The Brownist Congregation about London. the churches themselves.* These are some of the principles by which the Independents are distinguished in the present day. When Mr. Robinson had been settled some years at Leyden, his congregation, through the death of some aged members, and the marriage of their children into Dutch families, began to decline. This put them upon consulting how to preserve their church and religion, then likely to be lost in a strange land. At home there was not the least prospect of a reformation, nor even of a toleration for such as dissented from the establishment. At length, after spending many days in solemn addresses to heaven for direction, it was resolved that part of the congregation, should transport themselves to America, where they might enjoy liberty of conscience, and be capable of encouraging their friends and countrymen to follow them. They accordingly, sent over agents into England, who having obtained a patent from the crown, agreed with several merchants to become adventurers in the undertaking. Several of Mr. Robinson's congregation sold their estates, and made a common bank, with which they purchased a small ship of sixty tons, and hired another of one hundred and eighty. The agents sailed into Holland with their own ship, to take in as many of the congregation as were willing to embark, while the other vessel was freighting with necessaries for the new plantation. All things being ready, Mr. Robinson observed a day of fasting and prayer with his congregation, and preached an excellent sermon from Ezra viii. 21. I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might afflict our souls before God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. He then took leave of them with the following truly generous and christian exhortation. The Brownist Congregation about London. "Brethren, "We are now quickly to part from one another, and "whether I may ever live to see your faces upon earth any more, the God of heaven only knows; but whether the Lord has appointed that or no, I charge you before God "and his blessed angels, that you follow me no farther than you have seen me follow the Lord Jesus Christ. If God "reveal any thing to you by any other instrument of his, be "as ready to receive it as ever you was to receive any truth by my ministry; for I am verily persuaded, the Lord has more truth yet to break forth out of his holy word. For "my part, I cannot sufficiently bewail the condition of the "Reformed Churches, who are come to a period in religion, "and will go at present no farther than the instruments of "their reformation. The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go " beyond what Luther said; whatever part of his will our "God has revealed to Calvin, they will rather die than "embrace it; and the Calvinists, you see stick fast where "they were left by that great man of God, who yet saw not "all things. This is a misery much to be lamented, for "though they were burning and shining lights in their times, yet they penetrated not into the whole council of God, "but were they now living, would be as willing to em"brace further light as that which they first received. I "beseech you remember, it is an article of your church "covenant, that you be ready to receive whatever truth "shall be made known to you from the written word of "God. Remember that, and every other article of your "sacred covenant. But I must herewithal exhort you to "take heed what you receive as truth; examine it, consider "it, and compare it with other scriptures of truth, before you receive it; for it is not possible the Christian world "should come so lately out of such thick anti-christian "darkness, and that perfection of knowledge should break VOL. I. F The Brownist Congregation about London. "forth at once. I must also advise you to abandon, avoid, and shake off the name of BROWNISTS; it is a mere "nick-name, and a brand for the making religion and the "professors of it odious to the Christian world." On the first of July, 1620, this small band of Christian adventurers (in number about one hundred and twenty) went from Leyden to Delfthaven, whither Mr. Robinson and the elders of his congregation accompanied them. They continued together all night; and next morning, after mutual embraces, Mr. Robinson kneeled down on the sea-shore, and with a fervent prayer committed them to the protection and blessing of heaven.* The leader of the Colony was Mr. William Brewster, a wise and prudent man, of whom the reader will find some account in the note below.(x) Mr. • Neal's Puritans, ubi supra. p. 490.