Book Summary
Of Plymouth Plantation is a firsthand historical account written by William Bradford, the longtime governor of the Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts.
We have updated this timeless classic into an updated, modern translation that is easier to read!
Composed between 1630 and 1651, the book chronicles the experiences of the Pilgrims—a group of English Separatists seeking religious freedom—from their persecution in England around 1608 through their voyage on the Mayflower in 1620 and the early decades of settlement up to about 1647. Bradford writes in a plain, straightforward style, emphasizing divine providence, communal cooperation, and the challenges of building a new society in a harsh wilderness. The work is divided into two main books: the first focuses on the background and journey to America, while the second provides annalistic (year-by-year) records of the colony's development, struggles, and growth.
Of Plymouth Plantation
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Book 1: The Pilgrims' Origins and the Mayflower Voyage
Bradford begins by describing the religious reforms in England under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, which separated the Church of England from Roman Catholicism but failed to satisfy more radical Protestants, known as Separatists or Puritans. Facing persecution under King James I—including fines, imprisonment, and threats of execution—the Separatists, including Bradford himself, fled to Holland (the Dutch Republic) in 1608 for greater religious liberty. There, under leaders like John Robinson and William Brewster, they lived for about a decade but struggled with poverty, cultural assimilation, and the fear that their children would lose their English identity. By 1617–1618, they decided to establish a new colony in America, inspired by the Jamestown settlement and seeking a place where they could practice their faith freely while remaining English subjects.
In 1620, after securing funding from English investors (merchant adventurers) through agents like John Carver and Robert Cushman, the group sailed from Holland on the Speedwell, joining the larger Mayflower in England. The Speedwell proved unseaworthy and was abandoned, forcing all passengers onto the overcrowded Mayflower, which carried 102 people, including both Separatists (whom Bradford calls "Pilgrims") and non-religious "Strangers" added by the investors. The two-month voyage was grueling, marked by storms that damaged the ship (including a cracked main beam repaired with an iron screw) and widespread seasickness. Upon sighting land on November 9, 1620, they found themselves off Cape Cod, far north of their intended Virginia destination, due to navigational errors and bad weather.
Before disembarking, tensions arose among the Strangers, who threatened mutiny since they were outside the Virginia Company's jurisdiction. To establish order, the men drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact on November 11, 1620—a pioneering democratic agreement that bound them to create laws for the common good and elect leaders. John Carver was chosen as the first governor. Exploratory parties, led by Captain Myles Standish, scouted the area, encountering Native Americans in what became known as the "First Encounter" (a brief skirmish where arrows were exchanged but no one was killed). They eventually selected Plymouth as the settlement site, but the harsh winter had already begun, leading to initial hardships.
Book 2: Settlement, Hardships, and Expansion
The second book shifts to a chronological format, detailing the colony's annals from 1621 onward. The first winter was devastating: nearly half the settlers died from disease, cold, starvation, and scurvy, including Governor Carver. Bradford was elected governor in 1621 and served almost continuously thereafter. Survival improved with the arrival of Native American allies. Samoset, a local Abenaki, approached in March 1621 speaking broken English and introduced Tisquantum (Squanto), a Patuxet who had been kidnapped by English traders years earlier, learned English, and returned home. Squanto taught the Pilgrims essential skills like planting corn with fish fertilizer and facilitated a peace treaty with Wampanoag chief Massasoit, which ensured mutual aid and lasted for decades.
The 1620s brought economic challenges, including debts to English investors like Thomas Weston, who attempted a rival colony nearby but failed. The Pilgrims implemented private farming plots in 1623, boosting productivity after initial communal efforts led to shortages. Bradford recounts internal conflicts, such as expelling troublemakers John Lyford and John Oldham for plotting against the leadership, and the colony's first execution for murder. Relations with investors soured; Isaac Allerton, sent to England to negotiate, eventually betrayed the group by engaging in personal profiteering, inflating prices, and mishandling funds.
