the church to the administration of the bishops. In this state of licentiousness, James, became embarrassed for the want of money, which led him to many expedients, that took up much of his time and attention; and at this time the Puritan principles were incorporated, as far as the nature of things would admit, into the Episcopal church in IreUnder this mild administration of Arch-Bishop Abbot, the Puritans began to return from their exile, and enjoy their religion unmolested in England, and in 1616, the first Puritan Church was formed and openly tolerated in England. This opened the way for the triumphs of that church, in the reign of Charles I. which have united their labours, and their prayers with the little church in the wilderness, in accomplishing all the great events they were destined by God to unfold to the world, and in opening the way for the translation of that Bible, which we have. now witnessed in the reign of King James, into almost every language upon the face of the whole earth, and whose united labours and prayers, are destined to accomplish the universal spread of the everlasting gospel.

Towards the close of this reign, a new order of things sprang up; the corruptions of the king, the court, and the church, under the mild administration of the Arch-Bishop Abbot, had so blended the Church of England and the Puritan Church, that they were considered as most entitled to the favour of the king, who were the most loyal; and introduced a new sect, called Church and State Puritans. At this time the Armenians and Papists united, and amidst this strife, and corruption of the parties, a faction sprang up, that distracted the close of this reign, and ruined the next.

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! 1 CHAPTER. VIII.

COMMENCEMENT OF THE SETTLEMENT OF NEW-ENGLAND.~~ HISTORY OF THE PILGRIMS.

We have witnessed the Reformation in England, in the 14th century, under the pious John Wickliffe; the rise of the disciples of Wickliffe, called Lollards; their principles; their persecutions under Henry VIII. and the succeeding reigns ; their flight to Germany, and Switzerland; the refinement in their principles, and mode of worship under the advice of Calvin, the great apostle of Switzerland; which gave to their church the title, or name of Puritan; their return to England, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; their persecutions in the reign of James I. their flight to Holland, in the year 1608, under the pious John Robbinson their pastor.

Let us now accompany this little church to the wilds of America, and witness how God rolls on the successive events of his providence, to accomplish his great purposes and designs. Twelve years this little flock enjoyed their religion in peace amongst their brethren in Hollond ; but the abuses of the sabbath, together with the confusion of business, and the general character of the Dutch, rendered this retreat irksome; they therefore resolved to make one more effort, to find a retreat where they might enjoy the religion of their hearts in peace. To effect this, they resolved to embark for the shores of North America; and accordingly in the month of August, 1620, they tore themselves from their beloved pastor, and their friends, and embarked, to the number of one hundred persons, and set sail for America. Their object was to join the Dutch Colony at Manhadoes at the mouth of the Hudson river; but the Dutch captain defeated this object, by touching at Cape Cod, at the entrance of Massachusetts Bay, November 1620.

Such had been the severities, and distresses of the

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voyage, that they prefered landing upon this solitary coast, to encountering again the perils of the deep, at this late season of the year. They accordingly made the necessary arrangements for landing upon this dreary, désolate, inhospitable coast; which they effected, November 11, 1620. Without one solitary hut to shelter themselves in ; surrounded by the ocean, on the one side, and the dreary waste, of the barren sands of Cape Cod, on the other; and without the least knowledge of the local geography of that country on which they had landed, and to which they had committed their destiny; without the knowledge of even one spring of water where they might cool their thirst, they gave themselves up to God their deliverer, and preserver, and submitted entirely to the guidance of his providence.

REMARKS.

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Who that surveys this adventure in all its parts, from the rise of the Puritans, to the landing of these pilgrims, does not see the hand of God as conspicuously displayed, as in the call of Abraham, through the whole history of his family, to their settlement in the land of Canaan. The same divine light imparted by the agency of the same Divine Spirit, cultivated and enlarged by the same trials, pursecutions, sufferings, and deliverances. The former to build a great nation, and a pure church, to open the way for the first advent of Jesus Christ; and the latter to build up a great nation, and a pure church, to open the way for the second advent of Jesus Christ. Would you realize the truth of this remark, look at the bistory of the family of Abraham, that led to the first advent of Jesus Christ; look also at the history of the Puritan Church in America, in connection with the original stock in England, and Europe at large, and see what progress they have made in opening the way for the second advent of Jesus Christ. Look at their Bible Societies, Missionary Societies, stimulated

and supported by the outpouring of the Spirit of God, in the numerous and wonderful revivals of religion, to prompt them to carry forward the glorious work of translating the Bible, into all the different languages, of the whole earth; that every nation, tongue, and language, under the whole heaven, may learn the knowledge and character of God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent; that the knowledge of the Lord may cover the earth as the waters cover the seas; that the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands, may become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth; that the mountain of the Lords's house may be established, upon the tops of the mountains, and all nations flow unto it and be saved. Who that surveys the united efforts of the christian world, by the holy league of their sovereigns, to suppress wars, and cultivate the arts of peace, (which all sprang from the labours, and sufferings of the Puritan Church,) does not realize that the days are at hand, when nation shall no more rise against nation, when their swords shall be beat into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, and nations shall learn war no

CHAPTER IX.

ADVENTURES OF THE PILGRIMS.

THE shores of North America had been explored, by different adventurers, from the coast of Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico. The name of this coast had been changed by Captain Smith, from that of North Virginia, to that of New-England; who had sketched a chart of the coast, 1615, as may be seen in the introductory adventures. This was all that was known of the vast continent of America, to those pilgrims, who had kindled the first christian fires in New-England. It is true a settlement had been formed by a company of Dutch adventurers, at the mouth of the Hudson river, in the year 1810, and another by the English, at Jamestown in Virginia, in the same year. It is also true that the French had made a settlement in Lower-Canada, at Quebec, in 1608, and the English at Novascotia, in 1610. Yet all these were hundreds of miles remote from the pilgrims, and separated by the pathless desert, impassable, rivers, and impenetrable forests, all rendered terrible by the ferocity of wild beasts, and the still greater ferocity of the savge. When they had drawn up, and subscribed a solemn compact, as the basis of civil government for the colony,* and when this instrument had been

*In the name of God Amen.-We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our Dread Sovereign, Lord King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and honour of our King and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern part of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves together, in a civil body politic, for our better ordering, preservation, and furtherence of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof, to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient, for the good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission, and obedience.-In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names, at Cape Cod, this eleventh day of November, 1620. in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the 18th, and of Scotland, the 54th :-Anno Domini 1620.