A Puritan View of the Migration to New England^*

Edward Johnson, an artisan born in Canterbury, England, migrated to Boston in 1630. Ten years later he helped to found Woburn, Massachusetts, and remained one of its leading citizens. His history of early Massachusetts, entitled Wonder-Working Providence of Sions Saviour in New England, was published in London in 1654. Thomas Shepard, whose escape to New England Johnson described in this excerpt, was a minister being sought by English authorities because of his outspoken Puritan convictions.

When England began to decline in Religion...and instead of purging out Popery, a farther compliance was sought not onely in vaine Idolatrous Ceremonies, but also in prophaning the Sabbath...in so much that the multitude of irreligious lascivious and popish affected persons spred the whole land like Grashoppers, in this very time Christ the glorious King of his Churches, raises an Army out of our English Nation for freeing his people from their long servitude under usurping Prelacy; and because every corner of England was filled with the fury of militant adversaries, Christ creates a New England to muster up the first of his Force in; Whose low condition, little number, and remotenesse of place made these adversaries triumph...but in this hight of their pride the Lord Christ brought sudden, and unexpected destruction upon them. Thus have you a touch of the time when this worke began.

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Now my loving Reader, let mee lead thee by the hand to our Native Land...come with mee and behold the wonderous worke of Christ in preserving...that soule ravishing Minister Mr. Thomas Shepheard, who came this yeare to Yarmouth to ship for New England...in which time some persons eagerly hunting for Mr. Thomas Shepheard, began to plot (for apprehending him) with a Boy of sixteene or seventeene yeares of Age, who lived in the House where he Lodged to open the doore for them at a certaine houre in the night; But the Lord Christ, who is the Shepheard of Israel kept a more sure watch over his indeared servants, for thus it befell, the sweet words of grace falling from the lips of this Reverend and godly Mr. Thomas Shepheard in the hearing of the Boy (the Lords working withall) hee was perswaded this was an holy man of God, and therefore...with teares hee tells that on such a night hee had agreed to let in Men to apprehend the godly Preacher... [Shepheard], with the help of some well-affected persons was convay'd away...through a back Lane.

But the Lord Christ intending to make his New England Souldiers the very wonder of this Age, brought [Shepheard] into greater straites, that this Wonder working Providence might the more appeare in his deliverance, for comming a shipboard...in little time after they were tossed and sore beaten with a contrary winde...the Master, and other Sea men made a strange construction of the sore storme they met withall, saying, their Ship was bewitched, and therefore made use of the common Charme ignorant people use, nailing two red hot horseshoos to their maine mast. But assuredly it was the Lord Christ, who hath command both of Winds and Seas, and now would have his people know he hath delivered, and will deliver from so great a death.

1			What evidence from these passages indicates that Johnson was a Puritan settler of Massachusetts Bay and not a Plymouth Pilgrim?
2			What was Johnson's view of England at the time of the Puritan exodus? What did he mean by "Popery"?
3			What is the significance of the date and place of publication of Johnson's history?
4			Why did Johnson include the story of the horseshoe charm in his history? What does this episode indicate about Puritan attitudes toward magic?
5			What was Johnson's main purpose in writing this history?