External threats emerged in the 1630s, including tensions with French settlers and Native American tribes. In 1637, Plymouth joined Massachusetts Bay Colony in a war against the Pequot tribe, resulting in the beheading of their chief Sassacus. Bradford notes the formation of the United Colonies of New England in 1643 for mutual defense. Despite plagues decimating Native populations and occasional conflicts (like a preemptive strike led by Standish in 1623, which Bradford later regretted), the colony grew through trade, alliances, and immigration. By the 1640s, debts were settled, and the population expanded, with Bradford crediting God's providence for their perseverance.
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The Roots of the Movement: Persecution and the Separatist Cause
It is well known to godly and wise people how, ever since the gospel light first broke out in our honorable nation of England (which was the first of nations that the Lord honored with it, after that deep darkness of the Roman Catholic church which had covered and spread over the Christian world), what wars and opposition Satan has raised, maintained, and continued against the saints from time to time, in one form or another. Sometimes by bloody death and cruel torments, other times by imprisonments, banishments, and other harsh treatment, as he was reluctant to let his kingdom fall, the truth prevail, and the churches of God return to their ancient purity and recover their original order, liberty, and beauty. But when he could not prevail by these means against the main truths of the gospel, and they began to take root in many places, being watered with the blood of the martyrs and blessed from heaven with gracious increase, he then began to use his old strategies that he had used long ago against the first Christians. When by the bloody and barbarous persecutions of the heathen emperors he could not stop and overthrow the course of the gospel, but instead it speedily spread with wonderful speed throughout the then best known parts of the world, he began to sow errors, heresies, and terrible disagreements among the believers themselves (working upon their pride and ambition, along with other corrupt passions common to all mortal men, even to the saints themselves to some degree). From this, sad results followed, as not only bitter conflicts and heartburnings, divisions, and other horrible confusions, but Satan took the opportunity and advantage to force in a number of vile ceremonies, along with many unprofitable rules and decrees, which have since been as snares to many poor and peaceful souls even to this day.
So just as in ancient times, the persecutions by the heathen and their emperors were not greater than the persecutions of Christians against one another, the Arians and their allies against the orthodox and true Christians. As Socrates witnesses in his second book. His words are these: "The violence truly," he says, "was no less than that of old practiced towards the Christians when they were compelled and drawn to sacrifice to idols. For many endured various kinds of torment, often rackings and dismembering of their joints, confiscating of their goods. Some were deprived of their native soil, others departed this life under the hands of the tormentor, and some died in banishment and never saw their country again, etc."
Satan seems to have used the same method in recent times, since the truth began to spring up and spread after the great falling away caused by the Antichrist, that man of sin.
To skip over the countless examples in various nations and different places of the world, and focus on our own: when that old serpent could not succeed through those fiery flames and other cruel tragedies which he carried out everywhere through his agents in the days of Queen Mary and before, he then began another kind of war and worked more secretly. He aimed not only to attack but even to ruin and destroy the kingdom of Christ by more secret and subtle means, by lighting the flames of conflict and planting the seeds of discord and bitter hostility among the believers and those who seemed reformed themselves. For when he could not succeed by the former means against the main doctrines of faith, he directed his force against the holy discipline and outward government of the kingdom of Christ, by which those holy doctrines should be preserved and true godliness maintained among the saints and people of God.
Mr. Foxe recorded that besides those worthy martyrs and confessors who were burned in Queen Mary's days and otherwise tormented, many (both students and others) fled out of the land, to the number of 800, and became several congregations at Wesel, Frankford, Basel, Emden, Marburg, Strasbourg, and Geneva, etc. Among them (but especially those at Frankford) began that bitter war of contention and persecution about the ceremonies and service book, and other popish and antichristian stuff, the plague of England to this day, which are like the high places in Israel, which the prophets cried out against and were their ruin. The better part sought, according to the purity of the gospel, to root out and utterly abandon these things. And the other part (under veiled pretenses) for their own ends and advancements, sought as stubbornly to continue, maintain, and defend them. As appears by the account of it published in print, in the year 1575, a book that deserves better to be known and considered.
