It is well knowne unto y^e godly and judicious, how ever since y^e first
breaking out of y^e lighte of y^e gospell in our Honourable Nation of
England, (which was y^e first of nations whom y^e Lord adorned ther
with, affter y^t grosse darknes of popery which had covered & overspred
y^e Christian worled,) what warrs & opposissions ever since, Satan hath
raised, maintained, and continued against the Saincts, from time to
time, in one sorte or other. Some times by bloody death and cruell
torments; other whiles imprisonments, banishments, & other hard usages;
as being loath his kingdom should goe downe, the trueth prevaile, and
y^e churches of God reverte to their anciente puritie, and recover their
primative order, libertie, & bewtie. But when he could not prevaile by
these means, against the maine trueths of y^e gospell, but that they
began to take rootting in many places, being watered with y^e blooud of
y^e martires, and blessed from heaven with a gracious encrease; He then
begane to take him to his anciente strategemes, used of old against the
first Christians. That when by y^e bloody & barbarous persecutions of
y^e Heathen Emperours, he could not stoppe & subuerte the course of y^e
gospell, but that it speedily overspred with a wounderfull celeritie the
then best known parts of y^e world, He then begane to sow errours,
heresies, and wounderfull dissentions amongst y^e professours them
selves, (working upon their pride & ambition, with other corrupte
passions incidente to all mortall men, yea to y^e saints them selves in
some measure,) by which wofull effects followed; as not only bitter
contentions, & hartburnings, schismes, with other horrible confusions,
but Satan tooke occasion & advantage therby to foyst in a number of vile
ceremoneys, with many unproffitable cannons & decrees, which have since
been as snares to many poore & peaceable souls even to this day. So as
in y^e anciente times, the persecutions[2] by y^e heathen & their
Emperours, was not greater then of the Christians one against other; the
Arians & other their complices against y^e orthodoxe & true Christians.
As witneseth Socrates in his 2. booke. His words are these;[B] _The
violence truly_ (saith he) _was no less than that of ould practised
towards y^e Christians when they were compelled & drawne to sacrifice to
idoles; for many indured sundrie kinds of tormente, often rackings, &
dismembering of their joynts; confiscating of ther goods; some bereaved
of their native soyle; others departed this life under y^e hands of y^e
tormentor; and some died in banishm[=e]te, & never saw ther cuntrie
againe, &c._
The like methode Satan hath seemed to hold in these later times, since
y^e trueth begane to springe & spread after y^e great defection made by
Antichrist, y^t man of si[=n]e.
For to let pass y^e infinite examples in sundrie nations and severall
places of y^e world, and instance in our owne, when as y^t old serpente
could not prevaile by those firie flames & other his cruell tragedies,
which he[C] by his instruments put in ure every wher in y^e days of
queene Mary & before, he then begane an other kind of warre, & went more
closly to worke; not only to oppuggen, but even to ruinate & destroy y^e
kingdom of Christ, by more secrete & subtile means, by kindling y^e
flames of contention and sowing y^e seeds of discorde & bitter enmitie
amongst y^e proffessors & seeming reformed them selves. For when he
could not prevaile by y^e former means against the principall doctrins
of faith, he bente his force against the holy discipline & outward
regimente of the kingdom of Christ, by which those holy doctrines
should be conserved, & true pietie maintained amongest the saints &
people of God.
Mr. Foxe recordeth how y^t besids those worthy martires & confessors
which were burned in queene Marys days & otherwise tormented,[D] _many
(both studients & others) fled out of y^e land, to y^e number of 800.
And became severall congregations. At Wesell, Frankford, Bassill, Emden,
Markpurge, Strausborugh, & Geneva, &c._ Amongst whom (but especialy
those at Frankford) begane y^t bitter warr of contention & persecuti[=o]
aboute y^e ceremonies, & servise-booke, and other popish and
antichristian stuffe, the plague of England to this day, which are like
y^e highplases in Israell, w^ch the prophets cried out against, & were
their ruine; [3] which y^e better parte sought, according to y^e puritie
of y^e gospell, to roote out and utterly to abandon. And the other parte
(under veiled pretences) for their ouwn ends & advancments, sought as
stifly to continue, maintaine, & defend. As appeareth by y^e discourse
therof published in printe, An^o: 1575; a booke y^t deserves better to
be knowne and considred.
