Excerpt from Ecclesiastical History of New England, Vol. 1: Comprising Not Only Religious, but Also Moral, and Other Relations The human race are instruments, as well as free agents, in the hands of their Creator, to help carry out his perfect plan, relative to this world, which he has made, and to the moral uni verse which he has established. To the perception of mankind, clouds and darkness rest upon his purposes, while these, in his view, are surrounded with light inexpressible. Having made trial among Europeans, as to the various parts they would act in reference to the kingdom of his Son, he excites among them a spirit of inquiry and resolution for the discovery of new countries and a western route to the East Tu dies. Thus setting men in motion to accomplish so important an object, he enables them to reach America. Here, as we have cause to believe, he has ever intended to exercise the attributes of his perfection for the triumph of Protestant Christianity, and thus greatly contribute to the temporal and spiritual liberty of the whole earth. As preparatory to this desirable and momentous end, he has controlled agencies and events, from one period to another, like an infinite Being, with whom a thousand years are as one day. After conducting navigators to various portions of our continent, near and afar off, he selected New England for colonists who had suffered for the principles of the gospel; commendably. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.