The one side worked to have the right worship of God and discipline of Christ established in the church, according to the simplicity of the gospel, without the mixture of human inventions, and to be ruled by the laws of God's word, carried out in those offices and by those officers of Pastors, Teachers, and Elders, etc. according to the Scriptures. The other party, though under many excuses and pretenses, tried to have the episcopal dignity (after the popish manner) with their large power and jurisdiction still retained, with all those courts, canons, and ceremonies, together with all such livings, revenues, and subordinate officers, with other such means as formerly upheld their antichristian greatness, and enabled them with lordly and tyrannous power to persecute the poor servants of God. This conflict was so great that neither the honor of God, the common persecution, nor the mediation of Mr. Calvin and other worthy people of the Lord in those places could persuade those who were thus episcopally minded, but they proceeded by all means to disturb the peace of this poor persecuted church, even so far as to charge (very unjustly and ungodly, yet in a prelatelike way) some of their chief opposers with rebellion and high treason against the Emperor, and other such crimes.
And this conflict did not die with Queen Mary, nor was it left beyond the seas. When these people returned to England after her death under gracious Queen Elizabeth, many of them were promoted to bishoprics and other positions according to their goals and desires. That deep-rooted hatred against the holy discipline of Christ in his church has continued to this day. So much so that for fear it should succeed, all plots and schemes have been used to keep it out, turning the queen and state against it as dangerous for the country. They claimed that it was most necessary that the fundamental points of religion should be preached in those ignorant and superstitious times. To win over the weak and ignorant, they said they might keep various harmless ceremonies. Though it was to be wished that various things were reformed, they said this was not the right time for it. And many similar arguments were used to silence the more godly, to bring them over to accept one ceremony after another, and one corruption after another. By these tricks they deceived some and corrupted others until at length they began to persecute all the zealous believers in the land (though they knew little what this discipline meant), both by word and deed, if they would not submit to their ceremonies and become slaves to them and their popish trash, which have no basis in the word of God, but are relics of that man of sin.
And the more the light of the gospel grew, the more they pushed their required agreements to these corruptions. So that (despite all their former claims and nice appearances) those whose eyes God had not justly blinded might easily see where these things were leading. And to cast more contempt upon the sincere servants of God, they disrespectfully and most wrongfully gave to them and forced upon them that name of Puritans, which it is said the Novatians out of pride did assume and take to themselves. And it is sad to see the results which have followed. Religion has been disgraced, the godly grieved, afflicted, persecuted, and many exiled. Several have lost their lives in prisons and in other ways. On the other hand, sin has been supported, ignorance, ungodliness, and atheism increased, and the Catholics encouraged to hope again for their day.
This made that holy man Mr. Perkins cry out in his exhortation to repentance, upon Zephaniah 2: Religion (he said) has been among us these 35 years; but the more it is published, the more it is despised and mocked by many, etc. So not wickedness or evil behavior, but Religion itself is a term of mockery, a laughingstock, and something to ridicule; so that in England today the man or woman who begins to profess Religion and to serve God, must prepare himself to endure mocking and injuries as though he lived among the enemies of Religion. And common experience has confirmed and made this all too clear.
A recent observation, as it were by the way, worthy to be noted.
I had little idea that the downfall of the Bishops, with their courts, canons, and ceremonies, etc., was so near when I first began these scribbled writings (which was about the year 1630, and pieced together during spare time afterward), or that I would have lived to see or hear of it. But it is the Lord's doing, and ought to be marvelous in our eyes! Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted (says our Savior) shall be rooted up. (Matt. 15:13). I have snared you, and you are taken, O Babel (Bishops), and you were not aware. You are found, and also caught, because you have fought against the Lord. (Jer. 50:24). But will they insist on fighting against the truth, against the servants of God, and even against the Lord himself? Do they provoke the Lord to anger? Are they stronger than he? (1 Cor. 10:22). No, no, they have met their match. Behold, I come against you, O proud man, says the Lord God of hosts, for your day has come, even the time that I will visit you. (Jer. 50:31). May not the people of God now say (and these poor people among the rest), The Lord has brought out our righteousness. Come, let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God. (Jer. 51:10). Let all flesh be still before the Lord, for he is raised up out of his holy place. (Zech. 2:13).