The one side laboured to have y^e right worship of God & discipline of
Christ established in y^e church, according to y^e simplicitie of y^e
gospell, without the mixture of mens inventions, and to have & to be
ruled by y^e laws of Gods word, dispensed in those offices, & by those
officers of Pastors, Teachers, & Elders, &c. according to y^e Scripturs.
The other partie, though under many colours & pretences, endevored to
have y^e episcopall dignitie (affter y^e popish ma[=n]er) with their
large power & jurisdiction still retained; with all those courts,
cannons, & ceremonies, togeather with all such livings, revenues, &
subordinate officers, with other such means as formerly upheld their
antichristian greatnes, and enabled them with lordly & tyranous power to
persecute y^e poore servants of God. This contention was so great, as
neither y^e honour of God, the commone persecution, nor y^e mediation of
Mr. Calvin & other worthies of y^e Lord in those places, could prevaile
with those thus episcopally minded, but they proceeded by all means to
disturbe y^e peace of this poor persecuted church, even so farr as to
charge (very unjustly, & ungodlily, yet prelatelike) some of their
cheefe opposers, with rebellion & hightreason against y^e Emperour, &
other such crimes.
And this cont[=e]tion dyed not with queene Mary, nor was left beyonde
y^e seas, but at her death these people returning into England under
gracious queene Elizabeth, many of them being preferred to bishopricks &
other promotions, according to their aimes and desires, that inveterate
hatered against y^e holy discipline of Christ in his church hath
continued to this day. In somuch that for fear [4] it should preveile,
all plotts & devices have been used to keepe it out, incensing y^e
queene & state against it as dangerous for y^e co[=m]on wealth; and that
it was most needfull y^t y^e fundamentall poynts of Religion should be
preached in those ignorante & superstitious times; and to wi[=n]e y^e
weake & ignorante, they might retaine diverse harmles ceremoneis; and
though it were to be wished y^t diverse things were reformed, yet this
was not a season for it. And many the like, to stop y^e mouthes of y^e
more godly, to bring them over to yeeld to one ceremoney after another,
and one corruption after another; by these wyles begyleing some &
corrupting others till at length they begane to persecute all y^e
zealous professors in y^e land (though they knew little what this
discipline mente) both by word & deed, if they would not submitte to
their ceremonies, & become slaves to them & their popish trash, which
have no ground in y^e word of God, but are relikes of y^t man of sine.
And the more y^e light of y^e gospell grew, y^e more y^ey urged their
subscriptions to these corruptions. So as (notwithstanding all their
former pretences & fair colures) they whose eyes God had not justly
blinded might easily see wherto these things tended. And to cast
contempte the more upon y^e sincere servants of God, they opprobriously
& most injuriously gave unto, & imposed upon them, that name of
Puritans, which [it] is said the Novatians out of prid did assume &
take unto themselves.[E] And lamentable it is to see y^e effects which
have followed. Religion hath been disgraced, the godly greeved,
afflicted, persecuted, and many exiled, sundrie have lost their lives in
prisones & otherways. On the other hand, sin hath been countenanced,
ignorance, profannes, & atheisme increased, & the papists encouraged to
hope againe for a day.
This made that holy man Mr. Perkins[F] crie out in his exhortation to
repentance, upon Zeph. 2. _Religion_ (saith he) _hath been amongst us
this 35. years; but the more it is published, the more it is contemned &
reproached of many, &c. Thus not prophanes nor wickednes, but Religion
it selfe is a byword, a moking-stock, & a matter of reproach; so that in
England at this day the man or woman y^t begines to profes Religion, &
to serve God, must resolve with him selfe to sustaine_ [5] _mocks &
injueries even as though he lived amongst y^e enimies of Religion._ And
this co[=m]one experience hath confirmed & made too apparente.
