This Church of Christ hath in its bosome neere about 70. souls joyned in Covenant together, and being well seasoned with this savoury salt, have continued in much love and unity from their first foundation, hitherto translating the close, clouded woods into goodly corn-fields, and adding much comfort to the lonesome travellers, in their solitary journey to *Canectico, by eying the habitation of Gods people in their way, ready to administer refreshing to the weary.

CHAP. X. Of the planting of the fifteenth Church of Christ at the Towne of tWaymoth.

THE Towne and Church of Christ at +Waymoth had come in among the other Townes before this, as being an elder Sister, but onely for her somewhat more than ordinary instability; it is battered with the brinish billows on the East; Rocks and Swamps to the Southwest, makes it delightfull to the nimble tripping Deere, as the plowable places of Medow land is to the Inhabitants. This Towne was first founded by some persons that were not so forward to promote the Ordinances of Christ, as many others have been: they desired the reverend Minister of Christ Mr. Gennors, to be helpfull in preaching the Word unto them; who after some little space of time, not liking the place, repaired to the Eastern English: but the people of this place, after his departure, being gathered into a Church, they called to office the reverend and godly Mr. Newman; but many of them unwilling to continue in this Towne, as supposing they had found a fitter place for habitation, removed into the next Government, carrying with them their Pastor; by which means, the people that were left behinde, were now destitute, and having some godly Christians among them, who much desired the sincere milk of the Word, that they might grow thereby : upon diligent use of meanes they found out a young man able gifted for the work, brought up with the reverend and judicious Mr. Chancie, called Mr. Thomas Thatcher.

Probably the same person, whose letter from Saco, 26 April, 1641, to Governour Winthrop, signed Th. Jenner, is given in Hutchinson's Collection of Papers, p. 111. ED.

§ Chauncey.

Yet againe, after some few yeares, for want of sufficient maintenance, with mutuall consent they parted with him, and are forced to borrow help of their Neighbours, wherein all of them *to the Author is bold to say as followeth :

Oh people, reason swayes mans actions here,

You sanctifyed, o're these long seas doth look,
With heavenly things your earthly toyle to cheere;
Will lose the end for which this toyle you tooke.
Christ comes in's Word, let their bright feet abide
Your Towne, among whose grace and gifts excell
In preaching Christ, it's he your hearts hath try'd,
They want no store that all for him doe sell.
Gennors, dost love thy Christ? I hope he's deare
Belov'd of thee, he honour'd would thee have
To feed his flock, while thou remainest here;
With's Word of truth thy soule and others save.
With little flock doth Newman pack away;

The righteous lips sure might a many feed;
Remov'st for gain? its most where most men stay,
Men part for land, why land least helps at need.
Thatcher, what mean'st to leave thy little flock?

Sure their increase might thee much profit bring:
What, leave Christs Church? Its founded on a rock;
If rock not left, their ebb may suddain spring;
Pastor and People, have you both forgot

What parting Paul and Christs deare people had ?
Their loves melt teares, it's ve❜mently so hot,

His heart-strings break to see his folk so sad.

This yeare came over, besides the former, for the furthering of this blessed work of Christ, Mr. William Thompson, Mr. Edm: Browne, and Mr. David Frisk, who were called to office in severall Churches, as you shall after hear. And now to end this yeare, that abounded in the wonder-working Providence of Christ, for his Churches, in the exaltation of his truths, that all may take notice the Lord cast in by the by, as it were, a very fruitfull crop, insomuch that from this day forward, their increase was every year more and more, till the Country came to feed its owne Inhabitants; and the people who formerly were somewhat pincht with hunger, eat bread to the full, having not onely for their necessity but also for their conveniency and delight.

Perhaps this preposition should stand before all. ED.

CHAP. XI. Of the increase of the people of Christ. Printing brought over, and the sixteenth Church of Christ planted at *Rouly.