In this case, these poor people may say (among the thousands of Israel), When the Lord brought again the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. (Ps. 126:1). The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoice (verse 3). They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. They went weeping, and carried precious seed, but they shall return with joy, and bring their sheaves, v. 5, 6.
Do you not now see the fruits of your labors, O all you servants of the Lord that have suffered for his truth, and have been faithful witnesses of the same, and you little handful among the rest, the least among the thousands of Israel? You have not only had a seed time, but many of you have seen the joyful harvest. Should you not then rejoice, yes, and again rejoice, and say Hallelujah, salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, be to the Lord our God, for true and righteous are his judgments. (Rev. 19:1, 2).
But you will ask what is the matter? What is done? Why, are you a stranger in Israel, that you should not know what is done? Are not those Jebusites overcome that have troubled the people of Israel so long, even holding Jerusalem till David's days, and been as thorns in their sides, so many ages, and now began to scorn that any David should meddle with them? They began to fortify their tower, as that of the old Babylonians, but those proud Anakims are thrown down, and their glory laid in the dust. The tyrannous bishops are ejected, their courts dissolved, their canons forceless, their service cashiered, their ceremonies useless and despised. Their plots for popery prevented, and all their superstitions discarded and returned to Rome from where they came, and the monuments of idolatry rooted out of the land. And the proud and profane supporters, and cruel defenders of these, as bloody papists and wicked atheists, and their malignant consorts, marvelously overthrown. And are not these great things? Who can deny it?
But who has done it? He who sits on the white horse, who is called faithful and true, and judges and fights righteously (Rev. 19:11). His garments are dipped in blood, and his name was called the Word of God, v. 13, for he shall rule them with a rod of iron, for it is he that treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of God almighty. And he has upon his garment, and upon his thigh, a name written: The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, v. 15, 16.
Hallelujah.
1646.
But to get more directly to my point: through the hard work and dedication of some godly and passionate preachers, and with God's blessing on their efforts, many people became enlightened by the word of God, both in other parts of the land and in the northern regions. They had their ignorance and sins revealed to them, and by God's grace began to reform their lives and become careful about how they lived. But as soon as God's work became visible in them, they were immediately mocked and ridiculed by the ungodly majority. The ministers were pressured to accept the requirement of subscription or else be silenced. And the poor people were so harassed by church officers, bailiffs, and the church courts that their suffering was truly significant. Nevertheless, they endured this for several years with much patience, until they were led (by the continuation and increase of these troubles, and other means which the Lord raised up in those days) to see further into things by the light of God's word.
They came to understand how not only these degrading and worthless ceremonies were unlawful, but also that the domineering and tyrannical power of the church officials ought not to be submitted to. These officials, acting contrary to the freedom of the gospel, would burden and oppress men's consciences, and by their forcing power create an ungodly mixture of people and things in the worship of God. And their offices and positions, courts and laws, and so on were unlawful and anti-Christian, being such as have no authority in the word of God, but the same ones that were used in Catholicism and still kept.
About this, a famous author writes in his Dutch commentaries at the coming of King James to England: "The new king," he says, "found there established the reformed religion, according to the reformed religion of King Edward the 6th, still keeping the spiritual status of the Bishops and so on in the old manner, varying greatly and differing much from the reformed churches in Scotland, France, and the Netherlands, Emden, Geneva, and so on, whose reformation is shaped much closer to the first Christian churches, as it was practiced in the Apostles' times."
So many of these believers saw the evil of these things in these parts, and the Lord had touched their hearts with heavenly zeal for his truth. They shook off this yoke of antichristian bondage, and as the Lord's free people, they joined themselves by a covenant of the Lord into a church, in the fellowship of the gospel. They agreed to walk in all his ways, made known or to be made known to them, according to their best efforts, whatever it should cost them, with the Lord helping them. And that it cost them something, this following history will show.
