laying a foundation for spreading the religion of Jefus over the remote regions of the earth, and of handing down to future ages, what they thought to be the pure and unadulterated worship of the great JEHOVAH. They therefore directed their views to America. To those who objected-the length and danger of the voyage, the difficulties and calamities to which they should be expofed, the barbarities and treacheries of the Indians, and their inability to fupport the expence-it was anfwered, “The difficulties are not invincible, and may be overcome by fortitude and patience; the ends propofed are good and honorable; the calling lawful and urgent; the bleffing of God may therefore be expected, We live but as exiles now, and are in a poor condition. The truce with the Spaniards is haftening to a clofe. Nothing but preparations for war are going forward. The Spaniards may be as cruel as the favages; and famine and peftilence may be as fore in Holland as in America."

After serious and folemn application to God for direction, they concluded on carrying the propofal of croffing the Atlantic into execution, intending to live in a diftinét body by themfelves, under the general government of the Virginia Company, and to fue to his majefty, King James, for full liberty and freedom of confcience.

The Virginia Company granted them a patent, with as ample privileges as they could; but, notwithstanding the great intereft made by gentlemen of the first character, and by the chief fecretary of ftate, the KING and BISHOPS refused to allow the refugees, though at the diftance of three thoufand miles, liberty of confcience under the royal feal, All they could obtain from his majeft, was a promife that he would connive at, and not moleft them, provided they carried themfelves peaceably; but he would not tolerate them by his public authority. Upon this occafion it was wifely obferved, "If his majefty's promife is no fecurity, a further confirmation will be of little value; though it has a feal as broad as the houfe-floor, it will not ferve the turn, for there will be means enough found, when wanted, to recall or reverse it; and we must reft herein on God's Providence." This reafoning, and the hope of being placed beyond the reach

of ecclefiaftical courts, prevailed. They refolved to venture; and, after long attendance, much coft and labour, obtained a patent.

They agreed, that the minor part of younger and stronger men, with Mr. Brewster, an elder of the church, fhould firft, and that their paftor, Mr. Robinfon, fhould remain behind with the majority, for a future favourable opportunity.

The colony destined for America failed from Delft-Haven for Southampton on the 22d of July, 1620, and there met a fhip, having fome English friends on board, who propofed removing with them. Both veffels proceeded to fea, but returned twice into port, on account of defects in the one from Delft, which was dismissed. Part of the company returned to London, the remainder betook themselves to the fhip, and failed from Plymouth the 6th of September. After many delays, difficulties, and dangers, they made Cape Cod at break of day on the 9th of November, and entered the harbour on the 10th.

It was their intention to have fettled at the mouth of Hudfon's river; but the Dutch, intending to plant a colony there of their own, privately hired the master of the fhip to contrive delays in England, and then to conduct them to thele northern coafts, and there, under pretence of fhoals and winter, to dif courage them from venturing to the place of deflination. This is confidently afferted by the hiftorians of that time. Although Cape Cod Harbour was good, the country around was fandy and barren. Thele were dilcouraging circumstances; but the fealon being far advanced, they prudently determined to make the best of their prefent fituation.

As they were not within the limits of their patent, and confequently not under the jurifdiction of the Virginia Company, they concluded it neceflary to cftablish a feparate government for themfelves. Accordingly, before they landed, having devoutly given thanks to God for their lafe anival, they formed themfelves into a body politic, by a folema contract, to which they all fubfcribed, thereby making it the bafis of their government. They chofe Mr. John Carver, a gentleman of piety and approved abilities, to be their governor for the first year. This was on the 11th of November, 1620.

Their next object was to fix on a convenient place for fettlement. In doing this they were obliged to encounter numerous difficulties, and to fuffer incredible hardships. Many of them were fick in confequence of the fatigues of a long voyage; their provifions were bad--the feafon was uncommonly cold-the In

dians, though afterwards, friendly, were now hostile-and they were unacquainted with the coaft. Thefe difficulties they furmounted, and on the 31st of December they were all fafely landed at a place, which, in grateful commemoration of Plymouth in England, the town which they laft left in their native land, they called Plymouth. This is the firft English town that was fettled in New-England.

