Hello all newcomers. I would welcome each of you to our
small town. We thought it might be well if we let you know about things and how
they run around here that there might be little upset, and confusion. We’re a
good group of God-fearing people here and we lead plain and hardworking lives
to the best of our own abilities that we might thwart the Devil’s ways of
deceit and vanity. We don’t allow for no finery allowed in the churches back in
England: singing, dancing and their lacy attire aren’t permitted. We wear
simple clothes, and lead simple lifestyles. We respect all of the Lord’s
commandments closely here, and expect nothing other from everyone else. As
might be expected we keep those that we might send out during the day to watch
the proceedings and guard that the peace is kept and things are going as they
ought. We keep a sturdy, well looked after church, full with minister and mass
every Sunday, which we expect to be respected and kept. The people with which
we be wanting to expand our village need to leave the wiles and temptations of
the Devil behind them when they enter those village limits. I might remind you
all of the Ten Commandments, to which we adhere with a firm hand and the fear
of God upon our hearts:
1. Thou shalt not kill.
2. 2. Thou shalt not steal.
3. 3. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.
4. 4. Nor make unto thee any graven image.
5. 5. Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.
6. 6. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
7. 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9. Thou shalt honor thy mother and thy father.
10. Thou shalt not bear any false witness.
To these we are committed most basically
among other rules which we also keep. Here we have built a community where our
women are pure, our men are hardworking, and all are obedient to God. I’ve been
told to welcome you and tell you a bit about ourselves today. All you see
before you, every last one of us made the arduous journey from England that we
might have more structure in our church and worship. We were disgusted with the
finery and drama unashamedly celebrated in a place that was said to be the
Lord’s. Here we were afflicted by hardship: starvation, disease, and a climate
we knew nothing of, and yet still we were relieved. Here we were free from
persecution by that church and free to truly do the Lord God justice; to hold
him up in the reverence he deserved. We worked and supported one another as a
community. We learned to grow strange crops unknown to us, and live off of
them. We learned to defend ourselves against the Indians that were hostile and
threatened the lives of our people. Many hardships have come upon us in this
new land, but still we feel now most blessed and free. Through our hard work
and perseverance we have discovered that which is our own promised land. With
more people will come more work, but also more hands with which to do that same
work. Today I see all you before us, those who have also made the trip we made
also. Whether you only recently arrived in this colony or you have been here
awhile and only just come to our village we welcome you. For the newest of you
we will teach those that need it how to plant the strange crops of this land
and harvest them. Every member of the village puts their fair share of work in.
We work on strict principle, and as best we can. For every useful trade there
is a place and a use or need, and therefore for every need we welcome those
that might fill it. There is no room here for those that are slothful,
slovenly, or unhelpful in spirit, as they would only hinder those workings of
the Lord, but there is always room for the righteous in this place of God. Let
us extend our welcome to your tired number whom we know must be hardworking and
healthy in constitution to have survived this trying journey and new land. To
God’s glory may the work on this blessed land be. With your number we hope to
form a colony with common religion, morals of compassion and plainness, and a
great love of God. Among the number that came to this new colony were a great
many who felt the trip was an escape. A religious escape which therefore
permitted them to worship in new ways. We were of this number. Some of these
felt the way to improve their worship was by further dramatization. They
believe in dramatic displays of emotion and laughter, loud and altogether
unserious worship. We are the other group that took the daring trip. We believe
in the opposite method of purifying and simplifying the worship within our
church. In our village we believe that the singing, dancing, and showy and
flashy forms of worship do nothing to glorify God whatsoever. We believe in
solemn, quiet worship here. We believe that in living simpler, plainer, and
working hard on God’s blessed green Earth we are then allowing the glory to go
to God as it rightfully should. Welcome to our village. Here you’ll be part of
a righteous community, that you might live and raise your families in the
knowledge and solemn loving worship and following of God. Here our neighbors
and influences are Godly ones. Here our lifestyles are focused on living in the
right and just pure way. Come; let us all join together, that we might be one
community dedicated to the Lord.
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