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_Courteous Reader, be entreated to make a favorable construction of my
forwardness in publishing these ensuing discourses. The desire of
carrying the Gospel of Christ into those foreign parts, amongst those
people that as yet have had no knowledge nor taste of God, as also to
procure unto themselves and others a quiet and comfortable habitation,
were, amongst other things, the inducements (unto these undertakings of
the then hopeful, and now experimentally known good enterprise for
plantation in New England) to set afoot and prosecute the same. And
though it fared with them, as it is common to the most actions of this
nature, that the first attempts prove difficult, as the sequel more at
large expresseth, yet it hath pleased God, even beyond our expectation
in so short a time, to give hope of letting some of them see (though
some he hath taken out of this vale of tears)[10] some grounds of hope
of the accomplishment of both those ends by them at first propounded._
_And as myself then much desired, and shortly hope to effect, if the
Lord will, the putting to of my shoulder in this hopeful business, and
in the meantime, these relations coming to my hand from my both known
and faithful friends, on whose writings I do much rely, I thought it not
amiss to make them more general, hoping of a cheerful proceeding, both
of adventurers and planters, entreating that the example of the
honorable Virginia and Bermudas Companies, encountering with so many
disasters, and that for divers years together, with an unwearied
resolution, the good effects whereof are now eminent, may prevail as a
spur of preparation also touching this no less hopeful country, though
yet an infant, the extent and commodities whereof are as yet not fully
known, after time will unfold more. Such as desire to take knowledge of
things, may inform themselves by this ensuing treatise, and, if they
please, also by such as have been there a first and second time.[11] My
hearty prayer to God is_ _that the event of this and all other honorable
and honest undertakings, may be for the furtherance of the kingdom of
Christ, the enlarging of the bounds of our sovereign lord King James,
and the good and profit of those who, either by purse or person or both,
are agents in the same, so I take leave, and rest_
_Thy friend_,
_G. Mourt_.[12]
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CERTAIN USEFUL
ADVERTISEMENTS SENT
in a Letter written by a discreet friend unto the Planters in New
England, at their first setting sail from Southampton, who earnestly
desireth the prosperity of that their new Plantation.
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Loving and Christian friends. I do heartily and in the Lord salute you
all, as being they with whom I am present in my best affection, and most
earnest longings after you, though I be constrained for a while to be
bodily absent from you; I say constrained, God knowing how willingly and
much rather than otherwise I would have borne my part with you in this
first brunt, were I not by strong necessity held back for the present.
Make account of me in the meanwhile, as of a man divided in myself with
great pain, and as (natural bonds set aside) having my better part with
you.
And though I doubt not but in your godly wisdoms you both foresee and
resolve upon that which concerneth your present state and condition,
both severally and jointly, yet have I thought but my duty to add some
further spur of provocation unto them who run already, if not because
you need it, yet because I owe it in love and duty.
And first, as we are daily to renew our repentance with our God, special
for our sins known, and general for our unknown trespasses, so doth the
Lord call us in a singular manner upon occasions of such difficulty and
danger as lieth upon you, to a both more narrow search and careful
reformation of our ways in his sight, lest he, calling to remembrance
our sins forgotten by us or unrepented of, take advantage against us,
and in judgment leave us for the same to be swallowed up in one danger
or other; whereas on the contrary, sin being taken away by earnest
repentance and pardon thereof from the Lord, sealed up unto a man’s
conscience by his Spirit, great shall be his security and peace in all
dangers, sweet his comforts in all distresses, with happy deliverance
from all evil, whether in life or in death.
Now next after this heavenly peace with God and our own consciences, we
are carefully to provide for peace with all men what in us lieth,
especially with our associates, and for that end watchfulness must be
had, that we neither at all in ourselves do give, no, nor easily take
offense being given by others. Woe be unto the world for offenses, for
though it be necessary (considering the malice of Satan and man’s
corruption) that offenses come, yet woe unto the man or woman either by
whom the offense cometh, saith Christ, Matt. 18:7. And if offenses in
the unseasonable use of things in themselves indifferent, be more to be
feared than death itself, as the Apostle teacheth, 1 Cor. 9:15, how much
more in things simply evil, in which neither honor of God, nor love of
man is thought worthy to be regarded.
