though they did quietly and sweetly enjoy their Christian & Church-liberties under the States: yet they foresaw Holland would be no place for their Church, ⟨p. 15⟩and their posterity to continue there comfortably: at least in that measure, which they hoped to find abroad, and that for these reasons, which I shall recite, as I received them from themselves.
1. Because themselves were of a different language from the Dutch where they lived, and the Dutch were settled in their way; in so much that in ten years space, whilst their Church sojourned amongst them, they could not bring them to reform the neglect of the Lords D•y, or any other thing amiss amongst them.
2. Because their Country-men who came over to join with them, by reason of the hardness, and chargeableness of the Country, soon spent their estates, and then were forced either to return back for England, or to live very meanly.
3. Because the Country was a place of so great liberty to children, that they could not educate their children, as their Parents had educated them: nor could they give them due correction, without reproof and reproach from their Neighbours.
4. Because their posterity would in a few generations become Dutch, and so lose their interest in the English Nation, name and language.
These being debated at first in private, and thought weighty, were afterwards propounded in public, and after Solemn Days of Humiliation both in public and private, it was agreed, that part of the Church should go before their Brethren into America to prepare for the rest: And in case the major part of the Church did choose to go over with the first, then the Pastor to go along with them. But if the major part stayed, then he to stay with them: and to follow afterwards, when they should hear out of America of their safety and health, and possibility of subsistence: But the Lord translated him to himself, before the rest could prepare to go along to their Brethren. Notwithstanding when the first company Embarked themselves for America, their Brethren accompanied them to the Sea, and took their leaves with such abundant expressions of Brotherly Love, as drew the neighbour Dutch to much observation, yea and some Admiration of them, at Delph-Shoven in Holland.
though they did quietly and sweetly enjoy their Christian & Church-liberties under the States: yet they foresaw Holland would be no place for their Church, ⟨p. 15⟩and their posterity to continue there comfortably: at least in that measure, which they hoped to finde abroad, and that for these reasons, which I shall recite, as I received them from themselves.
1. Because themselves were of a different language from the Dutch where they lived, and the Dutch were setled in their way; in so much that in ten yeares space, whilst their Church sojourned amongst them, they could not bring them to reform the neglect of the Lords D•y, or any other thing amisse amongst them.
2. Because their Counttrey-men who came over to joyne with them, by reason of the hardnesse, and chargeablenesse of the Countrey, soone spent their estates, and then were forced either to returne backe for England, or to live very meanely.
3. Because the Countrey was a place of so great liberty to children, that they could not educate their children, as their Parents had educated them: nor could they give them due correction, without reproof and reproach from their Neighbours.
4. Because their posterity would in a few generations become Dutch, and so lose their interest in the English Nation, name and language.
These being debated at first in private, and thought weighty, were afterwards propounded in publike, and after Solemne Dayes of Humiliation both in publike and private, it was agreed, that part of the Church should go before their Brethren into America to prepare for the rest: And in case the major part of the Church did choose to goe over with the first, then the Pastor to goe along with them. But if the major part stayed, then hee to stay with them: and to follow afterwards, when they should heare out of America of their safety and health, and possibility of subsistence: But the Lord translated him to himselfe, before the rest could prepare to goe along to their Brethren. Notwithstanding when the first company Embarqued themselves for America, their Brethren accompanied them to the Sea, and tooke their leaves with such abundant expressions of Brotherly Love, as drew the neighbour Dutch to much observation, yea and some Admiration of them, at Delph-Shoven in Holland.
