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JULY

    8, 1630 --Massachusetts. On leaving England, Mr. Winthrop and the chief men among the passengers on board the “Arbella” penned an affectionate farewell “to the rest of their brethren in and of the Church of England”—

     “Reverend fathers and brethren, howsoever your charity may have met with discouragement through the misreport of our intentions, or the indiscretion of some amongst us, yet we desire you would be pleased to take notice that the principals and body of our company esteem it our honor to call the Church of England from whence we rise, our dear Mother, and cannot part from our native country where she specially resides without much sadness of heart and many tears in our eyes; blessing God for the parentage and education, as members of the same body; and while we have breath, we shall sincerely endeavor the continuance and abundance of her welfare.
     “Be pleased therefore, reverend fathers and brethren, to help forward this work now in hand; which, if it prosper, you shall be the more glorious. It is a usual exercise of your charity to recommend to the prayers of your congregations, the straits of your neighbors: do the like for a church springing out of your own bowels; pray without ceasing for us, who are a weak colony from yourselves.
      “What we entreat of you that are ministers of God, that we crave at the hands of all the rest of our brethren, that they would at no time forget us in their private solicitations at the throne of Grace. If any, through want of clear intelligence of our course, or tenderness of affection towards us, cannot conceive so well of our way as we could desire, we would entreat such not to desert us in their prayers, and to express their compassion towards us.
     “What goodness you shall extend to us, we, your brethren in Christ Jesus, shall labor to repay; wishing our heads and hearts may be as fountains of tears for your everlasting welfare, when we shall be in our poor cottages in the wilderness, overshadowed with the spirit of supplication, through the manifold necessities and tribulations which may not altogether unexpectedly, nor, we hope, unprofitably befall us.”    

     About seven hundred people arrive, most of which are non-conforming Puritans. They are a community of believers, professing themselves fellow members of Christ; not a school of philosophers, proclaiming universal toleration inviting associates without regard to creed. “The work we have in hand,” said Mr. Winthrop aboard the ‘Arbella’, “is by a mutual consent, through a special overruling Providence and a more than ordinary approbation of the churches of Christ, to seek out a place of cohabitation and consortiship under a due form of government both civil and ecclesiastical. For this we are entered into covenant with God; for this we must be knit together as one mass, always having before our eyes our commission as members of the same body. So shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among as His own people; we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness, and truth than formerly we have been acquainted with; He shall make us a praise and glory, that men shall say of succeeding plantations, ‘The Lord make it likely that of New England.’”
     The journey at sea has lasted sixty-one days during which time more than eighty have died, while others are weak and wasting. Their food is sufficient for only two weeks.
     Today, at Charlestown, Mr. John Winthrop and his band of colonists, drooping with toil and sorrow, from fever and hunger, twelve ships have arrived. This day is set aside as a day of thanksgiving. It is the first civil thanksgiving in the Bay colony.
     Mr. Winthrop will himself give “good example” to all the planters; he will wear plain clothing, and will drink ordinarily water, and when he is not conversant about matters of justice, he will “put his hand to labor with his servants.”

8, 1689 --England. Matthew Henry marries the daughter of Robert Warburton after having been introduced by his mother-in-law. His former wife, Katherine Hardware, died with smallpox in childbirth earlier this year. In twenty-two years of marriage, he will have nine children—eight of whom will be daughters. The first, second and fourth will die in infancy.




 

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