FOR the yeare 1638. John Winthrope Esq. was chosen Governour, and Tho: Dudly Esq. Deputy Governour ; the number of Freemen added were about 130. The peace of this little Common-wealth being now in great measure settled, by the Lords mercy, in overthrowing the Indians, and banishing of certaine turbulent spirits, The Churches of Christ were much edified in their holy faith by their indefatigable pains of their Ministers, in their weekly Lectures extraordinary, as well as by their Sabboth Assemblies, and continuall visiting of their people from house to house, endeavouring to heale the hurts these false deceivers had made, with double diligence showring downe the sweet dews of the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the converting of many a poor soul, and indeed, now were the glorious days of New England;_the Churches of Christ increase dayly, and his eminent Embassadours resort unto them from our native Country, which as then lay under the tyranny of the Monarchall Archprelates, which caused the servants of Christ to wander from their home. This yeare the reverend and judicious Mr. Jos. Glover undertook this long voyage, being able both in person and estate for the work he provided, for further compleating the Colonies in Church and Common-wealth-work, a Printer, which hath been very usefull in many respects; the Lord seeing it meet that this reverend and holy servant of his should fall short of the shores of New England: but yet at this time he brought over the zealous affected and judicious servant of his, Master Ezekiel Rogers, who with a holy and humble people, made his progress to the North-Eastward, and erected a Towne about 6. miles from Ipswich, called *Rowly, where wanting room, they purchased some addition of the Town of Newbery; yet had they a large length of land, onely, for the neere conveniency to the Towne of Ipswich, by the which meanes they partake of the continued Lectures of either Towne: these people being very industrious every way, soone built many houses, to the

number of about threescore families, and were the first people that set upon making of Cloth in this Western World; for which end they built a fulling mill, and caused their little ones to be very diligent in spinning cotten wooll, many of them having been clothiers in England, till their zeale to promote the Gospel of Christ caused them to wander; and therefore they were no lesse industrious, in gathering into Church-society, there being scarce a man among them, but such as were meet to be living stones in this building, according to the judgement of man; they called to the office of a Pastor this holy man of God, Mr. Ezekiel Rogers, of whom this may be said:

Christ for this work Rogers doth riches give,
Rich graces fit his people for to feed,
Wealth to supply his wants whilst here he live,
Free thou receiv'st to serve his peoples need.
England may mourne they thee no longer keep,
English rejoice, Christ doth such worthyes raise,
His Gospel preach, unfold his mysteries deep;
Weak dust made strong sets forth his makers praise :
With fervent zeal and courage thou hast fought

'Gainst that transformed Dragon and his bands,
Snatcht forth the burning thou poore soules hast caught,
And freed thy flock from wolves devouring hands.
Ezekiel mourn not, thou art severed farre,

From thy deare Country, to a desart land;
Christ call'd hath thee unto this worthy warre ;

By him o'recome, he holds thy Crowne in's hand.

For the further assisting of this tender flock of Christ, the reverend Mr. John Miller did abide among them for some space of time, preaching the Word of God unto them also, till it pleased the Lord to call him to be Pastor of the Church of Christ at Yarmouth, in Plimoth *patten, where he remaineth at this very day.

With courage bold Miller through Seas doth venter,
To toyle it out in this great Western wast,

Thy stature low one object high doth center;
Higher then Heaven thy faith on Christ is plac't:

Allarum thou with silver trumpet sound,

And tell the world Christs Armyes are at hand,
With Scripture-truths thou Errors dost confound,
And overthrow all Antichristian bands:

It matters not for th'worlds high reputation;

The World must fall and Christ alone must stand;
Thy Crown's prepar'd in him, then keep thy station,
Joy that Christs Kingdome is so neare at hand.

CHAP. XII. Of the great Earthquake in New England, and of the wofull end of some erronious persons, with the first foundation of Harverd Colledge.

THIS yeare, the first day of the Fourth Month, about two of the clock in the after-noone, the Lord caus'd a great and terrible Earth-quake, which was generall throughout all the English Plantations; the motion of the Earth was such, that it caused divers men (that had never knowne an Earth-quake before) being at worke in the Fields, to cast downe their working-tooles, and run with gastly terrified lookes, to the next company they could meet withall; it came from the Westerne and uninhabited parts of this Wildernesse, and went the direct course this brood of Travellers came, the Ministers of Christ many of them could say at that very time (not from any other Revelation, but what the word holds forth) that if the Churches of New England were Gods house, then suddenly there would follow great alterations in the Kingdomes of Europe.

This yeare the civill government proceeded to censure the residue of those sinfull erroneous persons, who raised much commotion in this little Common-wealth; who being banished, resorted to a place more Southward, some of them sitting down at a place called Providence, others betooke them to an Island about 16. miles distant from the former, called Rode Island, where having Elbow-roome enough, none of the Ministers of Christ, nor any other to interrupt their false and deceivable Doctrines, they hamper'd themselves fouly with their owne line, and soone shewed the depthlesse ditches that blinde guides lead into; many among them being much to be pittyed, who were drawne from the truth by the bewitching tongues of some of them, being very ignorant and easily perverted: and although the people were not many in all, yet were they very diverse in their opinions, and