Gospel, with the history of the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, may with the greater facility be communicated unto them; so as, in a sense, that of the Prophet Isaiah' may be said to be fulfilled as to the Indians of America; "the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." For before the breaking out of the late troubles amongst them, in sundry places there were schools, in which some were employed to teach the Indian children to read in the said Bibles; which practice, although it hath been much interrupted by the late wars, yet it is not wholly laid aside, so as the hopes of further and greater success in that behalf are again revived.2 This is the substance of what at the present can be said of the progress of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New England; and although the devil hath here, as he always hath done in former times, raised up persecution against them that preach and profess the Gospel, yet are not the Christian Indians discouraged thereby, [so] as to lay aside their profession; but have, with the peril of their lives, many of them, endeavored to maintain. and defend it against the enemies thereof." CHAP. LXXVII.3 A continuation of the History of New Plymouth, from the year 1633 until the year 1678. THE inhabitants of New Plymouth found so great advantage for divers years in the wisdom and gravity of Mr. Bradford, that they never durst attempt to make any change in their Governor, notwithstanding the like testimony of respect was deservedly due to some other of the company, (like mariners in a storm or dangerous channel, that, having experience of a skilful and able pilot, are loath to change the helm till that storm be over, or the haven obtained,) till this year, 1633, when, encouraged by the approach of another Colony in the next neighborhood, they called Mr. Edward Winslow to take ' ix. 2.-H. In 1661 Eliot's translation of the New Testament was printed at Cambridge; and in 1663 that monument of patient industry and self sacrificing toil-the whole Bible in the Indian lan uage-made its appearance. See also "A further Accompt," &c., pp. 2-5.-н. LXXVI in the MS.-H. that place upon him. He had done many good offices for that Colony, and adventured his life far for them, both by sea and land, therefore was this testimony of respect accounted but his just desert. This year Plymouth was visited with an infectious fever, which put an end to the lives of many of their chiefest friends, amongst whom was Mr. Samuel Fuller, that had been their great comfort and help in matters of physic and chirurgery heretofore. It proved a pestilential fever amongst the Indians next adjoining, and swept away many of them.1 In the spring of the same year was observed great swarms of black flies, like wasps, that were as the harbingers, sounding the alarum of some solemn judgment approaching that place. The next year they adventured to call Mr. Thomas Prince to the place of Governor, a serious and prudent man. In the year 1635 Mr. Winslow took another voyage into England, where he had another opportunity to stand up in behalf of the Colonies of New England, and to answer the accusations which Morton and Gardner made at the Council Table against them. He put up a petition to the Lords of the said Council, which put a check to the design which some had against the country, although he could not put an issue to some trouble, that was occasioned thereby.2 In the year 1636 Mr. Winslow took his turn again in the Governor's place of New Plymouth, and managed the affairs thereof during that year, to great satisfaction. This year the town of Plymouth, being straitened for room, sallied out into a new Plantation near by, which they called Duxbury, and whither the people invited Mr. Partridge, a learned and judicious divine, that came over into those parts the same year, to exercise the ministry of the Gospel amongst them; who proved a notable champion for the truth against Samuel Gorton, who the next year came thither, and began to leaven that jurisdiction with his Familistical, or rather atheistical, opinions; but by his seditious and tumultuous carriage before the Court, (at which he was complained of for injury This sickness was in June, July, and August. See page 194 -н. Winslow would seem, from page 179, to have returned before September, 1635 See Sav. Win. i. 137, 172; Davis's Morton, pp. 178-9; Bradford, in Hutchinson, ii. 409-10.-H. 'See Baylies's Memoir of Plymouth Colony, Part I, pp. 276-8.-H. done to Mr. Smith, the minister at Plymouth town,) gave them occasion to put him upon seeking sureties for his good behavior, which being not able to do, he removed to Rhode Island, where he behaved himself so insolently, that they were forced to condemn him to the whipping-post, as was mentioned before, and then to banishment. In the year 1638 there was a necessary and exemplary piece of justice done in Plymouth upon three men that were executed for robbing a poor Indian near Providence, according to that ancient law of divine institution; Gen. ix. [6,]" He that sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed;" for they murdered the poor Indian whom they robbed." Thus went on the affairs of this small Colony of New Plymouth, not by wealth, nor by might or strength of man, but by the special presence and blessing of Almighty God, in some convenient measure of prosperity till the year 1643, at which time they were furnished with many worthy ministers in their several townships, as namely: Mr. Charles Chauncey,' Mr. William Leveridge,7 Mr. Marmaduke Matthews, [and] [Mr. Samuel Newman.]" 