These people became two distinct bodies or churches, and because of the distance between places, they met separately. They were from various towns and villages, some in Nottinghamshire, some of Lincolnshire, and some of Yorkshire, where they bordered nearest together. In one of these churches, besides others of note, was Mr. John Smith, a man of able gifts and a good preacher, who was later chosen as their pastor. But these people later fell into some errors in the Low Countries, and there, for the most part, they buried themselves and their names.
But in this other church, which must be the subject of our discussion, besides other worthy men, was Mr. Richard Clifton, a serious and respected preacher who by his hard work and diligence had done much good, and under God had been a means of converting many. And also that famous and worthy man Mr. John Robinson, who later was their pastor for many years, until the Lord took him away by death. Also Mr. William Brewster, a respected man, who later was chosen as an elder of the church and lived with them until old age.
But after these things they could not long continue in any peaceful condition. They were hunted and persecuted on every side, so that their former afflictions were just flea bites in comparison to these which now came upon them. For some were taken and thrown in prison, others had their houses surrounded and watched night and day, and they barely escaped their hands. Most were forced to flee and leave their houses and homes, and the means of their livelihood. Yet these and many other harsher things which afterward happened to them were no other than they expected, and therefore they were better prepared to bear them by the help of God's grace and spirit. Yet seeing themselves troubled this way, and that there was no hope of remaining there, by joint consent they resolved to go into the Low Countries, where they heard there was freedom of religion for all men. They also heard how several from London and other parts of the land had been exiled and persecuted for the same cause, and had gone there, and lived at Amsterdam and in other places of the land. So after they had continued together about a year, and kept their meetings every Sabbath in one place or another, practicing the worship of God amongst themselves, despite all the effort and hostility of their enemies, they saw they could no longer continue in that condition. They resolved to get over into Holland as they could, which was in the years 1607 and 1608, of which more at length in the next chapter.
Chapter 2: 1608: The Flight to Holland: Escape, Betrayal, and Storms
Being forced to leave their native soil and country, their lands and livings, and all their friends and familiar acquaintances, was a lot, and many thought it was remarkable. But to go into a country they knew nothing about (except by hearsay), where they would have to learn a new language and figure out how to make a living, since it was an expensive place and subject to the miseries of war, many thought it was an almost desperate adventure, an intolerable situation, and a misery worse than death. Especially since they were not familiar with trades or commerce (which that country depended on), but had only been used to a simple country life and the innocent trade of farming. But these things did not discourage them (though they did sometimes trouble them), because their desires were set on the ways of God and to enjoy his ordinances. They rested on his providence and knew whom they had believed. Yet this was not all, for though they could not stay, they were not allowed to go either. The ports and harbors were shut against them, so they were forced to seek secret means of transportation and to bribe and pay the sailors, giving extraordinary rates for their passage. And yet they were often betrayed (many of them), and both they and their goods were intercepted and seized, which caused them great trouble and expense. I will give an example or two of this and leave out the rest.
There was a large group of them who planned to get passage at Boston in Lincolnshire. For that purpose they had hired a ship entirely for themselves and made an agreement with the captain to be ready at a certain day and take them and their goods aboard at a convenient place, where they would all be waiting and ready. So after a long wait and great expense, though he didn't keep his appointment with them, he finally came and took them aboard at night. But when he had them and their goods on board, he betrayed them, having already plotted with the searchers and other officers to do this. These officers took them and put them into open boats, and there they robbed and ransacked them, searching them down to their shirts for money, and even searched the women more thoroughly than was decent. Then they carried them back into the town and made them a spectacle and wonder to the crowd, which came flocking from all sides to look at them. After being first robbed and stripped of their money, books, and much other goods by these crooked officers, they were brought before the magistrates, and messengers were sent to inform the lords of the Council about them. And so they were committed to jail. The magistrates actually treated them courteously and showed them what favor they could, but they could not release them until orders came from the Council table. But the outcome was that after a month's imprisonment, the greater part were dismissed and sent to the places they came from. However, seven of the leaders were still kept in prison and bound over to the Assizes.
