496

Irish Massacre.

Cent. 17.

and superstitions of Rome, by which the triumphs of the papacy received repeated checks. Had these moderate and prudential measures been pursued with steady perseverance, the state of Ireland would doubtless have been considerably altered for the better; but upon Laud's coming into power, the protestant interest was divided: through his mad zeal for uniformity, catholics saw the chief adversaries of popery foiled and driven off their ground, while they prepared a plan for the general destruction of all the protestants; which horrid plan they effected in great measure, by massaereing about forty thousand of that community; the date of this event is 1641, about the beginning of the misunderstanding between Charles I. and his parliament.

The strong arm of Cromwell was sufficient to keep the Irish in some awe, and by his authority protestantism was encouraged; but after all, little towards the reduction of popery was effected. In the subsequent reigns popery increased greatly, and was the chief support of James during his government; but William fought and conquered, and protestantism remained the established religion of the country; but the far greater part of the people were stubbornly devoted to the Roman see.

CHAPTER V.

AMERICAN CHURCHES.

NEW ENGLAND. Origin of New England ChurchesEmigrate to Holland-Settle at Leyden-Negociate with Virginia Company-Prepare for Departure to America- Their Voyage-Arrive at Plymouth— First Winter's experience-Visited by the Indians— Events of the Summer and Harvest-Order and Discipline-New Patent and accession of Settlers-New Plantations-Incorporation of Massachusetts BayMore Adventurers-Harvard College-Eliot, Apostle of the Indians-Anna Hutchinson-Quakers-Baptism -Synods-Rights of Parishes-Union of Churches. SOUTHERN COLONIES. Virginia-Jamestown-Poca

hontas-New York.

WEST INDIES. The popish Religion first introducedBermudas visited and settled.

PERSECUTION is an evil, to which good men have been exposed, from the earliest ages of the world, down to modern times. It began to operate in the first human family, and at what period it will cease to usurp the rights of conscience, is not for us to say. The moral and political mischiefs it has produced, one would have thought. must have long ago determined its fate; but like too many other evils it has its seat in the depraved affections of man, and is one of the last of the train of base passions to be expelled, even by religion itself. Persecution, says Jortin “ Is not the gospel of Christ, it is the gospel of the devil. Where persecution begins

498

English Puritans.

Cent. 17.

Christianity ends." Jesus Christ alone, says R. Robinson, has a right to punish his enemies. Pains and penalties, privations and disgrace, inflicted on account of religion, whatever that profession be, provided it be merely religion, are diametrically opposite to the spirit of Christ. Nevertheless God can, and has frequently overruled these evils for the accomplishing of the most benevolent purposes. To this the history of New England bears unequivocal testimony.

NEW ENGLAND, as a nation, owes its origin and character to the persecuting spirit of the reformed protestant church of England. The exploits of Henry the Eighth in severing the ecclesiastical polity of the British church from the papal authority, were, as we have seen, with little regard to the truths of Christianity, or to the rights of conscience. The popish protestantism he established in the land, soon became as odious, and as burdensome to his serious and thinking subjects, as had been for ages, the dominations of Rome. This system of ecclesiastical tyranny, continued, with greater or less violence, through the reigns of his successors, till the oppression became an insufferable, and insupportable affliction. Under these persecutions, the puritans found their native land to be to them as a barren wil derness; in it they they had no succour, their property was all held by a very precarious tenure; their persons and families were never safe, while the agents of the Star Chamber and of the High Commission were prying into every corner, or while a despotic prince and a more despotic and cruel priesthood could imprison, and even persecute to death the best and most faithful of his majesty's subjects.

From the reformation asserted by Henry, to the reign of James the First, was a space of seventy-two years,

Chap. 5.

Rev. John Robinson.

499

during which time many attempts were made by the puritans to institute churches upon their own plans, in opposition to the English hierarchy. In the year 1567, a separate church was discovered in London, which was supposed to have been gathered at a much earlier period. About the same time a presbytery was formed at Wandsworth in Surry, known by the designation of The Orders of Wandsworth. It was during the reign of Elizabeth that the Brownist, and other congregational churches, were gathered and organized in spite of jealous and watchful foes. In the year 1602 a considerable number of people in the counties of Nottingham, Lancaster and York, by the preaching of the puritan ministers, were awakened to a sense of gospel privileges, and to a desire of enjoying the benefit of Christian ordinances. This people were formed into two churches. Of one of these churches Mr. John Smith became pastor; but the history of this people soon became extinct either from the errors into which they are said to have fallen, or from their mixing with the people of the Low Countries whither they had fled to escape the fury of the times. Of the other, the history of which will involve the character of the New England churches, the Rev. Richard Clifton had the pastoral care. This grave and godly elergyman, had the happiness to see many hopefully converted under his faithful ministry. Mr. John Robinson, of famous memory, was a member of this church. He had been educated, Belknap concludes, at Cambridge, Neal says he was a Norfolk divine, and had a benefice near Yarmouth, from which he was driven by the fury of the bishops. I am not certain that Robinson was properly a Brownist, it is not likely that sterling men, such as the fathers of congregationalism, would call themselves after such a changeling as Re

500

His Congregation.

Cent. 17.

bert Brown: but all who contended for, and practised the congregational order, were mostly called Brownists, and as Mr. Robinson wrote in the defence of separate and independent churches, his work might be called a defence of the Brownists: but it is evident that the character of the church, and the discipline for which he contended, and even which he practised, were fraught with more moderation and charity than what we behold in the system contended for by Brown.

Such a man as Mr. Robinson, was not likely to continue long as a private member in the church, especially as he was already in orders, and had been pastor of a charge; it was therefore natural that he should be called to join Mr. Clifton in the oversight of the church. How long these two ministers were colleagues does not appear, but Mr. Robinson was the pastor of this people long after Mr. Clifton ceases to be spoken of.

"Robinson's congregation did not escape persecution by separating from the establishment. and forming an independent church. Still exposed to the penalties of the ecclesiastical law, they were extremely harassed; some were thrown into prison, some were confined to their own houses; others were obliged to leave their farms and suspend their usual occupations. Such was their distress and perplexity, that an emigration to some foreign country seemed the only means of safety. Their first views were directed to Holland, where the spirit of commerce had dictated a free toleration of religious opinion; a blessing which neither the wisdom of politicians, nor the charity of clergymen had admitted into any other of the European states. But the ports of their own country were shut upon them; they could get away only by stealth and by giving extravagant rates for their passage and fees to the mariners.