Neither yet is it sufficient that we keep ourselves by the grace of God
from giving offense, except withal we be armed against the taking of
them when they are given by others. For how unperfect and lame is the
work of grace in that person, who wants charity to cover a multitude of
offenses, as the Scriptures speak. Neither are you to be exhorted to
this grace only upon the common grounds of Christianity, which are, that
persons ready to take offense, either want charity to cover offenses, or
wisdom duly to weigh human fraility; or lastly are gross, though close
hypocrites, as Christ our Lord teacheth, Matt. 7:1,2,3, as indeed in
mine own experience, few or none have been found which sooner give
offense, than such as easily take it; neither have they ever proved
sound and profitable members in societies, which have nourished in
themselves that touchy humor.
But besides these, there are divers special motives provoking you above
others to great care and conscience this way: as first, you are many of
you strangers, as to the persons, so to the infirmities one of another,
and so stand in need of more watchfulness this way, lest when such
things fall out in men and women as you suspected not, you be
inordinately affected with them, which doth require at your hands much
wisdom and charity for the covering and preventing of incident offenses
that way. And lastly your intended course of civil community will
minister continual occasion of offense, and will be as fuel for that
fire, except you diligently quench it with brotherly forbearance. And if
taking offense causelessly or easily at men’s doings be so carefully to
be avoided, how much more heed is to be taken that we take not offense
at God himself, which yet we certainly do so oft as we do murmur at his
providence in our crosses, or bear impatiently such afflictions as
wherewith he pleaseth to visit us. Store we up therefore patience
against the evil day, without which we take offense at the Lord himself
in his holy and just works.
A fourth thing there is carefully to be provided for, to wit, that with
your common employments you join common affections truly bent upon the
general good, avoiding as a deadly plague of your both common and
special comfort all retiredness of mind for proper advantage, and all
singularly affected any manner of way; let every man repress in himself
and the whole body in each person, as so many rebels against the common
good, all private respects of men’s selves, not sorting with the general
conveniency. And as men are careful not to have a new house shaken with
any violence before it be well settled and the parts firmly knit, so be
you, I beseech you brethren, much more careful, that the house of God
which you are and are to be, be not shaken with unnecessary novelties or
other oppositions at the first settling thereof.
Lastly, whereas you are to become a body politic, using amongst
yourselves civil government, and are not furnished with any persons of
special eminency above the rest, to be chosen by you into office of
government, let your wisdom and godliness appear not only in choosing
such persons as do entirely love, and will diligently promote the common
good, but also in yielding unto them all due honor and obedience in
their lawful administrations, not beholding in them the ordinariness of
their persons, but God’s ordinance for your good, nor being like unto
the foolish multitude, who more honor the gay coat than either the
virtuous mind of the man or glorious ordinance of the Lord. But you know
better things, and that the image of the Lord’s power and authority
which the Magistrate beareth is honorable, in how mean persons soever.
And this duty you both may the more willingly, and ought the more
conscionably to perform, because you are at least for the present to
have only them for your ordinary governors which yourselves shall make
choice of for that work.
Sundry other things of importance I could put you in mind of, and of
those before mentioned in more words, but I will not so far wrong your
godly minds as to think you heedless of these things, there being also
divers among you so well able to admonish both themselves and others of
what concerneth them.
These few things therefore, and the same in few words I do earnestly
commend unto your care and conscience, joining therewith my daily
incessant prayers unto the Lord, that he who hath made the heavens and
the earth, the sea and all rivers of waters, and whose providence is
over all his works, especially over all his dear children for good,
would so guide and guard you in your ways, as inwardly by his Spirit, so
outwardly by the hand of his power, as that both you and we also, for
and with you, may have after matter of praising his name all the days of
your and our lives. Fare you well in him in whom you trust, and in whom
I rest
An unfeigned well-willer
of your happy success
in this hopeful voyage,