In fome of their excurfions in search of a suitable place for fettlement, they found buried feveral bafkets of Indian corn, to the amount of ten bufhels, which fortunately served them for planting the next fpring, and perhaps was the means of preferving them from perifhing with hunger. They made diligent inquiry for the owners, whom they found, and afterwards paid the full value of the corn.

Before the end of November, Sufanna, the Wife of William White, was delivered of a fon, whom they called Peregrine; he is fuppofed to have been the first child of European extraction born in New-England.

The whole company that landed confifted of but one hun dred and one fouls; their fituation was diftreffing, and their profpect truly dismal and difcouraging. Their nearest neighbours, except the natives, were a French fettlement at Port Royal, and one of the English at Virginia. The nearest of these was five hundred miles from them, and utterly, incapable of affording them relief in a time of famine and danger. Wherever they turned their eyes, diftrefs was before them. Perfecuted for religion in their native land-grieved for the profanation of the Sabbath, and other licentioufnefs in Holland-fatigued by their long and boisterous voyage-difappointed through the treachery of their commander of their expected country-forced on a dangerous and unknown fhore, in the advance of a cold winter-lurrounded by hoftile barbarians, without any hope of human fuccour-denied the aid or favour of the court of England-without a public promife of a peaceable enjoyment of their religious liberties--worn out with toil and fufferings, and without convenient fhelter from the rigours of the weather. -Such were the profpects, and fuch the fituation of thele pious folitary Chriftians; and, to add to their diftielles, a general and very mortal ficknefs prevailed among them, which fwept of forty-fix of their number before the opening of the next Spring. To fupport them under thefe trials, they had need of all the aids and comforts which Chriftianity affords; and these were fufficient. The free and unmolefted enjoyment of their

religion reconciled them to their humble and lonely fituationthey bore their hardships with unexampled patience, and perfevered in their pilgrimage of almoft unparalleled trials, with fuch refignation and calmness, as gave proof of great piety and unconquerable virtue.

It would have been aftonishing, had not thefe planters carried with them opinions favourable to liberty. The arbitrary proceedings of Elizabeth and James produced a fpirit of inquiry, and induced the fufferers and others to canvas the equity of those powers which were fo improperly exercifed. When the film of prejudice was removed, it was ealy to defcern that tyranny, whether in Church or State, could not be vindicated by reafon or revelation; and that Heaven's permitting it, was no more a countenance to that than any other wickednefs. Befide, the Plymouthians had lived for years among a people, who had been engaged in a bloody war with a cruel unrelenting tyrant, whose fovereignty they had renounced. The frequent converfation that must have paffed between the Dutch and English refugees, must have improved the attachment of the laft to the cause of freedom. It might alfo have been hinted to them, that it began to be the fentiment of fome English nobles and principal commoners, that in cafe of a removal to America, perfons, without any charter from the crown, were at liberty to eftablifh what form of government they pleafed, and to fet up a new state, as fully, to all intents and purposes, as though they were making their firft entrance into civil fociety.

No wonder then, efpecially confidering the general equality prevailing among them, that the Plymouthians, by their contract before landing, formed themselves into a proper democracy; and that it was entered in the Plymouth records of 1636, “Finding, that as freeborn fubje&s of the ftite of England, we hither came with all and fingular the privileges belonging to fuch; in the first place we think good, that it be eftablished for an act, that, according to the rights fuppofed to be wanting, and due privileges of the subjects aforefaid, no impofition, law, or ordinance, be made or impofed upon us at prefent, or to come; but fuch as fhall be made and impofed by confent, according to the free liberties of free-born subjects of the ftate and kingdom of England, and no otherwife." They meant to continue their allegiance to the crown-to retain their conneftion with the mother country to adopt the general laws of England for the rule of government, wherein they fuited-and to be govern ed by their own particular acts in other inftances.