The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-29


. practice fashioned in a more winsome spirit
of kindness and love. They lived for each other
and their cause; they gave themselves to each
other and their cause.
For twelve years in Holland they held every
thing common to relieve distress and advance
the common cause and Bradford says that in
their first winter in this country there was q
time when there were but six or seven pers0ns
that were not sick, vet they spared no pains,
night or day, bur, with abundance of toll and
hazard of their own health, fetched the sick
wood, made them fires, dressed their meat, made
they had contracted scnrvy on shipboard-
clothed and unelothed them"-ln q
the soey and ESAs 9 or rbem
winch dainty and quea5y stOmachs cannot Ell
dure to be named. and all this willingly and
cbeerfnly without any grudging In the least,
showing herein their true love unto their friends
and brethren"
If these men had q creed, their lives were also
redolent of the flavor of loving works II you
say thar this is What they were among them
| selves, there is a testimony az TO what kind of
Deighbors and citizens they were among other
people. In Leyden, Bradford says: Though
many OF Them were poor, yet there were none so
poor bur il they were known to be OF the con-
greeatIon, the Dutch, either bakers or others,
would trust them in any reasonable matter
when they wanted money, because they had
found by experience how careful they were to
keep their word, ana saw them SO painful and
dIlfgent in their oAllngs; yea, they would
strive to get their custom and to employ them
above others in their work for their honesty and
diligence. Again, the magistrates OF the city,
about the time of their coming away, a
little before, IN the public place of lnstIre gave
this cpmmendable testimony of them, in the re-
proof OF the WalloOns, who were OF tho French
church In that city "Fhese ENGLISH" said they,
nave lived among us now these twelve years,
and yet we never had any suit or accusation
come againt any OF them. But your striFes and
quarres are continual"
The Impression is broadly prevalent that these
PHgrim Fathers were harsh and unrelenting to-
ward sin and crime-toward everything that did
not come up to their own standard of morals.
Take single instance Dit is only one of many that
might be adducedl, showing how utterly unjust
any such impression is: In June of their first
year two servants fight a duel, each w0undiug
the other. The whole company sit on their case
and adjudge them to have their heads and feet
tied together and 80 TO lie for twenty -four hours
without meat and drink-not a very severe pun
ishment, anyway, and certainly the most prac-
tically just form of punishment for dueling that
was ever invented. This method of punishment
is TO be commended to the Legislators of the
southern States as way OF eradicatng duellug.
But Bradford says that within honr upon
their request, with promise of better carriage,
and because they were pain iprobably from
their wounds), they were released by the Gov
arnor. They were not only lenient in their pun
ishment of Dad manners and morals above all
men CT their time, hut equally with any men
Of any Subsequent time.
That they were tolerant, take this fact as evil
dence; Jesuit priest from Canada spent with
them the winter of their second year ia this
country. They gave him room, and provided
him with candles for his dev0tiOns during his
stay with them. The liberty they asked for
themselves they cordially gave to others.
AS study the Pilgrims, | am astOnished at
their breadth Of view Look IN ON the language
of that first church covenant drawn mp in 1906,
probably by Robinson, wherein, it's language
runs, they ''jOynel themselves by a covenant
IN the Lord into a church estate in the fellow
shin of the GOSPEL 10 walk in all mis- WAYS made
known or TO be made known" and you have q
rare instance exhibiting modesty present
possession, and courage and hope for the
future struggling together for express
sion, and both happily accomplished.
Wonderful among great men was
That Old pastor, John Robinson. The colony Of
Massachusetts, Bay only verified his prediction.
He SAID that when non con formists got ont of
the kingdom they would have to commence the
practice of separatsu principles, and 80 they did
You familiar with the tenor of that parting
address at Deft Haven, how he exhorted his
flock to be on the alert Tor trutn. "It ia not
possible SAID he "that tho Christian world
should have come so lately ont of snch thick
anti-Christian darkness, and that full perfection
should break forth mt once"
Brave and true John Robinson, always help
full, always hopeful of THAI sweet spirit which
grows more Tolerant rs il older grows.
There is almost always something traglcally
sad pertaining to the great leaders OF mum
Thought. Moses was not permitted to see the
promised land, and the place of his sepulchre
10 man khoweth. Robin son never set foot in
the colony he did so much to found. Forty
wears after the death OF John Wicklife,
they came high officials of the
Church OF Rome; chancellor, proctor,
doci Or, commissaTy and all, ana dug up his
bones and cast them into the Swift, brook
hard 10y tnat runs INFO the Avon.
'"The Avon to the Severn runs
The Severn to the Sea,
And Wlckhffe's dust is spread abroad,
Wide as the waters be-"
When John Robinson died in I,eyden In the
year 1928, his congregation, now reduced by the
large number that had gone to Plymouth, were
too poor To buy a grave in fee simple for him.
he was buried in a leased grave the n gnt OF
occupancy Of which expired in seven yPacs, and
SO his dust who stood godfather 10 an enter
prise that more than any other has given tone to
the civilization of the American continent u nd
through that has reacted upon the whole world,
has been tossed to the four winds of heaven,
and so
tan emblem yields,
How the bold teachers doctrine, sauetihed
dispersed"
The Pilgrim Fathers not only had principles
but they priced them enough to make sacrifices
for them. And they sacrificed not only some
thing but all for them. They gave their property
and themselves all to Freedom and 20 God. We
can never fully appreciate the earnest hercism of
those men. Their WORK was not done at once,
under the pressure of excitement. They looked
forward to toll aud suffering with a calm and
calculating eye They planned for it as a life.
work, and they entered into 1t IN their youth
and continued in it till they died. We shall the
moro fully enter into sympathy with those
Plymouth eOonists il We remember what they
endured before they came to Plymouth.
As early as 16O7-S they tried To escape from
England that they might form church to their
own liking in Holland. Many OF them ahan-
dOned real estate and other property of
value. The master of q vessel that
was to carry one party over to
Holland delivered them up to the searchers
and other officers, who took away from them the
little effects they had and then cast them into
prison.
On another occasion % party of them embark
ing, the shipmaster, alarmed by the appearance
of an armed force, put off TO with whoever
happened to he on board. Families were sepa-
rated, husbands from wives, parents from chill
dren. Wives and children thus fOrcihly
left beh1ud without money change of cloth
ing. "Pitiful" says Bradford, 'I5 to see
the heavy case of these poor women in this dis
tress. What weeping and crying on every eide
some for their husbands that had beer carried
away on the ship; others not knowing what
should become of them and their little ones;
Others melted in tears, seeing their poor little
ones hanging abOut them, crying with fear and
qua6ing with cold" So it was that they got out
of England. | do not think it is generally real
lied that the history of Acadia, from whence
came the story of Evangeline, was exactly par
aleed in the OF the Pilgrim Fathers. And
now see what is before theru Remember that