-New-England, p. 78-79. (x) Mr. William Brewster received a learned education in the University of Cambridge. His first employment was in the service of Mr. Davison, Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth, with whom he went over to Holland, and was entrusted with affairs of great importance, particularly with the keys of the cautionary towns. He afterwards lived much respected in his own country, till the severity of the times obliged him to return to Holland, where he became first a member, and afterwards a ruling elder of Mr. Robinson's congregation at Leyden. When he was sixty years of age, he had the courage and resolution to put himself at the head of the colony, which first peopled New England. They sailed from Delfthaven August 5, and, after a long and dangerous voyage, arrived at Cape Cod, November 9, 1620. Upon their landing they divided the ground by lot, according to the number of persons in each family; and having agreed upon some laws, chose a governor, and named the place of their settlement NEW-PLYMOUTH. Inexpressible were the hardships they underwent the first winter. The fatigues of their late voyage, the severity of the weather, and the want of necessaries occasioned a sad mortality, which swept away half the colony; and of those who remained alive, not above six or seven at a time were capable of helping the rest. But as the spring returned they began to recover, and receiving some fresh supplies from England, they maintained their station, and laid the foundation of one of the noblest settlements in America, which after that time proved an asylum for the Protestant Nonconformists under all their oppressions. Mr Brewster shared the fatigues and hardships of the infant colony with the utmost bravery. He was not an ordained minister, The Brownist Congregation about London. Robinson designed to accompany the remaining part of his congregation to America, in person, but before he could fulfil his intention, it pleased God to remove him to a better world, in the fiftieth year of his age, A. D. 1626. The life of this amiable man, both in public and private, exhibited a fair transcript of those numerous virtues that elevate and adorn the human character. In his younger days, he was distinguished for good sense and solid learning; and as his mind began to expand, he acquired that moderate and pacific temper for which he was greatly celebrated among Christians of different communions. His uncommon probity and diffusive benevolence recommended him highly to the Dutch ministers and professors, with whom he lived in the most perfect harmony. They lamented his death as a public loss; and as a testimony of their esteem and affection, though he was not of their communion, honoured with their presence his funeral solemnities. Mr. Robinson wrote several learned treatises to justify his separation from the Church of England, which were universally esteemed, and reprinted after his death. (L) He was indeed an admirable disputant, as appears by his public disputations in the University of Leyden, when the Arminian controversy agitated and divided but being a man of learning and piety, he preached to them above seven years, till they could provide themselves with a pastor. He was held in the greatest respect both by the magistrates and people; and after a long life, in which he suffered much on account of religion, he died in peace, April 18, 1643, in the 84th year of his age.Neal's Hist. New-England, vol. i. p. 79 and 211. (L) The following are the titles of such of Mr. Robinson's pieces as have come to our knowledge: "A Justification of Separation from the Church of England, against Bernard. 1610."-" A Treatise on Communion, &c. 1614."" Apologia justa et necessaria quorundam Christianorum, æque contumeliose ac communitæ dictorum Brownistarum ac Barrowistarum, per Johannem Robinsonum, Anglo-Leidensem, suo, et ecclesiæ nomine, cui præficitur. 1619."-A Translation of the same book by himself. 1644.-An Appendix to Mr. Perkins's Six Principles of Christian Religion. 1641.-He also wrote some piecesa gainst Smyth in the controversy concerning Baptism, and on some points of christian doctrine.--Life of Ainsworth, ubi supra, First Independent Church in England. the churches of Holland. The death of this excellent man proved a serious loss to the remaining branch of the church at Leyden, which immediately separated. Most of the members retired to Amsterdam; but, after a few years, joined their brethren in New-England.* This Mr. Robinson was the father of the Independents, FIRST INDEPENDENT CHURCH IN IN the preceding article, we have traced the origin of the Independents to Mr. Robinson; it will be proper now to observe, that Mr. Jacob having embraced his sentiments of discipline and Church government, transplanted them into his own country, and laid the foundation of the FIRST INDEPENDENT CHURCH IN ENGLAND. HENRY JACOB was a native of Kent, and born about the year 1563. At sixteen years of age, he became a commoner of St. Mary-Hall, Oxford, and took the degrees in arts. Entering into holy orders, he was made precentor of Christ Church College, and afterwards beneficed at Cheriton in his native county; but he must have quitted this living before 1591. Wood describes him as a most zealous Puritan. It was about this time that he embraced the principles of the Brownists; though he never carried them to that uncharitable extent which was the worst feature in their character. Upon the general banishment of that people, in Neal's New-England, vol. i. p. 110.-Morse's American Geography, + Wood's Athenæ, vol. i. p. 464, p. 157. |