ative patterne of y^e
first churches, as any other church of these later times have done,
according to their ranke & qualitie.

But seeing it is not my purpose to treat of y^e severall passages that
befell this people whilst they thus lived in y^e Low Countries, (which
might worthily require a large treatise of it selfe,) but to make way to
shew y^e begining of this plantation, which is that I aime at; yet
because some of their adversaries did, upon y^e rumore of their
removall, cast out slanders against them, as if that state had been
wearie of them, & had rather driven them out (as y^e heathen historians
did faine of Moyses & y^e Isralits when they went out of Egipte), then
y^t it was their owne free choyse & motion, I will therfore mention a
perticuler or too to shew y^e contrary, and the good acceptation they
had in y^e place wher they lived. And first though many of them weer
poore, yet ther was none so poore, but if they were known to be of y^t
congregation, the _Dutch_ (either bakers or others) would trust them in
any reasonable matter when y^ey wanted money. Because they had found by
experience how carfull they were to keep their word, and saw them so
painfull & dilligente in their callings; yea, they would strive to gett
their custome, and to imploy them above others, in their worke, for
their honestie & diligence.

Againe; y^e magistrats of y^e citie, aboute y^e time of their coming
away, or a litle before, in y^e publick place of justice, gave this
comendable testemoney of them, in y^e reproofe of the Wallons, who were
of y^e French church in y^t citie. These English, said they, have lived
amongst us now this 12. years, and yet we never had any sute or
accusation came against any of them; but your strifs & quarels are
continuall, &c. In these times allso were y^e great troubls raised by
y^e Arminians, who, as they greatly mollested y^e whole state, so this
citie in particuler, in which was y^e cheefe universitie; so as ther
were dayly & hote disputs in y^e schooles ther aboute; and as y^he
studients & other lerned were devided in their oppinions hearin, so were
y^e 2. proffessors or devinitie readers them selves; the one daly
teaching for it, y^e other against it. Which grew to that pass, that few
of the discipls of y^e one would hear y^e other teach. But M^r.
Robinson, though he taught thrise a weeke him selfe, & write sundrie
books, besids his manyfould pains otherwise, yet he went constantly [15]
to hear