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opinions to larger liberty, and more extended toleration, than the age was prepared for; and as time passed on and the way was gradually opened, they developped their views more and more, particularly as the government endeavored, both unwisely and unfairly, to force conformity by stringent and oppressive legislation.*

Notwithstanding the hardships of their position, antagonistic to the government and the Established Church, the Puritans were divided among themselves. Some desired to remain in the Church of England, and endeavor to effect more complete reformation. But there were many who, repudiating alike Episcopal and Presbyterian government, contended for the absolute independence of every separate congregation of believers, and their right to frame for themselves, unrestricted by human authority, such a form of church government and discipline as they could derive from the study of Scripture. This section of the Puritan party who called themselves Independ

ents, but had obtained the appellation, at once distinctive and contemptuous, of Brownists, from the name of one of their leaders, a man whose intemperate zeal was speedily succeeded by his ignominious recantation, still continued to exist, in the north of England, and was subjected to the severest measures on the part of the government. Many of them had fled for refuge to the States of Holland, and established a Congregational church in the city of Amsterdam.

Of those who remained in England a church was gradually formed through the influence of "Elder Brewster," the occupant of a large mansion-house at Scrooby, in Yorkshire, belonging to the bishop of York. Bradford, afterwards governor of New Plymouth, was one of this congregation; and Robinson was invited to be their pastor. This latter was a man of high character, and universally respected and beloved by his congregation, whose interests, both temporal and spiritual, were ever near his heart.

Greatly distressed at the discomforts

* To use the language of one of the New Eng- of their position, the congregation over

land Society orators :-"There was gradually developped among the Puritans a sect or division which

which Robinson presided, earnestly

boldly pushed the questions at issue to their ultimate meditated upon following the

and legitimate solutions; which threw off all connection with the Established Church, rejected alike the surplice and the bishops, the Prayer-Book and the ceremonies, and, resting upon the Bible, sought no less than to restore the constitution of the Christian Church to the primitive simplicity in which it was first instituted. These Separatists, as they were called, put in practice their theoretical opinions by

the formation of churches in which the members

were the source of all power, and controlled its administration, and, in a word, applied to ecclesiastical organizations principles, which, if introduced into civil governments, would produce a pure democracy.”—Mr. W. M. Evart's "Heritage of the Pilgrims," p. 16; the Oration for 1854.

1607.

example of the other refugees
of their persuasion, who had emigrated
to Holland. It was in the autumn or
early winter of 1607, that the church
at Scrooby began to put into execution
the intention, which must have been
forming months before, of leaving their
native country, and settling in a land
of which they knew little more than
that there they should find the tolera-
tion denied them at home. Bradford

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CHVI]

THE PURITANS IN HOLLAND.

says much in his general way of writing, of the oppression to which they were subjected, both ministers and people; and there cannot be a doubt that attempts would be made to put down the church, and those attempts, whatever they were, would be construed into acts of ecclesiastical oppression by those who deemed the maintenance of such a church an act of religious duty. And controversy, as it was in those days conducted, was likely to set neighbor against neighbor, and to roughen the whole surface of society. Much that Bradford speaks of, was probably this kind of collision, or at most acts of the neighboring justices of the peace in enforcing what was then the law. Bradford speaks of the excitement of the neighborhood when they saw so many persons of all ranks and conditions parting with their possessions, and going simultaneously to another country, of whose very language they were ignorant. Some carried with them portions of their household goods; and it is mentioned that some of them carried with them looms which they had used at home. They were not, however, allowed to go without some opposition. The principal party of them, in which were Brewster and Bradford, intended to embark at Boston, and they made a secret bargain with a Dutch captain of a vessel, to receive them on board in that port as privately as might be. The captain acted perfidiously. He gave secret information to the magistrates of Boston, and when they were embarked, and, as they thought, just upon the point of sailing, they were surprised by finding officers of the port

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come on board, who removed them from the vessel and carried them to prison in the town, not without circumstances of contumely. Some were sent back to their homes; others, among whom appears to have been Brewster, were kept for many months in confinement at Boston. Some were disheartened and remained in England; but the greater part persevered and met together in Amsterdam. During the twelve years of their stay in Holland, a constant stream of disaffected persons from England set towards that country where all were permitted to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. Winslow and Captain Miles Standish were among those who joined the church of Robinson after it had left England.

1609.

It was not long before disputes and controversies arose among the non-conformists in Amsterdam. This induced Robinson, a lover of peace, to remove his congregation to Leyden, where they lived in amity and concord for a number of years. Still they were not at ease. Exiles for conscience' sake, they still felt that they were Englishmen, and they had a natural aversion to losing their birthright, and allowing their children to become absorbed among the friendly Dutch. With an eye, too, to the temporal advantages that might accrue, they turned their thoughts towards the New World, and its promise of success to enterprising and hardy emigrants. "Well weaned from the delicate milk of our mother country, and inured to the difficulties of a strange land," as they express themselves in a letter to

Sir Edwin Sandys, it did not require long to bring them to the fixed determination to embark for America.

Having failed in an application to the Dutch government to allow them to emigrate to New Netherland,* the Puritans debated for some time between Guiana, famed for its wealth, and Virginia; at length they decided on the latter colony. As it had, however, been settled by Episcopalians, and the public profession of adherence to the Church of England was required and enforced by penalties, they sent over agents to England, to endeavor to make terms with the Virginia Company, and to insure for themselves liberty of conscience in case of their removal to their colony. The Company, desirous of attaching to the soil so valuable a body of emigrants, whose steadiness and character they appreciated, endeavored to obtain, through their influence with the heads of Church and State, an assurance of toleration; but without success. Brewster soon after proceeded to England to obtain as favorable a patent as possible. This was readily granted by the Virginia Company, although the patent taken out was never of any practical use. The next difficulty was to procure means, which could only be done by entering into an arrangement with some London merchants, whose terms were not very favorable to the emigrants. The whole property acquired in the colony was to belong to a jointstock for seven years; and the services

1619.

of each emigrant were only to be held equivalent to every ten pounds furnished by the capitalists. Upon these rather hard terms they now prepared to set out for the New World.

It was thought best that Robinson should remain with such of the congregation as were deemed unfit for pioneers, or were unable to find room in the vessels. A small ship, the Speedwell, had been purchased in Holland, and was now ready to convey the emigrants to Southampton. Those appointed to go accordingly left Leyden, accompanied by their brethren to Delft Haven, where they were joined by members of the church at Amsterdam. The night was spent in mutual encouragement and Christian converse; and next day, July 22d, the wind being fair, they got ready to go on board. The parting with Robinson and their brethren was very affecting. A fair breeze soon carried them to Southampton, where they remained a few days, and were joined by the larger vessel, the Mayflower. They here received a touching letter from Robinson, which was read to the assembled company.

The passengers were distributed be. tween the two vessels, which soon got under way; but the Speedwell, proving to be unseaworthy in every respect, they were obliged to put into Dartmouth, and then into Plymouth. Leaving there a portion of their company, and crowding as many into the Mayflower as could be accommodated, they again, early in September, launched forth upon the trackless ocean. The

* See Brodhead's "History of the State of New Voyage was tedious and full of danger,

York," First Period, pp. 124, 5.

owing to the equinoctial gales, whose

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