Holland: An Alien Peace
They remained in Amsterdam about a year when for both material and
spiritual reasons they decided to move to Leyden 22 miles distant. They
had come into some contention with the church that had established
itself before them which seemed difficult to settle to their
satisfaction and their means of livelihood had become so restricted that
they were threatened with poverty. “For these and some other reasons
they removed to Leyden, a fair and beautiful city. But being now here
pinched, they fell to such trades and employments as they best could,
valuing peace and their spiritual comfort above any other riches
whatsoever; and at length they came to raise a competent and comfortable
living, but with hard and continual labor.”
The Final and Historic Decision
Some eleven or twelve years were spent in Leyden where they enjoyed
“much sweet and delightful society and spiritual comfort together, in
the ways of God, under the able ministry and prudent government of Mr.
John Robinson and Mr. William Brewster, who was an assistant unto him in
the place of an Elder, unto which he was now called and chosen by the
church; so as they grew in knowledge and other gifts and graces of the
spirit of God; and lived together in peace, and love, and holiness.”
Yet while they seemed to have more spiritual freedom and to have enjoyed
the society of their Dutch neighbors and had established a good credit
among them, they were confronted with the fear of final absorption in an
alien country. They preferred to maintain their language and traditions
as English men and women. Moreover, King James was beginning to exercise
an unwarrantable influence in the Low Countries. This went to the
extreme of confiscating their types[3] and presses and the suppression
of the religious matter printed and issued by William Brewster, the
Elder of the Leyden congregation. A compelling force seemed to drive
them on to seek some place of permanent settlement. And to quote from
Bradford:
“Although the people generally bore all their difficulties very
cheerfully and with a resolute courage, being in the best of their
strength, yet old age began to come on some of them; and their great and
continual labors, with other crosses and sorrows, hastened it before the
time; so as it was not only probably thought, but apparently seen, that
within a few years more they were in danger to scatter by necessity
pressing them, or sink under their burdens, or both; and therefore,
according to the divine proverb, that ‘a wise man seeth the plague when
it cometh, and hideth himself,’ so they, like skilful and beaten
soldiers, were fearful either to be entrapped or surrounded by their
enemies, so as they should neither be able to fight nor fly; and
therefore thought it better to dislodge betimes to some place of better
advantage and less danger, if any could be found.”
“Lastly (and which was not the least,) a great hope and inward zeal they
had of laying some good foundation, or at least to make way thereunto,
for the propagating and advancing the Gospel of the kingdom of Christ in
these remote parts of the world; yea, though they should be but as
stepping-stones unto others for performing of so great a work.”
“The place they had thoughts on were some of those unpeopled countries
of America, which are fruitful and fit for habitation, being devoid of
all civil inhabitants, where there are only savage and bruitish people,
which range up and down little otherwise than the wild beasts. This
proposition being made public, and coming to the scanning of all, it
raised many variable opinions amongst men, and caused many fears and
doubts amongst themselves. Some from their reasons and hopes conceived,
labored to stir up and encourage the rest to undertake and prosecute the
same; others again, out of their fears, objected against it, and sought
to divert from it, alleging many things, and those neither unreasonable
nor unprobable: as that it was a great design, and subject to many
inconceivable perils and dangers; as, besides the casualties of the
seas, (which none can be freed from,) the length of the voyage was such
as the weak bodies of women and other persons worn out with age and
travail, (as many of them were,) could never be able to endure; and yet
if they should, the miseries of the land which they should be exposed
unto would be too hard to be borne, and likely, some or all of them, to
consume and utterly to ruinate them. For there they should be liable to
famine, and nakedness, and the want, in the manner, of all things.”
[Illustration: Destruction of Brewster’s printing shop]
“It was answered, that all great and honorable actions were accomplished
with great difficulties, and must be both enterprised and overcome with
answerable courages. It was granted the dangers were great, but not
desperate, and the difficulties were many, but not invincible; for
although there were many of them likely, yet they were not certain. It
might be that some of the things feared might never befall them; others,
by providence, care and use good of means, might in a great measure be
prevented; and all of them through the help of God, by fortitude and
patience, might either be borne or overcome. True it was that such
attempts were not to be made and undertaken but upon good ground and
reason, not rashly or lightly, as many have done for curiosity or hope
of gain, etc. But their condition was not ordinary. Their ends were good
and honorable, their calling lawful and urgent, and therefore they might
expect a blessing of God in their proceeding; yea, although they should
lose their lives in this action, yet they might have comfort in the
same; and their endeavours would be honorable.”[4]
“They lived here but as men in exile and in a poor condition; and as
great miseries might possibly befall them in this place; for the twelve
years of truce were now out,[5] and there was nothing but beating of
drums and preparing for war, the events whereof are always uncertain.
The Spaniard might prove as cruel as the savages of America, and the
famine and pestilence are sore here and there, and their liberty less to
look out for remedy.”
“After many other particular things answered and alleged on both sides,
it was fully concluded by the major part to put this design in
execution, and to prosecute it by the best means they could.”
[Illustration: Cushman before the Merchant Adventurers]