Of Plimmoth Plantation

And first of the occasion and Indusments ther unto ; the which that I may truly unfould, I must begine at the very roote and rise of the same. The which I shall endevor to manefest in a plaine stile; with singuler regard unto the simple trueth in all things, at least as near as my slender Judgmente can attaine the same.

Of plinth plantation

find first of I occafion, and Induments ther unto, the which that of may truly unfould, y must begine at y very roote erife of fame. The which I shall endevon to manefest in a splaine File; with singuler regard unto & simple trueth in all things at least as fare near as my slender Judgmente can attaine the fame

1. Chapter

It is well knowne into & godly, and judicious; how ever since first breaking out of f lighte of & gospell in our Honourable nation of England (which was & first of nations, whom & Lord adorn ed ther with, after & groffe darknes of popery which had covered overspred & christian world) what warrs, & oppositions ever Vince Satan hath raised, maintained, and continued against the saints, from time, to time, in one forte, or other. Same times by bloody death & cruell forments; other whiles Imprisonments, banile ments, other card usages As being loath his kingdom shoult, joe downe, the trueth prevaile; and we Churches of god reverte to ther anciente purifie; and recover, their primative order, libertig bentie. But when he could not preuaile by these means, against the maine truths of gosspell; but that they began to take rating in many places; being watered with & blood of & martires, and blefed from heaven with a gracious encrease. He then be gane to take him to his anciente strategemes, used of old against the first Christians. That when by I Bloody, a barbarous per fecutions of Heathen Emperours, he could not stoppe, subeurte the course of 34offell; but that it speedily oversered, with a wounderfull Celeritie, the then best known parts of & world He then begane to Sow errours, herefies, and wounderfull diffentions amongst & proffoffaur's them felues (working upon their prido, & ambition, with other corrupto pations, Incidente to all mortall men; yea to & saints them seluss in some measure) by which wo full effects followent; as not only bitter contentions, & hartburnings, schifmes, with other horrible confusions. But Satan tooko occafion aduantage ther by to foyst in a number of vilo coremoneys, with many unprofitable Cannons, & decrees which have since boon as snaves, to many spoors, & peacable Jouts, even to this day. So as my anciente times, the perfecutio

•1. Chapter

"T is well knowne unto the godly and judicious, how ever since

I

the first breaking out of the lighte of the gospell, in our Hon

ourable Nation of England (which was the first of nations, whom the Lord adorned ther with, affter that grosse darknes of popery which had covered, and overspred the christian worled) what warrs, and opposissions ever since Satan hath raised, maintained, and continued against the Saincts, from time, to time, in one sorte, or other. Some times by bloody death and cruell torments, other whiles Imprisonments, banishments, and other hard usages. As being loath his kingdom should goe downe, the trueth prevaile; and the churches of God reverte to their anciente puritie; and recover their primative order, libertie, and bewtie.2 But when he could not

1 The writings of Bradford from which may be gathered his views of church and church government are confined to certain parts of this History, and two Dialogues or conferences, which will appear in another volume. The times in which those conferences were prepared are not known, though the first conference is dated 1648, and the manuscript of the third conference bears upon its first leaf the date 1652. These years, thus noted, may suggest the time of writing. Nathaniel Morton, then secretary of Plymouth, copied the first dialogue into the records of the Plymouth Church, and thus preserved it from the fate of the second, of which not even the subject is known. This Dialogue, taken from Morton's record, first appeared in print in 1841, as a part of Alexander Young's scholarly compilation, Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers. Nearly fifteen years later the History was printed by the Massachusetts Historical Society, and in 1870 the same society published in its Proceedings (XI. 396) the third conference, with an introduction by Charles Deane. Bradford treats of the disputes on doctrine and form of church government in the Dialogues in such a manner as to prove his wide readings and his intense convictions; and his summary in these paragraphs of the History is masterly in its brevity, simplicity, and comprehensiveness.

* "The true church and the proper gouermente of the same, is to be knowne by the scriptures, and to be measured only by that rule, the primatiue paterne; which church and the gouermente of the same is sufficiently described and layed down in the writ