The next spring, there was another attempt made by some of these people and others to get across at another place. It happened that they found a Dutchman at Hull who had his own ship belonging to Zealand. They made an agreement with him and explained their situation, hoping to find more faithfulness in him than in the former captain of their own nation. He told them not to fear, for he would do well enough. He was supposed to pick them up between Grimsby and Hull, where there was a large common area a good distance from any town. Now at the agreed upon time, the women and children, with the goods, were sent to the place in a small boat which they had hired for that purpose, and the men were to meet them by land. But it happened that they were there a day before the ship came, and the sea being rough and the women very sick, they convinced the seamen to put into a creek nearby, where they lay on the ground at low tide. The next morning the ship came, but they were stuck and could not move until about noon. In the meantime, the ship's captain, seeing how the situation was, sent his boat to start getting the men aboard whom he saw ready, walking about the shore. But after the first boatload was gotten aboard and the boat was ready to go for more, the captain spotted a great company of men, both on horse and on foot, with weapons and guns and other arms, for the countryside had been alerted to capture them. The Dutchman, seeing that, swore his country's oath, "sacramente," and having the wind in his favor, raised his anchor, hoisted sails, and left. But the poor men who had gotten aboard were in great distress for their wives and children, whom they saw being taken, and who were left without their help. And the men themselves did not have a change of clothes, only what they had on their backs, and some hardly had a penny on them, since all they had was aboard the small boat. It brought tears to their eyes, and they would have given anything they had to be on shore again, but all in vain. There was no remedy. They had to part this way so sadly. And afterward they endured a fearful storm at sea, being 14 days or more before they arrived at their port. For 7 of those days they saw neither sun, moon, nor stars, and were driven near the coast of Norway. The sailors themselves often despaired of life, and once with shrieks and cries gave up completely, as if the ship had foundered in the sea and they were sinking without hope of recovery. But when human hope and help completely failed, the Lord's power and mercy appeared in their recovery, for the ship rose again and gave the sailors courage again to manage her. And if modesty would allow me, I could describe with what fervent prayers they cried out to the Lord in this great distress (especially some of them), even without any great distraction, when the water ran into their mouths and ears and the sailors cried out, "We sink, we sink!" They cried (if not with miraculous faith, yet with a great height or degree of divine faith), "Yet Lord, you can save! Yet Lord, you can save!" along with other expressions that I will not repeat. After this, the ship did not only recover, but shortly after, the violence of the storm began to lessen, and the Lord filled their afflicted minds with such comforts as not everyone can understand. And in the end, he brought them to their desired harbor, where the people came flocking, amazed at their deliverance. The storm had been so long and severe, and much damage had been done, as the captain's friends told him in their congratulations.
But to return to the others where we left them. The rest of the men who were in greatest danger managed to escape before the troops could capture them. Only those who were best able to help stayed behind to assist the women. But it was pitiful to see the terrible situation of these poor women in this distress. There was weeping and crying on every side, some for their husbands who were carried away in the ship as mentioned before. Others didn't know what would become of them and their little ones. Still others melted in tears, seeing their poor little ones hanging on them, crying with fear and shaking from the cold. Once they were captured, they were hurried from one place to another and from one justice to another, until finally the authorities didn't know what to do with them. To imprison so many women and innocent children for no other reason (for many of them) than that they wanted to go with their husbands seemed unreasonable, and everyone would criticize them for it. But to send them back home was just as difficult, because they claimed, as was true, that they had no homes to go to. They had either sold or otherwise given up their houses and property. In short, after they had been pushed around like this for a good while and passed from one constable to another, the authorities were glad to be rid of them in the end on any terms, because everyone was exhausted and tired of dealing with them. Though in the meantime, these poor souls endured enough misery. And so in the end, necessity forced a way for them.
