Conclusion
Brewster’s death in 1644 marked a landmark in the history of the colony. At that time the English Civil Wars (or Puritan Revolution) had begun and William Bradford and others hoped that the small beginning of reform offered by Plymouth might lead to a transformation of not only New England but the mother country as well. But there were debates over that New England Way in the colonies, with a slow movement toward shifting authority from ordinary believers to clerical leaders, and from individual congregations to some form of synods or clerical councils. The practice of prophesying was criticized by many clergy. There were debates about the extent that different views should be tolerated. As he neared the end of his life William Bradford composed dialogues in which he explained the core values that the founders of Plymouth had upheld.