Life was difficult for Puritan Separatists, who wanted to separate
from the established church. They were imprisoned and their houses
were watched day and night for illegal meetings. In 1620, after
trying Holland and when there was a depression in England, a few
Puritan Separatists, along with other pilgrims, left for Virginia
in the Mayflower, but landed in New England and founded Plymouth
Colony. They were led by William Bradford and William Brewster,
their spiritual leader. They planted fields and made friends with
the Indians. In 1621, they secured a patent to the merchants and
planters together for a voluntary joint-stock company in New
England. Later, it became the self-governing Massachusetts Bay
Colony.
The canons of the church of 1604 provided for excommunication for
anyone who propounded that the king did not have the same
authority in ecclesiastical matters as the godly kings among the
Jews and Christian emperors in the primitive church, that the
Church of England was not a true and apostolic church, that
worship according the Book of Common prayer and administration of
sacraments was corrupt or superstitious, or that other methods of
the church were wicked, unchristian, or superstitious.
Church sanctuary was abolished for those accused of criminal
offenses because it had been abused by thieves paying their rent
by thieving at night. It remained available to those accused of
civil offenses.
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