But so I don't go on too long about these things, I'll skip the rest, though I could tell you about many other notable events and troubles they went through during their travels by land and sea. But I need to move on to other things. Yet I can't leave out the good that came from it all, because through these very public troubles in so many prominent places, their cause became famous and got many people to look into it. And their godly conduct and Christian behavior made a deep impression on many people's minds. And though a few people backed away from these first conflicts and rough beginnings (which is no surprise), many more joined in with fresh courage and greatly encouraged others. And in the end, despite all these storms of opposition, they all got across eventually, some at one time and some at another, and some in one place and some in another, and met together again as they had hoped, with great rejoicing.
Chapter 3: Life in Exile: Building a Community in Leiden
Being now come into the Low Countries, they saw many goodly and fortified cities, strongly walled and guarded with troops of armed men. Also they heard a strange and unfamiliar language, and beheld the different manners and customs of the people, with their strange fashions and attire, all so far differing from that of their plain country villages (wherein they were bred, and had so long lived) as it seemed they were come into a new world. But these were not the things they much looked on, or long took up their thoughts, for they had other work in hand, and another kind of war to wage and maintain. For though they saw fair and beautiful cities, flowing with abundance of all sorts of wealth and riches, yet it was not long before they saw the grim and grisly face of poverty coming upon them like an armed man, with whom they must buckle and encounter, and from whom they could not fly. But they were armed with faith and patience against him, and all his encounters, and though they were sometimes defeated, yet by God's assistance they prevailed and got the victory.
Now when Mr. Robinson, Mr. Brewster, and other principal members came over (for they were among the last, and stayed to help the weakest over before them), they thought about the things that were necessary for their settling and best ordering of the church affairs. And when they had lived at Amsterdam about a year, Mr. Robinson, their pastor, and some others with the best judgment, saw how Mr. John Smith and his company had already fallen into conflict with the church that was there before them, and no means they could use would do any good to fix the problem. They also saw that the flames of conflict were likely to break out in that ancient church itself (as sadly happened later). Seeing these things coming, they wisely thought it was best to leave before they became involved in any way, though they knew well it would hurt their financial situation, both at present and likely in the future, as indeed it turned out to be.
Their removal to Leiden.
For these and some other reasons they moved to Leiden, a fair and beautiful city with a pleasant location, but made more famous by the university it has, which lately had so many learned men. But lacking the sea trade that Amsterdam enjoys, it was not as beneficial for their income and finances. But being now settled here, they turned to whatever trades and jobs they could manage, valuing peace and their spiritual comfort above any other riches. And eventually they managed to earn a decent and comfortable living, but with hard and continual labor.
Being settled like this (after many difficulties), they continued for many years in a comfortable condition, enjoying much sweet and delightful fellowship and spiritual comfort together in the ways of God, under the capable ministry and wise leadership of Mr. John Robinson and Mr. William Brewster, who assisted him in the position of an Elder, a role he was now called to and chosen for by the church. So they grew in knowledge and other gifts and abilities of the Spirit of God, and lived together in peace, and love, and holiness. And many came to them from different parts of England, so that they grew into a large congregation. And if at any time any disagreements arose, or offenses broke out (as it cannot help but happen sometimes, even among the best of men), they were always dealt with and stopped early on, or otherwise so well resolved, that love, peace, and fellowship continued. Or else the church removed those who were beyond help and unchangeable, when, after much patience was shown, no other methods would work, which rarely happened.
Yea such was the mutual love and reciprocal respect that this worthy man had to his flock, and his flock to him, that it might be said of them as it once was of that famous Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the people of Rome, that it was hard to judge whether he delighted more in having such a people, or they in having such a pastor. His love was great towards them, and his care was always bent for their best good, both for soul and body. For besides his singular abilities in divine things (wherein he excelled), he was also very able to give directions in civil affairs, and to foresee dangers and inconveniences. By which means he was very helpful to their outward estates, and so was every way as a common father unto them. And none did more offend him than those that were close and cleaving to themselves, and retired from the common good, as also such as would be stiff and rigid in matters of outward order, and inveigh against the evils of others, and yet be remiss in themselves, and not so careful to express a virtuous conversation.