9 These were dispersed over the whole colony in several plantations, as at Plymouth town, Duxbury, Taunton, Scituate, Barnstable, Sandwich, Eastham, Yarmouth, Rehoboth, all that were erected before the year 1645. But the inhabitants being but few, and the encouragement but small, and the difficulties wherewith they were to conflict in the first setting up of new plantations very great, they, many of them, were removed, some back into old England, others into the neighboring Colonies, and some into their eternal rest, not long after. But the sorest loss that hitherto befell them, was in the year 164312 by the death of Mr. Brewster, one that did (if any other in his age,) deserve the name of a * Lothrop.-ED. 4 At Scituate.-H. At Barnstable.-H. 7 At Sandwich.-H. 10 At Plymouth.-H. 2 At Duxbury.—H. 3 At Taunton.-H. 5 At Eastham.-H. 6 At Marshfield.-H. 8 9 At Gloucester.-H. At Yarmouth.-H. mouth Ch. Records say April 16, 1644. Davis's Morton, p. 219.-H. ruling elder, being able to rule both his own house and the church of God, and do much that might and did go for labor in the word and doctrine.1 Mr. Bradford and Mr. Brewster were the two main props and pillars of their Colony, yet, after the removal of them, others were raised up, who hitherto have been able to carry on the work of their generation to the honor of Almighty God, and the prosperity of their jurisdiction, viz. Mr. Thomas Prince, and Major Josiah Winslow, who succeeded the former in the chiefest place of government.2 In the year 1664 it pleased his Majesty to send over Commissioners to take cognizance of the estate of the several Colonies in New England, who came to Plymouth the same year, and presented the Governor of that Colony with a gracious letter from his Majesty, the contents of which are as followeth, much after the same tenor with those which were commended to the rest of the Colonies, and therefore that which was directed to this Colony may serve for a specimen for the rest, therein to manifest his Majesty's particular care and gracious inclination towards || those || remote Plantations in America, the whole whereof, from Acady, or Nova Scotia, on the south side of Canada, to Florida, is become subject to his Majesty's power and absolute government, without the interposition of the interest of any foreign Prince or State. His Majesty's Commissioners had an honorable reception at Plymouth, according to the capacity of the inhabitants, and, as is said, those honorable gentlemen did very much and very kindly resent it. The like was tendered them at the Massachusetts, but they were not so propitious to that Colony, upon the account forementioned; in which, if there were any failure upon any mistaken ground, it is hoped his Majesty hath grace enough (notwithstanding all he hath expended upon the subjects of his three kingdoms) yet left in his royal heart to obliterate the remembrance thereof, and not impute iniquity to his servants, who were not willingly led into an error of that high nature. || these || 1 See Governor Bradford's Memoir of Elder Brewster, in Young's Chronicles of Plymouth, pp. 459-70.— -H. 2 Gov. Thomas Prince died March 29, 1673, aged 72, and was succeeded, June 3, 1673, by Josiali Winslow. .-H. * See page 577 et seq; and Davis's Morton, pp. 310-15.—н. To our trusty and well-beloved, the Governor and Council of New Plymouth, Greeting. CHARLES REX. Trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well. We need not enlarge upon our care of, and affection to, that our Plantation of New Plymouth, when we give you such a testimony and manifestation of [it] in the sending of those gentlemen, persons well-known unto us, as deserving from us, our trusty and well-beloved Col. Richard Nichols, Sir Robert Carr, Knight, George Cartwright, Esq., and Samuel Maverick, Esq., our Commissioners to visit you, and other our Plantations in those parts of New England, and to give us a full and particular information and account of your present state and condition, and how the same may be advanced and improved by any further acts [of'] grace and favor from us towards you, and that both you and all the world may know and take [notice] that we take you into our immediate protection, and will no more suffer you to be oppressed or injured, by any foreign power or ill neighbors, than we shall suffer our other subjects, that live upon the same continent with us, to be so injured and oppressed. And as our care [and] protection will (we doubt not,) be sufficient, with God's blessing, to defend you from foreign force, so our care and circumspection is no less, that you may live in peace amongst yourselves, and with those our other subjects, who have planted themselves in your neighbor Colonies, with that justice, affection, and brotherly love, which becomes subjects born under the same Prince, and in the same country, and of the same faith and hope in the mercies of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And to the end that there may be no contention and difference between you, in respect of the bounds and jurisdiction of your several Colonies, the hearing [and'] determining whereof we have referred to our Commissioners, as the right appears by clear evidence and testimony before them, or that they can settle it by your mutual consent and agreement; otherwise, in cases of difficulty, they shall present the same to us, who will determine according to our own wisdom and justice. The address you formerly made to us, gave us so good satisfaction of your 1 Supplied from Davis's Morton, pp. 312-13.-H. 31 VOL. VI. SECOND SERIES. |