_A late observation, as it were by the way, worthy to be Noted._[G]
Full litle did I thinke, y^t the downfall of y^e Bishops, with their
courts, cannons, & ceremonies, &c. had been so neare, when I first
begane these scribled writings (which was aboute y^e year 1630, and so
peeced up at times of leasure afterward), or that I should have lived
to have seene or heard of y^e same; but it is y^e Lords doing, and
ought to be marvelous in our eyes! Every plante which mine heavenly
father hath not planted (saith our Saviour) shall be rooted up. Mat:
15. 13.[H] I have snared the, and thou art taken, O Babell (Bishops),
and thou wast not aware; thou art found, and also caught, because thou
hast striven against the Lord. Jer. 50. 24. But will they needs strive
against y^e truth, against y^e servants of God; what, & against the
Lord him selfe? Doe they provoke the Lord to anger? Are they stronger
than he? 1. Cor: 10. 22. No, no, they have mete with their match.
Behold, I come unto y^e, O proud man, saith the Lord God of hosts; for
thy day is come, even the time that I will visite the. Jer: 50. 31.
May not the people of God now say (and these pore people among y^e
rest), The Lord hath brought forth our righteousnes; come, let us
declare in Sion the work of the Lord our God. Jer: 51. 10. Let all
flesh be still before the Lord; for he is raised up out of his holy
place. Zach: 2. 13.
In this case, these poore people may say (among y^e thousands of
Israll), _When the Lord brougt againe the captivite of Zion, we were
like them that dreame. Psa: 126. 1. The Lord hath done greate things
for us, wherof we rejoyce. v. 3. They that sow in teares, shall reap
in joye. They wente weeping, and carried precious seede, but they
shall returne with joye, and bring their sheaves, v. 5, 6._
Doe you not now see y^e fruits of your labours, O all yee servants of
y^e Lord that have suffered for his truth, and have been faithfull
witneses of y^e same, and yee litle handfull amongst y^e rest, y^e
least amongest y^e thousands of Israll? You have not only had a seede
time, but many of you have seene y^e joyefull harvest; should you not
then rejoyse, yea, and againe rejoyce, and say Hallelu-iah,
salvation, and glorie, and honour, and power, be to y^e Lord our God;
for true and righteous are his judgments. Rev. 19. 1, 2.
But thou wilte aske what is y^e mater? What is done? Why, art thou a
stranger in Israll, that thou shouldest not know what is done? Are not
those Jebusites overcome that have vexed the people of Israll so long,
even holding Jerusalem till Davids days, and been as thorns in their
sids, so many ages; and now begane to scorne that any David should
meadle with them; they begane to fortifie their tower, as that of the
old Babelonians; but those proud Anakimes are throwne downe, and their
glory laid in y^e dust. The tiranous bishops are ejected, their courts
dissolved, their cannons forceless, their servise casheired, their
ceremonies uselese and despised; their plots for popery prevented, and
all their superstitions discarded & returned to Roome from whence they
came, and y^e monuments of idolatrie rooted out of y^e land. And the
proud and profane suporters, and cruell defenders of these (as bloody
papists & wicked athists, and their malignante consorts) marvelously
over throwne. And are not these greate things? Who can deney it?
But who hath done it? Who, even he that siteth on y^e white horse, who
is caled faithfull, & true, and judgeth and fighteth righteously, Rev:
19. 11. whose garments are dipte in blood, and his name was caled the
word of God, v. 13. for he shall rule them with a rode of iron; for it
is he that treadeth the winepress of the feircenes and wrath of God
almighty. And he hath upon his garmente, and upon his thigh, a name
writen, The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, v. 15, 16.
Hallelu-iah.
Anno Dom: 1646.