They also always treated him with respect and valued him highly, as his worth and wisdom deserved. Though they esteemed him highly while he lived and worked among them, they valued him even more after his death, when they felt the loss of his help and saw (through painful experience) what a treasure they had lost, to the grief of their hearts and wounding of their souls. Yes, they saw it was a loss that could not be repaired, for it was as hard for them to find another leader and provider in all respects as it was for the Taborites to find another Ziska. And though they did not call themselves orphans as the others did after his death, they had just as much reason to grieve, in another respect, their present condition and what followed. But to return: I don't know if it can be spoken to the honor of God, and without prejudice to anyone, that such was the true devotion, the humble zeal, and fervent love of this people (while they lived together in this way) toward God and his ways, and the single-heartedness and sincere affection toward one another, that they came as near the early pattern of the first churches as any other church of these later times has done, according to their rank and quality.
But since it is not my purpose to write about the various events that happened to this people while they lived in the Low Countries (which would require a large book of its own), but rather to show the beginning of this plantation, which is what I'm aiming at, I still need to address something. Some of their enemies spread rumors about their removal, claiming that the state had grown tired of them and had driven them out (just as pagan historians falsely claimed about Moses and the Israelites when they left Egypt), rather than it being their own free choice and decision. Therefore, I will mention a detail or two to show the opposite and the good reception they had in the place where they lived. First, though many of them were poor, there was no one so poor that if they were known to be part of that congregation, the Dutch (whether bakers or others) would not trust them in any reasonable matter when they lacked money. This was because they had learned from experience how careful they were to keep their word, and they saw how hardworking and diligent they were in their jobs. In fact, people would compete to get their business and to hire them over others for their work, because of their honesty and diligence.
Again, the magistrates of the city, around the time of their leaving, or a little before, in the public place of justice, gave this commendable testimony about them when criticizing the Walloons, who were part of the French church in that city. These English, they said, have lived among us now these 12 years, and yet we never had any lawsuit or accusation come against any of them, but your fights and quarrels are constant, etc. In these times also were the great troubles raised by the Arminians, who greatly disturbed the whole state, and this city in particular, where the main university was located. There were daily and heated disputes in the schools there about it, and just as the students and other learned people were divided in their opinions on this matter, so were the two professors or theology teachers themselves. One taught daily for it, the other against it. This grew to the point that few of the students of the one would listen to the other teach.
But Mr. Robinson, though he taught three times a week himself and wrote several books, besides his many other efforts, yet he went constantly to hear their lectures and heard the one as well as the other. By this means he was so well grounded in the controversy and saw the force of all their arguments and knew the tricks of the adversary, and being himself very able, none was better suited to confront them than himself, as appeared by several disputes. So he began to be terrible to the Arminians, which made Episcopius (the Arminian professor) put forth his best strength and set forth several theses, which by public dispute he would defend against all men. Now Poliander, the other professor, and the chief preachers of the city, asked Mr. Robinson to dispute against him. But he was reluctant, being a stranger. Yet the others urged him and told him that such was the ability and quickness of the adversary that the truth would suffer if he did not help them. So he agreed and prepared himself for the time. And when the day came, the Lord did so help him to defend the truth and defeat this adversary that he put him at an obvious loss for words in this great and public audience. And he did the same thing two or three times on such similar occasions.
The victory caused many to praise God that the truth had won so decisively, and it brought him much honor and respect from learned men and others who loved the truth. In fact, they were so far from being tired of him and his people, or wanting them to leave (as some had claimed), that several important people said that if it wouldn't offend the English government, they would have promoted him to a higher position if he'd accepted, and would have given them some public support. When there was talk of their moving to these regions, several prominent and distinguished people of that nation wanted them to come under their authority, and they made generous offers to persuade them. Now, though I could mention many other specific examples like this to show how false and unlikely this slander is, these should be enough, since few people believed it anyway. It was only spread by malicious people who wanted to disgrace them.
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