But that I may come more near my intendmente; when as by the travell &
diligence of some godly & zealous preachers, & Gods blessing on their
labours, as in other places of y^e land, so in y^e North parts, many
became inlightened by the word of God, and had their ignorance & sins
discovered unto them, and begane by his grace to reforme their lives,
and make conscience of their wayes, the worke of God was no sooner
manifest in them, but presently they were both scoffed and scorned by
y^e prophane multitude, and y^e ministers urged with y^e yoak of
subscription, or els must be silenced; and y^e poore people were so
vexed with apparators, & pursuants, & y^e comissarie courts, as truly
their affliction was not smale; which, notwithstanding, they bore
sundrie years with much patience, till they were occasioned (by y^e
continuance & encrease of these troubls, and other means which the Lord
raised up in those days) to see further into things by the light of y^e
word of God. How not only these base and beggerly ceremonies were
unlawfull, but also that y^e lordly & tiranous power of y^e prelats
ought not to be submitted unto; which thus, contrary to the freedome of
the gospell, would load & burden mens consciences, and by their
compulsive power make a prophane mixture of persons & things in the
worship of God. And that their offices & calings, courts & cannons, &c.
were unlawfull and antichristian; being such as have no warrante in y^e
word of God; but the same y^t were used in poperie, & still retained. Of
which a famous author thus writeth in his Dutch co[=m]taries.[I] At the
coming of king James into England; _The new king_ (saith he) _found
their established y^e reformed religion, according to y^e reformed
religion of king Edward y^e 6. Retaining, or keeping still y^e
spirituall state of y^e Bishops, &c. after y^e ould maner, much varying
& differing from y^e reformed churches in Scotland, France, & y^e
Neatherlands, Embden, Geneva, &c. whose reformation is cut, or shapen
much nerer y^e first Christian churches, as it was used in y^e Apostles
times._[J]
[6] So many therfore of these proffessors as saw y^e evill of these
things, in thes parts, and whose harts y^e Lord had touched w^th
heavenly zeale for his trueth, they shooke of this yoake of
antichristian bondage, and as y^e Lords free people, joyned them selves
(by a covenant of the Lord) into a church estate, in y^e felowship of
y^e gospell, to walke in all his wayes, made known, or to be made known
unto them, according to their best endeavours, whatsoever it should cost
them, the Lord assisting them. And that it cost them something this
ensewing historie will declare.
These people became 2. distincte bodys or churches, & in regarde of
distance of place did congregate severally; for they were of sundrie
townes & vilages, some in Notingamshire, some of Lincollinshire, and
some of Yorkshire, wher they border nearest togeather. In one of these
churches (besids others of note) was Mr. John Smith, a man of able
gifts, & a good preacher, who afterwards was chosen their pastor. But
these afterwards falling into some errours in y^e Low Countries, ther
(for y^e most part) buried them selves, & their names.
But in this other church (w^ch must be y^e subjecte of our discourse)
besids other worthy men, was M^r. Richard Clifton, a grave and
rever[=e]d preacher, who by his paines and dilligens had done much good,
and under God had ben a means of y^e conversion of many. And also that
famous and worthy man M^r. John Robinson, who afterwards was their
pastor for many years, till y^e Lord tooke him away by death. Also M^r.
William Brewster a reverent man, who afterwards was chosen an elder of
y^e church and lived with them till old age.
But after these things they could not long continue in any peaceable
condition, but were hunted & persecuted on every side, so as their
former afflictions were but as flea-bitings in comparison of these which
now came upon them. For some were taken & clapt up in prison, others had
their houses besett & watcht night and day, & hardly escaped their
hands; and y^e most were faine to flie & leave their howses &
habitations, and the means of their livelehood. Yet these & many other
sharper things which affterward befell them, were no other then they
looked for, and therfore were y^e better prepared to bear them by y^e
assistance of Gods grace & spirite. Yet seeing them selves thus
molested, [7] and that ther was no hope of their continuance ther, by a
joynte consente they resolved to goe into y^e Low-Countries, wher they
heard was freedome of Religion for all men; as also how sundrie from
London, & other parts of y^e land, had been exiled and persecuted for
y^e same cause, & were gone thither, and lived at Amsterdam, & in other
places of y^e land. So affter they had continued togeither aboute a
year, and kept their meetings every Saboth in one place or other,
exercising the worship of God amongst them selves, notwithstanding all
y^e dilligence & malice of their adverssaries, they seeing they could no
longer continue in y^t condition, they resolved to get over into
Holl[=a]d as they could; which was in y^e year 1607. & 1608.; of which
more at large in y^e next chap.